Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 133

Me, a member of the Disaster Management Bureau’s Rescue Team.

I can barely take care of myself, but now I have to enter an urban legend to save citizens.

‘Is this a dream?’

But it was reality.

Moreover, I had to enter the urban legend right now to rescue people.

7:30 PM.

It had been exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes since the aptitude test ended and I was appointed.

But I had already received agent equipment from headquarters at Agent Bronze’s urgent request.

And I was currently riding a Disaster Management Bureau’s shared bicycle, assigned to me, pedaling towards the urban legend’s origin point.

‘…The sun has already set.’

In this cold, looking out at the dim surroundings from the bicycle, it feels chilling and brings up many thoughts…

“Citizens caught in supernatural disasters can request rescue by calling the number on the guide notices pre-installed by the Bureau.”

Yes….

‘And I know that number is a mysterious rescue number that sometimes works even within the urban legend.’

Listening to the Disaster Management Bureau’s urban legend rescue briefing was making my head spin.

I pedaled the bicycle almost mechanically, following the agent.

“When entering a supernatural disaster, a bicycle is safer than traveling by car.”

‘Yes. That’s because most modes of transportation don’t work in urban legends, or they can trigger the worst possible mishaps….’

It was fun when I was reading about the setting, but doing it in reality was really cold and tiring.

For reference, the equipment was more abundant than what I had received as a temporary agent.

Glass Hand Cannon, Iron Badge, Notebook, and… Fishing Line.

“The fishing line, especially, must never be lost. It’s a necessary tool for emergency escape on your own in this supernatural disaster.”

“…Yes.”

The memory of what happened when I was a temporary agent pricked at me a bit, but I wouldn’t deny that it also made me feel a little excited.

Of course, the most important thing was this.

So, which urban legend am I entering now?!

“The supernatural disaster we are entering to rescue citizens is….”

The disaster?

Agent Bronze looked at my expression, paused for a moment, and continued in a slightly kinder tone.

“…You don’t have to be so nervous. The citizen who requested rescue won’t die while listening to the explanation.”

“…Yes.”

The direction of his kindness was misplaced….

“Just listen to the explanation first.”

“Yes.”

I get it.

Agent Bronze turned his head forward again and spoke as he cycled along a deserted bike path in an eerie neighborhood.

“Mr. Kim Soleum, do you remember a chain called Lucky Mart?”

“……”

“It’s a chain that withdrew from Korea 11 years ago, but it’s famous in the English-speaking world… Agent?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of it.”

‘Oh my god.’

It wasn’t just “heard of it.”

It was a problem because I knew it too well.

A giant supermarket chain named Lucky Mart.

…An urban legend modeled after it.

It was the seventh creative urban legend written in the extremely early days when <Records of Darkness Exploration> was still a record of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

People urgently searching for a mart at night accidentally enter a Lucky Mart branch they stumble upon.

And they disappear.

———————=

Records of Darkness Exploration / Urban Legend

[Looky Mart]

: An urban legend appearing in <Records of Darkness Exploration>, Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau registration number 1793PSYA.2001.Na31.

An urban legend where people wander endlessly, unable to escape a bizarre phenomenon mimicking a large-scale mall.

This peculiar phenomenon has been involved in at least 300 disappearances over several decades and is classified as a waveform-grade disaster by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

There are currently no known methods for termination or sealing. Proactively preventing disappearances is also impossible.

However, guide notices to assist individuals in escaping have been placed inside the urban legend mart, and exploration records were written based on reports from citizens who returned to reality with the help of these notices.

———————=

A large shopping mall.

It was a familiar everyday space, but at the same time, it was a thrilling and chilling story that maximized the fear derived from the mechanically repeating, massive scale of the space.

That is, when I was reading it.

‘It’s waveform-grade.’

That’s two grades higher than the mountain cabin with the serial killer that I encountered, according to the Disaster Management Bureau’s classification.

