Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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Faster. Faster.
"Deputy Manager, so your prior experience was the 35th run, right?"
"Y-yeah. It was the one and only time we tried throwing in new hires."
Kim Sol-eum exchanged short, urgent questions and answers with Foreman Park Minseong before instantly sorting out the key points in his mind.
'The details from Foreman Park as an experienced hand...'
"Is that everything? Is this even necessary info?"
"I'm piecing it together."
"......"
Eh?
"And after that, we never put in new hires again..."
"Hold on."
"Huh?"
"Do corpses remain?"
Kim Sol-eum urgently stared at the foreman.
"The people who die as Hangman here."
"Y-yeah? Not sure about decay or anything... Their heads were gone, I think. I didn't personally attend the funeral and watch every procedure..."
"...!!"
A chill raced up Kim Sol-eum's spine.
This, this...
"Wh-what??"
Foreman Park Minseong urgently grabbed his shoulder.
"What's the hint? You got something?!"
"Yes."
Kim Sol-eum urgently nodded.
But cold sweat trickled down his neck.
'Truth be told, I can't guarantee it this time either.'
It felt insane. But, but...
How thrilling was the hope of possibility.
'Worth a shot.'
Kim Sol-eum roughly pieced together what was needed. ...It seemed precariously feasible.
'This way, we avoid breaking rules and slip through a loophole...!'
The problem was...
One essential ability was needed, but it wasn't on standby.
'...Brown.'
Needed it again.
'Disguise ability—how much longer till I can use it?'
Kim Sol-eum immediately revised his question.
'What if I change the conditions?'
Kim Sol-eum explained the 'changed conditions.'
The response shifted.
'Truly grateful.'
Then, one hour.
Conditions reestablished.
'Need to buy time.'
In this chaos, keep Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je off the gallows completely for one hour.
And that was impossible alone.
"Foreman."
"Yeah?"
"If possible, could you cheer me on?"
"...?"
Kim Sol-eum quickly slipped the 'Silver Heart' into his pocket.
And shouted.
To the nine employees gathered in the room, fervently playing Hangman.
"Everyone."
"...!"
Nine pairs of eyes turned to Kim Sol-eum.
He swallowed inwardly.
What was needed now...
'...Aggro!!'
"If we can double the clear points, would you do it?"
D Squad's deputy manager, Eun Ha-je, lifted her head.
With black ropes around her neck and limbs, suspended in midair after her death sentence, her mind was surprisingly calm.
'Not a bad way to go.'
Aside from dying right before point collection, honestly, compared to the bloody fates of past employees, it wasn't bad at all.
"Deputy Manager Eun!! What the hell is this mode of transport?!"
"No idea. I don't remember."
Especially since it meant taking even the trollish jerks with her.
The downside was that even if she wasn't cooperative, the correct answer would eventually come out.
Hangman was like that.
"Damn it... Her last ride as a reporter? How the hell should I know? No clue, shit... A?"
"Y-yes!!"
Even without deducing initials from hints, throwing letters eventually hit the answer.
'Ugh.'
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je felt a chill of death creeping up her neck as she looked at her vanished feet, but she didn't show it.
No point entertaining the trolls.
Meanwhile, D Squad's two juniors were diligently exchanging Q&A in the corner.
'What are they doing?'
They seemed to grit their teeth watching her lose both feet, then talked even more desperately.
Looks like they vainly thought to save her...
'Might be better that way.'
She hoped they'd chatter, realize no answer, and give up.
At least it'd comfort her a bit.
'......'
In the meantime, someone got the relatively easy answer for this problem.
"Trauma? T!"
Her left leg vanished entirely.
'Fuck...!'
"Waaah! Got it!"
"Ah!! Should've gone first!"
The trolls cheering like it was a sport at the sight of her missing leg.
Eun Ha-je started getting pissed off.
'Maybe I should troll aggressively too.'
Then suddenly.
"Everyone."
Someone beyond the trolls raised a hand.
"If we can double the clear points, would you do it?"
'...Deer!?'
Yes.
D Squad's newbie—no, now the youngest who'd escaped newbie status in record time—Kim Sol-eum was raising his hand with a calm expression.
"What?"
"That kid... Isn't that the one who just got promoted?"
By then, everyone recognized him.
The top entrant with deer-like antlers on his mask. Promoted to foreman in just 60 days, the rumors were already rampant.
Were those rumors why?
Strangely, they focused on the newbie. He had a subtly... natural presence.
And just now.
'Did he say points...?'
"......"
Amid the bizarre atmosphere of the playroom focusing on him, Kim Sol-eum spoke.
"Want to make a bet?"
...??
"If you win this bet, I'll give you all my clear points."
"...!!"
"Huh?"
Insane aggro.
"Is he crazy? What's he thinking?"
But for Field Exploration Team employees hooked on that word 'points,' they had no choice but to say:
"You mean all two thousand points for real?"
"Yes."
"Ah, Deer Foreman. You've only been here a few months, so maybe you don't know... but points can't be transferred."
"I know."
"You know? Then what..."
"But there's no issue buying two thousand points' worth from the employee mall and handing it over."
"...!"
"Beat me, and you can pick whatever. I'll even cover custom gear creation."
The mood shifted.
They'd already avoided 'sacrifice' status—how useful would extra points be?
"For real?"
"Yes."
Serious.
Of course, if they could win.
"What kind of bet?"
Kim Sol-eum crossed his arms.
"Most correct letters on the Hangman phrase."
"Ah!"
"Whoever gets more than me—the most—gets the points."
Is he nuts?
"For reference, I'll get just one right, so even two correct meets the threshold for half."
