Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

Change of assignment.

It meant a change in the tasks or department one was in charge of, typically where they primarily worked.

It was something that gradually happened when one’s continuous service reached a yearly unit.

That meant, it was absolutely not something to say to someone on their third day of joining the company!

“…If it is a change of assignment, do I perhaps have to move departments?”

It was when I asked politely, desperately holding back the urge to ask back, ‘I just came back from a good lunch, so what on earth do you mean?’

“No, that’s… right. By any chance, did you see the official announcement? It just went up.”

“…?!”

At the ominous premonition, I immediately checked the intranet.

[Qterw-D-43 Special Incident Resolution Employee Reward Notice]

…Qterw-D-43 was the Tuesday Quiz Show.

And to summarize this content….

-Wow! Some group resolved a special incident that occurred in a D-grade ghost story and extracted A-grade liquid? Keuu, now that’s a performance! We will pay a total of 100,000 points to this group!

-Hey, you saw that, right? You guys can do it too! So throw your work-life balance to the dogs, work like cattle, and take your points! Follow Group D’s example!

……And in the name of the main contributor receiving 40,000 points, the three syllables of my name, ‘Kim Sol-eum,’ were very clearly engraved.

“…….”

I wished it were a dream.

And the even more terrible part was this.

If it was said that this announcement had an effect and caused a change of assignment, then what on earth….

Seeing the hollow-eyed assistant manager, I felt a chill.

“Did you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. They said Group D… put up quite a unique performance this time.”

Don’t tell me.

“Have we been newly assigned on a group level?”

“It’s not to the point of a reassignment, but our workload is changing.”

The assistant manager drank her coffee in one shot.

“Until now, they mostly gave us ghost stories with completed manuals from above to manage, didn’t they?”

Wait.

“Now they’re telling us to enter mainly the Dark where the manuals aren’t completed yet!”

“…!!”

Simply put, they were going to shove us into ghost stories without data!

“No, trying to shove us into a more difficult place just because we did one thing well… ha.”

The supervisor, having already heard the news, was lying face down with his head buried in his desk. It seemed even caffeine wouldn’t work on him.

“Hello.”

And right on cue, the lizard-headed group leader walked into the office. The assistant manager spat fire.

“Group Leader! Telling us to go into the Dark without a manual! Isn’t this practically saying they’re going to kill us all?”

“…? No.”

“Yes?”

In case there was some loophole, a faint hope began to dwell on the assistant manager’s face….

“Even if a manual is completed, there is no guarantee of safety.”

“…….”

Ah, in that sense…….

‘He really is a lizard with an extraordinary personality….’

I barely opened my mouth.

“But still, wouldn’t it be true that it’s more dangerous if there is no manual? Since there is no data.”

The lizard tilted his head.

“Well. I have not felt much of a difference.”

“…….”

Ah, right, he was an employee who performed physical exorcisms….

‘Up until now, did you mostly just push through with brute force in times of emergency….’

I just decided to ask directly.

“Are there any advantages to the current situation?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of advantages?”

“Additional points will be allocated.”

“…!”

Supervisor Park Min-sung suddenly raised his head.

They truly lived up to being people crazy about points.

“I-Is it very big, Group Leader?”

“Yes.”

“By how much?”

“Compared to the Dark of the same grade, it is allocated three to four times higher on average.”

“…!”

“B-By any chance, what was the maximum point multiplier you have seen, Group Leader…?”

“Fifteen times.”

Suddenly, the eyes of the assistant manager and the supervisor changed.

‘Those are the eyes of stock investors.’

It seemed like the exact expression right before buying a bio penny stock rumored to have a new drug.

Apparently, the 30,000 points had been unbearably sweet….

Normally, in this case, someone with reason would stop them… well, actually… to me, that was.

‘A stock that is guaranteed to succeed….’

For me, it made no big difference whether there was a manual or not.

Because I already knew the exploration records in greater detail than any manual!

