Chapter 8 – Cd-A-11(3)
Drag.
“…..”
Dragging…..
The left leg feels particularly heavy.
A sensation of being affected by unusual gravity.
My gaze turned to the source of that weight.
Whoa!!
A little one with bear ears on its head, clinging like a leech to my left leg.
…No, a ghost child.
『Don’t turn it off!』
『If you turn off the lights, you’re a bad person!』
“…..”
Ignore it.
Even if the left leg is a bit heavy… ignore it.
Once I extinguish the last candle, I can escape this wretched mansion.
Try desperately to ignore it.
Drag, drag… stop!
…?
For a moment, my left leg wouldn’t move.
I turned my gaze back to the source.
Thud!
The ghost child that was hanging onto my left leg was now grabbing the mansion’s pillar with their other arm.
…Pretty strong.
『D-don’t… turn off… the lights!』
“…Really, you’re something else.”
While the ghost child’s act of grabbing the pillar achieved its primary purpose of stopping my steps.
It’s only for a moment.
This one, though a ghost, has strength not much different from a human child.
For a simple example.
If I just put a little force into my left leg like this.
『Don’t turn off the light … ah!』
The hand that was holding the pillar is now just flailing in the air.
…Really.
What exactly is this one?
While they look exactly like a young child on the outside.
『No… this isn’t supposed to…』
Every time the little one moves their mouth, my head rings.
They’re definitely a ghost.
Without a doubt, a ghost.
On one hand, the possibility that this child might be the source of the [I Hate Darkness!] ghost story.
[Stop them! Bad person! Stop them!!]
Step, step, step, step!
Seeing how small friends rush at me all at once following the ghost child’s words.
‘… Seems like that might be right.’
Thump.
The bear dolls desperately clinging to my pant leg fell away too easily from the simple act of me taking a step.
Thud, thud.
“Ah!”
Watching the bear dolls fall helplessly and the ghost child holding back tears at the sight.
This makes me feel completely like…
[Bad person!]
Like I’ve become the bad guy.
‘…What is this, guilt?’
With an odd feeling like accidentally making a nephew cry while playing.
As I kept moving forward mindlessly.
Before I knew it, I had reached my final destination.
<Second Floor Library>
Here is where the last candle is.
Without wasting any more time, I reached for the doorknob.
Click-
As soon as I grabbed the doorknob and pushed inward.
Squeak-
A typical horror BGM.
The interior of the library was also well-decorated with a structure and design fitting a typical luxury mansion.
‘… Unlike that place. There’s a lot here.’
Unlike that library I know.
Bookshelves packed densely with books.
If I could, I’d like to take some time to examine the books on the shelves.
You might wonder why such a thought suddenly occurred.
This is not just anywhere. This is a space from the ghost stories I’ve been enjoying all along.
… However.
That’s just what I wanted to do, is all.
“I’m not someone who’s so addicted to dopamine that I’d trade my life for curiosity.Â
I’m just a healthy man in his 20s, a ‘job seeker H’ who happens to like cosmic horror a bit… just a tiny bit more than others.
…Whew.
…!!
I suddenly found myself reaching for the bookshelf, having lost consciousness for a moment.
I hurriedly turned towards the left window.Â
There was a single candle with a soft flame flickering on the corner of the windowsill.
…I survived.
That was my first thought upon seeing the candle.
I never thought I’d make it out alive from this ghost story.
No, honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.
Of course, I know that even if I blow out that candle right now, it won’t all be over.
Even if I successfully clear this ghost story, I’m sure another one awaits me.
But… just…
Right now…
It was enough just to be standing here on both feet without a single injury.
‘Wanting more would be greedy.’
This much emotional indulgence should be enough.
“Now to go back…?”
Chuck!
『No! Don’t extinguish… the light!』
The ghost story kid who had been holding onto my leg was now standing in front of the last candle with short arms spread wide, blocking my final path.
Step, step, step!
The army of teddy bears beneath that kid was also contributing to the situation.
It’s an adorably cute sight.
But it’s really time to end this now.
“Sorry, but I don’t have the strength to play with you guys anymore.”
Actually, I’m not sorry at all.
Honestly, the number of agency people who died in this ghost story must be well over several thousand.
If someone from the agency were standing here instead of me,
They would have killed without hesitation, even if it appeared as a child.
Obviously.
I’ll pass because I’m scared.
“It’s better for you too if I leave, right?”
『No! Don’t put out the light!』
“No, I’m saying I’ll just extinguish this candle and quietly go back?”
『No! Bad person! People who put out lights are bad people!』
“…”
This one won’t listen to reason.
I didn’t expect to have a normal conversation with a ghost story from the start, but…
Now, it’s the final move.
Park Yeon-jeong VS Ghost Story (Kid).
Use of force.
“If I just…”
『No!』
“Put out…”
『No!!』
“The light, I’ll just leave, you little brat!!”
But the blocking movements preventing my every reach are truly professional level.
Movements that make me think they could have stopped me from the beginning if they had acted like this.
…Crack!
