Translator: Nox

Chapter 34

Even if You Fall into a Ghost Story, You Have to Go to Work

Even if You Fall into a Ghost Story, You Have to Go to Work Chapter 34

Even if You Fall into a Ghost Story, You Have to Go to Work 034

Lord of the Mountain (山君).

One of the most sinister and unsettling ghost stories.

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Similar to the “Jangsan-beom” urban legends popular on the Korean internet, but with a stronger shamanistic and bizarre color.

A ghost painting claiming to have been killed by a tiger, referred to as the “Lord of the Mountain,” persistently changes its form to chase down a victim, attempting to possess and drag them away.

It went viral in the first half of 20XX due to a flood of reviews claiming that just reading it made people feel ill or physically nauseated.

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It was exactly as described.

Even for someone like me, who handles text-based ghost stories reasonably well, this one left a lingering, strangely unpleasant aftertaste that made me stop reading several times.

The fact that similar stories were trending made it feel unsettlingly close to home.

Most people have probably heard it at least once.

‘The ghost of a person eaten by a tiger, coming to visit those they were close to….’

The so-called Changgwi.

A chilling tale about a spirit that can only cross over to the afterlife by finding another victim to take its place.

‘Thinking about it is enough to make my skin crawl.’

But looking at it objectively, there is a way to survive.

‘Class C means it’s a level that still has records of standard escapes.’

As daunting as it is, it doesn’t mean there’s no way out of this darkness.

The problem is… the method is incredibly bizarre and forces such an unjust choice that the psychological pain and pressure feel like a noose tightening around your neck.

It was the kind of ghost story that took pleasure in making the reader shudder with immersion.

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Exploration Record #3

A man in his 50s who downloaded a landscape painting from the internet, rumored to bring luck in career advancement.

The painting was an ink wash in the late Joseon style. He testified that the depiction of the mountains and mist in the dusk was “uncannily vivid” even in low resolution.

After downloading it, he occasionally dreamed of wandering near the mountain in the painting. Each time, he felt strangely at peace, and his concentration improved.

However, the dreams changed once he was suddenly promoted at work.

A voice calling his name began to emerge from the mountain mist.

The voice claimed it was the duty of a scholar to repay a favor, weeping sadly as the sound of trudging footsteps on a mountain path and the cries of a beast were heard.

Feeling a strange chill, the man turned and ran.

Then, a voice followed him, cackling and repeating, “Found you, found you.”

The dream of running away repeated every night.

As the man moved further from the mountain in the painting, the voices calling his name in various tones grew closer.

And then, he realized that in his flight within the dream, he had reached his own front door.

Terrified, the man woke up and immediately fled his home to stay in a hotel. He stated he did this to avoid the voice following him and to ensure his family wouldn’t get involved.

But that night, the voice didn’t follow him in his dream.

Instead, he saw a pale-faced figure snickering as they slithered like a snake through the gap of his open front door.

Only then did the man realize.

The voice hadn’t been following him; it had been trying to find his house to get inside.

Result: Three family members missing (excluding the man). Six months later, three unidentified bodies were found at a nearby dam.

The man later committed suicide while hospitalized for PTSD.

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…That’s how it goes.

The worst part was being forced to imagine the psychological torment of the person caught in this story.

Furthermore, there was something even more unsettling.

‘……I’ve come too far.’

I’m already in a situation where I’ve been lured and dragged in by the Changgwi.

Evidence shows I’ve already answered the calls several times.

The talismans are almost all gone.

This was the kind of description that would appear at the very end of a long exploration record, in a desperate situation right before everyone dies.

It meant the game was already in its final stages.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

I brushed my hair back.

-Are you in trouble, friend?

Trouble doesn’t even cover it. I feel like I’m about to take a bath in cold sweat.

-Dear me. Is it because of the uninvited guest from earlier? Uninvited guests are always unpleasant. Especially in a place you don’t want to be.

-So, I’d like to offer some advice. Would that be alright?

Huh?

