Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 91

The eerie back alley.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

A place darker and more foul-smelling than even the most chaotic and bizarre night markets, alien even among those horrors.

And under the flickering gas lamps, strange beings stared at me as I stood at the entrance.

Eyes sunken, uniformed figures.

-This is not the kind of place one would tread lightly in polished shoes.

But I had to move forward.

And no one could know that I had frozen momentarily in fear at the sight of this grim scene.

Squelch.

I took my first step into the alley.

My companions followed closely behind.

Squelch, squelch.

As we walked deeper between the narrow walls, faint gaslight cast shadows across the blackened forms. Rows of cramped doors lined either side of us, seemingly endless.

“.......”

The scene was grotesque.

It felt like stepping into a badly stitched-together image of an infinite series of doors.

And from between those doors, countless stares bore down on us from both sides.

‘Ha.’

Figures in old, soiled uniforms, their unnaturally emaciated black bodies stood glued to the walls, watching us.

Their heads turned to follow our movements.

-Stars are inevitably the focus of all gazes! But even they need moments of rest. Allow me, Braun, to momentarily relieve you of this burden as always....

I wanted to scream and beg him to do just that, but...

‘No, it’s fine.’

I couldn’t use “lights out” just yet.

‘Save it for when we really need it.’

-As you wish!

Right. I had to endure.

‘Stick to the plan.’

Swallowing my fear, I kept walking.

The chill crawling down my neck stiffened my legs, making every step harder. Just as I felt I could barely keep moving—

“...Huh?”

A gasp from one of my companions snapped me out of it.

The strange rows of doors, the uniformed figures pressed against the walls, and...

One door was slightly ajar.

“.......”

Its frame protruded slightly, revealing a crack of darkness within.

‘Oh, come on.’

It was like stepping into a horror movie. My eyelids trembled.

But I forced myself to say, “There’s an open door over there. A sign of welcome, perhaps. Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

“Oh... I see!”

“.......”

‘How is this nonsense convincing anyone...?!’

Still, I had to do it.

After taking a deep breath, I approached the open door.

The closer I got, the stronger my urge to flee became, but I pushed on.

I crouched slightly to peer into the narrow crack of darkness.

Bloodshot eyes stared back at me.

“...!!”

I expected this. I knew it would happen. Don’t panic. Don’t do anything stupid....

From my prepared hand, I carefully slipped something through the crack in the door.

A pack of cigarettes.

“.......”

My hand trembled as I felt something cold brush against my fingertips.

Creeeeaaak.

The door opened wider.

‘...Phew.’

In this alley, entering shops is generally forbidden. However, alcohol, cigarettes, or other addictive items can be used to temporarily gain access for exploration.

Success...!

I withdrew my now empty hand and clenched my jaw. Tears threatened to fall.

“Opening a trade route with just a 5,000-won pack of cigarettes! You’re incredible, Sir!”

“Indeed...!”

“.......”

If only someone could persuade me like that to walk through these alleys without a care....

But alas, I had to resign myself to being the one doing the persuading.

‘Damn it.’

The bloodshot eyes vanished. In their place, the faint smell of cigarette smoke began wafting from somewhere.

‘Much better.’

With a sigh of relief, I stepped through the now-open door.

“.......”

The space was dim, but its outlines were faintly visible. Piles of boxes and goods wrapped in black cloth formed a maze-like room.

It smelled musty, like an old warehouse.

“Oh, this might be one of those warehouse-style discount shops! Lots of deals to score here, huh?”

Sadly, no.

After pushing past the boxes, I finally saw what I was looking for.

“...! Noru, over there...!”

“Yes.”

Another door lay deeper inside.

It looked similar to the one we had entered, but it was cleaner and less worn.

‘...Guess I’m opening this one too.’

At least I wasn’t stuck at the back of the line.

I stepped forward, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open with all my might.

Blinding, dazzling light poured out.

“...!!”

As my vision, momentarily blurred by the brilliance, gradually cleared, the room came into focus.

A lavish spectacle unfolded before my eyes.

Elegant chandeliers with crystal and brass fixtures illuminated a space framed by richly hued wood. Golden frames adorned the walls, accompanied by thick, gleaming green velvet curtains.

But the most striking feature was the array of ivory torsos, lining three walls, displaying incomplete suits and dresses.

And in between them, disembodied white-gloved hands adjusted and measured the garments with precision.

My companions stared in awe, their mouths agape.

“W-what is this place...?”

Emerging from the grim back alley to this luxurious interior felt surreal.

Simply put...

‘That really was a back alley.’

Known alleys in Death’s End Alley: 38. Boutique Back Lane

We had entered through the dingy back entrance of this grand boutique street.

Naturally, we weren’t legitimate customers.

We were no better than petty thieves sneaking in from the impoverished slums, bribing our way with a pack of cigarettes.

But irregular usage in ghost stories wasn’t unheard of.

‘If it doesn’t work out, we run.’

If we were caught trespassing, we might face a grisly end. In that case, I’d rely on Braun to erase our presence and escape.

‘That’s why I’ve been holding back on asking for his help.’

I moved forward.

“Oh, wow...!”

Please, stop being impressed, everyone....

Despite my unease, the gloved hands tending to the torsos responded smoothly.

Whistle!

With a light sound, the hands suddenly attached to torsos in elegant navy uniforms.

They resembled the figures from the back alley but were cleaner, more polished, and detailed.

Then, heads emerged.

Painted mannequin faces.

‘Ugh.’

I avoided making eye contact.

It was grotesque but bearable.

The mannequin employee bowed politely and gestured for me to follow.