How annoying!!
Just as I clenched my fist to teach this challenging kid an adult’s lesson.
‘…Wait, wasn’t this one…’
Wasn’t this one classified as ‘Physical suppression is impossible’?
=======
/Ghost Story journal
[I Hate the Dark!]
:Identification Code Cd-A-11
.
.
.
Physical suppression is impossible.Â
(There’s a reason for all the warnings.)
=======
A red pill flashes by quickly.
‘…I’ll let it slide this time.’
But if physical restraint is impossible, I must break through that expert-level blocking no matter what.
At the moment when I was getting tired from encountering an unexpected variable.
[The child trembled.]
[Was it because of the cold?]
…A whisper?
It’s not the voice of that ghost story kid.
It’s quite a young man’s voice.
[But playing with fire is a serious crime. Good children should never copy this. Love the darkness.]
A dignified voice like a narrator appearing in a stage play.
While my nerves focused on the dignified voice.
My gaze remained fixed on the ghost story kid who had been blocking me until now.
『…』
The ghost story kid’s movements stopped.
The ghost story kid who had been confidently blocking me just moments ago suddenly froze.
No longer tried to block me.
More precisely…
Like being scared, it looked completely demoralized.
The ghost story…is scared.
Without having to ask anyone why, Park Yeon-jeong here knows the reason.
=======
<Exploration Record #105>
Elite agency employee Kim Dong-won, known for his quick speed and judgment, successfully extinguished all candles marked in the manual created by his seniors’ sacrifices.
When all candles were extinguished, he stated that darkness enveloped the entire mansion and swallowed him.
Afterwards, through his only permitted sense of hearing, he heard a dignified male voice as described above.
[Now, it’s my turn?]
After faintly hearing a child’s scream, Kim Dong-won safely returned to the agency.
=======
Later, another ghost’s identity was revealed in the observed ghost story [I Hate Darkness!]
=======
/Ghost Story Log
[Shadow Man]
:Identification Code Cd-A-12
Grade A.
Simultaneously observed with Identification Code ‘Cd-A-11’.
Physical restraint is impossible.
Extremely averse to bright light.
Communicates from a stage play observer’s perspective.
Strong obsession with children.
Appears when all candles in Cd-A-11 are extinguished. Takes Cd-A-11 into darkness and disappears together. (Multiple statements report hearing sounds like children’s screams at the disappearance site.)
+Additional statements claim Cd-A-12 was witnessed in other ghost stories. (Verifying authenticity.)
=======
[Shadow Man.]
Another Grade A ghost, ‘Shadow Man’, who originally only appears when all candles in the mansion are extinguished.
Now I can roughly guess why children’s screams were continuously heard in exploration records.
[Now. Naughty children who play with fire need strict discipline.]
[Because good children need a good example.]
…..
A voice that seems like it could be quite friendly with the announcer at a certain library.
However,
The difference from that library announcer is.
This one is a Grade A ghost. A conditional type that reveals its true nature when all lights go out.
…Ugh.
A strange sensation like it might be clinging to my back even now.
…Gives me goosebumps.
Let’s really end this now.
‘Since this ghost story kid seems to have lost motivation too.’
If I’m going to extinguish the candle, now’s the chance.
Step.
Just three steps to go in this short distance, how much have I struggled with this kid.
Should I exercise when I get back?
I seriously considered it.
But the conclusion I reached after that consideration was.
…No.
This ghost story kid was just unusually weak.
Trying to overpower ghosts with brute force from the start is something only crazy people would think of.
You’d need to be at least agency manager level to even consider fist-fighting with ghosts.
Currently not applicable to me.
I can think about it after clearing this ghost story, it’s not too late.
Thump.
Just one step left.
…Whew.
Again the sensation of something grabbing my pants.
But even if it tries to interfere now, I’ve reached a position where I can extinguish the candle…huh?
Sniff,sniff.
?!?!
“Wait, you…”
What?
A child is grabbing my pants and crying.
No,no,no.
Let me correct that.
A ghost is grabbing my pants and crying.
『Don’t… if you put out… the light…』
With a face you’d only expect to see in a tragic heroine’s crying scene.
“…”
At my hesitation, the ‘Shadow Man’ whispered again.
[Because we need an example!]
[Because we need an example!]
[Because we need an example!]
Yes yes! An example is needed!
Since it’s a ghost that has killed many people, an example would be needed.
Thud.
The force grabbing my pant leg transmits through my skin.
“…Hah.”
This is driving me crazy.
Even while doubting whether I’m being mentally affected by this ghost story kid.
Crunch!
Seeing the small teddy bears falling down while grabbing my pant leg just like the ghost story kid, I wondered if that wasn’t the case.
At a strange timing.
This sympathy is working on a strange one.
If things keep going like this.
‘I’ll end up living here forever without ever getting out…’
…Huh?
Wait.
For some reason, Park Yeon-jeong’s brain suddenly started spinning rapidly.
And
The thought he reached after spinning was this:
If. If I just don’t blow out this candle here.
-Isn’t this place safer?
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