Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 91

A sinister back alley. Even in the boisterous and bizarre night market where non-human things gather, its darkness and stench feel alien. And the grotesque beings under the gaslight, gazing at me standing at the alley’s mouth. Haggard eyes in uniform.

-This is a place where one would hesitate to pass through even in shoes, wouldn’t it?

But I had to go. And I couldn’t let my colleagues see that I hesitated for a moment in that scene…!

Splash.

I stepped into the back alley. My colleagues followed closely behind.

Splash, splash.

Walking between the narrow walls, into the dim gaslight and the black shadows, the closely packed side doors pass by me.

……

It’s bizarre. It’s like I’ve entered an image that’s been poorly synthesized with endlessly repeating side doors. And the gazes watching us as we walk between the doors.

‘Ha.’

Those in worn-out, filth-stained uniforms. Unnaturally dry, black bodies stand stiffly against the wall. Turning their heads only towards us.

– A star’s attention is inevitable! But rest is also necessary. Like always, Braun can relieve that burden for a while….

I want to scream and beg them to please stop, but…

‘No. It’s okay.’

‘Turn off the lights’ shouldn’t be used now.

‘Could I ask you later when I really need it?’

– Of course!

Yes, I must persevere.

‘I have to proceed as planned.’

I swallowed and continued walking. The moment my legs would stiffen to the point that goosebumps on the back of my neck made it impossible to walk further.

“…Huh?”

At my colleague’s exclamation, I quickly raised my head. Still, the endlessly stretching strange side doors, the grotesque figures in uniform. And…

Just one.

A slightly open door.

……

The door is slightly ajar.

The pitch-black darkness visible through the crack.

‘Wow, seriously.’

It was a horror movie in itself. My eyelids were trembling.

But I had to say this.

“There’s a door open over there. It seems like a welcoming sign. Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

“Ah… I see!”

……

‘Shouldn’t you be unconvinced by this nonsense…!’

But I had to do it.

I took a deep breath and approached the single open side door. The closer I got, the stronger the urge to flee, but I endured. Instead, I bent down to the thin opening of the black door and peered inside….

I met bloodshot eyes.

“…!!”

It’s what I expected. Absolutely, absolutely, don’t panic and do anything rash….

I carefully poked what I was holding in my hand through the crack in the door.

A pack of cigarettes.

……

My hands trembled. Something very cold seemed to brush my fingertips……

Creak.

The side door opened wider.

‘……Phew.’

In this alley, entering establishments is generally prohibited, but temporary exploration is sometimes conducted using addictive stimulants like alcohol and cigarettes.

I did it…!

I gritted my teeth, retrieving my now-empty hand.

Wow, I’m about to cry……

“Opening a supplier’s door with a five thousand won investment in a pack of cigarettes! As expected, good fortune isn’t something you follow, but something you create, Supervisor!”

“That’s true…!”

……

I wish someone could just persuade me thoroughly so I could walk around like that without worrying….

But now, I could only move forward, lamenting the fact that I was the one who did the persuading.

‘Ugh.’

The bloodshot eyes were gone. Instead, a faint smell of cigarettes started to waft from somewhere, but where?

‘Much better.’

I let out a sigh of relief and took a step inside.

……

It was very dark, but I could vaguely make out the outlines. A space filled with a maze of boxes and luggage covered in black cloth. The smell of a musty warehouse filled the air.

“Ah, a warehouse-style mart or a clearance sale store would be perfect here! With bargain sales, there would be many items to salvage…”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

I pushed through the boxes and finally found what I was looking for.

“…! Mr. Roe Deer, over there…”

“Yes.”

There’s another door inside.

It looked similar to the one we pushed open, but it was less worn and cleaner.

‘…I guess I have to open it this time?’

Let’s be grateful it’s not the last one.

I stepped forward and grasped the doorknob.

Then, with all my might, I pulled…

A dazzling, brilliant light stung my eyes.

“…!!”

