Click, click.
The clicking ended.
The Alien Shop displayed the items in my shopping cart in an organized list.
What I'm buying is….
Alice's Picnic Set - ₩11,999,999
※Discount!※ Silver Coin Snake - ₩4,999,999
= ₩16,999,998
That’s right.
I bought the effect-boosting potion and the discounted item.
The reason was simple.
‘I can't use the rest….’
A bloodsucking weapon? It sounds cool. But there's a premise.
It means I have to run at a ghost with a knife…….
‘A coward dying as Extra 1 while trembling like a leaf isn't a horror movie cliché for nothing….’
Besides, it wouldn't be useful unless the opponent had blood, so it lacks versatility.
‘If it were armor, maybe, but as it stands, a weapon is out of the question, right?’
Overestimating oneself is a shortcut to a shorter lifespan. The rest is omitted.
Next, the extended-range walkie-talkie.
This….
‘……Is there anyone who can persuade their boss to carry around a toy walkie-talkie?’
Wouldn't such a person… not be the type to work under someone else?
Even if I told them it wasn't just a toy but an amazing Item, it was still a problem. There would be no answer once they started asking 'Where did you get it?'.
This is an Item that can only be used when I have a truly trustworthy colleague.
‘So, rejected.’
In the end, the remaining items were 'Alice's Picnic Set' and 'Silver Coin Snake', and since I could afford both within the budget, I would buy them.
Both seemed useful.
First of all, the double effect and half effect of Alice's Picnic Set could be used for various purposes, couldn't they?
‘In an emergency, I think it could even be used for defense.’
It was also good for using without catching the employees' eyes. So, purchase.
Finally, the discounted item named Silver Coin Snake.
‘The original price is twenty million won?’
I immediately got a feeling about that.
This is for investment.
‘Seeing as they specifically added Silver Coin to the name, it’s probably a currency.’
In the <Dark Exploration Record> universe, there were various currencies within ghost stories, and they could even be exchanged for cash through certain organizations.
‘Buying something with a list price of twenty million won for five million is definitely a gain.’
There's usually a reason why the Alien Shop gives such a huge discount, but even so, the risk was worth taking.
…It’s definitely not the mindset of someone investing in coins! Really! This is a rational decision!
So I… now had to pay seventeen million won.
“Whew.”
The only payment method was direct deposit.
The account number for an electronic account that was easy to open appeared on the website under the name 'Alien'.
‘I guess I shouldn't hope for a tax deduction….’
This was the first time I had transferred such a large amount in a lump sum since I looked for a studio apartment.
With trembling hands, I transferred ‘₩16,999,998’ through a banking app for which I had raised the limit.
At that moment.
Purchase successful!
The goods have boarded the rocket!
Time until arrival 00:00:08
Uh.
00:00:07
00:00:06
Wait a minute.
00:00:03
00:00:02
00:00:01
Ding.
A cheerful sound rang out.
Arrived!
Poof.
“Gasp!”
The air in the middle of the room ‘opened’, and items poured out along with smoke.
It was a post office delivery box.
“Wow.”
It was literally rocket delivery.
‘You crazy universe, you could be fascinating instead of scary!’
I even felt a sense of awe.
After marveling for a moment, I snapped out of it and opened the package.
First, <Alice's Picnic Set> was a rusted tin case with fairy-tale illustrations on it.
When I opened the case, I saw a drink in a flat can and paper-wrapped cookies. They were labeled 'Drink me' and 'Eat me', respectively.
“Nice.”
I can just carry one or two of these around like the 'Smile Sticker'. I nodded.
And when I took this tin case out of the delivery box, I saw a round silver object that had been tucked underneath.
I picked it up.
A glossy Silver Coin.
‘It was currency after all.’
It was a bit thrilling.
I held up the Silver Coin, which was the size of a 500-won coin and engraved with a snake biting its own tail, and flipped it lightly. It was heavy, as expected of metal.
Several candidates for where I could use this currency passed through my head.
‘Let's use it wisely, wherever it may be.’
Even though seventeen million won had vanished like melting snow.
It’s money that would disappear anyway once I returned to my original world, so let's restrain the greed… restrain it.
Mm. I’ve calmed down.
‘Then… anyway, I guess I’m fairly well-prepared.’
I organized the objects I currently possessed.
From now on, I had to use these to clear higher-grade Darkness as quickly as possible.
‘Let's use them proactively.’
Avoiding things because of fear might lead to an even more terrifying situation. Don't forget, you coward.
Determined not to forget and to use everything I could to the fullest, I tried to get some sleep.
Instead of sheep, the convenience store ghost frolicked in my head, ruining my quality of life.
Haha.
And the very next day.
