After that, everything happened pretty quickly.

It seemed I had earned some significant recognition at the company again.

Apparently, it wasn’t unheard of for employees to rescue contaminated colleagues themselves, but most cases involved months or even years of preparation and a life-or-death resolve.

Many attempts ended with both parties going missing altogether.

Pulling someone out immediately after contamination? That was unprecedented for a rookie, they said.

“That guy with the deer antler mask...”

“Oh, is that him?”

“Wow… how many times has it been now?”

Occasionally, I overheard murmurs behind me as I walked through the company hallways.

It reminded me of similar experiences when I’d eaten with Team D in the cafeteria before, but this time it felt more noticeable—probably because I was walking alone.

Still, it didn’t last long.

“Kim Sol-eum.”

“Yes?”

“Starting tomorrow, don’t come to work for the next ten days.”

“…??”

“It’s paid leave.”

With half the team gone, Team D’s operations had been temporarily suspended, and now I was being given time off.

‘Well, I’d been showing up daily anyway to finish the incident report.’

I was curious about how Deputy Manager Eun Hajae’s survival from the B-grade darkness, Hangman, would affect the rules where clearing the stage required a mandatory death.

‘Someone must’ve reported that Supervisor Park and I were up to something.’

There had even been talks about interviews to reinforce the research team and exploration record credibility...

- Ah, Supervisor Kim, why would you bother with that? Take a break, take a break. You’ve done something incredible!

- …Um. Thank you.

It seemed Manager Lee Byungjin, who oversaw the manual reviews, and my team’s Manager Lee Jaheon had cut those plans short.

It was amusing, but also oddly reassuring to hear that the employees who entered with us had testified during their reports, saying, “Kim Sol-eum must’ve acted purely to save the team member, without ulterior motives.”

They had essentially argued that my quick thinking and luck had aligned perfectly to produce the outcome.

‘They all bolted as soon as the Clear Dorr opened, but at least they spoke up.’

It was only right to accept the former as expected and the latter as something to be grateful for.

Thanks to all that, my name was buzzing within the company again. The ‘Hangry Hangman’ manual had been marked with a “Potential Revision Needed” label.

Meanwhile, the group chat for new hires was bustling with attempts to extract details from me...

[Go Yeongeun: You must’ve worked hard.]

“...”

Some people even sent me messages of sympathy.

‘Thanks. Really.’

For the record, Baek Saheon hadn’t bothered to check in, even from home.

‘That guy’s just like that.’

I didn’t expect anything different.

Overall, things weren’t bad for my survival.

‘Actually, this might even be good.’

I was steadily building an impressive career—particularly as a “notable employee who achieves fast clears through innovative methods” and carried the keyword of “integrity.”

And now, ten days of leave.

I thought I’d either feel happy about being away from ghost stories for a while or disappointed about slowing my point accumulation.

Surprisingly, I felt neither.

So I simply did nothing.

“– Roe Deer, would you like to hear my analysis of why that terrible comedy failed to captivate the public? It’ll be fascinating!”

“Sure.”

I spent a few days sitting in the living room watching TV.

Then, on the third day, I got a text.

[Deputy Manager Eun Hajae: Come to the hospital.]

“…!”

* * *

“Roe, you’re here.”

“…Deputy Manager.”

I placed the get-well gift I had brought under the bedside table and stood next to the bed.

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae smirked.

“Soy milk, huh? Good choice.”

“…Thank you.”

This was the first time we’d met since briefly communicating during her period of consciousness in the infirmary.

She looked a bit pale but otherwise seemed fine.

The Snow White’s Apple had done its job to some extent.

“I don’t look bad for someone who came back from the dead, do I? That item was great—thanks.”

Although that item had made her appear like a corpse, the fact that it was her hand and not her neck that was missing made them preserve her in containment rather than dispose of her.

‘I heard Manager Lee Jaheon confirmed her survival the next morning and reported it, moving her to the infirmary.’

Now, she had been transferred to a hospital with a special partnership with the company, where urgent treatments had just concluded.

“Oh, by the way, I told them that apple was just something I had. People usually prefer not to reveal the source, right?”
“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. If anything, I should be thanking you and Minseong.”

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae raised her left hand slightly as if to wave it off—but stopped.

