Chapter 178 – Ghost Story (2)

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

======================================

It was a gloomy noon for autumn.

Abel rested her chin crookedly on her hand and looked up at the sky.

With the weather packed so full of dark clouds, the great incident of a few days ago came to mind. The Hoakin Catastrophe, the academy’s tragedy and, paradoxically, the day Kang Geom-ma became a hero.

After spacing out for a while, Abel eventually slumped over her desk. She twisted only her head slightly and left her gaze outside the window.

A gloomy gray landscape was reflected in her pure golden pupils. It felt as though that color mirrored her current state of mind.

“Haa……”

Abel, who had been staring into empty space, soon let out a deep sigh. She was soaked in depression. This too was an aftereffect of the Hoakin Catastrophe.

Since that day, Abel had been thinking a great deal. It was because of the rumors about Kang Geom-ma, that he and Saki were dating. Among the cadets who had witnessed that day, it was already treated as established fact.

However, to Abel, who had actually lived under one roof with Kang Geom-ma for a month, it felt strange.

Kang Geom-ma had shown up to a date with her wearing the academy tracksuit. That guy was dating someone? It sounded ridiculous.

And yet her chest kept aching. She herself couldn’t come to a definite conclusion about the relationship between the two of them.

At that moment, Saki had thrown herself forward without hesitation. She had been unable to do that.

Abel was deeply disappointed in herself. In the Undead Dungeon, Kang Geom-ma had saved her father. In contrast, she had simply watched the desperate battle with her feet frozen in fear.

That was the thing tormenting Abel the most. Several days had already passed with her unable to sleep at night because of the crushing debt of conscience.

Just then, a shadow fell over the drooping Abel. She recognized who it was from the presence alone. Rachel.

“Abeeel~ you sleeeeping?”

…

So that’s why she’d been quiet today for once. Abel tightly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Rachel quietly stared down at Abel’s pure-white crown of hair. Then, in a drooping voice, she muttered to herself:

“If you’re sleeping, then I guess it can’t be helped……. I just got information from Weapon that Kang Geom-ma is going somewhere with him tonight, too.”

In an instant Abel bolted upright from her seat.

“Tell me the details.”

* * *

Ever since long ago, places called schools had always had ghost stories.

For example, a statue reading a book began to move once night falls, or the sound of a woman sobbing could be heard from the third stall of the boys’ restroom.

As a rule, ghost stories were always of the `they say` variety, merely spread by word of mouth.

Up until around elementary school, they might have been chilling. But by the time one reached middle school, the number of students who seriously believe them drops sharply.

Then what about high school students? Aside from a very small number with a deep interest in the occult, hardly anyone believed them.

By that age, people grow numb to the supernatural and enter the stage of focusing on reality.

By nature, the older one got, the more cynical one became about things like ghosts.

Because one realizes that the most frightening existence of all was human beings.

Ghost stories were no more than obvious nonsense, with neither clear evidence nor actual experiencers. I had always thought of them that way, both before and now.

‘However……’

Lying on my bed, I recalled Weapon’s face. He had gone completely pale. I suspected it had been the most terrified I had ever seen him.

If that had been all, I would have just let it pass.

Weapon was cowardly by nature. He looked like a delinquent on the outside, but his spirit was more delicate than anyone else’s.

And yet I was now feeling a strong sense of dissonance.

It was because of the reactions Ryozo and Chloe had shown when Weapon said it felt like he had gotten entangled in a ghost story.

The expressions on both their faces sank somewhat heavily. Then, putting on grave faces, they began discussing it.

That left me dumbfounded. We’re seventeen. In three months we’ll be eighteen.

Yes, fine, let’s say ghosts exist. With monsters called magical beasts roaming around openly, why wouldn’t ghosts exist too?

The part I found most absurd was our status. We were cadets of Hoakin Academy, for heaven’s sake. The next generation of heroes, carrying the duty of standing against the demon race.

