Daydream Inc.
A pharmaceutical company that churns out fantastical potions that grant wishes, through methods no one can fathom.
The raw material is ghost stories.
……This was the extent of the record when this corporation first appeared in the <Dark Exploration Record>.
The lack of explanation invited further imagination; its bizarre technological prowess, mystery, cruelty, and the blanks in its history felt chilling.
However, as the Wiki grows, the breadcrumbs accumulate accordingly.
‘Hidden lore gets added.’
Naturally, Daydream Inc. couldn't have just fallen out of the sky with perfectly formed, unknown pharmaceutical technology.
Even if it appeared that way, if one dug deep enough, its origins and history had to be deducible…. That was what made it thrilling and fun.
Eventually, as time passed, significant exploration records were added here and there within the Dark Exploration Record, allowing readers to form several conspiracy theories and make deductions about Daydream.
—What exactly is Daydream Inc.?
And the place I had just visited… was evidence for Conspiracy Theory Number 2.
Conspiracy Theory 2: Daydream Inc. was not originally a pharmaceutical company.
Specifically, the original source of Daydream Inc.’s pharmaceutical technology.
“…Whew.”
Swallowing hard, I began to look around the ‘Dream Incubation Room.’
The dust-covered laboratory looked like a science room in a closed-down school, or an old, abandoned lab after the apocalypse.
Everything looked dead.
Workbenches and experimental equipment, beakers, and display cases containing unknown liquids.
And… a massive machine in the center.
“…….”
It was an old, 2000s-style experimental machine with buttons and a keyboard panel beneath an empty glass tube that didn't light up.
Dream incubator
And the experiment log lying beside it.
It was the very thing mentioned in the Exploration Records.
I unfolded the old paper and read—
Every single page.
The experimental records, which must have been written in neat characters originally, were thoroughly crushed and smeared one by one. Filth, blood, ink, and pencil marks—screams and madness were stuck thick and sticky onto the pages….
“Ugh.”
I set down the experiment log as if throwing it away.
Then I caught my breath.
‘I thought I could handle it.’
I was wrong.
The reason I gave up without restoring the text buried beneath wasn't some <Dark Exploration Record> technique of building atmosphere by blocking information; it was because it was truly unbearable to look at.
“…….”
I recalled something.
In the ‘Faceless Market’ beneath the manhole, the testimony given during a company interrogation by an employee who had successfully completed a trade by chance without revealing their status.
Assistant Manager ■■■: Yes! I found it. That machine, it’s old, but it looked like it could still function normally. There seemed to be Dream Essence Liquid and certain secret information related to the Darkness as well. Fearing it might fall into the hands of outsiders, I quickly… Yes?
Assistant Manager ■■■: ……That facility doesn't belong to our company? …Don't tell me it looked like that not because it was contaminated by the Darkness, but because the company…… W-Wait. Why are you holding that and coming toward me….
…This record ends with the company successfully ‘disposing’ of this anonymous employee.
“…….”
A chill ran down my spine.
In the silent laboratory, I felt as if something ominous was lurking. I wanted to turn around and run out immediately….
‘No!!’
Let's move to the next step.
Clenching my teeth, I cast my gaze behind the machine.
I saw a spot with a recording PC on an office desk… and something heavy had rolled off beneath the chair.
It was a corpse.
Even though I knew it was there, I couldn't help but gasp.
The corpse, which looked as if it had just tumbled off the desk, was more bizarre for being shriveled and lifeless, as if it had died a long time ago.
However, I knew what had happened.
As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the body's motor activity had ceased five years ago.
Based on the circumstances, it is estimated that only life reactions were maintained through some sort of method.
The last researcher of this incubation room, who had forcibly extended their life reactions until the moment the slip of paper was handed to someone in the market beneath the manhole.
The owner of the arm that had traded with me.
“…….”
From that person's left hand, which was missing a pinky finger, I recovered the exclusive equipment coin I had paid as a price.
Then, I carefully picked up the key card hanging around their neck.
Cheerful Researcher
■■■
Above the crushed name, the phrase ‘Must not be caught’ was pressed down and written with a worn-out ballpoint pen.
But I could read the first part of the researcher's name.
‘…Cheerful?’
Something reflexively tried to come to mind, but I suppressed it for now.
“…Whew.”
I felt that if I searched this space further, I might learn about the hidden circumstances or origins of Daydream Inc. that I hadn't known.
