Chapter 10
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**Even if I Fall into a Horror Story, I Still Have to Go to Work – Chapter 10**
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*Click, click.*
The clicks were done.
The alien store displayed the items in my cart neatly.
What I was buying…
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Alice Picnic Set – ₩11,999,999
※Sale!※ Silver Coin Snake – ₩4,999,999
= ₩16,999,998
—
That’s right.
I bought the effect-boosting potion and the sale item.
The reason was simple.
*’I can’t use the rest…’*
Blood-sucking weapon? It sounds cool. But there’s a prerequisite.
I’d have to charge at ghosts with a knife…
*’A coward doing that stupid thing would die…’*
There’s a reason why shaking hands and dying as Extra #1 is a horror movie cliché.
Plus, it requires the target to have blood, so it’s not versatile.
*’If it were defensive gear, maybe, but with my current state, weapons are out of the question.’*
Overestimating myself is a shortcut to shortening my lifespan. Enough said.
Next, the Wide-Range Walkie-Talkie.
This one…
*’…Who could convince their superior to carry a toy walkie-talkie?’*
That kind of person… probably isn’t someone who works under anyone, right?
Even if I explained it’s a great item, not a simple toy, that would be a problem. If they asked, “Where did you get it?” I’d have no answer.
This is an item I could only use when I have truly trustworthy colleagues.
*’So, rejected.’*
That left the ‘Alice Picnic Set’ and the ‘Silver Coin Snake’—both within budget, so I’d buy them.
Both seemed useful.
First, the Alice Picnic Set—the double-effect and half-effect items could be used in many ways.
*’I could even use them defensively in a pinch.’*
They were also easy to use without drawing attention from other employees. So, purchased.
Lastly, the sale item with the name Silver Coin Snake.
*’The original price is 20 million won?’*
That immediately gave me a strong feeling.
This is an investment.
*’Since it specifically says “silver coin,” it’s probably currency.’*
In the <Darkness Exploration Records> universe, there were various horror story currencies, and some could be exchanged for cash through certain organizations.
*’Buying a 20-million-won item for 5 million is clearly a profit.’*
The alien store usually has reasons for deep discounts, but the risk was worth taking.
…This is absolutely not the psychology of investing in crypto! Really! It’s a rational decision!
So now… I had to transfer 17 million won.
“Hoo.”
The only payment method was bank transfer.
The account number for an easily created electronic account was listed on the site under the name ‘Spaceman.’
*’I can’t expect tax deductions…’*
This was the first time I’d transferred such a large amount in one go since renting my studio apartment.
With trembling hands, I used the banking app with a raised limit to transfer ‘₩16,999,998.’
At that moment—
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Purchase Successful!
Item has boarded a rocket!
Arrival: 00:00:08
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Uh.
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00:00:07
00:00:06
—
Wait a minute.
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00:00:03
00:00:02
00:00:01
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*Ding.*
A cheerful sound, and—
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Arrived!
—
*Poof.*
“Ugh!”
The air ‘opened’ in midair, and items spilled out with a puff of smoke.
It was a postal delivery box.
“Wow.”
Literally rocket delivery.
*’This insane world—you can actually be not-scary and amazing too!’*
I was even moved.
After a brief moment of admiration, I snapped out of it and opened the package.
First, the <Alice Picnic Set> came in a rusty tin case with fairy-tale illustrations.
Opening the case revealed a flat can of drink and paper-wrapped cookies. Each labeled ‘Drink me’ and ‘Eat me.’
“Nice.”
Just like the ‘Smile Stickers,’ I could just take one or two with me. I nodded.
And as I lifted the tin case out of the box, I saw a round silver object underneath.
I picked it up.
A smooth silver coin.
*’It was currency after all.’*
I felt a slight thrill.
I flicked the 500-won-sized silver coin with the engraving of a snake biting its own tail. It was heavy, as metal should be.
Several candidate places where I could use this currency passed through my mind.
*’Let’s use it well wherever.’*
Even if 17 million won had vanished like melting snow.
It’s money that would disappear anyway if I returned to my original world—let’s restrain material desires… restrain.
Hmm. Calmed down.
*’So… I’m pretty well-prepared now, then.’*
I organized the items I currently had:
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– Memorial Grip-Tack
– Smile Stickers 🙂
– Alice Picnic Set
– Silver Coin Snake
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From now on, I’d use these to clear higher-class Darkness as quickly as possible.
*’Let’s use them actively.’*
If I avoid things out of fear, I might end up seeing something even scarier. Don’t forget, coward.
