I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 76: Entangled Threads and the Approaching Calamity

Shin Ha-rim woke up, bathed in the gentle morning sunlight.

Something felt different today.

There was an unusual atmosphere in the air.

A sense that something big was about to happen.

No, not just big—something ominous and terrifying.

Unsettled by the feeling, Ha-rim decided to search for something she could use as a good luck charm.

She rummaged through her drawer.

“This should do.”

What she pulled out was a flower necklace, crafted with thread and various materials.

Five red flower necklaces.

They carried a strange sense of longing.

She was certain she had made them herself, sewing each one with care—yet she had no memory of doing so.

It was odd.

She figured she must have intended to give them to her friends—Soo-ho, Eun-jung, and Kyung-min.

Perhaps as a symbol of their shared membership in the Mystery Exploration Club.

“Now that I look at them... they’re all a little different in style.”

Two of them were identical, but the rest had distinct designs.

Had they made them together?

She wasn’t sure.

“...Why are there five?”

That was the strangest part.

Even counting herself, she only needed four.

Why had she made an extra one?

It wasn’t like making them was easy—it took time and effort.

There was no reason to go through the trouble of making an extra.

...And then, Ha-rim thought of Alice.

They hadn’t known each other for long, but Alice already felt like an irreplaceable friend.

Yes.

The last necklace would be for Alice.

That thought filled her with more joy than confusion.

Ha-rim tucked all five necklaces into her skirt pocket.

Would Alice be happy to receive it?

She couldn’t wait to see her.

Alice was special.

She was beautiful, and she was amazing!

-----

I warily eyed the priest standing before me.

Of course, I did.

I was a demon.

And he was a clergyman who wielded holy power.

Even before I came into existence, demons and priests had always been natural enemies.

I wondered if he would suddenly swing that cross around his neck and try to beat me with it.

“Since you’ve come looking for me, I assume you already know who I am.”

“Of course.”

A man with gray hair and eyes that never fully opened.

A middle-aged priest with a warm expression.

He was dressed in a black clerical robe, standing tall without any apparent openings in his stance.

“And yet, you’re asking for a conversation?”

As if expecting the question, the priest answered without hesitation.

“Yes. You are, without a doubt, a demon.

However, we are aware that you are different from the ones we fight against.

We need your strength.

The so-called Machine God is a nuisance to the church as well.”

So, the church was also hostile toward the Dominator.

It made sense.

No human would embrace chaos so willingly.

They had their own order to maintain, and their goal was to protect humanity—even if it ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) meant working with a demon.

A priest and a demon forming an alliance... now that was an amusing dynamic.

“I appreciate the recognition. Alright. Why do you think I’d be of any help?”

“Because you were the first to destroy the Machine God’s stage.”

“Hmm.”

Destroying that stage...

Honestly, even I hadn’t fully grasped why I did it.

It had been instinct. Something fundamental and deeply ingrained.

That raw, unfiltered impulse sometimes put me in difficult situations...

“The Dominators are beings that overpower most anomalous entities.

The fact that you managed to pull it off means you have the strength we need.”

“That’s true.”

As I nodded, the priest led me to a nearby park.

He casually sat down on a dirty bench.

I took a seat beside him.

His easygoing nature was oddly out of place with his elaborate clothing.

“I should introduce myself. My name is Grey Fox. I am but a humble servant of God.”

“The archer priest... he’s not here, huh?”

“You remember him.”

“Well, he gave off a strong sense of intimidation.

So? What is it you want to tell me?

I’m already affiliated with the Organization.

If the Machine God appears, I’m going to stop it—whether by choice or obligation.

I don’t need you to ask me for that.”

That much was obvious.

Whether they encouraged me or tried to stop me, I was going to fight the Machine God.

It was inevitable.

Which meant their request for cooperation was unnecessary.

There had to be another reason for them to approach me.

I narrowed my eyes.

Grey Fox smiled.

“We are aware.

