I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 67: Cathedral

After parting ways with Ha-rim, I got into a plain black car.

It looked old yet strangely new at the same time.

It was one of the Agency’s standard vehicles, reinforced to withstand bombs and bullets—or so they claimed.

"Well, well~ It’s been a while, Alice!"

The woman driving the car was Carol.

Seated next to her was James.

I could understand James being here, but why was someone as high-ranking as Carol personally driving me?

I gave her a questioning look.

Carol caught my gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled brightly.

"Taking responsibility for Alice’s safe journey home... Feels like being a mom. It’s kinda nice."

"That’s the only reason?"

"That’s the only reason!... Or at least, that’s what I’d like to say. But there are certain unwanted figures roaming around you."

...Another anomalous entity?

Why did this area have so many of them?

Still, at least they didn’t seem to be targeting the kids directly.

I had assumed that, as the main characters of a horror game, Ha-rim and the others would always be dragged into the supernatural, but that didn’t seem to be the case this time.

Either way, I figured the Agency would eventually step in to handle things.

"Do you want me to take care of them? If they’re human, I won’t kill them."

"Nope."

Carol’s answer was unexpected.

"We’re just going to pass through safely."

She had mentioned that these figures shouldn’t be involved... Did that mean they were that dangerous?

I grew serious.

I carefully considered what mirror-dwelling horrors I could summon right now—ones that wouldn’t drag us into a mess but could still deliver maximum destruction.

The Beast of Gévaudan? Slender Man? Or maybe...

I focused harder.

For a brief moment, my energy leaked out just a little.

Carol’s eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh no, I see what you're thinking, but don’t—"

She never got to finish her sentence.

Because something attacked us.

—CRASH!

The car flipped over.

"Kyaaah!"

"Tch—!"

A dull impact, then the sound of the vehicle tumbling violently before finally smashing through the entrance of a building and coming to a halt.

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No matter how sturdy the car was, flipping like a turtle was unavoidable.

I peered through the cracked windshield at our attacker.

It had a cylindrical hammer-like head, an elongated and narrow body, and massive limbs to support its bizarre balance.

...The energy it radiated felt familiar.

Like the wolf from before.

Carol had said that wolf was a byproduct of a demon’s influence. Its classification had also been D-class.

I turned to Carol, who was still dazed from the impact.

"Is this... a demon?"

"Urgh—!"

"..."

Never mind.

She wasn’t in shock—she was motion sick from the car rolling over.

James tossed her a plastic bag before answering in her place.

"Yes. Hold on a moment. I’ll hold it off with my weapons."

"No need. It doesn’t seem that strong."

Its presence felt similar to the wolf.

Nothing that the Beast of Gévaudan couldn’t handle.

"That’s not what I meant! Absolutely DO NOT use your power!"

"Wait—?! Can you at least wipe your mouth before yelling in my face?!"

Carol’s desperate warning made me hesitate.

James, unfazed, hoisted both of us over his shoulders and hauled us out of the car.

"Cut the comedy routine. We need to move."

The moment we left the vehicle—

BOOM.

The car exploded.

The impact crushed the center of the vehicle, as if a massive hammer had driven a spike through it.

‘A spike’...?

"Looks like there's more than one."

I heard a fluttering sound behind us.

A winged creature with a long, slender body and a sharp, pointed head—

A spike, just like I suspected.

The Hammer Demon swung down at the Spike Demon, creating a shockwave that rippled toward us.

Sensing the invisible force, I signaled James.

James tossed Carol aside ( "WAAAH! So mean!" ) and used his anomalous gloves to counter the attack.

Something was off.

The force was decent, but its presence felt weak.

"Could they have evolved by fulfilling some kind of 'thematic requirement'?"

Like, their appearances matched their function, so they evolved accordingly?

"You have a good memory. That’s likely the case."

"Hmm... That would explain why they’re not talking to us."

Damn.

If they were just low-level demons who couldn’t speak, then they were no different from any other random anomalous creatures.

I sighed, disappointed.

I was hoping to learn something new about demons.

BANG!

James shot at the demons’ eyes, making them hesitate.

If they’d just let me handle this, we’d be done already...