“There are a few ghost stories we regularly manage, and we're going to go into one of them today.”
“…Yes.”
I came out after sleeping for exactly three hours. I feel like I’m actually going to die at this rate.
However, the Assistant manager tapped my shoulder, perhaps interpreting my expression as worry.
“Don't worry too much. It's only D-grade.”
“Exactly! It’s about the same level as what you experienced during the orientation, Roe!”
Saying that to a new recruit who probably has PTSD from the Death Survival…?
However, the employees of the Field Exploration team, whose sensitivities as normal people had already been destroyed, were laughing heartily and speaking to me as if giving words of encouragement.
“We even cleared it once by just diving in headfirst, so there's no way we can't do it now when we have a manual, right?”
“As long as you don't do anything unexpected, there won't be any problems, okay?”
“…Yes.”
Well, for now… understood.
Anything should be better than playing tag with a convenience store ghost by myself.
‘Please, let me get some sleep at night.’
This time, I desperately hoped for a ghost story in the style of an art film—something eerie due to a sense of incongruity and lack of information, but not actually that gruesome!
I prayed fervently.
“Here, the materials.”
The Supervisor handed over a tablet PC.
The ghost story I will enter today is…….
[Tuesday Quiz Show / Dusk (D) Grade]
“…….”
Eh?
“Did you see, Roe? You're entering as a contestant in a quiz game.”
“Yes.”
“If you don't get the quiz right, you get a penalty, but the types of penalties are gruesome… well, it's that kind of ghost story.”
“But we're fine because we already have the answer sheet! So don't be too nervous!”
The Supervisor grinned and gave a thumbs up.
Right, good.
‘I have a feeling the horror level will be much lower than seeing a ghost directly….’
But there's also a problem.
‘It’s a name I don't know.’
Tuesday Quiz Show?
There is no such D-grade ghost story page in the <Dark Exploration Record>.
For now, I couldn't use the Memorial Pop Socket to dig through my memories because of my superiors… but I could be certain without looking.
At least, it's not among the ghost stories I’ve read.
Then again, even if I had read all the ghost stories in <Dark Exploration Record>, other ghost stories could still exist in this universe.
After all, it was an internet playground where ghost stories were being written and added in real-time.
Still, I thought there would be relatively few things I didn't know, but to think I’d already be entering a ghost story I didn't know.
‘…Is the list of ‘Darkness’ the company possesses much more extensive than I thought?’
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
But my superiors were nonchalant.
“We seem to get assigned a lot of broadcast-related Darkness in our jurisdiction.”
“Ah, that happens with each team.”
Then the Assistant manager sent me a PDF file, saying it was the answer sheet for the Tuesday Quiz Show.
“For now, just look at that answer sheet and… reread the Field Exploration manual or something. Let's go when the Team Leader arrives this afternoon.”
“Yes.”
I first nodded obediently.
The Supervisor kindly added more words.
“Ah, just in case, should I get you a paper version of the manual too? You need to take notes, after all.”
“Ah, it's fine. I’ve memorized it all.”
To me, who has the Memorial Pop Socket, it would just be extra baggage.
“You… memorized it all?”
“Yes.”
“…That’s why you're not taking notes!”
“Pardon?”
“A-Ah, no.”
The Supervisor wore an expression as if he had realized something, then nodded.
“I think the Team Leader is going to find you very reliable.”
“…??”
Anyway, it seems to be a good thing, so let's move on.
For reference, the Team Leader of Team D was still out on field duty, but we had received word that he would return this afternoon.
‘I’ll see him soon.’
However, an hour later.
“Wait a moment. Our Team Leader, I mean the Manager, is still on field duty… Yes? No, that’s difficult.”
The Assistant manager, who was on the phone, hung up with a deep frown.
“Have these people lost their minds? Talking crazy about how we have a new recruit, so shouldn't we be a 3-person team….”
“Pardon? Really?”
“Yeah. Apparently….”
The Assistant manager glanced at me.
Ah.
‘Is it because of the convenience store ghost?’
Because I had cleared an F-rank Darkness too quickly and in a strange way on my own, it gave the higher-ups an excuse to say things like, ‘Really? Then he can pull his own weight.’
The side effect of hogging the twenty million won all to myself was blowing up here.
Of course, it wasn't because they were bitter that I took the money.
“It's the end of the month.”
“Ah.”
I roughly grasped the situation by looking at the two whispering superiors.
‘Is there a performance issue in the department?’
I don't know for sure, but it seems they've ended up in a situation where they have to fill their 'quota' before the lunch hour.
And the situation is such that the new recruit seems like he can do the work of one person.
The Assistant manager made a decision after a short contemplation.
“Roe, did you memorize all of that?”
