Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 153

"A scheduled rescue mission."

When you put it like that, it sounds like some kind of vague, bureaucratic procedure, but in reality, it was something quite natural—even outside the supernatural world.

"If people keep tripping and getting hurt in a certain place, someone has to check on it more frequently, right? It’s the same concept."

It was a routine operation where personnel patrolled areas where people frequently got into accidents, checking for potential victims and performing rescues as necessary.

The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau functioned in a similar way.

"A few supernatural disasters are designated, and every few months, we go in and check on them."

To see if there’s anyone in need of rescue.

But there was one key additional requirement.

—Ghost stories where a rescue call is impossible.

"It’s for those who get caught in a supernatural disaster but can’t cry out 'Help me~.'"

That’s right. Some ghost stories, due to their very nature, made it impossible to call for help—no phones, no signals, no way to communicate.

Among those cases, if the Bureau determined that agents could safely enter and exit, the Emergency Rescue Squad would conduct routine patrols.

'…Now that I think about it, there were exploration records based on this setup.'

It was a common theme in records where tracking changes over time was a key point of interest, or where accumulating iterations revealed differences.

In that sense, it was similar to how the Hundred Dreams Corporation assigned personnel to specific registered darkness cases.

Except, of course, the purpose here was far nobler….

Up until a moment ago, Agent Choi had been grating on my nerves, but now he actually looked somewhat reliable as he casually scratched the back of his head.

"And this particular ghost story… well, as long as you follow the rules properly, it’s not dangerous. But because of how the rules work, it has to be a two-person job. It’s a two-person mission."

Hm?

"But earlier, you said it was a three-person mission…."

"Exactly! You’re the extra!"

The… extra?

For a brief moment, I blanked out, unfamiliar with this particular kind of treatment. But then, I quickly realized it was actually a great deal.

'The more people there are, the less scary it is.'

And considering that Bureau agents weren’t prone to trolling or acting out of line, this was as safe as it got.

Even better—the lineup was full of familiar names.

"It’s me and Jaegwan!"

Since the Bronze Agent had momentarily stepped out for a report, Agent Choi gestured vaguely in the air, pointing between himself and the absent person.

Then, he turned to me.

"And our extra agent."

"Uh, yeah…."

I gave up on overthinking it and just nodded with a resigned chuckle.

Seeing my expression, Agent Choi smirked and patted my shoulder.

"You hold up well."

"…?"

"Let’s go. Jaegwan’s probably getting impatient! Your superior will find his way to the site just fine~"

Agent Choi led me toward the elevator.

The destination was Basement Level 2.

"When field agents are at headquarters? They’re usually waiting on B2."

Because response time was critical, they were assigned to the lower floors for quick deployment.

The explanation continued as we stepped off the elevator and rounded a corner. The first thing I saw was a nameplate.

[ Xuanwu Unit 1 ]

Agent Choi swung the door open with an exaggerated gesture.

"Ta-da! Welcome to Xuanwu Unit 1’s waiting area!"

Inside… was an unexpectedly cozy space.

Round sofas, a kitchenette, blankets, board games, philosophy books, and manga all stuffed haphazardly onto shelves.

Like most public institution break rooms, it didn’t have an expensive or modern aesthetic, but it felt distinctly like a clubroom.

The whiteboard on the wall was covered in old scribbles.

— The greatest rescue agent was here.

— If you play EDM at my funeral, a goblin will take you.

— Xuanwu Unit 1, I’ll never forget you.

…It seemed like messages left behind by those who could no longer perform their duties had never been erased, just piling up over time.

It was the exact opposite of the sleek, private offices used by the elite teams at Hundred Dreams Corporation.

"Haha, we had a retired agent whose hobby was home decor—he even brought in a haunted picture frame… Isn’t it great? Just sitting here creates more work for us!"

"Yes. …It’s a pleasant space."

"……."

Agent Choi, who had looked momentarily caught off guard, smiled.

"Right? I told you it was a good team. I wasn’t lying."

"……."

"In that case, why don’t you just—"

"I’m good."

I almost let my guard down.

"Alright, alright! We’ve got some time left."

Agent Choi guided me to a sofa, and we sat across from each other to rest for a bit.

A table sat between us, covered in a slightly lumpy tablecloth, likely to protect it from dust. It had a strangely homey feel to it.

"Whew! Let’s take a breather until Jaegwan gets here."

"Yes."

"And… here."

Agent Choi suddenly flashed a faintly warm smile and pulled out a neatly sealed scrap of paper.

…The one I had bought from the Manhole Market.

Huh.

"Sorry, but there’s no supernatural disaster in the Bureau’s database that matches this note."

"……."

Well, of course not. It wasn’t a ghost story—it was just a hint about the hidden lab behind the manhole….

Agent Choi seemed accustomed to situations like this. He spoke in a tone meant to comfort a rookie who had just hit a dead end.

"It’s probably something the Bureau hasn’t caught yet. This kind of thing happens all the time, so just give it some time."

"……."

"Are you alright with that?"

He was probably asking because what he actually meant was "We’re not going to be able to save this person."

But I nodded.

"…Really?"

"Yes."

Then, taking a deep breath, Agent Choi handed the note back to me.

'Honestly, I had already confirmed the corpse of the researcher I’d made a deal with…'

If this were a real case, my response would have been something like this.

"I still think there’s meaning in having tried."

"……."

For a moment, Agent Choi didn’t respond.

'…Was that too obvious?'

I briefly regretted my choice of words.

"Rookie, give me that note again."

"…?!"

Agent Choi held out his hand.

"I’ll check one more time."

"Excuse me?"

