The dark hallway of the fourth floor.
Students stood in a line like mannequins.
I calculated the range of the students' reach beforehand and carefully took a step forward.
'Huu.'
First, I unfolded the carefully tucked-away item from my pocket and wrapped it around my vital areas.
A piece of 'armor' purchased from the alien store.
Wrapper 12B357나
The loose packaging snugly settled under my high school uniform from back in the day.
'The Nostalgia Series doesn't heal wounds or remove contamination sustained while active.'
From now on, I needed to be extra cautious.
I moved carefully, ensuring I didn't overlap into the active territory of any of the students.
Since I occupied a smaller area as an individual, navigating alone might actually be safer on the fourth floor.
"..."
I wondered if Agent Bronze and Jang Heo-un made it safely.
'They're probably prioritizing regrouping with others.'
The agent wasn't foolish enough to head to the fifth floor with just the two of them. They'd likely search for others on the fourth floor.
Judging from the situation, it didn't seem like Jang Heo-un would be taken prisoner or anything.
'Even if he'd do that to you, I did everything I could, my fellow new hire…'
I walked all the way to the end of the hallway.
"Huu."
I arrived at the staircase we had climbed earlier with the agent and Jang Heo-un.
And then…
I started heading back down the stairs.
[3F]
I retraced the way I had come, moving in reverse.
Why?
To be perfectly honest, I didn't have much use for the scattered informational items throughout this school.
'I already have all that information in my head.'
I had essentially already obtained and seen everything.
I knew everything about this ghost story, right up to the moment it ends.
Why this school ended up in this state, what the theme of this ghost story is, and what exactly these 'students' are.
There was only one thing I truly needed.
'The key item that will unlock the highest grade for a clear.'
And now, I was going to get it.
'By now… it should have been 'created'.'
I stopped on the landing.
The third floor below was eerily silent.
"..."
Everything down there had turned into corpses.
Under the bright lights, blood-soaked bodies lay mutilated, their horrifying condition vividly displayed.
It seemed most of the school-uniformed figures on this floor were dead.
'If any agents survived, they must have moved elsewhere.'
It also appeared that nearly all the students who had swarmed the faculty office were rendered immobile or killed, as indicated by the death announcements.
"Huu."
Setting aside the grotesqueness of the scene, it felt as if I were standing in the middle of a catastrophic disaster site where dozens of people had died.
'Stay calm.'
This is a dream… all of it is a dream…
I repeated this to myself as I continued descending the stairs, constantly checking both ends of the hallway and the opposite faculty office.
And then, I spotted my target.
Flicker.
In the brief moment I turned my gaze, a student's posture shifted inside the faculty office.
"...!"
Of course, it wasn't chasing me.
The condition of the student entity was far too pitiful for that.
Both arms were broken, one leg was in a compound fracture, and its abdomen was drenched in blood.
Yet, it seemed to have enough 'awareness' to tilt its head slightly in my direction.
"..."
I surveyed the surroundings.
'No sign of other students appearing… good.'
Satisfied, I approached the faculty office.
I walked right up to the student slumped near the front door.
With bleached hair and piercings, he had the stereotypical appearance of a delinquent, though his injuries erased any impression of defiance.
"..."
Wow, I'm seriously about to go insane.
I grabbed the 'student' with both hands and lifted him over my shoulder.
"Huuuu."
Carrying the student like a heavy sack over my shoulder, I walked on, ensuring he stayed out of sight.
'This is insane.'
Lugging a killing machine weighing several dozen kilograms like this wasn't exactly easy on the nerves.
Physically, though, I could manage. Nostalgia Candy was still rolling around in my mouth, keeping me in peak condition.
'And… this is the destination.'
I had mapped out a route in my head.
Given the chaos that had erupted, it was unlikely that many students remained on the third floor, but just in case, I moved quickly.
With the flashlight held in my mouth, I steadied myself against the wall and pressed forward.
The powerful flashlight brightly illuminated the entire hallway, defying the darkness—even if the bloodied scene still suffocated me.
Still.
[Infirmary]
The destination appeared.
Slide.
I silently dropped the name tag my colleague had slipped to me onto the floor, then quietly opened the door and stepped into the infirmary.
There were three beds lined up near the window, their curtains drawn.
Two of the beds already showed shadows of someone lying inside.
"..."
I took slow steps forward.
My eyes caught sight of a whiteboard with a note attached to the door of the infirmary:
Students injured during physical activity should lie on a bed and wait for the nurse to arrive!
"..."
Something about it was out of place.
'So, that's it.'
This was the clue that had led me to write a continuing exploration log for this ghost story.
It came from the twelfth exploration log left by the previous explorer.
Exploration Record #12
Assistant Manager Kang Jiwoo entered the infirmary and placed an injured colleague (Supervisor Park Cha-on) on an empty bed, following the instructions.
Nothing significant to report.
Afterwards, all were killed by the student entity that chased them into the infirmary. Clear.
From the moment I read it, I suspected there was an overlooked detail.
'The previous writer seemed to have left this intentionally.'
Explorers in this ghost story are presented as 'outsiders'—as students from another school.
In other words…
– What if they had placed a real Sekwang Technical High School student on the bed instead?
That question sparked the imagination that drove me to write the thirteenth exploration log.
-x-X-x-
'Writing it was thrilling.'
Even now, my heart raced—whether from tension, fear, or anticipation, I wasn't sure.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the curtain to the only bed without a shadow.
On the clean, makeshift bed, I carefully placed the student.
In my mind, I could see the words I had written in my own exploration log overlapping with this moment.
Exploration Record #13
[…]
Employee ■■■ successfully lured an injured student entity with the help of a civilian.
After binding the entity, they entered the infirmary and placed it on a bed.
The name tag was not removed during the process.
The student was limp but could have moved their joints awkwardly if I had forced them to.
I covered them with a blanket, then stepped out of the infirmary.
Leaning against the bloody hallway wall, I waited for several seconds, my heart pounding.
'After this…'
After a brief wait, I knocked lightly on the infirmary door and reentered.
Inside, I would find the injured student entity lying on the bed in gym clothes, having received proper first aid.
And that's exactly what I saw.
"..."
A feeling of awe—or perhaps fear—overwhelmed me as I approached the only bed with its curtain undrawn.
The bleached-haired student I had brought lay on the bed, now dressed in gym clothes.
Bandages and splints had been applied, and he didn't even look in my direction.
'At this point…'
In the original exploration record, it was noted that 'the discovery was made while thoroughly searching the surroundings'.
Slide.
I opened the drawer beside the bed without hesitation.
Inside was a neatly folded school uniform.
[Sekwang Technical High School]
It belonged to the student lying in the bed.
The buttons were loose, and some parts were frayed, but strangely, the uniform was clean, with no blood or stains.
'Hah.'
My heart pounded fiercely.
Without looking back at the student lying on the bed, I grabbed a sheet of A4 paper from the infirmary and wrote:
I'll just borrow your uniform for a bit.
– Transfer student who brought you here
Folding the paper neatly, I placed it in the drawer where the uniform had been. In its place, I took out the uniform.
"..."
Turning my head, I saw the student lying on the bed, still dressed in gym clothes, with his eyes closed.
He looked as if they were in a deep, peaceful sleep.
'It worked.'
I quickly began to undress.
I threw my old high school uniform out the infirmary window and started putting on the 'borrowed' Sekwang Technical High School uniform.
Luckily, our builds were similar, and it fit reasonably well.
Once I finished donning the old-style school uniform—
Drrk—
"..."
I heard the sound of a drawer opening behind me.
Turning back, I saw that a reply had appeared on the note I left inside the drawer.
What grade and class are you in?
"..."
Swallowing hard, I wrote down the same profile I had scribbled on the back of my old high school photo to prepare for this moment.
The name of the class where I first woke up.
Class 1-5.
The instant I wrote that—
The entire world plunged into darkness.
"...!"
A total blackout enveloped me, but as my eyes adjusted, faint outlines of the world began to emerge.
Emergency lights, LED clock faces—dim glimmers just enough to distinguish the school's infirmary from complete void.
And then—
Tap, tap.
"...!"
Something tapped my shoulder.
I turned around.
The student, who had been sitting idly on the bed, was now lightly tapping my shoulder.
The bleached-haired student casually retracted his hand and began moving.
