Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The tattoos that the ghost stories had engraved on me were all characters.
One was Latin characters.
: Socius :
It was engraved as the membership card given by the blue dragon, who was the mascot of the theme park, burned. According to what I heard from Brown, they were characters that granted the authority of a pass like a ‘special qualification.’
And the other was Hanja.
: 恩主 :
It was a tattoo engraved as the caretaker’s contract document in the serial killer ghost story burned.
However, because I lacked the ‘qualification,’ they were actually nothing more than characters that had no function.
If I were to choose which one to ‘enhance’ among them….
‘As expected, it is this one.’
“I look forward to working with you.”
The tattooist peered into the tattoo I pointed to.
: 恩주 :
The reason for this choice was highly simple.
‘It is better to increase the number of abilities.’
It was almost certain (though it made me want to cry) that I would enter various ghost stories in the future as well.
It meant that it was not a situation where a single superpower could solve everything.
‘Even Section Manager Lizard almost died despite possessing that strength, so it is out of the question.’
It was better to increase the cards to use in various situations; enhancing a single ability halfway did not yield much utility.
‘So it is better to become able to use the characters I couldn’t use.’
If it was this Moonlight Tattoo Shop, there was no worry of ‘stepping on a landmine’ either.
Because it was highly friendly to humans and rarely gave harmful abilities, meaning the caretaker wouldn’t suddenly pop out and chop my neck.
Moreover….
I glanced at the Latin characters.
-Good child.
…Recalling that mascot, who strangely seemed to have formed an emotional bond, covering up this tattoo felt somehow like desecration.
‘Because warning signals are ringing.’
My intuition as a regular reader of the <Records of the Dark Exploration> told me that it was better to avoid such things.
-Ah, it’s finally starting!
Like that, I made my choice, and the tattooist began to move.
I stopped the other party who was trying to show me several drafts.
“Ah, please just do it in the way you think is best.”
If aiming to maximize the effect, indeed it should be left to the expert.
I smirked.
“I trust in Tattooist’s capability.”
“…!”
The shop owner’s eyes seemed to flash for an instant, then she quickly urged me to lie down comfortably on the chair.
While tightly squeezing Brown in my hand, at that.
-You seem to have misunderstood me as some doll to soothe pain! What a rude yet amusing misunderstanding!
However, there was no pain.
The tattooist wore sophisticated goggles that brought to mind a steampunk style, then began to operate a massive tattoo machine.
‘…Is the machine originally this large?’
Just as I was slightly flustered upon seeing the machine as massive as a surgical medical device.
Moonlight settled upon the machine.
Zzzzzzz—
The light that had been pouring from the LED ceiling was sucked into the machine.
And it gathered at the extreme point.
The tip of the tattoo machine’s needle.
Seeing the tip, which was almost like a shining gem, approach my arm, I closed my eyes as instructed.
“…….”
A strange sensation was felt in my left arm.
It was not pain or itchiness. Nor was it a feeling of pressure.
Just as I thought a cool and comfortable sensation, as if old dirt was being shed and the skin was being rearranged and properly assembled, was continuing.
Tapping.
It ended.
The light before my eyes vanished, and I opened my eyes at the tattooist’s gesture.
“…!”
‘My goodness.’
A background had formed on the tattoo.
A full moon floating in a dark blue night sky was expressed as if painted in a single stroke, and characters were engraved over it like a moon shadow.
Stars sparkled in a pearly light as if scattered near the characters.
Tapping.
The tattooist placed her hands on her waist and looked at me as if asking if I liked it.
“It is highly wonderful.”
The tattooist, who now had a proud face, patted my shoulder, then ran to the counter.
“…?”
Held in the hands of the returning tattooist was a single pearl. It looked like it had been loosened from the necklace I brought.
‘What is it?’
The owner brought the pearl grain against my tattoo.
Then, it slid inside.
“…?!”
-Ho, ah, dear me. Hm….
-Roe Deer, this is highly interesting. A ‘passage’ has opened.
A passage?
-Would you like to gently rub the tattoo? You will feel something.
I raised my hand and lightly placed it against the tattoo, which had no swelling or pain like a lie.
“…!”
I felt it.
A ‘gap’ of something through the touching skin.
“…….”
I carefully ‘inserted’ my hand inside.
Held in my hand when it came back out was the single pearl that the tattooist had put in earlier….
‘…A space?’
-Indeed. It seems the contract of that miserable lodge laborer included even ‘providing a room/space’!
-After all, isn’t providing a room to travelers a natural duty for a servant? It seems the artist found the loophole in that contract and made him provide a small space to you too!
Hold on.
Then does it mean… I have something like my own small inventory now?
‘This actually works?’
My heart fluttered at the webtoon-like gift that I had never expected in a ghost story.
-Let’s see… I think you can think of a cube about two feet on one side. It seems that much space has been ‘connected’ to you!
Two feet would be roughly sixty centimeters.
Although she used a wicked unit system because she was from an American talk show ghost story, it was truly grateful information.
But the thing is.
‘Then, is this connected to that lodge?’
That crazy murder lodge must have definitely vanished.
-Well. Where it is connected to… no one would know, wouldn’t they?
-Just what kind of space the caretaker decided to provide would likely be a fact known only to the one who originally concluded the contract.
“…….”
-This is highly interesting. It’s also decent as a subject for a bet! Shall we wager something for the enjoyment of our lives?
I will politely decline….
