Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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An isolated mountain lodge made into a complete mess with dismembered body parts and a pentagram drawn in blood.
Inside it, the official standing before the once-again unconscious woman holding a butcher knife.
And me, looking down at that sight from the second-floor railing.
If I hadn’t known it was fake, it was a crazy living room perfect for fainting.
But the lodge caretaker who appeared from the back door was polite.
“Did you spend your stay comfortably?”
Of course not.
But since there was no need to waste energy in vain, I just stood still.
The caretaker did not even say obvious words such as, ‘I was out so that you could stay comfortably without disturbance.’
He merely spoke like this.
“Three days have passed. The time has come now.”
“…….”
“From now on, you can exchange this lodge’s legacy with the cassette tapes.”
If no one died up to this timing? A mess where people kill each other would unfold here.
It was unavoidable.
Only when the terror and shock ahead of death sufficiently accumulated would this cassette tape release the survivors.
‘So I staged it on purpose.’
Namely, the terror and shock.
Although it was not very pleasing to a modern person’s sensibility, I made them mistake that they were really dying by scaring them.
It seemed those actions had indeed received a passing grade.
Seeing that the caretaker spoke his designated lines and the living room was peaceful without a knife fight.
Of course, this peace would soon be broken.
Because the caretaker first approached the ‘wife’ who was unconscious on the sofa.
“Visitor.”
“…….”
“Do you wish to exchange the cassette tape?”
“Ugh, what…… uh, uh-uh-uh?! Aaaaagh!!”
The person who regained consciousness shrieked and ran out of the lodge, tripping a few times.
Dear.
‘It would have been better if she had just remained unconscious instead.’
The caretaker turned around without regret and designated the next person.
“Do you wish to exchange the cassette tape?”
“…….”
The official stared at the caretaker, then slowly opened his mouth.
“I will state my intention last.”
“I understand. If so….”
The caretaker turned his head toward the last person.
Me.
I also looked at the caretaker.
The figure in the ghost story who spoke in an elegant Seoul dialect unlike his shabby and tattered clothing.
“Do you wish to exchange the cassette tape?”
Do I want to exchange it?
“Yes.”
Naturally, I do.
‘Because I worked like a crew member on a shrimp boat for these three days for this.’
When the entrant survives, they can receive the powerful monetary reward that was promised.
For the moment this phrase is realized.
The reason I went as far as pretending to be a serial killer, namely….
‘Priority one in the exchange.’
I pulled out the cassette tapes from the backpack of one of the college students I had packed.
The couple’s.
The college students’.
And even Baek Sa-heon’s.
“It is six tapes. You unconditionally have priority in the exchange, visitor.”
A strangely excited air was revealed from the caretaker, but it disappeared like a lie soon and he became polite again.
“Now you can become the owner of this lodge. Will you do so?”
“No.”
“…….”
When the entrant who executed the serial killings chooses the location of the disaster (Horizon Lodge) as a reward, their mutated disposition is permanently bound.
Even though I merely imitated the serial killings, there was no need to take on such a risk.
‘Of course, even so, I can’t just exchange it for anything roughly or reject it and end it.’
Even if exchanged for gold, even if exchanged for trash, even if refusing the exchange and fleeing, even if setting fire to the lodge and verifying until it is completely burned.
When the next cycle came, the killer’s items were distributed again like a lie, drawing people to this place.
The lodge would appear intact like a lie, and the tragedy would be repeated.
Moreover.
‘…I think there was also a gimmick where the moment I chose the exchange, the people I hid while pretending to kill them all die.’
Because there is a record like this.
———————=
#6
Participants: 8 conscripts, 1 administrator (8th grade).
The administrator was successfully designated as the serial killer, but in the third murder, they made an arbitrary judgment and used a special item instead of the pre-distributed poison.
Attempted to conclude the disaster without killing the conscripts by putting them into a state of suspended animation close to death.
Result: 1 administrator survived (refused exchange).
※It was confirmed that the entrants who were in a state of suspended animation died after the exchange ceremony due to vomit clogging their throats.
———————=
Like a fire breaking out, and they coincidently fail to escape because I had locked them in.
That was how I would become a real serial killer.
‘Even if they are people who were originally supposed to die in the ghost story worldview, it is inevitable to feel uncomfortable….’
Let’s respect my mentality as a human.
So, taking this and that into consideration, the choice I made is.
This is it.
“I want to exchange one cassette tape for the caretaker’s hiring authority.”
The caretaker was silent for a moment as if surprised.
“Do you mean my employment contract?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
Did you know that?
Usually, the Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau aims to eliminate ghost stories as much as possible.
It is absolutely not their goal to preserve and manage it nicely while the employees merely escape like the crazy pharmaceutical company I work for.
Because for Daydream Co., ghost stories might be raw material supply sources, but for the government, they are just disasters.
So, fitting for a wiki, there were quite a few people who created works reflecting that point.
Namely, the ghost stories managed by the government… are also ‘successfully eliminated.’
The caretaker announced that his contract period ended with this exchange.
The place where the lodge was turned into a vacant lot, and there have been no signs of supernatural phenomena until the present.
Disaster terminated.
This was the official last exploration record of this ghost story.
In other words, it meant it was a ghost story where a period of narration was marked and the situation could be concluded.
If so.
‘Couldn’t I just terminate it myself before doing a few more iterations.’
Like this.
“Looking at you working at the lodge, it seems your contract period with the previous owner of the lodge remains, but I want to transfer that under my name.”
I do not take the lodge.
But by receiving the caretaker’s hiring authority and ending his contract period to stage the exact same situation as the last exploration record?
“…….”
I waited for the caretaker’s reply. And….
