I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 100: Red Riding Hood

“...Hypnosis? Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”

Once again, Eun-jung was rambling something out of the blue.

Come to think of it, she’s probably the one who says the weirdest stuff most often.

Why don’t you become Alice, then?

“It’s trending like crazy on Xtube!”

What she showed me was an Xtube Shorts video with nearly five million views.

It was one of those videos claiming to use real hypnotic methods—looping visual patterns supposedly designed to make the viewer feel dazed and spaced out.

“Oh yeah, I’ve seen that one. That toy thing where just looking at it makes you feel hazy.”

Kyung-min seemed to recognize the short too.

Something about it gave me a weird sense of déjà vu. As I rubbed my chin, a memory that had been buried away floated back to the surface.

I’d asked Carol once why she looked so busy, and she said some lunatic had uploaded ancient patterns excavated from ruins directly into a video, and tens of thousands of people had nearly fallen into hypnosis.

They neutralized the anomaly, so there was no actual harm, but apparently the residual video still existed. And now that I looked at it again, this one wasn’t even the original.

“That’s great and all... but why are you shoving it at me?”

“Because I want to raise Alice as my pet friend.”

There she goes again, deliberately saying something that’ll earn her a flick to the forehead just to bait a reaction.

But not this time!

I brushed off Eun-jung’s comment and replied,

“Haa... Hypnosis? There’s no way something like that would work on me. Well, putting that aside, I guess it can feel like hypnosis depending on the person.”

“Is it an occult thing?”

Yes and no.

The Organization had neutralized the anomaly by destroying the artifact containing the occult power at the ruins.

So, the hazy feeling wasn’t due to any demonic magic—it was just the visual pattern itself having an effect.

Still, the fact that the pattern came from ancient ruins made it... complicated.

I answered plainly.

“No. It’s just a kind of optical illusion. No magical effect.”

“I see... that makes it less exciting. Hmm... are there any of Alice’s entities that can use hypnosis?”

Realizing it wasn’t “true hypnosis,” Eun-jung asked another question.

Among the many entities that live inside the mirrors, quite a few do use hypnosis.

“Of course there are. Being forced to surrender your mind and body through hypnosis is an unspeakable kind of horror—there’s no way such a thing wouldn’t exist.”

“Let one out!”

“...? You really... have the weirdest taste, you know?”

I felt like some kind of Doraemon for weird entities, but at this point I was used to it.

I pulled a tiny being out of a handheld mirror.

It was humanoid, but with an oversized pair of eyes and a shrunken body. It swung a string with a coin at the end back and forth.

It didn’t like bright places, so it stayed in the shadows, peeking at us with a lewd little gaze.

“It’s a type that kidnaps kids. Hypnosis-type entities always look slimy and creepy. Well? Satisfied?”

“Hey...”

Without answering my question, Eun-jung tiptoed over to the entity and whispered something.

Except I could hear everything.

“Hey, I’ve got good ears, you know? I totally heard you ask it to hypnotize me into becoming your pet—”

“Fire!”

“BWAAH?!”

Something weird and beam-like shot out of the entity and smacked me square in the face.

I toppled backward with my chair.

What the—was the coin in its hand just decoration? Why is it shooting beams?!

Moments like these really reminded me that even I didn’t know everything about the mirror entities.

“It worked! Alice, you’re mine now! Let’s use your wings and escape school!”

“As if!”

Eun-jung was getting more unhinged by the day.

I jumped up and yelled at her.

But she didn’t care one bit and calmly said,

“Oh. It didn’t work.”

“Like I’d fall for a hypnosis from my own servant?! My head just hurts a bit, that’s all!”

“That’s too bad...”

The way she smacked her lips in disappointment instead of apologizing only made me angrier.

One day, I really am going to teach her a proper lesson.

“A shame? More like, how dare you obey her command over mine? Back to the mirror with you!”

I scolded the entity—not too harshly, though—my voice softening despite myself.

Guess I’m not the only one who sees the kids as friends.

I was just wondering how to get back at Eun-jung for her increasingly ridiculous pranks when—

Clatter.

The clubroom door opened.

Soo-ho and Ha-rim walked in.

Had they gone to feed those guys again?

Once a day would’ve been plenty, but they insisted on doing it three times a day.

They really did treat them like pets.

If they saw what those beings really were, there’s no way they’d see them as cute and cuddly—but as long as they were having fun, I supposed it was fine.

They did look like creatures straight out of a lion–unicorn hybrid, so their reactions weren’t that surprising.

“You fed them, huh? You didn’t let them be together, did you? If those two meet, they’ll definitely try to kill each other. If that happens, you’ll have to start raising them from scratch.”

“Of course we didn’t. By the way... Eun-jung, were you messing with Alice again?”

I nodded before Eun-jung could even answer.

I even pouted a bit for effect, prompting Ha-rim to say:

“Just get revenge with one of the entities.”

“Nah. A flick to the forehead is enough.”

“Ow!”

“She’s only getting worse [N O V E L I G H T] because you go easy on her!”

Ignoring Soo-ho’s grumbling as I lightly rubbed the spot I’d hit, I knew she liked to mess around more when she got reactions out of people.

