Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Gotta Go to Work
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Director Ho's project team.
It was a top-secret project with an unprecedented reward: a Wish Grant for every team member if it succeeded.
'And I turned it down.'
The risks were too high, and it was way too suspicious.
But Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who's on leave... is working on it?
"Look at Deer's face. Yeah, I know you got the offer and kicked it to the curb."
The smile vanished from Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's face.
"...Good call. Don't ever get involved. It's a headache of a team."
"......"
But aren't you working there, ma'am...?
"What exactly do you do there...?"
"Can't say."
"......"
Should I spill it?
Yeah, let's spill.
"Actually, I got offered the project lead position myself."
"What?!"
"Of course, it was probably just motivational talk, and I turned it d—"
"Hold up. I'm telling you this now so you don't get tempted later..."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Director Ho is a lunatic."
"...!"
"I have no idea what the other team members do. Director Ho makes sure employees with different assignments can't even talk to each other."
The deputy swallowed hard.
"My guess? They pulled me in because I filed for leave. I could work on the project without drawing eyes."
"...So that's why you've been sneaking around?"
"Bingo. That was the condition."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je clicked her tongue, explaining how she'd even snuck into my company dorm quietly.
"I was worried your roommate might catch me."
"Don't worry about that. He's not at the dorm."
"Oh yeah? Damn, wasted effort then."
Baek Saheon had cleverly tacked his vacation onto January 1st. The place was empty now.
"Anyway, I really can't say more. Just keep that in mind."
And with that, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je refused to answer any of my follow-ups (why they needed Wish Grants, what the work even was, how they'd recruited her).
She just said this:
"I've always made my living digging into crazy bastards. What's new?"
That's humans versus ghost stories, ma'am—there's a world of difference...!
"You watch yourself, Deer."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je gave a wry smile.
"Don't worry so much about others. Even outside this company, that's one of the fastest ways to burn out in society."
"......"
"I know it sounds rich coming from someone like me who's benefited from your concern, but it's not just empty words."
"No, not at all. ...Thank you."
"...Haha, you haven't changed a bit."
Even as we left the annex, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je repeated her advice a few more times: stop fretting over others and look after yourself.
"Thanks again. Remember: January 2nd."
And then she vanished from in front of the annex like she'd never been there.
"......"
Director Ho's project team, huh.
'Even hearing about it screams danger.'
I couldn't worry about it right now—my own nose was barely above water—but I'd keep it in mind.
"Yeah. Thanks."
And just like that, I had my first plan of the new year.
Find a way to escape whatever Darkness I'd enter on January 2nd.
The plan progressed pretty successfully through New Year's Day holiday...
And normal workdays arrived.
January 2nd.
First thing upon clocking in, I got a new Darkness exploration assignment.
Just for me, though.
"...So, Squad Leader, you've got an executive meeting this afternoon and 'unavoidably' have to sit it out?"
"Yes."
"And I'm not going into the Darkness alone...?"
"No. To follow the three-person team manual, two support staff will join you in the afternoon."
Yeah, figured as much.
That's when I suspected Kwak Je-gang might be up to something.
'Pairing me with weirdos he wants to offload?'
Group project villains always drag things to the worst possible outcome...
'Gotta brace myself.'
But things took a weird turn.
First off, before the January 2nd Darkness was even assigned to me, an announcement dropped.
D Squad Elite Team Reorganization.
Director Cheong's bold proposal had finally surfaced.
The Field Exploration Team flipped out upon learning the rumor-mill drama was real: turning D Squad into an elite team outright.
And the last spot on Elite Team D Squad was open to any regular employee, with elite perks for short-term duty!
Everyone dying to ask about personnel... finally spotted the lowest-rank, greenest related party.
Yep.
Me.
"......"
'This is overwhelming...'
Seventh one already.
They gotta know a junior like me has zero pull on hiring...
That bus already left...
I turned down the poisoned apple. Now it's someone else's problem.
'Anyway, I got no say.'
I spent the morning politely replying in company-speak: 'What authority could I possibly have? I'm in the hot seat too.'
Still, it made me realize something.
'Can't just send anyone on this mission.'
Today's January 2nd Darkness exploration carried symbolic weight.
Elite Team D Squad's inaugural run!
With the whole Field Exploration Team watching, they couldn't saddle me with randos.
It'd tarnish the shiny new elite squad debut.
'Kwak Je-gang can't pull strings here.'
I was puzzled.
'So who're the two escorts?'
...Then, 2 PM.