For reference, following it would result in a disappearance.

Deputy Choi went missing after following a mannequin employee’s guidance. His last communication suggested he was heading to the “membership registration corner” of Boutique Street.

Addendum: A beggar wearing broken glasses resembling the missing employee’s was later spotted in the back alley. Likely him.

The implication was clear:

He had been caught as a trespasser and forced into labor to atone.

Or he couldn’t pay the cost of “membership registration.”

“.......”

The countless distorted figures in the worn-out uniforms I saw in the alley... I made every effort not to imagine what kind of people they might have been before.

It doesn’t matter right now.

What matters is this:

Membership registration is an issue I must avoid.

I’ll try to negotiate by offering to purchase something at a higher non-member price.

If membership is required to make any purchases, I’ll leave. Nothing I’m after here is worth more than my life.

But just as I raised my hand to signal goodwill—

...!

The printed faces of the mannequin staff seemed to flicker, as if a notification had appeared over them. They hesitated, then bowed deeply toward me.

“......”

I knew there could only be one reason.

I turned my wrist to check.

The motion of raising my hand had naturally revealed a familiar Latin word under my shirt cuff.

: Socius :

“...Does this mean my membership has been verified?”

The mannequins bowed even lower.

“......”

Now I was genuinely uneasy.

This is the second time already.

That so-called “theme park membership” tattoo left by the mascot had once again granted me some kind of authority within a ghost story.

-Socius.

-It translates to ally, member, or kin. The versatility of Latin, my friend!

As Braun said, the word was evidently being interpreted universally across various contexts.

Even the Fox’s Consultation Room had acknowledged it....

Why leave something like this with me?

In the past, I might have dismissed it as an unexpected windfall. But now, after experiencing severe contamination firsthand, I was less inclined to see it as a simple advantage.

This thing is powerful, which means it could exert a powerful influence over me too.

It wasn’t some vetted or verified summoning method; it was an unpredictable, potent symbol etched onto my body.

Still, the membership verification had gone through, and if this was dangerous anyway, I might as well make full use of it.

“Show me the goods.”

The mannequins bowed again and moved toward the torsos they had been working on. Drawing back the curtains behind them revealed a display case as if by magic.

Inside was a sleek suit. It looked similar to the one I was wearing, but its color was deeper, with an otherworldly sheen.

The mannequins clasped their hands together politely, as if asking if I liked it.

Time to begin.

I raised my hand.

“Wait. I’m mainly looking for small gift accessories.”

One thing was clear:

I couldn’t afford to take something extravagant from here.

The price for such an item would undoubtedly be beyond what any sane human could handle—whether it required money or bartering.

So I had to narrow my focus.

“I’d prefer something casual, easy to wear daily.”

The curtains fell and rose again.

This time, the display had changed.

Instead of torsos, there were three or four upper-body mannequins adorned with accessories on their necks, arms, and fingers.

“......”

I scanned the display and selected the simplest, least conspicuous item.

A thin silver ring.

Its design featured delicate engravings, but it used what appeared to be the least amount of material.

In other words, it looked like the cheapest option.

“How much is this?”

The mannequins collectively raised their hands and pointed...

...at my companions behind me.

“......”

Of course.

According to the Darkness Exploration Records, the basic barter currency at this boutique was...

Humans.

■■■ Employee successfully posed as a boutique member using mental interference equipment.

Purchased item: Ring.

Cost: Three civilians (one aged 35, two aged 21).

Note: Records transferred for government audit compliance. Full transcript restricted to security clearance level C.

“Noru...?”

“......”

“W-what is going on right now...?”

“Oh, I see. Please wrap it up for me.”

The mannequins moved with impeccable coordination, carefully retrieving the ring I had chosen from the case.

They brought out a silk string with an elegant tag attached, tied it to the ring, and presented it to me as if asking for confirmation.

The tag bore intricate, minuscule lettering.

To avoid walking the direct path to contamination by reading it myself, I turned to my trusty companion.

‘Braun, could you read this for me?’

-No problem! “Custom garments, eternally pristine brilliance. The craftsmanship of a noble artisan, always in its rightful place.”

-It’s the kind of tagline that would appeal to nouveau riche or sudden celebrities. Ah! But of course, this stays between us, my friend!

‘...I see.’

As expected.

“Eternally pristine,” “always in its rightful place.”

I had guessed there would be keywords hinting at permanence or constancy.

One particular record about this boutique came to mind:

Purchased item: Ring

The original wiki entry it stemmed from detailed a large-scale mental contamination incident.

The sole surviving company employee had reportedly sold three civilians to purchase and wear the boutique’s ring, which played a decisive role in their survival.

Of course I remembered it.

It was related to one of my goods: the Silver Heart.

The infamous Tamra Express Train Incident.

■■■ Employee was the sole surviving Daydream Inc. worker in the “Tamra Express Train Incident.”

Equipment presumed crucial to survival: ring. Item reportedly lost shortly after the incident.

The train disaster had the longest documentation among all human-error-related entries in the Disaster Management Bureau’s archives, even adapted into a short story.

For someone to survive such an incident uncontaminated... the ring must have played an extraordinary role.

The boutique’s section on the wiki had likely been created later to give context and continuity to that ring’s narrative.

In short, accessories or clothing sold here were indirectly verified by the wiki.

When worn, they offered resistance to mental disturbances, mind control, or anything that threatened mental stability.

In simpler terms:

A powerful piece of mental defense equipment.

...Something absolutely essential for someone like me, who had narrowly escaped disaster once before.

“......”

I looked up.

“This ring looks good. I’ll take it.”