Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 275

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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 275

“So, this time you’re going in with this personnel?”

“Yes.”

I looked ahead.

The agents who had finished four days of rescue operations and visited the fox counseling room were making complicated expressions as they looked at the newly added personnel.

It was clearly a schedule that would have been tiring and exhausting, but their eyes were alive, perhaps because so many things had exploded while they were away.

Director Cheong, the security team, and even the newly introduced equipment.

Agent Choi, scratching the back of his head roughly, said.

“If we schedule and go in like this, we won’t be able to follow. You know that, right?”

…I know.

The agents had regretfully used up all the annual leave they had taken this time, but instead received calls from other Xuanwu teams during the latter half of their leave and worked substitute shifts.

Although they received more annual leave instead of overtime pay, it was natural that they couldn’t use it in such short intervals…

‘No, even if theoretically they could use it, it would be suspicious.’

In the first place, it might have been suspicious from the moment those work-addicted agents took annual leave instead of overtime pay. It was time to be careful with their actions.

They had no choice but to drop out.

But even more so, the two personnel going in instead of them…

Long-term Recovery Room

(Visitation Prohibited)

Someone so contaminated that even their face couldn’t be seen.

“Hello…”

And the security team wearing security employee uniforms, who looked anything but ordinary, made it even more so.

Their feelings would be complicated…

“…Ah, don’t we know each other? You’re the one who attacked me in that ‘underground research laboratory.'”

“Um…, yes…”

Especially Agent Choi, who had once confronted the Security Chief and witnessed the tremendous scale of his contamination, offered a handshake with only his mouth smiling while scrutinizing the Security Chief thoroughly.

However, the Security Chief just casually accepted the handshake with an old and powerless attitude as if everything was bothersome.

Bronze Agent let out a groan and said.

“Please configure it with at least only one of the two.”

“Government Official,”

“When we enter Sekwang Special City, what state those people will be in… no one can be certain, can they?”

It was a valid point.

It was only inferred through inductive reasoning based on experience so far; no one could be certain.

So originally we tried to exclude the Security Chief, but.

“Um… you said it’s fine to kill them…”

“…!”

He volunteered himself.

“The security team knows better… how to kill contaminated entities… It’s better if both of us go in… if we really have to go in…”

Because it would be easier to control each other.

“I won’t even eat them… I’ll just… kill them…”

“…”

At that desolate statement, Bronze Agent barely managed to open his mouth again.

“If you’re from the security team, you wouldn’t perform duties involving direct entry into supernatural disasters, and that special city isn’t an ordinary supernatural disaster. Experientially…”

“I have… experience…”

“…!”

“Government Official. Most of our company’s security team personnel used to be from the Field Investigation Team.”

Making thorough use of contaminated employees.

Bronze Agent’s face turned cold as he belatedly understood the meaning of those words.

And that gaze turned to me.

…Right. In a way, I would look like a similar case too.

“Let’s make it so we ‘get out’ immediately if anything seems off after entering.”

Anyway, Bronze Agent didn’t oppose any further.

The security team’s participation was confirmed like that.

While making Bronze Agent’s impression of Baekillmong Corporation fall to rock bottom below rock bottom.

“Hmm.”

Agent Choi wasn’t surprised.

He just added a few more words for confirmation.

“Right. You used to be an Elite Team Leader?”

“Well… that’s right…”

J3, who had once been the leader of Elite Team B, answered reluctantly while slumped over.

…Hearing that, I kind of had this thought too.

‘Maybe when we enter Sekwang Special City.’

The Security Chief might also return to his appearance from before contamination.

[Transformation. It’s a theme everyone loves.]

I couldn’t quite attach the word ‘hope’ to that, and just pushed it to a corner of my mind.

And next, the new equipment I had requested was introduced to the team members.

“This is… that collector.”

Affirmative

Bronze Agent picked up Baekillmong Corporation’s special item with a strange expression.

Dream Extractor.

The reason why Baekillmong Field Investigation Team risked their lives entering ghost stories.

Director Ho had obtained approval for several dream extractors from ‘long-term missing persons’ with their registration numbers erased, under the pretext of ‘security measures for maintaining project confidentiality,’ and smuggled them out.

‘Official’ unlabeled dream extractors.

It was something you couldn’t even dream of unless you were a Development Department Director.

‘Getting even 3 of them is amazing.’

Naturally, dream extractors were almost the only supplied items this company kept fiery eyes on and counted the whereabouts of.

If they knew agents were examining them right now, they’d try to chew us up alive.

‘There probably was quite a bit of internal opposition too.’

We really had to hope high-grade dreams would be extracted. If we lost them by mistake, who knows what lightning bolt would strike us.

But if it worked.

‘The company won’t be able to look unfavorably on this project for at least this year.’

And I judged the probability of success to be extremely high.

‘At Sekwang Technical High School, even with the gimmick of dying and getting out, we came out with dreams properly extracted.’