‘But I have no idea what might pop out….’
Just looking at the experiment log earlier felt strange.
‘For now, let’s only touch what’s been verified.’
I returned to the machine in the center called the ‘Dream incubator.’
The <Dark Exploration Record> stated that although there were no specific operation logs, it was clearly ‘looked like an old prototype, but in a state that could be used normally.’
All that was left was to put the necessary pieces together.
“Whew.”
First, I picked up the key card I recovered from the dead researcher.
Then, fumbling over the ‘Dream incubator,’ I found a slot on the front exterior.
‘Is it here?’
I inserted the key card into it.
Whirrrrr—
“…!”
Red and blue lights flickered onto the machine.
In the old, abandoned lab, the massive experimental machine regained its light as if coming to life alone.
And the glass tube installed at the top.
‘…Is there something in there?’
Something round… seemed to be installed in the middle of the glass tube.
‘That might be the core component.’
In any case, the ‘Dream incubator’ successfully finished its reactivation.
Along with the numbers appearing on the small panel next to the glass tube.
DE 0000000
On to the next action.
I opened the valve at the end of a small pipe connected to the side of the glass tube.
Inside was a peculiar slot.
‘…This is it.’
I reached into my shirt and pulled out what I had prepared.
Something I had kept ever since it came out of a Goods Box, unable to use it in any situation.
Something I hadn't dared to touch because it would oxidize and lose its efficacy upon contact with air.
—Dream Essence of A-rank or higher.
A golden liquid, shimmering like a hologram, filled the Elite Team Dream Essence Collector of Daydream Inc.
…I was finally using what had been charged the moment I escaped from Braun's Late-Night Talk Show.
I plugged the sharp tip of the collector into the slot at the end of the pipe.
Thwack.
It fit perfectly, as if it were meant to be.
And…. The liquid was sucked in.
“…!”
The sight of the brilliant, multicolored liquid traveling through the pipe and filling the transparent glass tube was almost overwhelming.
‘Was it really this much?’
A volume of liquid that seemed unbelievable for having been in a palm-sized cylinder filled 1/4th of the glass tube, sloshing around.
Then, in the shimmering light of the liquid, the shape of the object in the middle of the glass tube briefly revealed its silhouette.
‘…An egg?’
It was an orange-colored object about five times the size of a chicken egg.
It seemed like a strange shape was reflecting from inside the pulsating egg, but it all vanished as it submerged into the multicolored, golden A-rank potion.
And….
DE 0000001
The numbers on the panel began to climb.
The panel, moving rapidly along with the sound of the machine running, soon…
DE 00158313
Stopped there.
“Whew.”
I succeeded.
‘I’ve charged the machine with Dream Essence Liquid…!’
The numbers looked like points from a welfare mall, and the thought that Daydream’s point system might have originated from here flashed through my mind, but it wasn't important.
What mattered was that everything had gone according to my expectations so far.
Now all that remained was to use it.
“…….”
I focused on the buttons beneath the panel.
…They were emoticons.
🥰🥸🤯🧐🤪🥱
Of the dozens of emoticons, these were the ones that lit up normally.
‘Is it a lack of materials?’
I didn't know if it was a limitation of the machine itself.
Anyway, after much deliberation, I clicked the one that looked the safest and most useful.
🥰🥸🤯🧐🤪🥱
A playful emoticon that looked like it was observing something.
The button lit up….
DE 00158313
DE 00148313
The numbers on the panel decreased, and the machine began to operate.
Vrooooom!
With the sound of a motor running, the liquid inside the glass tube was sucked downward. As my body vibrated slightly from the machine's tremors….
Clink.
The bottom of the machine opened, revealing a cylindrical transparent glass bottle.
“……!!”
I picked it up with trembling hands.
A bright purple liquid swam inside the glass bottle with a bizarre brilliance….
Complete with a label printed on graph paper.
Children's Detective Syrup
(Cherry Flavor)
★★★
A familiar color.
And I could guess from the emoticon and that name.
‘Daydream Inc.’s Detection Potion…!’
Detection Potion
: When consumed, it brightens your eyes so you can see what you need most right now.
Judging by the color, the grade seemed to be at least a C.
Even if the name was different, I was certain the performance would be similar.
However, there was one more interesting point here….
‘This is a discontinued potion.’
That was it.
