"To be honest, the hints you're offering probably aren't worth much. But hey, as your roommate and coworker, I figured I'd share this intel as a goodwill gesture," Baek Saheon said.
Wow. He's really trying to undersell me while posturing as helpful.
I purposely put on a serious face as I nodded.
"You're right. My hints probably aren't worth much."
"...!"
"So you don't need them, right? Let's just forget about it. I've learned a lot from what you shared."
"...!! Hey, this fu—"
I looked at Baek Saheon calmly. He swallowed his curse, then quickly plastered on a strained smile.
"…Mr. Supervisor, if an employee living in the same dorm is caught extorting a poor junior staffer's salary and personal information, wouldn't a complaint to HR be in order?"
Good grief.
I gave him a look of pity.
"You really think this company cares about that?"
"..."
"Well, belief is a personal choice."
"..."
Baek Saheon seemed trapped between frustration and despair.
I suppose this was a good place to draw the line.
"Fine. I'll give you something."
His eyes lit up as I finally spoke up.
"Put a photo of yourself from high school under your pillow."
"...?!"
"On the back, write your grade and class, and maybe add a short profile. Like a yearbook entry."
I kindly grabbed a post-it from his desk and even wrote out an example.
Name:
Message to your friends:
"Then, see what happens."
"..."
Baek Saheon looked skeptical and asked if I'd put a photo of my high school self under my pillow.
Without hesitation, I went back to my room and returned with the photo from under my pillow.
It was one of my high school pictures, printed from a saved image on my smartphone.
"..."
Baek Saheon stared at it, his disbelief turning into silence.
"You thought I was lying, didn't you?"
"I mean, usually! You speak so smoothly all the time, so you give off that impression, Supervisor."
"Really? I've never lied in my whole entire life."
"..."
"Think about it."
Baek Saheon looked stunned, so I took the opportunity to usher him out.
"Anyway, I need to finish preparing with Braun, so you can go now."
– Best of luck with your entry, Mr. Normal Coworker!
Baek Saheon retreated, looking either exasperated or unsettled, and quickly returned to his own room.
Bang—
'Done.'
Having to keep him in check every time was exhausting, but it couldn't be helped.
Consider the new addition to the D-squad. Workplace survival is all about these little battles.
"Huu."
I returned to my bed and approached the pillow.
First of all, the tip I gave Baek Saheon was true.
Exploration Record #15
Utilizing the explorer's high school graduation photo, all three members of K-squad successfully entered Sekwang Technical High School. Validity confirmed.
Once entry was guaranteed, the next priority was obvious: what to bring.
Only items placed under the pillow before falling asleep could be carried into the dream world of Sekwang Technical High School.
Given the limited size of what could fit under a pillow, careful selection was necessary.
'If I store it in my wrist tattoo and it doesn't activate in the dream, I'm doomed.'
Considering that ghost stories often altered appearances, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Ultimately, I carefully calculated the space and placed essential items under the pillow, like a game of Tetris.
Lastly, I positioned Braun in the coziest corner under the pillow.
Of course, Braun ended up in a rather… awkward position.
– ...
'Sorry. Is it too cramped for you?'
– Hmm, tolerable! Were this a studio, I might have called some of the staff. Haha!
'R-Right. Thanks.'
In other words, he was definitely uncomfortable.
I shouldn't push my luck with Braun, who once incinerated entities with a mere snap of his fingers…!
Carefully, I laid my head on the pillow, making sure not to squish Braun, and willed myself to sleep.
'This pillow is kind of lumpy…'
"..."
And yet, my eyes grew heavy.
For someone who had been suffering from insomnia, it was astonishing how quickly drowsiness overcame me despite the discomfort.
As slumber quickly took over…
Mist.
Shadows.
And then…
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
…A school.
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
I opened my eyes.
What greeted me was a dimly lit classroom with not a single light turned on.
Looking down at my clothes, I realized I was wearing a school uniform.
[■■ High School]
The uniform resembled the one from my old school, but the school's name had been scratched off, as if with a needle.
While I couldn't check directly, I already knew.
My appearance had reverted to how I looked in high school.
And then—
"W-What is this??"
Remember the characteristic of this ghost story I mentioned earlier?
'You don't know if you've entered until you fall asleep…'
In other words, this meant it wasn't just company employees who could enter.
"Huh? Huuh? Why am I in a school uniform…?"
"Oh my gosh!"
"Excuse me, do you know where we are?"
In the dim, shadowy classroom, people began to stir one by one from their desks. They looked around in confusion, some screaming as they saw each other.
They were civilians who had been dragged into this place by chance.
"Is this some kind of event? Huh."
"Wait, why am I wearing a uniform…? Oh, no—why do I look like a high schooler?!"
"This has to be a dream."
"Hey, did you look outside? This looks like the second floor…"
'Feels like being back in that subway ghost story.'
Watching them waver between panic, fear, curiosity, and amusement, I felt a tightness in my chest.
And… an overwhelming sense of tension.
"Huh?"
One of the wandering individuals noticed something in the corner of the room.
It was a student, sitting completely still.
"Why isn't this person moving?"
The sight was eerie.
In the dim classroom, where people in various uniforms were noisily moving about, one figure sat frozen as if carved from stone.
He didn't even blink.
The boy, who resembled an intricately crafted wax figure, wore a name tag that was perfectly intact.
[Sekwang Technical High School]
"Is this a mannequin? Eh, let's see."
Poke, poke.
"Ack!"
The person who poked him flinched and withdrew their hand.
"He's warm??"
"Holy crap, seriously?"
I got up from my seat.
Without taking my eyes off him, I slowly approached the classroom door.
'I need to open the door in advance.'
Thud, thud.
As I moved nervously, something nearly fell out of the front pocket of my uniform—a small plush keychain.
Startled, I caught it just in time.
Whew.
'That was a close call, Braun.'
Silence.
"…Braun?"
I held up the plush doll.
It hung limply.
"...!"
Panicked, I pressed its belly.
The Silver Serpent Coin, the item I used for summoning my 'Good Friend', was…
Gone.
"..."
This was just a plush doll.
My good friend hadn't followed me into my dream.
"..."
"Out the window… u, uuuhh, AAAAHHHHH!!!"
I'm fucking screwed.
-x-X-x-
Braun's not here.
"W-What is this?"
"Thi, this person, he… moved!!"
With the silver coin inside the plushie missing, had the 'Good Friend' ritual been nullified? Or was it simply that, since this was a dream, it only looked like an ordinary doll…?
'Stop it!'
Trying to figure things out isn't the priority right now! Snap out of it!
You're inside a ghost story!
"Take a look over here!"
I quickly turned my head.
In one dim corner of the classroom, someone screamed. It was the person who had been poking at the 'student' that had sat stiff and unmoving at a desk, like a wax mannequin.
But that wax-like mannequin…
"Over there!"
…was gone from the desk.
Following the finger of the pale-faced person pointing nearby, I saw it.
[Sekwang Technical High School]
The vanished 'student' was now standing at the back door.
Holding the door.
Expressionless.
Turning his gaze across the classroom.
"..."
"W-What is this? You're kidding, right?"
No response. No movement.
"Hold on a second."
A brave individual approached and waved a hand in front of the face of the 'student'.
The 'student' didn't even blink. He simply stood frozen in place in front of the back door, perfectly lifelike.
"He's not breathing. This thing isn't human—it's a mannequin."
"But how could a mannequin suddenly move? Maybe it's some kind of advanced illusion to make it look like he's not breathing?"
"Right, this must be one of those hidden-camera things like on variety shows or YouTube."
No.
Of course, there were no cameras here, nor was there a production crew waiting to startle people for entertainment.
Instead—
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
[Students of Sekwang Technical High School, your graduation ceremony will begin shortly. Please gather in the auditorium.]
"Graduation ceremony…?"
The announcement was cheerful, clear, and fitting for a school setting.
"Should we go? It's kind of interesting."
"Hey, aren't we back to looking like we did in high school? Wow. What kind of dream is this?"
Some of the group, having decided this was nothing more than a dream, chatted without any tension.
It made sense. So far, nothing truly terrifying had happened.
'They don't feel the gravity of the situation.'
After all, they had reverted to their high school selves. And who wouldn't feel good about turning back the clock?
A school at night may often serve as the backdrop for ghost stories, but with a group of people and a touch of moonlight, it could even feel romantic.
However…
"Hey, this mannequin student? Take a closer look."
