Morning.
I was sitting in a quiet office.
“– Ah, it’s a refreshing winter morning. How about a cup of coffee, my friend?”
Sure. Let’s have one at lunch.
While tidying up my desk a bit and chatting with Braun to chase away the silence, the lizard-headed boss walked in through the door around 8:50 a.m.
I approached and greeted him politely.
“Good morning, Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
I lift my head and continued speaking.
“Uh, I heard you helped me get paid leave… Thank you.”
“Yes.”
The lizard’s eyes shifted slightly to look at me.
“Will you be able to perform your duties in the same condition as two weeks ago?”
“Yes. I can work as I did before. Even if my results don’t meet previous standards at first, I’ll regain my rhythm as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
His vertical pupils fixated on me.
“That’s for me to assess and supplement.”
Hmm.
At this point, I think I get the gist.
‘Whether you do well or not, I’ll cover for you, so just focus on doing your work as before.’
Honestly, as much as his appearance and word choices resemble a lizard, he seemed like a decent boss, so who cares? Still, I can’t let my guard down.
‘I need to clear the Darkness properly for a while.’
I’d already taken paid leave.
But if an employee who once handled work so efficiently they were promoted to supervisor within 60 days comes back and suddenly “can’t deliver” like before?
That’s bound to spark rumors in the office.
It’ll look strange.
[What, it’s not like anyone died, everyone survived, right?]
[Hmm… That Kim Sol-eum, maybe he’s surprisingly weak to mental shock?]
[But if his mental game is so weak… how’d he get those results before?]
…Yeah, like that.
‘Once people start doubting you, nothing good comes of it.’
I can’t give them any grounds for suspicion.
‘I need to clear everything properly.’
Even though… I haven’t managed to purchase any reliable new items yet.
I recalled the phrase that had been displayed on the alien shop website throughout my leave.
<Space Shopping Mall>
※ Currently under renovation (Temporarily Closed) ※
>> I understand!
Well.
The website is being renovated…
‘I wonder when it’ll reopen.’
Since I haven’t seen any documents related to the renovation, it should be reopening soon.
I’ve already budgeted for it, so I plan to secure items once the alien shop reopens.
For now, I’ll focus on regaining my stride and clearing the Darkness properly.
‘They probably won’t assign me a high-grade Darkness for a while.’
I can’t help feeling the peculiar emptiness of fewer people around, but quitting isn’t an option, so… I’ll manage somehow.
Trying to sound slightly energetic, I asked.
“So, will I be deployed to a darkness today? I heard there’s a high chance we might be assigned to support another team since we’re down to three members.”
“That’s correct.”
Oh.
“Which team will we be supporting today?”
If I’m lucky, I might meet one of the new hires I haven’t met yet…
“An Elite Team.”
…
Excuse me?
Again?
“Do you mean Team A?”
“No.”
“…Then which team is it?”
“Team C.”
A team I had no familiarity with.
It’s bothersome that it’s an elite team, but at least I don’t have to worry about Team A’s leader or Lee Jaheon bumping into each other… or so I thought.
‘Wait?’
Come to think of it, in a way, I’m not entirely unfamiliar with Team C.
[K.LEE: Hi, this is Deputy Lee Kangheon from Team C haha]
That suspicious deputy who introduced me to the Salmon Market!
‘He definitely said he was from Team C.’
Could this mean I’ll finally see him in person?
But there was a more pressing question.
If it’s a Darkness an elite team is entering…
“Would it happen to be a high-grade Darkness that’s difficult to clear?”
“What criteria are you using to make that judgment?”
“…My apologies. That was a careless question.”
“?”
“Uh, could you tell me the grade and whether there’s a manual prepared?”
“It’s a D-Grade. The manual is complete.”
Oh, then the odds of seeing a crazy stunt where the residual team is summoned to act as meat shields are slim. Feeling somewhat relieved, I asked more casually.
“Understood. When do we head out?”
“We’ll start moving in five minutes.”
Roger that.
With that, we grabbed our bags and left the office.
But then….
“…”
“…”
“Team Leader.”
“Yes.”
“Why are we heading toward the annex instead of Team C’s office?”
“Because Team C has already entered the Darkness.”
“…”
Excuse me?
After a few more exchanges with the lizard team leader, I managed to piece things together:
[Team C has only two members left since their leader is on leave.]
