Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Moonlit Tattoo Upgrade
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The tattoos imprinted on me by the ghost stories were all just letters.
One was in Latin letters.
The membership card given by that blue dragon mascot from the theme park had burned away, leaving this mark. According to Brown, it granted privileges like a "special qualification" pass.
And the other one was in Hanja.
This tattoo came from the contract document of the mountain lodge owner in that serial killer ghost story, which had also burned into my skin.
However, since I lacked the "qualification," it was just a meaningless string of characters with no actual function.
If I had to pick one to "enhance"...
'Of course, this one.'
"Please take good care of it."
The tattooist peered at the tattoo I pointed to.
The reason for this choice was simple.
'Better to increase the variety of abilities.'
I was all but guaranteed (though it made me want to cry) to keep getting thrown into all sorts of ghost stories going forward.
No single superpower was going to magically solve everything.
'Even Lizard nearly died despite having that power. No way.'
It was better to stock up on different cards for different situations rather than half-heartedly strengthening just one ability.
'So better to turn the useless letters into something useful.'
This moonlight tattoo shop didn't carry the risk of stepping on a landmine, either.
It was extremely friendly toward humans and wouldn't grant anything harmful, meaning the mountain lodge owner wouldn't suddenly pop out and slit my throat.
And besides...
I glanced at the Latin letters.
-Good child.
...Thinking of that mascot with whom I'd somehow formed an emotional bond, covering it up felt almost like defacing it.
'Danger signals are blaring.'
My instincts as a Darkness Exploration Records fanatic told me to steer clear of something like that.
-Ah, here we go at last!
With that, I'd made my choice, and the tattooist got to work.
I waved off his attempt to show me design mockups.
"Ah, just do it however looks best to you, please."
To maximize the effect, I had to trust the expert.
I flashed a grin.
"I believe in your skills, Tattooist."
"...!"
The shopkeeper's eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment before he energetically urged me to lie back comfortably in the chair.
All while making sure I gripped Brown tightly in my hand.
-Looks like he's mistaken me for some kind of pain-relief doll! What a rude yet amusing misunderstanding!
But there was no pain.
The tattooist donned a pair of intricate goggles that evoked steampunk vibes, then started up an enormous tattoo machine.
'...Is the machine supposed to be that big?'
I was a bit taken aback by its size—practically that of a surgical medical device.
Then moonlight gathered into the machine.
Ziiing—
The LED lights pouring from the ceiling were sucked into the machine.
And converged to a single point.
The tip of the tattoo needle.
Like a glowing gem, it approached my arm, and I closed my eyes as instructed.
"......"
A strange sensation spread through my left arm.
It wasn't pain, itchiness, or pressure.
It felt like old grime peeling away as my skin rearranged itself into perfect alignment—a cool, comfortable sensation that lingered.
Tap tap.
It was done.
The light before my eyes faded, and at the tattooist's gesture, I opened them.
"...!"
'My god.'
A background had appeared around the tattoo.
An indigo night sky with a full moon hung there, rendered as if with a single brushstroke, and the letters were etched into it like a moon shadow.
Stars twinkled nearby like scattered pearls.
Tap tap.
The tattooist placed a hand on his hip, checking if I approved.
"It's fantastic."
The tattooist's face lit up with pride as he patted my shoulder and dashed to the counter.
"...?"
He returned holding a single pearl bead. It looked like the one from the necklace I'd brought.
'What is it?'
The owner pressed the pearl against my tattoo.
And it sank right in.
"...?!"
-Hoo, well now. Hmm...
-Deer, this is fascinating. A "passage" has opened.
A passage?
-Try rubbing the tattoo gently. You'll feel something.
I raised my hand and lightly touched the tattoo, which felt neither brushy nor painful, as if by magic.
"...!"
I felt it.
A "gap" between the touching skin.
"......"
Cautiously, I slipped my hand "inside."
When it emerged again, it held the pearl the tattooist had just placed there...
'...A space?'
-Exactly. It seems that shabby mountain lodge owner's contract even included "space provision"!
-Providing a room to a guest is a servant's obvious duty, isn't it? The artist must have found a loophole in the contract and turned it into a small space for you!
Hold on.
Did that mean I now had my own little personal inventory?
'This actually works?'
My heart raced at this webtoon-style gift I'd never dreamed of getting from a ghost story.
-Let's see... Imagine a cube about 2 feet on each side. That's the kind of space connected to you!
2 feet was roughly 60 cm.
True to its origins in an American talk show ghost story, it used annoying imperial units—but I was genuinely grateful for the info.
That said...
'So, is it connected to that lodge?'
The crazy killer lodge had surely vanished by now.
-Who knows? No telling where it's connected...
-What sort of space the lodge owner promised to provide is something only the original contractor would know.
