Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 41

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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 041

A dark ventilation duct inside a ghost story.

A situation where I’m holding my breath to avoid terror.

The fact that it’s Baek Sa-heon who practically saved my life makes this situation absolutely maddening.

‘Of all people, why you.’

Moreover, he’s now desperately avoiding my gaze.

“…?”

This isn’t like his usual personality….

‘Ah, don’t tell me.’

Something suddenly comes to mind.

-Watch out for the Serial Killer

Is it because I’ve been kindly sending him Serial Killer alerts every day?

He seemed a bit scared. Well, that would be creepy.

‘Actually, that’s good.’

In fact, it was somewhat intentional. The reason I didn’t send them anonymously was to achieve this effect.

Seems psycho, right? So let’s not get involved.

Given his clear pattern of being strong against the weak and weak against the strong, rather than trying to eliminate me when he gets the chance, he’ll probably just protect himself and try to avoid getting involved with me as much as possible.

‘That’s more than welcome.’

…The problem is, right now we have to be stuck together in this ventilation duct for a while.

I held my breath. Fortunately, Baek Sa-heon was also quiet as a mouse.

Outside, the shadows of people who failed to escape are faintly visible in the darkness, illuminated by candlelight.

Creeeeak, thud.

The machine stopped.

Something thin emerges in front of the shadows of people cornered at the dead end.

A shadow silhouette like spider legs.

And silence.

“….”

“….”

Only the sound of an unknown machine echoed.

Whoosh.

The spider leg-like silhouette spread wide before the human’s eyes.

Hieuuuuk!!

Eight sharp and delicate somethings gripping a person’s torso can be seen as swaying shadows.

Save me, save me please… Aaaaah!!!

Poke.

One spider leg pierced through the gap in the human’s head.

And with a pluck, it pulled something out of the head.

“….”

And I already know what was pulled out….

‘…Eyeball.’

That’s it.

The reason this exhibition is called the ‘Mansion of the Blind’.

======================

Multiple visitors testified that they lost human body parts to the Guide, and among these, the part most commonly lost first is the ‘eyeball’.

======================

‘Guide’.

If you encounter that machine here, your eyes get plucked out.

The next encounter usually takes one of your limbs, tongue, or sometimes ears.

Thus, ultimately, people become blind, mute, and worm-like creatures crawling around the dark Exhibition Hall—it’s such an insane story….

What makes it more cruel is that this doesn’t happen all at once.

Surprisingly, because this exhibition is kind.

Kind enough to provide ‘conveniences’ on its own without being asked.

======================

For visitors’ convenience, Sensory Correction Devices are always available for free rental.

(Currently supported devices: visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile, gustatory, electrical, thermal)

======================

Kkeuk, kkeuuuk.

Another spider leg-like silhouette elegantly and delicately approaches the eyes of the person whose eyes were plucked out.

The form it carries at the tip of its leg reveals a clear shadow under the candlelight for a moment.

Thin Thread and Needle.

‘Fuck.’

I held my breath and waited longer until all the commotion died down.

Cold sweat broke out all over my body.

After a while.

Thud, thud, thud….

The machine sounds fade away.

…Soon the person whose eyes were plucked out began to move with staggering steps.

Approaching toward the ventilation duct, their blood-soaked face was clearly revealed before disappearing.

Instead of eyes, there was a Telephoto Lens attached.

“…!”

I saw Baek Sa-heon quietly cursing with just his mouth movements beside me.

It doesn’t seem like someone else’s problem.

‘With that thing on, you can see ahead for a few hours at the shortest, or a day or two at the longest.’

But since it’s rental equipment, it gradually loses function, making you more terrified.

And the next time you meet, that too gets ‘retrieved’.

Because it’s a rental.

‘This is insane.’

It feels like a prelude to the horrible things I’ll see ahead, making my eyes instinctively shut tight….

‘But I can’t let him know I’m a coward, so I have to endure it.’

Being conscious of Baek Sa-heon beside me, I came out as soon as I confirmed that everything around was quiet.

‘I can’t stay here forever.’

I needed to move quickly and escape. I’d organize the investigation records and manual after parting ways with Baek Sa-heon…

“Excuse me.”

Hm?

“Thank you.”

