Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work [Novel] Chapter 14 - Chapter 14 is available as a full text chapter. Published May 16, 2026 and updated May 16, 2026.
Translator: Nox
Chapter 14
Even if you fall into a ghost story, you still have to go to work.
Even if you fall into a ghost story, you still have to go to work. Chapter 14
Even if you fall into a ghost story, you still have to go to work. Chapter 014
A third-day rookie.
“Phew.”
Go Young-eun sat down cautiously at her desk as lunch hour was coming to an end.
This unlicensed medical practitioner, who hadn’t even sat for the state exams, thought she was adapting quite well to the situation in her own way…
The superiors in Team R, where she had been assigned, weren’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but they didn’t haze her too much either, nor did they recklessly push her toward certain death.
Above all, she had successfully cleared two F-rank horrors so far!
‘Did they say the average performance for a rookie is one or two a week?’
Two in three days—even if they were the lowest-grade darkness—would be quite impressive for a newcomer!
She was truly doing her best to adapt to this insane company…
Even though she had nearly fainted after seeing the points required for a Wishright.
‘I cleared two and only got 66p. At this rate, when am I ever going to reach five hundred thousand…’
“…….”
But she couldn’t give up.
‘I can do this.’
Go Young-eun steeled her resolve.
‘…I wonder if the other recruits feel the same way?’
She absentmindedly checked her phone.
At the top of her messenger was a pinned group chat.
[Baekilmong Corporation New Recruit Group Chat]
It was a group chat for all the new hires.
However, only one person hadn’t been invited.
It wasn’t that they were ostracizing him; it was simply because no one had his contact information.
The top recruit of the class, Kim Sol-eum.
‘I should invite him too.’
Even ‘that’ Baek Sa-heon was in this group chat, but strangely enough, she hadn’t run into Kim Sol-eum once within the company, so she hadn’t had a chance to ask.
From the perspective of someone who didn’t know just how brutal Kim Sol-eum’s first two days of employment had been, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to wonder!
‘Should I try contacting him through the company messenger?’
She logged into the intranet and searched for his name to try and message him…
It was then.
Kakao! Kakao! Ka-ka-ka-kakao!
The group chat suddenly began to explode with notifications.
-Did you guys see the official notice that just went up?
-Does anyone happen to be close with Mr. Kim Sol-eum…?
-Is that person really the one who ranked first in the recruitment?
-What does it mean that he was a major contributor to an A-rank clear…
-Is Kim Sol-eum the one who wears that weird horned mask…
“…?!”
“Wow, Roe Deer, someone upstairs is saying you should be promoted to Assistant Manager right away. Did you hear?”
“Cough.”
I nearly choked on my medicine.
“But apparently, some guys from other departments are foaming at the mouth and opposing it, saying it’s unprecedented, so it got blocked immediately.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Should I have said that was a shame? Honestly, I didn’t feel disappointed at all, so that was the best reaction I could muster.
I set down the empty medicine bottle and rubbed my stomach.
After barely escaping from the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show,’ which had mutated into an A-rank horror, we were immediately transported to the infirmary and were currently taking emergency medication.
Mostly because we had been bleeding from every orifice on our faces.
“Your stomach feels much better now, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The medicine seemed to work well.
The company’s medications were suspicious, but these common household-style drugs were usually just high-performance.
—It’s a recovery medicine used when you take supernatural damage from the darkness… you know, those bizarre creatures from urban legends.
In other words, it was a health potion for ghost stories.
‘I’m pretty sure I saw this being sold as cherry-flavored ade at a collab cafe near the pop-up store…’
In reality, it just tasted like cold syrup.
‘Anyway, it feels like a lie that I’m alive and drinking a potion.’
After escaping, everything just felt great.
Living in the bright daylight is a wonderful thing…
However, the superiors seemed to be more concerned about something other than this emotional moment.
Namely, how this incident had been reported to the higher-ups and handled!
They were busy trying to grasp the situation, mobilizing all their connections.
“Honestly, this was an unprecedented special situation. I wish the Team Leader would push back a bit harder, but he’s just not that kind of person…”
“Then you should do it after you get promoted, Deputy Manager.”
“Ugh, I’m quitting before that happens.”
“Actually, me too.”
I really want to do that too, please.
Bound by a strange sense of camaraderie, we each sprawled out on our infirmary beds.
Assistant Manager Park Min-seong stretched and let out a sigh.
It was a long sigh of relief.
“…I really thought I was going to die, but living is definitely better! Roe Deer, thank you.”
“No. I just did my best.”
Honestly, the wiki did everything.
If I made more excuses, the conversation would just flow in a burdensome direction like, ‘We were all going to die, but you were smart and did well, etc.,’ so I just stayed silent.
“We aren’t usually such incompetent seniors, but we let our guard down because it was D-rank.”
“Deputy Manager, that excuse sounds a bit pathetic.”
“Then we’ll prove ourselves in the next darkness.”
‘I just wish there wasn’t a “next darkness”…’
That peaceful period of paid rest didn’t last long.
“The Section Chief’s meeting is over.”
“…!”
“He’s coming to the infirmary.”
