Chapter 7

What is the appropriate response for a new employee whose team greets them on their first day with something like, “You might be dead soon, rookie! Haha, just kidding!”?

There isn’t one, really.

No, there’s just no winning.

Fortunately, my superiors apparently weren’t expecting a response and changed the subject.

“First off... congratulations on surviving the death game.”

Were we allowed to openly call it that at work?

“But you’re really the top recruit? That’s amazing.”

“Come on, brag a little.”

I wanted to know why myself.

“I just did my best.”

“Oh, please. If that were enough, everyone would get into Seoul National University.”

“Anyway, impressive. Glad to have you on our team.”

Good hiring scores did have their perks. As befitted an overworked department, they didn’t seem inclined to haze the new recruit.

“The Team Leader will be here soon, too. He’s out on business, so make yourself comfortable for now!”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Following my superior’s lead, I entered a partitioned space.

Four desks stood in two facing pairs. Beside them were a sofa and table for visitors, with an eighties-style radio on the table.

My superiors sat at their desks and gestured to me.

“Have a seat on the sofa.”

“Yes.”

The instant I sat down, the radio on the table came to life as if on cue, emitting a tinny, old-fashioned sound.

“...?”

Upbeat background music and a broadcaster’s high-pitched voice.

- Hello! This is Live Traffic Forecast. Seoul’s roads are quiet for the morning commute, much like today’s clear, sunny weather. Starting this afternoon, however...

I turned to look out the window.

Rain was drizzling down.

A mismatch with reality.

'Oh.'

This radio was a ghost story.

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories

[Hello Traffic Info]

: A ghost story featured in <Records of Dark Exploration>. Daydream Inc. identification code: Qterw-E-63.

A strange radio that delivers daily fortunes as traffic reports. It sometimes offers counsel or advice, but being overly conscious of that advice can instead lead to chilling consequences.

* * *

“Noticed, did you?”

“...!”

“Wow, this rookie’s uncannily sharp... You picked up on that pretty fast.”

The male superior who looked like a physical education major approached, switching off the radio.

“It’s sort of a daily horoscope. A relatively safe Urban Legend. A verified Twilight Grade Darkness.”

“...”

“Wait, you were just thinking, ‘What’s an Urban Legend? What’s Darkness, you nerd?’ weren’t you?”

No, I wasn’t.

“We’ve prepared something for rookies like you. Ta-da.”

A tablet was placed on the table.

After tapping the screen a few times, he played a video.

“Watch the whole thing.”

<Field Exploration Team New Recruit Training Video>

Cheerful orchestral background music played, with a low-quality, vaguely retro sound.

Two animated characters that looked like contemporaries of the 1988 Olympics mascot appeared and bowed.

- New recruits brimming with dreams and passion! Welcome to Daydream Inc.’s Field Exploration Team!

- Today, we’ll tell you all about the wonderful work the Field Exploration Team does!

'A fox and a dragon?'

The red fox and yellow dragon wore hanbok and beamed cheerfully.

- But first!

Above the two somewhat cute characters appeared a blatantly dated Gulim font.

[What Kind of Company Is Daydream Inc.?]

I already knew.

To the public, this was a pharmaceutical company specializing in cosmetic treatments, selling absurdly effective hair-loss and skin medications.

But in reality?

- You think we only make hair-loss medication? Oh my God! Actually, Daydream Inc. can make any medicine you need!

- A magical company that makes literally magical medicine!

From drugs that completely cured addiction to elixirs of eternal youth and immortality, they produced every fantastical potion imaginable, quietly trading with politicians and the upper classes through private connections.

That was the true nature of Daydream Inc.

A secret organization that made Transcendent Potions.

'And that’s impossible with existing, realistic scientific methods...'

The fox winked and raised an index finger.

- But! Magical medicine requires magical ingredients.

- Namely... “Dream Essence”!

The words “Dream Essence” grew larger in golden lettering as a sparkling liquid flowed mesmerizingly through the background.

Hearts and stars popped out, making it look like a magic potion from a cartoon for toddlers, but...

That stuff came from ghost stories.

- “Dream Essence” is harvested from supernatural phenomena!

The dragon extended a hand, and the screen changed.

It showed a city alley rendered in cute illustrations.

