Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 79

Exploration Log Addendum #13.

– Acquiring and wearing a school uniform allows one to be treated as a student.

This is quite a radical development, in fact.

This is because it’s a choice that could alter the existing urban legend’s flavor if mishandled.

School urban legend.

A monster that only moves when unseen.

“Under the Black Shadow,” created by varying these two clichés, is originally a classic “fear of the hunted” themed urban legend.

A nightmare where a commonplace place and person become something bizarre and incomprehensible, pursuing me until I die.

However, with over 10 exploration logs accumulated, this also gets a slight build-up.

‘It adds to the fun of concretely imagining the world-building background.’

Exploration Log #5

Writing found on the blackboard:

Avoiding the teacher, the teacher (The following text is roughly erased.)

That’s how the breadcrumbs are gradually added.

It had only been accumulating for 12 entries, and this urban legend was quite popular, so it seemed likely to continue ‘accumulating’.

‘It gets frustrating around that point.’

The existing theme of feeling fear from the information void also becomes difficult to maintain.

But then.

‘If I can explore as an insider, a student, it adds to the fun of retrieving this breadcrumb itself…!’

My 13th exploration log, thus written, met the demand of the urban legend creators.

Thus, the “Under the Black Shadow” urban legend reached a new turning point.

From the mid-to-late explorations onward, the creepy breadcrumbs of the world-building sprinkled throughout the previous records are all retrieved, revealing a shocking twist.

The latter half is filled with deeper exploration logs with deeper story elements….

It was a truly wondrous indirect experience.

Seeing the seeds I planted grow into a larger, new story through the participation of many people.

‘But I could experience it in reality too.’

Yes.

I was planning to experience that story’s culmination a little earlier.

‘Let’s go.’

I walked the dark corridor on the 3rd floor of Sekwang Industrial High School in my student guise.

In the distance, terrified ‘monsters’ slowly disappeared around the corner of the corridor….

The urge to chase them surged and then vanished.

‘Whew.’

Existing within the school as a student was surprisingly comfortable.

It felt like I was where I was supposed to be.

Therefore, the revulsion and destructive urge when witnessing the alien ‘monsters’ roaming the school grounds were even stronger.

Especially.

[A fatal accident occurred in Class 2-2.]

The moment I heard that announcement, my heart plummeted.

A sharp sorrow and chilling emptiness.

And a sense of duty to find the cause of the accident!

[Let us observe a moment of silence for 5 seconds.]

And I wanted to run out into the school, as bright as midday, and willingly eliminate the source of this error and ‘observe a moment of silence’, but….

‘I’m not a student.’

I mustn’t forget.

Kim Soleum had much to do.

First, I have to go up to the 4th floor. I stepped onto the stairs….

‘Ah.’

Huh?

My class, Class 1-5, is on the 2nd floor.

There seems to be no reason to go up to the 3rd floor.

A thought popped up like a popup.

“…….”

That’s why the setting of ‘not leaving their respective floors easily’ was attached to the students.

Of course, it’s not insurmountable. I only borrowed a uniform; I’m not actually a student here.

‘Whew.’

I moved again.

One step, one step.

[4F]

Long before the dazzling ‘light of silence’ filling the corridor disappeared, I reached the 4th floor.

That place, where the light bulbs were broken and flickering, making it dark.

The 4th floor, where dozens of students stood motionless like mannequins in the corridor, staring at people, was now….

Lively.

“…!”

The students were now exchanging glances and gestures with lively expressions, engaging in silent chatter.

I bit my tongue to avoid making any sound.

Sekwang Industrial High School students have no voices.

Speaking aloud while wearing a borrowed uniform results in ■■■■■■■.

Regaining consciousness upon waking from sleep.

To be bound by the sentences I wrote myself.

I walked past students who glanced at me, then looked away without much interest, or awkwardly smiled when our eyes met.

Let’s not look awkward…

‘Naturally…’

I passed the hallway corner and stopped just before the stairs near the third-year faculty room.

There was a small iron gate.

