‘The fear of possibly dying.’

Perhaps, this is the essence of ghost stories.

Recently, I even experienced a government-managed disaster where, theoretically, someone had to die for it to be cleared.

In other words, it means I’ve grown accustomed to the explanation that 'people usually die in ghost stories,' and I’ve become somewhat desensitized.

After all, I somehow managed to squeeze through the eye of the needle.

– I might go crazy, but let’s start by finding a way out.

Over the past few months, this has become my basic mindset, and I’ve had enough time to embrace it.

But then...

“Originally, everyone went missing. Only one headless corpse was ever recovered.”

"…"

“But after repeating the process several times, someone finally got lucky and managed to survive. Using that survivor’s testimony, they gradually compiled the manual.”

It was the standard process for completing a high-grade dark exploration manual.

“But no matter what they did, there was one thing they couldn’t change.”

And that was…

“The death of a person.”

“...”

"The mechanism for who gets chosen? There isn’t one. No logic, nothing. It’s truly random, just as it sounds. We’ve done this 37 times, and no matter what equipment they wore or items they carried, it made no difference."

"…"

“On top of that, the selection happens the moment you step in, so there’s no way to prepare or respond.”

This is messed up.

Literally, it’s all down to luck. And I have a 1 in 12 chance of instant death.

If I include my colleagues, the odds skyrocket to an absurd 1 in 3.

Someone dies. Just like that.

"You might be thinking, ‘Why not throw in someone worthless instead of someone as competent as me?’"

"No, I didn’t."

"Is that so? I sure did."

"..."

"We can’t avoid doing it…. But this damn ghost story insists that only a challenger with a sharp mind can clear it."

To put it simply, we can’t just throw in a useless pawn.

Deputy Eun Hajae’s lips twitched slightly.

"A death rate of 8.3% in B-grade is actually quite an acceptable average figure."

"…"

It’s the truth.

Think about the exhibition ghost story.

That one was worse because it lacked a manual, but even when fully prepared, casualties were inevitable.

Even so,

"No matter what I do, being stuck with those odds feels strange but deeply unfair."

"…"

It wasn’t strange.

Dying without even having the chance to fight back and simply dying ‘just like that’ feels completely different from having even the slightest chance to do something.

The former is slaughter, while the latter is a challenge.

"…Giving us three days, does it mean we’re supposed to prepare ourselves mentally?"

"That’s probably it."

Perhaps it’s because after about three days, your head cools down, and you start thinking rationally and even optimistically.

Thinking, ‘What are the odds I’d be the 1 in 12?’…

"Roe, this kind of darkness is your first, isn’t it?"

"…Yes."

"Go out, have some coffee, and bring me one too."

I was told, ‘Take your time,’ as I took Deputy Eun Hajae’s card and stepped outside.

They sent me off under the pretense of a coffee errand, but it was probably just to manage the rookie’s mental state.

"This is driving me crazy."

Thanks to that, I’m leaning my head against a café sofa with an Americano in front of me.

Fear… well. Since the moment I ended up here, there hasn’t been a time I wasn’t scared, so that’s not the issue.

I’m just unsettled.

‘In this situation, information or whatever else doesn’t matter.’

Maybe it’s because I realize I’ve been working under conditions where I could be more ‘certain’ than other employees. 

I feel a strange sense of self-reproach. 

And an intense sense of crisis.

"…"

‘Should I just quit?’

Wouldn’t it be better to quit now and look for another way?

Using the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> to independently investigate ghost stories…

“– Ah, friend!”

“– Then how about working in the show biz?”

What??

“– Oh, of course. For you, my friend, there’s always a good job ready…. As the old saying goes, what are friends for? Haha!”

I almost fell off the sofa in shock.

‘I’ll pass.’ 

That snapped me right out of it.

“– That’s unfortunate…”

Right. In this place, there are countless cases where being alive is worse than death.

And investigating alone? Only a fool who’s forgotten they’re a coward would make that choice.

Still, quitting over a 1 in 12 chance is just plain foolish.

‘But doing nothing about it is just as foolish.’

“– So, you’re going in?”

‘Yes.’

First, I need to learn more about this ghost story in detail.

I grabbed takeout coffee for my colleagues and returned to the office to look through the tablet PC.

And then…

 ‘…Ha.’ 

It’s really random.

It’s true that the ghost story I already knew from the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> matched up, but the problem is that almost everything I read was already written in the manual.

‘There’s no new information.’

I don’t have any information that others don’t already know.

‘There are no gaps.’

Even in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, it was explicitly stated that ‘the selection is random upon entry.’

There were no exceptions or suspicious parts. It wasn’t even treated as particularly important in the first place.

From the writer’s perspective, it was probably just treated as a premise. After all, in every ghost story, people end up dying anyway, so they likely didn’t think it was anything special.

And then…

“For this mission, Team Leaders are excluded. Only Deputy Manager or lower ranks will be deployed.”

"…"

The Lizard Team Leader will not be accompanying this expedition.

