To be honest.
One month into the job.
Surprisingly, this ghost story megacorp is... quite livable!
“Wow, this is insane. Cleared in 30 minutes again!”
“Aren't they actually performing better than Team C?”
To think the day would come when I’d actually hear those artificial lines that sound like something an extra in a W-Tube web drama would say.
“Hey, enjoy it. It’s all your performance record.”
It was lunchtime.
The Assistant Manager, who had confidently taken both Menu A and Menu B from the cafeteria, spoke refreshingly.
For the record, we had already handled one case this morning.
“Thanks to Roe, I’m actually doing crazy things like clearing 12 new Darknesses a month.”
“No, it’s all thanks to your great leadership.”
“Leadership, my foot. I’m just enjoying the ride on your bus.”
“That’s right. I’ll buy beef today, Soleum Seonbae.”
“Minseong... even so, that’s a bit much.”
“Hey, why are you being like that! If you’re doing well, you’re my Seonbae, right?”
When a superior makes a joke like that, it’s surprisingly hard to react without getting offended....
But whether it was a joke or he was serious, the Supervisor didn't particularly wait for my reaction. Instead, with an excited face, he showed me a screenshot of his monthly point accumulation.
“I’ve already hit 5000p!”
Indeed.
[Supervisor Park Minseong / Accumulated Points: 5200p]
These were the points I had earned over the course of a month as well.
‘Speedrunning did work...’
To think my survival movement would turn out like this.
It was also possible because most of the grades were either F or D.
‘It seems high grades don’t appear that often.’
Well, if they did, the world would have already closed its doors with a ‘And so the world was destroyed’ worldview.
Anyway, my superiors looked more excited than I did. I guess it’s more fun because it’s someone else’s business.
“This might be the shortest time for a new recruit’s performance in our company’s history.”
“Ooooh!”
Ah, come to think of it, I’ve hardly seen my fellow new recruits.
Because I was constantly in and out of the 17th-floor Research Team office every day, I inversely had fewer chances to see the other Field Exploration teams.
‘Baek Saheon and I are treating each other like we don’t exist.’
Actually, to maintain the ‘crazy guy’ concept I had once established, I occasionally threw out jokes that crossed the line regarding work.
—You’re heading into a darkness investigation today too, right? Want to bet on how many civilians die?
—.......
The gambling Researcher gave me inspiration. Thank you.
Anyway, seeing Baek Saheon grit his teeth and ignore me without a word, it seems the performance is solid.
‘Things are going smoothly.’
I finished the last of the galbitang broth and set the bowl down.
Leaving work on time, and they even give bonuses.
‘The cafeteria is decent, too.’
In many ways, the welfare was at a level where it would likely get a rating of 3.5 or higher on sites like Job Korea.
Except for the heavy stress that comes from essentially staying overnight in a haunted house where ghosts appear every single day....
‘Doing things for a living that I would never have done before... Hmm. It’s a normal work life.’
Even the way I’m somehow deluded into thinking it’s doable because of the sense of efficacy from producing results is exactly the same.
“Roe.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje spoke in a small, low voice.
“At this rate, words must have reached the higher-ups.”
“...Pardon?”
“I’m talking about your performance.”
“.......”
“Once could be a trick or luck, but after ten times, it’s not.”
The Assistant Manager grinned, narrowing her eyes.
“There’s bound to be someone higher up who’ll want to pick you out and see you. When that happens, make sure to tell us. Tell the Team Leader, too.”
Hmm.
If it were a normal company, I might have worried about my performance being stolen and looked for a chance to slip away without saying anything.
But this is a Ghost Story Worldview, and this is a superior whose life I’ve saved before.
I nodded obediently.
“Yes.”
“Right. Even if he looks like that... no, even just by looking at him, our Team Leader is a bit extraordinary, isn't he?”
Our gazes turned toward Section Chief Lee Jaheon, who had already finished his meal in large gulps and was leaving the cafeteria.
“Even if you receive an absurd proposal, he’ll cover for you if you ask him just once.”
That Lizard?
“...Yes.”
“Okay. Anyway, Roe, you’re really quick on the uptake.”
I should keep it a secret that I didn't actually agree but only nodded.
By the way... words might reach the higher-ups, huh.
I thought as I cleared my tray and stood up.
‘Since things have turned out this way, standing out is unavoidable.’
I’ve somewhat given up on that.
