Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 325

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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 325

 

I looked at Hae-geum Agent.

 

The agent’s hand gripping tightly onto her signature sword handle had turned pale white from the force.

 

As if trying to digest the shock of what I had just said.

 

I could understand it.

 

I hadn’t properly digested it myself yet either.

 

The fact that the Disaster Management Bureau had chosen to sacrifice all the Segwang Special City citizens instead of rescuing them…

 

I looked down at my own hands.

 

They didn’t have much color in them either.

 

“…Why did you think that?”

 

“I found records.”

 

“Could you tell me exactly what kind of records they were?”

 

I did so.

 

Rather than explaining about the Yukwae Research Institute, I focused on the fact that they were testimony records from citizens who had been in Segwang Special City at that time.

 

“…”

 

“…Agent. Could this also… be a type of selection work?”

 

Selection work.

 

The selection of sacrificial victims carried out by the Scale of Evil.

 

-Efficiently selecting the few who will die to save the innocent many.

 

Right.

 

The reason I intuitively felt like I’d been hit over the head that this was likely the truth as soon as I saw the records was because this flow was similar.

 

“To stop an extinction-level supernatural disaster where no method works and the death toll increases exponentially, utilizing people who are going to die anyway.”

 

Even if they rescued the Segwang Special City people, if they couldn’t control the extinction-level disaster, everyone would die together anyway.

 

In that case, it would be better to ‘use them effectively’ to prevent the supernatural disaster from spreading further.

 

[How rational. In difficult times when resources are scarce, wouldn’t such decisions be necessary?]

 

[Just like in 14th century cities, locking up families infected with the plague in their homes so they couldn’t come out and starved to death.]

 

[At least the epidemic didn’t spread!]

 

I raised my head.

 

Hae-geum Agent met my eyes.

 

Her eyes were dark.

 

“It’s possible. We’re not a volunteer organization but government officials, and we have a duty to implement whatever orders come down from above. Especially in national crisis situations like extinction-level disasters.”

 

“…”

 

“But Grape Agent.”

 

Hae-geum Agent says quietly.

 

“Do you really think the Management Bureau Agents would have made such a choice?”

 

“…!!”

 

“What do you think based on your direct experience?”

 

That’s….

 

….

 

“No.”

 

I remember Team Leader Hong and the Blue Dragon Team Members who kept devising methods until the very end to save the Children at Segwang High School.

 

I remember my Team Members who couldn’t abandon the Children at Sparkling Dragon Palace and ultimately couldn’t refuse the suggestion to look into whether we could Rescue them for just one more day.

 

And countless others, I remember the numerous Agents who disappeared in a single line in the Darkness Investigation Records….

 

“I don’t think they would have made such a choice.”

 

But still.

 

“Even so, you never know about collective decisions.”

 

Isn’t that a separate issue from the atmosphere among the personnel?

 

Just like how the Agents at the Scale Courthouse ended up having to select people to Rescue while constantly suffering.

 

Hae-geum Agent sighed.

 

“Right. Still, I’m inclined to think that the Management Bureau’s upper management wouldn’t have gone that far under normal circumstances….”

 

“….”

 

“You probably don’t know how many Agents opposed it when the Scale of Evil was first introduced.”

 

Actually, I do know.

 

And the fact that it was implemented despite that made it even more ominous.

 

But listening to Hae-geum Agent’s words, my peace of mind returns and I become a bit calmer.

 

‘Have I become too tainted by the Darkness Investigation Records?’

 

In the Ghost Story worldview, it seems all too plausible for government agencies to sacrifice about a million Citizens….

 

….

 

Wait a minute.

 

Occult Anomaly targeting the entire City

 

Government?

 

Massive Human Sacrifice Ritual??

 

At this rate we’ll die we absolutely have to get out

 

Government.

 

“What if.”

 

I swallowed.

 

“…What if it wasn’t the Disaster Management Bureau’s decision, but a decision from a higher authority?”

 

“…!”

 

It’s a Deduction that I misunderstood the subject.

 

When I think about it, it was also natural.

 

‘In a national crisis situation, the probability that only the Disaster Management Bureau made the decision would be lower.’

 

But Hae-geum Agent smiled coldly and bitterly.

 

“Let me ask again, do you think the agents would have followed that?”

 

“…!”

 

“Those guys who disobey orders and walk into disasters on their own just to save one more person would hardly follow something like that.”

