Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The abandoned house where we were trapped, bewitched by the Changwi.

Is anyone there…?

Someone called out again from outside the entryway of the abandoned house.

This time it was a low male voice.

“N-no…! Wh-who on earth….”

The manager covered his mouth and cried out.

Please open the door….

“…….”

“A-a deceased person, who is it? Who came? Huff… l-let’s run away! Run away!”

It’s so cold here, though.

Mmh.

“Th-this time I will absolutely not ans—Urrgh??”

I approached the door.

And pulled the doorknob.

“Ugh, gasp?!”

What revealed its appearance as the door opened was….

“Wow, I thought I was going to die…. Thank you……”

A fine human being with a slender build, light hair color, and wearing a worn navy blue uniform.

“…!?”

“Manager Lee Byung-jin, please greet him.”

I nodded politely.

“He is the leader of Security Team 3.”

“……??? …?!”

Indeed.

He was the Security Team 3 leader who was sucked into the ghost story along with me.

‘His face looks like it’s about to burst.’

With a bright red face, Manager Lee Byung-jin pointed back and forth between the security leader and me, then cracked his fingers in surprise by himself and let out a bizarre groan.

“Why… h-how…?!”

Why else would it be.

‘You told me yourself….’

-Like that, every single day, it visits once in the voice of a deceased family member, friend, or neighbor…!

You said it only comes once a night.

For reference, similar words are openly recorded in the <Records of the Dark Exploration> too.

When dragged to the abandoned house, the Changwi visits in front of the door every night and pleads in the voice of a deceased relative, causing the victim to suffer from mental pain and confusion.

‘“Every day” means the cycle is a day.’

But well, since I couldn’t say ‘There is a magical record supporting your statement.’

“It was a hunch.”

“…….”

The manager turned somewhat blank in expression.

Anyway, since it was correct, just accept it.

After confirming that the security leader entered the abandoned house in the meantime, I immediately closed the door and secured the handle.

It was chilling just to look outside.

“Thank you……”

“Don’t mention it.”

It was truly astounding how on earth this human managed to knock on this house’s door safely without getting dragged away by the Changwi, but….

‘Well… since he is the Security Team.’

Rather, the surprising point was that the security leader was not alone.

He was supporting someone.

“…That person?”

The leader replied brightly.

“Look, I’ve found the missing person!”

“……The missing person is this gentleman here, though.”

“Ah. I got confused….”

“…….”

The gender is different to begin with….

I checked the opponent whom the security leader had lightly set down on the floor.

It was a stranger.

She was in an extremely dirty state, and furthermore, regardless of whether there were people or not, she slumped down in the abandoned house and began to wail.

“Boohoo, it’s all over. It’s all over!”

“She kept acting like that. Oh, this place is better……. I came to my senses in some place like a shaman’s house…. It was cold, dark, and damp, so I don’t like it there.”

“Aaargh!”

“…….”

‘What a mess.’

I just modestly needed a sane colleague, yet…….

‘I miss you, Group D superiors….’

Still, I examined the wailing person a bit. She was dressed in a dirty white gown, and a name tag was attached to her chest.

[Ko Seon-ha]

‘Oh?’

I immediately pulled out the small business card.

The one that was inserted between the pages of the old book titled ‘Hwallo.’

Ko Seon-ha

Department of History, Jugang University

On the back was written ‘Escaping tomorrow.’

“By any chance, if you are the owner of this business card, did you test the contents of the book?”

“Sniff….”

The woman nodded.

“Yes…. But it’s all useless.”

“Uh, wait! U-useless? What on earth does that mean….”

“Exactly as it sounds.”

The woman pulled something out of her bosom with a gloomy face.

“That is,”

“If you step out of here and walk about a hundred paces, there is a shrine as written in that book… likely the ‘shrine’ mentioned in the book is that place.”

“…….”

“And this is a transcription of the wooden plaque there.”

The woman glanced at me with a weary face.

