Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 376

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If You Fall Into Ghost Stories, You Still Have to Go to Work — Episode 376
Thwack.
The wooden doll’s shoulder trembled with the dull sound. The twisted noise of wood meeting a fist.
Naturally, it was my fist that had struck the doll.
Drip.
My cold sweat fell onto the wooden doll.
[Again.]
Thwack.
The doll’s joints twisted, its arm rotating to an unnatural angle.
The wooden doll has no facial features.
And yet, despite its inability to look at me, beneath the eerie red lighting the shadow cast across its smooth surface gave the uncanny impression that it was staring straight at me. And….
The droning voice of the announcement broadcast.
[Yes, yes. Keep going until it breaks completely.]
…….
“I don’t want to.”
Truth be told.
‘I figured out what kind of ghost story this was the moment I read the log, of course.’
I’d sifted through all the ghost stories related to “wooden dolls” recorded in the Dark Investigation Records and traced through them mentally.
I’d narrowed it down to two or three possibilities.
But in this moment, I’d confirmed which one it was.
“I said I don’t want to.”
I spoke again without lifting my head.
Silence filled the room’s interior.
And then.
[…….]
The Researcher fell quiet.
‘As expected.’
But the moment I shifted my body backward, the droning voice came again.
[Ah~ that’s not enough. Let’s keep going.]
Only my movements trigger a response.
‘My voice isn’t being heard.’
They don’t know what I said.
I’d been almost certain since my question and the Researcher’s statement overlapped earlier.
They’d definitely installed speakers inside the containment room to issue orders unilaterally.
‘I’ve seen that setup several times in the investigation records.’
Records written based solely on what the CCTV cameras captured.
A staff member who entered the containment room of Qterw-C-348 complaining it’s too dark (speculation based on infrared camera footage). The Researcher repeatedly ordered him to stay.
The Wiki claims it’s to heighten reader tension through limited information structure, but why would they actually do such a thing?
It’s simple.
‘Sound is what triggers the contamination in this ghost story.’
Right. The Researcher judged that auditory elements inside the containment room could serve as contamination triggers.
‘Wooden doll, a ghost in a dream, waterside. And on top of that… contamination concerns through sound.’
Once those keywords were complete, I could easily identify a specific ghost story from this fragmented situation without any manual hints.
‘So that means….’
This is it.
======================
Dark Investigation Records / Ghost Story
[Let Me Send You Off]
: , a ghost story that appears in
Daydream Corporation
with identification code Qterw-C-2554.
The entity is discovered in soil near a waterside.
Its size distribution ranges from 12 centimeters to 37 centimeters in variety, and while the materials—fabric, wood, brass, leather, ■■—are not standardized, all possess
human form
with both arms and legs. Identification as Qterw-C-2554 is possible via the attached
talisman
.
The talisman is severely damaged and covered in graffiti. Upon restoration and interpretation of the text, it was confirmed to contain incantations for a
water spirit ritual
performed for a
drowned person
.
(The four pillars of destiny of a nameless drowned person are written, though
no matching death record could be found
.)
Those who come into contact with the doll begin to experience hallucinations of ghosts, watersides, and drowning, and if left untreated, they
die
within seven days.
In cases of non-suicide, autopsy results classify the cause as
drowning
.
======================
‘This is genuinely creepy….’
Sigh.
In any case, the wooden doll itself was never the important part. It’s merely one of the forms this ghost story manifests in.
And destroying or breaking the doll isn’t such a decisive factor either.
‘The contamination already started the moment I made contact with it.’
In other words….
Thwack.
‘So breaking this wouldn’t make things significantly worse…!’
I continued moving my arm, striking the wooden doll repeatedly.
‘Nngh.’
That sensation you’d feel deliberately cutting a rope and entering a mountain shrine marked with “No Entry”—
An instinctive chill of doing something wrong ran through my entire body, yet I didn’t stop.
Thwack.
Following the Researcher’s demand, my strikes continued until it was completely destroyed. Though my undernourished body was screaming in protest, an adult male’s physical strength was enough to shatter the wooden doll’s joints. Despite my near-malnourished condition, my body protested with every blow.
And so, in my grasp, the ominous wooden doll in the containment room was completely….
Smashed to pieces.
