Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 279

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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 279

 

Ryu Jae-gwan looked at his superior.

 

The Genbu Team 1 agent who had infiltrated the secret archives of the Gangwon Province branch on the right date and read unauthorized information.

 

‘…It’s a dangerous choice.’

 

He certainly thought so.

 

However, he couldn’t stop him.

 

After all, separately exploring a supernatural disaster that the Management Bureau had directly sealed was inherently dangerous.

 

And collaborating with a Baek Il-mong director, no less.

 

It was a reckless act that even Ryu Jae-gwan would never have done under normal circumstances if things hadn’t progressed ‘this way.’

 

‘It’s grounds for disciplinary action.’

 

So given how things had turned out, it was a decision that having a bit more information would be better.

 

And… once he knew the information, he planned to decide.

 

‘…Whether it’s okay to just let this exploration continue.’

 

About the danger of continuing to enter a ghost story severe enough that the Disaster Management Bureau would sacrifice an entire city.

 

It was certainly an understandable direction…

 

But the result was… ‘We forgot something important.’

 

“…About that city?”

 

“No. It’s not simply that. Our team, the Team Manager…”

 

Team Manager?

 

‘Why suddenly bring up that person…’

 

Agent Choi stopped mid-sentence and suddenly looked up, meeting Ryu Jae-gwan’s eyes.

 

Ryu Jae-gwan felt a strangely sunken expression flash across that gaze…

 

“…Mm. Should we get out of the archives for now? This kind of thing should be done safely.”

 

Soon Agent Choi returned to his nonchalant attitude.

 

He shrugged and exchanged a few friendly gestures with the dokkaebi fire, then finished preparing to withdraw.

 

And when leaving the archives, he was even seen off by the dokkaebi fire, who was excited after receiving plenty of buckwheat jelly.

 

“Thank you~ I’ll see you again next time!”

 

That attitude seemed to anticipate being caught by superiors.

 

-It’s better to do this kind of thing lightly. Like usual.

 

-As if we did it casually because paperwork is bothersome and takes too long.

 

It was aimed at the effect of ‘Agent Choi being Agent Choi.’

 

So they wouldn’t think he had actually come to examine the cognitive removal records while entering a sealed annihilation-class disaster.

 

And he had already deceived Agent Grape in a similar manner.

 

-See! I told you that if our civil servants said they’d skip this exploration because they might be suspected of using annual leave too often, I’d believe it, right?

 

-Sigh…

 

-No, that guy Grape has a surprisingly soft side!

 

‘Phew.’

 

Of course, as a result of this choice, the fact that only people working at a fraudulent company (including contaminants) went on the exploration… weighed heavily on his mind.

 

Ryu Jae-gwan continued to feel anxious that one of them should have remained on the exploration, but his superior was quite calm about that aspect.

 

-Hmm, well, there were some pretty decent people there. We needed to see how things progress when they’re together by themselves at least once.

 

Ryu Jae-gwan wondered.

 

Was Agent Choi thinking the same thing now?

 

His superior who continued to feign composure after reading the records about Segwang Special City.

 

-Well, Grape is probably leading them well.

 

 

“Dragon Employee, we need to move.”

 

“Wait, please wait just a moment.”

 

I paused briefly to avoid being overwhelmed by the facts swirling in my head.

 

So.

 

‘The Emergency Rescue Team was originally the Azure Dragon Team.’

 

But when the Azure Dragon Team went missing in Segwang Special City, the Genbu Team replaced that vacant position?

 

‘The Genbu Team… was a team specialized in terminating disasters?’

 

…

 

But why isn’t it on the wiki?

 

‘No.’

 

I can’t get too absorbed in this right now.

 

There’s no time to worry about such unanswerable problems when my companions have disappeared in a ghost story.

 

‘What I can do.’

 

Right. I need to do what I can first. That is…

 

“…Please show me that again.”

 

“Huh?”

 

The torn talisman.

 

I grabbed the library checkout slip that Wolf Team Leader had found in the glass lantern and began carefully examining its back side again.

 

Every single pattern, line, and structure.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I’m trying to memorize it.”

 

The shape of this talisman.

 

“Ah, you’re planning to get a similar talisman from the Disaster Management Bureau.”

 

“…!”

 

“You’re guessing that problems arose when that talisman tore.”

 

“…”

 

“Dragon Employee still has connections with the Disaster Management Bureau, I see.”

 

I just nodded slowly.

 

I wondered if this was another expression of suspicion.

