Have you ever had an experience where you became totally engrossed in something?
I'm not just talking about thinking, 'Oh, this is fun,' but being so deeply impressed that you ended up spending extra time and money on it. There must be something like that, right?
If it's a movie, watching the director's cut. If it's a game, buying the artbook. If it's a webtoon, paying for early access. If it's a singer, going to their concert…
Going a bit further, buying related merchandise could be another example. Yes, I'm talking about what they call merch.
Figures, banners, badges, dolls…
I can confidently say that I've never spent money on such things in my life. Until now.
Here I am at a department store.
A popup store that opened to a great turnout, and by 10 AM, the moment the department store opened, all the waiting tickets had already been distributed.
And yes, I got one of those tickets.
"The 2:30 PM time slot is now open for entry!"
"Finally!"
"Hey, let's go!"
The cheerful teenagers standing next to me ran excitedly toward the staff. '2:30 PM… that's right.'
I pulled my hat down as far as it would go and stood in line. But then, I overheard whispers behind me.
"Uh…"
"A reseller?"
"Isn't he a dealer?"
"..."
I felt so wronged, but honestly, it made sense.
I was the only adult male who looked like an office worker in this line! 'Haa…'
I sighed as I glanced at the entrance of the popup store.
[Welcome, explorer of the darkness.]
'This is ridiculous.'
A theme with black and red backgrounds, caricatures of various monsters, occult elements, and symbols of corporations, religions, and governments all intertwined.
It's exactly the kind of universe that would captivate a teenager's heart. Even the title is a masterpiece.
[Prophecy of the Apocalypse: Dark Exploration Records]
Ugh…
I barely resisted the urge to cover my eyes with my hand. 'Why did I have to see this at work…'
.
It's the world of a ghost story universe that's been super popular recently. You know, the kind of open-source collective intelligence universe where people can participate and create their own stories?
At first, it seemed like it stemmed from a famous creepypasta and started spreading modestly among students, but then it hit the YouTube algorithm and started getting viral like crazy.
The concept of 'records of exploring various paranormal phenomena called '.
Eventually, it grew into an independent wiki with hundreds and thousands of creepypastas, and that's how it caught my eye.
'…It was so easy to read at work because it's just text.'
And isn't it said that anything other than actual work is fun when you're at the office?
I got so hooked on this universe that I even ended up creating and posting my own creepypasta…
How did things come to this? Is it because my office life is so devoid of dopamine?
And this itself…
'Who knew it would get this big?'
It's now a massive IP that practically dominates YouTube as a major sensation for teenagers.
Naturally, companies jumped on board to make a profit.
This popup store is part of that.
'But come on, this thing had a 15+ age recommendation slapped on the wiki!'
Why are there so many kids here?
Hearing whispers behind me again, I couldn't help but feel increasingly self-conscious.
"He's definitely a dealer…"
"Hey, maybe he's just buying something for his nephew or a cousin… don't be too harsh."
No, I'm buying this for myself.
…The truth is, I came here last week too, but the merch I wanted sold out just before I got to it, so here I am again…
I even took a day off work.
'Last week, at least there were women around my age.'
Unfortunately, it was a weekday afternoon, and the only adults here were parents who had come with their kids, so I felt like I might die of embarrassment, but I held on.
'I don't even know why I'm trying to endure this…'
Anyway, I followed the staff's guidance and entered the store. The fact that the staff didn't seem fazed was my only comfort.
"Wow!"
"Hey, it really looks just like it!"
I could hear the middle schoolers exclaiming in awe as I took in the intricately designed interior of the popup store, which felt almost like a theme park.
And the exhibit themes were thoughtfully organized:
[Daydream Inc.]
[Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau]
[Church of the Luminous Unknown]
In this horror universe, there are three major forces: corporations, governments, and religions, all trying to observe and secure the paranormal phenomena… that's the setup.
'At first, it was just stories about the government's disaster management bureau, but as more people joined in and got excited, it turned into this.'
Anyway, it seemed like this popup store had picked out the most popular parts of the universe and gathered them here.
It was clear that they were targeting fans' wallets by focusing only on popular characters and horror items, but the quality wasn't bad.
'Well, when would I ever come to a place like this again…'
Ignoring the stares, I quickly grabbed the items I wanted. It was a relief that most of the popular items were already sold out, so there was less suspicion that I was reselling.
"Would you like to purchase an L-sized eco-bag to carry your items? It's 5,000 won."
"Yes, thank you."
I successfully completed my purchase, but instead of leaving the popup store right away, I hesitated.
I turned my head to see a line of people gathering near the cashier.
[Roulette Event]
: Create your own character.
That.
I saw it last week too, but I couldn't bring myself to join the line and participate…
'They said this popup ends tomorrow.'
