LNCrawler

206 Chapter

Got Dropped Into A Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Light Novel) — novelight.net · All chapters

206 Chapter

Wish Ticket.
The most certain way for me to return home in this bizarre world of urban legends, where strange bad endings sprouted up everywhere.
It was for this, and this alone, that I endured working for Baekilmong Corporation—and even endured becoming a spy.
And now, finally, after fulfilling the conditions to receive it, Director Ho lightly clapped his palms in front of me.
As if applauding me.
Clap, clap, clap...
"I'm genuinely happy that you're finally receiving a Wish Ticket."
"……."
"But... haven't you ever thought about it?"
The clapping stopped.
"What if Director Ho never intended to give you the Wish Ticket in the first place?"
"……."
"He could just keep changing the conditions. Tell you to do something else, and something else again, dangling it forever like a bait."
Director Ho smiled gently.
"Have you really never thought about that?"
"I have thought about it."
You’d have to be a fool not to.
In society, there were countless cases where even after you completed a job, they would delay or cheat you out of payment.
Conversely, there were also plenty of cases where someone would take the payment first and then never properly do the job.
And in this situation, the Wish Ticket was Director Ho’s one-sided promise.
And promises made by the strong could always be broken. Because there were no penalties for breaking them.
But—
"Even so, I know that Director Ho values promises very highly."
"……."
The Taboos.
Director Ho was a kind of entity that bound others through ‘promises’—a type of monster.
Yeah. By now, thinking of Director Ho as a human would be the foolish thing.
And for monsters, rules are a critical element.
From the perspective of urban legend logic, it was probably to create a horrifying atmosphere and to give victims false hope of escape before crushing them...
Regardless, that meant the rules could actually be more trustworthy than if Director Ho were just some evil human.
There was a much higher probability he would have no choice but to keep his promise.
Especially when remembering how unnaturally adamant Director Ho had been about the reliability of the counselor in the 'Fox Consultation Room.'
Even if he hid other intentions or laid traps, he wouldn’t make a false promise.
I stared directly at Director Ho’s expressionless face.
"Therefore, I judged that anything you promised with your own mouth would absolutely be fulfilled."
"……."
Clap.
"Of course!"
Director Ho clapped his hands and laughed.
"I always keep my promises. I never make promises I can’t keep... absolutely."
"……."
"Well then."
Director Ho lifted a briefcase he had placed under the table and reached inside.
"Time for you to receive your Wish Ticket."
And then, something dazzling came out.
A small glass vial.
“…!!”
In the waiting area of the Fox Consultation Room—that cozy, warm place—an enchanting, otherworldly aurora-like glow began to shimmer.
It was overwhelming, unbelievable that something like that could emanate from a single tiny bottle.
Wish Ticket.
"This is yours, Soleum-nim."
"……."
Clink.
"Go ahead."
I reached out my hand.
Just as my arm was about to touch the Wish Ticket resting on the table—
"Ah, wait just a moment."
Director Ho smiled lightly.
"It’s not just one bottle, you know?"
“…!!”
Clink. Clink.
Still smiling, Director Ho pulled out two more glass vials from the briefcase, both swirling with that same ecstatic, iridescent light, and placed them on the table.
A total of three vials.
Holy shit.
Across the tabletop, the waves of a milky-way-like brilliance rippled like an ocean made of pearls.
"...This is,"
"Yes. These are the Wish Tickets for the two other employees who worked with you. You did say, didn’t you? That the two of them also contributed enough to deserve it."
