Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work

Chapter 68




It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 068

Morning.

I am sitting in a quiet office.

– Ah, what a refreshing winter morning. How about a cup of coffee, friend?

Sure. Let’s drink it at lunch.

As I chatted with Brown while tidying up my desk to chase away the silence, my boss with a lizard head walked in through the door around 8:50.

I approached and greeted politely.

“Hello, Team Leader. Good morning.”

“Yes.”

I raised my head and continued speaking.

“I heard that you helped me to get my paid leave… Thank you.”

“Yes.”

The lizard merely moved its eyes to look at me.

“Can you work as you did two weeks ago?”

“Yes. I can work like before. Even if the results aren’t the same, I’ll regain my rhythm as quickly as possible.”

“I see.”

The vertical pupils gazed intently at me.

“I’ll judge and make up for it.”

Hmm.

At this point, it roughly translates to:

‘Whether you do well or poorly, I’ll cover for you, so just work hard as you usually do.’

As time went by, I thought that even if the appearance and vocabulary belonged to a lizard, it was a decent boss, so what’s the harm…

Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down.

‘I need to clear the darkness perfectly for a while.’

I had already received a paid leave.

But a staff member who had handled work slickly enough to become a chief in 60 days should not report back without achieving ‘different’ results this time!?

That would definitely become gossip within the company.

It would look strange.

[No, it’s not like a colleague died. Everyone came out alive.]

[Hmm… Maybe that employee named Kim Sol-eum is surprisingly fragile in terms of mental shock?]

[But how did such a mentally weak person achieve results until now?]

…Something like that.

‘Once suspicion starts, nothing good comes from it.’

I shouldn’t give them a reason to doubt.

‘Let’s clear it properly.’

Even though… I can’t buy a reliable item right now.

I recalled the line from the alien shop website that had been hovering in my mind throughout the vacation.

<Space Shopping Mall>

※ Currently under renovation (temporary situation) ※

>> I understand!

That’s right.

The website is under renovation….

‘When will it open again?’

I haven’t seen any documents related to the renovation, so it’ll probably end soon and reopen.

Since my budget is set, I planned to see the items from the newly opened alien shop before securing an item.

Now, let’s regain our original intention and clear the darkness as it should be.

‘For a while, they won’t offer high-grade darkness again.’

Even if there’s a slight emptiness from the reduced number of people, I can’t quit… I have to manage somehow.

I deliberately asked cheerfully.

“From today on, should I be assigned to the darkness? I heard there’s a high probability that I’ll support another group since we’re not at full capacity of three members…”

“That’s right.”

Oh.

“Which team are we supporting today?”

If I’m lucky, I might get to meet one of my entry colleagues whom I haven’t met yet…

“The elite team.”

……

Excuse me??

Again?

“Are you talking about Group A?”

“No.”

“…Then which group is it?”

“Group C.”

A group I had no previous encounters with.

While I was worried about the elite team’s nature, I thought it was lucky that the leaders of Group A and Manager Lee Ja-heon did not meet… just thinking this.

‘Huh?’

Upon reflection, in some way, I wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with Group C.

[K.Lee: I’m Manager Lee Kang-heon from Group C! Haha!]

The suspicious manager who introduced me to the Salmon Market!

‘He certainly said it was Group C.’

Could it be that I’m meeting him this time?

But there was a more important question first.

If it’s the elite team entering the darkness…

“Could it be a harder high-grade darkness to clear?”

“What criteria would you like to use to judge?”

“……I apologize. That was a slip of the tongue.”

“?”

“Um, if you could tell me the grade and if there’s a manual available, I would be grateful.”

“It’s Grade D. The manual is complete.”

Oh, then the chance of calling the final team just to use them as fodder is low. Feeling much more relieved, I comfortably asked.

“Understood. So when will we start moving?”

“We will start moving in 5 minutes.”

Sure.

Thus, we grabbed our bags and left the office to walk.

But….

“……”

“……”

“Team Leader.”

“Yes.”

“Why are we heading toward the annex and not the C group office?”

“Because Group C has already entered the darkness.”

“……”

Excuse me?

After several rounds of questions with the lizard team leader, the answer I received was as follows:

[Group C is left with 2 members while the leader is on leave.]

[Today’s horror story is Grade D.]

