It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 074

A classroom inside, brightly lit.

“Die! Die!”

People desperately beating a terrifying student who is frozen behind me.

“Let’s wait until they pass.”

A public official glancing at our company employees passing by with a gaze filled with suspicion and disdain.

And in between…

Just me, without any allies, missing my chance.

I must appear like an innocent civilian and clear this nightmare-like horror story safely.

The catch is… that public official is actually from the hated pharmaceutical company!

“…….”

How much higher is the difficulty level going to rise…?

‘This is maddening.’

In the meantime, the employees have moved far away. I think I made eye contact with a few of them, but when I averted my gaze, they quickly walked away without speaking to me.

Just when I thought that was a relief—

Flicker.

A blackout occurred again.

“Eek!”

But this time, people were faster than the looming darkness.

“……Ah, they’re not moving!”

“It’s fine!”

I took a deep breath.

When the lights flickered back on momentarily,

The ‘Seokwang Technical High School student’ that had been frozen like a statue was now collapsed on the floor near the back door.

“Waaah!”

Clearly, the frenzied attacks had some effect. This time, the student couldn’t move even when the lights went out.

Instead, they looked as though they had fallen and died, overwhelmed by the accumulated assault.

However, only the student’s right hand remained outstretched as if still grasping at the back door…

“…….”

People cheered with expressions filled with joy, holding up bloody burlap sacks and chairs.

“It worked! This is it!”

“…….”

I need to escape.

When one of the student entities falls into a state similar to biological death.

Quickly.

All nearby students will be summoned there.

[Ding- Dong- Ding- Dong]

[A fatal incident occurred in Class 1-5.]

“Uh…?”

The school broadcast came on.

Unlike before, the voice was calm and somber.

A slow funeral march played in the background.

“Now.”

The public official poked me in the back.

“Let’s run.”

[The deceased student is Lee Won-yul from Class 1.]

I dashed out the door immediately.

And as quickly as I could, I tried to take in the scenery of the hallway.

Confirming what was necessary, I moved closer and reduced my body size.

“Should we lean against the wall?”

“That’s correct.”

[Let us all observe a moment of silence for 5 seconds.]

I didn’t resist the public official pressing down on my shoulder and sat down against the wall.

And then…

Thud.

The lights went out.

[5]

Amidst the music, a creaking sound,

The back door opened.

[4]

“AAAH!”

“Ah!”

“What, no… Guhh.”

[3]

“L-live…”

“Ugh,”

[2]

Screams, screams, short screams.

[1]

…….

…….

Silence.

The flowing funeral march.

[The moment of silence is over. May the deceased rest in peace.]

I forced my trembling head to look inside the classroom.

I had to see it.

Flicker.

As the light returned, my vision revived.

The classroom was a mess of blood and filth.

Corpses littered, stuck to the wall, sprawled on the floor and desks.

‘……Ha.’

And among them, only two figures stood upright.

The students of Seokwang Technical High School frozen due to my gaze.

One stood trampled over a decapitated body, while the other smiled, gripping the front door…

And they were staring right at me.

“…….”

It registered.

‘Damn.’

Sweat dripped down my chin.

“…Just a moment, I will step back. I need a vantage point to see inside the classroom.”

“…….”

The public official nodded slightly.

I continued to keep my gaze forward as I groped along the wall to go back.

The reason I stood by this wall.

[Portable Light Source]

A red emergency flashlight was nearby.

A light source capable of ‘stopping’ students even if the power goes out.

‘Absolutely essential.’

However, a place where originally three should have been plugged in only had one left.

‘The employees must have taken them.’

It was surprising that Baek Sa-heon even had his party with him and didn’t gather all three for spare.

Moreover, they had even stuck a wad of paper into the emergency light’s exit sensor to prevent the alarm from going off. It was what you’d expect from seasoned explorers.

They had even dropped a remaining piece of paper near the empty flashlight spot.

‘They saw through that.’

I groped my way back and picked up the paper…

And as I reached forward, a phrase folded on the back of the paper caught my eye.

-Debt

“…….”

Impressive.

I crumpled up Baek Sa-heon’s note, groped for the sensor, and stuck it in before pulling out the flashlight.

‘Hoo.’

With this, the temporary blackout preparations were completed.

‘Next is….’

“…! You pulled out the flashlight?”

“Yes.”

“…Excellent. Just keep it on. Now, let’s retrieve the name tags.”

The public official strode purposefully towards the classroom front door.

Right up to the student entity staring intently at me.

‘Hoo…’

Just looking at it sent warning signals shooting up my spine.

However, the public official efficiently detached the name tag from the student’s chest,

And then retrieved the name tag of the first deceased entity who lay collapsed by the back door.

“……”

This is maddening.

‘This is a step I cannot take back.’

If I’m caught stealing a student’s name tag, I’ll be pursued until I die.

