Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 74

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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 074

A classroom inside a ghost story, brightly lit by indoor lights.

“Die! Die!”

People behind me desperately beating the motionless, eerie Student.

“Let’s wait until they pass by.”

The Government Official in front of me watching our Company Employees pass by with eyes full of wariness and contempt.

And caught between them…

Me, without colleagues and having missed my timing.

I need to appear like an innocent civilian to the Government Official beside me while safely clearing this nightmarish ghost story.

My true identity is… actually someone from the pharmaceutical company that Government Official despises!

“…”

Just how high is this damn difficulty going to climb…?

‘This is driving me crazy.’

The Employees had moved far away in the meantime. I seemed to make eye contact with a few of them, but when I averted my gaze, they didn’t approach and quickly walked past.

Just when I thought that was fortunate.

Flicker.

The power went out again.

“Eek!”

But this time, people were faster than the approaching darkness.

“…It, it’s not moving!”

“We did it!”

I took a deep breath.

When the lights flickered and came back on for a moment.

The ‘Segwang Technical High School Student’ that had been frozen like a statue was now collapsed on the floor near the back door.

“Waaaah!”

The people’s frenzied beating had definitely been effective. This time the Student couldn’t move even when the lights went out.

Instead, it seemed to have collapsed and died from the accumulated damage of the assault.

However, only the fallen Student’s right hand was still stretched toward the air, as if trying to grab the back door…

“…”

People cheered with expressions of joy, holding bloodied burlap sacks and chairs.

“It worked! This is it!”

“…”

We need to run.

When one of the Student entities falls into an immobilized state similar to biological death.

Quickly.

All nearby Students are summoned to that location.

[Ding- dong- dang- dong]

[A death has occurred in Class 1-5.]

“Huh…?”

A school announcement came on.

Unlike before, the voice was deeply subdued.

A slow funeral march played in the background.

“Now.”

The Government Official poked my back.

“Let’s run.”

[The deceased student is first-year Lee Won-yul.]

I immediately rushed out the door.

And as quickly as possible, I took in as much of the corridor scenery as I could.

I confirmed what I needed and pressed close to reduce my body’s profile.

“Should we put our backs against the wall?”

“Exactly right.”

[Everyone, let us observe 5 seconds of silence.]

I didn’t resist the Government Official pressing down on my shoulder, and sat down with my back against the wall.

And.

Click.

The lights went out.

[5]

Through the melody, thud,

The sound of the back door opening.

[4]

“Aaaaah!”

“Agh!”

“Wha, what… grrgh.”

[3]

“Help…”

“Urgh,”

[2]

Screams, screams, short screams.

[1]

…

…

Silence.

The flowing funeral march.

[The moment of silence ends. We humbly pray for the deceased’s peaceful rest.]

I forced my trembling head up to look inside the classroom.

Because I had to see.

Flicker.

The light returned and my vision came back to life.

The classroom was a complete mess of blood and filth.

All kinds of corpses scattered about, thrown against walls or sprawled across the floor and desks.

‘…Ha.’

And among them, only two shadowy figures stood upright.

The Segwang Technical High School students who had stopped due to my gaze.

One entity was standing on top of a person who had died with their throat cut, while the other was smiling and gripping the front door….

Staring at me.

“….”

I’d been noticed.

‘Damn it.’

Sweat dripped down my chin.

“…I’ll step back for a moment. To an angle where I can see inside the classroom.”

“….”

The Government Official nodded slightly.

I continued staring forward while feeling along the wall to move backward.

The reason I positioned myself by this wall.

[Portable Emergency Light]

A red emergency flashlight was right nearby.

A portable light source that could ‘stop’ students even during a power outage.

‘Absolutely essential.’

However, in the spot where three should have been mounted, only one remained.

‘The employees must have taken them.’

It was surprising that even with that bastard Baek Sa-heon in their group, they hadn’t pulled out all three to keep as spares.

Moreover, they had the sense to stuff paper into the emergency light’s checkout sensor to prevent the alarm from sounding. They were people with experience in ghost story investigation.

They had even left a single sheet of paper in the empty flashlight slot.

‘I had noticed that too.’

I felt behind me and picked up that paper….

And as I reached forward, the corner of my vision caught text folded on the back of the paper.

-Debt

“….”

Not bad.

I crumpled up Baek Sa-heon’s note and felt behind me again to stuff it into the sensor, then pulled out the flashlight.

‘Phew.’

With this, temporary power outage preparation was complete for phase one.

‘Next is….’

“…! Did you pull out the flashlight?”

“Yes.”

“…Excellent. Keep it on. …Now let’s retrieve the name tags.”

The Government Official strode toward the classroom’s front door.

Right up to the student entity that was staring intently at me.

‘Phew….’

Just watching sent warning signals shooting up to the top of my head.

However, the Government Official quickly removed the name tag from its chest.

He tore it off.

And beyond that, he even retrieved the name tag from the first dead entity collapsed by the back door.

“….”

This is insane.

‘This is an irreversible step.’

