Ghost Story (4)

Hedrick Sirebon was an ordinary boy attending the first grade Class E of Stella Academy of Magic.

Just the fact that he got into Stella was already extraordinary, but here, he was just an average student lingering at the bottom.

There were so many exceptional students above him.

But it was okay.

Not everyone craned their necks upwards all the time.

Hedrick was content with his rank and class.

It was a great honor to have a Stella student come from the Sirebon Family, which was just a baron family on the frontier.

Thanks to that, their family was experiencing a tremendous resurgence.

The reason why the previously unnoticed rural Sirebon Baron now mingled with the city nobles was because Hedrick enrolled in Stella.

"I think I'll head out now."

"Are you going to the next class?"

"Yeah. The schedule is too tight."

"Even during summer vacation, you're unnecessarily stressing yourself out. Shouldn't you relax when you can?"

"That's what I'm saying. We have the worst grades among our peers."

"Let's go play soccer then."

"..."

With so many geniuses at Stella, Hedrick had to constantly strive and work hard.

He didn't even aspire to catch up with them.

Just keeping up behind them was enough, as long as he could graduate.

"... I'm done. I'll go first."

Unlike him, the freshmen in classes D and C seemed to have plenty of leisure time.

During summer vacation, they hardly attended classes and spent every day playing around.

'This summer... I'll make a comeback.'

'Friends?'

'They're just rivals.'

'While they play, I'll grow even more.'

Hedrick thought to himself as he walked down the corridor.

The next class was Botany.

Since the Botany lab was located in the Third Tower, Hedrick hurried there.

It was quite a distance from the Sixth Tower.

Fortunately, Stella had various means of transportation such as small warp holes inside, so students could comfortably commute long distances.

As usual, Hedrick headed towards the gate.

Then suddenly, as he looked ahead, he found the demeanor of a girl walking ahead a bit suspicious.

'White academy uniform?'

Stella's uniform had been black for over 50 years.

However, the uniform worn by that girl was from a few decades ago, with white color and gold trim.

It was suspicious.

Recent incidents at Stella reminded him of the instructor's advice to report anything suspicious.

"I should catch and interrogate her."

As a self-proclaimed magic warrior, and deeming it as an opportunity to earn points, Hedrick didn't hesitate to approach the girl.

However, no matter how much he walked, the distance didn't shorten.

Despite having a wider stride, he couldn't catch up.

Blaming it upon himself, he gradually increased his pace.

In frustration, Hedrick even started running, yet the gap remained.

It felt like an illusion.

"Huff... Huff!"

Breathless, Hedrick suddenly realized he had passed through the gate.

This warp gate was designed like an ordinary corridor door. It was frequently used by many students.

But something was odd.

"What's this?"

It was eerily silent.

This corridor should lead to the Third Tower, and the gate should lead to it, but there was no one around.

The Third Tower was usually bustling with students from the research department, but it was unusually quiet.

Abnormal silence instilled fear in people.

"What... No. Focus."

Swallowing hard, Hedrick took a step forward.

This was Stella Academy; strange things shouldn't happen.

With that belief, he walked slowly, but no one was in sight. Not even researchers, professors, or students.

As the thought that something was wrong crept in, he hurriedly turned back, intending to return through the gate.

"Huh...?"

But the gate was gone.

There was nothing there, just an ordinary corridor.

"Th-This can't be happening."

Hedrick rushed through but nothing happened.

Even when he turned back and passed where the gate should have been, he didn't feel the sensation of passing through the gate.

"How...?"

He gazed bewilderedly at the location of the supposed gate, but he noticed something conspicuous.

[Seventh Main Tower]

The Seventh Main Tower which didn't exist in Stella.

That inscription was vividly imprinted in Hedrick's mind.

Why?

At that moment, he recalled the rumors circulating among students as a joke.

Unfortunately, Hedrick didn't know much about the rumors. He thought studying would be more helpful than getting distracted by such baseless gossip like other kids his age.

Hence, he had no idea what to do here.

"Ugh..."

Slowly retreating, Hedrick absentmindedly turned his head and glanced at the large full-body mirror in the central corridor.

It was a common full-body mirror placed in the same position in other corridors, but why did it feel eerie today?

Unconsciously, he stared at the mirror, meeting his own eyes within.

He was smiling.

But he wasn't.

Hahaha!

The reflection of the other him in the mirror waved and greeted him.

The smiling expression on the mirror twisted eerily as if it was approaching him slowly.

"Ah..."

After staring at Hedrick for a while, the reflection said with the corners of its mouth stretched downwards.

"You're not it. That's as far as the memory goes."

Murmuring, the first-grade class bulletin board was unusually bustling. It was because of a recent notice.

While passing by, Eisel noticed a conspicuous sentence.

