Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 71

Purchased all items from the Alien Shop.

‘Wow.’

My hands trembled slightly.

This was the first time I’d spent 130 million won on a few items.

Still, having spent a few thousand before helped a bit.

‘Use them well.’

They’ll all become stepping stones for survival, right?

I boldly pressed the purchase button.

Purchase successfully!

The items were loaded onto a rocket!

Soon, like before, space-time opened in mid-air, and the delivery box appeared. I waited with a pounding heart for the box to hit the floor…

But,

“…??”

The delivery box remained suspended in mid-air.

Because someone was holding it with very gentle hands.

…Tentacles.

“……!?”

Tap-tap.

The tentacles gently shook the delivery box. As if asking, ‘Should I put it here?’

“…! You can put it on the floor.”

Then the delivery box gently slid to the floor.

“Thank you.”

But the tentacles didn’t disappear immediately.

Instead, it nimbly pulled something out from the space-time rift and offered it to me.

A small golden card.

I am a Universe Shopping Mall VIP!

~Gratitude cells enclosed~

“…Thank you?”

As I received the card, the tentacles waved and disappeared into the space-time rift.

“…….”

Hmm.

It seems the Alien Shop has started treating me as a VIP…

‘Good… right?’

I decided to keep the thank-you card. The gold was dazzling…

– Good heavens, how can a tag card be so ugly…

I guess you shouldn’t expect design from the Alien Shop. Oh well…

‘What matters is the performance of the items.’

I turned my attention to the delivery box.

Unboxing time!

“Whew.”

As I opened the box, the largest item caught my eye.

A 28 million won item.

‘Happy Maker.’

It was a brightly colored pastel box.

A square box that looked like it might contain liquid antacid or vitamin drinks, with twelve glow sticks about the size of a highlighter pen stuck in it.

However, a needle protrudes from the end of these glow sticks.

The one sold under the same name in the urban legend, ‘Delusion Homeshopping’…

A perfect painkiller.

———————=

Darkness Exploration Record / Delusion Homeshopping

/ Item

Happy Maker

Is your life painful?

For those of you who suffer from inexplicable pain and lose sleep at night, and for those who fear accidents, here is the perfect savior.

Let me confidently introduce the rapid pain reliever, ‘Happy Maker’!

-Item description from ‘Delusion Homeshopping’, September 9th, 20XX

———————=

It was exactly as described.

I looked at the description on the box.

Fast and comfortable shot.

Say goodbye to your pain!

This stick-type self-injecting item automatically injects a shot when pressed against the skin, quickly and comfortably eliminating pain for a certain period of time.

‘It’s truly over-technology.’

Even though the mechanism is not science but a paranormal phenomenon.

It’s true that pain clouds judgment in extreme situations.

Based on my experience of overcoming various dangers and injuries, I can say with certainty that this will be useful someday.

‘I hope I don’t have to use it… huh.’

Let’s give up vain hopes…

‘This filthy world of urban legends…’

I decided to carefully carry this item with me.

Even though there was extremely horrific ‘additional usage’ written in tiny print on the back.

Can be used for euthanasia in irreversible situations.

Yeah. I definitely won’t use it.

‘I’ll only use it as a painkiller.’

– Ah, painkillers. I sometimes take headache medicine too. The pain of creation! It is the fate of an entertainer and show creator.

…How does a resident of the urban legend world whose head is a TV take headache medicine… No, nothing.

I quickly erased the emerging image, praised Braun in a few words to make him feel proud, and then looked back into the box.

Whew.

‘The next item is…’

Two items appeared simultaneously.

An ancient book, sealed completely in dark red wax and covered in dust, looked very ominous.

And next to it, neatly rolled up in modern, clean, eco-friendly cushioning material.

Yes, literally, the packaging itself was the item, without anything inside.

Packaging 12B357na

Actually, other than the text engraved on the outside along with the barcode, there isn’t even a single description.

