Chapter 158

A ghost story set in a school. It’s a concept with ancient roots, passed down over generations. When hundreds of teenagers are confined to a single building for hours on end, it’s only natural that eerie rumors, strange rituals, or ghost stories start circulating. The Seven Wonders, Bunshinsaba rituals… Of course, having gone through school myself, I always thought those were pretty entertaining. Isn’t it a classic, widely appealing horror narrative? ‘That’s why I was bold enough to contribute to the exploration records for the first time.’ Luckily, my entry didn’t get bombarded with ‘Not Recommended’ votes, and it stayed up. Encouraged by that, I even ended up crafting and posting an entirely original ghost story… ‘I’m… actually going in there?’ Sure, hearing about entering a ghost story was chilling enough to make my spine tingle, but there was also this odd queasiness. It wasn’t like the unease you feel holding a company manual. ‘I don’t even know how to describe it…’ In any case, the manual had already been distributed, and I had to at least attempt to enter. So, the question became how. – Perhaps a brief ritual before bedtime is in order? I’d love to know your secret to falling asleep so easily, Mr. Roe Deer! I quietly made my bed. “I’m planning to dream the ‘special dream’ the company told us about.” – Ah, you’re aiming to go to that ‘high school,’ then? ‘Even if it’s not this, I’ll have to enter some other ghost story anyway.’ Since only a select few met the conditions for entry each time, the company assigned higher point values for successful entries into this one. In the dead of night at the officetel, I opened the ‘specific book’ given to me by the company. – On a full moon night, read a specific book and fall asleep. You may wake up in a school at night. It was just as Squad Leader Lee Jaheon had explained. What was unusual was that the “book” was actually a text file. Within the Shadow of Darkness.txt This file was rumored to occasionally pop up in the ‘2000s Horror Classics Compilation’, a sketchy collection of novels you could download online (completely disregarding copyright laws). It looked like it could hold enough content for two books. But when I opened the file… “It all began on our graduation day.” That single sentence was the entirety of its content. Then, as I scrolled further, the text broke into gibberish. ₩ub124₩uac00₩u0020₩uc774₩u0020₩uae00₩uc744… File cannot be opened. Nothing comes easy, huh? ‘I’m going to die of a heart attack at this rate…’ Just then, I heard cursing from the room next door. Baek Saheon was likely preparing to enter this ghost story too. It was open to all employees, after all. ‘There’s a chance we might run into each other inside.’ Though the odds of Baek Saheon meeting the conditions for entry were slim. This ghost story’s entry conditions changed every time it was accessible. ‘But I know the guaranteed entry method mentioned in the mid-to-late exploration records…’ I’d already prepared accordingly. The critical question was how much information the employees had at this point. ‘Even if the records aren’t fully compiled, rumors might still circulate given the nature of this ghost story.’ With every employee preparing to enter, this aspect was a bit concerning. ‘Maybe I should check.’ It seemed like a good time to deter any unnecessary meddling. I walked up to Baek Saheon’s door and knocked politely. The door creaked open. Baek Saheon glared at me with a mix of surprise, fear, and irritation before forcing a smile. “Knocking means waiting for a response like ‘Come in’. Isn’t that basic courtesy?” I stepped back out and knocked again. “You little— Aauugh! Just come in already!” I opened the door and gave him a look of feigned pity. “The outcome would’ve been the same either way.” “You… live a really inefficient life, huh.” Baek Saheon seemed on the verge of bursting with frustration but managed to suppress it successfully. Hmm, it felt like he was finally starting to grasp the basics of social etiquette—what a relief. “Anyway, I’m really curious about what made you suddenly decide to barge into someone else’s room in the middle of the night for the first time…” As he spoke, it seemed like he simultaneously came to his own conclusion. “…Hey, wait. Don’t you have to enter the Darkness according to the company’s instructions, too? You know, that high school?” “Ah, I figured. So you’re preparing for it right now?” Baek Saheon’s eyes darted greedily toward my open door, scanning the area near my bed’s pillow with focused determination. He was obviously trying to squeeze out any hints. I didn’t bother closing the door, smirking openly. “Yeah. That’s right.” “Really? I heard you don’t know if you’ll actually enter until you fall asleep… But you seem so confident. Got some kind of secret method, huh?” “You sure have a lot of questions.” “Well, you came all the way to my room, so I figured I should return the favor by listening.” I casually threw out, “…Well, if you’re willing to share?” Baek Saheon ground his teeth and forced a smile. “…How about three days’ salary transferred to you as a bribe?” “I don’t need money. But I do want to know something.” “You want to enter, right? Why?” A brief but intense conflict flickered across Baek Saheon’s face. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to answer. It was that he was calculating if giving me the reason could somehow benefit him further. Eventually, he came to a decision, speaking with an air of nonchalance. “…I mean, there’s this rumor going around the company.” “Apparently, whatever items you obtain in that ghost story can be brought back into the real world… So, it’s a no-brainer to go in and come out with something, right?” “They say it’s nearly impossible to die in there, too.” So that’s how the employees currently perceive it. A ghost story labeled as ‘profitable to enter’.