It was a moment of intense inner conflict, wondering if it was really worth exchanging my social dignity for this.
Just then, the cashier who had just started her shift smiled at me and spoke.
"The roulette event ends today! Would you like to participate?"
"…Yes."
Thank you. Really, thank you, dear staff member…
"Great! Please come this way! Oh, just stand here…"
The staff member swiftly guided me to the line in front of a giant black roulette, and I naturally found myself at the end of the line.
The line moved faster than I expected.
Soon, I was at the front and handed a button that looked like a walkietalkie.
"Now, we'll spin the lucky roulette! Please press the button to stop it whenever you're ready."
Beep.
With an artificial sound effect, the roulette started spinning.
Each section displayed a prize and rank.
There were merch I had already bought, merch that weren't for sale, and even some random Bluetooth earphones.
Of course, the largest section—7th place—was just a small memo pad. That's probably what I'd get.
But it didn't bother me. After all, I almost left without participating at all.
"Let's not expect much."
I thought as I pressed the button the staff gave me, carefully.
Rrrrr… click.
But then, the black roulette slowed down… and surprisingly stopped right there.
A thin, golden sliver.
Translator's note: sorry for having to cut the chapters into parts! the original chapters are hella long ㅠㅠ
Btw, i might switch between 'ghost story', 'horror story' and 'creepypasta' sometimes depending on which term fits best in the english context, but basically what Soleum (our MC) got hooked on are creepypastas in a huge wiki that grew and grew after so many people started adding their own stories there
[1st Place]
: Dark Exploration Records Real Merch Box
"...!"
"Oh my gosh! Congratulations!"
Is this… for real?
"Wow, no way!"
"So lucky, I'm so jealous."
Voices of astonishment, screams, and envy rose behind me.
"Wow, finally, on the second-to-last day of the popup, someone hit first place!"
The staff, even more excited than me, ran behind the roulette and came back with a large, plastic-wrapped box.
The black box, with a huge silver symbol embossed on it, looked like it had been carefully crafted.
I barely managed to keep my hands from trembling as I accepted the box.
"…Thank you."
I needed to leave immediately and slap my face to make sure this was real.
As I was about to leave the popup store, the staff stopped me.
"Oh! We're giving out custom-made merch here, so all I need is your name!"
My name?
My personal information has long since become public property, leaked all over portal sites.
The only thing that matters is getting this safely home…!
"It's Kim Soleum."
"Got it! Mr. Soleum, just a moment."
The staff started operating a black machine next to the roulette, which looked like a 3D printer.
There was even an explanatory note above it, made for the popup store.
[Dark Exploration Records Character Maker]
Ah, so that's the thing they mentioned during the roulette event.
The 'Create Your Own Dark Exploration Records Character' event.
How perfectly tailored to a teenager's tastes…
"Please input your name here."
"…Okay."
Holding the merch box tightly with one hand, I quickly entered my name on the machine's pad.
The black machine made a loud, eerie music box sound, putting on a show as gears turned.
And then, it spat out a small object.
Clank.
I picked up the familiar-looking item.
It was… an employee ID card.
[Daydream Inc.]
Employee Kim Soleum
Field Exploration Team
"Wow! Daydream Inc. It's one of the most famous factions in our universe!"
"..."
Yes, I know.
To sum it up, it's the cliché of a big corporation that profits from paranormal phenomena.
And the Field Exploration Team…
"That's the department where everyone dies, like the redshirts in that one sci-fi show."
It's the team that always gets sent to investigate the paranormal, only to meet their end.
Because of that, a lot of the named characters seemed to belong to the Field Exploration Team.
"Wow! An employee ID from the Field Exploration Team! I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of adventures Employee Kim Soleum will have in the universe!"
"Yes, thank you…"
I was about to cringe hard but managed to hold it in.
'At least it's not an ID from a government agency or a shady religious cult.'
Thank goodness it was a corporate employee ID.
Although it was a little embarrassing, the staff had clearly said this so many times that they had built up immunity to it, handling it all with professional poise.
With that, the roulette event seemed to be over after I received the employee ID card.
"Thank you."
I looked down at the employee ID card with my name printed on it and sighed inwardly.
'This… this needs to be hidden somewhere no one will ever find it.'
No matter what, my tolerance for embarrassment couldn't handle this any longer.
Meanwhile, the staff cheerfully asked again.
"Do you like it? You'll treasure it, right?"
"Yes."
"Liar."
…?
I looked up, thinking I misheard.
Smirk.
The staff was suddenly smiling at me with an unnaturally wide grin.
Their mouth stretched upward unnaturally, almost reaching their ears…
"...?"
In that instant.
A wave of dizziness overwhelmed me.
"...!"
The noise of the popup store vanished.
Everything in front of me blurred as if covered by black paint, flickering in red and blue.
