Got Dropped in a Ghost Story Chapter 29

A new hire getting scouted by the elite team after only a month on the job.

It sounded like the title of some attention-grabbing self-help book.

Except it was actually happening to me.

What the hell is going on?

Me?

In Squad A?

“Let’s see. Soleum-ssi, you joined Squad D last month, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll contact HR and process this as a temporary assignment first. After five months, we can make the transfer official.”

“Right. Then, Assistant Manager Jin…”

Squad A’s leader turned toward me with a satisfied smile.

“For now, Soleum-ssi should be promoted to Supervisor immediately.”

“…”

“The official announcement should probably come out next week.”

Oh my God.

“This company doesn’t care much about seniority, but there are still minimum requirements. This is an absurdly fast promotion.”

Of course it is!

They were offering me a promotion too?

Did Squad A really have that much influence?

Well, not exactly.

Normally, someone being considered for an elite squad would first have to earn a few promotions and prove themselves at each rank before officially joining.

In practice, you needed to be at least a Supervisor before you could even start working in an elite squad.

So if they wanted me in Squad A, I had to be promoted first.

Management was simply fast-tracking the process.

Squad A used to require at least Assistant Manager rank…

This was an unbelievably generous offer.

But…

Why?

Why were they suddenly offering all this to me?

Ah.

The answer struck me the moment I saw the extremely satisfied expression on Squad A’s leader’s face.

I gave every “correct” answer today!

Because I had mistaken the whole thing for workplace harassment, I had tried desperately to handle everything perfectly.

I didn’t complain about unreasonable tasks.

I worked within the framework they gave me.

And I actively came up with ideas that produced results.

Basically—

I had behaved like the ideal employee.

A rookie with no ego.

An obedient subordinate who still showed initiative and creativity.

Exactly the kind of junior any manager would love to have.

“Soleum-ssi?”

Squad A’s leader smiled.

“You can clock out now. Just be prepared for the official announcement. It could come as early as next week.”

“…”

No.

This is a disaster.

I…

I was probably the last person who should ever join Squad A.

Their procedures are way too rigid.

If I stayed on a team where I had to follow orders this strictly, there was a ninety percent chance my cowardice would eventually be exposed.

Then the Wish Ticket will get even farther away, and my survival rate will plummet.

I could genuinely die.

The thought made my mouth go dry.

“…”

“Hey. Wait.”

Assistant Manager Jin looked at me suspiciously.

“You’re… actually thinking about it?”

I lowered my head slightly.

“Why? Are you insane?”

She frowned.

“Are you worried you’ll end up like those human shields in the Cleanup Teams? Don’t worry. We’re not going to send you there—”

“Assistant Manager Jin, wait.”

Squad A’s leader stopped her.

Then she turned toward me with a reassuring expression.

“You’ve only been working here for a month. Of course this is a lot to take in all at once.”

“It’s perfectly natural to hesitate.”

“…”

“But a wise person knows when to seize a bold opportunity.”

She smiled.

“That’s how you succeed in society.”

This isn’t an opportunity. It’s a trap!

What do I do?

How was I supposed to turn this down without offending a senior manager?

If I rejected her the wrong way, I could actually get on her bad side.

Then the workplace harassment I had imagined might become real.

I can’t see a way out of this…

Just then—

Ding.

The elevator chimed.

The doors opened.

And a familiar face appeared.

Or rather—

a familiar lizard.

Squad Leader!

Section Chief Lee Jaheon, who had been called in by the Team Leader, stepped out of the elevator.

His slit pupils met Squad A’s leader’s gaze.

“…Section Chief Lee Jaheon.”

“Section Chief Baek Seokjoo.”

Lee Jaheon stared at her blankly.

“I was instructed to apologize to you.”

He paused.

“So, I apologize.”

“…”

Section Chief Baek Seokjoo was very clearly suppressing the urge to curse.

“Hah… forget it.”

She rubbed her forehead.

“I’m the only one who’ll end up angry if we keep this going.”

“?”

“I said forget it.”

She shook her head.

“Anyway, I’ve already found someone to fill our vacancy.”

Then she patted me on the shoulder.

“Look. Here’s the rookie who’ll be joining our squad.”

Quite an announcement to drop on someone without warning.

But Lee Jaheon simply nodded.

“I see.”

Then he looked at me.

“It’s true that Squad A has better working conditions.”

“…”

Could you at least pretend I might have other options?!

Fine.

I’d get myself out of this.

I deliberately looked back and forth between the two Squad Leaders, acting as though I were overwhelmed by the decision.

Then I lowered my head respectfully toward Section Chief Baek.

Think.

Based on everything I had seen of her personality so far…

She’s obsessed with rules.

