Even if I fall into a ghost story, I still have to go to work
Chapter 71
Buying every single item in the Alien Shop.
‘Wow.’
My hands were shaking slightly.
It was the first time I’d ever burned 130 million won just to buy a few items.
Still, having spent tens of millions before, I felt a little better about it.
‘Let’s use them well.’
They would all serve as stepping stones for my survival.
I boldly pressed the purchase button.
Purchase successful!
Your items are on a
Rocket!
Soon, just like before, time and space warped in midair, and a delivery box manifested. With a pounding heart, I waited for the box to drop to the floor…
However,
“…??”
The package remained suspended in the air.
That was because someone was holding it with extremely polite movements.
…With tentacles.
“……!?”
Tap, tap.
The tentacles gently shook the delivery box. It was as if they were asking, ‘Shall I put it here?’
“…! You can just leave it on the floor.”
At my words, the package was smoothly placed on the ground.
“Thank you.”
But the tentacles didn’t disappear immediately.
Instead, they nimbly pulled something out from the rift in space-time and held it out to me.
It was a small, glittering gold card.
I was an Outer Space Mall VIP!
~Gratitude Cells Included~
“…Thank you?”
As I took the card, the tentacles seemed to wave before vanishing back into the rift.
“…….”
Well.
It seemed the Alien Shop had started treating me as a VIP…
‘That’s… a good thing, right?’
I decided to keep the gratitude card for now. The gold color was dazzlingly iridescent…
-Good heavens, how can a tag card be so hideously designed…
As expected, one shouldn’t expect much in the way of design from the Alien Shop. Well…
‘What matters is the performance.’
I turned my attention to the delivery box.
It was unboxing time.
“Whew.”
Opening the box, the bulkiest item caught my eye first.
An item with a list price of 28 million won.
‘Happy Maker.’
It was a bright, pastel-toned box.
Inside the square box, which looked like it might contain liquid digestive medicine or vitamin drinks, were twelve glow-sticks about the size of highlighters.
However, needles would spring from the ends of these glow-sticks.
The perfect painkiller… sold under the same name in the urban legend ‘Delusional Home Shopping.’
======================
Darkness Exploration Record / Delusional Home Shopping
/ Item
Happy Maker
Is life painful?
For you who toss and turn at night due to unknown pain, for you who fear the moment of an accident, here is the perfect savior.
We proudly introduce the rapid pain reliever, ‘Happy Maker’!
-Product description from ‘Delusional Home Shopping,’ September 9, 20XX
It was exactly as described.
I looked at the instructions written on the box.
A fast and comfortable shot.
Say goodbye to your pain!
This stick-type auto-injector would automatically administer a shot when pressed against the skin, quickly and comfortably ‘eliminating’ pain for a certain period of time.
‘It really is over-technology.’
Even if the mechanism behind it was a supernatural phenomenon rather than science.
It was a fact that extreme pain clouded one’s judgment in critical situations.
Based on my experience of pushing through all sorts of injuries and risks of harm so far, I could say for certain: I would use this effectively someday.
‘I hope I don’t have to, but… ha.’
Let’s give up on vain hopes…
‘This damn world of ghost stories…’
I made up my mind to keep this item with me at all times.
Even though a very horrific ‘additional usage’ was written in tiny print on the back.
In irreversible situations, it can be used for euthanasia.
Yeah. I’m definitely not using it for that.
‘I’ll only use you as a painkiller.’
-Ah, painkillers. I used to take headache medicine occasionally myself. The pain of creation! It is the fate of an entertainer and show creator.
…How exactly does a ghost story denizen with a TV for a head take headache medicine… No, never mind.
I quickly brushed away the mental image, gave Brown a few compliments to make him feel proud, and looked back into the box.
Phew.
‘The next item is…’
I saw two items at once.
One was an ominous-looking ancient tome, covered in dust and completely sealed with dark red wax.
And rolling around in the corner next to it was a modern, clean, eco-friendly cushioning wrap.
Yes, literally—the wrapper itself was the item, with nothing inside.
Packaging 12B357na
In fact, other than the barcode and the text engraved on the outside, there wasn’t even a common instruction manual.
Think it’s nothing special?
