Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 124

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

Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 124

Space Shopping Mall.

Also known as the Alien Shop.

It’s a strange site ghost story that sells expensive supernatural mysterious items, which has allowed me to acquire useful items and equipment all this time.

But….

‘…Lizard Team Leader is an alien from there?’

I tried to swallow, but was startled when I realized I had no physical body.

Because it seemed like Lizard Team Leader had entered my body right now.

So I asked instead.

It was a truly unbelievable question.

“…Are you the operator of the Space Shopping Mall?”

And that answer was….

-No.

Ah.

‘Then what kind of relationship do you have with it?’

I was a bit curious, but that’s not what’s important right now.

The situation has been resolved.

‘Phew.’

I looked at my waiting room visible through the CCTV-like view.

The dark blue water masses that had poured out were already pooling on the floor and dispersing, and the waiting room looked fine except for being slightly messy.

It seemed like the situation was resolved when I was ejected and Lee Ja-heon entered, though I’m not sure exactly how.

Judging by the fact that it’s no longer spitting out water.

‘I’m really grateful for that….’

It was fortunate that my body didn’t die thanks to Team Leader Lee Ja-heon. I inwardly sighed in relief and said.

“Anyway, thank you. Now that things have calmed down, I’d like you to leave my body.”

-….

“…Team Leader Lee Ja-heon?”

-I will implement the escape protocol through the emergency caller.

Suddenly my vision moved.

“…?!”

I, or rather Lee Ja-heon, seemed to be moving and sweeping up all my items from the table to store them in the tattoo.

Wait, what are you doing right now….

-In 3 minutes, I will order Sacred Fire Bombardment….

What?

“Please stop.”

What kind of crazy talk is this? Bombardment?

“I don’t know what it is, but why are you using that right now?”

-It’s an optional feature included in the emergency caller that mobilizes all military means the alliance can deploy until the user is transported to a safe location.

-Mobilized during Kim Sol-eum’s escape process….

“That’s exactly my point!”

This lizard… no, this reptilian alien!

I said with the feeling of wanting to grit my teeth.

“Why do I need to escape?”

The footsteps in my vision stopped.

I just changed jobs and am living meaningfully and happily at the talk show, so I don’t understand why escape is suddenly being mentioned.

It’s been over a month since I escaped from Baekillmong Corporation.

“I’ve adapted well to my new workplace and am getting along fine without any particular problems. It’s not a dangerous situation at all.”

It’s fortunate this is break time, but I can’t imagine what kind of trouble this would have caused if it were during a meeting or talk show….

-I see.

Right. So now that everything’s been resolved, please return my body to me….

-When did you last sleep?

“….”

That’s….

Before I entered this talk show, so….

A month ago.

-Animals must eat and sleep to survive.

“….”

-The fact that you don’t need that means you’re closer to a supernatural being than a natural animal.

So I’ve

become a ghost story.

“…No. I haven’t… been contaminated. I can think properly, and my ethical standards haven’t changed.”

-Is that so.

“Of course.”

-Why is there water pooled in the waiting room.

“That’s because I ate churros….”

-You mean those snacks you stated you received at Cheerful Theme Park?

“….”

-If you were your normal self, there’s a high probability you wouldn’t have consumed food originating from darkness without resistance.

-Why did you press the emergency call button.

“…That’s because water was pouring out like I was going to suffocate.”

-Pressing a mysterious escape button of unknown origin and effect in a suffocation situation is unnatural.

– You were in a life-or-death crisis on Death Road and agonized countless times over whether to press the button, but gave up following your superior’s advice.

“But…”

-It is normal to ask others for help.

“…”

Was I… naturally using ghost story items as if they were everyday objects without realizing it?

-You have become subordinate to this darkness.

“…! That’s, that’s not true!”

I could definitely refute that one point.

“Even now, I can leave anytime I want. I just need to ask the host for vacation time.”

-‘Host-nim.’

-Did you originally address the talk show host with that title?

“…!”

B-but.

Even though we’re business partners, Brown is the one hosting this talk show.

So isn’t it natural to respectfully call him host-nim when working?

I was starting to feel strange.

Lee Ja-heon was certainly my former superior, but now that I’ve quit, he’s just an acquaintance. Is it right for him to interfere in my private life like this?

Shouldn’t I be displeased?

-Kim Sol-eum.

But right now, Lee Ja-heon is using my body.

No!

“D-don’t bombard us. So many staff members are putting effort into making this talk show.”

I said desperately.

“The audience isn’t dying either. So…”

-They die.

“…”

What did he just say…

-People invited as audience members to this talk show receive thank you cards the day after viewing. The cards are sent through whatever medium they used to apply for audience tickets.

-And those cards contain detailed instructions on how to meet that day’s ‘particularly impressive‘ talk show guest.

“…”

-Some audience members show a tendency to be completely captivated by the talk show. Therefore…

-They willingly enter the darkness to meet the guests.