That’s right.
But... for him to hand them over so easily?
And Director Ho wasn’t finished.
"However, since you’re the one who came to the reporting session as the team representative, it only makes sense for you to receive them as the representative!"
"……!"
Wait a second.
"Are you saying... I’m supposed to accept all three bottles... and then hand one to each of them?"
"Well."
…!
"You reported as a team, right? Then the distribution should be at the discretion of the representative, shouldn’t it?"
"……."
"I won’t interfere."
A dark flame flickered briefly in Director Ho’s eyes.
But in the next instant, it was gone, replaced by his usual gentle smile.
"I sincerely hope that, with this Wish Ticket, the deepest wish hidden in your heart will come true, Soleum-nim."
I opened my mouth.
"Director, aren’t you going to use it yourself?"
"……."
Director Ho gazed at me for a moment.
"Unfortunately, it’s an item that only regular employees can use."
"……."
"Executives, sadly, are contract workers. That’s the rule."
Director Ho’s hand stretched out slightly across the table, as if he wanted to touch the Wish Ticket—then withdrew.
"And so."
"……."
"Will you be taking them? Or would you prefer to come back for them later? I’m fine with either."
Take all three bottles now.
Or leave them all behind.
But realistically, there was only one choice I could make.
"Yes. I’ll take them."
I nodded.
And then—
"Excellent!"
Director Ho beamed and pulled out a box from his briefcase, carefully beginning to package the vials one by one.
"The instructions for using the Wish Ticket are enclosed inside! I’ll pack each bottle individually!"
Like a professional salesperson, he neatly packed the vials into the box, tied a ribbon around it, and slipped it into a paper bag, pushing it across the table toward me.
"Here you go."
"...Thank you."
I picked up the bag.
For a moment, a strange feeling of déjà vu brushed past me.
...I did it.
It was finally starting to feel real—that I had it in my hands now.
It was inside this black paper bag.
I had obtained the Wish Ticket.
"Have a safe trip back, Soleum-nim. I’ll contact you again soon."
My head felt hazy.
I rose from my seat.
And after bowing politely to Director Ho, who waved me off, I exited the waiting area of the Fox Consultation Room.
Creaaak.
From behind me, I thought I heard the door to the Consultation Room open and close—
As if someone else had entered.
And when I turned my head at the exit, there was already no one at the table anymore.
All that remained were the three Wish Ticket vials in my hands.
"……."
—Oh, congratulations, friend! Now, do you just have to make a wish and blow out the candles?
If only ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ it were that easy.
The real problem is... I have two extra bottles in my hands.
A little later.
At a nearby café.
How the hell do I hand these over?
I sat at a table, clutching the bag, my brain racing frantically.
It felt like walking around with a bag full of billion-won checks.
Every time I remembered the Wish Tickets sitting inside, I had the urge to pull one out and just drink it immediately—but I had things I needed to do first.
First and foremost—
I need to contact Ko Yeongeun.
I just had to figure out a way to pass the item to her indirectly.
If I could just manage that, she could fulfill her wish and leave safely. She wouldn’t have to step into any more ghost stories.
And—
I could save Jang Heoun too.
As long as someone wished for Jang Heoun’s revival using the Wish Ticket, it would be done.
Everything was perfect.
Once the distribution was finished...
I could finally go home.
My heart pounded with anxiety and anticipation.
I reached into the bag, brushing my hand against the box inside, focusing on what task I needed to complete first.
First, a safe place—
Bzzz!
My smartphone vibrated and a message popped up.
[Today]
[Where should I g0?]
 