Having resolved to use everything I could without forgetting, I tried to sleep.
But convenience store ghosts ran around in my head, thoroughly destroying my quality of life.
Haha.
—
* * *
And then, the very next day.
“We regularly manage a few horror stories, and today we’re going into one of them.”
“…Yes.”
I’d only slept for three hours. I felt like I might actually die.
But my superiors, perhaps interpreting my expression as worry, patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s D-class.”
“Right! Musk Deer, it’s about the same level as what you went through in the orientation, that level!”
Saying that to a new employee with death survival PTSD…?
But the Field Exploration Team employees, whose normal sensibilities had long been shattered, just laughed heartily and spoke to me as if giving words of encouragement.
“You cleared one from scratch before—there’s no way you can’t handle this with a manual.”
“Just don’t do anything reckless, and you’ll be fine, got it?”
“…Yes.”
Well… okay.
Anything was better than playing hide-and-seek with a convenience store ghost alone.
*’Please, let me sleep at night.’*
This time, please let it be the kind of horror story that’s chilling due to unease and lack of information, but not actually that gruesome—an arthouse-style horror!
I wished desperately.
“Here’s the material.”
The Assistant Manager held out a tablet PC.
The horror story I’d be entering today was…
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[Tuesday Quiz Show / Dusk (D)-class]
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“……”
Huh?
“See, Musk Deer? You go in as a participant in a quiz game.”
“Yes.”
“If you get the quiz wrong, there’s a penalty. And the penalties are gruesome… well, that kind of horror story.”
“But we already have all the answers, so we’re fine? Don’t be too nervous!”
The Assistant Manager grinned and gave a thumbs up.
Okay, good.
*’This is definitely going to be way less scary than seeing ghosts directly…’*
But there was a problem.
*’I don’t recognize the name.’*
Tuesday Quiz Show?
That D-class horror story page doesn’t exist in <Darkness Exploration Records>.
I couldn’t use the Memorial Grip-Tack to search my memory right now because of my superiors, but I was sure.
At least among the horror stories I’d read, it wasn’t there.
Granted, even if I’d read all the horror stories in <Darkness Exploration Records>, other stories could exist in this world.
It was originally an internet playground where horror stories were added in real time.
Still, I thought I’d know far fewer unknowns—but already I was going into a horror story I didn’t know.
*’…Does the company have a much more extensive list of “Darkness” than I thought?’*
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
But my superiors were relaxed.
“Our jurisdiction has a lot of broadcasting-related Darkness assigned to it.”
“Ah, every team has their specialties.”
And the Deputy Manager sent me a PDF file, calling it the answer sheet for Tuesday Quiz Show.
“For now, just go over that answer sheet… and review the field exploration manual. When the Team Leader gets back in the afternoon, we’ll go.”
“Yes.”
I nodded obediently for now.
The Assistant Manager kindly added:
“Ah, just in case, should I grab you a paper copy of the manual? You need to take notes too.”
“Ah, that’s okay. I’ve memorized it all.”
With the Memorial Grip-Tack, it would just be extra baggage.
“Me… memorized?”
“Yes.”
“…So that’s why you don’t take notes!”
“Huh?”
“Ah, never mind.”
The Assistant Manager made a look of realization and nodded.
“The Team Leader is going to love you.”
“…??”
Anyway, it seemed like a good thing, so I let it pass.
For reference, Team D’s Team Leader was still out on fieldwork, but I’d been told they’d return this afternoon.
*’I’ll see them soon.’*
But an hour later—
“Hold on. Our Team Leader—I mean, Section Chief—is still out on fieldwork… Huh? No, that’s difficult.”
The Deputy Manager, who’d been on the phone, frowned and hung up.
“Are these people insane? They’re saying since we have a newbie, we can go as a 3-person team…”
“Excuse me? Really?”
“Yeah. It seems…”
The Deputy Manager glanced at me.
Ah.
*’Because of the convenience store ghost.’*
Because I’d cleared an F-class Darkness alone using an unusual method, I’d given management the opening to say, “Oh? Then he can pull his own weight.”
The side effect of pocketing 20 million won alone was manifesting here.
Of course, that wasn’t the reason—it was just timing.
“It’s the end of the month.”
“Ah, right.”
Watching my two superiors murmur, I roughly understood.
*’There’s a performance issue in the department.’*
I don’t know the details, but it seemed like they needed to meet a ‘quota’ before lunchtime.
And the situation looked like the newbie could pull their own weight.
The Deputy Manager made a quick decision.
“Musk Deer, you said you memorized everything?”
