I’m Just an Ordinary Human

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– What is this? What is this?! – Crazy brother, let’s report this first.

– Is that really true???

“This…”

It seems like we’ve hit the jackpot.

There are many types of [Abnormality].

Some can be clearly recognized as [Abnormal Entities] even before the situation unfolds, while others that don’t even seem [Abnormal] can actually be [Abnormal Entities].

“Well, they say if something’s weird, assume it’s the work of an [Abnormal Entity].”

So this is what it was.

– Brother, that’s not it.

– Let’s throw in some middle school syndrome now.

“Look closely.”

I said that as I took the camera from the entity and filmed around the corpse.

– Aah!

– Ugh, come on…!

– Aren’t we gonna get our broadcast shut down for this?

“Well, isn’t it a bit late to worry about that…?”

The corpse has already made its on-screen appearance.

“Anyway, check this out.”

A burnt corpse.

It had charred so badly that it looked like it would crumble with just a gust of wind—

“Isn’t it too clean?”

There were definitely scorch marks.

The issue is, it’s only scorch marks.

“To have someone burn this much, turning their flesh to this level of blackness, while the wooden floor is just scorched?”

Does this even make sense?

– Right.

– Now that you mention it, it is strange.

– Did they move a corpse burned elsewhere here?

“Moved it? It looks too charred to not crumble, right?”

If they really moved something burnt to this extent, maintaining the shape of the corpse would be impossible.

“In either case, what happened here is something a person cannot do.”

An abnormal scene that couldn’t possibly involve a normal human.

“This is the doing of a [Ghost]!”

– Still, getting hyped up in front of the corpse seems a bit off, brother.

– Breaking news: Han Yu-seong is under scrutiny for his character…

– But can a person even do something like this…?

“No, seriously, it definitely is a [Ghost]!”

“Eeek!”

“Huh?”

At that moment, I heard someone scream from the entrance of the auditorium.

A boy who looked like he hadn’t fully matured yet.

He pointed at me, the entities, and the burnt corpse with trembling hands and shouted.

“You… you murderers!”

*

That malicious boy, who suddenly pointed fingers and accused us of a crime we didn’t commit, was reformed into a good boy after my lecture.

– Lecture?

– Reformed?

“My right fist is the lecture, and my left fist is the reformation.”

The boy, with his puffy face, might have had bad thoughts again as he looked up and saw my fists, but he quickly became good again.

– But can we do this on the broadcast?

“It’s a broadcast that’s basically already in the garbage.”

I don’t know why it hasn’t been shut down yet, but once a real corpse appears on screen, there’s no coming back for my broadcast.

Throwing punches here won’t make things worse.

Am I gonna get sued?

As I’ve said many times before, the police in this world don’t do their jobs.

They wouldn’t even take a report about a fistfight on a personal broadcast.

“So, who are you?”

“Y-yes? Me?”

“Yeah, you. Besides you, who else is here?”

The boy glanced at the entities, but they’re just accessories to the back room, so they’re exceptions.

“Umm, my friends…”

“Friends?”

“Yeah…”

The boy’s name was Lee Jae-hyeok.

From what I gathered, they didn’t seem like friends, but rather just a lackey he had been bothering…

Anyway, it seems that this hoodlum, who had a surprisingly strong sense of Confucianism, couldn’t bring himself to smoke in front of adults and recommended this abandoned school as a hangout.

“Did he lure them here out of malice? Clever.”

“N-no! Not like that!”

How can he come up with detailed murder plans with such a clueless demeanor?

It’s truly ominous.

“I really didn’t…!”

Even if he shows a wronged expression, the truth doesn’t change.

“Well… anyway, suddenly Jae-hwan suggested we do a courage test.”

It wasn’t a serious suggestion at all.

He was just trying to tease the timid Lee Jae-hyeok.

Apparently, the guys who turned into corpses outside had pushed this creepy fellow into the school while they were goofing off.

“I was so scared that I just snuck away…”

He thought he’d get punished by the bullies the next day, but heard that all of them had skipped school.

“That was a week ago.”

For a week, the bullies haven’t shown up to school or gone home.

Well, that makes sense.

After all, they’re lying here as corpses now.

“So, just in case, I came back here…”

He seemed shocked to see the corpse, his voice quivering.

Well, that’s just how it is.

“Alright! Now that I understand the situation, should we head out?”

– At this timing?!

– Doesn’t brother lack a human heart…?

– Not that kind of person!

“Wasn’t the story done?”

Having heard the circumstances, isn’t it time to act?

“Umm, is there anything to do here?”

The Dark Figure asked with a confused expression.

“Yeah, Darky.”

“I’m Lee Jae-hyeok…”

“Yeah, Darky.”