"Oh, looking forward to working with ya, Junior Deer!"
I nearly broke into cold sweat seeing the bubbly-voiced employee enter D Squad's office.
C Squad's Dolphin Junior.
Elite team!
"You know who the other one's gonna be? I'm dying to find out!"
"...Yeah. Me too."
A bad premonition crept in.
And ten minutes later.
Right on time, the door opened again, confirming it...
"You two actually have a sense of time."
Crisp footsteps under the swung-open door.
Perfectly tailored suit, hair tied high in one ponytail, flashy butterfly mask.
A Squad's Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol.
'Oh god.'
They assigned me two elite teamers!!
Seeing my long-lost meritocracy overlord made my vision swim, but as I moved to bow...
"Deputy Manager, long time no see."
"Yeah. Heard you shot down Director Ho's offer."
"......"
"Foolish choice again, and you still make elite team? If everyone was as capable as you, work would be a breeze. At least no whiners today."
...Yes.
Great to see you too, ma'am...
"Thank you for the praise."
I barely managed.
Mind blank.
But my mouth was on corporate autopilot.
"What? This mission's out in the boonies. Annoying."
"Yes. But the company approved generous travel expenses."
Yeah.
This C-Grade ghost story required a trip to Mokpo.
'Local dispatch at last.'
Urban legends sprout where crowds gather, so high frequency in the capital region made narrative sense.
'Still, we've stuck to Seoul suburbs so far... kinda odd.'
Anyway, I navigated my elite seniors' vibes, left the office, and headed out.
Dolphin Junior even chatted amiably.
"Still no upstairs office? You'll get one soon, right? Elite teams get private offices—respects privacy!"
"Yes. Looking forward to it."
"Speak casually! We're same rank."
"You're still senior, and I might burden you with my noob questions. Gotta stay polite."
"Whoa, you're so courteous!"
Her thumbs-up eased my tension a bit.
Yeah. She seemed nice.
'Time for small talk.'
I smiled warmly, bringing up a safe topic: the C Squad member who'd nearly fainted at the handclap ghost story, sitting next to Dolphin Junior!
"How's Deputy Manager Leopard doing?"
"Oh, dead."
"......"
"Pissed off a cleanup team guy, got what was coming. Waste of points, though!"
"I see. Rest in peace."
This woman defies normal senses.
'Help.'
High-speed rail station arrived just in time.
I shuddered inwardly, sat ultra-politely next to Dolphin Junior on the train.
And began affording her full senior elite treatment...
'Same rank or not, don't slack.'
Avoid the bad-person label...!
...For reference, Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol, seated ahead of us...
"I'm sleeping, don't talk to me."
"...Yes, ma'am."
Actually grateful...
Yeah...
And what did that mean?
'The company's top non-executive stars are my escorts.'
Saying it again.
The two most competent clerk-level employees were now glued to my side, watching my every move...!
'Deputy Manager, how do I bail from the Darkness with these two around...!'
Cold sweat. Holes in my plan everywhere.
'Didn't expect full elite duo.'
I'd simmed trolls more.
Kept cool, desperately brainstormed Plan B.
'Worst case...'
Say bathroom break... and bolt.
Humiliating even thinking it, but survival first.
Rejoin later claiming 'accidentally' swept into another Darkness, just escaped.
'Pick a wiki Darkness, clear an easy matching-grade one, match the essence grade... plausible.'
Local trip made it feasible.
'Okay, solid.'
Sigh of relief at the plot hole-free backup.
Finally glanced at the train display for our destination.
Mokpo-bound
Come to think of it, first time to Mokpo...
Mokpo-bound
......
Wait.
The flickering ad board's bottom destination text...
Changed.
Tamra-bound
"......!!"
I shot up from my seat.
"Huh? What's up, Junior... wait, the display?"
"Yeah. We gotta get off now—"
......
No.
You already know.
'Too late.'
Board the train, sit down, destination changes—it's over.
No getting off after that.
"......"
It hit me.
This thing.
That train wreck.
The brutal ghost story I knew all too well.
Daydream Corporation's sole survivor from that insane high-speed rail.
'...Ah.'
I realized.
My scheduled death process on January 2nd today.
'Wasn't the C-Grade Darkness.'
The threat prepped for me wasn't the company-assigned, manual-ready local Darkness.
'This train.'
The mere transport to get there... was the threat.
"......"
I looked out the window.
The display reflected instead.
Tamra-bound
Departing
The train roared to life.