First, we simply wanted to inform you that if we interfere in the battle, you need not see us as a threat.

And second... we have a proposal.”

“I’ve been getting a lot of proposals lately.”

“Would you be interested in joining a trustworthy organization?”

“...”

This again.

Last time, it was the Fairy Tail Tea Party.

I gestured for him to keep talking.

“As you must know, this world is overflowing with chaos.

The Organization’s web has long since failed to contain it.

Demons and anomalous entities run rampant.

So tell me—who do you think is most suited to protecting the people you care about?”

I frowned.

That was too obviously a baited question.

Like telling a girl with a boyfriend, ‘I can treat you better than he can!’

...And now that I imagined myself in that scenario, I felt weird.

“In my opinion, the best choice would be to rely on the most powerful organization.

Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hmm. Think of it this way—between a large organization and a smaller one, which do you think prioritizes efficiency more?”

“...?”

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

“The bigger an organization gets, the more it prioritizes profit.

There are too many people for them to care about individual circumstances.

They will naturally begin to focus on efficiency above all else.

So, if you ever decide to leave, who do you think will be the biggest danger to you?”

My frown deepened.

I felt something... bubbling up inside me.

“...That sounds like you’re trying to turn me against them.”

“Feel free to think so.

But tell me—can you really deny that efficiency will always be their top priority?”

“...”

To be honest... he wasn’t wrong.

The Organization would do anything to protect humanity.

And the more dire the situation became, the more they would lean on efficiency.

For now, things were stable... but later, they could start forcing me into things I didn’t want to do.

“How much influence do you think Carol has to block orders from the higher-ups?

She’s unusually lenient with you—but do you think the Organization’s true leaders would be the same?

We, on the other hand, possess the power to suppress demons and control anomalies with divine energy.

That makes us an equal force, not just a subordinate one.

Would you rather remain imprisoned as a pawn, following orders?

Or would you prefer to engage in direct, meaningful negotiations—even with a smaller organization?

As religious figures, we do not blindly chase efficiency like they do.

So, Alice...

Would you consider joining us?”

“Uh... huh?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Grey Fox spoke passionately, his voice unwavering.

Then, for the first time, he opened his eyes.

And suddenly, something felt off.

A strange, tingling sensation crawled over me, leaving me feeling dazed and unfocused.

The moment I showed an unusual reaction, he quickly closed one eye and spoke hurriedly.

“Ha-rim. Eun-jung. Soo-ho. Kyung-min. Those are their names, correct?”

“...How do you know that?”

The priest smiled at my response.

Thinking about it, it was obvious.

“How could I not know? I’ve seen you spending time with them.”

“...”

If he knew I attended this school, then of course he would know about the kids.

I shut my mouth.

“Holy power suppresses anomalous entities.

Unlike the Organization, which only acts after disasters occur, we can provide preventative measures.

Imagine an anomaly—no, a demon—that turns people into wolves.

Would the Organization be able to stop it?

Would they be able to reverse it?

No. They’d simply imprison the wolves.

But we can.

We can heal wounds. We can block attacks. Different types of divine power can achieve different miracles.”

“...Oh... Yeah...”

Something still felt strange.

I didn’t feel as bad as before, but my mind was still sluggish.

A clear bell chime rang from his wristwatch.

The sound made my senses waver again.

Realizing something, the priest quickly fiddled with his watch and stopped it.

“Now, Alice. Nod for me.

You need to think about the children.

They are too fragile to stand by your side.

Your power is too great, and your enemies are far too strong.

They deserve the safety and comfort of God’s protection.”

He suddenly flicked a lighter open.

I found myself staring at the flickering flame.

“That makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“You must protect them.

You have to.

They must never be harmed.

One careless mistake, one moment of inaction...

That’s all it takes for them to be taken from you.”

“...That’s true.”

I nodded.

“Of course, I’m not asking you to leave the Organization right away.

All I ask is that you trust us to protect the ones you care about.

