Have you ever been completely obsessed with something?
This means that have you ever been so impressed that you spent additional time and money on something that went beyond simply thinking, "This is fun."
Isn't there something like that?
If it's a movie, watch the director's cut, if it's a game, buy the art book, if it's a webtoon, preview it, if it's a singer, go to the concert...
Going a little further, another example would be buying derivatives.
Yeah, that's what they call goods.
Figures, slogans, badges, dolls...
I can confidently say that I have never spent money on anything like this in my life.
Until now.
This is a department store.
The pop-up store opened successfully and the waiting lis t was already distributed at 10 AM when the department store opened.
And I got that waiting ticket too.
"The time is 2:30 PM, I can help you get in now!"
"Ah, finally!"
"Hey, let's go quickly."
The bright-eyed teenagers standing next to me ran towa rds the employee with excited faces.
'2:30... That's right.'
I stood in line with my hat pulled down as low as possibl e.
But then I heard mutterings behind me.
"Huh...."
"A resale?"
"Aren't you a businessperson?"
"....."
It's really unfair, but it makes sense.
Because I was the only adult male in this line who looke d like a working person!
'under....'
I looked at the entrance to the pop-up store and fell sile nt.
[Welcome, explorer of darkness.]
'This is driving me crazy.'
A theme of various monster caricatures, occult elements, and symbols of corporations, religion, and government int ersecting on a black and red background.
This is a worldview that truly captures the hearts of you ng people.
The title is also truly a work of art.
[Apocalypse Prophecy: Dark Exploration Record]
her....
I barely resisted the urge to cover my eyes with one hand.
'Why am I seeing this at work...?'
This is the world of Internet ghost stories that has been very hot recently.
Why not have a collective intelligence open source world view where people can freely participate and create stories?
At first, it seems to have been derived from a famous ghost story and spread among students, but it is said that it grew like crazy after meeting the YouTube algorithm.
'A record of the investigation into various strange phenomena called ' Eventually, it caught my eye because it became an independent wiki with hundreds and thousands of stories recorded.
'... It's text-based, so it's really easy to read at work.'
And you said that anything you do at work is fun as long as it's not work.
I was so immersed in this worldview that I even went so far as to create a ghost story and post it.....
Why on earth did this happen? Is it because my dopamine-free work life is the problem?
Moreover, this 'I didn't know it would grow this big.'
It is said to be a large IP that is currently reigning over YouTube as almost the vice president.
Then, companies quickly joined in and started generating profits.
This pop-up store is part of that.
'No, but even so, there was a 15+ age recommendation o n the wiki.'
Why are there so many kids?
It's quite dizzying to hear people whispering behind my back.....
"It seems like you're the real deal...."
"Hey, you could buy it for your nephew or cousin... Don't be so quick to do that."
No, I will have it.
.... Actually, I came here last week too, but there were some goods that were sold out right in front of me so I couldn't buy them, so I came again... ....
I even used up my annual leave.
'At that time, there was at least one girl my age.'
I feel so embarrassed that I want to run away because it's a weekday afternoon and the only people in society are the parents who came with their children, but I'll try to endure it.
'No, I don't even know why I'm trying to put up with this... .'
Anyway, I followed the staff's instructions and entered the store.
My only consolation was that the staff was unfazed.
"wow!"
"Hey, they really look alike."
Along with the exclamations of middle school students, the interior of the pop-up store, which was d ecorated quite elaborately as if it were a theme park, was revealed.
And even a friendly exhibition theme classification.
[Daydream Co., Ltd.]
[Supernatural Disaster Management Agency]
[Anonymous and brilliant religion]
In this world of ghost stories, there are three major powers: corporations, government, and religion, e ach of which is trying to observe and capture strange phenomena.
'At first, there were only ghost stories from the government disaster management agency, but eventual ly, many people started to join and it got exciting, so this is how it turned out.'
Anyway, this pop-up store seems to have collected only the items that were trending on the Internet.
It felt like a blatant money-making pop-up, with only popular characters and ghost story items thro wn in, but the quality was still decent.
'Yeah. When would I ever come to a place like this?'
I ignored the gazes and quickly gathered up the things I was planning to buy.
I bought almost everything I was planning to buy last week, so fortunately there weren't many popula r items among the items I packed. People who thought I was reselling them disappeared.
"Would you like to purchase an L-size eco-bag to carry your items? It costs 5,000 won."
"Yes, thank you."
And although I've safely finished paying, I can't leave the pop-up store right away and am hesitating.
I turned my head and saw a line of people gathered next to the checkout counter.
[Roulette Event]
Create your own dark exploration record character.
That one.
Actually, I saw it last week too, but I couldn't bring myself to stand in line and participate, so I went back...