Think it’s nothing?

No.

‘Got it. Armor!’

It’s a ‘packaging material for cushioning’ with unique capabilities.

It will become my lifeline.

I carefully stored the packaging. Let’s use it at the right time.

And turning my head….

I looked at the book with cold eyes.

Necronomicon.

Also known as the Book of the Dead.

It was a typical example of a grimoire containing forbidden knowledge.

For decades, it has appeared in so many stories that it has become a synonym for an extremely evil grimoire.

And naturally, I read it in `<Dark Exploration Records>`.

So, what are the cliché characteristics of the Necronomicon?

1. Reading it drives you insane.
2. Made of human skin.

“…….”

Yeah.

Meaning human skin… That’s right.

So, the representative image on the cover is human skin screaming in pain.

The dark red wax covering the surface of this grimoire I received also faintly showed that.

‘Ha.’

Really… I don’t even want to touch it.

– Mr. Roe Deer, did you just say Necronomicon? Ah, that translation, I haven’t heard it in a while.

A ghost story host with an American talk show theme knows the Necronomicon? It wasn’t surprising because it was too obvious….

But sadly.

‘The Necronomicon you know isn’t this one.’

– Huh?

There is such a thing, you see.

I silently grabbed the ‘Necronomicon’ tightly sealed with wax and stored it on my arm.

‘Phew.’

So I’ve stored the ‘blackmail item’ well.

Then I carefully put away the Nostalgia Candy I already knew.

‘I guess this is an emergency recovery item.’

Even if I’m seriously contaminated, I can use this for emergency treatment until I escape.

‘…Good.’

And finally.

I focused on a small red button casually placed in the corner of the package.

By elimination, this item must be this.

Help us! – ₩66,666,666

Have you ever heard of that internet rumor?

Someone gives you a button and asks, ‘If you press this, someone will die, and you’ll receive 100 million won in return. Will you press it?’ That kind of thing.

It was a red button that looked like it belonged in that kind of place.

Looking closely, I saw a small inscription on the side. However….

‘I don’t know what language it is.’

– Need a translation, friend?

I got help from Braun for this part.

– Hmm. Yes. Mr. Roe Deer, you can understand it as meaning ‘emergency escape’!

Indeed. Is it a small button that allows for ‘emergency escape with the help of aliens’ when pressed?

‘I hope it was worth sixty million won.’

Actually, this was almost a gamble, but I have no regrets.

‘The alien shop doesn’t scam.’

If it were a different rumor, I would have made terrible predictions like ‘the moment I press this, my brain will make an emergency escape from my head and be used as food,’ but… let’s trust the credibility of the alien shop.

“All done.”

– My friend has a really neat personality. I like it!

That’s how I stored all my shopping loot in the tattoo on my wrist.

Even if a human completely contaminated by rumors went in and out, it was fine, so these items should be fine too.

…But I didn’t want to prove it that way.

‘Phew.’

Let’s stop thinking about it.

Fortunately, since spending some time shopping and organizing didn’t take up the entire afternoon, I was able to get some sleep in the bright afternoon.

And when I woke up again.

News I had momentarily forgotten came crashing down on me.

[Go Youngeun: Did you see the intranet?]

[Go Youngeun: The regular personnel transfer document just came up!]

“…!”

Regular personnel transfer.

It means that the vacancy in Team D will soon… be filled.

“…….”

I wonder who it will be.

A few days later.

“Hello.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

I saw a new employee assigned to Team D in the office.

Their position was the same as mine, a section chief.

Before entering the rumor, they seemed to be around the same age as me.

An employee wearing glasses glanced at me up and down.

“Ah, so you’re the new supervisor? Promoted in 60 days?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re basically a newbie?”

“…….”

I stared at him.

“Oh~ Look at you staring. Why? Should I treat you the same as a supervisor with 3 years of experience?”

He smiled.

