As soon as I thought about needing a large amount of money, a message arrived from an unfamiliar profile asking if I needed some.
But I’m inside the world of ghost stories.
[K.LEE: Mr. Employee? Hehe]
Blocking the contact, and leaving the chat room might be a wise choice….
‘But it also feels a bit too cliché.’
Since I’m in this world anyway, let’s try some ghostly advice.
I placed my "Good Friend" plushie under the bed, turned off the lights, and summoned Braun using the usual shadow projection method.
This time, however, I used a small flashlight I had bought on my way home.
“– Oh, my friend!”
Braun, who regained awareness almost instantly, recalled my escape from the previous ghost story with great amusement before quickly grasping the current situation.
A suspicious message from a stranger mentioning a large sum of money!
“– Suspicious! But isn’t a touch of curiosity about suspicion one of the virtues of a good show?”
“– And of course, it’s even better if it comes with shiny gold!”
Although the plushie sounded like a dopamine addict, his reaction confirmed that this wasn’t related to the ghost story.
‘If that’s the case.’
I simply typed a question in the chat room.
[Kim Sol-eum: Who are you?]
The reply came immediately.
Honestly, I thought the odds were high I’d get something like, "Hehe. I’m your friend~."
But to my surprise, it was a proper introduction.
[K.LEE: I’m Deputy Manager Lee Kangheon from Team C, haha.]
“...!!”
‘Team C?’
It’s another elite team.
Why would they contact me…? No, why reveal his rank and identity so easily?
[K.LEE: I heard you turned down Team A’s offer today!!! Lololol]
Oh no.
[K.LEE: wow how bold! I’ve never seen such a talented rookie before keke]
[K.LEE: even though you declined this time, maybe next year you’ll be a part of another elite team, you know? like those who get promoted straight to elite teams after getting promoted lol]
Does he have some kind of turbo-typing device…?
Before I could type even a single letter in reply, messages bombarded me like a bombshell.
Finally, I managed to respond with a single sentence.
[Kim Sol-eum: Nice to meet you, Deputy Manager Lee Kangheon.]
[K.LEE: ah no need for formalities. next time we meet at work, let’s have a meal together. I know this great charcoal-grilled chicken place hehe]
[K.LEE: oh, right I’m talking too much. anyway, the reason I contacted you today is!]
The tone shifted.
[K.LEE: dear colleague, you need money don’t you?]
“...”
[K.LEE: it’s about time you’d start wishing you had more money… don’t people usually look for ways to get some personal items, haha]
[K.LEE: I heard you already have custom equipment. You’re probably figuring out ways to get some more items, right?]
I don’t, though.
‘I just need to check the alien shop I already knew about…’
[K.LEE: but everything costs money haha]
[K.LEE: don’t waste your time and money buying meals and drinks for superiors when you can get all the tips from me hahaha]
Hmm.
[Kim Sol-eum: I appreciate your advice, but why are you telling me this?]
[K.LEE: because I want to get closer to you? Hehe]
At least put some effort into your lies…
[K.LEE: you curious? Haha]
I hesitated for a moment.
“– Oh dear! Roe Deer, there’s a whiff of cheap snake oil in those words. This person doesn’t seem fit for a classy professional channel.”
“– But… even cheap things can have their uses sometimes.”
“– If you sweet-talk him a bit….”
I started typing.
[Kim Sol-eum: No.]
“– …!?”
[K.LEE: ???????]
[K.LEE: haha, you’ve got a great sense of humor. Truly fitting of someone who broke the record for fastest cumulative points, haha]
[Kim Sol-eum: I’ll just ask my manager. Good night.]
[K.LEE: Waihju;]
[K.LEE: hey, wait a sec]
[K.LEE: are you Manager Lee Jaheon’s cousin or something?;; you got the same personality…]
You might as well just curse me….
In any case, he didn’t seem to know my personality very well, so this bluff worked wonders.
He hurriedly sent a flood of messages.
[K.LEE: i’m not charging anything so just hear me out, seriously. I don’t make offers like this often you know?;;ㅠㅠ]
Then came a rapid barrage of messages, followed by a link to some webpage.
[K.LEE: If you need seed money or items check this out. put me as your referrer -> hawaiib53 <- it’ll work if you just type it in]
[K.LEE: u dont have to but hey, since i helped, u might as well just follow your conscience lololol u get me right? hehehe]
[K.LEE: oh and keep this a secret! (shy emoji)]
‘…A template?’
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed copy-pasted.
[K.LEE: anyway just remember i was the one who told you about it, okay?]
[K.LEE: i’ll leave before i get caught, happy shopping! haha]
[K.LEE has left the chat room.]
“...”
‘If you were worried about getting caught, why even bother introducing yourself…’
Maybe he wanted me to feel indebted to him?
I erased the response I was typing, which read, "What exactly is this website you sent?"
‘Judging by the mention of shopping, it seems like a platform for buying things.’
Finding routes outside the alien shop wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Plus, the way he phrased things was intriguing.
‘Seed money, huh.’