'They said this pop-up will end tomorrow.'
It was a time of intense conflict over whether it was okay to trade my social standing for something e quivalent.
The clerk who had just taken over at the checkout counter smiled at me and spoke to me.
"The roulette event ends today! Would you like to participate?"
"yes."
thank you
Really, thank you very much, staff....
"Yes! Then please come this way! Oh, stand here....."
The staff quickly guided me to the line in front of the giant black roulette, so I was able to naturally s tand at the end of the line.
The line moved faster than I thought.
I was soon standing at the front and was given a button that looked like a walkie-talkie.
"Then let's spin the lucky roulette first! Stop it whenever you want by pressing the button."
Piririk.
The roulette wheel began to spin with artificial sound effects.
Each section displays the rank and prize.
Goods I've already purchased, goods that aren't for sale as exhibits, and even random Bluetooth earph ones...
Of course, the biggest prize, the 7th prize, is just a small notepad. It'll probably hang there.
But it was okay. I almost went back without even participating.
'Don't expect anything.'
I thought so as I carefully pressed the button the employee gave me.
Drrrrr... ugh.
But my black roulette slowly stopped... ...and surprisingly, it stopped here.
A thin golden square.
[1st place]
: Dark Exploration Record Real Goods Box
"...!"
"Wow! Congratulations!"
Is this true?
"Wow, crazy!"
"That would be really great, I'm so jealous."
There was a commotion from behind, with screams, gasps, and jealous voices.
"Wow, we finally have a winner on the day before the last pop-up!"
The employee, more excited than ever, ran behind the roulette and returned carrying a large, plastic-wrapped box.
The black box with the huge silver symbol engraved on it looked like a piece of work that had been made with considerable care.
I barely managed to hold the box without my hands shaking.
"...thank you."
Hurry up... I need to get out of here and hit myself in the face. Is this real?
I tried to leave the pop-up store right away, but an employee stopped me.
"Ah! We would like to give you some on-site production goods, just let us know your name!"
Name? Anyway, my personal information has been leaked from portal sites and has become public property for a long time. The important thing is to get it home safely....!
"This is Kim Sol-eum."
"Yes! Solumni, just a moment."
The employee started to operate a black vending machine that looked like a 3D printer next to the roulette.
d.
There is also an explanatory note attached above indicating that it was made for a pop-up store.
[Dark Exploration Record Character Maker]
Ah. Is that the subtitle for the roulette event?
...'Creating my own dark exploration record character'.
It really can't help but be a teenager's taste... ... .
"Please put your name here."
"------yes."
I held the goods box tightly in one hand and quickly entered my name into the vending machine's pa
The black vending machine made a rather loud and eerie music box sound, and then did a spectacular performance of turning gears.
And then he spit out a small object.
Click.
I picked up something that looked familiar.
That was an employee ID card.
[Daydream Co., Ltd.] Kim Sol-eum, employee Field investigation team
"Wow! It's Daydream Corporation. It's one of the three most famous factions in our (Dark Exploration Records)!"
Yes, I know.
Roughly speaking, it's a cliché of large corporations doing business through strange phenomena. And among them, the field investigation team... ...
'It's a department like the Death Squadron.'
It's like the red shirts in some SF drama. They go in to investigate strange phenomena and then get kicked out.
Of course, thanks to that, there seem to have been many named characters who were part of this field investigation team.
"Wow! It's a field investigation team member ID. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of activities member Kim Sol-eum will do in the world of "Yes, thank you....."
I felt like my hands and feet were going to curl up, but I held on.
'Where is this that isn't a government agency or a pseudo-religious group ID card?'
It was fortunate that it was a company ID card.
It was a little embarrassing, but the employee, perhaps because he had been talking so much that he had become tolerance, was calm as expected from an office worker in a capitalist society.
Anyway, it seemed like the roulette event was over with receiving this employee ID.
"thank you."
I looked at the employee ID card with my name printed on it and fell silent.
'This I need to put this somewhere where it can't be seen.'
No matter what, it seemed like my magical powers couldn't last this long.
Meanwhile, the staff member asks excitedly.
"Do you like it? You'll treasure it, right?"
"yes." "lie."
?
I raised my head, thinking I might have misheard.
Sigh.
The employee suddenly looks at me and laughs with the corners of his mouth splitting.
The stomach is unnaturally long, almost touching the ears... ...
"...?"
At that moment.
Suddenly, a feeling of dizziness came over my head.
"...!"
The noise of pop-up stores has disappeared.
My eyes felt dizzy as if they were covered in black paint, and it flickered red and blue. And when the dizziness finally went away.
I never dreamed that the whole world would change.
[Welcome to Baekilmong Co., Ltd.]
!?"
Before I knew it, I was looking at the central podium from a corner of a large lecture hall. and.
