Have you ever gotten really hooked on something?
I'm talking beyond just "this is fun," to the point where it leaves such a deep impression that you've shelled out extra time and money for it.
You know what I mean.
Movies? Director's cuts. Games? Art books. Webtoons? Early access passes. Singers? Concerts...
And if you take it a step further, buying merch counts too.
Yeah, goods. The stuff they call "goodies."
Figures, slogans, badges, plushies...
I can say with absolute certainty: I'd never spent a dime on any of that crap in my life.
Until now.
This was a department store.
The popup store had wrapped up its wildly successful run by 10 a.m., when the store opened—waiting tickets were already all handed out.
And I'd snagged one of those tickets, too.
"2:30 p.m. slot! Right this way, please!"
"Finally!"
"Come on, hurry up!"
The bright-eyed teens standing next to me bolted toward the staff with excited grins.
'2:30... yeah, that's me.'
I pulled my cap down low and got in line.
But then I heard whispering from behind.
"Huh..."
"Dude looks like he's in his twenties."
"Scalper?"
"..."
It was so unfair, but I got why they'd think that.
I was the only adult in line who looked like he had a day job!
'Ugh...'
I sighed, staring at the popup store entrance.
⚙ WORLD LORE ⚙Explorer Who Came from the Darkness, Welcome.
'This is insane.'
Black and red backdrop splashed with monster caricatures, occult symbols, and icons of corporations, religions, governments—all mashed together.
A worldview that hit teens right in the feels.
And the title? Pure gold.
📜 PROPHECY TITLE 📜Apocalypse Prophecy: Darkness Exploration Records
Huh...
I barely resisted the urge to cover my eyes with one hand.
'Why did I have to discover this at work of all places...'
Darkness Exploration Records.
The hottest internet creepypasta universe lately.
You know those collective storytelling things? Where anyone can jump in and build the lore. Open-source crowd-sourced worldbuilding.
Started as a spin-off from some famous horror tale, spread like wildfire among students, then YouTube's algorithm supercharged it into a monster.
"Records of exploring all sorts of bizarre phenomena called ." That's the hook.
Eventually, it ballooned into an independent wiki crammed with hundreds, thousands of stories. That's how it caught my eye.
'...And being text-only made it way too easy to read at work.'
They say nothing's more fun at the office than slacking off, right?
I dove headfirst into the lore, and before I knew it, I'd created and posted my own creepypasta...
How the hell did I end up here? Is it my dopamine-dead corporate life?
And Darkness Exploration Records itself? Wild.
'Never thought it'd blow up this big.'
Now it's a massive IP dominating YouTube—practically teen royalty.
So corporations pounced to cash in.
Case in point: this popup store.
'But come on, the wiki even had a 15+ warning sticker.'
Why's it crawling with kids?
Hearing the whispers behind me was hitting hard with reality...
"Totally a scalper..."
"Hey, could be for his niece or cousin... don't judge."
No. This was for me.
...Truth is, I came last week too. Sold out right before my turn, so I took a vacation day to try again...
'At least back then there were women my age.'
Today? Weekday afternoon, only other "adults" were parents tagging along with kids. Mortifying. I wanna bolt.
'But why am I even trying to tough this out...'
Anyway, I followed the staff inside.
Her not batting an eye was my one small mercy.
"Whoa!"
"Dude, it looks just like the real thing."
Middle-schoolers gasped in awe as the popup's interior came into view—decked out like a theme park, impressively detailed.
Even themed exhibits, sorted nicely.
🏢 FACTIONSDaydream Corporation Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau Nameless Radiant Church
In this creepypasta world, three massive powers duke it out: corporations, government, religion. All racing to observe and claim the bizarre phenomena.
'Started with just government bureau tales, but fans piled on and it snowballed.'
Anyway, this popup curated the internet-famous ones.
Obviously cherry-picking popular characters and items for max profit, but the quality held up.
'Yeah. When am I ever gonna hit up a place like this again...'
I ignored the stares and grabbed what I came for.
Most of what I wanted was gone from last week, so my basket wasn't screaming "scalper" anymore. Silver lining.
"Would you like to add the L-size eco-bag for 5,000 won?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
Checked out smoothly, but I lingered instead of bolting.
I glanced at the line forming by the checkout.
Roulette Event Create Your Own Darkness Exploration Records Character
That thing.
Saw it last week but bailed on lining up...
'Popup ends tomorrow, though.'
I was fiercely debating if it was worth trading my dignity when—
The staff who'd just switched shifts at checkout smiled at me.
"Roulette event's today only! Wanna give it a spin?"
"...Sure."
Thank you.
Thank you so much, staff lady...
"Great! This way, please! Stand here..."
She hustled me to the massive black roulette wheel, and I naturally ended up at the back of the line.
It moved faster than expected.
Soon I was up front, handed a button that looked like a walkie-talkie trigger.
"Okay, lucky roulette first! Press when you want it to stop."
Piiiing.
Cheesy sound effect blared as the wheel spun.