It was a potion that Daydream Inc. no longer produced. Naturally, it was an item that couldn't be purchased even at the welfare mall.
Perhaps, this was an item that could currently only be obtained from this prototype machine…!
‘The amount I charged was well over 150,000 points.’
Since ten thousand points were consumed for this potion, I could try clicking all the other emoticon buttons as well.
‘Alright, then next….’
Just then.
The text on the panel changed.
06 / 23:59:54
And the overall lights of the ‘Dream incubator’ dimmed. As if it were in power-saving mode.
‘…A reuse countdown.’
Something that could be used once a week.
It was a limitation befitting a prototype.
“Whew.”
Actually, it was for the best. I might have wasted the Dream Essence Liquid I barely managed to charge by pressing buttons in excitement.
‘Let’s think about this more.’
I decided to take a closer look at the machine while the lights were off.
Of course, what was visible on the outside was just a piece of iron with a simple and clunky exterior, so I focused more on observing the user interface.
Specifically, the buttons.
‘These must correspond to each potion.’
I saw emoticons combined with various shapes: masks, demons, thermometers, money. I could match each one to Daydream Inc.’s potions.
Except for just one.
‘…I don't see anything that looks like a Wish Ticket.’
Right.
The emoticon that looked like that potion, which could be called the essence of Daydream Inc., was nowhere to be found.
‘…Could it be this?’
I found a strange mark at the very bottom.
◎
It looked as if the spot where a button had been was forcibly gouged out.
“……I can’t be sure.”
The Ghost Story Worldview was not lenient enough to act on hopeful guesses alone.
‘…Maybe another employee could find something out?’
If I brought someone who had worked at the company longer than me, I might be able to discover other hints here more safely.
Of course, sharing useless secrets could put us both in danger….
‘I think there’s someone who wouldn't care about that.’
I thought of a few candidates and then stopped.
It would be difficult now that my duty had become that of an industrial spy, and by the time this spying was over, a Wish Ticket would already be in my hands.
‘On hold.’
For now, I'd be satisfied with having created a place of my own to use Dream Essence Liquid.
I tucked the ‘Children's Detective Syrup’ away and stepped outside.
“Whew.”
The harvest was significant, so I didn't feel too bad.
However, looking at the manhole cover, worry began to creep in.
Agent Choi, who took the note.
‘Could he possibly deduce this and come looking for it like I did?’
Or had he tracked my whereabouts?
But he couldn't have tracked which manhole I came out of from inside that market, and no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed difficult to derive the answer from the note while stuck in the stereotype of ghost stories.
Even in the <Dark Exploration Record>, it took the former Daydream Inc. employee who obtained this three months to solve the code.
And even that was a coincidence.
‘If your mindset is fixed on "it must be related to a ghost story," it’s only natural….’
But I was still uneasy, so I decided to take a temporary measure.
“Should this be enough?”
After consuming a 3,000-point potion purchased from the welfare mall, I closed the manhole cover.
Gatekeeper Potion
: The first door you close after consuming the potion can only be opened by the person you personally inform of the door's location.
I think it was also called a Secret Potion.
It felt a bit unpleasant as it strangely reminded me of what Director Ho had done, but the sense of relief was greater.
“Good.”
There was no such crazy setting that Daydream Inc. tracks all potion usage locations, so I was somewhat at ease with this.
What's left is… returning to the Disaster Management Bureau and entering another ghost story.
I groaned as I trudged back to return to my hospital room.
‘My life….’
Still, it was a bit better now that there was extra income from entering ghost stories.
Since I could collect Dream Essence.
Not to turn it into the company, but for my own use!
“Let's hang in there.”
I touched the empty Elite Team collector, which would soon be filled again, and successfully returned to my hospital room.
And a few days later.
“…You’ve worked hard.”
“Ah, no.”
I finally returned to my temporary agent duties after being discharged.
“As I mentioned, you’ve been assigned to common duties, not the exclusive tasks of the Emergency Rescue Squad.”
Thank you…!
I was almost moved to tears listening to Agent Bronze’s guidance.
“…This time, there won’t be any dangerous work like before. The civilian rescue is over, and you just need to carry out simple finishing work on-site.”
Everything was beautiful.
Yes, a person needs to have this kind of restful work too….
“You just have to drive at 2 a.m. with a ghost in the passenger seat.”
“…….”
Pardon?
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