Got Dropped in a Ghost Story Chapter 16

A change of position.

In other words—

a change in the department or type of work an employee primarily handles.

Normally, that was something that happened after you’d spent several years at a company.

It was definitely not something you said to an employee who had been here for three days!

“…A position change? Does that mean I’m being transferred to another department?”

I barely managed to stop myself from blurting out, What are you talking about right after lunch?

Instead, I asked as politely as I could.

“Well… actually, yeah. Did you see the notice? It just went up.”

“…?!”

A terrible feeling washed over me.

I immediately opened the company intranet.

[Notice of Employee Rewards for Resolving Special Incident Qterw-D-43]

…

Qterw-D-43.

The Tuesday Quiz Show.

And to summarize the notice—

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

– Wow! A team resolved a special incident inside a D-Class Darkness and extracted an A-Class essence? Amazing!

– A total reward of 100,000 points will be distributed to the team!

– See that? You can do it too!

– Forget work-life balance! Work like a beast and earn those points!

– Follow Squad D’s example!

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

“…”

And there it was.

Right in the middle of the announcement.

Kim Soleum.

Listed as the key contributor who had received 40,000 points.

I wish this were a dream.

But the worst part was—

if this announcement was what had triggered my change in position…

A chill ran down my spine as I looked at Assistant Manager Eun’s hollow expression.

“Finished reading?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yeah. Squad D… well, we did something pretty unusual this time.”

No way.

“Does that mean the whole squad is being transferred?”

“Not exactly.”

Assistant Manager Eun picked up her coffee and gulped it in one go.

“It’s more like the type of work we’re assigned is changing.”

Wait.

“Until now, we’ve mostly been assigned to ghost stories with completed manuals.”

…

Hold on.

“From now on, they want us handling ghost stories whose manuals aren’t completed!”

“…!!”

In other words—

they were going to throw us into ghost stories with no data.

“Seriously… We do well once, and suddenly they decide we should handle even more dangerous assignments.”

Supervisor Park was already slumped over his desk.

Apparently, he’d heard the news before me.

Even caffeine didn’t seem capable of saving him.

“Hello.”

And as if summoned by the conversation—

our lizard-headed squad leader walked into the office.

Assistant Manager Eun immediately turned on him.

“Squad Leader! They’re saying we have to start entering ghost stories without completed manuals! Are they trying to get us killed?”

“…? No.”

“Huh?”

A tiny spark of hope appeared on her face.

Maybe there was some loophole.

“Even with a completed manual, there’s no guarantee you’ll be safe.”

“…”

Oh.

That was what he meant.

What an incredibly pragmatic lizard…

I somehow managed to speak.

“But without a manual, wouldn’t it still be more dangerous? There’s no information to rely on.”

The lizard tilted his head.

“I’m not sure.”

“…”

“I haven’t noticed much difference.”

“…”

Ah.

Right.

This was the man who solved ghost stories by beating them into submission.

So you’ve just been bulldozing through everything this whole time…

Fine.

I decided to ask the important question directly.

“Is there any advantage to our new assignments?”

“Yes.”

“What advantage?”

“Additional points.”

“…!”

Supervisor Park’s head immediately shot up.

As expected from people obsessed with points.

“H-How much extra, Squad Leader?”

“A lot.”

“How much is ‘a lot’?”

“On average, two to three times as much as ghost stories of the same class.”

“…!”

Assistant Manager Eun leaned forward.

“What’s the highest multiplier you’ve ever seen?”

“Fifteen times.”

“…”

Their expressions changed instantly.

‘Those are the eyes of stock traders.’

That’s the face of someone about to buy a speculative biotech stock.

The exact look people got when they heard some questionable rumor and decided they were about to strike it rich.

Apparently, the taste of those 30,000 points had been far too sweet.

Normally, anyone with common sense would have tried to stop this madness.

But honestly—

for me…

Isn’t this basically guaranteed profit?

Whether the company had a completed manual or not barely mattered.

I had access to the Exploration Records.

In many cases, I knew far more detailed information than anything the company manual could provide.

Which meant—

This is basically a triple-points event, isn’t it?