Then red eyes appeared in a streetlamp’s shadow, which transformed into a monster to menace a passerby.

Next came an exaggerated animation of an electric fan flicking its tongue as it peered at a sleeping person.

- Did you know that supernatural phenomena occur even in modern society?

- Sleeping in a sealed room with an electric fan running will kill you. Being cursed at makes you live longer... These are all superstitious Urban Legends!

- But sometimes, these Urban Legends become reality!

'So they call them Urban Legends...'

Fair enough. That did sound a little less frightening than “ghost stories.”

Then came the most important part.

- Daydream Inc. manages these Urban Legends, harvesting “Dream Essence” to create wonderful magical medicines that grant people’s wishes!

- Mr. Yongyong, “Dream Essence” is the company’s most important resource, isn’t it?

- Absolutely! We always need more... But who will collect “Dream Essence” for us?

The dragon called Yongyong tilted his head.

Who else?

- Our wonderful Field Exploration Team, of course!

A chibi-style animation showed office workers in suits giving thumbs-ups as they performed heroic feats amid all sorts of impossible situations.

- Thanks to our brave and wise Field Exploration Team, the Dream Essence Collector is full again today!

An office-worker character with thick, striking eyebrows proudly held out an object in one hand.

A portable cylinder with measurement markings.

'The Dream Essence Collector.'

* * *

[Dream Essence Collector]

: An item featured in <Records of Dark Exploration>.

A portable liquid storage container manufactured by Daydream Inc. It fills up to its marked levels during explorations of “Darkness (ghost stories).”

The company refers to this liquid as “Dream Essence.”

Daydream Inc.’s primary source of revenue is using the “Dream Essence” collected this way to create insane concoctions bordering on reality manipulation.

* * *

The two characters applauded at the sight of this Field Exploration Team essential.

- Now, grab your Dream Essence Collectors and enter the Darkness with courage and wisdom!

- Our company’s future rests on your shoulders! You can do it!

After spouting the usual new-recruit gaslighting, the video ended with fireworks and the <Daydream Inc.> logo.

“...”

“Enjoy the video?”

“Yes...”

I chose my words carefully.

“It was impressive.”

“Uh... Yeah, our department’s work is a bit like that.”

The rather easygoing superior extended his hand for another handshake.

“Oh, introductions first. You’re Employee Kim Soleum, right?”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise. Oh! That’s Deputy Eun Haje over there.”

The bob-haired woman introduced as the Deputy gave a loose wave from her desk, then lowered her hand.

The athletic-looking man grinned and pointed a thumb at himself.

“I’m Park Minseong. A Supervisor.”

“Pleased to meet you, sir.”

“Haha, no need to be so formal.”

“Pardon?”

“In this department, pretty much everyone makes Supervisor after about a year. You’ll be there soon enough.”

They had the tact not to mention the considerable chance I’d die before then...

“Though you might die before that.”

Or not.

“Oh, come on!”

“What? He should know. As you just saw in the introductory video, it is dangerous work.”

Deputy Eun Haje gestured with her chin.

I see. You needed nerves like hers to make Deputy at this company.

“Resigning isn’t a bad choice, either. There are plenty of other jobs in the world.”

And in this universe, you could get sucked into a ghost story no matter which job you chose...

“Thank you, but I’d like to give this my best for now.”

“Hmm. All right.”

“Ooh, enthusiasm.”

Both nodded approvingly at my attitude, and the Deputy offered some encouragement.

“Ghost stories, Urban Legends, whatever you call them, we have response manuals for all of them. Don’t worry too much.”

“... Yes.”

The Supervisor spoke in a conspiratorial undertone.

“Oh, we call them ‘Darkness’ here. Just use that if you don’t want people outside looking at you like, ‘Is that guy some ghost-story nerd?’”

“...”

Wouldn’t that just make them think you were a different kind of nerd?

But I kept my mouth shut and nodded. I had no desire to needlessly pick apart my superior’s words on my first day.

“Right. Understood everything in the manual?”

“Yes.”

After carefully reading through the Work Manual the Supervisor handed me as well, I nodded.

“Mm. Good, good.”

My two superiors exchanged a look, then turned back with grins.

“Shall we get to work, then?”

What?