In terms of Daydream Inc., it’s close to a B-grade!

I broke into a cold sweat and racked my brain.

‘…Were there more cases where Disaster Management Bureau agents entered Looky Mart to rescue civilians and successfully rescued them?’

Most… seemed to have been successfully rescued.

Of course, there were many cases in the exploration records where special situations occurred and things got complicated. But usually, such special cases are what get detailed records in wikis, so I shouldn’t be too nervous… Damn it.

‘I wish I could check it directly.’

I don’t know why my item repair isn’t finished.

Memorial Griptok!

I groaned, thinking of my <Records of Darkness Exploration> verification item, which still had adhesive residue that had not hardened.

‘They definitely said the repair would be finished in a month.’

The agent who was mimicking a goblin didn’t seem to be lying.

‘…It must be one of two things.’

Either the item, having popped out of a merchandise box, wasn’t properly repaired.

…Or, because I spent the last month in an urban legend, the ‘period’ wasn’t properly counted.

‘Either way, I need a contingency plan.’

Looky Mart was such a famous urban legend that I remembered almost all the details. In that sense, it might even be fortunate that a named urban legend appeared…

‘But there will come a time when such luck won’t work.’

My heart still chills when I recall not remembering the Silver Heart owner’s identity during the Tamra-bound express train incident.

To avoid such a situation again, the Memorial Griptok was absolutely essential.

‘Now that I’m an agent, getting a new one is actually easier.’

Let’s keep getting a new one as Plan B in my head, in case this one never gets repaired.

I carefully racked my brain, thinking of the broken Memorial Griptok, which I had stored in my pocket, wrapped in cushioning material.

Meanwhile, Agent Bronze’s ‘Looky Mart’ briefing continued.

“It’s a disaster that can only be entered after waiting for the sun to set, but the rescue caller’s timing was fortunate.”

“…May I ask about the rescue caller’s description?”

Agent Bronze stated calmly.

“Two high school freshmen.”

Wow.

‘Of all people, why minors….’

Looks like I can’t bail and run away halfway due to a guilty conscience.

I swallowed a groan and familiarized myself with the description and initial report Agent Bronze handed me.

Agent Bronze looked at me with what seemed like empathetic eyes and spoke.

“…Don’t worry too much. The explanation that one can endure for about half a day applies to high school students too.”

“……Yes.”

I was really starting to feel a pang of guilt.

“However, two agents who entered earlier are in a state of short-term disappearance within this supernatural disaster.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. They weren’t rescue agents. It was a mishap that occurred during our regular sealing method exploration.”

That’s truly hopeful news, Agent….

“We need to proceed with the rescue operation with heightened caution, so please refrain from impulsive actions. Absolutely.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Words like ‘Does he really have to take a rookie agent in there?’ swelled up in my throat, but I held them back.

Anyway, he knows I’m an experienced rookie, so he won’t cut me any slack.

Ding-a-ling.

I heard the cheerful sound from the bicycle bell with a less-than-cheerful feeling and continued to pedal.

And Agent Bronze naturally slowed down, then began to lead me forward.

“…Agent?”

“We will ‘wander’ like this for over 20 minutes. …Since someone who doesn’t properly know the building’s location needs to lead, move ahead.”

I remember.

Looky Mart entry condition: Within 3km of a building that was formerly a Lucky Mart, search for a mart and move for at least 20 minutes.

In the cold, I silently pedaled my bicycle, wandering through an unfamiliar neighborhood.

With the objective of finding a mart constantly in my head, if I looked around and wandered without a navigation system…

“…Agent Bronze.”

I stopped my bicycle.

“I think I found it.”

And I saw a fairly large, three-story building standing tall among the dim streetlights…

The mart’s sign blinked green.

Saengsaeng Mart

It wasn’t a chain store, but a local, independent mart, the kind you might find in any neighborhood.

“……”

No.