I looked down at my pocket.

-I shall turn off your spotlight, Mr. Roe Deer!

-Then you can quietly leave this place without drawing anyone’s gaze.

“…!”

I recalled the amazing supernatural power this stuffed doll had shown at the theme park.

That strange ability to make my presence vanish completely, allowing me to move without being noticed by the Blue Mascot.

-Just walk out that door quietly and go home. There’s no better way to avoid an exhausting situation….

“…….”

Based on the records, there’s a high probability I could deduce the correct escape route.

So, if I just don’t get caught by the Changgwi, I might actually be able to get out of this ghost story very easily!

‘But….’

Isn’t that a one-person deal?

‘Can you do that for people other than me?’

-For someone who isn’t a friend?

Brown’s voice distorted for a moment as if he’d received an offensive proposal, but as a professional broadcaster, he replied in a still-cheerful tone.

-Well now. I might be able to, but I wouldn’t take such a risk if I were you!

-Mr. Roe Deer, everything has a set total amount, and doesn’t sharing mean there’s less for me to have?

It seemed that using it for others would either decrease the duration of the ability or weaken its power.

‘I guess it’s a one-person thing if I want to play it safe.’

Still, the conscience of a modern person raised with public education wouldn’t let me just leave the kids behind…….

Besides.

‘Brown. If I don’t bring Section Chief Lee Byung-jin back… our budget is going to have a major problem.’

-…Pardon?

‘Then we can’t buy the Blood Bath Tub….’

Capitalism was holding me back.

-Ah… heavens, no!

-But, but if I turn off two spotlights, a sensitive audience might notice! That would ruin the quality of the cut!

Right.

‘So I’ll look for another way.’

Of course, if things get dire, I’ll have to send an SOS to Brown and at least one of us will have to bolt.

‘Let’s do what we can for now.’

-How unfortunate! Understood.

I rummaged through my pockets first.

Fortunately, the several items I always carry on my way to work were still there, having been moved over when I changed into the security uniform.

The Smile Stickers, Alice’s buff and debuff foods, and even the Snow White Apple.

Though I’d just lost the fork of the Vampire Cutlery….

‘They were originally a pair.’

Right, the knife was still there.

I pulled the remaining Vampire Cutlery from the pocket on my other thigh.

And I was surprised.

‘…It grew!’

The knife that revealed itself was no longer the size of dessert cutlery.

Intricate engravings adorned the handle, and a tiny red gemstone-like ornament sat elegantly upon it.

It had clearly grown.

‘Did it share the blood the fork consumed?’

They were a pair, after all.

“…!! Is, is that a suppression weapon from the Security Team?”

I didn’t answer. I let Section Chief Lee Byung-jin keep his misunderstanding.

I carefully wiped the knife, which was now about the size of a box cutter, on my clothes and tucked it into my front jacket pocket for easy access.

Please, let me not have to use it.

“I will search the house now.”

“Ah… yes!”

As I took a step, the Section Chief hurriedly cleared the way for me.

I stared intently at the stationary Lee Byung-jin.

“…?”

“I would like you to accompany me.”

“What!? No, I mean, I’ve already seen everything….”

“Since you’ve already seen it, I’m asking you to guide me.”

“Oh, uh… yes.”

Lee Byung-jin looked reluctant, but he followed me, keeping a close eye on my reaction.

Good. I avoided having him faint from fear while wandering alone.

“This is, uh… it was probably the kitchen. There was nothing to eat, though.”

The old house was filled with nothing but talismans, rusted, dusty, and covered in mold.

The kind of house you see far off on a mountainside while driving down a provincial highway—old, abandoned, and no longer inhabited.

“Have you had any discomfort while staying here for a week?”

“That’s… I wasn’t thirsty, nor was I hungry…….”

The Section Chief’s face turned deathly pale.

“Every night when that, that ghost comes… only then do I feel strangely drained of energy….”

“Have you tried going out during the day?”

