Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 8

The ghost stories in <Darkness Exploration Records> share a common trait: the more popular they become, the higher the probability of anomalies appearing in the exploration records.

“It’s because there are multiple creators.”

When a ghost story first emerges, it’s documented meticulously, following all the rules. But when it gains popularity and everyone starts writing exploration records about it, what happens? As the number of entries increases, to avoid repetition and boredom, exceptions start to appear, albeit within the realm of plausibility.

The example I’m desperately recalling now is one of those. The <Daydream Corporation> field exploration team J’s record stated that surviving 12 hours in the abandoned hospital at night was the objective. But…

※Special Note: Exploration ended after 16 hours and 11 minutes.

The exploration ended vaguely after 16 hours and 11 minutes. It’s the “temporal anomaly” I was looking for. However…

“The escape actually took longer.”

Something must have gone wrong during the exploration; they were trapped in the ghost story for longer than the required 12 hours.

“So… I definitely made a mistake.”

I remembered!

“I didn’t receive the time alarm!”

———————

(03:12) Lee Jaejin, an employee, accidentally cut the counter’s phone line.

———————

This prevented the expected call from reaching the hospital desk. The call was for the shift change. This led to the insane situation where the doctor, who should have finished their night shift and gone home after 12 hours, continued working.

———————

(12:12) 7:12 AM passed, but the sun didn’t rise.

———————

No matter how much time passed, the night didn’t end. The employee who had set their wristwatch to 7 PM upon entering the ghost story panicked upon realizing this.

“It seems like they argued about whether to be captured and restarted, and one person ended up restrained.”

Fortunately, a few hours later, another team member reconnected the phone line, allowing the event to proceed normally and enabling a narrow escape.

———————

(16:09) Phone line restored successfully. The phone rang immediately. Maintain a distance of more than 3 meters from the desk.

(16:11) The doctor answered the phone and disappeared. Escape attempt successful.

———————

The ghost story didn’t end even after the agreed-upon time. It’s definitely a chilling irregularity.

“But there’s a clue.”

Although this is a case where time was extended, there was a discernible mechanism. There was a trigger that signaled the end of the time limit.

“In that case, it was the shift change call.”

And if that trigger didn’t activate, the ghost story didn’t end. Thinking conversely…

“If the time-signaling trigger works, could it end faster?”

“…….”

What in a convenience store indicates the passage of time?

Thump.

“……!”

Wait.

“…The sound.”

It’s coming from above my head. I unconsciously looked up at the ceiling above my head. I’m under the convenience store counter. So, above me is…

The POS system.

Beep.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep.

A ghost was pressing the buttons on the cash register’s POS system. A recorded voice echoed through the convenience store, following that strange rhythm.

Calling for an employee… calling for an employee, calling for an employee calling for an employee calling for an employee calling for an employee…

“…!!”

I understand. It knows I’m here. It’s just playing around, not catching me.

…Despite knowing this, cold sweat ran down my back rather than anger.

This is driving me crazy, it’s making me insane.

“Let’s go.”

I need to get out and run. But my legs don’t move as easily and lightly as I want them to. I’m no different from the extras in horror movies who freeze in fear and die.

“No.”

Even if being caught is inevitable, I can’t let myself be paralyzed by inaction.

Finally, I somehow forced myself out from behind the counter. At that moment.

Calling for an employee.

In front of my face, suddenly, a swollen, purplish face…

A mouth split in a wide grin.

– Got you

Restart.

‘…….’

I took a very slow, deep breath. My heart was pounding so hard that my head ached for a moment, but I endured it.

“It’s over.”

My whole body is stiff.

“Endure.”

I looked at the dark convenience store exterior instead.

This time, instead of going to the counter, I ran in the opposite direction of the brightly lit beverage refrigerator.

Directly toward the convenience store entrance.

“….”

The glass door revealed only pitch-black darkness outside.

Still, trying my best to see outside, I noticed something attached to the outside glass door.

“…!”

A digital clock.

[12:00⼁04⼁04]

April 4th, 12:00 AM.

Is this the current date setting of this urban legend?

My eyes, adapted to the darkness, also distinguished the chime bell attached to the glass door. The moment I touched that door, the ghost would probably hear the bell and come running with its strange gait.

‘And it probably won’t even open….’

Since the place I had to endure was determined to be this convenience store, there must be a restriction.