If witnessed stealing a student’s name tag, you’ll be pursued by that student until death.

Though I suppose we were already screwed from the moment our eyes met.

‘We’ll definitely be chased.’

Even with a flashlight, moving through this nighttime school while being followed by two students would be insane for an ordinary person.

It was a choice only a Disaster Management Bureau agent with equipment and colleagues could make.

‘…Still, if it were me, I would have done it differently.’

But the water was already spilled, and thinking rationally….

Having my identity discovered by the Government Official.

Dying in a nightmare ghost story.

No matter how I thought about it, the former was more dangerous. Dying here would be just a bonus, and I’d probably get marked and investigated too.

‘Right now I have no choice but to trust the Disaster Management Bureau agent’s move.’

Still, I should pull my weight… pull my weight.

‘If we’re doing this, we need to do it quickly.’

At the same time the Government Official moved, I also approached the classroom.

And I reached out to the student by the back door and removed their name tag.

‘Ugh!’

This is really terrifying, damn it.

The student standing motionless seemed like they would turn around any moment to strike and crush my head, but….

That didn’t happen, and I succeeded.

‘Phew.’

As I was clenching my hand tingling with goosebumps, it happened.

“P-please save me….”

I heard it.

“….”

I thought the student entity was just stepping on a dead person’s neck, but that wasn’t it.

Someone underneath was just streaming tears.

“P-please….”

There was still a surviving person there.

Having no strength or fighting spirit left to scream, their faint whisper reached my ears.

“….”

After brief but intense deliberation, I took some kind of action.

….

“…! Sob, sniff…. Yes….”

My eyes were completely focused on watching the student-shaped entity so I couldn’t be certain, but the person underneath seemed to nod faintly….

“….”

I slowly backed away and joined the Government Official. Then I retreated into the corridor and began moving quickly.

“Please watch the front. I’ll keep an eye on the classroom.”

“…Yes.”

The Government Official took out his flashlight.

And while looking at the back of the head of the entity that had been staring straight at us from the front door.

I watched the front of the corridor to ‘stop’ any new entities that might appear with my gaze.

We moved along the wall, covering each other’s blind spots as much as possible.

“….”

It was a silent, desperately quick movement.

As the classroom grew distant from our view… when it seemed like one of the two entities inside would finally be completely out of sight.

The Government Official, who had been watching it, muttered in confusion.

“Why aren’t they following us… Could it be,”

I felt unease through our backs pressed together.

“…Was there a Surviving Person inside? Is that person watching them?”

“…Yes.”

The Government Official took a deep breath.

“They must have been severely injured and unable to move. …You did well. During disasters, you secure your own safety first, then help others.”

“….”

“Head to the stairs. We’ll stop once near the fire extinguisher.”

“Yes.”

I began walking. And then…

Flicker.

…Another blackout.

“I’m shining the flashlight.”

“Yes.”

I continued walking.

And I realized.

During that blackout just now,

the person I gave the name tag to had died.

‘They’re coming after us.’

Right now, both entities would be coming out of the classroom.

But the fact that I couldn’t turn around to look because I had to watch the front… made my hair stand on end.

“Don’t panic. There’s still a chance.”

“….”

“You obtained a name tag earlier, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now you just need to kill yourself.”

I thought I was going to faint.

“Let’s do it as soon as we stop at the emergency light. Your face is too pale, so it would be better for you to wake up from this nightmare quickly. Since you have the name tag, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“…Um.”

But the thing is.

I swallowed.

“I did obtain the name tag, but it’s not in my hands right now.”

“…!”

“I gave it to the person who was still alive in the classroom.”

That’s right.

Earlier, I had deliberately dropped the name tag on the floor.

So the person trapped under the ‘Student’ could grab it.

-If you hold onto that, you’ll wake up from this dream.

-…! *sob*, *gasp*… Yes…

“Since they have the name tag, that person will wake up safely.”

And they also bought us time like this.

“…!”

The Government Official breathed shortly, filled with complexity and stress.

Then he spoke in a much more tired and businesslike voice.

“…Were you counting on the spare name tag I have?”

“No. You don’t need to give me that. It’s something you obtained, Agent.”

“….”

“You need more name tags, right? Since you have to give them to your colleagues too.”

“…That’s.”

Of course.

I wasn’t saying this because I was some hopeless pushover.

‘It’s really okay.’

Why?

‘Because I never intended to just obtain a name tag and kill myself in the first place!’

Investigation Records #13

The investigation records I was using as the basis for my escape, that is, the wiki entry I had written… was originally the record of an Explorer who failed to obtain a name tag.

Moreover, I had analyzed this ghost story quite thoroughly and considered various variables enough to write investigation records.

And I had reached this conclusion.

‘Only by performing a ‘certain action’ without having a name tag can you clear this place without facing physical death…!’

And that was also the strategy guide for obtaining the highest grade Dream Essence Solution.

‘Then I absolutely have to do it.’

I had to prove that Team D… that is, that I could continue producing similar results even in new situations.

“Do you know what happens if you die without a name tag?”

