Even if I fall into a ghost story, I still have to go to work
Chapter 55
I guess you still have to go to work even if you fall into a ghost story.
I guess you still have to go to work even if you fall into a ghost story. Episode 55.
I guess you still have to go to work even if you fall into a ghost story. Episode 055.
A secluded mountain lodge turned into a complete mess with severed body parts and a pentagram drawn in blood.
Inside, a civil servant stands holding a Butcher Knife before a woman who has fainted once again.
And me, watching the whole scene from the second-floor railing.
If I hadn’t known it was fake, it was a living room crazy enough to make anyone pass out.
However, the Lodge Keeper, who appeared from the back door, was polite.
“Have you been staying comfortably?”
As if.
But there was no need to waste energy, so I just stood there silently.
The Lodge Keeper didn’t bother with obvious lies like, ‘I stepped out so you could stay comfortably without any disturbance.’
He simply said this:
“Three days have passed. The time has come.”
“…….”
“From now on, you may exchange the inheritance of this lodge for the cassette tapes.”
No one has died up to this point? This is where people usually start killing each other in a chaotic mess.
It’s unavoidable.
The cassette tapes only release the survivors once enough fear and shock from the brink of death have accumulated.
‘That’s why I manufactured it on purpose.’
The fear and the shock, I mean.
It didn’t sit well with my modern sensibilities, but I had made people believe they were actually going to die by scaring them.
It seemed those actions had earned a passing grade.
Seeing as the Lodge Keeper was reciting his scripted lines and the living room was peaceful without any stabbings.
Of course, this peace would soon be broken.
Because the first person the Lodge Keeper approached was the ‘wife’ fainted on the sofa.
“Visitor.”
“…….”
“Would you like to exchange your cassette tape?”
“Ugh, what… Huh, wha—!? Aaaaahhh!!”
The person who regained consciousness stumbled several times before sprinting out of the lodge.
Dear me.
‘It probably would have been better if she stayed fainted.’
The Lodge Keeper turned away without regret and pointed to the next person.
“Would you like to exchange your cassette tape?”
“…….”
The civil servant stared at the Lodge Keeper, then spoke slowly.
“I will state my intention last.”
“Understood. In that case….”
The Lodge Keeper turned his head toward the final person.
Me.
I looked back at the Lodge Keeper.
An entity within a ghost story who, unlike his shabby and tattered clothing, used the refined Seoul dialect.
“Would you like to exchange your cassette tape?”
Would I?
“Yes.”
Of course I would.
‘I’ve worked like a slave on a shrimp boat for three days just for this.’
If the entrant survives, they are promised a
substantial financial reward.
All for the moment that phrase becomes a reality.
The reason I went as far as acting like a serial killer was precisely for…
‘Priority in exchange.’
I pulled out the cassette tapes from the backpack of one of the college students I had brought along.
The couple’s.
The college students’.
And even Baek Sa-heon’s.
“Six tapes. You certainly have priority in the exchange, visitor.”
A faint trace of excitement appeared on the Lodge Keeper’s face, but it vanished like a lie as he regained his politeness.
“You may now become the owner of this lodge. Is that your wish?”
“No.”
“…….”
If an entrant who has carried out serial killings chooses the disaster site (Horizon Lodge) as their
reward
, their mutated tendencies will become permanent.
Even though I only imitated a serial killer, there was no need to take on such a risk.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can just exchange it for something random or refuse and call it a day.’
Whether you exchange it for gold, exchange it for trash, refuse the exchange and flee, or even burn the lodge down and watch until it’s all gone.
When the next cycle began, the serial killer’s belongings would miraculously be distributed again, drawing people back to this place.
The lodge would reappear in perfect condition as if nothing had happened, and the tragedy would repeat.
Furthermore.
‘…I think there was a gimmick where everyone I hid and pretended to kill would actually die the moment I chose an exchange.’
There was a record like this.
======================
6
Personnel: 8 draftees, 1 junior official (Level 8).
