The next day, after lunch—
We traveled to the site in Assistant Manager Eun’s car, heading to the location where the Darkness was contained.
“Got everything you wanted to bring?”
“Yes.”
The ‘expensive thing’ I had purchased during lunch was safely packed in my briefcase.
From the driver’s seat, the assistant manager checked,
“Roe, this is your first time entering an urban legend that takes place in a real location, rather than being kidnapped by touching some cursed item, isn’t it?”
Uh, no. In fact, I just pretended to be a serial killer at a lodge full of dismembered corpses, nearly throwing up in the process.
…But let’s not bring that up.
“Yes. It feels like my first real field assignment.”
“Haha. You’re still in your twenties, right, Roe? This must be your first job, then.”
The atmosphere was warm as we traveled, exchanging some light-hearted conversation.
“Did you know? Our squad leader once broke the steering wheel three times while on duty. Now there’s a rumor he won’t sit in the driver’s seat again unless it’s a full-blown zombie apocalypse…”
“……”
Maybe I shouldn’t ask about that directly.
Anyway, after about forty minutes, the car smoothly arrived at its destination.
“Here we are.”
It was a tightly packed alley of commercial buildings in the suburbs of Seoul.
Once bustling during a real estate boom, it had become eerily quiet and desolate due to new urban development drawing people away—an ‘old’ new town, so to speak.
Numerous vacant windows displayed real estate signs advertising properties for sale or rent.
“One of these buildings is the urban legend. If you enter during the golden hour on a sunny day, something strange happens.”
“I see.”
Accompanied by my superiors, who helpfully summarized the manual’s details, I approached the designated commercial building.
“Civilians are blocked from entering this place. It seems like some kind of… Security Team equipment is being used. But it recognizes our badges and lets us through.”
Hmm.
“Be careful once we’re inside.”
Supervisor Park lowered his voice and whispered seriously.
“There are quite a few disturbing records, so stay vigilant.”
“……”
Are you referring to something like this?
Exploration Record #12
One of the staff members deployed (Employee Jung Sejong) discovered an operational shop at Room 404, next to the emergency exit on the fourth floor. The sign displayed the name ■■■ Café.
However, as the staff member approached the location, strange sounds not originating from the café began to be heard.
Barking, shouting, and the howling of beasts overlapped into a cacophony that grew louder and louder, as if rushing toward him.
Just as the staff member stopped in front of the door, the sound suddenly surged closer, as though something was about to charge out.
Panicking, the staff member fled to the emergency stairs just before the door opened but fell unconscious after a loud crash.
Later, the staff member was found unconscious near the building, suffering from open fractures in both legs and severe back injuries, rendering him unfit for duty. He subsequently reported persistent PTSD.
At first glance, it sounds eerie and horrific.
But did you notice?
‘That’s just… a dog-friendly café.’
The barking scared the employee, causing him to flee and tumble down the stairs, leading to multiple injuries.
The ‘ghost story’ actually kindly ejected the staff member from the premises.
This Darkness is just a space where the old shops continue to operate normally. That’s as weird as it gets.
It’s the kind of story where overzealous explorers, misinterpreting everything as sinister, end up creating problems for themselves, eliciting a wry chuckle from observers.
And here I am, standing next to people who are eagerly giving me advice as if it’s all serious.
“Let’s be cautious. There are records of this space harming entrants.”
No, there aren’t.
“Especially, don’t lose consciousness. That usually results in severe injuries.”
Even if someone passes out or gets hurt badly, the space politely ejects them after a while…
This is literally a shopping complex that ensures people leave once business hours are over.
Still, I refrained from explaining. I didn’t want someone to think, ‘Oh, this ghost story induces psychological contamination!’ and spiral into more exaggerated misunderstandings.
Instead, I simply nodded when they suggested splitting up to cover more ground efficiently while staying in contact.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay, Roe?”
“Yes.”
Normally, I’d cling to someone’s coattails out of nervousness, but today is the perfect day for a ‘coward’s adventure’!
“Call immediately if anything happens.”
“Understood.”
Equipped with a walkie-talkie provided by the Security Team (which oddly reminded me of a toy I’d seen in the Alien Shop), I moved out.
– Hm, is there a specific shop you want to visit? It seems a few are still operational.
That’s the thing.
‘Yes, but they’re a bit tricky to reach…’
The space here was warped, with floors and directions all jumbled, but some semblance of order and rules could occasionally be discerned.
One such rule involved the elevator.
When taking it from the seventh floor, a button for the basement might randomly appear.
After several attempts, I finally saw the button labeled ‘B1’.
– Ah, a hidden location? Reminds me of that elegant exhibition we went to recently.
Did you really have to bring that up?
I still have nightmares about wandering endlessly in the basement of that exhibition, bumping into mechanical spiders, and losing vital organs…
‘This is a kind and gentle place… a kind and gentle place…’
Shaking off the memories, I pressed the button.
Ding.
The doors opened to reveal a parking garage.
‘Someone once fainted here after hearing a car horn, I think.’
That’s not the point.
I carefully followed the instructions I remembered.
‘Three turns to the left.’
After circling the parking garage three times, a new section number, previously invisible, appeared.
‘A19.’
This meant I had arrived.
With growing excitement, I walked toward it.
Next to this parking section was a door leading into the shopping complex. Instead of heading to the elevators, I turned to the side, where a small shop awaited.
And there it was.
Moonlight Tattoo Shop
A magical place.