It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 048

The conference room was a complete mess.

“Didn’t you say seventeen people survived?!”

“Seventeen…?! Is that number really accurate? No counting errors?”

“Yes. Ah! It just went up to twenty.”

The Field Exploration Team, which was sent into the dark earlier in the morning, had suddenly returned en masse.

The situation was so contrary to expectations that the response momentarily ground to a halt.

“No, didn’t we finish the case study? It was supposed to be a small group escaping sequentially—what is going on?”

There were all sorts of questions about whether these were really the employees who were sent in; they would all need to be examined in the lab.

However, as the confusion began to dissipate, a thought quietly crept into my mind… a thrilling sense of success.

Isn’t this an encouraging outcome?

Similar thoughts flew through the minds of several people pushing for this operation.

“If this is really the survival rate…!”

It was a bold and clever choice that had yielded a successful investment!

Since nobody had expected such a high survival success rate, it left us all in a somewhat dazed state.

“Shouldn’t we start shaping public opinion quickly?”

“Wait, I need to at least mention my contributions from now on.”

But then all this panic and excitement faded away at once.

After just one more piece of news came in.

“It’s rated B class.”

“Whaaaat?”

The analysis of the Dream Collection Device from the first employee to escape determined that the liquid was rated B class.

In other words, what they had dreamed of as a ‘high survival rate A class’… did not exist.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the conference room sank into disappointment.

“Ha… I suppose this was to be expected.”

“Didn’t they make a fuss about it being A class and then got slapped with this outcome?”

“Still, isn’t it rare to have such a survival rate for a B class? Right, Manager Gwak?”

The hurriedly called Gwak Je-gang smiled broadly.

“Of course! It’s a remarkable achievement.”

No, actually, it’s not just remarkable… it’s astonishing!

Didn’t these folks understand how low the initial employee survival rates were across different ratings?

That’s why they couldn’t grasp how significant this situation was! So, they didn’t even froth at the mouth wanting to know the details!

“Wow~ that’s impressive.”

“That’s just bad luck; our judgment was right.” Watching each other offer comments and consolation in that tone made Gwak Je-gang himself crack up.

Does this even look like a situation to be comforting about?

“Do these people have zero sense of reality?!”

The average survival rate for B class civilians was in the low 2% range.

The very act of throwing employees into the field without a proper manual was a reckless gamble; how could they respond to this insane result with disappointment and self-praise?!

To top it off, the expert advice was hastily cobbled together based on the opinion of one team manager who tailored it to their own tastes.

The reason was obvious.

“Because they want to!”

Thanks to that, I was happy to have obtained such interesting results to analyze, but I was just amazed that this company was managing to run smoothly with such high-ups in the development department.

Deep down, Gwak Je-gang felt somewhat unfortunate. If the company wanted to last, he would need to continue researching these fascinating paranormal phenomena!

But wasn’t the reality that the supposedly grand title, ‘Innovation Development Strategy Office,’ had people like that among its ranks a risk to the company?

Originally, family-run companies typically looked chaotic from the inside, but…

“I’ve heard rumors, but… could it really be that all the upper management aligned with the owner is like this?”

Of course, not everyone present was that way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gwak Je-gang spotted someone somewhat isolated.

It was someone who hadn’t been around in the last meeting.

“That’s one of Director Ho’s people.”

They must have come in to quickly attend to the agenda at hand.

No matter how much upper management from the development department intervened in the Field Exploration Team’s details, such a thing was rather unusual.

Moreover, they were openly receiving remote updates from their own side.

Like this.

“They say one employee significantly aided in this large-scale escape.”

“Excuse me??”

Instead of trying to impress, a palpable tension hung in the air.

But the following words astonished everyone.

“It’s a newbie.”

“……!”

“They reportedly ‘broadcast’ the escape method to all employees…. We’ll need to look into the specifics of how that was done.”

“……”

“There are also some who are curious about this matter.”

Ah, Director Ho.

The people from the strategy office exchanged glances and muttered excuses.

“Ah, we’ll provide detailed information as soon as the exploration report comes out.”

“Right. Usually, when they come out of the field exploration, they’re not in their right minds and spouting nonsense.”

“Still, they wouldn’t make up stories out of thin air, would they?”

“Well….”

“That being said.”

The person from Director Ho’s side interrupted.

“They’re also curious about what decisions the ‘Innovation Development Strategy Office’ will make.”

“…….”

“With regards to the employee’s rewards.”

“Congratulations, Kim Chief.”

“……Excuse me?”

I nearly splurted out my iced Americano while lying on the medical bay bed.

Hearing the tearfully grateful words, “You’ve worked hard, just rest,” after a simple physical check-up, I’d been passed out for several hours.

