Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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[Everyone, what kind of game is ‘Hangman’?]
[That’s right! It’s an educational game where you guess the spelling of a word! If the alphabet you shout is included in this word, it’s correct! If not, buzz!]
[And to make it easier to learn this game in a way that facilitates study, we will give you several hints.]
The assistant manager hanging in midair.
The pastel tones of the TV and the bright voice, contrasting with her, beat against my ears.
[Shall we begin then?]
Hanging in midair, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je broke into a cold sweat and smiled bitterly.
“The introduction is long even though everyone already knows it. Don’t you think?”
The aspect of this ghost story that made it worthy of a B-grade lay in the hellish few hours leading up to death, filled with mental breakdown and blood-drying psychological pressure and pain.
…It was like this.
It was true that the victim selected as the hangman was practically judged to be dead.
However, at the moment the ‘game’ actually progressed, they were temporarily alive.
And this victim…
[Today’s keyword is a single word that best describes Teacher Eun Ha-je!]
[Shall we all guess what kind of person Teacher Eun Ha-je is together?]
Was mercilessly exposed.
According to the Records of the Dark Exploration, all attempts to hide the victim’s personal details during this process failed.
As if peering into and evaluating their life in detail, significant life events were fatally proclaimed.
For that purpose, even the Hangman game format had been modified.
[Everyone, the number of alphabets in this English word is 8.]
I raised my head and looked at the blank spaces appearing on the TV screen.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
If all the alphabets were filled in correctly, an English word would appear.
Originally, the game participants would take turns throwing out random alphabets one by one, and if there was a matching blank, it would naturally be filled.
In this way, they would deduce the word.
However…
‘Here, every single alphabet is associated with the victim.’
[Here is the hint for the 8th blank alphabet!]
[What was Teacher Eun Ha-je’s profession four years ago?]
Like this.
It was easier to guess things related to the other person’s personal background. So, if one wanted to make this process smoother…
It required the victim’s cooperation.
Meaning one had to persuade or threaten the person sentenced to death to speak.
“……”
“……”
Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
‘So, right now…’
What was I doing?
The stuffed doll in my hand, the old-fashioned TV, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je hanging in midair…
What could I do?
‘Let’s run.’
I moved my feet.
“Roe Deer! Where are you going?!”
“There is no time. I’ll explain later…”
“Are you by any chance looking for the scaffold?”
“…!”
“It’s completely useless even if you destroy that. You know, right? You read the manual.”
“I won’t know until I try.”
Just like during the quiz show, I could call Manager Lee Ja-heon. So, if I asked him to destroy the scaffold this time too… yes, until it was restored, buy some time—
“Wait a minute.”
There was no time.
“For now, sit down for a bit. Actually… I also have something I want to try at the very end.”
“……”
“I’m not just saying this. So you shouldn’t do anything that stands out for no reason either. We can’t have penalty counts accumulating pointlessly.”
Penalty counts.
“You know, right?”
I knew.
This ghost story was based on the fear stemming from a frustrating suffocation that thoroughly constricted everything.
The movements and actions of the twelve ‘rookie teachers’ were evaluated in real-time by the kindergarten via CCTV, and if they behaved in a way unbecoming of a teacher, they received a ‘penalty.’
[1 minute remaining. Teachers, please raise your hands and shout an alphabet!]
“Assistant Manager Eun! Assistant Manager Eun!”
Right then, the playroom door burst open, and an employee rushed inside in a hurry.
He had a face that looked like he was driving himself crazy with frustration and impatience. He must have been searching for the victim, and since he couldn’t run, he ended up with that expression.
Because in this kindergarten, running faster than a brisk walk was also forbidden.
Swearing was forbidden, vandalism was forbidden, and anything that violated the game rules was also forbidden.
“Dammit… whew. Why does it have to be the end room on the 3rd floor of all places!”
The employee shrieked at Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je as if venting his anger. Yet he held back his swearing, seemingly trying to follow the rules.
“Hey! You… Assistant Manager Eun, what did you do four years ago?”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je smirked.
Because…
“Where the fuck do you think you’re speaking informally, you son of a bitch.”
“…!”
The hangman was an exception to all these rules.
“W-What… why, suddenly…”
Because they were dying anyway.
“I only didn’t call you out until now because I didn’t want to get involved with you, dumbass. I’m already about to die without even collecting all my points, so my mood is already filthy.”
“U-Uh…”
“If you killed three rookies, pull yourself together, you crazy troll bastard.”
The employee’s face flushed reddish-purple with rage.
“Are you treated unfairly? Does it irritate you?”
