Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 89

Death Street

A bizarre alley that seems to mimic the trendy hot spots of the past.

For any civilian who might install the app from the flyer out of curiosity, the first impression of Death Street can be deceiving.

The main thoroughfare often resembles a lively night market, brimming with bustling stalls.

But a closer look reveals the sinister truth:

Notable Items Sold in Death Street Stalls

Beaded Strap

Made of crimson string and ivory-colored beads. Touching it leaves salt and ash on the hands. The beads wriggle and vibrate faintly.Employees who touched it reported hearing cries for help, sobbing, and distorted voices. Long-term memory suppression treatment was required for recovery.Old-fashioned Bubble Gum

Gum with text printed backward. Forms a balloon inside the throat, not the mouth. One user was saved just before asphyxiation.Floral Slippers

A civilian persuaded to try them on screamed about fire, blades, and unmentionable horrors at their feet before vanishing into the alley, sobbing.Picture Frame

Displays images of loved ones being murdered.By now, any reasonably aware person would realize:

“To leave this place unharmed, don’t look around. At all.”

Everything for sale is grotesquely unusable for humans, yet the vendors aggressively hawk their wares.

The only safe strategy is to act disinterested and pass through quickly, like someone with a destination in mind.

But the further you flee from the glaring neon signs and illuminated stalls into quieter, narrower alleyways, the stranger it becomes.

And it never ends.

The alleys grow narrower and narrower until they are too tight for a person to squeeze through.

If you reach that point, it’s over.

So how do you leave?

Simple.

Just as you followed directions to enter, you must follow directions to exit.

Ding.

It began.

I glanced at my phone, where a new event page had opened in the app.

Death Street Step Challenge

Don’t give up your body!

Remaining Steps: 10,000

This was the key.

The very app that lured people into this ghost story is also their lifeline out.

To escape, one must successfully complete the app’s Step Challenge by walking the specified number of steps.

“Stick to the app. Just focus on the app.”

But while I kept my nerves tightly wound, my companion, the self-proclaimed “friendly ghost,” was entirely relaxed.

“Ah, it’s been ages since I visited such a vibrant market! This isn’t a place hosts like me can access for leisure, you know.”“Why not browse for a fitting souvenir, my friend? Even if the quality is subpar, a keepsake or two wouldn’t hurt!”“...Let’s get something elsewhere. I should buy something better for a friend.”

“...! How touching! Agreed! I’ll think of a suitable gift for you in return, my friend.”Then, it happened.

“Want to see something rare?”

“...!!”

A vendor grabbed my arm.

“There’s something better over there. Come inside, I’ll show you.”

Behind the vendor, there was nothing.

No open door, no shop, no space.

But they repeated:

“Come inside.”

Don’t stare.

If I didn’t make eye contact and declined naturally and calmly, I could...

Just as I was about to speak—

The lizard team leader acted first, grabbing the vendor’s arm.

“??”

Grip.

His vertical crimson pupils fixed on the vendor.

“......”

“......”

The vendor averted their gaze.

Slowly, they released my arm, retreating to lure another shadowy figure as if nothing had happened.

“......”

That works?!

It dawned on me then—the lizard team leader could make ghosts mind their manners.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The practicality of physical exorcism was a revelation.

“Speaking of which, I should ask for that customized reinforcement equipment I was promised after this mission.”

But for now, the lizard team leader refrained from suggesting anything absurdly dangerous.

He merely stated:

“In locations like this, the manual advises splitting into pairs when the group exceeds four and exploring separate alleys.”

“Choose a partner, Mr. Soleum.”

Oh, right.

Since I held the highest rank among the three of us, it made sense to balance the teams for fairness.

Still, I couldn’t help but miss the lizard’s protective presence. His earlier intervention had been... comforting.

“Well then, since I’m familiar with him, may I team up with Mr. Jang?”

“Yes.”

My reasoning was simple: I felt more comfortable working with someone I already knew.

Especially since I needed to check something unsettling—the chocolate bar packaging from the earlier report.

But before the decision could settle, Kang Ihak interjected.

“Oh, wait! Would it be alright if I paired with Mr. Jang instead?”

“Pardon?”

“It seems unfair for the two of us who were sent as support to split the existing team. Besides, I have something to discuss with Mr. Jang...”

She made her case convincingly, adding that this wasn’t a high-grade ghost story, so it should be manageable as long as we stuck to the manual.

“Wouldn’t it be fine for the three of us to stick together, as colleagues?”

“Yes.”

The lizard nodded.

“Proceed in groups of three.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Mr. Soleum, Ms. Kang, and Mr. Jang: move as a trio.”

Kang Ihak, struggling to maintain her composure, replied politely.

“Oh, I appreciate it, but wouldn’t it be risky for you to explore alone, sir?”

“No.”

“......”

Well, that was that.

We were now officially a trio.

Before leaving, the lizard approached me.

“Mr. Soleum.”

He handed me something.

“Use this in case of an emergency.”

A small brown circle fell into my palm.

A button.

The same type of communicator I had once used in a dangerous quiz show.

“...Did you establish contact with Deputy Director Eun Ha-je?”

“Yes. She requested I deliver this to you yesterday.”

I nodded slowly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

And with that, the lizard disappeared into the shadows of another alley.

“Well, let’s move to another section of the market,” I said to my companions.

“Yes...!”

“Ah, of course!”

As we walked further down the eerie, glowing market, I kept one eye on the app to ensure it didn’t shut down.

“Don’t give up your body!”

Remaining Steps: 9,130

Navigating the bizarre stalls and their unsettling goods while staying vigilant drained both mental and physical energy.

The tension in the air was suffocating.

“Whew...”

Jang Heowoon reached to lift his mask slightly to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“Hold on.”

