Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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Assignment day.
"Congratulations on our Grape Agent's official appointment~!!"
"……."
"Hahaha! Should we have a team dinner today? We've racked up quite a bit in special overtime meal allowances this month, right? How much did I get? Anyway, it's on me!"
Wow.
I received the agents' welcome greetings in the Xuanwu Team 1 lounge with eyes that had given up on everything.
To call it a welcome was a bit of a stretch, honestly. I'd seen them just a few days ago.
It was simply that I'd been officially assigned to Xuanwu Team 1 today!
"…Please take care of me."
"……Yes."
By the way, the senior agent who had promised to do his utmost to get me assigned to another squad was also here.
The bronze agent was shaking my hand while avoiding my gaze.
"……."
Yeah, Agent. I'm the one who dug this grave….
'Destroyer King… At least I'll work diligently to shake off that nickname.'
It felt questionable for a spy to act like this.
'Heh….'
In the end, I nodded politely to Agent Choi as well.
We're going to be seeing each other constantly now, so whining about not wanting to join Xuanwu Team 1 would just be foolish.
"…Thank you for the warm welcome."
"No problem~"
Agent Choi smiled and patted my back.
His personality was decent, at least….
"We're going to be working together for life, so shouldn't the welcome be more grand? Haha!"
"……."
The sense of mission in new recruits was a bit intimidating.
"Let's work together for a long time, Grape…."
No, a lot….
Anyway, Agent Choi's dinner proposal became reality that evening.
Xuanwu Team 1 headed out for a meal together as soon as work wrapped up.
"This is our usual spot. The owner's a retired agent. Oh, one large serving of gopchang jeongol, please! And two bottles of soju."
And so, in a room-style table seat tucked away in the corner of a crowded popular restaurant, we began lightly drinking, eating, and chatting.
That's when I finally got a proper introduction to Xuanwu Team 1.
"Team numbers don't mean much these days, but back when we first launched, Team 1 handled the tougher missions. So feel free to take pride in belonging here, thinking of our seniors!"
I already knew that.
But hearing it directly from the members themselves felt fresh.
Just like hearing about the current situation.
"Xuanwu Team 1 normally has five regular staff under the team leader… Two are on sick leave, and one is… well, on leave."
"……."
He didn't mention it, but there were probably plenty of cases of agents lost in the line of duty.
I recalled the whiteboard in the lounge filled with notes in various handwriting and glanced at the two remaining members of the team.
Agent Choi grinned.
"We've finally got three full members. Nice, right? Hey, Jaegwan, you think so too?"
This guy… maybe he was just happy to see a new face.
I suppressed a wry smile and raised my glass, nodding to the two of them.
"Thank you again… for the welcome…."
"…!"
It was thanks for not scolding me even though they knew I'd stubbornly aimed for another team, and now that I was here.
And it seemed the listeners understood the meaning.
"Nah~ We're the thankful ones."
Agent Choi waved it off casually.
"You didn't want to come to our team, right?"
"……."
I held back a sigh and downed my soju.
"It's not that I hate the rescue squad. It's just… I don't trust myself."
"Sol-eum."
Agent Choi looked at me.
"It's fine. No one's without that feeling."
"……."
"Who can be 100% sure their actions are right in a supernatural disaster? If someone is, that'd be the supernatural phenomenon itself."
The senior who had started calling me by name and title instead of "junior" at some point.
He scooped some jeongol into my bowl and grinned.
"…But we've got advice from those who've gone before us."
"……."
"Trust that."
The exploration records.
"And eventually… you'll start wanting to take the lead sometimes, steeling yourself. Then you'll be the one giving advice to the next person."
"……."
The bronze agent's eyes clouded over, but he didn't argue.
It seemed the two had already fought about this before and reached an agreement.
"But no need to think that far yet!"
Agent Choi smiled and refilled my glass.
"You've been through a lot since joining us."
I couldn't deny that.
"But stuff like that happens once every half year at most—or if you're lucky, once every few years. It's not like every mission with us is like that, so don't worry."
Agent Choi grinned and clinked his glass against mine unilaterally.
Clink.
"You'll do great."
"……."
"Got it?"
I nodded.
And like magic, those words came true.
Three weeks after officially joining Xuanwu Team 1.
"Grape, there!"
I was performing rescue operations in ghost stories much more smoothly than expected.
"Grab him!"
"Yes!"
I snatched the rescue target trying to flee wildly beside me and shoved him into the washing machine.
"Agh!"
Sorry, that's the escape route, so bear with it!
"Hey, it's done! Run!"
Before the drying cycle finished, I jumped into an empty washer myself, submerged in the spinning water….
"Phew!"
And successfully escaped.
"Rescue target plus two others successfully rescued from 'Crossroads Laundromat'."
Today, we'd saved three civilians from a crazy laundromat that reformed bodies and altered personalities.
The past three weeks had been similar.
'Deployments about once every three days….'
Honestly, scary and exhausting.
But….
"That's the guy? Destroyer King? Man, he handles jobs clean and quick!"
