Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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The security squad leader handed me a towel so I could clean up my bloodstained janitor uniform.
I mechanically wiped down the uniform, trying not to look to my side.
There was probably the bizarre corpse of a Nameless Radiant Church follower whose head the security squad leader had smashed open.
"...???"
I reflexively turned my head.
The spot where the blood, flesh, and crushed head had been discarded was melting away before my eyes.
As if time itself had been rewound at high speed, what had stuck to the floor dried up, transforming into the withered body of someone...
A human corpse.
From the gaping mouth of the desiccated figure, too shriveled to identify, a brittle, rolled-up piece of old paper fell out.
The unrecognizable golden script on the inner side writhed the moment my gaze touched it, shifting into Korean.
"...!"
A Divine Law.
In other words, the Nameless Radiant Church's ghost story generator.
Believers who swallow fragments of the Divine Law scriptures and perform rituals at altars gain the ability to wield that power.
The security squad leader slowly approached it and crouched down.
He was probably going to pick it up...
"It's Grade 4... Hey, do you want it?"
What?
"The company... buys them for a decent price... Just say you found it somewhere else later and sell it..."
"...You handled it, Jay. Is it okay for me to just take it personally?"
"What's the big deal..."
"......"
"I don't really need the money..."
No, what I meant was, is it okay for me to take it personally when a company security squad leader stepped in...
Anyway, since he was giving it away, I quickly pocketed it.
"Thank you."
I could already think of a few uses for it besides selling to the company.
'More cards to play is always better.'
Plus, after all this ordeal, grabbing something was a win...
To avoid any influence, I wrapped it in 'Wrapping Paper 12B357' and pretended to pocket it while stashing it in my inventory.
'Phew.'
"Thank you again... for helping me. I survived thanks to you."
"No biggie..."
In the meantime, the memories of the past two days slowly resurfaced in my mind.
Mundane daily life.
Moments that passed in a flash, with nothing noteworthy enough to bother journaling.
Days that would fade from memory after a year... The kind of days in a novel that get 'narratively skipped'.
That's what made it chilling.
It felt like time had been sucked away.
'Nameless Radiant Church... the worst.'
That's why it was the faction I least wanted to tangle with out of the three major powers.
'Ghost stories infiltrating reality.'
I never imagined encountering one mid-cleanup. I knew Nameless Radiant Church elements had been deployed to Daydream Corporation, but running into an escaped isolation subject without prep...
'Glad I'm alive.'
I let out a deep sigh of relief. Now I just wanted to clock out and rest...
"Ah, it's here... in the hallway."
Drag.
From beyond the door of Isolation Corridor B that the security squad leader opened, a man in a crimson uniform collapsed limply.
The janitor who'd come in with me.
"...Badger Foreman!"
Arrrgh!
You're still here on day three!
Fortunately, Foreman Park Minseong regained consciousness shortly after being moved to the break room.
"...Huh? What? Someone... pushed me,"
"There was an escape incident from the isolation room."
"Wha?!"
I explained everything I'd been through up to now.
For reference, the security squad leader only nodded occasionally when prompted. He showed zero interest in interrogating how I already knew about the Nameless Radiant Church.
He just... seemed like he didn't want to work...
'...Lifetime job, so that tracks.'
I got it.
And Foreman Park Minseong understood my explanation too, his face paling.
"Yeah, I don't really remember what Deer did on days one and two... Just that the cleaning went smoothly without issues. Like that."
"......"
"Creepy. That cult."
"Tell me about it."
The Nameless Radiant Church's Story Hijacker had hijacked and absorbed even the events it caused.
Making them as if they never happened, calm and ordinary.
'And that's just Grade 4.'
A form of reality manipulation.
In Daydream Corporation terms, around B to C-Grade, so not low-tier.
But the problem was the hordes of fanatics with Grade 4+ ghost stories as their 'powers'...
Recalling that barely-human Story Hijacker from earlier, I swallowed hard.
Please, no more entanglements until I gathered all the Wish Grant points.
"Um... Cleaning's done, so go change too..."
"Ah, right. Deer, I'll go change quick. Be right back!"
"Sure."
I waved to Foreman Park Minseong as he left the room.
Beside me, the security squad leader was sweeping up the paper the foreman had dropped into the trash with a broom.
That weird work tip note.
"......"
"About that note..."
Perfect timing, the security squad leader brought it up first.