Yes, naturally.
With movements far too human, he took the A4 paper and pen from my hands with his bandaged arm and quickly scribbled something before handing it back to me.
Transfer student, huh? Tough luck.
And then, he lay back down on the bed as if to resume sleeping, every motion eerily natural.
"..."
With a grim expression, I stood and left the infirmary.
Slide.
The world was still dark.
But strangely, everything seemed unnervingly clear—as though I could see even the dust floating in the air.
It felt like a peculiar certainty radiated from the uniform, taking root in my mind.
"..."
Walking down the hallway, I bent to pick up the name tag I had dropped outside the infirmary earlier and tucked it into my pocket.
[■■■]
The name tag now glowed strangely, far more than before.
Even in this dark, bloodied, and filthy environment, an odd calmness pervaded me.
But then—
Something appeared in the distance.
"...!"
From Class 2-7, shapes began to emerge, peeking out.
The silhouettes were human.
But their entire bodies squirmed grotesquely, as if pixelation errors in a video game had manifested in real life—ghastly creatures out of a horror movie.
Their decaying forms, clad in what barely resembled school uniforms, looked like glitched-out abominations, errors not meant to exist in this world.
And the moment they noticed me—
"...!"
I froze.
A sensation like my insides flipping surged within me.
Flicker.
"...!!"
Suddenly, like lightning, the world became blindingly bright.
Instinctively, I dashed forward.
Those glitch-like monsters, blinded by the intense light, couldn't seem to look at me. Their movements slowed to a crawl.
This was my chance to finish them!
"..."
'No.'
I forced myself to stop.
I suppressed the urge to chase them down. The sweetness of the candy rolling on my tongue brought me back to my senses.
And then—
Flicker.
Once again, the world turned pitch black.
When my eyes met theirs again—
They were already far away, sluggishly retreating down the hallway to the opposite stairwell.
Leaving me behind.
"..."
My entire body was drenched in sweat.
My clenched fists trembled as if I had narrowly survived an overwhelming addiction.
But I could endure it.
I had read about this moment in the logs, after all.
There was no confusion.
I had merely confirmed what I already knew.
'So that's how it works.'
Did you notice?
The monsters I had just seen—they were the explorers.
The ones dragged into this ghost story, just like me, until moments ago.
'And now I…'
If an explorer dons the uniform of Sekwang Technical High School with the permission of a student, they can take on the role of a student in this ghost story.
I was now a student of Sekwang Technical High School.
-x-X-x-
Exploration Record #13, which I had added.
– If you acquire and wear a school uniform in the proper manner, you will be treated as a student.
This is, in truth, a rather groundbreaking concept.
Handled incorrectly, it could distort the original essence of the ghost story.
The school ghost story.
Monsters that only move when unobserved.
'Within the Shadow of Darkness', which was built by remixing these two classic tropes, originally adhered to the theme of classic 'fear of the pursued'.
A nightmare in which familiar places and people turn into incomprehensible horrors that chase you down until you're dead.
However, as exploration records accumulated beyond ten entries, a subtle build-up began to emerge.
'It's the kind of thing that adds the fun of imagining a more specific backstory to the world.'
Exploration Record #05
Text found on the blackboard :
Avoid the teacher. The teacher is (the rest of the text was crudely erased).
In this way, bits of foreshadowing steadily piled up.
For twelve entries, it had only been accumulating, and the story had gained enough popularity to make it seem like it would keep 'accumulating' indefinitely.
'That sort of thing gets frustrating after a while.'
It becomes difficult to sustain the original theme of fear born from gaps in information.
But then, a thought occurred.
'If I could explore as an insider, as a student, wouldn't it add the thrill of retrieving all these clues?'
The thirteenth exploration record I wrote aligned with what the creators of the ghost story had been craving.
Thus, the ghost story of 'Within the Shadow of Darkness' reached a new turning point.
From mid-to-late explorations onward, all the eerie foreshadowing scattered throughout the logs would be retrieved, revealing shocking twists.
The latter half was filled with deeper, more story-driven exploration records.
It was a remarkable experience to witness indirectly.
Seeing the seeds I had sown grow into a larger, new story through the contributions of many others.
'But to actually experience it myself…'
Right.
I planned to encounter the very climax of that story a little earlier than expected.
'Let's go.'
Dressed as a student, I walked down the dark hallway on the third floor of Sekwang Technical High School.
In the distance, I saw 'monsters' full of fear slowly disappearing around the corners of the hallway.
The urge to chase them surged and then subsided.
'Huu.'
Strangely, existing in this school as a student felt comfortable.
It felt like I was standing where I belonged.
This only intensified the rejection and destructive impulse I felt when witnessing those alien 'monsters' roaming the school.
Especially.
[A death has occurred in Class 2-2.]
When I first heard that announcement, my heart sank.
A bittersweet sadness and a chilling emptiness.
And a sense of duty to uncover the cause of the accident!
[Please observe a moment of silence for five seconds.]
I wanted nothing more than to sprint through the now-brightly lit school, eagerly eliminating the source of this error and 'observing silence'.
But…
'I'm not really a student.'
I must not forget.
Kim Soleum has many tasks to accomplish.
First, I had to go up to the fourth floor.
I stepped onto the stairs.
'Ah.'
Huh?
The classroom of Class 1-5, which I belong to, is on the second floor.
It seems there's no reason to go up to the third floor.
A thought that popped up like a notification.
"..."
This is why students were described as 'rarely leaving their assigned floors'.
Of course, I wasn't bound by that restriction.
I was only borrowing the uniform, not a true student of this school.
'Huuu.'
I resumed walking.
Step by step.
[4F]
Before the blinding 'light of silence' that filled the hallway disappeared completely, I reached the fourth floor.
The place was dark, with flickering lights and shattered bulbs.
The floor that had once been filled with dozens of mannequin-like students staring lifelessly was now…
Alive.
"...!"
The students now exchanged lively glances, gestured at one another, and silently chatted among themselves.
I bit my tongue to ensure I made no sound.
Students of Sekwang Technical High School had no voices.
If I spoke to them in my normal voice while wearing this borrowed uniform, I would ■■■ ■■■■.
Afterward, I would wake up and regain consciousness.
To think that I would end up bound by the very sentences I had written.
I walked through the crowd of students who occasionally glanced at me indifferently or smiled awkwardly when our eyes met.
Don't appear awkward…
'Act natural…'
I passed a corner in the hallway and stopped right before the stairs near the faculty office for the third years.
A small iron door stood there.
[Faculty Storage]
It was an ordinary storage area typically used to keep cleaning supplies in schools.
And right in front of it, five or six students were gathered in a tight circle.
If I weren't wearing Sekwang Technical High School's uniform, I would have never been able to approach such a densely packed group.
'But now, I can.'
I stepped forward.
The students looked at me with puzzled expressions.
Why has a first-year come all the way up here?
Their expressions seemed to ask that very question.
I pulled out an A4 sheet of paper I had brought from the infirmary and wrote slowly.
Seniors asked me to fetch a ladder from the storage room.
May I take it with me?
One of the students chuckled, took my pen, and wrote a reply.
ok lolol
Clink.
When I looked up, another student was already holding a set of keys and shaking them in front of me.
I took the key bundle.
Using the key labeled '4F Storage', I unlocked the storage room and stepped inside.
A place only students could enter.
-x-X-x-
Creaaak.
The light reflecting through the gap in the door stabbed at my eyes.
Inside, various objects shimmered, as if radiating their own presence.
Much like the nametag Jang Heo-un had given me.
'Damn.'
As expected, the sight was even more bizarre and eye-catching than I had imagined.
After carefully shutting the storage room door, I immediately reached out toward the objects…
It seems I can't take this item yet.
Ignoring the thought that popped into my mind like a notification, I rummaged through the shimmering items—buckets, mops, small whiteboards—and finally found what I was looking for.
"..."
It was a decorative brooch.
A somewhat clumsy-looking decoration made by laminating thick paper, as if handcrafted by an amateur.
Obtained a 'Name Tag Decoration'!
Name Tag Decoration : A flower decoration that says 'Congratulations on Your Graduation'. It seems to be modeled after Sekwang Technical High School's official flower, the azalea.
Perhaps it's intended as a gift for graduates?
