Saint U’s Peek-a-boo.
According to the middle schoolers, this is the last album of a famous female idol group that made a spectacular comeback after a long hiatus, years ago.
The addictive, bright, and cheerful track supposedly stayed on the music charts for a long time.
And now, that very song echoed through a dark, misty forest, accompanied by synchronized clapping.
Clap.
"My dazzling gaze catches you in an instant~ but I have no intention of making the first move..."
"I’ll wait patiently~ pretending not to care~ until you approach me."
“Cuz predators never move first~”
The adults, though clumsy, struggled to sing along with the song.
Clap.
"Alrighttt, hurry and get ready~ I’m a graceful tiger~ Peak-a-boo the moment you get closer!"
The playful and lively melody continued.
Perhaps because they’re singing together, the children’s expressions gradually relax, and their voices grow stronger.
"Peek-a-boo~! Here I come, so get ready~! I’m a tiger~ My eyes dazzling even in the dark~!"
“– ‘Follow the path while offering the melody, and place the sacrificial victim at the very back.’”
However, instead of a person, a small purple ginseng, the size of a palm, swayed and dangled at the back of the procession, like a bundle tied to a stick.
The security team captain carried the stick with the dangling ginseng over his shoulder as though it were a garbage bag.
Go Seonha occasionally glanced suspiciously at it, but the captain seemed to be humming along, enjoying the song.
"Peek-a-boo! I’ll enchant you~ make you lose your mind~ Peek-a-boo, so get ready."
Clap.
I gestured for everyone to stop.
‘The 30th step.’
The people awkwardly bowed deeply, almost like a prostration, and rose again.
And the song continued.
"Peek-a-boo!"
The trail gradually eveved out, making it easier to walk.
“– ‘When the melody ends, the path ends. Upon finding a small serpent helo in a place devoid of grass, offer gratitude for the mercy of the Mountain Lord and place your hand inside.’”
“– ‘Your hands must first be coated with water mixed with the salt.’”
By the time we reached the last chorus of the second verse, the surroundings began to change.
The trees, once dense enough to brush against faces, thinned slightly, while the mist grew thicker.
Instinctively, everyone realized.
‘We’re almost there...!’
Their faces showed a mix of tension, anticipation, and wariness.
But they kept calm and finished the song.
"Peek-a-boo~ so get ready..."
Clap.
Up to the very last line.
"Now I’m coming closer."
Our steps came to a halt.
“......”
“......”
The path had ended.
Ahead of the blocked trail lay an open clearing.
“Th-There are no trees.”
Our steps quickened. In the thick mist, the result of the ritual finally appeared before their eyes.
“Now, the serpent hole...!”
A massive reservoir.
“......”
“......”
‘What is this?’
An expanse of black, still water from which the mist endlessly flowed.
Everyone froze with expressions of bewilderment and fear.
Their faces screamed, What’s going on?
“Why, why...?”
“Uh, the serpent hole should appear, but... uh...”
What’s going on?
What went wrong?
I looked at the ginseng the security captain had been carrying.
...It was there, intact.
‘It was supposed to disappear…’
Go Seonha, pale as a sheet, finally spoke up.
“...Water ghost.”
“...!”
The words from a few hours ago surfaced instantly in my mind.
‘And… be wary of water. The vengeful spirits, after all, were originally referred to as water ghosts…’
“This was a trap! The ritual itself was a trap!! We were lured by the water ghost…!”
“Aaaaah!!”
“We’ve all been led here, to the reservoir…!!”
Manager Lee Byungjin screamed and tried to run back, only to trip and fall. The children, on the verge of tears, shrieked and clung to each other.
I nearly collapsed from the icy chill running down my spine.
It felt like stepping into the climax of a horror movie where everyone dies.
“......”
‘At this rate, we’re going to…’
...No.
NO!!
At the very least, I needed to understand the reason.
I followed all the given instructions without a single mistake. Even considering every exploration log I’d read in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>—!
The irrationality of it all overpowered the fear consuming my mind.
Go Seonha’s panicked cries buzzed in my ears.
“Turn around and run! To the abandoned house…!”
...Wait.
Hold on.