Give us a chance, Alice.

The most virtuous of demons.”

Clap!

He suddenly clapped his hands.

The fog in my head cleared.

I looked at him in confusion.

But he simply smiled, his eyes shut once more.

“Huh? Ah... wow. That was... a bit much.”

I exhaled.

“Fine. If it means having more resources, I don’t mind.

But let’s be clear—I’m only accepting this because one of your nuns left a good impression on me.

Not because I fully trust you.”

“That is a great honor.”

I held out my hand, and the priest shook it firmly.

Then, I stood up.

I couldn’t be late for school.

Brushing off the dust on my skirt, I turned and walked away.

Grey Fox silently watched as Alice left.

A moment later, a man with faint scars around his neck approached.

It was Priest Leader Ginus.

He bowed respectfully to Grey Fox.

“...How did it go, Grey?

Did the brainwashing work?”

Grey Fox shook his head.

“No. Even in an unstable state, she’s still a demon that has reached the ranks of the transcendent.

She caught on quickly.”

“I see. Then we failed?”

“No. Subtle suggestions worked.”

“Then... it’s a success.”

“A small seed of doubt can crack the mind,

making it more vulnerable when the real impact arrives.

It’s a simple strategy,

but if it had failed, that would have been a problem.”

When hunting a powerful demon, one had to exploit its weak points.

Wounds needed to be inflicted.

And reopened.

The rule that stories and narratives gave birth to demons was an annoyance—but at times, it became their fatal flaw.

Grey Fox’s expression hardened.

He issued his next command.

“While she is still merely the demon of ‘Alice’...

Before she dares to become the heavens themselves...

Prepare the ‘Red Sacred Spear.’”

“Understood.

But... about her friends?”

“Hahaha.

They are key to this process.

Do not touch them until the time is right.

Not that we’ll have time to, anyway.”

Grey Fox looked up at the darkening sky and muttered:

“One after another, these grand events just keep happening.

And they’re coming faster than I expected.

Alright.

Proceed as planned.

Everyone, take your positions.”

He picked up his pace.

-----

“Alice isn’t here yet?”

Ha-rim tapped her fingers on her desk.

She had prepared a gift, and she wasn’t about to give it to anyone else.

Today, she really wanted to go out with Alice.

So, instead of her usual shorts, she had even decided to wear a new skirt—just like Eun-jung’s.

...Alice wasn’t going to be absent, was she?

“The sky’s looking gloomy.

I texted Alice, and she said she just overslept.”

Hearing Kyung-min’s words, Ha-rim sighed in relief.

“Oh? But I saw Alice walking off somewhere with some older guy.

Looked like a family member.”

“Really? Then why did she lie?”

“It’s a family matter.

Sometimes, it’s best to just not ask.”

At Ha-rim’s words, the others nodded in understanding.

Since Alice wasn’t skipping school, they decided to wait for her.

And then—

“Guys! Guys! Look at the sky!”

One of their classmates suddenly screamed.

“...Huh? What’s going on?”

“T-There’s a giant!

It’s coming down from the sky with ropes wrapped around it!”

“...!”

Shin Ha-rim rushed to the window.

It was real.

A colossal being hung in the stormy sky, its gaze fixed on something far away.

Even though it wasn’t looking at them, its overwhelming presence made Ha-rim’s body tremble.

“What the hell?!

Why are there weird vans in front of the school?”

“They’re setting up barricades...?”

Lowering her gaze, she saw people in matching uniforms stepping out of black vehicles, setting up barriers.

Some of them were running toward the school.

And then—

something monstrous

slammed into the barricades.

A grotesque fusion of flesh and metal.

“What are those things?!”

The students screamed.

Ha-rim could feel it—

Everything had changed in a matter of seconds.

A public announcement blared through the city:

[This is a real emergency.

Residents, follow the soldiers to the nearest shelter.

As long as you comply, you will remain safe.

I repeat—this is a real emergency.

Residents—]