Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 110

Ho Executive’s Project Team.

A top-secret project promising an outrageous reward—wish tickets for all team members, provided the project succeeded.

‘And I turned it down.’

The risks were too high, and it reeked of something shady.

But now, Eun Haje, who was supposedly on leave, was working there?

“Look at your face, Nooru. Yeah, I know you got the offer and kicked it away without hesitation.”

The smile on Eun Haje’s face vanished.

“...Good call. Don’t ever get involved. It’s a headache of a team.”

“.......”

But, sir, you’re working there yourself....

“What exactly do you do there...?”

“Can’t say.”

“.......”

Should I?

Let’s go for it.

“Actually, I was offered the team leader position for the project.”

“What?!”

“Of course, I think it was just meant to motivate me, and I turned it dow—”

“Wait, hold on. Let me tell you something before you even think about changing your mind later....”

Eun Haje lowered his voice and whispered.

“Ho Executive is insane.”

“...!”

“I don’t even know what the other team members are doing. Ho makes sure employees in different roles can’t talk to each other at all.”

He swallowed hard.

“I think the only reason I got pulled into this is because I filed for leave. It made me inconspicuous enough to work on the project without drawing attention.”

“...So that’s why you’ve been keeping a low profile?”

“Exactly. It’s one of their requirements.”

That’s also why he’d snuck quietly into my dorm, Eun Haje added with a click of his tongue.

“I was worried your roommate might catch me.”

“Don’t worry about that. He’s not here.”

“Oh? Damn, then I was being paranoid for nothing.”

Baek Saheon had conveniently taken vacation on January 1st, attaching it to his New Year’s leave. He wasn’t at the dorm now.

“Anyway, I really can’t tell you more. Just take my word for it.”

And true to his word, Eun Haje refused to answer any of my follow-up questions about why the wish tickets were necessary, what kind of work they were doing, or how the recruitment process worked.

He only said this:

“I used to make a living digging into crazy people’s secrets. This isn’t that different.”

Sir, that was with humans. This is a ghost story. There’s a significant difference!

“Just be careful, alright? Take care of yourself.”

Eun Haje gave me a bitter smile.

“Nooru. Don’t go worrying about other people so much. In this company or outside of it, nothing will wear you out faster.”

“.......”

“Coming from someone who’s benefited from your concern, this might sound hypocritical, but it’s the truth.”

“No, it doesn’t sound hypocritical at all. ...Thank you.”

“...Hah, still the same as ever.”

Even as he left the annex building, he kept reminding me to stop worrying about others and to look after myself.

“Thanks again. And remember—January 2nd.”

Then he disappeared from in front of the annex as suddenly as he’d come.

“.......”

Ho Executive’s project team.

‘It already sounded dangerous just hearing about it.’

I couldn’t afford to focus on it now with everything else on my plate, but I filed it away in my memory.

—Ah, we’ve collected some intriguing statements, haven’t we? January 2nd... the swirling storm of conspiracies surrounding you, Nooru!

—So, what’s the plan, friend? Do you have any exciting ideas to dodge your death notice? Of course, remember, your loyal friend Brown is always here when you’re in a pinch!

“Yeah. Thanks.”

—Don’t mention it!

And so, my first New Year’s resolution was set:

Find a way to escape from the Darkness I’d be entering on January 2nd.

The entire New Year’s Day holiday was spent working on that plan, and it turned out to be quite productive.

Then, the normal workday arrived.

***

January 2nd.

Sure enough, as soon as I clocked in, I was assigned a new Darkness exploration mission.

The catch?

It was assigned only to me.

“...So, the Team Leader has an executive meeting this afternoon and is therefore ‘unavoidably’ unable to participate?”

“Yes.”

“And me going into the Darkness alone...?”

“Of course not. To comply with the three-person team manual, two support staff will be assigned to join you this afternoon.”

Yes, I thought so.

At this point, I suspected Gwak Jaegang was up to something.