Waaaaaaaaa!!
A fireworks effect exploded on the large beam projector PPT on the stage along with cheers.
[New Employee Orientation]
As the new graduates in suits politely applauded and cheered, the person who appeared to be the moderator smiled broadly and turned over the PPT.
Anyone who looked at it could tell that it was a new employee orientation event for a large corporation.
The faces of those who have finally found employment are filled with pride and excitement.
[Our new employees who have passed the 145:1 competition can be very proud! Haha! Now, let's start the new employee orientation!]
"...
what's this.
I hesitated and tried to step back.
But then I realized I was sitting on a chair.
He was dressed in a suit. He had been dressed to entertain a business client that evening, but coincidentally, he looked similar to the 'new employees' who filled the lecture hall.
Meanwhile, the goods box I received from the roulette event is sitting neatly on my lap.
"Excuse me, where did you get that? Is it something the company gives out?"
I couldn't even respond to the questions asked by the new employee sitting next to me.
[You are the chosen ones!]
[In fact, among the people recruited through this new employee announcement, only very special people were invited to this lecture room, Room A, to hold an orientation!]
[Congratulations! You have passed the aptitude test and been assigned to the special team, the "The transfer order has already been issued?"
"Field investigation team? Is there such a place in Baekilmong Co., Ltd?"
"On-site investigation into a pharmaceutical company.....?"
"Oh, somehow it sounds like a place of exile. Isn't this a branch office and not the headquarters? Are you trying to deceive us with nice-sounding words....."
The host could hear people whispering secretly from all directions, but there was no time to concentrate.
Because I realized that the company name and team name were familiar.
Daydream Co., Ltd.
Field investigation team.
.... As if struck by lightning, a page from the wiki pops into my mind.
Here's your text with proper spacing while maintaining all original content exactly as written:
---
[Field Investigation Team] (Baekilmong Co., Ltd.)
: One of the five teams under the development department of Daydream Corporation, a huge force that appears in Dark Exploration Records).
The ill-fated team, also known as the Death Squadron. But thanks to that, people who write ghost stories are funny.
'wait for a sec.'
This is the original ghost story from the pop-up store I just participated in.
So what happens next?
A crazy department that makes employees do death survival games right from the orientation to screen out regular employees.
It's also a consistently popular wiki topic because it gives a glimpse into what happens when ordinary people do dark exploration.
"!"
"Uh, what, what are you doing....."
I immediately kicked the chair and stood up.
I was thinking of assessing the situation and running outside.
But it was already too late.
[However, there is a short training period before official employment, but it is not long! It is conducted as an absolute evaluation based solely on your practical aptitude.]
[Of course, active participation is essential for each individual to be properly evaluated. We will catch all free riders!]
Boom, bang bang bang.
The doors to the lecture hall close one after another.
'Fuck!'
Meanwhile, the naive new employees who thought (Daydream Stock Company) was just a large pharmaceutical company still didn't understand the situation.
So, while about a hundred new employees were listening to the host, the host shouted brightly and powerfully.
[Now, let's begin!]
With that cheerful voice.
The lights in the lecture hall went out.
"...?"
"uh?"
The new employees are still a bit puzzled, wondering if they are preparing to show a video.
That was understandable.
'I never would have expected that something crazy like this would suddenly happen when I got a job.' chamberlain.
The surrounding scenery suddenly changes into that of a deserted subway train.
[Passengers, thank you for using Simyeon Transportation Corporation today. Our trains do not stop.]
[Please listen to the announcements to ensure a pleasant journey to your final destination.]
Or, you may receive an announcement with an unfamiliar name that you have never heard before.
1?
"What, what is this!?"
The new employees who had been sitting in suits on subway seats as if they were in a lecture hall suddenly stood up.
It was understandable to be confused.
"hey?"
"Is this like VR? Are you really moving?"
However, it seemed that many of the people who had been in the lecture hall until just now were still there. So, perhaps they felt somewhat relieved, and the mainstream reaction was a complacent one.
This includes wandering around the subway looking for signs of the company, or looking for someone who appears to be an event host or someone from the company.
And soon you will get a good grasp of the situation.
"There are other people in the front compartment! The door... uh, the door doesn't open, right?"
"What new technology is it?"
I shut my eyes tightly, feeling like I was going to break out in a cold sweat, and then opened them. Because I already knew in my head what kind of ghost story it was.
[Welcome to Abyss Transportation Corporation]
: A ghost story that appears in A crazy ghost story that boasts an overwhelming escape difficulty among the early D-class darknesses. And the field investigation team that suffers forever.
The exploration was recorded a total of times.
As you can see at a glance, it is a ghost story based on the Korean subway.
