Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 291

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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 291

 

Extinction-level supernatural disaster.

 

Segwang Special City.

 

And the seal that deletes from reality.

 

Hae-geum Agent listened to our explanation quite calmly.

 

Given the nature of ‘Director Ho’s project,’ I had deep concerns about whether to tell a Management Bureau agent the truth, but ultimately decided it would be better.

 

‘Building trust is better than getting caught lying.’

 

To a veteran team manager-level agent who already roughly knew the full story of the incident from the Sekwang Technical High School case, trying to gloss over things would likely lead to a bad outcome. And…

 

‘If push comes to shove, we might be able to get help.’

 

Anyway, after hearing the whole story, Hae-geum Agent twitched her eyebrows and sighed.

 

“I see.”

 

“…”

 

“The Management Bureau… made quite a resolution.”

 

“Senior, should we report this further up the chain…”

 

“No. Not for now.”

 

Hae-geum Agent’s expression became complex, but she stated firmly.

 

“In the first place, it would be better not to increase the number of people who know about that ‘Special City’ any further. If cognitive erasure is real…”

 

“…”

 

“…Agent?”

 

“No.”

 

Hae-geum Agent cut herself off.

 

“Just keep it that way for now. …Contact me when you explore that Special City.”

 

“…!!”

 

“In case of emergency, it’s better to have at least one place to request help. You reckless kids.”

 

“Ugh, Senior!”

 

“You became a senior and went off causing trouble with just the kids. This guy.”

 

Hae-geum Agent smacked Agent Choi’s head, then patted Bronze Agent who met her eyes with a resolved, hardened gaze.

 

“You’ve been through a lot.”

 

“…?!”

 

And finally… she looked at me.

 

“Grape Agent.”

 

…

 

“Are you… trying to become human? Or were you originally human?”

 

Multiple correct answers

 

At least I hope so.

 

“…Is that so?”

 

Hae-geum Agent smiled wryly.

 

“If you have intelligence, can communicate, and have compassion, well, you’re no different from a human.”

 

…

 

“Most importantly, you used this thing.”

 

Hae-geum Agent tapped the sword at her waist.

 

Having used it once before, the Death Sword no longer looked like just an elongated silver sword to me.

 

That enormous, overwhelming power of destruction seemed etched into my mind. Though I can’t guarantee where my brain is located.

 

Come to think of it…

 

Question: Status of the hand lost at Sekwang High

 

“Well, the Dokkaebi Fire just works a bit harder.”

 

Apparently, one of Hae-geum Agent’s hands that was moving now was being replaced by Dokkaebi Fire.

 

Just like I had been at one point.

 

“Well, let’s leave it at that. I have a lot to do.”

 

The busy Hae-geum Agent finally stood up from her seat.

 

“Call me if you need anything.”

 

With that, Hae-geum Agent left her contact information and departed.

 

‘…It seems like a new team member has been unlocked.’

 

It looks like Hae-geum Agent will be joining us during the exploration of Segwang Special City.

 

I calmed my slightly racing heart, even though it wasn’t the right time for that.

 

And back at the Fox Counseling Room, I met with the existing exploration team member.

 

“Noru.”

 

Lee Ja-heon Manager had arrived and was waiting.

 

Since he had accompanied us in concluding the Sekwang High incident and provided significant physical help, I thought he might have come to discuss that.

 

Lizard Manager’s purpose for visiting (deduction):

 

Sharing exploration results

 

“That’s not it.”

 

Huh?

 

The snout of the reptilian alien that appeared to be a white lizard head curved slightly upward.

 

“Our repayment has arrived.”

 

When he says ‘our repayment’…

 

…!!

 

-I… want to regain a human body.

 

-It’s possible.

 

That’s it.

 

My human form.

 

 

A little later, following the meaningful explanation that I ‘could be affected,’ I left the Fox Counseling Room and came to Lee Ja-heon Manager’s Residence.

 

And Lee Ja-heon Manager placed an ‘item’ on the dining table.

 

“This is the item you requested as repayment.”

 

It was a wrapped rectangular box.

 

◎Egg Mood Light◎

 

That was the item’s name written on it, and the front image showed a cute beige egg-shaped mood light design.

 

It looked like a mid-to-low-priced mood light commonly exchanged as birthday gifts on KakaoTalk’s gift page.

 

The kind made in cute character or soft, squishy material forms.

 

But the fact that this is repayment means it’s not an ordinary item.

 

‘An item.’

 

A supernatural phenomenon classified as a ghost story that will restore human form to me.

 

And with a ‘Space Shopping Mall’ origin, it’s guaranteed not to be fatally dangerous.

 

130666’s Status: Grateful

 

“Yes.”

 

Question: Usage method

 

“You can learn through the enclosed manual. Do you wish to receive verbal instructions?”

 

Hold for now

 

“Yes.”

 

I immediately opened the box and picked up the manual placed on top to read it.

 

Thank you for purchasing Sunshine Edit Shop’s Succession Egg Mood Light series!

