LNCrawler

213 Chapter

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

213 Chapter

Before I opened my eyes,
I heard a voice echoing in my head.
Instructions.
—You have been reassigned to a new post. Follow the researcher’s orders. You have been reassigned to a new post. Follow the researcher’s orders…
“Hello.”
I opened my eyes.
“Nice to meet you. I’m your assigned… support staff.”
The first thing I saw was a mask.
Not a face melting into mosaic, but a laminated paper mask covering it.
It wasn’t one of the familiar field exploration masks I knew. It looked like a child’s crayon drawing mimicking one.
But I knew that animal.
“I’ll try to be as non-disruptive as possible… I go by Badger.”
Badger.
This person, wearing a Security Team uniform—I knew him.
Deputy Park Minseong of Team D.
My senior.
“Looking forward to working with you, I guess.”
And he didn’t recognize me.
“Today’s just a simple introduction…”
Of course he wouldn’t.
There was nothing about my current state that resembled the former Kim Soleum, aside from physical measurements—and he had never seen this body before.
But right after that, something happened that shouldn’t have.
“…Why.”
A different voice.
From the tone—drawling, devoid of inflection—I knew immediately who it was.
A gaunt figure in a Security Team uniform stood at the doorway, cap pulled low….
“Why are you here.”
J3.
“Captain?”
“You… shouldn’t be here….”
……
I tried to speak, only to realize my vocal cords were no longer in place—somewhere in this melted body, but I didn’t know where.
Smoke formed words.
Employment contract
“…You said you were quitting.”
New employment contract:
Permanent position
“……”
I let the smoke disperse.
“Captain, what do you mean, quitting…”
The person behind the Badger mask stiffened, voice tight with confusion.
I could hear it in his breathing—his unease, his doubt, the faltering hesitation as he tried to piece the situation together.
And finally, the sharp inhale, as if he had just realized something terrifying.
He remembered.
The mutual acquaintance between them.
The one who had safely quit this company not long ago.
The one who’d gone silent since.
“…Roe Deer?”
I didn’t respond.
“……”
The one behind the Badger mask stared at me in frozen silence.
Then he looked toward the man in the security uniform.
The Security Captain didn’t deny it.
Instead, he opened the door and walked out.
Clack.
The metal door locked behind him.
“Ah, no… no. This can’t—I, I… I just…”
Breath catching.
It came from the Badger mask.
Disturbed by the emotional agitation, the contamination symptoms briefly surged to the surface, only to be suppressed again beneath the mask.
More than 40 seconds passed before the Badger mask could shake off the identity of the ■■ Kindergarten teacher he had once merged with.
Then a voice, unsteady:
“I-It’ll be okay.”
Footsteps approached me.
“You’re on the Security Team, so that means… you can still communicate, right? There has to be a way. I recovered, didn’t I…? Right?”
I moved the smoke.
Not possible
“…!”
Contamination means a former human being has been transformed by a supernatural phenomenon.
Recovery from contamination means restoring the original human’s body and mind.
And in my case—
“Roe Deer.”
Not possible
—I no longer had the former.
“…Soleum.”
……
I started forming another word with smoke, but let it dissipate, tucking it back into the gas mask.
For some reason, I didn’t want to act.
A desperate voice followed.
“Hey… Right, hearing your real name feels strange, doesn’t it?”
It didn’t.
“No rejection? No confusion? That’s normal, you know. It’s expected. So…”
Atypical responses to one’s original name were a signature symptom of contamination.
It didn’t apply to me.
“Soleum…”
Clack.
As he said it again, Deputy Park Minseong flinched and suddenly gripped his own wrist.
The Security Team-issued control watch.
Tick, tick.
The sound of the clock ticking.
And then—I could faintly hear a warning that hadn’t been audible before, now shared with me due to our similar contract parameters.
—A violation of safety protocol has been detected. Time remaining until disciplinary detention reduced by 7 seconds. 71 seconds, 70 seconds, 69 seconds…
A system announcement, just like the one that rang in my own head.
A regulation imposed on contaminated Security Team members to control their speech.
