Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: FamilyNet
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Catastrophe Foundation, Field Investigation Team 4 Office.
In a corner of the conference room, Moon Jin-wook stared at the new recruit with an expression of utter disbelief. Steam still rose in wisps from the coffee cup in his hand.
"So, you... accelerated time?"
A tremor of disbelief ran through his voice. The coffee cup in his hand shook ever so slightly.
"Yes."
Baek Jeong-woo answered in a steady, unwavering voice. With the sleeves of his black suit slightly rolled up, he continued his report with the same calm as if discussing a routine task.
"I finished making the hamburgers in one hour, then fiddled with the clock a bit."
"The clock...?"
Moon Jin-wook shot up from his chair. The documents on the desk trembled, and a pen rolled to the floor. But he paid it no mind. He had no time for such things.
A momentary silence fell over the office. The ceiling's fluorescent light flickered once before returning to its steady white glow. Only the low hum of the air conditioning system could be heard.
"How did you even come up with that idea..."
He couldn't finish his sentence, looking at Baek Jeong-woo with eyes full of awe. He had been working at the Foundation for over two years, but he had never once considered such an approach.
He had analyzed Ghost Stories, dealt with them, and even entered and escaped from them himself. But the very idea of manipulating the Ghost Story's system itself was unheard of.
"Because the desk clock was the only object in the Ghost Story that showed the time."
Baek Jeong-woo gave a casual shrug. His expression remained as placid as ever.
"Since the Ghost Story had a time limit, I thought maybe time manipulation would be possible."
Kang Ha-na, who had been reviewing documents at the desk opposite him, suddenly looked up. The fountain pen in her hand stopped on the paper. Ink was slowly soaking into the page, but she seemed not to notice.
With an elegant motion, she set down her coffee cup and joined the conversation.
"But wouldn't doing something like that raise the Ghost Story's grade?"
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
"It must have at least become D-rank..."
"Yes, it did."
Baek Jeong-woo nodded. The fluorescent light reflected off his black hair, creating a faint shimmer.
"The dolls became much more aggressive. But I just closed the door and didn't look at the CCTV."
"Is that all?"
Kang Ha-na's eyebrows lifted slightly. Her expression was a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Anyone who worked at the Foundation knew this. A Ghost Story's grade increase wasn't just a simple increase in difficulty. A grade increase meant a geometric drop in the survival rate.
"Ah..."
Baek Jeong-woo hesitated for a moment. He could never reveal the existence of the Talent Shop. Instead, he decided to share another important discovery.
"While I was on the phone with Phone Guy, I found out why the dolls chase the security guard."
He paused for a moment, gauging the reactions of the two. Moon Jin-wook set down his coffee cup, and Kang Ha-na placed her fountain pen back on the documents. Both of their gazes fixed on Baek Jeong-woo.
"It's because of a rule that says you have to wear a costume inside the store."
He took a breath and continued.
"If we make character doll costumes from Destroyer Entertainment and have the employees wear them, we should be able to clear the Ghost Story safely, even if we turn back time."
Moon Jin-wook and Kang Ha-na looked at each other. Amidst the silence of the office, their eyes held a silent conversation. Their gazes were filled with surprise and awe. The same thought was etched on their faces.
'He's a genius.'
Moon Jin-wook thought. The pen he had been gripping slipped from his fingers and fell. The pen rolled across the carpet and disappeared under a partition, but no one paid it any mind.
'This is the level of intuition and logic he was born with, just to clear Ghost Stories.'
The insight to see through the essence of a Ghost Story, the ability to calmly find solutions in dangerous situations, and on top of that, the creativity to present a new manual.
It wasn't easy to find talent like this. Passing the Foundation's entrance exam was difficult enough, yet he was producing results like this on his first mission.
"You're amazing."
Moon Jin-wook said, his voice filled with admiration. A smile spread across his lips.
"If we keep this up, we'll be catching up to you in no time."
Baek Jeong-woo shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. His face flushed slightly.
"No, not really... To be honest, I thought I was going to die when the Ghost Story's difficulty increased in the middle."
Instantly, the air in the office grew heavy. A breeze from the window gently stirred the blinds, and the fluorescent light flickered once. Everyone knew just how dangerous that situation had been.
