Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 147

I never expected there to be a lunatic who could recognize people just by the veins between their gloves and sleeves.

Agent Choi.

And I never expected that I would be the one caught by it.

‘This is insane.’

It wasn’t just chilling—it was the kind of moment that froze a person completely.

But I couldn’t afford to freeze up.

I had to act just the right amount of surprised.

Suspicious behavior was the last thing I needed.

So—

“Excuse me?”

I decided to turn the suspicion around on them instead.

I let my eyes widen, gulped audibly, and took a nervous step back.

Like someone who had just been stopped on the street by a shady religious recruiter.

“S-Sorry, I… I actually have company waiting for me.”

“…Huh?”

“I should get going.”

In other words, I pretended I didn’t recognize them.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

If I were just some frazzled rookie, fresh out of an incident that cost me an arm, it would be entirely plausible that I wouldn’t recognize a senior agent from just their eyes.

Especially if I were a timid newbie, gathering the courage to step into this eerie ghost-story marketplace.

This should throw them off. They’d hesitate, they’d try to explain themselves—

“Oh, alright then. See you at work.”

“…….”

What the f***.

‘I’m screwed.’

In the end, I had no choice but to speak up again.

I made it seem like the word "work" had sparked a vague recognition in me.

“…Oh. Um, wait, are you… the person from my hospital room?”

“Oooh, now you recognize me! Good.”

Agent Choi patted my shoulder with an easy grin and started leading me out of the market’s inner area.

Wait. No!

“Uh, actually, I was trying to buy that item—”

“Oh, come on. It’s been sitting here unsold for five years. Just come have a chat with me. It’s been a while, and I’m curious… why is a rookie who’s supposed to be in a hospital hanging around here?”

“…….”

I hesitated—deliberately.

I let my hand fumble toward my fake right arm, hidden inside my coat.

I felt Agent Choi’s gaze settle on me.

“…I thought I might be able to find something here. Something to replace my arm, even temporarily.”

“Aha~ Who told you that? Jaegwan?”

“I can’t say.”

That was a trap.

If I immediately blurted out a name, it would prove that I was lying to cover for myself.

And that didn’t match the cautious, calculating personality I had built within the Bureau.

I was too much of a coward to sell someone out that easily.

“Hah, loyal, huh?”

Agent Choi chuckled, patting my shoulder again.

Alright, this was the right move—

“Or did you just figure you’d get caught if you made something up?”

“…….”

“Hah! I’m right, aren’t I?”

A loud laugh.

“Relax, it’s fine. Everyone has their secrets.”

“…….”

“Now, let’s see… you were going to buy that, right? Let’s take a closer look.”

Agent Choi’s gaze flickered toward the severed pinky-less hand I had been about to trade with.

Its fingers were still clenched tightly around a crumpled, bloodstained piece of paper.

“But that doesn’t look like it has anything to do with replacing an arm.”

“…….”

“So why were you trying to buy it?”

F*.**

Alright, plan B.

“…Because it looked desperate.”

“…Huh?”

I lowered my head slightly.

“…The way it’s clutching that paper so tightly, and the blood stains on it… I thought maybe it was holding some kind of distress message.”

That was true.

Not my thought at this moment—but the thought I had when I first read about this in the Dark Exploration Records.

Either way, Choi fell silent.

Now. Now’s my chance—

“Though, I didn’t realize it had been here for five years….”

“Let’s think about that together.”

Choi suddenly turned me around, making me face the walls of writhing hands.

A grotesque, rippling mass of grasping fingers.

“Do you think anyone here is actually asking for help?”

“…….”

“All of these people came here willingly to sell things. The odds of one of them being in distress are pretty low.”

That was…

“That’s something you can just let go, right?”

That… wasn’t like Choi.

Not the Choi from the records I knew.

‘This person… used to be the kind of agent who would do anything to save even one civilian.’

Agent Choi was one of the early Name Brand agents.

And back when Dark Exploration Records only focused on the Disaster Management Bureau, all records had leaned heavily into the "government saves civilians" narrative.

Then, for the sake of realism and better story progression, the concept had evolved.

The Disaster Management Bureau prioritizes the survival of its agents.

It focuses more on resolving the ghost story itself than rescuing civilians—meaning civilian casualties are sometimes accepted as necessary sacrifices.

But Choi existed before that rule was established.

Which meant Choi was a different breed of agent—

Someone who pushed themselves too far to save every last person they could.

They had resorted to tricks, loopholes, and stolen resources to do it.