My vision, momentarily obscured by the overwhelming light, slowly recovered over several seconds, allowing me to take in the space before me.

A magnificent sight filled my eyes.
An elegant chandelier, crystal and brass, a deep-toned wooden interior framework, golden picture frames adorning the walls, and thick, lustrous green velvet curtains.

But there was something more overwhelming.

Half-bodied, ivory torsos lined three walls, each displaying an unfinished suit or dress.

And amongst them, disembodied hands wearing white cotton gloves, measuring and cutting the fabric!

My colleagues’ jaws dropped.

“H-here…?”

What was going on? Suddenly finding this place after that shadowy back alley?

Simply put…

‘That really *was* a back alley.’

Confirmed alleys of the Death Lane:

38. Boutique Back Alley

We had entered through the filthy back alley of these magnificent high-class shops.

Naturally, we were not legitimate customers.

We were nothing more than shoplifters who had slipped in by bribing a pack of cigarettes to the vagrants and dismissed homeless people sprawling in this slum-like place.

But this isn’t the first or second time we’ve used this irregular method in this urban legend.
‘If it goes wrong, let’s run.’

Getting caught for trespassing could lead to a rather gruesome outcome, but in that case, I can just ask Braun to erase our presence and make our escape.

‘The back exit is secured.’

That’s why I’ve been holding back from asking Braun until now!

I moved forward.

“Ooh…”

Don’t admire it, everyone…

Contrary to my troubled feelings, the gloved hands working on the torsos reacted in unison.

Whirr!

With a light whistling sound, the bodies of the gloves suddenly emerged from thin air.

They were the bodies of mannequins in elegant navy blue uniforms.

Similar to those we saw in the back alley, but far cleaner, neater, and more detailed.

And heads popped out as well.

Painted mannequin faces.

‘Ugh.’

Let’s not stare.

I quickly looked down.

It was bizarre, but bearable.

Anyway, the mannequin employees bowed deeply in a polite manner, then gestured towards me as if guiding me.

By the way, following them leads to disappearance.

Assistant Manager Choi, who followed the mannequin clerk’s guidance, went missing. His last communication stated, ‘Seems like I’m heading to the Boutique Street membership registration corner.’

Additional note: Afterwards, a laborer wearing the missing employee’s broken glasses was spotted in the Boutique back alley. Presumed to be him. (See Exploration Record #145)

It seemed to imply that during the ‘membership registration,’ his identity was revealed, and he was forced to pay for his trespass as a laborer.

Or maybe he couldn’t pay the membership registration fee itself.

“…….”

Either way, I tried not to imagine what kind of people those countless grotesque figures in worn-out uniforms that I had seen in the back alley originally were.

‘It’s meaningless now.’

Only this matters.

Membership registration is the problem, so it must be avoided.

‘I’ll try approaching them, pretending to buy something expensively at the non-member price.’

If purchasing itself is only for members, let’s run. What I’m trying to get here isn’t more precious than my life.

But as I raised my hand to make a friendly gesture…

…!

As if the mark was appearing on the printed mannequin faces, the mannequin employees flinched.

And bowed to me again.

“…….”

And I know exactly what the reason might be…

I turned my arm to check.

Underneath my shirt sleeve, which had naturally slid down as I raised my hand, was the Latin word I’ve now become accustomed to.

: Socius :

“…Is this how membership is verified?”

The mannequin bowed deeply.

“…….”

Now I’m scared.
‘This is the second time already.’

The mascot’s ‘theme park membership’ tattoo had given me authority within the urban legend.

– Socius.

– It’s used to mean colleague, member, relative, etc. The versatility of Latin!

Braun was right; the word’s inherent meaning was universally understood, everywhere. Even the Fox Counseling Center seemed to know what it meant….

‘…Why did they leave this for me?’

In the past, I might have thought it a great gain and moved on, but things are different now. I’d had a terrible experience with contamination.

