320
The interrogation room of Daydream Inc.
In the unprecedented situation of the missing Potion Manufacturing Machine, my bombshell declaration on the scene made the interrogator's jaw drop.
"You saw a b-bomb in the elevator?"
"Yes."
I nodded with a deadpan expression. Then calmly declared.
"I'm telling you, it was there."
And all hell broke loose.
But the employees who dragged me along to the elevator found nothing but a clean interior.
"Huh, it's gone. I'm sure it was there."
"..."
"In any case, I saw it."
A Lie Detector was brought out.
In Daydream, a 'Truth-discerning Haunted Object' is a staple. This time, a Twilight Grade Hand-knitted Doll made its appearance.
The googly-eyed hand-knitted Doll asked in a ventriloquist's voice.
『Was there really a bomb?』
"I'm telling you, there was."
....
『It's true.』
The interrogation room was thrown into chaos!
And from that point on, I started spouting all sorts of bullshit.
"Ah, I also saw an employee from a cult in the elevator."
"I saw Researchers sprinting down an alley."
"I saw the Dragon and Fox from the new employee training video getting beaten up by a rabbit."
"I saw the Security Team hitting a director."
『It's true.』
Every single one was judged to be true!
"Confession Potion! We need a Confession Potion!"
"He just seems crazy, why waste a Confession Potion! Does any of that even make sense?"
Yes, it does.
"It's nonsense!"
It's true.
But the realistic and seasoned interrogators made a very appropriate guess.
"Even if it's not really the truth, if he believes it's the truth, it'll register as true."
"Ah…!"
The verdict was that I was a madman.
In the end, the interrogators, who had been whispering amongst themselves and were thoroughly fed up, declared: "Let's check if that Researcher is Contaminated."
"...!"
"In my opinion…."
The sound of whispering.
"It seems someone has released a Darkness here."
"If so, could it be that the machine's disappearance is also…."
"Indeed."
There was a sound of someone swallowing.
"It seems to be the work of a Darkness that failed containment. I'm wondering if people are getting Contaminated, and if that Researcher is the first to show Symptoms."
[…is what they're saying, my friend!]
Hmm.
From inside the comfortable interrogation room, I heard from Braun the intense deductions being developed by the company employees in charge of my interrogation outside.
Now, what follows is….
"We need to test that Researcher for Contamination. And request another proper inspection of the Annex to see if there's a Darkness that has breached containment."
And so, 30 minutes later.
"Please take him away!"
"Yes..."
I was transferred into the custody of the Security Team.
I was being moved to an isolation room to verify my 'Contamination status.'
And so, after causing all sorts of trouble in the interrogation room, I made a natural exit.
The new Researchers, who had been quarantined on the 10th floor, were staring at me as if I were a lunatic.
Goodbye, Researcher Park Kyung-hwan's brilliant career.
[It was so amusing to see them all in a panic, oh, it was a regular comedy sketch!]
'Whoever stole it, they should be thanking me.'
They must have bought an hour or two thanks to me. Plus, with an additional hypothesis to verify, they'll have more trouble with the chase.
Of course, there was something I paid in equivalent exchange.
'This Researcher's bright future at the company….'
To make them waste administrative power like this during the unprecedented crisis of the missing Potion Manufacturing Machine, I must have gotten on their bad side, Contamination or not.
Same goes for my relationship with my peers.
'You… you're really screwed when it comes to having a good life at this company….'
Let's just quit.
I'll just think of it as having done something beneficial for the countless Field Investigation Team members and civilians who died or got fucked over because of you. Hmm.
I inwardly shrugged my shoulders, then followed the stooped, skinny Security Team member as he led me away.
Due to the theft, passage to the Annex itself was blocked.
I took the elevator with the Security Team member and was transported to a temporary quarantine area on the 2nd floor of the Annex.
"..."
"..."
Thump.