It felt like my nonexistent heart was pounding throughout my entire body.

I recalled the audience member I interviewed yesterday.

That… scene where the ‘Happy Ending Teddy Bear’ stared intently at the audience member who wanted to adopt it.

What I felt then was definitely…

Revulsion.

-I’ve confirmed at least three cases of definite death or disappearance of past audience members.

“…”

My head was spinning.

My stomach was churning.

Since I don’t have a physical body right now, it’s strange that I’m churning.

This is a mental reaction.

So…

The shock of realizing something absurd.

“…”

What have I been doing all this time?

What kind of broadcast is this talk show?

But Brown is… no,

That’s not right.

Brown never promised not to harm the audience.

He just assured me that he wouldn’t make me scared.

I shouldn’t conveniently interpret the situation with my common sense.

‘Ghost stories…’

Originally, that’s what they were like.

“…”

-Kim Sol-eum, you must escape from this talk show immediately.

My head became cold.

“Team Leader.”

I know.

I wasn’t contaminated.

At least, not in that train bathroom where I decided to come to this talk show.

But, but…

“I think… I was thinking about something wrong.”

I had overlooked it.

Even without being contaminated, humans can always make wrong judgments.

Getting scammed, committing crimes, making mistakes, misunderstanding… and believing things they shouldn’t believe.

Perhaps…

This might be one of those cases too.

“For now… if possible, leaving this talk show and thinking about it more… wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

I think I need some time to think alone…

-Yes.

“But no bombardment!”

If I had a body, I would have rubbed my face with dry hands.

“You absolutely cannot defeat the host in this studio with something like that…”

I’m certain.

‘The moment we’re discovered, we’ll be incinerated.’

On days when I’m generously charged fees, I might have to work on this talk show without pay until I die, or even after that.

…What was more frightening was that I thought it might not be so bad.

-Do you know the exit of the studio?

“…I don’t know.”

I don’t even know how vast this studio is.

I know there are an unbelievable variety of sets and storage rooms. But I have no idea how many floors there are, or which areas extend where.

At some point, I naturally became able to find my way around the staff area, but everything else was still vague.

I had only stayed in the waiting room area or briefly visited other areas when accompanying other staff members…

‘I haven’t left here once in a month.’

That made sense, since my waiting room was comfortable enough and I didn’t feel the need for food, clothing, or shelter, and I was busy with the adjustment period.

“But it would be foolish to boldly walk out the exit without taking leave, so it would be better to secretly…”

…

Ah.

-Were you about to suggest sneaking out?

“No. That won’t work.”

Good heavens.

The very idea of sneaking out was impossible. Because…

“…The Host knows where I am at all times.”

Because he checked the tag.

Through the ‘Good Friend’ contract, he can find me forever, until I die, since I summoned him.

So now he could chase me wherever I went…

…

-Do you want to persuade him to give you a vacation?

“No.”

When the Host asks why I want a vacation, there’s no way he won’t notice that Manager Lee Ja-heon is inside my body instead.

And even if I did it myself… I’m not confident.

‘I feel like I’d be persuaded in reverse…’

Whether the audience dies or not, I felt like I’d blindly and happily accept working on the talk show again.

Being a legendary ghost story talk show host wasn’t just about having excellent speaking skills, but felt frighteningly like a supernatural phenomenon itself…

The fact that I was able to intimidate Good Friend before was probably only thanks to the constraints of ‘Good Friend’.

My heart grows cold.

-I see.

-Even if you half-destroy the studio and escape, it would be meaningless since the source of danger could immediately find Kim Sol-eum. Is this description correct?

“…Yes.”

There’s no way out.

No, even if I got out, it would be meaningless.

It seemed like perfect confinement.

…

‘…No.’

There are gaps everywhere.

‘The Host probably doesn’t know yet that I summoned Manager Lee Ja-heon as an item.’

If that’s the case.

“…Manager, how long can you stay in that body?”

-As Lee Ja-heon, 60 hours is possible.

-Also, the summoner cannot arbitrarily stop usage. The Emergency Caller only deactivates when the summoner escapes from a dangerous situation.

An intriguing choice of words.

But that amount of time was more than enough.

Enough to catch the timing when there might be a gap.

“Let’s prepare and wait.”

I calmed my impatience and began to rack my brain.

“…Until just before the talk show starts.”

Time passed.

Preparations for the live broadcast of the talk show began.

Then most of the staff busily set up equipment, going back and forth between backstage and the stage.

Usually, I would join in during that time to check equipment or talk with the Host. Or I could attend meetings entirely, and sometimes I’d peek around other departments.

‘Since I’m production staff, not cast.’

Especially since I worked as a creator for the talk show rather than field preparation staff, I didn’t actually have any assigned tasks during the live broadcast.

So whatever I did would be reasonably natural…

For instance, wandering around everywhere as if running errands or looking for something.

“There it is.”

I was frantically searching the studio where almost all the faceless staff had left.

Looking for one thing.