And by the time the dizziness passed.
I had no idea the world would have completely changed… not even in my wildest dreams.
[Welcome to Daydream Inc., everyone!]
"...?!"
Before I knew it, I was standing in a corner of a large auditorium, looking at the central podium.
And.
Boom!
With a burst of applause, fireworks exploded from the PPT projected onto the screen at the podium.
[New Employee Orientation]
As the applause and cheers echoed, a person who seemed to be the host smiled brightly and advanced the PPT.
It was clearly a new employee orientation event for a major corporation.
The new recruits, dressed in suits, clapped and cheered with both excitement and nervous pride.
They looked thrilled, having finally secured employment.
[Our new employees, who have successfully passed a 145:1 competition, should be proud of themselves! Haha! Now, let's begin the new employee orientation!]
"..."
What is this?
I tried to step back in hesitation.
But I realized I was sitting in a chair.
I was dressed in a suit.
I had worn it because I had to meet with a client in the evening, but coincidentally, I looked similar to the 'new employees' filling this auditorium.
Meanwhile, the merch box I received from the roulette event was quietly resting on my lap.
"Excuse me, did you get that somewhere? Is the company giving those out?"
"..."
I couldn't respond to the question from the new employee sitting next to me.
[You are the chosen candidates!]
[In fact, only a select few of those who applied through this job posting have been gathered in Orientation Room A for this special session!]
[Congratulations! You have passed the aptitude test and have been assigned to the special team, the .]
"They've already made the assignments?"
"Field Exploration Team? Does Daydream Inc. have a department like that?"
"Field exploration… for a pharmaceutical company?"
"Uh, it sounds like we're being exiled somewhere? Not the headquarters but a branch office? Are they trying to lure us in with fancy words…?"
I could hear the murmured conversations of the new employees around me, but I didn't have time to focus on them.
I recognized the company's name and the team's name.
Daydream Inc.
Field Exploration Team.
…Like a bolt of lightning, a page from the wiki flashed in my mind.
--------------------
[Field Exploration Team] (Daydream Inc.) : One of the five teams under the Development Department of the massive organization, Daydream Inc., as featured in .
Commonly referred to as the 'death squad'. A tragic team, but one that is fun for ghost story writers.
--------------------
'Wait a sec.'
…This is the ghost story from the popup store event I just participated in.
So, what happens next is…
--------------------
At the very new employee orientation, they're thrown into a deadly survival game to determine who gets full-time employment.
It's a consistently popular topic for wiki entries because it shows what happens when ordinary people try to explore the dark.
--------------------
"...!"
"Uh, wh-what are you doing…?"
I immediately stood up from the chair.
I didn't care about understanding the situation—my only thought was to run outside.
But it was already too late.
[Before official employment, there will be a brief probationary period, but don't worry, it won't be long! We will assess your practical abilities through an absolute evaluation.]
[Of course, full participation is necessary for a proper evaluation! Freeloading will not be tolerated!]
Bang, bang, bang!
The doors to the auditorium shut one by one.
'Damn it!'
While I was panicking, the naive new employees, who still thought Daydream Inc. was just a regular pharmaceutical company, hadn't realized what was happening.
And so, as about a hundred new employees listened attentively to the host, the host cheerfully shouted out,
[Now, let's get started!]
With that lively voice.
The lights in the auditorium went out.
"...?"
"Huh?"
The new employees, still confused, seemed to think it was a video or something being prepared, showing only mild curiosity.
That would be expected.
Who would expect such a crazy thing to happen just because they got a job?
For example.
The surrounding scenery suddenly transformed into the inside of a desolate subway train.
[Passengers, thank you for using Abyss Transpo today… Our train will not halt.]
[Please pay attention to the announcements for a pleasant journey to your destination.]
An unfamiliar announcement, with strange station names, started playing.
"...?!"
"W-What is this!?"
The new employees, still in their suits and seated neatly on subway chairs as if the auditorium had been transported as is, all shot to their feet.
It was understandable that they were startled.
"Excuse me?"
"Is this some kind of VR? Did we really move?"
Many of the people who were in the auditorium seemed to be there still, which offered some comfort, leading to complacent reactions.
They wandered around the subway, looking for any sign of the company or someone from the event, or searched for doors that might open.
Soon, they began to get a better sense of the situation.
"There are people in the next car! But… uh, the doors won't open? Is this some new technology?"
With a feeling of cold sweat creeping up on me, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.
I already knew which ghost story this was.
--------------------
[Welcome to Abyss Transpo]
: A ghost story featured in .
D-Class Darkness that boasts a ridiculously high difficulty for escaping and one of the most infamous stories.
The Field Exploration Team suffers endlessly.
Exploration Records indicate a total of ■■ entries.
