Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 139

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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 139

The Bronze Agent dragged away by the Employees.

That future was easily pictured in my mind.

Because I had witnessed a similar case on the first day.

-Aaaah! Aaaaaaaah!

Even now, thinking of that ‘Supplies’ being ground alive in the mixer sends cold sweat down my spine.

But to think that the Veteran Agent we’d been searching for these past three days might be suffering such a fate.

The High School Student who had been under the Bronze Agent’s care described the past situation as if vomiting it out.

“A-at first, I felt a bit relieved…”

On the first day, the Agent had moved with the rescued person, placed them in this Store’s Tent, then seemed to ‘clean up’ the surroundings and take some measures.

The incident happened the next day.

“Originally… over there, you know.”

“…You mean us?”

“Yes. It seemed like they were trying to find you.”

But the Bronze Agent ended up discovering something else entirely instead of me.

“That, that thing came out…!”

That thing?

Everyone turned their heads in the direction the High School Student was pointing, but there was only tent fabric there.

“Ugh!”

Then the kid got up and went outside the Tent, opening the door to the adjacent Tent.

Then, a Shadowy Figure in school uniform lying inside revealed itself…

“…?!”

“Lee Su-bin!”

My assigned High School Student jumped up and ran to that Tent. Then looked back at me and said urgently.

“Th-that’s the kid we were looking for! Lee Su-bin!”

Ah.

The Friend who had gone missing first, whom these High School Students had come to find.

“Su, Su-bin?”

The High School Student called out to their Friend repeatedly.

However, ‘Lee Su-bin’ showed no response. Lying in the Tent, staring into Space with mouth agape… they looked as if their soul had already left them.

‘…Is it because they’ve been missing for so long.’

They were scratched up and covered in bruises too.

A pitiful sight.

But now I think I understand better why the Bronze Agent hadn’t been seen for days.

“…Where did the Agent find them?”

“I, I don’t know. They suddenly brought them back saying they’d found them. Asked if they weren’t wearing the same school uniform…”

Having two minors to rescue would certainly narrow their range of movement.

They probably spent those two days caring for both, waiting for business to resume…

…While simultaneously waiting for me to safely arrive at this Store.

“…So when did the Agent disappear?”

“Today… around dawn?”

“…”

More recent than I thought.

“Suddenly a bunch of Employees came rushing over, and, anyway, they got captured.”

“They weren’t seriously injured or anything. Just ‘captured’?”

“How would I know! …It, it seemed that way though.”

If that’s the case…

“F-fuck, we’re screwed, right? We’re all going to die, right? Huh? The ability user disappeared. You’re a New Employee, right? Uh, the Agent said so.”

“Hey, why are you talking like that! Are you crazy?”

“…”

My assigned High School Student came over in shock, scolding their Friend while glancing nervously at Go Young-eun and me.

The High School Student from the Bronze Agent’s side sniffled and hung their head low.

“A-anyway… we’re screwed, aren’t we.”

“No.”

“…!”

Go Young-eun said firmly.

“We’re not screwed. There’s a safe place for you to hold out, and new Adults have come to help, so things have actually improved.”

“Ah…”

“If you think we’re doomed and act recklessly, you’ll lose even the opportunities we have. To get out safely, we need to do our best and cooperate with each other. Got it?”

“…”

Both High School Students nodded.

Shame and regret showed on the face of the one who had been yelling at us.

…I suddenly thought that Go Young-eun seemed more suited to the Disaster Management Bureau than Baekillmong Corporation.

“Phew.”

After calming the Kids down like that, we briefly stepped out of the Tent.

Go Young-eun sighed briefly, then swallowed and said to me.

“…I wasn’t just saying that to comfort the Kids, I think we need to believe it too.”

“I agree.”

And also.

I hesitated, then whispered to Go Young-eun.

Something I’d been pondering since hearing the High School Student’s words earlier.

“About my captured Senior Agent… they might still be safe.”

