Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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...
Nameless Radiant Church.
If the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau tries to eliminate ghost stories and Daydream Corporation tries to exploit them...
‘The Nameless Radiant Church is the ghost story itself.’
They worship ghost stories and believe the root of this world lies in them.
They’re zealots convinced that by uncovering and nurturing ghost stories well—becoming a meaningful presence in the world—they’ll earn the selection of “Lord Name” and gain eternal life.
‘A total doomsday cult.’
To be honest, out of the three factions in [Darkness Exploration Records], it’s the one I feel the most distance from.
‘...Not my thing.’
Of course, I’ve read their cult wiki entries.
Thanks to the Memorial GripTok, the wiki pages load fine, but the problem is I haven’t checked the wiki in days.
‘That’s why I didn’t catch on right away.’
But now that I’ve pinned it down, I can properly assess the situation.
The bizarre repetitive phenomenon during the night isolation room cleanup. What exactly from the Nameless Radiant Church triggered this nightmare?
I took a deep breath.
This is...
‘A doppelganger ghost story variant.’
A supernatural entity that usurps someone’s life.
One of the cult-style ghost stories that exploded in popularity early on when the Nameless Radiant Church got registered on the wiki.
To be precise, it’s one of the ranks within the Nameless Radiant Church.
That insane cult assigns supernatural phenomena based on affiliation and rank!
And its name is...
Wiki-wise, it stems from the terror of an unknown entity replacing you or someone close.
‘The clearest sign is... it appearing as a close relative doing something grotesque.’
It mimics the target’s lover, friend, someone they feel indebted to—various acquaintances—to lower their guard, then stages supernatural horror.
The goal?
Induce a powerful psychological state in the target: “I just want this situation to pass.” Secure tacit agreement and consent to usurp their narrative.
And I fell for it... losing the narratives of the 29th and 30th.
The Story Usurper steals the target’s possibilities for other actions or choices, claiming them as its own.
As a result, the target perceives it as, “I snapped out of it, and meaningless time had just slipped by.”
That’s why I chalked those two days up to a bland stretch with nothing noteworthy, then came to on the next day around the same time.
‘At least the silver ring limited it to one day each.’
Otherwise, I might’ve lost my grip and drifted along.
Once you can’t tell front from back and start doubting what’s real, you get pulled in.
‘That’s how it sucks your life dry.’
Luckily, my sanity held, so it didn’t get that far...
‘Brown!’
From the small stuffed doll came the host’s exaggerated breathing and the rustle of straightening his suit collar, followed by a cheerful voice.
‘Right.’
First, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je. Second, Foreman Park Minseong. Both perfectly rattled me.
It avoids reusing an exposed identity, keeps switching to steal my narrative...
“......”
I glanced around.
No sign of Foreman Park Minseong. Naturally, no Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je either...
Just me in the storage unit.
‘...At the end of day two, the blockade lifted.’
So it already slipped out?
But typical Story Usurpers obsess over fully claiming their marked target’s life if they get the chance.
‘It wouldn’t expect me to spot its identity.’
Then.
An acquaintance who could naturally show up here, ease my tension...
Beep-beep-beep.
[Almost... ten minutes up... I’ll head over.]
“......”
I stiffened as the voice crackled over the radio.
Moments later.
[Beep!]
[Blockade released. Shutter opening...]
I stood and faced forward.
The door was opening.
The security storage unit’s front outward door—its defensive shutter rose, the red emergency lights shifting back to green.
And beyond the rising shutter...
“You’re safe. Thank goodness......”
Guard Squad Leader J3 watched me with his usual weary eyes, tinged with faint relief.
“The other employee... Ah, inside that door? Hey, you okay?”
“......”
“Hey...?”
I rose... and turned my back to the guard leader.
“Huh...?”
Then faced the wall.
Truth is.
‘Religious undertones in a ghost story usually mean exorcism rituals follow.’
Standard procedures against transcendent beings. Like a one-way mirror.
Even a loony outfit like the Nameless Radiant Church isn’t exempt.
‘Story Usurper has a banishment method too.’
I recalled the first day’s work rules.
Lord Name? Anyway, some weirdo ranting nonsense about happiness methods—just curse it out or tell it to fuck off, and it’ll shut up. If you don’t wanna curse, just say scram.
Odd, right?
Even if the second rule was tainted, the hint held true.
Because.
“Get lost.”
The way to drive it off? Spot its identity early and reject it outright.
It needs tacit consent to steal your time?
Withhold it. Done.
So...
“Hey, what’s wrong...?”
“Get lost.”
I declared again, still ignoring it.
......
“Get lost.”
“Deer. What the hell happened to your mouth? Even to a superior...”
“Get lost.”