The moment I entered the isolation room and the door closed, leaving us alone, the skinny Security Team member pressed a device on the wall, stopping the recording function.
"…Excuse me."
In the CCTV blind spot, I saw the other person's face as he lowered his mask.
The Security Chief, J3, blinks at me.
"Mr. Roe Deer… it's you, right…?"
Ah.
"…Why do you think so?"
"Um… the smell, it's the same…?"
Body odor.
I had done my best to deodorize and even put on the perfume this Researcher used, but it seems that was the giveaway.
'It must be because of the Security Chief's Contamination trait.'
I finally held back a sigh and gave a slight nod.
"Yes. It's me."
I was planning on talking to the Security Chief anyway, so this was for the best.
But the Security Chief's blank stare at me remained unchanged.
"You're… talking."
...Ah.
"Yes."
I gave a faint smile.
"I've recovered."
"...!"
"This isn't some trick of the disguise. I really have."
I said, waving my hand.
The Security Chief's gaze followed the movement of my bare hand.
Clean, with no gloves, no Black Smoke, no dripping flesh.
A human hand.
"I can eat now, too. I couldn't back when we were on the same team, so it'd be nice to do that together sometime."
"…Yeah."
The Security Chief nodded slowly.
And just as slowly, a faint smile spread across his face.
"That's great…."
"…Thank you."
[Still, this has-been knows his place. The entertainment world is overflowing with people who, after realizing their own fall, give in to despair and bare their worthless jealousy.]
…Because he no longer expects to recover at all.
Perhaps that's why.
"Um… should I bring some snacks....?"
"Ah, I'm fine for now. I'll buy some next time."
"Mm, thank you…."
Looking at the Security Chief, who somehow seemed to find things less troubled than before, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
'If you drink a Wish Ticket… can't you wish for things like a full recovery from Contamination?'
Has no one ever wished for it?
'…Ah, they said only full-time employees can take it.'
And the 'full-time employees'—the Field Investigation Team members—were the kind of people who, if given a Wish Ticket they could use for their own Contamination recovery, would instead spend it on the 'desperate wish' that had driven them to join the company.
Which meant that using a Wish Ticket to recover from Contamination was something that would almost never happen.
But.
'…What if someone else makes the wish for them?'
What would happen then?
Just like Ms. Go Young-eun, who had made a wish on behalf of Jang Heo-un.
'…Was there really no one who ever did that?'
[An interesting question, Mr. Roe Deer. Though it will be difficult to resolve for now!]
For now, I decided to keep that question in the back of my mind.
Because there was a more pressing topic.
We were able to continue our conversation in a much lighter atmosphere.
The disappearance of the Daydream Potion Manufacturing Machine!
"Um… the machine, did you steal it…?"
"Absolutely not."
Though I was planning to, of course.
"Did you steal it, Chief?"
"No…."
"..."
"..."
We both felt a little awkward.
"Um, about seeing a bomb… in the elevator…."
"Ah."
I nodded solemnly.
"I meant that I am the bomb."
"..."
No, I seriously have a similar Item in my inventory.
The other things I said were similar.
'It's a prank where you leave out the subject or the object.'
I had indeed witnessed or experienced them, but that's not to say I saw them just now.
'But since it all comes out as true, it drives people crazy.'
Of course, if it had come to a Confession Potion, I had planned to deal with it differently, but anyway.
"So it wasn't either of us."
"No..."
The two would-be thieves, who had been beaten to the punch, blinked and looked at each other.
"…Do you think someone else might have stolen it?"
"I don't know…."
W-well, I suppose so….
"Then was there anything strange?"
"Strange…?"
"Yes. Like someone being suspicious, or having a weird feeling."
The Security Chief seemed lost in thought for a moment, then answered slowly.
"Um… for some reason… right now… seems… a bit strange… maybe."
…Right now?
"In what way?"
"Uh..."
The Security Chief's expression turned as if even thinking was a bother, but he slowly turned his gaze outside the isolation room.