But at their core, they had never changed.

Not until the day they vanished inside Lucky Mart.

“…….”

That was it.

That meant I could do this.

“Even so, I’d like to try.”

“…?!”

I abruptly reached out with an item I had prepared in advance.

And aimed straight for the pinky-less hand.

“Wait, that hand doesn’t accept trad—”

Swoop.

The hand lunged.

“…!”

With a crunching sound, it snatched the item from my fingers.

The bloodstained paper fell, fluttering downward.

I barely caught it before it hit the dirty ground.

Meanwhile—

Agent Choi’s eyes narrowed.

“…A coin?”

“Ah, not a regular coin… I, uh, got it from another ghost story.”

That was true.

What I didn’t say was that it was from Baekilmong Co.’s custom twilight-grade gear—

The "Friendly Seed Kit."

The first equipment I had ever made for the Field Investigation Team.

A summonable, floating hand—disguised as a coin.

Considering what this ghost story was, the desired trade item had been painfully obvious.

An item manufactured by Baekilmong Co., created from a contained and weaponized ghost story.

This was it.

But because Baekilmong employees were blacklisted in this market, the trade had never gone through—

Which was why this item had sat untouched for five years.

"Got it."

I gripped the paper tightly, a small thrill of satisfaction running through me.

Sure, I had just burned a specialized piece of equipment on this trade—but I could reclaim it later.

For now—

Agent Choi was my biggest problem.

I threw out a half-baked excuse.

“Since currency tends to be useful in ghost stories… I figured I’d try something that worked in the mart.”

Never mind the fact that Lucky Mart’s gift certificates evaporated the second you stepped outside.

Either way—it sounded newbie-like enough.

That should sell it.

And—

“Hmm… Rookie. That hand’s been here for five years. Didn’t it ever occur to you that whoever needed help is probably long gone?”

“…But the hand is still here.”

I let out a small smile.

“A trade was made. That means someone was still willing to take it.”

“…….”

Choi stared at me—

Then, with a grin—

“Ah, I really like you.”

“…?!”

“Damn, we don’t get enough rookies who think creatively like this! With actual logic!”

They mussed my hair through my hood.

Agh!!

Then, lowering their voice, they whispered—

“Seriously…”

…Seriously?

“You should really come to Team Hyeonmu-1.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Aw, come on.”

I was so sick of this.

‘At least I think I avoided suspicion… for now.’

“But you’re scared of joining the Emergency Rescue Squad, huh? Yet here you are, walking alone into a place like this.”

“…….”

“Then doesn’t that mean you could handle Hyeonmu Team 1, too?”

Damn it.

Was this a threat?

Join the team, or else?

My head spun.

And then—

“The thing is, I bet your fear is actually just from overworking yourself during your first mission. Maybe you just—”

I snapped.

“No! I’m scared out of my damn mind! I’m terrified!”

“…?!”

“But what the hell am I supposed to do?! I can’t just stop functioning because I’m scared! I’m a damn rookie!”

If I stop, I’ll die.

“How the hell am I supposed to be fine after losing an arm?! Of course, I’m scared! But if I let that stop me, I’ll never get anywhere!”

The words poured out of me, like I was coughing up blood.

I’d planned to react like this—but the sheer frustration from working at a deranged ghost-infested pharmaceutical company made the anger genuine.

For a moment, Choi was speechless.

“…M-my bad?”

“…….”

“A-alright. Let’s just focus on your first trade, yeah? Look at your note! What’s it say?”

“……Yeah.”

I took a deep breath.

Honestly? It felt refreshing to just say things straight for once.

And maybe—maybe now they’d finally drop the idea of dragging me into Rescue Ops.

Please.

“…Sorry for yelling.”

“Nah, it’s fine. This place is full of crazies anyway. The three-second attention spike was kinda fun, though.”

Oh. So I did look crazy. Got it.

I sighed.

“…I don’t even remember the last time I yelled like that.”

“Damn. Guess your place has thin walls, huh?”

“No. I don’t have a place right now.”

“…….”

“…But I want to go back.”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

At last, I managed to calm down enough to look at the paper in my hand.

For some reason, Choi had gone quiet.

But whatever—at least they weren’t poking at me anymore.

I turned my attention back to the note.

I carefully unfolded it—

Dried blood had been scrawled across the paper, bleeding into the fibers.

Look here.

A toy that empathizes and seeks attention.

The entire paper was soaked with blood.

Not just stains—it was like the letters themselves had bled.

‘Hah.’

