Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 205

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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 205

The letter was calm.

I’m writing this to record things I wasn’t able to tell you.

It was like a note left behind by someone temporarily leaving.

Kim Sol-eum talked about the spare glasses left on the sofa in the Genbu Team 1 waiting room, mentioned the flat rear tire of the bicycle in front of headquarters, and informed about the printer ink still being delivered.

It was too trivial and fragmentary to be called a proper handover.

Lingering attachments seemed to seep through, only to disappear in the next paragraph.

But that seemingly nonchalant writing maintained a similar tone, casually transitioning into meaningful advice that could easily be overlooked.

Content that new Disaster Management Bureau employees could never know.

…Advice regarding supernatural disasters.

Wearing silk clothing in the ironing area of the Intersection Laundromat will no longer be safe after rescuing the citizen in the blue dress.

I hope you can make sure no agents go in wearing such clothing.

These were ghost stories that Genbu Team 1 had entered.

Though they seemed like content he had figured out and deduced, they strangely carried the conviction of someone who had known from before.

However, it was clear they were written out of worry and concern.

Trembling eyes quickly scanned through them.

And… I’m sorry once again.

The content became more personal.

The events of that night when the prohibition spell was cast were written very euphemistically, in a way only the person involved could specifically understand.

As if considering someone who might still be under the prohibition spell.

This was followed by gratitude and apology toward the Bronze Agent who had shown consideration by not pressuring him and allowing him to speak the unadorned truth.

And then…

I still want to go home.

As a farewell.

I can’t give up without even trying to return.

But I feel heavy-hearted that this desire seems to have wasted the time of the Disaster Management Bureau agents.

I’m sorry once again. For not meeting expectations, for not faithfully accepting discipline and resigning as if running away.

“….”

Though it may be inconvenient, I’m enclosing items I found useful.

I hope they can be used by Genbu Team 1.

The performance and effects of the items he left behind were written in detail.

And lastly.

I’m writing this just in case.

What I wrote on the whiteboard in the Genbu Team 1 waiting room is nothing.

I was worried you might not erase it thinking it could be a hint or marker, so I wanted to tell you it’s fine to erase it comfortably.

It’s just something I left impulsively and has no other meaning.

The letter ended.

The agent hurriedly flipped the pages back and forth.

…There was more small text at the end of the back page.

I was always grateful.

I hope you stay healthy and happy.

“….”

The one reading the letter lowered their gaze and looked at the fallen items.

Then they bent down and slowly picked up one of those small, miscellaneous-looking things.

It had the appearance of cheap candy.

But it was an item that temporarily turned back time to a ‘better previous state’ to restore physical condition.

Things that would be incredibly useful for the Emergency Rescue Team glittered on the floor.

“….”

“….”

Agent Choi raised their head.

The sunken eyes of the two Genbu Team 1 agents met each other.

If he had just disappeared, there was a high probability he hadn’t escaped this place yet.

“Wait. A-Agents…!”

They rushed out of the waiting room with the flustered person in charge.

To search the Crystal Cave.

And then…

“….”

Kim Sol-eum, who had been standing motionlessly in the corner of the room, quietly followed behind them.

Holding only a single sheet of paper in his hand.

Through the door gap that the agents had opened to enter this room.

-An elegant and polite exit. This method isn’t bad either.

“….”

I quietly looked at the pouring sunlight.

‘So this is how I got out.’

I tried my best to end things safely and smoothly… but honestly, I don’t know. How the Disaster Management Bureau will take it.

And what Genbu Team 1 will think.

I walked faster to avoid trying to recall the faces of the agents I had passed by earlier.

I didn’t forget to thank the Host who had kept the lighting off for me from when I exited the Crystal Cave, walked to the bus stop, and boarded the high-speed train.

-Oh, don’t mention it!

Thanks to that, I was able to slip out quietly like this.

If he hadn’t helped, I would have had to escape in a more complicated and emotionally difficult way…

“….”

[The train will depart soon…]

I tried not to think.

How thoroughly they would have searched the crystal cave after I escaped, how they would handle the items I left behind, how suspicious the Disaster Management Bureau would find me, whether Genbu Team 1 would erase the message I left in the waiting room…

Instead, I tried to sleep.

Fortunately, the high-speed train heading to Seoul didn’t invoke the terror of the Tamra journey, and I managed to fall asleep briefly before waking up.

And to prevent any possibility of being tracked, I paid cash for a random motel and went in.

