Chapter 13
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**Even if I Fall into a Horror Story, I Still Have to Go to Work – Chapter 13**
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In <Darkness Exploration Records>, when you enter a horror story, data transmission and communication typically become impossible, leaving you isolated.
*’It’s a classic scary story setup.’*
But stories become more interesting when information is exchanged and conflicts arise.
To make this structure more engaging, I recalled reading in some horror story that certain teams within <Daydream Corporation> had disposable items for emergency calls.
*’Is this button one of those?’*
Even as my mind raced with deductions, my mouth was already running.
Every second counted!
“Section Chief of Team D?”
—
[Yes.]
—
“This is Kim Soleum, new employee of Team D. I have an urgent report.”
I’ll just lay out the situation!
“In 30 minutes, all of Team D will be dead.”
Even if the other party was flustered, I couldn’t help it. This was efficient. I’d calm them down quickly and…
—
[I see.]
[I’ll take a 5-minute briefing.]
—
“……”
Why are they so calm?
Even if the complete annihilation of colleagues is business as usual for the Field Exploration Team… this was a bit much, humanly speaking.
*’Is there a defect in their character…?’*
I almost got confused, but the situation was urgent so I moved on. I summarized what had happened as concisely as possible.
“An anomaly occurred in the D-class Tuesday Talk Show.”
The other team employees who had suddenly entered mid-show, the abrupt cancellation of the quiz show.
And the situation of the newly started insane choir show.
—
[How many employees remain?]
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“Three out of seven. All of Team D is still alive, but at this rate, we’ll all die as soon as the break ends.”
Team D’s Team Leader responded simply and directly.
—
[I see.]
[Try to buy another 30 minutes.]
—
“……”
As if that’s possible?
“That seems impossible.”
—
[Then there is no way.]
—
They seemed to have a talent for pissing off someone about to die in under 30 seconds.
*’I don’t have time to waste on this kind of conversation.’*
I knew that as you went higher in this company’s Field Exploration Team, there were quite a few employees with shattered morals and common sense, but meeting one in person was infuriating.
*’Are they treating their own team members’ lives like a joke?’*
I was about to just hang up and figure things out myself…
“……”
Wait.
“If we get 30 more minutes, what changes?”
Why did they tell me to buy time?
—
[Yes.]
[If we have more than 55 minutes of leeway, after receiving approval from the Security Team, I can rent the strongest weaponry and entry devices available for extraction.]
—
A low voice explained calmly.
—
[Even if we process all procedures after the fact, it will take about 40 minutes. And an additional 15 to 20 minutes to enter that Darkness.]
—
“…So if that process is completed, you can rescue Team D?”
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[Statistically, yes.]
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“……”
An employee of the Field Exploration Team who could enter an A-class Darkness alone using special equipment and suppress the paranormal phenomenon?
Someone capable of that would be…
*’A named character.’*
This person I was talking to right now was definitely one of the employees I’d read about in <Darkness Exploration Records>!
*’And a fairly significant or memorable role…’*
Chills ran down my spine.
Several candidates flashed through my mind. And at the same time, my head spun rapidly.
“Stealing equipment from the Security Team is… yeah. Impossible.”
—
[…? That’s correct.]
—
The Security Team had limited operational range for narrative coherence in the horror stories and was heavily secured. It was indeed impossible by the setting’s rules.
*’But if this person is really one of the employees I know…’*
A possibility emerged…!
I swallowed and asked.
“…May I ask, Section Chief, what kind of mask do you wear?”
If a nickname I recognized came out…
—
[Lizard.]
—
“……”
Ah.
It was you.
—
“Section Chief.”
There were 20 minutes left.
“…Based on what you’ve told me, I’ve made a plan.”
Let’s go with this.
—
* * *
—
[Ah, Musk Deer-ssi!]
—
The break was ending.
I picked up a water bottle from the waiting room and returned to the talk show set.
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*Hummaaan. Number 2. Human!*
—
Against the backdrop of the two employees whose complexions had deteriorated horribly after being exposed to the ‘choir practice’ for dozens of minutes, the host with the vintage TV head offered me a handshake.
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[How are you feeling? Ready to give it your all and create the best broadcast?]
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“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”
—
[Haha, a contestant in good condition means better scenes for the show, doesn’t it!]
—
Given the host’s behavior so far, their tone was remarkably friendly.
The Smile Sticker’s effect seemed to still be lingering.
*’So far, so good.’*
I chose my prepared words.
“…Host-nim, you seem to pour a tremendous amount of love and passion into your show. That’s why you always create such captivating broadcasts.”
Perhaps because of the extreme situation, my flattery came out smoothly without any shame or hesitation.