[Faculty Room Storage]

It was a small space where schools typically keep cleaning supplies.

Right in front of it, five or six students were sitting in a circle.

It was a tightly packed group I never would have approached if I wasn’t wearing the Se Kwang Industrial High School uniform…

‘I can go in now.’

I stepped inside.

The students looked at me with puzzled expressions.

Why is a first-year here?

It was as if they were saying that.

I took out the A4 paper I had gotten from the infirmary and slowly wrote.

My seniors asked me to get a ladder from the storage room.

Would it be possible to take one?

One of the students took my pen, smiled, and wrote a reply.

Okay lol

Clang.

When I looked up, another student was already holding a bunch of keys and shaking them in front of me.

I received a bunch of keys.

And directly used the key labeled ‘4th Floor Storage’ to open the storage room door…

A place only students could enter.

Creak.

A flash of light from the crack in the door pierced my eyes.

The objects inside the storage room were glittering as if radiating their presence.

Just like the name tag I received from Jang Heounn.

‘Oh my god.’

I had expected it, but it was more striking than I thought. After closing the storage room door properly, I reached out for the objects…

It doesn’t seem like it’s something I can take yet.

Ignoring the thought that popped up like a popup, I rummaged through the various glittering objects—buckets, mops, small whiteboards, etc.—…

Finally, I found what I was looking for.

“…….”

It was a decorative brooch.

A somewhat clumsy decoration made of thick, coated paper, seemingly handmade by an amateur.

Acquired ‘Name Tag Decoration’!

Name Tag Decoration: A flower decoration that says, ‘Congratulations on Graduation.’ It seems to be made in the shape of royal azalea, the school flower of SeKwang Industrial High School.

Is it for graduating students?

I carefully put this most glittering ‘Name Tag Decoration’ in my pocket.

‘Okay.’

I now have the essentials to ‘clear’ this urban legend.

After that, I visited various places that only students could use, checking for any discrepancies with the information in my exploration records.

Borrowing books from the library, tapping the piano keys in the music room…

‘Even the slightest difference would have been better if I just died quickly and woke up.’

Fortunately, everything matched.

‘…Good.’

In this process, I absolutely did not go to the 5th floor, where the ‘gymnasium preparing for the graduation ceremony’ was located.

It wasn’t time yet.

‘When will the notification come?’

I took a deep breath, tensing up, and waited slowly…

That’s when it happened.

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A tremendous roar assaulted my ears.

“……!”

Is this what a glitch would sound like?

This insane noise, like hundreds of people scratching chalkboards with their fingernails!!

I knew what it was.

‘…Monsters!’

The voices of the explorers who appeared to me as malfunctioning monsters were clear!

From the floor below, an enormous noise assaulted my ears, no, my brain, as they chattered amongst themselves.

An overwhelming urge consumed me.

‘That’s why they tracked down the noisy ones first!’

I at least wanted to eliminate the sound…

‘…! Calm down, calm down…’

Instead of running down the stairs, I suppressed the urge as much as possible for a few seconds.

‘Let’s go now.’

And only after I had calmed down sufficiently, I moved and confirmed the monsters on the far side of the 4th-floor hallway.

The monsters were confronting students.

No, it was almost over. The student was lying on the ground, immobile, and stopped.

However, not all the monsters had retired.

‘Damn.’

I was prepared.

The only monster that had survived intact.

It looked at the student sprawled on the floor….

Then looked back at me.

It stopped me.

…….

I saw the monster that had stopped me in the distance. A terrifying figure, its face melting, pixelated and blurry.

But there was one thing different from the other monsters.

‘It’s wearing a mask.’

And the shape of that mask was….

A goat!

‘…Go Youngeun!’

“Wow.”

I’m the only one left.

Go Youngeun caught her breath, leaning against the wall in the hallway.

In front of her was (presumably) the last student on this third floor, lying face down and unable to move.

It seemed to be still alive, but she didn’t feel like killing it.

‘If I kill it, the power will go out again, and more will come… ha.’

