Chapter 62: Oops!

The game was progressing steadily, despite the piercing screams Molru let out every time a ghost suddenly popped out.

This was undoubtedly due to Molru’s unparalleled gaming skills.

As one of the top streamers renowned for her gaming prowess, she instinctively understood how to clear the game.

Even professional commentators had remarked on her exceptional gaming sense, and most broadcasters agreed.

[Why is this person so good?]
[Screaming while still doing everything perfectly!]
[No frustrating gameplay, but still visibly scared…]
[ᄅᄋ Horror games hit different here.]

Molru was gaining recognition from her viewers.

Streamers who played horror games usually couldn’t balance both aspects.

Some were praised for their reactions to the eerie atmosphere and jump scares but received criticism for their clunky gameplay.

Others had smooth gameplay but lacked the tension, making viewers wonder if they were watching a horror game or a real-time strategy speedrun.

Molru, however, was a perfect blend of both.

“Wait, I hear something. It’s coming again.”

As soon as the faint jingle of bells rang, Molru held her breath.

Her character mirrored her, hiding in a corner of a closet. The chat was buzzing, fully immersed in her gameplay.

[Hide!]
[Domhwangcha~~~]
[Her voice is shaking, lol, it’s real.]
[Didn’t you say the atmosphere isn’t scary, teacher?]
[Bet she’s just excited to see that guy’s face again.]
[ᄅᄋᄏᄏ She can’t resist that one.]

Viewers had started referring to the ghost as “that guy,” turning it into a sort of villain and Molru’s personal nemesis.

In all the games Molru had played so far, obstacles were nonexistent.

She was an unstoppable force, breaking through any wall, no matter how high.

But a ghost, appearing and vanishing according to pre-programmed patterns, was something even she couldn’t completely control.

That was the rule of the game.

If there were a way to eliminate the ghost, Molru would have done it immediately.

“Is it gone? It’s gone, right?”

[ᄁᄇ How did she not get caught?]
[She’s really good at keeping it tense.]
[Molru’s squishy and chewy gameplay… ᅩᅮᅣ]
[Squishy, chewy, bouncy—it checks out.]
[Too suggestive!]
[I’ve already saved the PDF. Tracking your IP to report, lol.]
[It’s just the title of her intense horror gameplay stream.]
[She’s barely getting caught anymore, lol.]
[It’s funnier when she does get caught, though.]

Having grasped the ghost’s patterns and the map’s layout, Molru was showcasing the power of learning.

Was this the terror of a growth-type AI modeled after humans?

Viewers seemed to notice her improvement and began expressing regret.

“If only there were more challenges,” they thought.

They worried she might clear the game too quickly.

The current playtime was 1 hour and 8 minutes.

As if to grant their wish, Molru faced a new obstacle.

“What’s this? It’s locked?”

The door marked “2-A” rattled but refused to open.

The door was locked with a padlock.

It was one of the puzzle elements that Molru had previously explained.

“Oh, the door’s locked. Molru, you need to unlock it to progress in the story. There’s no way around solving the padlock code.”

[Horror game commentator Tex, lol]
[Even brought popcorn—fully prepared, lololol]
[Broadcasting GOAT]
[First puzzle, let’s go!]
[For reference, this puzzle is real-ly diff-i-cult.]
[Difficulty confirmed, let’s go, lol]
[Why does this guy have popcorn at home?]
[Snack stream on point.]

Tex, munching on a handful of popcorn, began speaking.

“Popcorn? It’s just convenience store stuff. I usually buy it for watching epic Netflix or YouTube shows when I’m bored. Didn’t think I’d use it like this, though.”

“But seriously, this puzzle isn’t easy. Molru, I think you’re missing one clue. You’ll need to backtrack and check the map again. Look, the third inventory slot is empty—you skipped over something.”

[Skipped a route to dodge the ghost.]
[lol, time to backtrack.]
[But the ghost will reappear there.]
[Forced loop time.]
[Do you really need all 4 clues? Can’t you figure it out with 3?]

Tex scratched his head, reading the chat.

