Ireum-nim, who returned home.
What that sentence, shown by the modified <Dark Exploration Records> website, pointed to was….
It was definitely me.
Every single word was so unmistakable that I couldn't think of anything else.
“…….”
A chilling sensation crept up my back.
I immediately closed the screenshot of the edited image.
Even so, the strange feeling didn't fade.
It was the feeling of being in a dark alleyway and realizing that what you thought was a streetlight's shadow was actually a person staring at you intently.
“……That,”
Why hasn't anyone else discovered this?
Surely people must have thought of digging into the website, so how could no one have extracted this sentence using such simple modification?
“It’s strange.”
It was strange.
…Like a ghost story.
That was why all of this felt so chillingly direct.
However, there was one fortunate thing.
It was the fact that I was surprisingly calm.
‘…Why?’
Ah.
‘It’s because I’m used to it.’
The mind that had survived in <Dark Exploration Records>.
The brain that had actually experienced countless ghost stories stopped avoiding the situation and began to face it after just one year, working quickly to grasp the circumstances.
“…First, the sentences.”
My hand quickly opened the screenshot again.
- - -
After you returned home,
the apocalypse has arrived.
Thank you very much
Ireum-nim.
- - -
…The end.
At first glance, it seemed to imply that my returning home was the cause of the apocalypse, but if I read it carefully again, it wasn't a matter of causality.
It meant that the apocalypse came some time ‘after’ I returned home.
‘It’s simply chronological order.’
But….
‘In that case, there’d be no reason to thank me afterward.’
That.
…….
…….
‘Does it mean… thank you for just going home while knowing the apocalypse was coming, choosing to leave it be?’
…Right.
I certainly did know.
<Dark Exploration Records>.
The ghost story wiki where three groups of organizations collected and managed dangerous Darknesses, documenting their respective management methods and exploration cases.
To sustain this worldview, one prerequisite was necessary.
‘…That Darknesses are so rampant in the world that they’re worth collecting.’
Especially considering the nature of dopamine-seeking content, which creates increasingly provocative and dangerous ghost stories over time….
This world would inevitably become more dangerous and horrific, leading to a single conclusion that satisfied the narrative consistency.
‘…The world ended due to a containment failure.’
-Everyone eventually died due to a Darkness that humanity could not handle.
The gloomiest and most chilling ending, perfectly suited for the genre.
[Apocalypse Prophecy: Dark Exploration Records]
Ultimately, every ghost story in the wiki is a prophecy and an omen of the end.
Creating various eerie phenomena and props based on that premise… that is the worldview of <Dark Exploration Records>.
It was also a very convenient setting for creation.
—If ghost stories like this existed, humanity would be doomed lol
└Uh, yeah, that’s why it was doomed.
It allowed for an easy answer to the question, ‘How can these ghost stories be managed?’
They couldn’t be managed, and everything went to ruin… just like that.
“…….”
So, I knew it too.
—There was no need to consider things three years later. Because, either way, this world….
When I woke up in the world of <Dark Exploration Records>, the reason I only looked at the present and made choices without considering the future was definitely because of this.
‘The world wasn’t going to last long anyway.’
If I couldn't go home, I’d most likely die a horrific death anyway….
“…….”
Right.
The people who sent me home would all die soon.
The people of Field Exploration D-Squad, the Agents of Hyunmu Team 1, all the other field agents, the superiors of the elite squad, the people from the Security Team, everyone….
“…Stop.”
‘Whew.’
I clenched and unclenched my fists.
‘Think about understanding the situation at hand first.’
The taken-down website, the hidden message that seemed to target me. In other words, based on the situation….
“…It seems they know about me.”
To be precise, about Ireum-nim, who visited the world of <Dark Exploration Records>.
“…Who is it?”
Let’s find out.
I accessed the internet again.
‘First, as far as I remember, the wiki site wasn't run by a specific individual from the start.’