I turned to Go Seonha.
“...Did you know?”
“Pardon?”
“That the abandoned house was a trap as well?”
“...What?”
“Think about it. Isn’t it strange?”
I spoke slowly. The intentional contradictions of this ghost story.
“If this is a space influenced by a Vengeful Spirit, why would you suddenly regain your senses in a house warded with talismans against it?”
“......”
“And why would that house conveniently contain instructions for a ritual to escape from here?”
This point had divided interpretations in the comments section of <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> wiki, but I was almost certain.
‘This ghost story was crafted to drive people insane.’
That meant the intended logic was this.
“They trap people in the house for fifteen days, wringing them dry mentally and physically.”
By keeping them in such an extreme state while offering a glimmer of hope through a ritual, they break down psychological barriers.
“It makes it easier to lure them in.”
Most importantly...
“And if they can provoke mistakes during the ritual, that’s ideal. But even if not, it doesn’t matter.”
I stared at the ginseng.
“Conflict is bound to arise in the process of choosing a sacrifice, and someone will be left behind. They’ll always “take” at least one person.”
“......”
“Of course, the ritual itself is real. That’s the only way people will cling to it with desperation.”
And because this is <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>,
A narrative filled with too many convenient lies would disrupt immersion and tension. The ritual had to be genuine.
That’s why I was confident in performing the ritual. But...
“Which is why this is even more suspicious.”
I had read countless ghost stories.
Every single one that had been posted in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Even the difficult ones became routine reading after repeatedly encountering them at work.
Through that process, I picked up bits of obscure knowledge, such as...
“Peach tree branches are commonly known to ward off ghosts.”
“So?”
“And plum fruits are favored by Vengeful Spirits. That’s probably why both are required materials for the ritual.”
“...Ah.”
“You lure the spirit to the shrine with the plum, while the person conducting the ritual escapes carrying a ghost-repelling incense made of peach wood.”
I raised my head.
“But there happens to be someone here who seemed uncomfortable with the scent of peach wood incense and reacted strongly to the plum.”
“......”
Among seven people, someone deliberately walked beside the security chief at the back.
As if trying to stay as far away as possible from the peach wood incense.
“Go Seonha.”
I stared at her.
“Are you sure you’re speaking out of your own will?”
“...What are you saying?”
Perhaps...
The real Go Seonha had already failed the ritual and died in the shrine before we even met her...
“Right now, isn’t it the Vengeful Spirit speaking, not Go Seonha?”
Suddenly.
The footsteps stopped and all of us froze.
“...You’ve caught me.”
Go Seonha’s mouth twisted into an unnatural grin.
“But it’s too late! Too late!”
Her arms stretched unnaturally, extending towards me to grab and pull—
“Ack!”
I rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding their grasp.
Behind me, the manager and the children’s screams echoed like a chorus.
“Aaaaah!!”
“A ghost!”
Instinctively, I pulled the knife from my front pocket. That’s not a real spirit! It’s just someone possessed by one! If I can subdue them somehow...
But I realized.
‘I-I can’t charge at that thing!’
To use this short-range weapon, I’d need to get right up in the face of someone possessed by a ghost! And I already feel like fainting!
Even so, my adrenaline-fueled brain immediately identified the right person for the task!
“Captain!”
I tossed the knife towards the silhouette standing behind me.
“Subdue her!”
Whoosh.
The knife sliced through the air.
“...Oh.”
The security team captain caught the knife midair, gave it a quick once-over, then lunged at the vengeful spirit.
Heeheehee!!
Go Seonha’s face twisted grotesquely as a chaotic array of limbs and faces emerged, scattering in every direction.
A myriad of men, women, old and young—countless hands, faces, hair, and eyes darted in all directions.
“Please, someone, help me!”
“Hiiiiik!”
“Get back and close your eyes!”
Manager Lee Byungjin rolled down the mountain path with children, crouching his body.
“Can someone hear me? Please help!!”
At that moment, the captain’s body also began to distort.
The once slender upper body swelled grotesquely, bursting as if to tear his shirt. His mouth elongated into a snout, with a tongue extending outwards to clamp onto the Spirit’s elongated arm.