"W-wait a sec!"
D Squad's Foreman Park Minseong, listening beside him, jumped up in horror.
"Deer, in this situation, why make a bet..."
"B-Grade ghost stories that are safe if you follow the manual are rare. Might as well test if lots of correct answers trigger special phenomena."
Kim Sol-eum earnestly addressed the employees.
"If the mood gets weird, please stop it. Hope it's not dangerous."
"Ha."
A few employees snorted, glanced at each other, and one finally smirked.
"~Noble. Adding manual details for safer clears~ by betting?"
"Yes."
Kim Sol-eum answered immediately.
"Want to help future entrants clear a bit safer."
"......Why?"
"No real reason. Hm... Seemed useful if someone did it, so I will."
"......"
The questioner shut up.
Somehow... the mood felt off.
'Come to think of it, this newbie rescued a missing guy too.'
Another memory surfaced.
'Last time, saved everyone else in a B-Grade darkness and got promoted.'
Finding an unpopular office worker no one sought, unpaid. Risking high-grade darkness to save unknown colleagues.
'Not right in the head.'
Normally he'd mock as a sucker, but strangely, not this time.
Ting-
A clear metallic sound echoed in his head.
His thinking strangely cleared.
Escaping ingrained, comfortable habits, seeing phenomena straight on—like an odd sensation.
...And weirdly, those foolish choices looked impressive.
"......"
"......"
His mouth just opened.
"...Well, bet sounds good."
"Ah, thank you!"
Kim Sol-eum bowed slightly to the suddenly quiet employees like a thank-you, then stepped forward.
"See you when I head out."
He approached Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who watched slack-jawed, with a somber face.
"Deputy Manager."
Eun Ha-je felt a sharp headache.
'This guy's too nice—that's the problem!'
Smart youngest, but that's the flaw.
'Too sincere.'
Prime type for burnout or breakdown.
Desperately claiming items were for colleagues, now this idiocy...
"You, you're serious..."
Kim Sol-eum lowered his voice and spoke fast.
"Bluff."
"......"
Ah.
"Just pulling aggro to buy time."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je nearly forgot her impending death, barely managing to ask.
"...To buy time?"
"Yes."
Whoa.
"Wait, if you're buying time to try something, don't—perfect way to die..."
"What if we do anyway?"
"...!"
"We'll do it no matter what. ...Your cooperation raises success odds."
This... disobedient punk!
Eun Ha-je gritted her teeth.
"Hey. I said I'd handle it."
"Can't trust that. ...You've already given up. Planning to die."
"......"
Sharp too.
'Sigh.'
"...Wasn't entirely without ideas."
Finally, Eun Ha-je confessed.
Words she withheld to avoid false hope for the foremen.
"You know this ghost story shoves rules on 'new teacher' captives. Know the sole 'side character'?"
"......That's,"
"Hangman."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je grinned.
"Me."
Hangman could curse, bash head into wall—no penalty.
"Problem is, body's hard to move."
She eyed the ropes binding her.
"But... conversely, above the neck, I can do whatever."
"...!"
Of course, success odds abysmal.
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je said casually, hiding it.
"Hear that? Only I can exploit this gap continuously. No penalties. So you penalty targets sit and..."
Kim Sol-eum's eyes gleamed.
"We'll maximize that gap for survival odds."
"What?"
"Remember exactly what I say from now."
Kim Sol-eum clearly, sharply, simply conveyed her task.
So...
"...!"
"...That's it."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je felt like doused in ice water.
Do that for real?
"We'll hurry and prepare. See you soon."
"Hey!"
Wait.
"Deer!! Badger!! You punks!"
But the two were already walking out of the playroom.
"Hey! Come back!"
'Phew.'
Time-buying seemed to work.
I'm walking the kindergarten hallway with Foreman Park Minseong—too clean, colorful, quiet, making it creepier.
'Hurry.'
Based on foreman and deputy's testimonies, outlines sharpened. Anxiety and hope traded leads.
Meanwhile, this ghost story backdrop terrified.
But fearless Foreman Park kept glancing worriedly, finally asking.
"D-Deer. That okay? Two thousand points ain't kid stuff... What if someone gets two right?!"
Ah.
That.
"They won't exceed."
"...!"
I grinned.
"Selfish personalities, mutual checks—impossible."
"Eh?"
"They'll sabotage anyone trying."
"...!!"
Per records, time limit per problem: 7-10 minutes at ghost story's whim.
Conservatively, full 9 rounds to fill it.
Best way?
"Probably bicker and check till the end, then someone proposes terms to try—avoiding cumulative penalties."
And odds of that being right? Low.
'Ultimately, endure contamination once each, dragging time.'
Plus, one contamination makes random letters hesitant, more delays.
So...
"At least an hour."
I declared.
"Prize isn't points themselves, but goods—hard to split."
Uneven shares awkward, verbal promises untrustworthy.
'They trust my word solely thanks to Silver Heart.'
Don't let on. I ignored my pocket and continued.
"Don't worry. Prioritize saving deputy manager first."
"......"
Emotion flickered under foreman's mask, but aware of time, it subsided.
"Right. Hurry! Ah. Here."
"Yes."
Time to prepare.
'Whew.'
I sat with foreman in a suitable spot on the floor.
Largest kindergarten space.
I tried not to look at the scenery ahead.
Before us... a colorful ball pit decorated with flowers and butterflies, and a stage.
But on the fresh stage stood two chunks of flesh abruptly.
Left leg. Right foot.
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's body parts.
'Ha.'
Chill, terror, or crisis sense—something made my hair stand.
'Gallows.'
Timing: once.
Grab that chance here.