Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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For a moment, I thought I was still caught up in the Nameless Radiant Church's ghost story.
But my fully awake mind judged the situation accurately.
'That's different.'
The deputy manager Eun Ha-je standing before me was no longer the neat office worker in a suit from my memories.
She looked more like a detective on a three-day stakeout... or yeah, a reporter.
That brought a sharp sense of reality crashing back.
'What the hell is going on?'
I sat up fully in bed right away.
"Deputy Manager."
"Yeah."
Eun Ha-je nodded.
"Sorry for barging into your place like this out of nowhere. I can't afford to be seen right now, but I had something I absolutely had to tell you."
The person who'd vanished for two months and now showed up in my room like a burglar glanced warily out the window as she continued.
As if she were being pursued by someone.
"...You mean you can't be seen?"
"Something like that. Listen to me first."
Eun Ha-je brushed it off vaguely and took a deep breath.
"You, day after tomorrow. January 2nd. When you go into work, you'll be assigned a darkness. ...It'll sound ordinary. C-grade, full manual, other people going too. But..."
But.
"Don't go in there."
"......"
"Dodge it by any means, or hell, quit or take leave. Because..."
The deputy manager gritted her teeth, then relaxed.
"If you go in there, you'll die."
"......!"
"Don't ask how I know. Just do as I say..."
"Is it Section Chief Kwak?"
"...!"
From Eun Ha-je's expression, it looked like I'd hit the mark.
'No way, a death flag right when I wake up...'
I got out of bed and pressed my forehead.
"Why the hell is that section chief after me...?"
"We all know that bastard's a psychopath."
Couldn't argue with that.
Eun Ha-je spat it out.
"But you're so damn competent and pull off all these clever stunts, so this time he probably just wants to throw you into a death trap and see what happens. Watch you escape or whatever."
Meaning my Gen Z savvy had backfired.
'Damn it.'
Yeah. That guy would totally get a kick out of tossing a unique specimen like me into some bizarre ghost story under weird conditions.
But...
"Deputy Manager, even so, isn't there a chance I survive without dying?"
"......"
"Plus, if he wants to see how I 'get through it,' he'd throw me into a darkness with some way to survive, not one where death is guaranteed."
Call me cocky, but I was an elite on the fast track.
I knew how to play the higher-ups too—Director Cheong liked me, and (for some reason) Director Ho did too.
'No matter how I spin it, it doesn't make sense for the research team section chief to push through a project just to kill me for fun.'
I could end up in danger, sure, but ghost stories were dangerous by nature.
'She even said herself it's C-grade with a full manual.'
Logically, it was off.
"So how are you so sure? That I'll die."
I looked at Eun Ha-je expectantly, and she pressed her brow like she was holding back a sigh.
"I know one thing."
The deputy manager pointed at me.
"You'll be marked as dead on January 2nd."
"......"
"I confirmed it... in a darkness that sees the future."
"...!"
Good lord.
A ghost story that peeks into the future? A few wiki entries came to mind.
That aside, how the hell did Eun Ha-je, on leave, even access something like that...?
'This is weird.'
"So I just checked what darkness you're getting thrown into on the 2nd. You saved my life, so this much is..."
"Hold on. Deputy Manager, it's still weird."
"What?"
"I've seen the future too. Remember the ghost story I managed? The tarot cards."
"...Yeah."
"I drew a really good card recently. And it hasn't come true yet."
I recalled the Sun card I'd drawn.
Upright. Guaranteed happiness.
"You can't be happy after you're dead."
"You can die happy afterward."
"......"
No matter how I thought about it, something was off.
But Eun Ha-je looked so anxious, and there was no reason for her to lie to me, so I nodded for now.
"Got it. I'll figure something out."
"Damn right."
Eun Ha-je seemed to relax, glancing at the ceiling, then muttered like she was making excuses.
"Deer, I wasn't planning to break into your place like this, but it was urgent. Sorry. Seeing the team gone just messes with my head."
"No, it's fine. I was startled, but... good to see you're healthy."
"......Whew. Deer, with that personality, how are you gonna survive this company...?"
"Haha."
My personality's average; it's the company's employees who have ghost story personalities...
'No, it'd make me the psycho if I was ruder to my former boss who came to save her junior.'
And let's not mention my bigger issue (cowardice).
Anyway, Eun Ha-je, looking relieved but exhausted, jerked her chin at me.
"Anyway, I'm off. Rest up."
"Wait."
"What."
"That... your hand."
I cautiously eyed her empty left sleeve.
Eun Ha-je waved her arm dismissively.
"What? Still hung up on this? Deer. I told you no regen potion. Use it yourself."
"That's not it."
I'd thought of a recent idea.
"You gave me that comms device, right?"
"Yeah. But you didn't need it..."
"Exactly. So I want to recommend one to you."
And I flicked my personal gear, the coin.
Put 500 won into the glove that appears in midair...
The Third Hand.
In other words, gear that gave you an extra hand.
"How about using this as the parent gear and customizing one for yourself?"