“Seeing this, it seems you have also read that book properly. …By any chance, do you study Korean history? This was written in a style from hundreds of years ago….”

No. I just have a monster friend….

“Ah, anyway!! Then, can’t we just do as written on that wooden plaque?! Why are you crying and saying it’s all useless…”

“Because it doesn’t work!!”

“…!”

“Mister, I’m not a fool, I tried to do as written on the wooden plaque. Doing things like gathering three plums, crushing them in a cup, and sprinkling them outside, I did it all! I did it all, but….”

“…….”

Ko Seon-ha caught her breath while looking into the empty air, then showed the back of the paper she pulled out as if thrusting it forward.

“Read that.”

Brown sensibly began to read it.

-‘Prepare a melody to offer to the Mountain Lord. The more commonly known it is in the world, the better its effect. Write down the lyrics and place them in the incense altar, sing with all your lungs, clap at every step, and bow at every thirty steps.’

“A melody to offer to the Mountain Lord….”

“Yes! That!”

Ko Seon-ha rolled her eyes and asked.

“The Mountain Lord is a tiger! Then what comes to mind immediately? A melody related to a tiger, praising a tiger, whether it’s a children’s song or a folk song.”

“Th-that is……”

Manager Lee Byung-jin stammered and opened his mouth.

“The Hero of the Mountain, called…”

“On the tiger’s birthday, yes, that! I also thought of that. So I was going to use that, but….”

Ko Seon-ha lowered her head deeply.

“……They say a melody that has already been used cannot be used.”

“…!”

“The bottom of the incense altar was already filled with used lyric papers! The Hero of the Mountain was naturally among them as well……!”

My goodness.

“‘The Mountain Lord is capricious and enjoys melodies, so He will not receive the same as before,’ no, even though folktales say tigers smoke tobacco and dance, to think this kind of… this kind of!!”

Ko Seon-ha screamed into the empty air as if spitting fire, then turned to us and asked with a desperate expression.

“A tiger children’s song, folk song, instrumental track… is there nothing else that comes to mind besides The Hero of the Mountain? Anything, anything at all is fine, so….”

There was none.

“None, right? Of course there is none!”

Ko Seon-ha tore at her hair.

“It’s not like we are traditional music majors, nor can we search it up, ah, ah….”

“…….”

No.

Even I did not know that duplicates were not allowed.

Even in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, there were records of performing the ritual in the space arrived at after being bewitched by a Changwi about three or four times, and each time the song used was indeed different.

From some traditional music plays to instrumental tracks….

‘I thought they just wrote down different songs for fun because it was a collective intelligence wiki.’

I didn’t know such a detail would be hidden.

Even if we wanted to use the songs written in that wiki, only their titles were written, and neither the lyrics nor the melody could be known.

‘Dammit.’

The atmosphere in the abandoned house grew cold.

“…….”

Whew.

With Brown’s help, I read through all the Chinese characters on the paper transcribed from the shrine’s wooden plaque.

And then I asked.

“Ms. Ko Seon-ha.”

“…Yes.”

“I have a few things I’d like to ask, is that alright?”

“What is it.”

“Have you been here since a few days ago?”

“……Ten days.”

Ko Seon-ha’s face turned pale.

“But after staying for two or three days, I heard some crazy mister wandering around… so I hid in the attic.”

The ‘crazy mister’ looked at Ko Seon-ha with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

“And a few days later…… I even heard kids’ voices. I didn’t know what on earth to do, so simply… when today became the full moon, while this mister was dozing off, I secretly went outside.”

“And you tried to perform the ritual by going to the shrine, I see.”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

And moved to the next question.

“But that is strange.”

“Pardon?”

“It is explicitly written that a sacrifice is needed for the ritual, so why did you go alone?”

“……I won’t say things like I tried to save the kids by sacrificing myself alone.”

Ko Seon-ha clenched her fists tightly until they turned white.