The Deputy Manager, clutching his smartphone, jumped to his feet. Since the Assistant Manager followed suit, I ended up standing up as well.
‘Am I finally going to see him in person?’
Section Chief Lee Ja-heon.
Employee D, nicknamed Lizard!
One of the most famous Baekilmong Corporation employees in the game. There were even rumors that because of his popularity, the company was getting involved and a character design would be released soon.
Honestly, I was curious.
What kind of person was he?
‘If I think about the conversation when I pressed the call button, he didn’t seem to have a normal personality…’
Still, considering he made a super play with the AAA battery shot, I was ready to romanticize everything about him.
Knock, knock, knock.
“The door is open. Please come in, Team Leader!”
The infirmary door opened.
Standing beyond it was a tall silhouette.
Wearing a perfectly tailored black suit and even sporting a company ID badge, his very standard and classic office worker appearance looked quite impressive.
The long-awaited Section Chief Lee Ja-heon, the named Employee D of the game…
“Hello.”
“…!? …!!”
It—it’s a lizard.
No, I mean, not a mask, but a real…
‘He really… has a lizard head.’
“…….”
Wait a minute.
No… that can’t be right.
I must be suffering from some kind of psychotic symptom due to excessive stress, with the afterimage of that TV-headed host still lingering.
Right? My brain is just mistaking a mask for a real lizard head…
‘Looking closer, there’s a mask hanging at his waist.’
“…….”
I’m going crazy.
“I’m so glad to see you, I could cry.”
“Please, come in, Team Leader!”
Why is everyone being so calm?
If a lizard is going to show up in a suit, shouldn’t there at least be a warning for the rookie like, ‘Don’t be surprised’?
Why are you naturally creating an atmosphere for introductions!
“Ah, this is Roe Deer. And this is Section Chief Lee Ja-heon. Say hello.”
“Wow, Roe Deer must be surprised because the Section Chief is so handsome! Haha! He really doesn’t look like he belongs to the same species as us!”
Could you please tell me specifically if that’s office social talk or a psychological suggestion, please…
The white lizard head turned toward me without expression.
His blood-red, reptilian vertical pupils glistened.
“Mr. Roe Deer.”
“…….”
“Can you see?”
F-fuck.
“What do you… Ah, my eyes weren’t injured. My vision is fine.”
I was impressed by my own quick wits.
“…….”
Hello? Anyone there?
“I see.”
The white reptilian head turned away with a shhh sound.
I almost fainted.
‘Please, just stop it already.’
The world-building where I have to suffer like this even after leaving the ghost story seems far too unreasonable…
‘What on earth is going on?’
But I won’t utter a word.
From the atmosphere, it was clear that this was a situation where I mustn’t acknowledge the lizard head!
‘Everyone else is seeing a normal human face.’
Don’t stand out.
I will never show a suspicious sign to that walking human… no, lizard excavator.
I managed to control my expression, and fortunately, thanks to the other team members, the conversation flowed smoothly.
And then, the main point.
“Section Chief, did the higher-ups explain why things turned out this way?”
“Yes.”
The white reptile—no, Section Chief Lee Ja-heon—nodded.
First, the cause of this incident.
The employees who had intruded in the middle…
“They say that due to a human error, the ‘Tuesday Talk Show’ was double-assigned to both Team D and Team L.”
“Oh, seriously.”
“Ugh…”
No wonder the work was assigned so hurriedly; it seemed there had been a mistake.
The Section Chief’s briefing continued.
—The point at which Team L began writing the medium (postcard) to enter the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show’ was similar to Team D, but a time difference of about 50 minutes occurred as they briefly stepped outside the company building while writing.
“…Did they buy the rookie a coffee or something?”
“That team was known for being gathered with people who especially look after their members.”
The two team members looked a bit bitter as they thought of Team L, who had all perished, before masking their expressions.
“Anyway, so it seems it was sent at a strange time. Unfortunately, our team had already started the process.”
“Yes.”
Lee Ja-heon replied simply and continued the briefing.
The problem, however, was that the next part was a bombshell.
“And the re-adjustment of the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show’ to A-rank was not recognized.”
“…?!”
“W-what?”
—Due to the absence of other groups that could cross-verify the situation, and the relatively high initial survival rate (43%), etc.
There is no proof that it was darkness suitable for a Shadow (A) rank.
“No, Team L was completely wiped out, so what kind of bullshit is that?”
“The collector! The liquid in the Dream Collector was golden! I haven’t just heard once or twice that that’s the color for A-rank…”
—While the liquid in the Dream Collector is at a concentration comparable to A-rank, the possibility of a special situation where high-grade liquid is extracted from low-grade darkness cannot be ruled out.
“Therefore, since the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show’ was originally classified as D-rank by the company, no exception will be granted.”
“…….”
So the company’s stance was…
‘Don’t try to blow up a mess caused by our mistake even further; let’s just handle it quietly…’
Well, it was a typical corporate move.
In the sense that it drives employees crazy.
“This won’t do. I should go see them myself…”
“Deputy Manager, wait, wait a second.”
The Assistant Manager asked in a tone of disbelief.