If so.

‘Isn’t this just a 3x points event…?’

Thus, a short while later.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Group D accepted the new duty and moved without anyone’s objection.

‘Let’s earn points.’

The destination was the 17th floor.

“From the 20th floor to the 17th floor is mostly used by the Development Division.”

The assistant manager frowned as she tapped the buttons.

“And the 17th floor is… particularly the place where researchers looking for new Dark entities are located.”

Ding.

As the elevator doors opened, the white, artificial interior of a complex office combining a typical laboratory and a workspace came into view.

And the person who was already waiting in front reached out a hand.

“Oh my~ Is this fellow that fellow? Total jackpot, total jackpot~”

He was unconditionally my superior.

I reflexively shook hands with the person extending his hand.

“I am Kim Sol-eum. I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh, quite polite too.”

The man wearing a white coat and glasses looked quite young, but because this was such a bizarre world to trust appearances, I decided not to jump to conclusions.

In any case, that superior from another department, after greeting the members of Group D, turned back to look at me.

“I am Gwak Je-gang from Research Team 1. Glad to meet you. Please take good care of me~”

“…! I look forward to working with you.”

Our group’s assistant manager whispered.

“Don’t be intimidated. He’s just a mere manager.”

Aren’t you an assistant manager yourself…?

And the reason I was surprised was not because this person was a manager.

It was because he was someone I knew.

———————=

Gwak Je-gang, Researcher

: An employee of Daydream Co.’s Raw Materials Development Division, Research Team 1, who appears in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>.

One of the research staff members frequently mentioned in the early records of exploring the newly registered Dark entities in the company.

———————=

Another big name had appeared.

‘His personality is… well.’

———————=

A rare case among employees who was directly described as ‘cheerful and sociable.’

However…….

———————=

Hmm.

I quietly followed my teammates without letting it show.

“For starters, we will see each other often in the future. Isn’t that right, Manager Lee Ja-heon?”

“Yes.”

…….

Ah.

“Could you tell me the reason?”

“Yes.”

Finally, the lizard explained.

“Research Team 1 researches and standardizes methods to enter new Dark entities. Therefore, we will meet frequently with Group D, who will explore the new Dark entities that have not yet been manualized.”

In short, this was the team that gave us work.

‘They find new Dark entities here and entrust them to the vanguard of the Field Exploration Team….’

“Oh dear, Manager Lee always seems to speak so difficultly. It’s not like you’re a researcher!”

The Research Team manager lightly patted the Lizard manager on the back. The Lizard’s lidless pupils whipped toward the other person in puzzlement.

Somehow, it felt like watching a thriller movie in real-time….

“Well, well, in any case, the Dark to enter today is ready~ Take your Dreamscape Collectors, right!”

A look saying, ‘What is that bastard from another department doing giving us obvious advice?’ flickered across the assistant manager’s face, but it was not expressed aloud due to the supervisor’s desperate gestures.

“Check the records of ordinary people who went in and came out, and the record of the team that entered before.”

Manager Lee Ja-heon accepted the documents handed over by the Research Team.

In the meantime, someone tapped me.

“…?”

Turning around, a Research Team employee smirked and spoke to me.

“Excuse me, would you like to place a bet on whether it’s a D-grade or an F-grade?”

“Excuse me?”

“No, we just bet a bit of money among ourselves. You try too. It should be fun.”

“I am fine.”

I answered immediately.

‘Is this employee in their right mind?’

What would they do if an audit happened… No, now that I thought about it, he was openly bringing up gambling and betting in front of his direct superior.

I reflexively looked back at the Research Team manager.

The manager shrugged.

“What does it matter? Just because we bet a little, it’s not like someone who was going to live is going to die.”

“…….”

“Haha. Oh, look at your expression not changing at all. Sol-eum, do you have guts?”

It was because I was so dumbfounded that my facial muscles forgot to work.

‘Isn’t he crossing the line too much at a workplace?’

