It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 063 Episode

Faster. Faster.

“Chief, this is the 35th round based on prior experiences, right?”

“Y-yeah. It was the only round where we tried to introduce a newbie.”

Kim Sol-eum quickly organized the key points in her mind after a brief and hurried exchange with Chief Park Min-seong.

‘Chief Park Min-seong’s details as a seasoned veteran…’

“Is this all? Are these the necessary details?”

“I’m compiling them.”

– Newbies are called to this dark expedition for the first time, causing panic and disorder.

– Some individuals began swearing as penalties arose. A fight broke out over a calming potion, leading both to penalties. Those who took the potion also faced penalties.

– The number of individuals who received penalties more than twice and were on the brink of contamination is seven.

– A newbie caught as the hangman fainted in the middle due to panic, but no one cared enough amid the panic and fear.

– A newbie fainted after being hit by a corpse falling from the gallows. They subsequently resigned.

“…….”

Huh?

“After that, they stopped inserting newbies…”

“Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“Does that mean there are corpses left behind?”

Kim Sol-eum rushed to look at the Chief.

“I mean the people who die here as hangmen.”

“T-that’s right? Although I’m not sure about decay or anything… It seems they didn’t even have heads. I didn’t attend any funerals to see the procedure one by one, but…”

“…!!”

Chills ran down Kim Sol-eum’s spine.

This, this is…

“W-why??”

Chief Park Min-seong gripped my shoulder anxiously.

“What hint is there? Is it possible?!”

“Yes.”

Kim Sol-eum nodded eagerly.

But cold sweat trickled down her neck.

‘To be honest, I can’t be certain this time either.’

It sounded crazy. But still…

How thrilling is the hope that there could be a possibility?

‘It’s worth a shot.’

Kim Sol-eum tentatively assembled what was needed… It seemed precarious.

‘With this, I could slip through without touching the rules…!’

But there was a problem…

There was one crucial ability needed, which wasn’t in a standby state.

‘…Brown.’

She needed it again.

‘Disguise ability, I wonder how much longer until I can use it again?’

– Hmm.

– Don’t you need about half a day of rest as well?

Kim Sol-eum quickly revised her question.

‘What if we change the conditions?’

– Conditions?

Kim Sol-eum explained the ‘modified conditions.’

Then the response changed.

– If that’s the case, resting for about an hour is doable!

– It’s a slightly exhausting schedule but… Hmm, I will endure. Because I’m a professional!

‘Thank you very much.’

– No problem!

So, one hour.

The conditions were redefined.

‘I need to buy some time.’

In this chaos, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je needed to ensure the gallows remained unused for one hour.

And that was impossible alone.

“Senpai.”

“Huh?”

“If possible, could you act as a distractor?”

“……?”

Kim Sol-eum quickly pulled the ‘Eun-hearted’ from her pocket.

And shouted.

To the nine employees gathered in the room, engrossed in Hangman with excitement.

“Senpais!”

“…!”

Nine pairs of eyes turned to Kim Sol-eum.

He swallowed nervously.

What’s needed now is…

‘…Attraction!!’

“If you could double the clear points, would you do it?”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je lifted her head.

Hanging from the neck down with black ropes in the air as a condemned person, she surprisingly felt calm.

‘This is a good enough end.’

Aside from dying right before collecting points, compared to the bloodbath of employees that had died so far, this was not bad at all.

“Assistant Eun!! What’s with this transport?!!”

“I don’t know. I said I don’t remember!”

Especially considering she was being dragged along with these trolls.

But what was frustrating was that even though she hadn’t been fully cooperative, she was still giving correct answers.

That’s just how Hangman works.

“Seriously… How would I know the last transport that guy took when he was a reporter? Come on, I don’t know, damn it… A?”

[Correct!]

“Y-yes! It worked!!”

Even if she couldn’t guess the initials through hints, throwing out letters would eventually lead to the answer.

‘Ugh,’

Assistant Eun Ha-je felt the chill of death creep down her back as she looked at her disappeared feet but didn’t show it.

She didn’t want to entertain the trolls.

[Here’s the hint for the third blank letter!]

[Why can’t Teacher Eun Ha-je board an airplane again?]

Amid this, two juniors from Group D energetically exchanged questions in a corner.

‘What are they doing?’

Seeing herself in peril, they seemed to grit their teeth and chatter desperately.

They likely thought they could rescue themselves here…

‘It might be better for them.’

She hoped they would realize there was no answer through their endless chatter and give up.

She figured it would be comforting to know they had at least thought about it.

‘…….’

Amid that, someone correctly answered the relatively simple problem this time.

“Trauma? T!”

[Correct!]

Her left leg completely disappeared.

‘Damn…!’