Besides, if I had seen a clown crawling out of a portrait with only its upper body, I would have already fainted....
But I also have something to believe in.
‘It’s hard to give a new recruit a job more difficult than this, right?’
If it goes beyond this level, it’s not dumping chores but giving core tasks.
Assigning the department's core tasks to a new recruit who’s only been at the company for a month and isn't even an experienced hire?
This isn't some crazy small business on W-Tube. According to the social unwritten rules within a large corporation, that was out of the question.
I can just think that I was lucky that my workload developed toward ‘Ghost Stories without manuals.’
If this becomes chronic, there’s a higher chance they’ll just get used to it and move on, thinking, ‘Ah, he’s specialized in that area.’
“Shall we head back then?”
“Yes.”
I came to a conclusion and returned my utensils.
However, at this moment, I was so immersed and habituated to the worldview and worker life that I had forgotten one thing.
The immutable truth of social life.
That is....
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down!
At the same time, in the Research Team 1 office.
‘Escaped in one hour again...’
A Researcher, who was wasting company time looking at Team D’s records, gnashed his teeth.
‘Have they earned about 5000p so far?’
At that speed after just one month, they really might break the record for the shortest time and get a Wish Ticket within a few years....
“.......”
“Man, must be nice, huh?”
The Researcher grumbled.
“Some people work while seeing all sorts of horrible things in the lab and don't even get hazard pay, making it hard to even save 500p a month.”
“.......”
“While some new recruit gets 50,000 points in a month....”
“Uh-huh, let’s stop there.”
The Researcher shut his mouth tight.
His insides began to boil at the reality that he couldn't even voice his complaints in this situation.
Something was wrong.
‘There are guys who easily earn points by luckily drawing and carrying around good weapons.’
While some people can't even dream of it because they have no points or access rights.
‘The research positions are more elite than the field exploration positions that roll around with their bodies, so they should be treated better. Is this right?’
It was truly unfair.
The Researcher truly thought so.
He had conveniently forgotten that he used to mock the Field Exploration team employees by calling them lab rats.
“Well, if the timing is right, there are times when darkness investigations go smoothly like this.”
Section Chief Kwak Jekang smiled and tossed a word to the Researcher.
“Even so, this is quite impressive, though.”
“.......”
Ignoring the Researcher who lifted his head with a look like he’d swallowed dung, Kwak Jekang flipped through the documents again.
“Ah, I heard this Darkness requires more than 10 people to be deployed?”
“.......”
“Supervisor Lee?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. They say 10 people must gather to enter the Darkness.”
“Hmm.”
Kwak Jekang smiled and picked up a pen.
“Then it’ll be a team play this time.”
-Teams A, D, and Y deployed.
“.......”
The Researcher watched as Kwak Jekang pulled out the organization chart of the Field Exploration teams and checked the corresponding teams.
It was then.
“Supervisor Lee.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to know what the alphabetical order of the Field Exploration teams means?”
He didn't know.
There was no way a person who only focused on keeping his seat by sloppily handling his own work would be that well-versed in the organizational structure of another department.
Kwak Jekang smiled and tapped the document. It was a strange smile for some reason.
“In a word, it’s in order of performance.”
“...!”
“You know, like how kids have that in school. Honors classes, regular classes, remedial classes, that kind of thing.”
The Researcher suddenly remembered.
“Then... is Team D in the honors class?”
“No.”
A firm denial came back.
“A through C. They are the elites.”
Kwak Jekang tapped the corresponding teams with his pen.
“The rest are all expendable.”
“...Ah.”
It was the moment he started feeling a bit better for some reason.
“But well. This is just between us... but Team D’s performance is so good. There’s even a rumor that if they keep going like this, something good might happen during the next personnel assignment. Haha.”
“...!”
As is the case with company gossip, such outrageously unconventional talk wasn't usually a reliable rumor.
Nevertheless, the Researcher somehow became anxious.
‘Isn't there any bad news?’
As if satisfying that expectation, Section Chief Kwak Jekang’s murmur was heard.
It was in a tone that was intentionally regretful.
“But of all things, they get caught like this. To go in with Team A... hmm.”
“...! Uh, is it bad to go in with the elite team?”
“It’s usually like that, right? You know too, Supervisor Lee.”
Kwak Jekang touched his chin.
“There are Darknesses where an escape route is opened only when there is a sacrifice.”
Especially....
