An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 270

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 269
Part 7. Getting Out of Here (2)
Vroooom.
“You know that puppy ghost that’s been around lately? The one that follows Lee Deputy Manager?”
“It was there earlier when he was eating roasted sweet potato too.”
As Kang Hyung-seok drove toward their destination, he chatted quietly with Shin Jung-ah.
“Really?”
“Yes. I shared some roasted sweet potato with it earlier, and it ate quite happily.”
She wouldn’t know.
She wouldn’t see that little creature finishing off an entire sweet potato, licking its lips as it wandered around the office.
Or how it sat at Lee Jin-pyung’s feet with a contented expression, eyes closed in happiness.
“I wish Lee Deputy Manager knew about it.”
“If he did, it would make him sad.”
“…I suppose so.”
“Sometimes ignorance is a kinder form of affection. Baekseol wouldn’t want Lee Deputy Manager to suffer either.”
Sigh.
Shin Jung-ah rested her chin in her hand, gazing out the window with a melancholic expression.
The sky was truly clear.
Clear enough that she wanted to abandon work entirely and go camping somewhere with beautiful mountains and pristine waters.
“But where exactly did Park Mi-ryung recommend we go?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention that, did I?”
Shin Jung-ah turned to look at Kang Hyung-seok in surprise.
Then she pulled out her phone, opened her notes app, and quickly scanned through the special details she’d jotted down during the call.
“Someone who worked as an executive at a company overseas that manufactures thermal insulation materials. They started their own business recently, and they don’t have any clients yet, but apparently there’s some kind of problem.”
“I see.”
As it was what he’d expected, Kang Hyung-seok smiled wryly.
A referral from Park Mi-ryung.
Given that she’d even mentioned it would be good for Kang Hyung-seok to go along, it didn’t seem like a matter to brush off lightly.
“Didn’t something similar happen not long ago?”
“If it’s a Park Mi-ryung referral… yes. That was how it was back then.”
Medicinal herbs and a well.
A demon summoning and the spirit of a baby buried in the well.
Even now, thinking about it felt heavy.
“You know, at my previous job, I thought sales was the dirtiest and most exhausting work there was.”
“Was that so?”
“You’re dealing with people, after all. There are those who sexually harass you, and those who are desperate to abuse their power in any way they can.”
Shin Jung-ah furrowed her brow deeply and clicked her tongue.
“I seriously thought every single day about quitting, but seeing you work, I realize what I did wasn’t hardship at all.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you deal with the dead too. You do, Manager Kang.”
Was this consolation, or was it making things worse?
I couldn’t tell.
It was after Kang Hyung-seok turned the steering wheel following the navigation system’s guidance, his mind troubled.
“That’s why I think he’s remarkable. Even if you beat me to death, I don’t think I could live like Manager Kang.”
“….”
“What’s with that expression?”
Kang Hyung-seok shook his head silently.
The words that had risen all the way to his throat couldn’t be spoken given the atmosphere.
Shin Jung-ah didn’t realize it, but she shared a similar fate to Kang Hyung-seok.
And since she was traveling with him now, Shin Jung-ah had inevitably been caught up in this as well.
“You’re still carrying the bracelet and talisman you received from the teacher before, right?”
“Of course! I don’t wear the bracelet often, but I always carry the talisman with me.”
Shin Jung-ah, unaware of what Kang Hyung-seok was thinking, spoke with confidence.
“But why?”
“Oh, we’re already here. That’s the building, right?”
Just then, Kang Hyung-seok pointed toward the destination that had come into view, and Shin Jung-ah looked in that direction and nodded slightly.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
Even though there was no sign up yet, she could clearly tell that was their destination.
There was nothing else around it.
Not all thermal insulation materials are treated with flame retardant.
Depending on production costs and specific needs, some materials are produced without flame retardant treatment, which inevitably gives them a characteristic vulnerability to fire.
If there were other factories or logistics warehouses nearby, even a small fire could result in astronomical compensation and bankruptcy, so factories producing thermal insulation materials were typically located in remote areas like this.
‘There’s nothing particularly noticeable….’
You never know.
As always, you can’t judge everything by what you see.
Besides, since the production facility, storage warehouse, and office are all separate buildings, there could be something happening inside that building.
Otherwise, Park Mi-ryung wouldn’t have introduced this place to us.
Crunch.
Kang Hyung-seok parked the car on the gravel parking area without marked spaces and got out with Shin Jung-ah.
“Brrr, it’s cold.”
“Tell me about it.”
Kang Hyung-seok pulled a bag from the back seat, slung it over his shoulder, and continued speaking as he looked at the open surroundings.
“I hope everything ends well.”
His breath froze white as he spoke.
As he brought his clenched fist to his mouth and breathed warm air into it, a man who appeared to be a factory employee came out, saw them, and went back inside.
“Looks like he’s coming out.”
“Let’s go.”
Shin Jung-ah straightened her clothes and led the way, with Kang Hyung-seok following behind.
And shortly after, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair who appeared to be the Factory Owner came out.
“Are you the ones from Daejeong Materials?”
These days, it’s a difficult time to conduct business.
In such times, the Factory Owner’s delighted expression was truly a rare sight.
Grip!
The Factory Owner seized Kang Hyung-seok’s hand and bowed repeatedly.
“Thank you so much for coming. I truly appreciate it.”
“It’s our first time meeting. I’m Kang Hyung-seok, manager at Daejeong Materials. This is Shin Jung-ah, also a manager.”
“Ah! Pleased to meet you.”
The Factory Owner quickly glanced between the two of them, then pulled business cards from his chest pocket and handed one to each.
“I’m Lee Jung-woon. It’s cold out here—let’s talk inside.”
