LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 45
It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 045
“Is it really okay for just us to go? Is this right?”
“It should be fine.”
Probably.
Ko Yeong-eun understood the unspoken words and swallowed a scream.
Kim Sol-eum, after convincing the superiors, took her two colleagues out of the terrace room to ‘use’ the item.
‘They’re probably trying to appear logical on purpose.’
By saying that the owner of the item is one of us, it would seem less awkward if that person takes action.
…Though being lumped together with Baek Sa-heon feels a bit, uneasy…
‘Yet right now, things are strangely calm.’
But what would happen next was weighing on my mind much more.
“Then I will take out the candle now.”
Yes!
Ko Yeong-eun returned the paper she had received from Kim Sol-eum, and Kim Sol-eum unfolded it.
And then, something astonishing happened.
A cylindrical, hefty chunk of light lavender wax rolled from her grip.
It was a real candle.
“…!”
The shape, left like a crayon drawing with a stamped pattern, made it intuitively clear.
The candle, which was once a mere drawing, had become a reality.
‘…Wow.’
I momentarily forgot the situation and marveled.
From now on, I was filled with anticipation about what we would do with that candle.
“Please wait a moment.”
Kim Sol-eum took a deep breath and attempted to light the wick of that candle with a lighter.
Whoosh.
The flame passed over the wick…
And nothing happened.
“……”
“……”
Why… won’t the fire light?
Even Kim Sol-eum showcased her crazy ability to summon the Third Hand by flicking a coin in mid-air to light the flame, but it still didn’t work.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly realizing, Kim Sol-eum pulled out the candle kit’s instruction manual and quickly read it again.
“Is there a problem?”
“…”
And with a somewhat dry expression, she handed the manual over.
“No. I’m not sure.”
Actually, she understood.
At the end of the messily scrawled guide notice in dark red letters, one of the statements was written.
‘Recommended users.’
※This toy was produced to relieve the fatigue of modern-day Earthlings.
For safety, it cannot be used by aliens, beings from other worlds, non-sentient beings, gods, or any other non-human entities. 🙂
‘… I might not fall under that category.’
After all, Kim Sol-eum wasn’t from this place.
Though a chill ran down her spine, she understood that was not her priority.
It had to be handed over to someone trustworthy.
Someone with a low chance of making impulsive actions, possessing social skills and morality.
“San-yang.”
“…!”
“Please.”
Ko Yeong-eun, gulping down her nerves, finally accepted the candle.
Then she received the lighter and, with trembling hands, placed it above the candle’s wick.
Whoosh.
The flame crossed over the wick…
And it ignited.
“…!”
As if light emanated from the body of the candle, letters began to appear.
The keywords from the card drawn earlier.
[Honor] [Interference] [Falsehood]
-Do you remember the cards drawn while making the candle earlier? They indicate what kind of ability the candle will have.
The explanation that Kim Sol-eum had given bloomed in my mind, and at the same time, different phrases also floated from the candle.
The supplicant must aim this candle at an honorable target, relying on the power to interfere, revealing their false appearances.
The supplicant holding the candle will be granted a blessing.
Impostor of Nobility.
Ko Yeong-eun lifted the candle high.
A round fireball rose from the candle, swirling around her head before vanishing.
And like a small spotlight, the surroundings were softly illuminated.
‘Wow……’
“It’s just as I expected,” Kim Sol-eum said, nodding with a faint smile while looking at it.
“The two people around you will be affected by the candle’s area, so the goat and I will follow from behind.”
“Yes.”
I wondered if we couldn’t bring someone other than Baek Sa-heon, but since Kim Sol-eum made this item, Ko Yeong-eun nodded without further comment.
Kim Sol-eum then whispered again.
“However, there is something to be cautious about. …Please do not look back at us. We must remain hidden behind the person holding the candle to receive the effect.”
“…… Yes.”
“And do not look too closely at the candle. …Your mind may be eroded by the candle.”
Ko Yeong-eun slowly nodded.
Though tension had tightened her shoulders, she somehow regained her composure.
This was her specialty, after all.
“The exit was said to be on the ground floor earlier… So that means we start from the middle layer, which is the 4F? That way, we reduce the number of possibilities the most.”
“Yes. Sounds good.”
The steps began.