…

…

And so—

a short while later.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Without putting up any resistance, Squad D accepted the new assignment and headed out.

Let’s earn those points.

Our destination was the seventeenth floor.

“Floors twenty through seventeen are mostly used by the Development Headquarters.”

Assistant Manager Eun frowned as she pressed the elevator button.

“And the seventeenth floor is where the researchers who scout for new Darkness work.”

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

Beyond them was a stark white office that looked like a laboratory and workplace had been fused together.

Someone was already waiting for us.

The moment we stepped out, he extended his hand.

“Wow~ So this is the guy I’ve been hearing about? Amazing, seriously amazing~”

Definitely someone above me in rank.

I reflexively accepted the handshake.

“I’m Kim Soleum. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, and you’ve got manners too.”

The man wore glasses and a white lab coat.

He looked fairly young, but considering the nature of this world, I decided not to assume anything based on appearances.

After greeting the rest of Squad D, he turned back toward me.

“I’m Kwak Jaekang from Research Team 1. Nice to meet you. Looking forward to working with you~”

“…! Likewise. I look forward to working with you.”

Assistant Manager Eun leaned toward me and whispered,

“Don’t worry. He’s only a section chief.”

You’re only an assistant manager…

But that wasn’t what caught me off guard.

I knew this person.

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

Researcher Kwak Jaekang

: An employee of Research Team 1 in the Raw Materials Development Department of Daydream Inc., appearing in <Dark Exploration Records>.

Frequently mentioned in the early Exploration Records involving newly registered Darkness.

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

Another named character.

His personality, though…

Well.

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

One of the few employees explicitly described as “cheerful and sociable.”

But…

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

…

Hmm.

I quietly followed the others without letting my thoughts show.

“We’ll probably be seeing each other pretty often from now on, right, Section Chief Lee Jaheon?”

“Yes.”

…

Aigoo.

“May I ask why?”

“Yes.”

Only after being asked again did the lizard finally explain.

“Research Team 1 investigates newly discovered Darkness and standardizes their entry methods. Since Squad D will now be exploring Darkness that hasn’t been fully documented, you’ll be working with them frequently.”

In other words—

this was basically the team that handed us our assignments.

They discover new Darkness here, then send it to the Field Exploration Team’s advance unit…

“Oh, come on. You always make everything sound so complicated, Section Chief Lee.”

Kwak Jaekang laughed.

“And you’re not even a researcher!”

He casually patted the lizard-headed Section Chief on the back.

Lee Jaheon’s unblinking reptilian eyes slowly shifted toward him, as though genuinely confused.

…

It felt like I was watching the opening scene of a thriller.

“Anyway, today’s Darkness is ready for entry.”

Kwak Jaekang clapped his hands lightly.

“Don’t forget your Dream Essence Collectors, all right?”

For a split second, Assistant Manager Eun’s expression clearly said—

Why is someone from another department reminding us of something that obvious?

But Supervisor Park frantically gestured at her before she could say it out loud.

“Check the records from ordinary civilians who entered and came back out, along with the records from the team that entered previously.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon accepted the documents from Research Team 1.

Meanwhile—

someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“…?”

I turned around.

A researcher was grinning at me.

“Hey. Want to bet whether this one ends up D-Class or F-Class?”

“Pardon?”

“We like making little bets among ourselves. You should join in. It’s fun.”

“No, thank you.”

I answered immediately.

Is this guy insane?

What happened if they got audited?

And he was openly suggesting gambling right in front of his boss.

I instinctively glanced toward Research Team 1’s section chief.

But the researcher merely shrugged.

“Eh, it’s nothing serious.”

“It’s not like anyone’s going to die because of a little bet.”

“…”

“Haha. Look at that. Your expression didn’t even change.”

He grinned.

“You’ve got guts, Soleum-ssi.”

I was simply too dumbfounded for my facial muscles to react.

Isn’t this crossing a line even for a workplace?

Then again—

he really did act like exactly the kind of researcher who would appear in a creepypasta-based universe.

“Just kidding.”

The researcher waved one hand casually.

“Today’s Darkness isn’t anything that serious. Plenty of ordinary people have escaped from it.”