Suddenly Baek Sa-heon spoke to me using formal language.

He nodded quite politely as if that’s how it had always been. Just like when we first met on the subway.

And then he tried to slyly slip away.

“Well, I’ll be going now…”

“Wait.”

Baek Sa-heon stopped in his tracks.

I asked.

“How many hours has it been since you entered?”

“…”

“Don’t want to answer?”

“…About two hours have passed.”

So he entered quite a bit before me.

Since this isn’t a ghost story where time perception gets distorted, the fact that newcomer Baek Sa-heon was also called in from the morning means…

‘Team D supervisors excluded me!’

I almost got emotional for a moment.

It was enough motivation to hurry and find my team members to get out.

‘Lizard Team Leader would have been among the final 7 survivors anyway.’

But I need to find the other Team D members quickly.

…Honestly, when I actually came out of the ventilation duct and saw the corridor, I couldn’t help but sigh first…

‘Wow, I have to rummage through this place all by myself.’

I have to search every corner of this place looking for clues? While playing hide and seek with the guide monster?

No wonder they even made a horror game based on this darkness – I never played it, but I had seen videos on YouTube.

…With my hand half-covering the screen.

“…”

Hmm. Even if he has personality problems… wouldn’t it be better to go with someone… anyone?

I turned to look at Baek Sa-heon.

In the darkness.

Baek Sa-heon swallowed his saliva next to Kim Sol-eum.

‘Fuck.’

Of all people, I had to run into this crazy bastard.

Nothing had gone right since this damn bastard became my company housing roommate.

Listening to him spout crazy talk with that cynical expression that looked like he’d never pick fights with drunk people even late at night was making my mind go hazy.

‘Do I really have to stick with this guy.’

The employees who entered together seemed to have scattered throughout this bizarre mansion and regained consciousness, and the other civilian I encountered was just destroyed by what happened.

Still, it might be better to go alone than with this insane bastard…

I was frantically weighing my options when.

Suddenly Kim Sol-eum spoke up.

“You’re using formal language? All of a sudden.”

Fuck.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“…Before, it was such an emergency situation that I accidentally spoke casually… but now I think it’s right for us to be polite to each other again.”

Kim Sol-eum stared at me intently, then answered nonchalantly.

“I see. Understood.”

“…Yes.”

Should I… run away?

Baek Sa-heon looked Kim Sol-eum up and down.

He had already heard all about the other’s ridiculous grandiose company rumors.

The Field Investigation Team’s ridiculous monster rookie.

-He cleared an A-grade darkness all by himself.

-He almost got scouted by the Elite Squad. But he refused?

-Wow, he even found some missing manager. Is he really a rookie?

-Two manual review revisions? Is this some propaganda rookie meant to exploit employees…

Later, the stories became so grandiose that some people were murmuring it might be company propaganda.

However, Baek Sa-heon didn’t doubt the rumors.

‘Isn’t it because he’s crazy?’

The reason that bastard’s performance comes out monstrously well… isn’t it because his way of thinking resembles a monster?

Since his way of thinking is different from ordinary people, he probably came up with ideas that normal people couldn’t in ghost stories!

Baek Sa-heon knew he was a human who obsessed over practical benefits and was selfish.

But the intimidation from an unpredictable opponent was different.

The fear of the unknown.

‘I’d believe it even if someone said that bastard himself was a ghost story.’

Baek Sa-heon broke out in cold sweat.

Still, he wanted to get information, so he spoke up.

I should at least hear what he’s willing to tell me.

“Where are you planning to go? From what I saw of that monster attacking people, we’re probably being treated as unwelcome guests in this darkness…”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“This exhibition is definitely treating us as visitors.”

What kind of bullshit is this now.

Baek Sa-heon looked at Kim Sol-eum.

The other spoke with confidence as if it was nothing.

“That’s why it comes to collect fees. It just plucks out eyes. It’s just collecting usage fees.”

“…”

“Didn’t you read the manual?”

I did read it.

That bizarre document contaminated by the exhibition invitation.

“It’s an invitation. How could someone who was invited become an unwelcome guest.”

“…But there was no mention of fees.”

“Read it again. Near the end of page 3.”

Baek Sa-heon unfolded the paper.

+++

This exhibition proceeds free for one hour under an open mind that admires art.