“They already collected all the A-rank liquid from upstairs. But it really just ends as a D-rank performance?”
“No.”
“…!”
“A separate compensation has been set.”
Honestly, it wasn’t surprising.
‘They’re just stuffing something in our mouths and telling us to keep quiet…’
Unless the company was a total fool, it was standard to prepare some kind of conciliation measure.
The key was just how much that conciliation would be.
I tried hard not to meet the lizard’s eyes and focused on Section Chief Lee Ja-heon’s snout… no, his mouth.
“Since the special nature of the situation and the color of the liquid in the Dream Collector have been confirmed, they have agreed to recognize that it was an exploration worthy of A-rank.”
“Then…?”
“Additional points will be awarded.”
—Limited to this clear of the ‘Tuesday Quiz Show,’ additional points equivalent to an A-rank will be awarded as a one-time bonus.
The amount was…
“It is 30,000 points per person.”
“…!!”
The Assistant Manager and Deputy Manager froze as if struck by lightning.
“30,000??”
“Yes.”
“Waaaaagh!”
The base points for an A-rank were 100,000.
If you assumed that was split among the people who went in to clear it, even if you estimated only two teams survived, the expected amount would be less than 17,000 points per person.
‘But we just got almost double that.’
That wasn’t the end.
“And an incentive was paid separately to the employee who played a decisive role in the clear.”
The lizard’s head turned toward me.
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum.”
—An additional 10,000p will be paid to the highest contributor.
“You will be paid 40,000 points.”
“…….”
In one go, I had filled 8% of the way to a Wishright.
‘Wow.’
It was enough to make me feel dazed.
What, was it a shame that an A-rank clear didn’t officially remain on the record?
No, it was actually better!
‘In this world, nothing good comes from standing out and getting a high-speed promotion.’
What would happen if expectations rose beyond the standard?
It was certain that I’d be forced into even more difficult ghost stories, and the more I stood out, the harder it would be to use ‘merchandise.’
Of course, there were special spaces or items that became accessible as one was promoted, but I shouldn’t mistake the priorities.
This is a world where you can die in the blink of an eye!
‘And considering I really went to the brink of the afterlife… I don’t ever want to go near an A-rank again.’
Looking at the points, it seemed the hardship hadn’t been in vain.
And it seemed the other two felt the same way.
“…I just heard the sound of my resignation getting three years closer.”
“Me too.”
But they soon snapped out of it and said to me:
“Points can’t be transferred… this is a bit embarrassing.”
“Exactly. Roe Deer basically won it all for us.”
“No. It’s fine.”
Honestly, even if transfer was possible, I suspected they wouldn’t have given them to me regardless of the excuse.
This wasn’t a matter of personality.
‘These are people who got jobs in a place where they could die just to collect points and buy a Wishright.’
For most Field Exploration Team employees, their points would be something they could never give up.
Hm. Let’s make sure to keep that in mind.
“Waaaa!”
“It’s really coming in.”
We went straight back to the office and registered the points.
[Employee Kim Sol-eum / Accumulated Points: 40,100p]
‘Wow.’
I looked at the monitor.
A five-digit number.
Honestly, I was moved.
“Whoo, we lived, and we pulled in some big points…”
The Deputy Manager grinned.
“Shouldn’t we go for a company dinner on the corporate card?!”
“Ooh!”
“Let’s go, Roe Deer!”
The answer came readily and cheerfully.
“Yes!”
And now.
I am watching the rare sight of a lizard eating Hanwoo beef…
Sizzle.
I’m trying my best to naturally look past the sight of perfectly cooked beef disappearing into the lizard’s mouth.
“The Team Leader has a bit of a unique personality, but his skills are certain.”
“Yeah. You really came to the right team.”
“……Yes.”
It’s pretty much confirmed that I’m the only one seeing him with a lizard face.
If they had seen Section Chief Lee Ja-heon physically smashing ghost stories to pieces a few times, their favorable attitude made sense.
In any case, the beef was delicious regardless of ghost stories or whatever, and I enjoyed the company dinner more than I expected.
‘They don’t act uncomfortably.’
I was also experiencing how a bit of alcohol definitely helps in making the fear fade away.
‘I’m going to go home, watch ten episodes of a kids’ cartoon, turn on all the lights, and go to sleep.’
I was in the middle of devising such an extreme sleeping method.
Lee Ja-heon, who was eating green onion salad, suddenly asked.
“Are you going to save the 40,000 points?”
“Pardon?”
It was a natural question.
“Ah, yes. Since I have to buy a Wishright.”
“I see.”
“…….”
Wait. This conversation pattern feels familiar.
I retraced the previous conversation.
In other words…
“Is there perhaps another useful way to use the points?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
Right. Was this how I was supposed to approach him?
I finally feel like I know how to use Team Leader Lizard. It’s a bit of a relief. I asked in a much more relaxed voice.
“What kind of use is it?”
“Custom gear.”
“…!”
I didn’t expect this to be mentioned here…
‘It’s finally out.’
One of the main characteristics of a Baekilmong Corporation employee.
‘Exclusive equipment!’
