Got Dropped in a Ghost Story Chapter 15

Daydream Inc. was a creepy company that threw Field Exploration Team employees into horrifying ghost stories to extract potion concentrate.

Which naturally raised a question.

– If they recklessly send employees into high-level, extremely dangerous ghost stories, won’t everyone just die before they can extract anything?

To solve that problem—and make the progression of ghost stories more convenient—the setting included a system where employees could obtain special equipment that grew stronger as they were promoted.

But the details were vague.

If every single piece of equipment started getting divided into ranks and charts, it would stop being an internet ghost story and become a setting document for an enormous game.

Instead, the writers opted for a much more convenient concept that everyone could use.

– Personalized equipment.

Employees who proved themselves useful could receive supernatural equipment with support from the company.

Of course, that didn’t mean regular office workers suddenly started throwing around ridiculous superpowers like cartoon characters.

It was more like gaining a slight supernatural advantage.

Just enough to create useful situations within the story.

Still, the fact that it exists at all is great.

Without realizing it, I looked hopefully toward Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

Then I made eye contact with the lizard.

I immediately looked away.

I am seriously not getting used to this.

“Um… can I make personalized equipment too?”

“Yes.”

“…Could you explain how it works?”

“Yes.”

“…”

It took three questions before I finally got a proper explanation.

Still—

This was fascinating.

I only knew bits and pieces about this before.

All the scattered references I had read in <Dark Exploration Records> were now being organized and explained directly by the Section Chief.

“Personalized equipment is created using certain ghost stories owned by the company.”

Right.

Of course they used ghost stories.

[Toy Maker of the Cheerful Lab / Qterw-E-07]

[Kind Seed Kit / Qterw-E-99]

[The Offering of the Ritual / Qterw-E-404]

As far as I remembered, those were the three ghost stories that had been linked to employees creating equipment.

And the one most commonly used by the Field Exploration Team was….

“…That one.”

Oh!

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

“Perfect timing. This Darkness only works under moonlight!”

With the rest of the squad happily coming along to watch, I followed the Section Chief to an annex beside the main company building.

My seniors had encouraged me to go immediately while the opportunity was there.

“This building is where the company isolates ghost stories that are relatively safe and useful.”

Assistant Manager Eun explained as we walked.

“We usually call them Twilight-Class.”

I already knew that.

Officially, these ghost stories were categorized as E-Class.

But simply calling them E-Class didn’t really fit.

They’re specially selected because they’re useful.

Some were far more powerful than D-Class Darknesses, while others were less dangerous than even F-Class ones.

That was why employees usually referred to them by their special designation –

Twilight.

“Roe, remember that radio you saw on your first day? The one that tells you your fortune for the day? It’s useful in the same sort of way.”

Assistant Manager Eun scanned her employee ID.

The entrance on the first floor of the annex opened, revealing a staircase descending underground.

We went down.

At the bottom was a dimly lit reception desk.

Someone was sitting behind it.

“…”

The figure was peculiar.

They were dressed entirely in black.

Mask.

Sunglasses.

Even a hat.

Is that an employee?

Supervisor Park immediately stepped forward.

“Hello! We’re Squad D from the Field Exploration Team. We’re here for new recruit training.”

“…”

“We’d like permission to access Twilight-Class Darkness number 99.”

The dark figure silently examined Supervisor Park for a moment.

Then nodded.

They pressed a button beneath the desk.

Creak.

One of the emergency doors behind them opened.

Beyond it stretched a corridor lined with countless doors.

“Don’t accidentally open any of the others.”

Supervisor Park glanced down the hallway.

“They’re probably locked anyway, but let’s not even touch the handles.”

Sound advice.

I nodded.

We continued down the corridor until we reached a door marked—

[99]

Assistant Manager Eun placed her employee ID against the reader.

Click.

“Let’s go in.”

The door opened.

I lifted my head.

Moonlight poured into an abandoned greenhouse overgrown with weeds.

At its center stood a rusty machine illuminated by the pale light.

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

Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[Kind Seed Kit]

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

: Daydream Inc. Identification Code – Qterw-E-99

It treats objects as plants, extracting their genetic information so they can be crossbred and replanted.

