Even if I fall into a ghost story, I still have to go to work
Chapter 89
Death End Alley.
A bizarre alleyway with a name that sounded like a play on the trendy “hot spots” that had once been popular.
If a civilian got caught up in this by installing the app from a flyer for fun, they might be confused at first.
The “Main Alley of Death End” that one first encounters is filled with street stalls, making it look like a vibrant night market.
However, if you look just a little closer…
Confirmed Items for Sale at Death End Alley Street Stalls:
Bead Strap
: A strap consisting of an orange string and ivory-colored beads. When touched, saltiness and ash rub off, and the surface of the beads wriggles and vibrates.
After touching this strap, an employee suffered long-term distress, claiming to continuously hear someone’s pleas for help, sobbing, and voices of ■■. Recovered after a short-term memory removal procedure.Old-fashioned Bubble Gum
: Gum with letters printed backward. The bubble inflates inside the throat rather than outside the mouth. Successfully removed before death by suffocation.Floral Slippers
: A civilian who tried them on at the merchant’s insistence testified that there were fires, blades, and ■■ beneath their feet before ■■ ■■.
Afterward, they disappeared into the alleyway while sobbing.Picture Frame
: Prints images of relatives being murdered.
…….
By this point, anyone would realize:
‘To get out of here in one piece, I shouldn’t look at my surroundings at all!’
The items for sale were things no human could use normally, yet the merchants were aggressively soliciting customers.
The best course of action was to pass by quickly with a disinterested face, like someone who had a specific destination.
However, as you move away from the brilliant signs and lamp lights and head toward the smaller alleys as if escaping, you will gradually feel something is wrong….
Because it doesn’t end.
The alleys get narrower and narrower, until… they eventually narrow to a width that a person cannot enter.
‘…If you go that far, it’s over.’
Right. You can’t escape this alleyway just by walking blindly.
Then what should you do?
It’s simple.
Since you were guided here, you just need to be guided on the way out.
Ding.
‘…It’s started.’
I looked at the new event page that appeared on the smartphone app.
[Death End Alley 10,000 Steps Walking Event]
[Don’t give up on your body!]
[Steps remaining: 10,000]
This was it.
The culprit that lured people into the ghost story, and the most standard and safest lifeline to get out.
If you successfully complete the “10,000 Steps” event on the smartphone app, you can escape the alleyway.
I had to focus only on this and get out.
…But regardless of what a coward like me thought, the ghost story resident in my pocket was simply intoxicated by the night market atmosphere.
-Ah, it has been a long time since I have been to a place like this. Isn’t it a place that is difficult for a show host to visit privately?
-Occasionally, even a vibrant night market like this has its charms to explore! How about we pick out some items that would suit each other, friend?
-I am not fond of the quality, but one or two pieces wouldn’t be bad as souvenirs!
Uaaagh.
‘…No. Let’s buy them somewhere else. I should buy something better for my friend.’
-…! How touching, very well! This Brown will also think of something that would suit my friend….
It was at that moment.
S…h…o…w…
y…o…u…
s…o…m…e…t…h…i…n…g…
p…r…e…c…i…o…u…s…?
“……!!”
One of the street vendors who popped out grabbed my arm.
T…h…e…r…e…’…s…
s…o…m…e…t…h…i…n…g…
b…e…t…t…e…r…
o…v…e…r…
t…h…e…r…e….
I…’…l…l…
s…h…o…w…
y…o…u….
C…o…m…e…
i…n…s…i…d…e….
There was nothing behind the stall.
No open door, no shop, no space.
Yet the merchant spoke again.
C…o…m…e…
i…n…s…i…d…e….
Don’t look.
I just had to not look closely at their face and decline quietly and naturally. I barely managed to…
I was about to open my mouth, but before I could, Section Chief Lee Ja-heon grabbed the merchant’s arm.
“??”
Grip.
Red vertical pupils turned toward the merchant.
“…….”
“…….”
The merchant’s gaze slowly averted.
Then, they slinked away, letting go of my arm and beginning to solicit another shadowy figure as if nothing had happened.
“…….”
This… actually works?
I realized something new. The Lizard can make ghosts mind their manners….
“Thank you.”
“Yes.”
Physical exorcism—it couldn’t be more convenient.
‘Come to think of it, I was supposed to receive equipment that increases physical strength as custom parent equipment from Section Chief Lee Ja-heon.’
I should bring it up once this is over.
For now, perhaps because it was a practical threat, the Lizard Section Chief didn’t voice any instructions that only someone with a death wish could follow without fainting.
He simply said this:
“When four or more people enter this place, the standard manual is to move in groups of two, and if possible, check new alleys.”
Hmm?
“Roe Deer-ssi, choose the employee who will accompany you.”