[Recently, an incident involving a student collapse has occurred on campus.]

[Currently, the Stella Magic Knights and staff are conducting a search together, so students are requested to focus on their studies without worry. Thank you.]

The content was straightforward.

Just one student fainting was not a big deal.

Sometimes students fainted due to exhaustion from focusing too much on studying.

However, this time, the situation was too strange.

"Did you hear about it? When they found Hedrick collapsed, the situation in the corridor..."

"Oh, I heard directly from the witness. All the windows in the corridor were open, and there was something written on the wall saying 'You're not it'."

"That's totally... like a ghost story, isn't it?"

"It must be gone now, right?"

"The professors erased it all."

The uneasy atmosphere spread like wildfire, engulfing the students.

It wasn't just an ordinary thing; it closely resembled the recent popular 'ghost stories'.

Recognizing students' concerns, the academy dismissed it as a 'prank', but no one believed it.

"If this continues, something really bad might happen, right...?"

It was a remark made by a student, but it could become a reality, leaving everyone speechless.

"Hmm..."

Eisel thought quietly as she looked at the notice.

The recent incident could be dismissed as a mere coincidence.

However, she couldn't shake off the conversation she had overheard from Professor Raiden recently.

'The Seventh Main Tower ghost story... What's the connection?'

She was well aware of the ghost stories.

Her best friend, Marilene, was so sensitive to trends and rumors that she would chatter incessantly about them during meal times, which inadvertently gave Eisel a thorough understanding of ghost stories.

Moreover, since the missing student, Hedrick, was last seen heading from the Sixth Main Tower to the Third Main Tower, it precisely matched the ghost story.

'It's just a ghost story though...'

Something bothered her.

But she couldn't confide in anyone about these thoughts because her friends were too delicate and protective.

They were someone she trusted and relied on.

If Baek Yu-Seol were at academy, she would have gone straight to him to confide, but unfortunately, he was currently absent.

'What should I do...'

While hesitating and contemplating, time passed, and students dispersed to their respective locations once again.

Unable to do anything, Eisel was about to turn back when she caught sight of someone walking ahead.

It was Edna with her black short hair.

She was walking slowly while reading something. She was accompanied by a girl with twin braids, who was similar in height to her.

Suddenly, Eisel remembered.

Even if it wasn't Baek Yu-Seol, she had shared many secrets and truths with Edna, and she could be trusted and relied upon.

A rare existence in a world where it was okay to confide secrets.

'The incident is already happening.'

Even if all of this were a misunderstanding, it would be fine.

It would bring relief and peace of mind.

But what if something she knew could help solve this mysterious incident?

Wouldn't it be okay to speak up for once?

She had lived hated by everyone, but she didn't want to hate the world herself.

The thought of someone getting hurt around her... It was a horrifying thought beyond imagination.

Having experienced such events before, she couldn't just let this incident pass quietly.

That was as far as her deliberation went.

Eisel approached Edna briskly and grabbed her.

"... Excuse me for a moment."

"Huh? What's up, Eisel?"

"Yes."

Since Eisel rarely initiated conversation, Edna widened her eyes in surprise.

Although she was just a cute little sister-like figure, Eisel already knew that her inner strength was as solid as a fortress.

So Eisel didn't hesitate to confide in her the information she had uncovered.

"I have something to tell you."

———-

After leaving the cradle of the Heavenly Spirit Tree, Baek Yu-Seol didn't immediately return to Stella.

The summer vacation was actually a very important period for him.

Since there were clear limits to his growth through events within Stella alone, he had to grow by concurrently participating in sub-events and dungeons that occurred externally.

Growth through training?

He was definitely achieving excellent results.

He had become adept at controlling teleportation through breathing, including the Tae-Ryung Divine Technique, and now he was confident that he could compete with Class 3 mages without falling behind.

However, that alone wasn't enough.

Baek Yu-Seol's foundation was as a player, and to grow most surely and quickly, gaining experience was key.

The protagonists had already surpassed the Class 4, and his growth was too slow.

To protect them and prevent crises from destroying the world, he should at least have the power equal to theirs to be able to help them, shouldn't he?

Just in time, he managed to catch quite a decent event while searching for the 'new item' for Florin and preparing for the upcoming Dark Magic Corruption.

[Welcome to Malentai, the romantic city of dreams.]

At the entrance of the city, a large billboard greeted him.

The billboard was already worn-out with some letters not even lit up, making it difficult to read properly.

A city filled with romance and dreams?

The city named Malentai, however, was practically a giant slum.

The atmosphere of the city was dead.

There was no liveliness on the streets, and people departed in different directions without even exchanging a word.

The city residents, who seemed neglected, all lived in rags as if they hadn't properly taken care of themselves.

Baek Yu-Seol walked through the midst of them.