"...!"
And that evening, December 31st.
I met Eun Ha-je, hat pulled low, in front of the annex, and gained access to the Twilight Grade darkness storage for custom gear.
A massive rusted machine towering amid fake weeds.
The Field Exploration Team's near-exclusive Twilight darkness for custom gear fabrication.
Been a while.
But Eun Ha-je looked uneasy.
"Feels like I ruined your break for nothing..."
"No. I was planning to make some new custom gear anyway."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Using this. Got it from the squad leader..."
I pulled out what I'd prepared.
The gear Squad Leader Lee Jaheon had loaned me as parent material—boosted strength!
But Eun Ha-je gasped before I could explain.
"You got that?!"
"Oh, you know it?"
"Yeah, from a retiree... Man, the squad leader's hilarious. We weren't even close, how'd he borrow it?"
I looked down at the gear.
A bizarre bracelet woven from what looked like human hair, already half-broken, sticking out like bundled straw.
"It lets you use superhuman strength temporarily, but the more you use it, the more hair snaps off."
Makes sense.
"Even as a consumable, it's solid gear. See the squad leader? Proof that a good body means no brain strain."
"......"
Couldn't deny that truism...
Anyway, I offered to let Eun Ha-je go first, but...
"Nah, you first."
"......Got it."
I approached the machine's worn LCD screen.
I inserted the bracelet from Squad Leader Lee Jaheon into the rusted machine.
The next item to insert...
'I've got some pretty useful items now.'
Hmm.
Considering the loaned gear's properties, I had about three decent options.
1. Supplement durability as a consumable.
2. Preserve the strength boost effect.
3. Combine different functions.
'Something like that.'
Plant gene inheritance was random, so high chance it flops without the options I want...
'Alright.'
After some thought, I inserted one of my items, authenticated my genetic info, and activated the machine.
Clunk.
The front drawer opened, revealing the item.
A simple bracelet that looked like thin wire.
'Hm.'
I carefully extracted the metal bracelet and stored it. I'd test its power later.
"Looks like it worked?"
"For now."
I collected my inserted items and stepped back. Now Eun Ha-je stood before the machine, starting her customization.
First, she inserted her own gear.
Eun Ha-je's personal equipment.
A power bank-shaped communicator—plug it in, and your smartphone could temporarily connect outside even in a ghost story.
Turns out, the button-shaped one she'd given me was made by putting something in this machine.
"Unexpected upgrade. What, best luck of my life?"
She grumbled about wasting luck on dumb stuff, but handled the power bank-shaped custom gear carefully.
And...
"Here."
I fed my personal gear, the coin, in as the next item.
Ting.
The coin with the glove drawing vanished into the drawer.
"...Deer. Odds of nailing it on the first try with this are low."
Eun Ha-je said quietly, like a warning.
"So don't get disappointed if it flops. Grateful you even tried. Got it?"
"...Yes."
I watched the screen.
Production complete.
The front drawer opened, revealing the item. It was...
"A glove??"
A translucent glove, just like that.
Its fluid material gave an eerie feel.
"Hmm."
But when Eun Ha-je reached with her right hand, sparks flew.
"...!"
"Well, well. Slots full? Guess so."
Eun Ha-je grinned and placed her empty left slot instead.
"Here, fill the empty one."
The glove adhered like skin to the vacancy.
Like a hand made of electricity.
"...!!"
And... it formed a perfect hand.
"......"
A flicker of emotion crossed Eun Ha-je's face, but it vanished like a lie.
Instead, she slowly raised the hand and flexed her fingers.
Crackle.
Thin currents sparked.
"Hm. Weirdly sensitive... Electrical signals? Pretty good. Looks-wise, just wear a glove."
Eun Ha-je turned to me and grinned.
"Thanks, Deer."
"......"
"All that talk earlier was bullshit. Nailed it first shot? Makes me look lucky when it counts."
I looked at Eun Ha-je, now with both hands...
And just nodded.
"No problem."
Seemed like a nice image to end the year on.
But just as it felt a touch touching...
"And... sorry, but you using welfare mall points anytime soon? I can buy up to 1500 for you, if you log it as you using it twice here."
Hm?
......
'Don't think we need to.'
I already had a pretty good guess.
"...Deputy Manager, you working in another department now?"
"...!"
Bingo.
"The Field Exploration Team uses this darkness almost exclusively. Hesitant to leave usage logs... probably 'cause your affiliation changed."
"......"
After a thoughtful silence.
"...Damn. Can't fool you. Deer, still sharp as ever."
Eun Ha-je smiled wryly.
"Yeah. Field Exploration Team's Rosefinch deputy manager's on leave, and I'm doing other work for the company..."
"...Mind if I ask what? Or at least the department?"
"......"
Eun Ha-je hesitated briefly again, but finally spoke.
"Fine. Since it's come to this... uh, Deer."
With an unexpected name.
"Director Ho's project team. You know it."
"...!"
"That's where I'm working now."
What?