If it’s a Darkness that requires a large number of people.
Kwak Jekang shrugged his shoulders.
“This exploration record will have plenty to talk about in many ways.”
A few days later.
Team D, who had naturally received the call and gone up to the 17th floor just like the past month, saw an unexpected sight.
“Hello.”
“...?!”
There were early guests in the Research Team 1 office.
People wearing various masks.
‘Are they other teams from Field Exploration?’
I quickly counted the heads.
Roughly seven people.
Among them was someone I was acquainted with.
-Is it possible to bring a dead person back to life?
It was the new recruit who had asked that question regarding the Wish Ticket at the welcome party.
The new recruit wearing a Cow Mask was quietly bowing his head and standing while leaning against a desk.
A somewhat gloomy energy hung in the air.
He had long hair for a man, to the point where I wondered if the company would frown upon it as a dress code issue.
Of course, no one here seemed to care about such things.
“Ah.”
“This... hmm.”
Around the time the Team D seniors were making short reactions—whether of admiration or lamentation—upon seeing the people filling the office space.
“Oh, our Team D has finally arrived. Welcome, welcome~ Now, now, let’s get into today’s briefing.”
Section Chief Kwak Jekang appeared and began leading the people toward the attached conference room.
While moving, I heard the Assistant Manager ask a question.
“Are we entering with other teams?”
“That’s right. That’s right.”
“.......”
The Assistant Manager glanced around and soon returned to my side, speaking in a low voice that others couldn't hear.
“See those employees wearing masks with gold marks over there?”
“Yes.”
“That’s Team A.”
I know.
‘They’re the Elite Squad.’
Daydream Corporation was structured so that raw materials only came out and the company only ran if someone cleared ghost stories.
‘To avoid a setting hole where the company should naturally go bankrupt, they also need Field Exploration teams that are inhumanly high-performing and skilled....’
That’s why it was a place with an unusually high number of Named Characters in the <Dark Exploration Record>. I nodded slightly.
Team A consisted of three people wearing a strange Butterfly, Mantis, and Mallard Mask, respectively.
At that moment, the person wearing the Mallard Mask from Team A acknowledged us.
It was the energetic voice of an older woman.
“Ah, are you that Kim Soleum?”
“Yes. Hello.”
I bowed reflexively, but a cold sweat broke out.
To call me ‘that’ Kim Soleum, what on earth kind of rumors are circulating?
“Right, right. If you have the chance, let’s see each other. You’re a young man with a bright future.”
And she brushed past and sat in her seat.
...That person must be the Team Leader of Team A.
The Assistant Manager continued her explanation.
“And... the ones wearing masks without gold marks are Team Y.”
“.......”
The three wearing masks without gold marks, and even the new recruit in the Cow Mask I knew.
It was a team where a gloomy energy hung in the air.
“The Team Leader of Team Y is a regular employee, not a Section Chief, but for now, just accept it and stay quiet.”
“Yes.”
That... I also know.
The Supervisor whispered to me.
“Um... Roe. Treat the people from the other teams you saw today, especially Team Y, just moderately if possible. Okay? I’ll tell you the reason later.”
“Yes.”
I nodded without a word.
It was because I could roughly guess the reason he would tell me later.
But suddenly, the Supervisor, who was sitting next to me, was moved.
“Ha. I really... love that you’re like a version of the Section Chief who’s quick on the uptake.”
“Me too.”
“.......”
That’s... a compliment, right?
“Now, now, if everyone has taken their seats, I’ll start the briefing right away.”
Kwak Jekang stood in front of the conference room board without even turning on the prompter.
“I was going to talk about the Darkness we’ll enter today... but!”
Section Chief Kwak Jekang chuckled.
“Actually, we don’t know anything either.”
“...??”
“What does that mean, Section Chief Kwak?”
“It means there’s only one piece of escape information from a civilian!”
“......Heh.”
Documents were distributed in the silence.
I also looked into the page that was almost like a note.
-All college students (12 people) missing while playing a board game during a club MT at Hanmaeum Gadeuk Pension in Gangwon-do.
The board game in question is under the brand ‘Cheerful Theme Park! ~Pleasant Fantasy Land Trip~’, presumed to be a development of Cheerful Research Institute*.
The survivor explained that the board game was ‘already placed inside the pension.’
The pension owner denied this fact.
Result: Some personnel returned after 17 hours.