‘This… feels like it’ll have a strong influence on me, proportional to its power.’

How should I view this powerful, unpredictable mark on my body, not obtained through a verified summoning method like a good friend’s?

But I’d already passed member verification, and if it was dangerous, I might as well use it wisely.

“Show me the goods.”

The mannequins nodded again, approached the torso they were working on, and drew back the curtain behind it.

A glass case magically appeared.

Inside, a smooth suit was displayed. Similar in style to what I was wearing, but the color was deeper, with a strange sheen….

As if asking if I liked it, the mannequins clasped their hands politely and looked at me.

‘…Let’s begin.’

I raised my hand.

“Just a moment. I’m looking for small, accessory-type gifts.”

There’s something important to remember. I shouldn’t be greedy and try to get something too extravagant here. It would undoubtedly be far beyond what a sane person could afford.

Whether through bartering or currency.

So let’s narrow the scope.

“Something casual I can comfortably wear would be nice.”

Immediately, the curtain went down and then back up. The contents of the glass case, momentarily hidden, magically changed.

Instead of a torso, three or four upper-body mannequins.

Accessories glittered from their necks, arms, and fingers.

“…….”

I found the lightest, least noticeable item among them.

A thin silver ring. Elegant carvings were subtly present, but it looked like it used the least amount of material.

Meaning it looked the cheapest.

“How much is this?”

The mannequins raised their hands simultaneously and pointed.

At my companions behind me.

“…….”

Right.

As recorded in <Darkness Exploration Log>, the basic method of bartering at this boutique is….

Humans.

■■■ agent successfully impersonated a boutique member using mental disruption equipment.
Purchased item: Ring
Cost: Three civilians (one 35-year-old, two 21-year-olds)
※Transferring this exploration log in preparation for government audit. Access restricted to security level C-certified personnel.

“……Mr. Roe Deer?”

“…….”

“I, um, what exactly is going on…?”

“Ah, I see. Please wrap it up.”

The mannequins moved in perfect unison again, carefully removing the ring I chose from the glass case. Then, they produced a luxurious silk string with a high-end tag, tied it to the ring, and presented it to me as if for confirmation.

The tag… bore small, elegant lettering.

Instead of risking death by trying to read it directly, I asked my good friend for help.

‘Braun, can you read it?’

– Certainly! ‘Custom tailoring experts, eternally unblemished luster. The exquisite craftsmanship of artisans who are always there.’

– A tempting phrase for nouveau riche or newly famous people. Oh! This is just between us, friend!

‘…Right.’

As expected.

‘Eternally unblemished, always there’… I figured there would be keywords like that. Abilities related to persistence or permanence.

Actually, regarding the ‘Purchased item: Ring’ entry in the exploration log of this boutique I’d recalled earlier, there was a separate wiki document related to its origins.

A large-scale mental contamination incident.

The sole surviving company employee there was the one who bought and wore this boutique’s ring after selling three civilians.

‘…No wonder it came to mind immediately.’

Because of the incident related to my merchandise.

The single time a major disaster occurred because of the silver heart. That train accident.

Employee ■■■
The sole Daydream Corporation employee survivor of the ‘Tamra Express Train Incident.’ Claimed to have lost the ‘ring’—an item presumed to have played a decisive role in their survival—immediately after the incident.

That’s the longest document among the human error accidents recorded in the Disaster Management Agency’s entry, a wiki that was also recorded as a short story.

A ring that played a crucial role in surviving that large-scale accident without contamination.

This boutique entry was created to give plausibility and interest to the ring’s setting.

In other words, the accessories and clothing sold here are indirectly verified by the wiki.

When worn, it exhibits resistance in situations that break the ‘consistency’ of the mind, such as mental confusion and brainwashing.

To put it simply,

‘It can be used as powerful mental defense equipment…’

…An item I absolutely need, me who almost had a major accident due to contamination.

“…..”

I raised my head.

“Good. I’ll buy this ring.”