Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 75

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

Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 075

The Government Official and I leaned our backs against the wall and looked ahead down the corridor.

Toward the end of that corridor we had escaped from, toward Class 1-5.

Finally, when I too could see it.

Flicker.

Mannequin-like shadowy figures appeared from the far end of the corridor.

‘…3 of them?’

One more had increased.

Two male students, one female student.

The two who came out of the classroom were covered in blood, looking at us and smiling, while the remaining one stood quietly wearing a still-clean school uniform.

When the lights were on, they just looked like eerie, realistic wax dolls, or people preserved in photographs.

But every time the lights went out.

Flicker.

They appeared further ahead.

Continuously.

Even when we moved further back.

Flicker.

Exactly as far as the emergency flashlight beam could reach.

They appeared closer again, their stopped forms revealed under the light.

They didn’t get farther away.

Flicker.

“…”

Once the flashlight battery wore out.

I could imagine… this standoff would end.

‘Ha.’

Even while carefully, slowly moving my feet, the imagination gripped the back of my neck.

Eventually we reached the end of the corridor, a dead end, and only then did we stop.

And then.

[Ding- dong- dang- dong]

“…”

[A death has occurred in Class 3-2.]

Fuck.

[The deceased student is Park Chae-ah from 3rd year.]

[Everyone observe 5 seconds of silence.]

“Get ready.”

I gripped the flashlight tightly and pressed against the wall behind me.

[5]

I quickly swung the flashlight to illuminate all three of them.

Each time the light swept past and returned, they got closer.

[4]

The Government Official and I simultaneously illuminated two entities.

…Where’s the other one?

[3]

The other one,

where did it go?

No matter how much I turned the flashlight left and right, even illuminating the blind spots, it wasn’t there.

[2]

Time accelerated with anxiety.

Where, where exactly, where…

Ah.

Swoosh.

I lowered the flashlight.

[1]

The light brightly illuminated my feet and…

A blood-stained white hand just about to grab my ankle.

A hand wearing a school uniform.

“…”

A Segwang Technical High School Student lying prone on the floor was looking up at me with a grin.

[The moment of silence is over. We pray for the peaceful rest of the deceased.]

“…”

Slowly, I pulled my foot away.

‘Ha.’

Crazy, crazy!!

If my reflexes had been even slightly slower, I would have died.

‘I’ve never even played a VR horror game in my life…!’

I never thought I’d actually experience something like this.

I backed away very slowly, alternating blinking each eye to never blink both eyes simultaneously.

My limbs were trembling.

The Government Official spoke while staring intently at the remaining two student entities.

“Once you leave the floor, students from that grade usually don’t actively chase after you.”

I know.

If there’s still prey left on that floor, there’s a high chance they’ll go there instead…

“Let’s go up the stairs.”

“…We’re going up instead of to the first floor?”

“Yes. This mission is to reach the 5th floor, preferably entering the auditorium.”

What immediately comes to mind is the school announcement I heard at the very beginning.

-Segwang Technical High School students! Graduation ceremony will begin soon. Please gather in the auditorium.

“…What’s in the auditorium?”

“We have no information yet. That’s why we need to investigate.”

Of course that would be the case.

‘The exploration records accumulated up to this point are still in the early-to-mid stages by Darkness Investigation standards.’

How many people would have naively gone to a place where a nightmare school broadcast said “please gather here”?

Even the few who tried to go up probably all died after getting caught by the students.

The higher we go, the more boldly, unpredictably, and intelligently the students will try to hunt us…

And the bigger problem is,

Never come up to the 5th floor!! Better to die below than come up

-Last recording from 12th exploration record

…what happens when you avoid all that and reach the 5th floor.

‘Ugh, I really don’t want to go…’

But the most tear-inducing point is that I have to go anyway.

Should I at least take comfort in having a companion?

But we can’t go like this, so let me try a slight detour for thorough preparation.

