Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 2
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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 002
[This station is Wonhan, Wonhan Station.]
[The exit doors are on the right….]
A suffocating silence flows through this ghost story subway.
I’m also contributing to this silence.
Even though I already know this ghost story, I’m the type of person who gets startled just by thumbnails when YouTube related videos pop up and clicks ‘Not Interested’ to skip them. And now I have to survive inside a ghost story?
‘Just kill me instead….’
That would be a better fate.
I don’t even have the energy to deduce what happened. I was pressing my face with both hands, wanting to deny reality.
That’s when it happened.
Flicker.
[1st Place: Darkness Investigation Records Real Goods Box]
“…?!”
I raised my head.
Something like a notepad was flying around following my line of sight.
I could see it whether my eyes were closed or open.
A piece of paper that looked like it was made by tearing and folding a notebook was fluttering around….
“This is….”
Wait. It seems like no one else can see it.
I immediately shut my mouth. Standing out in this situation would be foolish.
Instead, I poked the notepad in front of me with my hand as naturally as possible.
Flutter.
Surprisingly, the notepad moved as if unfolding and spat out something small.
“…!”
I hastily grabbed it, covering it with my hand.
It was… a grip tok.
A very simple-looking black grip tok, the only distinctive feature being a golden ‘X’ mark drooping in the center.
But from that very pattern, I realized what this grip tok was.
‘It’s merchandise.’
The very goods sold at the popup store that I had visited just before waking up in this strange situation!
It was one of the goods I had purchased today.
I picked up the grip tok with trembling hands.
What was its function in the story….
[Memorial Grip Tok]
: A C-grade item appearing in .
When attached to a smartphone, it systematically displays texts from one’s memory in page format.
Grade 9 supply from the Supernatural Disaster Management Agency under the Ministry of Environment.
‘It shows memories as text….’
Then, could it be?
I removed the adhesive part of the grip tok with trembling hands and immediately attached it to my smartphone.
That was the moment.
The text of that I had only vaguely remembered clearly took shape and form, appearing as pages on my phone screen.
======================
Darkness Investigation Records / Ghost Story
[Welcome to Abyss Transportation Corporation]
Darkness Investigation Records
Dusk (D) Grade
Investigations have been recorded up to 56 times.
======================
“…!”
This means….
‘The goods I bought actually work?’
Come to think of it, the black goods box that had been on my lap had disappeared at some point.
‘That goods box… transformed into that notepad and spat out the goods I bought?’
What kind of crazy situation is this.
No, but this is definitely advantageous for me.
This ghost story world I’ve entered.
Do you know how many internet veterans burned their creative desires based on this? There were literally hundreds of ghost stories.
Naturally, it’s difficult to immediately recall all of that in my head like flipping through pages.
Moreover, true to ghost story fashion, it didn’t directly describe survival methods but made each reader infer while reading the story, making it even harder to derive the correct answer in new situations.
‘But I can check what I’ve read all at once in text format.’
If this is possible, what I need to look at first is….
‘Past escape cases!’
I immediately scrolled down the wiki page.
And after breathlessly reading down to ‘3.2 Investigation Records’.
“….”
I quickly made my deduction.
‘I got it.’
I found my own answer for which station to get off at.
But there’s a problem.
“….”
I turned my head to the people in the same car.
A total of 8 young new employees including myself.
The people who had panicked after witnessing two people get dismembered live were barely regaining their composure and starting to talk.
“That thing just now… Wonhan Station, it sounds like that ‘wonhan’ when people hold grudges, right?”
“Yes….”
“Ha, no phone signal, no data, seriously… ah, what the hell is happening….”
“….”
Right. The problem is how I convince these strangers I can’t trust to get off at the correct station.
‘I need to somehow make as many people as possible get off together.’
I clenched my fists.
Did I suddenly realize that the extras who were sacrificed in this ghost story world are real people too, and become filled with a noble sense of mission to save their lives?