Ghost stories that became famous on social media gathered to naturally form the site, which was maintained through donations and advertisements.
‘But there has to be someone paying the server fees and maintaining the website address.’
And it wasn't hard to find.
The social media account of an early operator of <Dark Exploration Records>.
Perhaps they had already received many inquiries about the website being down, because the relevant post was pinned at the top.
—I’m getting a lot of terror-like inquiries about a certain wiki site being blown up, but I haven’t been involved with that site for quite a while. Please look elsewhere for more information.
They had already stepped down from management.
└No, so if it’s not you, who’s running it now?
└I don’t know. I quit because life got too overwhelming. There might be a few people left who are still involved.
So, I searched for the accounts of all those ‘remaining people.’
The result.
—No, I said I don’t know. I already said I wasn’t involved even when the pop-up was going crazy. I have nothing to do with it, damn it.
—No inquiries related to DER.
—I’m in Germany right now. I don’t run the wiki. I quit two years ago.
I realized a startling fact.
‘There is no one.’
No one was running the wiki site.
Everyone who was once part of the management of the Dark Exploration Records website had already stepped down.
And that meant….
—Oh, so everyone just happened to quit before the pop-up event? lol
—How can not a single one of them show up? Since when was DER an unmanned online store?
—Fuck, it’s so obvious lol. They’ve got something to hide.
—I wonder how much they pocketed during the pop-up tsk tsk.
—Wow, what a free ride.
It meant everyone had quit before the pop-up store as the starting point.
It looked as though they were backing out to avoid responsibility after making a commercial profit. That was why people were whispering, ‘It must be a money issue.’
‘It’s a realistic judgment.’
It was natural to suspect that.
But in my mind….
I made a slightly different judgment.
“…….”
A chilling premonition from someone who had actually experienced supernatural phenomena and ghost stories.
‘…What if there really is no operator?’
A wiki site maintained on its own.
What if… it had become a ghost story itself?
“…….”
What if ghost stories were manifesting in reality here as well?
“No… wait.”
Wait, let's not jump to conclusions and start panicking just yet.
‘If that were really the case, social media wouldn't be able to contain it.’
It would have spread and gone viral. There’s no Disaster Management Bureau in reality, so if real ghost stories suddenly appeared, there’s no way rumors wouldn't spread.
So, I’m just making a very small-scale assumption. Just an assumption….
—What if only the <Dark Exploration Records> wiki became a supernatural phenomenon?
And.
—What if I’m the only one who can notice it?
“…….”
It seemed like those words were addressed to me personally. Only I realized that.
‘Wait a minute.’
Then, the ruins of the pop-up store I see in my dreams, could they also….
‘…Could they be real?’
Goosebumps ran down my spine.
I jumped up from my seat.
“This is driving me crazy.”
I had endured it by thinking it was just a nightmare.
‘But could something even bigger have happened?’
Examples of people who ignored ghost stories as ‘nightmares’ or ‘just their imagination’ only to end up in terrible situations flashed through my mind.
And my mind, which had read too many of those, naturally came up with horrific endings.
‘Damn it.’
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead for the first time in ages.
With the urge to tear my hair out, I frantically scratched my head.
‘…What should I do?’
And then I realized.
“Seriously….”
In the end, if I wanted to properly understand this situation, there was only one answer.
Not leaving it be.
“I have to strike first.”
If it can’t be avoided, I must deal with it.
I would assume all these phenomena were actual ghost stories and conduct a proper exploration.
‘And the clue serving as a link is….’
I had already found it.
“…The pop-up store.”
And I still had evidence of that link.
One in my dreams.
And one… in reality.
“…….”
I started walking away from the bed.
My body headed toward the entrance.
But instead of opening the door and leaving, I bent down….
And opened the cabinet in the entryway.
Drrrr.
When I checked the bottom shelf of the open cabinet, there was a familiar shape inside.
“……Whew.”
A black box.
<Dark Exploration Records Merch Box>.
