Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Alliance
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Immediately after being introduced to Narae, Cheon Seung-soo called me straight to the break room.
And so, I stared at the pink remote control Cheon Seung-soo handed me, momentarily at a loss for words.
It was a remote control with a design that looked like an adult toy you'd only see on Hitomi. A pastel tone mixed with pink, complete with a cute heart-shaped button.
I tried to stay calm, but this was too much. Even if the other party is a ghost, to think he'd provide such a stimulating remote control with such a cute design...
"What is this?"
Feeling the bewilderment seeping into my voice, I asked as calmly as possible.
Cheon Seung-soo answered with a slight smile, as if he found my reaction amusing.
"It's a remote control to control Narae's choker. It can give her an electric shock if you press it."
He continued speaking in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were talking about the weather.
"Use it if she ever disobeys or tries to attack you during a mission."
I turned the remote control over in my hands. Numbers from 1 to 10 were engraved around the heart-shaped button.
'Ah, what a relief.'
A sigh of relief escaped me without realizing it. For a moment, I thought it was a toy for some really strange purpose, but it turned out to be just a remote control to control a restraint.
Cheon Seung-soo, who had brought me and Narae to a partition room, turned on the beam projector.
As a faint light illuminated the screen, the view of Dorimcheon Station was revealed. A dark platform, old tiles, and a flickering fluorescent light. It looked like a scene from a horror movie.
"The ghost story you two will be investigating this time is Dorimcheon Station."
Cheon Seung-soo continued, showing us资料 on his tablet. It was a so-called 'ghost station' on Seoul Subway Line 2. Unlike the neighboring Sindorim Station, it was a quiet station with an average daily ridership of less than 3,000.
"You may already know this, but recently, the Dorimcheon Station disappearance ghost story has been a hot topic on the internet."
As he spoke, the effect of the Ruminative Thought Enhancement Serum immediately activated. Information, neatly organized in my mind, began to surface one by one.
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Ghost Story Investigation Record #1
: On-site Investigation Team 9 arrived at Dorimcheon Station around 9 PM.
They attempted to exit the Line 2 platform, but an anomalous phenomenon occurred where, even after going up the stairs, the Line 2 platform would repeat infinitely.
After four hours had passed since the anomalous phenomenon began, the team leader of Investigation Team 9, ■■■, figured out a part of the space's laws.
Although it looks like the same Line 2 platform every time you go up the stairs, there are times when anomalous phenomena are discovered. If an anomalous phenomenon is discovered, you must turn back. In this case, the floor number will increase.
If there is no anomalous phenomenon, you must proceed straight. In this case, the floor number will increase.
Conversely, if you proceed straight despite an anomalous phenomenon being present, or turn back despite there being no anomalous phenomenon, the floor number will reset to the 6th floor.
When the floor number reaches Basement 1, the loop phenomenon ends, and you can exit through the original Dorimcheon Station exit.
While skimming through the资料, I could tell the source of this ghost story. Just like 'Jack's Hamburger,' which was based on a horror game popular in the 2010s, the Dorimcheon Station ghost story was also a story inspired by a game that was popular around 2023.
It was a ghost story where you had to walk on an endlessly continuing platform, so your legs would hurt a bit, but as long as you packed enough food and drink and caught the anomalous phenomena well, there was no risk of death.
Moreover, thanks to the effect of the Ruminative Thought Enhancement Serum, I had a memory akin to perfect recall. On top of that, I had plenty of information about the ghost story. You could say the mortality rate was zero.
"If you discover an anomalous phenomenon, you must turn back. In this case, the floor number will increase."
Cheon Seung-soo's explanation continued. I glanced at Narae, who was sitting next to me. She was yawning as if she were bored, but she was also meticulously taking notes.
That seemed somehow awkward.
To think the woman who used to seduce men at a cram school to drain their vital energy was now taking notes like a new employee.
"If there is no anomalous phenomenon, proceed straight. If there is an anomalous phenomenon, turn back. As long as you follow this rule, you should be able to get out without any problems."
The projector's light illuminated Cheon Seung-soo's face. Strangely, his expression held a tension different from usual.
"The thing to be careful about is..."
Cheon Seung-soo paused for a moment, then looked at us with a stern expression.
"Under no circumstances must you be mesmerized by an anomalous phenomenon. If you feel something is strange, turn back unconditionally."
After giving me and Narae a warning, Cheon Seung-soo cleared his throat and continued.
"Mr. Jeong-woo, write the report, and after dinner, head out with Narae to Dorimcheon Station."
With that, he left the office.
