The Disappeared Manual Revisor.
The Disappeared 50 Million Won.
And the soon-to-be-disappearing Bloodlust Bath (Planned Gift).
"......”
The bigger problem is that right now, in the pocket of my bag, is Braun—the very one who demanded the gift.
‘He’s hearing all of this, isn’t he? Damn it…’
I felt uneasy leaving him at home for various reasons, and since I didn’t know when I’d be dragged into another ghost story, I carried him around. But now, it feels like it’s backfired.
This is like… promising my niece a Christmas gift, only to go to the department store and find the shelf empty with a "Sold Out" sign.
Except the niece in question is Annabelle.
“Huuu…”
A sigh escaped me.
‘The revisor’s been absent without notice for a week?’
It’s obvious.
This means they’ve gotten tangled up in a ghost story and gone missing.
‘Just wait it out calmly. It’s better for your mental health, they say.’
Wait it out calmly? If someone buys the Bloodlust bath from the alien shop first, I’ll break my promise to Braun!
And I don’t want to mess with a plushie that can incinerate an A-Grade Darkness with a single snap of its fingers…!
‘I’m so screwed.’
After patting me on the shoulder twice, Deputy Manager Eun Hajae went back to her desk, leaving me alone to ponder in silence.
What should I do?
Should I wait anxiously for two months, only to find the bathtub sold in the middle and end up banging my head in apology?
Should I try taking out a loan somehow?
Or…
‘…Maybe I should try to figure out why that employee disappeared first.’
It’s not just to make myself feel better by saying, “I did my best.” What if I can find them without facing any major difficulty or danger?
I still had <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> both in my memory and on my phone.
‘Let’s just check it out.’
I happen to have some free time since things have been slow after the theme park incident. Plus, I finished the paperwork for a ghost story exploration yesterday.
Today’s a good day to sneak in a bit of side work without blatantly escaping the office.
‘The superiors are just popping in and out of the office anyway.’
Of course, since I’m the lowest-ranked here, I’ll limit myself to stepping out briefly for about an hour after lunch.
The first place I should visit…
‘The revisor’s desk, of course.’
* * *
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Naturally, I’d prepared an excuse for this visit.
– Oh, you’re curious about the revisor’s office, Roe? Alright… take this with you and check out the office!
The kind-hearted Supervisor Park Minseong had entrusted me with a “training completion certificate” that wasn’t immediately necessary but could be delivered without raising suspicions.
‘Thank you, Supervisor Park Minseong…’
What a warm gesture in this ghost story-infested company filled with psychopaths.
I entered the administrative support office and looked for an employee to deliver the document. Luckily, there was someone sitting next to the missing manual revisor’s desk.
“I’m here to submit some documents from Team D for Supervisor Park Minseong.”
“Oh? Just leave them there.”
“Yes. Also, this…”
I politely handed over a package I had been holding to the employee who didn’t even bother to look at me while typing away on their computer.
Inside were warm, sugar-dusted, vanilla cream-filled donuts.
And an iced Americano.
‘Bribery is essential for these things, after all.’
“Oh, my! You didn’t have to…”
Despite their words, they swiftly accepted the donuts and coffee. Typical office worker.
“Supervisor Kang, pass these around.”
“Huh? Donuts?”
“Yeah, he brought them for us.”
“Wow, thank you! You’re from Team D, right?”
I watched as the office workers bit into the donuts, and the atmosphere in the office subtly shifted to a casual tea time.
The mood had softened into casual chatter.
It was the perfect time for a stranger to join in the conversation—especially if they brought snacks.
I carefully picked my timing and spoke up.
Looking at the empty desk of the manual revisor, “Lee Byungjin.”
“Shall I just leave a coffee at Manager Lee’s desk? Looks like he isn’t here.”
“Oh, there’s no need. He hasn’t been coming to work.”
“Oh, on leave?”
“Leave? Nah, he’s missing.”
Gotcha.
With a tone devoid of concern, the adjacent employee casually mentioned it, exchanging knowing glances with another worker.
“Honestly, we kind of saw this coming.”
“Hey, watch it.”
“Oh, come on. Everyone’s going to talk about it anyway. You’re the new hire from Team D, right? What’s your name?”
“Kim Sol-eum.”
“…! Oh, you’re the one who almost ended up in Team A?”
“Um, I’m grateful for the positive impression they have of me.”
“Wow.”
From somewhere, I heard murmurs like, “So that’s the newbie from Team D?”