“N-No…”
“Even so, you have to endure it. You don’t want to get judged as ‘no contribution’ later because you couldn’t even guess a single alphabet, and receive a penalty, do you?”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je spoke as if gently scraping his nerves, chuckling.
“There are only eight slots, so behave yourself. Huh?”
“……”
The employee shut his mouth tight.
If he had a brain, it was a natural judgment.
In this ghost story, the notion that only one person dies is under the best-case scenario based on the manual, and in fact, if things go awry, total annihilation easily occurs here.
A ghost story where survival is guaranteed only by strictly keeping the rules.
‘And if one doesn’t guess even a single alphabet in this Hangman game, they will also receive a penalty while being ‘evaluated’ at the end…’
It was then.
“Hey, Roe Deer. Come over here.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je called me.
As I drew close, she lowered her voice so that only I could hear.
“My profession four years ago was a reporter.”
“……”
“Roe Deer, you guess it. Start by removing the ‘no contribution’ penalty.”
This was driving me crazy.
“Even if you say you don’t want to guess here, nothing changes. You know, right?”
“It helps my mental state.”
“Worry about the mental state of the person who might die soon first. Please.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je frowned.
“Understand how shitty it would feel if that bastard beat you to it and guessed it. Huh?”
Sigh…
I massaged my temples before finally heading to the front of the TV.
The eyes of the employee who had barged in widened.
“W-Wait, you…”
“The last alphabet of the keyword is R. It is the initial of Reporter.”
Ch-ch-ch.
[Correct!]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The screen displayed the alphabet with a cheerful sound.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ R
And.
[Let’s draw the Hangman~]
“Gasp.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je twisted her body.
From the assistant manager’s body hanging in midair, her left foot literally ‘disappeared.’
…One foot had gone up to the scaffold.
The sacrificial lamb designated as the hangman goes up to the scaffold every time other explorers guess about them, and is eventually hanged.
There are no exceptions.
This was driving me crazy.
“…It’s not cut off, so there’s no pain. Don’t worry.”
Did I look like I wouldn’t worry?
“Isn’t it a relief that it didn’t start with the neck? At least we can keep talking.”
No.
No matter how much I thought about it, that person’s ‘one shot I want to try at the very end’ felt like a bluff to keep me safely held here.
‘I shouldn’t just let time pass like this.’
In the midst of that, the TV progressed again.
[Here is the hint for the 5th blank alphabet!]
[When Teacher Eun Ha-je was a reporter, what was the very last transportation she used?]
The employee hesitated, checking Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s reaction while speaking through gritted teeth.
“Ah, tell me… Hey, even so, we,”
“We what.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je looked at the other person with dumbfounded eyes.
“Three rookies died because of you… Ah, you motherfucker seriously. You should have been the one caught and dead here.”
“S-Shut up! You bastard about to die!”
“Right~ Don’t listen to the words of a bastard about to die.”
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je tilted her head with a bored expression.
The employee, whose face turned red and blue, shoved me aside and stepped in front of the TV.
“If it’s transportation! Yeah, probabilistically obvious! Bus or subway! Yeah, uh, Subway initial, S!”
[Oh dear, buzz!]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ R
[As a penalty, please read aloud the education manual for 10 minutes!]
“U-Uh…”
Along with a twisting sound, a black booklet hologram appeared before the employee’s eyes, and then…
“Argh!”
It stuck to his face.
“Aaagh! Aaargh!”
The black booklet that devoured his face melted down as if adhering to his skin. Even if he rolled on the floor and struggled with all his might to tear it off, nothing changed.
Beneath the booklet that was melting away, a vivid branding mark was visible on his forehead…
[Chick Class]
Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je clicked her tongue.
“You guessed that? Foolish bastard.”
“……”
“Take a good look, Roe Deer. If that accumulates, you will receive education until you become a proper ‘kindergarten teacher’ here… Forever.”
That was it.
If one did not faithfully participate in the game here, they would end up in a state worse than death.
“3 times. If you suffer it just 3 times, it’s over.”
3 penalties.
Being contaminated to the point where one is no longer judged to be human.
Just like the Security Team.
‘But this is a worse situation.’
Because if one wasn’t rescued like the Security Team, they would just be trapped in this ghost story and go missing.
“So don’t do anything useless.”
“……”
“If you do it wrong, you won’t even be able to die.”
Cold sweat ran down my back.
‘I know.’
In this situation, if I just follow the manual, I will definitely live.
Even with the penalty removed from guessing one alphabet.
But is there any need to take a risk?
‘Trying it could only worsen the situation.’
In this ghost story, which was riddled with records of people being contaminated while trying to save the hangman, failing to escape, and endlessly receiving education as a kindergarten teacher.