A Ghost Story that had risen from E-rank to D-rank was no longer a simple horror experience; it had transformed into a genuine threat to one's life. According to the Foundation's statistics, the survival rate for Ghost Stories that had their grade increased was less than 20%.
"I understand how you felt."
Kang Ha-na said with a warm smile. Her expression carried the compassion of a senior and the understanding of a colleague.
She picked up the documents on the desk. The papers shimmered in the sunlight. It was a meticulously written report with black ink. The cover read, "Jack's Hamburger - New Manual Proposal."
"Well, now that the report has been submitted..."
A moment later, a cheerful notification sound rang from her computer. The heavy atmosphere in the office was broken in an instant. A message reading "Approval Complete" was displayed on the monitor screen.
"Baek Jeong-woo, check your account."
Baek Jeong-woo took his smartphone from his pocket and checked his bank account. His eyes widened in an instant.
Forty million won had been deposited into his account.
"This is..."
As Baek Jeong-woo stood speechless, Kang Ha-na explained.
"That includes the basic hazard pay, plus an incentive for writing the new manual."
Kang Ha-na said calmly. A small smile lingered on her lips.
Baek Jeong-woo was at a loss for words for a moment. Was this the way of the Catastrophe Foundation? To test employees using Ghost Stories, and to give extraordinary rewards for their results?
'The Catastrophe Foundation... maybe it's a good company?'
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During dinner time, I sat at my assigned desk. The shadows cast by the partitions around me were growing longer and longer.
When I logged into the intranet, the Catastrophe Foundation Family Net popped up. The Foundation's logo glowed softly on the screen. Below the sleek logo was the phrase "For Our Family."
As I scrolled down, a list of the Foundation's products filled the screen. The Family Net had many special items that couldn't be found in the Talent Shop.
Most of them were products the Foundation had manufactured itself. They stabilized and commercialized the power of Ghost Stories through scientific research.
If the items in the Talent Shop contained raw, primal power, the items in the Family Net had a more refined and polished feel.
Naturally, the price range was different. Products for politicians and the chaebol families mostly cost billions of won. Potions that completely cure cancer, drugs that extend one's lifespan... Every conceivable thing was possible here.
Of course, the price was different. An item that cost a few thousand Talents in the Talent Shop often cost hundreds of millions of won here. But in return, the stability was guaranteed, and side effects were minimized.
The "Negative Absorption Tea Bag" was a prime example. It had a similar effect to the "Emotion Straw" from the Talent Shop, but it could be used much more safely. The "Emotion Straw" could also affect the user's mind, but the tea bag purely absorbed only external emotions.
I began to slowly look through the product list. I was looking for items I could buy with my budget.
Next was the "Shadow Sticker." It was an adhesive patch made of pure silver. The description said that if you stick it on a target's shadow, it immediately fuses with the shadow, restricting the corresponding part of the target's body. However, there was a limitation: it had no effect after sunset.
The "Emotion Spray Set" was also interesting. It was a spray containing a liquid that shone with a rainbow light. The emotions of the sprayed target would change according to the spray's color. Red represented anger, blue represented sadness, and yellow represented joy.
Finally, there was "Painkiller." It was a pill that blocked a target's senses. The description stated that upon taking it, one would not feel any kind of pain. Unlike anesthesia, consciousness and other senses were maintained normally. The drawback was that if you took two pills in a day, you would fall into a deep sleep.
'If I have to keep encountering Ghost Stories...'
I sank into deep thought. The forty million won I had just received. What would be the most efficient thing to buy with this money?
The Negative Absorption Tea Bag seemed necessary for teamwork. But the suppression ability of the Shadow Sticker was also attractive. The Emotion Spray would help with manipulating the opponent's psychology, and the Painkiller could serve as a last resort in dangerous situations.
The sun was setting outside the window. A red light seeped into the office. I let out a slow breath.
'I need to set my priorities.'
But before that, I needed to figure out the true purpose of all these products. The Foundation's items always had a meaning beyond their surface-level description.
I stared intently at the monitor and lost myself in thought.
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In the Foundation life that had just begun, this choice could become an important turning point.
The clock pointed to 6. It was time to leave work, but I was still sitting in my seat. I had to make my choice carefully. My survival was on the line.
'Alright, what should I buy now...'
As the blue light of the monitor shone on my face, I sank into a deep dilemma.