Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chaoter 59

The tattoos etched onto me were all characters.

One was in Latin script.

: Socius :

It was imprinted when the membership card given by the blue dragon, the theme park mascot, burned. Braun told me it was a character granting authority, like a “special qualification” pass.

And the other was in Chinese.

: 恩主 :

This tattoo was imprinted when the contract document of the lodge keeper from the serial killer’s urban legend burned.

However, since I lack the “qualification,” it’s merely a character with no actual function.

If I were to choose one to “enhance”…

‘This is it.’

“Thank you.”

The tattooist examined the tattoo I pointed to.

: 恩主 :

The reason for this choice was simple.

‘It’s better to increase the number of abilities.’

I’m almost certain (though it makes me want to cry) that I’ll be encountering various urban legends in the future.

Meaning that a single superpower won’t be enough to solve everything.

‘Even the Lizard Supervisor, with his power, almost died. It’s hopeless.’

It’s better to increase the number of options for various situations, rather than vaguely enhancing a single ability; that wouldn’t be very useful.

‘So it’s better to be able to use a useless character.’

And there’s no risk of “stepping on a landmine” at this Moonlight Tattoo shop.

They’re very friendly to people, so they don’t give abilities that could harm you. Meaning the lodge keeper won’t suddenly appear and slit my throat.

Furthermore…

I glanced at the Latin inscription.

– Good child.

…Recalling the mascot, with whom I seemed to have formed a strangely emotional bond, covering up this tattoo felt like a kind of desecration.

‘A warning signal, huh.’

My instincts as a devoted reader of <Darkness Exploration Records> tell me to avoid this.

– Ah, it’s finally beginning!

And so I made my choice, and the tattooist began to work.

I stopped them from showing me various designs.

“Ah, just do it in the way you think looks best, please.”

If I want to maximize the effect, I should leave it to a professional.

I smiled.

“I trust the tattooist’s skill.”

“…!”

The shop owner’s eyes sparkled for a moment, then they forcefully urged me to lie comfortably on the chair.

While handing me Braun.

– I seem to have been mistaken for a pain-relieving doll! What a rude yet amusing misunderstanding!

But there was no pain.

The tattooist put on a pair of intricate goggles that looked somewhat steampunk, and started moving a huge tattoo machine.

‘…Are tattoo machines normally this big?’

Slightly bewildered by the machine, nearly as large as surgical medical equipment, at that moment.

Moonlight imbued the machine.

Zzzzzing-

The light pouring from the LED ceiling was sucked into the machine.

And it converged at its peak.

The tip of the tattoo machine’s needle.

Seeing the glowing jewel-like point approaching my arm, I closed my eyes as instructed.

“…….”

A strange sensation came from my left arm.

It wasn’t painful or itchy. Nor was it pressure.

It felt like old grime being scrubbed away, skin being rearranged and properly assembled, a cool and comfortable sensation that continued until…

Tap, tap.

It was finished.

The light in front of me disappeared, and following the tattooist’s gesture, I opened my eyes.

“…!”

‘Good heavens.’

The tattoo now had a background.

A dark blue night sky with a full moon, rendered as if painted with a single brushstroke, and the characters were inscribed on it like moonlight shadows.

Stars twinkled like pearls scattered near the characters.

Tap, tap.

The tattooist placed a hand on their hip, looking at me as if asking if I liked it.

“It’s amazing.”

The tattooist, with a proud look on their face, patted my shoulder and rushed to the counter.

“…?”

In the tattooist’s returning hand was a single pearl. It looked like it had been taken from the necklace I had brought.

‘What is this?’

The owner held the pearl over my tattoo.

Then it slid right in.

“…?!”

– Hoho, oh, this is interesting. Hmm…

– Mr. Roe Deer, this is quite amusing. A ‘passage’ has been opened.

Passage?

– Would you gently rub the tattoo? You should feel something.

I raised my hand and lightly touched the tattoo, which unbelievably felt neither stiff nor painful.

“…!”

It felt.

A ‘gap’ between the touching skin.

“…….”

I carefully ‘inserted’ my hand into it.

In my hand that came out again was a pearl that the tattooist had put in earlier….

‘…space?’

– Yes. It seems that the contract of that pitiful mountain lodge worker included ‘space provision’!

– Indeed, providing a room to a guest is not a natural duty for a servant, isn’t it? Perhaps the artist found a loophole in the contract and made it so that a small space was provided to you as well!

Wait a minute.

So, I now… have my own small inventory?

‘This is possible?’

My heart pounded at the webtoon-style gift I had never expected from an urban legend.

– Let’s see… you can think of it as a cube with one side about 2 feet. That much space seems to be ‘connected’ to you!

2 feet would be about 60 cm.

It’s typical of someone from an American talk show urban legend to use wicked units of measurement, but it was sincerely helpful information.

But,

‘So, is this connected to that mountain lodge?’

That crazy murder lodge must have disappeared.

– Well. Where it connects to… nobody knows, wouldn’t they?

– Only the person who originally concluded the contract knows exactly what kind of space the lodge keeper agreed to provide.

“…….”

– This is quite interesting. It’s also a good topic for a bet! What shall we bet on for the enjoyment of our lives?

I politely decline….

