Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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Midnight Station.
Unlike Sega Light Station, where even the platform had been pristine as announced on the train for its casino, this place was different from the very platform.
Red and yellow lights.
The moment we set foot on the ground, we could see small lights twinkling like bare bulbs clustered tightly on the ceiling, strung out in colorful lines.
Some bulbs were out, broken, or the strings snapped, which only added to the eerie atmosphere.
The feel of a rundown, ancient entertainment venue.
But we only paid attention to the facilities for a fleeting moment.
A far more shocking scene was unfolding around us.
The passengers who got off with us.
The long-term missing persons who poured out through the train doors like a flood, the instant they stepped onto the Midnight Station platform...
Their true forms were revealed.
"…!!"
Worn and tattered clothes, frayed coats, disheveled and filthy hair, gaunt and emaciated bodies.
The appearance of those isolated and abandoned for far too long.
Freed from the train's influence that "preserved the passengers' initial appearances," they now clearly looked like long-term missing persons.
A chilling shock enveloped the group.
But this much was probably somewhat familiar to those who had entered various dangerous ghost stories.
The truly shocking part was something else. For instance...
Their bodies were dismembered.
"……."
Arms, legs, sometimes hands, eyeballs, noses, ears, hair... all sorts of missing parts were visibly absent.
Not just one area, no regularity to it. Some were in such bad shape they couldn't walk or move properly.
They tried to move as usual but kept tripping, crawling, or bumping into the screen doors.
And yet, they kept moving.
Up there.
Up the stairs, toward the concourse.
'Exhibition...'
The sight reminded them of the Blind Mansion, and the faces of current and former Field Exploration Team members who had nearly died there tensed with associated dread.
But there was a clear difference from that place's spectators or victims.
The cuts.
"...Too clean."
Like something pulled from a doll or modeling clay, the connections where body parts were missing were excessively smooth.
Even parts that no human tool could possibly sever were partially gone, and as they moved, the empty space in their clothing silhouettes visibly compressed.
The uncanny feeling from that.
It stimulated the uncanny valley to madness, contrasting with the typically ragged, disheveled look of long-term missing persons, creating an even more chilling scene...
And ominous.
'...Why are they like that?'
All sorts of guesses and keywords about what was happening at this "casino" station flashed through our minds.
Especially because we were experienced.
"……."
"……."
"Please stand by for a moment."
We silently agreed.
Lee Jaheon, the section chief whose gloves were worn out from the return trip, swapped to spares, and we quietly waited on the platform.
We stayed put until the frenzied movements of the long-term missing persons died down a bit.
Then we slowly moved.
Up the stairs.
And as we stepped forward, we realized.
A faint, upbeat sound was drifting down from above.
Piano, brass, strings.
A melody that egged you on.
"...Anyone feeling drawn to the music or getting weird vibes? ...No one. Okay. Let's go."
We ascended slowly, avoiding bumping into the "passengers" struggling, flailing, or tumbling down the stairs.
And finally, the concourse should have come into view...
"…!"
The top of the stairs was blocked by a wall.
A tiled wall.
And on that wall, a door and a small unmanned counter—that was it.
Writing on the door...
"From the looks of it, all the missing persons went in here."
The music was coming from beyond.
Tempting.
"If Dolphin Deputy got off here, high chance she's inside."
Whew.
Eun Ha-je, the deputy manager, rubbed her own shoulders.
"Should we knock?"
"What if we die?"
"Then exploration ends early."
Knock knock.
The deputy knocked on the door.
Then, from the small unmanned counter beside it, a small placard with a pen popped out.
"…!"
We immediately turned to check. It was...
"Unmanned pawnshop?"
A sort of usage guide.
"…!"
"Holy shit."
And so we grasped the rough mechanism.
"...Organ trafficking casino."
The wiki page updated.
'Seriously.'
A condition befitting a high-grade ghost story...
And the most dangerous part is this.
"...Gonna have to sell something to get in."
But.
"This'll be easy."
Eun Ha-je, the deputy, boldly started writing on the paper behind the placard.
"Citizen!"
"I was already missing a hand in reality anyway, and I have gear to replace it right now. No point wasting time."
And surprisingly, rough scrawled handwriting appeared on the paper.
The price?
"No clue what this amounts to. Wonder how many coins per game."
Scratching her head, Eun Ha-je suddenly—without consensus—tossed the paper into the counter.
The paper vanished into the darkness. Then, a clinking of coins from inside...
"Ugh."
Blood started gushing from Eun Ha-je's wrist.
"…!"
"Deputy."
I hurriedly pulled out a hemostatic agent and held it to her mouth—the exact one from the Daydream infirmary.
As she swallowed it, the bleeding stopped, revealing her wrist...
Her left hand was gone.
And.
Clink.
A small pouch popped out of the counter.
"These the coins?"
Eun Ha-je lifted the pouch to peek inside.
That's when.
I felt eyes on us.
"……."
The long-term missing persons writhing on the stairs were all staring this way.
Precisely, at the pouch Eun Ha-je held.
"……."
Click.
The door opened. Gaudy lights spilled out.
"In, now."
Eun Ha-je urgently grabbed coins from the pouch, handing us a couple each haphazardly, then stepped forward. We grabbed them and followed her through the door...
Bam.
The door shut right in front of us.
"…!"
I reflexively grabbed the handle, but some force blocked it.
"...Seems only the trader can enter."
Whew.
At least the missing persons turned away as the pouch vanished...
"...Anyone entering has to trade a body part."
Yes.
To enter, decide what to sacrifice.
'...I'm here to work, so I'll just mentally thank you.'