One person approached the unmoving 'student' by the back door.
The 'student' was pointing a hand backward.
"It looks like his hand is signaling something…"
[For heating and safety, we will now close the automatic curtains and adjust the lighting.]
"It looks like he was about to lock the door."
BANG.
The curtains slammed shut.
"Whoa!"
"Ah, that startled me!"
With a deafening sound, the automatic curtains closed, plunging the classroom into darkness for a brief moment.
Blink.
After a delay, the lights in the classroom turned on.
"Oh, thank goodness."
"Looks like they were just adjusting the lights… Wait, what?"
Blood was pooling on the beige classroom floor.
"What… what is that?"
Following the trail of blood upward, everyone's gaze landed on a person.
One person from the group was slumped near the back door, neck twisted completely backward.
A grotesque amount of blood poured from the impossibly angled neck, seeping into the cracks of the flooring.
Eyes, wide with shock, seemed to suggest it was a fate that was never once anticipated.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!"
"Ughhhh! Aaaargh!!"
It had begun.
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[In the Shadow of Darkness]
: A ghost story featured in
: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-()-62
: Disaster Management Bureau registration number – 2845PSYA.2016.하53
According to the story, reading the infamous text file before falling asleep causes you to awaken in Sekwang Technical High School at night, where you are pursued by inhuman entities until your death.
All civilian attempts to locate the real Sekwang Technical High School have failed, and it is understood to be a place that does not exist in present-day Korea.
========================
Right.
The only escape from this nightmarish ghost story is through death.
To leave this school at night, there is no other option but to die.
And… as with all too many ghost stories, where inhuman entities feature prominently, this one has become a horrifying cliché.
"Th-that person!"
One of the people screaming raised a trembling finger to point.
At the 'student' still frozen by the back door.
But there was one significant difference.
"His hand… it's covered in blood."
"..."
The crowd turned their stiff, horrified gazes toward the 'student' again.
And they confirmed the fact.
On the inside of the curled fingers of the 'student', as if trying to hide it, blood was smeared along the fingerprints.
"..."
Their eyes shifted back to the corpse.
Behind the corpse's grotesquely twisted neck, there were bloody marks… shaped like fingers.
"Aaah!"
"Mom! No, no, no! Aaah!"
And then again.
Blink.
The lights flickered.
The 'student' of Sekwang Technical High School doesn't move as long as someone is watching him.
But the moment no one's eyes are on them—
In the blink of an eye, when the classroom lights brighten again—
He'd move.
Inhumanly fast.
The person who had been pointing at the mannequin was gone.
"Ack!!"
Found on the floor, body shattered below the chest.
Thud.
The lifeless arm that had been pointing fell to the ground limply.
"Ah…"
"..."
"Aaaaaaaahhh!!"
Panic, fear, and hysteria erupted.
"N-now! We have to attack it now! Someone close to it, just hit it!"
"F-Fuck! Why are you yelling at me? Why don't you do it yourself!?"
Blink.
"Hieek!"
Another corpse appeared.
One of the shouting people was impaled on a desk, hanging upside-down.
Only the lower half of their body remained.
"..."
"..."
In the terrifying silence, the remaining people turned their heads.
The 'student' by the back door was now staring intently at them.
A strange smile crept across his face.
"...!!"
"Eeeeeek!"
"R-Run! Get out of here!"
"Open the door, now!"
The group rushed toward the front door, avoiding the 'student' blocking the back door.
But… it was already too late.
"Over here—aaaargh!!"
The person who opened the front door collapsed in shock.
Standing in the doorway was another smiling 'student'.
[Sekwang Technical High School]
This female student, with neatly trimmed bangs, wore the same name tag.
"Just go around them!"
"Move, now!"
The group ran past the smiling student.
And again—
Blink.
The student by the front door disappeared from my sight.
"Aaaaaaaahhhh!!"
…The hallway filled with anguished screams.
One by one, the screams faded.
"..."
"..."
And then, silence. Suffocating silence.
-x-X-x-
The sound of labored breathing, distant cries, and the frantic stares of those left in the classroom fixed on the doors.
"Slowly,"
I said softly, scanning the room.
"Let's move slowly and see if anything reacts. Keep an eye on both the front and back doors."
"Ah… ah…"
Adults, who now looked like high school students, trembled as they staggered back from the doors.
"..."
Among those who had awakened in this classroom, half had fled, their fates unknown. The other half remained—
Or rather, they were too paralyzed to move.
In the midst of this chaos, I thought quietly to myself.
'This is a disaster.'
I shouldn't have stayed still at the start.
Before the curtains closed, plunging us into total darkness, I should have sprinted out alone, grabbed an emergency flashlight, and settled into a good hiding spot.
'I missed my chance.'
I had hesitated, panicked by the realization that Braun wasn't here.
By now, a few people were starting to catch on to the situation.
"This—this is just like that thing!"
"Huh?"
"You don't know? The kind of monster that can't move while you're watching!"
"Wait, you mean you've seen this before?"
"Hey, why don't you get it?? It's like that monster that follows you when you're not looking! As long as we're looking at it, it can't move!"
The voice of the person speaking was distorted by fear and excitement as they rambled on: asking if everyone had read some weird text file, suggesting we were inside a game, or wondering if this was possession…
Normally, people would have ignored such wild claims, but in their panic, they listened intently.
This was a progression I'd seen countless times before.
And the conclusion reached by a fear-stricken group is always… simplistic and extreme.
"In that case, we should just attack it! Destroy it!"
"What?!"
"If we try to run, it'll just keep chasing us, no matter what! Didn't you see what happened to the people who left? They all died! Hurry! Before the lights flicker again!" ȓἈƝȎᛒЕŞ
"Ah!"
As if hypnotized, people started scouring the empty classroom for anything that could be used as a weapon. Brooms, chairs, mops, box cutters…
'No.'
This was a shortcut to the most typical bad ending!
"Wait a moment, please…"
Just then, someone covered my mouth.
"...!"
I nearly threw a punch out of reflex.
Forcing myself to remain calm, I slowly turned my head to see who had silenced me.
Our eyes met. It was a familiar face.
'…Civil servant!'
It was an agent from the Disaster Management Bureau!
Agent Ryu Jaekwan, whom I'd encountered at the mountain lodge. His hair was now cropped short like a high school student's, but his features were unmistakably the same.
'Where had he been sitting all this time?'
No, that wasn't the issue here.
'Right. Even civil servants can end up here too!'
This wasn't one of Daydream Inc.'s 'secured and contained' ghost stories.
That meant it wasn't impossible to encounter someone from another agency in a place like this.
But still, running into the same agent again? Wasn't he working way too hard?
"If you don't scream, I'll let you go."
I quickly nodded with a serious expression, and the agent released me without further comment.
'Phew.'
"You really do have a knack for getting caught up in situations like this, don't you?"
"…Yes."
Let's just leave it at that.
"And, some of what that person said earlier is correct."
"..."
"Keep your eyes on that student mannequin at all times. Don't look away, and make sure you blink alternately. If the lights go out, immediately lower your head. Also…"
The agent leaned in and whispered the proper protocol, clearly well-versed in handling this kind of situation.
"They're very sensitive to sound."
That's right.
These 'students' were strongly drawn to people who screamed, cursed, or shouted.
"Under no circumstances should you raise your voice. Ever."
I nodded slightly.
"But is it really okay to just let them attack that thing…?"
"Right now, your own safety is the priority. Rescuing others caught in this Disaster comes second."
The agent delivered the line with practiced precision.
"When dealing with a supernatural Disaster, assume everyone involved will die, and act accordingly."
"..."
This was… textbook Disaster Management Bureau protocol.
'They prioritize identifying, sealing, or destroying the ghost story to prevent further casualties.'
It was a utilitarian judgment, akin to pulling the lever in the trolley dilemma without hesitation—choosing to sacrifice one life to save five.
"I'll let you know when it's time to run. For now, just follow the instructions I've given you."
"…Understood."
Arguing with the agent here would be suicidal.
For now, I kept my mouth shut.
Meanwhile, the others were already armed and approaching the student mannequin.
'Fuck.'
I deliberately asked another question to guide the agent's response.
I needed to know more to make my actions seem natural going forward.
"But, um, isn't this a dream? If that's the case, wouldn't we just wake up even if we die here…?"
That was the classic escape method from a nightmare.
At the moment of death in the dream, you wake up and return to reality.
