Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Excuse me……”
“…….”
“Excuse me.”
I snapped my eyes open.
An familiar face entered my opened vision.
“…Security Team Leader?”
“Yes……”
A slender build wearing a security uniform, light hair color, and ‘J3’ written on the name tag.
He was the very security employee who had been swept up in the Changwi-themed Dark with me…!
I hurriedly tried to sit up.
A massive headache struck…… huh?
Clink.
I froze.
Wrapped tightly around my hands, which I had extended to the floor to support my body, was a red yarn with a bell attached.
‘Yarn?’
An somehow familiar use and appearance…… ah.
‘It’s the equipment used by the Security Team….’
———————=
Records of the Dark Exploration / Daydream Co.
/ Item
Nostalgia Kitty
An equipment-type item in the form of a red yarn with a silver bell.
When worn, it fixes the target in the state of their body and mind being the healthiest during the past ten years.
The more severe the mutation, the faster it snaps.
※For the standards of health, refer to the usage records.
———————=
It was an object that allowed anyone to temporarily regain their ‘good past state.’
Realizing its identity, my mind felt a bit at ease.
I relaxed my body….
“…….”
“…….”
No, wait a minute.
But why am I restrained??
I snapped my head up.
The Security Team Leader, whose eyes met mine, showed a hint of welcoming on his face that looked tired of everything.
And he gave a small wave of his hand.
“We meet again….”
“Yes. But….”
I lifted my arms as much as possible.
“What on earth is this?”
“I heard you rescued… a contaminated employee……”
“Yes, but why am I…”
The Security Team Leader pointed at me.
Ah.
“…Did the Security Team think that I was contaminated?”
“It seems so… yes……. Since there is no one else.”
And the Security Team Leader raised his hands, showing a faint hint of either expectation or embarrassment.
“Um, welcome to the Security Team……?”
Ah, no.
He is misunderstanding this as welcoming a rookie, this guy…!
“It’s not me.”
“……Huh?”
“It’s not me.”
After emphasizing it twice, I finally regained my senses and looked around.
‘…Is this something like an isolation room?’
There was nothing in the indoor space surrounded by grey walls. Even the lights were embedded inside the ceiling with solid finishing materials, leaving no protruding parts.
‘It seems the Security Team did indeed mobilize properly.’
It must mean I placed the call correctly.
[Security Team Rental Warehouse]
This facility, which I was authorized to use upon my promotion to supervisor, was literally a warehouse where one could rent Security Team equipment via a phone call or a visit.
However, when the Security Team judged that a situation required ‘subjugation,’ they would intervene directly like this….
‘I hit the jackpot.’
Seeing how I was currently detained in a Security Team facility.
I nodded slowly.
“It must be the company building, seeing that the Security Team Leader came.”
“Yes……. You are quick-witted….”
“…….”
I swallowed my saliva.
If I was not mistaken, the contaminated Supervisor Park Min-sung was inside the tattoo on my wrist right now.
‘I need to pull him out of here and hand him over to get the contamination under control.’
Wouldn’t it be too foolish in the long run to have the fact that I possess such a tattoo formally registered with the Security Team?
In the end, I spoke in a slightly probing manner.
“Is there perhaps a CCTV installed here?”
“Probably not……”
Right.
Since it was the first time someone contaminated by the <Hungry Hangman> ghost story had popped out into reality, they likely wouldn’t have placed recording media.
Since the CCTV footage itself could become contaminated.
‘Especially since Hungry Hangman is a ghost story with incredibly strong mental contamination….’
In any case, it seemed nobody knew that the completely contaminated Supervisor Park Min-sung was inside my forearm right now.
I swallowed my saliva.
“……Security Team Leader.”
“You can just call me J… since I’m the only J left in the Security Team now……”
“Yes, J.”
I made a request with a serious face.
“Could you keep what happens from now on a secret?”
Of course he would say no.
Or there was a high probability he would pretend to struggle, say he would keep it trustworthy as if persuaded, and then quickly report it.
Whichever it was, I needed to prepare a bribe….
“Sure, why not……”
“…….”
“As long as it’s not something like blowing up the company…… No, actually, would that even matter…… Then please keep it a secret that I heard it, too……”
“…….”
Is this the spirit of a lifetime job…?
‘This company, seriously.’
I pulled my dizzying mind together and spoke firmly.
“It is not something like blowing up the company.”
“Then…?”
“Actually, I rescued the contaminated employee and am currently suppressing him separately.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…??”
The Security Team Leader looked at me with a face that asked what on earth I was talking about.