The item I had brought from the pop-up store.
The very thing I used when I returned home.
I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, but I also couldn't bear to have it lying around where people could see it, so I had stored it like this.
I took the box out, placed it in the living room, and opened it.
Inside, I could still see the pink rabbit doll.
I picked it up.
“…Hello.”
It was funny, but a smirk spread across my lips.
My heart pounded.
It wasn't just fear, but a strange sense of familiarity and tension.
‘Seriously… I went through such tear-inducing hell.’
No, was it because we were together throughout all that hell?
“…Let’s do this.”
The ghost story approach.
First, I backed up all the wiki content from the site before it went down onto my smartphone.
It’s not difficult if I use the cached page function of search engines.
‘With this, <Dark Exploration Records> is saved.’
Next, I thought of a device to set up in the bedroom.
It was simple. Using string, I’d hang a paper cup filled with cold water over the headboard of my bed, and using ice, I’d anchor the string to the floor.
This way, as the ice naturally melted, the string would release, and the water would pour onto my head, waking me up.
It was an emergency exit device just in case.
‘Lastly….’
This item, no… the black box containing the merchandise.
“…….”
Looking at the merch, I naturally thought of a method I knew.
A gimmick used in a certain high school ghost story within a nightmare.
A way to take a real-world object into a dream.
“…….”
I tucked the merch box under my pillow.
It was a huge box that made my neck quite uncomfortable, but I resolved it by padding more blankets under my body to match the height.
“…Whew.”
Yes, that’s right. This is how tense I felt.
I didn't know if I’d be able to sleep in this state, but I really wanted to avoid taking sleeping pills and doing something that would flag me for ‘why I can’t wake up’….
After tossing and turning for quite a while, I finally drifted off into a deep sleep at dawn.
And I opened my eyes.
The dark basement of the department store.
In the cleared-out spot where the pop-up store used to be.
Looking down, I saw the merch box held in my hands.
“Ah.”
It worked.
‘Is it really a ghost story?’
I don’t know whether to be happy or cry that I was right….
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
“…!”
I almost jumped out of my skin.
‘No, then that roulette sound is actually….’
A Darkness.
And I realized once again.
…You can break out in a cold sweat even in a dream.
‘Whew.’
There was no one around to talk to.
After some thought, I opened the box, took out the rabbit doll, and put it in my pajama pocket.
Unlike the actual items they used to be, the merchandise didn't show any mysterious reactions, but even so, it was strangely comforting.
‘…Let’s go.’
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
I squeezed the rabbit doll one more time before letting go, then slowly moved my feet.
‘I’m glad I put a few more things in the merch box.’
Click. I turned on the flashlight I had brought.
A fairly bright beam illuminated the empty pop-up store site. Scraps of talismans, traces of dark red blood effects, discarded wrappers, and rusted steel shelves.
Uuugh.
‘I forgot that what’s barely visible is actually more terrifying…!’
I haven’t even done a horror escape room once since coming home…!
My heart, which had been lulled into security by the past year of daily life, was screaming, but I didn't stop walking.
Splash.
And every time I took a step….
The sound grew closer.
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
Finally, I arrived near the source of the sound.
…Beyond the shelf.
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
“…….”
Now, the sound I heard was accompanied by a faint mechanical hum. What was it?
‘Hah.’
Near the spot where the counter had been in the pop-up store.
‘It’s right in front of me.’
My heart thudded.
Should I turn off the flashlight…? No, it’s already too late. I’d rather secure my vision.
I managed to steady my hand, which was becoming slick with cold sweat.
And then, I peeked my head just a little past the shelf to see the sight there….
“……!!”
I saw the roulette.
…But it wasn't moving.
‘What?’
I froze and moved my flashlight, but nothing changed.
The roulette was just sitting there, not working at all.
The sound continued.
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
‘…Wait a minute.’
A lightbulb went on in my mind.
This wasn't the sound of a roulette.