“...!”

I stopped him.

“It’s best to follow the anonymity manual even more strictly here. Please be careful, Mr. Jang.”

“......Understood.”

He slowly lowered his hand, wiping his sweat through the fabric of his sleeve instead.

Meanwhile, one of the market’s vendors began hawking their wares again, this time targeting someone else.

Whispering.

“Whew...”

The unsettling journey continued.

Death Street: A Market of Nightmares

The merchants of Death Street exhibit aggressive tendencies to sell their goods and claim their price, no matter the means. The company’s manual made it clear:

“Do not expose any personal information, identity, or behavior that could be exploited.”

Failing to adhere to this rule invites unavoidable entanglement with the merchants' relentless hawking.

For example, take those people peeking around the corner.

"Wow, I didn’t know this kind of place existed in this neighborhood. That’s amazing."

"Huh? What’s that? Looks so real... re... real... rea... REAL!! I’ll buy it!"

"Yes! That’s them! They’re human!"

The problem? They lacked any form of anonymity—no masks, no precautions.

"Wait, why does that person have three eyes? Oh! Oh, right! Humans have three eyes! Sorry, I must have been mistaken! Let me go buy one more eye, honey."

"Sure! And exchange your ears while you’re at it!"

Those people followed the vendor into the alleyway and disappeared.

“...Too late.”

This is how people vanish here.

A chill crawled down my spine, but I couldn’t let it show. Not in front of my colleagues.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Instead, I gritted my teeth and resumed walking, feigning nonchalance.

“Let’s get out of this street first—”

“Mr. Soleum, look over there...!”

Jang Heowoon’s trembling hand pointed at something nearby.

A person was passing by.

A nervous-looking high school student, glancing around with visible unease.

"Damn it."

"Wait!"

Jang Heowoon fumbled through his bag, pulling out a plain black cloth mask, and hurried toward the student.

"Here, put this on."

"What? Uh... what?"

This was about to go wrong.

I intervened immediately.

"Calm down. Quickly put on the mask. No matter who talks to you, ignore them and walk silently."

"W-what... oh."

"Avoid looking around as much as possible. Act like you’re just casually strolling through."

The charm I wore, the Silver Heart Pendant, seemed to lend some authority to my words. The student, though visibly skeptical and alarmed, hesitated briefly before accepting the mask from Jang Heowoon.

"Do not turn off the Death Street app. Complete the 10,000-step challenge, and you’ll be able to leave."

The student’s face showed a mix of suspicion, unease, and reluctant trust. Eventually, they turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"Ah...!"

Jang Heowoon instinctively tried to call them back but stopped, likely noticing how Kang Ihak was simply observing with a smile.

“......”

And I understood another reason why he hesitated.

“Mr. Soleum,” Jang Heowoon began hesitantly, disbelief in his voice.

“That uniform... wasn’t that Se-gwang Technical High School?”

“......”

Yes.

This place shows you everything.

Dead friends, missing family members from your childhood, victims of catastrophic accidents, people in 1980s attire, or even students from schools that don’t exist in reality.

All the visitors, wanderers, and “merchandise” who have ever entered this alley are here.

But...

“Whatever you see here, it’s best to pretend you didn’t. Staying unnoticed is a basic survival rule.”

“Ah, right...!”

Jang Heowoon took a deep breath, visibly steadying himself.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh, there’s no need to be that tense!” Kang Ihak chimed in, still cheerful.

“Let’s just act like we’re having fun in this cool market!”

She wasn’t wrong.

The manual strongly advised maintaining a casual demeanor, as if enjoying a leisurely stroll through a vibrant market.

“Still, let’s not let our guard down as we move forward.”

“Understood!”

We continued walking, doing our best to avoid bumping into anyone or drawing attention.

The sound of our footsteps echoed softly on the uneven alley pavement.

Step count updated.

Don’t give up your body!

Remaining steps: 8,999

Through a gap between stalls, I noticed a passage leading to another alley.

There, the stalls gave way to more permanent-looking shops selling household goods.

“Let’s turn down this path.”

At that moment, Kang Ihak interjected again.

“Oh! Since we’re entering a new area, how about we take it easy and explore a bit?”

“What do you mean?”

I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.

Kang Ihak smiled brightly.

“Let’s hunt for a lucky find!”

“...!”

“You know, there are records of employees finding useful ‘items’ here. Why not browse the market a bit? It might even look more natural that way!”

She wanted to shop.

“That’s against the manual—” Jang Heowoon began.

He wasn’t wrong.

The manual didn’t outright forbid purchasing items, but it strongly discouraged it.

Any risks associated with purchased items are not covered under workplace injury claims.

The reasoning was sound.

The longer one spends in this place, the more tempting the shops and their goods become.

Employees begin losing their rationality, impulsively buying items without considering the dangers—often paying with more than just currency.

So why was Kang Ihak pushing this idea?

‘She’s up to something.’

“Ah, office politics! Everyday life is a variety show, isn’t it? But backing down turns it into a grim documentary. That won’t do, Mr. Soleum—let’s play along!”‘Sigh.’

I decided to humor her, at least for now.

“Alright, let’s check out the shops.”

“...!”

“I knew you’d agree, Mr. Soleum! You’re always so reasonable.”

“Of course.”

I gestured casually toward a shop nearby, choosing it deliberately.

“How about that one?”

“Huh?”

Living Butchery

A shop that displays live organs and body parts as if they were fresh cuts of meat.

Identifiable by the red and blue lights illuminating the shopfront and the bloodstained apron worn by the vendor seated by the window.

“......”

“Looks promising. Let’s take a closer look.”

I took a step toward the butcher shop.

“...?!”

Sometimes, the best strategy is to act crazier than the crazy people.