 

“Be careful about it. The company won’t like it very much. Still, when children’s lives are at stake for an entire school, people’s hearts are like that.”

 

“…!”

 

Wolf Team Leader just chuckled and said that, then patted my back.

 

“Now, did you memorize it all? Let’s move again. We need to find an escape method again.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I put the torn talisman back into the broken glass lantern, then buried it again in the backyard dirt pile. Even though it was broken and torn, it might still be serving some role.

 

Instead, I took something else.

 

“It’s a small piece.”

 

“Yes.”

 

A piece of the glass lantern that had completely shattered and fallen off.

 

I carefully found just that one piece from the dirt pile and collected it.

 

“Should I lend you a handkerchief? For sample collection.”

 

“It’s fine. I brought something.”

 

I wrapped the glass fragment in tissue and put it in my pocket.

 

Come to think of it….

 

“Do you also collect samples in the darkness?”

 

“If there’s time before escaping, we do. The researchers ask us to.”

 

Wait a minute. If it’s a researcher who would make the Field Investigation Team do things like sample collection….

 

“By any chance, does that person’s name start with Kwak?”

 

“Ah, that’s right.”

 

“….”

 

“I guess he’s still working there?”

 

It’s not just that he’s ‘still working’….

 

I couldn’t bring myself to say that you’re still working there too.

 

However, with a gentler and more generous atmosphere than before, the Wolf Team Leader continued the conversation.

 

In a completely unexpected direction.

 

“Hmm, if he’s still working there… is Hae-geum still at the Disaster Management Bureau?”

 

“…!?”

 

Wait a minute.

 

“You mean Hae-geum Agent…?”

 

“Yes. She was very good at making bold moves, and had great guts too. Above all… she was lucky.”

 

“….”

 

“She would have worked well even if she came to Team B.”

 

Judging eyes gleamed through the wolf mask.

 

“Anyway, she was such an enthusiastic young agent that I thought she’d still be working there.”

 

That was correct.

 

Of course, thinking that Hae-geum Agent had an enthusiastic and young rookie period felt somewhat strange.

 

I almost showed him the bell I received out of joy, but I held back remembering that the person in front of me probably wasn’t the ‘real past Team B leader.’

 

But at the same time, a very fundamental question arose.

 

If he somewhat trusts that I’m from the future, then why….

 

“…Don’t you ask what happened to Baekillmong in the future?”

 

Why doesn’t he ask about his own direct future?

 

“Well.”

 

“….”

 

“There’s no need to.”

 

The Wolf Team Leader laughed silently.

 

And while preparing to go back up to the infirmary, he gently asks.

 

“Have you heard of Oedipus?”

 

“…You mean the Greek and Roman mythology story?”

 

“Yes. He received an oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and it came true exactly as foretold…. Why do you think that happened?”

 

A low voice could be heard as we climbed the wall.

 

“Because people heard that oracle. Like a butterfly effect, the oracle actually caused itself to be fulfilled.”

 

“….”

 

“Knowing the future itself might lead me to that future, so there’s no need to voluntarily take on such a headache. You understand, right?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

It was remarkable self-restraint.

 

[Self-fulfilling prophecy, what an interesting excuse he knows how to make. Indeed, he looks much better than that pathetic, washed-up beast….]

 

[Oh. That’s right. Noru, how about getting some advice from this Brown after a long time?]

 

‘…What is it?’

 

Soon, the cheerful host’s voice becomes slightly lower and softer as if realizing something.

 

[How about killing him right now?]

 

What?

 

[Then he might wake up in reality just as he is now.]

 

‘…!’

 

[Just like hoping that your ordinary former superior who regenerated both hands in this sealed city’s dream would wake up in reality still having both hands.]

 

Like Park Min-seong?

 

‘No, that’s ridiculous.’

 

Because in the first place, that Wolf Team Leader is a projection created by the ghost story….

 

[Of course it might not work, but who knows? Speculation can’t guarantee anything! Just in case, even if there’s only a slim chance….]

 

….

 

[At least try it once. There’s absolutely nothing to lose. It’s a safe gamble.]

 

I looked at the Wolf Team Leader.

 

While thinking of his current appearance.

 

…In the annex building, stabbing stones into his own stomach.

 

[Wouldn’t the person involved like it too? Oh, returning to his good old appearance. It would be every actor’s dream.]

 

“….”

 

[Of course, this is just a suggestion. Noru. I merely advised a new path as your Good Friend!]