On my way back to my desk, I thought about stopping by the rooftop for a coffee. The bitter winter wind was swirling around the rooftop, but I wanted to stand in the wind for a moment and sort out my thoughts. With a warm coffee from the vending machine, I leaned against the railing.
"You. Got anything to say to me?"
I was startled by the sudden voice. Narae was standing behind me, having come up at some point. Her voice was filled with an icy chill.
A blade-like winter wind whipped through Narae's long hair. Her previously neat appearance was all an act; her pupils were distorted with rage. White puffs of breath escaped her lips.
I felt a pang of conscience, but I simply raised one corner of my mouth and answered.
"Nope."
At my words, sharp fangs appeared between Narae's lips. Her pupils stretched vertically and began to take on a yellowish hue.
"Because of you, my training is about to be ruined. While the other foxes around me ascend to the position of a celestial fox, I'm about to be trapped in a place like this, in a rat's hole, for decades or even hundreds of years!"
Narae's anger was understandable. I had turned her, who had reached the realm of a three-tailed fox through decades of training, into an experiment for the Foundation overnight.
I gave a snicker in her direction.
"Sorry, but that's none of my business, isn't it?"
Narae grabbed the choker around her neck and let out a low growl. Her hair began to turn a scarlet color, and fox ears started to sprout from her head.
"If it weren't for this damn restraint, a piece of trash like you...!"
A chill ran down my spine. It was because this situation felt like a familiar development.
'Right, that's it.'
It was the classic development where, in the Catastrophe Foundation's world, researchers would tease or torment a ghost entity, only for that entity to escape and massacre the researchers.
In short, it meant I was steadily stacking up karma that would lead to my death.
Various records from the Foundation flashed through my mind. The fates of researchers who faced revenge from ghost entities were all equally gruesome.
'If this continues...'
A cornered rat bites the cat. What if the cornered one is a fox that's decades old?
I looked at Narae on the rooftop where a cold wind was blowing and thought. I should give her an escape route.
"Do you want to become a celestial fox that badly?"
At my sudden question, Narae's yellow eyes sparkled.
"Of course!"
I took out my smartphone and opened the Talant Shop. As I entered 'Orb of Imoogi' in the search bar, an item appeared.
『Complete Orb of Imoogi』
-Grade: S -Price: 1,000,000,000D -Description: An Orb of Imoogi completed just before an Imoogi ascended to the celestial realm.
Unfortunately, the Imoogi is said to have undergone a thousand kalpas and drawn its last breath right before it could ascend.
The orb contains spiritual power accumulated over tens of thousands of years. If a commoner consumes it, their body and soul cannot withstand it and they will die instantly, but if a practitioner who has walked the path of cultivation or a yokai consumes it, they may be able to attempt an ascent to the celestial realm.
10 billion Talant. It was a huge amount, but for now, it was important that I knew of this item's existence. It meant it wasn't a lie that I could help Narae become a celestial fox.
"I can make you a celestial fox."
At my words, Narae scoffed.
"Ha, a lie. How could a mere human like you make me a celestial..."
Then Narae trailed off. She must have used her yokai ability to discern the truth of my words. Her pupils wavered.
I took a sip of my now-cold coffee and continued.
"I'll make you a celestial fox. But, there's a condition."
I looked Narae straight in the eye.
"Help me ascend to the position of an Order in the Foundation."
Order. It was the gathering place for the Foundation's highest-ranking authorities and the organization that knew all the secrets related to the Foundation.
The reason I was aiming for it was simple. The higher my rank, the higher the grade of ghost stories I could access. Naturally, I would be able to obtain more Talant.
Considering that clearing a B-grade ghost story only gave me 300,000 Talant at best, the only way to quickly amass 10 billion Talant was to clear high-grade ghost stories frequently.
Narae stared at me in silence for a while. It was natural. I was a person who had already tricked her once and handed her over to the Foundation.
But now that her body was bound to the Foundation, she had no other choices left. She couldn't gather vital energy to raise her realm, nor could she escape. In this situation, she was being offered a chance to become a celestial fox.
"If I help you, I can really become a celestial fox?"
Narae's voice was still full of distrust. But there was also hope within it. That was to be expected, as even a high-ranking yokai couldn't easily ascend to the position of a celestial fox.
"Of course. I'm a man who's nothing but a corpse without trust."
That was a blatant lie. I had tricked her once, and I was still only trying to use her for my own purposes.
"Sigh... How did I end up with a human like this..."
Narae, letting out a sigh, looked strangely pitiful. But this was a deal that benefited both of us.
"So, are you not going to do it?"
After a moment of silence, Narae finally took my outstretched hand cautiously. Her hand was cold, but her grip was firm.
And so, a strange alliance between a yokai and a human was formed.