“With 3 clues? Probably not. Even with all 4, I racked my brain to figure out the code. Guessing 9138 with just 3 clues isn’t exactly easy.”

[Ah, spoilers!]
[I was planning to buy and play this.]
[What’s the spoiler?]
[Character: Twitch streamer Tex, Wiki page, controversies and incidents, betrayal of viewers.]

“What spoiler? You’ll get spoiled on the code and story just by watching this. No unfair accusations, okay?”

Tex bantered back and forth with the chat.

Then, a donation message revealed a curious observation.

<Netarium donated 1,000 won!>
-Why is Molru circling this area instead of backtracking for the clue?

Tex focused on Molru’s screen and finally realized the situation.

“True, there’s no clue here. Maybe the map’s confusing her? Or she’s slightly directionally challenged? Yeah, that’s it. She was the last one to arrive at our company dinner, too.”

[Molru’s path IS the right path—no need for navigation, lol.]
[Classic fan behavior.]
[Why bring this up in this room?]
[The other room rejects content this diluted.]
[Can’t she just guess the code?]

“If you guess wrong, the ghost will come running, triggered by the alarm sound. It’s in the rulebook.”

[Tough stuff, lol.]
[Anti-cheese mechanics.]
[Guessing is cheating, smh.]

Then, something unexpected happened.

-9158. 9138. It’s probably 9138. Oh, it worked.

With a dry tone, Molru announced the code, and the padlock clicked open.

Tex muttered in disbelief.

“That’s not how it’s supposed to be solved… How did she do that?”

I had been defeated.

More precisely, Ji-eun’s body had lost.

Since Ji-eun’s body was essentially my own, it was my loss as well.

But even though my body had surrendered, my spirit had not.

Since my spirit wasn’t scared of ghosts, doesn’t that mean I won in a way?

On second thought, that sounded pathetic, so I decided to drop it.

Mental victory didn’t feel right.

“If only there were no ghosts, this game would be easy.”

Inside the now-unlocked classroom, I found another clue.

It was someone’s diary. The cover was stained with what looked like dried blood, brownish spots hardened over time.

With a notification that Clue #5 had been acquired, the diary was added to my inventory.

[Molru wins! Molru wins! Molru wins!]
[Who am I? A Molru stream viewer.]
[We trusted you, GOAT. We trusted you, GOAT. We trusted you, GOAT.]
[For professional inquiries, please DM. For professional inquiries, please DM.]
[I was wondering why she kept circling around, but she was cracking the code!]
[How did she do it, lol?]
[What’s her IQ?]
[She only had 3 clues, lol.]
[Big brain difference.]

Seeing the viewers’ praises in the chat, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

People sure get overly excited.

“It wasn’t even that hard of a puzzle. Honestly, I feel a little embarrassed by all this praise…”

[Switching to humble mode on.]
[Molru’s signature grin.]
[What’s with the cringe voice tone?]
[Suddenly feels cold.]
[Why is her smugness so annoying?]
[She wasn’t like this before…]

An unyielding will that didn’t falter in the face of fear.

Alongside it, a flexible mind producing clever solutions.

Though I failed in the former due to physical limitations, I succeeded in the latter.

It wasn’t an empty boast; the puzzle genuinely wasn’t that hard.

It was just one of those problems you solve by thinking it through patiently.

But that’s all relative.

Judging by everyone’s reaction, it seemed I had accomplished something extraordinary.

Though they couldn’t see me, I chuckled sheepishly as I opened the back door of Class 2-A.

It was time to move on. Lingering too long might bring unexpected trouble.

And the moment I opened the back door, there it was—the ghost standing right in front of me.

“…?”

They say when you’re too shocked, you can’t even scream.

That was exactly how I felt at that moment.

All I could do was let out strained, choking noises as my breath caught in my throat.

Even in my previous body, this would’ve been a terrifying situation.

-Game Over!

As expected, the protagonist caught by the ghost faced only one fate—death.

“No… no way…”

Snapping back to reality, I muttered hoarsely, my voice completely shot.

“I didn’t… save…”

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