Hearing that, one might think that quickly taking your own life is the best option, but that's completely wrong. Such a choice should never be made…
'There's something you need.'
"…That's correct, but there are conditions."
Exactly.
"Conditions?"
"Yes. Do you see that name tag?"
The agent pointed to the 'student mannequin'.
"You must die while in possession of that mannequin's name tag to wake up 'properly'. If you fail to meet this condition…"
If the escape conditions are not fulfilled, the explorer becomes trapped 'In the Shadow of Darkness'.
"You will suffer… undesirable effects."
"..."
"There are also a few other conditions for dying safely, but I'll explain them as we go."
"Together…?"
"Yes."
Wait a second.
However, the agent, perhaps interpreting my hesitation differently, gave me a look as if to say, Don't feel bad about it.
It was an awkward attempt to reassure me with a forced smile.
"Don't worry. There are many agents deployed here besides me. Someone will surely make it through."
More than one Disaster Management Bureau agent?
'This really must be an overlap in exploration timing.'
There must have been a relevant entry in the exploration logs.
I tried to sift through past records in my mind, but before I could identify any, the situation shifted.
"D-Die!"
The others finally began attacking the student mannequin.
And, surprisingly—
Crack.
"Ack!"
"B-Blood…!"
The 'Sekwang Technical High School' student bled, as though they were an ordinary human.
The sound of bones breaking, blood spilling, and bruises forming echoed around the room.
"Aaah!"
"What do we do? Oh, shit…"
'…Huu.'
Fear and unease ran down my spine.
However, the agent, calm as if this was routine, gestured discreetly toward the front door.
"For now, we should use this distraction to… hmm?"
That's when it happened.
Figures appeared on the brightly lit central staircase visible through the open front door.
"...!"
Three or four figures moved quietly, their footsteps muffled as they ascended.
They shared a common feature.
Each of them wore strange animal masks.
'Company employees!'
What's more, I recognized one of the masks.
Bison!
'Jang Heo-un.'
It was the rookie from the Y-squad, with whom I'd endured the theme park ghost story.
'Did he get reassigned to a regular squad?'
It had been a while. My recent chaos had kept me too busy to track other people's transfers, but it seemed he'd survived his first three months unscathed.
'At least that's good news.'
But next to him…
A less welcome sight.
A black goat mask.
"..."
It was Baek Saheon.
'Did they wake up in the same class?'
Both were faithfully following the company's safety recommendation to 'wear your mask whenever possible'.
'I'd like to wear mine too, if I could.'
I wanted to check my items and use them to improve my chances of escape.
Overall, it seemed the best course of action would be to separate naturally from the agent and join that group.
"Um, Mr. Agen—"
"Daydream Inc…!"
"..."
Ack—
"Be careful. If you encounter someone in animal masks and business suits in a place like this, never acknowledge them."
The agent gritted his teeth and cast a disdainful glare toward the group.
"They're likely dispatched from that disgusting pseudo-corporation. Avoid any involvement with them at all costs."
"..."
"The majority of their employees are unethical psychopaths. You must be cautious."
"...Yes."
Absolutely.
Absolutely!
Don't let him find out who I am!
-x-X-x-
A brightly lit classroom within the ghost story.
"Die! Die!"
Behind me, people were desperately striking at the unmoving, eerie student.
"Let's wait until they pass by."
In front of me, the government agent glared at my fellow company employees walking by, his gaze a mix of wariness and disdain.
And stuck in between them…
Me.
No colleagues, missed timing, and the task of clearing this nightmare of a ghost story safely while pretending to be an innocent civilian to the agent beside me.
The truth? I'm actually from the pharmaceutical company this agent loathes.
"..."
How much harder can this get?
'This is insane.'
The employees had moved far ahead by now. I might have made eye contact with a few of them, but as I avoided their gaze, they refrained from approaching me and walked off quickly.
At least that was a relief.
For a moment.
Flicker.
The lights went out again.
"Hieek!!"
This time, however, people reacted faster than the incoming darkness.
"...I-It's not moving!"
"It worked!"
I took a deep breath.
When the lights flickered back on—
The 'Sekwang Technical High School student', who had been frozen like a statue, was now lying on the floor near the back door.
"Waaah!"
The frenzied attacks had evidently worked.
This time, even when the lights went out, the student couldn't move. Instead, it appeared to have succumbed to the accumulated violence and now lay on the floor as though dead. RÄΝỘꞖÊs̈
However, its outstretched right hand still reached toward the back door, as if trying to grab hold of it…
"..."
The people cheered in triumph, holding bloodied mops and chairs in their hands.
"It worked! This is it!"
"..."
We need to run.
When one student entity becomes immobilized, resembling biological death—
quickly—
All nearby student entities are summoned to the scene.
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
[A death has occurred in Class 1-5.]
"Huh…?"
The school's announcement played over the intercom.
The voice was heavier this time, somber.
A slow funeral march played in the background.
"Now."
The agent poked me in the back.
"Run."
[The deceased is first-year student Lee Wonyool.]
I immediately bolted out the door.
I tried to take in as much of the hallway's layout as possible while running, noting key details and pressing myself close to a nearby wall to minimize my profile.
"Should we press our backs to the wall?"
"Exactly."
[Let us observe a moment of silence for five seconds.]
I complied without resistance as the agent pushed me to sit against the wall.
Then—
Thuk.
The lights went out.
[5]
Through the faint sound of the funeral march came the creak of the back door opening.
[4]
"AAAHHH!"
"Ack!"
"W, what… keuuugh—"
[3]
"Help…"
"Huk—"
[2]
Screams.
Short, desperate screams.
[1]
...
...
Silence.
The funeral march continued.
[The moment of silence is over. May the deceased rest in peace.]
Forcing my trembling head up, I looked back into the classroom.
I had to look.
Flicker.
As the lights returned, the scene came into focus.
The classroom was a wreck, smeared with blood and filth.
Bodies were strewn everywhere, slammed against walls, collapsed on the floor, or sprawled across desks.
'…Hah.'
And among the carnage, only two figures remained standing.
Two Sekwang Technical High School students, frozen by my gaze.
One stood atop a decapitated corpse, while the other smiled as it clutched the front door, staring at me.
"..."
They'd noticed me.
'Damn it.'
Sweat dripped down my chin.
"…I'll step back, just slightly. I'll continue to stay in view of the classroom."
"..."
The agent gave a slight nod.
Still keeping my eyes on the front, I groped along the wall, retreating cautiously.
The reason I'd chosen this wall:
[Portable Light Source]
A red emergency flashlight was mounted nearby.
It was an essential tool—a portable light source capable of freezing the students even during a blackout.
'Absolutely necessary.'
However, where three lights should have been mounted, only one remained.
'The employees must have taken the others.'
What surprised me was that, even with Baek Saheon among their group, they hadn't taken all three lights for backup.
On top of that, they'd cleverly inserted a wad of paper into the release sensor to prevent the alarm from sounding when the lights were removed. Clearly, these were experienced ghost story explorers.
They had even left behind one of the crumpled papers in the empty slot.
'They thought that far ahead.'
Reaching back, I grabbed the paper.
As I brought it forward, the folded back of the paper caught the edge of my vision.
– Debt
"..."
Not bad.
I crumpled Baek Saheon's note, shoved it into the sensor slot as a makeshift stopper, and extracted the flashlight.
'Huu.'
With this, I had taken the first step in preparing for potential blackouts.
'Next…'
"...! Did you grab the flashlight?"
"Yes."
"…Excellent. Keep it on at all times. Now, let's retrieve the name tags."
The agent strode briskly toward the classroom's front door.
Right up to the face of the student entity that was glaring at me.
'Huuuuu…'
Just watching the scene made every alarm in my head scream.
Yet the agent moved swiftly and tore the name tag from the mannequin's chest.
Then, without hesitation, he collected the tag from the entity lying by the back door—the first one to 'die'.
"..."
I could feel my stomach churn.
'This is an irreversible move.'
When a student's name tag is stolen in its presence, that student will pursue the thief relentlessly until you die.
-x-X-x-
Given that the students had already locked eyes with us, perhaps it was a foregone conclusion.
'No matter what, they'll chase us.'
Even with a flashlight, moving through this haunted school while being hunted by two entities was sheer madness for an ordinary person.
It was a choice only a Disaster Management Bureau agent, equipped with tools and experience, could reasonably make.
'Still, I would've done it differently.'