--------------------
.
As you can probably guess, it's a ghost story based on the Korean subway system.
– You fall asleep and wake up on a subway train.
It feels like your usual commute home, but strange station names start appearing…
That's how it begins.
The target of this ghost story is anyone who has ever commuted by subway, making it all the more chilling for most working people who read it.
"..."
'And this ghost story… it's under Daydream Inc.'s jurisdiction, isn't it?'
It seemed like Daydream Inc. was planning to 'filter out' their new hires through this ghost story.
…Damn it!
"Is this something like an escape room?"
"Why would a pharmaceutical company that makes hair loss treatment bother with escape rooms for new sales recruits…?"
That's when it happened.
[This stop is Sorrow, Sorrow Station.]
"...!"
"S-Sorrow?"
The first announcement came over the speaker.
I held my breath and turned my head.
[The doors are on your right…]
Click.
The train stopped.
[The doors are opening.]
The doors opened.
It seemed like any other ordinary day, but—
[The doors will close in 30 seconds. Once closed, they will never open again.]
[Passengers whose destination is Sorrow Station should disembark according to the announcement.]
The familiar voice calmly mixed strange words and phrases into the announcement.
But people always try to rationalize things to find some form of reassurance.
"Look outside! It's just a subway station!"
And indeed, they were right.
Outside the train, the platform was clearly visible.
It looked a bit dark and damp, but otherwise, it seemed like an ordinary subway station.
Relieved by this, two or three people moved toward the door.
Oh, no.
"I think it's better if you don't get off."
"Huh?"
This is bad.
I sighed and spoke quickly.
"You heard them say 'Sorrow Station'. There's no station like that in Korea. Anyone would think it's strange."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, I think this guy's right. Maybe we should wait and see how things play out…"
One of the quicker-witted people backed me up.
It was the new hire who had been sitting next to me.
Because of that, the people who had been about to step off hesitated further.
"But still…"
"Hey, the doors are closing!"
But the sound of the doors closing caused a few panicked individuals to impulsively jump out…
It was a disaster.
[The doors are closing.]
"Ah!"
"I missed it. Shit."
The people who didn't get off sighed, watching the ones who did wave back at us from the platform.
Some even glanced at me and muttered curses under their breath.
I understood.
In such a strange, unsettling situation, their instinct would be to flee without thinking.
But still.
"What the…?"
"Look at that…"
A grotesque sight unfolded.
As soon as the people who got off turned around to move…
Silver droplets suddenly poured from the ceiling and pillars of the platform, cascading down on them.
Drip, drip, drip.
It looked like giant teardrops.
But the countless silver droplets fell onto their bodies like molten metal, producing horrifying tearing sounds.
Screams.
Convulsions.
Silence.
Blood mixed with the silver liquid splattered against the windows.
[The train is now departing from Sorrow Station.]
The last thing we saw outside the window.
"..."
In front of the sliding doors, now soaked in filth and blood, only the crushed remains of the new employees were left behind, twitching slightly.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Ahhh!"
It was the fate of those who chose wrong.
[Please pay attention to the announcements for a pleasant journey to your destination.]
Finally, fear began to spread among the people as screams and shouts echoed around.
'It's started.'
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I'm inside a ghost story?
I don't know how this happened, but I definitely seem to have become a new employee in a company from a ghost story.
And one in a department with an insanely high death rate.
'Is this for real?'
Sure, if I'm being honest, I'm probably in a more advantageous position than the other new hires.
I've read through all the on the wiki.
--------------------
3.2 Exploration Records (up to ■■ entries)
--------------------
I can remember things pretty clearly up to about this level.
From this point on, it sounds like the classic overpowered protagonist trope.
Maybe you're thinking I could escape this situation and look cool by using my superior knowledge of this world?
Maybe you're even imagining that I could monopolize the hidden treasures and items to come?
That might be true.
But there's one problem.
A very critical problem.
'…I'm fucking terrified of anything remotely horror!'
That's right.
I… am a coward.
Text is fine. I can enjoy reading that.
But the moment it's visualized, I can't handle it.
And not just a regular coward—a coward to the point where my friends would constantly tease me for it!
– kim soleum's crush asked him to watch a horror movie but he turned her down bc he's too scared? is this for real?
– lolololololol
– dude your name is literally the sfx for goosebumps but you can't even watch a horror movie lolololol
– shiieet no wonder your crush ran away lmao lol
– wanna die?
– – sorry.
– sry.
I'm the kind of coward who, when reading horror stories at work in broad daylight, will turn off the background images and BGM just to focus on the text!
I was so scared, I didn't even include an image in the ghost story I posted!
A long-term resident of the Shelter for Scaredy-Cats, that's me!
"..."
I covered my face with both hands.
I'm screwed, big time…