Operates using moonlight as an energy source.

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

That was right.

Put two objects inside, and it combines their traits to create a new item.

This was the ghost story the Field Exploration Team primarily used to create personalized equipment.

And despite being considered useful—

it definitely still looked like a ghost story.

“This is the Darkness our department uses more than almost anything else!”

I stopped in front of the rusty machine.

“Does it cost points to use?”

“Yes. Twilight-Class Darkness stored in the annex requires a usage fee before it can be activated.”

“Oh…”

“This one costs 1,000 points per use.”

Wait.

Something about that seemed wrong.

“If this equipment is necessary for exploring Darknesses, shouldn’t the company be supporting the cost instead of charging us?”

Even for this hopeless company, surely that much should be covered.

Right?

“Oh, once you become a supervisor, you get two free uses per year.”

“…”

Maybe I should’ve taken that promotion after all.

“Most employees wait until they’re supervisors before using it. Usually, you only have to hold out for a year at most.”

Hmm.

I thought about it.

There has to be a reason Section Chief Lee Jaheon recommended this even though it costs points.

He might be famous for solving problems through brute force, but his instincts were probably sharp too.

If someone with such a high survival rate went out of their way to recommend something—

‘I should probably listen.’

If spending 1,000 points now could raise my survival rate early on, then it was worth it.

…Even if my hands were trembling a little at the thought of spending them.

“I’d like to use it now.”

“Okay!”

Supervisor Park answered cheerfully.

Then he seemed to remember something and lowered his voice.

“…But you know you need existing equipment to put into the machine first, right? Something with a useful ability that can act as genetic material.”

“Oh… right.”

I had already confirmed that from the exploration records.

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

Exploration Record #05

Employee N inserted a tumbler* and a backpack.

The tumbler* was a special item belonging to Section Chief Choi ■■.

Special Attribute: Liquid poured into it after sunrise does not run out until sunset.

The backpack possessed no special attributes.

Seed Result: Backpack

Special Attribute: Possesses an ability similar to the tumbler, but becomes empty after dispensing more than 87 liters of liquid.

====================== “Don’t worry! When someone in the squad makes their first personalized equipment, there’s a tradition where another squad member lends them one piece of equipment for free.”

“Yeah, but only one.”

Assistant Manager Eun added,

“For the second item, you’ll either have to use something you already own or pay to borrow another piece.”

Then she glanced toward Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

“And, well… the Squad Leader has the best equipment out of all of us.”

As expected of the boss.

“If you don’t mind, Section Chief, could I see your equipment?”

“Sure.”

The lizard reached into his pocket.

He pulled out—

a small ash-gray knife.

“This is a butter knife.”

“If you cut the medium used to enter a Darkness, it tears open the space and allows small objects to be transferred through.”

Oh.

“This is what you used to send in the AAA battery, right?”

“Yes.”

I looked at the butter knife with newfound appreciation.

I was hoping for something defensive… but I guess those aren’t easy to come by.

It was slightly disappointing.

Then again, none of the equipment I remembered belonging to higher-ranking employees had really been defensive either.

There were items for tricks.

Items for communication.

Things like that.

If things get desperate, I might be able to buy something defensive from the Alien Shop anyway…

I made my decision.

“So you’re going to use the Squad Leader’s equipment?”

“Yes.”

I bowed politely.

“Thank you, Section Chief.”

Lee Jaheon gave a small nod and approached the machine.

Ancient-looking letters appeared on its old LCD screen.

[Give me plants 0/2]

I watched as the Section Chief placed the butter knife into the machine to scan its “genetic information.”

[Plant information stored.]

[Give me plants 1/2]

“Now you just need to insert the other item you want to use. …Oh, wait.”

Assistant Manager Eun quickly stopped me.

“If this machine isn’t being unusually picky, almost anything will work.”

“But there’s one thing you absolutely cannot put inside.”

She tapped the warning sign attached to the machine.

※ Do not insert actual plants.

“No matter what happens, don’t literally give it a plant just because it keeps asking for one.”

“…”

“The sensor at the entrance filters out plants anyway, but I’m warning you just in case.”

Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I finally noticed something strange about the weeds filling the greenhouse.

They weren’t real.

Every single one was artificial.

“…”

And suddenly—

one of the Exploration Records came back to me.

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

Exploration Record #14 (Irregular)

Employee R collected weeds—presumably dandelions—growing near the Darkness and inserted them into the machine twice.

As a result, [redacted] emerged while screaming [redacted], after which [redacted].

– The Security Team required seven days to suppress the resulting incident.

All three employees present, including Employee R, were confirmed dead.

All plants were subsequently removed.

※ Notice: Repeating this action will result in disciplinary action and termination.

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

Yeah.

I definitely needed to remember that.

“Yes. Thank you for warning me.”

“No need to thank me.”

Meanwhile, Section Chief Lee Jaheon finished registering his equipment, retrieved the knife, and slipped it back into his suit pocket.

“Normally, you would place an ordinary object in the other slot.”

“For the second slot, people usually use an ordinary object that’s easy to handle. But if you do, the supernatural properties may be inherited only weakly—or, in rare cases, not at all.”

I nodded seriously.

I already knew that, but still.

“I understand. Whatever comes out, I’ll accept it.”

Then I reached into my pocket.

“Oh~ So you did stop by the dorm earlier.”

Supervisor Park looked interested.

“Looks like you already found something you want to use?”

“Yes.”

Resting in my palm was a silver coin.

The Silver Coin Snake.

An item I had bought from the Alien Shop at a massive discount.

“I’m going to use this.”

If I needed something for the second slot—

then I might as well use one of my own items.

After all, I already had several supernatural objects in my possession.

That was exactly why I had been so pleased when I realized the Field Exploration Team used the Kind Seed Kit to create personalized equipment.

I have more sources for supernatural items than most people.

The black notepad that produced merch out of nowhere.

The Alien Shop.

From the moment I entered this greenhouse, I had been mentally going through every item I owned.

And the highest-grade one among them is…

Obviously—

this.

I rolled the silver coin with the snake engraving between my fingers.

If I go by its original price, this is easily the most expensive.

And considering Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s butter knife specialized in transferring supplies—

maybe combining it with something that functioned as “currency” would create an interesting effect.

I brought the coin toward the machine.

The moment the silver surface caught the light—

the lizard’s pupils widened.

“That?”

“A commemorative coin.”

I answered without hesitation.

“I bought it as a souvenir while traveling. It just… felt like the right choice.”

“…I see.”

…

Did he realize it was an item?

Well, it didn’t really matter.

In a world where supernatural phenomena were practically part of everyday work, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to unknowingly end up carrying a supernatural object.

And it’s just a coin.

Nothing suspicious about that.

A tiny everyday object.

“It’s easy to carry.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon looked at it briefly.

“Seems suitable.”

“Thank you.”

With my seniors encouraging me from behind, I placed the coin into the machine.

[Plant information stored.]

[Give me plants 2/2.]

“Oh! Now we’re at the final step.”

The LCD changed.

[Please provide the gardener’s information.]

Right.

That was why this was called personalized equipment.

I didn’t know exactly how it affected the final result, but the machine also required the genetic information of the “gardener” who would be raising the plant.

Apparently, various factors could influence the outcome at this stage.

I felt a little uneasy.

Still—

I completed the scan.

[Information confirmed.]

Here it comes.

[Combining genetic information.]

[Generating kit…]

The machine began to groan.

Gears creaked inside as colored smoke seeped from its seams.

[Seed planted.]

Hiss—

A drawer at the front slid open.

Inside was a small object.

A gray coin.

It looked like one of those cheap plastic tokens you might use at an arcade.

Except the surface was metallic and glossy—

and engraved on the front was a glove.

“Oh, it’s done.”

“Congratulations, Roe.”

I carefully reached into the drawer.

Then picked it up.

My first piece of personalized equipment.

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

Afterward, I went straight back to the company dormitory.

My seniors left as well.

“Get some rest. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Apparently, even they thought making someone test mysterious new equipment right after recovering from a Darkness exploration would be going too far.

“…All right.”

