Translator: Nox

Chapter 18

Even if you fall into a ghost story, you still have to go to work.

Honestly, I’ll admit it.

It’s been a month since I joined.

Surprisingly, this ghost story conglomerate is actually… bearable!

“Whoa, this is insane! Cleared again in just 30 minutes!”

“Aren’t they actually performing better than Team C at this point?”

To think the day would come when I’d hear those artificial lines that sound like something an extra in a WeTube web drama would say.

“Hey, enjoy it. It’s all your performance record.”

It was lunch.

The deputy manager, who had boldly taken both the A and B menus from the cafeteria, spoke cheerfully.

For the record, we had already handled one case this morning.

“Thanks to Roe Deer, I’m actually pulling off crazy feats like clearing 12 new shadows a month.”

“Not at all. It’s all thanks to your great leadership.”

“Leadership? What leadership? I’m just enjoying the bus ride.”

“He’s right. I’ll buy beef today, Senior Sol-eum.”

“Min-seong… even so, that’s a bit much.”

“Oh, come on! If you’re successful, you’re my senior, regardless of age.”

When a superior makes jokes like this, it’s surprisingly difficult to respond without ruining the mood….

But whether it was a joke or he was sincere, the assistant manager didn’t wait for my reaction. Instead, with a face full of excitement, he showed me a screenshot of his monthly point accumulation.

“It’s already 5,000p!”

Right.

[Assistant Manager Park Min-seong / Accumulated Points: 5,200p]

That was also the amount of points I had earned over the month.

‘Speedrunning really did work….’

To think my survival movements would turn out like this.

It was only possible because most of the ratings were F or D.

‘It seems high-grade ones don’t appear all that often.’

Well, if they did, the world would have already ended with a “And thus the world perished” scenario.

Regardless, my superiors looked more excited than I was. It seemed watching someone else’s work was more entertaining.

“This is probably the fastest record for a new recruit in the company’s history, right?”

“Ooh!”

Ah, come to think of it, I’ve hardly seen any of my fellow new recruits.

Since I’ve been frequenting the Research Team office on the 17th floor every day, I’ve had fewer chances to see the other Field Exploration Teams.

‘Baek Sa-heon and I are basically treating each other as non-existent.’

Actually, to maintain the “crazy guy” persona I’d adopted once, I occasionally threw out some out-of-line jokes related to work.

-You’re going into shadow exploration today too, right? Want to bet on how many civilians die?

-…….

The gambler researcher gave me that inspiration. Thanks for that.

Anyway, seeing Baek Sa-heon ignore me with gritted teeth, the persona seems to be performing effectively.

‘Things are going smoothly.’

I finished the last of the galbitang broth and set the bowl down.

Leaving work on time, getting bonuses.

‘The cafeteria is decent, too.’

In many ways, the welfare made it feel like a company that would get a 3.5 or higher rating on sites like Job Korea.

Except for the immense stress that feels like spending every single night in a haunted house….

‘Doing things I would have never done before just to make a living… Hmm. It really is a normal professional life.’

Right down to the delusion that it’s manageable because of the sense of efficacy from producing results.

“Roe Deer.”

Deputy Manager Eun Haje spoke in a small, low voice.

“Word must have reached the higher-ups by now.”

“…Pardon?”

“Your performance.”

“…….”

“Once could be a trick or luck, but ten times? That’s something else.”

The deputy manager squinted and gave a smirk.

“Someone from the top will definitely want to take a look at you. If that happens, make sure to tell us. And the Team Leader, too.”

Hmm.

If this were a normal company, I would have worried about my performance being stolen and looked for a way to keep quiet.

But this was a ghost story world, and these were the words of a superior whose life I had saved.

I nodded obediently.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. He might not look like it… actually, he looks exactly like it, but our Team Leader is quite extraordinary.”

Our gazes turned toward Section Chief Lee Ja-heon, who was finishing his meal in large gulps and leaving the cafeteria.

“Even if you get an absurd proposal, he’ll cover for you if you ask him just once.”

That lizard?

“…Yes.”

“Okay. Anyway, our Roe Deer is really quick on the uptake.”

I’ll have to keep it a secret that I didn’t actually find that convincing and only nodded.

That aside… word might come from the higher-ups, huh.

I thought as I cleared my tray and stood up.