[Yes. That’s enough.]
At the Researcher’s voice, I withdrew my hand.
My knuckles ached, but that wasn’t the priority.
What came next was what mattered.
‘Right now…!’
I immediately hunched beneath the chair and began digging at the exposed soil of the containment room floor.
It was already somewhat excavated.
While striking the wooden doll, I’d been subtly rubbing the ground with my feet the whole time…!
[Now, please exit… Worker Z999?]
I needed to finish quickly before objections came.
I rapidly scooped away the loosened soil with both hands.
Then I picked up the shattered doll with its disjointed pieces from the chair, placed it in the excavated spot, and covered it over with soil again.
[No wait….]
The moment I patted down the soil and stood up.
Ha-
“…….”
Eeyinnertayajoeuneumisseogeujeulipado…
A strange, scraping sound like tape being rewound brushed past my ears.
A voice whispering so close I could feel breath against my ear, right beside me.
‘Damn.’
Chills raced down the back of my neck, but I squeezed my eyes shut and endured it.
Click.
The containment room door opened behind me.
‘Help me.’
I fled the dark containment room like a coward.
The moment I emerged into the security staff member’s somewhat oppressive surveillance, the Researcher’s voice came through.
[There, what were you doing just now?]
The voice carried a note of curiosity.
‘I have an excuse ready for this.’
I deliberately hunched my shoulders. And spoke in the same halting manner as this morning.
“W-well, if it’s broken… I should clean it up, right? So I… cleaned it up… so it wouldn’t be visible….”
Speaking as if malnourishment and poor conditions had made me slightly simple-minded.
[……mm.]
They bought it.
‘Thank you, miserable environment.’
How convenient—my suspicion can’t be reasoned away. My only advantage….
And as I stumbled forward, the security staff member tried to remove the armband wrapped around my arm.
[Wait. Let’s leave that on. I want to monitor the progress until tomorrow.]
‘Right.’
You want to document one more unusual case? Very typical of a Daydream Corporation researcher’s choice….
Thinking of some mad researcher at headquarters, I felt neither like laughing nor crying.
The branch office is no different, apparently.
Ah, the other method is financial pressure.
[If that armband gets damaged, the cost comes out of your salary. It’s very expensive. Understand? Either you’ll work for years without pay, or you’d better treat it more carefully than your own body.]
“Yes….”
Now they’re making crazy demands like asking for compensation because a staff member’s computer broke—this is insane.
[Inside, when you saw the doll, did you feel anything strange? Or hear anything unusual?]
Hmm.
I shook my head.
[Mm… I see.]
And so I boarded the vehicle again, waiting briefly for the other workers to finish their shifts and return.
Phew.
‘First stage… passed.’
I finally relaxed my tension.
Lost in thought while looking at the armband still wrapped around my forearm.
I carefully raised my hand and, pretending to adjust the armband as a promise to protect it, gently felt inside for its outline.
…The sensation of a small cylindrical object.
‘As I thought.’
It seems a Dream Essence Collector is inside.
‘They put the collector in the armband, and staff members collect whatever solution the workers extract from ghost stories.’
I’d suspected this armband had a function beyond simple tracking and recording.
‘The whole reason for all this is Dream Essence Collection anyway.’
Workers exist in a position where they don’t even need to share it—basically contract labor….
But the fact that I now have the Dream Essence Collector in my hand means.
‘…I can make the Researcher jump with the solution grade.’
My body condition is poor enough that if I stayed in that excuse for a break room much longer, I’d probably get sick within two weeks anyway….
Mm.
‘Yeah, I should definitely move to an earlier worker number.’
Even if I have to leave eventually.
I removed my hand from the armband and mentally completed my agenda.

* * *
And shortly after.
Sitting in the company cafeteria, I came to understand how this absurd worker labor system is maintained.
“Hey, still making good money today.”
I’d just received my allowance in cash.
Do you know how much?
One million won.
‘Crazy.’
Beside me, I could hear other workers excitedly counting their money. Even I nearly got excited seeing twenty crisp 50,000 won bills.
‘Wow.’
Cash has the power to make you lose your reason.
The dopamine rush from seeing a number on an app screen and the impact of holding a stack of bills in your hand were entirely different.
