Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 124

Space Shopping Mall.

Also known as the Alien Store.

It’s a bizarre site—a kind of urban legend—that sells expensive, supernatural items and equipment, many of which I’ve used to prepare myself for various challenges.

But now...

“...The lizard captain is an alien there?”

I tried to swallow, but then realized with a jolt that I didn’t have a physical body.

Why?

Because my body seemed to be inhabited by Captain Izaheon.

So instead, I asked.

It was a truly unbelievable question.

“...Are you the operator of the Space Shopping Mall?”

And the answer came:

“No.”

Oh.

‘Then what kind of connection do you have with it?’

I was curious, but that wasn’t the priority right now.

The crisis had been handled.

‘Phew.’

I watched the CCTV-like view of my dressing room.

The dark, bluish liquid that had been gushing out of my body had pooled on the floor and was slowly dissipating. The room, aside from being slightly messy, appeared mostly fine.

Whatever the cause, it seemed that once I had been expelled and Captain Izaheon took control of my body, the situation was resolved.

No more water was being expelled.

‘That’s genuinely a relief....’

Thanks to Captain Izaheon, my body hadn’t died. I let out a silent sigh of relief and said:

“Thank you, regardless. Now that things have calmed down, would you please leave my body?”

“...”

“Captain Izaheon?”

“I will now initiate the escape protocol through the emergency call device.”

Suddenly, the view shifted.

“...?!”

I—or rather, Captain Izaheon—was moving and sweeping up all the items on my desk, stuffing them into the inventory tattoo.

Wait a second, what are you—

“In three minutes, I will order a bombardment.”

What?!

“W-Wait! Stop, please!”

What in the world is this madness? Bombardment?!

“Why are you using that now of all times?!”

“The emergency call device includes this option: to mobilize all available force from the Federation until the user is safely relocated to a secure location.”

“And what exactly would that entail?”

“This would entail utilizing every means necessary to assist Kim Soleum’s escape.”

“Listen!”

This lizard—no, this reptilian alien!

I clenched my nonexistent teeth and said, “Why do I even need to escape?”

The movement halted.

I’d just started a meaningful and entertaining new job at the talk show, so why was this suddenly an issue?

It had been over a month since I escaped Baekilmong Corporation.

“I’ve been adapting well at my new workplace and living without any particular problems. There’s no danger here.”

Thankfully, this was my break time. Had this happened during a meeting or live show, the disruption would have been catastrophic....

“I see.”

Great. So now you’ll leave my body and—

“When was the last time you slept?”

“...”

That...

Before I joined the talk show. So, about a month ago.

“Animals must eat and sleep to survive.”

“...”

“If these needs are unnecessary for you, it suggests you are closer to a supernatural being than a natural one.”

So what you’re saying is...

I’ve become a ghost story.

“No. I am not corrupted. I can think rationally, and my ethical standards have not changed.”

“Is that so.”

“Of course.”

“Then why was your dressing room flooded?”

“That was because I ate the churros...”

“You mean the snack you claimed to have received from the amusement park?”

“...”

“In your normal state, it is unlikely you would consume something originating from the darkness without hesitation.”

“...”

“Why did you press the emergency call button?”

“That was because I felt like I was suffocating—water kept pouring out!”

“Suffocating would typically result in seeking help from others. Instead, you chose to use an unfamiliar, mysterious escape button. That is unnatural behavior.”

“...”

Without realizing it... had I started treating ghostly items as everyday tools?

“You are now bound to this darkness.”

“...No! That’s not true!”

I could confidently deny that.

“I can leave anytime I want. All I have to do is ask the host for a vacation!”

“The host.”

“Yes?”

“Is that what you normally call the talk show host?”

“...”

Well, yes.

Even if we’re co-workers, Brown runs the show. Isn’t it only natural to address him respectfully as "host" during work?

Something about this conversation was starting to feel off.

Captain Izaheon had been my superior in the past, but now? He was just an acquaintance. Wasn’t it inappropriate for him to interfere in my private life like this?

Shouldn’t I feel upset?

“Kim Soleum.”