‘At this point, standing out is unavoidable.’

I’ve made my peace with that to some extent.

After all, if I had seen a clown crawling out of a portrait with only its upper body, I would have fainted by now….

But I had something to lean on.

‘They can’t give a new recruit anything harder than this, right?’

If it goes beyond this level, it’s no longer dumping chores; it’s giving out core tasks.

Assigning core business tasks to a new recruit who’s only been there for a month and isn’t even an experienced hire?

This isn’t some crazy small-time firm from a WeTube video. According to the unwritten social rules of a large corporation, that was out of the question.

I could just think of myself as lucky that my workload developed toward “ghost stories without manuals.”

If this becomes a chronic thing, they’ll likely just get used to it and think, Oh, he’s specialized in that area.

“Shall we head back?”

“Yes.”

I reached a conclusion and returned my utensils.

However, in that moment, having become so accustomed to the world and professional life, I had forgotten one thing.

The immutable truth of social life.

Which is….

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down!

---

At the same time, in the Research Team 1 office.

‘Another escape in the one-hour range….’

A researcher, who was wasting time looking at Team D’s records, gritted his teeth.

‘Have they earned about 5,000p so far?’

At that speed after just one month, they might actually break the shortest record within a few years and get a Wishright….

“…….”

“Must be nice, huh?”

The researcher grumbled.

“Some people work in the lab seeing all sorts of horrible things without a single cent of hazard pay, making it hard to save even 500p a month.”

“…….”

“And some rookie gets 50,000 points in a month….”

“Now, let’s leave it at that.”

The researcher shut his mouth tight.

His insides began to boil at the reality of not even being able to voice his complaints in this situation.

Something was wrong.

‘There are guys who luckily pull a good weapon and earn points easily.’

While some couldn’t even dream of it because they lacked points and access rights.

‘Researchers are more elite than field exploration staff who roll around with their bodies; we should be treated better. Is this right?’

It was truly unfair.

The researcher sincerely thought so.

He had conveniently forgotten how he used to mock the Field Exploration Team employees by calling them lab rats.

“Well, if the timing is right, there are cases where shadow explorations go smoothly like this.”

Section Chief Kwak Jegaeng laughed and tossed a comment at the researcher.

“Though this is admittedly impressive.”

“…….”

Ignoring the researcher’s sour expression, Kwak Jegaeng flipped through the documents again.

“Ah, they say at least 10 people must be deployed for this shadow?”

“…….”

“Assistant Manager Lee?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. They say they can only enter the shadow once 10 people have gathered.”

“Hmm.”

Kwak Jegaeng smiled and picked up a pen.

“Then it’ll be a team effort this time.”

-Teams A, D, and Y deployed.

“…….”

The researcher watched as Kwak Jegaeng pulled out the Field Exploration Team’s organization chart and checked off the corresponding teams.

It was then.

“Assistant Manager Lee.”

“Yes?”

“Do you happen to know what the alphabetical order of the Field Exploration Teams means?”

He didn’t.

A man who barely did his own work and was just trying to keep his seat wouldn’t be well-versed in the organizational structure of another department.

Kwak Jegaeng laughed and tapped the document. It was a strange smile.

“In short, it’s the order of performance.”

“…!”

“You know, like they have in schools. Honors class, general class, remedial class. That sort of thing.”

The researcher suddenly had a thought.

“Then… is Team D the honors class?”

“No.”

A flat denial came back.

“A to C. Those are the elites.”

Kwak Jegaeng tapped those teams with his pen.

“The rest are all expendables.”

“…Ah.”

It was the moment his mood was about to slightly improve.

“But well. Just between us… Team D’s performance has been so good. There’s a rumor that if they keep this up, they might get a very good deal during the next reshuffle. Haha.”

“…!”

As is the case with corporate gossip, outrageously radical talk usually wasn’t a reliable rumor.

Even so, the researcher felt strangely anxious.

‘Is there no bad news?’

As if to satisfy that hope, Section Chief Kwak Jegaeng’s murmur was heard.

He spoke with a feigned tone of regret.

“But of all things, they got caught like this. To go in with Team A… hmm.”

“…! Oh, is it bad to go in with the elite team?”

“It usually is, isn’t it? You know why, Assistant Manager Lee.”

Kwak Jegaeng stroked his chin.