Why wouldn’t you use a money gun at a Parents’ Day event? Dozens of 50,000 won bills had the power to make people giddy.
The dopamine reward circuit was practically blazing like gambling.
…To the point where you hardly notice that several workers didn’t return from the morning shift.
‘Phew.’
“Hey, you going deeper this afternoon?”
“Of course, I have to go.”
As for me, I’m not going in.
-Don’t go into the afternoon work. Wear that and don’t move unnecessarily. Try not to do anything pointless.
That’s what the Researcher said.
I’m dutifully stuffing my “lunch” into my mouth.
…At least they give free meals.
But here’s the thing.
‘Wow, they even discriminate in food….’
The company cafeteria menu here is better the lower your worker number and worse the higher.
Which means I’m eating the worst meals among all the workers.
This crosses a line even in a ghost story setting….
‘I want to report this to labor authorities.’
For reference, the standard menu for Z900-series workers is just a lump of cold rice and some stir-fried anchovies.
Of course, it seemed you could order additional menus if you paid….
The prices are insane.
[Tteokramyeon – 10,000 Won]
I cursed under my breath.
If the dead Z993’s diary is accurate, most workers must have their eyes on money—in an environment like this, they’re naturally discouraged from buying anything extra with their own funds.
So naturally, they obsess over moving to an “earlier number” where you can “live well without spending.”
Wouldn’t that translate into a more proactive attitude than just tolerating mildly distasteful work?
It’s easy to think that the missing people were just weak-spirited or unlucky, getting hit by ghosts.
‘The psychological manipulation is sophisticated.’
Cut off from the outside, they sink deeper into their own world.
And when workers are forced into unavoidable expenses, Daydream naturally recoups a portion of the wages they’ve already paid out anyway.
‘Phew.’
I held back a sigh.
And there’s one more reason for this sigh.
“Yo. Tasty?”
“Ah~ our little piggy Dove would love this rice. Check out that anchovy stir-fry.”
The duo of X141 and X145 have spotted me eating and come loitering over again.
Their intent seemed obvious.
“Our Dove’s gotta pay back yesterday’s water bill.”
“…….”
Extortion.
‘These shameless bastards.’
They’re shaking down the money I nearly died earning?
Probably because I’m the lowest number here, making me the easiest target.
“Come on, we’ll just take half the water fee. Just give half. Just half.”
“Wow, such conscience.”
“Really….”
No way.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and dodged the hands trying to grab what would be half my allowance, 500,000 won.
Without even waiting for their reaction, I hurriedly spoke while rummaging through my pocket myself.
“I-I’ll give you something.”
“Oh?”
“Here….”
And then, fumbling deliberately, I pulled something out of my pocket….
A cylindrical object.
“……What is that?”
“Water.”
A plastic water bottle.
The exact same logo as what they’d poured over my head yesterday.
‘I bought it at the company store near the cafeteria.’
The two of them looked flabbergasted.
I offered the water bottle with an innocent expression, then suddenly acted as if I’d realized something, opened it, and poured half of it onto my rice bowl.
“Oh, h-here’s half for you.”
That was definitely deliberate.
“Look at this bastard.”
“Dove… Hey, what the—aren’t you reading the room?”
The atmosphere shifts dangerous in an instant.
One of them raises his hand to flick my face with some real force behind it.
As that malicious movement comes swinging in with genuine emotion—
‘Okay.’
I deliberately hunched to let his hand aim toward my forearm.
The moment his hand makes rough contact with the armband—
“Ah…!”
I gasped in alarm and pulled back, watching him with worried eyes.
“Th-this… you said it was expensive, that whoever breaks it won’t get paid….”
“…!”
“Look… over there. If they notice, we’re in trouble.”
I pointed to the security staff member standing outside the cafeteria, watching.
“…Damn.”
The guy, rolling his eyes between the armband and the security staff, apparently did the math and withdrew his hand before grabbing my head.
Avoiding a situation where he’d have to cover the damage fee.
“Coo-coo-coo, your little stunt just doubled the water debt.”
“You don’t even know what you just did, do you? I’ll fill you in real soon. Count on it.”
Trying hard to save face….
I watched the two of them retreat to their seats, barely suppressing an internal sigh.