He paused.

“Though the Planning Team apparently had a rough time cleaning up all the noise the Disaster Management Bureau made about it~”

“…”

Nobody from Squad D responded.

Research Team 1’s section chief simply smiled and continued organizing the remaining documents.

“Hoh.”

The researcher who had tried to get me to gamble looked us over with a faint sneer.

Then he crossed his arms and settled into the posture of someone waiting to watch a show.

Is it really okay for someone to act like this at work…?

I wasn’t exactly getting a good feeling from him.

But then again—

work at this company was rarely pleasant.

What mattered now was the Darkness we had been assigned.

What kind of ghost story is it?

“Oh, Roe, you should read this too.”

“Yes.”

I accepted the documents my senior handed me.

“It’s probably something I already know.”

And since plenty of ordinary civilians had managed to escape, it couldn’t be that bad.

At worst, maybe D-Class.

I should be able to handle it without too much trouble.

So there was no need to panic—

“Roe, did you read this part? Something about clown portraits… Oh, and if you see a clown advertisement, you get dragged inside?”

Clown advertisement…?!

No way.

It couldn’t possibly be—

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

Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[The Clown Hates You]

: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>.

: Daydream Inc. Identification Code – Qterw-D-210

A Darkness consisting of an endless hallway lined with clown portraits, where those who enter are doomed to wander indefinitely.

Upon closer inspection, the portraits do not depict actual clowns.

They are grotesquely distorted human beings forced into clown-like appearances, their faces twisted into unnatural smiles.

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

“…”

No way.

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

The longer someone remains inside, the more distorted and grotesque the portraits become.

People who disappear inside the Darkness eventually become new clown portraits themselves.

Among documented explorations, it is considered one of the rare ghost stories that resembles a full-fledged horror movie.

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

Wow.

My eyes trembled as I scanned the Exploration Records.

…

It really was that one.

“Wow.”

“It’s actually here.”

A full-blown horror scenario.

Even worse than the convenience-store ghost.

“Haha! Well then, let’s head in!”

Excuse me?!

Forget the triple-points event.

Cancel it.

I don’t want to go!

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

But unfortunately—

in society, saying something like that wasn’t going to get me very far.

“…”

I opened my eyes.

Before me stretched a pitch-black hallway.

No—

a corridor.

As dark and hopeless as my future.

The walls were covered in grotesque clown portraits, each wearing a distorted, unsettling expression.

“F-Fuck.”

Even the entry method was horrifying.

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

1 – Watch a YouTube advertisement featuring a red-nosed clown laughing maniacally while staring directly at the viewer.

2 – Inside any enclosed hallway, a clown’s hand will suddenly appear from around a corner.

3 – If you approach too closely, the hand grabs your wrist and drags you into the Darkness.

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

I nearly fainted from that alone.

“This is insane.”

I nervously looked around.

The Exploration Records replayed vividly in my mind, reminding me of every horrible thing that could happen depending on which wall I approached.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Honestly, anyone would be scared here.”

“This isn’t even just me being a coward…”

“Hm.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon looked around calmly.

“It’s not that dark.”

“We probably don’t need flashlights.”

“Section Chief, shouldn’t we wait for our eyes to adjust first?”

“Right.”

“Close your eyes for sixty seconds.”

“Yes, sir!”

Supervisor Park answered with complete confidence.

“…”

Are they serious?

They wanted to stand in a pitch-black corridor—

surrounded by grotesque clown portraits—

with their eyes closed for a full minute?

“Roe, close your eyes too.”

So that really was the plan.

“…Yes, sir.”

I pretended to close mine.

Instead, I lowered my gaze and stared at the floor.

Sweat poured down my face.

And then I realized something.

These people—

“They’re practically immune to fear.”

Unless their lives were in immediate danger, their tolerance for horror was absurdly high.

They were probably the kind of people who watched horror movies and said things like—

“People are scarier than ghosts.”

“That wasn’t scary at all.”

“Well, I guess that explains why they work here.”

But even people like them would surely lose their composure once the portraits started moving.

Right?

“Hm… According to the record, if you get too close to a portrait or stab it, sometimes the clown crawls out and chases you.”

