Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 156

The field exploration team members of Dream Corporation are people who work with their lives on the line because they have a wish they desperately want to fulfill.

What this means is that most of the employees are prepared to use anyone—be it a colleague, a civilian, or even a crazy ghost story—to achieve their personal wish!

Their only priority is the welfare points for their own wish.

And three prime examples of these kinds of people were standing right in front of me.

Of course, their personalities aren’t solely because of their wishes, it seems.

“Assistant Manager, what about the people who were left behind when we encountered the baby mermaid earlier…?”

“I don’t care.”

“Pony, of course, it’s unfortunate for the ones who got caught… but that’s their fate, right? Should we move on quickly? We still need to find the items…”

“Right, right. But since they might have dropped some equipment while being captured, I’ll take a quick peek… hahaha!”

“……”

They really are all the same….

‘Telling these people that the baby mermaids are actually children…’

It would probably not work at all. They’d just think about how they can milk it for more. It’s useless even if I’m familiar with them.

No, to be honest, I never should have tried to use familiarity in this situation anyway, considering the state I’m in.

I hid in the form of a street animal in the shadow of a broken streetlamp, carefully observing the Dream Corporation staff as they scoured the alleyways.

Then, at that moment….

“Quiet.”

Jin Nasol stopped in her tracks and crouched down.

“It’s a mermaid.”

“……”

“A baby.”

The three employees all held their breath and pressed against the alley wall.

Creeeeek….

A sound echoed.

A child’s laughter.

‘Ha.’

My whole body felt like it was freezing in place, but… I had to check.

I carefully contracted my four legs, jumped, and silently climbed onto the brick wall.

As soon as my view opened a bit beyond the alley, I finally saw the “baby mermaid”….

Creeeeek….

It was strange.

It was strange. Small bodies mimicking humans were walking through the ruined streets of the infected city.

Some were even grinning, mimicking human expressions, but others already had their faces swollen with ulcers, pulsating on their own.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

And below, the horrific mucus!

Every time the mucus pulsated, a sound like a child’s laughter echoed in the air.

Pink ulcer masses, greenish flesh, and contaminated lumps stretched down their legs, dragging behind them like tails.

The belongings and clothes of the dead.

Randomly thrown on, it looked as if they were desperately trying to deceive people…

In fact, even to my eyes, knowing they were innocent children.

“……”

Cold sweat ran down my spine, and my whiskers stood up.

My instincts were telling me.

I needed to run.

When facing the infected fluids,

I must avoid being seen and escape, creating distance. If I fail, there is no manual. Rescue attempts for failed employees are not recommended.

The infected fluids marched down the road like a grotesque procession. The people in the alley, including me and the Dream Corporation staff, all held their breath.

And someone else popped out from another alley.

A person, facing the infected fluid.

“……!”

But that person was already covered in infectious mucus, their joints covered in ulcerous lumps, controlled by them.

A hopeless sight.

The infected was no longer in their right mind, but they could still scream.

Because they had a mouth.

“Ahh!! Aaaah! Ahhh!”

The infected fluids burst into laughter and charged forward.

Tentacle-like lumps attached to their tails swarmed forward in a disgusting rush.

The ulcer attached to the infected person's stomach opened wide, causing blood, mucus, and unspeakable things to explode out.

“Ah, haaa, heh…”

Taken by the “honey,” they suffered….

I endured the moment, curling up my feet.

Eventually, the screams faded.

“……”

Past the dying person, the infected fluids, having collected blood and mucus in the tail, marched again.

To the mermaid statue.

To the infected tumors, to the cluster of biological disasters.

Creeeeek….

“……”

Only after the sound completely disappeared did the three staff members in the alley start moving again.

“…So, if you get caught by the tail, it’s all over?”

“Yeah.”

That was the reason to run.

The tail of the infected fluid secretes mucus that causes deadly paralysis, and if you get pricked even once, muscle movement is permanently lost.

And if you get infected in that state, it means the person is already dead.

If you only heard this much, you’d wonder how this ghost story ever received a C-grade rating.

‘It’s because there’s a very clear way to clear it.’

And, like the flip side of a coin, the method to clear it is, in fact, in those infected creatures.

Thunk, thud…

Another unfamiliar sound echoed from the road.

But this time, it wasn’t from the infected fluids.

Figures of fully grown humans.

However, as they grew in size, their intricacy seemed to crumble. They no longer had any expressions on their faces, just swaying as they moved.

The mass that had once appeared to be a tail was now like a vein, connecting them all… stretching long up the road.

They were connected to the cluster.

Things that had almost shed their human forms, now looking like bait meant to lure humans into the cluster.

…It was presumed to be the final transformation the infected fluids undergo.

Normal infected creatures are fully absorbed into the cluster and move like nerve endings.

They seem less like individual beings and more like auxiliary parts.

A faint glimmer of motivation returned to Butterfly Mask Jin Nasol’s eyes.

“They’re out.”

So, if the encountered danger turns out to be a regular infected creature and not the infected fluids,

“Catch them.”