Well, considering we’ve already made eye contact, it may already be too late.

‘I’m definitely going to be chased.’

Even with the flashlight, moving through the school at night with two students in tow is a madman’s act.

I could say it was a choice only agents of the Disaster Management Bureau could take with equipment and allies.

‘…Still, I would have done it differently.’

But the water has already spilled, and rationally speaking…

Being exposed to the public official.

Dying in a nightmare-like horror story.

No matter how I thought about it, the former seemed riskier. Dying here would be a bonus; I felt like I’d be investigated as well.

‘For now, I have to trust the Disaster Management Bureau agent’s card.’

Anyway, I have to contribute… one portion… one portion at that.

‘If I’m going to do it, I need to hurry.’

As the public official moved, I approached the classroom itself.

And then, I reached out to the student near the back door to snatch the name tag.

‘Ughhhh!’

This is terrifying.

The student stood frozen as if on the verge of turning around and clobbering my head, but….

That never happened, and I succeeded.

‘Phew.’

As I held my cold, shivering hand, there was a soft voice that slipped out.

“P-please, save me….”

What did I hear?

“……”

I thought the student entity was just stepping on the dead body, but no.

Underneath, someone was sobbing.

“Pl-please….”

Someone was still alive.

Lacking the strength to scream or a spirit to resist, the soft whisper reached my ears.

“……”

After a brief, intense period of reflection, I decided on a certain course of action.

……

“…! Ugh, heh… Yes….”

I couldn’t be sure as I was completely focused on the student-shaped entity, but it seemed like the person below nodded weakly…

“……”

I slowly backed away and rejoined the public official. Then I stepped back into the hallway and started moving quickly.

“Keep your eyes ahead. I’ll watch the classroom.”

“…Yes.”

The public official took out the flashlight they had.

And while looking at the back of the entity that was staring directly at us from the front door,

I focused my gaze forward down the hallway to ‘stop’ any new entities that might appear.

We moved, sticking to the wall, compensating for each other as much as possible to eliminate any blind spots.

“……”

It was a desperately quick movement without a sound.

As the classroom slipped out of sight… Just when I thought I had completely lost sight of the one entity that had been completely inside…

The public official murmured in a puzzled tone.

“Why aren’t they following… could it be,”

A tremor flowed from the public official’s back.

“…Was there someone alive inside? Are they watching us?”

“…Yes.”

The public official took a deep breath.

“It seems they were heavily injured and couldn’t move. …Well done. In a disaster, one must prioritize their own safety first before helping others.”

“……”

“Go to the stairs. We will stop near the fire hydrant.”

“Yes.”

I moved my feet. And then….

Flicker.

…Another blackout.

“I’m shining the flashlight.”

“Yes.”

I kept moving my feet.

And then I realized.

Just during that last blackout,

The person I gave the name tag to died.

‘They’re coming.’

Two entities are about to exit the classroom now.

But focusing on the front means I can’t look back… and that drives me insane.

“Don’t panic. There’s still a chance.”

“……”

“You picked up the name tag earlier.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, you must commit suicide.”

I felt like I was going to faint.

“Let’s do it as soon as we stop at the emergency light. You look so pale; it’s better for you to wake up quickly from this nightmare. With the name tag, you should be fine.”

“…Um.”

However.

I swallowed hard.

“I did acquire the name tag, but I don’t currently have it in my possession.”

“……!”

“I gave it to that person who was alive in the classroom.”

Yeah.

I deliberately dropped the name tag earlier.

So the person beneath the ‘student’ could grab it.

-If they hold onto that, they will wake from this dream.

-…! Ugh, heh… Yes….

“With the name tag in hand, that person will safely awaken.”

Furthermore, I bought us some time.

“…!”

The public official breathed briefly, filled with distress and stress.

And then, with an even more exhausted and businesslike voice, they spoke.

“…Did you trust my extra name tag?”

“No, that’s not necessary. It’s the agent’s that you got.”

“……”

“Do you need more name tags? I suppose you’ll need to give some to your colleagues too.”

“…Well, that is.”

Of course.

I wasn’t saying this out of being a reckless fool.

‘It’s actually fine.’

Why?

‘Because I had no intention of getting the name tag in the first place!’

Exploration Record #13

The exploration records I intend to use for escape, the wiki entries I wrote… were originally records of an explorer who couldn’t acquire the name tag.

Moreover, I had analyzed this horror story quite a bit, thought through the variables enough to write an exploration record.

And I had come to this conclusion.

‘In order to clear this without facing physical death, one must perform ‘certain actions’ while lacking the name tag…!’

And that was also the strategy to acquire the highest grade dream elixir.

‘Then I must do it without fail.’

Group D… In other words, I must prove that I can continue to produce similar results even in new situations.

“Do you know what happens if you die without a name tag?”

I do.

