Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 010

Click, click.

The clicking was finished.

The Alien Shop clearly displayed the items I had put in my cart.

What I was going to buy was….

Alice Picnic Set – ₩11,999,999

※Discount!※ Silver Snake – ₩4,999,999

= ₩16,999,998

That’s right.

I purchased the Effect Amplification Potion and the discounted item.

The reason was simple.

‘I can’t use the rest….’

Vampiric Weapon? It sounds cool. But there’s a prerequisite.

I’d have to charge at ghosts with a knife in hand….

‘If a coward does something that stupid, they’ll die….’

There was a reason why trembling hands and dying as extra #1 was a horror movie cliché.

Besides, the attack target would need to have blood for it to be useful, so it lacked versatility.

‘Maybe if it were armor, but in this state, weapons are out of the question?’

Overestimating yourself is a shortcut to a shortened lifespan. And so on.

Next, the Extended Range Walkie-Talkie.

This one….

‘…Someone who could convince their boss to let them carry around a toy walkie-talkie?’

Such a person… wouldn’t be someone who works under others, would they?

Even if I told them it wasn’t just a simple toy but an amazing item, that would be problematic. Once they start asking ‘where did you get this,’ there’s no answer.

This was really an item you could only use when you had trustworthy colleagues.

‘So it’s rejected.’

In the end, the remaining items were the ‘Alice Picnic Set’ and ‘Silver Snake,’ and since I could buy both within budget, I would buy them.

Both seemed useful.

First, the Alice Picnic Set’s double effect and half effect could be used for multiple purposes.

‘It seems like I could use it defensively if needed.’

It was also good for using without catching the employees’ attention. So, purchase.

Finally, the discounted item called Silver Snake.

‘The regular price was twenty million won?’

I got a strong feeling from that alone.

This was for investment.

‘Seeing how they specifically added “silver,” it’s probably currency.’

In the worldview, there were various currencies from different ghost stories, and they could sometimes be exchanged for cash through specific organizations.

‘Buying something worth twenty million won for five million is definitely profitable.’

The Alien Shop usually had reasons for giving massive discounts, but it was still worth the risk.

…This absolutely isn’t the psychology of investing in cryptocurrency! Really! It’s a rational judgment!

So I… now had to pay seventeen million won.

“Phew.”

The only payment method was bank transfer.

The account number for an electronic account that was easy to open was displayed on the website under the name ‘Alien.’

‘I can’t expect a tax deduction….’

This was the first time I’d transferred such a large amount in a lump sum since getting my studio apartment.

I tremblingly transferred ‘₩16,999,998’ through my banking app with the raised limit.

At that moment.

Successful Purchase!

Rocket

Until Arrival

Huh.

00:00:07

00:00:06

Wait a minute.

00:00:03

00:00:02

00:00:01

Ding.

A cheerful sound rang out.

Arrived!

Pop.

“Gasp!”

The air ‘opened’ in mid-air, and items poured out along with smoke.

It was a Post Office delivery box.

“Wow.”

It was literally rocket delivery.

‘This crazy worldview, you could be amazing and fascinating without being scary!’

I even felt moved.

After briefly admiring it, I came to my senses and opened the package.

First, the was a rusty tin case with fairy tale-style drawings.

When I opened the case, I saw a drink in a flat can and a paper-wrapped cookie. They had ‘Drink me’ and ‘Eat me’ written on them respectively.

“Nice.”

Like the ‘Smile Sticker,’ I could just carry one or two of these around. I nodded.

And when I took this tin case out of the delivery box, I could see a round silver object that had been underneath.

I picked it up.

A shiny silver coin.

‘It really was currency.’

It was somewhat thrilling.

I held up the silver coin, about the size of a 500-won piece, with an engraving of a snake biting its own tail, and flicked it lightly. It was heavy like metal should be.

Several candidates for where I could use this currency passed through my mind.

‘Let’s use it wisely wherever I can.’

Although seventeen million won had disappeared like melting snow.

Anyway, it’s money that would disappear when I return to the original world, so let me restrain my materialism… restrain.

Mm. I’ve calmed down.

‘Then… anyway, am I pretty well prepared now?’

I organized the items I currently possessed.

-Memorial Grip Tok

-Smile Sticker 🙂

-Alice Picnic Set

-Silver Snake

From now on, I had to use these items to clear higher-grade darkness as quickly as possible.

‘Let’s use them actively.’

If I keep avoiding things because I’m scared, I might end up seeing something even scarier. Don’t forget that, you coward.