I supposed I had to say he was indeed fitting for a research worker in the internet ghost story universe.

“Well, it’s a joke. This Dark is not to the point where people talk about life or death. A lot of ordinary people entered and escaped too… Ugh, I heard the Planning Team guys had a hard time smoothing over the Disaster Management Bureau throwing a fit again~”

“…….”

The Research Team 1 manager, seeing that Group D did not particularly chime in, just smiled faintly and organized the remaining documents.

“Hah.”

And the Research Team employee who had talked about betting also looked over here with displeasure, then crossed his arms and took a stance as if watching a show.

‘Is it okay to live corporate life like that….’

My mood was not very good, but then again, it was also difficult to be in a good mood at work.

The important thing was this Dark entity we just received.

What on earth kind of ghost story was it?

“Ah, Roe Deer should see it too.”

“Yes.”

I accepted the documents handed over by my superior.

‘Most likely, it will be something I know.’

Besides, hearing that there were many civilian escapees made it sound even better. Wouldn’t it be around D-grade at worst?

I should be able to handle most of it.

So without getting nervous….

“Roe Deer, did you read it? Something about clown portraits… Ah, they say you get dragged in if you see a pierrot advertisement?”

A pierrot advertisement…?!

Don’t tell me, that…….

———————=

Records of the Dark Exploration / Ghost Story

[Piero Hates You]

: A ghost story appearing in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, Daydream Co.’s identification code is Qterw-D-210.

A ghost story where one wanders eternally in a place where hallways hung with various clown portraits stretch endlessly.

If looked closely, it was not real clown makeup, but the faces of people grotesquely contorted to look like clowns, forcing a smile.

———————=

“…….”

No.

———————=

The longer one stayed, the more contorted and strange portraits appeared.

People who went missing in this ghost story became new clown portraits. Frankly, an exploration record in such a full-fledged horror movie style was rare.

———————=

Wow.

With trembling eyes, I scanned the preliminary exploration record I had been handed.

…….

It was correct.

‘Wow, it’s here.’

A full-fledged horror theme that was even scarier than the convenience store ghost.

“Haha, then please go in!”

Excuse me!

Please just cancel the 3x points event! I’m not going!

* * *

But there was no way such words would work in society….

“…….”

I opened my eyes. A dark… no, pitch-black hallway like my future came into view.

However, on the worn-out walls, clown portraits of all kinds of grotesque expressions were stuck densely.

‘F-Fuck.’

Even the method of entering this place was too terrifying.

1. Watch a Wetube advertisement where a red-nosed clown laughs like mad while looking at the person beyond the screen.

2. In any enclosed indoor hallway, the hand of a clown poking out from beyond a corner appears.

3. When approaching, one’s wrist is grabbed with a snap, dragging them into this ‘hallway.’

From this point, I thought I was going to faint.

‘This is crazy.’

I rolled my eyes. The exploration records, where approaching any wall resulted in a terrifying ordeal, were vividly replayed in my mind.

Cold sweat broke out.

‘Honestly, even if it weren’t me, I feel like anyone would find this place scary….’

“Hmm. It’s not that dark? We don’t even need to turn on flashlights.”

“Manager! Should we adapt to the dark a bit before moving?”

“Yes. Close your eyes for 60 seconds.”

“Yes!” I heard the supervisor’s cheerful reply.

“…….”

No, seriously?

How could he say so nonchalantly that we should all close our eyes for a minute in a dark hallway filled with portraits staring at us eerily?

“Roe Deer should close his eyes too.”

I guessed so.

“Yes.”

Pretending to close my eyes, I looked at the floor and broke out in cold sweat.

I had just realized.

These people.

They basically did not feel fear.

Unless it was a truly fatal situation, their fear threshold was crazily high!

For instance, the type who did not watch horror movies because they were not fun, habitually making remarks like ‘Hey, what’s truly scary is people’!

‘Well, I suppose that is why they work as employees here!’