I thought I’d talk about the exploration related news tomorrow after getting to work…

Chief?

“Hey, you didn’t mishear that. Kim Chief.”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je grinned widely.

“They say you’ve just been promoted! You hold the record for the fastest promotion since the establishment of the company’s Field Exploration Team!”

“…!!”

“I honestly expected this. Now the day will come when our Doe will be using honorifics with us.”

“Hey, if you wait just another half-year, won’t you be able to drop the formalities with me too?”

Is this some sort of neighborhood corner shop?! How can someone get promoted to Chief in just two months?

“Isn’t this just ordinary office gossip?”

I asked in a more polite manner, but the answer was firm.

“No, it was well-deserved. Do you know how many employees you saved this time?”

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je crossed her arms.

“Including you, a total of twenty-six.”

“……!”

“Doe, out of those, it seems seventeen employees escaped by listening to your announcement!”

“If we count the ones who waited to see others escape, we can say you saved them all!”

There were even a few civilian escapees, the assistant manager added.

“Records like this come out once every few years, right? To be honest, it shouldn’t just end with a promotion; something more should be offered.”

“You’re right. Once the Team Leader finishes the meeting tomorrow, let’s probe the situation. It seems like they’ll probably give something.”

I was grateful to colleagues who were excited like it was their job, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of bewilderment.

A promotion?!

60 days working at a large company and now a promotion?

The heart of a modern person is fluttering!

“Prepare yourself mentally. These special appointments happen quickly.”

And sure enough, it all happened just as she said.

The very next day, I saw the promotion-related announcement on the intranet.

[Special Appointment Announcement]

Of course, under it were the three characters “Kim Sol-eum.”

“…….”

Ziiiiiiiiiiing.

My smartphone buzzed. It seemed like congratulatory messages were flooding in from all sides…

Hold on a moment.

“This feels like they’re rushing things to minimize internal backlash.”

The Field Exploration Team is a place where humans work, after all. Naturally, if they receive support for their lives, it means they feel emotional gratitude.

In that sense, um, since twenty-seven people would likely feel some sort of gratitude towards me, backlash would be minimal…

The timing of the announcement signaled a determination to promote me without letting the opportunity slip.

But why…? Why are they promoting me to this extent?

“Just how much more do they want me to perform?”

Isn’t it enough simply to register me as a newbie dealing with horror stories without a manual?

The more I thought about it, the more terrifying predictions rose up.

Was there an impending interrogation and experimentation awaiting me…?

As soon as it became known that I had come from a parallel dimension, I could see a future where I’d be dragged away by the research team.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

Ah, no.

I got up from my seat, coffee in hand, and took a turn around the break room.

After consuming some caffeine, my head began to clear.

Right.

“If I can’t escape, I need to enhance my survival rate here.”

If I had already been marked, then continuing to show sufficient performance could ironically help me avoid unnecessary scrutiny.

“I just need to make them believe that I’m originally such a capable and unique person.”

That kind of employee isn’t exactly rare. Just like Team Leader Lizard or Assistant Manager Butterfly, for instance.

I would be classified as one of the named characters and that would be that.

Although the probability of being sent into more dangerous horror stories would undoubtedly increase… eck, no. That might actually work in my favor.

If treated as high-class personnel, I could perhaps be sent to less deadly spots!

“And I could earn points more quickly!”

The more I thought about it, the less of a bad idea escaping this world quickly seemed…

But there’s definitely a necessary step for that.

“I need to build my character….”

I needed to appear as a ‘capable and special unit’ naturally enough to evade suspicion.

Just like how I had acted crazily around Baek Sa-heon, maintaining an appropriate balance.

For that, I should…

“… have more props I can use for my character traits.”

“…….”

I lifted my head.

Above, the sparkling light that had been shining since escaping the exhibition was still in place.

[Dark Exploration Records Real Goods Box]

– New goods usage permissions unlocked! (!)

If I opened that, I’d have to plan again, so I had been delaying checking it until my strength was restored and my judgment returned.

This was one of the goods I bought from the pop-up store.

“It’s about time to check.”

But I had no clue what this ‘usage permission’ I had achieved at the exhibition was.

The number of item usages?

I gently tapped the black notepad shining by my bedside, just like stretching.

Clack.

With a soft sound, a small, lightweight item wrapped in plastic fell into my hand.

“…….”

It was a silver gleaming badge shaped like a small shield, with the calligraphy “CHARGE” embossed on it…

‘Ah.’

I understood.

The requirement I met was ‘doing a good deed.’

———————=

Dark Exploration Records / Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau

/ Item

Silver Heart

The wearer earns others’ reverence based on their accumulated altruistic actions.