This thing looked straight out of a horror movie.

I wanted to drop it immediately, but—

“Hold on.”

Choi plucked the paper from my fingers.

I didn’t stop them.

They placed a strange dowsing rod over the paper, watching for movement.

Location Rod

A bent stick made of glass and brass.Spins when near materials from ghost stories or items that activate supernatural phenomena.

But nothing happened.

The rod didn’t move.

“Huh. No supernatural properties. Just a regular note. The message, though….”

Choi gave a chuckle.

“Looks like some classic ghost story bait.”

“It could be.”

But I took the note back anyway.

“Oh~ So you’re keeping it?”

“Yes.”

I ducked my head, like I was embarrassed.

“…Just in case it really was a distress message, I wanted to take a closer look.”

“…….”

Choi didn’t push the obvious question—why not report it?

Because they knew.

The Bureau didn’t have the time to analyze some random-ass bloodstained note.

There were too many ghost stories killing people right now to waste resources on something this vague.

Even rookies knew that.

And Choi had just said it themselves.

So now… it was time to make my move.

I hesitated—then offered the note back.

“Um… If you have time, could you check it over one more time?”

“…!”

I didn’t need the note.

I had already memorized it.

And since the note wasn’t actually supernatural, it didn’t matter who held it.

“Sure. I’ll take another look.”

“Oh, thank you…!”

I handed it over without hesitation.

With this, I’d lower suspicion just a little bit more.

After that, the atmosphere relaxed.

“That’s a good pick, huh?”

“Yes. Thanks….”

Under Choi’s watchful eye, I finally bought an item.

It wasn’t easy.

Not just because of Choi’s surveillance—but because picking something safe in this market was hard.

Everything here was made within ghost stories.

Which meant—

Everything came with horrifying side effects.

These weren’t items made for humans.

They weren’t refined by a corporate safety net or sold by extraterrestrials guaranteeing fair trade.

Even the vendors were often unhinged.

And the items themselves?

Even worse.

What shocked me most was that Choi actually tried to help.

“This place is like old-school Seoul. Keep your eyes open, or you’ll get scammed blind. Just follow my lead—”

…Not that it always worked.

“…Ah. Someone else already bought it.”

“…….”

“…It’s fine! The next one’s great, too! Next hand—let’s go!”

Still, they knew things I didn’t.

They pointed out item origins, hidden side effects—and thanks to that, I managed to shop a bit more carefully.

That was good.

Except—

‘They made me buy something they knew.’

Which meant they had kept my choices under their control.

Was this strong suspicion?

Or was Choi actually trying to help?

Even after knowing everything about them from the Dark Exploration Records—I couldn’t tell.

‘Of course, I let them do it on purpose.

I needed this item anyway.’

But still…

I exhaled.

That was unsettling.

Just how much of my "own will" was actually mine?

Eventually, Choi ran out of time.

They walked me to the exit—holding my note between their fingers.

“So I’ll check this over and give it back later?”

“Yes. Thank you….”

They didn’t need to.

I had already memorized it.

And truthfully—

There was no point in checking it.

Because—

That note wasn’t even connected to a ghost story.

It was a psychological trap.

People assumed anything in a ghost story market was supernatural.

But this wasn’t.

This wasn’t a ghost story at all.

It was an inheritance.

I looked at the note again.

Look here.

This was referencing a real location.

A place that actually existed.

And the next line—

A toy that empathizes and seeks attention.

It was grammatically broken.

Forced together.

Which meant—

I could break it apart.

공감하고주목하는

장난감이 있다

Three words.

And if you had three words and a location—

There was one place to search.

what3words.

A coordinate system mapping every 3m x 3m square on the planet.

I plugged the words into the system—

And immediately, a specific location popped up in Seoul’s old downtown.

And now, I was standing there.

“…….”

A cluster of old commercial buildings.

And in a strange, misaligned space between them—

A manhole.

Not on the ground.

Leaning against a wall.

As if it were marking something.

“…….”

I pushed it aside.

Creeeeak.

Surprisingly, it was lighter than expected.

And behind it—

A staircase.

Leading down.

“…Hah.”

A hidden space.

Why did the pinky-less hand lead me here?

Why did it only accept Baekilmong Co. items as payment?

The answer was simple.

Because this place was connected to Baekilmong Co.

“Hah….”

I descended.

And at the bottom—

[DREAM INCUBATION LAB]

The prototype dream-synthesis lab of Baekilmong Co.

Lost to history.

Now in front of me.