Still, since this Moonlight Tattoo Shop wouldn’t have manifested the ability in a way harmful to the counterpart, let’s not fail to use a usable capability just because I am being too wary.
‘From now on, I won’t have to worry when secretly hiding items.’
That alone was a sufficiently amazing thing.
“Thank you. It is truly mysterious and wonderful.”
I returned the single pearl I pulled out, and joy and satisfaction sparkled in the eyes of the tattooist who accepted it.
“May I go as I am?”
Nod.
“Then I will be on my way.”
And just as I was about to step toward the entrance.
The tattooist gestured as if realizing something, as if telling me to wait a moment.
‘What is it?’
And searching fiercely beneath the counter, she pulled out a sheet of paper. Wrapping it carefully in transparent packaging, she offered it to me.
‘……Tattoo design?’
I realized the moment I accepted what she offered.
It was a tattoo sticker.
Moreover, the design I had been recommended and chose, the tomato tree, was engraved exactly as it was.
And three sheets of it, at that!
“…!”
Hold on.
“By any chance, while I have this applied… do I become ‘brave’? Just like having received the tattoo.”
The tattooist smiled and nodded.
‘My goodness.’
It was a side income I hadn’t even thought of.
“Thank you.”
The owner waved her hand to me with a smile.
It seemed the time to bid farewell had really come now.
After packing even the stickers safely in my pocket—namely, the newly created ‘space’—I grabbed the door to leave this time for real.
“I hope you have a good day.”
With a polite greeting, the door closed behind me.
Cling.
And when I turned my head back.
“…….”
It was vacant.
Fitting for a ghost story, the inside of the glass window with a twisted real estate contact number attached was emptily vacant.
‘…I was told it is originally like this.’
The Moonlight Tattoo Shop could be entered exactly once through this ‘It is vacant’ ghost story.
‘Next time there will be an opportunity to utilize another ghost story.’
-Ah, it was a unique and enjoyable experience.
I agree.
“Roe Deer, was the exploration okay?”
“Yes.”
On that day, I completed the ‘It is vacant’ exploration safely without other problems and accumulated the points well.
The nice scent of the aroma massage Brown received lasted for a few days.
But the covered-up tattoo vanished like a lie on the next day, and only the original characters remained on my wrist.
Still, the obtained capability was as it was.
‘Let’s use it well.’
Thinking of the possibilities of the inventory, I repeated experiments.
***
And three weeks.
Like a lie, there was no event where this capability played an active part….
“…….”
No, well… normally, this is what is normal.
When entering a ghost story with a manual, because the company already provided the items needed for clearing, there was no need to hide anything in particular.
And cases where we were deployed to ghost stories without manuals had decreased greatly.
‘There wasn’t really anything in the Alien Shop that I wanted to carry around like crazy and seemed usable either….’
In the end, it meant it was degraded to the utility of about carrying existing items slightly more conveniently.
‘At least I found out that the inside is in a vacuum state or something, so food doesn’t rot.’
When I put in an analog watch, the second hand remained as it was, yet when I put in a digital watch, it got discharged.
A situation where the laws were unknown.
And a timing where the use was not urgent either.
In the end, it meant that time flowed by while gathering points decently without particularly fiercely having to use items or abilities….
‘It is a good thing.’
“Three weeks left until the regular personnel assignment.”
“Huu-ha-huu-ha.”
“You are going to remain here, you hear me, Roe Deer!?”
“Yes. I truly hope so.”
If the hottest small talk topic in Group D was whether I could safely remain in this group in the regular personnel assignment, that said it all.
Fitting for a ghost story company, painful or terrifying things occurred from time to time, but I had grown quite used to even that now.
Meaning I became able to endure by clutching the tattoo stickers like talismans.
‘I must use this truly when it is urgent.’
Attending the company that I gradually grew used to, I began to feel relieved at handling work together with these team members who had decent personalities.
And this is also natural.
That relief did not last long either.
A point past three weeks and two days.
On a Monday workday.
“Roe Deer is here?”
“…….”
The atmosphere had changed.
‘…What is it?’
A strange calmness.
The air in the office was like when leaving a final message to family in a disaster situation.
A tranquility unique to people ahead of accepting a tragedy.
It was absolutely not a good sign.
“…Well, we end up trying this kind of work too.”
“It will be okay. And all our group members have strong bad luck!”
At Supervisor Park Min-sung’s words, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je did not particularly reply.
It was truly unusual.
“Have a seat, Roe Deer.”
I ended up sitting on the sofa instead of my seat. Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, who sat opposite, lowered a tablet PC in front of me with a peaceful expression.
“It is the Dark we are deployed to in three days.”
“…….”
Three days?
‘Why are they giving so much time.’
If it was a schedule in three days, usually they would say, ‘We might enter, so prepare.’
Meaning there was almost no case of speaking so definitely.
“It is a Dark where twelve people are deployed… and it is B-grade.”
“…….”
“Don’t be too surprised. The survival rate is absurdly high. And the extra points are also calculated generously… so we can carry away two thousand points per person.”
“…And?”
A bitter smile like ‘this quick-witted bastard’ flashed and passed through Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s face.
“And, there is a problem, of course. Finding a Dark without one is faster… but this Dark is slightly unique.”
“…In what sense is it unique?”
“To explain it most easily… yeah.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je crossed her arms.
“A pure luck-based game.”
“…!?”
“The moment we enter, one person unconditionally dies. …Completely randomly. Solely by luck.”
Damn it.