+++

“One hour of free viewing implies that after that, fees will be collected or you’ll be kicked out.”

“…!”

“But from the fact that it plucks out eyes instead of kicking us out, it’s fee collection. That thing earlier… must be some kind of ’employee’ of this exhibition.”

Surprisingly, it was convincing.

Baek Sa-heon asked casually.

“Why do you think human eyes are the fare?”

“Well, maybe body parts are the most valuable thing humans have?”

“…!”

“All the things we have seem to be worthless from their perspective.”

“…What do you mean by ‘their’ perspective?”

Kim Sol-eum shook his head expressionlessly.

“I don’t know.”

And no one who got caught up in this would know either….

A chill ran down his back.

“Anyway, whoever operates this exhibition seems to think human bodies are the most valuable thing people possess.”

“….”

“Eyes seem to be the most appropriate value at first.”

Eyes.

He only had one left.

Baek Sa-heon almost unconsciously pressed his eye patch-covered eye.

He still remembered it.

Kim Sol-eum staring at him as he left the subway, holding up the other eyeball that was the ‘answer sheet’.

That strange calmness and observation, waiting for him to realize his eye had been meaninglessly plucked out.

That mocking gaze.

This darkness at least uses eyes as fare, but what the hell did that bastard eat growing up to be so creepily cunning?

“But….”

“…!”

Kim Sol-eum stared intently at Baek Sa-heon.

“You dropped your formal speech again.”

Goosebumps rose all over.

Baek Sa-heon forced out a calm voice.

“Right. Should we just be comfortable with each other? We’re colleagues, let’s escape together….”

“I don’t want to.”

“….”

He felt a surge of anger but forced a smile.

“Don’t be like that. You hid me in the ventilation duct, so you must have wanted to save a colleague, right?”

“Yeah. To use as bait if needed.”

“….”

Baek Sa-heon completely gave up on gaslighting and switched to a persuasive tone.

Because Kim Sol-eum seemed to understand this horrible exhibition ghost story better than expected.

“Having one more person would make exploration easier. In such a dark place.”

“Not really necessary.”

“….”

“But let’s travel together for the dopamine. More people means more variables.”

He’s insane.

Baek Sa-heon was certain.

Such an openly crazy person was a first in his eventful life.

But….

‘Do you have to be that kind of person to adapt to this company?’

Feeling somehow defeated, he gritted his teeth under the black goat mask.

“Moving out.”

Kim Sol-eum ignored the stiff Baek Sa-heon and started walking.

And suddenly said.

“Thanks. That’s a relief then.”

“What?”

What was he thankful for?

Just as he was about to say something more in confusion.

Kim Sol-eum put his hand to his mouth.

“Quiet. I’m talking with Brown.”

“….”

Baek Sa-heon barely managed to speak.

“Brown?”

“Yeah.”

Kim Sol-eum put his hand in his suit pocket and pulled something out.

It was a keyring with a cute, fluffy rabbit doll attached.

“Brown is greeting you right now.”

“….”

Baek Sa-heon was starting to want to run away!

Of course, he had no idea that Brown was actually saying something like ‘Oh, hello there, Mr. Soon-to-be-Dead Sacrifice from the adjacent room!’

And he had no idea that Kim Sol-eum was thinking this.

‘Phew. Still, having one more person makes it a little less scary.’

The thought of going around here with just Brown the doll had been as creepy as the Chang-gwi incident.

‘Seems like it was a good choice!’

“Are you going to search here to secure more places like that ventilation duct?”

“No.”

Kim Sol-eum deliberately looked at Baek Sa-heon like he was looking at someone truly ridiculous.

“We need to find the exit door. Why would we look for ventilation ducts?”

“….”

“You can keep hiding in ventilation ducts if you like them. Just pay the fare when you get caught.”

Kim Sol-eum knew.

‘That guy, that guy is the type of person you shouldn’t let your guard down around.’

Baek Sa-heon was someone who would cause trouble given the slightest opportunity!

This was Baek Sa-heon who had suddenly attacked a stranger without batting an eye, making their eyeball burst.

Don’t forget that bastard’s nickname in was Viper.

Never let your guard down!

‘I should act crazy too.’

And so began the uncomfortable darkness investigation of two crazy people.

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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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