And yet they were afraid of ghosts? I had no idea what sort of reaction I was supposed to have to that.

And as for why the flow of that conversation ended in a conclusion that we should go check out Aaron Annex this evening, I found it difficult to follow.

I checked the time on the wall clock. A little before six in the evening, and thirty minutes remained until I was supposed to meet the club members. It was a slightly tight time if I didn’t hurry.

“A courage test at this age.”

Letting out a bitter laugh, I got off the bed. To be honest, I still didn’t understand why they had reacted like that.

Even if they had seen a ghost, couldn’t they just wash their feet and go to sleep?

But Weapon didn’t seem to have any intention of doing that. He insisted that one had to go there and shake off the ghost no matter what. Apparently in this world, that was just what one had to do.

‘…As someone with a different origin, there’s no way I would know that.’

Even so, I told the club members that I too would go to the annex with them. They were all pleased. In particular, Weapon’s complexion, which had looked blue with fear, brightened immediately.

Weapon had gone through hardship for me during the recent election. I hadn’t been able to give him any compensation worthy of it. Going with him to a haunted spot, at least that much was fine.

Once I had finished preparing to go out, I stood before my desk. Sashimi knives were scattered over it in a mess.

“It’s not like we’re going into a dungeon, we’re just going to a haunted house. Would I even need these……”

My deliberation was brief. I took several of them with me and left the room.

“Kang Geom-ma! Over here, over here!”

When I reached Aaron Annex, Weapon greeted me. Ryozo and Chloe had already arrived as well. I pulled out my phone and checked the time. 6:15 PM.

‘I hurried, but they still got here before me.’

I approached the entrance to the annex where the club members were waiting. As I did, a stone building so old it was practically falling apart came into view.

That wasn’t a figure of speech. It was genuinely a building on the verge of collapse, to the point that I wondered how they had managed to use it until last year.

They said it had been in use since seven hundred years ago, when the academy itself was founded, so the weight of that time was plain to see on it.

Blankly, I muttered:

“If no ghost comes out of there, that would be the bigger plot twist.”

Since it was autumn, the sun also set early, and a blue-toned shadow covered the building. The evening air was cold enough to feel biting. It was a textbook haunted house.

‘But Weapon, that guy used a place like this as a practice room even though he’s such a coward?’

Tilting my head for a moment, I joined the others.

Once gathered, we each checked our belongings. Walkie-talkies and headlights. Honestly, a single phone could have handled all of it, but they had each insisted on bringing separate things.

Just a few hours ago they had been nearly in tears from fear……. It seemed they still wanted the proper atmosphere.

“Looks like we’re all ready, so should we go in now?”

Weapon said that with a bright expression. The club members and I nodded.

Kiiiiiik-

Even the sound of the door opening was ominous enough for a haunted building. We stepped into just such a place.

* * *

…Fifteen minutes later, one by one, people gathered at the entrance to Aaron Annex. Saki, Weapon, and Chloe.

The minute hand pointed exactly to thirty. A question mark floated across Saki’s face as she looked at her wristwatch.

“It’s time already, so why isn’t Geom-ma here?”

“Seriously. Has chief ever broken a promise about time before? If anything, he’s the kind to arrive early, not late.”

“Wait, I’ll call him.”

Ddu-du- beeep!

[The customer is outside the service area, so the call cannot be connected (…)]

Weapon looked at Saki.

“Chief, where is he?”

“…The call won’t go through. It says he’s outside the service area.”

“Outside the service area? Then where is he? Hoakin Academy has the newest infrastructure everywhere, so there isn’t a single place where phones don’t get signal. The Wi-Fi is strong too.”

“……”

Without saying a word, Saki turned her head toward the annex. It was old, but despite its several centuries of history, it looked so well-maintained that the age felt meaningless.

Just as Chloe had said, if they only fixed the inside a little, it looked like it would be usable without problem. But at the indescribable eeriness, Saki frowned.

At that moment.

Footsteps were heard from far away. The footsteps of two people.