Back in my room, I sat on the edge of my bed and placed two coins in front of me.

One was the Silver Coin Snake I had used as the parent material.

The other was the gray coin produced by combining it with Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s butter knife.

Everything had gone smoothly.

Except for one tiny problem.

“…How do I activate this?”

Nothing happened.

The coin didn’t react at all.

Come to think of it…

The Silver Coin Snake never had any clearly stated supernatural ability either.

Was this really my personalized equipment?

This thing that looked like a cheap arcade token?

Sweat began to gather on my forehead.

Fortunately—

my anxiety didn’t last long.

“So that’s how it works.”

I tried the most obvious thing I could think of.

I flicked the coin upward with my thumb.

At that moment, the glove embossed on the face of the coin popped out into reality.

“…!”

A translucent silver glove appeared in midair.

It floated there—

then began moving like a mime, tracing letters through the air.

[Insert coin.]

“…”

It wanted money?

I opened my wallet.

Then pulled out a 100-won coin and held it toward the glove.

The glove refused.

“What?”

Wrong currency?

Or maybe…

“How about this?”

I offered it a 500-won coin.

This time—

the hand eagerly accepted it.

The coin slipped between its fingers.

Then the glove performed a little magical flourish and vanished.

Was it the amount?

So my personalized equipment ran on pure capitalism.

While I stared at it in disbelief, the translucent glove approached my hand and merged with it as though I were putting it on.

“…!”

A strange sensation ran through me.

Another… hand?

A shadow-like copy of my hand appeared in front of me.

And when I thought about moving it—

it moved.

I pushed against the wall.

Opened the bathroom door.

Even picked up a pen and wrote with it.

Strength and precision…

About the same as my actual hand.

In short—

after feeding the equipment a coin, I could create a telekinetic third hand for a few seconds.

Its effective range seemed to be around three meters.

“If 500 won gives me five seconds… that’s honestly not bad.”

A moment later, the shadow hand disappeared.

The translucent glove slipped away from my real hand and floated back toward the coin.

It gave me a small wave—

almost like it was saying goodbye.

Then it flattened itself back into the engraving on the coin’s surface.

“Hm.”

Not bad.

It couldn’t cross the boundary between reality and a ghost story the way Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s butter knife could.

But in exchange—

it gave me much more freedom to manipulate things within the Darkness itself.

That made it surprisingly versatile.

Of course, there was one obvious limitation.

How many 500-won coins can I realistically carry in a suit while running for my life…?

Still.

This was a successful pull.

And best of all—

the Silver Coin Snake hadn’t revealed itself as a supernatural object.

It had simply blended into the resulting equipment.

“Make sure you earn back the 1,000 points I spent on you.”

I slipped the gray coin into my pocket with the rest of my items.

While I was at it, I restocked the Smiley Stickers I had used and packed another can from the Alice Picnic Set.

Humans really are creatures of adaptation.

I lay back on the bed.

Surprisingly—

I felt pretty good.

Whenever I closed my eyes, images from that horrifying talk show still flashed vividly through my mind.

But as long as I left the lights on, I could actually sleep.

Maybe it was because everything had ended well.

…I really did get pretty lucky.

Even my squad assignment had turned out better than expected.

Maybe earning so many points all at once is making things feel a little more hopeful.

Sleep slowly began pulling at me.

My eyelids grew heavy.

Of course, I still needed an absurd number of points before I could buy the Wish Ticket.

And I had no idea how many more ghost stories I would have to survive.

Still—

for the first time since arriving in this world, I felt like I might actually be able to make it through.

Maybe I can just keep my head down and endure this quietly.

…

That naive optimism lasted exactly one more day.

The next morning, I arrived at work and saw a company notice.

[Wow! New Recruit Clears an A-Class Crisis on His Second Day!]

“Roe, sit down.”

“Looks like we… well, your position might be changing.”

“Pardon?”

…

I’ve only been working here for three days.

Continue reading more chapters at henprogressive.com

Please join here, I need supporters to help me continue translating Surviving game as a barbarian and Lee Gwak
If it doesn’t work support me here buymeacoffee.com/hennoveltranslations. There are advanced chapters for supporters as well.