Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 55

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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 055

The remote mountain lodge was a complete mess with dismembered body parts and a pentagram drawn in blood.

Inside, a government official stood with a butcher knife before another unconscious woman.

And there was me, watching this scene from the second floor railing.

If I hadn’t known it was fake, it would have been the perfect insane living room to make someone faint.

But the lodge keeper who appeared from the back door was polite.

“Have you been comfortable?”

As if that were possible.

But there was no need to waste energy on pointless responses, so I just stood there quietly.

The lodge keeper didn’t bother with obvious remarks like ‘I stayed away so you could be comfortable without interference.’

He simply said this.

“Three days have passed. Now it is time.”

“…”

“From now on, you can exchange this lodge’s legacy for your cassette tapes.”

Nobody died by this timing? This is where people would start killing each other in a bloody mess.

It was unavoidable.

Only when enough fear and shock from facing death had accumulated would this cassette tape release the survivors.

‘That’s why I deliberately created it.’

The fear and shock, that is.

Though it didn’t sit well with modern sensibilities, I had scared people into genuinely believing they would die.

It seemed those antics had received a passing grade.

Judging by how the lodge keeper delivered his scripted lines and the living room remained peaceful without any stabbing.

Of course, this peace would soon be broken.

Because the lodge keeper approached the ‘wife’ unconscious on the sofa first.

“Visitor.”

“…”

“Will you exchange your cassette tape?”

“Mmm, what… Huh, wha-what!? Aaaaaahhh!!”

The person who regained consciousness stumbled several times before running out of the lodge.

Oh dear.

‘It would have been better if she’d stayed unconscious.’

The lodge keeper turned around without regret and designated the next person.

“Will you exchange your cassette tape?”

“…”

The government official looked at the lodge keeper, then slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ll declare my intentions last.”

“Understood. Then…”

The lodge keeper turned his head toward the final person.

Me.

I also looked at the lodge keeper.

This character from the ghost story who spoke with refined Seoul dialect despite his shabby, worn clothing.

“Will you exchange your cassette tape?”

Would I exchange it?

“Yes.”

Of course I would.

‘I worked like a shrimp boat for these three days for this moment.’

Powerful Financial Reward

For the moment when this phrase would be realized.

The reason I went so far as to act like a serial killer was precisely…

‘Exchange priority number one.’

I took out the cassette tapes from the backpack of one of the college students I had brought.

The married couple’s.

The college students’.

And even Baek Sa-heon’s.

“Six tapes. You absolutely have exchange priority, visitor.”

A strangely excited expression appeared on the lodge keeper’s face before disappearing like a lie and becoming polite again.

“Now you can become the owner of this lodge. Will you do so?”

“No.”

“…”

Reward

Even though I had only imitated serial killing, there was no need to take on such risks.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can just exchange for anything random or refuse and be done with it.’

Whether I exchanged for gold, exchanged for trash, refused the exchange and ran away, or even set the lodge on fire and watched it burn completely.

When the next cycle came, the serial killer’s items would be distributed again like a lie, drawing people to this place.

The lodge would appear in perfect condition like a lie and the tragedy would repeat.

Moreover.

‘…There was probably also a mechanism where everyone I pretended to kill would actually die the moment I chose an exchange.’

There was this record, you see.

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

#6

Personnel: 8 Requisitioners, 1 Principal Officer (Grade 8).

The Principal Officer was successfully designated as the serial killer, but in the 3rd murder, made an independent decision to use a special item instead of the pre-issued poison.

Attempted to finish the disaster without killing the requisitioners by putting them in a suspended animation state close to death.

Result: 1 Principal Officer survived (refused exchange)

※It was confirmed that the entrants who were in suspended animation died after the exchange ceremony when vomit got stuck in their throats.

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

A fire would break out, and coincidentally they couldn’t escape because I had trapped them, something like that.

That’s how I would become a real serial killer.

‘Even if they were people originally meant to die in the ghost story world, the unpleasant feeling is unavoidable…’

Let’s respect my mentality as a human being.

So after considering this and that, the choice I made was.

This.

“I want to exchange one cassette tape for the lodge keeper’s employment rights.”

The lodge keeper seemed surprised and was silent for a moment.

“You mean my employment contract?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

Do you know this?

Usually the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau tends toward eliminating ghost stories when possible.

Unlike the crazy pharmaceutical company I work for, their goal is absolutely not to preserve and manage things well while employees just escape cleverly.

Ghost stories might be raw material sources for Baekillmong Corporation, but to the government they’re just disasters.

So quite a few people who created content reflecting that point in wiki style existed.

In other words, ghost stories managed by the government… can also ‘successfully disappear.’

Contract period has ended

The site where the lodge stood has become a clearing, with no supernatural field signs since then until present.

Disaster concluded.

This was the official final investigation record of this ghost story.

In other words, it meant this was a ghost story where the narrative could reach its conclusion, where the situation could be resolved.

If that’s the case.

‘Wouldn’t it be fine if I just ended it myself before doing it several more times?’

Like this.

“Seeing you work at the lodge, it seems you have a remaining contract period with the previous lodge owner, and I’d like to transfer that to myself.”

I won’t take the lodge.

But if I receive the Lodge Keeper’s employment authority and end his contract period, creating the exact same situation as the final investigation record?

“….”

I waited for the Lodge Keeper’s answer. And…

“Theoretically… it’s possible.”

That’s right.

“However, if I may say so, certain qualifications are required for my employer.”

“Qualifications?”

“Yes.”