Lee Jung-woon escorted Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah toward the container housing beside the factory, treating them like honored guests.
Creak.
His desperation must have been considerable.
Despite his obvious financial straits, the interior was filled with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
“Please, have a seat. The beverages aren’t much, but this is all I have.”
As Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah settled onto the sofa, Lee Jung-woon offered them fruit juice in glass bottles.
Then he sat across from them, his face visibly tense with anxiety.
“I hear you’re quite remarkable people…”
“Ah, well, yes.”
Shin Jung-ah laughed awkwardly.
It wasn’t that his overwhelming kindness was burdensome.
It was simply her first time meeting a client as someone capable of solving problems ordinary people couldn’t.
“Ah—! I understand.”
Lee Jung-woon nodded vigorously, as though he’d sensed her discomfort.
Whether it was because he’d come from overseas or simply his nature, Lee Jung-woon was the type to express himself through exaggerated gestures.
“I keep secrets strictly. I’ve only told my employees that you’re honored guests.”
“Honored guests?”
At Shin Jung-ah’s question, Lee Jung-woon nodded emphatically once more.
“Yes. I told them you’re the people who will save our company.”
As Shin Jung-ah, overwhelmed by the pressure, couldn’t even open her beverage, Kang Hyung-seok interjected with a soft cough.
“You could have simply said we were client company employees.”
“I told them you might be our first business partner. Besides, honestly, there aren’t many employees left anyway.”
Kang Hyung-seok’s lips curved upward as if relieved, and he twisted open the bottle cap.
“But I’m not entirely sure how our connection came about in the first place.”
“Ah, yes. I apologize. I was in a hurry.”
Lee Jung-woon laughed sheepishly and opened his bottle, and Shin Jung-ah followed suit, opening hers as well.
As always, these bottles made an oddly loud sound when opened, like popping a beer cap.
The three of them each took a sip, and just as an awkward silence was about to settle in—
“Do you know what a Goblin’s territory is?”
Lee Jung-woon spoke in a hushed, serious tone.
His demeanor was grave and befitting—perhaps this was his true self.
“A Goblin’s Lair?”
Shin Jung-ah asked in surprise, and Lee Jung-woon nodded heavily in response.
“Yes. To be honest, I didn’t fully believe it myself, and even if it were true, I thought ‘It would be different for me.’ That’s why I came. You understand, don’t you? For someone in business, such words are difficult to ignore.”
Kang Hyung-seok nodded in agreement, recognizing the logic in his words.
A Goblin’s Lair literally refers to a place where a Goblin resides.
Land that already has an owner.
Therefore, a place where humans cannot truly live.
If a Goblin takes a liking to someone, one’s fortune can grow substantially, but eventually one must always leave that place.
That is precisely what a Goblin’s Lair is.
“Have you perhaps sensed anything unusual?”
Lee Jung-woon asked while watching both of them, his interlaced fingers fidgeting nervously, and Shin Jung-ah’s gaze turned toward Kang Hyung-seok.
She thought that surely someone with spiritual sight like Kang Hyung-seok would have perceived something.
However, unfortunately, Kang Hyung-seok saw nothing in particular.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not certain about this.”
“Ah….”
After disappointment flickered across Lee Jung-woon’s eyes, Kang Hyung-seok took another sip of his drink before continuing.
“So I must ask—what makes you so certain this place is a Goblin’s Lair?”
From what Kang Hyung-seok could tell, Lee Jung-woon was not someone with spiritual sight, nor was he a blind believer in Shamanism.
Yet he seemed absolutely certain this place was a Goblin’s Lair.
He was curious about his reasoning.
“Because I’ve seen it.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ve seen it. The Goblin. Not just me—other employees have seen it too.”
Lee Jung-woon forced an uncomfortable smile, trying to hide his fear.
Kang Hyung-seok noticed how tightly his fingers were clenched, turning white, and he closed and opened his lips.
“How did you see it?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t seem to possess spiritual sight.”
Lee Jung-woon’s eyes widened considerably.
He then gasped silently and placed his palms on both knees.
It seemed less an intentional gesture than an attempt to grasp something else in place of his clammy hands.
“I work night shifts.”
At his grave tone, both Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah listened intently, and Lee Jung-woon pressed his lips together before opening them again with visible hesitation.
“Every time I work the night shift, I see it. The employees have seen it too. Some of them have even quit because of it.”
Leave here.
Leave, leave, leave, leave, leave.
Get out quickly.
It’s too late if you don’t.
This is no place for the likes of you.
Lee Jung-woon recalled the inhuman voice he’d heard in his dreams and squeezed his eyes shut until he heard a faint sound.
“Then where do you believe the Goblin’s lair is located, Factory Owner?”
Lee Jung-woon opened his eyes and met Kang Hyung-seok’s gaze.
Yet he could not bring himself to speak, swallowing only dry saliva.
The shared dream.
The horrific sounds heard within it.
The anxiety peculiar to someone who had only just begun their venture, compounded now by an ominous dread.
These things clearly sealed Lee Jung-woon’s lips shut.
“You must tell me. Only then can I search for it, even if only partially.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Lee Jung-woon exhaled a trembling breath deeply and raised one finger.
Then he drew a circle in the air.
Shin Jung-ah’s brow furrowed as understanding dawned, and Kang Hyung-seok too clicked his tongue softly.
“This entire Factory District is the Goblin’s lair.”
As expected.
Kang Hyung-seok lifted his head and gazed up at the ceiling.
His eyes perceived nothing there.
Yet perhaps because he had just heard that this place too was a Goblin’s lair.
Even that ceiling felt as though it were a transformed Goblin, staring down at him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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