“If it’s alright with you, could we stop briefly on the 3rd and 4th floors to look around?”

“Do you have a reason?”

“This somehow feels like it has a horror game structure.”

“…!”

“In games, the process of obtaining important items for progression is essential.”

I said while slowly climbing the stairs backwards.

“I’m not sure, but if it were me, I’d first search special classrooms… like the music room, science lab, or faculty office. I’d also check graduation albums and student records.”

“….”

“I feel like there might be hints or keys in props and objects.”

We continued climbing the stairs.

As we distanced ourselves from the ‘students’ that had been surrounding us, the range covered by our flashlight alone became sufficient to spot them.

And only then did the Government Official speak up.

“Our Analysis Team came to a similar conclusion. …That it’s like a game-based ghost story.”

Oh.

“With the fictional high school name and this structure of running around avoiding monsters, it’s very similar.”

“Ah, I thought similarly.”

“But this is the first time someone has suggested this. Investigation focused on objects rather than monsters or people…”

Somehow the Government Official’s eyes seemed to sparkle.

Since he looked like a high schooler, he didn’t look strange without dark circles.

“Good. Let’s examine the spaces as much as possible. We’ll also relay information as more agents join…”

More agents… I’d rather decline.

But the Government Official spoke even more enthusiastically, as if excited.

“Come to think of it, since you’ve become a temporary agent, it would be better to call each other by codenames. Do you have a preferred codename?”

Good grief.

“Ah, we usually use historical materials. It’s easier to distinguish when we use terms that aren’t everyday words.”

‘They’re even letting me use a codename?’

It seems like they’re letting me fulfill every romantic fantasy.

…Ah. Did I have a codename I wanted to use if I created a named Disaster Management Bureau agent in Darkness Investigation?

I do.

But I know enough about shame not to bring that up now…

“…I’ll go with Grape.”

“A fruit. Clean and good.”

I briefly imagined what Brown would have commented.

‘I kind of miss him too.’

I shook off the absence of ‘Good Friend’ and continued the conversation.

“How should I address you, Agent?”

“My codename is Bronze.”

“Yes. Bronze Agent.”

The agent who smiled faintly, codename Bronze, nodded quite contentedly.

As if looking at an intern.

‘Lately I feel like I’m often receiving something like new employee welcomes, but maybe it’s just my imagination…’

Anyway, we persistently crouched down toward the bottom of the stairs until we completely left the stairwell, checking if students were following us.

Of course, during this time one person was constantly watching the upper floors.

And finally we arrived at.

[3F]

3rd floor.

The floor where 2nd-year students live.

“…It’s quiet.”

The students from the lower floors naturally disappeared from our view, but none appeared from upstairs either. It seemed like they had discovered someone else and went that way…

Still, just in case, we kept glancing toward the stairs as we entered the 3rd floor corridor.

Under the bright lighting, it was surprisingly clean.

No blood, no filth, no corpses, and no people frozen stiff, streaming tears while desperately staring at students.

“….”

No student entities were visible either.

And I thought I knew the reason.

‘They’ve sealed all the doors.’

Someone had already locked all the classroom doors.

They even put chain locks in front.

‘…! This is definitely the work of Daydream employees.’

This was content from our manual.

Students wearing Segwang Technical High School uniforms show certain reluctance toward damaging school facilities.

When doors are quietly closed and locked without stimulation, they have been observed returning to an inactive state sitting at desks.

Moreover, with doors set up like that, there’s inevitably noise when coming out from inside.

You can perceive it by sound and immediately turn around.

‘It’s a primary safety measure.’

When there were still quite a few people and the doll’s movements were heavily restricted, this would be quite manageable if done while moving secretly.

“….”

But as quiet as the corridor was, we had to be quiet too.

Those students are drawn by sound after all.

‘The 2nd Year Faculty Office is around the corner.’

‘Should we crawl there?’

Nod.