Deciding to make full use of everything available without forgetting anything, I tried to sleep.

Instead of counting sheep, the Convenience Store Ghost frolicked in my head, completely destroying my quality of life.

Haha.

And the very next day.

“We have several ghost stories that we regularly manage, and today we’re going to enter one of them.”

“…Yes.”

I only got exactly three hours of sleep. I really feel like I’m going to die at this rate.

However, perhaps interpreting my expression as worry, the Deputy patted my shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s D-grade.”

“Right! Noru, what you experienced during the new employee orientation, it’s about that level, that level!”

Saying such things to a new employee who might have death survival PTSD…?

However, the Field Investigation Team employees, whose normal sensibilities had already been shattered, were laughing heartily while speaking to me as if offering words of encouragement.

“You already cleared it once by headbutting the ground, so with a manual available now, there’s no way you can’t do it.”

“Just don’t do anything reckless and there won’t be any problems, got it?”

“…Yes.”

Well, anyway… I understand.

Whatever it is, it’ll be better than playing Hide and Seek with the Convenience Store Ghost alone.

‘Please let me get some sleep tonight.’

This time, please let it be an art film-style ghost story that’s eerie due to discomfort and lack of information but isn’t actually that horrifying!

I desperately hoped.

“Here, the materials.”

The Team Leader handed me a Tablet PC.

The ghost story I’ll be entering today is…

[Tuesday Quiz Show / Twilight (D) Grade]

“…”

Huh?

“You saw it, right, Noru? You’ll be entering as a participant in a quiz game.”

“Yes.”

“If you get the quiz wrong, you receive punishment, but the types of punishment are horrible… well, it’s that kind of ghost story.”

“But we already have all the answer sheets, so we’re fine? Don’t be too nervous!”

The Team Leader grinned and gave a thumbs up.

Right, good.

‘I have a feeling this will have much lower horror levels than seeing ghosts directly…’

But there’s also a problem.

‘It’s a name I don’t know.’

Tuesday Quiz Show?

There’s no such D-grade ghost story page in .

I couldn’t use the Memorial Grip Tok to search through my memories right now because of my supervisors, but… I could be certain without looking.

At least it’s not among the ghost stories I’ve read.

Well, even if I had read every ghost story in , other ghost stories could still exist in this world setting.

It was originally an internet playground where ghost stories were added in real-time anyway.

Still, I thought there would be relatively much less that I didn’t know, but I’m already going to enter a ghost story I’m unfamiliar with.

‘…Does the Company have a much more extensive list of ‘darkness’ than I thought?’

Cold sweat trickled down my neck.

But my supervisors were carefree.

“Our jurisdiction has been assigned particularly many broadcast-related darkness.”

“Ah, each team has that kind of thing.”

And the Deputy sent me a PDF file, saying it was the answer sheet for Tuesday Quiz Show.

“For now, read that answer sheet and… just reread the Field Investigation manual or something. We’ll go when the Team Leader arrives this afternoon.”

“Yes.”

I obediently nodded for now.

The Team Leader kindly added.

“Oh, just in case, should I get you a paper copy of the manual too? You need to take notes too.”

“Ah, it’s fine. I’ve memorized it all.”

With the Memorial Grip Tok, it would just be extra baggage for me.

“You… memorized it all?”

“Yes.”

“…That’s why you need to take notes!”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, never mind.”

The Team Leader made an expression as if realizing something, then nodded.

“The Team Leader is going to find you really convenient.”

“…??”

Anyway, it seems to be meant positively, so let’s move on.

By the way, Team D’s Team Leader was still on external duty, but we had received word that they would return this afternoon.

‘I’ll see them soon.’

But an hour later.

“Wait a moment. Our Team Leader, I mean the Manager is still on external duty… Yes? No, that’s difficult.”

The Deputy, who had been on a call, frowned deeply and hung up the phone.

“Have these people lost their minds? The crazy idea that since we have a new employee, we can make a 3-person team…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It seems…”

The Deputy glanced at me.

Ah.

‘Is it because of the Convenience Store Ghost?’

Because I cleared an F-grade darkness too quickly alone in a strange way, I gave those above an excuse to say something like ‘Really? Then they can handle one person’s worth.’

The side effect of eating up twenty million won alone is exploding here.

Of course, it wasn’t because they were annoyed that I took the money.

“It’s the end of the month.”

“Ah.”

Watching the two supervisors whispering, I roughly understood.

‘Did the department have a performance issue?’

Probably a situation arose where they need to fill their ‘quota’ before lunchtime.