"Once you’ve been at this job for a while, you start developing ways of searching that go beyond the database. I’ll give it another shot."

…And that’s how the note ended up back in Agent Choi’s hands.

I felt a twinge of guilt, but this was a life-or-death matter, so I let it go. I’d make up for it by working my ass off at the Bureau.

"……Thank you."

"Okay."

This time, Agent Choi didn’t try to recruit me into the team again—he just smirked.

'…Is he planning to ask his own informants?'

Considering how many exploration records Agent Choi had accumulated, he was entangled with a lot of different factions.

Which meant, in the end, he had become a well-connected character with various sources of information.

So when he said he’d check one more time, it probably meant he’d dig beyond just the Disaster Management Bureau’s records.

'Not that it matters.'

He was just going to give it a once-over. Probably just another excuse to try and pull me into Xuanwu Unit 1 again….

…Wait.

'He’s not actually going to bring me a ghost story, right?'

Like some ridiculous, absurdly coincidental plot twist where there just happens to be a ghost story matching that note—

No, no way.

Just imagining it made cold sweat form on my back. I needed to stop overthinking.

Right after Agent Choi tucked the note back into his jacket, the final member of today’s mission entered the waiting room.

"Oh, Jaegwan!"

Bronze Agent strode in and sat down on the couch.

Great. Time to direct my guilt at the right person.

I immediately bowed my head.

"Bronze Agent! Um, I’m sorry…."

"…What?"

"I know you went out of your way to help me, but I… I messed up my assignment in the field cleanup unit…."

"……."

Please. Just give me one more chance.

I haven’t given up on the Field Cleanup Squad yet…!

Bronze Agent let out a quiet sigh and shook his head.

"You don’t have to apologize."

"Yeah~ It’s weirder for an agent to apologize for breaking a supernatural disaster!"

"……Agent."

"Ahh, Jaegwan’s scary~ Alright, alright, let’s get to work."

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

When Bronze Agent glared at him, Agent Choi quickly pretended to focus on the briefing documents.

…Damn, I lost my chance to appeal again. I’d have to wait for another opportunity.

But since we’d be going on today’s mission together, I’d have plenty of chances.

"Rookie, where did I leave off?"

"Ah, you mentioned that today’s mission required three people…."

"Right! But here’s the thing. On top of that, we’ve got a very special supporter helping us today."

Agent Choi pointed at a wall beside the sofa.

A semi-transparent curtain hung limply there.

"Our elder. The team leader!"

"……."

A… curtain?

I barely managed to get the words out.

"…I don’t see anything."

"You don’t see, but you believe!"

"……."

"The elder said they’d make sure to help out since a rookie is joining us today."

'Is this some kind of rookie initiation ritual?'

I was starting to get confused.

Had someone actually transformed into a curtain? Was that even possible? My mind scrambled through the Darkness Exploration Records for any relevant cases, but before I could think too hard, Agent Choi nudged me off the couch and toward the curtain.

"Jaegwan, stand here. Rookie, you stand in the middle… Perfect."

Bronze Agent, me, and Agent Choi.

Then, Agent Choi stepped forward and pulled the curtain aside.

A brilliant light spilled through the opening.

"…!!"

Behind the translucent curtain—unexpectedly—was a glass window.

Of course, since this was underground, there was no view outside. Instead, an aurora-like, sacred light shimmered beyond the glass.

The wavy patterns of the window resembled traditional paper screens.

"Cool, right? I don’t really know how it works, but apparently, it’s some kind of enchanted glass."

Agent Choi grinned as he approached.

"The important thing is, this is how the elder sees us!"

The elder.

"Who exactly is the elder?"

"I told you. Our Xuanwu Unit 1 team leader!"

Shockingly, even Bronze Agent didn’t argue.

That meant it was true.

"Jaegwan. The offering."

Bronze Agent respectfully removed the cloth covering the table between the sofas.

Whip.

Revealing… food.

'Buckwheat jelly… and raw chocolate?'

What kind of combination was this?

"Alright. Wave your hands."

Agent Choi raised both his hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world. When even Bronze Agent followed suit, I hurriedly lifted my hands too.

"May you be blessed today, elder!"

Then, all three of us bowed toward the window.

"…?!"

"Please watch over today’s mission."

I was mentally unraveling. Nothing in the Darkness Exploration Records had ever described anything like this. But as a proper rookie, I followed along.

The moment I straightened up—

"…!!"

My body began to shrink.

My vision lowered, my limbs grew smaller. Everything around me seemed to expand slightly, swaying as my balance faltered.

No, it wasn’t my surroundings—it was my head. My body had shrunk, but my head hadn’t adjusted yet, making me momentarily stumble.

"Hh."

My voice had changed. And then—

The transformation stopped.

"……."

"……."

There were now only two things in my field of vision that hadn’t grown larger.

The two people standing beside me.

"Looks good. Thank you, elder."

I turned my head.

Where Agent Choi had been standing, there was now an elementary schooler inspecting me with a satisfied nod.

No—wait.

It was Agent Choi. Just… a child version of him.

Somehow, despite the baby face, his usual smugness and relaxed demeanor remained perfectly intact.

"Are you alright?"

On the other side stood Bronze Agent… also as a child.

Still just as stiff and expressionless.

'Oh my god.'

I looked down at my own hands.

My body had shrunk, and so had my goblin-fire prosthetic arm. It was now proportionate to my smaller frame.

The goblin-fire hand waved at me excitedly instead of giving me a thumbs-up.

"Alright. Mission prep complete."

"……."

"Today’s supernatural disaster… is a place only children of a new nation can enter."

"……."

"So now, all of us are officially eight years old!"

I am going to lose my mind.