“Are you perhaps mentally deranged…”
“I am perfectly fine. Aren’t I wearing contamination suppression equipment in the first place?”
I raised my arm.
“This red yarn with a bell… seems to be equipment that suppresses contamination.”
“Mmh…… That’s right.”
“Then you will know that I am speaking with a sound mind.”
The Security Team Leader stared at me.
I swallowed my saliva.
“Once you are ready, I will bring the contaminated employee out here.”
“Ah.”
Although he blinked his eyes and stared at me as if he didn’t quite trust me, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Yes…. Go ahead….”
“Do you not need any separate preparation? I also only have one chance using a disposable item.”
“Well……”
The Security Team Leader tapped himself.
“Me.”
It was a remark that could seem arrogant, but his tired tone that found everything bothersome sounded very plain.
‘Besides, he is a leader.’
I had already seen his ability, having reached the position of leader in the Security Team which specialized in ‘suppressing the Dark,’ during the last Changwi ghost story….
…Fine. In that case.
“Yes.”
I took a deep breath.
Then, I plunged my hand into the tattoo at once.
“…!”
I caught it immediately without even having to rummage around to find the target. Locking up a fellow teacher, my foot it’s against the rules!!
‘Pull!’
As my hand emerged from the tattoo, what I was holding was dragged out.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Making a bizarre sound, the ‘Teacher’ began to emerge from the tattoo.
And.
Snap.
The moment the yarn snapped from that impact,
blood sprayed like a fountain from my forearm.
The wound inflicted by the vampiric knife had returned.
“~!”
Fuck! I had to refrain from swearing, but it hurt so much!! The contamination, the contamination was also returning. But what was more important than that….
“Teacher Sol-eum! Such a mischievous deed is a subject for punishment in our ■■ Attached Kindergarten…”
He paused.
Supervisor Park Min-sung, who was smiling gently as the ‘Teacher,’ stopped.
And then he looked around blankly and,
“…….”
“…….”
“This isn’t the kindergarten!!”
Damn it.
“This isn’t the kindergarten! This isn’t the kindergarten! I left without permission, leaving without permission, I wasn’t a perfect teacher… I broke the rules…!”
I couldn’t respond in any way, just… a wave of guilt rushed in.
I am truly sorry. Teacher, I made a wrong judgment. I shouldn’t have done this, I will take even your punishment and read the educational manual aloud. I grabbed the educational manual of our ■■ Attached Kindergarten and….
“Oops.”
Grab.
Someone grabbed my face.
And they inserted something into my ear.
“Sleep anesthesia… or something like that.”
…….
…….
Blink.
I blinked my eyes.
“Excuse me.”
“…….”
“Excuse me……”
I opened my eyes again.
Everything was quiet.
“Are you okay…?”
“I’m okay.”
I knew reflexively.
“Did you make me lose consciousness?”
“Yes……”
I looked at the capsule shell that had fallen to the floor from inside my ear.
‘Did he insert medicine?’
Perhaps I had received a short-term fainting effect.
With something like an item that was similar to the Mount Baekseol Apple I possessed, but was a lower-tier version.
‘Calm down.’
Thanks to that, I seemed to have escaped the influence of the contamination.
I caught my breath and looked down at my arm. A bandage was wrapped around the place where I had been wounded.
And the yarn that was originally wrapped around me was….
“…….”
When I raised my head, it was now wrapped tightly around the limbs of Supervisor Park Min-sung in the corner.
Yes. It wasn’t the appearance of the Teacher.
To Supervisor Park Min-sung!
‘…It worked.’
Supervisor Park Min-sung, wearing a black suit and a mask, looked perfectly normal as if he was just about to enter a ghost story.
Even if it was only a temporary effect due to the suppression equipment.
“…Sigh.”
The strength drained from my whole body, and I leaned against the wall.
‘……Handover successful.’
I heard the Security Team Leader muttering beside me.
“He’s lucky, that man……. Was it possible to come out that quickly… I’m jealous……”
Wait a minute.
“Since he came out early, is it possible for him to fully recover from the contamination?”
“Mmh……”
The Security Team Leader lowered his head as if even thinking was bothersome, but when he met my persistent eyes, he finally blurted out.
“That’s a Gloomy grade entity……”
“Pardon? Yes. That’s right. B-grade.”
“Then it should be fine……”
A B-grade?
“The company has know-how too… mmh. If it’s reasonably fine… a department transfer?”
“…….”
Right. Though working in the Security Department would be better than dying.
I hope he recovers as well as possible, whether he returns to work or resigns….
“…….”