In other words, unless it’s counted as ‘really died in reality,’ the collector works properly.

So in a subway ghost story that’s functioning somewhat, right in the middle of an extinction-level disaster…

‘High-grade ones will definitely come out.’

And one more thing.

I took out a fourth extractor that looked different from the others.

The Elite Team’s dream extractor.

One of the goods that came from the ‘Darkness Exploration Records Real Goods Box.’

I had retrieved it with this opportunity.

-Manager, could you possibly restore some of my belongings with this?

-Yes.

I melted down the precious metals that fell from the ‘Golden Jar of Canopus’ to barely pay off the debt I owed to Manager Lee Ja-heon, and bought back that item I hadn’t disposed of yet…

‘Phew.’

If dream essence is extracted from this Elite Team collector as well.

I would be able to siphon off that dream essence solution.

As for its use… I have various thoughts. But first.

Question

Target: Agent Choi

“Hmm?”

I produced a small wisp of smoke visible only to Agent Choi.

Current status of the Dream Cultivation Room

That space where the potion manufacturing room used to be.

It was also the space where I had been caught as a spy by Agent Choi.

“…Ah, that underground research lab.”

Agent Choi asked smoothly without changing his tone at all.

“Why. Is there something you want to use there?”

Affirmative

“Hmm.”

And there was no answer.

But I read a strange expression in that silence.

‘They probably just handed it over to the Disaster Management Bureau.’

I’ll have to make contact again if dream essence solution comes out from this exploration.

I nodded toward Agent Choi and moved on.

Finally, personnel check.

“Unfortunately, Deputy Manager Dolphin will have to sit this one out too.”

Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae was excluded.

If he opened his eyes at Casino Station right now, something terrible might happen due to his contamination as a dealer.

Moreover, since his disappearance had been long, he had many things to handle upon returning to the company, and since he hadn’t been officially assigned to Director Ho’s project team yet, post-processing was also necessary.

“This leg equipment should last at least a few months, so don’t worry about that. I just wish I could directly help you kind folks with your exploration, but it’s unfortunate…”

“Right. We’d feel more secure with Deputy Manager Dolphin too.”

It was true.

I know how helpful Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae, an Elite Team member, can be in unexplored darkness.

For this person to accompany Segwang Special City exploration again…

“Hmm, if we completely retrieved Deputy Manager Dolphin’s body from the casino, would the contamination be somewhat resolved? Or maybe make the casino go bankrupt?”

For that to be possible…

‘It seems like we’d need someone like an incredible card shark to explore the body casino.’

Since we don’t have such personnel right now, I had to save the remaining casino coins and use them minimally.

I gathered the coins remaining in my pocket.

These were coins I had stored in my tattoo, so fortunately they weren’t confiscated when I escaped the casino.

Though I couldn’t collect the coins I had bet on Russian roulette due to the urgent situation.

“How many are there?”

Casino Coins: 924

Not a small amount.

However.

“To be precise, 424 coins remain.”

More than half of these already have a designated recipient.

I checked on Baek Sa-heon, who was looking at me with expectant eyes.

But.

“As promised, 500 coins…”

“I’ll keep a good eye on this one!”

“…?!”

The guy was caught by Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae.

I turned away from him.

“~!”

Well, you’re supposed to sit out this exploration…

‘No matter how I think about it, people who entered the VIP room would be treated as companions and have their remaining property damage debt collected from their bodies if they enter the casino…’

This exploration has many new variables, so Baek Sa-heon’s solo actions could be fatal.

Don’t worry. I’ll pay the promised coins. …When you use them for the next entry.

Order: Stand by

“…”

The surprising thing was that Baek Sa-heon accepted this.

‘I thought he’d make a fuss demanding I hand them over immediately since he doesn’t trust me.’

The way he glanced at Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae suggested he thought he might gain something by sticking with the Elite Team.

‘Hmm…’

Well, try it if you can…

Anyway, the finalized personnel were as follows.

Manager Lee Ja-heon.

Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je.

Kim Sol-eum (130666).

J3 (Security Chief).

And.

Team Leader Park Min-seong (Contaminated).

“Another government-certified pseudo-company team. Let’s go.”

With both hope and fear.

We jumped into the passage leading to the Extinction-class Foundation.

I opened my eyes.

Colorful light bulbs. And in the distance, a subway platform where I could see the writhing movements of those who had lost their bodies.

Midnight Station.

That place in Segwang Special City where the Body Casino is located.

“…!”

I got up.

‘I was worried we might appear again where we died.’

Everyone opened their eyes on the platform floor again. That was a relief.

And.

“….”

Someone who got up at the same time as me turned to look at me.

It was….

“Noru?”

“Team Leader.”

Park Min-seong was looking at me as if he couldn’t believe it.

His face was damp with cold sweat as if he had a nightmare….

But he was fine.

“Are you alright?”

We had succeeded.