"......"
-This is intriguing. Perfect for a bet! What should we wager for the pleasure of our lives?
I'll politely decline...
Still, the moonlight tattoo shop wouldn't manifest abilities in a way that harmed its customers, so I shouldn't be so paranoid that I ignored a useful power.
'No more worrying about sneaking items on expeditions.'
That alone made it incredible.
"Thank you. It's truly amazing and cool."
I handed back the pearl I'd pulled out, and joy and satisfaction sparkled in the tattooist's eyes as he took it.
"Is this good to go?"
Nod.
"Then I'll head inside."
And as I moved toward the entrance...
The tattooist gestured for me to hold on, as if he'd just remembered something.
'What now?'
He rummaged furiously under the counter, pulled out a sheet of paper, wrapped it carefully in transparent packaging, and handed it to me.
'...A tattoo design?'
I realized what it was the moment I took it.
It was a tattoo sticker.
The exact tomato tree design I'd been recommended, no less.
Three sheets of it!
"...!"
Wait a second.
"Does wearing this make you... 'brave,' like actually getting the tattoo?"
The tattooist nodded with a smile.
'My god.'
An unexpected bonus.
"Thank you."
The owner waved with a smile.
Now it really was time to go.
I tucked the stickers into my pocket—meaning my new "space"—grabbed the door handle, and finally made my exit.
"Have a great day."
A polite farewell, and the door shut behind me.
Ding-a-ling.
When I turned back...
"......"
It was vacant.
The glass door, plastered with a twisted real estate contact, stared back emptily.
'...Yeah, it was supposed to be like this.'
The moonlight tattoo shop could only be entered once via this "Vacant Premises" ghost story.
'Next time, it'll be through a different one.'
-Ah, what a unique and enjoyable experience.
I agreed.
"Deer, how'd the exploration go?"
"Fine."
That day, I wrapped up the "Vacant Premises" expedition without issue and banked my points nicely.
The pleasant scent from Brown's aroma massage lingered for days.
But the cover-up tattoo vanished like a lie the next day, leaving only the original letters on my wrist.
The ability remained, though.
'Gotta use it well.'
I ran experiment after experiment, pondering the inventory's potential.
And then three weeks passed.
No dramatic moments where this ability truly shone...
"......"
Well... this was normal, right?
For ghost stories with manuals, the company already supplied everything needed for clearing, so there was no need to sneak anything in.
And deployments to ones without manuals had dropped off sharply.
'The alien shop didn't have anything insanely portable and useful enough to hoard, either...'
In the end, it devolved into just more convenient storage for my existing items.
'I did figure out it's vacuum-sealed or something—food doesn't spoil inside.'
Analog watches kept ticking fine, but digital ones drained their batteries.
Rules I couldn't quite pin down.
And it wasn't like I needed it urgently anyway.
So time passed as I steadily racked up points without any intense item or ability usage...
'It's still good.'
"Three weeks until regular reassignment."
"Heh heh heh."
"Knew you'd stay here, Deer!?"
"Yeah. I hope so."
If the hottest gossip in D Squad was whether I'd survive reassignment and stay put, that said it all.
In a ghost story company, injuries and scares popped up now and then, but I'd gotten used to it.
I could grit it out clutching those tattoo stickers like talismans.
'Gotta save these for real emergencies.'
I'd started to feel secure going about my increasingly routine company life, handling work alongside these decent teammates.
And, predictably...
That sense of security didn't last.
Three weeks and two days later.
Monday morning commute.
"Deer's here?"
"......"
The atmosphere had shifted.
'...What's this?'
An eerie stillness.
The office air felt like the moments before a disaster when people leave final messages for their families.
The peculiar calm of those resigned to tragedy.
Definitely not a good omen.
"...Huh, guess I'll experience this too."
"It'll be fine. Our squad's all tough with rotten luck anyway!"
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je didn't bother responding to Foreman Park Minseong.
This was seriously bad.
"Sit down, Deer."
I ended up on the sofa instead of my desk. Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je sat across from me, her expression serene as she set a tablet PC in front of me.
"This is the Darkness you'll deploy into three days from now."
"......"
Three days?
'Why give so much advance notice?'
A three-day schedule usually meant "prepare in case you go."
Speaking so definitively was rare.
"Twelve people deploying... B-Grade."
"......"
"Don't freak out. Survival rate's ridiculously high. Extra points are generous too... 2,000 per person."
"...And?"
A wry smile like "smartass" flitted across Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's face.
"And there's a problem, obviously. Easier to find a Darkness without one... but this one's unique."
"...Unique in what way?"
"Simplest explanation... yeah."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je crossed her arms.
"A luck-dependent total disaster game."
"...!?"
"The moment you enter, one person has to die. ...Completely random. Pure luck."
Damn.