Because it wasn’t there.

“…”

Her bandaged left arm ended bluntly at the wrist.

Such physical losses couldn’t be regenerated with the company’s standard-issue potions.

“…Deputy Manager.”

I voiced what I’d been considering.

“I have that C-Grade regeneration potion…”

“You’re not thinking of giving it to me, are you?”

“I was planning to sell it to you… for money.”

“Heh.”

Deputy Manager Eun clicked her tongue.

“Listen, Roe. Items traded solely with points aren’t something you can just buy outside with money.”

“…”

“And using that potion just because of a severed hand? That’d be wasteful. It could regenerate half a body if needed.”

“Still—”

“Enough. I’ll handle my hand. You keep it for emergencies.”

Her eyes darkened slightly.

“There’ll come a time when you’ll lose more than just a hand, trust me. Especially if you keep going into the darkness.”

A slight chill ran down my spine.

“Actually, I’ve got something for you.”

Eun Hajae moved her only hand deftly—like she’d been using just one hand for years—and opened a drawer.

She pulled out a luxurious, gold-embossed box featuring an oil painting design.

“…?!”

[Daydream Potion]

‘W-Wait a second.’

Wasn’t that the signature packaging for Daydream Corporation’s premium potions?

And it looked even more extravagant than the C-Grade regeneration potion I’d received before.

“Deputy Manager, what are you…”

“Here, take a look. Just one left.”

Eun Hajae opened the box with a flourish.

Inside, the velvet lining was shaped to hold two round glass bottles, though one slot was already empty.

She casually tossed the remaining bottle to me.

“Catch.”

“…!”

Oh, my god.

I quickly reached out to prevent the bottle from falling and checked it.

Inside, a shimmering liquid of violet and silver swirled gracefully, like it was weaving an elegant pattern.

: Daydream Potion :

Venom

Desert Rattlesnake (Outstanding)

Venom?!

“Deputy Manager… you used your points to buy—”

“That’s right.”

Eun Hajae grinned, showing his teeth.

“Use it wisely. That’s a 170,000-point Death Note in your hands.”

“…!!”

“You can secretly kill people from afar with it.”

Hold on a second.

With trembling hands, I read the description written on the glass bottle.

The venom of the desert sidewinder rattlesnake aids in quiet, merciless revenge.

With a simple ritual, whisper the target’s name into the vial…

That night, a horrific death will come for the target.

“In short, if there’s someone you want to kill, it’s perfect for sending them off quietly and without a trace.”

“…”

"Before dying, they’ll endure excruciating searing pain, curse the world with immense hatred, suffer horrifying mental torment, fall into a coma, and experience four hours of agony that feel like four years before passing."

You're giving me such a weapon…?

Deputy Manager Eun Hajae grumbled, muttering complaints.

"The vials are sold in sets of two because of that dual-stripe motif," 

and,

"Thanks to that damn concept, my workload doubled during my tenure."

But in the end, she looked at me with a sly smile.

"Use it when there’s someone you want to kill."

“…!”

"Because I did want to."

I glanced at the empty spot in the box meant for one of the glass bottles and let out a small groan.

…So she already used it!

"Curious? About who I used it on?"

I couldn’t help but recall it instinctively.

—The word that best describes Deputy Manager Eun Hajae is “Betrayer”!

From the exposé in Hungry Hangman.

"If it’s personal and uncomfortable to talk about, you don’t have to tell me…"

"Uncomfortable? Hey, I’m dying to spill."

Well, in that case…

Eun Hajae leaned back against the bed, folding her arms.

"To cut to the chase… yeah, it’s true that I messed up and switched jobs after causing a ruckus as a journalist."

“…”

"I was digging into some second-generation politician who was involved in everything from drugs to human trafficking, trying to break the story as an exclusive, and that’s how I ruined myself."

Eun Hajae’s tone was calm, as usual, but the content was anything but that.

It was the kind of story polished to clarity through extensive reflection and deliberation.

She explained that while writing the article, it failed to pass the desk review. The very next day, immense pressure descended on the team. They were stalked, their families threatened by anonymous calls…

"To be honest, the team decided to just bury the story and move on, but I couldn’t let it go. So I took it to a foreign media outlet, planning to blow it wide open. Yeah, it was betrayal, no doubt. But…"

A small sigh escaped her.