Hardly.
‘Here it is. Armor!’
Because it was a ‘cushioning wrap’ with unique properties.
It would become my precious lifeline.
I carefully tucked the packaging away. I would use it when the time was right.
And when I turned my head…
I looked at the ancient tome with cold eyes.
Necronomicon.
Also known as the Book of the Dead.
It was the quintessential representative of grimoires containing forbidden knowledge.
Having appeared consistently in various stories for decades, it had become synonymous with the most evil of magic books.
And naturally, it had held a place in the [Urban Legends], which was why I had read about it.
So, what were the cliché characteristics of the Necronomicon?
- You go insane if you read it.
- It’s made of human skin.
“…….”
Yeah.
Human skin… that’s right.
That was why the representative image for the cover was a face skin screaming in agony.
Even through the dark red wax covering the surface of this tome, I could faintly see it.
‘Ha.’
It was truly… a sight I didn’t even want to touch.
-Roe Deer-ssi, did you just say Necronomicon? Ah, that translation, it’s been a while since I heard that name.
A ghost story host with a US talk show theme knowing about the Necronomicon? It wasn’t even surprising anymore…
But unfortunately.
‘It’s probably not the Necronomicon you’re thinking of.’
-Hmm?
There’s something like that, kid.
Without a word, I took the ‘Necronomicon,’ which was tightly sealed with wax, and stored it in my forearm.
‘Phew.’
With that, the ‘intimidation item’ was safely stored.
Next, I packed the familiar Nostalgia Candy.
‘Let’s call this an emergency recovery item.’
Even if I were to face severe contamination, I could use this for first aid until I escaped.
‘…Good.’
And finally.
I focused on the small red button that had been sitting casually in the corner of the package.
By process of elimination, this had to be the identity of this item.
We Help! - ₩66,666,666
Have you ever heard of those internet ghost stories?
Someone gives you a button and asks, ‘If you press this, someone will die, but 100 million won will be deposited into your account. Will you press it?’
It was a red button that looked exactly like something out of those stories.
Looking closely, I saw a small inscription on the side. However…
‘I don’t know what language this is.’
-Do you need a translation, friend?
I received help from Brown for this part.
-Hmm. I see. You can understand it as meaning ‘Emergency Escape,’ Roe Deer-ssi!
I see. So it was a small button that allowed for an ‘Emergency Escape with the help of aliens’ when pressed.
‘I hope it’s worth sixty-six million won.’
In truth, it was a bet close to a gamble, but I had no regrets.
‘The Alien Shop doesn’t run scams.’
If it were any other ghost story, I might have made horrific predictions like ‘the moment I press this, my brain will emergency escape from my head to be used as an ingredient,’ but… let’s trust the reliability of the Alien Shop.
“All done.”
-My friend has such a clean and tidy disposition. I like it!
I stored all the shopping spoils into the tattoo on my wrist.
Since a human completely contaminated by a ghost story had gone in and come out fine, these items should be no problem either.
…Not that I wanted to prove it that way.
‘Phew.’
Let’s stop thinking about it.
Fortunately, shopping and organizing the items hadn’t consumed the entire day, so I was able to catch up on some sleep during the bright daylight hours.
And when I woke up again.
News I had momentarily forgotten hit me.
[Go Young-eun: Did you see the intranet?]
[Go Young-eun: The regular personnel appointment document just went up!]
“…!”
Regular personnel appointments.
That meant the vacancy in Team D would soon… be filled.
“…….”
I wondered who it would be.
A few days later.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes, hello.”
I was able to see the new employee assigned to Team D in the office.
His rank was Assistant Manager, same as mine.
He looked to be around the same age as I was before I fell into this world.
The employee wearing glasses glanced me up and down.
“Ah, so you’re that Assistant Manager? The one who got promoted in 60 days?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re actually a rookie then?”
“…….”
I looked at him quietly.
“Oh~ look at that stare. Why? You want me to treat you the same as an Assistant Manager with three years of service?”
I gave a thin smile.
“Of course not. I look forward to working with you, sunbae-nim.”
“Right. Hey, people say you’re pretty quick on the uptake, don’t they?”
“Haha…”
“This Field Exploration Team is all about group projects. Wit! Wit is the answer.”