[Today’s Darkness is D-grade.]
[But instead of following protocol for a three-member team, Team C decided to just go in as a duo, forcing the administration office to scramble for extra personnel.]
“…”
Wow.
When I first joined, I remember Deputy Manager Eun Hajae breathing fire over the makeshift three-person teams and calling it out.
‘But here, they’re volunteering for a two-man entry…’
This feels ominous.
“– Hmm, members who don’t follow orders! A good host knows how to manage every element of a show, especially human resources.”
“– Will today be your chance to learn that, Roe Deer? Let’s find out, my friend!”
I feel like collapsing in despair…
But I needed points, and it was time to enter a darkness again anyway.
‘So far, none of the elite teams I’ve met have been normal…’
And I have a strong feeling this time won’t be any different.
Still, as a six-month experienced supervisor, I had no choice but to follow orders.
If I had any complaints, I should’ve joined Team A… though if I had, I’d already be dead as residual crew by now.
‘…Do I already miss them?’
Trying not to think about the two superiors from Team D, I moved my feet forward.
Manager Lee handed me a tablet.
“Please review the manual for the next ten minutes.”
“Is there a reason why we’re only being given ten minutes?”
“Because time is tight, and the survival rate for the past two quarters has reached 97%.”
Thank you for the reassuring explanation…
‘I’ve gotten used to shrugging off a 3% mortality rate…’
Honestly, given this background, the 3% who died likely had extremely bad luck or acted recklessly.
‘I should be fine.’
With a strange mix of unease and resignation, I looked at the tablet….
“…”
“…”
“– Hmm? Roe Deer, your mind suddenly seems blank.”
Yeah.
It’s messed up.
-------------------------------
Chronicles of Darkness Exploration / Ghost story
[Ignorance is Bliss]:
A ghost story listed in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
Daydream Inc. ID Code: Qterw-D-2367
A textbook definition type ghost story requiring survivors to spend an entire night surrounded by ghosts.
-------------------------------
“…”
Hold on.
Please wait, Team Leader…!
Instead of sobbing and begging not to go in, I managed to maintain composure and make a suggestion.
“Could we possibly prepare for thirty more minutes before going in?”
“That is not possible.”
“…”
Right... the entrance was closing.
It wasn’t exactly a rational suggestion.
"…"
Argh! Seriously!!
Why does it have to be this mission for my return?!
"Excluding two who died from heart attacks, there are no recorded fatalities. It is safe compared to its grade."
"…Yes."
‘That’s not why I’m doing this…!’
I had simply been deluded.
I had forgotten, lost in the idea of being ‘the elite new recruit.’
Even before my vacation, I was just someone who secretly shed tears while speed-running missions because I was scared.
And yet, the ghost story for my return mission was the one genre I feared most: traditional horror.
‘It’s my first time working with strangers, and half of them are elites, so I can’t mess around.’
To make things worse, low-grade meant I couldn’t even use tattoo stickers to stabilize myself or it would feel like a waste. I just had to tough it out.
This wasn’t the kind of situation where my survival instincts would kick in and have me running and planning an escape. No, I had to experience everything as it was, raw.
The flavor of horror is exactly as the Wiki editor intended.
‘Haa…’
At least when I accidentally ended up in a game of tag with a convenience store ghost, I didn’t know what I was getting into.
Now, it felt like being doused with cold water, a harsh return to reality. Call it shock therapy, maybe.
With the reluctance of a cow being dragged to slaughter, I stepped into the darkness, crying inside as I forced myself to do it.
My legs trembled.
"This way."
The only bit of good news was that this time, it wasn’t the type of darkness that warped time and space and swallowed us up into something bizarre.
The entry process this time was quite simple.
Knock on a sealed space that meets specific conditions, and enter. That space then becomes the ghost story.
A sealed indoor space with no windows or elements that allow outside visibility, blocked on all sides and the ceiling.
The area must be devoid of any humans within a 100-meter radius and contain an analog clock.
The volume must be about 40㎥, with deviations of no more than 4㎥. Any larger or smaller, and the phenomenon wouldn’t occur.
Our company had modified a section of an annex to meet these conditions, and it was regularly utilized.
A room with dimensions 4m x 4m x 2.4m…
[Break Room]
I stopped in front of a door labeled with that name alongside Team Leader Lee Jaheon.
