Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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That very night after escaping the Mermaid Grave.
I was able to immediately meet Director Ho in the waiting area of the Fox Counseling Room, as usual.
And...
"Oh my, you must have had a tough time. Sol-eum! Don't worry about the body tissue that was harvested. I'll recover it right away."
"...Yes. Thank you."
The conversation was ending much more smoothly than expected...
'This smoothly?'
Honestly, it wasn't my fault, but for someone of my rank, having an emergency meeting with a director outside of regular reports was enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.
But Director Ho listened to my story with tremendous interest, even clapping his hands in delight.
The only moment he showed any discomfort was fleeting.
"So, the Disaster Management Bureau support team came all the way to the company headquarters."
Damn.
"Ah, I'm not complaining to you, Sol-eum! It's just that they're such a hypocritical bunch, inside and out... Getting close to them instinctively makes me uncomfortable."
"......"
Putting a spy in there and saying that?
And honestly... their integrity isn't even on the same level as Daydream's.
'Our company might need some hypocrisy just to function...'
Her near-hatred and rejection of the Disaster Management Bureau was bizarrely intense.
"If my personal feelings made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine."
In any case, the conversation flowed smoothly, and Director Ho gracefully wrapped it up.
"Anyway, don't worry about issues like this at all—feel free to tell me anytime!"
And...
"Any other discomforts?"
I'd been waiting for this.
'...The mood is good right now.'
And we were alone.
Strike while the iron's hot. I poured another cup of hot water into Director Ho's green tea and said,
"It's not discomfort, but... there's one point that's concerning me."
"Feel free to speak."
Director Ho nodded with a face that said, 'I'm so heartbroken that you're concerned.'
So I explained.
"There's a darkness I need to enter soon."
"......"
About the Jolly Theme Park.
I didn't specifically mention the blue mascot there, but since getting "marked" by eerie entities is common during ghost story explorations, Director Ho would easily understand.
"I nearly died, but it let me go after I promised to 'visit again next time.'"
My follow-up explanation made sense.
At the time, I was employed by the company, so I naturally assumed I could re-enter the "Jolly Theme Park," but with things turning out this way, I couldn't anymore.
'You're the one who assigned me the spy gig.'
And based on Director Ho's personality so far, for a request like this...
"Jolly Theme Park, huh..."
Director Ho smiled.
"Don't worry. I'll arrange a way for you to visit as soon as possible!"
As expected.
"Thank you. I was worried because if I can't enter within a month or two, it might become a personal safety issue that hinders my duties..."
I nodded seriously.
"Thanks to you handling it, I can focus on my work now."
So, give it to me within a month.
If not, spy or no spy, I might end up dead.
I trusted that intent got across.
"Of course. It'll be ready soon. No worries."
She was refreshingly decisive about this stuff.
Competent.
'Seriously, as long as she doesn't hit her berserk button, she's a pretty good boss...'
Maybe I'd just been assigned to a role that kept stepping on her crazy switch...?
This was the first time I truly empathized with the HR manager who said, 'Director Ho is actually a decent superior.'
"Thank you."
With that, the emergency report wrapped up on a positive note.
Director Ho would soon say she had to head in, I'd see her off, and then prepare to leave.
"Oh, by the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask..."
Director Ho, about to stand, looked at me steadily.
"You're not using the Fox Counseling Room?"
"......"
Ugh.
"Once you enter the counseling room, you won't run into other employees anyway. Please use it actively to heal contamination and mental trauma."
As if.
'No matter how I look at it, this place seems connected to you...!'
Just see how it's always conveniently on break when I come to report.
I wouldn't put it past her to be paying the counselor commissions to siphon employee counseling info.
One thing was clear: this space, this ghost story, was firmly in Director Ho's territory.
That's why I'd deliberately avoided the Fox Counseling Room so far.
'It's awkward.'
Separate from the help I'd gotten last time.
Plus, the old lady had burned away all traces of my infection, so I didn't need to go.
But I couldn't say all that honestly, so I just nodded.
"Yes. I'll make an effort. However, this space included, the Fox Counseling Room is a darkness, and that person isn't a real counselor either, so..."
As I tried to end with 'I'll keep that in mind,'
"Correct."
"...!"
"'Real counselor,' exactly."
The amiability vanished from Director Ho's tone.
A flat, emotionless voice emerged without inflection.