* * *

The fourteenth floor.

That was where my two superiors took me.

“Now that you know the basics, it’s time for some hands-on experience.”

After leaving the elevator, we stopped in front of a small storeroom beside the emergency stairs.

“So. What you’ll be doing this afternoon is... a little Darkness exploration.”

What?

“No need to worry too much.”

“You won’t die, you won’t die. Uh, in game terms, it’s like a slime in the starter village!”

“... Yes.”

It was about time I actually worked.

I’d braced myself, but my head still reeled.

'Surely they wouldn’t send me somewhere deadly on my very first assignment.'

They’d have trouble looking after a panicking rookie themselves, wouldn’t they?

I tried to calm myself as much as possible and think.

As for why we were standing here... Oh, did the storeroom connect to a ghost story?

'Which ghost stories started in a storeroom?'

While I searched the <Records of Dark Exploration> wiki in my head, my superiors began giving me various instructions.

First, they handed me something.

“You saw this in the video, right? A Dream Essence Collector.”

I accepted what looked like a worn, sealed cylinder of sturdy plastic, shaped rather like a syringe.

'They sold this as merchandise, too...'

Still, holding the real thing felt strangely surreal.

“Be careful not to lose it. They all have serial numbers engraved on them, so it’ll be a real headache.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I took that to mean something like losing a spent cartridge casing in the military.

“And get into the habit of putting on your mask before entering a Darkness. Don’t ask why. Let’s see yours... Hmm.”

“...”

“...”

My superiors blinked at my bark-like mask with its two antlers.

“... A deer?”

“A roe deer?”

Your guess is as good as mine.

“Nice antlers. It’s a roe deer, right?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Let’s go with Roe Deer. They’re stronger than regular deer.”

Roe deer are?

“Anyway, put it on and look at this.”

Supervisor Park Minseong held out the tablet.

Oh, another instructional video to brief me on how this worked...

[Do This for 20 Million Won vs. Keep Living Your Life]

“...??”

It was an internet post.

- Play tag with a ghost for three days in a convenience store with nobody within a 10 km radius and get twenty million won.

VS. Keep living your life.

FYI, this is what the ghost looks like ↓

'Ugh!'

Suppressing a shudder, I swiped down past the photo, but the image had already burned itself into my mind.

A blue ghost with enormous, almost protruding eyes and a forehead and head covered in lumpy swellings.

“What does it say?”

“It asks whether you’d play tag with a ghost in a convenience store for three days in exchange for money...”

Even as I spoke, I didn’t understand.

'Why on earth did he show me this?'

Surely this wasn’t workplace bullying.

He’d said we were going on a “Darkness exploration,” so why an internet post... Oh.

“...”

“...”

Without looking at the screen, I scrolled back up.

[Do This for 20 Million Won vs. Keep Living Your Life]

This... No way.

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories

[Choose One]

: A ghost story featured in <Records of Dark Exploration>. Daydream Inc. identification code: Qterw-F-243

A Darkness derived from the “get paid for a horror experience VS. keep living your life” would-you-rather choices that were once popular online.

Occurs sporadically when accessing URLs containing specific numbers.

Usually involves being pursued by a murderer or ghost. Being caught resets the scenario to the beginning.

* * *

This fucking world.

As my surroundings warped, the Supervisor’s voice just had to reach me.

“Take it easy out there! No pressure!”

Like hell I could!

Even inside a ghost story, I had to deal with being a brand-new hire sent out alone to land a contract on my first day?!

But I didn’t even have time to scream.

With that, I fell into the Darkness alone.

“...”

I staggered to my feet.

'It’s dark.'

The air was chilly and musty. I could barely see.

The only visible thing was a flickering, cold, dim light from a distant drinks refrigerator.

“...”

Holding even my breath, I walked cautiously toward the light.

The shadowy outlines of the silent convenience store emerged, then disappeared...

Silence. Stillness.

Each time my footsteps sounded against the floor, cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

There seemed to be nothing around me. For now, at least.

'Whew.'

I kept even my sigh inside.

I stopped fairly close to the refrigerator, the sole light source, but outside its glow.

By that dim, cold light, I surveyed my surroundings.

The convenience store was fairly large, about the size of a chain café.

