Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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I have no idea how I managed to get through that night after confirming the crack in the GripTok.
The next day, sick or not, I headed out right away to buy a new phone.
After transferring the SIM card, I attached the cracked GripTok with trembling hands and turned it on.
…It powers up!
Fortunately, the wiki booted up, but… something felt off.
Horror Stories
[Hell Surcharge Taxi]
Glitches were popping up.
It felt just like an old computer on its last legs—the characteristic stuttering of a machine barely hanging on to its lifespan…
It soon recovered normally, but it sent chills down my spine.
Right. Merch can break too…
I'd overlooked that part because buying it at the popup store had led to this bizarre situation where I could actually use it in the horror story world, and I carried my smartphone everywhere like it was part of my body.
Why not just copy the wiki contents somewhere else for backup?
That alone would take over a month.
The pages displayed on the Memorial GripTok are protected against copying and screenshots. I'd have to transcribe everything by hand while looking at the smartphone screen.
Not sure if this GripTok will even last that long.
Still, no need to panic.
Merch from the goods box is, after all, an item from this horror story world.
And after half a year here, I've built up enough foundation to open other options.
Get a new GripTok.
Or secure a repair route.
Amusingly, both required the same kind of connection.
The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
The origin of this GripTok.
And I know where things like this GripTok or silver badges are made…
Of course, I know the entry method, the password, and the required items.
And conveniently, I even have a temporary agent badge from the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
"……."
I pressed my temple and thought.
I'm on sick leave for three days right now.
Which means I can't go to the office and work or handle Death Squad follow-ups in this condition anyway.
But as long as I'm not clocking in, it's fine to push myself elsewhere if I can endure it. My condition will recover for sure in three days.
Just can't artificially dodge the pain billed as taxi fare.
Since it's a curse, painkillers won't help much, and trying to evade the pain supernaturally will just extend the curse duration by as much as you avoid.
You have to take the actual pain for it to count as payment.
So, my ultra-potent painkiller, 'Happy Maker,' should be saved for true emergencies where extending the curse is unavoidable.
Plus…
"……."
Thinking about what I did after injecting it in that nightmare made me shudder a bit.
It really was completely painless and comfortable…
If it hadn't been a dream, and if I hadn't gotten contamination treatment at the Fox Counseling Office, it would've popped into my head every time I was struggling or become addictive.
I had to be careful.
…Yeah.
Don't push to the breaking point where I can avoid it, and prepare countermeasures while I can.
I carefully detached the cracked GripTok from the phone, packaged it, and stored it in my tattoo.
"Brown. Gotta head out again."
That was a chilling yet reassuring statement.
"Yeah. Thanks."
I showered once more to clean my sweat-soaked body, then threw on a light hoodie.
I grabbed the glossy bowtie-wearing rabbit doll and tucked it into the front pocket of the hoodie.
Hm.
"The place in Seoul where young people gather the most."
I got off at Hongik University Station entrance.
It was amazing how crowded it was even on a weekday afternoon.
And it's packed even away from the station.
From Mapo to Yeonnam, the streets must be swarming with people out for fun.
Compared to the rundown alley I visited yesterday—the one connected to the Death Squad Path—this crowd was on another level.
Ughhh!
Thankfully, Brown got distracted by something else right away, so I didn't need to rein in that excited voice.
…I'm fine.
Inevitable when carrying a disease curse and hanging out in downtown Seoul with a horror resident… Heh heh.
Still, the vibrant yang energy wasn't bad.
Cafes everywhere, sun shining down—a lively street with no trace of gloom.
The idea of anything mystical or horror-like happening here in broad daylight was unimaginable.
Which is exactly why it's safe.
I recalled the method to access the place that could fix the GripTok.
! Read carefully and destroy immediately
Location: Signless cafe with a blue roof. Commercial space renovated from a house, with a buckwheat flower wreath on the door.
There it is.
With Brown's help, I completely suppressed my presence and slipped into the building with the blue roof.
It was a large cafe bustling with customers.
Even in broad daylight, all sorts of lights and decorations sparkled as the staff bustled about taking orders and serving drinks and coffee.
Instead of lining up for an order, I sidestepped and peeked into the kitchen area.
And if I went a bit further inside…
The moment I turned the corner, two doors came into view.
[Staff Only]
Identical yellow doors, but one led outside, and the other…
That's the one I need to open.
Enter through the right door of the two.
Never touch the left door. Touching the left door once makes re-entry to the 'location' via the right door impossible.
I cautiously approached the right door and knocked in a light rhythm.
Knock-knock, knock-knock-, knock-knock, knock-knock-
Jajinmori rhythm. A beat anyone who went through public education in this country would recognize.
Then, I cracked the door open just enough to slip inside without drawing attention.
Creeeak, thud.
"…."
The inside looked like a typical staff area.
A mix of hallway, storage, and employee break room.
Worn sofa, desk, laptop, supply boxes. In one corner, out-of-season interior props were piled up.
I carefully sifted through the props and found it.
A hanok model.
It looked like it had been used as a Chuseok interior decoration.
This must be it.
I crouched down in front of the hanok model, reached out, and grasped the small gate.
And the moment I opened the gate.
Thud!
I fell backward, landing hard on my rear.
"Ah..."
Already in pain from my illness, I felt blood welling up in my throat, but I forced myself to swallow it down. This was not a place where I could afford to shed blood.
'Let's see...'
I got up and surveyed my surroundings. The bustling, modern cafe was gone; in its place was a quiet, enclosed hanok courtyard.