In a way, it was just like the behavior of the entities who enjoyed scaring humans.

Knowing exactly what she wanted and trying to ignore her was even harder.

“Hmm...”

“What are you thinking, Ha-rim?”

Ha-rim stared at me and then casually asked:

“Alice, are you immune to hypnosis?”

“Of course. My mind is structured differently. If hypnosis is an intrusion, then I’ve got a solid defensive wall.”

“So manipulating habits or behaviors doesn’t count as hypnosis in your book, huh.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well... Alice, you’ve been staying awake through every class lately.”

Why would she bring up something so random?

I tried to recall what happened whenever I tried to doze off in class.

During Korean class, when I got sleepy, Ha-rim would pass me some sweet snacks.

During math, just as my eyelids got heavy, she’d hand me folded paper cranes, slap games, or slips of paper with quiz questions.

During science, her academic zeal would kick in and she’d keep raising her hand to ask or answer questions every time I tried to put my head down...

“...Wait.”

Ha-rim pulled out a notebook—not her usual diary, but a different one—and opened it up for me.

“Ta-da!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Mm...?”

The notebook was filled with something resembling experiment logs.

[[ Feeding tired Alice 3–4 chocolates per hour

(Too much makes her fall asleep instead)

Seems to prefer food-related quiz games.

Only stays awake on her own as lunch approaches.

If she has a favorite lunch menu, notify her in advance to keep her awake all 4 periods.

She’s good at sensing the teacher’s gaze, so try waking her by calling on her during class.

She’ll wake up if she returns from the bathroom—try giving her lots of water.

(For some reason, even after drinking 5 liters, Alice doesn’t go to the bathroom.)

FAILURE!

By day 7, effects start to show.

Now even the rustle of a snack wrapper is enough to wake Alice. ...(omitted)...

Day 20

Alice no longer falls asleep during class! Experiment successful!]]

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Why are you running experiments on my body?!”

“What? I thought you already knew?”

I didn’t! And how could I? You guys are always doing weird stuff, so I figured it was probably nothing.

If I’d realized you were straight-up training me like a pet, I would’ve snatched that notebook on the spot!

Just as I was standing up to yank Ha-rim’s cheek, Kyung-min grabbed my shoulder and held me back.

“...Alice, you really need to stay on guard more. That’s the thing—every now and then, when you're out chasing weird monsters, you’ll take hits for no reason. You say you’re immune to psychic attacks and all, but watching from the sidelines, it’s terrifying.”

“Why am I the one getting scolded all of a sudden?”

“Even if it’s not full-blown hypnosis, you should still be careful about things like subtle suggestions or behavior conditioning.”

Ha-rim shut the notebook with a snap and quickly stuffed it into her bag.

Guess she knew I’d try to snatch it. ...So quick to catch on!

“Wait, wait, wait—how come I, the one being conditioned, get no sympathy points?”

“You do let yourself get pushed around pretty easily, Alice.”

“Huh? So this is my fault?!”

Is the victim always the one to blame?

I looked around at the kids, still hoping someone might express even a little empathy—but all I got was cold indifference.

“I’m going to run some more experiments to keep you alert from now on. It’s all for your own good, Alice.”

“...Uh...right. Okay...”

That stung a bit.

-----

“—So yeah, that happened.”

“Just two days ago, you were giving this grand speech about the Dominator called Freeman, and now you're telling me stories like that? Hearing this kind of normal conversation feels... strange somehow. But anyway, Alice is weak to hypnosis. Noted—I’ll jot that down.”

“HEY!!! If you so much as try anything, I’ll flip everything upside down!”

As usual, I was hanging out with Carol again.

We’d gotten pretty close lately.

As a half-joke, half-warning, I summoned a few truly terrifying entities in front of her.

“Whoa! Mind putting those away?! They’re scary in a normal way!”

Sigh...

After I returned the entities, Carol seemed to remember something she’d always been curious about and asked me a question.

“These beings... they don’t kill people, right? I mean, I know you’re keeping them in check, Alice, but still...”

“You’re asking if I can guarantee they won’t hurt anyone even when I’m not watching, right?

If that’s your concern, don’t worry too much. Even if they’re entities of fear, they’re still ‘Servants of Play.’ They’re not out to kill people.”

“...Servants of Play?”

She gave me a baffled look.

Well, they certainly don’t look the part—

Carol clearly wasn’t the type to enjoy horror games or movies.

Kind of amazing that she’s able to work at the Organization surrounded by so many horrors.

“Carol, why do you think people watch horror movies or play horror games?”

“Like a rollercoaster, maybe? To simulate danger in life and get a rush? I don’t get it myself, though.”

“Exactly. These beings are ‘Servants of Play.’

If a monster were to actually crawl out of a game screen, it would stop being a game.

For it to remain a game, there’s a condition that must never be violated: no one dies. Once that’s broken, it’s no longer play.”

Carol listened in silence.

“If these entities really started killing people, we couldn’t call it play anymore. So, as long as they’re under me, I’d like you to focus on their essence more than their appearance or personality—and trust them, even just a little.”