He made it sound like I could make a lot of money.
‘Could it be some kind of underground betting site?’
The only way to find out was to check.
After verifying the link’s safety, I cautiously accessed it.
The smartphone screen turned pitch black, and text began to appear.
SALMON
“…??”
Like salmon swimming upstream against the current of a flowing river,
We swim against the mad current of this world.
‘Cyworld…?!’
[Note: Cyworld was a popular SNS during the 2000s. So popular that in 2005, around 25% of the Korean population was registered.]
The words disappeared with an animation reminiscent of salmon swimming, replaced by a new message.
Registration Available (Referral Required)
Hmm.
It seemed shady (in multiple ways), but I created an account anyway, entering the referrer ID given to me. After all, I needed to confirm what this was.
Upon logging in, I immediately realized what it was.
Salmon Market
“This is a secondhand trading site.”
It was essentially a marketplace for buying and selling items between individuals.
The only difference? It dealt with superstitious and bizarre items or information.
[Mermaid Jerky for Sale (Authentic, appraised by Han Nuri Jade)]
[Looking for Untainted Bloodlust Bird Tile Shards]
[$$ Rare Info on Cursed Vending Machine Locations, Verified $$]
[Sacred Protective Talismans for Sale]
Clicking around, I tried to get a sense of things.
So basically…
‘This place is full of scams.’
From the perspective of someone who’d read <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, it was all just junk, meaningless props, or outright falsehoods.
In other words, it felt like an amateur occult secondhand marketplace (at least by industry standards).
I rubbed my forehead and muttered, “Is this place mostly frequented by non-professionals?”
“– Hmm. Mass appeal inherently leads to a decline in expertise! Maintaining professionalism takes great effort and care, but… this place seems deliberately neglected.”
“– Unskilled enthusiasts often overpay for worthless things.”
It’s similar to fans ripping up floorboards from a stage set where a star once performed!
Well, that’s understandable since those hold sentimental value and are genuine.
The problem here is that this place is filled with fakes.
However, the completed transactions suggested these items sold for quite hefty prices.
“...”
‘Right. This world doesn’t officially acknowledge paranormal phenomena.’
Governments, worried about social panic, and corporations, eager to protect trade secrets, kept everything under wraps, leaving ghost stories to be explored in secret.
But there are quite a few civilian casualties because of these incidents.
Rumors and personal experiences would naturally circulate among the general public, so it wasn’t surprising that a site like this would exist.
What was troubling, however, were the prices of these items.
‘One million won for an item…
People were tossing around amounts fit for monthly rent deposits.
Perhaps it was because their survival depended on it, or maybe occult items experienced their own version of the Veblen effect*…
[Note: Abnormal market behavior where people tend to buy high-priced items even when similar items are available at lower prices for various reasons.]
‘Could I sell something here too?’
If the employee who introduced me to this really was a deputy manager from Team C, then employees of "Daydream Corporation" were likely using this site to discreetly sell junk items or information.
And that was precisely what worried me.
‘The moment I cross a certain line, I’ll definitely get caught in an audit…’
So let’s establish some safety measures.
I logged out of the current account and created a new one.
The name… Hmm…
[Blue Friend]
“– Friend, you say! Was it inspired by me? How touching!”
That’s pretty much correct. I combined whatever came to mind with whatever was in sight.
For the referral ID, I used the account I had created earlier.
“Done.”
“– Ah, a fresh identity to avoid being traced! Clever!”
Bingo.
The plan was to use this account to trade items that employees wouldn’t typically possess or that might raise red flags during audits.
‘This way, even if the purchases get traced, they won’t lead back to me.’
“Of course, I’ll also leave a few traces with the first account I created.”
“– To avoid suspicion, right? Brilliant!”
With the previous account, I intended to trade items that seemed plausible for an employee to handle, staying within acceptable boundaries.
Now that the groundwork for blending into society was laid, it was time to focus on the main task.
What should I sell?
‘For starters… reselling items from the alien shop is out of the question.’
Looking at the amateurish nature of this site, selling such items would cause an uproar.
Well, not that I had the time to dabble in reselling when I was busy just finding useful stuff in the alien shop.
I began browsing the Salmon Market, sorting by the latest listings.
Something that doesn’t stand out, but is still profitable for me to sell…
[Looking to buy food originating from supernatural phenomena.]
Oh?
-------------------------------
[Looking to buy food originating from supernatural phenomena.]
For research purposes.
Preference for strong Rupture-sanctioned Phenomena (According to Disaster Management Bureau’s Classification).
40.0
-------------------------------
– this guy again?
– aaah yes ‘the food I’m looking for must be from Type-1 phenomena, for research purposes.’ (Pushes glasses up dramatically) LOL.
– is this a bot? he posts everyday.
– occult nerd, please come out of your world. what even is this disaster management bureau classification?
The post had only a few comments mocking and teasing.
However…
‘…It’s real.’
The <Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau>.
A government organization that, along with <Daydream Incorporation>, forms one of the three major powers mentioned in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Even my merchandise, the Memorial Griptok, was an item distributed to officials from this agency.