The nearby employee, now eyeing me with renewed curiosity, seemed to reconsider their indifferent demeanor and said,
“Well, since you’ll find out sooner or later working here, I’ll tell you. In this company, people who pick up weird stuff or meddle with strange things always end up missing.”
“Excuse me?”
Feigning confusion, I furrowed my brows and asked.
“Is that why the manager is missing as well?”
“Exactly. They bought… what was it again? A screw?”
“Scroll, not screw.”
The colleague across from them corrected with a tone of resignation, earning a chuckle from the first employee.
“Oh, right. A scroll. He said it would bring fortune or something. He even bragged about winning second place in the lottery after buying it.”
Oh.
Bragging about hitting it big after buying a suspicious scroll, only to disappear later?
‘Classic secondhand ghost story setup…’
The structure is a total cliché.
‘Hmm, alright.’
I quickly made up my mind.
‘I’m out.’
If I meddle in this mess for the sake of getting my money back quickly, I might end up worse than a corpse.
So, I was ready to say something like, “Wow, that’s really scary! Well then, I’ll just…”
But then.
“Anyway, that’s unfortunate for you.”
Me?
“Hey, don’t say things like that!”
“Well, isn’t it true? Isn’t he waiting for the manual revision?”
Yes.
“Well, without Manager Lee, it’s going to be tough to get it approved.”
…?!
Wh-What?
“That manager was close to Team A, you see. You know how these things work. They were in the same ‘line.’”
“…!!”
The line.
The very foundation of office politics.
In this place, relationships are built and broken depending on who you align with.
And now I find out that the missing manager was particularly close with Team A, their so-called ‘line’?
The realization hit me like lightning.
‘So that’s why Team A’s leader sounded so confident!’
No wonder she seemed overly certain about the manual revision process!
“The new person coming in might be a wild card, but chances are slim they’ll be from the same line. They’re likely someone from Director Cheong’s side.”
“……”
“And Director Cheong doesn’t exactly get along with Team A, you know.”
Did you hear that?
That was the sound of my 50 million won evaporating.
It’s not just delayed—it’s gone… forever.
‘No!’
Before I realized it, I was blurting out,
“Do you happen to know where Manager Lee went missing?”
“Oh, there’s an interesting rumor about that.”
The adjacent employee leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially.
“They say it happened inside the company.”
“…!”
“Someone saw Manager Lee arrive in the morning and enter the lobby, but he never made it to their office.”
“…Disappeared midway?”
“Well, who knows? Nobody actually saw it happen, after all.”
“……”
Nobody saw it happen… huh.
‘People might not have seen it, but other things could have.’
I raised my head.
In one corner of the office, the red light of a CCTV camera blinked.
If the manager truly disappeared within the company, the footage should still exist.
‘CCTV in a company of this size… should retain data for about two weeks, right?’
If so, there’s still a chance to check.
Finding the missing person is critical to securing my 50 million won.
…The problem is.
‘The company’s CCTV records are managed by… the Security Team.’
And the Security Team… well.
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
That’s right.
For various reasons, I’d been avoiding them. But now…
‘Well, since I work here, it’s impossible to avoid them forever.’
Given the situation, I decided to use this opportunity to gather information and confirm things.
Clutching Braun in my pocket, I headed to the 1st floor.
Straight to the Security Team’s Safety Control Room.
“Is this the way to the basement?”
On the outer perimeter of the 1st floor, there was a separate door leading to an underground area accessible only to authorized personnel. A short descent down the stairs revealed an iron door.
[Safety Control Room]
I raised my hand.
Knock knock.
– ……
Knock knock.
– Just come in…
“…??”
I cautiously opened the door.
Inside was a typical facility office—a cramped space with an old sofa in the center.
Lying sprawled across the sofa was a single person.
He wore a worn, navy-blue uniform.
…?
“Good afternoon…”
Quickly scanning his uniform badge, I read:
[Security Team 3, Captain J3]
“Excuse me, Captain. May I check the CCTV footage from a week ago? Someone has gone missing…”
“……”
The response came slowly.
“You want to check the CCTV…”
“Yes.”
“Ah…”
Looking utterly exhausted and indifferent, the Captain of Security Team 3, still sprawled on the couch, spoke sluggishly.
“Normally, you’d need to submit a CCTV access request form…”
Ah.
"Well, when did this company ever care about things like that... Just watch it."
"......"
I wasn’t sure whether to call this kindness or negligence of duty.
Anyway, since I was the one asking for a favor, I started by bribing him with the leftover snacks.
"I thought you might like to have this as a snack..."
"Oh, donuts."
His face, which had been utterly drained of energy, suddenly lit up, and he quickly got up from the sofa and snatched the bag.