 

This series is a mysterious product that allows you to observe the growth and birth of life within an egg through the gentle light and shadows of a mood light, and the born result can also be used independently.

 

Try using the nerves and muscles of the observed life form directly! And enjoy the wonderful special effects too!

 

※Warning: Never wake up the result.

 

Ah, this.

 

It’s a ghost story that wasn’t on the wiki.

 

‘Though it is the kind I like to read.’

 

It’s an object ghost story that’s perfect for killing time at the company.

 

And after reading it, I could understand what kind of ghost story this was in a clichéd way.

 

‘So it’s not an egg-shaped mood light, but an actual egg where something is born.’

 

And the life that will grow inside this mood light egg…

 

The born result can also be used independently.

 

Try using the nerves and muscles of the observed life form directly!

 

It seems I can use it for my body.

 

‘…The description does look rather disgusting though.’

 

But my current state is probably more disgusting. Having survived in this ghost story world, I think I can endure this much now.

 

‘Sigh.’

 

And when I turned the page to read the next part, I saw a sticker blocking the content of that page.

 

‘Hmm?’

 

It was a kind of quality guarantee certificate.

 

 

 

The sticker written like that stood out with its flashy colors and font, contrasting with the manual.

 

‘So it was a product from that place!’

 

Then the effects will really be striking. The products introduced there always advertise focusing on dramatic changes or very attractive elements.

 

Like the blood bathtub I bought for Brown, for instance.

 

-Oh, of course I remember, Noru! It was Friend‘s first gift. It was a memorable item.

 

-However… Hmm. Yes. To think that another item introduced by ‘that’ home shopping program would come into Noru’s hands.

 

Somehow I can sense a disapproving tone in Brown’s way of speaking.

 

‘Those two… weren’t they in a pretty good relationship?’

 

Aren’t they both broadcasting-related ghost stories?

 

They even invited that home shopping teddy bear to appear on the late night talk show.

 

I can almost remember that I, completely contaminated by the talk show, was involved in booking that teddy bear…

 

-Oh of course. TV shows and advertisements have a mutually beneficial relationship. Though there are clear positions within that relationship.

 

-Just as a background prop cannot replace the lead actor’s position!

 

…So the late night talk show is the lead role and advertisements are just background props?

 

-Haha, ‘just’? That’s rather rough but you know how to speak wittily, Friend! Yes. It’s not wrong.

 

-Making viewers anxious until the next corner of the TV show, providing budget for the show’s production… That’s the essential role of advertising, isn’t it. This Brown is also sincerely grateful for such advertisements as the show’s humble host.

 

-But recently, that home shopping program has somewhat forgotten its proper role.

 

‘I, I see.’

 

It seems Delusion Home Shopping did something to offend this legendary host…

 

Let’s move on. If I listen more, it might flow into something like ‘Would you like to visit the talk show to learn the detailed circumstances?’…

 

‘I should refrain from purchasing from that home shopping as much as possible. But for now, let me continue reading this manual. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.’

 

-Of course, Noru. I’m looking forward to it too!

 

Phew.

 

I carefully peeled off the sticker and stuck it in an empty space, then read the rest of the manual that had been covered.

 

Now the real manual-like content was beginning.

 

Required materials:

 

2ml of blood from the life form to be cultivated

 

3cm of body hair from the life form to be cultivated

 

100ml of saline solution

 

‘Body parts from the life form to be cultivated?’

 

Hmm.

 

Question: Whether there are limits to life form designation

 

“There are none. Do you need blood and body hair from a life form with specific physical conditions?”

 

That’s the thing.

 

‘It feels wrong to arbitrarily cultivate someone else’s body.’

 

Whether they’re living or dead.

 

I glanced at Manager Lizard.

 

‘Come to think of it, why did he appear human at Sekwang High?’

 

And why did he have black hair? Such questions briefly crossed my mind, but they just passed by since I had other deeper concerns at the moment.

 

‘For now, my blood and hair are… somewhat problematic, aren’t they?’

 

I’m not even sure if this would be considered blood and hair. Isn’t it more like bodily fluid and byproducts…?

 

But I can’t exactly go find blood and hair from when I had the body of ‘Kim Sol-eum’ in the past.

 

‘When I was human, I never even thought of storing my blood and hair separately.’

 

Even in a ghost story world. No, precisely because it’s a ghost story world. Who knows what would happen if I lost them.

 

Of course, there wouldn’t be anyone who would do such a thing to a perfectly normal person in the first place…

 

…

 

Hmm.

 

‘There might be.’

 

Gwak Je-gang.

 

It seems like it’s time to visit the company once.

 

 

“Employee!!”

 

Tap tap.

 

I signaled from inside the mobile unit so the other party could notice.

 

Late at night. In the Research Team office that I visited as inconspicuously as possible through Manager Lee Ja-heon, only Gwak Je-gang was there with his face turned bright red.

 

“Haha, how long has it been since your last visit! This is the first time since you entered the annex building last time, isn’t it?”