‘And the bureau categorizes the threat levels of ghost stories using the “sanction” system…’
The ‘Rupture-sanctioned’ classification mentioned in the post was indeed an actual grade. Within the context of <Daydream Inc.>, it ranks slightly above C-Grade.
The author of the post clearly knows about this stuff.
I stared at the page.
‘If this person is legit, there’s a higher chance they won’t try to scam me.’
The fact that they used technical terms that normal people wouldn’t know, without bothering to explain, actually reduced the likelihood of this being a scam.
It definitely increased credibility.
And then, there was the price.
40.0?
‘40 million won.’
Even if someone knew nothing about the specifics, they might still reach out just to try their luck at that price.
Sure enough, after looking through the previous posts, I found relevant discussions in the comments.
– Wow, 40 million won…? Does anyone know if this is true?
└ I actually tried to reach out but they kept asking where it came from and then just ghosted me lol
└ Everyone’s getting ghosted lol it’s proly just some attention seeker don’t even bother
No, that’s not it.
‘Judging by these stories, it’s likely they ignored anything below the ‘Rupture’ Grade they specified.’
And, coincidentally, I had just the thing that fit their criteria perfectly.
Something suspicious, whose effects were unknown, and which I couldn’t bring myself to consume…
‘…I have it.’
In fact, I had two packets.
<Blue Soda Churros>
A snack given to me by the blue dragon mascot at a theme park.
“…”
“– Ah, that filthy food!”
It’s not filthy, per se…
Here’s the thing.
‘Good kids need funds too.’
I’m sure the mascot would understand.
[BlueFriend: Hello! I have supernatural phenomenon-derived food for sale that matches your request^^]
Message sent!
* * *
The next day.
‘It just so happened to be the weekend.’
I found myself waiting near Gwanghwamun Station to meet the buyer.
In my hands was a box containing one of the <Blue Soda Churros> I had received from the mascot.
‘I think I handled this pretty well.’
I recalled the messages exchanged with the buyer the day before.
As soon as I sent the first message, I received an almost immediate reply.
[T: What exactly is the food in question?]
This was the turning point.
I had two choices.
I could flaunt my knowledge, making it clear I understood everything about the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau and the classifications, thereby earning trust.
Or…
[BlueFriend: It’s some kind of churro. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure...ㅠㅠ I got it in a really strange situation.]
[BlueFriend: But it’s kind of scary to keep it, and I really need the money… Would you be okay with checking it out first and deciding if it meets your requirements?]
I chose the latter, pretending not to know anything and leaving the judgment entirely up to them.
And my choice paid off.
‘To be fair, everything I said was true.’
I wasn’t particularly keen on revealing my identity as an employee, either.
And so, here I was, standing near Exit 5 of Gwanghwamun Station, seven minutes ahead of the agreed time, waiting for the buyer.
‘If anything feels off, I’ll bolt immediately.’
As I stayed alert, someone came out from Cheonggye Plaza and headed toward Exit 5, glancing around.
‘Oh.’
Their demeanor screamed, “I’m here for a secondhand transaction.”
Tall, dressed entirely in black, and even wearing a mask, the person approached me once our eyes met.
“Are you the one from… Salmon…?”
I nodded.
Without a word, I opened the box and held it out.
It was an invitation to inspect the goods.
“…”
The person extended their hand, clad in gloves.
Their voice sounded young, but I hadn’t expected them to come this heavily concealed.
‘Not that I’m one to talk.’
After all, I was also covered up, from hat to glasses, with my hood pulled low.
Watching their movements, I stayed alert in case they tried to snatch the box and run.
The potential buyer ran a gloved hand lightly over the box before nodding and taking hold of it.
Huh?
“This is exactly what I was looking for.”
Then they handed me a small beverage box.
When they opened it slightly for me, I caught a glimpse of neatly stacked 50,000-won bills inside before they closed it again.
“…”
Their expression was unreadable, but their gaze seemed to ask what I was waiting for.
I felt a bit uneasy not being able to consult with Braun, but…
‘First things first.’
I set the box on the ground.
“…?”
After bowing my head briefly, I pulled a notebook from my pocket.
“…??”
Flipping to a page, I held it up for the buyer to read.
[I don’t know what effects this food has.]
[While it wasn’t dangerous to keep, I suggest not consuming it, just in case.]
[You mentioned it’s for research, but I thought I’d write this down just to be safe.]
“…!”
Though their face was hidden, they seemed startled.
‘It might feel like some sudden performance, but…’
Sorry. I just don’t want my voice recognized.
I bowed again, turned to the last page, and showed them a final message before quickly accepting the cash box and bolting.
[Have a great day^^]
* * *
“Nice.”
I immediately deposited the cash and returned home.
Since it was the weekend, Baek Saheon was already gone. Judging by the past month we spent together, he might’ve gone back to his family’s house.
Anyway.
“It’s time to revisit the Alien Shop.”
I reopened the link.
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