‘Is he setting me up with weird colleagues to throw me under the bus?’

You know, the kind of group project villain who always drags things to the worst-case scenario.

‘I’d better brace myself.’

But things turned out... strange.

First, even before I officially received my January 2nd Darkness assignment, an announcement was made.

It was about the restructuring of Team D’s elite squad.

[Field Exploration Team Reorganization Announcement]

Cheong Executive’s radical proposal had finally surfaced.

The previously rumored upheaval turned out to be an unprecedented decision to restructure Team D into an elite squad. The entire Field Exploration Team was in an uproar.

Even more shocking? One remaining position on this elite Team D would allow a regular employee to temporarily serve in the elite squad with all the associated perks!

Naturally, anyone with questions about this wanted to ask someone involved. And finally, they found the lowest-ranked, least-experienced individual related to this whole ordeal.

Yup.

Me.

“.......”

Zing, zing, zi-i-ing!

[Hello, Chief~^^ Congratulations on joining the elite team! Could I ask you a few questions about it....]

[It’s my first time messaging you outside the group chat, but I wanted to ask about the other open spot in the elite team....]

‘This is overwhelming....’

Seven messages already.

Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

I wish people would use some common sense. Why would a junior chief like me have any influence over staffing decisions?

—Hmm? Friend, didn’t you once have the chance to pick your teammates? I vividly recall you being offered an intriguing proposition!

That... was a bus I chose not to board.

I declined the poisoned apple and moved on.

‘Anyway, I have no authority.’

I spent the morning drafting polite corporate responses to say, “What authority do I have? I’m just a small fry.”

Still, I realized something useful amidst the chaos.

‘They won’t send just anyone on today’s mission.’

January 2nd’s Darkness exploration carried symbolic significance—it was the debut mission of the newly reorganized elite Team D.

With all the Field Exploration Team’s staff watching, they wouldn’t risk pairing me with a bunch of nobodies. That would ruin the image of a successful elite squad launch.

‘Gwak Jaegang can’t pull his usual tricks this time.’

I was curious.

‘Who will the two accompanying staff be?’

And then, at 2 p.m....

“Oh, pleased to meet you, Chief Nooru!”

I nearly broke into a cold sweat when I saw the cheerful staff member entering the Team D office.

It was Dolphin Chief from Team C.

An elite team member.

“Ah, do you know who the other person is? I’m curious!”

“...Yes. I’m curious too.”

A sudden wave of unease washed over me.

Ten minutes later, the door opened again, right on time, and my uneasy feeling became reality....

“You’re both punctual.”

The door swung open to reveal a confident stride, a perfectly tailored suit, hair tied high in a single ponytail, and a striking butterfly mask.

It was Jin Nasol Deputy Manager from Team A.

‘Oh no.’

They’d given me two elite members.

Seeing this highly capable but notoriously strict superior after so long made my head spin. I was about to bow deeply and greet her when—

“Deputy Manager, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah. I heard you turned down Ho Executive’s offer.”

“.......”

“Still, despite your foolish choices, you made it onto the elite team. If everyone were as competent as you, my work would be easier. At least today, I won’t have to deal with any whining.”

...Yes.

It’s a pleasure to see you too, Deputy Manager....

“Thank you for the compliment,” I managed to reply, feeling like my soul was slipping away.

But my mouth continued to respond with the polite demeanor of a corporate professional.

“What’s the mission? Oh, it’s out in the provinces. How tedious.”

“Yes. But the company has generously provided ample travel expenses.”

Indeed.

This C-grade ghost story required us to travel all the way to Mokpo.

‘Finally, a field assignment outside the metro area.’

Urban legends tend to form in densely populated areas, so it made sense for most explorations to occur around Seoul. But it was still odd how all my previous missions had been confined to the capital’s vicinity.

Anyway, I carefully followed the two elite members out of the office, trying not to draw attention to myself.

Dolphin Chief was surprisingly friendly.