"I like donuts, but there’s nowhere that delivers them to the office... And since I can’t go out during the day, I don’t get to eat them often..."
I see.
'He doesn’t seem particularly violent, surprisingly.'
But then again, ghost stories are full of clichés about people who don’t look dangerous but turn out to be ghosts.
Still maintaining my vigilance, I spoke softly.
"Then, is it okay if I head over to the CCTV room now?"
"Sure... But."
The guard scratched the back of his head, staring at the donuts as if deep in thought, and after a moment of silence, he slowly spoke up.
"There’s only one guard on shift. You might need company… You know, since it might be risky."
"Oh, thank you."
I waited for him to call the guard using his radio or some other means.
But there was no movement.
"...?"
"...?"
"You said a security guard would accompany me..."
"That’s… me."
He pointed to himself.
"That’s me, I mean."
……
"Oh... I see."
'Let’s not get involved more than I need to.'
I should just check the CCTV quickly and leave.
"You said it was a week ago, right?"
"Yes, yes."
In any case, I followed the captain to the CCTV room and began reviewing the footage.
Although he was labelled as the captain, his lack of skill in handling the equipment deepened my suspicions, but that wasn’t the priority.
"Found it."
I located the footage featuring the person in question.
I saw a middle-aged man entering the lobby and getting on the elevator.
The man matched the face of Lee Byungjin, the manager registered in the company system.
And the long, slender object in his hand...
'Is that a scroll?'
It was definitely not something you’d normally bring to the office. A chill ran down my spine.
"You’re good at finding things. You could work as a security guard."
Please don’t say scary things like that.
"Thank you. I think I was just focused because I’m trying to find the missing person."
"...Missing person?"
"Yes."
The other person fell silent, seeming a bit flustered.
It appeared he hadn’t been paying attention earlier and was just now realizing what I had said.
The fact that someone had disappeared in the building wasn’t even known to the security team.
"How did we miss that..."
"Is it going to be a problem?"
"No... It wasn’t during my shift, anyway."
"......"
"They’ll figure it out themselves..."
Sure...
Thank you for that very clear logic of someone on shift rotation.
Anyway, by checking the elevator footage, I could confirm where the missing person had gone.
Surprisingly... the missing person hadn’t gone upstairs.
"...He went down to the basement."
Even below the safety control room.
[B2]
On the CCTV, he was clearly seen stumbling out on the second basement level.
...This was unsettling.
'What on earth was happening?'
Why would an administrative employee suddenly go down to the basement like he was in a trance?
'That area is restricted to the Security Management Department only.'
Even within the Department, I’d heard they only do occasional patrols. What could possibly be happening there?
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
I hastily averted my eyes from the empty elevator.
'I feel like even watching the CCTV from this point onward could be dangerous.'
Up until now, I had managed to scrape by pretending to watch it casually, but not this time.
A mysterious pharmaceutical company’s basement floor, infamous in ghost stories.
A place where regular employees have no access, and no one knows what goes on there?
'Even in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, this was described like some bizarre urban legend!'
This isn’t going to work. I should stop here and leave.
Avoiding the CCTV as much as possible, I gave a small bow to the head of security.
"Thank you for showing me. I’ll take my leave now..."
"…The restroom."
"...?"
"The person you’re looking for. He went into an unused men’s restroom in the basement..."
"……."
"And hasn’t come out. For an entire week."
Desperately, I avoided looking at the CCTV.
However, it seemed this captain had already checked everything, even the unused basement men’s restroom where the missing person went.
"Want to check the restroom?"
"I don’t have access to the basement floors."
"I’m going."
Yes, of course. It’s your worksite.
If you’d kindly find the missing person while you’re at it, I’d be very—
"Let’s go together... Just say you’re a new hire in the security team or something."
Excuse me?!
"No, there’s really no need for that—"
"Let’s go..."
Wait!!
* * *
How did things end up like this?
'I even got a uniform now.'
I was standing in the maintenance elevator, wearing the navy blue uniform of a security team member.
This situation was utterly disorienting.
'I got persuaded...'
– It’s fine. Sometimes the field exploration team comes for temporary assignments...
Isn’t that essentially a punishment?
In any case, I was told that my entry into the basement wouldn’t cause any big issues, so here I am.
To avoid getting into trouble, I made sure to contact Team D to process this as an official support assignment, so there shouldn’t be any disciplinary actions...
Should I be grateful that my social skills with superiors came in handy here?
'Still, this is dizzying.'
