Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 249

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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 249

Ten whole days after the unprecedented incident where two Hyeonmu Team 1 agents, two Daydream employees, and an unidentified supernatural disaster appeared unconscious at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau headquarters.

The parties involved gathered at a barbecue restaurant.

The somewhat shabby barbecue restaurant seemed to be a long-established local favorite in the office worker district, bustling with noise, but a tired quietude flowed around the corner table where they sat…

It was a barely regained state of calm.

“…”

“…”

Sizzle.

The sound of meat being grilled on the cooking plate could be heard. Three people with haggard faces exchanged pleasantries with each other.

“Please eat plenty.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Agent Choi grabbed the meat from the grill and brought it to his mouth with gusto.

It was hard to believe this was someone who had been unable to swallow anything and had barely recovered after a whole week of consuming only water and liquid food.

A similar thing was happening with Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who was opening a bottle of soju.

“Even abstaining from alcohol is impossible, this is.”

“Hey now, no matter what, we can’t serve alcohol at a government agency. But the treatment was free, right?”

“Would it be unreasonable to complain about taxes here?”

“You know that well too?”

This person had already had their identity exposed to the Disaster Management Bureau once by an agent they met in a ghost story when they were a new employee, so despite the grandmother disguise, they were identified as a Daydream employee.

And after receiving interrogation and treatment for several days, they were allowed to go out on the condition of accompanying the agents.

Their equipment had been confiscated by the Disaster Management Bureau, but equipment to fill their empty hands was humanely returned. Gloved hands to prevent electric sparks grabbed tongs and flipped the meat.

“Come on, old-fashioned guy too.”

“…”

Bronze Agent Ryu Jae-gwan, who had the most normal-looking face among them, received the Korean beef with a complicated expression.

It probably wasn’t just about thinking of meal costs that barely wouldn’t violate the anti-graft law. He was likely closer to being at a complete loss about what to do with this situation.

That’s right.

All these people had died with nooses around their necks in Segwang City, then woken up and barely recovered from terrible aftereffects to the point where daily life was possible.

But they were still suffering from nightmares and strange auditory hallucinations, and were only now properly grasping what this situation was all about.

Since it was difficult to even discuss Segwang Special City within the Disaster Management Bureau.

“…It’s been quite difficult to gather information about ‘that region,’ do you agents have any results?”

“If you look into that wrong, your memory really gets wiped~ The current state can be considered the best for now.”

“The current state being…”

“The Management Bureau has classified our condition as contamination. …It seems we’ve been officially determined to be contaminated by unidentifiable supernatural phenomena while arbitrarily passing through a well that hadn’t undergone safety inspection for a long time.”

Precisely an ambiguous stable state.

It meant they roughly thought Agent Choi had committed another reckless act and somehow managed to ‘escape anyway’…

Even for a Daydream employee, the fact that they could spend time in this lukewarm and loose state rather than being sent to a glass prison was probably influenced by that.

They saw it as being caught up in that.

“We benefited a bit from your troublemaker track record.”

“Hey~ This and that happens when you’re trying to save citizens. You’re being too harsh when there’s a nice word like ‘challenging.'”

“Yes, yes. Please eat lots of Korean beef.”

And Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je’s gaze glanced to one side.

No, not just the deputy manager, but everyone’s gaze was drawn to one side.

The only being at this table who couldn’t eat beef.

“…Let’s definitely eat next time.”

Conditional affirmation

That’s me.

A supernatural disaster-type being using the codename 130666.

Amorphous flesh inside a gas mask that couldn’t put a single piece of well-grilled Korean beef in its mouth…

By the way, the reason I could be at this table was because the team manager of Hyeonmu Team 1, the elder, was using dokkaebi tricks to distort the vision of other customers in this barbecue restaurant.

The human body I had regained in Segwang Special City was nowhere to be found.

It had been a dream from the beginning anyway.

‘Sigh…’

But how was I thinking like a human?

‘They covered for me…’

Of course, I was lucky too.

So I could endure not being able to eat Korean beef without any sense of sorrow due to the relief.

‘So… it was from about three days after everyone woke up, wasn’t it.’

The Bronze Agent said he heard about my condition from that time.

Me, who had returned in a state of completely lost humanity.

-Did you have a good meeting?

“…Yes.”

Ryu Jae-gwan sat in the hospital room and looked at his superior.

Ryu Jae-gwan, who showed the fastest recovery among everyone, had barely received permission for visitation requests after a few days and was in the middle of visiting people.

Thanks to that, he had just come from meeting Peregrine Falcon, who had just finished emergency treatment, and only now learned that person’s name was Eun Ha-je.

And that they could heartily eat an LA galbi lunch box with one hand.

It was an impressive attitude for someone who was breaking out in cold sweats and constantly feeling the phantom pain of being strangled.

Moreover, his superior in front of him, Agent Choi, was the same.

“It’s the same testimony. It seems what we experienced should be treated as a ‘dream.'”