The very thought of what was about to begin sent chills down a person’s spine, but Ko Yeong-eun gritted her teeth.
She was probably the one with the least guts here, yet she was holding the candle.
‘I have to do my best.’
Unwittingly, I thought that the biggest coward among us would be right behind me!
Clump, clump.
The sound of three people’s footsteps echoed in the brass-lit hall. Up until the 4F, the strangely absent guiding machine’s voice could be heard…
But I was still not at ease.
Because their destination was….
“I found it.”
In front of the guiding machine.
“……”
The new employees of [Daydream Corporation] who had climbed to the 4F, after following the machine’s voice, finally found the guiding machine for the 4F hallway.
Creeeak.
“If you run away now and step outside the range of the candle, it’ll chase you down.”
“I know, right?”
The chilling banter exchanged between Kim Sol-eum and Baek Sa-heon sent shivers down Ko Yeong-eun’s spine.
It felt like those needle-like appendages were about to move and pluck her eyes out, but…
She swallowed, stepping forward.
One step at a time.
With each step closer, the distorted image of the machine reflected in the candle flickered.
Before the grotesque spider-like machine standing in front of her, Ko Yeong-eun slightly nodded.
“Hello.”
Creeeak.
The guiding machine moved.
Eight needles shot up into the air…
Then soon arranged themselves neatly and gracefully settled around the machine’s torso.
The machine looked up and respectfully shone the gaslight near Ko Yeong-eun’s feet.
“…!”
It worked.
Ko Yeong-eun swallowed.
Right now, the blessing from the candle was successfully active for her.
The ability to impersonate an honorable person.
-The first card drawn indicates the purpose of the effect, the second indicates the method, and the last signifies the essence of the effect.
-If combined correctly, it creates a falsehood that interferes with others aimed at an honorable something….
-It is likely a skill related to impersonation or deception.
And right now, Ko Yeong-eun was impersonating the most suitable “honorable person.”
The guiding machine’s most friendly target.
Right now…
‘A customer who paid all their bills properly!’
Ko Yeong-eun asked the guiding machine in the calmest tone she could muster.
“If you answer my question negatively, please stay still; if positively, nod your head.”
Silence.
“……Did the customers who finished their viewing go to the upper floors from this ground 4F?”
…
“Did the customers who finished their viewing go to the lower floors from this ground 4F?”
Nod.
“……!”
It’s working!
The person holding the candle was swept up in joy, but she barely managed to conclude the conversation.
“Thank you. I will now proceed to view.”
The guiding machine stood quietly there.
Until the three people inside the candle left.
As they turned the corner, Ko Yeong-eun couldn’t help but shout.
“We got it…!”
“Take it slow. The candle lasts about two hours, so it’s important not to extinguish it in the middle.”
“Yes!”
And it repeated.
“Did the customers who finished their viewing go to the lower floors from this ground 3F?”
Nod.
“Thank you!”
This time it worked again. The three new employees were now filled with the exhilarating hope of escape.
If this continues…
‘Either 1F or 2F…!’
The same prediction settled in everyone’s minds.
Ko Yeong-eun bit her tongue, trying not to get overly excited.
‘Carefully, carefully!’
If they tipped the candle, it would be over.
If she wanted to escape without having her eyes, tongue, or limbs plucked out, she needed to remain calm.
Calmly, the moment she took a step.
Suddenly.
Something grabbed her foot.
Ko Yeong-eun froze and looked down.
There was a person with a human body stuffed with a zoom lens in place of eyes.
In a ragged state, crawling on the ground, writhing, and grabbing at her pant leg.
“San-yang! San-yang!!”
“…!!”
“Take me with you!”
R Team Leader.
He was Ko Yeong-eun’s superior.
I looked at the person in front of me, who had stopped.
I understood the reason.
Because someone was desperately shouting while grabbing at the pant leg of the person in front!
“San-yang! If you take me with you, I’ll make equipment for you! You’ll be able to use equipment the department heads have right away! Huh?!”
‘Ko Yeong-eun was from R Team.’
He was probably the department head of R Team.
But he looked way too shabby to be considered a leader of a field exploration team.
His limbs seemed to be broken, not due to fees collected, as he couldn’t stand up from the ground.
‘Is there an internal conflict going on?’