She divided responsibilities strictly by rank.

She disliked insubordination.

And she valued loyalty.

She was willing to take a major gamble by recruiting someone who had only worked here for a month, but only after deciding I fit within her own standards.

And she absolutely hates people going against her.

In other words—

she was the classic elite middle manager from an old-fashioned hierarchical conglomerate.

If that’s the case…

I bowed my head.

“Section Chief Baek, thank you very much for offering me such a generous opportunity and for seeing potential in a new employee like me.”

“Hmm.”

“However… I still lack experience.”

I kept my tone earnest.

“As a new employee, I believe I should first focus on building a strong foundation of skills and knowledge.”

Section Chief Baek stared at me closely.

Then she asked,

“…Soleum-ssi, do you know the starting base salary for an elite squad member?”

Not really.

“Eighty million won.”

“…!”

“And once hazard pay is included, annual take-home pay usually starts at around one hundred fifty million won.”

Holy shit.

“We also intend to designate you as a primary contributor for the C-Class Darkness you cleared today.”

“You finished it extremely quickly using an unconventional method.”

I-I suppose I did.

“And you discovered an approach that future explorers may want to use.”

She smiled.

“Do you know what that means?”

What?

“It means the manual may need to be completely rewritten.”

“…”

“Yes.”

“Not merely updated. Fully revised.”

Section Chief Baek smiled gently.

“And when a manual gets revised, there’s a separate bonus.”

“…!”

“It isn’t a small amount.”

“Normally, management dislikes going through the trouble of revising manuals, but elite squads are treated differently.”

Oh.

“If you join Squad A, getting the revision approved will be much faster and easier.”

“You could say it comes down to credibility.”

“…”

She deliberately paused.

“Let’s see… the revision bonus for a C-Class manual would be…”

Then she finally gave me the number.

“Fifty million won.”

“…!!”

“That would be your additional compensation for today alone, Soleum-ssi.”

Fifty million won.

“Are you sure you want to give up the chance to keep earning money like this?”

Wow.

Of course I didn’t.

But I can’t die for money…

Tears nearly came to my eyes.

This was insane.

No, Soleum. Remember.

All the money in this world is basically game currency to me.

Game money. Game money…!

Right!

I forced a slightly melancholy shine into my eyes and started spouting nonsense.

“I believe that before thinking about immediate financial gain, I need to improve my abilities and increase my own value.”

This was madness.

The entire point of increasing your skills and value is to make more money! Why am I turning this down?!

But I kept going.

I needed to say exactly the kind of thing that would appeal to a corporate manager from thirty years ago.

“Our ancestors used to say that hardship is worth buying while you’re young.”

“I don’t completely agree with that saying, but I believe there must be a reason it survived for so long.”

Assistant Manager Jin stared at me as though I had lost my mind.

But Section Chief Baek seemed genuinely affected.

“Hmm.”

She studied me for a while.

Then she sighed and nodded.

“Fine.”

“If that’s sincerely how you feel, I suppose I can’t force you.”

Yes!

“I thought you were quite clever, Soleum-ssi, but perhaps you’re a little more naive than I realized.”

She shook her head.

“How are you going to survive in this harsh world?”

Perfect.

Her tone was slightly scolding, but coming from her, this was practically praise.

Of course, she couldn’t resist adding one more lecture.

“Working hard is admirable.”

“But being too pure-hearted isn’t good for corporate life.”

Yes, yes.

“If I can offer you some advice, remember this.”

“You don’t survive at work by clinging to emotions.”

“And especially don’t become attached to people who refuse to understand you.”

Her gaze shifted pointedly toward someone beside us.

Her expression darkened.

“Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.”

“…Understood.”

Ah.

She meant our stubborn psycho of a Lizard Chief.

Got it.

“Did you hear that, Section Chief Lee Jaheon?”

“?”

Lee Jaheon nodded.

“Yes.”

“I understand perfectly.”

“…”

“…”

Please stop staring at him like Is this guy serious?, Section Chief Baek.

“Anyway.”

She took a deep breath and finally brought the conversation to an end.

“Good work today.”

“Go home.”

“…! Yes, ma’am!”

Sweet, sweet freedom.

“Thank you. I’ll be leaving now.”

Finally.

I could escape!

I eagerly pressed the elevator button.

Assistant Manager Jin quickly stepped beside me and whispered,

“You idiot.”

“You’re going to regret this.”

“…”

“Section Chief Lee hasn’t even received a Wish Ticket yet.”

“Our Section Chief already has.”

That was fine.

I knew our lizard would eventually become Team Leader.

Of course, I couldn’t exactly tell her that.