-Okay haha

This superior was in a state where verbal conversation was completely impossible due to abnormal contamination symptoms beyond PTSD reactions. His neck was even covered with cloth so he couldn’t look at it.

But even while lying in bed under absolute rest prescription, his eyes sparkled as if his head was spinning so much you could hear the gears turning, wondering what he was scheming.

Thanks to that, as soon as they both realized they had experienced this incident as a dream, they managed to find a certain ghost story.

-Do you remember Sekwang Technical High School, Jae-gwan?

Who would have thought that ghost story was connected to an even bigger extinction-level ghost story.

‘The description was exactly the same.’

That it was only accessible through dreams.

Of course, the two agents had felt a chilling sensation from the beginning about Kim Sol-eum and Eun Ha-je’s testimonies regarding Segwang Special City, thinking ‘this seems real.’

But while they had continuously suspected the probability of it being false, seeing the current circumstances, it seemed like it was probably correct, which was the problem…

Segwang Special City, whose recognition had been erased. The existence of that sealed extinction-level disaster area.

…A place where the contamination from dying was enormous even though they had entered through dreams.

‘Phew.’

But the bigger problem was that his superior in front of him wasn’t even the person in the worst condition.

Even excluding the person still in a coma.

…Just now, as his superior uncharacteristically hesitated a bit before asking in writing.

-How is Grape

“….”

Ryu Jae-gwan’s expression darkened slightly.

As if it were a lie that he had shown the appearance of a complete human in Segwang Special City, Kim Sol-eum was….

-It seems this entity needs to be transferred elsewhere.

He was completely classified as a supernatural disaster.

Communication attempts with Disaster Management Bureau personnel were not proceeding properly, and he only kept repeating requests to return to Daydream.

While he hadn’t shown aggression yet, no one knew what might happen if the return request continued to be delayed. That was the current judgment of the Disaster Management Bureau.

-They proceeded with contamination purification based on him originally being human, right?

“…Yes.”

Ryu Jae-gwan’s voice lowered.

“But only some anxiety symptoms improved, with no other progress reported.”

“….”

No contamination removal method implemented at the Management Bureau’s main building could strip away the supernatural disaster’s influence from Kim Sol-eum and return him to being human.

…For three days, truly nothing at all.

After finishing his visit to Agent Choi and walking out into the corridor, Ryu Jae-gwan’s mind sank with anxiety.

‘Then….’

…Maybe now he really had to tell them.

That this strange entity had originally been the Grape Agent.

It wasn’t simply that he hadn’t been able to report due to timing issues. It was closer to considering the complex environment Kim Sol-eum was in.

That Daydream had transformed a former employee who had been sent to infiltrate the Disaster Management Bureau as an agent into a supernatural being and was still using him as an employee.

This was something that would definitely flow up to higher levels the moment it was reported.

‘Then… I don’t know how the Grape Agent’s treatment might change.’

The Disaster Management Bureau was an organization that had become accustomed to choosing the lesser evil.

Like the villain selection process.

“….”

But now even that might be necessary….

A more intensive, specialized purification method was needed.

‘Maybe it would have been right to tell them from the beginning.’

Perhaps that would have been right for the Disaster Management Bureau’s interests from the start. Just as Ryu Jae-gwan’s mind was sinking into complexity, mixed with the phantom sounds of snares….

“Oh, Jae-gwan. Visiting someone?”

“…!”

A tall, middle-aged woman walking from the other end of the corridor waved her hand.

Ryu Jae-gwan’s eyes widened.

“Hae-geum Agent.”

The team manager of Hyeonmu Team 3.

The agent carrying the Four-Symbol Disaster Sword looked tired as if she had just finished a mission, but still smiled energetically with a lively face.

“I heard about it. The well broke while you were trying to use it?”

“….”

“You’re having a hard time because of Agent Choi. You too.”

This case was a bit different, but he couldn’t bring himself to say otherwise….

“I heard Daydream employees were also involved. Is that right?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Hmm.”

Words thrown out casually.

“There’s a face I recognize among them.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, it’s a bit much to say I recognize the face…. Since he’s wearing a gas mask.”

“…!!”

“Right. That guy with horns and smoke coming from his gas mask. That one’s a Security Team employee. It seems Daydream has finally figured out how to employ supernatural disasters.”

How did she know that?

Just as Ryu Jae-gwan’s mind was about to fall into confusion again.

Hae-geum Agent turned her shoulder.

“I should go visit him.”

“Why….”

“There’s something I gave him.”

And from this point on, amazing things began to happen.

Hae-geum Agent’s visit.

Statement regarding the entity’s identity as an entity from the supernatural disaster named ‘Cheerful Theme Park’, specifically the ‘Flower Golden Mascot’.

Acquaintance made during a mission, with a proposal regarding an item that could improve the entity’s condition.

Permission granted for bringing in ‘jade bells’.

