Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Black Flame Man Briefing
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81.
Unlike the white room where a scenic outdoor view had been visible just moments ago.
Now this place.
Was pitch black.
A place where not a single ray of light entered. In the utterly gloomy darkness.
Alone in a deep, pitch-black passage where even faint light couldn’t seep in.
Lonely.
Sprawled out.
Rubbing my sore butt that had collided with the ground on the way here, I cursed the one who had flung me to this spot.
That Noise bastard....
‘At least give me a heads-up!’
What the hell, just yeeting me like this!
My ass still throbbed.
Entering a ghost story called for a reverent mindset, after all.
Swallowing my rage at Noise and the pain in my rear, I slowly hauled myself to my feet.
Along with the silence that filled the entire space.
My mind raced with thoughts about the events that had just unfolded back there.
The first question that crossed my mind.
That mysterious voice echoing through my skull.
Second was my own voice directed at Noise.
‘Why did you kill that woman?’
The words had flowed oh-so-naturally from my throat.
I’d been aware when I said them.
But why they’d suddenly popped into my head? No clue.
Just....
It felt like something I had to say.
Like it was the obvious thing to say.
Right now, why I’d spat those words at Noise was the biggest mystery.
At the same time, the identity of that mysterious voice flashing through my brain.
-
You killed her.
-
Not Noise’s.
Nor anyone I knew.
It still felt like the voice lingered endlessly around my ears from back then.
No way....
A ghost or something, right?
The chill and goosebumps still clung to my body. A faint numbness lingered in my left arm.
Ever since arriving here, it felt like I’d learned more unknown feelings than familiar ones.
Of course.
Not that I wanted to....
And today, not only did I learn about the little girl who’d created Noise in this world.
-
I killed that child.
-
But also that Noise had done it with his own hands.
That was all the info and events I’d gotten from Noise today.
But.
I still lacked information.
Even guesses based on scraps would just be half-baked conclusions.
My goal right now.
Capture more ghost stories.
Enter [Check-in at 666 O'Clock] as many times as possible.
I’d pick up the rest while finding exits. Piece the story together bit by bit with the info I gathered.
Eventually, I’d reach its conclusion.
Step-
So for now.
Just keep moving forward.
After getting my bearings, I pressed on into the deep darkness.
Flash-!
The destination of this ghost story was a dimly lit space pierced by faint glimmers of light.
The first things to catch my eye amid those slivers were house-sized giant toys.
A sub-space infused with the ghost story owner’s personal touch.
The more subjective the space, the higher the rank of the ghost story.
....
No way it’s another A-rank, right, Noise?
My feet froze in place for a while as I frantically scanned my surroundings.
....It’s really not A-rank!!
*****
In a space shrouded in jet-black darkness.
Click-
A figure strode through it without hesitation, footsteps aimed at some destination.
Click-
The steps halted at a specific spot.
Tap tap-
A loud echo rang out through the space, followed by a woman’s delicate voice flowing from the mic.
“Before the briefing, I’d like to borrow this moment to thank nine out of the ten executive directors for taking time from your busy schedules... Briefing commencing.”
The beam projector lit up the dim space with bright light.
The first thing to seize the attention of those gathered was text in bold font.
[Black Flame Man]
The words from the projector appeared alongside the code ‘Cd-S-008’ and the name ‘Black Flame Man’ as the female employee on stage gripped the mic.
“The reason for assembling all you executive directors is the newly observed ghost story, ‘Black Flame Man’......”
“Hey!”
“...Yes?”
A grating male shout echoed through the space toward the female employee who’d just begun.
Tsk-
A tongue click followed.
From the darkness, red-glowing eyes shot blatant irritation at her.
“Skip the bullshit! Get to the point! Point only! You drag busy folks here to drone on from A to Z?”
“......”
The red eyes flashed brighter.
The voice sharpened toward her.
The female employee on stage couldn’t withstand the man’s glare and froze stiff.
Her mouth clamped shut.
Crack-!
But.
That only fueled his ire.
The hot-tempered man shot to his feet and bellowed at her.
“Fuck! You gonna start or not!”
“......”
As the room’s atmosphere filled with the man’s fury in an instant.
“That’s enough.”
Another executive director seated nearby spoke up.
“B Team Executive Director Kang. Act your rank. What’s a grown-ass adult doing acting like a hormonal teen? You really think this is a flea market?”
“...What?”
The purple-haired woman adjusted the glasses on her face and continued amid his bellow.
More precisely, she threw fuel on the fire.
“The agency’s top problem employee, team leader. Personality disaster, brute with nothing but muscle, executive-level pain in the ass... You know all those titles go right before your name? Is your head just for show? Quit acting like you’ve never held a job.”
“......Hey, Purple, you’ve lost your damn mind? You, an L Team peon, mouthing off to me, a B Team executive... you bitch!!”
Swish!
B Team Executive Director Kang drew the pistol from his waist.
In a situation where it seemed he’d pull the trigger on the L Team executive’s head any second.