The daily necessities and groceries were displayed with uncanny neatness, without a speck of dust.

'So my basic needs... aren’t an issue?'

Right. This ghost story—this “Darkness”—wasn’t the kind that squeezed people by threatening their physical survival.

It specialized in psychological shocks and extracting screams.

The safest answer quickly presented itself.

'I’ll grab some water and energy bars, then hide and wait it out.'

Yes. I knew my limits. There was no way I could play tag with a ghost.

If necessary, I didn’t even need energy bars. I could just grab one or two of anything I could eat quietly.

People didn’t die from going hungry for a day or two. Better to starve than run into a ghost.

'But I do need water.'

There was no getting around that.

I quickly spotted water in the drinks refrigerator.

At least the light made it easy to find. Fortunately, it was in the very last section, so I should be able to keep a good lookout...

“...”

I moved carefully toward the far end of the refrigerator, avoiding the patches of light.

'Whew.'

I faced the very last section.

Just as I’d seen from afar, the upper shelf was packed with water from various brands, their labels blurred out.

But standing close in front of it, I saw something besides water.

“...?!”

That internet page. The grotesque outline I’d glimpsed while frantically scrolling past, yet couldn’t forget.

A livid blue, lumpy face with bulging eyeballs.

The ghost.

'Fuck...!'

The instant our eyes met, its face twisted into a series of grins, its eyeballs bulging.

'Why the fuck is the ghost’s face in the fridge...!'

I immediately recoiled. Then, just as I turned to run, I realized.

The ghost wasn’t inside the refrigerator.

It was reflected in the glass door.

“Ah...”

Something tapped my back.

I felt cold, thick, rigid fingers closing around the nape of my neck.

A drowned person’s hand.

And then...

- Got you.

Blackout.

Game over.

* * *

“Gasp!”

I opened my eyes.

Chilly air. I could barely see.

The only visible thing was a flickering, cold, dim light from a distant drinks refrigerator.

“...!”

I was back at the starting point.

Usually involves being pursued by a murderer or ghost. Being caught resets the scenario to the beginning.

'This is fucking insane.'

I had to do this for three days?

Just kill me instead, fuck!

'No, wait.'

A still more chilling possibility soon occurred to me.

'If I fail to last long enough, I go back to the starting time... There’s no telling how long this will actually take.'

Literally endless retries.

A coward like me might go mad first.

'No.'

Another way. Wasn’t there another way?

This time, I avoided the drinks refrigerator and headed for the checkout.

There were plenty of large fixtures and objects around the counter to conceal me. I meant to hide there and buy myself time to think.

'If I crouch down and squeeze in behind the chair...'

That was when I saw it.

Between the counter and the chair legs.

The silhouette of the ghost’s lower body.

“...”

TAP. TAP-TAP. TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP.

Pale bare feet moved with strange spacing and rhythm. The peculiar wrongness of something inhuman sent an unpleasant shiver through me like an alarm.

I held my breath and flattened myself beneath the counter.

And kept holding it.

Even after the ghost’s bizarre footsteps passed, I kept holding it until I reached the limit of how long I could stay silent.

'There are way too many clichés where a face pops up the second you relax.'

Only much later did I release my breath, very slowly, struggling to keep even that soundless.

“...”

'I’m going to lose my mind.'

Cold sweat dripped from my chin.

I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even turn on my phone; the screen’s light would obviously draw its attention.

My memory was all I could rely on!

'I know I read about this ghost story over and over, drilling it into my head...'

F-grade ghost stories had plenty of exploration logs involving new recruits, so I’d studied them like past exam questions.

Of course, I’d never dreamed I’d be dropped in alone on my first attempt!

'Damn it.'

Sweating coldly, I tried to recall the exploration logs.

'Mountain cabin, basement, crosswalk, fast-food restaurant, abandoned school...'

None of those.

But there had definitely, definitely been an unusual case...

* * *

Records of Dark Exploration / Ghost Stories /

Choose One

Exploration Log #23 (Irregular)

Pursued by a mad doctor for one night (12 hours) in an abandoned hospital after dark.

※ Special Note: Exploration concluded after 16 hours and 11 minutes.

* * *

“...!”

That was it.

I began wringing out my memory, reconstructing the entry.