Well… um, of course I do feel that way as a human being, but that wasn’t my top priority.
The reason that made me most desperate was….
‘I can’t get off alone…!’
That’s right.
Most of the stations here are completely insane.
Walking alone through a station filled with eyeballs, a blacked-out station, or a station turned completely upside down?
Just imagining that scene makes me break out in cold sweat and want to crawl on all fours.
‘The probability of fainting halfway through and being unable to escape is over 90%…!’
No way. Please save me.
‘I have to convince them somehow!’
I was about to open my mouth immediately, then closed it again.
‘Still, it would be stupid to suddenly start talking about strange phenomena and darkness.’
Who would want to admit they’re in a situation like some RPG Maker horror game? They’d either refuse to believe it and mock me fiercely, or believe it and panic even more.
‘Slowly… trust first.’
Just one person.
If I can convince just one or two people for sure, there’s something called crowd psychology where others will easily follow along and get off together.
‘Let’s see. Someone who needs help, or someone I can find clues to build rapport with…’
“Hah… this isn’t some YouTube ghost story.”
Found one!
“Did you say… ghost story?”
“Ah.”
A calm-looking woman with short hair nodded with a slightly flustered expression.
“Yes. Um, I watch some ghost stories on YouTube, and it reminded me of that.”
“Could you tell me more details? Since this doesn’t seem like a normal situation, I think it would be better to share any possible information.”
“Ah, it’s not really information… I just mean everything feels like a ghost story. Suddenly the lecture hall turns into a subway, and people… die like that.”
Her face turned slightly pale, probably remembering the insane dismemberment show that had just happened.
I understand. I really want to throw up too.
Let’s both quickly erase it from our minds.
“Ah, sorry. I suddenly got carried away while talking…”
“No, I’m the same way. With such an absurd situation happening, I can’t get my bearings.”
The woman gave a weak laugh.
“Hey, you seem to be making the most level-headed judgments here.”
She can say that because she hasn’t seen me faint level-headedly yet.
“Huh?”
And surprisingly, around this time someone approached me first.
There was a very valid reason too.
“Um, you’re the person who was sitting next to me earlier, right?”
It was a man with curly hair and a rather innocent-looking appearance.
‘Come to think of it, he was sitting next to me in the lecture hall earlier.’
That new employee seemed unable to join any of the conversing groups. He rubbed the back of his neck while looking back and forth between me and the woman I was talking with, then soon extended his hand as if to shake hands.
“I’m Baek Sa-heon.”
“…!”
I almost forgot about the handshake for a moment.
Baek Sa-heon?
‘He’s a named character.’
======================
Dark Exploration Records / Daydream Corporation
/ Characters
Baek Sa-heon
Dark Exploration Records
17
Nickname is Viper.
======================
He was an employee who had been active several times in .
I looked up at the somewhat frail-looking curly hair and pondered.
‘This person is… Baek Sa-heon?’
The image doesn’t seem to match.
Anyway, the feeling of actually seeing an employee from the ghost story world I’d only read about in text was really strange.
Meanwhile, the short-haired woman who first brought up ghost stories extended her hand.
“Even though the situation is like this, let’s at least introduce ourselves. I’m Go Young-eun.”
It was a name I’d never heard before. And an employee’s real name that I don’t know means one of two things.
She handled ghost stories relatively easily and quit early.
Or she died quickly.
‘Damn…’
There were occasionally named employees who only appeared with nicknames or codenames, but in those cases their character traits were so distinct that you could identify them immediately upon seeing them.
This feels unsettling. I quickly shook off the lingering thoughts and hid my expression.
“I’m Kim Sol-eum.”
The handshakes ended quickly, and we naturally sat down in the subway seats to continue our conversation.
Meanwhile, the groups of people seemed to have mysteriously divided.
“Ah, those people… it looks like they’re trying to somehow talk to the front car?”
“You’re right.”
This ghost story prohibits movement between cars. Sure enough, they soon gave up on gesturing and returned.
