Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 206

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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 206

Wish Potion.

In this ghost story world where bizarre bad endings appear everywhere, this is the most certain way for me to return home.

Only for this, I endured working at Daydream Corporation, and even endured becoming a spy.

And now, having finally achieved the conditions to obtain the Wish Potion, Director Ho in front of me is lightly clapping his palms.

As if applauding me.

Clap clap clap…

“I’m so happy for you that you’re really going to receive the Wish Potion.”

“…”

“But haven’t you ever thought about this?”

The applause stops.

“What if Director Ho actually never intended to give you the Wish Potion?”

“…”

“When you accomplish what he promised, he changes his words. Saying he’ll give it if you accomplish something else instead. Using it cleverly as bait like that continuously.”

Director Ho smiled brightly.

“Haven’t you really ever thought about that?”

“I have thought about it.”

I’d be a fool not to.

How often in society do people delay or refuse payment after work is done for them?

Conversely, there are countless cases of people receiving advance payment and then not doing the work properly.

And in this situation, the Wish Potion was Director Ho’s unilateral promise.

And the promises of the powerful can be broken at any time. Because there’s no penalty for breaking them.

But…

“Still, I know that you value promises very highly, Director.”

“…”

The prohibition spells.

Director Ho was the type of Strange Entity that bound others through ‘promises.’

Right, it would be foolish to think of Director Ho as human at this point.

‘And rules are important elements to Strange Entities.’

Speaking in terms of ghost story grammar, it would be to create a bizarre horror atmosphere and give victims a way out like hope torture…

Anyway, that’s why rules are actually more trustworthy than if Director Ho were just an evil human.

Because there’s a high probability he has no choice but to keep his promises.

Especially remembering Director Ho’s unnaturally assertive attitude when mentioning the reliability of the Counseling Teacher in the ‘Fox Counseling Room.’

He might use people while hiding other purposes or set traps, but he doesn’t make false promises.

I faced Director Ho’s expressionless face.

“Therefore, I judged that you would definitely keep what you promised with your own mouth.”

“…”

Clap.

“Of course!”

Director Ho clapped his hands and laughed.

“I always keep my promises. I don’t make promises I can’t keep… Never.”

“…”

“Now then.”

Director Ho lifted the document bag he had placed under the table and put his hand inside.

“You should receive your Wish Potion now.”

And something shining emerges.

A small glass bottle.

“…!!”

The waiting area of the Fox Counseling Room. In that comfortable place, an enchanting and surreal aurora-like radiance began to ripple.

An overwhelming sense of mystery that’s hard to believe comes from just this one small bottle.

Wish Potion.

“It’s yours, Sol-eum.”

“…”

Thud.

“Go ahead.”

I reached out my hand.

Just before my arm touched the Wish Potion placed on the table…

“Oh wait, just a moment.”

Director Ho grins.

“It’s not just one bottle, is it?”

“…!!”

Thud. Thud.

Still smiling, Director Ho takes out two more glass bottles of enchanting colors from the document bag and places them down.

A total of three Wish Potions.

‘My goodness.’

Light like pearl orient rippled across the table like waves made from the Milky Way.

“…This is,”

“Yes. These are the Wish Potions for the other two employees who worked with you. You clearly said so, didn’t you? That the other two also contributed sufficiently to this work.”

That’s right.

But… he’s just handing them over like this?

Moreover, Director Ho’s words weren’t finished.

“But since you came as the team representative to report, it seems right for you to receive them as the representative too!”

“…!”

Wait a minute.

“You’re saying I should receive all three bottles… and give one each to the other two?”

“Well.”

…!

“You reported as a team, didn’t you? Then wouldn’t distribution be up to the representative?”

“…”

“I don’t mind either way.”

Dark flames flickered in Director Ho’s eyes.

But the next moment, he becomes a brightly smiling face as if it never happened.

“I hope the Wish Potion fulfills the deepest desire in your heart, Sol-eum.”

I opened my mouth.

“Don’t you use them yourself, Director?”

“…”

Director Ho looked at me for a moment.

“That’s something only regular employees can use.”

“…”

“Unfortunately, executives are contract workers. That’s the agreement.”

Director Ho’s hand reached slightly over the table as if wanting to caress the wish potion… but soon withdrew it.

“So.”

“….”

“Will you take them? Or you can take them later if you prefer, I don’t mind.”

Would I receive all three bottles?

Or postpone taking them all?