"Haha! Right, Team Leader?"
"……."
Surprisingly, the Destroyer King rookie image was useful!
-Destroyer King rookie adapting smoothly^^
-You're officially in this room now, right?
It was kinda funny and approachable, and the positive character stuck, making adaptation easy.
Plus, the character was getting fleshed out day by day. It wouldn't look out of place on a wiki.
'I'm a named agent in the Disaster Management Bureau….'
Honestly, didn't feel bad.
And whether the ordeals I'd faced were just bad luck burned off, no sudden incidents in ghost stories for three weeks.
All that was left was following established rescue manuals to extract people.
Tolerate the terrifying crap, and it was manageable!
'Ghost stories with Disaster Management Bureau rescue numbers visible mean the Bureau's already mapped them thoroughly.'
To the point of embedding numbers in them.
Explains all the solo missions.
'This is bearable…!'
Even as a rookie, I was still in pairs of two.
Less scary and safer!
So I casually mentioned this to the bronze agent once, but he got serious.
-No. It's not safe.
-…….
-Your standards are a bit warped.
Stay at Daydream half a year and you'll end up like me….
'Makes me wanna cry.'
Since I joined Xuanwu Team 1, the bronze agent had been overly protective while subtly avoiding chit-chat. Seemed to feel guilty. I got it….
Anyway, the past three weeks had been tolerable amid the tension.
I'd blended into Xuanwu Team 1 naturally, to the point I no longer needed to introduce myself as such when running into people at HQ.
Everyone already knew.
'…It was good.'
Couldn't deny the stability from belonging.
…The problem was solo missions were coming my way soon.
Sigh.
'Alone… it'll be scary.'
Experiencing ghost stories solo every three days. That was the real issue.
But before that, this proposal came.
"Grape. Wanna take a break?"
It was while preparing to clock out in the lounge after transferring cleanup to the field cleanup team.
"You've barely rested in three weeks and kept doing support shifts. Can't have the guy who was hospitalized a month ago overdoing it. Time to rest, cool your head, recover stamina."
Agent Choi suggested.
And….
Honestly, this was a bit calculated.
'Hard for a rookie to bunch up leave….'
So I'd deliberately overworked to max shifts, hoping a superior would urge me to take a few days.
'Success.'
The bronze agent nodded quickly when our eyes met.
Good.
"Thank you."
"Yeah, bunch your two days off and tack 'em on—don't forget!"
Thus, I got four straight days of annual leave.
Adding to weekly two off-days: six days total.
Of course, there was a clear reason for this break.
[Teacher Kim Sol-eum, your psychological stability test results are out. Book a counseling session and pick them up when convenient^^]
Message from Director Ho last week.
…Soon, entry to Jolly Theme Park.
'Prepare.'
And handle postponed errands.
[Not trading?]
[Guaranteed info you'll want to hear]
Baek Saheon was ready.
That evening.
I met him in a dimly lit room cafe in Seoul.
"Spit it out."
Baek Saheon's temple vein bulged at my immediate urging.
"…Look, this is a trade. Talking like that doesn't sit well."
"You're efficient, aren't you? Spill quick, take the goods—win-win? Live by the numbers."
"~!"
Baek Saheon flashed an pissed expression but quickly masked it with a smile.
"…Let's do that. Then!"
Oh. Pretty confident, huh.
I focused to listen.
"First…."
Baek Saheon opened with a very meaningful tone, revealing special info….
"Two of our intake batch vanished."
"……."
"Remember? Go Yeongeun and…."
"Jang Heo-un."
"…!"
Sigh.
"Pass."
"W-wait. Even you don't know where they went, right, sir?"
Yeah. I do.
I gave Baek Saheon the dead-fish eye, and he sweated, continuing.
"They went to a branch office!"
No.
"You know branches? Local ones. Lately, lots of staff transferred from there to HQ—feels suspicious. They've cut contact…."
"Yeah. Next."
I told you no.
No idea what curses Baek Saheon muttered internally.
'Whatever….'
But dangle a bit of hope for more info. I switched tone.
"Try something else. Rambling stuff I know just tires you out."
"……."
"No other rumors?"
Baek Saheon eyed me like 'How the hell does he know?' but eventually spilled the next bit.
It was….
"Saw a researcher and guard fighting recently."
Hmm.
'Did the researcher's head get bashed…?'
My face must've soured; Baek Saheon hurriedly continued.
"No, listen. The researcher—you know him too. Section Chief Kwak Je-gang of Research Team 1…."
"…!"
What?
Almost lost composure completely.
I barely limited it to wide eyes, but too late.
"You wanna hear more, huh."
Baek Saheon smirked triumphantly.
"I'd love to tell you quick… but first, the goods. Can't have you bail after hearing everything without paying up."
"……."
"Not saying you're that type, sir… Mutual trust! Speed matters, but so does trust in trades."
Cheeky.
"Maybe."
"…!"
Good.
I pulled out the Necronomicon from my wrist like a magic trick.
Seeing the ominous book in its creepy bookcase form, exuding intimidation, Baek Saheon's eyes gleamed with greed.