The official was successfully designated as the serial killer, but in the 3rd murder, they made an independent judgment to use a special item instead of the provided poison.
Attempted to conclude the disaster without killing the draftees by putting them into a state of suspended animation near death.
Result: 1 survivor (the junior official, exchange refused).
※ It was confirmed that the entrants in suspended animation died after the exchange ceremony due to choking on vomit.
======================
For instance, a fire might break out, and by some coincidence, they wouldn’t be able to escape because I had them locked up.
That’s how I would truly become a serial killer.
‘Even if they are people destined to die in a ghost story world, I can’t help feeling uneasy about it….’
Let’s respect my human mentality.
So, after considering everything, the choice I made was…
This.
“I would like to exchange one cassette tape for the authority to employ you, Mr. Lodge Keeper.”
The Lodge Keeper was silent for a moment, appearing surprised.
“Are you referring to my employment contract?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
Did you know?
Usually, the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau aims to eliminate ghost stories whenever possible.
Unlike the crazy pharmaceutical company I work for, their goal is never to preserve and manage them while employees barely escape.
While ghost stories might be a source of raw materials for Baekilmong Corporation, to the government, they are simply disasters.
Therefore, quite a few people created entries reflecting that fact, fitting for a wiki.
In other words, ghost stories managed by the government… can also be ‘successfully eliminated.’
The Lodge Keeper announced that through this exchange, his
contract period had ended.
The site where the lodge stood turned into an empty lot, and no signs of supernatural phenomena have occurred since.
Disaster concluded.
This was the official final exploration record of this ghost story.
In other words, it meant this was a ghost story where a period could be placed on the narrative and the situation could be ended.
If that’s the case.
‘Rather than letting it repeat a few more times, why don’t I just end it myself?’
Like this.
“Seeing you work at the lodge, it seems you have time remaining on your contract with the previous owner. I would like to transfer that to me.”
I don’t want the lodge.
But if I take over the hiring rights for the Lodge Keeper and end his contract period, replicating the exact situation from the final exploration record?
“…….”
I waited for the Lodge Keeper’s response. And then….
“Theoretically… it is possible.”
There we go.
“However, if I may be so bold, several qualifications are required of my employer.”
“Qualifications?”
“Yes.”
A hint of arrogance briefly mixed into the Lodge Keeper’s polite tone before vanishing.
“Innate, existential nobility is required.”
For someone tasked with running a murder lodge?
I suspected his sense of ethics and morality was quite far removed from that of a typical modern person, but…….
—Haha! A laborer working in this small lodge is acting like an 18th-century butler who mistakes his master’s authority for his own!
—Let’s just take the lodge and fire him!
Brown… I’m taking this detour specifically to avoid doing that.
‘Hold on. I think there’s another way.’
—Your patience is deep, Roe Deer-ssi!
Sure, sure.
I gave a casual reply and rubbed my chin.
‘…Nobility, huh.’
Actually, something did come to mind.
It was true that I hadn’t been able to pack any items, but there was exactly one thing I always carried in my pocket because it was so small.
‘My merch.’
The ‘Silver Heart’ that had popped out of the merch box most recently rattled in my hand.
An item that increases the authority of the wearer’s speech if they are a good person.
‘I needed to test it anyway.’
I carefully moved the small silver badge with one hand inside my pocket and opened the pin.
Then I ‘wore’ it on the fabric inside my pocket, but….
“…….”
“…….”
The opponent showed no particular reaction.
‘Ah.’
Is it a matter of the range of application?
‘He probably isn’t human.’
The wearer gains the
awe
of others based on their accumulated
altruistic actions.
Well, I had doubts about the definition of nobility anyway, so I had just given it a try.
I quickly shifted my stance.
In that case….
“Are you saying I lack innate, existential nobility?”
I have no choice but to talk my way through.
“It is currently more difficult to find someone who possesses it, so I hope you are not disheartened.”
“No. That’s not the point. So you’re saying the exchange is difficult? Because I lack the qualification?”
