Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Black Flame Man
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Silence quietly catches its breath.
Flutter.
Amid the mountain of stacked documents, one person's gaze was like.
A ghost story.
In an atmosphere that gave off a sense of dissonance, as if he had entered yet another ghost story, the man found the situation.
Uncomfortable.
Very much so.
In this uncomfortable situation where he couldn't easily move his body or make a sound.
The quiet silence, which seemed like it would last forever.
Click.
Collapsed with a simpler sound than expected.
Click.
The concise, firm sound of pressing the back of a ballpoint pen.
"......Ahem."
The man standing alone in the dim room finally let out a voice with a short breath.
"......I'll submit the report."
"............The report?"
A considerably slow tempo in his speech.
But the man didn't seem to mind much. He handed over the report from his right side.
As he extended the file forward.
Swoosh.
Human arms stretched out from between the piles of documents.
The extended human arms took the report from the man and vanished back into the stacks of documents.
Flutter.
Flutter.
Flutter.
Only the sound of pages turning continued for a while.
This time, the one breaking the silence was the recipient of the report.
"......Section Chief Choi Kang-in."
"Yes!"
"............"
"............"
Even to Choi Kang-in's resounding response, there was no reply as expected.
Just as he was silently waiting for the next response.
"............Good work."
"Thank you."
"............It's already......making waves in the office............I heard."
Currently in the office, there was quite a bit of talk going around about the ghost story "And the Performance Begins," to which R Team had been deployed.
Starting with the news of discovering a new variant in that ghost story.
-Variant discovered.
-R Team all survived.
-Rating reevaluation discussion.
-Black Flame Man.
Of course, discovering a new variant in a ghost story wasn't all that surprising.
Even ghost stories thought to be 100% explored continued to show big and small changes upon ongoing expeditions.
This ghost story was just one such case.
But despite being such a common case, the reason it was buzzing in the office was.
".........R Team......all survived?"
This.
In contrast to the numerous civilian casualties reported from the "And the Performance Begins" ghost story.
The story that the dispatched R Team had all survived.
This shifted into a different realm.
If misunderstood, it could be interpreted as R Team clearing the ghost story by using civilians as shields.
As already stated in the basic rules.
Employees belonging to the Agency must prioritize protecting civilians.
No matter what happens.
They must not act against the basic rules.
If anyone did act against the rules......
It wouldn't end with simple discipline.
Thus, when upper management first heard of R Team's full survival.
The atmosphere up top wasn't great.
Some other teams even submitted petitions demanding immediate disciplinary proceedings over R Team's full survival.
As if they had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
In a company where colleagues were too busy tearing each other down to welcome a "safe return" with open arms.
A barren atmosphere prevailed.
But this was utterly.
Just something one might experience at least once in any perfectly ordinary modern society.
It was merely venting frustration over their own seniors and juniors who had died like consumables because they couldn't save them due to the Agency's basic rules.
And a way to justify their own weakness, having to watch colleagues die right in front of them without breaking the rules.
Thus, R Team's full survival inevitably drew a lot of attention.
"......And then, suddenly...a different ghost story appeared, cloaked in black flames around its face......and saved them?"
"Yes."
".........The verification footage is......already being screened in the Agency......so the truth......should be confirmed soon."
"......Executive Director Yi. We..."
"I know."
"...Pardon?"
Yi Sang-mu, who had always paused before speaking during their conversation.
Gave an immediate response for the first time.
"......"
"......"
But once again, the gap of quiet silence followed.
"......Section Chief Choi Kang-in is not the type to......lie to me......about something like that."
"...Thank you for believing me, Executive Director Yi."
Fortunately, Choi Kang-in could finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing Yi Sang-mu trusted him.
".........Then, head back now......Your employees must be waiting anxiously..........for you."
"Yes, understood."
Choi Kang-in bowed his head quietly at Yi Sang-mu's final words and left the office.
......Click.
In the room left alone once more, the clicking of the ballpoint pen endlessly echoed through the quiet stillness.
Click.
Click....
Click......
Yi Sang-mu's gaze was fixed on the bottom of the report written by Section Chief Choi Kang-in.
On one keyword.
-Black Flame Man.
The response as if knowing the variant of the "And the Performance Begins" ghost story, along with adept situational judgment.
Not only capable of smooth communication like an intelligent being, but also the additional statement of using an item issued by the current GRA Agency.
"......Definitely a new type of......ghost story."
Based solely on the contents of the report, it warranted evaluation as a ghost story with at least B-rank or higher danger level.
Of course, it wasn't something to decide right now.
Yi Sang-mu stared blankly at the special notes section at the end of the report for a while.
-------
*Special Notes: Estimated to move with a different purpose from other ghost stories. (Continuous observation required.)
