It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 094

Someone who has lost their smartphone on Dead End Street and desperately attempts to return to reality.

I can say with certainty that I’m not the first.

In the Dark Exploration Records, various miserable and eerie fates of such individuals have been quite thoroughly documented.

First of all… let’s check the common premises.

1. Attempts to blindly follow others who are being guided by their smartphones are guaranteed to fail.

The app’s guidance couldn’t be shared. In the end, every attempt concludes with ‘the person you were following has vanished at some point.’

As records of such failures accumulated, people began to abandon this attempt and instead sought hints for escape directly within Dead End Street.

“There were all sorts of ways.”

There are shops that say they’ll open the back door to the alley if you give them one of your limbs, pedestrians who say just to enter the manhole, a shoe store that claims you’ll see the way out once you wear their shoes…

The fortunate thing is, I can head straight to the conclusion without trying all these methods.

All of the previously mentioned attempts have failed.

…Right.

It’s a brutal fact deduced by induction.

2. The residents of Dead End Street have no idea how to exit into reality.

It was all just a deception.

It’s no different from stopping a passerby on the streets of Seoul and asking them how to get to a horror story.

These residents hold no knowledge whatsoever.

“I must abandon any expectations or plans of receiving help from anyone here.”

Thus, I had to come up with an escape method under the assumption that no new hints would arise…

Hah.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes.”

I reluctantly opened my mouth.

“…I will brief you on what I’ve summarized thus far.”

Next premise 3.

“From now on, we cannot normally enter new alleys.”

Originally, a new alley would appear for app users every thousand steps, and they could choose whether to enter or not.

However, now that the pedometer app is completely dead, that rational approach has also come to an end.

“We’re trapped in this alley.”

As we walk, the scenery might change unexpectedly, but we could no longer select our path.

Essentially, we, not being residents of this horror story, are unable to find our way…

“Therefore, we need to find an escape method inside this alley.”

“Yes.”

And number 4.

“…Also, we need to get out before dawn.”

A time constraint.

Naturally, the field exploration team members at this company are mostly composed of strong-willed individuals.

Some lunatics, driven by just having studied the manuals, would attempt to increase the solution grade if they happened upon an alley that bears little risk.

“Sometimes the research team at the company even requests that.”

For instance… they might try to remain in Dead End Street as long as possible while conserving their smartphone battery.

The result?

Total communication blackout.

…This ‘communication blackout’ isn’t like the missing person accounts of a worker who has turned grotesque like a back alley laborer from a boutique.

Complete evaporation.

There’s even a raw record of a worker who attempted to lodge for a day at an inn in the alley, using specialized equipment for communication, only to go silent.

“……”

I really don’t want to experience a situation like that.

‘What a nightmare.’

As I walk through Dead End Street, pondering all this while having lost my smartphone, a sense of reality gradually looms closer.

The thought that I could become one of those records.

“Time constraints, spatial constraints, method constraints.”

I barely managed to report to Lee Ja-heon with a flat tone.

“…Overall, I think whatever method I come up with will be a gamble at best.”

“Yes.”

Lee Ja-heon remained calm.

“…Doesn’t the current situation worry you, Team Leader?”

“Yes. Worrying has no useful effect on resolving the situation.”

“……”

Wow.

‘Still, I think he’d join without complaint as long as I bring some wild plan that sounds persuasive.’

Just like the colleagues who were walking with me earlier.

“……”

Wait a minute.

‘Where did my colleagues go?’

Manager Lee Ja-heon definitely told the colleagues who went into the adjacent store, “Come out in ten minutes.”

If they really came out just ten minutes later…

‘Could it be that they were there when the alley’s currents rushed in…?’

Did they possibly get swept away and dragged inside…?

“Chief!”

Ah.

As I turned my head, Kang Lee-hak and Jang Heo-woon were waving their hands and running toward us.

Given the paper bag with wool yarn designs in both hands, it seems they successfully completed their purchases.

“Wow~ you guys are here!”

Kang Lee-hak had a big grin on his face.

Phew.

“Looks like you shopped well.”

“Ah, yes yes. The shop owner seemed to be in a hurry for cash. They were practically selling off their own hat in the bidding. It was really good, yes, a great shopping experience!”

Then he sneaked a glance at Manager Lee Ja-heon’s face, pretended to check his smartphone hastily, and began speaking rapidly.