“What should we do? We can’t communicate with the front car at all. Plus it looks like there’s a fight happening up front…”
To the anxious and uneasy people, the station arrival announcement comes down once again.
However, this time the atmosphere of the keyword is different.
[This station is Hwangheol, Hwangheol Station.]
“Huh?”
The murmuring people suddenly stopped.
“Hwangheol?”
“Um, doesn’t Hwangheol sound kind of good? Maybe…”
No.
‘You can’t judge it that simply…!’
I gritted my teeth while recalling the exploration records I’d just read.
First of all, this ghost story changed the theme of station names every time it appeared.
So it’s impossible to escape by finding the right words from examples like ‘you must get off at this station’ or ‘this station is the correct answer.’
‘But I can examine the tendencies.’
Like this.
======================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Stories
/ Welcome to Abyss Transportation Corporation
3.2 Exploration Records
Colors
: 2 people escaped successfully (Attempt: Blue Station)
Body Parts
: Escape failed (Attempt: Cochlea Station)
Serial Killer Names
: 12 people escaped successfully (Attempt: ■■■■ Station)
Years
: Escape Failed (Attempt: Year 2024 Station)
Disease
: 3-Person Escape Success (Attempt: Cold Station)
[More]
======================
Do you see? Even going up to case 56, there’s no relationship between the positive feeling of a station name and escape probability.
But at this Hwangheol Station, people looked like they might all rush off the train.
[The doors will open on the left…]
It was because the platform we arrived at looked bright and pleasant.
‘Damn it.’
I could feel people’s mood completely shift at the sight of this clean and bright station that looked like a new station in a new city.
“Ah…!”
“Should, should we get off here and look for people? This place really looks normal…”
The delighted people began peering toward the doors.
No!
‘My number of companions!’
And my mental state witnessing this scene!
‘Damn it.’
I ended up running to block the doors again.
“…!”
“What, what’s this.”
“Please wait.”
[The screen doors are opening.]
“Are you certain?”
“Pardon…?”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. I mean, are you certain this place is safe? Or do you at least have some reasoning?”
I deliberately turned my gaze.
“I think most of you would agree that this situation is like an urban legend.”
Go Young-eun was startled when people’s attention turned to her following my gaze, but she didn’t retract her words.
[The doors will close in 30 seconds. This cannot be undone.]
“But whether it’s urban legends or horror movies, have you ever seen anyone come to a good end by choosing based only on luck and feelings?”
“…Well, that’s,”
“Is it really okay to bet your life like this without any deduction or reasoning?”
The anxious people hesitated for a moment, but soon burst out angrily.
“Well then, did you do some amazing deduction yourself?”
“This person has been saying nothing but frustrating things…”
“Ah, hurry up and move! What reasoning, what deduction… Do you think this is some quiz show? Did someone give us hints?”
“Yes.”
“…?”
“Hints are being given.”
I caught my breath.
Then I raised my hand and pointed upward.
At the subway train’s electronic display board with the speaker.
“The announcements.”
-For comfortable travel to your final destination, please pay attention to the announcements.
From the beginning, the train announcements had been kindly informing us of this fact.
“They keep telling us to focus on and follow the announcements, don’t they? Quite blatantly.”
In that sense.
I asked while listening to the announcement that was just being added.
[Passengers whose final destination is Hwangheol Station must get off according to the announcements.]
“Is anyone here whose final destination is Hwangheol Station?”
“…”
“…”
People’s movements stopped.
“But, it’s still good, right?”
“Living ecstatically, so living happily is life’s purpose…”
“So, is your final destination currently Hwangheol Station?”
“…”
“…”
Everyone seemed to feel something was off.
But one or two people started getting angry at me instead.
“Look, do we even have some destination right now? If you don’t know well yourself, why are you interfering like this?”
“If we can’t escape because we couldn’t get off here due to you, will you take responsibility? Will you take responsibility?”
Can I take responsibility?
“Yes.”
“…!”
