Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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A horrific stench spread through the studio.
The thing that walked out into the middle of the lighting was a bipedal creature with a pig’s head.
An emaciated body.
Blood flowed from the eyes of a massive dead pig attached in place of a head.
[One moment. Because he is a taciturn artist…… Ah! Right now, the maestro’s equipment enters!]
Thirteen silver trays descended from the air, hung by wires.
The round, massive silver trays were heavily and delicately decorated.
Screaming faces. Countless ones hung like clusters of grapes.
[Then, shall we meet our passionate participants who volunteered as members of the choir?]
The lights turned on at each podium.
The appearance of pale, terrified humans standing at the six podiums.
[You see familiar faces from last week too, right? Haha, will our participants who kept the 99th winning streak record be able to establish the 100th record in the new corner?]
[Please keep your channel locked! It will be revealed shortly!]
Waaaaah!
The audience seats were empty. However, recorded sounds mechanically filled the scene.
[But the first honor must go to the first participant, right?]
The host stood in front of a supervisor I didn’t know.
The employee in the mole mask ducked his head.
[This is the question.]
Flash.
[Which of the following organisms has the longest lifespan?]
1. Pig
2. Human
3. Rabbit
4. Flea
“H-human. Number 2, human……!”
[Correct!]
A look of relief flashed in the mole-masked employee’s eyes.
Yes. In the original Tuesday Talk Show, it would have moved to the next turn along with cheers.
However, a new step was added to the new corner.
[Congratulations on passing, Mr. Mole!]
The maestro with the bleeding pig head raised his emaciated arm and waved his silver conductor’s baton.
The mole mask was ripped off along with the head.
[It will achieve a beautiful harmony!]
Thud.
The headless body of the participant fell to the floor below the podium like a puppet with cut strings.
“……!”
The employee’s head, with only the neck remaining, floated into the air and was displayed on the silver tray.
He was still mouthing words.
[It will awaken the appropriate talent in each participant. Oh, amazing. Amazing…….]
As the pig raised both arms, a clear and transparent scream suddenly began to echo from the mouthing employee’s mouth, riding a melody.
“H-human. Number 2. Huuuuumaaaaaan!”
A sound as if someone was forcibly squeezing a vocal cord to create the melody of a woodwind instrument.
[Finally, the first member has taken their place!]
The choir practice began.
Repeating continuously the last words spoken before the neck was severed.
—–
‘Hymn of the Living Sacrifices’ consists of one conductor and 13 silver trays summoned by him.
The heads of the talk show participants are placed on the silver trays, and the selection method is decided through that day’s broadcast corner.
The heads combined with the silver trays each utter different sentences and instrument sounds to compose an a cappella.
The maximum number of heads recorded in history is 7.
One head: Induces mild headache, anxiety, and sudden emotional swings.
—–
If you were in the comfortable position of merely reading the ghost story.
Since it was only one head, you might think it was a bearable effect despite the horrific situation…….
However, if you were placed in this crazy situation yourself, those words would not come out.
Like the employee who was directly affected over there.
“Aaaah!! S-Si-yeon, Si……!”
Incinerated.
The light of another podium went out. The ash-turned corpse stuck to the floor below.
The mouthing head remaining alone still sang the bizarre melody.
“H-human. Number 2. Huuuuumaaaaaan!”
[Next is… Ah, another new face. Mr. Jellyfish! Let’s look forward to whether he can create a wonderful choir harmony with the passed participant!]
[Well then, the question…….]
“I don’t know! The answer, I don’t know!”
The employee wearing the nameless jellyfish mask shouted before even reading the question.
His instinct seemed to have judged that it was better to fail the quiz and receive a penalty.
[Oh my goodness!]
It was an amazing judgment.
…Though it was a useless act.
[Fail]
His head exploded.
Like fireworks, the lights of the mirror ball sparkled and a flurry of flowers fluttered in the studio.