Ah, the quiz show answer sheet… Wait.
*’If I say I’ve memorized it, does that mean I’m going in?’*
If so, I could strategically act a little weak…
“Come on, he already memorized it all, right? He even memorized the whole field exploration manual—that thick one!”
“Oh.”
The Deputy Manager nodded.
“Alright. Then we’ll just go in ourselves today.”
“……”
My small, desperate hope of ‘I wish there were more people, so it’d be less scary!’ disappeared just like that…
Explanations followed about how “the 3-person team is the principle, but sometimes two people go in when someone takes leave. We can get support, but it’s hard to coordinate schedules, and so on.”
Yes. I’ve heard this very corporate-sounding story loud and clear.
*’…Anyway, I’m prepared.’*
I was fully armed with items, and I’d confirmed it wasn’t that scary a type of horror story.
Come to think of it, going now was probably better than going in the afternoon!
They say the early bird catches the worm.
The more time passed, the more my imagination would create fear. The courage I’d mustered now was at its peak.
Maybe it was better to enter before it dwindled further…
“Let’s enter.”
In the midst of endless mental victories, the Deputy Manager approached, having received something from an employee from another department.
*’The medium to enter the horror story… right?’*
It was a postcard.
But the ‘recipient’ field on the vintage postcard was already covered with bizarre scribbles.
And at the top, tiny text repeatedly wrote ‘application form’ like a curse.
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-One day, I found a strange postcard in an old magazine.
It had a promotional flyer recruiting participants for some quiz show, but when I searched for it, no such broadcast existed. Probably just a theme for the vintage postcard.
Out of curiosity, for fun, I wrote my name in the ‘sender’ field…
I got dragged into a really strange quiz show.
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That kind of horror story, huh?
At first glance it seems normal, but upon closer inspection it’s bizarre—definitely spine-chilling, but…
“Just sign here.”
“……”
“If it feels weird, don’t use your real name—just write your animal mask name.”
“…Yes.”
I need to earn points.
Watching the two write ‘Badger’ and ‘Peregrine Falcon,’ I also wrote in the ‘Sender’ field:
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-Musk Deer
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The moment I lifted the pen—
My consciousness was sucked into the postcard as if pulled out.
“…!”
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[Ah, finally here! Our applicants!]
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The lighting was blinding.
A bright, cheerful voice hit my ears through the hazy vision.
A suited hand offered a handshake.
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[Welcome, welcome… Now. The cameras will start rolling soon. Let’s show them our best smiles!]
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I reflexively shook hands and looked up.
Where a person’s head should be, there was a vintage TV instead.
…An emoticon was floating on it.
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[mark]
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That TV-human released my hand and cheerfully turned, spreading both arms.
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[Audience!]
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*Waaaah—!*
Cheers erupted, but the camera lights blurred the audience seats, so I couldn’t see their figures properly.
Soon, I realized I was standing on some colorful stage.
*’The contestant’s spot in a quiz show.’*
It wasn’t scary enough to make me faint.
No, honestly, just thinking of it as a quiz show hosted by a guy in a TV-head costume was oddly calming.
*’After the eye-gouging subway and the convenience store ghost, this feels like a gift from heaven.’*
Hmm. Good. I think I can think calmly.
I adjusted my mask and assessed the situation.
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[Is this your first time as a talk show audience member? Oh, then don’t forget to cheer. Your cheers are everything to the show!]
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The TV-human seemed to be hyping up the audience and setting the mood.
Probably the host of the talk show.
*’So, this Tuesday Quiz Show is like a segment of some talk show.’*
Judging by the set design, the band creating background sound, the audience arrangement, and the host leading the show alone… it felt like a traditional American talk show.
*’It looks a bit old-fashioned too.’*
…
What?
*’Again.’*
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Old American talk show.
Quiz segment.
Contestants who already know the answers.
—
This…
…
…
I know these keywords.
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※Caution: Read at your own risk!※
Notice: Daydream Corporation bears no liability for any fear, auditory hallucinations, ■■, ■■■■, etc. arising from reading this document.
Proceed only after signing.
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This wasn’t D-class.
This horror story was…
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Darkness Exploration Records / Horror Story
[The Sacrificial Chorus]
: A horror story appearing in <Darkness Exploration Records>, Daydream Corporation identification code Qterw-A-104.
Abyssal (A)-class Darkness.
The starting point of the rank-reassessment incident that produced numerous casualties.
Currently, no official survivor records exist.
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“……”
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[3, 2, 1… The show is starting now!]
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No.
