‘New merch?’
Since it said "unlocked usage rights," maybe I could use one of the items I'd bought before.
‘But based on what criteria was it unlocked?’
I wanted to click on the notepad floating unrealistically in midair, but I remembered I was still sitting in the middle of the auditorium.
To make things worse, the host had called me out as the top candidate or something, so I could feel numerous eyes on me.
"I’ll check it out after leaving."
The event seemed like it’s concluding, so I figured I’d go home and— wait a minute.
A critical realization hit me.
"..."
Do I even have a home here...?
Hurriedly, I pulled out my smartphone and started checking through my records.
Like magic, all traces of my employment and work history had vanished.
Even my family’s contact information was gone.
‘Please, no…’
The only thing left were records from my college years, which matched my memories and gave me a moment of relief.
The problem was... back in college, I lived in a dormitory.
‘And when I graduated, I had such a hard time finding a place that my plans all went down the drain.’
Sure enough, the latest record was a text arranging an appointment to check out rental rooms at a real estate office and a chat with a friend about how I had to stay in a motel because my studio apartment contract had fallen through.
"..."
I glanced up at the presentation screen in the auditorium, which was still active.
More specifically, at one large line of text at the bottom:
[Employee Benefits – Miscellaneous]
Housing Support
‘Well… I might as well take advantage of the benefits.’
* * *
The "Housing Support" process was surprisingly fast.
"Hello!"
"Ah, hello."
Within an hour of inquiring at the desk, I had been assigned a room number, handed a key, and given the address. Even the location was decent.
Of course, it wasn’t out of the company’s goodwill but likely for convenience.
‘To work me around the clock, they probably need me nearby, like live-in staff.’
Still, the building was a decent-looking officetel. It seemed freshly remodeled, clean, and secure.
[Note: Officetel = Office+hotel, both for residential and commercial purposes.]
Considering housing support is usually reserved for remote assignments, this was an undeniably good perk.
‘Though the company did just run a death survival game… Here I am, moving into their officetel.’
This cynical thought immediately vanished when I ran into Go Yeongeun in front of the officetel.
"You heard, right? Seven people got company housing," she said.
"…?"
That’s more than half of us.
Come to think of it, she must be here to move in too, right?
She must have noticed my gaze because she gave a sheepish smile.
"It’s kind of scary, but honestly, after already joining the company, it’d be a waste to pass up free housing this close to a subway station…"
"...Yeah."
That’s capitalism for you—nothing’s scarier than money.
‘Saving 1.2 million won a month? Yeah, you’d have to be crazy not to move in.’
Of course, there was another crucial reason.
"Apparently, people coming in from out of town were notified and registered for housing as soon as they were called here," she added.
"Ah, makes sense."
Everything actually made sense. The new recruits must’ve cheerfully signed off the agreement, making it impossible for them to back out.
I was wondering how they assigned me a room so quickly— Well, I could take a guess.
‘I must’ve gotten the room of one of the new recruits who got eliminated during the death survival game, right…?’
The thought sent chills down my spine, and I felt slightly ashamed of myself.
Anyway, after parting ways with Go Yeongeun, I headed up to the 12th floor, where my room was located.
Everything was fine until I realized one problem.
The officetel was a two-room unit.
And my assigned roommate was Baek Saheon.
"…"
"…"
Baek Saheon was sitting in the living room.
One of his eyes was covered with a medical eye patch, it seemed he’d received some kind of treatment. Judging by the timing, it was probably done by the company rather than a hospital.
I tried not to speak to him, offering a silent nod before heading toward my room.
"Hey."
What?
"Hey?"
I froze.
Baek Saheon flinched when I turned around, but he was more angry than intimidated, glaring at me as he spoke.
"Enjoyed the show? Did you enjoy watching me lose my eye while you did nothing, huh?"
It seemed he thought I deliberately let him suffer despite knowing about the missing item.
‘Seriously? He’s the one who ran off on his own, though.’
He punched someone else’s eye but somehow thinks others should’ve protected his? What kind of twisted logic is that?
But I knew better than to try reasoning with him.
If I said, "That’s not what happened," or "Why are you suddenly being so rude?" he’d probably just double down and spout more nonsense.