“Huh…?”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
That’s an easy question.
‘I was planning to escape together anyway.’
Getting off here would also guarantee a wrong answer. So there’s no chance my answer could be worse than this.
However, as if it was an unexpected response, the other person opened their mouth and froze for a moment.
“…”
Perhaps their resolve was shaken by my coming on so strong, as I could see them conflicted.
[The screen doors are closing…]
In the meantime, the doors closed.
“Ah…”
I stepped aside. Several people who had been staring at the doors with disappointed eyes rushed to them.
But no one was angry anymore about why I prevented them from getting off.
‘Is this… enough?’
I was feeling somewhat satisfied when it happened.
An urgent shout was heard.
“Hey hey! All the people in the front car got off!”
“…!”
They all got off?
I immediately looked through the train window.
Not everyone, but it seemed like about five or six people had gotten off all at once.
“….”
Sigh.
Really, I didn’t want to see what was going to happen from now on.
But I need to watch this so I can speak coherently when persuading others, damn it….
I suppressed my curses and squinted my eyes, looking hazily out the window.
“Huh? They’re running!”
The people who got off seemed determined to move quickly without delay. I could see about five or six silhouettes running toward the platform exit, toward the stairs.
But it was too late.
“Ahhh!”
The platform floor began bubbling up with a golden light, and the feet of the running people started sinking into the ground as if melting.
“Go, gold…?”
It was a bizarre sight, as if their lower bodies were turning to gold and sticking to the floor.
The people seemed to scream and struggle to run, but their speed grew slower and slower….
Eventually, the torsos with only their upper bodies remaining staggered and fell with a thud in front of the stairs.
Even those turned into glittering gold.
The easiest way to become ecstatic.
“Hieuk.”
“Gasp.”
[The train is departing from Hwangheol Station.]
Inside the departing train car, only the sounds of shocked gasps and sobbing echoed.
One person who had been about to get off urgently grabbed me and asked.
“You, you said you’d take responsibility. Can you really guarantee that we can find a safe place? Can you?”
“Yes.”
I answered firmly.
I was bewildered by how the logic suddenly jumped to make it a given that I would provide the right answer, but honestly, that was the only answer I could give in this situation.
‘I’m really going to die.’
My legs are shaking so much I feel like I’m going to collapse…!
The image of people’s lower bodies exploding kept replaying in low quality in my head, making me nauseous.
One thing was certain: even if I survived this, I wasn’t going to sleep tonight.
In the midst of all this, Baek Sa-heon also chimed in with admiration.
“You’re amazing, teacher.”
“…Teacher?”
“Ah, I have a habit of calling people teacher when I meet them.”
Then he smiled awkwardly and added this.
“These days, there are few people like you, teacher. People can’t speak decisively about what’s right or wrong and end up using speech patterns like ‘I think it’s probably~’.”
“….”
“I hope your guarantee leads to good results.”
Uh… I appreciate the kind words, but this isn’t a situation for such lukewarm, detached speech.
‘If there are no good results here, you’ll die too….’
Wait.
No, that’s not right.
There was something I missed while whining about being scared.
‘The fact that there are records of Baek Sa-heon working as an employee in means he must have passed this entrance exam, right?’
Then couldn’t I just follow Baek Sa-heon to whatever station he gets off at?
If I persuade Go Young-eun and we get off together, that’s three people. If there are people actively agreeing and following along to get off, there’s a high probability that others will follow in a rush too.
‘Such an easy method?’
“Baek Sa-heon.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to have a station you want to get off at? I mean… I’m curious if you have any words in mind where you think ‘I should get off when a station with this name comes up.'”
“…Huh, suddenly?”
“I’d like to hear various opinions.”
“Ah.”
Baek Sa-heon seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.
“Not really. I don’t know much about this stuff.”
“I see.”
He doesn’t have any particular intuition yet, I guess.
I nodded readily. Anyway, this seemed like a pretty good idea, so I’ll keep watching….