“Every time you sleep on the night of a new moon, you’ll be drawn back here, only to forget and be left unable to cope.”

“……”

“Can you bear that?”

I think I can’t, but what can I do?….

If possible, it’s much safer to carry the name tag until the critical moment and then relinquish ownership.

However, as long as the public official is sticking with me, it’s impossible for me to acquire the name tag and throw it away if need be.

So instead, I let my guard down and naturally gave the name tag away.

“There will be more opportunities.”

Even if there are, I’ll still give it up again.

As long as I’m traveling with you.

“And I’ll seize that opportunity myself. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for it from the agent.”

“……”

And at this point…

Perhaps I should at least give it a try.

I spoke with a voice as if I had made a slight resolution.

“…I should, after all, split up here.”

“…!”

“If you need it, I can give you the flashlight I have.”

‘I brought a strong power flashlight, after all.’

I’ve packed various things too!

As long as I break away, I can stop acting like a civilian and utilize it. Just as soon as I break away!

Being alone is scary, but I cannot continue like this with my hands tied.

Whether a civilian or a company colleague, this is better!

‘I need to join a larger group.’

This horror story is bizarrely structured: it’s safer with more eyes, but the louder it gets, the more dangerous it becomes.

‘I need to assemble a party of about four.’

As long as I’m a hazard as an employee of Daydream Corporation, I shouldn’t be traveling with this agent.

I need a situation where I can act more proactively.

‘Feigning ignorance and separating is the way to go.’

“I think I’ll just be a bother to you, agent. I’ll manage somehow on my own…”

I’ll just think of it as a civilian caught in a disaster and already dead! It simply can’t be helped!

But.

The response I received was completely unexpected.

“…I misjudged.”

“…?”

The public official looked at me with an expression of resolute determination.

“The moment you acquire the name tag, I intended to execute a humane assassination.”

Eh?!

‘What the hell?’

No matter how you awaken after dying, to hear someone speak so casually about killing a person right in front of them.

Feeling the cold sweat running down my back, I forced a smile.

“Oh, yes. No matter how much it’s a dream, self-termination is tough…”

“Yes. However… if it’s alright with you, I’d like you to accompany this disaster investigation.”

…….

What?

The public official spoke rapidly.

“You’ll temporarily be an agent. This is not part of my solo mission, so typically, it would require the consent of other agents, but…”

The public official rummaged through their belongings and pulled out something to hand to me.

“If you take this, it will be recognized as a simple procedure.”

I stared at the small caramel candy wrapped in silver foil that had fallen into my hand.

…This is a provision from the Disaster Management Bureau!

“A light truth verification procedure.”

Isn’t this just as good as a torture device for confessions?

“If you consume this and accompany me, you will also receive a modest reward.”

“……”

“If it’s too difficult, I can have you take the name tag and execute you to send you back.”

What the heck.

“Civilians?”

If I could pretend to eat it and stash it in my tattoo, it would so be the best option, but now, in this dream, I’ve completely reverted to a high school student and have no tattoos.

After weighing the scales intensely,

“…Yes.”

I diligently chewed down the confession pill meant for torture.

The sweet and sour flavor was so pleasant that it got caught in my throat, but I swallowed it anyway.

‘Getting caught throwing it away or being caught not eating it would cause big problems.’

That just means that I know what this candy is.

“I swallowed it.”

Tears in my eyes.

But the lash comes with the carrot, as they say.

Unexpectedly, the carrots began to pour forth.

“Well done. Now, take this.”

“…??”

As soon as I donned the badge, something else was quickly handed to my empty hand.

It was a metal badge resembling the symbol of the Disaster Management Bureau.

Huh?

“This is an identification card for agent verification. Carry it around and you’ll be able to receive help even when you encounter other agents.”

“……”

“And this.”

Just as I was beginning to wear the badge, a small ivory pistol was hurriedly handed over.

Inside the semi-transparent cylinder, small, colorful glass beads sparkled as ammunition.

At first glance, it didn’t seem ordinary…

“It’s a weapon designed to combat supernatural disasters. It should definitively be effective on those ‘students’ as well. Keep it with you.”

“……”

Whoa.

This is the basic distribution set for agents of the Disaster Management Bureau that I’d only ever seen in the wiki.

Just like the dreamy collector and mask from Daydream Corporation, it was like an agent scanner.

‘I’m going to have to experience all this.’

I hadn’t expected at all to be playing the role of a Disaster Management Bureau agent.

‘What kind of situation is this?’

It’s funny, but I felt somewhat excited, yet at the same time wanted to run away desperately.

But for now…

‘Yet there’s no room to be overly concerned.’

“It has begun.”

Flicker.

“We’re almost at the end of the hallway, so from now on, citizens, you should also look this way. …You must not lose your flashlight.”

…….

I gripped the unfamiliar pistol tightly.

They’re coming.