“Theoretically… it is possible.”
Indeed.
“However, with all due respect, several qualifications are required of my employer.”
“Qualifications?”
“Yes.”
A hint of arrogance mixed slightly in the caretaker’s polite language and then disappeared.
“A born, existential nobility is required.”
For someone putting a murder lodge in charge?
It seemed his ethics and morality were heavily degraded compared to average modern humans, but…….
-Haha! A laborer working in this small lodge behaves like an 18th-century butler mistaking the master’s authority as his own!
-Let’s just take this lodge and fire him!
Brown… I am taking this detour to avoid doing exactly that.
‘Hold on a second. I think there might be another way.’
-You have deep patience too, Roe Deer!
Yeah, yeah.
I replied adequately and stroked my chin.
‘…Nobility.’
In fact, something did come to mind.
It was true that I couldn’t pack items, but since it was so small, there was exactly one thing I always carried in my pocket.
‘My goods.’
The ‘Silver Heart’ that popped out of the goods box most recently rattled in my hand.
An object that increases the voice of a good person when worn.
‘I had to test it too.’
I carefully moved the small silver badge with one hand to open the pin inside my pocket.
And I ‘wore’ it on the fabric inside my pocket, but….
“…….”
“…….”
The opponent had no particular reaction.
‘Ah.’
Is it a problem of the scope of application.
‘He likely isn’t human.’
The wearer gains the awe of others according to their accumulated altruistic actions.
Well, since I had doubts about the definition of nobility anyway, I just gave it a try.
I quickly shifted my stance.
If so….
“Are you saying I lack born, existential nobility?”
I had no choice but to speak.
“It is a reality where finding someone who possesses it is more difficult, so I hope you do not feel downcast.”
“No. That’s not what is important. So you’re saying the exchange is difficult? Because I lack the qualification?”
“That is correct.”
“I don’t really understand that.”
I intentionally frowned.
Like a customer lodging a complaint.
“Wasn’t the condition, ‘If you visit the lodge with the cassette tape, I will let you exchange it for anything I possess’…? I am flustered because you suddenly changed your words.”
I let out a sigh as if intentionally tired.
“It has been three days. The time I spent here. Yet at the very end, you suddenly say that qualification is required, speaking differently from the promise.”
The caretaker seemed slightly embarrassed.
“It seems there is a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding is it?”
“The promise remains the same. However, even if you succeed the hiring authority alone, it means you will have difficulty employing me as an actual user.”
The caretaker explained kindly.
“If you receive the lodge itself, I will work here according to the existing contract, but receiving the ‘hiring authority’ is usable only when that right is valid.”
To summarize, it was, ‘Yeah. I only work according to the original contract, and I won’t listen to you.’
“Do you mean it might become a contract that remains only on paper? One that cannot actually be used?”
“That is correct.”
Wow.
“I don’t care.”
“…….”
Actually, isn’t that even better!
Invalidation!
“Then since I have grasped that matter, we can exchange. There is no way to block me when I say I want to exchange even while knowing that, is there.”
“……If so.”
The caretaker held out both hands.
“What you say is correct, visitor.”
He yielded.
“Please place the cassette tapes to be exchanged.”
Yes.
I quickly held out the tapes I was holding.
Rattle.
The six tapes left my hand and fell upon the caretaker’s rough hands.
The caretaker smoothly tucked the tapes into his shabby clothing.
And politely tidying his tattered attire, he pulled out a thin and old object from inside.
It was paper.
It was an Eastern-style texture that looked like Hanji, but strangely, it was tailored in a Western style, rolled up, and sealed with red wax.
“It is the original copy of my contract.”
The moment I accepted it.
The old paper caught fire.
“…!”
The Hanji burned into a vermilion color, and only sparks remained, soaring into the air.
And they wrapped around my wrist.
To be precise, right where the tattoo left by the theme park mascot was!
‘H-Hold on.’
: Socius :
The tattoo colored as if heated up.
The sparks clashed against the tattoo as if wrestling, then bounced off as if finally yielding.
And descending to a position close to the forearm, they naturally settled vertically.
: Eunjoo :
“…….”
I ended up with two tattoos.
‘I didn’t wish for this.’
I had intended to store the physical contract like an item.
Although it felt strangely bound… in terms of mobility, this way was actually better.
-’Kind Master’ (Eunjoo). This is also a classical expression.
Brown did not say anything ominous or concerning either.
Reflecting on the last case, since this tattoo likely wouldn’t be visible to the official anyway, that was also fine.
It was rather better if it appeared that the contract disappeared into the air.
‘Since I won’t call him anyway.’
I raised my head.
As expected, the caretaker had disappeared like a lie.
What remained was a blood-splattered lodge that would appear in a horror movie.
And me and the official standing in that place.
‘Everything has been wrapped up.’
It was truly funny, but at that moment, soft light began to enter through the window.
It was sunlight.
“The weather has cleared up.”
“…….”
Now, everything has been sorted out.
Since the atmosphere is good, it would be perfect if I disappear like this, and the official also goes his way.
The government would likely handle the identities of the people tied up and unconscious in the basement on their own.
‘Since the ghost story itself was eliminated, I guess I won’t be registered as a tracking target separately or have my personal profile recorded in detail.’
Originally, whether the government or a corporation, they don’t use much force on concluded cases that do not require follow-up.
‘Even if it remains as a slightly peculiar record, since there was no one I killed, it would be fine.’
If I just behave well and make excuses to the official here, I can pass by like this….
“You.”
From the floor below, the official came up the stairs.
And striding over, he grabbed my arm and asked seriously.
“Do you have any thoughts of changing jobs?”
Pardon?