"I was gonna ask since it seemed so suspicious. Is that really a tip circulating in the security team?"
"Yeah... It is. But... I never would've given it to that guy."
"...Pardon?"
"Badger Foreman..."
The security squad leader muttered softly, staring at the spot where Foreman Park Minseong had left.
"That guy's a full-on 'Hungry Hangman' contaminator... He can't touch any form of work rules... Since he's contaminated by similar darkness..."
"...!!"
Wait, right!
'Foreman Park Minseong was contaminated by the kindergarten manual, so similar text could be dangerous.'
Even if the intensity differed, sharing the same contamination made my stomach churn.
It was natural to block access to anything that might remind him of the contamination.
But the security squad leader's words didn't end there.
Something even more chilling.
"Badger Foreman can contaminate rule sheets just by reading them..."
"......"
What.
"If he realizes it, the contamination accelerates from overthinking... So he probably doesn't know yet..."
Then.
"...Who intentionally gave the forbidden note to the foreman? To make me read the work tip he contaminated?"
Nod.
The security squad leader slowly nodded.
My response was equally classic and solid.
"...Can we review the CCTV?"
"No CCTV in the security dorms... Too risky for bad stuff getting recorded..."
"...They targeted the no-CCTV spot."
"Yeah, probably..."
Who the hell?
This perfectly sniped Foreman Park Minseong's shift. The Story Hijacker's escape wasn't just coincidence and bad luck.
'Another Nameless Radiant Church insider cooperating?'
But this method wouldn't let the isolated Church member escape properly... Just cause a ruckus.
'So escape wasn't the goal...'
If the janitor on shift that day was the target.
'Then the goal was to screw me over?'
"Jay."
"Yeah...?"
"Do research team staff possibly know the security underground layout well?"
"Hm... Depending on the team...?"
The security squad leader's eyes narrowed.
"Suspicious research team employee...?"
"...A bit."
"Who...?"
"......"
I hesitated slightly.
But he was the security head for this sector today, so he deserved to know.
'Plus, he could witness the incident.'
Fine. I deliberately spilled it straightforwardly.
"Section Chief Kwak Je-gang."
"......"
"I got this punishment for not following his orders. ...He told me to leave a cleanup team colleague to die, and I ignored it."
"......"
"Not suspecting him personally, just circumstantial..."
"Got it."
"...???"
"Hold on..."
Beep beep.
The security squad leader went to the wired phone in the corner of the break room, picked up the receiver.
He pondered briefly, then punched in some buttons.
A short dial tone... Click.
"...!!"
I gaped at the security squad leader for straight-up calling another team's section chief in the dead of night.
But his expression didn't change.
"This is Security Team 3 J3 Squad Leader."
"......"
'Is he poking?'
No need to wonder. It felt like vigorous prodding...
I watched the security squad leader tensely.
"Hey."
"Y'know... I can't enter darkness, but... I can kill people."
"Just... putting it out there."
Then he hung up.
"......"
Wow.
"Is that... okay?"
"Yeah... Whatever."
The security squad leader shrugged.
"But it probably... won't faze him much. High-ranking research folks... Hm."
The security squad leader chose his words.
"They're insane..."
"......"
Not much choosing there.
I barely responded.
"Anyway, his reaction confirmed my suspicions are reasonable..."
From subtly probing if anything happened in the security sector today. No matter how I sliced it, Kwak Je-gang was involved.
'Thought my Gen Z vibes scared him off.'
Doesn't go down that easy.
'Infuriating...'
...Need to rethink countermeasures.
Anyway, I nodded to him.
"Thanks, Jay."
"Hm, then... next time too..."
Ah.
"I'll bring snacks next visit. Donuts or something."
"Sure."
Bribery code cracked easily.
"Anyway... be careful. You never know what he'll do..."
"......"
I pondered briefly before asking.
"Mind if I ask if you've had bad experiences with research team conflicts?"
"......"
The security squad leader averted his eyes.
"Not much of a fun story."
Short silence.
"Got pulled into some weird fairy tale... And came out... much, much later."
And he said no more.
"......"
'Research team-caused fairy tale ghost story.'
I pieced it together from that alone.
What darkness contaminated the security squad leader.
And it naturally linked to an elite team named character.
The character's pitiful exploration record of ending up in security.