—
[Such high praise! But a broadcast is something everyone builds together. Musk Deer-ssi, you’re part of that too!]
—
No, that’s not the direction I’m going for…
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I could never compare to you, the host who leads this great talk show.”
This is the direction I need to take.
“However… I didn’t expect that you, such a dedicated host, would be informed of a format change like this…”
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[……]
—
“There’s no live audience, just recorded sounds. The penalties are gone. Even the band has been reduced.”
I recalled the black-and-white broadcast posters in the waiting room.
They were all talk shows with audiences, conducted live with interaction.
If that was the host’s personal space…
*’There’s a high probability this host doesn’t like the new format!’*
“Overall, it felt like changes were made to cut costs.”
If they misinterpreted this as an insult to the talk show, my head could be cut off. But staying silent meant death anyway.
Let’s do this.
I glanced—pretending to look around—and barely continued speaking.
At the choral conductor with the dead pig’s head.
“…By any chance, is the reason for this reorganization because of the enormous cost of booking that guest?”
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[!]
—
The emoticon in the host’s TV disappeared.
But soon returned to a smiling face.
—
[That’s not something a contestant needs to concern themselves with.]
—
“I apologize.”
Please spare me.
Honestly, I was too scared to even properly look at that dead pig’s head.
“I’m such a big fan of Tuesday Quiz Show that I was really looking forward to participating. I suppose that’s why I spoke out of turn. I’m just disappointed it got cancelled…”
—
[Ah, what kind words! But… show business is cold.]
—
The host’s TV screen quietly turned black.
—
[If viewers prefer this format, then accepting that quickly is the mark of an entertainer…]
—
“I see.”
I swallowed.
“But the viewers’ hearts are still unknown, aren’t they? …At least for me, the old format was better. The Tuesday Quiz Show that communicated with the audience in real time, showing immersive stories.”
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[……]
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“Changing it so abruptly, without even consulting the host, is—ah, no. I apologize. My personal opinion was excessive.”
I pretended to hesitate, then added:
“It’s just… I actually really enjoyed the live broadcast earlier. It was exciting.”
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[-]
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The host stood silently.
Static seemed to crackle on the TV screen…
—
*Ding-a-ling!*
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[…Ah! Only 60 seconds until filming resumes!]
—
The alert sound echoing through the set brought the emoticon back.
—
[Alright, everyone, let’s give it our all until the end!]
[Musk Deer-ssi, you should return to your podium as well.]
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“…Yes.”
—
[Starting! 10, 9, 8…]
—
The host counted down, looking at the camera as before.
But somehow, they didn’t seem as possessed by the camera as before—perhaps our conversation had left an impression.
*’Good.’*
The groundwork seemed sufficiently laid.
I nodded to the host and headed to my podium.
A moment later.
—
[Now! Badger-ssi.]
[It’s finally time to give your answer!]
—
The show had restarted.
—
[Will Badger-ssi become a member of the glorious choir?]
—
Assistant Manager Park Min-seong seemed to have made some peace with the situation, wearing a bitter, resigned expression.
I saw him quickly mouth something toward me.
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-Thank you.
—
What was he saying? “Thanks to you, I’ve made peace with my…” No, wait. Let me say something too.
I mouthed back.
What I wanted to convey was…
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-Get the answer right.
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“…?!”
The Assistant Manager looked at me like I was insane.
Okay, I understand.
*’It would be better to be incinerated than to become a human instrument that repeats its last words with only its head left…’*
But this was necessary.
The flustered Assistant Manager shook his head and looked at the Deputy Manager.
The Deputy Manager nodded.
—
[Badger-ssi? I’ll give you 3 seconds.]
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“Ah! Ugh, um, yes. I’ll answer…”
The Assistant Manager squeezed his eyes shut and shouted:
“Number 4, burns!”
—
[Ooooh!]
—
As the recorded audience murmurs rang out—
I finally saw it.
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*Flutter.*
—
Something appeared on the darkened podium in the corner.
A postcard.
The very same bizarre postcard we’d used to enter this place.
I recalled the conversation I’d just had with Section Chief Lee Ja-heon.
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-Section Chief, so with that equipment, you can access the horror story through the medium?
-That’s correct. But what I have is for emergency resupply—only small items can be sent through to the Darkness.
-That’s enough. So…
—
I looked at the postcard.
It quietly fell to the floor through a gap where the lights didn’t reach…
A small AAA battery shot out at terrifying speed.
“…!”
That battery closed the distance to the ominous conductor in an instant and struck with overwhelming force.
One silver tray.
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-Throw it with all your might.
—
The thick tray crumpled as if pierced by the battery.