He had taken off Stella's uniform and put on ordinary clothes.

It would be almost terrifying to wear Stella's uniform, which was almost akin to becoming a target of fear and hatred in the slums.

But even though he wore ordinary clothes, perhaps because his appearance had become somewhat conspicuous from his time at Stella, people's piercing gazes were directed at him.

'They're staring at me so intensely...'

There were hardly any magic warriors or mercenaries on these streets.

It was because there were no prey to hunt.

There were no specialty products produced locally, nor was it an area conducive to trade, and even the visits of magic warriors were rare, so it was understandable that the city was dying out.

But there was a huge gem hidden here.

The 'Petal of Gentle Heart' hidden away by the Yeonhong Chunsamweol a long time ago.

It was right near this city.

Moreover... one of the popular events within the game, "No One Was There," was scheduled to take place here.

He remembered that players were bustling with excitement to participate in the event, which rewarded considerable EXP, but looking at the deserted and eerie city, his feeling was quite subtle.

'I wonder if Edna is doing well by now.'

Despite feeling quite uneasy due to the significant changes in the original work and its contents, he still believed in Edna.

Although she was a protagonist who often picked the wrong choices and ended up dying, she always did her best to overcome every situation, making her the most ideal protagonist.

She was probably pouring her passion into investigating the 'Dark Magic Corruption' by now, after receiving his request.

By the time this event was over and he returned, the episode would probably be starting properly, so he needed to hurry back without delay.

"Then, first..."

Glancing around cautiously, he followed the darkest and most gloomy alley he could find.

As he did, a suspicious group gradually began to gather around him.

Behind him, an old man and beggar pretended to have other business and blocked the path, while ahead, a disheveled woman staggered towards him, her demeanor erratic.

Trying to ignore her and pass by, the crazed woman suddenly grabbed both his shoulders and shouted, "Why!!! You ignored me even though our eyes met!!"

Baek Yu-Seol's ears almost rang from her scream.

Without any change in expression, he stared back at her.

Thanks to the protection of the Yeonhong Chunsamweol, he wasn't startled or intimidated by such incidents.

Even without it, there was no reason to be afraid.

"Why! Why! Whyyyy!!"

She continued to shout unabated, but when he didn't react, she quietly backed away.

Again, he must emphasize, it was a 'crazed demeanor.'

It was intended to appear insane, enough to frighten ordinary people.

"... Wh-What's your problem staring at me like that?"

With an indifferent expression, Baek Yu-Seol simply continued to stare blankly, which seemed to unsettle her, prompting her to let go of his shoulders and retreat.

"That's enough."

After a moment, a fairly well-dressed man wearing a coat and a fedora appeared from the alley.

He pushed aside the beggars and pedestrians and then discreetly pulled the crazed woman back.

"Student. Understand this. The people here are half out of their minds due to recent unpleasant events."

"I see. Ghosts keep appearing, right?"

"... Did you come knowing that? Because of rumors about ghosts, even officials don't come here at all, and trains are cut off, so visitors are rare."

"It took me quite a while to get here."

"Is that so? Are you interested in rumors?"

He took out a tobacco pouch and lit a cigarette.

As the beggars and pedestrians retreated, the woman glanced at Baek Yu-Seol and then disappeared between the alleyways.

The man smoked for a moment before addressing Baek Yu-Seol without looking.

"Well, then, let's ask. Are you a human or a ghost?"

"If I were to answer 'ghost,' what would you do?"

"You'd have to be extinguished."

Not even exorcism, but extinction.

It was probably not pleasant to deal with ghosts.

Baek Yu-Seol knew that guy well.

He was Pung Ryu-jin, one of the few ghost hunters in Aether World.

"But...... Since there's no ghost claiming to be a ghost with its own mouth, it doesn't matter whether you're a human or a ghost, I'll spare you."

"Thank you."

Baek Yu-Seol planned to help him.

Partly because Pung Ryu-jin was the owner of this sub-event, but also because he possesses an item that would be very helpful in the upcoming dark magic event.

Honestly, he told Edna to prepare for the dark magic event, but no matter how much they prepared, there wouldn't be a suitable solution.

Maybe... if things go as usual in the original game, Edna would go through all sorts of hardships and struggles, and there would be numerous incidents even within Stella.

So, it was meaningless for Baek Yu-Seol to go back to Stella and respond.

He was not at a level where he could make a difference.

But, the solution lay outside.

The artifact which was possessed by Pung Ryu-jin, the 'Dead Spirit's Vengeful Talisman.'

If he could take that back with him, the difficulty of the dark magic event would drastically decrease.

He felt really sorry for Edna, who must be struggling right now...

'Just work a little harder.'

'This big brother will return soon with some scam items and solve everything in one shot.'