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...Thud.
Yi Sang-mu gently placed the report he held onto the desk.
He closed his eyes.
As he sank into other thoughts for a moment.
Rrrrring.
With a very analog dial tone, his deeply sunken eyes twitched slightly.
His hand had already moved to the receiver emitting the connection sound.
Click.
"Executive Director!"
"............What is it."
"Executive Director! Executive Director!"
"I'm......listening."
"Ah, sorry."
As a frantic voice calling for him came through the receiver, Yi Sang-mu asked about it.
And the response he got was.
"The ghost story reaction just vanished!"
"......What does that mean?"
With Yi Sang-mu's short pause. The content from the receiver continued as follows.
"...Cd-E-31! The ghost story that R Team just explored has vanished!"
The disappearance of a ghost story.
An unprecedented event that had never happened before.
".........Call Section Chief Choi Kang-in......back to my office."
"Yes!"
Click.
That day, Section Chief Choi Kang-in couldn't leave Executive Director Yi's office for a while.
And only after working two extra hours could he finally clock out.
*****
[As expected, Employee Park Yeon-jeong never disappoints.]
[At this rate, promotion won't be far off, I think!]
Promotion......sounds good.
Of course, if the company I work for were normal.
In this situation with only one full-time employee, whether dividing ranks matters that much.
Just as he was about to argue with the Announcement Broadcast again today.
The White Librarian, who had approached Park Yeon-jeong unnoticed, made a gesture as if asking him to place something on her palm.
[Then, shall we check the first work performance brought by our elite Employee Park Yeon-jeong!]
At those words from the Announcement Broadcast, he realized what they wanted.
Rustle.
He gently placed the quill pen that had just imprisoned the Conductor on the White Librarian's palm.
Immediately, another librarian appeared from elsewhere, holding a book.
[They say a brilliant musician's score only gains true recognition after death.]
[Now, his score will be complete.]
Along with nonsense from the Announcement Broadcast.
A book opened in midair, and the White Librarian, picking up the quill pen, began writing something in it.
Scratch... scratch.
In the quiet stillness, the friction of quill and paper sounded.
♪♯!!
'...Screams, I suppose?'
At the somehow familiar dissonance, he pretended not to know and closed his ears.
And the Announcement Broadcast spoke first again.
[It'll take a bit of time to make a complete product, so I suppose we should issue Employee Park Yeon-jeong's first work performance bonus.]
No sooner had the Announcement Broadcast finished saying it would issue the work performance bonus.
Bzzz-
A vibration from the pocket inside his pants.
[I've given it in full.]
Park Yeon-jeong swallowed dryly at the words "given in full."
And the moment he checked the performance bonus that arrived on his smartphone.
-30,000,000.
......I pledge my full loyalty!
Park Yeon-jeong easily let go of his rationality the moment this absurd settlement amount hit his account.
With this much money, he could get a room better than his old studio apartment.
......But come to think of it.
Aren't I an illegal immigrant here?
A true invisible man with no birth records or anything in this world to prove his existence.
...Ah, whatever.
Static-
But the Announcement Broadcast continued as if it had more to say.
[But today is finally the day Employee Park Yeon-jeong's issued items arrive. Please use them well from now on.]
"Issued items?"
With the mention of issued items.
Snap!
The lights turned on, and there hung a black suit in midair—the epitome of office attire.
[Specially tailored to Employee Park Yeon-jeong's measurements, so it should fit perfectly.]
He decided not to question creepy details like when they took his measurements.
No point in knowing.
The black suit didn't look particularly special at first glance.
It was just an utterly ordinary suit.
As he roughly inspected the suit, a librarian appeared beside him and cautiously handed him something additional.
Swoosh.
?
Something small and rectangular.
His first thought upon receiving the rectangular item was.
Credit card?
No matter how he looked, it seemed like nothing else.
And the Announcement Broadcast reminded him.
[It's exactly the item Employee Park Yeon-jeong is thinking of. You all buy things with that small card. I figured it was necessary for your smooth work environment going forward, so I prepared it along with it.]
[Oh, of course. I also prepared something called an 'ID,' so use it well.]
......Pardon?
Has our Announcement Broadcast changed?
It was welfare to the point of feeling excessive.
Starting with a large sum of money.
A neat suit.
Credit card issuance.
Even somehow completing the 'ID' issuance process—a hidden powerhouse.
Faced with company welfare beyond imagination, Park Yeon-jeong felt less gratitude toward the company.
And more doubt about whether he was truly needed if they could handle all this alone.
But.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Gratitude is gratitude.
He decided to be extra careful in how he treated the Announcement Broadcast from now on.
Because he had realized the terror of capitalism with his whole body.
The power of money is indeed.
Terrifying.