The recorded reaction of the audience, mixed with unfortunate sighs and cheers, filled the studio.
[Oh dear, it is a fail! It is regrettable…….]
[He could not enter the great choir!]
“…….”
Yes.
‘The penalty system vanished, and if you can’t answer the quiz, you fail unconditionally.’
I blinked my eyes.
A sense of reality did not kick in.
That half of the people died within five minutes of the recording start.
And, that there was no exit.
The remaining ones were three again.
Group D’s assistant manager and supervisor.
And I.
[Then shall we meet our next participants? Oh, they are familiar faces!]
“…….”
I recalled a fact I was ignoring.
…That I had never seen the names of these bosses in <Records of the Dark Exploration> either.
It was identical to my rookie colleague Go Yeong-eun.
I recalled the thought I had when I heard Go Yeong-eun’s name.
– Either she successfully dealt with the ghost stories and resigned early.
– Or she died quickly.
[Mr. Badger!]
Among us, the supervisor was called first.
Park Min-sung.
The chin of the supervisor standing at the podium furthest from me turned pale.
The death sentence, soon I would also…….
[It is your turn to answer!]
No.
‘Wake up!’
I punched my stomach, which was hidden by the podium.
The pain made my head slightly clearer.
‘Being a coward or whatever is no excuse.’
This is not a situation dominated by that kind of fear.
‘It is a disaster.’
So to speak, the overwhelming feeling when witnessing a natural disaster right in front of your eyes.
I was swept up in an unexpected natural disaster. Yes, indeed……. If I panic here, there is no hope. I won’t even save what can be saved.
You must not forget. The one with the highest probability of survival here is you!
I must think.
‘Right.’
I have information and items.
[Mr. Badger, are you ready?]
Targeting this moment when the gazes of the host and the staff were off me, is there nothing I can attempt? Really?
I desperately tried to recall the items I possessed. I also reviewed the characteristics of this ghost story like crazy.
‘I don’t ask for anything else.’
If only we could escape.
I wasn’t trying to make this crazy talk show get canceled or anything. Wait, hold on a moment and…….
Ah.
I raised my head.
Right next to me, the host’s back was visible.
Warping to give the quiz to the supervisor.
[It seems you are ready! Great…….]
Close.
‘…If so!’
I hid my trembling hand below the podium. And lowering my body slightly, I took out two items I had placed in my suit jacket’s inner pocket.
A cheap sticker with a smiling emoticon drawn on it, and a can bottle with ‘Drink me’ attached.
‘Quickly.’
I opened the can bottle.
And I shoved the Smile Stickers, which I had peeled off, into the can bottle.
Quickly, quickly.
“…Ah. Can I say a word to the viewers before answering?”
[Oh, of course!]
The supervisor looked toward this side while pretending to look at the camera.
Toward the podiums where the assistant manager and I stood.
“…I have a hospitalized family member, and I hope someone would go take a look at them when this filming ends! If possible.”
[Oh my, it is touching!]
[So, the answer is?]
The supervisor smiled while sweating coldly.
“I don’t kno…….”
“One moment.”
I raised my left hand.
“Host.”
While drawing attention like that,
Extending my right hand, I attached three or four wet Smile Stickers as a whole under the vintage TV that was the host’s head.
“…….”
Splat, a drop of water fell to the floor.
Was it caught on camera? Did they notice?
No, if they had, my head would have exploded already.
[Oh, Mr. Roe Deer! Do you have something to say?]
They didn’t notice.
I swallowed hard.
Turning my head, the supervisor was looking at me with startled eyes.
He seemed surprised that I had interrupted the host and spoken at will without being incinerated.
It was certainly a gamble.
‘But there is a basis.’
Didn’t the host say so earlier.
– Since it’s a recorded broadcast, it will be even easier than before! Haha!
In other words, it meant the current filming was not a live broadcast.
‘If so, unless we completely ruin the flow or act uncooperatively, it might not be considered obstructing the broadcast.’