“…!”

That’s right.

Missing People processed as Supplies could be ‘used’ immediately if they unluckily fit into an Employee’s routine.

‘But usually they wait for their turn to be used.’

Like proper Supplies.

Since the Employees were mimicking mart work, they stored Supplies according to regulations.

The place where such items are stacked.

Somewhere inside the Mart’s Staff Area…

“They might be in the Supply Warehouse.”

The Supply Warehouse.

Unable to escape from Supply Warehouse. Processed as death.

…Mainly with sentences like this, it seemed to be frequently recorded in the .

But thinking about it again, it means Missing People can still attempt escape. It means they’re alive and retain reason and strength.

‘There were rare cases of successful escape too.’

In cases where they had special items or abilities.

…Of course, there were also many cases where they’d already been ‘processed’ into forms suited to their purpose as Supplies…

The important thing is this.

This group currently has that ‘special item’ that can access the Supply Warehouse.

“…”

I looked at the soft-textured lump Go Young-eun was holding, its candle flame now extinguished.

The mysterious candle.

While three people are needed to make it, traveling with it is possible alone.

‘If only I could light the candle… that is.’

But for some reason, I couldn’t light that candle that was only usable by ‘modern people.’ So it was impossible for me to carry that item alone.

“…Agent.”

“Let’s go.”

“…!”

“With two people, we have twice the brains and twice the hands… so it should be better.”

Go Young-eun glanced at my arm with a face that couldn’t quite smile and nodded.

…It seemed like a choice made considering that I could only move normally by relying on Nostalgia Candy.

“Thank you.”

“That’s what I should say. I would have died on those stairs if it weren’t for you, Agent.”

Go Young-eun shuddered as if briefly imagining it.

“Anyway, let’s go. …to find your Senior Agent.”

I nodded.

We’re going to look for the Bronze Agent.

The High School Students’ reaction to hearing this was intense.

“Wait, if you both leave, what about us? Employees might come. If we’re left alone…”

“It’s okay.”

I calmly placed my hand on the High School Student’s shoulder.

“…Another agent already took countermeasures before leaving.”

This store was surely chosen as a place where employees rarely appeared.

But since Long-term Missing Persons could attack at any time, it seemed they had prepared for that as well.

‘…Is that it?’

I saw an item that looked like children’s marbles pressing down on the tent’s anchor pins.

The item description came to mind – if you place these stones around a space of a certain area, they protect from evil things.

The contaminated Long-term Missing Persons would probably not recognize this store well and pass by.

…It left a bitter taste that if the agent had just stayed quietly inside, they wouldn’t have been captured.

“You’ll… come back, right?”

“Of course. I’ll definitely come back after finding the agent.”

I spat out a Nostalgia Candy for the High School Student I was in charge of and advised them to rest comfortably, and if necessary, put it in their mouth to move.

Fortunately, this one followed my advice despite looking disgusted.

Whoosh.

Go Young-eun lit the candle again, and I stepped back as if hiding in the mist and my colleague’s shadow created by the candlelight.

“…The candle has melted about a third.”

“…”

We had to move as quickly as possible.

We moved our steps.

Into the vast 3rd floor stores that were becoming more eerie as we grew almost accustomed to them.

‘…They said the agent was captured on the 3rd floor.’

Then we had to find a door in the 3rd floor wall again this time.

“What kind of door exactly?”

“There was an Announcement Broadcast before closing time, wasn’t there. And at the same time… those balloon-like employees poured out.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s the door that opened then.”

However, this time we didn’t need to find it ourselves.

Squeak squeak squeak.

“…Let’s follow.”

“…”

We followed behind one employee moving with creaking sounds and empty eyes.

The employee that had been wandering around the 3rd floor soon…

As if its ‘patrol routine’ imitation was finished, it returned to where it originally came from.

[Staff Area]

An Iron Door leading to the space used by Staff Members.