[But why are they trying to keep a three-member capacity for such a low-grade darkness, and Group C went in themselves, causing the administration desk to hastily organize extra personnel.]

“……”

Wow.

When I just joined, there was an uproar when Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je yelled, “Isn’t it supposed to be three with newbies?”

‘Here, they volunteered to enter with only 2 members…’

This feels ominous.

– Hmm, it appears we have members who don’t follow directions! A great facilitator should handle all elements of the show, especially human resources well.

– Is today Chief Doe’s opportunity to learn that? Let’s see. Then, let’s go energetically, friend!

I want to just slump down helplessly….

But I needed points, and the situation called for me to return to the darkness gradually.

‘None of the elite teams I met so far have been normal…’

And I have a strong feeling that this one won’t be as well.

Being a half-year experienced chief, I have to do my job when expected.

If I was feeling wronged, I should have aimed for Group A… Of course, had I gone there, I’d probably have been bounced back into the finishing team and turned into a corpse by now.

‘…Already missing them.’

I tried to shift my thoughts away from the two bosses of Group D.

Manager Lee Ja-heon handed me a tablet.

“From now, spend 10 minutes familiarizing yourself with the manual.”

“Is there a specific reason for only giving me 10 minutes?”

“Because time is tight until the entry is over, and the recent survival rate for the second quarter has been nearly 97%.”

Thank you for the kind explanation…

‘So now I’m okay with a 3% death rate…’

Honestly, in this background, those who died while the manual was readily available must have either been incredibly unlucky or acted unexpectedly.

‘It should be fine.’

I looked at the tablet with an ambiguous feeling of either discomfort or liberation…

“……”

“……”

– Hmm? Chief Doe, it seems your mind has suddenly gone blank.

Yeah.

I’m toast.

———————=

Dark Exploration Records / Horror Story

[Not Knowing is the Answer]

: <Dark Exploration Records> appeared in the horror story, and the identification code for Daydream Corporation is Qterw-D-2367.

A thrilling textbook horror story where you have to spend the night among ghosts.

———————=

“……”

Wait a minute.

Please hold on, Team Leader…!

Instead of crying out that I won’t go in, I barely logically suggested.

“Can I take about 30 more minutes to prepare before entering?”

“That’s impossible.”

“……”

Right. You said the entrance would close…

That wasn’t a very logical suggestion.

“……”

Aaaahhh!! Seriously!!

Why does this have to be the horror story I’m returning to?!

“If we exclude the 2 who died of heart attacks, there are no death records. It’s safer compared to the same level.”

“……Yes.”

‘That’s not why I’m saying this…!’

It’s just that I had mistaken some things.

I had forgotten that I was ‘building an elite newbie character.’

Before my paid leave, I was just someone who hated scary things and was internally crying while time attacking…

But my return horror story is a pure horror hell of course.

‘The first people I see will be those from the elite squad, so I can’t mess around.’

Moreover, since it’s a low grade, it would be a waste to even use tattoo stickers; I have to bull through this as is.

Survival instincts pound at me, and unlike dealing with this situation where I should be desperately sprinting around thinking of escape, this time I must feel it raw….

The horror flavor that the wiki writer intended.

‘Huh…’

It would have been better if I just stumbled into a convenience store ghost and played tag unaware.

I suddenly felt like I was back in reality, as if doused with cold water. Should I call it shock therapy?

With a sense similar to being dragged to a slaughterhouse, I reluctantly stepped into the darkness, feeling like crying and eating mustard.

My legs trembled.

“This way.”

The only saving grace was that this time, it wasn’t a type of darkness that twists space and time to swallow us into a bizarre place.

This entry method was quite simple.

You knock on a door in a sealed space that meets specific conditions, and it becomes a horror story once you enter.

A sealed indoor space where no one is present within a 100m radius.

There should be no interior elements that allow checking outside, such as windows, and there must be at least one analog clock.

The volume should be around 40㎥, and if there’s a difference of more than 4㎥, the darkness will not occur.

For our company, they had modified a part of the annex to fulfill these conditions and use it regularly.

Right in front of a door labeled:

[Break Room]

Manager Lee Ja-heon and I stopped at the door with this nameplate attached.

It was indeed next to an ordinary office; however, the conditions were satisfied.

On a Wednesday that ends on the number ‘4’.

If you knock on the door of that sealed space in a specific rhythm, the horror story will begin.