"Support is coming soon. Act naturally."

Act naturally?

If allies were coming, why would I need to worry?

I didn’t have to wonder for long.

I spotted an arrow, glowing with holy power, soaring toward us.

I instantly thought of Maria’s cross.

And Maria was from...

"The Cathedral."

"Correct."

The Spike Demon, which had been flapping its wings, got pierced mid-air and crashed down.

SIZZLE.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

I could only imagine how painful it was.

James was right to tell me not to react.

Someone who wielded holy power would be my natural enemy.

"Uraaaagh—!"

As the Spike Demon thrashed and died, the Hammer Demon tried to break through a wall to escape.

But a priest in robes suddenly stepped out of an alleyway, raising a cross.

The demon froze, losing its escape route.

Then, another holy arrow struck from behind—

And the Hammer Demon was obliterated.

...I felt uneasy.

Maybe because I was a demon myself.

"So... this is the Cathedral?"

"That’s right."

A man with a bow, seemingly the leader, approached us.

James stepped in front of me, shielding me as he spoke first.

"Thank you for your assistance. I’m James, an Agent of the Organization."

"The Lord’s grace finds all who need it. I am High Priest Guinous. Are you both unharmed?"

He had a kind expression—but his scarred face and neck suggested a veteran who had fought demons for years.

Because of his height, he only noticed me a moment later.

His eyes blinked in surprise.

"There were three of you?"

He extended a hand toward me.

I hadn’t fallen—so why was he offering me a hand?

I hesitated but reached out—

"Thanks to you."

"!"

But before I could take it, Carol grabbed it first.

The clumsy Carol was gone.

In her place stood a serious, composed professional.

"Even the Agency finds itself in danger at times. We are grateful for the Lord’s protection."

"We’re more than grateful. We’ll be sure to compensate you accordingly."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"I never expected compensation, but I appreciate any help you can offer. Oh, and..."

The priest’s gaze locked onto me.

Sharp eyes. He was analyzing me.

I was a demon.

He was a priest.

If he discovered my true nature, things would become very, very bad for me.

I suppressed my energy, trying not to swallow nervously.

"That child must be frightened. May I have a word with her?"

I didn’t remember trembling...

...Wait.

Wouldn’t it be more suspicious if I wasn’t scared at all?

Did he sense something off about my reaction?

Before I could think too hard about it, Carol stepped in front of me, blocking his view.

"She’s not frightened. Because she’s also an anomalous being with strong combat abilities. A 'human' with unique powers, that is. We’re in the middle of transporting her, so I’d prefer if you didn’t approach her."

Carol’s stance was unyielding, even against the intimidating presence of a veteran exorcist.

For the first time, I realized—she deserved her high-ranking position.

"Your organization often mistakes demons for anomalous entities," the priest stated. "I understand that, from your perspective, they may seem similar. But demons are a different kind of threat. They must be eradicated."

"Ah. So what you really want is to confirm if she’s a demon, right?"

"A simple handshake would suffice."

He smiled gently, offering his hand.

But Carol coldly responded—

"That’s not happening."

The priest fell silent.

"There’s a reason she isn’t traveling with other agents. It’s because she’s unstable. Unless she’s accompanied by people like James and me, her abilities can spiral out of control."

"...Spiral out of control?"

It was a lie, of course.

Carol was making things up on the spot to get us out of this situation.

But considering how the Agency did contain beings that could accidentally cause catastrophic disasters, her claim wasn’t exactly far-fetched.

The Cathedral knew how unpredictable anomalous entities could be.

They couldn't outright dismiss Carol’s words.

"Yes. Uncontrollable. That’s why we didn’t assign unfamiliar agents to her. She’s not afraid, but that doesn’t mean she’s emotionally stable. So don’t make careless assumptions about her."

"I know demons well. And the more unstable something is, the more likely it is to be a demon."

"And I know anomalous entities better. Like this pen, for example."

Carol held up a pen.

It began to glow with a strange, mystical light.

...A pen that could alter reality?

If she could change wind into fire or turn a heartbeat into silence...

That was a terrifying ability.

The priest didn’t speak.

Carol leaned in and murmured—

"Step aside."

