I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game

"Senior. What kind of life will you live if you succeed?"

"Hmm, maybe freely and nobly like a dragon, looking down on others?"

"Urgh... That's so tasteless."

At my blatantly arrogant words, my junior reacts with disgust.

Does this kid still not know about me?

I've always been like this.

Tuk tuk.

Ignoring my junior's reaction, I tap on my phone screen.

My junior stubbornly shoves her face between the screen and my gaze, showing curiosity.

Get out of the way.

"What is it? A rhythm game? I thought you wouldn't do something like that since you're practicing singing."

"Even I need to rest my voice sometimes. And some guy asked me to review it. He's quite handsome, you know? I thought you might like him, so I got his number."

"Huh? Why are you giving me his number?"

"You know I'm not interested in dating. And I'd love it if my junior got distracted by love and failed the preliminaries."

"Urgh. What's that about!"

I meant it.

This girl was a strong contender to win the preliminaries.

The competition we're participating in is huge, perfect for amateur singers to gain recognition and popularity.

With so many participants, even passing the preliminaries is tough, and competitors include those already signed with agencies, making the pressure even more intense.

To succeed, you must pass the preliminaries.

To get screen time, you need to at least pass the preliminaries to secure some footage.

Otherwise, you'll only get about 5 seconds of airtime.

"Hmph. I'm a natural materialist. And life only feels worthwhile when someone looks up to you. So eliminating competitors is just natural."

"Wow, you're so unpleasant... That's why you only have me around."

If we're talking about people around me, there are a few who come to mind.

I have no intention of getting along with them.

Those who gossip behind others' backs can't possibly have good character.

"What do you mean? They're just jealous of a talented rookie like me."

"Hey, if you were just a bit nicer, they wouldn't be like that. From what I see, you lack love, senior."

"Love?"

"Not romantic love, but love for humanity."

"What's with this talk of love?"

Is her head full of flowers?

No, she must be teasing me.

I know this girl well.

She sings well, is polite, and even helps people with their problems, albeit in small ways.

A genuinely kind person.

But I don't believe in that.

Isn't it obvious? Humans are inherently selfish.

Even things that seem altruistic are ultimately just another aspect of selfish behavior that follows the natural order.

Even if there seems to be nothing to gain from me, whether she, who works for a famous company, is internally laughing at me for not having anything, or by relieving stress by playing pranks on me, or gaining psychological stability, there must be some benefit to be gained. ᚱ𝘼ꞐỌ฿È𝓢

Still, I would call her a friend.

It's useful to keep her around for the tips and info she brings from the entertainment industry.

I think she's useful.

So you don't have to lie, acting like you were a fan.

"You said to try loving? Love is for equals. Even if I'm just a carp now, I'll become a dragon someday. And I'll look down on those beneath me with dignity. I'll show love, kindness, or affection only to those who can match me, so don't bother."

"I'll cheer for you, even if it's empty words. Empty words, though."

"Hey."

Before I knew it, the long-awaited date of the preliminaries arrived, and the competition began in earnest.

Despite the large scale and numerous opponents, I confidently rose to the top ranks.

As expected of me. My singing skills are top-notch!

But my opponent was bad news.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to lose!"

Damn junior. I hoped she'd have bad luck and fail, but true to her status as a strong contender, she made it through.

Unlike me, my junior is signed to a major agency.

Annoyingly, my junior, who's related to an executive at that agency, sings well too.

It might have been inevitable that I received lower scores from the judges.

"Hmph. That traitor."

She talked about being a fan and all, but she didn't hold back here.

I was replaying the preliminaries broadcast I watched on TV.

Major agencies and famous singers dominated the screen, while unknown singers only appeared if they passed the preliminaries.

My appearance was just 15 seconds against my junior.

They showed her singing the highlight of the song, but why didn't they show mine?

I clicked my tongue at the blatantly biased editing.

This is why.

What's the point of loving and caring for others in a world ruled by cold calculation?

"What's with this talk of love?"

Still, I should be grateful for even 15 seconds.

Tuk tuk.

With some unexpected free time, I was playing a game.

This game... It's surprisingly helpful since it includes the latest songs.

I wonder how they handled the copyright?

"Huh?"

[The winner of the contest is ■■■!]

What's this game? It has an ending?

The rhythm game I played was just about tapping tiles to the beat.

But the concept was unique.

The protagonist participates in a contest and faces randomly selected opponents.

I heard some of them are incredibly strong.

I didn't encounter any, maybe because I played well.

Anyway, I was surprised there was an ending.

The guy who asked me to review it said the game was unfinished, with opponents' faces not drawn, but there's clearly an ending. How unexpected.

[The winner, please ascend the Dragon's Gate!]

My character climbed the Dragon's Gate as the host instructed.

It was just a victory performance, climbing stairs to reach a photogenic spot.

The player, receiving congratulations, looked happy.

"...At least I won here."

Without any lingering attachment to the victory, I tossed my phone aside.

I'll write the review tomorrow and go to bed early.

That way, I can practice and busk without any issues.

...

Then, I woke up in an absurd place.

