Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 94

Escaping Death’s End Alley without a smartphone, desperately clinging to any hope of returning to reality, was a struggle many had attempted before me.

I was, without a doubt, not the first.

The Darkness Exploration Records detailed countless grim and chilling accounts of those who had vanished.

For a deeper look into these cases, refer to the document "■■■ Attempting to Escape via Route 16."

First things first—review the basic principles.

Principle 1: Following Someone Else’s Smartphone Guidance Always Fails

You cannot share the navigation provided by the app. No matter how closely you follow someone else, every attempt ends the same way: "At some point, the person being followed disappears."

Once this failure became evident through repeated attempts, people stopped trying to piggyback on others’ routes. Instead, they began seeking escape clues directly within Death’s End Alley.

‘The methods they came up with were... varied.’

There were shops that promised to open a backdoor if you sacrificed a limb, strangers claiming you could escape through a manhole, and a shoe store selling shoes that would supposedly show you the way out.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to waste time trying these options—I already knew the conclusion.

All these methods failed.

Principle 2: The Alley’s Residents Do Not Know the Way to Reality

Every offer of help was a ruse.

Asking one of these residents for directions to reality was as pointless as stopping a random office worker on the street in Seoul and asking how to enter a ghost story.

These residents simply didn’t possess the knowledge.

‘Forget about relying on anyone here for help.’

I needed to think of an escape method assuming no external clues or assistance would be available.

I exhaled.

“Captain.”

“Yes.”

Reluctantly, I forced myself to speak.

“...Allow me to brief you on the situation.”

Principle 3: We Can No Longer Access New Alleys

Normally, the app-user gets a new alley every thousand steps, with the option to enter or not.

But with my pedometer app destroyed, that rational process was no longer an option.

‘We’re stuck in this alley.’

The scenery might change as we walked, but the choice of direction was out of our hands. As outsiders to this ghost story, we had no control over the paths.

“We must find a way to escape from within this alley.”

“Yes.”

Principle 4: Escape Before Dawn

There was a time limit.

While most field exploration teams were brave, some pushed the boundaries. They tried to raise their "Dream Tier" by lingering in the alley, experimenting with methods like conserving their smartphone’s battery to prolong their stay.

The result?

Complete disappearance.

Not the kind where someone turned into one of the ghostly workers in the boutique alley—but full, utter evaporation.

Even those who attempted to stay overnight, communicating via specialized equipment, disappeared without a trace.

The Darkness Exploration Records were clear: trying to outlast the alley was not an option.

“Captain, given these restrictions—time, space, and method—any plan I come up with will likely be a gamble.”

“Yes.”

Lee Jaheon remained calm as always.

“...Captain, aren’t you concerned about the current situation?”

“Yes. Concern is useless for solving the problem.”

"......."

Wow.

‘Still, he’s the type to go along with any crazy idea I suggest as long as it’s logical.’

Unlike my other teammates, that is.

Speaking of which—

‘Where are the others?’

Lee Jaheon had instructed Kang Ihak and Chang Heowoon to return from the neighboring store within ten minutes.

If they came out as instructed, that meant...

‘Were they in the store during the flood?’

Had they been swept away by the current?

“Rookie Leader!”

Oh.

Turning, I saw Kang Ihak and Chang Heowoon running toward us, waving.

Each carried paper bags adorned with pictures of yarn, suggesting their shopping trip had been successful.

“Ah, there you are!”

Kang Ihak grinned broadly.

Phew.

“Looks like you had a good shopping trip.”

“Oh, yes, yes! The shopkeeper must’ve been desperate for money—they were practically ready to sell their own hat to make the sale. Fantastic shopping!”

After sneaking a glance at Lee Jaheon, Kang Ihak hastily checked his smartphone and quickly added,

“Oh, no! Has it been this long already? I’m so sorry, Captain! We got carried away finding items useful for the exploration. Really, I apologize!”

“Yes.”

The excuse was obvious, but at least they were safe.

Apparently, they had been so engrossed in their haggling that they hadn’t even noticed the chaos outside.