I know.

“You’ll be dragged back here every time you sleep on a new moon night, but you’ll forget when you wake up so you won’t be able to deal with it.”

“….”

“Can you handle that?”

I don’t think I can, but I’ll have to manage it somehow…

It would be much safer to keep carrying a name tag and give up ownership at the crucial moment.

But as long as that Government Official was attached to me as my companion, it was impossible for me to obtain a name tag and then discard it when necessary.

So I chose to take the risk and naturally gave away the name tag.

“There will be another opportunity.”

Even if there is, I’ll give it away again.

While I’m traveling with you.

“And I’ll seize that opportunity myself. I won’t ask you for yours, so don’t worry.”

“….”

And at this point.

Should I at least try?

I continued speaking in a voice that sounded somewhat resolved.

“…As expected, let’s split up here.”

“…!”

“If you need it, I’ll give you my flashlight as well.”

‘I brought a high-power flashlight anyway.’

I brought all sorts of other things too.

As soon as I part ways with you, I can stop pretending to be a civilian and use them, as soon as we part!

Though going alone is scary, I can’t continue with my hands tied like this.

Whether as a civilian or company colleague, that would be better!

‘I need to join a larger group.’

This ghost story has a strange structure where more eyes mean safety, but more noise means danger.

‘I need to quickly form a party of about 4 people.’

As long as there’s the risk factor of me being a Baekillmong Corporation employee, I can’t travel with this agent.

I needed a situation where I could move more proactively.

‘Let’s pretend I can’t handle it and part ways.’

“I feel like I’ll only be a hindrance to you, Agent. I’ll try to… manage somehow on my own.”

After all, civilians caught in disasters are considered dead anyway! Let’s think of this as an unavoidable situation and disband!

But.

A completely unexpected response came back.

“…I was thinking wrongly.”

“…?”

The Government Official looked at me with an expression of firm resolve.

“I was planning to execute humanitarian execution as soon as you obtained a name tag.”

What?!

‘This crazy bastard.’

Even if you wake up when you die, to say something about killing someone so openly to their face like that.

Feeling cold sweat running down my back, I forced a smile.

“Ah, yes. Even if it’s a dream, suicide would be difficult…”

“Yes. But… if it’s alright with you, I’d like you to accompany me in investigating this disaster.”

…

What?

The Government Official spoke quickly.

“You’d temporarily become an agent. Since this isn’t my solo mission, I’d normally need another agent’s consent, but… ah.”

The Government Official rummaged through their clothes and pulled something out, handing it to me.

“If you take this, they’ll recognize you through a simplified procedure.”

I looked at the small caramel candy wrapped in rectangular silver foil that fell into my hand and my eyelids trembled.

…That’s Disaster Management Bureau issued equipment!

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

“It’s a light truth verification procedure.”

No, that’s basically the same as truth serum used for torture.

“If you take this and accompany me, you’ll receive a small compensation as well.”

“…”

“If it’s too difficult, I’ll give you a name tag and then execute you to send you back.”

Wow, fuck, really.

“Citizen?”

How nice it would be if I could pretend to eat it and put it in my tattoo, but the current me in this dream, completely rejuvenated to a high school student, had no tattoo either.

After carefully weighing my options.

“…Yes.”

I diligently chewed and swallowed the torture truth serum.

It had a nice sweet and sour taste that got stuck in my throat, but I chewed and swallowed it.

‘Getting caught throwing it away or enduring without eating it would be a bigger problem.’

Because that would mean I know what this caramel is.

“I’ve swallowed it.”

I want to cry.

But they say the whip comes with the carrot.

Unexpected carrots began pouring out.

“Well done. Now take this.”

“…??”

The Government Official quickly handed me something else in my empty hand.

It was a steel-colored badge that looked somewhat similar to the Silver Heart.

Huh?

“It’s an Agent Identification Badge. If you wear that, you’ll be able to receive help even if you encounter other agents.”

“…”

“And this.”

As soon as I put on the badge, a small ivory-colored pistol was quickly handed over.

Small multicolored glass beads sparkled as bullets in the translucent cylinder.

This thing that clearly looks extraordinary at first glance…

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

“It’s a weapon for dealing with supernatural disasters. It will definitely be effective against those ‘students’ too. Keep it with you.”

“…”

Wow.

This is the Disaster Management Bureau agent basic equipment set I’ve only seen on the wiki.

Like Baekillmong Corporation’s Dream Essence Collector and mask, it was something like an Agent Scanner.

‘I’m actually wearing all this.’

I’m about to pretend to be a Disaster Management Bureau agent, something that was never in my fate.

‘What kind of situation is this.’

It’s funny but I think I’m a bit excited, while simultaneously wanting desperately to run away.

But for now…

‘I don’t have the luxury to worry about such things.’

“…It’s started.”

Flicker.

“We’re almost at the end of the corridor, so from now on, Citizen, please look this way too. …You must never drop your flashlight.”

…

I readjusted my grip on the unfamiliar pistol.

They’re coming.

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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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