A hint of inexplicable arrogance briefly mixed into the Lodge Keeper’s polite speech before disappearing.

“Innate, existential nobility is required.”

From someone entrusting the operation of a murder lodge?

It seems their ethical and moral standards are quite far removed from those of ordinary modern people…

-Haha! This worker at a small lodge is acting like an 18th-century butler who mistakes his master’s authority for his own!

-Just take this lodge and fire him!

Brown… I’m going around like this because I don’t want to do that.

‘Wait a moment. I think there might be another way.’

-You have deep patience, Mr. Noru!

Yeah, yeah.

I responded appropriately while rubbing my chin.

‘…Nobility, huh.’

Actually, there was something that came to mind.

While it’s true I didn’t bring any items, there was exactly one thing I always carried in my pocket because it was so small.

‘My goods.’

The ‘Silver Heart’ that had most recently popped out of a goods box rattled in my hand.

An item that increases speaking authority when worn by a good person.

‘I needed to test it anyway.’

I carefully moved that small silver badge with one hand and opened the pin inside my pocket.

And I ‘wore’ it on the fabric inside my pocket, but…

“….”

“….”

The other party showed no particular reaction.

‘Ah.’

Is it a matter of application range?

‘That one probably isn’t human.’

Altruistic Behavior

Well, I had questions about the definition of nobility anyway, so I just tried it as a test.

I quickly switched tactics.

In that case…

“Does that mean I lack innate, existential nobility?”

I had no choice but to speak up.

“Finding someone who possesses it is more difficult in the current situation, so I hope you won’t be disheartened.”

“No. That’s not what’s important. So you’re saying the exchange is difficult? Because I lack qualifications?”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t quite understand that.”

I deliberately frowned.

Like a customer making a complaint.

“Clearly the condition was ‘if you bring cassette tapes, I’ll let you exchange them for anything I have’… wasn’t that it? I’m confused because you’re suddenly changing your words.”

I deliberately sighed as if tired.

“Three days. That’s the time I’ve spent here. But now at the end you’re suddenly saying qualifications are needed, which is different from your promise.”

The Lodge Keeper seemed somewhat flustered.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”

“What kind of misunderstanding?”

“The promise remains the same. However, if you only inherit my employment authority, there would be difficulties in actually using me as a servant.”

The Lodge Keeper explained kindly.

“If you were to receive the lodge itself, I would work here according to the existing contract, but receiving ’employment authority’ means it can only be used when that right is recognized.”

To summarize: ‘Yeah. I only work according to my original contract, I won’t listen to you.’

“You mean it could become a contract that only exists on paper? One that can’t actually be used?”

“That’s right.”

Wow.

“I don’t mind.”

“….”

That’s even better!

Nullification!

“Then if I’m aware of that situation, we can make the exchange. There’s no way to stop it if I say I want to exchange even knowing this, right?”

“…In that case.”

The Lodge Keeper extended both hands.

“You are correct, visitor.”

He had conceded.

“Please place the cassette tapes you wish to exchange.”

Yes.

I quickly held out the tapes I was gripping.

Thud thud thud.

Six tapes left my hand and fell onto the Lodge Keeper’s rough palms.

The Lodge Keeper gently stored the tapes inside his shabby clothes.

Then he politely adjusted his worn sleeve attire and pulled out one thin, old item from within.

It was paper.

It appeared to be an Eastern material like Korean paper, but strangely it was cut in Western style, rolled up, and sealed with red wax.

“This is the original of my contract.”

The moment I received it.

The old paper caught fire.

“…!”

The Korean paper burned with a crimson glow, leaving only sparks that shot up into the air.

And it wraps around my wrist.

Precisely, on the spot where the Theme Park Mascot left a tattoo!

‘W-wait.’

: Socius :

The tattoo takes on color as if being heated.

The sparks clashed with the tattoo as if wrestling with it, then bounced off as if finally surrendering.

And it descended to a position closer to my forearm, naturally settling vertically.

: :

“….”

Now I have two tattoos.

‘This wasn’t what I wanted.’

I had planned to store the physical contract like an item.

It feels strangely bound to me… but honestly, this is better in terms of mobility.

-‘Benefactor.’ This one also uses an archaic expression.

Brown didn’t make any ominous or concerning comments either.

Based on the previous case, this tattoo won’t be visible to the Government Official anyway, so that’s fine too.

It would actually be better if it looks like the contract disappeared into thin air.

‘I’m not going to call on it anyway.’

I looked up.

As expected, the Lodge Keeper had vanished like a lie.

What remained was a blood-soaked mountain lodge that looked like something from a horror movie.

And me and the Government Official standing there.

‘Everything’s wrapped up.’

It was truly amusing, but at that moment, soft light began streaming in through the window.

It was sunlight.

“The weather’s cleared up.”

“….”

Well, everything’s settled now.

The atmosphere is good, so I’ll disappear like this, and the Government Official can go his own way too.

The government will handle the identities of the people tied up and unconscious in the basement.

‘Since the ghost story itself is gone, I probably won’t be registered as a tracking target or have my personal details recorded in detail.’

Whether it’s the government or corporations, they usually don’t put much effort into concluded cases that don’t require follow-up.

‘Even if I’m recorded as something unusual, I didn’t kill anyone, so it should be fine.’

If I just handle myself well with the Government Official here and make good excuses, this will pass…

“You there.”

The Government Official came up the stairs from the lower floor.

And he strode over, grabbed my arm, and asked seriously.

“Are you interested in changing jobs?”

Excuse me?

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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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