Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 91

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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 091

Eerie Back Alley.

The gloominess and stench that felt alien even in the noisy and strange night market where non-human things gathered.

And the grotesque beings under the gas lamps, staring at me standing at the entrance of the alley.

Gaunt eyes wearing uniforms.

-My, this seems like a place one would hesitate to walk through in dress shoes.

But I had to go.

And I couldn’t let my colleagues notice that I had frozen up for a moment at that scene…!

Splash.

I stepped into the back alley.

My colleagues followed right behind me.

Splash, splash.

Walking into the black shadows under the dim gas lamps between narrow walls, the densely packed side doors passed by on both sides of me.

“….”

It was bizarre.

The scenery looked like I had entered a poorly composited image where side doors continued endlessly.

And the gazes staring intently at us from both sides as we walked between the doors.

‘Ha.’

Those wearing worn-out uniforms stained with filth. Abnormally withered black bodies standing blankly against the walls.

Only turning their heads toward us.

-Attention is inevitable for a star! But rest is also necessary. This Brown Device can momentarily relieve that burden as it always has…

I wanted to scream and beg for it, but…

‘No. It’s okay.’

‘Turn Off Lights’ shouldn’t be used now.

‘Can I ask for it later when I really need it.’

-Of course!

Right. I have to endure it.

‘I have to stick to the plan.’

I swallowed and kept walking.

The moment my legs became so stiff from the chills on the back of my neck that it became harder to walk.

“…Huh?”

I quickly looked up at my colleague’s exclamation.

Still the endlessly lined grotesque side doors, the grotesque entities in uniforms. And…

Just one.

There was a door that was slightly open.

“….”

The door was slightly ajar.

The pitch-black darkness visible through the gap.

‘Wow, really.’

It was like a horror movie. My eyelids were trembling.

But I had to say this.

“There’s a door open over there. It seems like a sign of welcome. Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

“Ah… I see!”

“….”

‘You shouldn’t be convinced by such nonsense…!’

But I still had to do what needed to be done.

After taking a deep breath, I approached the only open side door. The closer I got, the more the fear of wanting to run away surged, but I endured it.

Instead, I crouched down to the thinly opened black gap and peered inside…

I met bloodshot eyes.

“…!!”

I had expected this. Absolutely, absolutely don’t panic and do something foolish…

I barely managed to push what I had been holding in my hand through the door gap.

A pack of cigarettes.

“….”

My hands were trembling.

Something very cold seemed to brush against my fingertips…

Creeeeak.

The side door opened wide.

‘…Phew.’

Store entry impossible

I did it…!

I gritted my teeth as I withdrew my now empty hands where the cigarettes had disappeared.

Wow, I really felt like crying…

“Opening a business door with a five thousand won investment of a pack of cigarettes! As expected, opportunities aren’t followed but created. Team Leader!”

“That’s right…!”

“….”

I’d rather have someone convince me extensively so I could walk around as comfortably as they do…

But now I had no choice but to move my feet while lamenting the fact that I was the one who had done the convincing.

‘Ugh.’

The bloodshot eyes had disappeared. Instead, a faint smell of cigarettes began to come from somewhere, but that was.

‘Much better.’

I let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside.

“….”

It was very dark, but I could vaguely make out the outlines. A space where boxes and belongings covered with black cloth were piled up like a maze.

It smelled musty like a storage room.

“Ah, if this were a warehouse-type mart or clearance store, it would be perfect! With bulk sales, there would be many items to salvage…”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

I pushed through between the boxes and finally found what I was looking for.

“…! Noru, over there….”

“Yes.”

There’s another door inside.

It looked similar to the one we had pushed through, but it was a side door that was less worn and cleaner.

‘…I guess I have to open this one too?’

Let me be grateful that I’m not at the very back this time.

I stepped forward and grabbed the door handle.

And when I pulled with all my strength….

Sparkling, brilliant light pierced my eyes.

“…!!”

My vision, briefly blurred by the pouring light, slowly recovered over several seconds, taking in the entire space.

A magnificent sight filled my eyes.

Elegant chandeliers with crystal and brass, interior framework built with deep-toned wood, and golden picture frames and thick, glossy green velvet curtains hanging on the walls.

But there was something even more overwhelming.

Ivory-colored torsos with only upper bodies filled three sides along the walls, each displaying unfinished business suits and dresses.

And among them, white cotton-gloved hands without bodies, measuring clothes and completing tailoring!

My colleagues’ mouths fell open.

“Wh, what is this place…?”

What’s going on with this sudden appearance from such a gloomy back alley?

Simply put….

‘That really was a back alley.’

Confirmed alleys of Death Road so far:

38. Boutique Back Street

We had entered through the dirty back streets of these magnificent luxury shops.

Naturally, we weren’t legitimate customers.

We were nothing more than pickpockets who had snuck in from slum-like places where laborers doing odd jobs and fired homeless people rolled around, bribing our way in with a pack of cigarettes.

But it’s not like this is the first or second time I’ve used irregulars in ghost stories.

‘If it doesn’t work, let’s run.’

If our trespassing gets discovered, we might end up in quite a miserable state, but when that happens, I can ask Brown to erase our presence and escape.

‘Since we have the back door escape route secured.’

That’s why I’ve been holding back on asking Brown for help until now!

I moved forward.

“Ooh…!”

Please don’t be impressed, everyone….

Contrary to my troubled feelings, the gloves touching the torsos responded in perfect unison.

Whoosh!

With a light whistling sound, the bodies of the gloves suddenly appeared in mid-air.