Thud.

Only after closing the door did I collect myself and begin taking stock.

That’s when reality finally returned.

‘…Did I leave almost everything behind?’

Only one or two consumable items remained.

Especially the safety-guaranteed items I’d purchased from the Space Shopping Mall – I’d left many of those behind.

…Probably because I won’t need them anymore.

‘It’s better for people who’ll get hurt more often than me to use them.’

What remained were a few equipment items and some tattoos.

However…

Pop.

A small light emerged from my chest.

Dokkaebi Fire.

“Are you really going to keep following me like this?”

The flame moved up and down as if vigorously agreeing.

This little one had stuck with me to the very end and came up to Seoul.

It had even left behind the glass lantern it had been dwelling in.

Since I was worried about being tracked, this was actually less troublesome…

“Everyone will be worried about you. You belong to the Management Bureau.”

The Dokkaebi Fire sparkled as if arguing back.

-…It says it’s all grown up so it’s fine. Good heavens. What a persistent and foolish creature. Phew!

According to Brown’s reluctant translation that followed, it could even ‘recharge’ on its own, though slowly.

It said it could recover faster if there was sacred lightning energy, but that… would be difficult to obtain.

Anyway, the Dokkaebi Fire’s intention seemed absolutely firm.

“…Then please take care of me for a little while longer.”

The Dokkaebi Fire sparkled happily and circled around the motel room once.

…To be honest, it wasn’t just troublesome.

‘At least one thing remained.’

A trace that I had belonged somewhere.

Evidence of the days I spent with good people… that is.

‘…Let me treasure it for a little while.’

It won’t be for long anyway.

After stroking the Dokkaebi Fire once, I let it transform into my right arm.

-Now you’re free again, Noru! You can go anywhere. Where will you go?

Strictly speaking, isn’t it actually the opposite?

I’d be lucky if I wasn’t wanted by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, and to Baekillmong Corporation, I was already someone who died long ago.

The places I could contact and go to were limited.

‘Agent Choi even discovered the Dream Cultivation Room at the Joyful Research Institute.’

Even if the prohibition prevented him from telling the Disaster Management Bureau about that cultivation room, he himself could come looking anytime. I would prepare countermeasures, but I had to be careful.

But I hadn’t escaped without a plan either.

‘I have a plan.’

-Indeed!

…The problem is that it’s a very uncomfortable plan.

“…”

I turned on the phone I had stored in my tattoo.

Messages from the two weeks I’d neglected it appeared.

‘Good thing it didn’t get caught during the interrogation.’

I almost got Young-eun and Heo-un’s identities exposed too.

It was fortunate that I had put the phone in my tattoo as soon as I was caught in Jisan Village, and that the tattoo lost its function in the glass prison.

I let out a sigh of relief and scrolled through the message list.

Most were advertising texts.

But among them, there were several messages from acquaintances that had piled up.

[Hey]

[Are you okay?]

[When should I tell you what I found out]

[Hey]

[If you’re sick]

[Contact me if there’s a problem]

It was the Security Chief.

“…”

I felt strange somehow.

It seems like I only ever receive worry and help from this person…

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t been able to contact him since the prohibition.’

After some consideration, I replied.

[Sorry. I had some issues. No problems now.]

After some internal conflict, I sent one more.

[Thank you again for looking into that information. Could I hear about it tomorrow or the day after?]

[And eat something delicious too.]

He read it fairly quickly, but the reply came slowly.

[Yes]

“…”

Now it was done.

From now on, it was time to go do what I had to do.

I decided on a destination.

I didn’t want to, but there was no better option.

And…

Because everything was already prepared.

[Please prepare the Wish Potion.]

[We have found the information you requested.]

For Director Ho.

“Sol-eum, you’ve returned!”

“….”

I raised my head.

At the familiar waiting area table of the Fox Counseling Room, I saw Director Ho sitting with a smile.

My stomach churned reflexively.

…A sense of rejection toward making this choice itself.

A strange guilt, as if I was betraying someone who had even lifted the prohibition spell for me.

Yet at the same time, my thoughts on this contradictory situation where I could have a more proper negotiation because the prohibition spell was gone.

“I’ve come to receive the Wish Potion.”

“Wait a moment. I’d like to discuss this matter first.”

Director Ho still wore a gentle smile while hesitating awkwardly with his words.

It was even more chilling.