 

“Is it difficult to execute this kind of ritual without agents?”

 

“Yes. That’s the problem.”

 

Hae-geum Agent examined the Death Sword before fastening it back to her waist.

 

“Something like a sealing ritual requires the Management Bureau to mobilize specialized personnel. If they all rose up and refused, the ritual couldn’t have proceeded.”

 

“….”

 

“If something like this really happened and they wiped all the agents’ memories… someone definitely cooperated with this.”

 

Cooperation.

 

“…You mean higher-ups in the Disaster Management Bureau who aren’t agents?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

….

 

I muttered with the feeling of being struck by a blow.

 

“Then they must have deceived the agents to proceed.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Hae-geum Agent answered carefully.

 

“Sealing rituals are basically in the form of sacrifice rituals. You offer sacrifices and make requests to some divine or mysterious being… the more the request goes against natural order and flow, the more dangerous the price required.”

 

Hae-geum Agent opened her mouth as if to give an example, but ultimately didn’t and changed the subject.

 

“At that stage, they could deceive the agents conducting it.”

 

“In what way?”

 

“They could have made vague excuses about what sacrifices were being used, just saying it was a sealing ritual to seal an extinction-level disaster… or if not that, they might have cast a prohibition spell.”

 

If they were going to erase memories anyway, they could use any number of moderately unethical methods.

 

“Then that means there are people among the Disaster Management Bureau’s higher-ups who actively cooperated and used the agents.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Do you have any idea which faction it might be?”

 

“….”

 

Hae-geum Agent, who had been looking at me, approached with a serious expression.

 

Smack!

 

“…?!”

 

She, she hit me on the head!

 

“You’re picking up nothing but bad habits from Agent Choi! Why don’t you just shout that you’re going to do something dangerous, do you think I’d answer that?”

 

Aaaah!

 

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

 

I was finally released and rubbed my throbbing head as I spoke.

 

“But if I know, I can prepare countermeasures!”

 

“What countermeasures, are you going back?”

 

“That’s not it…”

 

I hesitated slightly before speaking.

 

It seems like now is the right time to reveal this.

 

“To terminate an extinction-level supernatural disaster.”

 

“…!”

 

“Agent, I’m going to terminate the disaster in the Special City.”

 

“….”

 

“So, if there’s anything that could help in that process, I want to know everything.”

 

Hae-geum Agent didn’t call me a crazy bastard.

 

She didn’t curse me with her eyes either, just looked me over and let out a long sigh.

 

“Like team leader, like team member… That’s Genbu Team 1 for you.”

 

I just smiled awkwardly.

 

But the moment I recalled Team Leader Hong tied up and contaminated at Segwang High School, my smile disappeared.

 

‘Team Leader Hong at the hospital couldn’t remember…’

 

“That bastard Agent Choi seems to have infiltrated completely and even looked through the records. Since he’s not making a fuss, he must have completely erased all traces from the classified records too.”

 

“….”

 

They had managed this secret that thoroughly. Burying a million people and the cleanup being so persistent and clean was truly chilling…

 

‘…Wait a minute.’

 

I urgently turned my head.

 

“Agent.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Then if they find out we know, there’s no telling how they’ll react, right?”

 

“…!!”

 

I got up.

 

“Is there any chance they’ve placed a prohibition spell or something that would let them notice even if we just mention anything related?”

 

Hae-geum Agent’s complexion changed too.

 

“There is.”

 

Damn it!

 

I also stood up with a face that had turned pale.

 

‘Of all places, this is a Disaster Management Bureau container.’

 

I made a mistake.

 

I reflexively looked toward the entrance as I stood up, and Hae-geum Agent also urgently got up and wrapped both herself and me in Dokkaebi Fire.

 

At that moment, the container door opened.

 

“…!”

 

…But there was no one outside.

 

An empty street.

 

No sign of anyone.

 

But it was even more eerie because nothing was visible.

 

The door had definitely opened.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

We stayed still for a long while, then carefully walked out of the container while wrapped in Dokkaebi Fire.

 

Hae-geum Agent deliberately circled around the container several times, keeping it at the center.

 

Crunch, crunch.

 

The sound of our tense, quiet footsteps echoed on the floor.

 

There was nothing behind us.

 

Who killed the Young Lady

 

The kite string hanging from tree branches beyond the wall

 

Strangled the Young Lady’s neck

 

We kept walking.

 

There was nothing behind us.