Just raising one’s hand and making a personal comment!
[Mr. Roe Deer?]
He let it pass.
“Yes.”
I glanced at the underside of the host’s TV where the water was dripping.
And lowering my voice so it would be heard only by the host, I spoke.
“Excuse me, my head is too dizzy. Can I… rest for a moment.”
[…….]
What I just did was…….
Smile Stickers
An item that evokes a mild sense of affinity when attached to an intellectual being.
I soaked it in the Alice Picnic Set / Can Beverage, which doubles the effect of an item, and attached it to the opponent.
…Of course, there is room for debate here too.
– Can the host be considered an intellectual being?
The host is certainly not a human.
Still, wouldn’t it be true that he possessed intelligence.
No, he had to. Because I staked my life on that.
And now there was no turning back.
What if I got incinerated for obstructing the broadcast? If I was going to die anyway, dying comfortably was rather better.
The dress shirt wrapping my back was damp with cold sweat.
The host made a sound…….
[Oh dear!]
“…….”
[Was your passion for the broadcast too excessive? Yes, that can happen, I understand… Mm. Mr. Roe Deer did work hard.]
[If that’s the case.]
The host’s monitor turned black.
Raising his right hand, he…….
[Cut! Let’s take a break for a moment!]
The band sound stopped.
The staff murmured.
[Haha, my apologies. My screen became opaque, you see. Makeup!]
Hurriedly, the camera light went out.
[Please wipe it carefully. Mm, splendid!]
A faceless staff member holding makeup tools rushed up and wiped the vintage TV screen diligently until it squeaked.
And stopping the makeup person who was about to leave after finishing the job, the host pointed at me.
[Ah, on your way, I would be very grateful if you could guide that participant to the waiting room. Because he decided to bring me my water.]
And winking his TV emoticon eye at me, he briefly floated text and then erased it.
[Have a drink of water and rest!]
“…Thank thank you.”
I succeeded.
‘For now, it worked.’
Tottering down from the podium, I walked to immediately follow the makeup person.
Even though the filming was halted, the sinister and horrific pig head still stood in the center of the stage without moving, merely waving the conductor’s baton.
Drawing a bizarre song with a human head from the bizarre silver tray.
‘Endure.’
Let’s not look.
I walked, crossing the middle of the stage with stiff legs…….
[The recording will restart in 30 seconds!] (Wait, in the raw it was: “녹화는 30분 후에 재시작합니다!” -> “The recording will restart in 30 minutes!”) -> [The recording will restart in 30 minutes!]
It was at the moment I passed by the opposite podium.
The assistant manager standing there suddenly thrust something into my passing hand.
“……!”
I quickly stared at the assistant manager.
I saw her mouth shape.
– Check it, alone.
What is it?
* * *
I was immediately guided to the door behind the stage.
Inside was a waiting room of a typical old Hollywood style.
Except for the fact that a bizarrely large number of black-and-white broadcast posters were plastered all over like talismans.
“Thank you.”
The makeup person merely nodded without a word and vanished in a flash.
Click.
“Phew.”
…I lived.
Although it was only 30 minutes, I had postponed my scheduled death.
‘I must do something in the meantime.’
And a new clue had emerged.
I immediately opened my fingers and checked the object the assistant manager had thrust into my hand.
The item she strived to deliver to me in this urgent situation was indeed…….
“…A button?”
It was a button attached to a suit.
At the same time, it was a button in the sense that it was a button that could be pressed simultaneously.
It meant that there was a space inside, and it felt like it would be pressed if pressed.
“…….”
There was only one way to find out, and time was short.
‘She gave it to me judging that it would be helpful.’
I immediately pressed the button.
Beep-beep-beep…….
…….
Click.
[This is Lee Ja-heon.]
“……!”
[Who is this? That is Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s call button.]
Manager Lee Ja-heon.
The D Group leader who was said to be on field work was connected through the button.