Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
Click, click.
The clicking ended.
The Alien Shop displayed the items I had put in the cart in a neat list.
What I am going to buy is…….
Alice Picnic Set – ₩11,999,999
※ Discount! ※ Silver Coin Snake – ₩4,999,999
= ₩16,999,998
Indeed.
I purchased the effect-boosting potion and the discount item.
The reason was simple.
‘I can’t use the rest…….’
A blood-sucking weapon? It sounds cool. But there is a premise.
That you have to run at the ghost holding a knife…….
‘A coward doing such a foolish thing will die…….’
Crying and shaking my hands while dying as Extra 1 was not a clichéd horror movie trope for no reason.
Furthermore, since it would only be useful if the target of the attack had blood, it lacks versatility.
‘If it were armor instead, it might be different, but in this state, weapons are out of the question, right?’
Overestimating oneself is a shortcut to shortening one’s lifespan. The rest is omitted.
Next, the Wider Walkie-Talkie.
This was…….
‘……Is there anyone who can convince a boss to carry around a toy walkie-talkie?’
Wouldn’t such a person… not be someone who works under someone else?
Even if I told them it was a great item and not a mere toy, it was a problem. If they started asking ‘Where did you get it,’ there was no answer.
This is an item that can only be used when there is a truly trustworthy colleague.
‘So, rejected.’
Ultimately, the remaining items are the ‘Alice Picnic Set’ and the ‘Silver Coin Snake’—two items that I can afford within my budget, so I’ll buy them.
Because both looked useful.
First of all, couldn’t the double effect and half effect of the Alice Picnic Set be used for various purposes?
‘If push comes to shove, I think it could also be used for defense.’
It was also easy to use without catching the employees’ eyes. Therefore, purchased.
Finally, the discount item bearing the name of Silver Coin Snake.
‘The regular price is twenty million won?’
First of all, I got a strong feeling from that.
This is for investment.
‘Looking at how they went out of their way to attach the name ‘Silver Coin,’ it seems likely to be a currency.’
In the <Records of the Dark Exploration> setting, there were various currencies inside the ghost stories, and they could even be exchanged for cash through specific organizations.
‘Buying a twenty-million-won regular price item for five million is definitely a bargain.’
Although there was usually a reason why the Alien Shop gave a massive discount, it was still worth taking the risk.
…It is absolutely not the psychology of investing in coins! Really! It is a rational decision!
So I… now had to pay seventeen million won.
“Phew.”
The payment method was solely bank transfer.
A virtual account number for a simple electronic account creation under the name of ‘Alien’ was displayed on the homepage.
‘I suppose I can’t expect tax deduction…….’
Transferring such a large amount of money in a lump sum was my first time since looking for a studio apartment.
With trembling hands, I transferred ‘₩16,999,998’ through the banking app whose transfer limit I had raised.
In that moment.
Purchase successful!
The item has boarded the rocket!
Time remaining until arrival: 00:00:08
Uh.
00:00:07
00:00:06
Hold on.
00:00:03
00:00:02
00:00:01
Ding.
A cheerful sound rang.
Arrived!
Poof.
“Gasps!”
The air ‘opened’ in the middle of the room, and the items poured out along with smoke.
It was a post office delivery box.
“Wow.”
It was literally rocket delivery.
‘This crazy world, you could be fascinating and not scary too!’
I even felt deeply moved.
After marveling for a moment, I came to my senses and opened the delivery package.
First of all, the <Alice Picnic Set> was a rusted tin case decorated with fairy-tale illustrations.
Opening the case revealed a beverage in a flat can and paper-wrapped cookies. ‘Drink me’ and ‘Eat me’ were written on them respectively.
“Nice.”
I could just bring one or two of these along with me like the ‘Smile Stickers.’ I nodded.
And pulling this tin case out of the delivery box revealed the round silver object that had been buried underneath.
I picked it up.
A smooth silver coin.
‘It was a currency.’
It was slightly thrilling.
I lightly flipped the roe-deer-sized silver coin engraved with the picture of a snake biting its own tail. It was heavy, as expected of metal.
A few candidates of where I could use this currency crossed my mind.
‘Let’s make good use of it wherever.’
Although seventeen million won had vanished like melting snow.
Since it was money that would disappear when I returned to my original world anyway, let’s restrain my greed… Restrain.
Mm. I calmed down.
‘Then… in any case, am I also quite prepared?’
I organized the items I currently possessed.
– Memorial GripTok
– Smile Stickers 🙂
– Alice Picnic Set
– Silver Coin Snake
In the future, using these, I had to clear higher-grade Dark as quickly as possible.
‘Let’s use them actively.’
Trying to avoid it because it’s scary could lead to experiencing a scarier end. Let’s not forget, coward.
