“……”
Inside, it looked like an ordinary staff area.
A mix of corridors, storage spaces, and employee lounges.
Worn-out sofas, desks, laptops, boxes of supplies. In one corner, seasonal decorations were stacked.
Look for an object resembling a house, such as a model of a residence, apartment, or yurt.
I carefully sifted through the decorations and found it.
A hanok model.
It seemed to have been used as a Chuseok holiday decoration.
‘This must be it.’
The moment I opened it—
BAM!
I fell backward, landing hard on my rear.
“Ah…”
Already in pain, I felt blood welling up in my throat but suppressed it.
This was not a place where I could afford to shed blood.
‘Let’s see…’
I got up and surveyed my surroundings, which were no longer the bustling café but a quiet, enclosed hanok courtyard.
The space was eerily still, with no wind and surrounded by walls.
The characteristic wooden beams and ivory-colored walls of a traditional Korean house came into view.
‘Silent.’
It felt like stumbling into a break room where no one was supposed to be.
Suddenly—
[Hey! Who’s there? You can’t just… Eh? Kim-seobang[1]?]
The hanok’s door burst open, and out came someone with braided hair, wearing a tracksuit.
The person pointed a finger at the Disaster Management Bureau’s metal badge on my hoodie.
I took a deep breath and bowed my head slightly.
“Ah, my apologies. It’s my first time here.”
[A new Kim-seobang, huh?! Must be those meddling government agents up to their weird tricks again!]
[What if you, a scrawny Kim-seobang, stumbled upon a mischievous noontime goblin while wandering in broad daylight, eh?!]
Though the figure seemed ordinary—just large and loud—
[What’s wrong? Lost your hearing? Why aren’t you speaking, Kim-seobang?!]
It wasn’t human.
The title Kim-seobang alone gave it away.[2]
‘That’s a goblin.’
And this was their gathering place.
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Dokkaebi Workshop]
: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>
: Disaster Management Bureau identification code – no records found
: Daydream Inc. identification code – no records found
A workshop where goblins gather at night to craft clubs and hats. Nearly all exploration logs occur during the day.
The Disaster Management Bureau strongly restricts information to prevent Daydream Inc. from accessing it.
Refer to the relevant documents for usage details.
========================
This was it.
The goblins were said to gather here nightly, drinking, eating buckwheat cakes, and crafting their tools.
This ghost story begins with the idea that some nocturnal goblins enjoy their gatherings so much they linger even during the day.
If you approach the goblins idling in the workshop at midday, offer them something nice, and ask them to craft items for you, they’ll often do so enthusiastically.
Currently, however, they scare off and chase away anyone who isn’t a ‘government official Kim-seobang’.
No one who’s been chased away has ever succeeded in re-entering the place.
Honestly, it feels less like a ghost story and more like a modern version of a charming old folktale.
Isn’t that what urban legends are supposed to be?
‘That’s why the Disaster Management Bureau just quietly thanks them and takes the equipment.’
Some of the low-rank equipment, like popsockets, issued to rookie agents comes from here—including the glass glove I received from the bronze-rank agent.
Such harmless and straightforward ghost stories aren’t even classified as Disasters—they’re simply labeled as ‘common supernatural phenomena’ by the Disaster Management Bureau.
Although, there is one troubling description…
People are often warned to beware of fearsome daytime goblins, though no sightings have been reported to date.
This loose end hasn’t even been picked up in the <Dark Exploration Records>, so it wasn’t an immediate concern.
‘Let’s get this over with.’
I carefully unwrapped the popsocket, which I’d wrapped in multiple layers, and held it out to the goblin.
“I rushed over, hoping you could fix this. Ah, here’s a token of gratitude…”
[Kim-seobang, this isn’t something we made, is it?]
…What?
“It’s not?”
[Nope, nope. Looks like someone copied us. Haha, funny, so funny…]
The goblin chuckled to himself and stretched his neck forward, closely examining the cracked popsocket.
…’Copied’?
