Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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Job reassignment.
It means a change in the tasks or department you've been mainly handling at work.
It's something that starts happening once you've been with the company for years.
So, this is absolutely not something to say to someone on their third day on the job!
"...If it's a job reassignment, does that mean I have to move to a different department?"
I desperately held back from snapping, 'What the hell are you talking about after I just had a nice lunch?' and asked politely instead.
"No, it's... well, yeah. Did you see the official notice? It just went up."
"...?!"
A bad feeling hit me, and I immediately checked the intranet.
...Qterw-D-43 is the Tuesday Quiz Show.
And to sum this up...
-Whoa! Which squad resolved a special incident in a D-Grade ghost story and pulled an A-Grade solution? Awesome, that's results! Giving 100,000 points total to that squad!
-You saw it, right? You can do it too! So forget work-life balance and work like oxen to earn points! Follow D Squad's example!
......And there, clear as day under the main contributors receiving 40,000 points, was my name: Kim Sol-eum.
"......"
I wish this was a dream.
And the even worse part is this.
If the job reassignment happened because of this notice, then what the...
Looking at the hollow-eyed deputy manager sent chills down my spine.
"You see it?"
"Yes."
"Yeah. D Squad... put up some unusual results this time."
No way.
"Is this a new assignment at the squad level?"
"Not exactly an assignment, just a change in workload."
The deputy manager downed his coffee in one go.
"Up until now, they've mostly been giving us ghost stories with completed manuals to manage."
Hold on.
"Now they want us to focus on darknesses without completed manuals!"
"...!!"
In simple terms, they're throwing us into ghost stories with no data!
"What? If we do well once, they shove us into even harder ones...? Ugh."
The assistant manager had already heard the news and was face-down at his desk. Even caffeine wasn't working.
"Good day."
And right on cue, Squad Leader Lizard walked into the office. The deputy manager practically spat fire.
"Squad Leader! Sending us into darknesses without manuals? Isn't this just trying to kill us off?"
"...? No."
"Pardon?"
Was there some loophole? A faint glimmer of hope appeared on the deputy manager's face...
"Even with a completed manual, there's no guarantee of safety."
"......"
Ah, that's what he meant...
'What an incredible personality this lizard has...'
I barely managed to open my mouth.
"Still, isn't it more dangerous without a manual? No data and all."
Lizard tilted his head.
"Hmm. I didn't feel much difference."
"......"
Ah, right, he's the employee who brute-forces exorcisms with physics...
'He's basically bulldozed through everything so far with raw power when things got dicey...'
I decided to just ask directly.
"Is there any advantage to the current situation?"
"Yes."
"What advantage?"
"Additional points are awarded."
"...!"
Assistant Manager Park Minseong jerked his head up.
Point-crazed maniacs, as expected.
"H-How much, Squad Leader?"
"Yes."
"How much exactly?"
"On average, three to four times more than comparable darknesses."
"...!"
"W-What's the highest multiplier you've seen, Squad Leader?"
"Fifteen times."
The deputy manager and assistant manager's eyes changed in an instant.
'That's the look of stock traders right before buying into bio stocks on development rumors.'
Seems 30,000 points were too sweet to resist...
Normally, the rational one would step in to stop them... but, well, honestly... for me...
'Guaranteed stock...'
For me, manuals or no manuals make no difference.
I already know the exploration records better than any manual!
So then.
'It's just a points x3 event...?'
And so, shortly after.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
D Squad accepted the new duties without protest and moved out.
'Time to farm points.'
Destination: Floor 17.
"Floors 20 to 17 are mostly used by the Development Division."
The deputy manager jabbed at the button with a scowl.
"And 17 is... where the researchers scouting new darknesses are."
Ding.
The elevator doors opened to a white, artificial space that was a mix of lab and office.
A person already waiting ahead extended a hand.
"Whoa~ This must be the guy? Jackpot, jackpot~"
Definitely my superior.
I reflexively shook the offered hand.