I tucked the glittering 'Name Tag Decoration' into my pocket.
'Got it.'
I now had the essential item to 'attack' this ghost story.
I continued exploring places that only students could access, verifying whether the information I knew from the exploration records matched reality.
I borrowed a book from the library, tapped on the piano keys in the music room…
'If anything was even slightly off, it would be better to die and wake up quickly.'
Fortunately, everything aligned perfectly.
'…Good.'
During this process, I avoided going to the fifth floor, where the 'graduation ceremony preparation hall' was located.
It wasn't time yet.
'When will the notification come?'
Taking a tense breath, I waited slowly…
And then.
₩uc544₩uc544₩uc544₩uc545₩u0021₩u0021₩u0020₩uc800₩ub9ac₩u0020₩uac00₩u0021₩u0021₩u0020₩uc800₩ub9ac₩u002e₩u002e₩u002e
A tremendous roar struck my ears.
"...!"
Would this be what a sound glitch feels like?
It was like the noise of hundreds of people scratching their nails against chalkboards—a maddening cacophony!
And I knew what it was.
'…The monsters!'
The voices of explorers, who appeared as glitched monsters to me, were unmistakable!
The deafening noise of whatever they were saying to each other downstairs pounded not just my ears but my brain.
A powerful urge enveloped me.
'So this is why they chased noisy ones first!'
At the very least, I wanted to eliminate the sound…
'...! Calm down, calm down…'
I suppressed the overwhelming urge and refrained from running down the stairs.
Instead, I took a few seconds to quell my impulses.
'Now, let's move.'
Once I was fully composed, I proceeded carefully and checked the monsters at the far end of the fourth-floor hallway.
The monsters were confronting a student.
No, the situation was almost over.
The student was lying immobile on the ground, unable to move.
Yet, the monsters weren't all retired.
'Damn.'
I prepared myself.
One monster was still intact.
It stared at the student lying on the ground before turning to look at me.
And it stopped me in my tracks.
...
I saw it from a distance.
The monster that froze me in place.
Its face, horrifyingly melted, resembled a grotesque figure smeared like pixels.
But one thing was different from the other monsters.
'It's wearing a mask.'
And the mask was…
A goral!
'…Go Yeongeun!'
* * *
"Wow."
I'm the only one left.
Go Yeongeun caught her breath and leaned against the hallway wall.
In front of her lay (probably) the last student on this third floor, immobilized on the ground.
It seemed to still be alive, but she had no intention of killing it.
'If I kill this one, there'll be another blackout, and more will swarm in… ha.'
The civilians she had been escorting were all already dead.
'At least the last three had nametags with them when they died…'
According to company protocol, even if someone dies, they can live their daily lives in reality.
Still, it was unsettling that the liquid in the Dream Essence Collector only refilled when a 'nametag' was obtained.
'…Something's definitely up.'
Go Yeongeun had somewhat given up on collecting nametags meticulously for a high-grade clear.
Instead, she subtly shared information about them with her companions and divided what she had.
And those people had just all died.
'Ugh…'
Having worked at this company long enough to grow accustomed to gore-filled carnage, monsters, and ghosts, she wasn't overwhelmed.
After all, she'd completed anatomy studies and cadaver practice without any trouble during her time at med school, so she'd always been strong-willed.
'Thank goodness they didn't actually die for real…'
She had become so desensitized that even thoughts like this came naturally now.
'…Should I go upstairs now?'
Just as Go Yeongeun decided to catch her breath and start moving again—
Flicker.
"...!!"
Beyond the hallway…
Another 'student' appeared.
They were tall, wearing the somewhat disheveled uniform of Sekwang Technical High School, giving off the atmosphere of a delinquent.
'Ha.'
Wow…
I can't take this anymore!
'Let's just go.'
Surely, lasting this long should be enough to avoid any issues in her performance review.
Go Yeongeun felt so worn out that she wanted to rip off the ultra-powerful headlamp strapped to her head.
She was ready to wake up from this wretched nightmare…
Flicker.
…Wait?
'H-Hold on.'
Under the dim light, she caught a glimpse of the student's features.
Their face was calm, sharp, and composed.
"…Mr. Roe Deer?"
It was Kim Soleum.
At first, she thought it might be a lookalike student.
But even though they looked slightly younger than the face she was used to seeing, it was unmistakably them.
It was really Kim Soleum.
A chill ran down Go Yeongeun's spine.
'W-Wait a second…!'
What kind of situation was this?
Could it be?
If certain conditions were met in this ghost story, would someone get 'corrupted' and end up like this?
Turned into a student monster?
"Ah…"
Having worked for months, she knew enough about ghost story contamination to feel a surge of terror.
But in the next moment, she resolved herself.
'I need to confirm this.'
If she woke up now and something had truly gone wrong, she would hate herself for running away.
'It's fine if I die and wake up from the dream anyway.'
Determined, she approached the hallway, trying not to blink both eyes at once.
The closer she got to the student standing still, the more certain she became that it was Kim Soleum.
'…Even the rabbit plushie is gone.'
The keychain plushie he usually carried wasn't with him, leaving Go Yeongeun with a strange mix of bitterness and sorrow as she moved closer.
Flicker.
The light flickered, but the flashlight secured on her head saved her from any trouble.
'Just a little closer.'
She drew nearer.
But then—
Thud.
Suddenly, a burst of blinding light pierced Go Yeongeun's eyes.
"...!!"
Her vision vanished temporarily.
The source was a flashlight in Kim Soleum's hand.
It was set to flash a few seconds after being activated, momentarily blinding whoever approached.
Go Yeongeun couldn't tell exactly what object had caused it, but she quickly grasped the situation.
'A trap?! Set in advance?!'
A sudden wave of dizziness hit her, but she composed herself quickly.
'It can't be helped.'
What frustrated her was not understanding the strange situation in full.
But there wasn't much time to dwell on it. The monsters were insanely fast.
In the next moment, she would die…
"...??"
She didn't die.
There was no pain or the floating sensation of waking up from a dream.
…She was fine!
'What?'
As her eyes adjusted to the aftereffects of the flash, Go Yeongeun looked up at the 'student' in confusion and froze them with her gaze.
...
Kim Soleum, wearing the Sekwang Technical High School uniform, wasn't looking at Go Yeongeun.
Instead, he was staring at the floor.
'The floor?'
Go Yeongeun stepped back slightly, aligning her view to see both Kim Soleum and the floor simultaneously.
"...!"
On the floor, words had appeared.
An A4 sheet of paper had been laid down, and writing was scrawled on it.
Ms. Goral?
"GAAAHHHH!!"
-x-X-x-
Alright. Let's sort through this.
The monster in front of me…
That grotesque figure with its pixelated, distorted appearance, was undoubtedly my colleague, Go Yeongeun.
The goral mask was clearly visible, after all.
'I feel bad for blasting that high-powered flashlight in her face…'
Clenching my teeth, I tried to focus on the mask instead of my sense of revulsion.
The problem was that normal communication was impossible!
I couldn't speak, nor could I properly hear what the other person was saying…
There's no way we can talk anyway!
If that's the case, might as well kick her out of the school.
The urge to destroy everything surged up to my throat like bitter bile…
'Ugh.'
It felt like my head was filled with errors.
This was driving me crazy.
Unable to think of another way to communicate, I eventually pulled a pen out of my pocket and, avoiding looking at her directly, wrote on the floor.
Ms. Goral?
Then, I waited in silence.
The moment 'Go Yeongeun' turned her gaze toward me, I froze.
A reply appeared on the A4 paper on the floor.
Mr. Roe Deer?? Are you self-aware? Can you act independently?
'Phew.'
Good.
I looked at the monster—no, 'Go Yeongeun'—and wrote a response.
Yes, I can.
Don't worry, I'm not contaminated.
Although I imagine even a contaminated person might say something like this, so I'm concerned about how it sounds…
This is all part of this ghost story's gimmick.
A gimmick?
Yes.
How should I explain this?
'In this case, it's probably best to go straight to the point.'
Knowing that the colleague in front of me was clearly intelligent, I decided to forego roundabout explanations and write the direct answer instead.
The solution to this ghost story that all the foreshadowing in its lore pointed toward.
This is a school where a horror game has become reality.
The name registered in the wiki for this ghost story,
And the cause of all the events happening in this nightmare version of Sekwang Technical High School.