This is because if the team leader is designated as the sacrifice, the rank difference could cause staff to inadvertently confuse the priorities.

“There’s no one from the residual team or elite team either. They caused chaos the last time they went in.”

The elite team, meaning one member of team A, B, or C, was designated as the sacrifice, and in their desperate attempt to avoid death, they ended up causing ‘unnecessary casualties’ among other staff."

I don’t regret not being assigned to Team A, but this damn company is so consistent.

"Thank you for letting me know."

"No worries."

The Deputy Manager seemed to find solace in smoking, somewhere between resignation and annoyance.

The supervisor said something indistinct as the two headed out for a smoke.

"Did you see the list? The employees going in with us…"

Honestly, if one of them dies, I don’t think I’d even attend their funeral. They didn’t seriously pick the ones with the worst personalities, did they?

"Come on, that’s not us!"

I kept comparing the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> and the manual, trying to find something.

A gap I could squeeze into.

A small loophole in the rules.

But you see…

That afternoon, a way to bypass the rules suddenly revealed itself.

Though it was in a slightly different sense.

“Supervisor Kim!”

"Manager."

Manager Lee Byungjin came to see me. As the manual revisor, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to come here just because he happened to pass by.

"I heard about it too! What, you’re going into that crazy Russian roulette darkness?"

"…"

I’ve thought this before, but he really has a knack for saying things that get on people’s nerves…

But Manager Lee Byungjin didn’t come here just to make a fuss.

The manager lowered his voice, checked to make sure no one was around, and spoke in a hushed tone.

"How about talking to Director Ho?"

"…!"

"I heard Director Ho has been keeping an eye on your impressive achievements."

"Are you saying…"

I looked at the manager.

"Are you suggesting that if I talk to the director, he’ll exclude me?"

"Exactly!"

"…"

"They always talk about fairness and just pick randomly… But I disagree, I really do. Someone as promising as you, Sol-eum, should be excluded. You’re the top performer, after all!"

A true method of escape has emerged.

Getting out with the help of a superior.

I opened my mouth.

"I’m fine."

"Huh, what?"

This is something I absolutely cannot choose.

‘It stands out too much.’

The moment I choose that, it’s like I’m drawing a line within the company.

In a ghost story company, even the executives wouldn’t be ordinary people, so relying on this ‘desperate, life-saving method’ to gain favor is a bad idea.

Besides, this is a matter of survival.

‘The moment I get exempted, rumors will inevitably spread throughout the company.’

Do you think they’d let that slide?

It’s a kind of selfish behavior.

In a community, sharing pain is essential to be recognized as a proper member, and if I try to avoid that…

‘I’d be completely marked.’

Given the nature of the Field Exploration Team, where we operate in teams of three, this would undoubtedly mess up my work life.

Unless the director secretly pulled me out and quietly took credit for it, that’s another story.

But the fact that it’s not happening means I’m not important enough for them to pay special attention to me in the first place.

Or maybe…

‘Luck is just another kind of skill.’

So this is a trap.

Even if it stings, saying this is the right answer.

I deliberately spoke calmly, as if I were a stickler for principles.

"Granting me special exceptions would be unfair. There must be reasons why the company assigns tasks this way, so I’ll take full responsibility."

"Uh, uh…"

Manager Lee Byungjin stammered, but after asking ‘Are you sure?’ a few times, he finally nodded and walked away.

Honestly…

I barely held myself back from grabbing his pant leg and shouting ‘Yes!’

Let’s just take pride in the fact that I built up my character.

Because there’s nothing else to take solace in.

I bitterly watched the manager’s back as he walked away, then returned to my seat.

‘Let’s just look at the manual again.’

But even after looking at the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> and the manual again, there were still no gaps.

There were no exceptions for any of the explorers.

‘So all the explorers who entered were part of this sacrificial selection…’

“...”

Wait a second.

‘This…’

I reread it several times.

‘Could this be a flaw?’

I can’t be sure.

‘It’s a possibility, though.’

But in this situation, it’s right to grab onto any possibility and try.

“– Did you come up with some kind of amusing idea, Roe Deer?”

It’s not amusing, but I did come up with an idea.

‘It’s about creating an exception.’

“– Hmm?”

All explorers who entered this ghost story were placed into the 1 in 12 instant death selection without exception.

But could there be a common condition shared only by these explorers?

A condition that has never had any exceptions until now.

“– What kind of common condition would that be?”

…

‘Being human.’

Both the manual and <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration> describe explorers as human. There are no cases involving other life forms.

But in this world, humans aren’t the only intelligent beings, are they?

And if you include plants and animals, the possibilities become endless.

‘What if a non-human life form could avoid the selection?’

Based on the irregular trends I’ve read in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, that seems like the most likely exception in this situation.

“– Roe Deer, do you want to stop being human?”

‘Th-That’s not it.’

I wish he wouldn’t ask such innocent questions that feel like a trap.

‘I just wish I could be treated as if I weren’t human for a moment.’

I carefully chose my words.