“…I did, but no matter how much I walked, there was nothing but forest…… I kept coming back here because I was afraid the sun would set while I was outside.”

His statement matched the other exploration records.

If that’s the case….

“Where, where are you going?”

I headed toward the end of the doorless hallway.

And stood at a dead end.

“I believe there’s an upper floor.”

“What?? No, there’s no staircase or anything like that! I’ve searched everywhere for a week and didn’t see any sign of stairs—”

I summoned the Remote Hand.

I placed the remaining Vampire Cutlery knife into that hand and sent it flying into the air.

Specifically, toward the ceiling.

“Gah!”

A snapping sound came from the knife as it pierced a microscopic gap in the ceiling.

Then, with a loud clatter, the ceiling opened, and an old ladder came crashing down.

‘Attic discovered.’

“M-my goodness! As expected of the Security Team…. The way you see space is different from ordinary people!”

“…….”

No, it’s not.

I just read the exploration records….

Abandoned houses always have an attic.

‘The eyes of someone who knows something will be there are bound to be different from someone who has no idea….’

In any case, it seemed certain that it led to the attic.

‘Wow.’

It looks really uninviting.

‘It feels like entering a room that opened by itself in a haunted house.’

But since I’d already pretended to be from the Security Team, I’d essentially taken on the role of the tank. I climbed the ladder, pretending to be composed.

Screeeech.

‘Please follow me!’

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t follow.

‘The Security Team impersonator will remember this….’

I tried to keep my legs from shaking as I barely managed to climb into the attic, finished a quick search, and hurried back down.

As if I’d finished quickly because I was competent.

‘Phew.’

I hope that looked natural.

“How, how is it?”

“It’s just an old attic. Nothing special, but….”

I held up the only harvest.

“It was placed on an old pedestal table.”

It was an old book, bound in an ancient style.

[The Way Out (活路)]

“The Way Out! Could it be the method to escape is written in there!?”

He reads Hanja well.

I carefully opened the book, which felt like it might crumble at any moment.

The inside was also entirely in Hanja.

‘Hanja…… at most, I got a Level 2 certification in high school….’

-Oho. This is interesting content.

“…!”

Could he actually understand Hanja?

-Now, now, Mr. Roe Deer. A competent host like myself is naturally able to communicate with all audiences in the universe…. Well, almost all.

I felt like I’d just heard something very unrealistic, but this was the important part.

‘…Can you read it for me?’

-Of course!

Good.

A sound like a classic broadcaster with a good voice clearing his throat came from Brown, and then the voice became suddenly old and deep.

-「This is your only way out.」

Thump.

-「O foolish one who has stepped into the burial ground of the Lord of the Mountain, possessed by a Changgwi! Darkness lies before you, and a ghost clings to your back.」

I swallowed hard.

-「Do not answer, do not open. Simply keep your body clean and endure until the full moon, then go to the shrine and perform the ritual.」

-「Then you shall see the rising sun alive. However……」

I turned the page.

-「A Changgwi will strive to chase anyone it finds to be eaten by the tiger. You are already possessed by the beast. You can never escape.」

-「The ghost will remain at your doorstep, at your bedside while you sleep.」

-「Therefore, you too must become Changgwi. You must capture one who will die in your stead, taken by the tiger.」

…!

-「The sacrifice must surely possess intellect, have warm blood flowing through them, and be able to speak. Only then can the Changgwi be deceived.」

-「Offer the sacrifice and follow the path to where the moonlight shines; there you will find a small snake den.」

-「This is your only way out, and there is no other path.」

“…….”

-That’s the end. Oho, how interesting.

I froze and closed the book.

‘……So that’s what it was.’

In the exploration records, it was merely mentioned in a line or two as ‘The sacrifice was chosen by drawing lots and the ritual was performed. The person chosen refused, so they were tied to a pillar and dragged away.’

Seeing it for myself… the strange psychological pressure was more than just chilling; it was crushing.

Flutter.

Just then, something tucked into the very last page of the book fell out.

“…….”

