Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 229.2

Basement Floor 10~19 – The Office at Lunchtime

In these Surface Levels, the Cheerful Research Institute is somewhat more active and noisy compared to the upper floors, and personnel occasionally exit their offices.

Risk Level : Low

Basement Floor 19.

From here on, I had to start being cautious…

To avoid being noticed by the residents of the Cheerful Research Institute lurking behind those office doors.

Even if they came into the hallway, I wouldn’t see them.

‘The same goes for them.’

Explorers entering via elevator and personnel of the Cheerful Research Institute do not perceive each other.

However, each party is aware of the influence they have exerted on the other.

It’s obvious what that means, right?

I can’t see them, and they can’t see me.

But if I destroy this hallway, they’ll know that some intruder has destroyed it.

And most ghost stories are never forgiving to intruders…

Avoid detection whenever possible.

I heeded the advice, moving cautiously…

Further down.

I stepped into the left elevator again, searching for another button that would take me deeper underground…

Basement Floor 20~29 – The Office at Midnight

This is my assignment for today.

The edge of the Surface Levels.

Ding-dong.

With a cheerful chime, the doors opened, revealing Basement Floor 29.

……

A dark hallway.

Utter silence.

Occasional strange clattering noises.

On these levels, all lighting is turned off except for emergency lights. Little to no activity from office personnel is observed.

However, fatal mental and physical hazards caused by individual manifestations of Darknesses occur frequently.

Deployment of Security Team personnel who have not passed contamination inspection is strictly prohibited.

Risk Level : Moderately Low

(Civilian fatality rate: over 50%)

This was the stage where the danger level spiked sharply.

It was a relief that my fear response hadn’t fully returned yet. I could still act rationally, even alone.

I walked down the hallway.

The black smoke surrounding me was swallowed by the darkness, barely visible.

Only my eyes, glowing like yellow lanterns, cast a faint light down the corridor…

Even that, I kept as dim as possible.

All attempts to use artificial light brought in from the surface have resulted in disappearance.

*A note left by Guard Team R16 has been recovered. Authorization granted to attach the document.

Contents of the note : Turning on the lights after they were switched off is im po

…Following the manual made me feel like I was back on the Field Exploration Team again.

Whether that was really necessary now that I wasn’t even human anymore… well, that was another story.

[So, Friend, where will you begin your search?]

To the darkest place.

I would seek out the places people would avoid. That’s where individual ghost stories would remain.

For the first time, I truly appreciated that I had a body that wasn’t hindered by the absence of even a speck of light…

I moved toward the office farthest from the emergency lights.

To the place on Basement Floor 29 that had the fewest exploration logs.

[3-⋢⟤⦯]

…The sign on the dim office door was distorted beyond recognition.

But no sound came from within.

…Safe, for now.

‘Starting here.’

I grasped the office doorknob, turned it smoothly, and opened the door.

……The interior came into view.

It is identical in structure to the Dream Incubation Chamber.

‘……!’

Before the shock could overwhelm me, I rang the bell.

The clear chime, jingle, echoed in my head…

……

I steadied myself.

‘Huu.’

Okay.

The office was unmistakably… very similar in form to that underground Dream Incubation Chamber I had found, right down to PCs and desks of the same model and dimensions.

Only, the incubation machines were absent.

‘Maybe this office… isn’t directly connected.’

I felt a sigh of relief slip out of me mentally for reasons I couldn’t even explain.

Then I began to scan the room.

‘…Clean.’

It looked like an ordinary office that employees might start using first thing in the morning.

But in the dark, strange details stood out one by one.

There were colorful toys on desks, like something for children. Stacks of hand mirrors piled atop a desk. PCs covered in sticky notes.

Pay attention to differences from standard office environments during exploration, and exercise sound judgment.

There is always a possibility that these are byproducts of ghost stories capable of causing unconsciousness or instant death through mere interaction. If retrieval is not possible, they hold no value as a Darkness.

Easier said than done.

‘Huu.’

I tried not to imagine the expressions of the unlucky employees who had done this work before me, carefully inspecting each bizarre item.

[Crude, but one could call it creativity.]

Because I was aware of that creeping ‘chill’, this wasn’t exactly a pleasant search, but it was much better to have someone to talk to.

‘No unusual reaction so far.’

Then I moved on to the next desk……

……

Wait.

‘…This.’

Between two desks, on a storage shelf, I spotted a palm-sized, round object…

A black model, shaped like a disc set upright on its edge.

‘…A roulette wheel!’

It looked identical to the black roulette I’d spun at the <Dark Exploration Records> pop-up store.

Right next to it was a replica of the button that had looked like a walkie-talkie, the same one I had pressed back then.

‘……’

How could this be?

What… is happening here?

‘A hint.’

The realization struck me instantly.

I reached out. I needed to see what it did. If I could figure that out…

“Wow. It’s really good to see you, Soleum-nim.”

…!!

I turned my head.

The hand touching the roulette, my hand.

Beside it.

A man’s bare hand, almost overlapping mine, grasped the roulette.

Following that hand upward.

“Have you been well?”

Director Ho.

He was looking right at me.

…With an employee ID card of Cheerful Research Institute hanging around his neck.

Salt Goblin

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