I just wanted to buy the Bloodlust Bath
At this rate, even if I can’t buy the bath, Braun should give me some credit.
Ding.
With the sound of the elevator, the doors opened.
Basement Level 2.
It was the same sound as usual, yet it somehow felt eerie. What unfolded before my eyes was...
A corridor lined with ordinary office spaces.
"......"
Why... are there offices underground?
‘Shouldn’t this be a place for safety equipment or facilities instead?’
The slightly dim office corridor was utterly silent, with frosted glass doors everywhere.
Each door had nameplates: Office A, Office B, Office C...
The security chief whispered,
"Don’t open any doors."
"Understood."
You didn’t need to say that—I had absolutely no intention of touching anything.
I solely focused on the security captain’s back as we walked slowly down the corridor.
And then, it happened.
“– Roe Deer, my friend?”
"…!"
“– To think you’d don such shabby attire to bring a gift to this Braun! It’s truly touching, but it pains my heart as well. Must my friend endure such menial tasks?”
What a kind sentiment.
But, let me ask you.
‘...How are you talking to me right now?’
The “good friend” could only speak and move within the confines of ghost stories. Which meant…
I was already inside the ghost story.
“Ah, we’re here,” the security captain said, halting his steps.
The pale light leaking out of the bathroom door illuminated the space in front of us.
"I’ll open the door…"
"Wait—"
But before my words could reach him, the bathroom door swung open.
Bang.
Amid flickering lights, the space beyond the door came into view…
"......"
‘What the hell?!’
The bathroom was smeared with a deep crimson ink.
It was as though an artery had been slashed open, splattering ink-like blood across the mirror and all around the room.
I froze in place.
Not even a scream came out.
But in the next moment, my sense of smell snapped me back to reality.
‘There’s barely any metallic scent.’
That wasn’t all blood.
However, it wasn’t the typical scent of ink either. It was something...
‘...Soot ink?’
[Note: Ink made from soot, it’s sometimes commonly referred to as Indian Ink too.]
Tap tap.
Braun nudged me from my pocket.
‘A warning.’
My senses jolted awake.
The security captain glanced around the bathroom and reached out his hand.
"Don’t touch—"
Poke.
"—that…"
We were screwed.
The moment he dipped his finger into the ink...
The crimson-black liquid surged, cascading through the bathroom like a tidal wave.
"…!!"
I immediately tried to turn and run, but the viscous black liquid extended like countless hands, swallowing my feet and dragging me down.
“AAAAAHHHHH!”
‘Shit, shit…!’
I barely avoided falling flat, but the thick liquid splashed up to my chin as I struggled. A wave of nausea surged.
Turning my head to assess the situation, I spotted the source of it all.
"That scroll!"
In the middle of the bathroom mirror was a scroll, its center slashed to shreds.
Ink-like blood was being sucked into the torn center of the scroll.
And my legs… were being dragged in that direction, too.
Like a living creature pulling me in… Wait, living creature? Blood-like?
‘The Bloodsucking Cutlery…!’
I yanked a fork out of my pocket and stabbed it into the ground.
The shining silver fork trembled violently before eagerly absorbing the surrounding ink.
"Ah!"
It was working!
But the dessert fork, no bigger than my finger, wasn’t strong enough to hold.
Ting.
The utensil was flung aside.
‘Shitttt!’
And with that, I was sucked into the scroll.
* * *
"Gasp!"
I jolted upright.
Through my blurry, darkened vision, I made out a wall covered in a worn, mottled pattern.
An unfamiliar place.
‘...An abandoned house?’
I caught my breath, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.
And then... I realized.
What I was seeing wasn’t wallpaper.
Talismans.
Every inch of the decaying wooden walls was plastered with old, tattered talismans.
"......!"
It was heavy.
The air felt as though it was pressing down on my shoulders, a strange sense of oppression dominating the cold, dim interior.
…Something was wrong.
I felt like a rat caught in a trap, sneaking into a forbidden place through all the wrong means.
"......"
I clenched my trembling fists tightly.
But all I felt was emptiness.
‘…It’s gone.’
The bloodsucking cutlery had disappeared.
Sweat dripped down my face as I struggled to keep myself from hyperventilating. Slowly, carefully, I drew in a breath...
"Excuse me…!"
I nearly fainted on the spot.
"There, over there! Are you… the police??"
I lifted my head.
I wasn’t alone in this dark, abandoned house.
In one corner, small figures huddled together, their eyes fixed on me.
Children…
‘Middle school uniforms.’
Trembling students cried out desperately,
"P-Please help us! We touched some strange painting or something, and now we can’t get out of here!"
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