“…”

“…”

Creeeeak.

The door opens.

Though there were many similar doors everywhere, all doors would be connected to one space through corridors like an ant hill.

There, we had to find the Supply Warehouse.

We held our breath and quickly entered together through the Iron Door the employee opened before it closed.

And the sight of the inner employee space that greeted us like a flood…

“Gasp.”

Go Young-eun covered her mouth.

Under bright incandescent lights, countless employees were stacked vertically, crumpled up.

Not the bizarre employees that came out after closing time, but employees who looked like normal people.

They were piled up, crammed in crushed – that’s the expression that fit their appearance.

In that bright and modern place that seemed like an everyday space, human bodies were casually stored layer upon layer, all crumpled up…

“…They look like employees who worked during business hours. Ugh,”

Go Young-eun swallowed her dry heaving and calmed her breathing.

So it even imitates shift changes.

I didn’t want to imagine how those crushed people would come out in normal form during business hours to perform their duties.

Revulsion rose up my throat, but I moved my steps.

Without either the candle or Nostalgia Candy, I would have given up…

Squeak squeak.

The employee moves again.

“…Should we follow for now?”

“Yes.”

Our footsteps echoed very quietly through the Employee Area. My nerves were on edge.

Trusting only in the candlelight, we carefully advanced.

“…I’m memorizing all the paths we came in. For now… don’t worry.”

“…Yes.”

Since two people are memorizing it, even if someone remembers it vaguely, it can be supplemented.

We held our breath and moved forward.

Every time we saw employees, remnants of what used to be employees, things that had become half-employees, things repeating bizarre noises and greetings, it felt like even the pores of our skin were standing on end.

But we had to observe our surroundings carefully. We needed to find the storage room.

‘I can do this… I can, do this.’

Passing through the bizarrely continuous space where corridors, employee break rooms, and storage areas seemed randomly attached, we finally…

[Supply Storage]

We discovered employees clustered densely in front of the space with that nameplate.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak.

The employee we had been following also joined them there.

“Ha.”

Go Young-eun swallowed while looking at the iron door whose interior couldn’t be seen due to the employees.

“…We can go in together when an employee opens the door…”

That’s when it happened.

Click.

The door to the supply warehouse opened from inside.

“…!”

Several employees who had gone inside were coming out carrying ‘supplies.’

And I saw it.

A familiar face among the supplies.

“That, that person…”

A large-framed young male wearing an agent uniform was being carried by two employees.

It was Bronze Agent.

But his legs were missing.

“…”

Chilling goosebumps ran through my hands and feet.

“Perhaps…”

“Yes.”

It seemed Bronze Agent had been processed into a mannequin.

The only advantage was that there was no bleeding, but Bronze Agent already appeared unconscious with his eyes closed.

“Sh-should we approach for now?”

“…Yes.”

We followed along with the two employees carrying Bronze Agent.

But even while following, my mind was going completely blank about what exactly we should do.

‘Damn.’

Is he… alive?

Should I call out? But even though we’re protected by candlelight, would it be okay to make noise right next to the employees?

Creeeeak.

Meanwhile, the two employees eventually moved Bronze Agent outside the employee area.

This was actually better.

After hesitating, I acted somewhat boldly.

“…Could you stick completely close?”

“…”

Go Young-eun nodded and quickened her pace, getting right next to the employees.

And precisely when the employees came close enough to be within the mist range, I reached out toward Bronze Agent.

And lightly tapped near his neck.

Tap tap.

“…!”

Surprisingly, Bronze Agent’s eyes snapped open.

I swallowed.

“…Agent.”

That was the moment.

Pop.

One of the employees carrying Bronze Agent deflated like air escaping.

“…!!”

The employee who had been holding Bronze Agent’s back also began to crumple with consecutive deflating sounds. I saw that Bronze Agent’s right hand now held a small, transparent pistol.

‘Glass Hand Cannon.’