“I intended to first check how it is done… and then decide. But yes, while doing so, I grasped the situation. Looking at the records of people who conducted it before too.”

“…….”

“Today is the full moon. If today ends, it’s all over! We cannot hold out for fifteen days until the full moon comes again. Surely… surely, the ghost will open the door,”

“Yes. You are saying the ritual must be conducted before the sun rises.”

Recalling the talisman barely one remaining on the doorknob, I nodded naturally.

“But I’m telling you we can’t do it!”

“No.”

I shook my head and stood up.

“It seems possible.”

“Pardon?”

“The ritual, I mean.”

For now, I recalled.

An alternative that seemed decent.

“I will prepare it.”

“W-wait a minute. No, uh, even if something works, we have to find all the ingredients outside and prepare them again… but what I found is all already used!”

I looked again at what was written on the paper transcribing the ritual.

Ingredients: 3 plums, salt, ash from burning peach branches, a bowl of well water

So we have to obtain all of this outside….

On this night when the Changwi is wandering around.

But a way to wander around here safely alone is….

‘Happens to exist.’

Only for me.

-Should I turn off the spotlight now, Mr. Roe Deer?

“…….”

Wow.

Do I really have to go out alone?

I thoughtlessly turned to look at the people.

The coward’s heart was screaming to please stick together and go, but the brain grabbed it by the collar, telling it not to do stupid things.

Aaargh, this is driving me crazy!

In the end, reason did win.

“Everyone, please wait here.”

Actually, I wish you would go together.

If by any chance there is anyone who has thoughts of volunteering to go together…… wait, there is?

Surprisingly, Ko Seon-ha raised one hand.

“…Since I’ve done it. To at least guide you to where they are,”

“Ahem! D-do not interfere and sit down, student.”

However, Manager Lee Byung-jin stood up startled and stopped Ko Seon-ha.

“He is not someone you should think of as a person like us! Huh? I’m saying he is no ordinary person!”

“…….”

No, that is a bit.

“Do not interfere and just mark the locations for him. Quickly!”

“Uh….”

Ko Seon-ha had a lukewarm face.

However, looking back at me, she soon nodded as if convinced somehow.

‘…!?’

And marking the locations where she acquired the ingredients in the blank spaces of the paper where the ritual was written, she handed it over.

“Ah! And… be careful of water.”

“…….”

“A Changwi is a ghost that died from a tiger disaster (호환) and lives as a slave to the tiger. …But in the past, it also meant a water ghost……”

Ko Seon-ha swallowed with a pale face.

“A riverbank, the sound of water, a valley, whatever shows a sign of water, avoid it. Do not even look, just walk.”

“Yes.”

It’s really scary, shit…….

At any rate, the moment arrived, and I stood before the door.

The security leader spoke a word.

“Oh…… you are going out alone?”

“Yes.”

It brings tears to my eyes, but that’s how it turned out.

“If by any chance a problem arises, I ask you to take care of the people.”

The Security Department isn’t a department that protects people, but it would be much better than a civilian. Especially if the opponent is a monster in a ghost story.

However, the security leader merely stared at me blankly.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes.”

“You really don’t seem like an employee of our company……”

“…?!”

“Amazing…. I understand. I’ll just sit down…. I have no equipment either……”

And he sprawled near the door.

“…….”

Anyway, it’s settled, right?

‘…Let’s go.’

After taking a silent deep breath, I pulled the doorknob.

Squeeeak.

Along with the eerie hinge sound, the outside was visible.

Inside the darkness thick with fog.

It was deathly quiet.

“…….”

Squeak, thud.

The door closed behind my back.

It was clearly supposed to be a full moon, but because the fog was thick, not a single beam of moonlight shone.

Deep darkness where whitish shapes were faintly visible, tree branches swaying in the wind, and shadows of trees and grass.

I barely managed to step forward.

Tramp, tramp.

-Friend, I shall turn off your spotlight from now on. Into the camera’s blind spot, behind the stage, disappear….