“Waaaaah! I did it!”

“Ah!! I should have gone first!”

The screams of the trolls were like a sport as they saw her leg disappear.

Eun Ha-je began to feel her irritation boiling.

‘Should I actively troll them too?’

But suddenly…

“Senpais.”

Someone raised a hand beyond the trolls.

“If you could double the clear points, would you do it?”

‘…Doe!?’

That’s right.

The newbie of Group D, no longer a newbie after the shortest escape, Kim Sol-eum was expressionless as she raised her hand.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t that the one? The one who got promoted this time.”

By then, everyone had recognized her.

The top recruit, wearing a mask with deer-like horns. She’d risen to Chief in just 60 days, and the rumor had already spread.

Was that the reason?

Strangely, they couldn’t help but notice that newbie. There was a strangely… natural presence.

Moreover, just a moment ago.

‘Wasn’t it about points…?’

“…….”

In the bizarre atmosphere of the playroom focusing on her, Kim Sol-eum opened her mouth.

“Shall we make a bet?”

…??

“If I win this bet, I will give you all my clear points.”

“…!!”

“Huh?”

That was a crazy bait.

“Is she crazy? Why is she doing that?”

But at the same time, if you were an employee in the field seeded in the word ‘points,’ they could only respond like this.

“Really, you’d give away two thousand points?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, Doe Chief. It seems you haven’t been here long enough to know… points aren’t transferable.”

“I know.”

“Really? Then… what…”

“But there’s no issue buying goods worth two thousand points and passing them on from the employee mall.”

“…!”

“If you beat me, you can choose whichever one you like. I’ll pay for the specialized equipment creation too.”

The atmosphere changed.

After all, having avoided the ‘sacrificial lamb’ part, how useful could it be to earn extra points?

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

It was true.

Of course, if she could win.

“What’s the bet, then?”

Kim Sol-eum crossed her arms.

“It’s a hangman letters guessing contest for the most letters guessed correctly.”

“Ah!”

“I’ll give points to whoever guesses the most right, more than me.”

That guy must be insane.

“For the record, I will only answer one right, but you only need to get two for half to meet the criteria.”

“W-wait a second!”

Chief Park Min-seong, listening from the side, was horrified and stood up.

“Doe, really in this situation, you want to bet…?”

“A safe B-grade horror story is rare, so wouldn’t it be interesting to see if a special phenomenon would happen if we could guess right a lot in this opportunity?”

Kim Sol-eum said earnestly while looking at the employees.

“If the atmosphere turns strange, I hope you stop. I don’t want it to be dangerous.”

“Ha.”

Some employees snickered, glancing at each other, then one finally grinned and spoke up.

“Ah~ Noble of you. You want to make it safer by adding details to the manual~ So, you want to bet?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kim Sol-eum replied immediately.

“I want to help those who come next clear a little safer.”

“…. Why?”

“I don’t have a particular reason. Um… I just feel like it would be good, so I want to do it if I can.”

“…….”

The questioning employee shut their mouth.

Somehow… the atmosphere felt strange.

‘By the way, didn’t this newbie say she saved missing persons?’

Remember again.

‘Last time, she saved all the employees during some B-grade darkness and got promoted, right?’

Coming to the aid of unlikable office workers for no pay, dangerously taking risks in high-grade darkness to save people whose faces she didn’t even know.

‘She’s out of her mind.’

Normally, they’d mock her for being a pushover, but strangely they couldn’t this time.

Ting—

A clear metallic sound filled her mind.

Thoughts became strangely clear.

Until now, what she had become accustomed to, the dirtied, comfortable methods and inertia felt weird.

…And then, quite oddly.

Those foolish choices seemed a tad bit grand.

“…….”

“…….”

Her mouth simply fell open.

“…Okay, I will bet.”

“Ah, thanks!”

Kim Sol-eum bowed her head a few times to the now quiet employees as a thank you before heading off.

“I’ll see you when I exit.”

Then, she approached Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, who was watching this sight with her mouth agape, with a solemn expression.

“Assistant.”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je felt a strong headache.

‘This kid is too nice for her own good!’

A diligent junior, but this was her flaw.

‘She’s too earnest.’

She was the perfect type to burn out or break down.

Claiming to help her colleagues, she desperately spoke of the items being hers, and now she really does this foolhardy thing…

“You, you really…”

Kim Sol-eum lowered her voice and said quickly.

“Just kidding.”

“…….”

Ah.

“To buy time, I was just trying to create some interest.”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je nearly forgot she would soon die, barely managing to ask.

“…You were just trying to buy time?”

“Yes.”

Hoo.

“Wait, if you’re trying to kill time, don’t do anything dangerous; it’s a perfect setup for dying…”

“And what if I still go ahead?”