If he were a leader, he could likely hold out with his own equipment and items to hide, yet seeing him in such a state made it almost certain.
The sense of impending death was rising to his throat.
And in that situation, his colleague, who seemed to possess a rather remarkable item, emerged.
It was as if he had felt his last lifeline was on the line.
“San-yang! That’s an item, right? Whoa, it looks cool. A, let’s go together, okay?”
“Wow, aren’t you scared? Yapping away.”
Baek Sa-heon muttered faintly.
Then he said to Ko Yeong-eun.
“Should we check if the monster machine hears sound? It looks like you won’t be able to escape in that state anyway.”
“W-What do you mean by that….”
“……”
The R Team Leader, who had been begging Ko Yeong-eun, looked up at Baek Sa-heon.
His zoom lenses gleamed.
“Which team’s new hire are you?”
“……”
“Ah. Right. Doesn’t matter… What matters is getting out of here. But you know… This item the new hire is using is in the form of a candle, huh? A consumable.”
“…!”
“Using flames… It’s a flame-based thing, right? Yeah, seems like it… So if I shake it like this! What would happen if the flame goes out?”
“Agh,”
In a moment, Ko Yeong-eun almost stumbled but quickly grabbed the candle tightly.
‘This lunatic.’
Just as I was about to summon a special item into the air and tear the R Team Leader apart with three hands, the leader again clung to her feet.
“Even in this state, I probably know less than the newcomers, right?? Take me with you!”
“…But you left me behind.”
Ko Yeong-eun murmured coldly.
“You pushed me aside when the machine came.”
“…!”
With the employees scattering and entering, I thought Ko Yeong-eun hadn’t met anyone from her team all this time and had been alone…
So was she alone?
“No! I did enough! I can’t die just to save a newbie, so I left to avoid dying! You can take me now, right? If possible, a human should act like a human!”
The leader cried desperately, clinging on.
Tears didn’t even flow from the eye holes transformed into lenses.
“If you don’t take me, it’s murder, murder! Try leaving me behind. I know how to break that item. I’ll do whatever it takes!! Ugh…!”
Thwack.
“…!”
Slick.
The R Team Leader’s body slumped sideways.
Baek Sa-heon returned his left foot, which he had hit against the leader’s temple, to its original position.
“……”
And so did I.
Pulling back the Third Hand that struck the back of the R Team Leader’s head into my gloves.
‘Is he… still breathing?’
No, I should have only hit one person but ended up overlapping.
In any case, it seemed the situation had calmed down.
I looked at the fallen, shabby office worker in his forties.
‘…The experience from field exploration must really be something.’
He had mixed a compelling plea that would pierce a newbie’s heart and a threatening tone that would invoke fear into a balanced mess.
Ko Yeong-eun held the candle steadily but seemed to look down with teary eyes at her direct superior’s miserable state…
And Baek Sa-heon lightly spoke.
“Alright. Now we just have to rip his head off, right?”
…What?
“That won’t do.”
“Since he’s going to die soon anyway, it wouldn’t hurt us to get some equipment we need when we need to use Plan B.”
“There’s the mental pain of cutting the head off for San-yang. It would be hard to stay composed after killing an acquaintance.”
As Baek Sa-heon and I kept speaking from both sides, Ko Yeong-eun’s face turned pale.
“No, what is this, no……”
“What are you talking about? If a person wants to live, they can do anything. I’m pretty sure it’s doable.”
“No, I can’t. Don’t listen, San-yang.”
“San-yang….”
“Wait!”
“……”
“……”
“I’ll just… do this.”
Ko Yeong-eun tightly held the candle, then kicked the R Team Leader, pushing him into a dim corner of the couch.
And she let out a deep sigh.
“This way, it won’t be discovered by the machine right away… Now let’s go. Before the candle burns out.”
“……”
I nodded.
But Baek Sa-heon frowned.
“Why make it complicated? He’s going to die anyway.”
“…If you want to thank someone’s life, you shouldn’t say that.”
“……”
Ko Yeong-eun took a long breath.
“Still, thank you both. I almost got caught with my eyes wide open.”
“It’s nothing.”
Surprisingly, Baek Sa-heon kept his mouth shut. I thought he would insult or attack someone, but unexpectedly.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
We headed down the stairs again.
The interruptions and incidents were finally over.
The finish line was in sight.