At every step, a darkness like a thick shadow pressed down upon me.

‘Even experiencing it again, it is a bizarre sensation….’

Becoming faint and dark now, I quietly melted into the foggy forest.

-Phew. It’s done a bit more lightly here!

Of course, the fear was still the same. I felt like I would die of a heart attack.

[If you walk straight left and up from the abandoned house, a very large tree is visible. A taboo rope is hung on it.]

Still, the sloppy rough map, arrows, and phrases drawn by Ms. Ko Seon-ha rose in my head, guiding the direction of my steps.

I could barely tell front from back, so it was respectable how on earth she gathered the ritual ingredients.

‘Left and up.’

Did a few minutes that felt like an hour pass like that.

-Ah, Mr. Roe Deer. Something is visible over there.

Just as Brown said, something began to be visible.

That was… a giant tree heavily draped in fog.

Whoosh.

Every time a branch swayed, a sweet scent came from somewhere.

…Peach.

‘Why does it smell when there is no fruit.’

Even though it was certainly sweet, it felt somewhat uncomfortable….

A taboo rope was hung on the tree, also draped loosely between two thickly grown branches.

And beyond that, a small field was visible.

“…….”

-Hoh, farmland? A small vegetable garden in the mountains, its aesthetics are quite decent. Though it is not to my taste!

Brown spoke quite cheerfully, but my spirit was not very cheerful.

Did the book I read earlier call this neighborhood ‘the grave site of the Mountain Lord.’

Even the places where the ingredients for the ritual are located?

‘It is unconditionally a supernatural zone.’

Approaching there slowly with extreme caution, I gathered the ingredients while circling the vicinity.

‘Plum… found.’

[Keeping the large tree on the right, if you look left, small trees are visible. Plum trees.]

I picked up the fruit that had fallen beneath the plum tree, and also gathered bone-dry branches near the giant peach tree.

For reference, I absolutely did not pick fruits directly or snap branches.

‘Who knows what I’d suffer.’

Even standing alone in the mountains in the middle of the night would be scary, but imagine standing alone in the mountains trapped after being bewitched by a ghost.

Yet I even have to do a mission?

One would naturally become a safety-first advocate.

‘…Good.’

Lastly, I gathered and put the salt, sprinkled like an evil-expelling charm over the old stone pagoda, into the paper.

…Honestly, while drawing water from the well earlier, I almost screamed upon hearing the sound of the bucket bumping inside.

‘Still, I gathered them all.’

The surroundings were still quiet.

I let out a very thin sigh of relief.

‘Now, if I return to the peach tree and go in reverse, the abandoned house will appear….’

It was when I moved my steps in the reverse order to navigate precisely.

Something I had not seen earlier caught my eye.

A clean silk ribbon was tied to the end of the peach tree’s taboo rope.

‘Oh?’

There was a phrase written there.

O those without qualification

Turn back

Wow.

‘I must absolutely not even touch it.’

I nodded my head while maintaining a safety distance of one meter.

-You look tense, Mr. Roe Deer.

‘Ah. Because it seems a qualification is needed to cross this line.’

-Huum.

‘No matter how much I think, there’s no way a person who came bewitched by a ghost would have the qualification—’

-And you possess the qualification!

‘…….’

What?

-Would you look at your wrist?

I raised my hand and looked at the inside.

The spot where the theme park entry band had been.

: Socius :

The tattoo located where the membership ticket burned away was subtly glistening.

“…!!”

‘Was it… the word Socius.’

A Latin word meaning companion, member, or kin.

-Hoh, to think it was a mark whose scope of usage is wider than expected!

-I do not know whether a theme park mascot has a wide network or holds another part-time job, though.

“…….”

-Then friend, are you going to use the membership ticket?

Approaching right in front of the taboo rope, I slowly reached out my hand.

The swaying taboo rope smoothly passed through my arm like a lie.

“…!”

-As expected.

I took a step forward carefully.

Into the farm where entry was permitted.