The moment I blinked again…

LUCKYMART

The familiar chain store logo was visible in front of the mart building.

As if it hadn’t been renovated in years, the letters on the illuminated sign were covered in dust, or some sections weren’t lit at all.

“……”

If I looked more closely, more, at the unlit sections…

Blink.

A light came on.

LOOKY MART

A different phrase than what I had carelessly read, there…

“Don’t overthink it.”

“…!”

He was right.

LUCKYMART

I saw Lucky Mart.

‘I was looking for a mart, so that’s a relief.’

I parked my bicycle nearby and approached the mart building, which was still lit and appeared to be open.

I’ll just naturally enter ‘Lucky Mart.’

After all, Lucky Mart is a huge chain store common in this country, so if I don’t intentionally overthink it, there’s no reason to be nervous…

When seeing the mart after sunset, one is induced to enter, mistaking that Lucky Mart has not yet withdrawn.

The automatic doors smoothly opened, and I entered the brightly lit interior.

It was a typical mart.

Somewhat old-fashioned and cheap, but with an everyday normalcy that one might casually overlook, thinking it was just an old neighborhood mart.

First floor. Daily necessities section.

Children’s toys were stacked on a seasonal special sales display.

Outdated songs played.

“Is that the idol song you like?”

“No, Mom! They’re rookies from MS Entertainment that just debuted…”

Shoppers passed by.

…A family holding outdated smartphones, dressed in styles popular 10 years ago.

Shoppers from the past.

Upon entry, shoppers are seen doing their daily shopping, and these are confirmed to be actual shoppers from the past, when Lucky Mart was in operation.

“……”

“Hahahaha!”

The shoppers walked past us.

Not only were their clothes outdated, but they were also thin, creating a sense of incongruity considering the cold winter outside.

As if time flowed differently inside this mart, separated by just one door.

“They are not people caught in the disaster. Ignore them.”

“……”

I slowly nodded.

‘The rescue callers… said they were in what they presumed to be the first basement floor.’

Caller 1: Pl-please help me. I came into the mart and it’s strange…! No, no one can see us, and it’s like, an old mart.

Caller 1: My surroundings? Uh, that is… I’m near the snack aisle right now. Yes, I’m th-thirsty too….

“We’ll go to the basement.”

I nodded and slowly followed the agent.

This place, which seemed to be a perfect recreation of the Lucky Mart of the past, still looked normal.

No, perhaps I would have even felt wonder and nostalgia, as if I had stepped into the past.

If I hadn’t known this was an urban legend.

“……”

My throat tightened with tension.

Oh, I’m going crazy.

All the horrific cases I’d seen in <Records of Darkness Exploration> were coming to mind.

Come to think of it, ‘Looky Mart’ was an urban legend particularly prone to unexpected situations in the exploration records…!

‘C-calm down.’

Agent Bronze wouldn’t suddenly bring a rookie on a hardcore difficulty rescue mission.

I swallowed as I rode the escalator down.

Then… between the two escalators moving up and down, I noticed a note, like a receipt, lying on the ground.

Wait a minute.

‘Could that be….’

I quickly reached out and grabbed the note, which mimicked a receipt.

“…! You found it already. That’s a guide notice placed by the Bureau.”

Right.

A guide notice to help escape, hidden here and there from the staff’s eyes, for civilians innocently caught in this urban legend.

‘The caller probably saw this too.’

I checked the contents of the receipt.

Take a slow, deep breath. You are caught in a supernatural disaster. However, there’s no need to despair. There have been at least dozens of successful escape cases from this disaster, and the government has recorded escape methods for you here. Check the guide notice on the back.

…Hmm, it’s a typical manual-type urban legend guide notice that would make anyone anxious just by reading it.

‘Before making people breathe deeply, I think they should fix the red color and font…’

But the content itself was exactly as I knew it.

Turning to the back, the guide notice was the same.

‘…I’m not sure which version it is.’