A small business card.

When I picked it up, I saw handwriting scrawled on the back.

⧻⧻ Leaving tomorrow.

I flipped the card over.

Go Seon-ha
Department of History, Ju-gang University

Was this the person who read the book first?

In the meantime, Section Chief Lee Byung-jin, who could read Hanja, seemed to be trying to read the text of the book himself, stumbling through it.

And then he recoiled in shock.

“Sacrifice…… This, this! Doesn’t this mean one person has to die?”

“…….”

“Right! If, if just one dies, everyone else can live!”

I didn’t answer.

Lee Byung-jin’s eyes darted around, and he began to rub his palms together with a frantic voice.

“Um, but, we’ll all die anyway if we don’t do it, so….”

“So?”

“…Shouldn’t it be someone who deserves to die? Someone who probably wouldn’t have escaped anyway, yes.”

Is he talking about himself?

But I realized from the expression on Section Chief Lee Byung-jin’s face as he glanced downward.

‘He means…’

He’s talking about the kids.

“Honestly! One of the kids… they would’ve died anyway if you hadn’t come, wouldn’t they? We should focus on getting out!”

“…….”

“If just one of them dies and the rest of us get out, yes! Isn’t that still a good thing!?”

I never thought I’d hear such a statement in reality.

I could take into account that he’d been trapped here for a week, panicking and fearing for his life….

‘But I can’t go along with that kind of talk.’

I glanced at the Hanja.

“An intellectual being.”

“Pardon?”

“The book says a sacrifice must be someone with intellect—an intellectual being.”

I tilted my head slightly.

“But can a child who hasn’t reached adulthood be judged as a fully intellectual being?”

“Uh, uh…….”

“I don’t think so.”

I stared quietly at Section Chief Lee Byung-jin.

“To be used as a sacrifice as a fully intellectual being, it would have to be an adult. Then… there seems to be only one.”

“……!”

Under my gaze, the Section Chief broke into a cold sweat, his pupils trembling as his mouth hung open.

“Well, uh, uh….”

I spoke.

“I’m talking about me.”

“……Pardon?”

“I’m the only one who qualifies. Excluding the children and you, Section Chief, who are in a state of mental confusion after being trapped here for a week.”

“…….”

“But I don’t want to die. I’ll look for another way.”

I began to examine the book again.

After a moment of silence.

“I, um… I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“Talking about the kids’ lives like that, how did I become someone who says such things… ha, haha….”

The Section Chief slumped into his seat, his face looking completely drained.

“On the first day, it was my late father…….”

He died of cancer in a hospital bed, and I couldn’t even be there for his final moments because I was working.

“But that father was crying, calling my name, ‘Byung-jin, let me see my Byung-jin’s face.’ Telling me to open the door.”

“…….”

“When I endured it by hitting my own head, the ghost left, hurling all sorts of mockery and insults. In my father’s voice.”

The Section Chief clutched his head and bowed his neck.

“Every single day, it comes back once in the voice of a dead family member, a friend, or a neighbor…!”

His uncle who had doted on him, his aunt, a cousin who died in an accident, a college classmate, and even a neighbor’s child who had been kidnapped and gone missing….

“Now it brings out every dead person I’ve ever known. I can’t hold on to my sanity anymore……. If hell exists, it’s here.”

“…….”

Hmm.

Come to think of it, the middle school kids didn’t even know there was a ghost knocking on the door outside.

Even though they’d been here for two days.

‘Was he standing guard right in front of the door?’

Whether it was intentional, accidental, or because he was the one the ghost was haunting, it felt strange to realize that his actions had protected the kids’ mental states.

I stared at the Section Chief for a moment, then nodded.

“If this is hell, all the more reason to escape.”

“…….”

“I’ll try to study the contents of this book more—”

Knock, knock, knock.

“…!”

The Section Chief and I turned toward the door at the same time.

“Just now….”

Knock, knock, knock.

“…….”

“…….”

Excuse me.

The voice had come again.