"Kim Sol-eum. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, good manners too."
The man in the white coat and glasses looked fairly young, but given how bizarre this world was, I decided not to judge by appearances.
Anyway, after greeting the D Squad members, the guy from the other department turned back to me.
"I'm Kwak Je-gang from Research Team 1. Nice to meet you. Looking forward to working together~"
"...! Nice to meet you too."
Our team's deputy manager whispered.
"Don't freak out. He's just a section chief lightweight."
Aren't you a deputy manager yourself...?
And I wasn't surprised because he was a section chief.
I recognized him.
Hmm.
I quietly followed the squad without showing it.
"We'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. Right, Section Chief Lee Jaheon?"
"Yes."
......
Oh no.
"Could you explain why?"
"Yes."
Finally, Lizard explained.
"Research Team 1 studies and standardizes entry methods for new darknesses. So they'll be meeting frequently with D Squad, who explores unmapped new darknesses."
In short, this team's the one assigning us our work.
'They find new darknesses here and hand them off to the Field Exploration Team vanguard...'
"Aigoo, Section Chief, you always explain it so complicated. And you're not even research!"
The research team section chief patted Lizard's back. Lizard's unblinking pupils swiveled curiously toward him.
Felt like watching a thriller movie live...
"Anyway, the darkness for today is ready~ Grab your Dream Essence Collectors, yeah!"
The deputy manager's face flashed with 'What gives this outsider the right to state the obvious?' but the assistant manager's frantic gestures kept it internal.
"Check the civilian entry/exit records and the one team that went in before."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon took the documents from the research team.
Meanwhile, someone poked me.
"...?"
Turning, a research team employee grinned at me.
"Hey, wanna bet D-Grade or F-Grade?"
"Pardon?"
"We do small wagers among ourselves. Join in. It'll be fun."
"No thanks."
Instant refusal.
'Is this guy sane?'
Gonna get audited... Wait, he's openly talking gambling in front of his direct boss.
I reflexively glanced at the research section chief.
He shrugged.
"What's the big deal? It's not like betting kills people."
"......"
"Haha. Look at that poker face. Got some steel nerves, Sol-eum?"
I'm just too dumbfounded for my face to move.
'This workplace is crossing lines.'
So fitting for researchers in an internet ghost story world.
"Kidding anyway. This darkness isn't the die-or-not type. Lots of civilians escaped... Sigh, the Planning Team had a hell of a time smoothing things over with those Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau pains."
"......"
The Research Team 1 section chief smiled when D Squad didn't chime in and organized the remaining papers.
"Tch."
The wagering researcher crossed his arms, watching us annoyedly.
'Is this how company life works...?'
Didn't feel great, but company rarely does anyway.
The important thing was this darkness we got.
What ghost story was it?
"Ah, Deer needs to see too."
"Yes."
I took the documents from my superior.
'Hopefully it's one I know.'
And with many civilian escapes, it sounded decent. Worst case, D-Grade?
We could handle most things.
So no tension...
"Deer, you read it? Something about clown portraits... Ah, get pulled in from pierrot ads?"
Pierrot ad...?!
No way, that one...
"......"
No.
Whoa.
I scanned the preliminary exploration records handed to me with trembling eyes.
......
It's this one.
'Whoa, it came.'
Full-on horror theme, scarier than the convenience store ghost.
"Haha, go on in!"
Hey!
Cancel the points x3 event! I don't wanna go!
But such words never fly in society...
"......"
I opened my eyes. A pitch-black corridor like my future... no, dark corridor came into view.
Its dilapidated walls plastered end-to-end with grotesque clown portraits.
'F***, f***.'
Even the entry method here was terrifying.
1. Watch a YouTube ad of a red-nosed clown maniacally laughing at you from the screen.
2. In any enclosed indoor corridor, a clown hand pops out from around the corner.
3. Get close, and it grabs your wrist, dragging you into this 'corridor'.
I nearly passed out right there.