“U-uh? No way, has it already been this long…? Sorry, I must’ve lost track of time. I found something that could help our exploration! Really sorry, Team Leader!”

“Yes.”

It seemed quite intentional that it looked that way, but it was rather a relief.

It seems they didn’t realize that a flood was happening outside because they were so engrossed in haggling.

However, standing next to him, Jang Heo-woon glanced at his paper bag with a somewhat pale face.

“Doe, is there a problem with the stuff you bought?”

“A, ah no. Nothing like that… But among what they were selling, some of the yarn wasn’t yarn but… strange string-like stuff mixed in.”

“……”

Good grief.

“Ah, of course, I didn’t purchase that. Thank you very much for the coins, Doe. I’ll surely return it in gold when we get out…!”

“Speaking of which, it seems like it’s about time for you to leave! Oh, did you keep counting your steps in this alley? Can we share the ‘remaining steps’ via the app?”

Lee Ja-heon answered without changing expression.

“No.”

“…Yes?”

Ugh!

‘You lizard!’

I kicked Manager Lee Ja-heon’s shin at an angle that others couldn’t see.

“?”

And said nonchalantly.

“I’m just walking slowly to check something. Have you both completed your step count?”

“Ah, well, we should be almost done. We were walking around a lot looking at the stuff inside the shop.”

“……”

“How unfortunate~ I could’ve checked two more alley options!”

Kang Lee-hak licked his lips.

The remaining step count on the smartphone screen that the colleague pulled out caught my attention…

Don’t give up your body!
Remaining steps: 1052

“Since I’ve spent all the money you lent me, I guess I should check what the next alley has and then head back. Haha!”

“…Yes.”

Do you know?

There’s exactly one way for someone who has lost their smartphone to successfully escape from here.

It’s a method that has been recorded multiple times and verified firmly as a fact.

A similar opportunity had almost come to me just now.

That is…

Stealing someone else’s smartphone.

“……”

I stared at the unprotected smartphone dangling in the air of Kang Lee-hak…

“Yes. Then go ahead and return. Team Leader, is it alright for both of you to go back?”

“Yes.”

I sent off the two colleagues.

“Then I’ll head in. Thank you…!”

“Haha, I’ll see you at the company tomorrow. Let’s talk more about the loot then~!”

The two walked away into the alley and suddenly disappeared.

…They must have gone to the next alley.

Let’s not do anything we can’t handle.

‘This is an act of maliciousness that cannot be excused.’

I might lose the ability to use the silver heart if I’m not careful.

Even without that, I would break down if I later recalled how I could have survived without stealing a smartphone…

‘Let’s not go that far unless it’s truly the worst situation.’

The moment I lose my sense of line, contamination might accelerate even further.

I gently touched the silver ring I was already wearing to calm myself.

-Oooh. Doe, you chose dignity. That is indeed excellent restraint!

-Among the guests, there are some who won’t hesitate to engage in all sorts of degrading acts just to gain attention. It’s also a noble professionalism, but gaining the heart of the public is certainly done by participants like you.

Uh, yeah.

‘Thank you.’

I didn’t particularly want it to be compared to that though…

I tried my best not to recall the incident that occurred during the quiz show on Tuesday.

I didn’t want to remember that direct experience of nearly dying in a horror story while trapped in this horror story right now.

I simply searched my mind for records and compared if there’s anything that might serve as a clue in this alley…

“Doe.”

Whip.

Lee Ja-heon grabbed the back of my neck and threw me into a store.

Then he entered himself and lay down.

“There’s water.”

“…!”

I raised my head.

What we entered was an unmanned laundromat.

Through the glass door printed with cheap letters, I could see water flooding into the alley…

Swish swish swish.

Between houses, oozing from a narrow gap and creating a mass of black water that made shapes reminiscent of mascots.

A wriggling dragon character.

‘…This doesn’t look like a real mascot.’

There was no clear intelligence evident from what I saw earlier.

But that made it all the more chilling and threatening.

‘Communication seems impossible.’

-Indeed. Attempting to converse with a parade balloon would be a foolish judgment, friend!

The mass of water began to move its limbs grotesquely as it wandered back through the alley.

Fortunately, it didn’t look into the laundromat.

‘Phew.’