Kill them and collect evidence.

The three staff members went out to lure and kill the infected creatures.

For regular infected creatures, once their connection with the cluster is severed, they quickly wither and die.

“……”

If evidence is presented, you can board the escape ship remaining in the city and clear that darkness.

So… the children…

Once fully infected and used, when the ulcer-like creatures fully spread throughout their bodies, they lose their will and transform into grotesque creatures.

That’s why the children disappear every time the agents visit.

Once they are fully infected and die, they become part of that grotesque biological disaster cluster….

‘…Damn it.’

I held back a curse and clenched my front paws.

The urge to curse rose within me.

When it reaches this point, there’s no way to save them, and even though I had read it many times in the exploration records, the visceral repulsion made my fur stand on end.

“Evidence collection complete!”

“Shut up.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

The three staff members successfully hunted the “mermaid” and extracted something like sensory organs from its tail as evidence.

That scene strangely overlapped with the baby mermaids collecting blood and mucus from the infected humans.

Now, they could escape this place.

But instead of running straight to the escape ship, they kept scouring the alley and moving forward.

‘…Because there’s a second objective.’

If you’re familiar with the behavior of Dream Corporation employees, you’d realize it right away.

‘Items.’

That’s why this darkness, even though rated C, wasn’t assigned to a regular team.

‘Considering the scale and clues, there might be a bigger secret hidden here,’ that’s the judgment, which is why it’s still under the research team’s management.

They always recruit explorers… and there’s never a shortage of volunteers.

‘There’s a reason for that.’

The reason being the “clue” itself—an item to be found here.

There was a very mysterious and wondrous trace of civilization that could be found in this ruined city.

It was known as….

‘The Sigh of an Angel.’

***

“Dammit, what’s this about a sigh or whatever.”

“Quiet.”

A staff member from Dream Corporation, dressed in a suit and wearing a peculiar mask, muttered as he stood in an alley.

There had once been a mysterious civilization, but now it was all ruined, with only grotesque creatures, contamination, and terrifying attacks left behind. The reason for coming here wasn’t just for the points.

In fact, this exploration team was made up of volunteers more interested in their own rewards than the mission.

The Sigh of an Angel.

A shell-shaped item, occasionally found in the residential areas of this city.

Its true power is revealed when you bring it close to your ear.

When you hear the beautiful humming from inside the shell, it brings calm, heals wounds, and boosts energy.

A healing item.

Naturally, Dream Corporation was keen on acquiring items that help with dark explorations, and this was one of the few items they bought, so many staff members eagerly searched for it.

But after having explored the area dozens of times, it wasn’t easily found anymore.

To find it now, they had to enter more dangerous central areas or discover secret locations others hadn’t found.

And getting caught by the infected creatures was inevitable at times, like with these staff members now.

“AAAH!”

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

‘You idiot.’

Baek Saheon, hearing the scream from the alley he had just passed, briefly felt satisfied with the companions he had chosen.

‘I’m glad I pushed them forward.’

The humans here may be insane, but at least they weren’t idiots who would make short-sighted moves under the allure of an item.

He touched the escape ticket he had taken from the tail, secretly smirking.

‘The preparations for the clear are finished.’

Now, while searching for items, he could always feed his companions to the mermaids and escape if things got too risky… wait a minute.

Something just passed by, didn’t it?

‘…Huh?’

Baek Saheon blinked.

He was sure something had popped out of the shadow of a streetlamp and moved past the corner, visible at the edge of his vision.

He quickly checked on his companions, but they had no reaction.

‘Did I just imagine it?’

Baek Saheon, who had always relied on his senses and judgment in life, couldn’t accept that conclusion.

And he certainly didn’t want to tell Assistant Manager A.

…Instead, it was hard to lure him into action.

Hey. If you want to talk about some new monster in this dark world where mermaids have only appeared for seven years, describe it properly.

If you interrupt again, I’m leaving you behind.

‘You bastard.’

Damn. There’s no time to search for items.

It’s a waste, but he clenched his teeth and decided to stay vigilant around the alley corner.

Then, it happened.

Whoosh.

The shadow of the streetlamp in the alley flickered.

It was definitely the black something he had seen earlier. The silhouette…

Triangular ears, streamlined body, four legs.

...Huh, what’s that?

It was familiar.

‘It was a street cat.’

Baek Saheon sighed in relief, irritated. It was just one of those annoying stray animals that could be commonly seen in India.

He thought that…

‘…Huh?’

In that instant.

A cold shiver ran down Baek Saheon’s spine.

In the dark, where no life other than the biological disaster mermaids had ever been found,

There shouldn’t be a street cat.

“…!”

Baek Saheon’s mind quickly calculated.

And quietly, without the other staff noticing, he lifted his blindfold slightly… to check for danger with the purple equipment hidden in his reverse view.

And then.

He saw the danger.

“…!”

A horrific red halo rippled beyond the corner of the alley.

It could be seen in the shadow as well. Rats, cockroaches, wings, teeth, and all sorts of vile creatures that could be seen on the streets swarmed.