He must’ve realized he’d violated the safety rule: referring to a contaminated coworker by their original name during duty.
Thus, I witnessed a specific operational mechanism—one never spelled out in the official Darkness Exploration Logs.
But it didn’t matter.
What mattered was—
—You have been reassigned to a new post. Follow the researcher’s orders.
It was work.
“……”
“……”
What should I do now?
In the silence, I finally began to examine my surroundings.
Rusty iron door. Sealed space. Resembled Room 666 of Basement 13 Annex, but it wasn’t the same.
Still, I could recognize where I was.
—Baekilmong Corporation Headquarters – Underground Isolation Chamber
A place I’d visited when I was still human, during a disciplinary cleaning.
It was also where I had been taken unconscious after clearing the “Hungry Hangman” Darkness, alongside Deputy Park Minseong.
An isolation corridor accessible only via the Security Team’s equipment storage—beyond it, the sealed cells…
But I could tell.
This was far deeper than the chamber I’d been taken to after escaping the “Hungry Hangman” Darkness.
Far deeper than the one I’d cleaned under disciplinary orders. A chamber located in the very core isolation zone.
My instincts as a worker told me so.
And the layout of this room—
I ran a gloved finger along the desk lamp.
Lamp. Wooden desk. Bed. Towel.
I knew this arrangement.
“Company housing.”
Identical to the room I had stayed in when I was Employee Kim Soleum.
Everything matched, down to the obsessive detail.
It felt almost ritualistic. Ceremonial.
As if designed to appease some part of the Darkness bound by my employment contract. To keep it from acting out.
At the same time, I could feel someone was watching—expecting a reaction from me.
This must be Kwak Jaegang’s doing.
Exactly the kind of thing he would orchestrate.
I brushed the desk again with my gloved fingers.
Should I be angry?
My melted and flattened brain strained to think the way it used to, but it was difficult...
So this means… I’m no longer in charge of Basement 13 Annex. My new post is security for the Headquarters Isolation Chambers?
That wasn’t hard to understand.
But in that case—
That person wasn’t necessary.
“…!”
I stared at the Badger mask.
I could feel its unease.
Its posture stiffened. I asked:
Job description requested
“…Your job is to work with Roe Deer.”
Inappropriate form of address
Reason: Informal designation
“…Ah.”
The one wearing the Badger mask turned their head, then let out a small sound when they saw the CCTV in the corner.
The CCTV seemed to lack audio functionality—likely to prevent contamination—but the gaze from beyond it could still be felt.
They’re watching.
And there was no reason to provide unnecessary assurance to the assigned researcher about my current condition.
Perhaps noticing the warning I’d written in smoke, the Badger’s tone shifted.
“Then… what should I call you? Haha, let’s just say we’re coming up with another nickname. You already called me Roe Deer before…”
Their bright voice faltered for a moment, then returned.
“Um… is there another animal you like?”
An animal I like.
I waited for something to surface.
But no feeling came.
Unknown
“…….”
……
“That’s okay. I’ll think of something good.”
I heard them clear their throat to steady their voice.
Job description requested
: include concrete examples
“Ah, uh, right… So, when you get a task, I’ll go with you. I’ll help make sure everything goes smoothly.”
The person behind the Badger mask explained kindly.
But then…
“If anything makes you uncomfortable, just tell me. Or you can tell the Captain—!”
What are they holding?
“…!”
Noticing my gaze, the one in the Badger mask fumbled to hide it in their pocket—then hesitated, as if realizing something, and carefully took it out again to show me.
A syringe-like object.
It resembled a Dream Fragment Extractor—but its purpose seemed the opposite.
An injector.
For subduing Special Department employees
When I wrote the words, the other person slowly nodded.
“Don’t worry. I won’t use it. Really. Really, I won’t…”
Why?
Use recommended in appropriate scenarios
“…For example?”
▶ When bipedal form collapses
▶ When smoke becomes uncontrollable
▶ When extreme anxiety is detected
“When you seem anxious?”