“Oh, right.”

Assistant Manager Eun nodded.

“When that happens, the painting becomes empty. A few people apparently used that to escape back to reality.”

“I see.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon answered calmly.

“Stab every portrait we see.”

I almost screamed.

“Yes, sir! If anything comes out, I’ll signal immediately and run!”

“Yes.”

“We’ll repeat the attempt once every hour.”

“Oh, did it say they crawl?”

Assistant Manager Eun sounded almost pleased.

“That’s good. Less mobility.”

“Exactly.”

Then Supervisor Park suddenly pointed.

“Oh, Roe! Look over there on the left.”

“There’s a clown with really strange eyes.”

“Looks like something from a movie poster, doesn’t it?”

“…”

“It even matches the description of one of the missing civilians.”

“I guess people really do end up like that after disappearing here.”

Against my better judgment—

I looked up.

In the dim corridor hung a portrait of a clown.

One eye had been replaced with a button.

Its face was smeared with colorful clown makeup.

Its mouth had been stretched into a forced, toothy grin.

“…It moved.”

I was sure of it.

Its remaining pupil had just shifted.

“…”

“Roe, want to try touching that one first?”

No!

Absolutely not!

Please stop!

“…Uh, yes.”

Why did I say yes?!

I couldn’t even bring myself to walk toward it!

A powerful sense of danger crawled up the back of my neck.

If I kept matching the pace of these lunatics—

I was going to die.

“So Roe will start with the portrait in the upper-left—”

“Wait.”

“Hm?”

“This is my chance.”

“I think I figured out how we’re supposed to escape.”

“W-What?”

Yes.

We’d been inside for less than a minute.

But I’d figured it out.

So please—

just trust me.

“I deduced it from the records of civilian escapees.”

Had my brain ever worked this fast before?

“I cannot let these fearless maniacs take the lead.”

“First, we shouldn’t touch any of the other portraits.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

Because I’m terrified.

That was the real reason.

But what came out of my mouth was—

“…There must be one specific correct portrait.”

Was this what survival instinct felt like?

I immediately pulled out the gray coin that served as my personalized equipment.

With a flick, I summoned the translucent glove into the air.

Then—

I handed it twenty 500-won coins all at once.

Like some big-spending viewer throwing money at a streamer.

(T/N: Approximately 8 USD.)

The glove froze.

For a second, it almost seemed stunned by the enormous payment.

Then it spun happily through the air—

and merged with my hand.

“Wait.”

Supervisor Park stared.

“Is that your personalized equipment, Roe?”

“Yes.”

“It lets me interact with objects remotely.”

“Whoa.”

Good.

Now I wouldn’t have to personally approach the clown portraits.

Of course—

I pretended that wasn’t the real reason.

I nodded seriously, acting like I was working through some complicated hypothesis.

“From here on… I want to run through the corridor and check as many portraits as possible.”

“We need to find the correct one.”

Then I looked toward Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

“And starting now, the portrait I describe will be the correct one.”

“…”

“If you see it, please tell me immediately.”

“Is that all right?”

If this worked—

I wouldn’t have to closely inspect every single clown portrait myself.

“Of course, if he says, Who does this rookie think he is ordering us around? then I’m finished…”

But Section Chief Lee Jaheon didn’t seem like the type to care much about hierarchy.

Even if he had a lizard head.

And maybe a lizard brain too.

“Sure.”

It worked!

Relief shot down my spine so hard that my knees nearly gave out.

But I forced myself to remain composed.

“Then I’ll start running.”

I acted as if I were testing some brilliant theory that specifically required moving quickly.

…

“Even though running isn’t actually necessary.”

Escaping this place was surprisingly simple.

“You can touch any portrait you want. It doesn’t interfere with identifying the correct one.”

If you were brave enough, you could probably just stroll through the corridor at a leisurely pace and figure it out.

But—

I had already learned my lesson.

That game of tag with the convenience-store ghost had taught me exactly what mattered most for someone like me.

What was the greatest survival strategy for a coward?

“Speedrun.”

Haunted-house emergency exit.

“Let’s go.”