Ah, the quiz show answer sheet… wait.
‘If I say I’ve memorized it all, am I going in?’
If so, I should strategically act a bit weak…….
“Oh, I’m sure he already has. He said he even memorized the entire exploration manual, as thick as it is!”
“Oh.”
The Assistant manager nodded.
“Good. Then today, just the three of us will go in.”
“…….”
My small and desperate hope that ‘I want as many people as possible so it's less scary!’ vanished just like that….
Explanations followed, such as ‘A 3-person team is the rule, but sometimes only two people go in when someone takes annual leave. We do get support staff, but it's hard to coordinate schedules and blah blah blah.’
Yes. I’ve heard loud and clear that this company is indeed very much like a company.
‘…Anyway, I’m prepared.’
I’ve completed my Item armament, and I’ve also confirmed that it's not a ghost story with a particularly terrifying form.
Now that I think about it, going now might be better than going in the afternoon!
As they say, it's better to get the punishment over with.
As time passes, my imagination will only create more terror. The courage I’ve gathered now is at its peak.
It might be better to enter before it diminishes further…!
“Let's enter.”
In the middle of my endless mental victory, the Assistant manager, who had received something from an employee of another department, approached.
‘The medium to enter the ghost story… right?’
It was a postcard.
However, the 'Recipient' section of the postcard with the old stamp was already covered in bizarre handwriting.
And at the top, the word 'Application Form' was written repeatedly in tiny letters.
Like a curse.
-One day, I find a strange postcard in an old magazine.
An advertisement for contestants for a certain quiz show was enclosed, but when I searched for it, no such broadcast existed. It was probably just used as a theme for the vintage postcard.
Feeling intrigued, I write my name in the 'Sender' section just for fun, and then…….
I was dragged into a truly strange quiz show.
Is it that kind of ghost story?
At first glance, you might not notice, but the moment you look closely, it's grotesque, which certainly induced chills… but….
“You just have to sign here.”
“…….”
“If it feels creepy, don't use your real name; just write down your animal mask name.”
“…Yes.”
I have to collect points.
Watching the two of them write 'Badger' and 'Falcon' respectively, I also wrote in the 'Sender' section.
-Roe
The moment I lifted the pen.
My consciousness was sucked into the postcard as if being pulled out.
“…!”
[Ah, you've finally arrived. Our applicants!]
The lights were blinding.
In my blurry vision, a bright and cheerful voice struck my ears.
A hand in a suit jacket offered a handshake.
[Welcome, welcome… Now. The cameras will be rolling soon. Let's show everyone a great appearance with a smile!]
I reflexively shook hands and looked up.
Instead of a human head, an old-fashioned TV was visible.
……An emoticon was floating on it.
[^_^]
The TV human let go of my hand, then spun around playfully and spread his arms wide.
[Audience!]
Waaaaaaah!
Cheers were heard, but the Human Figures in the audience weren't clearly visible as they blurred in the filming lights.
Soon, I realized I was standing on some kind of colorful podium.
‘Is this the contestant's seat in the quiz show?’
It wasn't scary enough to make me faint.
No, honestly, if I think of it as participating in a quiz show hosted by a Host wearing a TV mask, I can find some peace of mind.
‘After experiencing the eye-plucking subway and the convenience store ghost, this is like an angel.’
Mm. Good. I think I can use my head calmly.
After adjusting my mask once, I checked the situation.
[Is this your first time as a talk show guest? Oh, then please don't forget to cheer. Your cheers are everything to the show!]
The TV human seemed to be encouraging the audience and livening up the atmosphere.
He appeared to be the host of the talk show.
‘So, this Tuesday Quiz Show is like a segment of some talk show.’
Looking at the atmosphere of the set, the band creating the background sound, the composition of the audience, and the way the host led the show alone… it was like a traditional American talk show.
‘It feels a bit old-fashioned.’
…….
What?
‘Again.’
Old American talk show.
Quiz segment.
A situation where the contestant already knows the answers.
This is….
…….
…….
I know this keyword.
==========
※Notice!※
Note: Daydream Inc. bears no liability for any problems such as fear, auditory hallucinations, ■■, ■■■■, etc., arising from reading this document.
Please proceed after signing.
==========
This wasn't D-grade.
This ghost story is…….
==========
Dark Exploration Record / Ghost Story
[Chorus of the Sacrificial Lamb]
: A ghost story appearing in the <Dark Exploration Record>, with the Daydream Inc. Identification Code Qterw-A-104.
Darkness (A) grade.
The starting point of the grade reclassification incident that resulted in numerous casualties.
Currently no official record of survivors.
==========
“…….”
[3, 2, 1…. Now the show begins!]
No.
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