Striving to make the most of everything I could use without forgetting, I went to sleep.
Instead of sheep, the convenience store ghost leaped around in my head, destroying my quality of life.
Haha.
* * *
And the very next day.
“We have a few ghost stories we manage regularly, and we’re going to enter one of them today.”
“……Yes.”
I came out after sleeping only three hours. I feel like I’m really going to die at this rate.
However, interpreting my expression as worry, the assistant manager patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much. Since it is D-grade.”
“That’s right! The thing you experienced in the new employee orientation, Roe Deer, it’s just about that level!”
To say such things to a new employee who probably has death survival PTSD……?
However, the Field Exploration Team employees, whose civilian sensibilities had already been shattered, merely chuckled and spoke as if giving me well-wishes.
“You cleared one even by headbutting bare ground, is there any way you can’t do it now when there is a manual?”
“As long as you don’t act rashly, there’s no major problem, got it?”
“……Yes.”
For now, well… I understand.
In any case, anything would be better than playing tag with a convenience store ghost by myself.
‘Please let me get some sleep at night.’
This time, please let it be an art film style ghost story that is chilling due to incongruity and lack of information, but actually not that horrific!
I prayed fervently.
“Here, the materials.”
The supervisor held out the tablet PC.
The ghost story I will enter today was…….
[Tuesday Quiz Show / D-grade]
“…….”
Huh?
“Did you see it, Roe Deer? You are entering as a participant in a quiz game.”
“Yes.”
“If you can’t answer the quiz, you receive a penalty, but the types of penalties are horrible… Well, it’s that kind of ghost story.”
“But we already have the answer sheet, so we’re fine? Don’t be so tense!”
The supervisor smiled broadly and gave a thumbs up.
Yes, good.
‘I get a premonition that the horror level will be much lower than seeing a ghost directly…….’
But there was also a problem.
‘It is an unfamiliar name.’
Tuesday Quiz Show?
There is no such D-grade ghost story page in <Records of the Dark Exploration>.
Right now, because of the bosses, I couldn’t use the Memorial GripTok to search my memory… but I could be certain without looking.
At least it is not among the ghost stories I read.
Granted, even if I had read all the ghost stories in <Records of the Dark Exploration>, other ghost stories could exist in this setting.
In the first place, it was an internet playground where ghost stories were continually written in real time.
Still, I thought the ones I didn’t know would be far fewer, to think I would be entering a ghost story I didn’t know so soon.
‘…Is the list of ‘Dark’ possessed by the company far more vast than I thought?’
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
But the bosses were carefree.
“For some reason, many broadcast-side Dark are assigned to our group’s jurisdiction.”
“Ah, there are things like that for each group.”
And the assistant manager sent me a PDF file, saying it was the answer sheet for the Tuesday Quiz Show, and said.
“For now, just look over that answer sheet… and read through the Field Exploration Manual again. Let’s go when the group leader arrives in the afternoon.”
“Yes.”
I nodded obediently for now.
The supervisor kindly added words.
“Ah, just in case, shall I pack a printed manual for you? You have to take notes too.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I memorized all of it.”
For me, who possessed the Memorial GripTok, it was merely an extra burden.
“All… memorized?”
“Yes.”
“…So that’s why you didn’t take notes!”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no.”
The supervisor wore a look of realization, then nodded.
“I think the group leader is going to find you extremely comfortable.”
“……??”
Anyway, it seemed to be a good meaning, so let’s pass.
For reference, the Group D leader was still on field work, but we had received news that he would return this afternoon.
‘I’ll see him soon.’
However, an hour later.
“One moment. Our group leader, I mean, the manager is still on field work… Yes? No, that is difficult.”
The assistant manager, who was on the phone, hung up with a deep frown.
“Have these people lost their minds? Suggesting that since there is a rookie, doesn’t that make a 3-person team… what crazy talk…….”
“Pardon? Really?”
“Yeah. It seems…….”
The assistant manager glanced at me.
Ah.
‘Is it because of the convenience store ghost?’
Because I cleared the F-grade Dark alone too quickly by a strange method, it gave the superiors a pretext to say, ‘Really? Then he can carry his own weight.’
To think the side effect of eating the twenty million won alone would burst here.
Of course, it wasn’t because they were unhappy that I took the money.
“It’s the end of the month, you see.”
“Ah.”
Whispering between the two bosses, I grasped the situation roughly.
‘Has a performance issue occurred in the department.’
I didn’t know, but it seemed they had to fill their ‘quota’ before lunch.
But the situation was such that the rookie seemed capable of carrying his own weight.
The assistant manager decided after a brief inner conflict.
“Roe Deer, did you memorize all of that?”
Ah, the quiz show answer sheet… Hold on.