 

[So let’s think about it.]

 

“Come on up.”

 

“Yes.”

 

I couldn’t give Brown any definitive answer.

 

I just followed the Wolf Team Leader, climbing the school wall and pulling myself up by grabbing the window frame of the 3rd floor infirmary.

 

In my confusion, I put aside the fact that Brown’s words were on a rational level.

 

But it was the next moment.

 

The moment I raised my head toward the infirmary….

 

“Oh my. We have a prior guest.”

 

“…!”

 

A situation occurred that was enough to blow away my confusion.

 

There was a student in the infirmary.

 

A black silhouette standing in front of the door.

 

The thing wearing a school uniform was watching us climb up through the window….

 

And the next moment.

 

“…!”

 

The Wolf Team Leader and I simultaneously lunged forward and caught the student who was trying to turn around and run away.

 

Thud.

 

The black Shadowy Figure who couldn’t leave the infirmary collapses. I urgently tried to restrain the opponent with the infirmary curtains. But at the same time…

 

I recognized that appearance and clothing.

 

Bleached hair and piercings.

 

A transfer student?

 

Unlucky bastard.

 

It was that Student I had borrowed the uniform from.

 

“…!”

 

Meanwhile, the Wolf Team Leader who instantly pinned down and suppressed the struggling Student asks.

 

“Can you speak?”

 

However, there’s no answer. I saw the Student staring at the Wolf Team Leader with an expressionless face.

 

That expression showed no sign of treating him like a human…

 

‘Wait a minute.’

 

-To the Students of Sekwang Technical High School, outsiders appear as monsters.

 

Because we entered the game using an error. Of course, we entered this school by reading a book rather than the text version…

 

We wouldn’t be accepted as members of the school. Because.

 

‘We’re not wearing uniforms.’

 

And.

 

I… can wear a uniform.

 

“…”

 

Thump, thump.

 

Feeling my heart beating, I brought my hand to my chest.

 

Tattoo.

 

That circular complex structure where I had organized the contamination was still on my skin.

 

I select one of them.

 

A word that looked like computer font corruption due to an error.

 

“…Team Leader.”

 

I ask for permission.

 

“I’ll try a different method.”

 

I placed my hand over that tattoo.

 

The next moment.

 

The bell of Segwang High School rang.

 

I was standing in the infirmary as a Student wearing an old-fashioned uniform.

 

“…!!”

 

The pupils of the Student caught and pinned to the floor narrow. A reaction corresponding to shock.

 

And now I ‘know’.

 

‘We don’t use our voices.’

 

Because only Text Communication is permitted.

 

I took out A4 paper from the infirmary like in the old days, and wrote words on the paper with a pencil.

 

Thanks for lending me the uniform last time

 

I’m the Transfer Student who brought you

 

to the infirmary

 

Remember?

 

And I hand it to my Classmate.

 

When I look at the Wolf Mask Wearer, he slightly loosens his grip on the Classmate.

 

I see the Classmate, who barely freed one arm from the outsider’s restraint, scribbling on the paper…

 

What are you?

 

Why did you come here again?

 

Because I want to know about this school

 

There were many things to ask.

 

For instance, how do you move around.

 

What do you know about the torn talisman.

 

But…

 

I chose something completely different as my first question.

 

With a certain premonition.

 

Why aren’t we allowed to speak?

 

Why?

 

Because we need to be quiet

 

Why do we need to be quiet?

 

As if frustrated and filled with resentment, the Classmate scrawls on the A4 paper.

 

Because we’re inside the library, you idiot!

 

…

 

‘As expected.’

 

Like a blow to the head, everything clicks into place.

 

The reason why the surroundings of our high school are so dark that nothing can be seen.

 

The reason why from within those countless corridors of bookshelves in Hanbit Library, I could only see this high school through the window…

 

It’s simple.

 

‘Because it’s not a window leading outside.’

 

This high school exists inside the library.

 

The reason nothing can be seen around the school is simple.

 

Because there’s nothing there.

 

A space enclosed by the backs of bookshelves.

 

This place has become part of Hanbit Library

 

Sekwang Technical High School.

 

It existed in a form completely swallowed inside Hanbit Library…

 

‘…’

 

The wiki updates.

 

 

‘….’

 

 

Because the Blue Dragon Team put the high school inside the library.

 

And this means.

 

Right

 

So if you can get out, get out right now

 

All the students of Sekwang Technical High School were originally human.

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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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