“……”

I… have to do this, right?

As a newbie?

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock knock knock

I raised my trembling hand, trying not to give away my nervousness and knocked on the door.

Then, as if by a falsehood, the door opened with a click.

“Uh?”

“Who are these people… Oh!”

Inside, two employees were sitting comfortably, and upon seeing us, waved their hands.

“Oh, are you the support sent?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, we said we didn’t need anyone, and they still sent you.”

If the clearing numbers increase, the points split and the dream essence concentration dilutes… the staff murmured among themselves.

Team Leader Lizard answered like this.

“If you have complaints, request a transfer to amend the common field exploration manual.”

“……”

“……”

The two employees gaped for a moment, finally nodding their heads with awkward expressions.

“Yes… um, that wasn’t meant to criticize your arrival. I’m sorry…”

“Hahaha, we seem to have burst in without manners! Really sorry. Um, you’re the manager from Group D, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re…?”

“I’m Chief Doe.”

“Aaah!”

Both of them changed their expressions again.

“Are you the new employee who almost ended up in Group A? Assistant Manager Nabi said she had her eye on you!”

“I heard someone saved an employee who was supposed to die… Oh oh, please tell us more when you get out of here!”

“It’s not that great of a story; it was just luck, but… Yes. Nice to meet you too.”

Manager Lee Ja-heon and I were led by the two to sit at a small table located in the corner of the break room.

“We’re going to be together all night, so let’s introduce ourselves. First, just call me Dolphin Chief.”

“Nice to meet you, Chief Doe.”

A short woman with a dolphin mask waved her hand when her name was called. Her speech was quite lively.

And a slightly tanned, cheerful and sociable guy extended his hand and smiled broadly.

“And I’m Leopard, Assistant Manager Leopard.”

“Yes. Assistant Manager Leopard.”

Hmmm.

[K.Lee: Oh hello, employee! Haha!]

The profile listed for ‘Lee Kang-heon’ was definitely on Hawaii’s beaches. Thin skin seemed to suit him.

Moreover, his rank and sociable demeanor matched perfectly.

‘This must be him.’

Naturally, I had no intention of acknowledging him in front of a superior.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Yes. Let’s spend the night eating snacks together in our break room!”

At this point, it seemed like a conversation one might share while working overtime at any office.

In reality, it doesn’t happen that blood from the walls suddenly drips down, or that the whole place flips upside down, or that coffee machines transform into killing machines.

But….

‘The ghosts are already here.’

Some explorers are swapped out for ghosts.

That’s right.

Among those currently engaged in conversation, someone has already been swapped for a ghost.

Perhaps more than one.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“I’ll make it.”

“Hey, there’s no such thing as ‘the youngest’ in our group. Just sit down.”

When that becomes the norm is uncertain. Maybe it starts the moment you cross the threshold, or perhaps it begins when you sit down and greet each other…

‘It would be easier for someone already swapped out for a ghost.’

Just goes unconscious upon entering the break room and wakes up the next day.

The issue is with the manual for those who haven’t turned into ghosts.

“……”

Rules that I must observe.

Ghosts appear identical to explorers in every regard: appearance, personality, character, etc., but they perform actions that humans do not to create an unsettling atmosphere.

However, no one should realize who the ghost is.

Explorers who blatantly display signs of having realized this have all disappeared.

I can do this.

‘Just brush it off and ignore it.’

I can do it!

If someone ends up with their mouth torn open in a laugh or something, I can just not look and bear it.

‘At that time, I’ll pretend to be looking at someone else.’

Since there are many people, I thought I could endure it.

Having gone through various experiences, I wondered if I had become an even bigger coward, but unexpectedly, I might have become a little stronger in horror!

At least I’m not bathing in cold sweat all while imagining what’s about to happen anymore!

“Ah! It seems like the entrance just fully closed. We can just hold out with this crew now.”

“Oh~”

“Good. Let’s keep our spirits up!!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

The employees clapped with bright smiles. It was a heartwarming scene.

Except for one thing.

“Wow!”

Everyone in the room was clapping with the backs of their hands.

“……”

Ah.

“Hey? Chief Doe. Why aren’t you clapping?”

“……”

“Why?”

Assistant Manager Leopard leaned in closer to my face.

“Looks like you have something on your mind?”


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