▶ When extreme anxiety is detected
Criteria: Subjective emotional judgment of handler
“…Haha…”
A choked sound came from behind the Badger mask.
It was unclear whether they were laughing or crying—or relieved.
“You’re the same as ever, aren’t you?”
……
“Yeah… It’s going to be fine.”
And somehow, as if reassured, their trembling and movements slowly calmed.
They reached out as if to pat my shoulder—but lowered their hand halfway through.
……
Clack.
“Captain, we—”
The door opened, and the Security Captain entered.
One might think he had walked out earlier due to shock, but his physical reactions showed no sign of rejection.
If anything, he strode in without hesitation, startling the one in the Badger mask.
Then he walked up to me and extended his left arm.
“Captain?”
“Here.”
In his outstretched hand were small, round objects.
Nostalgia Candy.
“Do you… want one?”
……
I can’t eat it.
I don’t have a mouth. I don’t know where in this body a mouth would even be.
Maybe I never made one—because I didn’t need it.
I only believed I had one.
More importantly… I can’t remove the gas mask.
“……”
Quietly, I used a gloved finger to push his hand away.
Not possible
“I see…”
The Security Captain withdrew his hand and stood there, as if lost in thought.
Then he asked:
“What Darkness did you go into…?”
Wish Ticket
“……”
Before the Badger mask could see, I scattered the word.
J3 didn’t ask any further questions.
He simply lifted the brim of his cap—and through the collapsing mosaic of his features…
I saw his face.
…!
“Roe Deer, calm—!”
What is this?
Why can I see it?
“Are you… in pain right now?”
Even his voice is clear. I can distinguish it. I can recognize it! What is this? Why? Could there be another truth I’ve failed to perceive…
……
Ah.
I understand now.
“Why is the smoke…!”
Because this person was closer to a ghost story than a human being.
The Security Captain’s contamination was so profound and entrenched that even intensive removal through the Security Team curriculum couldn’t prevent him from existing at the boundary of reality.
This means nothing.
“I guess you’re not… in pain.”
And yet, despite that—
“Then it’s okay…”
That strange, dull ache I’d felt in the elevator began to slowly return.
The Security Captain stepped into the smoke without hesitation, raised his hand with a somewhat clumsy motion… and patted my back.
As if it had been a very long time since he’d last done so.
“…You’ll be alright.”
……
I inhaled the smoke. The swirling black tendrils on the floor were drawn back into me.
The Security Captain glanced briefly at the Nostalgia Candy in his hand.
“Well then, I’ll go fetch something else…”
I shook my head.
The Nostalgia Series is unnecessary for work.
What I need now is something else.
—It is now your working hours. Please rise. It is now your working hours. Please rise…
It’s time.
Requesting work briefing
“Ah, that’s…”
[Aha, so eager to get started!]
“…!”
Both figures snapped their heads toward the sound.
[Haha, called you at exactly the right time, didn’t I? Good morning! Not a real morning, of course—just a little small talk to start the workday.]
The voice came from the corner CCTV.
The Security Captain stepped in front of me.
[Ah yes, speaker and recording functions only activate during active conversation. What an ethical, compassionate working condition! Been a while since I’ve seen that. Hahaha!]
“…Is he out of his mind…”
[Well, moving on. As your assigned researcher, let me explain your task very clearly.]
I shook my head at the Security Captain. But he stood firm, unmoving.
Only Kwak Jaegang’s voice echoed loudly through the sealed chamber.
[This is a job directly tied to the core mission of our company. Namely… the efficient, high-yield production of good potions.]
[And obviously, that requires a certain prerequisite, doesn’t it?]
A familiar explanation followed.
[A stable supply of Darkness suited for extracting Dream Fragments—]
[That is, ghost stories the company can manage, from which we can periodically harvest Dream Fragments by injecting humans.]
But it felt like something absurd was about to be said.
[And of course, someone powerful has to consistently bring ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) those ghost stories to the company…]
The breath of someone intoxicated by the study of Darkness filled the speaker.
[You are one of those people.]
……
[Please subdue ghost stories the company can use. So they can efficiently produce Dream Fragments.]
A new job had begun.