Chapter 17: Pieces

Haa. I really thought I was going to die.

The darkness had vanished from the space.

The school interior returned to its original state, and the aura of the ghost story was no longer felt.

The disaster-grade ghost story, Laura’s tale, was over.

“By the way, the Beginner’s Package’s performance is truly amazing, isn’t it? It just takes care of everything on its own.”

When the Forgotten attacked indiscriminately, I was so scared I couldn’t think straight.

Not only were the attacks ineffective, but it even used the background story I knew appropriately!

“Next time, I should give the notification window a 5-star review for the Beginner’s Package.”

Perhaps it was because I had been so tense just moments before; I felt all the strength drain from my body.

Even when Laura went berserk, I thought, ‘This is it, I’m dead.’

‘I can’t believe it was solved with just a name.’

I already knew the background story of the Forgotten.

It was a story of an ordinary girl forgotten by everyone amidst injustice, ultimately degenerating into a ghost story.

In truth, it wasn’t a ghost story with a known method of defeat, so the current situation, resolved by merely remembering a name, was nothing short of immense luck.

“Still, I’m glad I could save her. It was a story that bothered me.”

The Forgotten was a truly sad story even when I read it in the novel.

Just a village girl living happily.

A story of Laura, who had done nothing wrong, suddenly falling into an abyss of misfortune.

An existence that had to be forgotten and disappear without reason.

A girl for whom there was no one anywhere who remembered her.

“If I hadn’t read the novel… what would have happened to Laura?”

Complex emotions swept through me.

Was this what it felt like to end a ghost story with my own hands?

For the first time, I ended a ghost story. The story of a fragile girl who was falling into misfortune and fading into oblivion.

Until now, I had thought ghost stories were merely scary entities, just words in a novel.

“They say everyone has a story. I forgot that even ghost stories do.”

I felt a faint emotion rising, but I immediately shook my head.

“That’s enough. Why am I thinking so seriously? It’s not like me.”

‘By the way, are the unconscious people okay?’

I remembered the three people collapsed behind me.

Suyeon, Dohyeok, and even Gaeun.

All three were unconscious.

“If I had to carry them out one by one, I’d genuinely feel so wronged I couldn’t live.”

I slowly walked towards a nearby wall, carefully lifted Gaeun first, and laid her down to one side.

“She’s much lighter than I thought.”

A very light feeling despite her slender build.

But considering the strength and presence Gaeun possesses,

‘No one would ever imagine she’d be this light.’

“……Well, just because she’s a super-strong girl with a fox tail doesn’t mean she has to be heavy.”

After laying all three down in roughly comfortable positions,

I suddenly realized I had forgotten the most important fact in the world.

“…Shit. It’s time to give Luna her snack.”

Whenever I left work, I used to buy Luna’s favorite snacks and go home.

But today, this damn ghost story eradication had taken up too much time!

“Kyaaah! If I don’t go back right now, my precious studio apartment will turn into dust!”

Luna was the most important reason, but another reason not to be here also came to mind.

Following the resolution of the Underworld, even the defeat of a disaster-grade ghost story.

Me remaining at the site where such a massive incident occurred?

100% getting caught, 200% being investigated, 300% getting tired!

Of course, I’m in my Phantom form, but getting involved like this would obviously be incredibly annoying.

I need to get out of here quickly!

“I absolutely refuse such troublesome things!”

At that moment, a black shadow beneath my feet began to ripple and undulate.

“Ha, thankfully. It’s working properly.”

Just being able to travel through shadows is something to be grateful for.

Honestly, my heart is still pounding.

‘It would be stranger to be calm after experiencing a ghost story where my life was on the line right in front of me.’

Regardless.

“I’m just an ordinary person, you know?”

Getting caught up in crazy things like destruction-grade, Underworld, or disaster-grade is the problem itself.

“Let’s go home quickly. Luna will be waiting.”

“I really detest working overtime!”

The moment I entrusted my body to the black aura and was about to leave.

I felt a small light flickering behind me.

“Ah, I’m busy as hell, what now?”

The spot where Laura had disappeared.

A faint fragment of light floated there.

‘What is this?’

It felt as if it were calling me.

I instinctively reached out my hand to the twinkling, shining object.

Ding.

[A Fragment of Story has been discovered.]

The familiar notification window suddenly appeared.

“What is this? A Fragment of Story?”

The fragment of light seeped into my fingertips, then began to show unfamiliar memories.

