Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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I looked around the wedding hall, which resembled a crime scene.
My mind was in a haze.
'How many people died?'
The guests' seats were still occupied by the unfortunate "trainees" who had been caught up in this mad Groom's Lesson ghost story.
All of them had blank expressions, as if their minds had snapped.
...I counted the empty seats.
Out of fifteen, eleven dead.
Less than a third remaining.
'A 30% survival rate...'
Of course, it was better than the aliens' plasma barrages.
I judged it impossible to save everyone else anyway. And no matter what I did, there would definitely be casualties... For dramatic tension on a TV show, people dying was just...
......
But at the same time, I clearly recognized it.
'Even if I whine to Brown about "Was that really necessary?", it won't do any good...'
Handing the reins to the host of this talk show ghost story—who could do even worse things for a successful broadcast—meant I should have anticipated a situation like this.
Especially after the warning just before.
'...At least it's not a total wipeout, and a few survived, so maybe it's a relief in the end.'
Want to know what's even more bitter?
I no longer feel much shock at the sight of dead bodies.
It wasn't just familiarity.
Right now, my mind was barely holding onto sanity inside this amorphous body via a marble.
The fact that I could still feel even a twinge of bitterness toward the dead was actually fortunate.
......
'Let's focus on whether the survivors make it back safely.'
And then.
-Brown.
To Brown's question of what I thought, the proper response was this.
-As expected of a legendary host.
-I hoped you'd just ruin the wedding, but I didn't expect you'd fix it up even more successfully.
-And thanks to you, the bride seems satisfied too.
I realized it from what happened just before.
'If we'd just crashed the wedding and bolted, who knows what would've happened.'
The situation had resolved more peacefully than expected because the entity called the "bride" was satisfied.
However.
-Are you thinking of... making this a series?
Brown was pleased with the live broadcast ratings.
That fact nagged at me.
What if he incorporated this into a new series for the late-night talk show? And this Groom's Lesson ghost story mutated into something even higher grade...
Brown's cheerful voice spoke affectionately.
...!!
-Brown.
-You know the late-night talk show is way more fun, right?
A brief silence.
Phew.
Clap clap.
At the sound echoing in the air, the cameras, lights, and band set up in the wedding hall were swiftly dismantled and packed away by the faceless staff.
Even without facial features, some of them seemed oddly familiar... No, don't think about it.
'Digging too deep might pull me in again.'
Especially since mentioning it made it feel precarious.
As I avoided focusing on the staff, my gaze naturally shifted to something at the edge of the shared vision.
The destination at the very end of the long white velvet carpet. The place for wedding vows.
The officiant's podium.
'......'
It was shattered to an eerie degree, leaving only stone fragments scattered like an explosion. Scorch marks on the floor, torn carpet.
And beneath where the podium had been...
A black hole.
Deep.
Darkness where the bottom was invisible.
'......'
Just before.
The "bride" had emerged from there.
That shock—even though I couldn't properly perceive it through Section Chief Lee Jaheon's censored vision—the sensation of everything being pulverized. Something slumbering below, barely interpreted within the framework of a wedding...
"Mr. Deer."
......
"Mr. Deer. Do not attempt to turn the vision."
...!
I snapped back to my senses.
...Before I knew it, I had seized control of Section Chief Lee Jaheon's body and was struggling to turn the gaze.
-...Thank you.
"You're welcome."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon, who had remained silent throughout the broadcast, had reclaimed his body the moment the live show ended.
And until now, he had quietly surveyed the wedding hall.
I was grateful that he had surprisingly watched in silence as I winked and hosted the live show with his body—a mad stunt. As expected of a veteran Field Exploration Team member with excellent judgment.
He hadn't interrupted Brown either, waiting patiently until it wrapped up...
"Mr. Deer. Do you need advice?"
......
-...If I said yes, what advice would you give?
"Yes. Remove the talk show host ghost story called Brown from your mental framework."
Ugh!
Hold on a second.
-Section Chief. But it's a definite fact that we can escape without plasma barrages now, right?
"Yes."
Phew.
"I see. Thank you."
"Now remove it."
I witnessed the rare sight of the talk show host ghost story being at a loss for words...
-B-But... it was worth it, right...?
......
Yeah...
W-Well, anyway, the tension seemed mostly resolved.
'...Let's get out of here quick.'
I needed to separate the two right away.
I was exhausted in every sense...
-For now, we can just head out the front gate like this, Section Chief.
The boarding school's front gate had reappeared, as if surrendering to the live broadcast, and was crudely opened wide enough for the film crew to pass.
I watched Section Chief Lee Jaheon send the survivors out the gate first, letting out a sigh of relief.
'He made the ethical choice.'
Good.
Then Section Chief Lee Jaheon stepped out as well.
It swung wide open.
Through the shared vision, I saw light pouring in beyond the open door.
Something I'd never seen in the perpetually overcast boarding school ghost story.
Sunlight.
I stepped into it...
......
"Customer."
I opened my eyes.
A white space. A bizarre place made of light and geometry—I was already sitting there.
And in front of me was...