But spilled milk is spilled milk. Thinking rationally, I had to admit—
Being discovered by the agent was far riskier than dying within this nightmare.
Not only would death here be just an unfortunate side note, but I'd likely face interrogation and an investigation.
'I have no choice but to trust the agent's judgment for now.'
Still, I had to hold my weight—at least do my part.
'If I'm going to act, it needs to be now.'
As the agent moved, I followed him into the classroom.
I reached toward the student by the back door and snatched their name tag.
'Uuuugh!'
This was nerve-wracking.
The unmoving student, frozen in place, seemed ready to whip around and crush my skull at any moment.
But nothing happened, and I succeeded.
'Huu.'
As my hand trembled with a mix of relief and revulsion, I heard something.
"S-Save me…"
I froze.
"..."
The student entity appeared to be stepping on a severed neck, but there was more.
Beneath them, someone was still alive.
Tears streamed down the face of the survivor, who whispered weakly, as though they lacked the strength to scream or curse.
"P-Please…"
"..."
After a brief but fierce internal debate, I made my decision.
...
"...! Hicc, sob… o-okay…"
I couldn't be sure since my gaze was fixed on the student entity, but it seemed like the person beneath them gave a faint nod.
"..."
Slowly, I backed away and rejoined the agent. Together, we exited the classroom and began moving swiftly down the corridor.
"Keep looking ahead. I'll keep an eye on the classroom."
"…Understood."
The agent turned on his flashlight, focusing on the back of the entity that had been watching us from the front door.
Meanwhile, I kept my eyes on the corridor, ready to 'freeze' any new entities that might appear.
We hugged the wall as we moved, ensuring no blind spots for either of us.
"..."
Our movements were silent yet desperate.
Finally, as the classroom faded from view, and I was certain one of the two entities was no longer visible, the agent muttered in confusion,
"Why aren't they chasing us? Don't tell me…"
A ripple of unease emanated from the agent's back, pressed against mine.
"Was there someone alive in the room? Are they watching the students?"
"…Yes."
The agent exhaled deeply.
"They must have been too injured to move. …You did well. During a Disaster, securing your own safety comes first. Helping others comes after."
"..."
"Head for the staircase. We'll stop briefly by the fire hydrant."
"Understood."
I resumed walking.
And then…
Flicker.
…The lights went out again.
"I'm shining the flashlight."
"Yes."
I kept moving forward, and that's when it hit me.
During the blackout just now—
The person I'd given the name tag to had died.
'They're coming.'
The two entities would be leaving the classroom now.
But since my job was to watch the front and freeze anything new that appeared, I couldn't look back to confirm it.
The thought alone made my hair stand on end.
"Do not panic. You still have a chance."
"..."
"You obtained a name tag earlier, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, you just need to commit suicide."
I almost passed out.
"Let's do it as soon as we stop by the emergency light. You look so pale—it'd be best for you to wake from this nightmare quickly. With the name tag, there shouldn't be any issues."
"…Wait."
But there's something.
I swallowed hard.
"I did acquire a name tag, but I no longer have it in my possession."
"...!"
"I gave it to the person who was alive in the classroom."
That's right.
Earlier, I deliberately dropped the name tag on the floor so the person beneath the 'student' could grab it.
– If you hold onto this, you'll wake up from this dream.
– ...! Hicc, sob… o-okay…
"Since they have the name tag, they'll wake up safely."
And they even bought us some time by doing so.
"...!"
The agent let out a sharp breath, heavy with frustration and stress. Then, in a more fatigued and businesslike tone, he spoke,
"…You must have assumed I had a spare name tag."
"No. You don't need to give me one. That's something you obtained yourself."
"..."
"You need more name tags, don't you? You'll likely need to distribute them to your colleagues."
"…That's…"
Of course.
I wasn't saying this because I was a fool with no plan.
'I'm fine, really.'
Why?
'Because I never intended to acquire a name tag and commit suicide in the first place!'
Exploration Record #13
The log I had used as the basis for my escape plan—the wiki entry I had written—was the record of an explorer who had never obtained a name tag to begin with.
I had analyzed this ghost story extensively, thinking through its variables, and had come to one conclusion.
'To clear this without physically dying, you need to perform a specific action without possessing a name tag…!'
Moreover, this method allowed you to bring back the highest-grade Dream Essence solution as a reward.
'So I have to do it.'
The D-squad—or rather, my new squad—needed proof that I could maintain similar levels of performance even under unfamiliar circumstances.
-x-X-x-
"Do you know what happens if you die without a name tag?"
I do.
"Each new moon, you'll be dragged back here when you sleep. And when you wake up, you won't remember anything, making it impossible to prepare."
"..."
"Can you handle that?"
I probably couldn't, but I didn't have much choice.
Ideally, carrying the name tag until the critical moment and then relinquishing ownership would be the safest strategy.
But with this agent as my companion, there was no way I could obtain a name tag and later abandon it.
So instead, I chose to take the risk and give it away.
"There will be another opportunity."
Even if there were, I'd give it up again.
At least as long as I was traveling with this agent.
"And I'll handle that opportunity myself. Don't worry, I won't ask you for anything."
"..."
At this point, it was worth trying.
I decided to push forward with a determined tone.
"…We should part ways here."
"...!"
"If you need it, I'll even give you my flashlight."
'I brought a high-powered flashlight anyway.'
Along with several other tools.
As long as I separated from him, I could stop pretending to be a civilian and use them. Separation was the key!
Though walking alone would be terrifying, staying in this restrained state wasn't viable either.
Whether it was with civilians or my coworkers, any other group would be better.
'I need to join a larger group.'
This ghost story's structure made it safer the more eyes were watching, but it grew riskier the louder things got.
'I need to form a party of around four people quickly.'
With my connection to Daydream Inc. posing a constant threat, traveling with this agent wasn't an option.
I needed a scenario where I could act more decisively.
'I'll pretend to give in and suggest parting ways.'
"I feel like I'm just getting in your way. I'll figure things out on my own… somehow."
After all, didn't you say civilians caught in Disasters are as good as dead? Consider this an unavoidable situation and move on!
But then, an unexpected response came.
"...I believe apologies are in order."
"...?"
The agent looked at me with a resolute expression, as if he'd made an unshakable decision.
"As soon as you obtained the name tag, I was planning to humanely execute you."
Excuse me?!
'This lunatic.'
Even if you wake up after dying, to say something like that so casually, right to someone's face…
Feeling cold sweat trickling down my back, I forced a smile.
"Ah, yes. Even in a dream, suicide isn't exactly an easy thing to do…"
"Indeed. However, if you're willing, I'd like you to accompany me for the remainder of this Disaster investigation."
...What?
The agent spoke quickly.
"Temporarily, you could act as an agent. Normally, this would require approval from another agent since it isn't a solo mission, but… ah."
The agent rummaged through his pocket and handed me something.
"If you consume this, it will serve as an expedited authorization."
I looked at the small caramel candy, wrapped in a rectangular foil, that had landed in my hand and felt my eyelids twitch.
…This was Disaster Management Bureau equipment!
========================
Tangy-Sweet
A caramel-like chewy candy.
Upon consumption, lying induces unbearable discomfort, compelling the user to tell the truth.
========================
"This is a light truth verification procedure."
No, this is practically a confession-inducing torture tool!
"If you take this and accompany me, you'll be compensated accordingly."
"..."
"If it's too difficult, I'll simply give you a name tag and execute you to send you back."
Wow. For real?
"Civilian?"
If only I could fake eating it and stash it in my tattoo, but in this dream where I'd fully reverted to a high schooler, I had no tattoos.
After an intense internal debate, I made my decision.
"...Alright."
I reluctantly chewed and swallowed the truth-inducing candy.
Its tangy-sweet flavor caught in my throat, but I forced it down.
'Getting caught throwing it away or not consuming it would be a bigger problem.'
It would reveal that I knew exactly what this candy was.
"I've swallowed it."
Tears welled up.
But as they say, the stick is often accompanied by the carrot.
To my surprise, the unexpected carrots started rolling in.
"Well done. Now, take this."
"...?"
The agent swiftly handed me something else, placing it in my empty hand.
It was a metallic badge, vaguely resembling a silver heart.
Huh?
"This is an identification badge for agents. Wearing it will allow you to receive assistance if you encounter other agents."
"..."
"And this."
No sooner had I clipped the badge on than a small ivory-colored pistol was placed in my hand.
