Baek Saheon, for once, doubted his one remaining eye.
Was he dreaming?
No, he was definitely dreaming—trapped in this ghost story nightmare. But…
No!!
Just moments ago, his mood had been one of pure irritation.
‘I came here because I heard this school’s faculty office had an item with powerful mind-control abilities…’
Seeing the number of people gathered, it was clear this wasn’t some exclusive, top-tier information. Inwardly, his anger was simmering.
‘…Whoever gave me that tip is going on my blacklist.’
Grinding his teeth, he mentally updated his list of people to take revenge on after returning to the company.
Still, he had confidence.In fact, he saw opportunity in the standoff between the two factions.
‘Just a little push, and it’s chaos, right?’
Whether by stirring up infighting or luring monsters into the mix, he figured he could snag the item and make a clean getaway—just like how he’d always used fools around him as bait at critical moments.
Even the sight of his weak-willed coworker in the bison mask struggling to hold back tears was tolerable—the guy might still be useful.
But then…
‘That fucker… What the hell is he doing.’
Baek Saheon stared ahead in disbelief.
There, standing nonchalantly alongside the Disaster Management Bureau agents, was an all-too-familiar face in a black school uniform.
The employee, who had been carrying nothing special earlier, now wore the Bureau’s signature metal badge and wielded one of those strange toy-like pistols.
…Kim Soleum!
“Agent Grapes.”
G-Grapes??
What even was that?
The last time Baek Saheon had seen him in the classroom, that guy hadn’t been equipped with any of this gear. And now…
‘Why is a Daydream Inc. employee standing so comfortably on the other side?!’
“Looks like everyone is securing the item. Could it be what we’re looking for?”
“Perhaps, sir.”
Kim Soleum was casually engaging in Bureau-like dialogue!
The other Daydream employees nearby whispered amongst themselves.
“They don’t seem ordinary.”
“Do you think he’s a high-ranking agent? Maybe he was summoned here?”
“……”
Jang Heo-un, the bison-masked coworker, alternated between staring at Baek Saheon and Kim Soleum, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
As one of the few here who knew Kim Soleum’s face, Jang Heo-un’s astonishment was palpable despite the mask.
And then—he opened his mouth, clearly about to call out to Kim Soleum!
‘Yes, that’s it! You do it!’
Let him handle it!
“Th-that…”
“Would you mind stepping aside and letting us handle this?”
“What?”
But of course, it was Kim Soleum.
This… ‘Agent Grapes’ instantly cut Jang Heo-un off, looking around at the employees with a serious expression.
He spoke in a voice dripping with authority:
“In supernatural Disasters like this, personal possession of dangerous items can lead to catastrophic results. As you may have experienced, things that seem beneficial here don’t always bring good outcomes.”
His voice was, somehow… convincing.
“…Even now, there are monsters roaming outside.”
“……”
Kim Soleum spoke earnestly, his eyes filled with feigned desperation.
“Please, for the sake of saving more lives, I ask for your cooperation.”
You?
Baek Saheon felt chills run down his spine.
And yet, Jang Heo-un, blinking slowly as if entranced, began to murmur,
“Then, maybe this time, we could—”
‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’
“……! Hey! You’re just a newbie—what are you talking about?!”
“Shut your mouth, would you?”
The other company employees snapped out of it and began shouting in outrage.
What Baek Saheon didn’t know was that Jang Heo-un had been carrying a mental defense item strong enough to partially mitigate the influence of the Bureau’s Silver Heart.
Still, the scene was chaotic enough to make the Bureau agents on the other side whisper to each other.
“Corporate culture is trash, huh?”
“Right? But that Agent Grapes sure knows how to talk.”
“……”
That punk’s even being recognized by the agents…!
‘Just what is that guy, pretending to be a government agent…’
No, wait.
In that moment, a realization like a bolt of lightning struck Baek Saheon’s mind.
‘W-Wait… was he actually a Disaster Management Bureau agent from the start?’
Looking closer, the agent standing beside Kim Soleum was the same one Baek Saheon had encountered at that insane murder lodge!
The mask issued by the company had an effect that disrupted recognition for non-employees, so it seemed the agent hadn’t identified him… but still…
‘…Could this all have been planned from the start?’
Could Kim Soleum have been a Bureau spy all along?
A chill ran down Baek Saheon’s spine.
But at the same time, he felt like he’d just been dealt a new card.
‘If I reveal his true identity…’
At that moment, Kim Soleum’s eyes met his.
Kim Soleum smirked, lightly tapped his chest, and mouthed a single word:
‘Debt.’
“……!”
– Debt
The very word Baek Saheon had written on the note he left with the emergency flashlight.
‘Y-You crazy bastard, that’s the debt you owe me , not the other way around…!’
Was Kim Soleum implying that if Baek Saheon wanted the debt paid, he’d better shut up and cooperate?
How was the debtor turning the tables and blackmailing the creditor? No, wait—
‘Fuck, that’s not important right now!’
Baek Saheon gritted his teeth.
The agents now outnumbered the Daydream employees.
‘If this continues, the Field Exploration Team members aiming for a high-clear bonus will likely back off and give up the item.’
If that happened, the chaos would end, and with it, his opportunity.
‘In that case…’
“……”
After some hesitation, Baek Saheon made up his mind.
He absolutely needed that item.
…Absolutely.
Moreover, he knew the specialized equipment he had invested a fortune—1,000 points—into acquiring was securely attached to the sole of his shoe.
This equipment, meticulously chosen and crafted for this purpose.
A lethal weapon with the purpose of confusion.
Owner : Baek Saheon
Registered Equipment Description : A device in the form of a three-color pen. When the pen tip is clicked, the nib ejects and explodes like a firecracker.
Manufactured by : Qterw-E-99
Enjoying the cylindrical pressure against the sole of his shoe, Baek Saheon deliberately turned to Jang Heo-un and struck up a conversation.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you hear something strange outside…”
And with that, he naturally aimed at Kim Soleum and fired.
“…Out there?”
His target was that fucker’s head.
‘Die!’
Instant death would ensure that even if Kim Soleum woke up from this nightmare, he wouldn’t realize who had shot him.
‘He probably has a name tag anyway!’
There was no way Baek Saheon could risk his sabotage being traced back to him, not after he’d set up the debt narrative.
‘I’ll just pin the blame on someone else.’
After all, every employee in this company had the same level of moral ambiguity.
Hiding his glee, Baek Saheon allowed a sly smile to creep across his face.