A moment of silence.

Then, the priest sighed.

"...I understand."

He backed off.

Carol waited until he was out of sight, glancing around to make sure we weren’t being watched.

Then, she exhaled deeply.

"That was close. Ugh, I’m exhausted."

The moment her composed facade dropped, she flopped onto me, whining.

"I worked so hard! Give me a kiss as a reward!"

I smacked her.

James, on the other hand, clapped approvingly.

"That was a display of authority fitting for your rank, Director Carol."

"Thanks! But if you ever throw me like that again, I won’t forgive you. I’ll sulk for at least a week."

"..."

She was so petty.

I turned my attention to the pen she had used earlier.

Something that could rewrite reality... That was incredibly powerful.

"That pen... Does it really have such an insane ability?"

Carol simply shook her head.

"Nope. I was bluffing. Look, all it does is write in the air."

She waved it around, and letters floated in midair.

"...I kinda want one."

After school, I lazed around in my containment cell.

At this point, it felt like home.

It wasn’t cramped or dirty, and the room was spacious.

I lay on my bed, scrolling through my phone, when James walked in.

"Are you enjoying school?"

"It reminds me of the past. It’s nice."

I nodded.

It wasn’t too boring, and being stuck inside all the time wasn’t ideal, anyway.

"So you used to sleep through class too, huh?"

"Ahaha..."

Wait.

Was he watching me during class?!

I laughed awkwardly.

"You seem to be getting close to those kids."

James sipped his coffee as he spoke.

He handed me another drink—hot cocoa.

I took a sip before responding.

"I’m trying to keep my distance, but when they ask me to join them, I just... can’t say no. Especially Ha-rim. Ugh, why am I so indecisive? I need to restrain myself."

"Why do you think you need to?"

He asked pointedly.

Not because of the Agency’s rules, but from my own perspective.

I hesitated.

Then, I found my answer.

"Because they might be in danger. They deserve to live peaceful, normal lives."

There were too many unknowns in this world.

It wasn’t like a game, where you could predict and plan.

Losing a friend to some random hazard would be devastating.

James nodded.

"I see. But as an adult, let me offer you some advice."

"Advice?"

"Just... follow your heart."

"..."

That sounded similar to what he said before—"Sometimes, it's okay to be foolish."

James believed that even if I acted recklessly, it was better to ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) stay true to myself.

"People get bored of everyday life," he continued. "That’s why they seek thrill rides or play survival games with fake guns. Even though they’d be terrified if they ever experienced the real thing."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing much. Just that if those kids enjoy encountering scary things, then maybe... letting them experience just enough to be 'fun' isn’t a bad thing. People naturally crave the extraordinary in their ordinary lives."

James was completely disregarding the Agency’s protocols.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you telling me not to erase their memories?"

"I never said that. But I’m only human—I might forget to check on them sometimes. And besides, the Agency isn’t so strict that it erases every minor supernatural encounter."

With that, James finished his coffee and left.

I watched his retreating figure before lying back down, deep in thought.

As James exited, he ran into Carol in the hallway.

She smiled at him.

"Did your talk go well? I’m glad you’re a good influence on Alice. She’s lonelier than she looks."

"...Did you eavesdrop?"

"Nope! But I can guess what you talked about."

She passed by him, then added—

"Keep it up."

James watched her go and muttered—

"...I can’t read her at all."

Meanwhile, just as I was about to start playing a game, my phone rang.

An unknown number.

Weird.

This phone was technically just for show—I hadn’t given my number to anyone.

Was it spam?

I answered.

"...Hello?"

"Hi, Alice!"

It was Ha-rim’s voice.

...Wait.

How did she get my number?!

"How do you know my number?"

"It was in the principal’s contact book!"

...So she broke into the principal’s office to find it.

"Ha-rim! Stop treating private information like a game object!"

I sighed.

I didn’t bother scolding her.

"So, what’s up?"

"Kyung-min’s acting weird. Do you think something’s going on?"

My heart sank.

"Weird how?"

I was already summoning a mirror, preparing for the worst.

"He keeps talking about this YouTube channel... something about Virtual YouTubers?"

"...?"