The translucent cylinder gleamed with multicolored glass beads that served as its ammunition.
It looked extraordinary at a glance…
========================
Glass Handgun
A specialized exorcism pistol manufactured by the Disaster Management Bureau.
It uses custom glass beads as ammunition and is so compact it resembles a toy or lighter.
========================
"This is a weapon for dealing with supernatural Disasters. It should be effective against those 'students'. Keep it with you."
"..."
Wow.
This was the standard issue gear for Disaster Management Bureau agents, the kind I'd only ever seen on the wiki.
Like the Dream Essence Collectors and masks used by Daydream Inc., this was iconic agent gear.
'And now I'm wearing it all.'
Somehow, I'd ended up playing the part of a Disaster Management Bureau agent.
'What is even happening?'
It was absurd, but oddly thrilling. At the same time, I had a strong urge to run for my life.
But for now…
'There's no time to dwell on this.'
"…It's starting."
Flicker.
"We're almost at the end of the hallway. From here on, you must also face this way. …Do not, under any circumstances, drop the flashlight."
...
I adjusted my grip on the unfamiliar pistol.
They're coming.
The agent and I pressed our backs against the wall, our gazes fixed on the hallway ahead—specifically, Class 1-5, from which we had just escaped.
Then, I finally saw it.
Flicker.
On the far end of the hallway, mannequin-like figures appeared.
'…Three of them?'
Another one had joined the group.
Two male students and one female student.
The two who had emerged from the classroom were drenched in blood, smiling as they looked our way, while the third—still wearing a pristine school uniform—stood motionless.
When the lights were on, they looked like grotesquely realistic wax mannequins or people frozen in time in a photograph.
But every time the lights flickered out—
Flicker.
—they reappeared closer to us.
Again and again.
Even when we moved further back—
Flicker.
—they advanced just to the edge of the flashlight's beam.
Whenever the light shone on them, they froze, illuminated in a terrifyingly close pose.
They never got any farther away.
Flicker.
"..."
I couldn't help but imagine what would happen if the flashlight's battery ran out.
This standoff would end… and not in our favor.
'Hah.'
Even as I moved carefully and deliberately, fear clawed at my mind.
Eventually, we reached the dead end at the hallway's farthest point and were forced to stop.
And then—
[Ding- dong- daeng- dong-]
"..."
[A death has occurred in Class 3-2.]
Motherfucker.
[The deceased is third-year student Park Chae-ah.]
[Please observe a moment of silence for five seconds.]
"Get ready."
I gripped the flashlight tightly and pressed my back against the wall.
[5]
I quickly swept the flashlight across all three figures.
Each time the light passed over them and returned, they were closer.
[4]
The agent and I divided our focus, aiming our flashlights at two of the entities.
…But what about the third?
[3]
The third one—where was it?
I swung my flashlight side to side, covering every blind spot, but it was nowhere to be found.
[2]
Time seemed to speed up with my mounting anxiety.
Where? Where could it be? Where—
Ah.
I whipped the flashlight downward.
[1]
The light revealed my feet and…
A bloodstained white hand reaching for my ankle.
A hand in a school uniform.
"..."
A Sekwang Technical High School student lay sprawled on the floor, grinning up at me.
[The moment of silence is over. May the deceased rest in peace.]
"..."
Slowly, I pulled my foot back.
'Hah.'
Shitshitshit!!
If my reflexes had been even slightly slower, I'd be dead.
'I've never even played a VR horror game, and now I'm experiencing this in real life?!'
I alternated blinking one eye at a time, making sure to never close both at once, as I slowly backpedaled.
My limbs trembled uncontrollably.
The agent, still glaring at the remaining two student entities, spoke.
"Once we leave a floor, the students from that grade level usually stop actively pursuing us."
I knew that.
If there were still prey left on their floor, the students would likely prioritize those over us…
"Let's head upstairs."
"…Not down to the first floor?"
"No. This mission's objective is the fifth floor, specifically the auditorium."
Immediately, I recalled the announcement we'd heard at the very beginning:
– Students of Sekwang Technical High School! The graduation ceremony will begin shortly. Please gather in the auditorium.
"…What's in the auditorium?"
"There's no information yet. That's why we need to investigate."
Of course.
'The exploration logs so far are still considered early to mid-stage material in the
Few people would have willingly gone to the place announced as the meeting point in this nightmare school.
And those who tried to ascend likely encountered the students and died.
The higher the floor, the more aggressive, unpredictable, and intelligent the students' behavior became.
And the greater problem was this.
Never go to the fifth floor!! It's better to die on the lower floors. Never go up
—Final log of Exploration Record #12
…This is what happens when you somehow manage to make it all the way to the fifth floor.
'Hah, I really don't want to go…'
But the most painful part was knowing that I'd have to go there eventually, regardless.
At least I could take some comfort in having a companion.
But as we were, we wouldn't make it. I needed to prepare thoroughly, and I had an idea to adjust the plan slightly.
"Would it be alright if we stop briefly to explore the third and fourth floors as well?"
"Is there a reason?"
"Well, this setup feels strangely like a horror game to me."
"...!"
"In games, obtaining key items is often essential to progress."
I spoke while slowly climbing the stairs backward.
"I'm not sure, but if it were me, I'd start by checking special rooms—like the music room, science lab, or faculty office. I'd also look into the yearbook or student records."
"..."
"I think there could be hints or keys hidden in objects or props."
As we continued up the stairs, the distance between us and the 'students' that had been surrounding us grew, allowing the flashlight beam to cover a wider area and keep them in check.
It was only then that the agent finally spoke.
"Our analysis team reached a similar conclusion… that this ghost story seems to have a game-based structure."
Oh.
"They noted how the name of the fictional high school and the structure of running and hiding from monsters are remarkably similar to a game."
"Ah, I thought the same thing."
"But it's the first time I've heard such a suggestion—to focus not on monsters or people, but on objects…"
For some reason, the agent's eyes seemed to sparkle.
Since he looked like a high school student without dark circles under his eyes, it didn't come off as out of place.
"Very well. Let's examine the spaces as thoroughly as we can. We'll also relay this idea to the other agents once they join us…"
More agents? I'd rather not.
But the agent, as if excited, went a step further.
"Now that you're a temporary agent, we should call each other by codenames. Do you have a preferred codename?"
Oh my god.
"Oh, we typically use historical materials for codenames. Non-ordinary terms make it easier to distinguish between agents."
'He's even letting me pick a codename?'
It felt like they were fulfilling every conceivable fantasy.
…Oh. Did I already have a codename I wanted to use for a Disaster Management Bureau agent in the Darkness Exploration Records I'd envisioned?
Yes. Yes, I do.
But… I had enough self-awareness not to bring it up now. It would be far too embarrassing.
"…I'll go with Grapes."
"A fruit? Simple and neat. I like it."
For a moment, I imagined what Braun would've commented on my choice.
'I miss that guy a little.'
Pushing away the sense of loss over my 'Good Friend', I kept the conversation going.
"And what should I call you, Agent?"
"My codename is Bronze."
"Alright, Agent Bronze."
The agent—Bronze—smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction, almost as if he were looking at an intern.
'Lately, I've been getting a lot of new recruit-like treatment. Is it just my imagination…?'
In any case, we continued checking below as we ascended, keeping a vigilant eye out to ensure no students were following us up the stairs.
One of us always kept an eye on the upper floor.
And finally, we arrived.
[3F]
The third floor, where the second-years stayed.
"...It's quiet."
The students from the lower floor had naturally left our line of sight and didn't appear at the top of the stairs either. It seemed they had found someone else to chase.
Still, we kept glancing back at the stairwell as we stepped into the third-floor hallway.
Under the bright ceiling lights, the hallway was surprisingly clean.
No blood, no filth, no corpses. Not even people sitting frozen, tears streaming as they stared desperately at a student.
"..."
Even the student entities were nowhere to be seen.
And I thought I knew why.
'They've sealed the doors.'
Someone had already locked all the classroom doors.
Chains and padlocks were even looped around some.
'…! This has to be the work of Daydream Inc. employees.'
It matched our manual perfectly.
Students in Sekwang Technical High School uniforms exhibit some resistance to damage or destruction of school property.
When not provoked, closing and locking doors quietly has been observed to render them inactive, often seated at desks.
Moreover, sealing the doors like this meant any attempt to open them from inside would make noise.
That noise would immediately alert others to turn and look.