Chang Heowoon, however, looked pale and kept glancing nervously at his bag.

“Mr. Chang, is there something wrong with your purchase?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s just... some of the yarn they sold wasn’t made of wool. It looked... like veins.”

"......."

Lovely.

“Oh, of course, I didn’t buy that! Thank you again for the coins, Rookie Leader. I’ll make sure to pay you back in gold once we’re out...!”

“By the way, isn’t it about time to leave? Have you been racking up steps in this alley? Can you share your ‘remaining steps’ via the app?”

Without missing a beat, Lee Jaheon replied,

“No.”

“...What?”

Oh, come on!

‘This lizard!’

I discreetly aimed a well-placed kick at Lee Jaheon’s shin, careful not to let the others notice.

“?”

Then I spoke calmly.

“We’re walking slowly to check something. Have you both finished your steps?”

“Oh, we’re close. We walked back and forth in the shop a lot while browsing.”

"......."

“What a shame! We could’ve explored two more alleys.”

Kang Ihak clicked his tongue regretfully.

I caught a glimpse of his smartphone screen, which displayed his remaining steps:

Don’t abandon your body!

Remaining steps: 1052

“Now that we’ve spent all the borrowed money, maybe we should check the next alley and head back. Haha!”

"...Yes."

There was one—and only one—proven way for someone without a smartphone to escape Death’s End Alley.

It had been recorded multiple times, verified beyond doubt.

And just now, I had nearly seized a similar opportunity.

The method?

Steal someone else’s smartphone.

In one record, Assistant Manager Park Dojeong got into a scuffle during a transaction with a merchant. He fractured three ribs, smashed his smartphone, and successfully escaped by taking a civilian’s phone.

"......."

I stared at Kang Ihak’s phone, dangling carelessly in the air....

“Yes. Then you should return first. Captain, would it be alright for them to leave ahead of us?”

“Yes.”

I let the two teammates leave.

"Well, then, we’ll be off. Thank you...!"

"Haha, see you at work tomorrow. Let’s talk more about our loot then, slowly and properly!"

The two of them walked down the alley, and then, suddenly, they disappeared.

...They must have reached the next alley.

No sense in trying anything reckless.

‘That would be an inexcusable sin.’

If I resorted to something extreme, I might lose the ability to use the Silver Heart. Even worse, if I later realized there had been a nonviolent way out, I wouldn’t be able to bear the mental toll.

‘Unless the situation becomes absolutely dire, I won’t go that far.’

Losing one’s moral line could accelerate contamination.

I brushed my fingers against the silver ring I was wearing to calm myself.

"Ah, Rookie Leader Deer, you’ve chosen dignity. What admirable restraint!"

"There are those among the guests who would stoop to anything vile to stand out, you know. While that too is a kind of professional fervor, it’s participants like you who truly win the hearts of the audience."

...Thanks.

I didn’t appreciate being compared to that, but whatever.

I focused on not recalling the fiasco that had unfolded during Tuesday Quiz Night.

Now wasn’t the time to be dredging up direct experiences of almost dying inside ghost stories. Instead, I combed through my mental notes, comparing anything that might serve as a clue in this alley.

"Rookie Leader Deer."

Whoosh.

Lee Jaheon grabbed me by the back of my neck, yanked me forward, and shoved me into a nearby shop.

Then he dove inside himself, dropping into a crouch.

"There’s water."

"...!"

I lifted my head.

We were inside an unmanned laundromat.

Through the glass door, I could see the alley filling with water.

Whoosh.

Between the narrow gaps of houses—not quite an alley—the black water oozed, forming into lumps. Those lumps coalesced into the familiar shape of a mascot-like animal.

A grotesquely undulating dragon character.

‘...Not the same as the original mascot, it seems.’

This time, it didn’t exude the sharp, intelligent presence I’d felt before.

Which, if anything, made it even more unsettling and threatening.

‘It doesn’t look like dialogue is an option.’

"Precisely! Attempting to converse with a parade balloon would indeed be foolish, my friend!"