...That said,

Even if they don’t intend to kill, it could still happen by accident.

A heart attack... or stepping on someone without realizing...

They’re not the brightest bunch either, so I always feel a little uneasy.

That’s why I occasionally assign the more docile and observant entities to keep an eye on things.

Still, I worry about the ones I’ve stationed outside.

So every night, I climb back into the mirror and lead them in a chant:

“LOVE SAFETY! LOVE LIFE! LOVE HUMANS!”

They’re a handful, but I don’t hate them.

Because—

“They’re bizarre but fun... little jokes come to life. Don’t be too hard on them.”

Carol’s shoulder twitched slightly.

...Or did I imagine that?

[Haven’t you figured it out yet, Carol? The world is the funniest joke of all! So don’t hate it too much.]

“...I see.”

Carol sat quietly for a moment, a dazed expression on her face.

She looked like a full-grown adult who had suddenly caught the scent of something nostalgic on a quiet walk.

That side of her felt strangely out of place.

“You’re zoning out. Who’s under hypnosis now, huh?”

“Pfft, like that’s possible.”

When I teased her for not paying attention, she shot back playfully.

“I heard you got summoned by the higher-ups after the Machine God incident—you did bring Peter Pan out, after all. What if they brainwashed you back then to keep you from making trouble again~?”

Huh? Now that you mention it, the punishment was kind of light... Is that actually suspicious?

“...”

As I stared off, deep in thought, Carol panicked like someone who didn’t really trust the Organization either.

“W-What?! There’s no way! Please stop saying creepy stuff like that!”

...That assistant she always has with her.

Did they always look like that?

I turned to glance at the aide beside her.

Their face was shadowed by a hat, hard to make out—but something about their aura caught my eye.

I don’t remember any agent from the Beta Division giving off that kind of vibe...

...Nah, it can’t be.

“I’m kidding. Just kidding. You’re such a scaredy-cat.”

“And you’ve got no sense of fear, Alice.”

“Hm?”

What the hell is she talking about now?

“You didn’t seriously think no one would notice you scattering entities all over the country, did you? Korea’s anomalous activity levels are abnormally high, you know.”

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Ah. Crap. I’ve been found out.

“Hmmm... So you can track things like that. I was wondering why you kept asking about the entities...”

“That’s because my Base Zero exists within the realm of dreams—wait, no. What the hell were you thinking? Even those creatures the kids are raising seem to be part of it.”

She must’ve been referring to the lion and unicorn-like entities the kids were keeping.

...Guess they’ve been keeping a better eye on things than I gave them credit for.

But hey—where were they when Freeman showed up, huh?

“...Sorry I didn’t tell you. But this is something that has to be done. The Dominators... they’re way more dangerous than we thought. I’m just preparing for the worst-case scenario.”

There were two reasons I’d been scattering entities across the country.

First, by spreading my familiars, I was expanding my domain.

Once I’ve laid down territory, it suppresses the influence of other anomalous creatures. Even those with dangerous properties could be subdued more easily under my influence.

It could even serve as a countermeasure against Dominators like Freeman who generate their own territory.

Second, it’s for the creation of special entities.

To summon them, specific conditions are required.

And the only things capable of manipulating those conditions are, naturally, other entities. If I scale things up, I can quickly build an environment to trigger those conditions—sacrificing pre-prepared entities as needed.

“Hmm... If you say so, Alice, I guess I’ll take your word for it. But honestly, it’s more unsettling that the higher-ups haven’t done anything. It’s like I’m worried for them.”

Hard to tell if the higher-ups are just useless... or hiding some master plan. So I’ll just ignore them for now.

If they’re turning a blind eye, maybe that’s a sign they think it’s fine.

“It’s kind of sad not knowing exactly what you’re planning, though.”

“Huh? What’s sad about it?”

“Just that you probably won’t get to use it all anytime soon. Anyway, here—this is a request from up top.”

A request, huh? It’s been a while since one of those came through.

Are we dealing with another Dominator like the Machine God?

I tensed, waiting for Carol to read it out loud—and the name surprised me.

“...They want me to neutralize [Red Riding Hood]?”

One of the Story’s Demons.

Me. Peter Pan. Ariel. Jack. Pinocchio. Red Riding Hood. (The last one’s identity still unknown.)

There are seven in total.

If I meet Red Riding Hood, that’ll make six. Only one left.

Red Riding Hood was one I’d heard about even back during the Ella era.

She’s dangerous—on the same level as Peter Pan, who turned tens of thousands of people into wolves and entire cities into forests.

“James was dispatched there.

...And that’s where he disappeared, too.”

“...Tch.”

“I’m sorry. I told you he’d come back, but it ended like this.”

James isn’t someone who needs me to protect him.

He’s an adult willing to take on danger and face it head-on.

So I don’t even have a reason to blame Carol.

“The location is Troyes, in France. The city’s already overrun with wolves and trees. Please... stop Red Riding Hood.”

“All right. I’ll go. This time, too.”

And so, the next day, I left for Troyes.

The kids had school, so I’d summon them quietly when the time was right.

+ The Unicorn and the Lion