Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Naturally, during Dark explorations, one was bound to experience ridiculous things or hair-raising events.
Being chased by ghosts, public transit suddenly heading to a strange destination never heard of before, everyone on the street staring at you the moment you leave your house, and so on…
However, many employees say that as they gain experience, they somehow get used to these things.
‘At the very least, I think I’ve gotten slightly used to them too.’
Even if it was due to contamination and items, wasn’t it the very last ghost story where I had entered to clear a high-grade one even while having my limbs cut off, and succeeded?
But certain kinds of creepiness never become familiar.
For instance,
A ghost story that suddenly recognizes ‘me.’
“…”
With my eyes trembling, I turned the page.
There was even a drawing of the wrapper clumsily reconstructed by the exploration employee who wrote the report.
-Oh, it seems the artist was so faithful to the original purpose of conveying information that they gave up on the aesthetics of the drawing.
It meant that although it was terribly drawn, one could recognize exactly who it was.
‘…Brown.’
-Speak comfortably, friend!
‘That looks like me, doesn’t it?’
-Considering the art style and taking only the mask and hair style into account, it seems we both made the same guess!
“…”
Even the product name is ‘Good Child,’ and the flavor is ‘Cinnamon Churros’…
‘It’s the blue mascot of the theme park.’
And the appearing ghost story is… ‘Qterw-C-1603’? Why on earth did I appear in *that* ghost story?
I reflexively tried to glance at my tattoo, but held back.
And I asked Manager Lee Ja-heon, who was staring blankly at me.
“Is it… correct that this content is not yet registered in the official manual?”
“Yes.”
Phew.
That was rather a relief.
‘If Director Cheong went out of his way to show me this beforehand…’
…Goodwill? A debt?
It would probably be both.
The moment this is officially recognized as an exploration record, descriptions that can specify identity depending on the security clearance will be censored with black squares.
Instead, there was a probability that the research team would attempt an experimental exploration to check why on earth such a phenomenon occurred…
Like putting in an employee dressed up like me, or having me explore without giving me information.
‘Gwak Je-gang might even notice and try to throw me back into the theme park.’
Wow, this is driving me crazy.
If I went to the point of asking Director Cheong for help on the pretext of being in his line, I might end up in a situation like becoming an ‘Outstanding 30-Year Long-Service Employee with Director Cheong.’
Why is it that although I lived diligently, only the possibilities of getting screwed are laid out like this…
‘Well, that’s just how the ghost story worldview is.’
At any rate, let’s be thankful that I already know now. Although I will owe Director Cheong a decent level of psychological debt, it is still better than after the research team takes the bait.
‘And for him to go out of his way to let me know this beforehand…’
“By any chance, is the Dark our team will explore this week that specific Dark?”
“I do not know.”
“…Leader, in your estimation, do you believe the probability of that is over 50 percent?”
“Yes.”
Indeed.
‘If he’s going to let me know first anyway, it only makes sense for me to go in and check.’
‘Qterw-C-1603’ huh.
If I had to enter a ghost story and be mentally tortured as a coward anyway, it was right to enter the more valuable side…
This standard continued not to change.
‘Let’s check it out.’
And this time, I have a very reassuring companion too.
The self-proclaimed and publicly recognized named employee of physical exorcism, Leader Lee Ja-heon!
…Though thinking back to the clown ghost story, he might give commands with an absurdly paralyzed sense of fear.
‘Well, if it’s one-on-one, I’ll have some room to persuade him or slip away somehow…’
And lately, I feel like I’ve mastered the way to converse with him a bit.
In that sense, going together with the fearless leader felt quite reassuring and not bad.
But there was one more variable.
“Sol-eum.”
“Yes.”
“Will you accept support personnel?”
Ah, right.
Since field explorations are based on a three-man team, this time our team would conversely receive support from one person to explore.
‘Should I view it as roughly a pre-operation of the Elite Team.’
Usually they seem to randomly pick and throw in whoever is available… hmm.
“By any chance, is it a situation where it is possible to designate and receive a specific person?”
“Yes.”
Oh! …No, wait.
“…I will exclude the method of requesting Director Cheong. Is it still possible?”
“No.”
“…”
‘It’s a relief I caught on…!’
I almost owed double the debt.
Holding back a groan, in the end, unable to hold it in, I asked.
About what I had been curious about regarding the Lizard Leader for some time.
“Um, Leader. You always tend to give brief answers… If there is a reason for that, I would appreciate it if you could let me know.”