'It's a basic safety measure.'
When there were still plenty of people around to restrict the movements of the student entities, sneaking around and locking doors like this would have been quite feasible.
"..."
But as quiet as the hallway was, we needed to be just as silent.
The students are drawn by noise.
'The second-year faculty office is just around the corner.'
'Should we crawl there?'
A nod.
With a brief whisper and nod, we ended the conversation and began moving quietly, staying close to the wall and crawling to avoid detection.
Even as we moved, we didn't stop watching the corners—places like the end of the hallway or the stairwells—where someone could appear silently.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
'Just a little further, just a little more.'
Slowly.
We just had to pass through without rushing.
We had made it more than halfway when—
AAAAHHHHH!
...
A blood-curdling scream came from beyond the hallway.
'No.'
If there's noise…
Rattle.
Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle—
I couldn't bring myself to look up.
The sound of doorknobs being rattled echoed from every locked door.
…The students had heard the noise too.
Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle—
The agent and I crawled frantically down the hallway, desperate to escape.
When we finally turned to look back—
Rattle…
"..."
"..."
Huu.
Fortunately, the rattling stopped, likely because the scream had been a one-time occurrence.
However, I could see faint shadows of figures standing behind some of the doors, peering out…
"..."
Terrifying.
At least they weren't looking in our direction—that was our one saving grace.
I swallowed hard.
The only consolation was that we'd reached our first destination.
[Second-Year Faculty Office]
Turning the corner, it appeared before us.
But this office was also locked up tight. Chains and padlocks secured the doors, and the windows had been covered from the inside with something like newspaper, preventing us from seeing in.
It was eerily unsettling, yet I couldn't have been more relieved to see it.
"Please keep watch for a moment."
The agent slipped a thimble-like item onto his finger, then inserted it into the lock on the faculty office door.
Though the thimble didn't seem to match the size of the keyhole, it slid in easily, and the lock clicked open.
'Wow.'
Disaster Management Bureau equipment really lived up to the hype.
"There may still be students inside, so let's be cautious as we enter."
And when we opened the door—
"...!"
"...?!"
What greeted us was completely unexpected.
"Quietly close the door."
"..."
"Quickly."
I shut the door behind us.
There were no students inside.
Instead, about seven people were locked in a tense standoff, glaring at one another.
High schoolers wearing animal masks stood on one side, and others, holding translucent pistols, stood on the other.
Disaster Management Bureau agents and Daydream Inc. employees.
'They're fighting!'
On the table in the center of their standoff was a single fountain pen.
'…An item.'
I recognized it immediately.
Fountain Pen of Second-Year Student ■■■
It seemed they were locked in a standoff over who would claim it.
'Instead of exploring the ghost story, they're wasting manpower on this!'
It seemed they hadn't noticed our entrance until it was too late.
"Agent Bronze."
Several of the agents finally spotted the codename Bronze beside me and greeted him warmly.
But Bronze, rational as always, was unlikely to empathize with the situation…
"Let's join them."
"...??"
Wait, what?
Before I could protest, Bronze had already stepped forward to join the agents.
And as for me…
"..."
The animal-masked Daydream employees were staring intently at me.
Especially the two who recognized me.
"??"
"??!"
Seeing Baek Saheon and Jang He-oun make identical expressions was not something I ever thought I'd experience.
Their eyes darted between the Disaster Management Bureau's metal badge and translucent pistol I was holding, as if silently asking,
'Why are you here…?'
And yet, the agent called out to me again.
"Agent Grapes."
"Gr—Grapes?"
The agent responded coldly.
"Mocking codenames? Truly fitting for a company like yours."
"...??"
I'm losing my mind.
"Come here. You should step away from the door."
"..."
'What now?'
After a moment of frantic deliberation, I made my decision.
'I can't bring myself to betray.'
Reluctantly, I stepped forward and stood beside the agent.
"Yes, Agent."
Right next to Agent Bronze.
"This… what is…!"
"..."
Yes. I cannot betray.
'I can't betray… my own survival…!'
And so it came to this, my dear coworkers.
-x-X-x-
Fwoosh.
The pen tip launched silently from the sole of his shoe and flew straight toward Kim Soleum's head…
…but it didn't hit.
Kim Soleum casually tilted his head, dodging the pen tip.
"...?!"
Kim Soleum glanced at Baek Saheon.
'How many times do you think I read about your equipment usage on the wiki?'
He already knew how it was loaded.
'You click the left heel twice.'
Having prepared for this ever since they became roommates, Kim Soleum's reflexes, in hindsight, were only natural.
Not that he had expected much, so he wasn't even angry…
'But I can't let this slide.'
At that moment, Kim Soleum grinned at Baek Saheon.
'I know you fired it.'
And that meant one thing:
You're fuckin' screwed.
"..."
Baek Saheon felt a chill run down his spine.
The learned fear surged to near panic levels.
But his objective of creating confusion had succeeded nonetheless.
"Ahhh—"
"...!"
The pen tip struck the locker behind Kim Soleum and exploded, filling the room with light, noise, and smoke.
"…Who did that?!"
At this level of chaos, it didn't matter how softly anyone spoke.
This kind of commotion was enough to lure the 'students', even if it meant they'd tolerate some damage to the school's property.
They'd be coming soon.
"...!!"
"Flashlights."
Everyone crouched and pressed themselves against the walls. The smoke obscuring their vision created the worst possible conditions in this nightmare school.
'Who did this?'
For now, survival instincts overrode the need to find the culprit.
'In that case…!'
Baek Saheon seized the opportunity to lunge at the table.
Fountain Pen of Second-Year Student ■■■
He snatched the item and stuffed it into his pocket.
Blending seamlessly back into the crowd of employees, Baek Saheon joined the rush to flee the faculty office.
Inside, the Bureau agents, who had maintained a near-perfect formation to monitor all angles, only realized what had happened once the smoke began to clear.
The fountain pen and the Daydream employees were gone.
"Those Daydream bastards…!"
Kim Soleum had suddenly become guilty by association.
'Wonderful.'
Kim Soleum, who had been keeping an eye on Baek Saheon the entire time, caught the exchange.
But the situation was too urgent to dwell on it.
[There has been a death in the 3rd-floor hallway.]
[The deceased is second-year student Kim Sora.]
The Daydream Inc. employees fleeing down the hallway had killed one of the students.
"…Hah."
The power went out.
* * *
Five seconds of darkness.
Flashes of light from flashlights.
Screams.
Corpses.
'This is insane.'
With both people and monstrous entities running rampant, this resembled a scene from a B-grade slasher film.
A suffocating type of terror different from the earlier stillness.
Aaaagh!
There, in the window!
Blood! Blood!
Requesting ba— thud!
Amid the gruesome carnage unfolding in every direction, I somehow managed to spot the students trying to enter the faculty office through the mist and freeze them in place.
It felt like playing a nightmarish tower defense game. Or maybe a horror game where I was trapped and utterly cornered.
"Move!"
The only silver lining was that the agents were taking the brunt of the aggression, leaving me mostly out of the spotlight.
But even that had its limits.
Flicker.
The instant a drop of blood splashed into my eye, I had no choice but to blink.
A student's hand, hooked like a claw, stopped just above my head.
"...!!"
I quickly stepped back.
…My skull had almost been crushed.
My hair stood on end.
'Hah…'
My heart felt like it would give out.
'This is bad.'
This was a death trap.
'The range a single flashlight can cover is no longer enough.'
From what I knew, the number of students per floor varied by each exploration round, but there were at least twenty students on any given floor.
And if someone killed a student and triggered the announcement?
[There has been a death in the second-year faculty office.]
More would come.
Accompanied by another five-second blackout for a moment of silence.
'It never ends.'
The likelihood of everyone dying here and the exploration ending was overwhelmingly high.
So…
'I need to escape while I still can.'
I gritted my teeth.
I needed to find the others on another floor and join forces with them.
The mist was beginning to clear, and the blackout had just ended…
Flicker.
'…Now!'
I slid across the faculty office, cutting through the carnage of blood, gore, and violence, and made it out through the door that had been open from the start.
In that instant—
"Mr. Grapes!"
"...!"
As the mist dissipated, I spotted Agent Bronze.
He was grappling with an employee wearing an animal mask— and the owner of that mask was…
"Hiiek—"
"Quiet."
Jang Heo-un, from the Y-squad Round-Off Team.
'So you didn't manage to escape with the others, huh?'