Prizes and ranks in each slot: stuff I'd already bought, display-only goods, even random Bluetooth earbuds...
The biggest slice—7th place—was some lame memo pad. Probably where it'd land.
Fine by me. Better than leaving without playing.
'No big expectations.'
I pressed the button carefully, thinking that.
Rrrrr... click.
But my wheel slowed... and stopped on a sliver of gold.
🎰 GRAND PRIZE! 🎰1st Place
Darkness Exploration Records Real Goods Box
"...!"
"Whoa! Congrats!"
Is this... for real?
"Holy crap!"
"Lucky bastard. I'm so jealous."
Screams, cheers, jealous mutters—chaos erupted behind me.
"Wow, first 1st place on the last full day! Amazing!"
The staff dashed behind the roulette, hauling back a vinyl-wrapped chunky black box.
Silver foil stamped with a huge symbol—it screamed premium merch.
I took it with barely trembling hands.
"...Thank you."
Gotta get outta here and slap my face. Confirm this is reality.
I tried to leave, but she stopped me.
"Wait! We were gonna give you a custom on-site goodie too—just need your name!"
Name? My info's been public since that portal hack ages ago. Priority: get this home safe...
"Kim Sol-eum."
"Got it, Sol-eum! One sec."
She fiddled with a black vending-machine-looking 3D printer by the roulette.
Popup special? Label on top explained it.
Darkness Exploration Records Character Maker
Ah. The subtitle from the roulette event.
...Create Your Own Darkness Exploration Records Character.
Peak teen bait...
"Enter your name here."
"...Okay."
Clutching the goods box, I punched in my name on the pad.
The machine whirred with eerie music-box tinkles, gears spinning in a flashy show.
Then it spat out a small item.
Clunk.
I picked up the familiar shape.
It was... an employee ID.
🆔 EMPLOYEE ID 🆔Daydream Corporation
Kim Sol-eum
Field Exploration Team
"Whoa! Daydream Corporation—one of the three biggest factions in [Darkness Exploration Records]!"
"..."
Yeah. I know.
Basically, the cliché megacorp profiting off the bizarre.
And Field Exploration Team under it?...
'Death squad central.'
Redshirts from those old SF shows. They charge into anomalies and get shredded.
Though that did spawn a lot of named characters.
"Field Exploration Team badge! Can't wait to see Employee Kim Sol-eum's exploits in the [Darkness Exploration Records] world!"
"Thanks... yeah, thanks."
My toes curled in embarrassment, but I held it together.
'Better than government agency or cult ID.'
Company badge was the lesser evil.
A bit awkward, but the staff rattled it off casually—either immune from repetition or peak corporate chill.
Anyway, event over with the ID in hand.
"Thank you."
I sighed at my printed name.
'Gotta stash this where no one sees it.'
My anti-cringe shield wouldn't hold forever.
Meanwhile, the staff beamed.
"Like it? You'll treasure it, right?"
"Yeah."
"Liar."
...?
Did I hear that right? I looked up.
Smirk.
Her mouth stretched into an unnatural grin, ripping ear-to-ear...
"...?"
Then—
Dizziness slammed my skull.
"...!"
Popup noise vanished.
Vision swirled like black paint, smearing red and blue.
When it cleared...
The world had flipped.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Welcome, New Hires, to Daydream Corporation!
"...!?"
I was in the corner of some huge lecture hall, facing a central stage.
And—
Woooaaah!!
Cheers erupted as fireworks exploded from the massive projector PPT.
📋 ORIENTATION 📋New Employee Orientation
Suits clapped and cheered politely—fresh grads beaming with pride and nerves.
Classic megacorp new-hire event. Faces lit with "I made it!" joy.
You beat 145:1 odds to join us! Be proud, new hires! Haha! Let's kick off orientation!
"..."
What the—?
I stumbled back, but realized I was seated.
Suit and tie—my client dinner outfit, conveniently matching the "new hires."
And on my lap? The roulette goods box, sitting pretty.
"Hey, where'd you get that? Company giveaway?"
"..."
Couldn't even answer the guy next to me.
You are the chosen ones! Of this recruitment batch, only the special few made it to Orientation Room A! Congrats! You've passed aptitude tests and been assigned to the special unit: [Field Exploration Team].
"Assignments already?"
"Field Exploration Team? Does Daydream even have that?"
"Pharma company doing... field exploration?"
"Sounds like a demotion dump. Branch office? Fancy name to lure us..."
Whispers everywhere, but I had no time.
Familiar names hit like lightning.
Daydream Corporation.
Field Exploration Team.
A wiki page flashed in my mind.
— Wiki Entry: Field Exploration TeamOne of Daydream Corporation's five dev-team subunits in [Darkness Exploration Records]. Known as the death squad. Fanfic goldmine, though.
'Hold up.'
This was the source creepypasta from the popup.
So what comes next?...
— Wiki Lore: Field Exploration TeamThey run death-survival orientation to weed out hires. Popular wiki fodder—reminds normies what happens when civilians probe the Darkness.
"...!"