“The prohibition spell regarding your death seems to have been excessive on my part. I think I made a somewhat emotional choice given the circumstances at the time, so I’m embarrassed…”

“….”

“It’s rather fortunate that it’s gone. Don’t you think so?”

I recalled the strange gut ritual-like ceremony that General Beom of Daecheongbong had performed.

And Director Ho, who had shown bizarre reactions in Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je’s body at that time.

‘…Even if I’m curious or worried about the Deputy Manager, I shouldn’t ask.’

There was a high probability that Director Ho recognizing my familiarity or concern would actually harm Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je. My stomach twisted.

And instead of easily nodding to Director Ho’s words, I answered carefully.

“It doesn’t matter. Regardless of the prohibition spell, a promise is a promise, so I came to keep my promise with you, Director.”

“Is that so? That would be impossible though.”

“….”

“You don’t even know exactly what the ‘extinction-level disaster’ I requested is. Sol-eum.”

That’s right.

Director Ho had said he would provide more detailed information once our spies could access the underground secret archive in Gangwon Province.

But…

I know.

I could already guess what Director Ho was going to demand.

“I found it through speculation.”

“….”

“Please just tell me the name of the disaster. If it doesn’t match the information I brought, I’ll accept punishment.”

There was no risk for Director Ho anyway.

Whether he spoke and cast a prohibition spell or gave punishment.

Since the situation had changed and there was no longer a colleague agent who could lift prohibition spells for me.

So…

“Alright.”

I knew he would say that.

Director Ho smiled and clasped his hands together.

“The name of that supernatural disaster is ‘Segwang Special City’.”

“….”

“Oh! Don’t try to pronounce it outside the Fox Counseling Room. Something bad will happen.”

Director Ho looked into my eyes.

“So.”

“….”

“Does it match the information you brought?”

I didn’t avoid his gaze.

“Yes.”

“…!”

“Here it is.”

Thud.

A document was placed on the table in the Fox Counseling Room waiting area.

“This is the document regarding the ‘extinction-level supernatural disaster’ you just mentioned.”

“….”

“Please check it.”

Director Ho reached out, picked up the paper, and read it.

And…

“…!”

He covered the paper.

Director Ho stared at me with his expression gone.

“…How did you find out?”

It was the correct answer.

“That’s not important.”

Actually, the truth is.

I didn’t find it out.

‘…I already knew it.’

That’s right.

The reason I could confidently say I could bring the information within a month was here.

I already knew.

The fastest and most certain method.

Writing down information from the .

It was a method I had pushed down in priority because there was no way to persuade or explain it to other spies, and because I was afraid of being suspected by Director Ho and suffering terrible consequences.

I wanted to go as safely as possible.

But since the game was completely over, there was only one method left.

‘I had to do it quickly.’

If I delayed any longer, the Disaster Management Bureau would try to check and hunt down whether there were other spies.

If Young-eun or Heo-un got caught, those people would never receive the Wish Potion and would suffer doubly, bound by Director Ho’s prohibition spell…

I had to quickly make the first move before that happened.

However…

“You were certainly imprisoned in the glass prison until yesterday, so where could you have found this out…”

“….”

“They wouldn’t store this kind of information there.”

That’s correct.

In the crystal cave where the glass prison is stored, naturally, they don’t keep precious information.

The information obtained from the prisoner was only occasionally used to update supernatural disaster reports.

But…

‘That’s exactly why there are several supplies for report work.’

For example, something like this.

Blank supernatural disaster report forms from the Disaster Management Bureau that haven’t been filled out yet.

Since they’re written in a glass prison with an unknown location, these are forms where the responsible branch office has been redacted from the report format. In other words…

The most suitable forms for printing the contents of documents about extinction-level disasters stored in the secret archives.

Ironically, being imprisoned in the glass prison became an opportunity for me to obtain what I needed most.

And so I was able to present myself before Director Ho.

The ‘Segwang Special City Document’ I created myself, limiting information based on what I read on the wiki.

“….”

But there’s absolutely no need to tell Director Ho about that.

It would only be dangerous.

‘I did come prepared with a final contingency plan though…’

Cold sweat forms on my back.

Still, I have to say it.

“What’s important is that I brought the promised information. And in this process, I received help from two other people. Definitely.”

“….”

“Now it’s time for you to fulfill your promise, Director.”

A smile spread across Director Ho’s face.

“Very well.”

“…!”

“Congratulations, Soleum. On receiving the Wish Potion.”

I clenched my fists tightly.

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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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