"Use this to restrain him…!"
The agent tossed me what looked like a pair of handcuffs.
Clearly, he thought I had come to assist him.
But I had already decided to cut ties with everyone here…
"R-Run, Roe Deer!"
"...!"
Damn it.
Jang Heo-un, startled by his own outburst, slapped a hand over his mouth.
He had called me by the name of my mask.
"…Roe Deer?"
"No, that's…"
The look on the agent's face said it all.
'He knows.'
Damn it. If that's the case…!
I swiftly caught the handcuff-like item the agent had handed me.
And then I clamped it on him instead.
"...?!"
The cuffs expanded, binding the agent's arms and mouth, with a silver chain extending from them to my hand.
"Let's go, Bison."
"Y-Yes…?!"
Dragging Jang Heo-un and the restrained agent, I bolted out of the faculty office.
Aaaagh!
[The moment of silence is over. May the deceased rest in peace.]
Leaving behind the chaos of the faculty office, we sprinted madly up the stairs.
A couple of students followed us out but were drawn back by the ongoing commotion inside the office.
"Keep an eye on what's above us."
"Got it!"
Jang Heo-un responded quickly, diligently watching the upper stairwell.
'Huu.'
I stopped midway up the stairs, watching as the students who had been following us disappeared, and turned my head, wanting nothing more than to wipe the sweat off my face.
And that's when I made eye contact with the restrained person at the end of the chain I was holding.
Agent Bronze from the Disaster Management Bureau was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.
"..."
At this point, I had no choice.
'Time to bluff…!'
With a speed I'd never achieved before in my life, I began crafting an elaborate, emotional appeal.
(T/N: I changed Jang Heo-un's mask to 'bison' instead of 'cow'! The terms are similar in Korean and it wasn't specified at first, but since author-nim's using the clear term for bison now, let's go with that. I've already edited the past chapters to reflect this change.)
I am walking up the stairs of a nightmare school with an agent from the Disaster Management Bureau.
…While dragging him along like a prisoner after restraining him.
For context, I used an item he handed me to betray and restrain him.
"..."
This is a mess.
'This can't go on.'
This definitely feels like I've crossed the line. By tomorrow, I might find myself on the Disaster Management Bureau's blacklist, conscripted for whatever sinister purposes they have in mind.
Sure, the company might protect me, but I really don't want to owe Daydream Inc. anything—it would be utterly insane…!
'I-I need to fix my image somehow.'
The cold sweat on my back never seems to dry.
I spoke carefully.
"If you promise not to yell, I'll remove the gag. Please just nod your head."
The agent's murderous glare softened slightly. He gave the faintest of nods.
'…What a lie.'
If he's going to deceive me, he could at least try to hide it better!
With a sigh, I continued.
"I have no intention of harming you, stealing Disaster Management Bureau intel, or reporting anything back to the company."
"..."
"And… as I just said that, I felt no pain whatsoever."
"...!"
"I know the caramel you gave me is a truth-inducing interrogation aid."
The agent's pupils trembled.
"Of course, I don't think you gave it to me with malicious intent. It's just…"
I gazed at the air with a melancholic look.
"I wanted to convey that even though I work for Daydream Inc., I wasn't planning to lie to you."
Strictly speaking, I was lying.
If it came to it, I fully intended to use express-delivered alien painkillers to bypass the effects and lie my way to survival.
Unsurprisingly, a sharp discomfort began to rise from within.
'Ugh.'
It felt like my insides were twisting, like the onset of an ulcer.
But now wasn't the time to let it show.
'I can endure this without flinching.'
The more malicious or deliberate the lie, the greater the pain. What I'd just said was evasive at most, barely a level one discomfort.
Endure it.
'Next step…'
Building trust.
I discreetly loosened a small silver badge in my pocket while keeping my face composed. Then, I openly showed the item—the Silver Heart—to the agent.
"I'm telling you this without relying on tools like these."
"..."
"I'll repeat myself. …If you promise not to yell, I'll remove the gag. Just nod your head."
Conflict flickered in the agent's gaze.
When we stopped on the landing, he gave another faint nod.
"..."
Without a word, I removed the gag.
The agent kept his promise and didn't cause a commotion.
'Hmm.'
Good. Next step.
I returned the flashlight and pistol I had confiscated from the agent. Then, I loosened the restraints on his arms.
"This is…"
"You'll need them to defend yourself in this kind of urgent situation."
'Not that the pistol works on anything but ghosts or supernatural entities.'
Though it could theoretically harm bad actors depending on the ammunition, I didn't think either Jang Heo-un or I fit the criteria for such targets.
'Jang Heo-un hasn't caused any significant trouble in the past three months.'
Still, I didn't completely remove the restraints. If the agent escaped before I finished winning him over, it could spell disaster.
I offered a plausible excuse.
"It's too dangerous to wander off alone here. I'll keep the restraints on until your judgment fully returns."
"..."
We cautiously ascended the stairs, keeping watch in all directions.
Suddenly, the agent asked,
"Is 'Roe Deer' your alias?"
"..."
"Your group operates in units and uses aliases derived from your masks, correct?"
"…That's correct."
"Are you a squad leader?"
"No, just a new hire. This one here… is a fellow new hire."
With a faintly bitter smile, I pulled a half-mask from my pocket and placed it over my face.
The familiar texture of bark with horns sprouted settled over my skin.
The agent looked at me, visibly shaken.
Then, I heard Jang Heo-un's subdued voice.
"…I'm sorry, Mr. Roe Deer. I know you were trying to help me…"
"No, it's fine. You must be very flustered."
Honestly, compared to Baek Saheon, who was determined to get me fucked up, this was something I had already braced myself for when I decided to act as a temporary agent…
Moreover, Jang Heo-un even went as far as to vouch for me to the agent.
"Mr. Roe Deer is truly a kind and dependable person. Even when we first met, he risked his life to save me from the Darkness…"
"That's, uh, an exaggeration."
Nice shot!
"We just… helped each other. To survive the Darkness together."
"Mr. Roe Deer…"
"..."
The agent fell silent, a complicated expression on his face.
At least he didn't try to smack me with the grip of that small pistol, and I'll take that as progress.
"…Entering the fourth floor."
We ascended the final stretch of stairs.
[4F]
"..."
We made it, but…
'I feel uneasy.'
From the fourth floor onward, this ghost story starts getting even more warped.
For one, when students die, there's no announcement over the speakers anymore.
The floor is eerily dark.
Bzzt, bzzt…
Most of the lights were already shattered or burnt out, and the few remaining ones flickered sporadically, except for a handful that stayed on.
And the bigger issue…
"...!!"
"Huhp—"
Dozens of students were standing in the hallway.
And they were already staring directly at us.
-x-X-x-
'Hah.'
In the dimly lit school hallway, they lined up like mannequins along either side.
The fourth-floor student entities were all third-years, with more than a hundred confirmed in every exploration log of this floor.
Hearing that alone would make you think, 'Well, guess we're all doomed.'
But.
"...It's fine."
The agent spoke in a firm voice, offering critical information.
"They cannot leave their positions."
That's right.
The fourth floor is truly strange. While we've never witnessed those 'students' move, we've seen their locations change.
But the students on the fourth floor? They don't move at all.
It's like their feet are glued to the classroom floor.
—Excerpt from Exploration Record #09
As long as they're not lunging at us and stay rooted in place, we can avoid danger by staying out of their territory.
If we have to approach, we can stop them by maintaining eye contact to freeze their movements.
'The problem is how easy it is to lose track of them in the dark.'
And they're very… very cunning.
They often exploit psychological tactics to catch you off guard.
'...Hmm.'
So that's how it is.
I confirmed that Jang Heo-un had pinned the nametag he had retrieved from one of the school's students onto his blazer, then spoke firmly.
"Let's proceed cautiously and thoroughly investigate the fourth floor."
There were no objections.
We entered the gaps between the students.
* * *
'Huu.'
Jang Heo-un swallowed nervously.
It felt incredibly unsettling.
To brush past the sleeves of those 'students' while trembling with fear.
But he gritted his teeth.
'I have to be useful.'
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had somehow ruined his kind colleague Kim Soleum's exploration.
What was he planning to accomplish by accompanying the agent?
'He was probably aiming for a high score… a clean clear.'
According to the manual, the longer you survive here and the more nametags you collect, the higher the concentration of Dream Essence in the collector.