This is annoying as hell….
But what needs doing, needs doing.
‘They’re probably going to try to beat me up somewhere in a hallway tomorrow.’
We’ll see tomorrow whether that’s actually possible.
“Phew.”
I finished the cold rice and drank up all the water they’d left behind, then stopped by the shabby company store outside the cafeteria again.
“Um… I’d like this, please….”
And then, spending a significant amount in the current situation, I purchased “supplies” and returned to my assigned end-number break room.
‘Cleaned up a corpse….’
Z993’s body was gone now. But the water stain from the body still hadn’t been cleaned.
‘Ugh.’
I lay back down on my own mattress, as far as possible from that one.
“Just sleep for now.”
And so, in that still-horrific place, with slightly more energy than yesterday, I was able to review my plans and drift off to sleep.
‘Phew.’
And how long had passed?
“…….”
I felt something.
In the darkness of the shabby, cramped break room.
Beneath my mattress suddenly began to feel damp….
“…….”
Wait.
I had a weird dream just now.
A faceless ghost or something laughing loudly grabbed my ankle, held me upside down, dunked me into the water….
‘Surely not.’
No… I definitely buried it in soil.
Tension makes my legs go rigid.
…….
I opened my eyes.
And moving only my eyes, I looked downward.
And my eyes met something.
Ha-
A grotesque face holding my feet and grinning so wide its mouth was split in half.
‘…!!’
Hair clings strand by strand to my calf.
A face with swollen, crushed eyes and nose shows only murky black pupils in blank rounds.
Bloated hands, slimy and slick, drag at my feet. Cold, grainy flesh mashes against my calf.
Goosebumps cover my entire body and I instinctively try to pull my leg, but it won’t move.
Eeyinnertayajoeuneumisseo…
The grinning face with bursting flesh draws ever closer. I’m drenched in cold sweat.
A fishy, bloody smell rises from my cold sweat.
Nightmare.
‘Bite my tongue…!’
Wake up. Somehow wake up!
I flail my hands desperately, trying to break free like waking from sleep paralysis, moving my fingertips with all my effort. No, water rises from beneath the mattress where my sweat has fallen. Splashing sounds. The drowned person tries to hoist my legs upside down. Paralyzed, I can’t struggle, and so I….
…….
Stopped.
Negaaa…
I barely realized.
‘…It’s buried!’
On the other side of the mattress, the drowned person’s lower body was half-buried in the exposed soil.
That’s why it couldn’t pull me toward the water. It couldn’t drag me under the mattress.
‘In this gap…!’
I quickly waved my hand, trying to recapture the sensation of waking from a dream. I had to break free fast….
…….
…….
And then I realize.
‘Ah.’
There was a small error in the dead Z993’s diary.
It wasn’t a dream.
I mistook what I saw for something from a dream, but it wasn’t.
‘I wasn’t… asleep.’
It was real.
The ghost truly appeared in the break room where he slept.
Just as it stands before me now.
‘……!!’
Hehehehehehe…
I went rigid with despair.
The ghost shakes my foot. My body rocks. Every profanity and scream echoes in my mouth, but terror freezes me—no sound comes out.
Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
I….
I passed out with my eyes wide open.
‘…It’s almost a mercy.’
The next morning. Waking and heading to the work site, I held back a sigh.
Think positive…. I can do this… please.
‘I did get some sleep paralysis, but at least I recovered my condition somewhat.’
Yeah. Waking the next day to muddy footprints on the mattress and mold scrawled on the wall—chills ran up through my head—but thanks to morning roll call, I got out of the field right away. How fortunate is that?
It’s not killing me outright, so how generous is this ghost story…? I even tried running my happiness circuit on such baseless optimism.
In truth, it bleeds you dry to death.
And at this rate, with my body in this condition, if I stayed another day I might actually die of heart attack.
[Worker Z999, entering the containment room.]
‘I don’t suppose… I could just not go in?’
Naturally, there was no hope of that.
Holding back tears, I prepared to enter….
But I do know this. The “supplies” I prepared were brought along without issue.
‘…All right.’
I felt the items I’d brought in my pocket once more, then moved forward.
Creak.
The containment room door opens, and once again I’m locked alone with the wooden doll in an empty chamber.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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