Even so, once those grotesque portraits started to come alive and move, wouldn’t it be hard to react like that….

“Hmm… they say if you approach or stab a portrait, they sometimes pop out and crawl to chase you.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then the painting becomes empty, and they say a few people used that as a passage to return to reality.”

“I see.”

I heard the manager’s calm voice.

“Stab every portrait you see.”

I almost screamed.

“Yes, ma’am! If anything actually comes alive and pops out, I will signal and run immediately!”

“Yes. We will repeat the attempts on an hourly basis.”

“Ah, you said they crawl, right? It’s nice that their mobility is low.”

“Indeed. Ah, right, Roe Deer! I looked earlier and there is a clown with a weird eye on the left over there. Doesn’t that really look like some movie poster?”

“…….”

“Their features are similar to the missing civilian. It seems that’s what happens if you go missing here.”

I ended up raising my head and looking.

In the chilling darkness, a portrait of someone with a button in place of their left eye, covered in messy, colorful clown makeup, was forcing a broad grin while baring their teeth.

‘…It moved.’

Clearly, the pupil of the remaining eye moved.

“…….”

“Does Roe Deer want to touch that one first?”

Ah, ah!! No, seriously! Please, stop!

“……T-That, yes.”

What do you mean ‘yes’, I can’t even get close.

A powerful premonition hit the back of my head.

If I matched the tempo of these, these… crazy people, I would not survive here.

“Then Roe Deer, the portraits on the top left all the way….”

“Just a moment, please.”

“Hmm?”

I had to make a move!

“I think I have figured out the escape method.”

“W-What?”

It hadn’t even been a minute since we entered, but in any case, I figured it out! Please believe me!

“I deduced it by looking at the previous civilian escape records.”

Had my brain ever spun this quickly?

‘I must not give a turn to these people who argue against the usefulness of courage tests!’

“First of all, you must not touch any other portraits.”

“Huh? Why?”

Because I’m scared.

Of course, my mouth said something else.

“…There will be a separate correct answer.”

Was this the survival instinct?

I immediately pulled out the toy coin I had obtained as equipment and summoned a semi-transparent glove in the air.

And I gave twenty 500-won coins to the glove, almost shoving them over.

The glove froze for a moment like a Wetuber who just received a massive donation, then turned cheerfully in the air and merged onto my hand.

“Wait, is that Roe Deer’s equipment?”

“Yes. I can touch objects remotely.”

“Oh.”

With this, at least the need for me to personally approach a portrait and touch a clown disappeared.

However, pretending as if I had another intention, I nodded solemnly.

“From now on… I want to look at as many portraits as possible while running. Because we have to find the correct answer.”

I turned to look at Manager Lee Ja-heon.

“And the portrait I describe from now on is the correct answer.”

“…….”

“If you witness it, I would like you to tell me immediately. Would that be alright?”

And if this worked, there would be no need for me to personally look closely at all the clown portraits either!

‘Of course, if a reaction like ‘Where does a rookie think he’s acting up?’ came back here, it would be over, but….’

Because Manager Lee Ja-heon did not look like the type steeped in authoritative consciousness!

Even if his head was a lizard! Even if his way of thinking was completely lizard-like!

“Yes.”

It worked!

The relief washing down my spine almost made my legs give out, but I strained to nod with a calm demeanor.

“Then we will run.”

I was acting as if I was trying to test a novel and brilliant hypothesis, and running was necessary for that hypothesis, but….

‘Actually, it isn’t really necessary…….’

The escape method here was surprisingly easy.

‘There’s no problem in finding the correct answer even if you touch other portraits to your heart’s content…….’

If it were a person with big guts, it was a method they could do while just walking leisurely by themselves….

However, I had already learned.

There was a lesson I had gained from playing tag with the ghost in the convenience store.

What was the way for a coward to survive?

‘Speedrun!’

Let’s go, mid-escape from the haunted house!