So instead, I complimented her.

“I’m sure you’ll get one soon too, Assistant Manager.”

“What?”

“When that happens, I’ll be sure to ask you all about it.”

“…”

Assistant Manager Jin looked briefly surprised.

Then she scoffed.

“You do have some sense.”

“You’ll tell me, right?”

“Yes.”

It was only a verbal promise, but based on what I had seen of her personality, she was rough around the edges but not the type to lie or break her word.

“Section Chief, Assistant Manager, thank you both very much for today.”

“Sure. Get home safely.”

After thanking them, I pressed the elevator button and hurried inside before anyone could drag me into something else.

And right on cue—

Lizard Chief slipped into the elevator behind me.

So he really had come all the way up here just to deliver that completely soulless apology.

– Going down…

As the elevator quietly carried the two of us downward, Lizard Chief unexpectedly spoke.

“Kim Soleum-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“Is there something you want from Squad D?”

Huh.

“…Are you asking because you think I chose to stay in Squad D despite having the chance to join Squad A because there’s something specific I want?”

“Yes.”

Good grief.

I scratched the back of my head for a moment, then sighed.

“There’s nothing like that, Section Chief.”

“?”

“I didn’t stay because there was some advantage to it.”

I stayed because I want to survive!

Lizard Chief narrowed his slit pupils, apparently confused.

“Staying in a regular squad instead of an elite one means losing out on points. It will take you longer to obtain a Wish Ticket.”

“That’s true.”

I shrugged.

“But even if I want a Wish Ticket, I also need to stay alive long enough to use it.”

“…”

“Until then, I’d rather work somewhere I can feel a little more at ease.”

I’d rather not spend every day terrified that someone will figure out I’m a coward…

“I see.”

Lizard Chief went quiet.

Finally, some peace for the rest of the ride—

“What is your wish, Kim Soleum-ssi?”

He was unusually talkative today.

“…You mean what I’d wish for if I got a Wish Ticket?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’d like to hear yours first, Section Chief.”

It was my polite way of saying, Why are you asking me something so one-sided?

But Lizard Chief merely blinked his vertical pupils and stared into space as though seriously considering it.

After a moment, he answered.

“It isn’t my wish.”

“Pardon?”

“I work here because I was assigned to do so, not because I chose to.”

That was completely unexpected.

I instinctively turned toward him.

The elevator light glinted across the scales covering his unmistakably non-human head.

“…Can I ask whose will it is?”

“You may not.”

Oh.

Right.

Coming from this lizard, that didn’t particularly hurt my feelings.

Sounds like there’s a story behind that.

Since he had answered my question, I felt like I should answer his too.

After thinking for a moment, I chose my words carefully.

“I… just want to go home.”

Section Chief Lee could have asked any number of follow-up questions.

Where was home?

Why was that my wish?

Did I mean an actual place, or something more metaphorical?

But instead, he simply replied,

“I see.”

And that was the end of it.

The elevator continued its peaceful descent in silence.

“…”

I had to admit, in a strange way, Lizard Chief was actually pretty easy to talk to.

Oddly enough.

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

Back at my dorm—

[watch out for serial killers –]

After sending Baek Saheon another friendly warning about his impending disaster, I lay down to rest.

Another day full of twists and turns…

This job was seriously going to cut my lifespan in half.

My heart could barely keep up.

Still, I couldn’t deny that I had gained quite a bit today.

Extra points.

Connections with elite-squad superiors.

And a fairly hefty bonus.

“…Five million won, huh.”

I wondered when it would hit my account.

I kept telling myself that money in this world was basically just game money, but if anything, that made it even more useful.

I needed it to improve my stats.

I could really use more money for the Alien Shop.

After all the unexpected emergencies I’d been dealing with, I was starting to feel a real need for more defensive equipment.

Especially something that could protect me mentally.

And once you reach VIP status, the Alien Shop unlocks exclusive items too…

Still thinking about today’s earnings, I found myself staring blankly at the ceiling.

Five million won.

“…Hoh.”

That was an actual bonus being deposited into the account of an ordinary corporate employee.

Enough money to completely distort your sense of value.

And somehow…

it still didn’t feel like enough to buy everything I wanted.

“Is there some other way to make money—”

Bzzzt!

My phone vibrated.

A new notification appeared on the screen.

Baek Saheon?

No.

Not this time.

Instead, I had unexpectedly been invited into a new open chat.

“…?!”

[K.LEE]

The profile picture showed a bright Hawaiian beach, and the username was written in English.

This looks suspicious…

[K.LEE: Oh hello, Mr. Employee lolol]

[K.LEE: Need some extra cash?]

“…??”

Who the hell is this?