However, this attempt failed miserably.

Jade bell destruction.

A total of 5 jade bells dissolved beyond recognition at an average interval of 182 minutes, with no observed improvement in the subject’s condition.

This was repeated for two days.

Amid continuous failures, Hae-geum Agent’s statement that the destruction itself was meaningful gained credibility and led to the use of more powerful equipment of the same type.

Permission granted for use of the Great Jade Bell of Spiritual Guidance.

Treatment executed in the form of listening to the bell’s tolling sound at designated times while leaning against a wooden board.

There was certainly also the purpose of preventing the reckless consumption of bells.

If even this didn’t work, it was almost certain that other measures would be taken.

But surprisingly….

A change occurred.

Inquiry about the welfare of people who used the well together.

“…!”

Rational communication had become possible.

The entity’s communication method (displaying text with black smoke) remained the same, but personal interaction proceeded smoothly.

Subsequently prescribing bells to maintain this condition.

Ryu Jae-gwan eventually went to find Hae-geum Agent to ask directly.

-How did you do it??

-There was an error in your basic thinking, I suppose.

And she said nothing more.

…Afterward, word came that the Disaster Management Bureau was redefining the supernatural disaster as a phenomenon and exploring the possibility of it becoming a cooperative spirit.

Thus, Ryu Jae-gwan came to complete a frightening deduction based on certain facts. Namely….

That jade bells were not for purifying human contamination.

The same goes for the Okmyeong Daejong Bell.

Of course, it has some effect on purifying contamination, but its main effect is simply to calm the mind and help one regain their own identity.

So that means….

Didn’t Agent Hae-geum purify her assuming she was originally a non-human entity?

And the fact that it worked means….

“….”

Ryu Jae-gwan quietly swallowed that speculation.

It was just conjecture.

‘Let’s just be grateful that Grape Agent regained consciousness.’

He buried his speculation without reporting it to Agent Choi.

And several more days passed. The well survivors steadily recovered from their condition, received safety evaluations from the Disaster Management Bureau….

And thus, a conditional BBQ restaurant gathering for the worn-out, exhausted office workers became possible.

I avoided Bronze Agent’s gaze, which seemed to be alternating between looking at the meat and me.

I really can’t eat it, so please don’t misunderstand….

“…Have you received sufficient bells?”

Affirmative :

Total 7 points

“Understood.”

Fortunately, the stares decreased somewhat after that. Not just from Bronze Agent, but from others too.

They made sure to include me in conversations while eating their meat well. I’m envious… no, that’s good.

It was human nature for the atmosphere to soften when alcohol and food were involved.

The same thing was happening here.

In the BBQ restaurant that had become somewhat quiet as it was almost closing time, the people who had regained some energy were getting into the really important main topic.

And that was….

Topic : Dolphin’s whereabouts

The biggest problem in the current situation.

“Right. Really… why can’t Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae wake up?”

“….”

“It’s already been two weeks.”

That’s right.

Only Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae was still lying unconscious in the Disaster Management Bureau’s protection room.

Of course, I explained what I had done….

“Then it’s even stranger. The guy who should have escaped, cleared it, and woken up can’t get up.”

….

My hands clenched.

‘I did something unnecessary.’

My mouth went dry thinking I might have put Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae in a predicament without properly understanding the situation.

Even though I don’t have a mouth.

In fact, even if he had died from dehydration, it was already past the period when he should have emerged from the dream. But if he couldn’t come out, then the train wasn’t the escape method.

Concern : Possibility of still surviving in that location

Method : Complete contamination state

“….”

That’s right.

The worry that he might have become completely contaminated by the ghost story and turned into a resident within it.

And if rescue was delayed in that state… there was also a potential disaster that could occur because it was a daydream.

Potential risk : Dolphin employee’s point reset

“…!!”

“What does point reset mean?”

“We process resignation assuming death after about a month missing. In your terms, I guess you’d call it dismissal from office.”

Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je gestured with her hands.

“Then all the points we collected like dogs trying to get wish tickets until then are also reset.”

“…!!”

“It all goes down the drain.”

Phew.

“Well, I heard you agents don’t believe in wish tickets… but from our perspective, it’s really a terrible situation.”

“….”

Agent Choi didn’t agree.

However, he did assert this.

“Anyway, rescue is needed. That’s our specialty.”

But.

“Government official. No matter how much we prepare before going in, we don’t know what might happen, so don’t be too assertive.”

….

That was also true.

A space where we don’t know how to break that noose, and most equipment becomes useless.

‘It’s difficult.’

Unless the person themselves is strong enough not to die even if their neck gets caught in the noose….

Wait a minute.

‘Then what if we could physically tear it apart?’

And I knew of one personnel who could physically smash nooses or trees.

The physical exorcism agent from .

Recommended personnel

“Oh?”

Recommended personnel :

Section Chief Lizard of Field Investigation Team D

“…?!”

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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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