In fact, there was only one choice I could make.

“Yes. I’ll take them.”

I nodded my head.

And…

“Excellent!”

Director Ho smiled brightly and took out a box from his briefcase, then began packaging the wish potion bottles that were placed on the table one by one.

“The instructions for using the wish potions are enclosed in the box! I’ll put one bottle in each.”

Director Ho organized the boxes neatly and quickly like a sales employee, even tying ribbons and putting them in an envelope before pushing it in front of me.

“Here you go.”

“…Thank you.”

I picked up that envelope.

A strange sense of déjà vu passed by briefly.

‘…I did it.’

The fact that I had finally obtained them was starting to feel real.

It’s inside this black paper bag.

I had gotten my hands on the wish potions.

“Have a safe trip home, Soleum. I’ll contact you again.”

My head felt dazed.

I stood up from my seat.

And after politely bowing to Director Ho who was waving his hand, I left the Fox Counseling Room waiting area.

Creak.

Behind me, I seemed to hear the sound of the door leading to the Fox Counseling Room opening and closing…

As if someone had entered.

And when I turned my head at the entrance, there was already no one at the waiting area table.

All that remained were the three bottles of wish potions in my hand.

“….”

-Oh, congratulations, friend! Now you just need to make a wish and blow out the candle?

I wish it would proceed that easily, but the problem is…

‘I have two more bottles in my hands.’

A little later.

A nearby cafe.

‘How do I hand these over?’

I sat down and frantically racked my brain while clutching the bag.

It felt like going out defenseless with a check worth hundreds of millions in my bag.

Every time I became conscious of the wish potions in my bag, I felt the urge to take them out and drink them right away, but I had to finish what I needed to do first.

First…

‘I should contact Go Young-eun.’

I just needed to think of a way to deliver the items indirectly somehow.

Then that colleague could also fulfill their desired wish and safely resign. They wouldn’t have to enter ghost stories anymore.

And…

‘I can save Jang Heo-un too.’

Someone just needed to make a wish with the wish potion to save Jang Heo-un.

Everything was perfect.

Then…, once the distribution was finished…

‘I’m going home.’

My heart raced with anxiety and anticipation.

I put my hand in the bag and caressed the box while thinking about what I should handle first.

First, I needed a safe space…

Bzzzzt!

My smartphone rang and a message appeared.

[Today]

[Where should I go?]

“….”

The Security Chief.

We had agreed to meet in the evening after sunset today.

‘It was to hear information.’

But now I didn’t need information anymore.

Whether it was the Joyful Research Institute or the source of Daydream Company, once I left here, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

But leaving this ghost story world…

Also meant I would never meet anyone I had encountered here again.

“….”

I pondered and then sent a text.

[I’d like to meet here.]

And in the evening.

“Hmm…”

I met the Security Chief in a corner seat at a famous donut shop that stayed open late.

I had pre-paid for donuts that usually sell out during the day and aren’t available in the evening, and picked them up now.

The Security Chief’s listless face brightened a bit when he saw the donuts.

“Thank you…”

“Not at all. I’m the one who received a lot of help. Though this hardly serves as proper repayment…”

“No… It’s enough.”

The Security Chief stuffed donuts into his mouth with a somewhat pleased expression.

And then casually dropped a bombshell.

“So about that information… The Joyful Research Institute… it’s still in our company basement…”

“…!!”

Wait.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said… hmm.”

The Security Chief looked at me.

“You’ve seen it too…”

I have?

“Hmm… when we first met… when you got sucked into that scroll… you went to the basement level 2 bathroom…”

“…!”

“You don’t… remember?”

I do.

When I went underground to track down the whereabouts of the missing Manager Lee Byeong-jin…

Strangely, there was a corridor lined with ordinary offices.

-Shouldn’t there be safety equipment or facilities here…?

I clearly remember thinking that.

And…

-Noru?

Right.

‘Good Friend suddenly became able to talk…!’

The eerie underground of Daydream Company lined with offices… was inside a ghost story.

And that ghost story was actually… Pleasant Research Institute?

“How did you… find out?”

“Well… we only called it by its code name and… didn’t know… We found some unredacted documents.”

The Security Chief shrugged and continued.

“Anyway, even if you go further underground… the same office corridor… keeps repeating…”

“…The exact same corridor?”

“Yes. The exact same offices… Same structure, even the same scratches, so it’s definitely the same place, but… it seems like… the time periods are… slightly different?”