“…!”

“We will definitely carry it out. …If you cooperate, the success rate will be all the higher.”

This… kid who doesn’t listen!

Eun Ha-je clenched her teeth.

“Hey. I said I would handle it myself.”

“I don’t trust that. …You’ve already resigned yourself. You’re just waiting to die.”

“…….”

Quick-witted.

‘Oh, come on.’

“…Honestly, it’s not like I haven’t thought of trying something.”

Finally, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je let out the words she had kept in check to prevent her seniors from having unrealistic expectations.

“You know this horror sorry is run by the new teacher, throwing all kinds of rules at the captives, right? But do you know who the only slice of radish is?”

“……That would be,”

“The Hangman.”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je smiled slyly.

“That’s me.”

The Hangman doesn’t receive penalties even if they curse or slam their head against the wall.

“The problem is, even then, it’s hard to move my body.”

Eun Ha-je gestured at the ropes binding her.

“But… conversely, I can do whatever I want with my neck.”

“…!”

Of course, the probability that anything will work is incredibly low.

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je spoke calmly, masking her excitement.

“Did you hear that? I’m the only one who can keep trying this gap. I don’t take penalties, so you, the penalty subjects, can just sit back…”

Kim Sol-eum’s eyes lit up.

“I will utilize that gap in a way that maximizes survival rates.”

“What?”

“From now on, please remember exactly what I say you need to do.”

And then Kim Sol-eum clearly and distinctly explained the actions Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je had to take.

So…

“……!”

“…That’s all.”

And Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je felt as if she had just been doused in ice water.

Was she really going to do that?

“We’ll go and get to work immediately. See you shortly.”

“Hey!”

Wait a moment.

“Doe!! Badger!! You brats!”

But the two were already walking out of the playroom.

“Hey! Come back!”

‘Phew.’

Buying time; it seems to have worked at the very least.

I was walking down the surprisingly clean, colorful, and eerily quiet kindergarten hallway with Chief Park Min-seong.

‘Let’s hurry up.’

Based on the testimonies of the Chief and the Assistant Manager, things became clearer. Anxiety and hope alternated in seizing the moment.

Amid it all, the background of this horror story was still frightening.

But Chief Park Min-seong, who had no fear at all, kept glancing back at me with a worried expression before finally asking.

“N-not Doe. Is that okay? Your two thousand points aren’t just kid’s play… What will you do if someone correctly guesses two times?!”

Ah.

That’s about it.

“They absolutely cannot beat it.”

“……!”

I smiled.

“I have a selfish personality, and in a mutually restrictive situation, that is utterly impossible.”

“Uh?”

“Every time someone tries to guess, I will obstruct them.”

“…!!”

According to the records, the time limit for each question was fluctuating between seven and ten minutes as the horror story dictated.

Conservatively, that means I would need to fill nine rounds completely.

So what would be the best method?

“I suspect we’ll fight amongst ourselves until the very end, and in the end, someone will set a condition to try rather than have all the penalties piled up for everyone.”

And that’s when the probability of that happening would be quite small.

‘Ultimately, we are each going to have to take on the penalties while we waste time.’

In addition, no matter what, once contamination accumulates once, it will probably make them hesitate to randomly throw in letters, causing further delays.

If that’s the case…

“It’ll likely take at least an hour.”

I was certain.

“The prize for the bet isn’t the two thousand points itself but the goods I could buy with it, making it hard to even suggest splitting them.”

It would be awkward for a few people to gather together and share, and trusting that it would be split evenly in a verbal agreement would be difficult too.

‘The only reason I’m being trusted by just my mouth… is entirely thanks to the Eun-hearted.’

I must not be caught. Deliberately not paying attention to my pockets, I continued speaking.

“So don’t worry. We must prioritize saving the Assistant Manager, after all.”

“…….”

A flicker of anxiety crossed Chief Park Min-seong’s face beneath his mask, but he seemed to have quickly suppressed it, aware of how little time there was.

“Right. Let’s hurry! Ah, we’ve arrived.”

“Yeah.”

It was time to start the preparations.

‘Phew.’

I sat down on the floor, a strategic spot beside the Chief.

That space was the largest area within the kindergarten.

[Playroom]

The scenery ahead was something I tried my best not to look at.

Before our eyes… there was a ball pit adorned with flowers and butterflies and a stage brightly colored.

Yet, on top of the refreshing stage stood two chunks of flesh, unexpectedly.

A left leg. A right foot.

It was Assistant Eun Ha-je’s body.

‘Hah.’

Whether it was fright, horror, or a sense of crisis, all sorts of feelings made my hair stand on end.

‘The gallows.’

Timing was everything.

This one chance must be seized.