Ding dong.
[Dear passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transportation Corporation for comfortable operation. Please listen carefully.]
“…!”
The announcement started again.
Everyone stopped talking and immediately looked up.
[From now on, our train will pass through the Curved Section, which may cause noise and shaking.]
[Please be seated to prevent accidents.]
Oh fuck, really.
“Everyone, let’s sit down.”
No one objected and quickly took their seats.
It was fast enough to make bringing up the announcement earlier worthwhile.
Even the person who was throwing a tantrum about getting off earlier shut their mouth tight and was the first to sit in a nearby seat.
However, it seems not everyone was like that.
“Hey hey! The front car!”
“Those people….”
In the front car seats, people were all standing, busy having a heated argument with each other.
I couldn’t hear the specific words clearly, but it seemed like the announcement was drowned out by everyone shouting at each other.
I could tell just by looking. They seemed to have completely panicked after seeing people who had been with them just moments ago die in ways they never could have imagined.
“Shouldn’t we say something?”
“Hey there! Can you hear us?!”
“Please take your seats!”
The new employees sitting close to the front car shouted. But the people in the front car barely looked, and one person who accidentally made eye contact actually approached us.
“Sit down!”
“No, don’t come over here, just sit….”
It was too late.
[Entering the Curved Section….]
The lights went out.
“…!”
In the darkness, the train began shaking with a roar.
And overlapping with the roar, a sharp sound rang out.
It was a scream.
-Aaaahhh!!
-Agh, ah, aaagh…
The sound of something wet bursting.
Like squeezing a grape until it pops, that kind of sound.
It echoes dully.
…As if there’s only a door between us.
“…”
“…”
I could hear the sound of people in this car reflexively holding their breath, trembling faintly as they breathed.
And when the lights came on.
-…
Through the narrow glass window of the train’s front door, the scene in the front car was revealed.
It was completely covered in blood and gore.
In that insane state, as if only living beings had been put through a grinder and pulverized, no trace of humans could be found anymore.
Everyone was dead.
[It is now safe to stand up from your seats. Thank you very much for your cooperation.]
The panicked sounds of people, contrasting with the clean announcement, echoed through the train.
“Let me out! Let me out!”
“Huhhhh, huhhh… what is this. What the hell is this… Mom.”
But even in that state, the new employees covered their mouths, suppressed their voices, and tried hard to listen to the announcement.
Because it had been proven to truly be a lifeline!
‘Damn it.’
It was definitely flowing in a direction favorable to my survival, but now that it was reality, it was so horrific that cold sweat formed on my forehead.
Ignoring my trembling hand as I wiped it away, I gritted my teeth.
I must not look at the front car door now.
‘Persuasion, just think about persuasion…’
Now, when a proper answer station comes up in a few stops, surely people will get off together with me…
[Dear passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transportation Corporation for comfortable operation. Please listen carefully.]
The announcement started again.
“Again?!”
“Sniff sniff…”
Cutting through the wailing sounds of disgusted people, the clean and mechanical recorded voice continued its guidance.
About something completely out of the blue.
[There is a Lost Item.]
Wait.
I quickly raised my head.
[Anyone who finds the Lost Item, please get off at the next station and hand the Lost Item over to the station staff.]
It was a case I knew.
‘…An escape case from the miscellaneous records!’
======================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Stories /
/ Welcome to Abyss Transportation Corporation
3.4 Miscellaneous Records (Escape)
Irregular Survival
Temporary Stop for Train Intervals
======================
An unconditional escape ticket.
If you just have the announced Lost Item, you can safely get out!
However…
‘The number of escapees is exactly one.’
…For someone like me who can’t go out alone, it’s a Survival Ticket that’s disqualified from the start.
I clenched both hands tightly.
‘Then, who exactly should I send out?’
No, is sending someone out even the right answer?
And…
[The Lost Item is ’20s Type A Adult Male’s Left Eye’.]
An unimaginable Lost Item had appeared.
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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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