Still, since this Moonlight Tattoo Shop wouldn’t have manifested its abilities in a way that harms others, let’s not be too cautious and not be able to use the abilities we have.

‘From now on, I won’t have to worry about secretly hiding items.’

That alone was a tremendous thing.

“Thank you. It’s really amazing and wonderful.”

I returned the pearl I had taken out, and joy and satisfaction twinkled in the tattooist’s eyes as they received it.

“Will this do?”

Nod.

“Then I’ll go in.”

And just as I was about to leave the entrance.

The tattooist, as if realizing something, gestured for me to stop for a moment.

‘What is it?’

And then they frantically searched under the counter and took out a piece of paper. They carefully wrapped it in transparent wrapping paper and handed it to me.

‘……a tattoo design?’

The moment I received what they were offering, I realized.

It was a tattoo sticker.

Even the design I had recommended and chosen, the tomato tree, was engraved on it.

Three of them, too!

“…!”

Wait a minute.

“Is it that while this is applied… Will I become ‘brave’? Like I received a tattoo.”

The tattooist smiled and nodded.

‘My goodness.’

It was an unexpected bonus.

“Thank you.”

The owner waved at me with a smile.

It seemed that it was really time to see me off.

After carefully putting the stickers into my pocket, or rather, my newly acquired ‘space’, I grabbed the door to leave this time for real.

“Have a good day.”

With a polite greeting, the door closed behind me.

Clang.

And when I turned my head back.

“…….”

It was empty.

The window with the distorted real estate contact number, typical of an urban legend, was emptily vacant.

‘…that’s how it is originally.’

The Moonlight Tattoo Shop could only be entered once through this ‘Vacancy’ urban legend.

‘Next time, I’ll have a chance to use a different urban legend.’

– Ah, it was a unique and enjoyable experience.

I agree.

“Roe Deer, was the exploration okay?”

“Yes.”

That day, I successfully completed the ‘Vacancy’ exploration without any other problems and earned the points well.

The pleasant scent of the aromatherapy massage Braun received lasted for several days.

However, the covered-up tattoo disappeared like a lie the next day, leaving only the existing text on my wrist.

But the ability I gained remained.

‘Let’s use it well.’

Thinking about the possibilities of the inventory, I repeated the experiment.

***

And 3 weeks.

It was as if a lie that this ability never worked….

“…….”

Well… normally, this is normal.

When entering an urban legend with a manual, the company already provided the necessary items for clearing, so there was no need to hide anything.

And the number of cases where people are deployed to undocumented horror stories has greatly decreased.

‘There’s nothing in the Alien Shop that I’d want to carry around like crazy and that seems useful….’

In the end, it’s been relegated to the level of simply making it easier to carry existing items.

‘I found out that even if the inside is a vacuum, food doesn’t spoil.’

When I put an analog clock in, the second hand stayed the same, but when I put a digital clock in, it was dead.

The law is unknown.

But it’s not an urgent time for use.

In the end, time passed without needing to fiercely use items or abilities, just casually accumulating points….

‘It’s good.’

“There are 3 weeks left until the regular personnel appraisal.”

“Whew whew.”

“You’re going to stay here, got it, Roe Deer!?”

“Yes. I’d really like that.”

If the hottest gossip topic in Team D was whether I would safely remain in this team after the regular personnel appraisal, that says it all.

As expected of a horror story company, injuries and scary things happened from time to time, but now I’m quite used to it.

I’ve become able to endure by clutching a tattoo sticker like an amulet.

‘This is for use only in emergencies.’

I slowly became accustomed to working at the company, and started to feel relieved to be handling tasks with these kind team members.

And this is natural, but…

That reassurance didn’t last long.

Three weeks and two days later.

Monday morning.

“Roe Deer, you’re here?”

“…….”

The atmosphere changed.

‘…What?’

A strange calmness.

The office air was like when you leave a final message to your family in a disaster.

The unique serenity of people facing the acceptance of tragedy.

It was absolutely not a good sign.

“…Well, I guess this is something I’ll experience too.”

“It’ll be okay. Also, our team members are all strong against bad luck!”

Park Minseong’s comment was not answered by Eun Haje.

It was really ominous.

“Sit down, Roe Deer.”

Instead of my seat, I was told to sit on the sofa. Eun Haje, sitting opposite me, placed a tablet PC in front of me with a calm expression.

“This is the darkness you’ll be deployed to in three days.”

“…….”

Three days?

‘Why are they giving me so much time?’

With a three-day schedule, they usually say things like, ‘You might go in, so be prepared.’

This means they rarely say it so definitively.

“Twelve people will be deployed to this darkness… it’s a B-rank.”

“…….”

“Don’t be too surprised. The survival rate is ridiculously high. And extra points are generously allocated… you can get 2000 points per person.”

“…And?”

A wry smile, like ‘this perceptive kid’, crossed Eun Haje’s face.

“And, there’s a problem. It’s faster to find a darkness that doesn’t have one… but this darkness is a bit unique.”

“…What do you mean by unique?”

“To put it simply… that’s right.”

Eun Haje crossed her arms.

“A game of terrible luck.”

“…!?”

“As soon as you enter, one person will die… completely random. Purely by luck.”

Damn it.