But it was too dangerous. Kim Soleum hadn't even glanced at the nametags on the fourth-floor students.
'…I don't get it.'
Jang Heo-un decided not to overthink it.
Relying on his own judgment wasn't exactly a strong suit.
Instead, he focused on diligently watching the approaching students.
Especially when entering areas where the lights were shattered or flickering—he aimed the flashlight obsessively.
Step, step.
"Mr. Buffalo, watch the rear."
"Yes."
His voice trembled slightly.
Jang Heo-un turned to look behind them, walking backward.
From where they had passed, dozens of students were now turning their heads and stretching out their hands toward them…
"There's the music room up ahead. Let's hang in there just until we reach it."
They moved forward.
Soon, they reached a section entirely devoid of lights.
'Hoo.'
In the suffocating darkness, the students stood eerily still, staring silently at them.
They advanced cautiously, illuminating the gaps between them with their flashlights.
Then—
Flicker.
A light blinked somewhere. It felt like a power outage had occurred…
'Huh?'
Wait.
Something felt wrong.
'There aren't any lights here, so how could one flicker?'
Jang Heo-un realized it a step too late.
It wasn't a power outage.
The flickering light…
…was someone's flashlight up ahead.
Just now, someone had lost sight of their surroundings.
"...!"
Jang Heo-un almost turned around in panic. But a calm voice from behind him stopped him.
"Don't look back."
"You…!"
"We… have to keep moving."
Kim Soleum's voice was strained, mixed with heavy breaths.
And then—
The metallic scent of blood.
Drip, drip…
As Jang Heo-un backed away, he noticed red liquid dripping onto the floor.
Focused on the students, he hadn't been able to see clearly, but the ground beneath his shoes was slippery.
And then…
He spotted the hand of a student reaching out from the middle of the hallway, close enough to brush against his waist.
It was drenched in crimson, blood dripping from its fingertips.
Jang Heo-un fought the urge to retch.
"M-Mr. Roe Deer…!"
When they finally made it out of the crowd of students and turned around,
Kim Soleum stood clutching his abdomen, his face pale as a sheet.
The flashlight in his hand flickered once more.
With a faint smile on his ashen face, he said,
"…The battery—"
– Effective illumination time: 60 minutes
Of course.
Emergency flashlights weren't meant to last long.
'Ah…!'
Though they had prepared supplies, the two of them had failed to account for the time left on the flashlight the other was carrying…
"W-Wait… Ugh."
"P-Please don't speak!"
Jang Heo-un struggled to suppress his nausea and tried to support Kim Soleum. The agent instinctively joined in.
Together, the Daydream Inc. employee and the Disaster Management Bureau agent hurriedly helped him into a nearby classroom.
Even there, a few students peeked inside. They managed to set Kim Soleum down just outside the students' range.
Seated on the floor, clutching his wound, Kim Soleum spoke.
"You two."
"..."
"Leave me here."
The one wearing the horned mask, his face strained from the pain, forced a smile.
"Ah, one moment."
Kim Soleum reached out with his free hand and completely undid the agent's restraints.
"I almost forgot. Now you can leave…"
The agent ignored him and instead pulled a spare nametag from his pocket and shoved it into Kim Soleum's jacket.
But…
"You don't have to give it to me. Don't you need it for something else?"
"..."
"Go ahead. I'm sure there are others on this floor. If you join them you'll—ugh—you'll be fine."
-x-X-x-
Kim Soleum frowned slightly but quickly smoothed his expression.
"To be honest, even if I die here, it wouldn't cause any major issues with my job at the company. They'd still be satisfied with this much…"
"That damn company!"
The agent clenched his fists tightly.
"Why on earth do you people trust such an absurd, disgusting organization!"
It seemed to strike a nerve.
"You really think that a company that treats human lives so lightly will actually grant your wishes?"
"...!"
Jang Heo-un turned to the agent in surprise.
The agent gritted his teeth and continued.
"I know you're all working there for those wish-granting rights. Do you honestly believe in that nonsense? That some magical potion will grant any wish?"
Kim Soleum looked up at the agent, his expression calm.
"They do grant them."
"..."
"If the wish ticket was a lie, this structure wouldn't hold. Once you've onboarded, any wish can be granted."
"...Hah."
The agent let out an exasperated sigh, as though his frustration had reached its peak, and repeated an argument that sounded well-worn.
"Think about it. Let's say someone wishes for world peace, while another wishes for the extinction of humanity. How do they grant both contradictory wishes?"
Jang Heo-un, wearing the buffalo mask, flinched.
But Kim Soleum remained unperturbed.
"For the person making the wish, yes. It comes true."
"What does that even mean—"
"A wish ticket isn't meant to change the world. It's an omnipotent tool to fulfill personal desires."
What does that even mean?
It sounded like some cultish doctrine of salvation.
But Kim Soleum's demeanor wasn't that of a religious fanatic—it was more like someone who had repeatedly and empirically tested the circumstances and resigned themselves to reality.
The agent stared at him in bewilderment, but Kim Soleum simply shrugged.
"Well, I guess this is the end for me."
"...!"
Blood surged out from beneath the hand clutching his stomach.
The bleeding wasn't stopping at all.
Kim Soleum handed the blood-stained nametag back to Agent Bronze.
The agent gritted his teeth.
"Even if you keep sacrificing your nametag every time you're dragged here on a new moon, that company will never save you."
"Maybe not."
Kim Soleum shrugged again, though his expression tightened slightly from the pain. Even so, he managed a faint smile.
"But the Disaster Management Bureau will eventually put an end to this Darkness… or rather, this Disaster. When that happens, I'll finally be free too."
"...!!"
The agent looked at Kim Soleum as if he'd been struck.
"Go now, both of you. Staying here while looking back is dangerous."
Kim Soleum lifted his still-functioning emergency flashlight and shone it outside the classroom.
"I'll keep an eye ahead while you go."
"..."
"And… Mr. Buffalo, you didn't do anything wrong. You're just a rookie. Please, if possible, stick together for a while and stay safe."
"Mr. Roe Deer…"
The agent hesitated, but he ultimately gritted his teeth, turned around, and started walking with his flashlight.
"Follow me."
"Ah…"
Jang Heo-un wavered but eventually made his decision.
'I can't do anything for him by staying here…'
Leaving quickly might actually be easier for Kim Soleum.
But he couldn't leave without doing something. So, as he followed the agent, he secretly slipped something into Kim Soleum's pocket.
"Mr. Roe Deer, here… this is my spare nametag."
"...!"
"I survived longer thanks to you… and I don't have anyone else to save. It's not much, but at least take one… thank you."
Without waiting for a response, Jang Heo-un left with the agent, unable to look back.
"..."
Kim Soleum watched them leave as promised, keeping an eye on them until they disappeared around the corner.
And then…
'Finally!'
As soon as they were out of sight, Kim Soleum swiftly retrieved something he had prepared from his pocket.
A piece of candy, individually wrapped in plastic.
A nostalgic relic from a warmer time,
Magic candy!
A large, old-fashioned eyeball candy in cheerful red, yellow, and white, nestled in its quaint wrapper.
Nostalgia Candy
The emergency recovery item Kim Soleum had purchased.
With blood-streaked hands, he unwrapped it and popped the candy into his mouth.
And then, a transformation began.
"...!"
The wounds on his body began to close.
Spilled blood was reabsorbed, and fractured bones seamlessly reconnected, as though time itself was rewinding.
When rolling the candy in his mouth,
Rediscover cherished memories!
While the candy melted, it fixed the consumer's body and mind to their healthiest state from the past ten years.
'Since this is a dream anyway, temporary measures like this are more than enough.'
His condition surged to peak form, and his mind grew razor-sharp.
His thoughts spun at lightning speed.
'It worked…!'
Kim Soleum exhaled a sigh of relief.
His gamble had paid off—this was the most effective strategy in such a scenario.
'Faking my own death is still the best play.'
He had seized the opportunity to both secure freedom for exploration and repair his image.
'I was so nervous the flashlight would die before I could time it right.'
He dusted himself off, took another deep breath, and let out a long sigh of relief.
His heart pounded.
Relief mingled with lingering fear.
'…Alright.'
Now he knew exactly what to do next.
After standing, he double-checked the re-emerged tattoos on his body and retrieved a spare heavy-duty flashlight from the depths of one wrist tattoo.
With a steadying breath, Kim Soleum stepped out of the classroom and into the dark, eerie hallway of the fourth floor.