It was an ordinary break room attached to an office, but all the conditions were fulfilled.
On a Wednesday that ended with the number ‘4.’
Knocking on the door in a specific rhythm triggered the ghost story.
"…"
So… I have to do this, right?
Because I’m the junior?
Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock-knock-knock.
Trying not to let my trembling hand show, I knocked on the door.
As if on cue, the door clicked open.
"Oh?"
"What’s this, people—Oh!"
Inside, two employees sat casually. Upon seeing us, they waved.
"Oh, you’re the support?"
"Yes."
"Jeez, we said we didn’t need any, but they still sent someone."
As the two employees began grumbling about how having more people would dilute their points and the purity of the dream essence…
The lizard team leader replied curtly.
"If you have complaints, submit a request to transfer departments and revise the field exploration manual yourself."
"…"
"…"
The two employees fell silent, their mouths slightly open, before awkwardly nodding with apologetic expressions.
"Yes… We didn’t mean to criticize the reinforcements sent. Sorry…"
"Ahaha, it seems we spoke out of line. Really sorry about that. By the way, are you Team D’s Leader?"
"Yes."
"Then, this person is…?"
"Supervisor Roe Deer."
"Ahhh!"
Their expressions changed yet again.
"You’re that new recruit who almost joined Team A, right? I heard Deputy Manager Butterfly took a liking to you!"
"I also heard you saved an employee who was supposed to die. Wow, please share the story when we’re out of here!"
"It’s not that impressive, really. I was just lucky. But thank you. It’s nice to meet you both."
Guided by the two, Manager Lizard and I sat at a small table tucked in the corner of the break room.
"We’ll be spending the night together, so let’s introduce ourselves. That’s Supervisor Dolphin over there."
"Nice to meet you, Supervisor Roe Deer!"
A petite woman wearing a dolphin mask waved enthusiastically when called. Her tone was lively and playful.
"And I’m Deputy Manager Leopard."
"Ah, Deputy Leopard. Nice to meet you."
Hmm.
[K.LEE: Oh, hello there, Employee hehehe]
Lee Kangheon’s profile did feature a Hawaiian beach. His tanned skin matched perfectly.
The rank and sociable personality also lined up.
‘It’s probably him.’
Of course, I was keeping an open mind. I didn’t know his real name yet.
And I definitely wasn’t about to act familiar in front of my superiors.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Let’s enjoy our night in the break room with snacks!"
At this point, it really felt like casual chit-chat before a night shift.
And indeed, there wouldn’t suddenly be blood dripping down the walls, the room flipping upside down, or the coffee machine turning into a murder machine.
But…
‘The ghost is already here.’
Some of the investigators would have been replaced by ghosts.
That’s right.
Among the people chatting here, at least one of them—possibly more—had already been swapped.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Oh, let me brew it."
"Hey, in our team, we don’t let the juniors do all that stuff. Just sit tight."
When the swap happened was unclear. It could’ve been the moment we crossed the threshold, or perhaps during introductions.
‘Honestly, the ones who get replaced by ghosts have it easier.’
They lose consciousness upon entry and wake up the next day.
The real issue was the manual for those who weren’t replaced.
"…"
The rule I had to follow.
Ghosts are identical to investigators in appearance, personality, and behavior, but they do things humans wouldn’t, creating a sense of incongruity.
However, you must not let them notice that you’ve identified them.
Anyone who has made it obvious they’ve recognized a ghost has gone missing.
Okay. I can do this.
‘I just have to brush it off and ignore them.’
I can do this!
Even if someone starts grinning with an impossibly wide mouth, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see it.
‘When that happens, I’ll casually look at someone else and hold out.’
Having more people made it feel manageable.
I used to think the more experiences I had, the more of a coward I became. But maybe I’d grown stronger against horror stuff.
At least I wasn’t drenched in cold sweat imagining what was about to happen.
"Oh! The entrance has fully closed just now. This is our group for the night."
"Great! Let’s do this!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The employees clapped, their smiles warm and encouraging.
Except for one thing.
"Wow!"
Everyone in the room was clapping with the backs of their hands.
"…"
Oh no.
"Hey? Roe Deer, why aren’t you clapping?"
"…"
"Why not, hmm?"
Deputy Leopard leaned in close to my face.
"Is something bothering you?"