There are no exceptions.
Yes, there is no answer.
I knew too.
That there is no answer.
Here, no matter what, the game must be completed and the hangman must die.
This was not a ghost story one enjoyed while looking at anomalous exploration records.
‘Its birth is different.’
Right from the moment it was registered on the wiki, it had been written with a theme of driving people crazy because the rules couldn’t be violated!
It was a ghost story that maximized the helplessness and frustration of being unable to violate rules, and ultimately, the fear of the weak who had to desperately censor themselves to conform to those rules.
At best, there was a tiny variable I had witnessed.
Brown, who had conversed with this ghost story and escaped the game.
But since I had just blankly watched Brown chatter, that opportunity had also flown away.
‘I should have intervened.’
Somehow, buying time without immediately passing the rope, conversing a bit more…
—Hmm?
Brown gasped in shock as if unable to believe it.
—Oh dear, I would like to decline. What a boring thing to converse more with these fellows!
—Mr. Roe Deer. Are you telling me that I should have willingly pretended to be hanged in this outdated game just now? To me, your friend?
…….
Phew.
‘Brown. I can also speak that way.’
—Wait a minute?
‘When you declared you would not participate in this game, you must have known that the person to become the hangman would be selected again.’
Meaning,
‘you did it without hesitation even though you knew I could die with a 1 in 12 probability, right?’
—…!!
‘Did you not care even if I got hanged?’
—No! Of course not… that is not it. However, this old-fashioned game must also be respected as a game in its rules… Ah, of course, my friend is more important than that…….
A confusion never felt before was sensed in Brown’s tone.
It seemed that within him, the role of a ‘good friend’ and the role of a host within the ghost story were clashing.
Let’s not forget, this guy possesses a twisted way of thinking fitting for a ghost story resident.
But at the same time…
he was a stuffed doll trying extremely hard to remain as my friend.
‘Refuse.’
Let’s keep centered. Even if I’m a coward, let’s not be a fool.
I explained as calmly as possible.
‘What I was trying to say is that I also don’t think you should have been hanged.’
It’s just… I’m driving myself crazy with anxiety.
‘I meant it would have been nice if I had requested to back out after gathering a bit more information then. Since you seemed to be communicating with this ghost story.’
—Ah… indeed. Unfortunately for you, Mr. Roe Deer, it seems they have decided to treat me as an outsider now, so no special interview is being connected.
—At any rate, if it is that kind of judgment, I can gladly understand it!
‘Yes.’
But faintly… I had a feeling that we probably understood it differently.
Even while thinking that, I simply had no additional brain capacity to spare on it.
‘None.’
Even knowing there was none, one side of my mind desperately searched and re-searched the exploration records and manual information I possessed, trying to find a loophole to save the hangman.
But there was none.
No, it was natural that there was none!
If such a thing existed, it would have occurred to me when I was thinking until my head split over the past two days!
‘There is no such case at all.’
No matter how much I searched the in my head or retraced the manual, there was nothing.
I already knew…
Even if we destroyed the scaffold, tried to swap the hangman, or held out without guessing the word.
Only penalties would be added, and the hangman would die.
There are no exceptions.
‘Dying unconditionally…? Unconditionally…’
Was there really nothing else?
I gritted my teeth.
How…
“Roe Deer!”
Right then, a familiar voice was heard.
Turning my head, I saw a second employee appearing in the open door…
“…Supervisor.”
“Are you alright… gasp.”
Entering the room, Supervisor Park Min-sung gasped upon seeing Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je.
“Are you here?”
“……”
“You already heard from the TV, right? Just prepare to guess.”
Supervisor Park Min-sung’s face filled with an indescribable surge of emotion, then sank completely.
“Don’t think useless thoughts and guess quickly. You know you already have accumulated ones, right?”
“……”
Accumulated?
“Supervisor, what does that mean…”
The supervisor whispered softly to me with a strained expression.
“Well. Actually, this is my second time entering here…”
“…!!”
“I entered right when I joined the company, and I’m entering again after 2 years. Haha… Whether I’m lucky or unlucky every time.”
The supervisor smiled bitterly.
“Before, I received a penalty once while trying to tear off someone caught as the hangman… probably contamination accumulated… I don’t really know. There have been no cases until now.”
Talking incoherently that he only carried custom equipment one at a time just in case, the supervisor already looked like he had suffered a mental breakdown.
I grabbed the supervisor’s shoulder.
“…!”
“Supervisor.”
A direct experiencer.
Almost the only person who would possess detailed information that I did not have!
“From now on, please answer my questions quickly and accurately.”