The space was eerily still, completely devoid of wind and surrounded by high traditional walls. The characteristic wooden beams and ivory-colored walls of a traditional Korean house came into view.
'Silent.'
It felt like stumbling into a break room where no one was supposed to be.
Suddenly—
"Hey! Who's there? You can't just... Eh? Kim-seobang?"
The hanok's door burst open, and out stepped someone with braided hair, wearing a casual tracksuit.
The person pointed a finger directly at the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau's temporary agent badge on my hoodie.
I took a deep breath and bowed my head slightly.
"Ah, my apologies. It's my first time here."
"A new Kim-seobang, huh?! Must be those meddling government agents up to their weird tricks again!"
"What if a scrawny Kim-seobang like you stumbled upon a mischievous noontime goblin while wandering around in broad daylight, eh?!"
Though the figure seemed entirely ordinary—just somewhat large and loud—it certainly wasn't human.
The title "Kim-seobang" alone gave it away.
'That's a goblin.'
And this was their gathering place.
Horror Stories
[Goblin Workshop]
Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau ID: No records found
Daydream Inc. ID: No records found
A workshop where goblins gather at night to craft clubs and hats. Nearly all exploration logs occur during the day.
The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau strongly restricts information to prevent Daydream Inc. from accessing it.
Refer to the relevant documents for usage details.
This was it.
The goblins were said to gather here nightly, drinking, eating buckwheat cakes, and crafting their mystical tools.
This ghost story began with the premise that some nocturnal goblins enjoyed their gatherings so much they lingered even during the day.
If you approached the goblins idling in the workshop at midday, offered them something nice, and asked them to craft items for you, they would often do so enthusiastically.
Currently, however, they scared off and chased away anyone who wasn't a "government official Kim-seobang."
And once someone was chased away, they could never succeed in re-entering.
Honestly, it felt less like a horrifying ghost story and more like a modern urban version of a charming old folktale.
'That's why the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau just quietly thanks them and takes the equipment.'
Some of the low-rank gear, like GripToks, issued to rookie agents originated from this very place—including the glass gun I had received from Agent Bronze. Such harmless and straightforward ghost stories weren't even classified as Disasters; they were simply labeled as 'common supernatural phenomena' by the Bureau.
Although, there was one slightly troubling description in the records...
People are often warned to beware of fearsome daytime goblins, though no sightings have been reported to date.
This loose end hadn't been resolved in the wiki yet, so it wasn't an immediate concern.
'Let's get this over with.'
I carefully unwrapped the GripTok, which I'd packaged in multiple layers, and held it out to the goblin.
"I rushed over, hoping you could fix this. Ah, here's a token of gratitude..."
"Kim-seobang, this isn't something we made, is it?"
...What?
"It's not?"
"Nope, nope. Looks like someone copied us. Haha, funny, so funny..."
The goblin chuckled to himself and stretched his neck forward, closely examining the cracked GripTok.
'Copied?'
But the merch from the goods box had the exact same effects as the originals.
Apparently, the system didn't treat their sources as identical. I'd need to be careful. Swallowing down a trace of spit and blood, I spoke up.
"Then, is this too difficult to repair, even for your marvelous workshop?"
"What are you saying? This old-timer can fix anything smaller than my palm... but, you know."
A sly grin spread across the goblin's face.
"Kim-seobang, you seem to have some incredibly good stuff on you!"
"...! Oh, I did bring some buckwheat snacks..."
"Huh? Not that!"
"There's a delicious smell coming from you..."
"……!!"
I was screwed, wasn't I?
"Ah, it smells aged and divine..."
The goblin grinned even wider.
"Ginseng!"
"……."
Ah.
I adjusted my sleeve to cover my wrist, pretending to rummage through my bag before cautiously pulling out the item.
"Are you referring to... this ginseng, Elder?"
It was the piece of wild ginseng previously used for Brown's bath to release his sentience and purify him entirely.
Though the cut surface had dried, the strong scent of earth and forest remained potent.
"That's it! Oh, how splendid, what a beauty!"
The goblin practically drooled over it.
"This would make a perfect tonic. How about it? I'll craft you a fine hoe or broom. Or perhaps a lovely jade ring!"
Whoa.
"……."
'That's... tempting.'
Why hesitate when a benevolent goblin offered a rare item?
'Because I'm here under false pretenses.'
I wasn't an actual agent.
I was only impersonating one with this temporary badge, so I had to tread carefully.
'The government should never find out about me.'
If the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau received a report of an unregistered outsider intruding on a ghost story they desperately tried to control, it would be a disaster. If today had been within fifteen days of their scheduled inspection, I wouldn't have even dreamed of coming.
'That's the regular schedule for the Bureau's visits.'
Even if repairing the GripTok was a minor task, offering premium ginseng and leaving with a newly crafted item might draw too much attention.
'It wouldn't be with any ill intentions, but that goblin would undoubtedly gossip about it later.'
Even if I begged him to keep it a secret, he'd likely forget and let it slip eventually.
'Better to refuse.'
"I'll just give you the ginseng. Please enjoy brewing it into a fine tonic."
"Oh, what a kind-hearted Kim-seobang! Truly generous!"
The goblin beamed as he took the ginseng. Then—
"But you see, it's proper to leave here with something, you know."
"……."
What?
"Which team are you from anyway? Judging by the temporary badge, are you one of the new recruits undergoing training?"
What the hell was this?
"……."
I barely managed to turn my head to look up.
"Why aren't you answering, eh?!"
It wasn't a goblin—it was a Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agent pretending to be one.