A chocolate bar fell haphazardly to the waterlogged floor where the water mass had just passed by.

It seemed to be products that had been swept away into the stationery store during the flood earlier.

And there were the residents of Dead End Street, drawn over by the parade.

It’s mine! It’s mine!
Send me to the Cheerful Theme Park!! Let me win a prize!!
Let’s find the good kid! Let’s find the good kid!

All manner of alley pedestrians and merchants rushed in, tearing into chocolate bars haphazardly and searching for ‘Theme Park Winning Tickets’ inside.

Perhaps the entry tickets or membership cards are inside that…

…like my tattoo…

: Socius :

‘……I feel like the moment I’m discovered, I’ll be torn apart skin and all.’

That classic development of a horror story sent shivers down my spine.

But as the water mass disappeared from my sight again into the other side of the alley, I carefully opened the glass door.

Jingle.

…Fortunately, the residents of Dead End Street who were madly searching for chocolate didn’t look this way.

I swallowed hard and flicked a coin, summoning the Third Hand into the air.

The translucent hand carefully advanced through the narrow gap of the glass door, grabbing a chocolate bar that had bounced out of the laundromat into the alley…

As soon as the Third Hand brought the chocolate bar back inside the laundromat, I swiftly snatched it away and shoved it into another tattoo.

‘Phew.’

Since I’ve made such a mess anyway, I might as well get some useful information.

Fortunately, it seems the silver ring played its role magnificently; I didn’t feel any strange hallucinations, noise, or fervent desires for the theme park.

‘I’ll take a closer look after returning to reality.’

As I withdrew my hand from the tattoo inventory while releasing the Third Hand, a thought crossed my mind.

I recalled an item that I hadn’t even attempted to use once despite carrying it around.

The high-priced item from the alien shop.

We will help! – ₩66,666,666

“…!”

I took out the item in question.

A small red button.

…Certainly, Brown had said something like that.

-Hmm. Yes. You can understand it as ‘emergency escape’!

Emergency escape, huh.

‘Should I press it?’

Considering the cost, it feels like I should save it for a more high-grade darkness, but given the imminent disappearance, it might be better to use it than incur a major loss for trying to profit.

‘Alright.’

Let’s see what happens.

Before using it, I showed the button to Lee Ja-heon.

“Team Leader, this is….”

“Do you need advice?”

“…….”

Huh?

“Do you need advice?”

“…Yes.”

“Avoid using it.”

“…….”

A chilling premonition ran down my spine.

“Do you know this button, Team Leader?”

“Yes.”

“…Is something bad going to happen?”

“It varies based on circumstances.”

“…I would appreciate a more detailed explanation.”

“Impossible.”

“……”

“But using it in the current situation is not recommended.”

“…….”

‘Phew.’

In the end, I put the button back away.

Manager Lee Ja-heon may not provideinformation verbally, but he wouldn’t lie.

Moreover, it also makes me anxious that he’s in a position to purchase items from the alien shop himself.

‘After all, he was the one who sought the alien shop link from that account in the first place.’

Overall, pushing for the usage of this item in the current situation felt like setting up a line for premonition that would result in leaving just one dreadful exploration record behind.

-Oh my, so you’re not pressing it? I was curious about what would happen; how disappointing!

Really?

I felt a strong sense of release.

It feels like I’ve realized that the suddenly appearing lifeline is actually a mirage.

“……”

I leaned against the laundromat wall and stifled a sigh.

“Then every remaining option becomes a gamble.”

Manager Lee Ja-heon looked at me as I nervously tapped my fingers on my arms.

“If I just break down a house, the concept of an alley might have a gap for us to escape through, or some ridiculous thought like that… Please don’t break anything.”

“Yes.”

What a madness.

After stopping the lizard from clawing away at the wall with my bare hands, I sat down on the floor.

‘Is this really the only way?’

X or escape.

Other than staking in this extreme probability game, is there nothing more certain?

Certainly, methods of exiting from the horror story…

……

Ah.

“…!”

I jolted upright from my seat.

“Doe.”

“Team Leader!”

This could potentially work!

“I have a method to try. First, let’s get out of here and move…”

Lee Ja-heon grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

“Step aside.”

“……”

I turned my head.

Outside the laundromat’s glass door stood a black shape.

Something gazing at us.

A mass of black water.

Found it.