A physics-defying force.
*’As I thought.’*
I recalled the description of Section Chief Lee Ja-heon from <Darkness Exploration Records>.
—
======================
Employee D
Nickname: Lizard. Final position: Team Leader.
One of the few combat-capable agents in the Field Exploration Team.
Primarily recorded using a gimmick of brute force to solve various horror stories that require reasoning and creativity. ??? : When the body is bad, the head suffers, doesn’t it?
Conversely, when this character’s brute force doesn’t work, that’s when true despair sets in.
======================
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If they had directly attacked the dead pig-headed conductor, I might have experienced that ‘true despair’ firsthand.
But what about just one silver tray?
*’Since it’s an employee with the gimmick of “physical exorcism actually works in this horror story,” I thought it might work…’*
And the prediction was correct.
The tray was nearly pierced through.
*’Then.’*
Even as cold sweat poured down, I smiled with conviction.
—
[Wow! Badger-ssi, correct!]
—
Normally, the correct answerer’s head would be torn off and they’d join the choir on another silver tray.
But the conductor’s reaction to their precious ‘instrument’ being damaged was…
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[…Conductor-nim?]
—
The dead pig’s mouth split open wide.
Its jaw broke abnormally, as if tearing through rotting flesh.
The pre-recorded applause from the audience played mechanically, then cut off in confusion.
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[…Hmm, it seems our guest has thought of a new performance method! What kind of ingenious method could they be conceiving? My heart is racing!]
—
The pig screamed.
A sound began to emanate from the torn snout…
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[…Contestants are waiting. Conductor-nim, please welcome them as choir members!]
—
A scream of absolute rejection.
Bile rose up. What have I done what kind of horror have I unleashed did you see that insect no I want to sing wrong judgment choice after all pure silver throne praise death—
The band sound drowned out the scream.
—
“Huh!”
Insane.
*Drip. Drip.*
Red spots appeared on the podium.
My nosebleed.
But I had to cover my ears. I had to… Ah, the band sound was fading.
—
[You]
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*Drip.*
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[Do not respect the show.]
—
I looked up.
In the silence.
—
*Whoosh.*
—
The great, ominous guest at the center of the stage burned black and turned to ash.
A scene I’d seen several times now.
*’Incineration.’*
The host’s inherent authority from the D-class Darkness ‘Tuesday Quiz Show’—the punishment for contestants who disrupt the broadcast.
But now…
*’A D-class Darkness… just incinerated an entire A-class Darkness…?’*
Something was wrong… wrong.
I’d just been aiming for a scenario where the host, furious at the guest’s insincerity, stormed off and today’s recording was cancelled.
—
[After all, the essence of a show isn’t flashy guests—it’s staying true to the fundamentals.]
—
I looked around.
The staff. The lights. The band. The recording equipment. The cameras.
All burning up and turning to ash.
Only the host’s vintage TV glowed vividly.
—
[The joy of witnessing, the pleasure of communication, the thrill of unpredictable development, the anticipation…]
[You ■■■ producers don’t understand that. You don’t deserve to make shows.]
[But I! I can do it!]
—
The host raised both arms nobly, like a liberator.
They turned to me.
—
[Musk Deer-ssi!]
[Thank you! You’ve given me a new vision!]
[My head is so clear. Ah… yes! From now on, I’ll take contestants for shows on every weekday.]
—
The host looked at me.
—
[I can tell. You have talent as a show creator.]
[I would really like you to join as crew on my new talk show, Musk Deer-ssi!]
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This is wrong.
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[New staff, new set, new music, new season… I’ll invite you when the preparations are complete!]
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But.
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[I’m terribly sorry today’s broadcast ended like this… but your passionate participation was truly impressive.]
[Then, see you on the next broadcast!]
—
It worked.
I blinked.
Beyond the fading vision, the suited figure with the TV head disappeared, waving…
—
And the next moment.
“……”
I realized I was sitting on a quiet, well-lit office sofa.
I turned my head.
The Assistant Manager and Deputy Manager, with dazed expressions and bleeding from their noses or ears, were looking at me.
And I realized.
—
We survived.
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“WAAAAAH—!!”
“You brilliant bastard, you insane maniac!”
Amid the cheers and embraces, I slid down onto the sofa.
We survived.
We escaped alive…!
“…! Your collector!”
And that wasn’t the end.
The Deputy Manager, who had been hugging me, pulled something out of my suit’s front pocket.
The Dream Dew Collector.
It was filled with a golden liquid.
The color was different from when I’d cleared the F-class last time—this was…
“A-class.”
“……”
“Musk Deer, you cleared an A-class Darkness on your second day of work…!”
