This Body's Forced Debut T_T – 30 Minutes Before Si-hyun Gets Dragged Away (Forcibly?)
"Kinda surreal being alone in the office, huh?"
The guild building, buzzing with people just moments ago, had turned into a ghost town the instant the full deployment order dropped.
"This is the perk of being seen as totally useless."
Anyone who's ever held a job would get it. The second you go "Hey, I can do this!" or "I can handle that!", you become the guild's errand boy!
"Hope I can keep sucking on this sweet honey forever."
As the only non-combatant and non-awakener, Si-hyun had just been told to sit tight at the guild.
—Beeeep.
But outside, the emergency sirens were still blaring.
What was it again? Something about a solar eclipse and a ghost story...
Maybe because of that, even though it wasn't sunset yet, the world outside was gradually darkening.
"Solar eclipse, huh? Like the Eclipse from the novel. Pretty strong ghost story—hope everyone's okay."
Eclipse. A being that forces darkness into existence, granting power to ghost stories and terror to humans.
But that's weird. In the novel, it was sealed away.
A ghost story that wielded solar eclipses, yet ironically weak to pure moonlight. In the story, a shrine maiden sacrificed herself to seal it, so it was never mentioned again. He'd assumed it was resolved.
"Guess sealing doesn't count as a resolution."
That's when he felt something slithering up the back of his hand. A faint black mist-like energy.
"What the? A dream?"
Damn, he'd been working too hard lately.
Steady commuting and taking care of Luna. Guess the fatigue's piling up, haha.
He rubbed his eyes, denying reality for a moment.
—Shoooo.
Now the black energy was spreading from his fingertips up to his forearm.
"Wha-what?? Hold on, this feels off!"
He bolted to the bathroom and checked the mirror.
"...Ah, shit. What the hell is this for real?"
In the reflection, his irises were slowly turning pitch black.
"No way? It's not even night yet?? "
Rubbing his eyes did nothing; the black energy lingered.
O-okay, calm down. Assess the situation first.
Sunset was still hours away, so this couldn't be Phantom trying to emerge. What the hell?
"Come on, no bad luck now. Things have been chill lately—why this?"
Right then.
Si-hyun! Si-hyun!!
"Fuck, you scared me!"
...First greeting in ages and you hit me with 'fuck'...?
"Oh, sorry sorry. You popped up outta nowhere."
The notification window, silent for so long, was back and messaging away.
"More importantly, you can talk again?"
Ah, well... You got a Fragment of the Story last time, so I jury-rigged a connection! Can't chat long though...
It's been over a month since I got that—why now? He'd called for her endlessly back then!
Typical—ghosts him when he needs her, shows up unannounced.
"...So?"
Yes?
"You barely connect and your first words are 'Si-hyun'? Just testing?"
N-no! It's not that...!
"Then what? Why'd you summon me outta the blue?"
Let's see what grand reason she had.
Timing's suspicious, but probably not something bad.
Detecting changes in Si-hyun's body...!
"Hold up. Sun's still out—why am I changing already?"
Because the ghost story is forcibly causing an eclipse!
"Wait, eclipses count as a transformation trigger too?"
He'd thought nightfall was the only trigger. Didn't expect this.
"So I can transform now if the sun's blocked during the day?"
Um... probably not!
"Phew. For real?"
...Maybe.
"...You actually know what you're talking about, right?"
The one who gave him the beginner package doesn't know? GM clueless about features? Shitty game design much.
"Anyway, that why you called me in this mess?"
No, that's part of it... But a super strong Fragment of the Story is detected right nearby!
"Huh? Fragment of the Story?"
The one I got after saving Lora.
If the notification window was pointing it out directly, it probably held even more crucial memories than last time.
"Another Fragment of the Story related to Luna? Where is i—"
Si-hyun suddenly had a realization, and his brief excitement cooled fast.
"Wait... A Fragment of the Story means..."
Yes.
"There's a 'strong ghost story' around..."
Exactly.
Soon, Si-hyun arrived at the answer he didn't want.
"I have to go there...?"
As expected of Si-hyun! Quick on the uptake!