Ah. I see.
Since I have the highest rank among the three of us, he probably intends to keep things fair by sending me with someone from the other team.
‘What a shame… the Lizard’s power.’
The sweet taste of the easy ride I just experienced was delicious.
But it was something I had prepared for. Still, since I entered with Section Chief Lee Ja-heon, I might be able to get help if needed, just like at the exhibition.
‘So I have to choose which colleague to go with?’
Hmm.
I spoke politely.
“Then, since we’re acquainted, would it be alright if I went with Bison-ssi?”
“Yes.”
After all, it would be difficult to move freely with someone new.
‘…I’m in a situation where I need to check that chocolate wrapper.’
Besides, that colleague named Kang Yi-hak would probably prefer to go with the Section Chief anyway….
“Whoops! Wait a moment. If it’s alright, could Bison-ssi and I go together?”
Kang Yi-hak cut in.
Oh?
“Since the two of you are originally on the same team, it wouldn’t be right for those who came for support to split you up! I also have something to tell Bison-ssi….”
Kang Yi-hak persuasively told Section Chief Lee Ja-heon that ‘since it’s not a high-grade ghost story anyway, two employees will be fine as long as they follow the manual,’ without offending anyone.
“If it’s alright with the two of you, it should be fine for us colleagues to go together!”
“Yes.”
The Lizard nodded.
“Move in a group of three.”
“……Pardon?”
“Roe Deer, Pony, and Bison-ssi. Move in a group of three.”
Kang Yi-hak barely managed to reply without losing his sociability.
“Uh, thank you, but… wouldn’t it be a bit much for you to bear the risk of going alone, Section Chief?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
Oh dear.
But since it had come to this, persuasion was useless.
‘A group of three, then.’
Section Chief Lee Ja-heon approached me before leaving.
“Roe Deer-ssi.”
Then he suddenly handed me something.
“Press this if a problem occurs.”
“…….”
A small brown circle dropped into my hand.
A small button.
It was something I had used once during the Tuesday Quiz Show.
…It was Deputy Manager Eun Haje’s communication device.
“……Did you get in touch with Songgolmae Deputy?”
“Yes. I was asked to deliver it to Roe Deer-ssi yesterday.”
“…….”
I nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
“Yes.”
And the Lizard disappeared into the distance of the alley….
“…Then let’s walk and move from this street stall alley to somewhere else.”
“Yes…!”
“Ah, ye-yep.”
I also moved my feet along with my two colleagues.
[Don’t give up on your body!]
[Steps remaining: 9,130]
In a long alley where the lights of bizarre street stalls flashed, walking while making sure the app didn’t turn off was surprisingly mentally taxing.
Especially when you couldn’t lower your guard against the surrounding environment for a single second.
“Phew.”
Jang Heo-un tried to slightly lift his mask to wipe away the sweat pooling beneath it.
Wait.
“Be careful.”
“…!”
I stopped Jang Heo-un.
“I think it would be better to follow the anonymity manual more strictly here than anywhere else. …Bison-ssi.”
“……Yes.”
Jang Heo-un slowly lowered his hand, wiping away his sweat.
…….
One of the street vendors who was watching him closely began to solicit customers again.
Whisper, whisper.
‘Phew.’
The merchants in the alley showed an aggressive tendency to sell items and receive payment in any way possible.
In order to avoid getting caught up in this, do not expose any information, personal details, or appearance that could become a weakness.
In particular, it is recommended to strictly control mentions and actions regarding characteristics of humans in reality, places of residence, and acquaintances.
The company manual was accurate.
‘The moment you fail to follow this, you will passively get caught up in the solicitation.’
Like those people peeking around at the end over there.
“It’s really amazing that a place like this existed in this neighborhood.”
“Huh? What’s that? It looks so realistic… real, real, real, real, real… realistic!! I want to buy ‘real’!”
“That person is right! Yes! It’s a person!”
The problem was that they had no masks to hide their identities, nor any information….
“Huh? Uh… uh? Why does that person have three eyes? Huh? Huh? Ah, people originally had three eyes! I’m sorry, I was mistaken. I’m going to go buy one more eye, honey.”
“Okay! Exchange it for an ear!”
They followed the street vendor and disappeared into the distance of the alley.
‘…It’s already too late.’
That’s how people went missing.
A chilling dread brushed down my back.
But I couldn’t show it. Not in front of my company colleagues.
Instead, I gritted my teeth and moved my feet again, pretending to be nonchalant.
“Let’s get out of this street for now….”
“Roe Deer-ssi, over there…!”
Jang Heo-un pointed at something with a trembling hand.
It was….
A ‘person’ passing right next to us.
A high school student with an anxious face, looking around.
‘Dammit.’