An unfamiliar room. An unfamiliar bed. An unfamiliar door. And neatly arranged clothes to wear.

Judging by their extravagance, they seemed fit for a stage.

I thought I was dreaming.

That the stress of failing the preliminaries led to a related dream.

I put on the clothes and left the room.

What I saw was a stage and an impossibly large crowd of spectators.

When I appeared, everyone held their breath and watched.

This stage looked familiar... Ah. It was identical to the one in the game.

So, I'm dreaming.

Then, the host should announce the start of the stage.

[The beautiful lady who failed the preliminaries and the king of karaoke, Uncle Ninety Points! The battle between the two begins!]

Mocking me for failing the preliminaries, how cheeky for a dream.

And my opponent is an amateur who'd be thrilled to score 90 in karaoke. Not my type, but... Since it's a lucid dream, why not enjoy it?

The theme song was decided.

I started singing as the host pushed me.

The dark crowd swayed like waves to my song.

A satisfying reaction.

If I had passed the preliminaries and advanced, I could have competed while looking down at the audience, not the strict judges.

The awkwardly singing man across from me fidgeted.

Ah. It's because my singing is exceptional.

I smirked slightly and continued singing leisurely.

Then, the man suddenly stopped singing and shouted at me.

"Ah, miss, please save me! I have a wife and kids!"

"Huh?"

What kind of nonsense is this?

Just because he can't sing well, is he going to die?

As I looked at him in disbelief, the singing stopped.

"That expression... You, you just arrived here today."

Click.

A strange sound came from the man's neck.

It was from the necklace he was wearing, and I realized I was wearing one too.

Right after the click, the man turned pale and reached out to me.

It seemed more like a reflex than a purposeful action.

Pop!

"Huh?"

The man's head exploded.

Flesh and blood splattered on my face, still warm.

My mind froze, and on the large screen showing my bloodied face, I saw the popularity votes.

Just like in the game.

Except, the game didn't show the fate of defeated competitors.

"Urgh..."

I felt nauseous. This was no joke; it was the first time I had such an absurd nightmare.

Applause echoed.

It came from the audience filled with dark silhouettes.

I hurriedly ran back to the room I was in.

It's a dream. It must be a dream.

I must be dreaming something similar because I wanted to watch a newly released death game drama.

Wake up. Wake up from this nightmare!

"..."

This world was not a dream.

...

After falling here, all I learned was despair.

First. This is a place you can never escape from.

Trying to escape by making a hole in the wall was impossible because there was an iron plate inside.

Next, the idea of jumping off the stage to escape.

I didn't try it, but a competitor who did had their head explode and died.

Second. The audience and the host are not human. No matter how much I looked, the audience was just black, with no visible features, not even legs or hands.

The host also spoke at length, but I never heard even a faint breath.

I confirmed this after several matches.

Third. It was possible to meet competitors in the waiting room beforehand.

If both agreed.

Killing each other was impossible.

But cutting out vocal cords seemed acceptable.

I learned this after accepting a sweet offer from behind the door.

If that bitch had been more aggressive, I would have had my vocal cords cut out with a dinner knife.

After that, I never agreed to open the door.

Those damn bastards are only thinking about how to survive.

And so am I.

"I will survive."

What did I do wrong?

In a simple, even childish rule where the better singer lives and the worse one dies.

In a place where a greater being plays with us like lab rats.

I didn't live this long just to die.

Seeing the heads of those who lost to me in singing contests explode was still horrifying.

So, I looked away.

Isn't that how everyone lives?

Thinking it's okay for someone to be sacrificed if it means climbing higher.

So, I'm just doing what's natural.

So, I'm not bad.

"You..."

The opponent in the next match was a singer from a famous agency who passed the preliminaries.

A guy suspected of being pushed by money behind the scenes.

I beat him cleanly.

Ah, right. Here, background means nothing.

Only skill matters.

Maybe I disliked him.

No, I did. I wanted to compete based on skill.

But why don't I feel satisfied?

I should be happy... I beat a coward and survived!

After that, I met many others I knew.

And I won all the matches, smashing their heads and climbing higher.

Climbing the stairs written in blood.

But that's not evil. No, I'm not bad! Everyone does it!

And finally.

The time for the ending came.

The last one. Winning this match means victory.

I guessed there was only one way to survive and return home from this damn game.

Only by reaching the ending credits through victory.

I swallowed the black nuts provided for meals and stepped outside.

"Senior..."

On the stage, after finalizing my resolve, was the girl who called herself my junior.

She looked extremely tired and haggard, forcing a smile.

I bit my lip and said nothing.

I can't waver.

Her skills are high.

But seeing her haggard face, she might not be in good condition, so she's not an unbeatable opponent.

"Senior... You climbed here by killing so many people."

I did. And so did you!

Those disgusting words you said about care and love are useless in this artificially created experiment!

Rather, someone like me, who feels no guilt and pushes forward, is more suited to survive.

So don't look at me with those eyes.

"I killed too many. But I'm more important. So, I had no choice."

"..."

"But meeting you here is a relief. Now, I can stop."

"...!"