The civilians who had accompanied her were already dead.

‘Still, the last three had their name tags when they died….’

According to company policy, even if you die, you can still live a normal life in reality, but it was unsettling that the Dream Collector’s solution only filled up if it acquired a ‘name tag’.

‘…There’s something going on.’

Go Youngeun had almost given up on achieving a high-level clear by collecting name tags, but she had subtly talked about them and shared them with her colleagues.

And those people had just died.

‘Oh dear….’

Having worked for this company, she had become quite accustomed to the gory scenes of carnage, monsters, and ghosts, so she wasn’t overwhelmed. She had even completed her anatomy studies and cadaver lab work without any problems, so she was originally quite strong.

‘It’s a good thing they didn’t really die….’

She was now even able to think about this calmly.

‘…Should I go upstairs now.’

The moment Go Youngeun decided to take a breath and move, it happened.

Flicker.

“…!!”

From beyond the hallway.

Another student appeared.

Tall and slender, wearing a somewhat rebellious school uniform from Sekwang Industrial High School.

‘Ha.’

Wow….

I can’t take any more!

‘Let’s just go.’

I’ve endured this much, so there shouldn’t be any problems with my performance review.

Go Youngeun was so tired she wanted to take off the super-strong headlamp she was wearing.

She just wanted to prepare to wake up from this awful nightmare.

Flicker.

…What?

‘W-wait a minute.’

Under the dim light, the student’s facial features were slightly visible.

A calm, composed and stoic expression.

“…Mr. Roe Deer?”

It’s Kim Soleum.

She thought it might just be a student who resembled him, but even though the face looked slightly younger than usual, it was definitely him.

It was him.

Go Youngeun’s spine grew cold.

‘W-wait a minute…!’

What kind of situation is this?

Could it be! That in this urban legend, if you meet a certain condition you become ‘infected’ and get caught like that…?

As a monster student?

“Ah……”

Having worked for several months and learned about the infection from urban legends, fear washed over her….

But the next moment she made up her mind.

‘Let’s check.’

If she woke up and things were really wrong, she would hate herself for running away halfway.

‘Anyway, it’s okay if I die now and wake up from the dream.’

She struggled to avoid blinking both eyes at the same time and approached the hallway.

The appearance of the student standing stiffly only strengthened her conviction that it was Kim Soleum….

‘…He doesn’t have that rabbit doll either.’

She didn’t see the stuffed animal key chain he usually carried, and Go Youngeun felt a mix of bitterness and sadness as she moved forward.

Flicker.

The lights flickered, but it wasn’t a problem thanks to her headlamp.

‘Just a little more.’

She went closer.

But.

Thump.

Suddenly, a flash of light pierced Go Youngeun’s eyes.

“…!!”

Her vision disappeared temporarily.

The cause was the flashlight held in Kim Soleum’s hand.

He had set it to explode after a few seconds using a timer.

To temporarily blind the eyes of anyone approaching.

Go Youngeun couldn’t identify the exact object, but she understood the situation and was stunned.

‘He set it up in advance…?!’

It was a trap.

She felt a dizzying sensation for a moment, but quickly composed herself.

‘It can’t be helped.’

She just regretted not knowing exactly what this bizarre incident was.

But this thought wouldn’t last long. Those monsters are incredibly fast.

I died the next moment, dea…

“…??”

I’m not dead?

There’s no pain, no floating sensation like waking from a dream.

…I’m perfectly fine!

‘What?’

Go Youngeun, having adapted to the aftereffects of the flash, looked up at ‘Haksaeng’ with a surprised expression, bringing him to a ‘stop’.

…….

Kim Soleum, wearing the Sekwang Industrial High School uniform, wasn’t looking at Go Youngeun.

Instead, he was looking down at the floor.

‘The floor?’

Go Youngeun stepped back slightly, so that Kim Soleum and the floor were both within her line of sight…

“…!”

An inscription appeared on the floor.

An A4 sheet of paper had appeared, with writing on it.

Ms. Goral?

Waaaaah!