The water creature moved its limbs in a bizarre, almost mechanical gait, prowling the alley once more.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem interested in the laundromat.

Phew.

On the wet ground left in its wake, chocolate bars were scattered everywhere.

They must have been swept out of the stationery store during the torrent.

And then, the residents of Death’s End Alley—hypnotized by the parade—rushed toward the fallen bars.

"Mine! It’s mine!"

"Send me to Happy Theme Park! Pick me as the winner!"

"Let’s find the Good Kid! Find the Good Kid!"

All kinds of alleyway pedestrians and merchants swarmed to tear open the chocolate bars, searching for the "theme park winning ticket" supposedly hidden inside.

Maybe those tickets or memberships were tied to my tattoo...

: Socius :

‘...If they realize I have it, they’ll skin me alive.’

Just imagining that typical ghost story development sent shivers down my spine.

As soon as the water creature disappeared from view, vanishing down the far end of the alley, I carefully cracked open the glass door.

Jingle.

The frenzied chocolate hunters didn’t notice me.

Swallowing hard, I flicked a coin, summoning the third hand into the air.

The translucent hand crept through the gap in the door, reaching out to snatch one of the chocolate bars that had bounced near the laundromat.

The moment the third hand brought the bar inside, I grabbed it and stuffed it into my tattoo inventory.

Phew.

If I was going to stir the pot, I might as well collect something worth analyzing later.

Fortunately, the silver ring seemed to be doing its job well—I didn’t experience any strange hallucinations, noises, or an uncontrollable desire to visit the theme park.

‘I’ll examine it more thoroughly once I’m back in reality.’

As I deactivated the third hand and withdrew it, I thought of something else I’d been carrying—an item I hadn’t dared to use yet.

The top-priced product from the alien shop:

We’ll Help You! - ₩66,666,666

"...!"

I pulled out the item.

A small red button.

...Braun’s words echoed in my mind.

"Hmm. Think of it as an ‘emergency escape,’ Rookie Leader Deer!"

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Emergency escape.

‘Should I press it?’

Considering its price, it felt like something I should save for a higher-tier Darkness. But with disappearance looming over me, it might be better to use it now than to die regretting my hesitation.

‘Alright.’

Let’s see what it does.

Before pressing the button, I showed it to Lee Jaheon.

"Captain, this is..."

"Do you require advice?"

"......."

What?

"Do you require advice?"

"...Yes."

"Do not use it."

"......."

A cold dread crawled up my spine.

"Captain, do you recognize this item?"

"Yes."

"...Will something bad happen if I use it?"

"That depends on your perspective."

"...Could you explain in more detail?"

"Impossible."

"......."

"However, I do not recommend using it in this situation."

"......."

Phew.

I reluctantly returned the button to my inventory.

Lee Jaheon might refuse to elaborate, but he wouldn’t lie.

And the fact that he was familiar with the alien shop’s products was even more concerning.

‘He must have accessed the alien shop through his account too.’

Everything about forcing the use of this item now screamed of leaving behind a disastrous exploration log entry.

"Ah, not going to press it? I was curious to see what would happen. Such a shame!"

Really?

I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me, like realizing a lifeline had just been a mirage.

"......."

Leaning against the laundromat wall, I stifled a sigh.

"That leaves only risky options."

Lee Jaheon glanced at me as I tapped my arm anxiously with my fingers.

"If we destroy one of the houses, maybe we could create a gap in the alley’s structure and escape... Wait, don’t do it!"

"Understood."

Damn it.

I stopped the lizard from punching the wall barehanded and collapsed onto the floor.

‘Is this really the only way?’

It was either escape or be screwed.

Wasn’t there a more reliable method than betting everything on such an extreme gamble?

Surely... a way out of the ghost story....

......

Ah.

"...!"

I shot to my feet.

"Rookie Leader Deer."

"Captain!"

This—this might actually work!

"I have an idea. If we can get out of here and move—"

Lee Jaheon grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

"Step aside."

"......."

I turned my head.

Through the laundromat’s glass door, a black shape loomed.

It was staring at us.

A mass of black water.

"Found you."