Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work

Chapter 15.1

<Daydream Inc.> is a creepy company that throws Field Exploration Team employees into terrifying ghost stories to extract potion concentrate.

This raises a question.

– If you recklessly throw employees into high-level, extremely dangerous ghost stories, won’t they all die and fail to extract the concentrate?

To address this concern and make the progression of ghost stories more convenient, there’s a setting where ‘employees can obtain custom equipment that becomes more powerful as they are promoted’.

However, this isn’t overly detailed. If they started breaking down the equipment into specific tiers and classifications, it would no longer be an internet ghost story but a massive game setting.

To make it easier for anyone to participate in the storytelling, a more convenient system was added.

– Customized personal equipment.

Employees who have proven their usefulness can receive supernatural equipment supported by the company.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that ordinary employees wield cartoonish superpowers—just a slight boost in special abilities.

It’s more about creating convenient situations.

‘Still, it’s great that it even exists.’

I unintentionally looked at Squad Leader Lee Jaheon with hopeful eyes, but when I made eye contact with the lizard, I quickly lowered my gaze.

I’m really not getting used to this.

“Oh, can I make custom equipment?”

“Yes.”

“…Could you explain it to me?”

“Yes.”

After asking three times, I finally got a detailed explanation.

Still, it was fascinating.

‘This is something I only knew bits and pieces about.’

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The scattered mentions from <Dark Exploration Records> were now being organized and explained by the section chief.

“Custom equipment can be made using specific ghost stories owned by the company.”

Right. They’d use the ghost stories, of course.

[Toy Maker of the Cheerful Lab / Qterw-E-07]

[Kind Seed Kit / Qterw-E-99]

[The Offering of the Ritual / Qterw-E-404]

In my memory, these were the three ghost stories mentioned in connection with equipment creation by <Daydream Inc.> employees.

Among them, the one most used by the Field Exploration Team is…

“…That.”

Oh!

* * *

“It just so happens this is a ghost story that can only be used during moonlit nights!”

While my squad members gladly accompanied me for the experience, I headed with the section chief to the annex next to the company building.

Seizing the moment while the iron was hot, my superiors urged me to go now.

“Oh… this place is where relatively safe and useful ghost stories are kept in isolation.”

Assistant Manager Eun explained.

“The company usually calls these ‘Twilight-Class’.”

I already knew that.

Officially, these ghost stories are classified as E-Class.

However, simply calling them E-Class doesn’t quite fit the classification system.

‘They’re carefully selected useful ones.’

Some are far stronger than D-Class or less dangerous than F-Class, which is why most people refer to them by their unique name, ‘Twilight’.

“Roe, you saw that radio on your first day, right? It’s useful because it tells you your fortune for the day. It’s similar to that.”

After Assistant Manager Eun scanned her employee ID, the first-floor entrance to the annex revealed a staircase leading down.

And as we descended the stairs… we found a dimly lit reception desk with a figure sitting behind it.

The figure was peculiar, dressed entirely in black with a mask, sunglasses, and even a hat.

Was this an employee?

Supervisor Park immediately rushed forward.

“Hello! We’re Field Exploration Team’s D-squad, visiting for new recruit training.”

“……”

“We’re requesting access to Twilight-Class ghost story number 99.”

The dark figure gave Supervisor Park a brief, scrutinizing look before nodding.

With a nod, they pressed a button on the desk, and one of the emergency doors behind them opened.

Creak.

Beyond that door was a corridor lined with countless other doors.

“Don’t open any other doors by mistake. Actually, they’re probably locked, but let’s not even touch the handles.”

That’s sound advice.

I nodded silently and began walking.

Soon, we stopped in front of the door labeled ‘99,’ and Assistant Manager Eun placed her employee ID on the reader.

Click.

“Let’s go in.”

I lifted my head.

Moonlight was pouring into a greenhouse overgrown with weeds.

And in the center, a rusty machine stood bathed in moonlight.

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Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story

[Kind Seed Kit]

: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>

: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-E-99.

It treats objects as plants, extracting genetic information to crossbreed and sow them. Operates using moonlight as an energy source.

========================

That’s right.

‘If you put two objects in, it mixes their traits to create a new item.’

This was the ghost story primarily used by the Field Exploration Team for making custom equipment, and it certainly had the atmosphere of a ghost story.

“This is the Darkness our department almost exclusively uses!”

I stood in front of the rusty machine and asked.

“Does it cost points to use this?”

“Yes. For the Twilight-Class Darkness stored in the annex, you have to pay a usage fee to activate them.”

“Oh…”

“By the way, this one costs 1,000 points per use.”

Wait a minute. Isn’t that a bit odd?

“If it’s equipment necessary for exploring ghost stories, shouldn’t the company be subsidizing it instead of charging fees?”

As hopeless as this company is, they should at least cover that… right?

“Oh, once you become a supervisor, you can use it for free twice a year.”

“……”

Maybe I should’ve gotten promoted after all.