‘Like disguising yourself as someone else in a show.’

“– Oh?”

‘…Can you do something like this, Braun?’

– Oh, of course, it’s possible!

Braun’s voice grew more energetic and lively.

Just like when he’s hosting a show.

“– Isn’t it the destiny of an entertainer to adopt new identities? I have countless masks… Ah, I think I can lend one to you right now, Roe Deer!”

Jackpot.

‘Let’s try this.’

“Whew.”

I finally tore my eyes away from the manual and leaned my head against the backrest.

Just then, the Deputy Manager and Team Leader, seemingly done with their smoke break, entered the office and waved at me.

"…"

Ah, damn.

‘Braun, about that ‘mask’ ability… Could it work for multiple people?’

“– Multiple people? For those who aren’t my friends?”

‘Well, including me, of course.’

“– ...If I could regain more of my prime abilities, it would be possible. Back then, I used to set up dozens in the studio! Or was it hundreds?”

…Good.

‘Braun.’

“– My friend, you called me again?”

I gently patted my pocket.

‘Let’s give you a bath.’

“– …?!”

* * *

“– Roe Deer, I truly appreciate this, but I’m not the kind of entertainer who’s so obsessed with the occult that I’d enjoy bathing in my friend’s blood.”

"I know."

Although he was a quiz show host who made his guests' heads explode, Braun was definitely a ‘good friend.’

But there was no other way.

Even if I somehow managed to get blood packs from a hospital, they’d lose freshness and be inefficient, and I couldn’t use someone else’s blood either.

And it’s not like I could bring in a monster from a ghost story like last time.

‘The remaining wild ginseng no longer fulfills the “intelligent being” condition since whatever was inside it has already left.’

What’s left is obvious.

My blood.

I stared at the small, elegant checkered bathtub.

Still clean and fragrant, as if I had just bought it from the Alien Shop.

Now I have to pour my blood into it.

“I probably can’t give much. Maybe about half a cup.”

In terms of quantity, wouldn’t that be about 180ml?

“– Half a cup! That’s tight, but for a small plushie containing my little body, it should suffice. Diluted in water… No, wait, that’s not it. Are you really sure about this?”

I was fine.

‘I can do it.’

I took a deep breath and grabbed the kitchen knife.

Next to me was a wound Regeneration Potion I had taken from the company’s medical room.

“Phew.”

I stabbed the top part of my arm with the kitchen knife.

“– My goodness!”

Blood gushed out.

Whether I hit an artery or not, it burst out, flooding the area

Sigh…

‘Remember, I’m afraid of creepy situations, not my own blood…’

This isn’t a creepy situation…!

Repeating that to calm myself, soon enough, the predicted amount of blood had fallen into the bathtub.

‘This should be about half a cup.’

But I didn’t stop the bleeding.

“– Roe Deer?”

A bit more.

“– It seems enough, my friend!”

A bit more.

“– Friend?”

That should do.

‘That’s enough.’

I quickly used the company’s medicine to stop the bleeding on my arm.

The potion with magical effects stopped the arterial bleeding perfectly.

Though the blood loss almost made me dizzy, it wasn’t a problem.

‘I can just drink a potion for this too.’

I’ll be back to normal by the time I’m deployed into the ghost story the day after tomorrow, so it’s fine.

What’s important is…

Isn’t it the fact that the bathtub is now full of a fragrant aroma?

"Whew…"

I looked into the bathtub. Whoosh, the fragrant scent hit my nose perfectly.

It seems my blood has successfully fulfilled its role.

‘I think I’ve drained almost 500ml.’

It seems to have turned into a proper bath product…

‘…A woody scent?’

As I caught the scent, it reminded me of that vengeful forest ghost story, which was unsettling, but it’s better than a foul or strange smell.

I nodded and spoke to Braun.

"You can get in now. Is the scent okay?"

“– Oh, of course. It’s an amusing scent, just like your unpredictable and whimsical decisions, Roe Deer!”

I smiled.

"Are you mocking me for spilling more blood than planned?"

“– Sarcasm is a vital skill for a public talk show host! But I don’t always use it lightly.”

"Thanks for worrying about me."

“– …”

"I’ll take proper care of myself, so don’t worry. And I won’t do this again."

“– Now you’re finally saying something wise, my friend.”

Am I?

To be honest, I did this on purpose.

I figured if I gave my ‘good friend’ a bit of a shock here, it might make him averse to the idea of bathing in my blood again in the future.

And it seemed to have worked.

‘If I had told him about the amount in advance, he might have accepted it without hesitation.’

That won’t do.

‘This has to end with just this one time.’

I tried to pick Braun up and put him in the bathtub, but once again, Braun declined.

“– I will walk there proudly on my own two feet.”

Alright, suit yourself.

I turned my back to the bathtub. Soon, I heard the sound of footsteps entering the tub and the splashing of water.

The bath began.

But shortly after.

“– Roe Deer, this bath product you made…”

“– Hmm, it’s a bit unique!”

Eh?