Chapter 9.2

Chapter 9.2

Even with a B-Class ghost story, the survival rate for a normal person drops to around 2%.

At that level, no matter what choice you make, you’re either going to die or end up worse off than dead.

If someone enters that 150 times, it’s pretty much a death sentence for a regular employee.

In such an insane situation, you’d have to beg on your knees not to be sent in.

Speed-running higher class ghost stories isn’t a realistic option at all.

‘So, to raise my survival rate even a little, I’ll need to invest over 10 years.’

This isn’t some tale of a nobleman seeking revenge...

Yet, if the Field Exploration Team is the fastest department, people in other departments have an even lower chance of getting their hands on a Wish Ticket during their career.

With so many other attractive products in the welfare mall, many employees in other departments have probably resigned themselves to that reality and settled for less.

But not me.

My goal is far more surreal and absolute.

Returning to my original world.

And they expect me to survive here for 15 years? I’d die of a heart attack from the stress before then!

‘No chance in hell!’

I needed a plan, a strategy.

‘I need to figure out which ghost stories I should enter and which ones to avoid.’

I had to balance safety and speed perfectly to gather 500,000 points in the shortest time possible.

Just as I was about to dive deep into serious contemplation, Supervisor Park gave me a friendly pat on the back.

“Hey, did you get everything registered? Is the computer working fine?”

“Yes. By the way, the personal items here...”

“Oh, that’s the squad leader’s desk.”

“......”

No wonder it looked used!

“Just don’t break the monitor. Feel free to use it today, no worries.”

Is this company for real?

Letting a new hire use the squad leader’s desk for the day—is that something a sane company does?

‘Come to think of it, nothing here seems normal.’

This is a company that churns out potions by throwing people into ghost stories. Holding this place to the standards of an ordinary 21st-century Korean workplace was bound to lead to shock after shock.

...Maybe a little bending of the rules wouldn’t hurt.

“Hey, do you smoke, Roe?”

“No, I’m good.”

I didn’t follow my superiors for their smoke break.

Instead, I stared down at the desk I was sitting at, took a deep breath, and flipped the keyboard over.

As expected, there was a post-it note stuck underneath.

[Squad Leader Lee Jaheon / 105105301]

ID: yongj1111

PW: dydajflgodks!111

It’s hard to criticize the lack of security awareness when I’ve seen so much of this already at the company.

‘If he’s the squad leader... then that means he’s probably a section chief.’

And actually, there’s a certain website accessible only to section chiefs and above in this company...

It could really help with clearing higher-class ghost stories.

“......”

Now that I’d seen the absurd goal of 500,000 points, it felt like something I couldn’t afford to pass up.

Alright.

‘Let’s do this.’

I resolutely logged back into the welfare mall.

But this time, I didn’t use my own ID.

ID: yongj1111

Password: dydajflgodks!111

I attempted to log in using the D Squad Leader’s credentials.

Incorrect password.

* * *

And then, a new page opened.

It looked like something from the early 2000s, with obvious underlines and outdated fonts.

<Space Shopping Mall>

※Amazing items from outer space※~!!

>>I’ll take a look at the items

Boing Boing Boing. A little green spaceship rotated in the corner.

‘This is so lame.’

But I couldn’t let the tackiness fool me.

If you click ‘items’ here, you’ll see bizarre, supernatural products for sale.

...Though the problem is, the prices are just as outrageous.

The minimum started at one million won.

...A result of the over-inflated imaginations of ghost story creators with massive egos who thought, ‘I need to use even more expensive items!’

That was me just yesterday. I wouldn’t have been able to buy a single thing from this list.

But now...

‘I’ve got 20 million won.’

My heart raced a little. The thought of being able to purchase items from a fictional world felt like a serious dopamine rush.

“Huu.”

Finally, I clicked on the [Items] tab.

The screen loaded.

Items

Bloodsucking Cutlery – ₩14,999,999

Wide-Range Walkie-Talkie – ₩4,999,999

Alice Picnic Set – ₩11,999,999

We Can Help! – ₩66,666,666

※Discount!※ Silver Serpent – ₩4,999,999

₩19,999,999

“......!”

I recognized most of these items.

Finally, my luck was turning!

‘Hell yeah.’

In my excitement, I quickly recalled the details.

Bloodsucking Cutlery.

A weapon set consisting of a small fork and knife, which grows bigger and sharper as it absorbs the blood of its victims.

You could literally call it a ‘growth weapon’.

Broader Walkie-Talkie.

A toy walkie-talkie that allows remote communication with others, even within ghost stories.

It would be very useful when you have companions.

Alice Picnic Set.

As the name suggests, it’s inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It contains food items.

It came with a drink that temporarily doubles the effect of items and cookies that halve them.

That’s where my knowledge of the items ended.

I didn’t know the other two, but ‘We Can Help!’ was way out of my budget, so I ignored it.

‘The Silver Serpent is on sale.’

Getting a discount always feels like a win.

“Hmm...”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

A weapon, a communication device, a buff potion, and a discount item...?

My budget was 20 million won.

What should I buy to get the best value?

“Alright.”

I made my decision and clicked.