“I see.”
Lizard turned the focus of his pupils toward the sky for a moment, then stared back at me.
“It reflects feedback requesting that detailed answers be given only upon request.”
“…Under what circumstances did you hear such feedback?”
“I heard it during a Dark exploration on my third day of working at this company.”
“…”
I see…
Even without hearing a concrete description, it feels like the situation rises clearly in my head like a picture.
“Um, Leader. Unless it’s an urgent situation, I would like you to speak comfortably when you are with me.”
“Yes.”
And Manager Lee Ja-heon… started talking continuously!
“If Kim Sol-eum wishes to specify the tendency of the supporter, report it to me. You cannot specify concrete personal names, but you can request the preferred characteristics of the sample population.”
“…!”
He’s explaining by himself!
-Mr. Roe Deer, you have the talent of an interviewer!
T-Thanks.
For a second, I almost got drunk on the feeling of efficacy, but what’s important right now is the content Manager Lee Ja-heon told me itself.
‘Although it’s hard to pin down exactly who I want to come, it means I can say it in a way like I want this kind of employee to come, right?’
Hmm.
After much consideration, I decided on one ‘characteristic of the supporter.’
“I would like it to be one of the rank-and-file employees.”
There is a hidden meaning here.
Namely, that all current ordinary employees are my colleagues.
‘It is absolutely not because I am being alienated in the colleagues’ group chat…’
Well, frankly speaking, since there was something fishy about this exploration itself, I chose it because I hoped they wouldn’t have the years of service to be too well-versed in how the company runs.
‘And it’s good to get acquainted at the same time.’
Since I had thought it would be good to gradually increase the number of people I know in the company.
“Yes.”
Manager Lee Ja-heon coolly approved my request, and I came to look forward to it slightly.
Just what kind of new face will I see?
* * *
And a few days later.
“…”
“…”
I came to meet Jang Heo-un, who was sending a welcoming look, in front of Group D’s office door.
“I am Group F employee Jang Heo-un…!”
It’s a familiar face.
Still, it wasn’t a bad result. At any rate, since he wasn’t a boss, it would be a more comfortable exploration.
I smiled and extended my hand to Jang Heo-un.
“We meet again. Please take good care of me during today’s exploration.”
“Yes, Sol-eum! I will definitely be of help in clearing it!”
Jang Heo-un coolly clasped my hand and shook it. Hmm, he is a decent person after all…
“Oh, yes, yes, please take good care of me too~!”
“…”
“…??”
As I turned my head, an employee smiling broadly got off the elevator, approached us, and bowed to greet us.
A woman about my age with a good-natured impression.
What she was wearing was a pony mask.
“This is the support personnel of Group I. The manual recommends an even number of personnel when exploring this Dark, so we received support of two people.”
“I am Kang Yi-hak~ Nice to meet you. Supervisor, employee!”
“Yes…!”
Jang Heo-un, who was hurriedly bowing his head, shouted as if realizing.
“Ah, the one who talks often in the group chat…!”
“Yes, yes, haha. It’s embarrassing, but that’s indeed me!”
Ah.
[Kang Yi-hak: Is it true that you received 40,000 points? haha]
I remember too.
It was that person whom I had moderately kept in check because she tried to actively dig out information when I entered the group chat.
‘She seemed to dominate the atmosphere of the colleagues’ group chat.’
Running it based on profit rather than friendship.
Before I knew it, that colleague smiled and extended her hand to me.
“Wow, top colleague! This is the first time meeting you like this. Please take good care of me~”
“Yes. Likewise.”
I shook hands lightly.
…It was clean.
‘She’s more lighthearted than I thought.’
I had thought of a human figure more like a dagger hidden behind smiles, but she felt amiable. Should I say she didn’t feel like she hid other intentions in her questions.
‘Well, if she’s a decent person, I am just thankful…’
Compared to a trash-personality like Baek Sa-heon showing up and making it tiring when we have to explore together, it was much more mentally reassuring and good.
Those who haven’t experienced it won’t know. The feeling of screaming internally because a ghost appeared, but there is only a sociopath next to you…… Sob.
“We will move.”
“Yes.”
Leader Lee Ja-heon moved with thudding steps.
We quietly followed the leader and got into the car, and I grabbed the steering wheel and operated the navigation.
“We are moving to Gyeonggi-do now, right?”
“Yes.”