Audio log of Qterw-A-37 research staff missing: 'And they all lived unhappily ever after' document confirmed.
'Could pry more pretending not to know...'
Confirm another named character.
"......"
I stayed silent too.
Respecting the security squad leader's silence.
Moments later, to Foreman Park Minseong who returned changed, the security squad leader said:
"Anyway, three days of cleaning... Passed safely, so... Hm, now... You should be good for security team duty roughly..."
First recovery verdict for Foreman Park Minseong.
"...! Really?!"
"Yeah... And outside outings... Should be fine too."
"Gasp."
"Only after sunset, though..."
Hmm.
"Then, is today possible too? Sun's already set."
"D-Deer? I'm fine. We can go another day..."
"Hold on..."
The security squad leader uploaded a report on the old computer, then declared:
"Go today..."
"Whaa?!"
"From now on... Weekly outings allowed..."
"Whaaa!!"
Color returned to Foreman Park Minseong's slightly hollow face, a smile spreading.
The expression I'd seen back in D Squad.
"......"
"Just return before sunrise... Hm..."
"What if the foreman doesn't return?"
"Company... Rescue service gets called..."
"......"
"Don't. Unless you want lifetime employment."
Foreman Park Minseong bowed his head.
"Yes. I'll keep time. Thank you."
"No prob..."
The security squad leader scratched his cheek.
And soon after, I ascended the stairs with Foreman Park Minseong, who had prepped for outing in a flash.
"See ya..."
The security squad leader gave a small wave as we left the basement.
"Whoa! Walking outside feels amazing!"
Foreman Park Minseong grinned, raising both arms.
It was past 3 a.m., sparse crowds, but Seoul's streets still twinkled with lights and people here and there.
"Feels like ages since fresh air... Stars too!"
Foreman Park Minseong wore a mask and pulled-low cap, hiding his face as much as possible.
His permitted outing time was conservatively until dawn: 3 hours.
'Good it's winter at least.'
"Heading home, Foreman?"
"Ah, yeah... Thinking of visiting the hospital."
"......"
"Family's hospitalized. Probably asleep, but wanna see their face."
Foreman Park Minseong scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"Truth is, I'm saving points for family..."
Damn.
"Mind if I ask who?"
"Ah, my little sister. Super sweet! And a genius? Violin prodigy!"
Foreman Park Minseong excitedly detailed how sweet and cool his sister was as a kid, how she loved and mastered violin.
But nothing on her current state.
"......"
"Anyway... That's why I need points for her. So quitting's... not ideal..."
"Planning to return to Field Exploration Team?"
"...Hm. Might take too long."
Foreman Park Minseong trailed off vaguely, then brightened.
"Oh, heard some security departments give tons of points. More than Field Exploration Team?"
"...!"
...Ah.
There.
"...There's reasons they pay more, right?"
"Yeah... But."
Foreman Park Minseong murmured.
"Sometimes you gotta risk it for the wish..."
"......"
"Ah, Deer's dorm!"
Foreman Park Minseong patted my back.
"Head in. I'll cab from here. Rest easy, Deer. You worked hard!"
Then lowly:
"Don't worry too much about me... I went in prepared. This is better than expected... Thanks to you, Deer. Really."
"......"
I smiled faintly and shook his hand.
"I'll cheer wherever you work, but it'd be great to team up again."
"...Yeah. That'd be nice."
We parted, and Foreman Park Minseong cabbed to the hospital.
"Phew..."
I sighed, entering the dorm.
If I wasn't imagining, a strange zeal laced Foreman Park Minseong's wish talk...
Don't say scary stuff like that, Brown...
'Anyway, finally time to sleep...'
New Year's Eve off wasn't bad, but didn't expect to just crash.
I entered the dim predawn dorm, flashlight on bright and cozy against the creeps, heading to my room.
And crashed.
'Kwak Je-gang countermeasures... Think when awake and clear-headed... Please, rest.'
My overworked body from nightmarish physical and mental labor welcomed sleep sweetly.
It had been ages.
Falling asleep without kids' cartoons or comedy.
I indulged in deep, dreamless, sweet slumber.
And woke refreshed, as if just blinking...
"Ah. You're up."
"...!"
I bolted upright.
Someone stood by the hazy window.
Fatigued face, casual clothes, hair tied back, and...
Empty left hand.
"Long time no see, Deer. ...Heard you cleaned with Minseong."
The real Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je.