"I think someone died…."
"…Excuse me?"
At that moment.
Flicker.
"…!"
The indoor lights flickered.
As if my vision had almost vanished, every light source disappeared for a moment….
Then the lights came back on.
"..."
"..."
Ding-dong.
-This is an announcement! We ask everyone in the Annex not to be alarmed by the sudden power outage and to please remain where you are….
A voice came from the speaker on the wall.
It was the orientation host's voice.
-Until the Dream Maker is recovered, the lockdown of the Annex will not be lifteeeeeeeekzaaaknkueeeugeeujiaagijageueueueueugeegeedeekeeeegeedeekeekeekeu -....
-....
-It's been sealed.
Click.
The announcement cut off.
"..."
"Shh."
Creeak.
The Security Chief, who had put his mask back on at some point, reopened the door of the temporary isolation room. Then he turned back to me and said.
"Stay put, right here…. I'll go check…."
"...Yes."
"If it's dangerous… lock it."
Tuk.
Leaving the isolation room door open just a tiny crack, the Security Chief left.
Soon, I heard him walk out into the hallway outside….
"..."
I waited for a moment.
'Stay calm.'
I'm currently infiltrated under someone else's identity. Let's not lose this advantage.
Information is important, so I planned to wait until the Security Chief came back to report what he found.
But the ominous air made my hands turn cold.
And a few dozen seconds later.
Flicker.
"…!"
My vision disappeared.
A blackout.
Without a single speck of light remaining, everything turned pitch black, leaving only a cool darkness.
"..."
Frozen, I sat on the chair and quietly adjusted to the darkness….
This time, the lights didn't come back on.
And.
-....
…From the crack in the isolation room door, from outside, I thought I heard a voice.
"…Chief?"
But there was no answer.
I carefully got up, took a deep breath to calm myself, and put my eye to the crack in the isolation room door….
My hand trembled as I was about to do something you only see in horror movies.
And in my eyes, now adjusted to the dark, a very faint silhouette appeared.
…The dark hallway.
-2F-
"..."
There was no one there.
'Is this… a ghost story?'
Could it be that the Potion Manufacturing Machine disappeared because of a ghost story?
Then I might have helped the investigation by leading them astray.
[Now, what action will you take, my friend?]
I peered out through the crack in the door again.
Then, I realized that this hallway wasn't completely empty.
A black, rectangular device was lying on the floor.
'…What's that?'
But it was hard to see in the dark.
After a moment's thought, instead of bringing out my Contamination, I quietly stepped out of the door.
This way, even if someone finds me, they'll just think that crazy Researcher is up to some nonsense again.
And very carefully, I walked down the dark hallway, approaching the object on the floor….
Stop.
As I stopped and crouched down closer, I recognized what the object was.
'…A Video Recorder.'
The old Video Recorder didn't look like something that would be used in this day and age.
A handy camcorder, with a screen that opened to the side.
[Oh, quite a tasteful recording device. Though it is rather shabby.]
'....'
A Video Recorder ghost story.
A few candidates flashed through my mind. After some deliberation, I decided not to touch the Video Recorder and stood up….
"There…."
"…! Chief."
It was Mr. Jay.
I barely managed not to misspeak the title as I watched Security Chief J3 appear, walking from the other end of the hallway.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah… nothing happened…."
The Security Chief walked this way.
I let out a sigh of relief and looked at him, then lowered my gaze to the Video Recorder.
"That is…?"
"Ah, it was on the floor…."
There's no shadow.
"..."
Right now, the Security Chief had come right up to me, but there was no shadow beneath him at all.
I hadn't noticed from a distance because it was dark.
"Um…."
"..."
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
I frantically searched through the Darkness Exploration Records in my head, trying to find the corresponding ghost story. So, this, this is….
"...!!"
I picked up the Video Recorder from the floor.
The moment I hurriedly opened the side panel, the Video Recorder powered on and the screen came to life.