"H-Hey, what're you—"
I kicked my chair back, bolting for the exit. No time for assessment.
Too late.
Short probation before full hire! Absolute eval based on practical aptitude. Short and sweet! Active participation required for fair eval. No free rides—we'll catch 'em!
Bam, slam slam slam.
Doors sealed shut one after another.
'Shit!'
Naive newbies still thought Daydream was just a pharma giant—clueless.
As a hundred hires listened rapt, the host bellowed cheerfully.
Let's begin!
With that peppy call—
Lights out.
"...?"
"Huh?"
Newbies puzzled—maybe prepping a video? Reasonable doubt.
Makes sense.
'No one expects their dream job to turn into nightmare fuel.'
Like, say—
The room morphing into a creepy subway car.
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙Thank you for riding Abyssal Transit Corporation today... This train does not stop. Please listen closely to announcements for a comfortable trip to your final destination.
Unfamiliar name, eerie tone.
"...!?"
"What the hell?!"
New hires in suits shot up from subway seats—like the hall teleported wholesale.
Panickable.
"Excuse me?"
"VR stunt? Did we actually move?"
Most still saw the crowd, felt safe-ish. Casual reactions dominated.
Poking around for company clues, host, staff...
Then piecing it together.
"People up front! Doors... won't open?"
"Some new tech?"
Cold sweat hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut, then open.
I knew this creepypasta already.
— Wiki Entry: Welcome to the Abyssal Transit CorporationD-Grade Darkness from early days. Insanely hard escape rate. Eternal suffering for Field Exploration Team. ■■ expeditions logged.
Welcome to the Abyssal Transit Corporation.
Obvious: Korean subway horror.
Wake up in a subway. Feels like commute home... but weird station names start announcing.
That's the opener.
Targets anyone who's ever commuted by subway—most office drones. Chills deep.
"..."
'And this one's Daydream turf.'
They're using it to cull newbies. ...Damn it!
"Escape room gimmick?"
"Why would a hair-loss-pill pharma make sales newbies do that..."
Then—
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙This station is Sorrow, Sorrow Station.
"...!"
"Sor... row?"
First announcement.
I held my breath, turning.
Alight through the doors on the right...
Clunk.
Train halted.
Screen doors opening.
Doors slid open.
Everyday normal.
Doors close in 30 seconds. No turning back. Passengers for Sorrow Station as final destination must alight per announcements.
Familiar voice, twisted words—polite poison.
But people rationalize comfort.
"Check outside! Normal station!"
Spot on.
Platform visible beyond doors. Dim, damp, but standard subway.
A few perked up, heading out.
Ah, damn it.
"Better stay put."
"Huh?"
Frustrated, I blurted fast.
"Heard it: Sorrow Station. No such place in Korea. Obvious red flag."
"Oh..."
"Y-Yeah, he's right. Let's wait and see..."
Quick-on-the-uptake guy next to me backed me. The one who'd asked about the box.
Hesitation spread among the door-rushers.
"Still..."
"Door's closing!"
Panic pushed a few to leap out anyway...
Failed.
Doors closing.
"Ah!"
"Missed it. Fuck."
Left-behinds sighed at waving "alighters." Some shot me dirty looks, muttering curses.
Get it. Unfamiliar horror—brain-off flight mode.
But.
"Uh?"
"That..."
Horror unfolded.
Platform folks turned to move—
Silver droplets burst from ceiling and pillars, raining on their heads.
Splat splat splat splat.
Like giant tears.
But the drops melted into them like molten metal—explosive agony.
Screams. Twitching.
Silence.
Silver fluid and blood splattered the windows.
Train departing Sorrow Station.
Last glimpse outside.
"..."
Mangled new-hire remains smeared the screen doors, slick with guts and blood.
Writhing.
"Aaaagh!"
"Uwaaak!"
Wrong answers devoured.
Please listen closely to announcements for a comfortable trip to your final destination.
Terror shrank the crowd; screams and shouts finally stained the air.
'Here we go.'
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Dropped into a creepypasta?
No clue how, but yeah—newbie in the company's death squad.
'For real?'
Honestly? Better off than most newbies.
I'd read the whole wiki.
— Expedition Logs■■ runs detailed. I remember most.
Classic OP protagonist setup, right?
Isekai'd into fave world with lore advantage—escape easy, hog encounters and loot. Cocky vibes?
Maybe.
One fatal flaw.
'...I'm a fucking coward who can't handle scary shit!'
Yup.
Text? Fine. Gripping even.
Visuals? Nope. Instant nope.
Not just any coward—friends roast me endless level.
— Group Chat RoastReal talk: Sol-eum ditched a date cuz she wanted horror flick and he can't handle it? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Your name means "goosebumps" but horror movies? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Even thot girl bounced ㅋㅋㅋ— Kim Sol-eumDie? Sorry.
Even at work in broad daylight, scary backgrounds or BGM? I'd kill data and go text-only.
My own creepypasta? Zero images—coward shelter resident!
"..."
Hands over eyes.
I'm done for...