They were mannequin bodies wearing luxurious navy blue uniforms.

Similar to what we saw in the back alley earlier, but much cleaner, neater, and with more detail.

And heads popped out too.

Painted mannequin faces.

‘Ugh.’

Let’s not stare.

I hastily lowered my gaze.

Bizarre but tolerable.

Anyway, the Mannequin Employee bowed deeply in a polite posture, then gestured to me as if guiding.

By the way, if you follow that, you’ll go missing.

Boutique Street Member Registration Corner

Probably… it seemed to imply that during ‘member registration,’ one’s identity would be discovered and the crime of trespassing would be repaid through forced labor.

Or they couldn’t pay the cost of member registration itself.

“….”

Either way, I tried not to imagine what kind of people the numerous Grotesque Entities in worn uniforms I had witnessed in the back alley might have originally been.

‘It’s meaningless right now.’

The only important thing is this.

Member registration is the problem, so I need to avoid it.

‘First, I’ll try approaching by saying I want to purchase at non-member prices as a test.’

If purchasing qualifications are only available to members, let’s run. What I was trying to get here isn’t more precious than my life.

But it was when I raised my hand to show a friendly gesture.

…!

As if that mark appeared over the printed mannequin faces, the Mannequin Employees flinched.

And they bowed their heads to me again.

“….”

And I know exactly one thing that could be the reason for that….

I turned my arm to check.

The now-familiar Latin word revealed below my shirt cuff that had naturally fallen as I raised my hand.

: Socius :

“…Does this confirm membership?”

The mannequin bowed deeply.

“….”

Now I’m getting scared.

‘This is already the second time.’

The ‘Theme Park Membership Card’ tattoo left by Mascot granting me authority in ghost stories.

-Socius.

-It was used to mean colleague, member, kinfolk and such. The versatility of Latin!

As Brown said, that word was really working with versatility everywhere, just as its inherent meaning suggested.

Even the Fox Counseling Room had acknowledged it….

‘…Why did they leave something like this on me?’

In the past, I might have thought it was a great benefit and moved on, but now it was a bit different.

Because I had the experience of being severely affected by contamination once.

‘This seems like it would have strong influence on me too, as strong as it is.’

How should I view having an unpredictable, powerful mark on my body that didn’t come through verified summoning methods like Good Friend?

But member authentication had already passed, and if it’s dangerous anyway, I should use it efficiently.

“Show me the goods.”

The mannequins nodded again and approached the torso they had been working on, then drew back the curtain behind it.

A glass case appeared like magic.

A smooth business suit displayed inside. It was similar in form to what I was currently wearing, but somehow the color was deeper and had a strange luster….

As if asking whether I liked it, the mannequins politely clasped their hands together and looked back at me.

‘…It begins.’

I raised my hand.

“Wait a moment. I’m looking mainly at small gift accessories.”

There’s something to keep in mind.

I shouldn’t get greedy and try to take something beyond my means here.

It would definitely be at a price range that an individual human couldn’t handle while staying sane.

Whether it’s bartering or currency.

So let’s narrow down the scope.

“I’d like something casual that I can wear comfortably on a daily basis.”

Then the curtain immediately dropped and rose again.

The items in the glass case that had been briefly hidden and then revealed again had magically changed.

Not torsos, but three or four upper body mannequins.

Accessories glittered on their necks, arms, and fingers.

“….”

Among them, I found the lightest and most inconspicuous-looking item.

It was a thin silver ring.

It had elegant craftsmanship delicately worked into it, but it looked like it would require the least amount of raw materials.

Which meant it looked the cheapest.

“How much is this?”

The mannequins all raised their hands in unison and pointed.

At my companions behind me.

“….”

Right.

As recorded in the , the basic form of bartering at this boutique is….

Humans.

Agent ■■■ successfully posed as an existing boutique member using mental disruption equipment.

“…Noru?”

“….”

“Um, excuse me, what exactly is happening right now….”

“Ah, I see. Please wrap it up.”

The mannequins moved in unison again and carefully took out the ring I had chosen from the glass case.

Then they brought a silk cord with a luxurious tag from somewhere, tied it to the ring, and brought it to me as if asking me to check it.

On the tag… tiny letters were elegantly written.

Instead of trying to read it myself and walking the direct shortcut to Death Road contamination, I asked Good Friend for help.

‘Brown, could you read it?’

Custom clothing specialist, luster that never fades. The noble craftsmanship that is always in its place.

Friend

‘…Right.’

As expected.

‘Never fades, always in its place’…

I knew there would be keywords like that.

Abilities related to durability or permanence.

Purchased item: Ring

Some large-scale mental contamination incident.

The sole company employee survivor there was the person who sold three civilians and bought and wore this boutique’s ring.

‘…It’s bound to come to mind immediately.’

Since it’s an incident related to the goods I have.

That one time when a major disaster occurred because of the Silver Heart.

That train accident.

Employee ■■■

That was the longest document among the human error accidents recorded in the Disaster Management Bureau files, and it was also a wiki that was recorded as a short story.

A ring that played a decisive role in surviving such a major accident without contamination.

This boutique entry was essentially created in reverse to give plausibility and interest to that ring’s setting.

In other words, the accessories and clothing sold here have been indirectly verified by the wiki.

When worn, they demonstrate resistance in situations that break the ‘consistency’ of the mind, such as mental confusion and brainwashing.

To summarize that in one phrase,

‘It can be used as powerful mental defense equipment….’

…An item absolutely necessary for me, who almost got into big trouble from contamination once.

“….”

I raised my head.

“Good. I’ll purchase this ring.”

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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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