“AAAAAAH!”
No, it was a hallucination. The chief’s human appearance remained intact.
Or maybe he really had transformed into a monstrous figure...
‘Wow, this is insane.’
I barely shifted my gaze away.
The reason why the security team was so effective at dealing with ghost stories.
And why they weren’t part of the field exploration team.
It was unfolding before my eyes.
-------------------------------
A major department under the security division of the Daydream Incorporation in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Composed of personnel no longer classified as human having been tainted by certain entities.
Employment is permanent, and resignation is impossible.
-------------------------------
Did you know?
If someone is no longer considered human, even clearing a Darkness won’t fill the Dream Essence Collector.
They hold no value for field exploration.
That’s why those who have almost completely merged with ghost stories are reassigned to the security division.
Especially those contaminated by a certain violent and territorial ghost story.
“It hurts! It hurts!”
The security team.
They’re used as tools to handle major ghost story incidents managed by the company.
‘...And for someone to rise to the rank of captain, means he’s no different.’
In short, an employee specialized in facing down ghostly entities within ghost stories.
“Kyaaaaaaak!”
The countless arms of the Vengeful Spirit burst apart as she came into contact with the tongues, claws, and teeth that shot out from the security team captain’s gaping maw.
Despite the bloodsucking knife clenched in his teeth, something strange continued to ripple across the security team captain’s face, resembling an uncanny face.
‘…A wolf?’
The hallucination of a maw stretched wide, revealing countless fangs dripping with saliva and blood, flashed before my eyes and then vanished.
A wave of dizziness and nausea came over me like a tidal wave, and I quickly fixed my gaze on the ground.
‘…It’s like I’m trapped in a nightmare.’
Though vaguely, I was beginning to grasp the practical reason why the security teams in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> always evacuated people before subduing a Darkness.
Still, considering we had taken a gamble, things were progressing relatively well.
“Keep your eyes closed!”
I stared silently at the ground, enduring the situation.
And then, in the next moment—
“– Oh, Roe Deer. The bizarre guest you brought along has triumphed!”
The situation was over.
When I lifted my head, I saw the Vengeful Spirit lying sprawled on the ground, with the bloodsucking knife lodged in its right palm.
And there was the distorted and mutated form of the security team captain, gripping the spirit’s head tightly.
“– Ugh, how utterly degenerate. If this guest had come to my show, I would never have let them on stage!”
This was one of those rare moments when I felt relieved that Braun’s voice was audible only to me.
In a desperate attempt to sound composed, I addressed the security team captain, who was still pressing down on Go Seonha’s head.
“Thank you, captain.”
“Uuurrgh…”
“– He says he’s tired. How rude!”
The fact that you can interpret that howl makes you even scarier.
It was then.
A muffled voice came from beneath the security team captain’s hand.
It was unmistakably human.
“W-Wait…”
“…!”
At some point, Go Seonha’s face had returned to normal. Now, with a look of abject terror, she groaned desperately.
“P-Please… s-save me! Save… me…”
“Leave this one and go…”
“Ugh, argh…”
With her eyes rolling back, the Spirit’s voice echoed.
“Just die… okay? You can die. You killed people, didn’t you? You were trying to kill those kids. I know everything. So it’s fine if you die.”
Go Seonha thrashed about.
“No, no, don’t…”
“Just leave her behind. Just leave her, huh? Is that so hard?!”
“Save me, save me!! Aaaaaah!”
At that moment—
“Just now.”
The security team captain asked in a distinctly human voice.
“Did you request emergency assistance from <Daydream Inc.>…?”
The monstrous figure concealed his face, but his voice clearly addressed Go Seonha directly.
“This is a formal request that requires written contract… am I right?”
…Something felt off.
Go Seonha, looking utterly dazed, glanced up, then, as if regaining her senses, responded in a desperate voice.
“Ye—”
Hold on.
“No.”
I interjected firmly, gritting my teeth.
“This place isn’t a corporate-owned darkness, we didn’t enter to rescue civilians, and, above all, we’ve already provided mutual aid.”
“Uh… That’s strange…”
The growling voice dropped dangerously low.