After finishing our conversation with very quiet whispers and nods, we silently moved along the wall, crawling to avoid being noticed.

Even during this, we never stopped watching corners like the end of the corridor or stairs where someone could appear soundlessly.

Cold sweat soaked my back.

‘Just a little, just a little more.’

Slowly.

We just need to pass by without pushing ourselves.

When we had come more than halfway,

Aaaaah!

….

From beyond that corridor, someone screamed.

‘No.’

If there’s noise….

Rattle.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle.

I couldn’t dare lift my head.

The sound of door knobs being pulled echoed from every locked door.

…The students had also heard the noise.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle.

The Government Official and I crawled frantically while still prone, escaping the corridor.

And we looked back.

Rattle….

“….”

“….”

Phew.

Fortunately, perhaps because the scream we heard ended with just once, the sound of door knobs being pulled disappeared.

However, I could see several shadowy figures looking outside the doors….

“….”

This is insanely scary.

It’s just extremely fortunate that they’re not looking this way.

I swallowed my saliva.

Still, what was comforting was that we had somehow arrived at our first destination.

[2nd Year Faculty Office]

It appeared right as we turned the corner.

However, this faculty office also had locks on all doors, and the windows were covered from inside with something like newspaper so the interior couldn’t be seen.

That was strangely eerie, but still, I couldn’t be happier to see it.

“Please keep watch for a moment.”

The Agent equipped what looked like a thimble on their finger, then poked at the keyhole of the faculty office lock.

Then the thimble entered the hole that didn’t even match the size, and the lock smoothly opened.

‘Wow.’

Disaster Management Bureau issued items really have that romantic appeal.

“There might be a Student inside the faculty office too, so let’s enter carefully.”

And when we opened the door.

“…!”

“…?!”

A completely unexpected scene unfolded.

“Close the door quietly.”

“….”

“Hurry.”

I closed the door behind me.

There was no Student inside.

Instead, about seven people were glaring at each other in a standoff.

Suspicious high school students wearing animal masks and suspicious high school students holding transparent pistols.

Disaster Management Bureau Agents and Baekillmong Corporation Employees.

‘They’re fighting!’

And on the center table between the two opposing forces, a fountain pen was placed.

‘…It’s an item.’

It was something I knew too.

2nd Year ■■■’s Fountain Pen

It seemed like they were keeping each other in check, telling each other to back down to claim that thing.

‘Instead of doing the Ghost Story Investigation they’re supposed to do, they’re wastefully using manpower…!’

They even seemed to notice our entry belatedly.

“Bronze Agent.”

Several people who appeared to be Agents finally looked pleased as they saw Bronze next to me.

But a rational person like the Agent next to me probably couldn’t relate to this situation….

“Let’s join forces.”

“…??”

Wait a minute.

But the Agent had already approached and stood in front of the group of Agents.

And I was….

“….”

Receiving passionate gazes from our company people wearing animal masks.

Especially from my two Colleagues who knew my face.

“??”

“??!”

To think the day would come when I’d see Baek Sa-heon and Jang Heo-un make the exact same expression.

Those eyes alternately looking at the Disaster Management Bureau badge I was wearing and the semi-transparent pistol seemed to be saying:

‘Why are you coming out from there…?’

Meanwhile, the Government Official called me again.

“Grape Agent.”

“Gr, Grape?”

The Government Official answered coldly.

“Even the personality of mocking code names is just like that company.”

“…??”

This is driving me crazy.

“Come this way. It would be better if you moved away from the door.”

“….”

‘What should I do.’

I frantically weighed the situation.

And I made my decision.

‘I can’t betray them.’

I eventually walked out and stood next to my acquaintance.

“Yes. Agent.”

Right next to the Bronze Agent.

“What is this, what’s going…!”

“….”

Right. I can’t betray them.

‘I can’t betray my own safety…!’

That’s how it turned out, colleagues.

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