“There are shadows where an escape route only opens if there’s a sacrifice.”

Especially….

If it’s a shadow that requires a large number of people.

Kwak Jegaeng shrugged his shoulders.

“This exploration record will certainly have a lot of talking points.”

---

A few days later.

Team D, who had gone up to the 17th floor after receiving a call as naturally as they had for the past month, saw an unexpected sight.

“Hello.”

“…?!”

There were already guests in the Research Team 1 office.

People wearing various masks.

‘Are they from other Field Exploration Teams?’

I quickly counted heads.

About seven people.

Among them was someone I recognized.

-Is it possible to bring the dead back to life?

It was the new recruit who had asked that question about the Wishright at the welcome party.

The recruit, wearing a Cow Mask, stood silently with his head bowed, leaning against a desk.

A somewhat gloomy aura hung around him.

His hair was long for a man—long enough that the company might normally frown upon it.

Of course, no one here seemed to care about such things.

“Ah.”

“This… hmm.”

Around the time the Team D seniors were giving short reactions—somewhere between admiration and a sigh—at the sight of the people filling the office space.

“Ooh, our Team D has finally arrived. Welcome, welcome~ Now, let’s get on with today’s briefing.”

Section Chief Kwak Jegaeng appeared and began leading the people toward the attached conference room.

As we moved, I heard the deputy manager ask a question.

“Are we entering with other teams?”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

“…….”

The deputy manager glanced around, then quickly returned to my side and spoke softly so as not to be overheard.

“See those employees wearing masks with gold marks?”

“Yes.”

“That’s Team A.”

I knew.

‘They’re the elite team.’

Baekilmong Corporation was structured such that raw materials were produced and the company functioned only when someone cleared ghost stories.

‘For there not to be a plot hole where the company should naturally collapse, there needs to be a Field Exploration Team that is inhumanly high-performing….’

That was why there were many “named” individuals in Team A. I gave a slight nod.

Team A consisted of three people, each wearing eerie masks: a butterfly, a mantis, and a mallard duck.

Just then, the person in Team A wearing the Mallard Duck Mask acknowledged me.

It was the energetic voice of a middle-aged woman.

“Ah, are you that Kim Sol-eum?”

“Yes. Hello.”

I bowed reflexively, but a cold sweat broke out.

That Kim Sol-eum? Just what kind of rumors are going around?

“Right, right. Let’s see each other if the chance arises. You’re a young man with a bright future.”

Then she brushed past and took her seat.

…That person must be the Team Leader of Team A.

The deputy manager continued the explanation.

“And… the ones with masks without gold marks are Team Y.”

“…….”

Three people wearing masks without gold marks, plus the new recruit in the Cow Mask I recognized.

It was a team that exuded a gloomy atmosphere.

“The Team Leader of Team Y is a regular employee, not a section chief, but just ignore it and stay quiet for now.”

“Yes.”

I… knew that as well.

The assistant manager whispered to me.

“Um… Roe Deer. The people from the other teams you saw today, especially Team Y—just treat them casually if possible. Got it? I’ll tell you why later.”

“Yes.”

I nodded without a word.

I could roughly guess what he would tell me later.

But suddenly, the assistant manager sitting next to me looked touched.

“Ha. I seriously… love how you’re like a version of the Section Chief who’s actually quick on the uptake.”

“Me too.”

“…….”

That’s… a compliment, right?

“Now, if everyone could take a seat, I’ll start the briefing.”

Kwak Jegaeng stood before the conference room board without even turning on the prompter.

“I was going to tell you about the shadow you’ll be entering today… but!”

Section Chief Kwak Jegaeng chuckled.

“Actually, we don’t know anything about it either.”

“…??”

“What do you mean by that, Section Chief Kwak?”

“It means there’s only one piece of information from a civilian escapee!”

“……Hah.”

In the ensuing silence, documents were distributed.

I looked down at the page, which was more like a memo.

-All university students (12 people) went missing while playing a board game during a club retreat at Hanmaeum Gadeuk Pension in Gangwon-do.

The board game in question is titled ‘Joyful Theme Park! ~A Fun Fantasy Land Journey~’ and is presumed to be a product developed by Joyful Research Lab*.

The survivors explained that the board game was ‘already placed inside the pension.’

The pension owner denied this fact.

Result: Some individuals returned after 17 hours.