Testified that they ‘stayed in a theme park inside the board game.’ Showed various aspects such as mental derangement, PTSD reactions, and mild neurosis.
-4 survivors, 1 missing, 7 dead
On the next page, statements about the ‘theme park inside the board game’ were briefly recorded for each survivor. Perhaps because the psychological trauma was severe, the descriptions were very fragmented.
But even with just that, it was sufficiently familiar.
I swallowed hard.
‘It was about time for this to come out.’
It’s finally here.
A Darkness where large-scale participation is mandatory!
“It seems the board game’s player capacity is over 10? Is that why you brought in so many people?”
“Yes, yes. We tried to create an environment as similar as possible.”
Kwak Jekang winked.
“Still! Despite these adverse conditions, our team members have identified a clear entry method, haven't they?”
“Didn't you just bring the board game?”
“Haha! You’re speaking so hurtfully, Assistant Manager Jin.”
The Team A employee wearing the Butterfly Mask didn't respond, and Kwak Jekang, unbothered, placed the board game on the table.
“Here it is.”
[Cheerful Theme Park!]
~Pleasant Fantasy Land Trip~
: Be the first to board the three fantasy attractions with your teammates and receive a prize!
The appearance of a colorful Fantasy Land was drawn on the front of the box, which was almost as good as new.
Opening the box revealed a pictorial map of the theme park divided into sections and colorful Coins.
“Now, all you have to do is divide into teams and start the board game.”
He speaks quite cheerfully about entering a ghost story where more than half the people died.
“Then shall we just form teams by our original teams?”
“Ah, about that... if you pick a game piece from this drawing capsule, the teams are divided according to the color!”
Section Chief Kwak Jekang took out and showed something like a small capsule on one side of the box.
“They say if you shake this, a piece will fall out from this hole.”
“It’s random, then.”
People eventually sighed and shook the capsule to take out game pieces one by one.
‘Blue, yellow, red... is it.’
Naturally, since these things tend to go in order of seniority, my turn was almost last.
What I picked was....
“Soleum is red.”
Of all things, it was a red piece.
It didn't feel very good because it’s an ominous color in a Ghost Story Worldview.
‘Well, the color doesn't actually matter much in this ghost story.’
Because it’s a place where different things happen even if you pick the same color.
I swallowed hard and tensed up.
Anyway, are we entering now?
“Now, once you unfold the game board, we enter!”
However, even when Section Chief Lee Jaheon unfolded the game board as the representative, nothing happened.
“.......”
Hmm?
At a thought that flashed like lightning, I checked the number of people.
Four yellow, four blue.
And the people who picked red like me are....
The Butterfly Mask called ‘Assistant Manager Jin’ from Team A, and the familiar new recruit from Team Y.
Including me, a total of three.
“.......”
Ah.
‘Only the red team doesn't have a matching pair.’
“One person is missing.”
Section Chief Lee Jaheon turned to look at Kwak Jekang with his vertical pupils.
“It seems we cannot enter with 11 people. We must fill all 12 people and try again.”
“Ah, that?”
Kwak Jekang replied nonchalantly and suddenly tossed the capsule containing the game piece.
“Supervisor Lee. Catch this!”
Toward the gambling-addicted Researcher standing right next to him.
“Uh, uh-uh...?!”
As the Researcher caught the capsule by chance.
Clatter.
The remaining red piece came out from inside.
“...!?”
“P-Picked it!”
Wait a minute.
-Departing for Fantasyland~
The board game board fluttered up into the air and swallowed my vision.
“Aaaaah!”
“Hahahaha!”
The Researcher’s scream rang in my ears.
And the sound of Section Chief Kwak Jekang's laughter as well.
“…….”
I recalled the back page of that man's <Dark Exploration Record> Wiki.
==========
A psycho fascinated by ghost stories.
A mad scientist.
When exploring ghost stories that still lack information, he is the number one contributor who enriches Exploration Records with his mad habit of encouraging combinations or actions that are bound to lead to death, just to extract unique data.
Kwak Jekang's disciplinary action records
can be found on the #Exploration Records (Extra) page.
==========
…I had been on guard, knowing a day like this would come eventually.
“What? What is this!”
I'd suspected it from the moment such a large group, with Group A and Group Y together, arrived, but...
‘He intentionally wrecked the survival probability.’
This isn't about aiming to clear the ghost story with maximum survival.
This is a setup where everyone except Group A is meant to die.
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