“There should be a place where the guest waiting rooms are gathered.”

I definitely heard about it.

‘They said there’s a guest entrance.’

All guests have a place where they originally existed, and I heard they made some kind of… ‘consideration’ so they could be comfortably invited to the studio.

‘I need to find that.’

Of course, finding the waiting rooms itself is a difficult task for me.

The moment I left the waiting room and staff area, I lost my sense of direction as if trapped in a maze.

However, Manager Lee Ja-heon is…

‘…Incredibly fast.’

Is he winning through sheer volume…?

With strength and speed that made it hard to believe he was using the same body as me, the view changed rapidly as he checked numerous paths and signs to move around.

‘His performance is exactly the same as with his own body.’

Maybe Manager Lizard can use that kind of stamina and strength with any body…

However, the problem is…

Tap tap.

“…!”

My view turned around.

A faceless staff member gestured as if asking why I was here, and if I was lost, they would guide me.

“…Please tell them I have an errand to run and will return shortly after finishing it.”

-I have an errand to run and will return after finishing it shortly.

The faceless staff member didn’t insist twice and seemed to disappear… but then appeared from around the corner with another staff member!

“….”

Gulp.

If I had a body, I would have swallowed my saliva….

‘This is bad.’

If I looked suspicious here, the news would immediately reach the Host. And if that happened….

I would happily host the talk show again.

With all doubts cleanly resolved thanks to the kind ‘Persuasion’, that is.

‘….’

The newly appeared staff member gestured.

“That staff member seems to be offering to run the errand for us….”

-It’s not necessary.

Team Leader!!

“Please tell them that doing it personally seems more meaningful. Since it’s not a big deal, say that a new employee like me wants to do it quietly and quickly.”

-Doing it personally seems more meaningful.

“….”

No, that….

-Since it’s not a big deal, a new employee like me wants to do it quietly and quickly.

Fortunately, the staff members nodded at those words and disappeared. Since the live broadcast was right around the corner, it seemed they had no time to waste here….

‘Phew….’

-Moving now.

‘It’s like controlling a robot.’

A robot with about ten times better strength and stamina than me, that is.

I let out repeated sighs of relief inwardly while sharing the vision of Manager Lee Ja-heon as he continued his search.

There were several more nail-biting close calls, but we managed to get through them safely.

And not long after.

-Found it.

“…!”

Click.

A door opens in my vision.

Guest Area

The vision screen in front of me, like a CCTV, now showed a dark corridor with an antique atmosphere.

Numerous doors lined up, with nameplates of guests who had appeared over the past month still attached without being replaced….

As if they used one each time a guest appeared.

“….”

…A strange and ominous feeling I hadn’t noticed over the past month was transmitted even through this layer….

I swallowed my saliva.

“Now please find the door labeled Happy Ending Teddy Bear.”

Soon the vision moved quickly and found a door in an instant.

Next to it, the light bulb above today’s guest waiting room door was brightly lit, but I ignored that side and went to the door next to it.

Yesterday’s guest waiting room with the light bulb almost turned off.

Happy Ending Teddy Bear

Click.

…The dark waiting room inside hadn’t been cleaned up yet, and everything was a space fitted to the stuffed doll’s size.

And traces of the teddy bear’s use remained.

…Including traces left from making the Teddy Bear.

“….”

I tried not to look at the body parts and skin.

It was fortunately not difficult since Manager Lee Ja-heon was controlling my body right now.

Manager Lee Ja-heon quickly turned his vision to check inside the waiting room, then eventually discovered something.

-It’s a dollhouse door.

The colorful door attached to one side of the wall was small enough to barely reach my waist, and seemed to be made for a child’s toy purposes….

“Let’s go out through there.”

Creak.

…In my vision, I could see my hand opening that small door and crawling forward on my stomach toward the dark space….

I could see light ahead.

And after a moment.

“…!”

The vision suddenly brightened again.

A modern corridor came into view.

A modern style finished with concrete and paint, contrasting enough with Brown’s classical and elegant style studio.

And voices could be heard from over there….

-Now! The item we’ll introduce today turns your hair into living snakes….

The voice of a home shopping host selling ridiculous items.

Fantasy Home Shopping!

‘As expected.’

In the last broadcast, ‘Happy Ending Teddy Bear’ said they received sponsorship from this side, so I thought the door might connect here.

‘Good.’

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Hadn’t I done this before on Death Road? Moving from one ghost story to another.

‘Since they’re both broadcast studio settings, the Host might be slower to notice.’

Besides, they’d be starting the live broadcast soon, so they wouldn’t have time to chase after me here.

No, maybe I could find some decent item here to prevent the Host’s pursuit.

‘With Manager Lee Ja-heon’s physical strength, it shouldn’t be dangerous here.’

Let’s bet on that.

The vision was moving out into the bright corridor.

I calmed my excitement and said.

“Manager, for now, something that won’t stand out and will be helpful….”

[Oh my.]

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