Hints about it can be found in exploration records that uncover the lore in the faculty office and certain classrooms.
Item Confiscation List (Month of ■■, Day ■■) :
Game Console
When obtained from the first-year faculty office and turned on, a pixelated image of the school at night briefly appears on the screen before it shuts off.
Memo in the top-right corner of the blackboard in Class 3-2 :
That's supposed to be the teacher?
Notebook found on the floor of the music room :
There's a small doodle in the corner.
– Why am I in school after waking up? (A sketch of a surprised puppy.) Graduation ceremony prep? What does that even mean? It's May right now!
And various other notes and items.
If you search the bag of the student whose console was confiscated, you can even find an empty game case with a plot summary written on the back.
--------------------
The day before graduation.
Students supporting the graduation ceremony preparations at ■■■■ High School spend the night at school.
Of course, the preparations are mostly an excuse, and the students enjoy the atmosphere of a nighttime camp.
New couples form, best friends argue, and someone's secrets are exposed…
Then, the school broadcast comes on.
[The graduation ceremony has begun.]
[To penalize students who did not attend, the teacher is now leaving the auditorium.]
The bloody graduation ceremony begins.
Can they escape the nightmare school unscathed?
--------------------
That's how it becomes evident.
This ghost story is about a horror game that devoured a real school, forcing it to replay the events of the game as a nightmare.
That's why the students don't speak.
'Because it's a game without voice acting.'
That's why the third-year students on the fourth floor can't leave their spots.
'Because the main game hasn't started yet.'
That's why the students can't move when explorers are watching.
'…It's a bug that wasn't part of the original game.'
In fact, the explorers weren't even official participants in the game.
'We're not playing the game at all.'
We were dragged in after attempting to glimpse the game's story through an unofficially downloaded text file…
'Huu.'
Of course, I didn't explain all of this in full detail to my colleague.
I only shared hints and conveyed the core logic.
Here's the point.
I obtained a student uniform in an unusual way and tried becoming a participant in this horror game.
For now, it seems to be working.
A game? Oh, it sounds like that one! The horror game where you're trapped in school the night before White Day!
But isn't becoming a participant in the ghost story's game even more dangerous? Especially since you don't know what might happen if you keep wearing that uniform for too long.
Go Yeongeun's writing started off energetic but became rushed and frantic toward the end.
It was a reasonable concern.
You're right. If it gets dangerous, I'll stop right away.
I also planned to run for it if things didn't go as expected.
But so far, things were proceeding exactly as I had anticipated…
Still, this might turn out to be the most definitive clear route we can document in the manual.
I'm going to give it a try.
After a brief silence—
Alright, then. I trust you, Mr. Roe Deer. You've always been strong against ghost stories…
"..."
Seriously, it's just a misunderstanding…
Still, please don't do anything too dangerous.
I'd like that too, but things in life rarely go as planned…
Ah, then, if we stay here together, other students might grow suspicious of you, so I'll take my leave.
Huuuh?
Please, be careful!
That was the last thing she wrote.
The moment I was unfrozen, I saw Go Yeongeun slowly walking away down the hallway, turning her back to me.
W-Wait a second, Yeongeun-ssi…!
'I still have things to ask you!'
Please help me!
I hurriedly caught up to her, lightly tapped her back, and hastily wrote out a new note.
Excuse me, Ms. Goral, there's something I need to ask you.
It's probably specialized knowledge only you can answer.
Sure! Feel free to ask!
Thankfully, Go Yeongeun turned back and kindly agreed to answer.
Whew!
Grateful, I quickly scribbled out my question.
Can you tell me where each organ is located in the human body?
What??
A-Ack.
-x-X-x-
Fortunately, Go Yeongeun didn't cut me off right then and there…
She simply asked me multiple questions about work, accounting, and other real-world details, calmly and sternly verifying whether I was in my right mind.
Once she was convinced that I wasn't completely contaminated or some science-lab student with a morbid fascination for anatomy, she became kind again.
Alright! I'll answer as best I can haha
Thank you… hiiic.
And so, I spent the remaining time engaging in an intense Q&A session with Go Yeongeun.
Thanks to her, I was able to finish my 'clear preparations' in a safer and more certain way than I had expected.
Then, good luck.
I'll do my best. Thank you!
…Hmm.
I added one last comment, just in case.
If you plan to stay in this dream for a while longer, it might be best to stick to the first floor.
Because soon, the true 'Within the Shadow of Darkness' will begin.
"..."
And with that,
After seeing off Go Yeongeun a few minutes later—
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
[The graduation ceremony has begun.]
A new broadcast echoed.
…Just as I had written in my thirteenth exploration record.
Exploration Record #13
Elapsed time wearing Sekwang Technical High School's uniform : 2 hours and 13 minutes.
A new school broadcast emerged, one not described in prior logs.
Its content matches the plot summary on the back of the game case of 'Within the Shadow of Darkness'.
I went up to the fourth floor.
The countless third-year students who had filled the hallway there…
Had all disappeared.
"..."
The empty fourth-floor hallway resonated with the broadcast.
[To penalize students who did not attend, the teacher is now leaving the auditorium.]
Just as I had written in my exploration record.
The main storyline of the horror game began to unfold.
It was becoming real.
"..."
I swallowed hard.
The atmosphere in the school changed completely.
The previously comforting sense of belonging as a student had been replaced with an oppressive, unsettling tension.
No—
I could actually hear the BGM right now…!
The haunting 8-bit game music descended upon my ears in sharp, eerie minor tones.
And then, a pop-up appeared.
Something feels off.
Before it's too late, let's look for the other students.
'No.'
I wouldn't do that.
I knew a faster route and steeled my resolve.
First, I would…
'Hide.'
I ran toward the third-year faculty office.
Hiding inside a locker there was the standard move…
₩uc774₩uac74₩u0020₩uc528₩ubc1c₩u0020₩ub300₩uccb4₩u0020₩ubb50₩uc57c₩u003f₩u003f
"...!!"
Again.
'A monster!'
Rejecting the deafening, ear-splitting noise, I quickly slipped inside the faculty office locker.
The problem was that one of the monsters had been in a classroom next to the office on the fourth floor.
The monster hesitated as it opened the door and stepped out, then looked directly at me.
At my shadowed face behind the locker's door.
'…It looks like it's wearing a mask.'
I couldn't move my face to get a better look, but the limited view through the locker door made it hard to discern what kind of mask it was.
'At any rate, they're definitely one of our company employees.'
The sheer number of nametags they had collected made it almost impossible to recognize them as a glitch, thanks to the light emanating from them.
'…Wait a second.'
Light?
If it's that conspicuous…
Step.
"..."
Over there.
I could hear faint and heavy noises from upstairs.
Specifically, the sound of something large walking with small, deliberate footsteps.
StepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStep
It's coming down, right now— right now!!
…'The teacher' is!!
'Damn it.'
The fear was overwhelming. I held my breath.
But the glitch, possibly attracted to my nametag, quickly moved toward me, despite my stillness…
'Can't they hear it??'
No, of course they can't. They're not players in the game!
'The glitch doesn't even recognize the teacher! They won't be attacked by the teacher at all…!'
That's part of the game's rules—it doesn't acknowledge the start of the game.
However…
Important Note.
In this game,
One way the 'entity'—the teacher—recognizes players is through their nametags.
But since explorers are essentially glitches themselves, having just one or two nametags doesn't typically register them as players.
In other words, unless an explorer gets overly greedy, they don't usually get caught.
…For example.
By collecting a ridiculous number of nametags, a symbol of players.
Step.
I remained frozen, holding my breath.
The glitch approached my locker and grabbed the door.
Then it pulled—
S L A S H
A massive, sharp metal plate slammed down on the masked glitch.
Its mangled form split apart.
Thunk.
Blood splattered across my face.
Right in front of me, separated by the locker door, the vertically bisected form of a bespectacled employee fell to the ground.
The glitch, now reduced to a corpse, lost its pixelated distortion, returning to a human body.
When an explorer—a glitch—remains in the school until the game starts and gets discovered by the teacher, they are eliminated.
'...Oh.'
I knew that face.
It was one of the supervisors newly assigned to the D-squad.
He would be eliminated in reality, too.
He just died.
"..."
StepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStep
The 'teacher' left the faculty office.
While dragging the supervisor's lifeless body across the floor.
"...!"
I covered my mouth with my hands.
It was the first time I had seen someone from my team dismembered right before my eyes.
'Stay calm.'
Nothing you do now will change what's happened.
What you must do next also won't change…
"..."
Kim Soleum.
Do you remember?
How explorers, before the exploration record you wrote, used to collect high-value items like nametags to make their presence stronger in the game or survive longer.
'It's an exploit.'
So, what does a proper player need to do to truly 'clear' the game?
'...They have to see the ending.'
And in most games, the ending…
Happens after the final boss battle.
"..."
The time had come.
…The time to stop being a coward.
'Let's go.'
I pulled out a tattoo sticker with a tomato tree design.
With trembling hands, I slapped it on my neck.
The tattoo stickers.
It was something I got as freebies from the
– Are there any designs related to courage or boldness—symbols of fearlessness?
In response to that question, the tattoo artist recommended a design of a tomato tree…
And that design was preserved as stickers.
This is the tattoo I'm currently sticking on my neck.
"..."
To be honest, it had some of the effects I expected.
It felt like the fear-processing part of my brain was paralyzed, making paranormal occurrences less frightening.
Just like the D-squad… Right.
…Just like Assistant Manager Eun Haje and Supervisor Park Minseong before me.
Their guts seemed so out of place it felt like their bravery bordered on recklessness as they fearlessly explored these supernatural horrors.
But.
"...?"
Inside the locker, I blinked.
'It… doesn't seem to have much effect, does it?'
I recalled the students who had chased me earlier.
Absolutely terrifying.
I thought about the crazy red bunny mascot I encountered in the theme park ghost story.
It sent shivers down my spine.
I thought about the ghost who pretended to be human, sobbing and knocking on the door in the changgwi ghost story.
'…Terrifying!!'
No matter what I thought of, it chilled me.
'C-Could this be a scam?'
Or maybe I applied the sticker wrong? After all, I've never used a tattoo sticker before, so I wouldn't know.
But either way, it wasn't something I could verify right now.
"..."
Shit.
Either way, I still had to proceed as planned.
Now that the 'teacher' had vanished from the fourth floor, this was my chance.
'They must have gone downstairs.'
In the end, I swallowed hard and stepped out of the locker.
…Of course, the sight before me would be gruesome.
The bloodstains and flesh chunks of the newly assigned D-squad supervisor—who had just died—would be scattered, so I braced myself as I stepped out…
...
"...?"
'Tomato?'
Wait a second.
I quickly left the faculty office and headed up to the fifth floor.
There…
The very reason I avoided the fifth floor was laid bare before me.
AAAACK!
The walls of the fifth floor were now plastered with pages from old graduation albums.
And the students in the photos wore agonized expressions, their arms reaching out toward the outside world.
AAAACK!
Beyond the torn fragments of the graduation album, writhing chunks of flesh were visible.
The fifth floor itself was a source of immense psychological burden and panic for anyone who entered.
It looked less like a school and more like a grotesquely twisted alternate reality.
The places where light fixtures should have been pulsated with a red glow.
But…
Tomatoes, huh.
Ha.
Hahaha!
'No, what? This is crazy!'
Where there should have been human heads, there were tomatoes attached!
No, it wasn't like they didn't seem human.
The people in the graduation album photos? They still looked like people. Faces distorted in pained screams!
But somehow, they just felt like tomatoes.
It made no logical connection to fear, and this rational voice transformed directly into an emotional reaction.
Yeah, that's exactly how it felt…
Like nothing at all.
'Hahaha…'
As I walked further down the hallway, the graduation albums went further back in time, and the graduates melted into even more grotesque and inhuman forms, solidifying into the walls.
The walls and ceiling pulsed with strange talismans and chunks of flesh.
And voices.
I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryfortearingupthetalismanIdugupintheschoolbackyard.Iwaspreparingforthegraduationceremonyof■■School.I'msorry…No,no!Thegraduationceremonyisnotaritual,it'snotasacrifice,no!!Pleasesaveme,pleasesav
This is all just game lore.
Hearing it now wouldn't change anything.
I walked down the hallway feeling almost cheerful, as though I were on a casual stroll.
Everything being tomatoes made it a little amusing.
And at the end of the hallway, I stopped in front of a massive door to the right.
A neat teal-colored iron door.
It was the only thing maintaining its original form in this grotesque fifth-floor maze.
It was the door to the auditorium.
The place where this game's final chapter would unfold.
Graduates only. Please knock before entering.
I read the printed note on A4 paper.
Am I not considered a graduate since I'm set as a first-year in Class 5?
'This kind of thing is just a gimmick activated by an item though.'
And I already have it.
Something you'd normally acquire only after fully playing through the game and reaching the final chapter.
Would you like to use the 'Nametag Ornament'?
Of course.
Knock, knock.
I pinned the nametag ornament to my chest and knocked on the auditorium door.
Then the massive door before me slid open smoothly.
"..."
Hundreds of third-year students sitting in hundreds of seats turned to look at me.
This year's graduates.
They were partially melted and fused with their chairs, black ink-like tears streaming from their eyeless faces.
And yet…
I felt no emotion beyond pity.
In this situation, that's all I should feel.
'They can't harm me anyway.'
Irrational fear had been replaced with tomatoes, and I walked along the path between the chairs.
Toward the giant stage on the opposite side, adorned with a graduation ceremony banner.
Step, step.
The graduates turned their heads to stare at me expressionlessly as I walked past them.
I ascended the stage.
Grabbing the standing microphone installed in the center, I shouted:
"Let the graduation ceremony begin."
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
As if on cue, bright and grandiose event music began to play in response to my declaration.
The graduation march starts to play…
At that moment—
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Screams erupted in the auditorium.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
As if peeling away a façade, the intact appearance of the auditorium was stripped away, revealing its grotesque and distorted true form.
The horrific scenes I had witnessed in the fifth-floor hallway emerged before me.
As if in a final outburst of fury, the imagery seemed to lash out, eager to punish the one disrupting its order—me.
But it didn't faze me.
After all, everything looked like tomatoes.
And the greater danger was just about to begin.
'It's coming.'
The sound of crazed footsteps storming up from below to forcibly drag the student who dared to start the graduation ceremony without permission back to their seat.
StepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStepStep
The sound of footsteps barreling upward.
'The teacher is coming.'
It was fine.
'I've done everything I needed to before it arrives.'
I pulled a stick-type auto-injector from my pocket and jabbed it into my arm.
Happy Maker.
The ultra-potent, single-use painkiller injected its neon-colored liquid into my veins with an artificial, cheerful wave.
A wave of comforting and refreshing vigor coursed through my body, light as air.
As if it were a lie.
'Good.'
Simultaneously, I popped two Nostalgia Candies into my mouth.
Take no more than three at a time!
Nostalgia might overwhelm you and drag you under!
I even followed the dosage instructions.
Now, I was in the best and most perfect state imaginable.
'Whew.'
The time had come.
BANG
Through the crack in the auditorium door, something forced its way in.
-x-X-x-
The 'teacher' reached its deformed hand, fused with a chalkboard, through the gap, tearing apart the metal door itself.
CRRRK-CRACK-CRACK
The door crumpled and fell away.
And there it stood, revealed—
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
A massive humanoid figure.
But only a silhouette.
It looked as though multiple teachers had been crumpled together, stitched, and forcibly shoved back into a mold resembling a human.
A fleshy monstrosity with arms on its head, heads on its shoulders, and shoulders on its knees.
Walking into the auditorium with disturbingly deliberate steps…
StepStepStepStepStep
Chalkboards, textbooks, student rosters, chalk, and glasses haphazardly attached to various body parts swayed with each movement.
Standing on the opposite side of the stage, I observed its grotesque form.
"..."
All I felt was boiling determination.
If I could overcome this, I could return home and fill up the Collector…
'That's right.'
This situation didn't require fear but relentless tenacity.
The tattoo on my neck burned hot, fueling my guts, heart, and mind.
'Ah.'
Now I understood.
The tattoo sticker's effect was—
'Euphoria.'
An overflow of adrenaline.
A surge of exhilaration, driving me to pursue any goal with ferocious intensity.