“Of course not. Please take care of me, senior.”

“Right. Hey, haven’t you heard? You’re quick on the uptake.”

“Haha….”

“This field investigation team is all about group projects. It’s all about observation! Observation is key.”

Really?

“It’s common for those who get promoted early to whine about being treated like a senior, get ostracized, and fail to get any help. They end up screwed.”

He slowly looked around the empty office.

“The previous associate and supervisor here, they got their hands cut off, got contaminated, and all that mess. That could’ve been you next.”

“…….”

I slightly turned my head.

I saw one neatly empty desk.

It was Supervisor Park Minseong’s desk.

A few days ago, after the regular personnel announcement came out, all his personal items, cups, and picture frames were gone when I came to work the next day.

“Right. You could become a supervisor.”

“…What?”

“We have a lot of dangerous work, you see. I’ll do my best to support you so that doesn’t happen. Please take care of me.”

I politely offered a handshake.

“Uh…”

The employee, looking slightly uneasy, soon seemed to think it was his imagination and shook my hand.

And a moment later.

“Section Chief Lee Jaheon! I’m Yoon Johoon, the new supervisor. Please take care of me!”

Lee Jaheon, who entered the office, nodded to the new team member’s greeting.

“Yes.”

“Haha, did you know our names have the same initials? It seems like it’s my destiny to work under you, team leader!”

“Yes.”

“……No, I mean… uh, it’s like destiny, right?”

“No.”

“…….”

Yoon Johoon, the new team member, having completely failed at small talk, approached me as soon as the team leader left the office for a meeting and whispered.

“Hey. Does the team leader of team D have some kind of mental illness? I heard rumors.”

“Do you think so?”

“You heard the conversation too, don’t you know? I thought I was talking to a free AI just now.”

He sighed deeply.

“Ugh, this company is the perfect place to get a mental illness… Ugh. Is that really the team leader?”

“Section Chief Lee Jaheon usually takes good care of his team members…”

“So what? It’s over when we die anyway? He can’t understand what people are saying, does things his own way even in the dark, and pisses off the team leader of team A, right? Is that rumor true?”

“…….”

“Looks like it’s true. Ugh, be careful. Ugh, why this team…”

Yoon Johoon mumbled something about going to the restroom and left, and didn’t return for several tens of minutes.

“…….”

I have to work with that guy…

– He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood, Mr. Roe Deer.

– Is there anything Braun can help with? As you know, I am your good friend, am I not?

– For a friend’s request, gladly….

‘Yeah. Let’s watch variety shows together after work.’

– Ah, that sounds good!

This conversation calmed me down a bit.

That’s right.

Strictly speaking, I’ve been unbelievably lucky with people before.

‘This is the default value of company life…’

I’m grateful that he wasn’t my supervisor.

I quickly calmed myself down.

And that afternoon.

“I will brief you on tomorrow’s darkness.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon, returning from a meeting, distributed a PDF and began his briefing.

And the new supervisor was shocked.

“Unrated? No, is this darkness without a manual?”

“No.”

The lizard looked at Yoon Johoon with vertical pupils.

“The grade of the solution in the dream collector is measured differently each time it is cleared.”

“…!”

Anomaly?

“But why was it given to team D, which isn’t even an elite team?”

“It wasn’t only given to team D. All general field investigation team members are attempting entry.”

The lizard team leader looked at me.

“This is darkness that is entered through dreams, and the entry itself has a high probability of failure.”

“……!”

Basically, it’s like this. If you read a specific book and fall asleep on the night of a full moon, you might awaken at a school at night.

Wait a minute.

“If the name of that school is ‘Sekwang Technical High School’, then you’ve successfully entered the darkness.”

Sekwang Technical High School.

……

I know this urban legend.

But it doesn’t end with simply knowing it….

‘…This is an urban legend I participated in.’

Exploration Record #13

The 13th entry of that urban legend exploration record was written by me.