‘But the merch from the merch box had the same effects as the originals.’
Apparently, the source wasn’t treated as identical. I’d need to be careful.
Swallowing down spit and blood, I spoke,
“Then, is this too difficult to repair, even for your marvelous workshop?”
[What are you saying? This old-timer can fix anything smaller than my palm… but, you know.]
A sly grin spread across the goblin’s face.
[Kim-seobang, you seem to have some good stuff on you!]
“……! Oh, I did bring some buckwheat snacks…”
[Huh? Not that!]
[There’s a delicious smell coming from you…]
“……!!”
I’m screwed, aren’t I?
[Ah, it smells aged and divine…]
The goblin grinned even wider.
[Ginseng!]
“……”
Ah.
I adjusted my sleeve to cover my wrist, pretending to rummage in my bag before cautiously pulling out the item.
“Are you referring to… this ginseng, Elder?”
It was a piece of wild ginseng, previously used for Braun’s bath to release its sentience and purify it entirely.
Though the cut surface had dried, the strong scent of earth and forest remained.
[That’s it! Oh, how splendid, what a beauty!]
The goblin practically drooled over it.
[This would make a perfect tonic. How about it? I’ll craft you a fine hoe or broom. Or perhaps a lovely jade ring!]
Whoa.
– Brazen yet amusing offers! What do you think, Mr. Roe Deer? Would you trust the artisan’s skill?
“……”
‘That’s… tempting.’
Why hesitate when a benevolent goblin offers you an item?
‘Because I’m here under false pretenses.’
I’m not an actual agent.
I’m only impersonating one with this temporary badge, so I’ve got to tread carefully here.
‘The government should never find out about me.’
If the Disaster Management Bureau received a report of someone intruding on a ghost story they’re desperately trying to control, it’d be a disaster.
If today had been within fifteen days of their scheduled inspection, I wouldn’t have come at all.
‘That’s exactly the regular schedule for the Bureau’s visit.’
Even if repairing the popsocket is minor, offering premium ginseng and leaving with an item though?
‘It wouldn’t be with any ill intentions, but that goblin would undoubtedly gossip about it.’
– Aha, very true!
Even if I begged him to keep it a secret, he’d likely forget and slip up later.
‘Better refuse.’
“I’ll just give you the ginseng. Please enjoy brewing it into a fine tonic.”
[Oh, what a kind-hearted Kim-seobang! Truly generous!]
The goblin beamed as he took the ginseng.
Then—
[But you see, it’s proper to leave here with something, you know.]
“……”
What?
[Which team are you from? Judging by the temporary badge, are you one of the new recruits undergoing training?]
What the hell was this?
– Ah, goblins may be loose-lipped, but you should’ve been more cautious!
– Your reasoning was sound, Mr. Roe Deer, but there’s a flaw in your logic.
Which was—
– This one’s human.
“……”
I barely managed to turn my head to look up.
[Why aren’t you answering, eh?!]
It wasn’t a goblin—it was a Disaster Management Bureau agent pretending to be one.
Note/s:
[1] Seobang – old-fashioned term for ‘husband’, but these days older people use it to refer to a son-in-law (or grandson-in-law, nephew-in-law, brother-in-law, etc) ↩
[2] Korean Goblin / Dokkaebi – often depicted wearing vibrant, traditional Korean hanboks with simple designs. Their appearance is diverse and intimidating, emphasizing their untamed and fearsome nature.
Dokkaebi come in various forms with distinct traits and behaviors:
– Cham dokkaebi: mischievous tricksters
– Gae dokkaebi: malicious and evil
– Kim seobang dokkaebi: portrayed as dumb farmers
– Nat dokkaebi: unique for appearing during daylight
– Go dokkaebi: skilled warriors wielding weapons
– Gaksi & chonggak dokkaebi: considered attractive to humans
– Oenun dokkaebi: one-eyed creatures
– Oedari dokkaebi: one-legged beings known for their love of wrestling
(Source: Mythlok) ↩