****

Beneath a sky dotted with stars, a warm breeze was blowing.

“Laura! Hurry!”

“Stop right there! Are you going to leave me alone?”

On the sunset-soaked meadow, innocent children ran around, laughing brightly.

“This birthday festival is going to be truly wonderful!”

“Right. We’ll finally get to see the Princess of Seleneum up close!”

Laura’s friend waved her hand and shouted.

“A princess dancing in a beautiful castle! It’s just like a fairy tale!”

“And this year, the Moonlight Festival is also being held. It’s going to be truly fantastic!”

The children were talking about the Princess of Seleneum.

“They say that princess is incredibly beautiful, right?”

“Of course! Hair as beautiful as moonlight and golden eyes!”

“Right! They say she looks like the ‘Goddess of the Moon’ herself descended!”

Laura pouted slightly upon hearing those words.

“Hmmmm…”

“What’s wrong, Laura?”

“I want to wear such a pretty dress and be like a princess too!”

“Aw. Princesses are born that way.”

“Still! I want to wear a sparkly headband and a pretty dress too!”

Her friends chuckled at Laura’s words and playfully chattered.

“Then you try speaking in ‘princess talk’ starting today!”

“Ahem! I am ‘Princess Laura’!”

“Hahaha! That’s hilarious!”

Laura played around and tumbled with her friends.

All the children were excited at the thought of seeing the beautiful princess at the Moonlight Festival.

****

[You have obtained a Fragment of Story: The Princess of Seleneum.]

‘…What was that just now?’

When I touched the fragment of light, someone’s memories suddenly flooded in.

An alien yet vivid scene.

A meadow with a warm breeze and the sound of children’s laughter.

“That was Laura’s memory just now.”

Laura, who was spending happy times before she became a ghost story.

The Fragment of Story showed the girl enjoying ordinary happiness, playing with friends during a time when she hadn’t yet been forgotten.

A word that appeared in that story.

Seleneum.

The name means ‘Beautiful Moon Country’.

And the princess of that place.

“……No way.”

I checked the title of the notification window again.

[The Princess of Seleneum.]

“……Could that princess possibly be?”

Golden eyes.

Gently flowing silver hair.

Features exactly identical to the girl I see every day.

“……Luna?”

In the fragment of memory, neither the princess’s name nor her appearance was revealed.

But the description of the princess was so familiar.

‘I’m not certain, but… this is definitely not something I can ignore.’

Until now, I hadn’t been able to obtain any information about Luna’s past.

“It felt like I was constantly walking in the dark.”

This memory could be a clue about Luna.

“My guess is probably right.”

I raised my hand and closed the notification window in front of me.

There was nothing left to do here.

‘Let’s go back for now.’

The shadow beneath my feet rippled and began to envelop me.

“I definitely need to confirm this.”

****

“Situation report incoming!”

A little earlier, inside the Emergency Response Room.

Dozens of monitors flickered, transmitting real-time energy changes within the school.

Agents nervously checked the data, and urgent communications continuously came through the walkie-talkies on the desks.

“The Underworld’s alarm level is still at its highest stage!”

“The energy signatures of Gaeun, Suyeon, and even Dohyeok are growing fainter.”

“What?”

“This isn’t… just simple unconsciousness…”

The agents looked at each other and swallowed.

“It seems their very existence… is disappearing.”

“Are we unable to do anything?”

Dojin murmured softly from one side of the Emergency Response Room.

The very person who sent his daughter to the scene.

As a Guild Master, he felt a sense of responsibility and watched the entire situation closely.

“……It ends so quickly?”

“M-Master!”

The energy monitoring agent pointed at the screen in surprise.

“A powerful reaction has been detected!”

“What?!”

“This is…”

A dark and deep abyssal aura was piercing into the Underworld.

“Could it be… Phantom?”

After the energy signature surged once, the Underworld inside the school suddenly went berserk.

The space was distorted, and unstable power was detected erupting in all directions.

But soon.

“……Ah, it’s disappearing!”

“The Underworld’s energy is suddenly decreasing!”

Everyone watched the monitors with surprised expressions.

The Underworld, which had been in the worst state just moments ago, surged violently like a massive wave, then gradually calmed down and became tranquil.

“……The Underworld is contracting.”

“Rapidly collapsing!”

“Disintegrating!”

Beep—

The alarm sound on the monitor turned off, signaling the end of the situation.

The Underworld of the disaster-grade ghost story had completely vanished.