"……."
The Guard Captain.
We had arranged to meet after sunset today.
I was originally supposed to get information from him.
But now, I didn’t need information anymore.
Whether it was Yukhoe Research Lab or the source of Baekilmong—it wouldn't matter once I got out of here.
But in this world of urban legends, leaving meant...
It also meant I would never see anyone I met here ever again.
"……."
After a moment of hesitation, I sent a text.
[I'd like to meet you here.]
And that evening.
"Hmm…."
I met the Guard Captain at a corner table of a famous donut shop, one that stayed open late.
I had prepaid for some donuts earlier—since most of them would sell out during the day—and picked them up now.
Seeing the donuts, the Guard Captain’s exhausted face lit up just a little.
"Thanks…."
"Not at all. I should be thanking you for all the help you've given me. Though… something like this hardly seems enough to repay you."
"No…. It's plenty."
With a slightly happier face, the Guard Captain eagerly grabbed and began eating the donuts.
And then, completely casually, he dropped a bombshell.
"About that information you wanted… Yukhoe Research Lab… it's still under our company building…."
"……!!"
Wait.
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said… hmm."
The Guard Captain looked at me.
"You’ve actually seen it too…."
I have?
"Hmm… when we first met... when you got sucked into that scroll… you went down to the bathroom on Basement Level 2, remember…?"
"...!"
"Don’t you remember?"
I do.
When I had gone down there to chase the whereabouts of Assistant Manager Lee Byungjin, who had disappeared....
There had been a strangely normal-looking office hallway stretched out in front of me.
—Shouldn’t a place like this have proper safety gear or facilities...?
I clearly remembered thinking that.
And then—
—Miss Roe?
Yeah.
That was when the nice plushie friend suddenly started talking…!
That bizarre underground office at Baekilmong...
It was inside an urban legend.
And that legend—was Yukhoe Research Lab?
"How… did you find out?"
"Hmm… even we only knew the codename… didn’t really know... until we found some unredacted documents."
Shrugging his shoulders, the Guard Captain continued.
"Anyway, even if you go further down… it's just more of the same office corridors… repeating endlessly…."
"…Exactly the same corridors?"
"Yeah. Identical offices… layout, even the scratches and marks are the same. It’s definitely the same place. But… somehow... the time feels a little different each time."
The sounds of people chatting, shadows holding meetings, employees packing things, people fighting, or even dust-covered ruins—
Every time you took the elevator down another floor, the scenery shifted slightly, like a game of spot-the-difference.
Endlessly.
"…How deep does it go?"
"We don’t know… hmm. I only went as far as… I think it was the 23rd floor down...? Below that, it was blocked off…."
"……."
"I think there was a security team that went down to the 40th floor once…? But they all died… hmm."
"……."
It was a chilling description.
Those offices...
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Why was Yukhoe Research Lab down there? Why was it fused into an urban legend? What kind of insane project had Baekilmong built their company over?
Questions flickered across my mind.
But soon, I realized—none of it mattered.
Because I was going to leave.
"……."
"Ah."
Apparently, the Guard Captain sensed that from my expression too.
"I guess... you don't need this anymore."
"……."
He pulled his cap lower over his eyes.
"Hmm, if that's the case…"
And with the keen instinct of someone who worked for Baekilmong, he easily guessed the most plausible reason for someone suddenly losing all interest in everything.
"Did you… win the Wish Ticket?"
"……."
I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I nodded.
A faint smile rose on the Guard Captain’s lips.
A pure smile, just congratulating me.
"That’s good…."
"……."
"Um, you know how to use it, right?"
"...Yeah."
At my answer, the Guard Captain nodded along, hesitated briefly, then asked:
"So… this time... you’re really resigning?"
A fair question—since he knew that I hadn’t actually quit before, but had merely faked it to keep working under Director Ho.
I nodded.
"I see…."
"……."
The Guard Captain lowered his head.
"Um… after you leave… could we maybe... still talk sometimes…?"
"I would like that too."
But we couldn’t.
I averted my gaze.
"Because of the nature of my wish... I don't know what will happen."
"…Ah."
The Guard Captain fell silent.
"A world-changing… wish?"
"…Yes."
"Then… it can’t be helped."
"……."
So he knew after all.
Yeah, if he had been a captain in the Elite Team, it would be much more natural for him to know—
especially since the more field agents cared about Wish Tickets, the more likely they were to know the truth about them.
The nature of Wish Tickets.
—You want tips for using a Wish Ticket?
There aren’t any. Just drink it and make your wish.
It’ll come true.
...At least from your point of view.
—From the advice of Deputy C of the Elite Team.
This was how it worked.
If a user wished to become younger, they would become younger.
If they wished for 10 billion won to be cleanly deposited into their bank account without any tax problems, it would happen.
The Wish Ticket potion worked like a magic lamp that could change the state of the individual user.
However—
What if the wish was something more... macroscopic?
Wishes that went beyond merely altering the user’s personal state.
Say, if you wished for a past moment:
"I want to go back to when I lived happily with my parents as a child."
"I want to go back to the moment my husband got into the car accident and stop him."
Or something larger:
"Please destroy the world."
"I wish everyone would become kind."
"I want superconductors to be invented."
Wishes that sought to change the very world itself.
Even in those cases, the potion activated.
Your wish would be granted. However—
Only from your own perspective.
In other words—
You would be moved to a world where that wish had been fulfilled.
The Wish Ticket was an incredibly personal potion—
its power was a one-person omnipotence.
The person who fulfilled their wish would disappear from the world.
Sometimes they stayed—but that was only if they hadn’t made their wish correctly, or if the wish hadn’t been grand enough to require such a shift.
In any case, the world itself would not undergo massive change because of a Wish Ticket.
Only the person would move.
That’s why the Guard Captain knew too.
If my wish was something that changed the whole world,
then it meant I would vanish.
Disappear completely.
"……."
I looked at the Guard Captain, who had finished eating the donuts.
Time was running out.
"Thank you. For everything."
"Mm…."
We rose from our seats.
I handed him a box of donuts I had separately asked the counter to pack to-go, along with an extra empty paper bag holding only a bread knife.
"By the way, what kind of wish did you have when you first joined this company, Mr. J?"
"……."
The Guard Captain looked into the empty bag and said:
"Honestly… I don't really remember."
"……."
"Don’t worry about it… it wasn’t anything important."
I couldn’t ask any further.
In the end, I nodded.
In front of the donut shop, we said our farewells.
The Guard Captain waved at me.
"…Get home safe."
And that was the end.
Through a shadow cast on the ground, I could tell that the Guard Captain stood there, motionless, for quite a long time after I left.
"……."
On my way back, I thought to myself.
...I should say goodbye to the others too.