People like Baek Saheon have a nickname in customer service: "Delusional."
[Note: It’s more of a “God Complex.”]
They invent their own version of events and cling to it stubbornly.
People like him cannot be reasoned with.
Instead…
"Yeah, it was hilarious."
"...!"
The only option was to go on the offensive.
I marched right up to him and clapped a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks, I had a great time. Is this what they call dopamine?"
"Wh-what...?"
"Keep up the good work. No, I hope we get to work together."
"…"
"Office life is going to be so much fun."
That should do it.
"Now he probably thinks I’m a lunatic."
Judging by his performance and what I’d read in the wiki of <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, Baek Saheon struck me as someone who’d exploit any sign of weakness to push others into a corner.
In that case, it was better to plant the idea: "I shouldn’t get involved with this guy."
‘A little bluffing never hurts.’
After patting his shoulder a couple more times, I stood up and headed straight for my room without looking back.
‘As long as he doesn’t stab me in my sleep, we’re good.’
To be honest, I exaggerated a bit.
At this stage, the likelihood of working along with a peer is close to none.
No company pairs up new employees to form teams, they spread them out.
It’s like balancing teams in some ninja anime—allocating recruits based on performance.
And considering I was called first and Baek Saheon second, it’s even less likely we’d end up in the same group.
So for now, let’s just act like we don’t exist to each other.
Clack.
Feeling relieved, I walked into my assigned room.
“Haaa.”
It was clean, with freshly replaced bedding, a desk, and even a private bathroom.
Hanging on the bathroom door was an information booklet.
"Weekly housekeeping and fresh bedding for just 100,000 won a month if I sign up?"
Looking at these ridiculously generous benefits, it’s obvious that the company is throwing way too many carrots around.
As if the brutal death survival game had never happened, everything now seemed so neat and accommodating that it would confuse most of the recruits.
From my perspective, though, the company’s motives were transparent.
"They’re trying to fill up the Field Exploration Team with capable employees."
The company wants to make sure the recruits they deem "capable" don’t run away.
"Well, might as well make the most of it."
Since I’d already decided to stay.
On the desk was a small welcome gift package with fancy snacks and office supplies branded with the company logo.
Inside a half-open drawer, I noticed a diary.
It also had the company logo, suggesting it was another standard issue.
"But it’s dated last year."
Did the previous tenant leave it behind?
I opened the diary, and on the very first page, in huge letters, it read:
– Run.
‘Dear god.’
I appreciate my senior's words of wisdom, but it's already over for me.
It wasn’t even scary at this point.
"Isn't this just the cruel reality of being a corporate slave?"
My human emotions stirred a bit. I carefully closed the diary and put it away in a drawer.
Now that I’ve checked everything worth seeing, I guess it’s time to get to work.
[Chronicles of Darkness Exploration Real Goods Box]
– Unlocked the usage rights for new merch!
Now that I’m alone, I can check it out!
"Huuu."
With a nervous heart, I sat comfortably on the bed and reached for the notepad.
Thud.
Just like when the Griptok fell down, the notepad opened, and something fell out.
OPP transparent film wrapping.
[Note: Plastic film which is commonly used for packaging.]
Inside the packaging which seemed to be used for fancy merch were a bunch of stickers.
“This is….”
I lifted the package.
A yellow circle with a typical smiley emoji sticker.
Also known as “The bribe item.”
-------------------------------
Dark Exploration Record / Daydream Inc.
/ Item
Smiley Sticker
For salespeople! 😀
When attached to a sentient being, it makes them feel a slight sense of familiarity toward the user.
Item usage conditions: Must be a full-time employee or a higher-up at Daydream Inc.
(PS. Using for inappropriate personal purposes such as flirting will result in disciplinary action.)
-------------------------------
“Hah.”
This poorly packaged, poorly finished sticker was, ironically, one of the most iconic items used in some of the entries of <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Induces familiarity, it said? In reality, it’s basically manipulating favorability.
‘Wasn't this used to persuade people from other departments for collaboration?’
And I finally understood why it was unlocked now.