The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau’s issued equipment shone in the hands of its proper owner.

The moment the agent turned his hand again, the pistol disappeared from his hand.

“Thank… you… customer!”

“Heeeello there…”

The deflating employees babbled strange sounds and repetitive announcement phrases.

And something even more bizarre and terrible tried to burst out from within them, but Bronze Agent binding and restraining them came first.

‘Rope Restraints.’

Suppression issued items.

He moved both hands instantly to bind the two employees with something like thin rope restraints, then sat on top of them as if suppressing them.

…To think he could handle about two employees like that.

“This should hold without disturbance for about 5 minutes.”

It was skill like a feat.

…Hard to believe from someone whose legs had just disappeared.

“…Grape Agent.”

Bronze Agent looked up at me with a faint smile.

The eyes of someone who had made their resolve.

“You’re safe. It was worth enduring.”

“…”

“And that person?”

His gaze reached Go Young-eun.

“One of the missing agents who entered here first was still alive.”

“…”

Go Young-eun bowed her head deeply.

“…Well done. I’m glad you’re safe.”

Bronze Agent looked at me with quite warm eyes, as if leaving final words. My stomach churned.

“Grape Agent.”

And he took something out from inside his agent uniform.

“Take this. It’s for escape.”

…It was two shoelaces.

The shoelaces made of five-colored thread with complex colors had a strangely glossy texture.

“There are exactly two, so you two can get out.”

“…!”

“Tie them to your shoes and walk exactly three steps with your own feet, and you can immediately exit from here.”

I unconsciously looked at the Bronze Agent’s lower body.

…Without legs.

Right now, the Bronze Agent couldn’t walk.

He couldn’t use escape items.

For him… there had been no choice from the beginning.

“…I’ll look into other methods, so please protect yourself.”

“….”

“There isn’t much time left. Hurry.”

No.

Nostalgia Candy. Give that to the Bronze Agent so he can escape, then….

‘No good.’

I clenched my hands until they turned pale white.

‘I only have three left.’

If I give him one now to make him escape immediately… then how could I possibly manage with the remaining two?

Among the three High School Students I needed to rescue, two were in a state where normal movement was impossible. Wouldn’t it be more advantageous for overall survival if the Bronze Agent joined us instead?

It was so complicated I felt like my head would explode.

Isn’t there another way? Another….

“….”

Ah.

That’s right.

“Agent.”

I pretended to take something from my pocket while actually pulling an item from my tattoo.

A small glass bottle containing a light green potion that glowed like a young sprout.

: Baekil-mong Potion :

Regeneration

C (excellent)

My lifeline.

I pretended to hide it from Go Young-eun while showing the potion’s label to the Bronze Agent.

“Please drink this. It’s a regeneration item.”

“…!!”

“Wait a minute….”

“It’s okay. It’s a verified item.”

I quickly gave a meaningful look to Go Young-eun, who was about to say something.

‘…If my prediction is correct.’

This wasn’t simply helping the Bronze Agent escape easily.

Rather, it was a move that would return as an even greater gain.

The buildup I needed.

‘This is the right answer.’

The thrill of finding the most effective solution momentarily ran down my spine.

…While suppressing the instinctive fear of loss.

“….”

Go Young-eun closed her mouth with a somewhat complicated expression.

However, the Bronze Agent didn’t accept the potion and spoke to me with an unreadable expression.

“…Was this made at your ‘place of origin’?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded slightly and smiled as if forcing myself to.

“This is the last one I have. …I know you might find it repulsive. But you need to drink it.”

“….”

A strange look crossed the agent’s face.

Honestly, it was a complex expression that could have been either disgust or emotion, but what was certain was that he seemed to be conflicted.

And that conflict ended when the agent reached out his hand.

Thud.

With a short sound, the potion was handed over to the Bronze Agent.

And the agent opened the regeneration potion and drank it as if stabbing it into his mouth.

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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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