And paired with the strange perception that turned everything into tomatoes…
'I can do this.'
Without hesitation, I grabbed the auditorium microphone and stared ahe
S L A S H
I dodged.
Well, I was hit, but instead of losing my head, just half of my right hand was severed.
"...!"
I was a little surprised, but there was no pain.
No mental shock! It felt as if I were watching a tomato being crushed.
The courage to let reason triumph over instinct.
And a burning determination.
'I'll succeed no matter what.'
…Did you know?
This horror game isn't action-based.
While basic gaming reflexes are necessary for chase sequences, the core gameplay revolves around puzzles and deduction.
As the player progresses through the game, they acquire various abilities to use in the final chapter.
To counter the teacher's attacks, the player must solve puzzles and endure at the microphone until the graduation song concludes.
But as an explorer, such progression was impossible for me.
'I only borrowed a uniform. I'm not a real student.'
However.
'I can handle it like this.'
I pulled out my glass handgun and fired.
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
The transparent, small-caliber weapon I received from a Disaster Management Bureau agent worked with decent effect.
A bullet struck the teacher's shoulder, eliciting a pained scream.
But it didn't seem to inflict significant damage.
'Well, it wasn't exactly top-tier equipment.'
It didn't matter.
'The goal was to throw off its aim…!'
S L A S H
The rusty chalkboard slammed into me, severing my left foot.
"...!"
Still, I didn't move. I just stood there, clutching the microphone.
Blood gushed from my wounds, soaking the stage.
"..."
Right. With human strength alone, it was impossible to evade or overpower that monster's attacks.
After all, I wasn't Chief Lizard.
But that didn't mean there was no way.
'I just have to stop caring.'
Thunk.
The rest of my right hand disappeared up to the wrist.
Unbothered, I aimed the glass-handled pistol with my left hand and fired again.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
LISTENTOYOURTEACHERAAAAAAHHHHHSITDOWNTHISISTHEGRADUATIONCEREMONYIAMINCHARGEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And again.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
My left thigh exploded.
I held on.
S L A S H
Both legs were now gone.
'I'm out of bullets.'
I slid downward, still gripping the standing microphone.
S L A S H
The left hand holding the pistol was severed, but I clung to the microphone stand with the rest of my body.
S L A S H
Using my remaining left elbow, I climbed up the microphone stand.
Blood splattered violently.
"..."
And then…
Huh?
The graduation music has stopped.
'Now!'
Just as the 'teacher' raised its grotesque chalkboard-hand to strike again.
I shouted into the microphone:
"Congratulations on your graduation!"
...
At that moment.
The auditorium filled with a pixelated holographic shower of flowers.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The monstrous teacher let out a final scream before melting away.
The grotesque shapes that had overtaken the auditorium vanished as if consumed by flames.
Even the chairs that had trapped the students…
WAAAAHH!!
The now-liberated third-year students exploded out of the auditorium, racing toward freedom.
Tears of joy and relief streamed from their eyes.
In the original 'Bad Ending', they would have all turned into the teacher's zombified minions, killing any remaining explorers…
'But this time, the ending is different.'
I looked up.
The curtains of the auditorium drew back, revealing soft yellow and red light streaming in from outside.
Dawn had arrived.
"..."
A popup appeared.
Happy Ending 02
: Graduation of Liberation
So, this is the ending.
Next, an evaluation of my performance during the final chapter appeared below.
Happy Ending 02
: Graduation of Liberation
Score : A
I checked the Dream Essence Collector.
Golden liquid sparkled inside, rich and dazzling, as vibrant as during the Tuesday talk show.
– Grade A or higher.
'I did it.'
A thrilling sense of accomplishment washed over me.
As I swallowed the last fragment of candy lingering on my tongue, my consciousness began to fade, a smile curling my lips.
Now I would wake up.
No, I would return to myself lying in bed, having successfully cleared the ghost story and escaped!
'Good.'
I would drift into a restful sleep and wake up in the morning…
...
...
...
…Am I back?
Huh?
The manual's still inside my tattoo inventory, it seems! Should I take it out?
Hold on.
Since when have I been hearing this voice?
No, it's not that I'm hearing it…
I'm the one speaking.
...
Since when.
Has the manual been in my tattoo this whole time?
Why have I been casually brushing aside the teacher's intrusive thoughts, treating them as natural?
Why did I suddenly feel indifferent about visiting the Fox Counseling Room after the next exploration, despite previously being concerned about side effects?
Why do I now think of the eerie, incomprehensible entity I once called a 'Good Friend' as my most comforting confidant?
Without any inherent unease or sense of caution?
...
...!!!
'No.'
I can't allow myself to be consumed now!
But already, my doubts were fading.
As the Nostalgia Candy's effects wear off, the present version of me was reclaiming its place.
The contamination is creeping in…!!
In the hazy sensation of floating on the edge of wakefulness, I struggled.
'Kim Soleum!!'
Remember.
Remember!!
You are being contamina…
* * *
"Huuuhk!"
Whoa.
"I thought I died."
I woke up drenched in cold sweat.
A deep sigh of relief escaped my lips.
'Anyway, I made it.'
But at the same time, a faint chill of unease lingered, as if I'd forgotten something...
– ...
– You're awake…, Friend.
...
…!!
'AAACK!'
In a panic, I bolted upright and rescued Braun from beneath my pillow, just before he was about to get squashed flat.
'That was close.'
"Sorry!"
Then, I flopped back onto the bed, arms spread wide. Exhaustion and comfort overlapped as a grin spread across my face.
Anyway… it seems I've made it back safely!
-x-X-x-
The morning after clearing a horrific high school ghost story horror game.
Still, the fact that he had to go to work—a reality more haunting than the ghost story itself—meant I was busily preparing to head out.
This time, though, the commute didn't feel as burdensome.
Because I had something to rely on.
The A-grade liquid filling the Dream Essence Collector.
'Reassuring.'
I carefully packed the Dream Essence Collector, brimming with golden liquid, into my briefcase.
It was the fruit of my labor from the night before.
Moreover, as he fully rose from bed, I noticed a rather peculiar 'extra reward'.
Clatter, clatter.
Something that had been covering me spilled onto the floor.
Dozens of… beads?
They were transparent, like they could be loaded into the glass-handled pistol.
I picked one up to examine it closely and read the single Chinese character inscribed within it.
護
This reads as… 'Hù', I think?
– Ah, this is a commonly used character symbolizing protection or defense. Fairly straightforward and intuitive.
Ah.
I immediately understood.
'This is the reward for clearing the game's final chapter!'
Graduation Ceremony Successfully Completed (2 Deaths, 1 Survivor)
Members of the Field Exploration Team who died as students confirmed to have safely awakened the next morning.
A large number of reward items discovered at the bedside of the sole survivor. (Analyzed to be a type of protective charm with minor effects in exorcism and defense.)
In other words, I had brought items from the dream game into reality.
Just like when Baek Saheon swiped that fountain pen item from the faculty office and ran off with it.
"…Hmmm."
Thinking about that, I stepped out to the entrance.
Baek Saheon's shoes were already gone.
'He's already bolted to work. Figures.'
I'll catch up with him later.
Anyway, the dozens of glass beads seemed to function as 'protective charms' to some extent.
'I'm sure they'll come in handy.'
I tucked all the 'protective charms' into my tattoo inventory, keeping just one or two in my pocket, then continued preparing for work.
But.
– ...
– ...
A strange silence seemed to hang in the air.
'…Braun.'
– Oh, calling for me, are you, Friend?
By any chance.
'Were you… uncomfortable last night?'
The host of the Tuesday Quiz Show, whose stuffing had nearly been flattened because Soleum used him as a pillow…
– Haha, well, it wasn't exactly the best feeling of my life!
– Anyone would feel a bit slighted if their friend had such a fun and extraordinary experience alone without inviting them…
Oops.
– Ah, but no matter. It seems my friend had a special time of his own while this Braun was having the unique experience of feeling like a waffle!
"..."
Umm…
'It was a special time indeed.'
– As I thought!
'The graduation ceremony was quite intense.'
– A graduation ceremony? Did you give a congratulatory speech?
No.
'The teacher didn't like my hosting style and attacked me. I had to endure, losing limbs one by one, until it ended safely.'
– Good heavens!