 

That’s right.

 

I almost got really screwed after meeting Director Cheong there…

 

Come to think of it, it was this very Gwak Je-gang who told me that Director Cheong was coming.

 

Question:

 

Whether Director Cheong took retaliatory measures

 

“What? Oh, you mean me? Hahaha! Well, I don’t know what to do with myself from your concern… Well, nothing special happened though.”

 

Hmm.

 

“As you know, a researcher as devoted to work as I am would just be left to work. That’s the type of superior he is.”

 

On Gwak Je-gang’s smiling face was that kind of madness unique to scientists who act like such things don’t matter, who are obsessed with research and can’t see anything else.

 

If only that research wasn’t about ghost stories, he might have really contributed to society, but the problem is that it happens to be ghost stories.

 

But this time, the irony of life is that I might get help from that very tendency.

 

Request:

 

Blood and hair of (former) Field Investigation Team D Supervisor Kim Sol-eum

 

“Hmm? What do you mean…”

 

Gwak Je-gang tried to react nonchalantly but hesitated.

 

Poke.

 

Because my smoke had poked his missing pinky finger.

 

“…Well, we lightly collect them during physical examinations in the hiring process. For research purposes only, of course!”

 

Eventually, Gwak Je-gang brought the relevant items from somewhere.

 

“Here, there are samples from Team D.”

 

I checked the screw-cap tubes that Gwak Je-gang handed me.

 

Those stored in the sample box were labeled with dates and names, and contained not only hair and blood but sometimes even flesh and nails.

 

‘Flesh aside, where the hell did the nails come from.’

 

I looked at Manager Lee Ja-heon’s nail fragment and briefly wondered whether this might be lizard nails or not, but eventually just quickly picked up what I needed.

 

Team D Kim Sol-eum / Hair

 

Team D Kim Sol-eum / Blood

 

Now, let’s go back and use the mood light…

 

“You’re going to use it, right? Where? How? Will you use it in darkness? Cloning? Testing? Credential verification? Curse? I’m really… curious.”

 

…

 

“Please let me observe. Please.”

 

This is burdensome…

 

But since Gwak Je-gang had already made a ‘pinky promise’ with me, he couldn’t do anything reckless.

 

‘Then it might be better to proceed with an expert present.’

 

Instruction:

 

Until completion

 

No noise or interference

 

“Hahaha, yes!”

 

Condition: Lizard Manager’s permission

 

“…You. Don’t you need anything?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I don’t know how he managed it, but somehow Gwak Je-gang, who had reached an agreement with Lizard, stubbornly followed me all the way to the company housing.

 

‘Ugh.’

 

Instruction: Wait quietly without noise

 

“…”

 

After making him quiet for now.

 

I gently took the mood light completely out of the box.

 

The white egg-shaped mood light with a soft texture had a groove at the bottom where the interior could be opened, and I opened that groove to fill the inside of the mood light with blood and hair.

 

‘And…’

 

Connect the wire and operate.

 

This process must be carried out in darkness without lighting, or in shadow.

 

As instructed, light flickered into the mood light in the darkness.

 

‘…!’

 

Like shining light on an egg to check if it’s fertilized by examining the blood vessels inside, blood vessels and cells are visible through the scarlet light of the mood light.

 

And they grow larger.

 

“…”

 

It’s like the growth of a chick, or like cultivating cells in a laboratory, or like the birth of an alien life form from a sci-fi movie.

 

The important thing is that the shadow gradually grows larger, precisely showing nerves, blood vessels, organs, etc., forming a silhouette inside the mood light.

 

[Oh, Noru. That seems to be a hand. Look at the grasping and opening motion!]

 

That was certainly mysterious.

 

At a speed like a biology educational video from about 100 years in the future played at 10,000x speed, the life inside grows and takes shape.

 

A small bipedal life form the size of the mood light.

 

Into an adult.

 

“…”

 

♫

 

Soon, with a short recorded sound, the mood light’s glow changed to light green.

 

Completion indicator.

 

‘It’s done.’

 

I reached out to open the mood light and poured its contents onto the towel I had prepared.

 

Then.

 

“…!!”

 

The entrance of the mood light widened strangely, and from within it, a human-sized figure was expelled.

 

Kim Sol-eum.

 

A body with the exact same height as my previous self.

 

“It really is Kim Sol-eum. My goodness, to think such a method existed…!”

 

….

 

I barely managed to inhale and exhale.

 

That thing.

 

Question: Facial appearance evaluation

 

“Huh? Well, he’s quite handsome. Hahaha! Don’t tell me you weren’t confident about Kim Sol-eum’s appearance?”

 

No. That’s not the problem…

 

So, to Gwak Je-gang, that looks like Kim Sol-eum’s head?

 

….

 

But you see.

 

What I’m seeing is a bit different.

 

….

 

‘It’s a lizard head…!’

 

What was before my eyes was Kim Sol-eum’s body with the head of a reptilian alien!

 

‘A lizard!’

 

What the hell is going on.

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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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