– Item usage conditions: Must be a full-time employee or a higher-up at Daydream Inc.
“It’s probably because I became a full-time employee, right?”
Items created by organizations or specific groups in <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> usually have restrictions based on rank or affiliation.
In terms of world-building, it’s to prevent indiscriminate misuse.
‘And from the perspective of those making ghost stories, it’s to prevent newbie "Mary Sue" types from barging into every ghost story and using every tool.’
Anyway, the fact that I meet those conditions now means…
‘If I get promoted or change departments, this will spit out more goods one at a time?’
It definitely seemed like something that could help with survival.
But honestly, it would’ve been nice if I hadn’t been dragged into this world in the first place. Thinking about it, this itself feels like a ghost story.
‘Ugh.’
I glanced at the glowing notepad a few times and finally managed to shift my thoughts.
“At least I’ve got something.”
The smiley sticker, it’s a bit burdensome that I have to attach it directly to someone, but it’s definitely worth it if I can win over someone’s favor.
But there’s a problem.
‘…This thing definitely appeared a few times in ghost stories before but the idea itself got completely scrapped.’
The authors fought bitterly over the power of the sticker, and after much drama, it was eventually phased out of history…
I don’t know exactly when, but this could be the last set of stickers left in this world.
I looked down at the packaged smile stickers again.
Hmm.
I definitely shouldn’t let anyone find these.
Just in case, I tucked five of them into the front pocket of my suit.
That way, I could bring them to my first day of work.
‘…First day of work.’
I started to feel a bit uneasy, but I needed to sleep first.
After everything that happened, my body and mind were completely drained.
‘I need to recover.’
I quickly changed into the robe that was prepared, locked the door, and went to bed.
It was my first time resting after falling into the ghost story.
To be honest, I couldn’t sleep well.
The image of a person exploding alive and the bizarrely transformed subway station kept feeding my imagination, playing in surround sound in my brain.
I thought I had accidentally bought home theater speakers.
But after a couple of days, I was able to sleep again even though the nightmares were still haunting me. So, I was a bit grateful to even sleep.
A few days passed like that.
I checked my bank balance, which had barely anything in it, and tried to split what I had to buy clothes and necessities, preparing for everyday life.
Of course, I didn’t forget the most important thing.
‘I need to memorize everything.’
I kept reading all the Wiki pages I had accessed through the "Memorial Griptok" and memorized them until they were ingrained in my mind.
This is my lifeline.
And then Monday came.
It was my first day at Daydream Incorporation.
* * *
“...”
Monday morning.
I headed toward the main building with a face that looked not so pleasant.
Even Go Yeongeun, who I met on my way down, was surprised.
“Ah, Sol-eum, are you okay? Did you not get enough sleep?”
“…A little, yes. It’s fine.”
“Oh dear….”
The two of us, new employees, chatted briefly as we walked the 15-minute distance to the main building.
We ran into a few other recruits from the field exploration team, who all looked nervous, but we just exchanged brief nods.
Then, we swiped our employee IDs and boarded the elevator.
“They say the field exploration team uses floors 10 to 15…. Ah, I’ll get off here. Let’s do our best, Sol-eum….”
“Yes. Let’s do our best.”
I waved off Go Yeongeun, who got off on the 10th floor and glanced at the floor number on the elevator button I had pressed.
13th floor.
‘It seems as if the number is deciding the future…’
I just hoped it was all in my head.
I checked the assignment email I received the other day one more time.
[New Employee (Field Exploration)_Assigned.pdf]
– Kim Sol-eum / Team D
Ding.
As the elevator doors opened on the 13th floor, I saw a corridor divided into sections marked with letters.
I found the automatic door labeled ‘D’ and pressed the button.
As I pressed it, I greeted the others inside.
“Good morning.”
“Oh!”
“You’re here, huh.”
A few adults sitting in a relatively spacious office looked up and greeted me.
One man stood up and extended his hand to me.
“Welcome to the 15th Batch of Team D.”
The woman behind him, with a stoic expression and short hair, nodded and continued.
“Just so you know, they called us Team “D” because all the newbies end up “D”ying.”
“...”
“Just kidding.”
Should I just quit now?