Yes, this Dark is also leaving the Seoul area completely.
Although one might misunderstand if they only read the exploration report I viewed earlier, Qterw-C-1603 was not simply a weird cookie shop ghost story.
It was somewhat larger and… gloomy.
“Mmm, to enter this ghost story… Ah, did we gather late because we had to wait until the sun sets first?”
“It seems so.”
I replied kindly to Jang Heo-un and started driving.
First, in order to enter this Dark, both factors of time and place had to match.
To enter Qterw-C-1603, one must move to a residential area on the outskirts of ■■ City, Gyeonggi-do.
The corresponding residential area was an alley commercial district that was popular on SNS in the early 2010s due to having many famous restaurants and cafes, but currently, foot traffic has become sparse.
A local commercial promotion poster is very rarely witnessed on the utility poles here.
In the center of the poster, a QR code is printed along with the phrase ‘Come play at Samangdan-gil in ■■ City.’
※Do not gaze at the phrase on the corresponding poster too closely.
For reference, this company had secured the corresponding poster in advance and covered it so that only the QR was visible.
“Supervisor, I will scan the QR code for you!”
“Ah, thank you.”
When scanning the QR code, it connects to the download page of the event application certified by the municipality of ■■ City, and the download proceeds normally if the explorer is under 40 years old.
A moment later.
Arriving at the destination, we parked in the public parking lot, got out, and walked out to a quiet alleyway.
The time of day when the short winter sun was setting and getting dark.
Most restaurants and cafes still remained, but the depressed atmosphere characteristic of a commercial district whose trend had passed remained…
“Execute the application now.”
I looked at the screen.
Passing through the slightly tacky-looking opening that contained the old logo and character of ■■ City…
When launching the application for the first time at the corresponding location before the early evening sun sets completely, the route guidance through the navigation function is activated.
The guidance literally begins from the application itself.
Way to Samangdan-gil →
Move along the arrows!
My position on the GPS appears on the smartphone like augmented reality.
“Walk.”
“…”
We all began to move together, only looking at our respective smartphone screens.
Move along the arrows!
At first, it was normal.
Implementing guidance along the relatively large road from the alley, it seemed to guide me further toward the outskirts of this commercial district.
But as a little more time passes.
The path begins to twist.
Move along the arrows!
Guiding us through narrow gaps between houses where only one person could barely pass, making us enter through the front door of a building and exit through the back door.
Even guiding us to a dead end and making us turn back out.
A pitch-dark alley.
For some reason, the surroundings gradually begin to feel unfamiliar and bizarre.
The back of my neck became chilly, ungrammatical mutterings were heard, and strange shadow-like things seemed to pass outside my field of vision…
‘…I must endure.’
However, one must not turn their head.
While moving along the application’s route guidance, absolutely do not take your eyes off the screen for more than 3 seconds or deviate from the guidance path.
Failure to comply with this will result in being processed as missing.
We continued to move in silence.
Trying hard not to bump into each other or be startled.
Move along the arrows!
“Just now, something strange…”
“Shh.”
Walking silently for about 16 minutes like that…
Before one knows it, even the dim light of the setting sun completely disappears.
“…”
“…”
A state where all light had vanished to an unusual degree from the already dark alleyway commercial district, and it became pitch black.
At that moment, when only the light of our smartphone screens became the light source illuminating the residential area.
Click.
Clack, clack.
One by one in the dark passage, lights turn on.
“…!”
The street shops had begun to light up.
Yellow and blue lights from the signs illuminated the panorama of the alley.
…However, this was not the scenery of the familiar old commercial district we had seen earlier.
Whisper, whisper.
An alley bustling with numerous human shadows.
Signs that looked familiar at a glance, but had somewhat distorted names if looked at closely.
Various shops lined up in the alley were wide open, receiving customers…….
Ding-dong.
The application pops up a congratulatory message.
You have arrived safely.
Welcome to Samangdan-gil!
“…Have we arrived?”
“Yes.”
We had entered successfully.
Into the middle of the ghost story.
———————=
Records of the Dark Exploration / Ghost Story
[■■■ Road 16]
: A ghost story appearing in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, Daydream Co.’s identification code is Qterw-C-1603.
An alley lined with shops where things that are not human solicit customers.
Explorers who have entered this alley through the smartphone application must absolutely not close the application.
———————=
“Walk slowly.”
“…”
We nodded and moved our steps behind Manager Lizard…
Into the strange alley.