“This…!”
Jang Heo-un suddenly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a black cloth mask.
Then he approached the high school student and handed it over abruptly.
“Wear this.”
“Ye-yes…?”
‘That could ruin everything if handled wrong…!’
I stepped in immediately.
“Calm down. Put on the mask quickly, and ignore anyone talking to you and just walk quietly.”
“What…… Ah.”
“Try not to look at your surroundings. You must act naturally, as if you’ve come here to play.”
Perhaps because the ‘Silver Heart’ I was wearing exerted some influence, the student seemed to sense something unusual and instinctively took the mask Jang Heo-un offered.
“Don’t ever turn off the Death End Alley app and complete 10,000 steps. Then you can get out.”
“…….”
The student, looking at us with a face mixed with suspicion, anxiety, and alertness, eventually turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
“Ah…!”
Jang Heo-un seemed like he wanted to call out, but gave up after reading the mood. The high school student had already moved away, and Kang Yi-hak was just watching with a smile on his face.
“…….”
And I think I knew the other reason too.
“Um, excuse me.”
Jang Heo-un muttered with an expression of disbelief.
“Just now… the one that student was wearing, wasn’t it the Segwang Industrial High School uniform?”
“…….”
Right.
In this space, you can witness many different things.
Dead friends, family members who went missing in childhood, victims who died in major accidents, pedestrians in 1980s clothing, and even students attending schools that don’t exist in reality.
Among the countless guests, onlookers, and… products that had drifted into this alleyway.
However.
“I think it’s best to pretend not to see anything here, no matter what you see. Attracting attention is against the basic manual.”
“Ah. Yes…!”
Jang Heo-un took another deep breath.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Ayy, I don’t think you need to be that tense. Let’s go like we’ve come here to play, just as we read in the manual!”
Kang Yi-hak was right.
It is strongly recommended not to lose a natural atmosphere, as if visiting this local commercial district with acquaintances.
“Let’s move while still being careful.”
“Yep!”
We continued to walk through the crowd, trying our best not to bump into anyone or stand out.
Tramp, tramp.
The count on the app decreased with every step we took on the alley floor.
And the moment the thousandth digit of the remaining steps changed.
[Don’t give up on your body!]
[Steps remaining: 8,999]
A gap between the street stalls caught my eye.
‘It’s a passage.’
A path leading to another, narrower alley.
In that direction, the street stalls disappeared, and before I knew it, formal shops selling various daily necessities were lined up….
“I’ll turn into this way.”
It was at that moment.
“Ah, then since we’re entering a new alley… shall we try to be a bit more natural from now on?”
Kang Yi-hak cut in.
Hmm.
“Could you explain more about what you mean?”
Kang Yi-hak grinned.
“I mean we should look for a chance to score some loot!”
“…!”
“No, I mean, there were quite a few exploration records of people buying decent… ‘items’ here, so I’m saying let’s do some market research. That’s the most natural thing to do, after all!”
Outright shopping, huh.
“…! But the manual says to avoid doing that as much as possible….”
Jang Heo-un was right.
Purchasing items under the judgment that they will be helpful for exploration is not prohibited by the manual, but it is not encouraged either.
Workers’ compensation is not applicable for any risks arising during purchase.
The bottom line sounded like something a scumbag would say, but the reason the manual didn’t encourage it was clear.
It was because there was a high probability of impulsive buying.
The longer we walked, the more this street made tempting shops and products catch our eyes.
Then, an employee who was gradually losing their reason as if possessed in this bizarre place would often snap up items, regardless of their danger.
Even though what they paid was not ordinary currency.
The reason Kang Yi-hak specifically brought that up was….
‘What is he after?’
It clearly meant he had an ulterior motive.
-Ah, politics! It is the variety show of daily life.
-But if you step back, from then on, it becomes a documentary. We cannot let that happen. Let us go, Roe Deer-ssi!
‘Sigh.’
I thought I was finally getting to know someone new, but is it going to be like this again….
‘It can’t be helped.’
I grinned at Kang Yi-hak.
“Let’s do that.”
“…!”
“Window shopping sounds good.”
“Oh! You were thinking the same thing, Assistant Manager! I knew it, right?”
“Yes.”
And I raised my hand and pointed nonchalantly.
Toward a certain shop nearby that I knew very well.
“How about that place?”
[Raw Meat Butcher Shop]
: A shop displaying live organs and body parts.
The shop can be identified by the red and blue lighting and the owner wearing a blood-stained apron sitting in front of the glass window.
“…….”
“…….”
“The goods look high-quality. Let’s head inside quickly.”
I moved my feet toward the butcher shop.
“…?!”
It was the so-called ‘You can’t reason with a crazy person’ tactic…!