Saki whipped her gaze toward that direction. The next moment, her face turned blank with surprise.

“Abel and Rachel……?”

Seeing the two drawing closer, Saki’s eyes widened into circles. Weapon, beside her, awkwardly explained.

“Ah, well. I called them. No matter what, four people felt too few. It’s a place where ghosts come out. At the very least, six would feel reassuring!”

Saki looked at Weapon, who said that, with exasperated eyes.

Before long the two arrived at the entrance to the annex. Abel looked around like a meerkat.

Saki gave Abel a cold sidelong glance and tossed out one line.

“Kang Geom-ma isn’t here.”

“Ah……”

For an instant, disappointment flashed through Abel’s eyes. But she immediately shook her head from side to side.

“I-I’m only here because Rachel dragged me along.”

Abel insisted. Saki answered that excuse with a short snort.

Rachel burst into a ringing laugh and inserted herself into the conversation.

“When did you two get so close? Back when you were in the same Star Class, you were uncomfortable around each other! I guess people really do need to spend some time apart, nyaha!”

* * *

The inside of the annex wasn’t merely dark, it was pitch-black. Even though the sun outside was still only in its late descent, it was hard to see even an inch ahead.

It was fortunate the club members had brought flashlights. The tiny light from a phone screen would never have been enough.

Kiiik, kiiik.

Every time I took a step, the rotten wooden floor let out a scream. Ironically, it was only thanks to that sound that I could tell I was moving forward.

‘They’re walking just fine in a place this dark.’

I slowly followed behind the club members walking in front. I stared blankly at their backs.

The club members simply kept walking in silence, relying only on the light from their headlights.

…But how exactly were they managing to keep moving forward so smoothly?

Weapon could be explained away, but Saki and Chloe were moving too like people who knew the layout by heart.

Even though I had sharpened my sense for energy through the Blessing of the Sword God and the Blessing of Transference, it was hard to judge direction. It was because of the thick, suffocating sealed-in feeling, like being trapped in a closed room.

There was something else strange too. Conversation had cut off from the moment we entered. Even if they were all tense, this was too quiet.

I asked Weapon, who was leading the group.

“Weapon, how much farther is it to the destination?”

He pointed his headlight at the staircase ahead.

“Once we go up those stairs you can see there, and then just a few more steps, we’re there.”

Without turning around, Weapon answered. In a flat, dry voice. The noisy fussiness he usually showed was nowhere to be .

“Ah, really? That’s quicker than I thought. I want to finish this and go back fast.”

“Seriously. This place is so scary that I want to leave as soon as possible.”

When my eyes narrowed slightly, Saki and Chloe added comments too. They too did not turn their gaze toward me.

Kkiik.

I came to a dead stop where I stood. Along with that, the club members’ steps also halted.

Only then did Weapon ask:

“Why, Geom-ma. Is something wrong?”

“Ha.”

I let out a hollow laugh. Why hadn’t I noticed this sooner.

“Weapon, you’ve been calling me Geom-ma this whole time. Have you called me that lately at all? You always call me chief.”

“…And not only you. Ryozo and Chloe, all of you too. What exactly are you?”

A hideously dark silence hung through the corridor. The flashlights they held in their hands flickered intermittently.

“I may not know much else, but I fucking hate being deceived.”

“……”

Kiriring.

I drew out a sashimi knife. In the darkness, the cry of steel was dragged free.

“If you don’t want to get sliced, turn your heads toward me right now.”

The club members all twisted their heads at once. Tududeuk- the sound of neck bones snapping. Their bodies stayed facing forward while only their heads turned one hundred and eighty degrees to look at me.

Their faces were soaked in blood. The corners of their mouths were hideously torn all the way to their ears.

They lifted the corners of their mouths even higher. Blood slimily linked their upper and lower teeth.

That bizarre scene felt as though it was shaking the very bottom of my soul. With distorted smiles, they opened their mouths.

“““Was I pretty?”””