And he reached out….
Thud!
"Just look."
"……."
Baek Saheon shot an aggressive glare but soon spat more info.
"Guard picked a fight with the researcher. Asked about facility stuff, didn't get proper answers, tried to hit him."
And the following 'rumor' went like this.
A guard on duty bumped into a researcher, asked about the facility; then the researcher's boss appeared.
Kwak Je-gang himself.
And said something.
"What?"
"Dunno. Nothing big, probably. But suddenly the guard attacked."
"……."
A scene flashed in my mind.
The security chief on the phone with Kwak Je-gang.
-Listen… I can't enter the darkness, but…… I can kill people.
Hold on.
'Is that guard… Jay?'
"Probably contamination. Security team's full of contamination-crazed bastards anyway…."
"Don't fabricate."
"What?"
"Your imagination's mixed in."
I bluffed crazy.
"Smells like you embellished… Dopamine fades."
"……."
"Continue."
Baek Saheon seemed spooked.
His words got straightforward again.
Good.
"…Anyway, that guard rarely comes out. But he's volunteering for annex duty. Heard he was famous before."
"Who said that?"
"Section chiefs gossiping. Not specifics, but long-timers."
"……."
'Security chief… was originally an elite team leader.'
Definitely Jay.
'He's really investigating Jolly Lab for me…!'
Hoped he wouldn't do anything risky, and seems he's toeing the line.
Bumping into Kwak Je-gang was sweat-inducing, though.
Kwak wouldn't get hurt, but no issue for the chief either. Kwak's scary due to his insane exploration setups!
'Confirming like this is convenient.'
No needless worry.
"This is solid!"
"Yeah."
I feigned interest in more useless gossip afterward.
Sensing appropriate value when Baek Saheon's patience waned.
"Backstories were meh."
"……."
"Researcher fight was fun. Good job. Valuable info."
"…!"
I smiled and lifted my hand from the Necronomicon.
"Take it."
Baek Saheon snatched the eerie tome the second I finished.
Eyes excited, scanning the bookcase, then suddenly looked at me.
"This isn't just for types like you… right? You know."
"No."
I met his gaze squarely.
"But don't expect to wield it with my power level."
You're no ghost story maniac!
"……."
Baek Saheon hesitated but pocketed the book.
Phew.
I finally relaxed my tense shoulders.
Disposed.
'Got info and offloaded it.'
Fake Necronomicon. Felt iffy keeping it anyway.
Not problematic per se, but….
'…I'd want to use it for everything.'
Too powerful.
Tempted to just read it and bend situations 'that way' whenever complicated.
Makes everyone obey.
But long tails get caught.
'Perfect for exposure.'
And… one slip, and I'd go mad or get permanent mental damage.
So sell to a non-maniac for info value. Perfect.
'Well done.'
Baek Saheon's face brightened as he packed the book, then turned slyly.
"Sir, wanna hear your 'good info' criteria?"
Item performance solid; wants more.
"More specifics, and I'll…."
"Fun stuff."
"……."
"Told you. More details?"
"…Yes. If so, thanks…."
I propped my chin.
"That researcher story was fun too. Familiar faces spark imagination… Yeah. Guard's unique too."
"…Prioritize those two for rumors, scout others too."
"Yeah."
I nodded.
Trade tacitly extended; Baek Saheon grabbed his bag of today's haul and stood.
Once he's gone, me too….
"Excuse me."
Hm?
Baek Saheon hesitated, then continued.
"You're at the Bureau now, right, sir?"
"……."
"Rescued as a kid by agents then. So…."
I quietly turned to Baek Saheon.
And advised.
"Better not to know."
True.
Unless you wanna 'branch transfer' and vanish.
'If he tails me and hits Director Ho… done for.'
"No Wish Grants there anyway."
"……."
"Nothing in it for you."
Sensing the vibe, Baek Saheon rolled his eyes and nodded.
'That should do.'
Unexpected addendum.
"…Yes. Well… Take care, sir."
"Yeah. You too."
Trade ended.
I sighed only after confirming Baek Saheon exit the room cafe.
"Ha."
Baek Saheon.
I knew his character type already, and living in shared dorm confirmed it.
Made him low-risk in another way.
'Moves predictably.'
Still useful trade partner… but honestly, beyond personality, I knew zilch about his background.
And thinking about it, not just him—most people I'd met here.
'…I'm going home eventually.'
Maybe just D Squad seniors as exceptions.
Today's petty gossip from Baek Saheon made me realize consciously.
Got me curious suddenly.
'Why's Baek Saheon chasing Wish Grants?'
Survival-obsessed guy; [Darkness Exploration Records] never specified why he risks life.
'Whatever… none of my business.'
Honestly, more curious about other batchmates' reasons.
Ask if chance comes; for now, my Wish Grant.
And survival.
"Phew."
Confirmed Baek Saheon fully out, pulled out smartphone.
Sent prepared reply.
To Director Ho.
[Want to book, teacher.]
Enter.
Jolly Theme Park.