The sounds of people chatting, shadows having earnest meetings, employees packing things, fighting, even dusty office ruins…

Every time you take the elevator down, the scenery changes like a hidden picture puzzle.

Endlessly.

“…How far down… does the underground go?”

“We don’t know that… Well. The furthest we’ve personally been… was the 23rd floor…? Below that… we’re blocked from going…”

“…”

“There was a Security Team that… went down to the 40th floor…? But they died… so.”

“…”

These were chilling descriptions.

‘Those offices…’

My spine tingled.

Why would Pleasant Research Institute be there, why is it a ghost story, what is Daydream Company planning by building a company building on top of it. Various questions flashed through my mind.

But I soon realized all of that was meaningless.

Because I… was going to leave.

“…”

“Ah.”

And that sentiment seemed to be conveyed to the Security Chief as well.

“This became… unnecessary…”

“…”

The Security Chief pressed down his cap.

“Well, if that’s the case…”

And he easily guessed the most reasonable reason why a Daydream Employee would lose interest in everything.

“Did you perhaps… get a Wish Ticket?”

“…”

I hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

A slight smile appeared on the Security Chief’s lips.

Pure congratulations.

“That’s great…”

“…”

“Um, you know how to use it, right…?”

“…Yes.”

The Security Chief nodded along with my agreement, then seemed to think for a moment before asking.

“Then… are you really… resigning this time…?”

A question the Security Chief could ask, knowing that I wasn’t actually resigning but working under Director Ho as a cover.

I nodded.

“I see…”

“…”

The Security Chief lowered his head.

“Um, later… even after you resign, could we perhaps… occasionally talk…?”

“…I’d like that if possible too.”

But it won’t work.

I averted my gaze.

“Given the nature of my wish, I’m not sure what will happen.”

“…Ah.”

The Security Chief stopped talking.

“A wish that… changes the world?”

“…Yes.”

“Then… it can’t be helped.”

“…”

He knew about it after all.

Right, if he was an Elite Team Leader, it would be much more natural for Field Investigation Team members with strong obsessions with Wish Tickets to know about it.

The true nature of Wish Tickets.

-From Elite Team C Assistant Manager’s advice

So… it’s like this.

If the user wishes to become younger, they will become younger.

Even if they wish for a clean 10 billion won to be deposited in their account with no tax issues, that’s what will happen.

Wish Ticket potions showed effects no different from a magic genie’s lamp when it came to changing only the user’s condition.

But here’s the thing.

‘What if that wish is very macroscopic?’

Wishes that go beyond changing my personal state.

For instance, let’s say the time point is in the past.

‘I want to return to when I was young and lived happily with my parents’, ‘I want to go to the moment my husband had his car accident and stop him’ – wishes like these.

Or large-scale cases too.

‘Please make the world end’, ‘I wish everyone would become good’, ‘Please let superconductors be invented’… things like that.

Wishes that desire the transformation of the world itself surrounding me.

Of course, even in these cases, the potion would take effect.

Your wish will come true. However…

Only from your perspective.

In other words…

It sends you to such a world.

Wish Tickets are highly personal potions, and their effects are also single-person omnipotence.

The person who fulfills their wish disappears from the world.

Sometimes some remains, but that’s when someone fails to make a proper wish and makes a mistake. Or when it’s unexpectedly not comprehensive enough due to an unforeseen gap, making it something the Wish Potion can handle.

In any case, under no circumstances does the Wish Potion bring tremendous change to this world.

Only people move.

‘That’s why the Security Chief knows too.’

That if it’s a big wish enough to change the world, I might leave this place entirely.

That I might disappear.

“….”

I looked at the Security Chief, who had finished eating his donuts.

Time was running out.

“Thank you so much for everything.”

“Yeah….”

We stood up from our seats.

I handed the Security Chief the donuts I had specially requested the counter to package for takeout.

Along with an extra paper bag that only contained a bread knife.

“By any chance, what wish did you come to this Company for, Jay?”

“….”

The Security Chief said while looking into the empty bag.

“I can’t… really remember.”

“….”

“Don’t worry about it… It’s not really important anyway.”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask any more.

I eventually nodded and parted ways with the Security Chief in front of the donut shop.

The Security Chief waved his hand.

“…Take care going back.”

And that was the end.

Through my shadow, I learned that the Security Chief stood blankly on the street for quite a long time…

“….”

On the way back, I thought.

…I should say more farewell greetings.

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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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