I averted my gaze from outside the glass door and half-concealed myself behind a nearby display rack.

Leaning my back against the wall, I kept watch over the convenience store while continuing my thoughts.

The cold sweat dripping from my temples was chilling.

‘The number of days I have to endure is three.’

Then, what kind of trigger would tell me the time around my completion point… I wonder.

What will happen in this convenience store three days from now…?

‘Logistics?’

I glanced at the boxes piled near the glass door.

The time when new goods are stocked.

‘Somehow check the goods that will be stocked three days from now. And somehow disguise myself as that and put myself in there to indicate the time…’

No. That’s too counterintuitive.

There’s no way that only going through such complicated and minor processing stages would work.

<Darkness Exploration Record> is an internet urban legend.

‘And internet urban legends are intuitive.’

The more trivial conditions and forced fits, the less impactful they are, making them unpopular.

‘It needs to feel simpler and more fitting.’

Then….

In a convenience store, what’s the easiest item to feel the passage of time?

“…!”

Right.

I looked at the display rack closest to the entrance. It looked different from the beverage refrigerator, but it emitted cold air.

But strangely, there weren’t many items displayed there.

A few dairy drinks and coffee, and… lunch boxes and triangle kimbap.

Perishable food.

‘…Expiration date!’

I immediately went to the display rack and started checking the lunch boxes and triangle kimbap.

‘Most triangle kimbap have an expiration date of 36 to 48 hours.’

The lunch boxes are probably similar.

But quite a few lunch boxes and triangle kimbap strangely had expiration dates that were more than three days long or were completely illegibly smudged.

I patiently and carefully checked the back and front of the items, trying not to make any noise.

And finally….

‘Found it.’

In this urban legend, the current time is 12:00 AM on April 4th.

An item that expires at 12:00 PM on April 7th.

[ Soup hamburger Lunch Box]

I picked up the lunch box.

And crossed the convenience store to the POS machine.

‘Ugh.’

The afterimage of the ghost frantically pressing the call button at the counter flickered.

But it’s just my imagination. It hasn’t appeared here yet….

‘Calmly.’

After pressing the device settings on the POS machine, I select ‘Change date and time’… Okay, there it is! I suppressed a sigh of relief and looked at the screen.

‘The set time is….’

Exactly two days and 23 hours and 59 minutes after the start time of 12:00 AM on April 4th.

[April 7th, 11:59 PM]

‘Please!’

I prayed with an anxious heart.

Pressing the change button and confirming…

[Change Complete]

“…!!”

It worked!

‘Sometimes it’s impossible to change the settings, so this is fortunate, no, really fortunate.’

My hands trembled with joy and anxiety, but I steadied myself.

I’m almost there.

I just need to register the food I brought in as close to expiring…

Beep beep beep!

“….”

[Disposal Alarm]

[Items with approaching expiration dates!]

The POS machine announced in a cheerful voice.

In the dark convenience store, that recorded announcement voice echoed alone.

Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!

“….”

I stiffened and turned my head.

From far away,

Our eyes met.

It’s running.

“This…!”

Don’t look, look at the screen. Only the screen!

Please, please! Quickly!

Beep.

After three missed swipes, my hand scanned the barcode.

[Register?]

I repeatedly pressed ‘yes’…

Footsteps grew too close, too quickly. 

A strange, ticking sound—*titititik*—drew nearer, and I kept moving my hands….

[Disposal registered.]

The moment the ghost, running with insanely strange steps, reached the counter, its feet vibrated right before me.

[Complete]

It disappeared.

“…….”

Flick.

The lights turned on.

Inside the brightly lit convenience store, now not so noticeable, the POS screen displayed a simple explanation.

[Registration complete]

*Zzzzzzip*, a closing receipt printed.

Amidst that white noise, I realized.

‘It’s done.’

That I had succeeded.

“Phew.”

I leaned against the counter, lowering my head. My legs trembled.

‘I can’t breathe….’

People truly rely on light!

Still, just the fact that it had brightened brought peace to my mind and body.

‘Now I just need to go to the door….’

Clang!

The cash box under the POS terminal opened automatically.

‘Huh?’

Inside was a thick brown envelope.

“This is….”

I picked up the envelope and opened it.

Four bundles of thick, crisp golden banknotes were visible.

“…!?”