Everyone could only stare blankly at the monitors.

“……U-um.”

Someone cautiously opened their mouth.

“In the end… what on earth happened?”

“If I knew that, would I be standing here?”

“A disaster-grade Underworld went berserk, then a strong reaction suddenly appeared.”

“And then it vanished.”

“We didn’t really do anything, did we?”

“Don’t bother saying it. It’s nothing to be proud of.”

The powerful reaction that annihilated the Underworld. A strange aura that briefly appeared in the fleeting moment before that reaction.

“……Phantom.”

Dojin closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

‘I’m indebted again.’

An existence that appears and disappears like a shadow. A pitch-black man who always stands loftily alone amidst a great storm.

‘Since Phantom dealt with the ghost story, we now need to focus on the aftermath.’

“The three people are still at the scene. Send the immediate response team to check their condition and proceed with scene recovery.”

“Yes, Master!”

Simultaneously with the command, several agents began to move.

The ghost story, the Forgotten, which almost plunged the city into chaos and death, had vanished.

But.

‘We don’t know what happened at its core.’

That was indeed the biggest mystery of this incident.

****

“Scene secured!”

The Guild Response Team quickly entered the school, passing through the main gate.

Each held detection equipment and recording devices in their hands.

Their mission was simple.

“Investigate the traces left by the disaster-grade ghost story [The Forgotten].”

All agents moved to their respective areas and began performing their duties.

“No degradation detection response. No Underworld residual response.”

“School interior stability confirmed. Residents remain evacuated.”

“No traces of the ghost story have been found so far.”

Reports rapidly came and went.

“Something feels off.”

Agent Park Gihyeon, the leader of the response team, checked the data with a subtle expression.

“It just vanished completely like this?”

Usually, when a powerful ghost story disappears, residual energy or unusual phenomena are left behind.

For example, the [Frost Queen] ghost story that appeared on Jeju Island was eventually defeated after many twists and turns, but that entire area is still covered in perennial snow.

The ghost story that appeared this time was also a powerful disaster-grade ghost story, no less formidable.

‘It disappeared too cleanly.’

As if it had never existed in the first place. It vanished without leaving even the slightest trace.

“Team Leader Park. I found them!”

An agent urgently raised his hand.

“We’ve found all three injured individuals: Kang Dohyeok, Im Suyeon, and Han Gaeun!”

The three people who had collapsed inside the school.

They were lying neatly, as if someone had moved them to a safe place.

The medical team immediately rushed over to check their condition.

“Pulse normal. Body temperature normal. No specific injuries.”

“However, it seems they were unconscious for quite a long time.”

“Still, they should wake up soon with time.”

Team Leader Park was grateful that they had all returned safely.

“These three directly confronted the ghost story. Transfer them immediately to the Guild Medical Wing!”

“Yes, understood!”

“Team Leader Park.”

An agent in charge of the investigation cautiously spoke.

“Honestly, isn’t this strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“The ‘Forgotten’ was a disaster-grade ghost story from the start. The Guild couldn’t properly respond to the rapid changes in the situation.”

“That’s right. Due to the unique characteristic of being forgotten, it was difficult to deploy additional personnel.”

“But while we were in chaos, some entity seems to have intervened and annihilated the ghost story.”

Park Gihyeon quietly swallowed at his words.

“Are you saying someone defeated the Forgotten?”

“We’ll need to investigate further for details. But for now, it seems that way.”

“……Then who was the one who defeated it?”

At that moment, another agent, who had been checking the detection equipment, ran over with a surprised expression.

“Team Leader Park. I’ve confirmed the detection data!”

“What did you find?”

“Just before the Underworld vanished—”

He took a breath and cautiously spoke a single word.

“Phantom’s energy was detected.”

“……!”

The moment his name was mentioned, the Guild’s investigation team agents momentarily looked at each other.

“……So, in the end, Phantom dealt with this ghost story?”

“That’s the only conclusion. Data doesn’t lie.”

“Ha… Is it that Phantom who suppressed a destruction-grade ghost story?”

Park Gihyeon sighed deeply.

“Phantom. Why on earth… do you save us, humans?”

****

At that moment. Sihyun, the protagonist of the incident, was currently,

“Argh, goddammit! Where am I now?!”

struggling with spatial movement that suddenly wouldn’t obey.

“Behave yourself! You damn Beginner’s Package!”

Giving you 5 stars earlier, canceled, canceled!!