Some of the escape methods written on the guide notice become ineffective as exploration rounds accumulate.

This is because the situation changes over time, with objects, targets, and structures changing.

‘Of course, some things don’t change.’

Like this.

The ghosts standing at all entrances do not move until closing time. Rest assured.

“……”

Right.

A grotesque ‘ghost’ would be standing at the entrance I came through by now….

And secretly rushing out when the ghost couldn’t see was the easiest escape method.

If you entered and closing time has not yet passed, you still have a chance. You can exit by obscuring the ghost’s vision.

But not everyone was lucky.

Caller 1: Sniff, sniff, Yes. I saw the escape method in the guide notice, but we, we can’t do it… We don’t have anything to throw over the ghost… And we couldn’t steal any merchandise. M-my arms don’t reach…!

‘This is when an agent is needed.’

More precisely, someone who has useful items in this situation and knows how to use them properly.

So, after securing the callers’ identities, we had to get out of here immediately before closing time.

‘If closing time passes, it literally becomes a horror escape game.’

And very fortunately, we immediately spotted two high school students in uniforms near the escalator on the first basement floor, by the snack aisle.

“Huuuuuhhh….”

Two high school students huddled in a corner, sobbing.

They were the callers.

“Would you like to speak to them directly?”

“……Yes?”

“Do it calmly. This is practice too.”

“Uh, yes….”

Agent Bronze looked at me with what seemed like warm eyes.

I broke into a cold sweat for a different reason.

I cautiously approached the two teenagers, squatted down in front of them, and met their gaze.

“Hello. Are you the ones who reported the rescue request?”

“……!!”

“Uh, uhhhh!”

Thump.

The two high school students fell on their bottoms.

“Y-you’re human, right?! You can see us, right?!”

“Yes, I can see you clearly.”

I smiled as much as possible.

“We received your report and came to rescue you. You’ve been through a lot of hardship until now.”

“Huuuuuhhh….”

The kids were crying like faucets.

Even if the sun set early because it was mid-winter, they must have been trapped for about 3 hours, and they seemed completely exhausted by then.

“H-how about the entrance ghost? Can we really get out?”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

I pointed behind me and passed all responsibility to Agent Bronze!

“The person behind me is a truly capable agent… You’ll be able to get out.”

“Wow….”

And the high school students seemed to compare my disheveled appearance with Agent Bronze’s proper one, then slowly edged closer to Agent Bronze.

‘Survival instincts at work.’

“Uh, are we leaving now?”

“That’s right.”

One of them clung tight, standing beside Agent Bronze as if he were holding onto a lifeline.

Good job. That’s it!

I sighed in relief and checked my electronic watch.

‘So, if we go to the entrance now…’

[20 : 24]

8:24 PM.

As far as I knew, in the ‘Looky Mart’ urban legend, the flow of time in minutes and seconds was linked to reality.

‘Closing time is 11 PM.’

There was still plenty of time. We could devise something with the items and get out.

And Agent Bronze seemed about to explain the same thing.

“Closing time is 11 PM, so there’s still plenty of time. Calmly…”

Na na na na na na nanana na na nan~

“……”

…I instinctively raised my head.

The Lucky Mart jingle, cheerful, flowed out….

Like some kind of notification sound.

-Hello, customer. Thank you for visiting Looky Mart today.

-As announced, our mart will close at 8:30 PM today, May 1st, in celebration of Labor Day.

“……!”

-Customers still inside the store, please follow the staff’s guidance to exit.

Thump, thump, thump.

The store lights slowly turned off from far away.

As if preparing to close, only the bare minimum of light remained in the store.

…The escalators stopped operating.

-We will make another announcement.

-Please follow the staff’s guidance to exit.

“Why…!”

I clamped the high school student’s mouth and ducked.

Do not be noticed by staff cleaning up the mart after closing. They will guide you outside. Outside is not reality.

Na na na na na na nanana na na nan~

“……”

We’re screwed.