During exploration missions into the Darkness, it’s only natural to encounter absurd events or chilling experiences.
Being chased by ghosts, public transport suddenly heading to some unknown destination, or people on the streets staring at you the moment you step outside your home…
But over time, many employees say they’ve grown accustomed to such things.
‘Even I’ve gotten a little used to it, I think.’
After all, the previous ghost story, despite involving contamination and items, was one where I managed to clear a high-grade mission by losing my limbs.
But certain types of eeriness never become familiar.
For instance, a ghost story that suddenly ‘recognizes’ me.
I nervously flipped through the documents.
– Oh, it seems the artist sacrificed aesthetics in favor of conveying key information.
It was terribly drawn, but you could still tell exactly who it resembled.
‘…Braun.’
– Speak freely, Friend!
‘Doesn’t that look like me?’
– Taking into account the artistic style, as well as the mask and hairstyle, it seems we’ve reached the same conclusion!
Even the product name was ‘Good Child’, and the flavor was ‘Cinnamon Churros’.
‘That’s the blue mascot from the theme park.’
And the ghost story it appeared in? Qterw-C-1603?
Why did I show up in that ghost story?
I instinctively glanced at my tattoo but stopped myself.
Then I turned to Section Chief Lee Jaheon, who was staring blankly at me, and asked,
“This hasn’t been officially added to the manual yet, correct?”
“Yes.”
Huu.
That was a relief, at least.
‘If Director Cheong went out of her way to show me this in advance…’
…A favor? A debt?
Probably both.
Once this is officially recorded as an exploration log, any identifying descriptions would be censored with black squares, depending on the security level. Ṙ
Instead, the Research Team would likely jump at the chance to conduct experimental exploration, claiming they needed to figure out why such phenomena occurred…
Maybe they’d send in someone dressed like me. Or they’d send me in without any information.
‘Kwak Jaekang might even notice and shove me back into the theme park.’
What a nightmare.
If it came to that, asking Director Cheong for help would mean cementing my fate as a ‘Loyal Employee under Director Cheong’s wing, 30 Years of Service’.
Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I’m surrounded by so many ways to get screwed over?
‘That’s just the nature of ghost stories, I guess.’
Anyway, I should be grateful I learned about this now.
Even if I ended up indebted to Director Cheong, this was better than having the Research Team sink their teeth into it.
‘And since she showed me this in advance…’
“Is the Darkness we’re exploring this week related to this case?”
“I do not know.”
“…Do you think there’s more than a 50% chance it is?”
“Yes.”
As expected.
‘If the director’s giving me a heads-up, it only makes sense for me to check it out myself.’
Qterw-C-1603.
If I’m going to face mental torture as a coward in a ghost story anyway, I might as well make it count.
That principle has never wavered.
‘Let’s confirm it.’
And this time, I had a solid companion.
The widely recognized brute-force exorcism expert, Section Chief Lee Jaheon!
…Though, thinking back to the clown ghost story, his fearlessness could lead to some questionable decision-making under pressure.
‘Well, if it’s just one-on-one, I could probably find a way to persuade him or find an escape route…’
Lately, I’d even gotten better at handling conversations.
So having a fearless squad leader as my partner wouldn’t be a bad thing—it’s actually quite reassuring.
But there was one more variable.
“Soleum-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Would you be requesting additional support staff?”
Ah, right.
Squads in the Field Exploration Team operate with a three-member standard, so this time, our squad would get one extra member for support.
‘I suppose this is like a pre-run for the elite squad.’
Usually, they just assign someone randomly, but… hmm.
“Is it possible to request a specific person?”
“Yes.”
Oh! …Wait, hold on.
“……I’d prefer not to go through Director Cheong. Is that still possible?”
“No.”
‘Good thing I asked…!’
That could’ve doubled my debt.
I suppressed a sigh but couldn’t hold back a lingering question.
It was something I’d always been curious about with Chief Lizard.
“Pardon, Squad Leader. You tend to give very concise answers. Is there a particular reason for that?”
“Yes.”
The lizard briefly looked skyward before refocusing on me.
“It’s based on feedback to only provide detailed answers when explicitly requested.”
“…In what situation did you receive such feedback?”
“On the third day after I started working here, during an exploration mission into the Darkness.”
So that’s why…
Even without a detailed description, I could vividly imagine the situation, like a picture forming in my mind.
“Um, Squad Leader, if it’s not an urgent situation, I’d appreciate it if you’d speak more freely when it’s just the two of us.”
“Understood.”
And then, Section Chief Lee Jaheon… began to explain!
“If you wish to specify the traits of the support staff, report it to me, Kim Soleum-ssi. While specific names cannot be designated, you may request preferred characteristics for the candidate pool.”
He’s voluntarily explaining things!
– Mr. Roe Deer, you have a knack for conducting interviews!
T-Thanks.
For a moment, I felt a surge of confidence, but the important thing was what Section Chief Lee Jaheon had just shared.
‘So while I can’t pinpoint exactly who should join, I can specify the kind of person I’d prefer?’
Hmm.
After some thought, I decided on one characteristic for the ‘support staff’.
“I’d prefer someone from among the current junior employees.”
There was an implicit meaning behind this.
All current junior employees were my peers.
‘Not because I feel isolated in the group chat or anything…’
Well, to be honest, there was something suspicious about this exploration, so I didn’t want someone too high up the ladder, or rather, someone overly familiar with how the company worked.
‘It’d be nice to make more acquaintances, too.’
I figured it was about time to expand my network within the company.
“Yes.”
Section Chief Lee Jaheon readily approved my request, and I found myself feeling a little excited.
Who would the new face be?