No.

It wasn’t a cat!

That’s not a four-legged animal. Something’s wrong! It’s a mermaid! No, something more dangerous, that halo… I’ve seen that shape somewhere before….

‘……Kim Soleum?’

Baek Saheon suddenly looked up.

“What are you doing?”

“No, nothing.”

He stiffly turned his neck and looked back at the corner of the alley….

The shadow was gone.

The red halo beyond the corner had disappeared like a lie.

“……”

He pretended to continue searching, moving stiffly toward the corner.

His heart was racing.

And as soon as he rounded the corner, he saw it.

…On the ground, there were words written as if scratched by sharp claws in the dust.

Prepare for death.

“……!!”

***

Ugh.

‘Atmosphere set.’

With this, I’d laid the groundwork to guide the Dream Corporation staff if needed.

I ran through the alley, holding my breath.

‘As expected, Baek Saheon’s eyes are sharp.’

The effect of the eye equipment I gave him seems to be solid. Honestly, it feels like it’s worth far more than the brainwashing fountain pen and the business logic I exchanged it for.

‘I never got to use it because I was afraid of being suspected of being a spy…’

When items become valuable, you start thinking in all kinds of ways.

Anyway, I saw the situation for myself. …A place where infected creatures run rampant, and children and adults kill each other in a hellish chaos.

Hell.

‘...I feel like throwing up.’

The bigger problem is… it’s insufficient.

Time, information, strength.

All of them.

‘...How the hell do I rescue the children here?’

As the shock wore off, reality became clear.

There’s no answer.

‘If I tell the agents, they’ll probably say it’s better to just put everyone down humanely...’

It looks like I’m struggling to even take care of myself.

Plus, as soon as the sun sets today, I’ll be leaving with the agents from this supernatural disaster.

I know.

Knowing this horrific truth doesn’t make me responsible for saving anyone. It’s easier to just ignore it, because I’m in no position to help.

It seemed like the appropriate solution was to just lay low for the day and leave.

But….

‘…Somehow, this feels ominous.’

I’ve already realized this duality.

But would I really be able to escape safely, treated as a child, using the “Disaster Management Bureau” method?

‘...I feel like it’s not possible.’

I thought it would be better to investigate deeper and prepare a backup plan.

If I can save even one more child in the process… that would be great.

And since this ghost story has so many meaningful parts, I might unexpectedly find an item or information that could be useful for my survival if I dig deeper.

‘…Alright.’

Let’s do what we can.

At least, as long as I’m not seen before the promised afternoon time, the Hyeonmu Unit 1 agents won’t be looking for me.

The kids are scattered in a large space, so it won’t be awkward if we don’t run into each other.

‘A method, a useful method…’

I now started flipping through the in my hazy mind, wondering if there were any hints I missed.

Even if it’s not directly about the Mermaid Grave, maybe there’s a similar ghost story that might offer a way out….

Wait a second.

“…!”

Oh.

‘That’s right.’

There was another that mentioned the Mermaid Grave…!

And that darkness…

I’ve already experienced it.

‘…Alright.’

Let’s give it a try.

I switched back to four-legged movement.

I run.

There are dangers lurking throughout the city, destroyed by the infection of grotesque creatures, but being in the nimble body of a four-legged animal makes it easier.

‘It’s easier to dodge since I’m small.’

I dash, avoiding the mucus and ulcers. My destination is clear.

‘The western outskirts.’

Far from the infected clusters.

Especially… a place that feels relatively safe because there are fewer ulcerous masses.

But since it’s not a residential area with items, no Dream Corporation staff are looking for it.

No baby mermaids... either.

That’s why it’s a slow exploration area.

‘Somewhere around here… yeah.’

I found it.

Between the half-collapsed, old buildings, I see a small brick house buried underground, its door exposed from the collapsed ground….

And if I look closely at the corner of the door, I see these words:

Moonlight Tattoo Shop

“…!”

It’s inscribed in a more elaborate cursive than I had seen before, near the edge of the door.

“……”

I found it.

The back door of the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

A similar door had been found in Qterw-C-1642 (Mermaid Grave), but it had a sign saying, “Only accepts reservations.”

This appeared to be a closed back door, not the front door.

Attempts to signal for entry through this door failed.

It was one of the sightings related to the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

However, in most sightings, the door to enter the shop was always closed, and except for the ‘vacant’ sign I used, there were no records of entries from Dream Corporation.

In fact, even the small window in the door, which would allow someone to check outside, was covered with a note.

Currently accepting only reservation clients.

This.

‘...Not that I have a reservation.’

Knock, knock.

I politely knocked on the door with my front paw and slid the note I had prepared under the door.

It was difficult since I had to write with my front paw.

Hello. I’m the person who got a tattoo cover-up last time, and I have some questions regarding it.

“……”

A few seconds later.

I heard it.

Click.

The sound of the back door unlocking.

“…!!”

It worked.

I jumped up with my back legs, grabbed the door handle, opened it, and hurried inside before the door could close.

Into the Moonlight Tattoo Shop.