I looked back at Supervisor Park Min-sung again.
Perhaps because the tension had relaxed a little just then.
My feelings were somewhat strange.
The colleague who, just yesterday, had been working in the same office, sharing jokes and greetings with me.
The feeling that he would suddenly disappear from my daily life starting tomorrow.
“…Please take good care of him.”
“…….”
The Security Team Leader nodded his head slightly.
It was a subtle expression.
……Thinking up to that point, my head finally recalled the last sight I had seen.
…Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je!!
“What happened to the corpse that was collapsed next to me? It’s a corpse with no left hand…”
“I don’t know……”
By any chance, could it have been incinerated or something? No, that can’t be.
‘Since it only lacked a hand and not a head, they must have thought it strange.’
However, in my anxiety, I immediately hurried the procedures and left the isolation room.
“Let’s walk out together……”
“Ah, yes.”
Accompanied by some of the summoned Security Team members, I walked out of the isolation room door, somewhere between escort and surveillance.
And the moment I went out, I realized.
This was the isolation room area attached next to the Security Team Rental Warehouse.
[Isolation B]
‘In the Records of the Dark Exploration, there was also a separate document covering this place….’
Every single one of them was horrifying.
The two summoned employees walked down that hallway with calm steps, keeping me half a step behind, and I followed them while suppressing the chills….
Giggle-giggle-giggle.
Ahhhhhh, O Brilliant Name, shine upon me.
Please save me, please save me, please save me.
Spine-chilling sounds echoed from each of the isolation rooms lined up on both sides.
‘Do-don’t look.’
Without giving even a single glance, I walked while looking only at the light coming from the door ahead….
…….
Who is in the hallway?
Ahhhhhh!!
Who is in the hallway? Who is in the hallway? Who is in the hall—
Please walk faster! Quickly!!
But these damn Security Team employees stubbornly maintained a constant speed while exiting the door.
I had ended up going through the rental warehouse checkout procedures, completely exhausted like a piece of pickled green onion…….
“…….”
The rental warehouse front desk was a place that looked just like a desolate facilities team hallway.
When I went to the window, a silent Security Team employee brought out my belongings that had been kept in quarantine storage.
“Thank you.”
I received the briefcase. A sticker printed with [Qualified / Risk Level D] was attached to the surface.
‘It doesn’t seem like they inspected the items one by one.’
I didn’t receive any additional inspections about pulling something out of my forearm either.
Surprisingly, it seemed Security Team Leader J had completely kept his promise.
‘But he might talk someday.’
I could handle that much. I had also deliberately mentioned it was a disposable item.
The important thing was how to cope.
‘Let’s do well.’
I took a deep breath.
‘Then now I should quickly find out Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je’s situation….’
-Friend!
-Friend!
Huh??
-Friend!!
“…….”
Brown!!!
“Is, is this all of my belongings?”
The employee pointed their finger at a bin in the corner of the front desk.
[Waste Box]
Tumbled inside was my suit jacket, completely soaked and crumpled in a mess, along with the small stuffed doll that had been shoved in it…….
Gasp!
-To shove me into a place like this at their own whim when it’s not even a studio!! This is an abuse of power and an insult! I was never treated like this even when I was a rookie!
You crazy bastards!
I felt like I could take a bath in cold sweat.
I hurriedly pulled out the jacket, smoothed down the doll, and placed it in my shirt pocket.
‘Yo-you went through a lot. I’m sorry.’
-Whew…… It is not something for Mr. Roe to apologize for. It is those fellows who acted recklessly!
It seemed he had calmed down a bit. I quickly turned around and walked away.
However, a gloomy voice followed behind me….
-But a good friend does not forget….
“…….”
Let’s make sure never to keep Brown close to the Security Team….
It was the moment I stepped out of the door.
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
“…!!”
Someone was waiting in front of the Security Team front desk.
“…Leader.”
The Lizard Leader stared at me with his vertical pupils.
“Did you come to pick me up?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you taking me? No, I mean, I would like you to also tell me why you are taking me there.”
“The infirmary. Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je is lying down.”
“…!!”
I,
after hesitating a few times, barely opened my mouth.
“…Is she alive?”
The Lizard Leader turned back to look at me.
And he answered with certainty.
“Yes.”
“…….”
A lump.
Something unknown suddenly surged up to my throat.
“……Leader. Supervisor Park Min-sung also came out.”
“I see.”
Leader Lee Ja-heon seemed to think for a moment, then asked:
“Is he alive?”
“…Yes.”
“Then everyone survived.”
“……Yes.”
That alone made it worthwhile.
Plainly.