Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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After that, everything was handled quite quickly.
I seemed to have received some major recognition from the company again.
Apparently, employees rescuing contaminated colleagues on their own did happen occasionally, but most of the time, it involved months or even years of preparation and a desperate resolve to pull them out.
There were countless cases of failing and going missing alongside them, too.
Pulling someone out right after contamination like this was unprecedented among new hires, or so they said.
"Hey, that deer antler mask over there..."
"Oh, that's the guy?"
"Whoa... how many times is this now?"
While walking through the company hallways, I occasionally heard whispers behind me.
Actually, it reminded me that we'd had similar experiences a few times before, eating in the cafeteria as D Squad.
Maybe because I was alone, but they stood out especially.
It didn't last long, though.
"Kim Sol-eum."
"Yes."
"Don't come to work for the next ten days."
"...??"
"It's paid leave."
D Squad was already on temporary hold with half the team gone, and now leave was approved for me.
'I'd been coming in diligently for a few days to write the situation report.'
I was intensely curious about how they'd twisted the rules in that B-Grade Darkness where you had to kill the Hangman to clear, and how Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je had survived.
'Someone must have reported that Foreman Park Minseong and I were trying something.'
There had even been talk of interviews with the research team to bolster the exploration record's credibility...
-Ah, Junior Kim. Why bother with that? Rest, rest. You did something huge!
-...Thank you.
It seemed the manual review lead, Section Chief Lee Byung-jin, and our squad leader, Section Chief Lee Jaheon, had shut it down.
It was a bit funny, but amid the reports from the employees who'd gone in with us, they'd testified that 'Kim Sol-eum acted purely to save his squadmate without any other intent.'
They'd covered for me, saying it was just quick thinking and luck aligning perfectly.
'We all bolted the moment the clear portal opened, but they still spoke up for me.'
The former was obvious, the latter appreciated, so I just accepted it.
Thanks to that, my name was bouncing around the internal phone lines again, the Hungry Hangman manual got slapped with a 'potential revision' tag, and the rookie group chat was trying to pry info out of me...
"......"
Someone even sent a message of comfort.
'Thanks. Really.'
For the record, Baek Saheon hadn't even asked how I was doing at home.
'That's just how that guy's personality is...'
I hadn't expected it anyway.
So far, the situation hadn't been bad for my survival.
'No, actually good?'
I was steadily building an impressive career.
Especially with keywords like 'quick clear via fresh methods ignoring established manuals' and 'righteousness,' stacking named employee cred continuously.
Ten days of vacation, no less.
I figured it'd be either joy at distancing from urban legends for ten days or disappointment at slowed point gains.
Neither really hit.
So I just did nothing...
-Mr. Deer, shall I share this brown's insights on why that abysmal comedy failed to captivate the masses? It'll be riveting!
"Sure."
I spent a few days sitting in the living room watching TV.
It was around the third day.
...A message came.
"...!"
"Deer’s here."
"...Deputy Manager."
I placed the hospital visit gift under the side table and stood by the bed.
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je chuckled.
"Soy milk? Good pick."
"...Thank you."
It was the first time meeting since that brief exchange in the infirmary when she regained consciousness...
She looked a bit pale but otherwise fine.
The White Snow Mountain apple must have worked to some extent.
"Not bad for someone who came back from the dead, right? ...That item was good. Thanks."
Thanks to that item, she'd looked like a corpse, but the special circumstance of missing a hand instead of her head meant she was quarantined and stored safely.
'Squad Leader Lee Jaheon confirmed her survival at sunrise the next day, reported it, and she was moved to the infirmary...'
Now she'd been transferred to a hospital affiliated with the company somehow, and emergency treatment had just wrapped up.
"Oh, I said the apple was just something I had on hand. People usually don't want their sources traced."
"...Thank you."
"No need for thanks—it's me and Minseong who owe you."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je raised her left hand as if to wave, then paused.
It was gone.
"......"
Her bandaged left wrist ended bluntly.
Company-issued supply potions couldn't regenerate such a severe loss.
"...Deputy Manager."
I voiced what I'd been thinking.
"I have a C-Grade regeneration potion..."
"You gonna hand it over?"
"I was planning to sell it for points."
"Heh."
She clicked her tongue.
"Listen up, Deer. Items traded only in points? You can't buy 'em outside for any reasonable amount of money."
"......"
"And wasting that potion on one hand? It's for regenerating half a limb or more."
"Still,"
"Enough. I'll handle my hand. Keep yours for emergencies."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's eyes gleamed darkly.
"Keep diving into Darkness, and you'll lose more than a hand someday."
A chill ran down my spine...
"Actually, I've got something for you."
She handled her one remaining hand with the ease of years of practice and reached into the drawer.
She pulled out a gold-embossed box painted with an elegant oil artwork.
"...?!"
'W-wait a sec.'
That's the box Daydream Corporation uses for their special potions!
It even looked fancier than the C-Grade regeneration one I'd gotten.