 

Who killed the Young Lady

 

One comb tooth that the Servant was holding

 

Sharpened its blade this way and that and pierced through

 

We kept walking.

 

There was nothing behind us.

 

Who killed the Young Lady…

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

It disappeared.

 

I felt that the nothingness had vanished.

 

“…That’s enough. We can go now.”

 

“….”

 

“We didn’t get caught because we didn’t specifically mention the exact name. From now on, don’t mention that matter using proper nouns in reality.”

 

She meant not to say ‘Segwang Special City’ and ‘human sacrifice’ together.

 

“Yes.”

 

I nodded immediately.

 

My neck was drenched with cold sweat.

 

Hae-geum Agent, who had a similar expression, seemed to think for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

 

“I guess there’s no choice. I think I need to enter that disaster myself.”

 

What?

 

“I need to take a look at what the situation is like. Just so happens… right. Our team has three days off.”

 

Hae-geum Agent took out her phone from her pocket and checked the Shift Work App, then looked back at me with a slight smile.

 

“Tell Agent Choi to take a break for a while. He should do Substitute Work while I’m gone.”

 

Ah.

 

* * *

 

“…So, one more agent is joining the project.”

 

Yeah.

 

I faced Ho Yu-won in the Fox Counseling Room I had returned to and told him about Agent Hae-geum joining us.

 

…Even now, recalling that process makes my heart feel uneasy.

 

‘It was fortunate I was cautious.’

 

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason I came here.

 

“Ho Yu-won.”

 

“Noru-nim. It seems you still have more to say.”

 

I reported the results of this exploration to Ho Yu-won, who seemed to be in a sour mood, perhaps because of the added agent.

 

“I found it.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I found you.”

 

“…!”

 

Ho Yu-won’s movement stopped completely without even a twitch.

 

I took out what I had stored in my inventory.

 

A plastic bottle containing ash powder and… an agent uniform.

 

“Here.”

 

Ho Yu-won reached out and grabbed it.

 

Ho Yu-won’s face became momentarily blank as he looked at the fox picture patch attached to the agent uniform.

 

“He left this behind when he disappeared. …Though he did introduce himself as just a projection.”

 

“….”

 

Ho Yu-won seemed to come to his senses and looked away from the agent uniform.

 

Then I poured the sand-like powder I had brought in the plastic bottle onto the table. When the murky silver powder piled up on the table, Ho Yu-won placed his hand on it….

 

But nothing happened.

 

Ho Yu-won withdrew his hand.

 

“I see. This must have been a part of me that was subordinated to another darkness.”

 

It goes back into the plastic bottle.

 

“Not the real thing, but a remaining afterimage…. Well, I suppose my situation outside is better? To think even an afterimage is trapped there, haha….”

 

“….”

 

“The real one is probably near the subway station too. You can continue searching for him.”

 

Ho Yu-won looked back at me with eyes flashing with excitement, anxiety, and anticipation.

 

But that almost manic attitude somehow quickly subsided the moment he asked the next question.

 

“Noru-nim.”

 

Ho Yu-won hesitates for a moment before asking.

 

“…How was that projection, by any chance?”

 

Ah.

 

“Did his memory seem intact? If it seemed intact, what kind of being did he appear to be? What did he seem to pursue….”

 

“Well.”

 

I answered honestly.

 

“They seemed like a good counselor.”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“Haha….”

 

Ho Yu-won returned the plastic bottle to me.

 

“Ah, that doesn’t mean anything. It’s just rusted silver powder.”

 

Thud.

 

I caught it.

 

‘Rusted silver powder.’

 

Then it might have fallen from the ‘Scale of Evil’ that was at the Scale Courthouse.

 

Since that tribunal itself was a scale that had become a ghost story, Ho Yu-won’s thoughts or something must have remained.

 

“….”

 

I put away the plastic bottle again.

 

Since it felt wrong to throw it away, I was thinking of scattering it somewhere sunny.

 

‘Or maybe I should clump it into a solid form.’

 

Anyway, Ho Yu-won, who had been quietly staring at the agent uniform as if trying to feel something from it, even handed that to me.

 

“Take it. It might help you find their whereabouts.”

 

I nodded.

 

And I looked at him anew.

 

“What’s wrong, Noru?”

 

“…Nothing.”

 

It would be better not to mention the circumstances suggesting that the citizens of Segwang Special City had all been sacrificed.