"No, I didn't wanna understand!!"
Guide to Obtaining Fragments of the Story
Hello! This is GM Notification Window.
Fragments of the Story are obtained by beating the crap out of strong ghost stories!
Good luck!
⟨ GOOD LUCK! ⟩
This is such bullshit?
He nearly died against Lora—now do it again? Hell no! He couldn't!
"Even if I read the novel to the end, this is too much—"
Then let's go right now! Si-hyun!
"Wait?"
Like at Bosingak? No way...
Haha, no chance. Even a thug like her wouldn't do it twice, right?
But the notification window shattered his hopes with one line.
Shadow Movement!
"Hold on!! I ain't going! Even if I was, I need time to prepare—"
But regardless of his will, black energy swirled from his feet, enveloping his body.
"Hey!! At least give me time to prepare—!"
Don't worry, Si-hyun! I'll help you!
"Helping's great and all, thanks. But please, listen to me...!"
Here we gooooo!
"You and me are gonna have words later—!!"
* * *
A noble silhouette forcing its way into Eclipse's Netherworld.
A man in pitch black, looking every bit the lord of all shadows.
"It's Phantom... The real Phantom's here!"
Icy black energy and a deathly pale face. Black hair whipping in the wind, revealing eyes that pierced everything.
A ghost story at minimum mengmang-grade—maybe even beyond—had finally manifested here.
"Is that Phantom?"
Leon had never fully bought the idea of mengmang-grade beyond apocalypse-grade.
Apocalypse-grade alone threatens cities and nations—something surpassing that?
He'd chalked it up to Korea gripped by fear, imagining things.
But.
Rumble rumble—
What is this feeling... Am I... afraid?
The jet-black darkness radiating from him made Leon's whole body tremble just looking at it.
"Have to admit it. A being that transcends apocalypse... the embodiment of mengmang."
Then, Ren—eyes glowing red—charged at Phantom.
"Ren, Phantom's top-tier ghost story. Don't provoke it recklessly!"
"Phantom's never attacked a human once. I believe it'll be fine."
Ren dropped to his knees before Phantom, begging.
"Tsuki called you Lucifer. But I don't care about that name. Whether you're Phantom or Lucifer, it doesn't matter now. Your overwhelming presence, that darkness that devours all—I can tell. You're the only one who can grant my wish!"
—Thud!
Ren slammed his forehead to the ground, pleading.
"I dragged you here. I'll pay for that sin with my life! Just... save her from Eclipse. Save Tsuki."
"Ren! Proposing a deal to a ghost story? You lost your mind? What if there are side effects you can't handle?!"
"Doesn't matter. I don't care if I die here. As long as Tsuki is saved...!"
"Ren..."
A man's desperate struggle for the woman he loved.
But the pitch-black entity showed no pity for the fool trying to use him.
—Groooowl.
The mengmang energy around Phantom surged violently.
"The ghost story's energy... too strong..."
"C-can't... move..."
"C-can't... breathe...!"
Phantom had merely flexed a little, but every human nearby felt a mortal threat.
"I get why you're angry... but just endure me alone—Gurk!!"
—Crunch.
Phantom slowly gripped Ren's throat and lifted him.
"Guhhh...! Fine... kill me if it calms your rage... but please... spare Tsuki..."
Repulsive. Did you think I wouldn't know?
"Wha... what...?"
That instant.
Eclipse's clone, hiding in Ren's shadow, couldn't withstand Phantom's pressure and was flung out.
Shall I ask you instead?
—Crack!
When did you start deluding yourself that you could fool me?
Boom!!
Phantom dismissed the pathetic thing's words as worthless, vanishing the clone with a casual gesture.
"He wasn't gonna kill Ren...!"
"He hid in the shadow, lulling the ghost story into complacency to catch it. Phantom's not just brute force."
Overwhelming might and intellect. And the reports were all true. Phantom... he's not our enemy.
He'd only come to save humans suffering from ghost stories.
"A ghost story that actually pities humans... It really exists."
Enveloped in jet-black energy, Phantom murmured lowly toward the crumbling Eclipse clone.
So slow. Even in vanishing.