Is that so?
“It’s common for people to whine about wanting to be treated like a senior just because they got promoted early, only to get blacklisted, get no help, and die. You know?”
As he spoke, he slowly looked around the empty office.
“I heard the Deputy Manager and Assistant Manager who were here before had their hands cut off and got contaminated and all that shit. That could have been you next.”
“…….”
I turned my head slightly.
I saw an empty desk that had been cleaned out.
It was Assistant Manager Park Min-seong’s old seat.
A few days ago, on the day after the regular appointment notice was posted, I came to work to find all his personal items, cups, and picture frames already gone.
“You’re right. It could have been you, Assistant Manager.”
“…What?”
“Since there’s so much dangerous work. I’ll do my best to support you so that doesn’t happen. I look forward to working with you.”
I politely requested a handshake.
“Uh…”
The employee, who had been looking at me with a slightly uncomfortable expression, soon decided it was just his imagination and accepted the handshake.
A moment later.
“Section Chief! I am Assistant Manager Yun Jo-hun. I look forward to working with you!”
Section Chief Lee Ja-heon, entering the office, nodded at the new team member’s greeting.
“Yes.”
“Haha, did you know the first consonants of our names are the same? It feels like I was destined to work under you, Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
“……No, I mean… uh, it feels like destiny, right?”
“No.”
“…….”
The new team member, Yun Jo-hun, who had completely failed at small talk, approached me and whispered as soon as the Team Leader left the office for a meeting.
“Hey. Does the Team Leader of Team D really have some kind of mental disorder? I heard rumors, but.”
“Do you feel that way?”
“You heard the conversation, and you still don’t know? I felt like I was talking to some free AI just now.”
He let out a deep sigh.
“Ah, fuck, this company is perfect for getting mental illness as it is… phew. Is it right for the Team Leader to be like that?”
“Section Chief Lee Ja-heon tends to take good care of his team members…”
“So? What does it matter once you’re dead? I heard he’s so oblivious that he does whatever he wants in the darkness and even got on the bad side of the A Team Leader. Is that rumor true?”
“…….”
“Must be. Ugh, fuck, you watch out too. Ah, of all teams, it had to be this one…”
Assistant Manager Yun Jo-hun grumbled, said he was ‘going to the bathroom,’ and didn’t return for tens of minutes.
“…….”
I have to work with a guy like that…
-Dear me… you don’t look to be in a very good mood, Roe Deer-ssi.
-Is there anything this Brown can do to help? As you know, am I not your Good Friend?
-If it is my friend’s request, I would be happy to…
‘Yeah. Let’s watch a variety show together when I get off work.’
-Ah, that sounds wonderful too!
Thanks to this conversation, my mind calmed down a bit.
Right.
Strictly speaking, I had been incredibly lucky with people before.
‘This is the default setting for corporate life…’
I should be grateful that this Assistant Manager wasn’t my direct supervisor.
I quickly composed myself.
And that afternoon.
“I will brief you on the darkness we will enter tomorrow.”
Section Chief Lee Ja-heon, back from his meeting, began the briefing as he distributed PDFs.
And the new Assistant Manager was horrified.
“Unrated? No, is this a darkness without a manual?”
“No.”
The Lizard looked at Assistant Manager Yun Jo-hun with his vertical pupils.
“It is said that the grade of the liquid in the Dream Collector is measured differently each time it is cleared.”
“…!”
An anomaly?
“B-but why was this given to Team D, a general team, and not an elite team?”
“It was not given only to Team D. All field exploration employees in general teams will attempt entry.”
The Lizard Team Leader turned to look at me.
“This is a darkness entered through dreams, and the probability of failing the entry itself is high.”
“…!”
“Basically, it is this. If you read a specific book and fall asleep on a night with a full moon, you may wake up in a school at night.”
Wait a minute.
“If the name of the school is ‘Segwang Industrial High School,’ then you have successfully entered the darkness.”
Segwang Industrial High School.
“…….”
I knew this ghost story.
But it didn’t end with just knowing it…
‘…It’s a ghost story I participated in.’
Exploration Record #13.
The 13th item in that darkness exploration record was written by me.