 

But separately, this person’s tremendous anger and resentment comes to me with a more vivid background than before.

 

As much as the shock I had received.

 

‘…Phew.’

 

“I’ll be going.”

 

I left the Fox Counseling Room.

 

And I found the waiting Hae-geum Agent again.

 

“So how should I enter? I’d like to get right into the heart of it so I can gather as much information as possible.”

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

First, let me look at the current situation.

 

‘The researchers are working on the potion manufacturing machine….’

 

Until then, I needed to gather more information.

 

‘The stations with Joyful Research Institute offices I haven’t visited yet… about 3 stations.’

 

– Segwang Station (Forest Path of Death)

 

– Midnight Station (Body Casino)

 

– Twilight Station (Conscience Sales Stand)

 

Since Twilight Station is impossible to enter, I’ll pass on that, but it would be good to check out at least one of the remaining two… To do that, I’d need to terminate the subway station ghost story.

 

‘It won’t be easy.’

 

But at that moment, the words of someone I met at Hanbit Library came to mind.

 

-Agent Hae-geum… you mean?

 

-Yeah. She’s really good at making bold moves, and has great guts too. Most importantly… she’s lucky.

 

….

 

“Agent.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Do you happen to have any expertise in gambling?”

 

* * *

 

“So. Agent Hae-geum is now….”

 

“She went to the Body Casino.”

 

Thud.

 

Bronze Agent grabbed his head.

 

Even though he was already dead and shouldn’t feel headaches, since he was on the train he appeared in his living form and seemed to be feeling the headache in full….

 

-So supernatural phenomena appeared individually at each subway station.

 

-What do you think would happen if we terminated all of them?

 

But Agent Hae-geum showed definite interest, and eventually took two people from the project and left.

 

“Who are they?”

 

I avoided his gaze.

 

“Elite Team’s Butterfly Deputy and my colleague, Pony Supervisor….”

 

“….”

 

That’s right.

 

Deputy Jin Na-sol and Team Leader Kang I-hak were assigned.

 

At the fact that truly Daydream Employee-like Daydream Employees were accompanying Agent Hae-geum, Bronze Agent seemed to have lost not just his headache but his words as well….

 

“Why….”

 

“…It was Agent Hae-geum’s request.”

 

-Give me one ruthless bastard and one who goes crazy at the sight of money.

 

-Excuse me?

 

-If it’s that company, you should be able to find them very easily.

 

-Excuse me?

 

Recalling that day when the conversation almost ended with me just saying ‘Excuse me?’ over and over, I deeply understood Bronze Agent’s horror….

 

I was really scared too.

 

“…Anyway, I understand.”

 

The Bronze Agent, who had been holding back a sigh, seemed to calm down for now and looked back at me.

 

“So Grape Agent… what business brought you to visit this train?”

 

It was simple.

 

‘I feel like there’s something more hidden on this train.’

 

Seeing the evidence of human sacrifice makes me think even more.

 

The fact that the self-proclaimed Lee Kang-heon hid a note here, and that this was a shelter created by Blue Dragon Team agents who stayed until almost the very end – there must definitely be something to find.

 

‘Since Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je and Bronze Agent were here first, I can infiltrate more easily now.’

 

I’ll search this train thoroughly and find it quickly.

 

Of course, saying something like ‘The government sacrificed a million citizens!’ to Bronze Agent right now would be crazy…

 

So I just smiled brightly.

 

“I’m planning to settle down on this train.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

“I’m tired of visiting stations, so I want to rest a bit.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Please take care of me.”

 

Bronze Agent looked a bit dazed. I feel a bit sorry, but this seems like the best approach. Phew.

 

-I see. You must have thought about it a lot before making that decision. Teacher.

 

That was true.

 

But now that the decision is made, I’ll work hard…??!

 

“…?!”

 

-You seem surprised. Are you alright? Ah, if you check your chest, you’ll find me there.

 

Chest?

 

I quickly put my hand into my jacket’s inner pocket.

 

Inside, a small silver coin was glinting.

 

Cheerful Coins.

 

It was a silver coin I had minted from the rusty silver powder I brought in the plastic bottle.

 

Since it was awkward to just leave it as powder in the plastic bottle, I sent it to the theme park using Inventory Tattoo and consolidated it into Cheerful Coins form.

 

[Show business, good heavens.]

 

From within it, the voice of ‘Juror No. 1’ was echoing.

 

[Let’s abandon it, Friend!]

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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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