“Yes…”

It’s nice to see him acknowledge he’s dark.

Anyway, since he seems so clueless that he forgot his name and what to do…

“We’re gonna get revenge, right?”

“Huh?”

“Revenge for your friends.”

I kindly told the Dark Figure.

“Let’s go for revenge.”

For reference, I won’t be listening to your opinions.

*

Upon discovering the circumstances behind the burnt charcoal-like corpse, I gained a conviction.

That the bullies who burned them were an [Abnormal Entity] and that it was still near here.

– But why do you think the culprit is still around?

“Because those bullies have been missing for a week.”

I may not have expertise in corpse examination, but the corpses still had warmth left in them.

Of course, they weren’t hot to the touch.

Just enough warmth remained.

Though it wasn’t recent, it wasn’t so long ago either.

These people had been missing for a week, after all.

“I doubt they were tortured here for a week, but they definitely weren’t dead before being burned.”

A week isn’t a long time, but it is long enough for decay to begin.

If the corpses had begun to decompose, the smell would last longer than one might think.

It wouldn’t be different outdoors either.

There are stories of people finding hidden corpses while walking down the street, after all.

With no evidence of decay found, there’s no way that they were already dead.

If that’s the case, it means that the [Abnormal Entity] had managed those bullies for a week.

Right here in this abandoned school.

“This abandoned school is very likely the culprit’s hideout.”

If the culprit were human, they might have just stepped out for a bit, but I was certain the culprit was an [Abnormal Entity].

A [Ghost] type [Abnormal Entity].

[Abnormal Entities] can be categorized into several types.

There are [Ghost Stories] based on urban legends, like my [Ordinary Apartment].

[Tools] created from special items contaminated by [Abnormality].

[Gods] and [Demons] based on ancient folklore and myth.

And—

The [Ghosts] that are the malevolent thoughts left behind by humans upon their death, which became [Abnormality].

This [Ghost] is not actually the [Abnormal Entity] I was after.

What I was after was a [Ghost Story] entity like the [Ghost of the Suicidal Student in Abandoned School].

Aren’t they the same?

Not at all!

The latter’s [Ghost Stories] come from tales.

Since they’re not particularly bound, they can manifest anywhere the environment or background is fit, and especially for common ghost stories like the [Ghost of the Abandoned School], such thoughts are distributed, making them both numerous and relatively weak.

On the other hand, those belonging to the category of [Ghosts] are a bit special.

They are [Abnormal Entities] born from an individual’s resentment and curse rather than the collective thoughts of humans, so they are inherently weaker.

There’s a reason there are countermeasures, like sprinkling salt or placing crosses.

According to the information I’ve heard, they can even die if hit with real salt.

Moreover, these [Ghosts] can’t escape; they are bound to the place where they were born.

Having been formed from the sentiments of a dead human, unlike the [Abnormal Entities] that are affected by the collective thoughts of humanity, they can only live on as spirits, which can seem somewhat tragic.

They are officially the weakest [Abnormal Entities].

However…

Once another condition is added, this [Ghost] can be reborn as the worst [Abnormal Entity].

By consuming other [Abnormal Entities] of the same kind.

Despite being weak in power, the quality of the emotions that make up the [Ghost] is exceptional.

And often they overlap with other categories of [Abnormal Entities] like the aforementioned [Ghost of the Abandoned School].

The problem arises when two seemingly similar entities from different categories meet.

Just like how one must die when encountering a doppelganger.

[Ghosts] can consume other [Abnormal Entities] and absorb their sentiments.

“Even so, the essence itself does not change, and its characteristics remain the same.”

– Hey, are you writing a novel lately?

– This guy has a solid world-building sense.

– I sent the link of your broadcast to the police… Should report the corpse first.

Well, since a corpse has appeared, I think even the lazy police will show up…

“Seems like only the police will be in danger when they arrive.”

Well, that depends on whether they can come or not.

“Um, brother?”

“Yeah, Darky.”

“Weren’t you looking for that ghost…?”

“Right. I will find it.”

“But why…?”

Are we going towards the school gate?

I don’t even need to hear the words trailing off.

Well, the reason I, who rambled on about revenge, came by the entrance of the abandoned school is simple.

“Having deduced, it’s time to verify.”

Even if a [Ghost] consumes a [Ghost Story], its essence doesn’t change.

It remains stuck in place, unable to move, just like a restless spirit.

In other words—

Clank—

“Aha.”

The iron door doesn’t budge despite my own power.

I even tried throwing myself against it, but it still stood firm.

“I thought it would be like this if I were a ghost.”

Looking at the scene, the Dark Figure’s complexion turned pale.

I said to the guy who looked like that.

“We’re trapped.”