But it seems like the new employee might be able to handle one person’s worth.

After brief consideration, the Deputy decided.

“Noru, did you memorize all of that?”

Ah, the quiz show answer sheet… wait.

‘If I say I memorized it all, do I have to go in?’

In that case, maybe I should try some strategic whining…

“Hey, they probably already memorized it, right? They even memorized the entire exploration work manual, that thick thing!”

“Oh.”

The deputy nodded.

“Good. Then today we’ll go in just the three of us.”

“…”

My small and desperate hope of ‘I wish we had even one more person. It would be less scary!’ vanished just like that…

An explanation followed along the lines of ‘The principle is teams of three, but originally when someone takes annual leave, we sometimes go in with just two. We do get support work, but it’s hard to match schedules and blah blah blah.’

Yes. I heard loud and clear how this company is truly like a company.

‘…Anyway, I’m mentally prepared.’

I’ve completed my item equipment, and I confirmed it’s not a terrifyingly scary type of ghost story, didn’t I?

Come to think of it, going now seemed better than going in the afternoon!

They say it’s better to take a beating sooner rather than later.

As time passes, my imagination will create fear. The courage I’ve gathered now is at my peak.

It might be better to enter before it decreases further…!

“Let’s enter.”

In the midst of endless mental victories, the deputy who had received something from an employee from another department approached.

‘The medium to enter the ghost story… right?’

It was a postcard.

However, in the ‘recipient’ section of the postcard with old postage attached, strange letters were already scribbled all over.

And at the top, ‘application form’ was repeatedly written in tiny letters.

Like a curse.

-One day, I discover a strange postcard in an old magazine.

There was promotional material enclosed recruiting participants for some quiz show, but when I searched for it, no such broadcast existed. It was probably just used as a theme for a vintage postcard.

Feeling intrigued, I write my name in the ‘sender’ section just for fun…

I really got dragged to a strange quiz show.

So that’s the kind of ghost story this is.

At first glance you wouldn’t know, but the moment you look closely it becomes bizarre, which properly induced chills…

“You just need to sign here.”

“…”

“If it feels icky, just write some animal mask name instead of your real name.”

“…Yes.”

I need to collect points.

Watching the two people write ‘Badger’ and ‘Peregrine Falcon’ respectively, I also wrote in the ‘sender’ section.

-Noru

The moment I lifted the pen.

My consciousness was sucked into the postal postcard as if being pulled out.

“…!”

[Ah, you’ve finally arrived. Our applicants!]

The lighting was blinding.

A bright and cheerful voice hit my ears through the hazy vision.

A hand in a business suit offered a handshake.

[Welcome, welcome… Now. The camera will start rolling soon. Let’s show a wonderful appearance with smiling faces!]

I reflexively shook hands and looked up.

Where a human head should be, I saw a spherical TV instead.

…An emoticon was floating there.

[

The TV person releases my hand, then cheerfully turns around and spreads both arms wide.

[Ladies and gentlemen!]

Waaaah!

Cheers could be heard, but the filming lights created a glare that obscured the silhouettes of the audience in their seats.

Soon, I realized that I was standing on some sort of colorful platform.

‘Is this a quiz show contestant’s seat?’

It wasn’t scary enough to make me faint.

No, honestly, if I just think of it as participating in a quiz show hosted by someone wearing a TV mask, it brings me peace of mind.

‘After dealing with eye-plucking subway and convenience store ghosts, she seems like an angel.’

Hmm. Good. I think I can stay calm and think clearly.

I adjusted my mask once, then checked the situation.

[Is this your first time at a talk show? Oh, then don’t forget to cheer! Your cheers are everything to the show!]

The TV personality seemed to be riling up the audience and getting the atmosphere going.

He seemed to be a talk show host.

‘So, this Tuesday Quiz Show is like a segment of some talk show.’

When I looked at the atmosphere of the set, the band creating the background sound and the composition of the audience seating, the atmosphere that the host carried alone… it felt like a traditional American talk show.

‘It’s a bit old-fashioned.’

What?

‘Again.’

Old American talk show.

Quiz Corner.

A situation where the participant already knows the correct answer.

This is….

I know this keyword.

======================

※Viewer discretion advised!※

There is no liability for damages.

Please proceed after signing.

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This wasn’t D-rank.

This, ghost story…

======================

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[Chorus of Sacrificial Offerings]

Darkness Investigation Records

Darkness (A) rank darkness.

The starting point of the rank readjustment incident that caused numerous casualties.

None

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“…”

[3, 2, 1… Now the show begins!]

No.

No.

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