I had been imagining the identity of the sound however I wanted. As the device that had most impressed my subconscious at the pop-up store, the roulette where I had won the merch box.
But… I was wrong.
‘The sound of a roulette spinning isn’t loud enough to be heard from several meters away.’
If so.
‘……!’
I suddenly turned my flashlight to the side.
Another object was revealed in the darkness.
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
The day I fell into the world of <Dark Exploration Records>.
Actually, I hadn’t only used the roulette.
There was something else I used afterward.
—Ah! We’re giving away on-site manufactured merchandise, we just need your name!
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
‘…The ID card vending machine!!’
The 3D printer-like facility where I had pulled out the ID card for ‘Daydream Inc. Employee Kim Soleum.’
The strange sounds I had heard were coming from that black vending machine.
And even now….
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
The vending machine was operating.
A ‘Dark Exploration Records Character ID’ fell from it.
“…!”
Hundreds of them were already piled up on the filthy like a mountain.
It looked like a stone tomb.
New ones continued to be printed and fell on top of it.
Countless ID cards from the Dark Exploration Records.
‘…Ah.’
Drrrrrr…
Thud.
One more newly printed ID card fell onto the pile.
Then, it hit another ID card and bounced off, rolling right to my feet.
“…!”
[Super■■ Disa■■ Management Bureau]
Agent ■■■
New Inv■■igation Team
I had clearly seen it being freshly printed.
‘…It’s worn out.’
The ID card was cracked and faded here and there. The name part was barely visible as if it had been scraped away with a knife. Moreover….
‘Blood…?’
What looked like bloodstains were dried on it in places.
“…….”
And even if that weren't the case….
—Wow! It’s a Field Exploration team employee ID card. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of activities Kim Soleum will perform in the world of <Dark Exploration Records>!
—Do you like it? You’ll cherish it, right?
—Liar.
‘Clearly, after I pulled the ID card from there and grabbed it….’
I had fallen into the world of Dark Exploration Records.
“…….”
A bizarre, unpleasant feeling.
I didn't pick up the ID card and carefully moved forward.
‘Whew.’
There were no strange signs that sent a shiver down my spine. The Character Maker was still just making ID cards.
‘Let’s look closer.’
Relying on the flashlight in the darkness and silence, I looked at the vending machine more closely.
The vending machine panel. The place where I had entered my name. In other words, the place where it should say ‘Dark Exploration Records Character Maker’….
…….
…….
Ah.
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
Saying that you would cherish it forever
You’re a liar where’s your ID
Thump.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
The panel emitted a pulsating sound as letters surfaced of their own accord.
[Dark Exploration Records Deceased Maker]
Supervisor Kim Soleum
Where is your employee ID card?
Crazy.
[Dark Exploration Records ■■■ Maker]
Where is it?
I don’t see it?
I hurriedly looked down. Cold sweat fell to the floor.
That, I mean the merch box… no.
‘It’s not in there.’
It’s not even an item per se. I completely forgot about things like company ID cards at some point. I never even thought to pack it!
‘In the first place, what kind of employee packs their ID card from a company they quit!’
Especially when I was working like a serf in another department while my whole body was melting away, why would I even care about something like that…!
‘Please, just stop!!’
[Dark■■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■ Ma■■]
Liar
Liar Liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar-liar
Goosebumps erupted all over my back.
Suddenly, my mind went hazy at the primitive ghost story devouring the space.
'Why is it doing this...!'
Was it a pop-up store ghost? No, no! Responding comes first. And wait a minute.
If this is a <Dark Exploration Records> style ghost story....
'...Manual.'
A method that could serve as a manual has a high probability of working. So....
I responded accordingly.
"…!"
I grabbed one of the ID cards piling up under the vending machine.
Of course, I wasn't going to insist that this was my ID.
It was the opposite.
"There are many ID cards piled up here."
I caught my breath.
"They look worn out, as if everyone kept and used them for a long time. But I don't see any owners here."