"Deputy Manager, what is..."
"See? The last one."
She popped the box open boldly.
Inside was satin-molded with indentations for two round vials.
But one was already empty.
She took out the remaining one and tossed it to me lightly.
"Take it."
"...!"
Oh my god.
I hastily caught the vial before it fell and checked it.
Inside, a liquid blending purple and silver swirled like graceful lines...
Poison?!
"You bought this with points...?"
"Yep."
She grinned, baring her teeth.
"Handle it well. That's a 170,000-point Death Note."
"...!!"
"Kills remotely without a trace."
W-wait.
I read the vial's label with trembling hands.
"In short, perfect for offing someone you hate without a sound."
"......"
"They suffer insane burning pain, curse the world in mental torment before coma, feel four years of agony in four hours, then go."
You're giving me a murder weapon like that...?
She grumbled about how the poison came in two-vial sets because the description had two lines, and how that damn concept doubled her work tenure.
But she grinned at me in the end.
"Use it on anyone you wanna kill."
"...!"
"I had someone."
I groaned at the empty spot in the box.
...So she already used it!
"Curious who I used it on?"
I couldn't help recalling it.
-The word that best describes Teacher Eun Ha-je is 'traitor'!
The exposé in Hungry Hangman.
"If it's personal and uncomfortable to share, you don't have to..."
"Uncomfortable? I'm dying to spill."
W-well, if you insist.
She crossed her arms and leaned back on the bed.
"Long story short... Yeah, I switched jobs after screwing up as a reporter."
"......"
"Chased a scoop on a politician's kid into drugs, human trafficking, all sorts of insanity."
Her tone was as plain as ever, but the content was anything but.
It had that clean polish of a story chewed over and refined for years.
Articles wouldn't pass desk review, then insane pressure hit the team, stalking, threats to family...
"Team wanted to bury it, but I couldn't stand it and planned to leak to overseas press. Traitor? Fair. But..."
A small sigh.
"Got a call on departure day. All four whistleblowers dead like lies."
"......"
"Officially suicides from despair... Obviously not. Killed or hounded to death."
"......"
"Stupid me thought going public would fix it all."
"No."
"I was stupid. Anyway..."
She quit reporting.
Couldn't continue.
"But needed a job. People to feed at home."
Luckily found a fitting company then.
Diverse age range for new hires, favored sales roles with varied experience.
Pharma company, different industry—no blacklist.
"Daydream Corporation."
And here, she encountered...
Wish Grant.
"...At first, thought of reviving the dead. Felt like insulting the deceased."
She adjusted her arms.
"Reviving on my guilt trip? Selfish satisfaction. Respect the dead as is. Company has plenty who disagree. Anyway..."
She ended with a faint smile.
"So last night, I got revenge. That's it."
"......"
"When news hits of the politician kid dying horribly, that's me."
She stretched grandly.
"Ha... Fuck, finally done with this damn Darkness exploration!!"
"Quitting?"
"You don't know life."
Her face was stiff despite the bold words.
She'd mentioned it lightly to avoid burdening me, but Foreman Park Minseong clearly weighed on her...
"Gonna rest awhile... Can't rejoin D Squad like before."
"......"
She smiled bitterly.
"You threw that fit to keep me in the squad, and it happened just like you said."
"...Yes."
I realized reflexively.
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who sat next to me...
Won't be around anymore.
"......"
"Deer."
"......"
"Tough, huh."
"...!"
"Yeah. Not tough? You'd be a freak. You've been too capable, so it hit late, but everyone goes through it."
She thumped her chest laughing.
"Not seeing your desk neighbor next day."
"......"
"But pat yourself on the back—this is the best scenario. Losing squadmates for good reasons because you're that good."
"...Foreman Park Minseong,"
"That's my debt."
She cut in firmly.
"You rescued him too. Be proud. He's tough—will recover on his own. Worry about you."
She glanced and smiled.
"Squad leader's been worried about you."
"...??"
The Lizard... worried?
"Deer, squad leader hasn't shown up at the office lately, right?"
Yeah.
"Normally, half team gone? You support other squads, not rest."
Ah.
"But he pulled you out."
"...!"
"Using connections or subbing himself."
Oh my god.
"Kinda trustworthy, right? Been like that since I joined. No flexibility, but reliable."
She gripped my shoulder with her good hand.
"Hard working with trustworthy folks in this company? That's your blessing. ...Keep doing well with the squad leader."
She grinned and offered.
"Whoever takes my spot, with Squad Leader Lee Jaheon and Kim Sol-eum? It'll be fine."
Her intact right hand.
"Earn points safely. Deer."
I shook with D Squad's Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je.
That was the last.
After vacation ended, on my first day back, I saw Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's desk cleared in the D Squad office.
Foreman Park Minseong's was still there, but who knows. Could vanish anytime.
"......"
I quietly went to my desk and sat.
And so.
D Squad was left with just me.