I soothed the nice friend making creepy sounds and kept pondering.
'What to cut.'
Meanwhile, some had already decided.
Lee Jaheon, section chief.
"Least used finger?"
"Yes."
"Oh, citizen, why not consider a toe?"
"Risk of balance issues in emergencies."
"Hm. Smart choice~."
Everyone's criteria were similar. Sell the least independently used part.
Surprisingly, Baek Saheon pondered then chose the same as Lee Jaheon.
I thought he'd refuse entry.
'The casino tempting him.'
A desire to acquire something.
'...Hm.'
"Blind eye only 7 coins? These bastards have eaten plenty."
"Better pick something else considering blood loss."
I watched the agents settle on left hands or right ring fingers after deliberation.
Wise judgment converges similarly.
But I sensed.
'...Coins might run short.'
No telling what happens inside; better secure emergency funds.
"Write 'em all out, submit in sequence, and go in one by one. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Good clear answers. Let's go."
I watched Lee Jaheon submit his paper first, tourniquet his glove, grab the emerging pouch, and enter the casino door.
The team, papers pre-written, moved efficiently.
"Bronze Agent."
I gripped my paper last, watching the bronze agent snatch his pouch.
And...
I picked up the pen again and erased the writing.
"Agent!"
I tossed it into the counter.
Blood gushed across my vision; my right sight vanished entirely.
"What the...?!!"
"I-I'm fine."
Not fine. Hurts like hell. Swearing level pain. Tears from the remaining eye wouldn't be odd.
'But deputy sold her whole hand?'
Thinks she's some three-armed general? Please!
I snatched the heavy pouch from the counter and dashed through the open door. The bronze agent practically dragged me inside as the door shut.
Click.
"Are you insane?!"
"Cut it out. Eye's not growing back."
Eun Ha-je quickly intervened, checking my condition.
"You okay?"
"Yes."
I chugged Daydream's emergency meds for hemostasis and answered.
Pain subsided gradually. Too scared to check the socket via phone screen; eyed others' cuts instead.
'...Wounds are there.'
Why were the missing persons' sections so unnaturally smooth?
'Contamination, probably.'
Need to be careful, I thought, scanning surroundings.
Bronze agent looked like he had tons to say, but Choi agent gripped his shoulder; he pressed his mask and turned away.
'Whew.'
"Return all coins received from Rosefinch Deputy to her."
"Uh, sure."
Baek Saheon looked displeased but gauged the mood and handed back Eun Ha-je's coins.
I politely offered my cheap metal-coated coins to Eun Ha-je.
And took in the casino interior.
'Similar vibe to the platform.'
Seemed like the entrance area.
Gaudy bulbs, casino gambler colors. Black, gold, red everywhere; those missing body parts muttered in corners.
No staff visible.
Broken slot machines scattered, some still running.
Like an abandoned casino left on.
Missing persons jammed at active slots, feeding coins—ominous.
"Pawnshop-like spot there too. Right next to our entry door... so that counter leads inside."
"...Storage for traded body parts, probably."
Yes.
Right beside our door. Through dusty glass, countless stored body parts.
And at the one open window in the glass, I spotted another coin use.
"As expected."
Items exchangeable for coins listed.
A familiar item stood out. But more importantly, a key clue was there.
"Food available."
Ridiculous markups, but availability mattered.
"...Think Dolphin Deputy expected this and got off here?"
Hard to guess specifics.
But she probably anticipated something.
"Lots got off, so high chance of survival aids, right?"
Sega Light Special City outside: extinction-grade ghost story.
Subways all unknown ghost stories.
Can't avoid contamination or danger?
Heard "casino" on train broadcast; wisest to pick spot seeming to offer supplies.
'No one getting off is the real danger sign.'
I figured Dolphin Deputy judged similarly.
And.
"Citizens, look over there."
Choi agent pointed above the coin items, to a faded banner.
Emergency Exit 10000 Coins
The hot item that takes you anywhere! A luxury transport for busy ■■ modernites. Premium for the top 0.01%.
"Escape route, maybe?"
"...Very possible."
Minus the insane 10000 coins—one eye nets 35.
'Whew.'
I reflexively touched my empty socket, met bronze agent's gaze with my remaining eye, and excused.
"I'm fine. Chose considering the casino."
One eye fine for gambling.
'Depth perception not crucial for gambling.'
Especially here, named casino.
'Casinos are cards and slots mainly.'
Missing one ear or hand worse: can't distinguish card shuffles bilaterally or handle two-handed tasks.
And.
'If Dolphin Deputy judged like me...'
......
"Found it."
Among countless body parts on the pawnshop shelves, I focused on one.
A green-sparkling, clear pupil in a black iris.
Dolphin Deputy's eye.
"...Deer made the same call. Smart ones think alike."
Eun Ha-je flexed her gear-replaced left hand.
"Selling a hand causes gambling issues. Not for nothing card sharps cut off hands."
"...How do you know that, citizen?"
"Call it rich experience for reporting. Anyway, Dolphin Deputy definitely got off here."
......
"Issue is if she's still here."
And one more.
How many parts she's lost by now.
'...Hurry and search.'
Anxiety spurred my body.
"Then split into pairs to sea—"
"Hello there."
......
Bodies froze.
"First time at Royal Casino? Saw you eyeing the goods, guests."
Familiar voice.
"Your group's exchange exceeds 50 coins, so you can play games beyond slots. Here to greet you."
I turned.
The casino's dealer welcoming new customers stood behind us.
"This way, please."
Dolphin Deputy.
With one eye missing, looking at us.