Therefore.
"Even if you cherish it, couldn't it be lost like this?"
Meaning, I am the same.
…….
Will it work?
'If it doesn't, I'll have to use another method.'
At that moment, as I was desperately racking my brain.
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
The panel stopped.
The cursor was blinking.
'It's cleared up.'
I watched it, holding my breath and not even blinking.
And then.
Vrrr—
'Rebooting?'
The sound of the vending machine had changed.
The outpouring of ID cards stopped.
Then, a clean blue light turned on the vending machine, and the panel was reset.
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
▶Loading...
'Phew.'
The red color disappeared.
'In genre grammar, it's a good sign.'
In ghost stories, isn't this a safety marker cliché? The moment I let out a sigh of relief instinctively.
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
▶Awaiting Administrator Authentication
Administrator?
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
Verification Question:
You’ll cherish it, won’t you?
"……."
Wait a minute.
'This question is....'
I turned my head to the ID card I was holding in my hand.
- - -
[Church of the Luminous Unknown]
■■■ ■■
White Cult
- - -
No way.
"Wa—"
The nightmare distorted.
I saw the scenery of the pop-up store warping, and the form of the black vending machine before my eyes with only its outlines remaining....
Things disappearing within the darkness.
Would you like to restart?
…….
…….
……!!
[Religious activity time will soon end. Workers, please check this week's allocated workload.]
[When in a hurry, Dream Money, Dream Life!]
I opened my eyes.
The first thing I felt was immense thirst.
A pain as I had been trapped in a barrel for three days without drinking a drop of water.
Next... I realize I don't even have the energy to cough properly.
"Kh-ugh, ugh,"
A cough that barely made a sound exited my mouth before getting stuck.
'B-breathe.'
This is crazy.
[Religious activity time will soon end. Workers, please check this week's allocated workload.]
[When in a hurry, Dream Money, Dream Life!]
I expected to collapse to the ground. But my body was already sprawled on the floor.
'What?'
My body won't move. As if even the strength to move my diaphragm had run out, as if my head lacked oxygen–my hazy brain with no energy left operated slowly, and as everything faded....
"This bastard's gonna die?"
"Aww, there there."
Something cold poured over my head.
Something entered through my open mouth.
...Moisture.
Water!
"Cough! Gasp, choke!"
Survival instincts kicked in, and I swallowed as much of the water pouring onto my head as possible. It went into my nose and respiratory tract, making me choke, but I didn't have the luxury to care.
Cackling noises poured into my ears.
"Fuck, you're so damn nice, giving him water."
"I'm a bit like that, right, bro?"
"Eat up, pigeon, coo-coo-coo-coo!"
And thwack, my head turned to the side.
'...?'
The next moment I realized.
Someone had nudged my head with their foot.
I stayed sprawled on the floor.
"Prostrating himself again."
"His passion is amazing even though religious activities are over. Huh?"
"Hey, pay back the money for the water tomorrow. Work your fucking ass off to pay it back. Got it?"
I heard the sounds of the two people cackling as they disappeared after dropping an empty plastic bottle on my head.
But I had no time to feel humiliation or anything like that.
Because of the sight before my eyes.
"...!"
An altar.
A ritual table with a pig's head was right in front of me. The rice cakes and apples were withered and dried up.
{For Religious Activities}
An A4 paper printed with those words was stuck to the table.
'What is...'
But there was something even more shocking.
As I raised my head in this room floored with yellow linoleum where the altar has been placed, I saw a nameplate hanging on the dingy wall.
{Daydream Inc.
Namhae Branch}
...!?
'Daydream...?'
Wait, this is a Daydream Branch? I couldn't understand this situation at all. I lowered my eyes further along the letters of the doorplate.
'But why am I sprawled out here like this...'
{Daydream Inc.
Namhae Branch
Cleanup Team}
"……."
If I faint again, can I act like this never happened?
Please.
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