Testified to having ‘stayed in a theme park inside the board game.’ Showed various symptoms such as mental derangement, PTSD reactions, and mild neurosis.

-Survivors 4, Missing 1, Dead 7

The next page contained short statements from each survivor about the ‘theme park inside the board game.’ Perhaps due to the severe mental trauma, the descriptions were very fragmented.

But even that was enough to feel familiar.

I swallowed hard.

‘It was about time for this to show up.’

It’s finally here.

The shadow that requires a large-scale group!

“The board game must have a player capacity of over 10? Is that why you brought in so many people?”

“Yes, yes, we tried to create a similar environment as much as possible.”

Kwak Jegaeng winked.

“Still! Despite these adverse conditions, our team members have identified a definite way to enter.”

“Didn’t you just bring the board game?”

“Haha! You’re being harsh, Deputy Jin. I even figured out the rules.”

The Team A employee wearing the butterfly mask didn’t respond, and Kwak Jegaeng, unbothered, placed the board game on the table.

“Here it is.”

[Joyful Theme Park!]

~A Fun Fantasy Land Journey~

: Be the first to ride 3 fantasy attractions with your teammates and receive a prize!

The front of the box, which looked almost brand new, was illustrated with a colorful fantasy land.

Opening the box revealed a map of the theme park divided by zones and colorful coins.

“Now, all you have to do is divide into teams and start the board game.”

He spoke so cheerfully about entering a ghost story where more than half the people had died.

“Then should we just form teams by our original groups?”

“Ah, about that… since you have to draw game pieces from this capsule here, teams are divided by the color you draw!”

Kwak Jegaeng pulled out a small capsule-like object from one side of the box and showed it.

“They say if you shake this, a piece falls out from this hole.”

“It’s random, then.”

People eventually sighed and shook the capsule to take out game pieces one by one.

‘Blue, yellow, red… I see.’

Naturally, these things tend to go by seniority, so my turn was almost last.

What I drew was….

“Mr. Kim got red.”

It was a red piece, of all things.

It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling since red was an ominous color in a ghost story world.

‘Well, the color doesn’t actually matter much in this ghost story.’

It was a place where different things happened even if you drew the same color.

I swallowed and felt tense.

Anyway, are we entering now?

“Now, when we unfold the game board, we enter!”

However, even when Section Chief Lee Ja-heon unfolded the game board as the representative, nothing happened.

“…….”

Hmm?

At a thought that flashed like lightning, I checked the numbers.

Four for the yellow team, four for the blue team.

And the people who drew red like me were….

The butterfly-masked person called ‘Deputy Jin’ from Team A, and the new recruit I recognized from Team Y.

Including me, that’s three people.

“…….”

Ah.

‘Only the red team doesn’t have a match.’

“We’re one person short.”

Section Chief Lee Ja-heon turned to Kwak Jegaeng with his vertical pupils.

“It seems we cannot enter with 11 people. We must fill all 12 and try again.”

“Oh, that?”

Kwak Jegaeng replied nonchalantly, then suddenly tossed the capsule containing the game pieces.

“Assistant Manager Lee. Catch this!”

To the gambling-addicted researcher standing right next to him.

“Wh-What…?!”

As the researcher caught the capsule by reflex.

Rattle.

The remaining red piece came out from inside.

“…!?”

“He-He drew it!”

Wait a minute.

-Departing for Fantasy Land~

The board game board flew up into the air and swallowed our vision.

“Aaaaagh!”

“Hahahahaha!”

The researcher’s scream rang in my ears.

Along with Section Chief Kwak Jegaeng’s laughter.

“…….”

I recalled the back page of that man’s wiki.

======================

A psycho fascinated by ghost stories.

A mad scientist.

When exploring ghost stories with insufficient information, he is the primary contributor to enriching exploration records with his crazy habit of encouraging combinations or actions that are clearly suicidal to extract unique data.

Kwak Jegaeng’s disciplinary records can be found on the #Exploration Records (Extra) page.

======================

…I had been wary that a day like this would come eventually.

“What is this, what is this?!”

I had guessed it from the moment a large group was formed and Teams A and Y were brought together….

‘He intentionally ruined the survival probability.’

This isn’t aiming to clear the ghost story with maximum survival.

This is a setup for everyone to die except Team A.