Though initially offended, Braun quickly grew excited as I explained in detail what had transpired in the dream.
I'll make it up to him later with that… aromatherapy massage-like thing the tattoo artist did in the evening.
– A most commendable attitude, Mr. Roe Deer! I'd love to hear more.
Sure, sure.
On my way to work, I recounted everything that had happened to me.
From being chased by students to becoming one of them myself.
– Hooh!
Finally, as he arrived at the building and began heading up to his office, he ran into a familiar face.
"Soleum-ssi!"
"Ah, Section Chief Lee Byeongjin."
It was Lee Byeongjin, the manual revision officer Soleum had rescued from the changgwi ghost story.
He lit up at the sight of me.
"So, the entire Field Exploration Team attempted to enter this ghost story with decent item yields this time!"
Ah, so he already knew about my involvement in the high school ghost story.
Well, it's not surprising. There was even an official directive for the entire Field Exploration Team to attempt entry.
"What happened to your squad, Soleum?"
"Oh, I went in and came back, but… I'm not sure about the others."
I doubted Chief Lizard managed to enter.
'If he had, it would've definitely been written in the
Actually, no, they wouldn't have even bothered recording it. After all, the perfect counter to this ghost story is Lee Jaheon.
'A pursuit-based ghost story is meaningless for someone who can just destroy everything with brute force…'
There's no point in ruining the ghost story mechanics.
Even if my involvement caused some butterfly effect during the exploration, I would've noticed if Chief Lizard had been part of this expedition.
'He wasn't there.'
…And then.
One other member of D-squad…
Didn't make it out alive.
'Huu.'
Just as I was about to say it aloud—
"Oh, right. There are only two people left in D-squad now: Squad Leader and you, Supervisor Soleum, right? I guess you didn't run into each other."
"…Pardon?"
"Still, it's a solo mission, huh? Well, at least our company's future is in capable hands with the talented Supervisor Soleum, ha-ha!"
...
Excuse me?
"Wait a second. When you say there are only two people left in D-squad…"
"Huh? Oh, wasn't the personnel decision temporarily put on hold?"
The section chief looked at me quizzically.
"You know, D-squad was told to focus on support work this season since the contaminated member might recover. Didn't you get that notice?"
"...!"
Ah.
In that moment, I realized something.
Supervisor Yoon Johoon.
The newly assigned member.
He had been eliminated as a 'glitch' by the 'teacher' in the dream…
And was erased in reality as well.
Literally deleted.
As if he had never existed in the first place.
"..."
That's right.
'That's why people mistakenly believe there were no fatalities in this ghost story.'
At worst, they thought people who were 'retired' were just dragged back to the school on the next new moon.
Everyone believed this!
Because…
Those who collected a lot of nametags and stubbornly stayed on the higher floors without retiring… were all 'deleted'.
They became people who had never existed.
…An unnerving ability to manipulate reality.
'No wonder the essence was rated A-grade.'
It felt as though a deeper darkness was at work here…
A chill ran down my spine.
Objectively, this situation might not seem bad for me.
After all, someone difficult to work with had conveniently disappeared.
But…
'It's no different from having their existence erased.'
My stomach churned.
The fact that I was the only one who remembered him felt profoundly strange.
Wait.
'Why am I the only one who remembers?'
Shouldn't we all have forgotten?
Could it be because I witnessed his death directly?
Ah!
Or maybe it was because I had eaten the Nostalgia Candy at the time, and its effects shielded me?
Come to think of it, when I ate the Nostalgia Candy, I…
...
...
"S-Soleum-ssi?"
"…Ah. I must have been mistaken about something."
Anyway, it wasn't something important, so I decided to refocus on the conversation.
Even if he was from a different team, a superior was still a superior.
At that moment, Section Chief Lee Byeongjin, looking slightly expectant, asked me,
"Oh, by the way, Soleum-ssi, what grade did you clear with? If you show me your collector, I can estimate the liquid concentration and tell you the grade…"
"Ah."
I readily pulled the collector from my briefcase and showed it to him.
The golden liquid shimmered as it sloshed.
-x-X-x-
"Here, sir."
"..."
A silence followed.
"...?!"
Lee Byeongjin hastily wiped his glasses.
"Ha-ha, I must be getting old. My eyesight's so bad that the light seems to be over-reflecting or someth—?!?"
"Ah."
I responded with a pleased tone.
"Do you also think it's A-grade, Section Chief?"
"..."
Lee Byeongjin adjusted his glasses and put them back on.
"...Immediately,"
"...?"
"—Immediately report this! What are you waiting for? Hurry!"
* * * In an instant, I was summoned.
This meant that before I could even report to the D-squad office, the Collector was confiscated by the relevant personnel.
"Goodness!"
The looks from the team—faces screaming 'It's you again?'—weren't exactly welcoming, but I figured it was better than nothing.
And as for the measured grade…
"Kim Soleum-ssi."
"Yes, Squad Leader."
"The liquid you collected from the Darkness last night has been confirmed as A-grade."
That afternoon, while I was sitting in the office writing my exploration report, Chief Lizard delivered the news without much fanfare.
Up to that point, it was as I had expected.
But it was the next part that was the problem.
"And regarding this exploration, there's been a request for a one-on-one interview with you."
"..."
Well, this wasn't something I could avoid…
The second A-grade.
And this time, it came from an unprecedented ghost story.
'A-grade in this ghost story was probably only theoretical, a placeholder, right?'
Most yields were either D or F.
Occasionally, someone who lasted long enough while hoarding items and nametags would pull off a C-grade, but that was about it.
The jackpot from a ghost story usually treated as an item-farming zone had now sparked all sorts of chatter from the higher-ups.
But here's the thing:
'This is it for this one.'
That was the first clear.
Subsequent attempts to clear it in similar ways yielded liquid one or two grades lower than the same ending (B).
'That's just how the game mechanics are.'
If it's not the first time, it's just repetition—it doesn't count as an achievement.
Of course, I didn't plan to explain all of this, but I'd have to drop enough hints to avoid ridiculous blame later, like: 'We invested in you, and no more A-grades came out!'
'Looks like I'll be running in circles all afternoon…'
Just as I was bracing myself for the inevitable, Chief Lizard spoke again.
"Kim Soleum-ssi."
"Yes?"
"Do you not want to do the interview?"
Could I, uh, skip this somehow?
But after a moment of thought, I shook my head.
"No, it's alright, sir. I'll do it."
To avoid some absurd blame game like, 'You only got the A-grade because you refused to write a proper report!'
"Yes."
Lee Jaheon didn't ask twice. Very typical of him.
And so, at the appointed time, I left the D-squad office for the interview.
'They're calling me to a higher floor, huh.'
Descending to the designated 31st floor, I found the meeting room.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice granting permission, I cautiously opened the door.
Sunlight poured in through the blinds, casting a solemn atmosphere over the meeting room.
At the center was a massive, black, round-table desk.
But…
"Hmmm."
The researchers who were supposed to conduct the interview weren't there.
Instead, sitting alone at the head of the massive desk, was one person.
A woman with deep blue-black hair, dressed impeccably in a three-button suit, looked at me with a kindly expression.
She didn't seem old, but there was something about her that made it difficult to guess her age.
And on the desk before her was a striking black lacquer nameplate.
Managing Director Cheong Dallae
"...?!"
D-Director??
Wait, why is an executive sitting alone in the meeting room I was called to?
And it wasn't even that Director Ho who Lee Byeongjin and the A-squad were connected to.
But that surname…
'I've heard it before…'
When Section Chief Lee Byeongjin went missing, his team had speculated about who might replace him.
– The new person they bring in might be… who knows, right? But it's unlikely it'll be another one of the same line. Probably someone from Director Cheong's side.
Director Cheong.
A senior executive from the company's Development Department, someone I'd never been involved with before, had summoned me!
'What the hell…'
Of course, even as I panicked internally, I bowed deeply.
Because no matter how shocked I was, I couldn't forget social etiquette!
"...! It's an honor to meet you, Managing Director."
"Good. Nice to meet you too."
Managing Director Cheong shook my hand and gestured broadly to the row of chairs lined around the round-table desk.
"Go ahead and take a seat."
"Yes, ma'am."
Where should I sit?
I hesitated for a moment before choosing a spot—not too close to the head of the table but still within reasonable distance for a conversation.