"On the day I was supposed to leave the country, I got a call. The four informants had died, like some cruel joke."

“…”

"The official reports said it was suicide due to despair, but… obviously, that wasn’t the case. They were either killed outright or driven to the brink of death by harassment."

“…”

"I was naive to think the truth would fix everything once it was exposed."

"I don’t think so."

"No, I was naive. Anyway…"

Eun Hajae quit journalism.

She said she simply couldn’t continue anymore.

"But I had to find a job somehow. There were people at home I had to take care of."

Fortunately, she came across a suitable company.

The hiring age for new employees was relatively broad, they valued diverse career backgrounds in sales, and the pharmaceutical industry was unrelated enough that her blacklist status wouldn’t matter.

"Daydream Incorporation."

And there, she encountered…

The wish token.

"At first, I wondered if I could use it to bring the dead back to life, but that felt like an insult to the departed."

Eun Hajae adjusted her folded arms slightly.

"Trying to resurrect them just to ease my guilt would be self-serving. Respecting the dead as they are seemed the right thing to do. Plenty of folks here at this company disagree, but anyway…"

Her story concluded with a faint smile.

"So last night, I took my revenge, and that’s the end of it."

“…”

"If you hear news about a second-generation politician dying a gruesome death, just know it was me."

Then, Eun Hajae stretched with a loud yawn.

"Ah… damn, anyway, I’m finally quitting this damned darkness exploration gig!"

"Are you resigning?"

"Who knows? Life is unpredictable."

Despite her bold words, her face was slightly stiff.

She had likely mentioned it lightly so as not to burden me, but it was clear that Park Minseong, the Supervisor, weighed on her mind…

"Still, I’ll be taking a break for a while, so I guess I won’t be working in Team D anymore."

“…”

Eun Hajae gave a faint, bitter smile.

"Roe, I caused such a fuss saying you should stay in our team, and it looks like it happened after all."

"…Yes."

It hit me suddenly.

I wouldn’t see Deputy Manager Eun Hajae at the desk beside mine anymore.

"…"

"Hey, Roe."

"…"

"Are you holding up okay?"

“…!”

"Yeah. If you’re not struggling, you’d be a psychopath. This is just a phase everyone goes through eventually—it’s just hitting you a bit late because you’re too capable."

Eun Hajae patted her chest with a grin.

"Having to face an empty desk where your teammate used to sit."

“…”

"But this is the best-case scenario, you know? Give yourself some credit. You’re losing a coworker for good reasons because you’re good at what you do."

"…What about Supervisor Park Minseong? He—"

"That’s a debt I’ll settle myself."

She cut me off firmly.

"You already saved him, didn’t you? Be proud of that. He’s tougher than he looks. He’ll recover in his own way. You just focus on yourself."

She glanced at me and smiled.

"By the way, Team Leader Lee was really worried about you."

"…?"

The lizard… worried?

"Roe, hasn’t the Team Leader barely been coming into the office lately?"

That was true.

"Normally, when half the team’s gone, the protocol is to take on other teams’ work instead of resting."

Oh.

"But he exempted you from that."

“…!”

"Whether he pulled strings or took the hit himself."

Unbelievable.

"Reliable, huh? He’s been like that since I joined. Not the most flexible, but dependable when it counts."

Eun Hajae placed her good hand on my shoulder.

"It’s rare to work with trustworthy people in this company. Consider that a stroke of luck… Keep doing your best with Team Leader Lee."

Then, with a bright smile, she added:

"Whoever takes my spot, as long as it’s you and Team Leader Lee Jaheon, Team D will be fine."

She extended her fully intact right hand.

"Stay safe and earn lots of points, Roe."

I gripped it tightly.

"May your wish come true."

“…Yes.”

I shook hands with Deputy Manager Eun Hajae of Team D.

That was the last time.

* * *

After my vacation ended, on the first day back, I saw that Eun Hajae’s belongings were gone from the Team D office.

Supervisor Park Minseong’s desk was still there, but who knows for how long.

“…”

I quietly sat at my own desk.

And just like that.

I was the only member of Team D in the office.