'Gonna lose it.'
I rolled my eyes. Vivid memories replayed of explorers getting jumpscared no matter which wall they approached.
Cold sweat dripped.
'Honestly, anyone would be scared here, not just me...'
"Hm. Not that dark? No need for flashlights."
"Section Chief! Should we adapt to the dark a bit before moving?"
"Yes. Close your eyes for 60 seconds."
"Yes sir!" came the assistant manager's bright reply.
"......"
For real?
In a dark corridor full of sinister staring portraits, casually suggesting we all close eyes for a minute?
"Deer, close your eyes too."
Apparently.
"Yes."
Pretended to close eyes while staring at floor, sweating bullets.
Just realized.
These people.
They fundamentally don't get scared.
Their fear threshold is insanely high unless it's a death situation!
The type who say crap like 'The real scary thing is people' and skip horror movies because they're boring!
'That's why they work here!'
Even so, when those grotesque portraits come alive and start moving, even they couldn't...
"Hmm... Sometimes if you approach or poke the portraits, they pop out and crawl after you."
"Right. Then the painting empties, and some people used that as a passage back to reality."
"I see."
The section chief's calm voice.
"Poke all visible portraits."
I nearly screamed.
"Yes sir! If any really pop out alive, signal and we bolt!"
"Yes. Repeat attempts hourly."
"Ah, they crawl? Low mobility, nice."
"Exactly. Oh right, Deer! Saw one earlier—left side, that clown with the weird eye? Total movie poster vibe."
"......"
"Looks like the missing civilian. Guess that's what happens when you vanish here."
I looked up.
In the eerie darkness, a portrait: someone with a button instead of a left eye, in garish clown makeup, forced into a toothy grin.
'...It moved.'
Definitely, the remaining eye's pupil shifted.
"......"
"Deer wanna touch that one first?"
Ah, ah!! No, seriously, please!
"......Y-Yes."
Yes my ass, no approaching.
A strong premonition stabbed my nape.
I-I won't survive matching these lunatics' tempo.
"Then Deer, the upper left portrait, stroke it...
"Wait."
"Hm?"
Time to shout!
"I think I've figured out the escape method."
"W-What?"
Not even a minute in, but I did! Believe me!
"Inferred from previous civilian escape records."
Had my brain ever spun this fast?
'Can't give these fear-immune folks the turn!'
"First, don't touch any other portraits."
"Huh? Why?"
Because I'm scared.
Of course, I said something else.
"...There'll be a separate correct answer."
Survival instinct kicking in.
I pulled out my toy coin gear, summoning a translucent glove in mid-air.
Shoved twenty 500-won equivalents at it like tipping a mega-donor streamer.
The glove froze streamer-style, then excitedly spun back and merged into my hand.
"Wait, that's Deer's gear?"
"Yes. Lets me touch things remotely."
"Oh."
Now I wouldn't have to touch clown portraits myself.
But I nodded seriously, feigning deeper intent.
"From now on... I want to run and check as many portraits as possible. To find the right one."
I turned to Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
"And from here on, the portrait I describe is the correct one."
"......"
"Tell me as soon as you spot it. Okay?"
If this worked, I wouldn't have to scrutinize every clown portrait myself!
'Of course, if I get 'Who does the newbie think they are?', it's over...'
But Section Chief Lee Jaheon didn't seem the authoritarian type!
Even with a lizard head! Even with lizard thinking!
"Yes."
Jackpot!
Relief coursed down my spine, nearly buckling my legs, but I forced calm composure and nodded.
"Then we're running."
Acting like testing a brilliant hypothesis requiring running...
'Though it's not really needed......'
Escape method here's surprisingly easy.
'Other portraits, touch freely, no issue finding the right one......'
Brave folks could leisurely stroll solo...
But I'd already learned.
Lesson from hide-and-seek with convenience store ghost.
Path for the scaredy-cat to survive?
'Speedrun!'
Go, mid-game escape from the haunted house!