Then, someone who seemed to be from the executive secretary's office entered the meeting room, placed an unknown set of documents in front of the Managing Director, and left.
I could feel cold sweat forming.
'What is this situation?'
I couldn't make sense of it, so I focused on grasping the context first.
"So… Supervisor Soleum, are you still in your twenties?"
"I was born in XX, ma'am."
"How young. I'll speak casually, so just relax. This is a good meeting."
"A good meeting, you say…?"
"I've heard a lot about you over time."
Managing Director Cheong smiled faintly.
"You've left quite an impression. If only we had more recruits like you, there'd be no issues with acquiring raw material."
"Thank you."
When someone this high up starts praising you, it's best to just sit politely and listen.
Trying too hard to guess what they want or speaking out of turn could easily backfire.
'Is this meeting just to commend me and encourage me to write a good A-grade manual? Maybe she's come all this way to leave a strong impression.'
But then—
"So, Supervisor Soleum."
The main point came out of nowhere, without warning.
"Do you have any interest in joining an elite squad?"
I nearly choked on my own spit.
"Well…"
"Oh, I know you were offered a position by Section Chief Baek from the A-squad last time, and you declined."
"...!"
"'I need to focus on foundational skills and knowledge first'… Good excuse. Well-played."
Oh, good god.
"That squad… hmm, they care about hierarchy, which is fine, but sometimes their priorities shift, and they put hierarchy above exploration."
"..."
"It's not a good look, but hey, being good at playing the game is a skill too, isn't it? Ha-ha!"
She wasn't even subtle about pointing out that the A-squad was part of a different faction.
'I am not going to respond to that, Director…'
I forced a faint smile and nodded lightly.
If I were to take one wrong step here, it would sound like I was gossiping about the A-squad with her.
For a Managing Director, that's no big deal!
But for a new recruit like me, it's a surefire way to crash and burn.
Trying to stay composed, I carefully spoke, pretending to struggle with my words.
"Um, I felt that as someone who just joined the company, building a solid foundation was necessary… so I've been working hard to learn…"
"Hahaha! That's fine, that's fine. I understand this must be a nerve-wracking situation for you, Supervisor Soleum."
Managing Director Cheong laughed heartily before suddenly turning serious.
"You don't need to just agree with everything I say. I'm not very fond of sycophants."
"..."
"Right. I suppose I should phrase this more clearly, don't you think?"
Managing Director Cheong paused for a moment, as if deep in thought, before closing the folder in front of her and speaking.
"I'm not saying I want to place you in one of the elite squads."
"...?"
"What I'm asking is if you'd be interested in receiving the same treatment as someone on an elite squad. Or, let me put it another way."
Managing Director Cheong smiled again.
"What would you think if D-squad became one of the elites?"
"...!!"
"And you get to pick a squad member to bring in, too. Just say the word."
Holy shit.
-x-X-x-
Elite squads.
In Daydream Corporation, where the lives of Field Exploration Team members are valued less than B-grade Dream Essence Liquid, being designated as part of an elite squad means you're finally considered a 'long-term valuable employee'.
This designation comes with perks: a personal office, a separate salary table, and additional options in the corporate benefits mall.
Most importantly…
If things go south, they assign you a Round-Off Team member to act as a sort of extra life.
While it's a policy that leaves a bitter taste, there's no denying it improves survival rates…
And now.
The Development Department Managing Director in front of me was making an offer.
"Currently, there's a growing initiative to increase the number of elite squads… Wouldn't it look great if D-squad were one of them?"
She was offering to elevate D-squad itself to elite status.
To keep my current environment intact while drastically improving the treatment and benefits.
"It just happens to fit alphabetically, and it would simplify administrative processes in many ways."
"..."
"Pick one coworker you'd like to work with. If you prefer, you can prepare a list of two or three candidates."
Wait a second.
I can't keep up with the flow of this conversation…
"Thank you, but… why are you making such a significant offer to me?"
To be frank, I'd understand if she wanted to send Squad Leader Lee Jaheon to an elite squad.
As far as I remember, he was already on track for a brief stint as an elite squad leader before being promoted through another route.
But why… did I somehow fit her criteria?
'It's strange to bypass the squad leader and make this kind of offer to a new hire.'
Sure, I'd delivered extraordinary results by creating manuals and pulling two A-grade essences, but there were others who cleared ghost stories in similarly unconventional ways.
Their exploration records contributed just as much to the manuals.
And yet, none of them ever heard something like, "We'll turn your entire squad into an elite team for you~"
'Weird.'
To anyone, this situation would seem unnatural.
"With all due respect, ma'am, I'm just a new recruit. I've been adequately rewarded with points and bonuses for the work I've done, and even my rapid promotion has been more than enough…"
"Supervisor Soleum. Have you ever heard the name Yoon Johoon?"
A chill ran down my spine.
I barely managed to keep it from showing. Instead, I succeeded in responding in a calm, tense tone appropriate for the situation.
"…Is he an employee?"
"That's correct."
The Managing Director replied nonchalantly, smiling faintly as she looked at me.
"He was the supervisor newly assigned to D-squad in the last round of personnel changes."
"..."
"But now, you won't find him in the company database. Nor will he exist in your memory."
I didn't react.
"At higher levels, there's sometimes a Darkness like this. When someone 'fails', their existence is erased. But…"
The Managing Director placed the folder in her hand down and retrieved something from beneath the desk.
A Dream Essence Collector.
"Dream Essence Collectors from deceased employees are still retrieved by the company."
"…!!"
"Regrettable, but this is a self-operating model powered by the essence collected right up until the moment of death. And…"
The Managing Director flicked the edge of the recorder attached to it.
"It also includes a basic recording function."
"..."
"This means that even exploration records from employees erased from existence can still be reviewed and referenced by the company."
Holy shit.
"You've probably wondered about it at some point: 'How are the records of deceased employees referenced in the manuals?'"
Wait a second.
She's right. Of course, the
That was natural. To build the atmosphere of a ghost story, records of explorers being wiped out had to be included. They were effective at heightening the fear!
Even the records of erased employees and objects existed in pristine detail.
But…
'I always thought the wiki was omniscient by design.'
The logic behind their existence seemed conceptually sound.
Records of the Field Exploration Team's employees are transmitted to the company upon death.
That's how it was explained.
Details about the items or methods used weren't elaborated on, supposedly to prevent conflicts in the system's settings…
So when I landed here, I accepted that blind spot as just another natural element of the setting.
After all, this was a universe based on a wiki!
'But now I find out there's such a detailed and definitive system in place…'
Suddenly, all the questions I had brushed aside as 'just part of the worldbuilding' came rushing back to me.
Could there be coherent background explanations for all of those gaps too?
In ways like this?
My mind was racing.
– Mr. Roe Deer! The person in front of you is still watching you. It seems she wants to continue the interview.
'...!'
– She seems to prefer a humble attitude from stars like you, so let's focus…
Right.
For now, I needed to focus on the conversation at hand.
Fortunately, my reaction didn't go beyond the level of 'a curious employee uncovering a company secret', and the Managing Director continued speaking.
"Based on this record, it seems you have a rather unique way of exploring and dominating the Darkness, Supervisor Kim Soleum."
"..."
It appeared that Supervisor Yoon Johoon had recognized me when I became a student.
"Becoming part of an urban legend yourself. 'Assimilation'—it's not a method for the faint-hearted or the unwise to attempt…"
What are you even saying? That sounds terrifying…
"In any case, even such exploration records are being collected without gaps… I wanted to share that with you."
Managing Director Cheong looked at me.
"What do you think? Is it more systematic than you expected?"
"..."
"I've heard there are employees who claim this company runs on sheer improvisation."
Th, this… is making me break out in a cold sweat as a mere cog in the system.
"I've even met and spoken with some of them. Most of them are bright individuals."
Her tone was strangely kind.
"But eventually, they'll realize there's no other company in the world where rewards and punishments are as clear and rational as this one."
"..."
"If you're truly capable, even a few mistakes won't stop you from moving up smoothly."
I didn't agree with her.
But Managing Director Cheong smiled as if I had enthusiastically responded with, "Of course, ma'am, I'll think positively about it!" and then dismissed me with a parting remark.
"Off you go. Send my regards to Squad Leader Lee Jaheon."