“Didn’t she try to stop us from leaving…?”
Huffff.
“…It doesn’t matter. Ultimately, she was helpful.”
I declared with certainty.
“So this was cooperation.”
“……”
The security team captain stared at me.
Then he looked down at Go Seonha…
“…I suppose that’s true…”
“……”
“Seems that way…”
Skrrr.
The strength drained from his voice, reverting to the tone of someone who found everything in life a hassle.
‘Phew.’
I’d felt something was wrong and stepped in, and it seemed like that was the right move.
‘It’s always best to avoid getting entangled with Daydream Inc…’
Especially if it meant owing them a debt. Just thinking about it gave me a bad feeling.
“So, what should we do now…”
“One moment.”
I approached Manager Lee Byungjin, who was holding onto the kids with his eyes shut tight. My footsteps startled him.
“Eek! Don’t tell me you’re replacing me—!”
“The incense burner.”
“Huh?”
“Give it to me.”
I snatched the burner from Manager Lee Byungjin, who was still clutching it. The peach incense had burned down completely, but the ashes remained intact inside the censer.
‘It didn’t like peach.’
If that’s the case…
I poured the contents of the incense burner directly over Go Seonha’s shoulder.
“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!”
Sizzle.
Even though it wasn’t particularly hot, the smell of burning flesh and salty brine rose from her shoulder.
“I’ll never leave! I’ll just cling on again! I can cling on ag—aaaaargh!!”
I dumped the rest over her head.
The possessed body convulsed violently, thrashing madly before—
“Gasp!”
Her eyes snapped open.
Clarity and relief shone in his gaze.
It was Go Seonha.
“I-I’m fine now! I think I’m fine…”
“No, you’re not.”
“What?”
“We were lured here because of the Vengeful Spirit’s influence. It could always return.”
“Th-Then…”
“So let’s make sure it can’t come back.”
“…?”
I pulled out an extra pack of apple juice I’d brought.
“Here.”
“Uh, uh…”
“Drink it all.”
I urged him firmly. Go Seonha, looking confused, ultimately gulped down the juice as instructed.
Moments later—
Thud.
Like the wild ginseng, she fell fast asleep.
Phew.
‘That’s one problem solved…’
“You can let go now.”
“……”
The security team captain obediently released his grip and then asked in a subtle tone.
“Any chance you’re considering a department transfer…?”
“No, I’m not.”
Please, just stop.
After thanking the now-human-formed security team captain again, I gathered Manager Lee Byungjin and the kids, who still had their eyes tightly shut.
“You can open your eyes now.”
“Ah…!”
Relief swept over Manager Lee Byungjin’s face.
But then, glancing nervously at the kids, he whispered to me in a desperate tone:
“Wh-What do we do now? How are we supposed to find a way out…?!”
“……”
“Dawn is almost here!”
I looked at the sky.
Through the thick fog, a faint light seemed to filter in from somewhere…
The full moon night was nearing its end.
‘There’s no time to perform the ritual again.’
However…
“It’ll be fine.”
“…What?”
“I think the ritual was half-successful.”
I recalled how the paths shifted whenever we sang and how the incense had burned as it should.
‘The preparations were all correct.’
The ritual had two purposes.
To evade the Vengeful Spirit.
And to appeal to the Mountain Lord for a way out.
“And I think the latter was successful.”
Though the former failed, leading us dangerously close to the water’s edge…
“Perhaps the exit is somewhere nearby.”
“…!”
We huddled together in the dense fog, searching near the clearing by the mountain, where the trail from the ritual ended.
“– ‘If you find a small serpent hole in a grassless area, offer your thanks to the Mountain Lord and reach inside. Your hand should be coated in salted well water.’”
‘Grassless area… a place with no grass…’
And soon—
“I-I found it!”
“…!!”
One of the middle schoolers spotted a small hole beneath a tree.
Moonlight pierced through the fog, shining directly onto the spot.
A pitch-black hole, like a pool of ink.
“……”
A serpent hole.
We coated our hands with salted water and hesitated no longer, acting quickly despite our fear.
‘Hurry, hurry.’
Just before dawn—
We reached into the hole.
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