“Huh? Hey, Deer. That’s too much! We gotta wrap up cleaning. I just wanna help.”
“Get lost.”
“Don’t wanna... Hey, I’ll just stay... Honestly... I didn’t say anything bad...”
“Get lost.”
“......”
What a shameeeeee
The voice behind me warped.
A grace bestowed upon us insects, living lives that can’t touch a single letter of this world’s root—rejecting it. Such a shame.
Hand over your pathetic story, and we’d fill it with Lord Name’s radiant grace. Lord Name would see me. What a shame.
“Get lost.”
What a shame......
I gritted my teeth.
“Get lost.”
The eerie whispers from behind faded.
And...
It went quiet.
“......”
Looked like it gave up targeting me.
‘Whew...’
Tension nearly buckled my knees, but I held firm. Instead, I kept my brain churning.
No footsteps yet—so the instant it heads elsewhere, I bolt and report to security. That’ll do it...
Beep-beep-beep.
“......!”
My pocket radio buzzed.
A familiar voice...
[I’m here... um.]
“I’m here... um.”
But the live voice echoed nearby too.
“......”
I turned my head ever so slowly and eyed the storage entrance.
Outside the door stood Guard Squad Leader J3, expression blank, staring this way.
‘The real deal?’
No—this has to be the real one!
I opened my mouth to hurriedly explain...
“...! J.”
......A voice from behind me.
Tone laced with bewilderment.
I turned further to look back.
The Nameless Radiant Church ghost story was now clad in a crimson cleaning uniform.
“I have no idea what’s going on.”
Black hair, late twenties. A pale-faced man alternating shocked glances between the guard leader and me.
Kim Sol-eum.
A perfect copy of my current self, chattering in flustered tones as it stared at me.
“What... Can even cleaning get caught in a phenomenon like this?”
It was mimicking me.
‘Fuck...!’
A chill raced down my spine.
I turned urgently to the guard leader, forcing calm.
“J, that’s a Nameless Radiant Church cultist.”
“Wh... What? J, do you know the situation? Feels like darkness...”
“J! Don’t respond. Just listen and judge. Responding drags you in.”
“......”
“Verify by talking to the wall alone... Or better, yell ‘get lost’ at everyone. Safest bet.”
The guard leader stared with an unreadable face.
Then, from beside me, the ‘Kim Sol-eum’s’ voice quivered faintly.
“I... have no clue what it’s talking about.”
What?
“Think about it, J. I just... came in to clean for three days. Only realized it’s a phenomenon because the... thing next to me said so.”
“...!”
“It’s more natural I wouldn’t know what’s in security’s isolation room. J, think logically. Isn’t this side... right?”
Damn right. Shit...!
“And... I’m so relieved you came. Sorry for dragging you into this...”
“......”
‘Talks like a damn pro.’
Cultist through and through. I gritted my teeth.
Makes sense—I nearly fell for it on day one disguised as the deputy manager.
‘How the hell did Foreman Park Minseong spot it wasn’t her...?’
I desperately racked my brain for that moment.
What tipped him off?
‘Didn’t seem like any logical holes then either...’
What was it?
A subtle incongruity only longtime friends catch?
A nuance in the conversation?
‘Or...’
As I frantically analyzed, another soft, composed voice came from beside me.
“J. Don’t feel guilty whatever you do—just go with your judgment. I’ll accept it.”
......
Ah.
‘That’s it.’
I pressed my temple and spoke.
“J, check the purpose of the talking. Who’s pushing friendly chat to draw you into the situation?”
Back then, the deputy manager...
Was overly chummy for the circumstances.
You don’t act that way after barely escaping a locked cell.
‘No—real deputy would’ve snuck out without the risky reveal and persuasion.’
She had the help item and just needed to wait out the blockade.
No reason to risk talking to us right then.
A bizarre reaction mismatched to the situation.
So...
“In this weird, dangerous spot—who’s making pointless social chit-chat? Who’s got ulterior motives?”
I said calmly.
“No need to fully trust me either. Yell ‘get lost,’ ignore it—it’s a ghost story that’ll vanish. Or call other security...”
“Hmm.”
The guard leader rose.
And.
“This one.”
A massive wolf-like monster’s black foreclaw dropped like a guillotine blade over my head.
‘Fuck...!’
Before I could even blink.
Splat.
The head flew.
The Imitator’s, right beside me.
“...!!”
Squelch.
The twisted, shadowy forepaw crunched over the mangled corpse with a sickening crack, brushing past me with crushing pressure...
Then retracted to the guard leader’s arm.
“Hey.”
“......”
“You okay...?”
I stared down at my crimson cleaning uniform, splattered in the Imitator’s blood, and collapsed into a heap.
“......!”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I survived.