Park Min-seong’s eyes trembled as he completely regained his reason, freed from the contamination called ‘Sprout Class Teacher’.

Looking down at his hands where his arms were missing.

“Wh-where is this? How….”

“Badger!”

Meanwhile, the others who had awakened began checking on and taking care of Park Min-seong’s condition.

“Please take this.”

“Ah, uh…!”

They started by giving him a C-grade regeneration potion.

Before long, both arms had regrown on Park Min-seong.

“Phew!”

We untied the restraints we had put on Park Min-seong to throw him into the well, and let out a sigh.

“It worked.”

“…Yes.”

That was a relief.

And in that process… another person who had newly entered Segwang Special City was lying there in a daze and had just opened his eyes.

The Security Chief.

J3 was….

“….”

Still in his Security Team appearance.

Wearing a shabby coat and security cap.

[Oh my, what a shame. It seems some conditions weren’t met!]

…I don’t know.

I was just satisfied that the Security Chief didn’t look like he was in pain.

He was originally a capable person anyway.

Besides….

“Looking at this, doesn’t it feel just like the old exploration days?”

“…You’re right.”

Except for the Security Chief, all team members were exactly the former Field Investigation Team D members.

Right now, Park Min-seong was in high spirits from his dramatic recovery from contamination and arm regeneration, so it didn’t feel that way, but I thought it would be good to be careful so the Security Chief wouldn’t feel left out.

“Um… shall I help support you….”

“Ah, um… thank you.”

I didn’t refuse the offer to help support me since I had no legs.

Of course, the Security Chief might not care about feeling left out at all.

‘But he’ll definitely be bothered by the fact that he was the one who tore off Park Min-seong’s arms….’

Even now, the Security Chief seemed to be subtly avoiding eye contact with Park Min-seong.

And Park Min-seong seemed too bewildered and happy right now to notice that.

Of course, his mood sank the moment he heard the situation explained.

“…Annihilation grade? Uh, that, by Disaster Management Bureau standards….”

“Yes. We can’t say the standards are identical, but compared to Baek Il-mong, it’s Abyss-grade darkness.”

“…!! Ah, I understand.”

Upon hearing we were in the middle of a highest-grade ghost story, Park Min-seong’s Field Investigation Team survival instincts kicked in first, and he quickly accepted what he needed to do.

“I need to go buy Noru’s legs from the casino, right?”

“Yes. We need your help since you’re not involved in the damage incident.”

And Park Min-seong took the few hundred coins I had left, infiltrated the casino, and soon returned with my legs.

It was the reliability befitting an experienced ghost story veteran.

“Here…!”

“Thank you.”

Phew.

Thus, I finally got my legs back at Midnight Station.

‘I thought they’d be at the general pawn shop since they were confiscated for property damage costs, not given up in a VIP room game.’

I almost had to eat a Nostalgia Candy and go buy them in disguise.

Let’s be grateful that I saved excessive consumption of Nostalgia Candy.

“So… where do we go now?”

More than half of this group obviously couldn’t enter the Body Casino right away.

So there was really only one plan.

“We have to take the train.”

And.

“I want to wait for the train that Sanyang told me about.”

-That train. Train G1572, if I just take that one, just that….

…I went to check the fire extinguisher where Go Young-eun had pushed me in, but there was already no trace left.

Not even my corpse or a drop of blood, just a water bottle left inside the fire extinguisher.

‘She must have taken the train.’

I was certain.

I wanted to wait for and find that train Go Young-eun had taken.

But.

“Hmm. Usually trains…. The vehicles deployed daily… might change periodically….”

“…!”

“We don’t know exactly how long we’d have to wait… right…?”

….

I nodded heavily.

And asked back.

“Do you have any other opinions?”

“…My opinion…?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm….”

The Security Chief answered slowly.

“Then since we have an exploration objective… how about checking other stations first… and waiting for a train at that station….”

“Trains will come to that station too, you mean?”

“Most likely… yes….”

It was surprisingly quick and accurate situational judgment.

[Hooh!]

“Then we’ll board the train.”

Deputy Manager Lee Ja-heon adopted the Security Chief’s suggestion, and we immediately boarded the train that arrived at Midnight Station right after.

Heading to the next station.

[The screen doors are closing.]

This train was completely empty, giving off an eerie feeling.

“….”

The friction sound of the train running on the rails.

After a quiet silence, the announcement finally comes out…

[This station is Hanmam, Hanmam Station.]

[Archive of knowledge, citizens’ rest area, sanctuary of ■■. Passengers going to Hanbit Library, please get off at this station.]

A library.

“It feels pretty good.”

“Right.”

At least it’s much better than places like Snare Forest or the body-stealing casino.

[The exit doors are opening.]

But when the train doors finally opened upon arriving at the next station, and the platform of ‘Hanmam Station’ came into view…

We stopped in our tracks.

“…That thing.”

The platform was fine this time too.

However, the problem was the A4 printed forms attached to the platform pillars.

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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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