The creator’s strong belief that ‘the altruistic shall gain power is the most efficient in society’ is reflected in this item.

Item usage condition: Accomplished saving over 12 individuals in supernatural disasters.

———————=

It was called the ‘Character Certificate Badge.’

It was an item produced and distributed by the Disaster Management Bureau. It had exploded in popularity during records of a certain train explosion incident that was sealed away, due to its unique nature.

Because of this unique attribute, it had gained even more notoriety.

As you can see, it’s a good item for nice people.

An item that enables kind individuals to exercise influence in their group.

‘The day I would satisfy this requirement would come….’

That’s somewhat burdensome.

Though it had mostly been used in a warm manner, there was at least one time when there was a catastrophic disaster of insane proportions.

‘That’s just the nature of horror story dimensions.’

Whenever records piled up, there always seemed to be at least one terrifying incident that sparked tension.

Thus, records that were previously distributed to truly kind civilians had eventually turned to being lent strictly to public officials under harsh regulations.

I had seen updates to the wiki in real-time.

What does this mean?

From my current standpoint, the prediction that an employee of Daydream Corporation would use this ‘Silver Heart’ seemed almost impossible!

‘So I might actually be able to use it.’

While I had no idea how many altruistic deeds I could manage, at the very least, I might receive the base effect, right?

At the very least, giving my colleagues the impression of “This person might be amazing” could certainly make it easier to come off as a competent employee.

‘Great. Let’s keep it safe.’

It’s not like there’s a death sentence issued against me.

I carefully tucked the ‘Silver Heart’ into my pocket and left the break room with a lighter heart.

Meanwhile, there were also rewards waiting for the recent exploration.

“Doe! They haven’t announced it officially yet, but they say they’re giving you a prize!”

“…!”

“Ugh, our Doe absolutely deserves it, but it’s kind of sad that we’re startled by this reality…”

“Tell me about it. Does B class sound like some little kid’s name? Do you think those who go in there will just drop dead immediately…? Isn’t an urban legend a X mess?”

Um, yeah. Thank you…

“Still, it seems like the prize turned out pretty decent.”

“Decent, huh?”

That was praise from Assistant Manager Eun!

From the look on her face, there was even a hint of admiration mixed in. This was serious.

“… What kind of item is it?”

“Healing Potion.”

“……!!”

“Names alone don’t do it justice, do they?”

This is so perfect.

It was an item so famous that there was no way I could possibly not recognize it!

This isn’t just some health restoration potion handed out in a medical room.

– It’s an official product proudly offered by the [Daydream Corporation]. One of the magical drugs.

A miracle drug.

———————=

Dark Exploration Records / Daydream Corporation

/ Potion

Healing Potion

A magical drug that regenerates all external injuries.

The higher the grade, the more powerful it becomes, radiating a deep green light.

———————=

“In simple terms, it’s a potion that regenerates body parts… and it’s rated C class. Even if you lose limbs, they should grow back.”

“…!”

“Even equipment for department heads and above doesn’t have this capability. It’s a specially-made company potion worth ten thousand points if converted to points.”

The assistant manager smiled as she patted my back.

“You’ll find it useful later. It’s such a risky industry after all. Just think about how nice it would be if your arms got blown off or your face melted off, and they would simply regrow.”

That’s not something that really needed to be said…

“And… there’s a piece of news that may seem a bit disappointing yet also good, want to hear it?”

“Sure.”

“This isn’t just for you alone.”

“Sol-eum!”

“Hello.”

I greeted Ko Yeong-eun who was waving her hand. I could also see Baek Sa-heon sitting next to her.

The company had gathered us three together for a performance photo session while handing out prizes.

These were familiar faces I hadn’t seen since escaping the exhibition a few days ago.

“Have you been resting well? How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright. How about you, Ko Yeong-eun?”

I realized mid-sentence.

Ko Yeong-eun was observing my lips, attempting to read my pronunciation as best as she could.

“My hearing… hasn’t returned yet.”

“…….”

Of course.

Luckily, the rental device that had been placed in my ear had automatically returned the moment I exited the exhibition, so it seemed I wouldn’t have anyone chasing after me as a ‘staff member of the exhibition.’

Moreover, in Ko Yeong-eun’s hand was the prize awarded by the company.

As she opened the lavishly decorated box with gold foil and mural-like designs, there was a beautiful glass bottle sealed with wax inside.

Inside the glass, a verdant hue danced like new sprouts.

A C class Healing Potion.

Ko Yeong-eun lifted the glass bottle.

Her eyes were filled with hope, anxiety, and expectation.

“Then, I think I’ll drink it right away.”

“Sure.”

Ko Yeong-eun opened the ‘Healing Potion.’

And then she gulped it down in one go.