“That is correct.”
“I find that hard to understand.”
I frowned intentionally.
Like a customer lodging a complaint.
“Surely the condition was, ‘if you bring the cassette tapes, I will let you exchange them for anything I have’… wasn’t it? I’m quite flustered by this sudden change of words.”
I let out a sigh as if exhausted.
“Three days. That’s the time I’ve spent here. Yet at the very end, you suddenly mention qualifications, which is different from what was promised.”
The Lodge Keeper seemed slightly flustered.
“It seems there is a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“The promise remains the same. However, I meant that if you only inherit the authority to employ me, you will find it difficult to actually utilize me as a servant.”
The Lodge Keeper explained kindly.
“If you were to receive the lodge itself, I would work here according to the existing contract, but receiving ‘employment authority’ means it can only be used when that right is applicable.”
To summarize, it was ‘Sure. I’ll only work according to my original contract, but I won’t listen to you.’
“Does that mean it might become a contract that only exists on paper? One that cannot actually be used?”
“Precisely.”
Wow.
“I don’t mind.”
“…….”
That’s actually better!
Neutralization!
“Then, if I am aware of that fact, we can proceed with the exchange. You have no way to stop me if I say I want to exchange even knowing that.”
“……If that is the case.”
The Lodge Keeper held out both hands.
“You are correct, visitor.”
He had conceded.
“Please place the cassette tapes you wish to exchange.”
Yep.
I quickly held out the tapes I was clutching.
Thud, thud, thud.
The six tapes left my hand and fell onto the Lodge Keeper’s rough palms.
The Lodge Keeper smoothly tucked the tapes into his tattered clothes.
Then, after politely straightening his worn sleeves, he pulled out a thin, old object from within.
It was a piece of paper.
It was an Eastern-style material that looked like hanji, but strangely, it had been cut in a Western style, rolled up, and sealed with red wax.
“It is the original copy of my contract.”
The moment I took it.
The old paper caught fire.
“…!”
The hanji burned with an orange glow, then only sparks remained, soaring into the air.
And they wrapped around my wrist.
Specifically, right where the tattoo left by the theme park mascot was!
‘Wa—wait.’
: Socius :
The tattoo took on color as if it were being heated.
The sparks clashed with the tattoo as if wrestling with it, and eventually, as if yielding, they bounced off.
Then they moved down toward my forearm and naturally settled vertically.
: 恩主 :
“…….”
Now I have two tattoos.
‘This wasn’t what I wanted.’
I had intended to keep the physical contract like an item.
It feels strangely bound to me… but in terms of mobility, this is actually better.
—‘Benefactor.’ This is also quite an archaic expression.
Brown didn’t say anything ominous or concerning.
Based on previous cases, this tattoo wouldn’t be visible to the civil servant anyway, so that was fine too.
It was actually better if it looked like the contract had just vanished into the air.
‘I’m not going to call him anyway.’
I looked up.
As expected, the Lodge Keeper had vanished as if he were never there.
All that remained was the blood-stained lodge that looked like something out of a horror movie.
And the civil servant and I standing there.
‘Everything is wrapped up.’
It was truly ironic, but at that moment, soft light began to stream in through the windows.
It was sunlight.
“The weather has cleared up.”
“…….”
Now, everything was settled.
The atmosphere was good, so it would be perfect if I just disappeared and the civil servant went his own way.
The government would take care of the identities of the people tied up and fainted in the basement.
‘Since the ghost story itself has vanished, I don’t think I’ll be registered as a person of interest or have my personal details recorded in detail.’
Whether it’s the government or a corporation, they usually don’t put much effort into closed cases that require no follow-up.
‘Even if I remain as a bit of an unusual record, I didn’t actually kill anyone, so it should be fine.’
If I just handle the civil servant well here and make a good excuse, I can get away with—
“You there.”
From the floor below, the civil servant climbed the stairs.
Then he strode over, grabbed my arm, and asked seriously.
“Have you ever thought about changing jobs?”
Excuse me?