"Because he's a darkness, he's even more strictly bound by the professional ethics of being a counselor. He knows exactly what his job is and has pride as an expert."
"......"
"So, what I'm saying is, you can trust the instructor at the Fox Counseling Room!"
"...Yes."
"Also... he's quite worried about the state of client Kim Sol-eum."
"......"
Tap tap. Director Ho patted my shoulder encouragingly.
"Well, I'll head in now. See you at the regular report, Sol-eum!"
"Yes, Director."
The emergency report ended like that.
'...Fox Counseling Room and Director Ho.'
And Director Ho was a figure not detailed at all in the Darkness Exploration Records.
...It felt like there were more hidden backstory elements. I wanted to dig a bit more, but...
'Yeah. Focus on the Wish Grant.'
Don't forget. Purpose and means can't be inverted.
Just concentrate on finishing this spy job quickly, getting the Wish Grant, and going home.
...In that vein, in the last "Sparkling Dragon Palace" ghost story, I'd gotten too immersed trying to evacuate all the kids...
"Hoo."
Still, there were extra gains.
"The Dream Essence solution grade went up."
I looked at the golden liquid filling the elite team collector.
Shimmering B-Grade or higher Dream Essence solution.
Considering the Mermaid Grave was originally C-Grade, this was irregular.
'Pulling out that biological disaster's main body raised the grade?'
Plausible.
While checking, I squeezed out the research team's potion I'd secretly stashed in my wrist tattoo and bottled it in a PET bottle.
The recovery potion meant only for severely contaminated or anomalous kids.
'Drinking this sends them to wherever the research team set up, right?'
Probably one of their lab spaces. Better keep it just in case instead of discarding.
I sighed in relief and stowed the bottled potion back in the tattoo.
Then rummaged through the space again.
'Good thing items in the tattoo space stay separate.'
Almost contaminated the tag card too.
나는 우주 쇼핑몰 VIP!
~감사 세포 동봉~
I pulled out the golden card delivered directly by the alien shop's tentacle courier months ago.
Probably the 'VIP card' Squad Leader Lee Jaheon mentioned?
'Hm.'
Examining the card letter closely, something thin layered inside the thick cardstock felt off.
"...!"
Carefully peeling back a layer revealed a sealed small... chip-like thing.
'...Looks like a SIM chip.'
A sticker in block font was attached.
“Feed your cells wherever you go!”
“Healthy and safe purchases.”
“※ Fast connection to a customer service representative guaranteed ※”
"......"
They really need to hire a professional translator...
'Cell...'
For now, this chip is the 'cell,' and I need to... eat it? For 'healthy and peaceful shopping'?
'Reminds me weirdly of chatting with Lizard Squad Leader.'
Translation errors from lacking modern cultural context.
Anyway, I'd use this 'cell' if needed.
'...Lizard Squad Leader isn't the type to lie or trick people into danger.'
Better worry about my head exploding from raw physical power.
"Cleanup done."
I finished settling accounts and looked up.
For now, prioritize the most usable items on hand.
'Jolly Lab potion.'
Yeah.
Here I was, visiting the lab hidden under the manhole cover again in the dead of night.
'Scarier at night.'
But the dream incubator's stored Dream Essence solution shimmered in ecstatic hues, which helped a bit.
I injected all the B-Grade Dream Essence solution I'd obtained this time.
The number rose.
'B-Grade is roughly 15,000 points.'
About one and a half potions, but there's a catch.
Potions are priced differently by button.
My first draw deducted 10,000 points, the second 20,000.
'Depends on the star rating maybe.'
First 'Detective Syrup' had 3 stars, next 'Surprise Syrup' had 4.
Those stars...
'Definitely performance difference.'
The 4-star one even worked briefly on the biological disaster.
Converted to Daydream welfare points, it was pricier than company potions.
'This dream incubator might be an early model with poor efficiency.'
Yet it produced syrup closer to pure essence, potentially better than Daydream potions.
Anyway.
'Won't know the deduction until I press the button.'
Unfriendly.
'Wish there was a research log.'
The security chief said he'd look into it, but no news yet.
Wait a bit more. Maybe other functions...
Still useful now, so I'd visit weekly for one potion.
Thus, choice time.
"Hm."
Safe method: draw verified-effective potions.
But...
'Prep more before the theme park.'
Test confirmed ones ASAP if time allows—might be better stuff.