‘If I say I memorized all of it, are we going in?’
If so, I should put on some strategic tantrums…….
“Ayy, he probably memorized it already? They say he memorized the entire Exploration Work Manual, that thick thing!”
“Oh.”
The assistant manager nodded.
“Good. Then today, we go in by ourselves.”
“…….”
My small and desperate hope of ‘I wish the head count was at least one more person, so it’s less scary!’ vanished just like that…….
An explanation followed, like, ‘Although a 3-person team is the rule, normally we occasionally go in as two when someone takes leave. We do receive support shifts, but it’s hard to match schedules and whatnot.’
Yes. I heard well the story that this company is indeed like a typical corporation.
‘…In any case, I am prepared.’
I had completed arming myself with items, and hadn’t I confirmed that it wasn’t a horrific form of a ghost story?
Thinking about it, going now actually seemed better than going in the afternoon!
As the saying goes, it is better to face the music sooner.
As time passed, my imagination would only create more fear. The courage I had gathered right now was my peak.
It might be better to enter before it dwindled further……!
“Let’s enter.”
In the midst of my endless mental victory, the assistant manager, who had taken over something from an employee of another department who visited, approached.
‘The medium to enter the ghost story… right?’
It was a postcard.
However, in the ‘Recipient’ field of the postcard with a vintage stamp, bizarre characters were already messily written.
And at the top, the word ‘Application’ was repeatedly written in tiny characters.
Just like a curse.
-One day, I find a strange postcard in an old magazine.
A promotional material recruiting participants for a certain quiz show was enclosed, but searching it, no such broadcast existed. It was probably just used as a theme for a vintage postcard.
Feeling interested, I write my name in the ‘Sender’ field for fun, but…….
I was dragged into a truly strange quiz show.
Was it that kind of ghost story.
Although it did generate chills in that it was bizarre the moment one looked closely, even if one didn’t know well at a glance…….
“All you have to do is sign here.”
“…….”
“If it feels fishy, just write your animal mask name instead of your real name.”
“……Yes.”
I must gather points.
Watching the two write ‘Badger’ and ‘Falcon’ respectively, I also wrote in the ‘Sender’ column.
– Roe Deer
The moment I lifted the pen.
My mind was sucked into the vintage postcard as if it were being extracted.
“……!”
[Ah, you have finally arrived, our application participants!]
The lighting was blinding.
In my blurry field of vision, a bright and cheerful voice struck my ears.
A hand dressed in a suit requested a handshake.
[Welcome, welcome… Now. The camera will turn shortly. Let’s show a cool appearance with a smiling face!]
I reflexively shook hands and raised my head.
Where a person’s head should be, a vintage TV was visible instead.
……An emoticon was floating.
[]
That TV person let go of my hand, spun around cheerfully, and spread both arms.
[Audience members!]
Waaaaah!
Cheers were heard, but blurred by the studio lights, the figures in the audience seats were not clearly visible.
Soon, I realized I was standing at a colorful podium.
‘Is this the participant’s spot in the quiz show.’
It wasn’t scary enough to make me faint.
No, honestly, thinking that I had merely participated in a quiz show hosted by a TV-headed presenter brought peace to my mind.
‘After experiencing the eye-gouging subway and the convenience store ghost, this is like a fairy.’
Yes, good. I think I can use my brain calmly.
After touching my mask once, I checked the situation.
[Is it your first time as a talk show audience? Oh-oh, then don’t forget to cheer. Because your cheers are everything in the show!]
The TV person seemed to be prompting the audience and heating up the atmosphere.
He seemed to be the host of the talk show.
‘So, this Tuesday Quiz Show is like a corner of a certain talk show.’
Looking at the atmosphere of the set, the band creating background sounds, the composition of the audience seats, and the atmosphere led solely by the host… it was like a traditional American talk show.
‘It also feels a bit old-fashioned.’
…….
What?
‘Again.’
Old American talk show.
Quiz corner.
A situation where the participant already knows the answer.
This is…….
…….
…….
I know this keyword.
—–
※ Warning on Reading! ※
Notice: Daydream Co. has absolutely no liability for any issues such as fear, auditory hallucinations, ■■, ■■■■ arising from reading this document.
Please proceed after signing.
—–
This was not a D-grade.
This, ghost story, was…….
—–
Records of the Dark Exploration / Ghost Story
[Hymn of the Living Sacrifices]
: A ghost story appearing in <Records of the Dark Exploration>, Daydream Co.’s identification code is Qterw-A-104.
An Abyss (A) grade Dark.
The starting point of the rating readjustment incident that caused numerous casualties.
Currently, no official record of survivors.
—–
“…….”
[3, 2, 1… Now, the show begins!]
No.