“Cut it out, both of you. You’re not kids.”
The hulking man seated next to Kang stood.
He gently enveloped the drawn pistol with his hand.
“Why are you young ones so damn bad at handling emotions these days. Han Ji-eun, you stop too.”
“......Sorry. Kwon Executive Director.”
The one who’d stood to block Kang was J Team Kwon Executive Director.
With his own team already saddled with problem child Jeong Da-ram, he had no desire to raise voices at this briefing.
Dealing with troublemakers was plenty with his own team member.
But....
B Team Executive Director Kang Tae-sik was, as L Team Executive Director Han Ji-eun had put it.
A notorious figure known to everyone in the agency.
Team Leader B Team Executive Director.
“Stay out of it, J Team old mutt! Unless you want a bullet hole in that skull!”
“......”
Crunch-
The pistol in Kwon’s hand crumpled in an instant.
Veins bulged starkly on his face and forearms. Dangerous aura poured from his entire body.
“......Kids these days need a beating to wise up, they say...... Kang Tae-sik, you could use one.”
Killing intent laced his voice.
“I’ll turn this into your funeral! J Team old mutt!!”
But Kang was no slouch either.
Overpowered by Kwon’s physique and glare though he was, Kang brimmed with venom.
A ridiculous fight was moments from erupting in the cramped room.
“F-, fi-fighting... is bad!”
Due to the room’s layout, the woman in the gray long jacket at the far end spoke up weakly.
The disheveled-haired woman leaped from her seat to intervene between the two men on the verge of brawling.
Grip-!
“Eh?”
She stepped on the hem of her own oversized long jacket.
Thud!
She face-planted spectacularly in front of everyone.
The resounding crash brought momentary silence to the room.
The female employee on stage seized the opening to regain control and salvage the situation.
“‘Black Flame Man’ is under close watch from the higher-ups, so please review all the data we’ve brought. Per current sightings and reports, it may even be a ‘city disaster-level’ ghost story!”
“......City, disaster-level?”
Kwon snapped back to reason at the female employee’s bold declaration and quickly tamped down his anger.
Kang, too, let out a short tongue click after hearing her.
Thud-
And sank back into his seat.
The woman who’d charged out to stop them.
Meeting the female employee’s gaze from the stage, the gray-jacket woman flushed.
Whoosh-
“Sor... sor, sorry!”
Face beet-red, she scurried back to her seat.
After the brief commotion, with all executives reseated, the female employee finally continued.
“Resuming the briefing.”
The female employee’s voice over the mic delivered deeply shocking content to those gathered.
“The higher-ups have ordered that upon encountering the ‘Black Flame Man,’ eliminate by any means necessary.”
!!
Everyone present wore expressions of profound bewilderment.
Their reaction was simple.
They’d heard orders to capture ghost stories before, but never to eliminate one.
But.
The female employee steadily read on from her documents.
“All employees entering ghost stories must report any encounter with a suspected ‘Black Flame Man’ to the higher-ups immediately and deploy their team’s executive director at once.”
“You want us to subjugate it ourselves?”
“...Yes.”
A hint of irritation leaked into B Team Executive Director Kang’s voice.
But the female employee didn’t falter like before.
“Yes. The ‘Black Flame Man’ ghost story is suspected of capturing other ghost stories—or absorbing their power for itself.”
She advanced the beam projector to the next page for those assembled.
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[Missing Ghost Story List.]
-And the Performance Begins.
-Match Girl.
-Seven Knights. (Uncertain)
-Wonderriot Circus.
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“We don’t yet know why a ghost story would hunt others. But one thing is certain: it differs from any ghost story cases we’ve seen before.”
Kang, listening to the explanation, reacted positively this time.
“Better than leaving it to random scrubs. Definitely easier if I handle it myself.”
The executives from other teams showed no objections either.
With the opponent being S-rank.
It only made sense for them to handle it personally, all things considered.
Flash-
Except for one person.
In the conference room, a woman with distinctive snow-white hair raised her hand toward the female employee.
“...If it’s already... far beyond our grasp, a ghost story. Then... what do the higher-ups plan... to do?”
The voice belonged to.
R Team Executive Director Lee Jui, who’d kept silent until now.
And those words poked at Kang’s temper.
“Hey, snowman. Sounds like you’re saying I’d lose to that ghost bastard.”
“...Yes, that’s... exactly it.”
“You snow bitch!”
Team Leader Executive Director Kang looked ready to draw on Lee Jui again, but she ignored him utterly.
Her gaze fixed straight on the female employee at the podium.
“Countermeasures for that... scenario?”
“......”
The female employee hesitated while facing Lee Jui.
“If so, the upper echelons....”
When she spoke again, the content stunned those present.
“Have prepared even for a confrontation between the Black Flame Man and ‘Cd-S-001.’”
!!!
The executive directors grasped the implication instantly.
Preparing for a clash with Cd-S-001 meant....
They were contemplating an ‘Earth destruction-level scenario.’