"The Universe Shopping Mall has confirmed the rescue attempt and success of the 'Lee Jaheon' entity."
The Universe Shopping Mall's Lizard.
This time, it was grayish-green.
It seemed I'd faced these alien reptiles again via a mechanism similar to the VIP personal shopping.
"Has Section Chief Lee Jaheon returned safely?"
"Yes."
"I want to speak with him directly."
"Yes. That's why 'we' are here."
I took a moment to parse the sentence.
These alien reptiles considered conversing with "us" equivalent to direct conversation with Lee Jaheon.
Because Lee Jaheon was us.
Because we were one vast mental framework sharing all experiences and judgments.
Which made me realize it even more vividly.
'There's probably no sense of cutting loose a member called Lee Jaheon.'
It was no different from... abandoning a part of myself.
Like pulling out a broken nail, scraping off a burned wound, or amputating dead flesh.
Even if I felt regret for myself, I wouldn't feel guilt.
Because we were us.
It was a truly bizarre sensation.
"I'm sorry, but I want to speak with the specific entity called 'Section Chief Lee Jaheon'."
"There are no differences in our experiences or judgments."
"Still, I ask."
A brief silence.
"Confirmed. The Lee Jaheon entity will contact you in reality."
"Yes. Thank you."
At least it was certain he'd returned safely.
"Then can I return to my body now?"
When heading to rescue Section Chief Lee Jaheon, the Universe Shopping Mall had explained it as the final activation step of the "We'll Help!" item.
-Upon successful rescue of the caller, the called entity's mind returns to its original coordinates.
"Yes."
The service Lizard affirmed it.
Then I'd hurry back...
"Will you receive the reward later?"
"Reward...?"
"Our reward for rescuing the Lee Jaheon entity."
...!
"Is the Universe Shopping Mall giving me a reward?"
"No."
The Lizard gave me an oddly friendly gaze.
More meaningful.
"'We' will reward you."
......
A term more encompassing than "Universe Shopping Mall".
"What do you want?"
My mind sharpened instantly.
'This.'
Not an ordinary opportunity.
"...Could I get help rescuing someone in Se-gwang Special City?"
"Not recommended."
I'd expected that.
'They didn't recommend the "We'll Help!" button back then either...'
Excluding the urgent one.
'...I need to think carefully.'
Don't answer rashly.
After careful deliberation, I selected one.
......
......
The clearest goal I'd set in Daydream Corporation's underground isolation room.
"I... want to regain a human body."
I want to become human.
I want my body back.
"Do you mean a body of 21st-century Homo sapiens from present-day Earth?"
"Yes. ...Is it possible?"
An immediate reply.
"Possible."
...!
"How?"
"Use a human body whose ego has been lost."
Wait, that means...
'Body swap?'
Truly alien thinking. Even more so because it was hard to execute.
...Rephrase it.
"Is it possible to use my current body like a human one? Like when I was an assistant manager at Daydream Corporation."
I swallowed, staring at the Lizard's snout.
Slowly, its mouth opened and pronounced...
"Yes."
...!
"Then that's the help I want."
"Yes. We'll deliver the reward once preparations are complete."
Done.
I was about to say I was leaving, feeling like clenching my fist, when...
I had an additional idea.
What if?
"Um, does my rescue help also mean saving 'us' the cost of a plasma barrage?"
"Yes."
"In that case, could you... value my help like a plasma barrage cost and count it toward Universe Shopping Mall purchase performance?"
The Lizard met my eyes and nodded.
"We judge your statement as reasonable inference."
And then.
"Congratulations on your membership upgrade."
It handed me something.
'VIP thank-you card?'
It looked like one. Had I been promoted beyond VIP?
'There were higher tiers.'
As expected of a mall. I opened the resplendent golden card...
I'm Universe Shopping Mall VVIP!
Amazing promotion!
~Gratitude cells enclosed~
"......"
"......"
"......Th-That shopping mall design."
"Yes."
"Do you all do it yourselves?"
"Yes."
Hmm.
I suddenly understood a lot...
"Thank you. I'll be going."
"Yes."
I carefully pocketed the thank-you card.
"See you again."
And I was gently ejected from the shopping space.
A soft sensation.
"Grape."
I opened my eyes. Before I knew it, I was...
"You're awake?"
Lying on the large wooden floor.
My quarters provided by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
And the agents of Xuanwu Team 1 were peering at me, with the sliding doors fully open.
'Ah.'
Back safe.
I raised my hand. The thermometer and heart rate monitor clattered off. It seemed they'd unzipped it slightly and attached it.
They must have struggled to find a pulsing spot.
'They prepared a lot.'
Feeling a slight lump in my throat, I sat up.
And quickly reported.
A very satisfying result.
"Ooh, impressive?"
Agent Choi patted my shoulder with a grin.
"Mind if I ask one more thing?"
"Okay! Wanna see this?"
Agent Choi held something up.
It was the small rabbit doll I'd put in my pocket.
"Your friend Brown."
Right.
'Come to think of it, the agents delivered it.'
I'd meant to thank them sometime. It must have fallen out again, and they'd picked it up...
"The talk show host?"
......
......!!