-I fell asleep and woke up to find myself in the subway. It felt like I was on my way home from work, but I started hearing some strange station names...**.
This is the introduction.
Since the prey of the ghost story was a comprehensive standard of 'anyone who has ever commuted to work by subway', most office workers would fall into this category, which had the effect of making the reader feel even more spooked.
'And this ghost story... is the darkness under the jurisdiction of Baekilmong Co., Ltd.'
It seems that with this ghost story, Daydream Corporation will be 'filtering out' new employees. ... ... Damn it!
"Is it like an escape room?"
"Why would a pharmaceutical company that makes hair loss medication require a new salesperson to do an escape room...?"
That was when.
[This station is Sorrow, Sorrow Station.]
"...!"
"sorrow?"
The first announcement came.
I held my breath and turned my head.
[The door to get off is on the right.....]
Suddenly.
The train stopped.
[The screen door opens.]
The door opens.
It's like everyday life, though.
[The door will close in 30 seconds. There is no turning back.]
[Passengers whose final destination is Suppeum Station must get off according to the announcement.]
A familiar voice speaks kindly, mixing strange words and phrases into the instructions.
But people tend to rationalize and find something to make them feel safe about.
"Look outside! It's just a subway station!"
It's literal.
Outside the train doors, the platform was clearly visible. It looked a bit dark and damp, but it looked like an ordinary subway station.
Two or three people smiled and headed toward the door.
Oh, shit.
"I think it would be better if you didn't go out."
"yes?"
"I'm going crazy." I said quickly, holding back a sigh.
"You just heard me say it's called Sorrow Station. Where in Korea is there a station like that? It's strange to anyone who hears it.'
"ah."
"I think what this person said is right. I think you should look into the situation a little more...."
One quick-witted person chimes in with what I'm saying. It's the new employee who was sitting next to me.
That's why people who are trying to leave are more hesitant.
"still....."
"Hey, the door is closing!"
But at the sound of the door closing, some anxious people suddenly rush outside....
It's ruined.
[The door closes.]
"ah!"
"I couldn't get off. Ah, f*ck."
In history, people who were unable to get off sigh in regret as they see the 'people who got off waving their hands.
Some people even glance at me and mutter curses under their breath.
I understand. In an unfamiliar and strange situation, you might want to run away without a brain.
But that's it.
"Huh?"
"That...."
A bizarre sight unfolds.
When those who went out into history turned around and tried to move,
Suddenly, countless silver droplets rose from the ceiling and pillars of the building and poured down on their heads.
Tutututututu.
It was like a giant teardrop.
But countless silver droplets poured down on the human body like molten iron, creating a terrible cracking sound.
Scream, Scream. Convulsions.
silence.
Blood mixed with silvery liquid splattered on the window.
[The train departs from Sorrow Station.]
The last view outside the window.
In front of the screen door, which was soaked with blood and sewage, only the crumpled traces of the new employees remained.
Wriggling.
"Ahhhh!" "Eww!"
It was the words of the person who answered incorrectly.
[Please listen to the announcements to ensure a pleasant journey to your destination.]
Screams and shouts finally began to fill the air among the crowd cowering in fear.
'It has begun.'
I closed my eyes tightly.
You've entered a ghost story?
I don't know how I ended up like this, but I definitely feel like a new employee in a company team from a horror story.
That too, in a team with a very high mortality rate.
'A real price?'
Yes. To be honest, I think I'll have an advantage over other new employees.
Haven't I read all of this ghost story wiki?
3.2 Exploration Records (Records up to
This means that I remember it in pretty good detail, to this extent.
And if you look up to here, he seems like a typical munchkin protagonist.
Could it be possible to imagine a wonderful picture of myself escaping from this situation by being possessed by a world I like and enjoying the absolute advantage of information value?
Do you feel a little more confident about monopolizing the chance and items in the future?
That could be the case.
But there is one problem.
A very crucial issue.
... ... I can't see anything fucking scary!'
Yes, that's right.
The thing is I'm a coward.
The text is fine. It's interesting to read.
But from the moment it becomes an image, it's a coward who can't hold out.
And he's not just a coward, he's a coward who gets teased like a dog by his friends!
-Is it true that Kim Sol-eum's crush asked her to watch a horror movie and she refused because she couldn't watch it?
ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ
ᄉᄇ솔아, your name is 셲름 but you can't watch horror movies? ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ
-The girl I met will also run away lol
-sorry.
-sorry.
lol-
Do you want to fall behind?-
Even when reading a horror story at work in broad daylight, if there's a scary background or BGM playing, I'll turn off the data and read it with only the text displayed. I'm such a coward!
A long-term resident of a shelter for cowards who couldn't even include a single image in the ghost stories I submitted!
He covered his eyes with both hands.
I have already been.... .....