I pointed the Video Recorder at the 'Security Chief.'
"What… are you doing?"
On the Video Recorder screen.
A face that wasn't the Security Chief's was staring at me.
Grinning.
A face with disheveled hair and prominent cheekbones, filling the screen, rolling its eyes and grinning.
An old hospital gown.
…Beneath its baggy bottoms, only nerves and blood vessels dangled in the air instead of legs.
But when I lifted my head, the Security Chief was standing there with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong…?"
"..."
Fuck.
I turned and ran.
The sound of something chasing me frantically echoed.
'Dammit,'
Dammit, dammit dammit!!
This is a hospital ghost story…!
==========
Darkness Exploration Record / ghost story
We Record Our End
: A ghost story appearing in the Darkness Exploration Record, Daydream Inc. identification code Qterw-C-1004.
A video recording from a camcorder that filmed a certain incident that occurred at a nursing hospital located in ■■ Province.
The moment someone checks this recording in a sealed building of 5 floors or more, the events that took place on the last day of that nursing hospital's operation are reenacted.
Refer to the appendix for the incident records of the closed nursing hospital.
A total of 43 explorations have been recorded.
==========
'Was that thing in the Annex?'
No, why was it released in the first place? No….
Get a grip!
'Be grateful you grabbed the Video Recorder now that it's already started!'
By looking through the screen of the Video Recorder, which is randomly acquired in the altered space (except for the 4th floor), one can see the truth of what is actually happening.
I almost ended up with one more type of Contamination.
…Though that danger still exists.
Tadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada
Dammit, dammit!
I could feel 'the thing that looked like the Security Chief' sticking tenaciously to my back, chasing me.
The sounds behind me echoed, as if reenacting what had once been done to it.
No, not footsteps… but the noise of something whip-like striking the walls and the floor!
'Hah.'
Goosebumps rose all over me.
But for now, I checked my vision by looking at the Video Recorder in the dark and came up with a plan.
I'll lose it at this next corner….
Then…
Something pushed me.
"…!!"
No, it grabbed me at the same time.
My mouth was covered as I was tumbled into one of the offices. Someone forced me under a desk.
I reflexively tried to fight back, but its behavior seemed strange for a ghost story, so I stopped.
'Who is it?'
I lifted my head to see who it was….
It was Baek Saheon.
"…!"
I reflexively brought up the Video Recorder, but nothing appeared on it….
It's the real Baek Saheon.
With a look of utter annoyance, Baek Saheon grabs my Video Recorder.
'The light!'
I quickly folded the Video Recorder and ducked down.
The guy who tried to snatch the Video Recorder eventually looked at me with a shut-the-hell-up expression and crouched down himself.
'…No.'
How is this guy in the Annex?
And….
'Is he trying to save me right now?'
Why? I reflexively focused my gaze on his face to read his expression better. Baek Saheon glares back at me as if to say, 'what are you looking at.' But….
Creeeeak.
"..."
"..."
We both froze.
"…Hello?"
The door opened.
"Where is it…. It definitely came this way..."
...I can hear a presence.
The walking sound of the shadowless 'Security Chief.'
Not normal footsteps, but a strange sound, like thin strands sticking to the floor and then peeling off….
Squelch, squelchhh-
A curse rose to my throat and sweat flowed.
I kept my mouth shut with Baek Saheon and stayed crouched under the desk. Holding our breath in the darkness-shrouded space, we stay perfectly still….
"Is it in this hospital room….?"
'…Hospital room?'
And I slowly realize.
The air has changed.
Amidst the unique office smell of paper and diffusers, there's a peculiar scent.
A cool and uncomfortable scent.
...The smell of disinfectant.
I realized.
We were no longer under a desk, but crouched under a hospital bed.
"..."
I lowered my gaze.
The Video Recorder had automatically turned on, its red light blinking.
"There you are."
The patient's hand seized my Video Recorder.