“You haven’t moved upstairs yet, huh? You’ll do that soon, right? Elite teams get private offices, which are great for privacy!”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Oh, speak casually! We’re the same rank, after all.”

“Still, you’re my senior, and I have much to learn. I’d rather maintain proper respect.”

“Wow. You’re so polite!”

Her thumbs-up made me relax a little.

She seemed like a good-natured person.

‘Let’s try some small talk.’

I smiled and brought up someone she’d worked with—a topic I thought was safe.

“How’s Deputy Manager Leopard doing?”

“Oh, they’re dead.”

“.......”

“They got into trouble for mistreating someone from the Cleanup Team. Serves them right. Shame about the wasted points, though!”

“I see. May they rest in peace.”

This person... does not have normal sensibilities.

‘Help.’

We arrived at the high-speed rail station.

I kept trembling internally but maintained extreme politeness while sitting next to Dolphin Chief on the train.

Meanwhile, in front of us, Jin Nasol Deputy Manager simply said—

“I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother me.”

“...Understood.”

I was actually grateful.

—Oh, what a colorful set of companions you have!

Indeed.

And what this meant was:

‘The two most competent non-managerial employees in the company have been assigned as my companions.’

To put it another way:

The two most skilled and efficient employees at my level are now by my side, watching every move I make.

‘Deputy Manager, how am I supposed to avoid entering the Darkness and escape with these two around?’

Cold sweat dripped down my back. Holes were forming all over the plan I had carefully constructed.

‘I never expected them to assign two elites.’

I’d prepared far more simulations for the possibility of being stuck with trolls instead.

Keeping a calm exterior, I desperately wracked my brain to quickly implement a Plan B.

‘In the worst-case scenario....’

I’ll pretend to go to the bathroom and make a run for it.

The very thought made me cringe in shame, but my life was more important.

Afterward, I could return and claim I’d been “accidentally” caught in another Darkness and had just managed to make it out.

If I picked a plausible Darkness from the wiki, matched its difficulty level, and actually cleared it to get the corresponding solution grade, it would sound convincing.

This plan was only feasible because we were on a business trip.

‘O-okay.’

I could pull this off.

I finally exhaled in relief at the plausibility of my newly devised plan, and for the first time, I glanced at the train’s electronic display showing our destination.

Mokpo-bound

Come to think of it, this might be my first time visiting Mok—

Mokpo-bound

......

Huh?

The bottom of the flickering advertisement panel in the train cabin, which displayed our destination, suddenly changed.

Tamna-bound

“......!!”

I shot up from my seat.

“Huh? Chief, what’s wrong... oh? The display?”

“Yes. We need to get off immediately—”

......

No.

No, you already know.

‘It’s too late.’

This... was over the moment I sat down on this train and the destination changed.

From this point on, there’s no getting off.

“.......”

Memories surfaced.

-This was one of the longest articles in the Disaster Management Bureau’s archives, even recorded as a short story on the wiki.

I knew exactly what this was.

-It was that one time, that catastrophic train incident caused by Eunsimjang.

A disaster I was painfully familiar with.

[Tamna-bound High-Speed Train Incident]

This document is a record of an anomalous case registered as “8008PSYA.2002.A88.” It contains shocking details related to significant loss of life.

Due to the tragic nature of the event, please assess your mental state before proceeding.

As the content may cause severe psychological distress or trauma, it is strongly advised to read in a stable condition.

-Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau

Notification from the Records Management Office

That cursed high-speed train incident survived by only one person from Daydream Inc.

‘...Ah.’

I realized it.

The date of my scheduled death, January 2nd—today.

‘The C-grade Darkness isn’t the problem.’

The threat prepared for me wasn’t the company-assigned Darkness with its complete manual at the regional site.

‘It’s this train.’

This train, nothing more than a means of transportation to the mission site, was the real threat.

“.......”

I looked out the window.

Instead of the outside view, the display’s reflection stared back at me.

Tamna-bound

Departure

With a deafening roar, the train began to move.