Stacks of 50,000 won bills!

‘Are those… four bundles of one hundred each?’

That meant a total of 20 million won.

This was the first time I’d handled that much cash. But why was it in the convenience store cash box….

Ah.

‘Prize money!’

———————

Darkness Exploration Record / Urban Legend

/ Choose

Addendum

If you clear it, you really get money. So, isn’t he just a kind friend who likes to scare people?

———————

Oh.

“How long will it take?”

“It seems like they’ll be able to come out right after three days.”

“Success on the first try? Wow, that’s a generous evaluation. Very generous.”

Team D of <Daydream Corporation>’s field investigation team.

Two employees were smoking on the rooftop, having just climbed the stairs next to the warehouse.

They had just sent a new employee into the darkness.

It was something they never really got used to. Sending a newbie into a paranormal phenomenon.

Still, usually with this “Choose” darkness, the shorter the set time, the more hardcore it is, and the longer it is, the more relaxed it is, so the newbie who got three days wouldn’t have it too rough.

‘It’ll be like a two-night, three-day courage test.’

Of course, it’s harsh. It’s not that it isn’t harsh.

But in the minds of the two employees, there was a common proposition.

– If they can’t even handle this, they’ll die soon.

Then it’s just telling them to quit.

In fact, quite a few new employees had left because of this initiation, and Team D often received the side-eye from HR executives, but they somehow managed to stick around.

Seeing a co-worker, a fellow team newbie, die right next to you was really bad for your mental health….

However, this time felt a little different.

A strange sense of anticipation.

“About this new recruit.”

“Yes.”

“They weren’t ordinary.”

“They weren’t ordinary.”

Kim Soleum, the senior new employee newly assigned to Team D.

“I’ve never seen someone like that on their first day.”

Usually, new employees are terrified or panic when they realize that being repeatedly thrown into the paranormal phenomenon that almost killed them is their ‘job.’ That was natural.

But in Kim Soleum’s case… they were strangely calm.

“They didn’t seem very nervous.”

“Yes. They drank their coffee calmly.”

They didn’t lose their composure for a single moment, didn’t hide in the bathroom and cry, or try to run away.

Of course, Kim Soleum had already been spoiled everything and had spent three days giving up everything and preparing themselves mentally.

To those who didn’t know, they just looked like a new recruit with an insane mental fortitude!

“The supervisor seems to like them.”

“Yeah. They’re pretty good.”

A strong heart was always welcome.

It was a department that had to face all sorts of terrifying, strange, and creepy urban legends. Cowards were a problem.

‘Well, a coward would never pass that death survival test anyway….’

It existed!

Of course, the superiors, who knew nothing, were simply nodding their heads and repeatedly saying, ‘This new recruit is pretty good.’

However, there was also a slight drawback.

“But they don’t seem to be the type to be resourceful, why aren’t they taking notes?”

“It’s their first job, they might not know. We can teach them.”

In a profession where life hangs in the balance, information and manuals were essential, and the two nodded.

“If you tell me, I should write it down. That’s the only way I’ll really know it when I reread it.”

“Right. It’s not like you knew it beforehand, anyway.”

I knew it beforehand!

As expected, the two, who hadn’t anticipated this, continued their conversation, typical of a team that just got a new recruit, before deciding to wrap things up.

“We should write the situation report.”

“Ugh, that useless report they never even read…”

Even a new recruit would take at least three days at the earliest.

Still, there are rumors of food and sleeping quarters inside, so even a long-term operation shouldn’t be a problem.

They nodded, picking up the tablet with the internet post that sucked the new recruit in.

“So now we’re going to look at the documents…?!”

Tick.

At that moment, the tablet spat out a person.

The new recruit, who was supposed to appear three days later.

“…!?”

Kim Soleum, the new recruit, got up from the floor, brushing off his perfectly clean suit, looking no different than he did an hour and a half ago.

He then lifted something in one hand.

A completely full ‘Dream Collector’.

“I’ve filled it.”

“…?!?!”

Clear time: 1 hour 24 minutes.

The new recruit, who had achieved an unbelievable feat, simply stared at his superiors with an impassive expression.

‘I thought I was going to die of a heart attack.’

Of course, it was just that a scaredy-cat desperate enough to escape by breaking through the walls of a haunted house where quitting is impossible was utterly exhausted!