For a moment, I thought I was still caught up in the Church of the Luminous Unknown’s ghost story.
But my fully awakened mind quickly assessed the situation.
‘This is different.’
The Eun Haje standing before me was no longer the clean-cut, suit-wearing professional boss I remembered from the office.
Instead, she looked more like a detective who had been on a three-day undercover stakeout… or perhaps, a reporter.
Reality hit me like a splash of cold water.
‘What kind of situation is this?’
I immediately got up from the bed.
“Assistant Manager.”
“Yes.”Eun Haje nodded.
“First of all, sorry for barging into your place unannounced. I can’t afford to be seen right now, but I had to tell you something important.”
Having been missing for two months, she now stood in someone else’s room like a burglar, casting wary glances toward the window.
As if she were being pursued.
“…When you say you can’t afford to be seen, do you mean you’re being tracked?”
“Something like that. But listen to me first.”
Eun Haje brushed off my question and took a deep breath.
“On January 2nd, when you go to work, you’ll be assigned a Darkness. …On paper, it’ll seem normal. It’s rated C-grade, has a complete manual, and you won’t be the only one assigned. But…”
But.
“Don’t go in there.”
“……”
“Find any way to avoid it. Take a sick leave or even quit if you have to. Because…”
She clenched her teeth, then released them.
“If you enter, you’ll die.”
“……!”
“Don’t ask how I know. Just do as I say.”
“Is it Kwak Jekang?”
“…!”
Her expression gave me all the confirmation I needed.
‘Damn it, a death notice the moment I wake up?’
I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to process it all.
“What does that section chief have against me?”
“We all know he’s a psychopath.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
Eun Haje spat the words bitterly.
“But you’re talented, and you’ve pulled off plenty of impressive stunts. This time, he probably wants to throw you into a situation where you’ll definitely die just to see how you try to survive.”
So, showing off my MZ traits had backfired.
‘Damn it.’
Yeah, with someone like him, I could see how he’d be thrilled at the idea of using me as an experimental test subject, throwing me into a bizarre ghost story under strange conditions.
However…
“Even so, Assistant Manager, there’s still a chance I could survive, right?”
“……”
“And if he’s curious to see how I’ll make it out alive, wouldn’t he pick a Darkness where survival is at least possible?”
I hated to admit it, but I was an elite employee rapidly climbing the ladder.
I had good connections—Director Cheong liked me (for reasons unknown), and Director Ho also viewed me favorably.
‘No matter how I look at it, I doubt a project like this, meant to throw me into certain death, would get approved with just the section chief’s say-so.’
Being sent to a dangerous place was always possible, sure, but ghost stories by nature were inherently risky.
‘Even Assistant Manager Eun Haje herself said it was C-grade with a complete manual.’
Something about this wasn’t adding up.
“So how can you be so sure I’ll die there?”
I looked at her, silently asking for an explanation. Eun Haje pressed her fingers to her furrowed brow, as if trying to suppress a sigh.
“There’s only one thing I know for certain.”
She pointed at me.
“On January 2nd, you’re marked as deceased.”
“……”
“I confirmed it… in a Darkness that shows the future.”
“…!”
Damn.
A ghost story that reveals the future? A few entries on the wiki came to mind.
But even setting aside the question of how Eun Haje—who was supposed to be on leave—gained access to such a Darkness…
‘Something feels off.’
“I checked what Darkness you’d be assigned to on the 2nd, and I came here immediately. You saved my life once, so this is the least I can do.”
“Wait a moment. Assistant Manager, this still doesn’t make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen my future too. Remember that ghost story I was managing? The one with the tarot cards?”
“…I remember.”
“Recently, I drew a very good card. And that prediction hasn’t come true yet.”
I recalled the Sun card I had drawn.
Upright. A card that guaranteed happiness.
“You can’t be happy after you’re dead.”
“You could be happy, and then die.”
“……”
This still didn’t sit right with me.
But seeing how anxious Eun Haje looked, and knowing she had no reason to lie, I nodded for now.
“Understood. I’ll come up with a plan.”
“Damn, fine.”
Eun Haje looked up at the sky briefly, as if the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Then she mumbled, as if to justify herself,
“Roe, I wasn’t planning to break into your place like this. It’s just… things were urgent, so forgive the intrusion. Seeing someone who left the team is always unsettling, right?”
“It’s nothing. I was a bit surprised, but I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”
“…Huu. Roe, with that personality of yours, how do you plan on surviving in this company…?”
“Haha.”
My personality is average—it’s the personalities of the employees in this company that are ghost stories in themselves.
‘I mean, seriously, if I acted any less respectful toward a former boss who came all the way here to save me, I’d be an absolute lunatic…’
And let’s not even bring up the fact that my biggest issue isn’t my personality, but the fact that I’m a coward.
Anyway, Assistant Manager Eun Haje looked relieved as she gave me a tired smile and gestured with her chin.
“Alright then, I’m leaving. Get some rest.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What now?”
“Well, about your hand…”
I cautiously looked at her empty left sleeve.
Eun Haje casually waved her arm.
“What? You’re still worried about this? Roe, I told you, I’m not using any regeneration potions. You use them instead.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
I recently thought of a possible solution.
“You passed down some communication equipment to me, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. I did. But that was just because I didn’t need it anymore…”
“So, I’d like to introduce you to a piece of equipment in return.”
I flipped the coin, which was my personal equipment.
A third hand materialized midair. For the price of a 500-won coin, I could use this equipment—
The Third Hand.
In other words, an item that grants the ability to grow an additional hand.
“How about using this as a parent item and customizing one for yourself, Assistant Manager?”
“…!”