Use what I can: association and deduction.
So, the button to check this time...
'The priciest, most potent matching Daydream company potions.'
Ka-ching.
"Nice."
30,000 points deducted, and a small glass vial of syrup emerged.
I pocketed the shimmering turquoise liquid.
Children's Disguise Syrup
(Blue Grape Flavor)
★★★★★
Expensive potion. Sniper shot success.
The next day.
Told I could rest fully by the agents, I took the whole day off and came in late the day after.
"Grape Agent, good work."
Gratefully, Black Tortoise Team 1 agents had nearly finished the report, so I wrapped up "Sparkling Dragon Palace" duties with brief answers.
'Tears of gratitude.'
I got various praises from the agents.
And...
Good news.
"They found guardians for over half the kids."
"...!"
"The entry method was so distinctive, we had lots of database cases."
"No vanishing rescued citizens either. ...All confirmed safe by evening around 7 PM."
The Black Tortoise Team 1 agents' faces were rarely beaming with joy.
...Mine probably wasn't much different.
"And, and... want another shocking update? ...Someone from the next team found their sibling lost in '89."
"...!"
"Among agents here... plenty joined just hoping for that."
Finding missing family.
"Thanks to you, that person finally got recompense for lost years and can sleep easy at night. With family."
"......"
"How's that?"
How?
An agent who came here searching decades for their sibling.
Finally learned where they vanished but couldn't rescue due to distorted time.
Hearing they safely reunited?
'My god.'
A chilling thrill swept through me, nape tingling overwhelmingly.
Beyond fulfillment.
'This is why they do it.'
Dangerous.
One slip, and I'd develop real sense of duty here.
'...No.'
I clenched my regenerated right hand.
I need to go home.
That goal only.
I've crossed death's door who-knows-how-many times now. Me, who back home consumed ghost stories as mere content—staying sane here was impossible without it.
'Purpose and means. Can't flip them.'
I deep-breathed to calm down.
But my excited heart wouldn't fully settle.
"Anyway, you did great."
Agent Choi, listing rewards fitting the success, smiled and patted my back.
"Ah, Grape's still probation, so off to other duties?"
"Yes. Guiding to another role."
"Right. I held you too long. Work hard~!"
I waved goodbye to Agent Choi and followed the bronze agent.
Thankfully, no repeat Black Tortoise assignment.
Yeah. Rescue Response Unit... too mentally taxing long-term.
'Ha.'
I stifled a sigh and followed the bronze agent.
And the place he led me to was...
Go Yeongeun's team.
"Sol-eum!"
Entering the office, a delighted Go Yeongeun jumped up.
I reflexively glanced at the bronze agent.
He smiled faintly. Probably assigned here considering our Lucky Mart acquaintance...
"No field duties today, so no need for 2-man teams. Work from this office. ...Any issues, go to Black Tortoise Team 1 lounge."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Truly grateful.
Plus, no fieldwork—much better.
'Rest day timing.'
Of course, I'd show I'm a good fit for New Investigation.
I bowed to the departing bronze agent, then entered with Go Yeongeun.
The tidy standard office was still sparse.
"Everyone's out on external duties now, just me. They'll be back soon—introduce then."
"Got it."
I added hopefully,
"Please guide me well. Might get assigned here permanently."
"Ah, um..."
...??
Go Yeongeun trailed off oddly.
Why that... ominous reaction?
"...Did I mess up?"
"No! Not a mistake... Sigh."
She made a subtle face.
"Being too competent is, uh, unavoidable..."
What?
"Here, take a look...?"
I took her smartphone.
Newly issued for work? Screen showed...
A slightly old-school named group messenger anonymous room.
"......"
Wait.
Another... group chat without me?
"Ah. Usually invite after probation ends and official assignment."
"I see."
Whew.
'Hm.'
I got Go Yeongeun's permission and scrolled up to gauge the vibe.
'Looser vibe than expected.'
Seemed like a room for agents to consult on urgent or stuck issues.
Natural for solo shifts and rotations—info sharing spot.
Not cutthroat like some companies, so better atmosphere, solid tips flow.
'Think I saw something like this in [Darkness Exploration Records].'
Felt nostalgic. I nodded inwardly while scrolling.
Would be fun to join sometime...
"......"
Wait.
This... me?
'No way.'
I scrolled down fast to recent chats.
"......"
And the group chat conclusion...
Spare me...