But right now, Captain Izaheon was in control of my body.

No!

“D-Don’t use the bombardment! Countless staff members have worked hard to create this show.”

I pleaded desperately.

“The audience doesn’t die either, do they? So—”

“They die.”

“...”

What did you just say?

“The audience members invited to this talk show receive a thank-you card the day after their viewing. The card is sent via the medium they used to apply for tickets.”

“And on the card are detailed instructions on how to meet the talk show guest who left the most profound impression that day.”

“...”

“Some audience members become so captivated by the show that they willingly enter the darkness to meet the guest.”

My nonexistent heart pounded loudly, reverberating through my entire being.

I thought back to the audience member I interviewed yesterday.

The one who had looked at "Happy Ending Teddy Bear" with such intensity, saying they wanted to adopt it.

What I felt then was unmistakable.

Revulsion.

“There have been at least three confirmed cases of past audience members either dying or disappearing.”

“...”

My head spun.

My stomach churned.

Even though I no longer had a physical body capable of such reactions, the sensation was undeniable.

This was a mental response.

It was the kind of shock you feel when you realize something truly horrifying.

“...”

What had I been doing all this time?

What kind of show was this?

But Brown—

No.

Brown had never promised not to harm the audience.

He only assured me that I wouldn’t feel scared.

It was my own assumptions that had twisted the truth.

‘Ghost stories...’

They were always like this.

“...”

“Kim Soleum, you need to escape this talk show immediately.”

My head felt ice-cold.

“Captain.”

I knew.

I wasn’t corrupted.

At least, not when I decided to board that train and join this talk show.

But now...

“I think I’ve been misunderstanding something.”

I had overlooked something crucial.

Even without corruption, humans are always capable of making mistakes.

We can fall for scams, commit crimes, misinterpret situations, and believe in things we shouldn’t.

Perhaps...

This was one of those times.

“For now... I think leaving this talk show to think things over might not be such a bad idea.”

I needed some time to think—alone.

“Understood.”

“But no bombardments!”

If I still had my body, I’d be rubbing my face in frustration.

“Such methods won’t defeat the host. Not in this studio.”

I was certain.

‘The moment you’re discovered, you’ll be obliterated.’

At best, I’d receive a hefty invoice. At worst, I’d be forced to work in this talk show forever—possibly even after death.

...What scared me more was that I found the latter option oddly appealing.

“Do you know where the studio’s exit is?”

“No.”

I had no idea how vast this studio was.

I knew it contained countless sets and storage areas, but its size and layout were beyond me.

I’d learned to navigate the staff areas well enough, but beyond that? It was all a mystery.

‘I haven’t left this place in over a month.’

Then again, why would I? My dressing room was comfortable, I didn’t feel the need for basic necessities like food or sleep, and I’d been busy adapting during my probation period.

“But leaving openly without requesting vacation is stupid. Sneaking out would be better...”

...

Oh no.

“Were you about to suggest sneaking out?”

“No. That’s not an option.”

Damn it.

The very idea of sneaking out was impossible. Why?

“...The host always knows where I am.”

Thanks to the tag.

The "Good Friend" contract ensured that the one who summoned me could track me for eternity.

I couldn’t escape.

Not now, not ever.

“Do you want me to negotiate for vacation?”

“No.”

If I asked for vacation, the host would question why. There was no way Captain Izaheon wouldn’t be discovered inhabiting my body.

And even if I did it myself... I had no confidence.

‘I’d end up agreeing to stay.’

Even if the audience was dying, I’d probably let myself be persuaded to continue working here with blind devotion and joy.

The legendary ghost story host wasn’t just a smooth talker; he was a phenomenon in his own right.

I shuddered.

“You’re right.”

“Destroying the studio to escape wouldn’t work either. The host would just track me down immediately, wouldn’t he?”

“Yes.”

There was no way out.

Or rather, leaving wouldn’t matter.

This place was a perfect trap.

...

‘...No.’

There’s always a crack somewhere.

‘The host doesn’t know I used an item to summon Captain Izaheon.’

If that’s the case...

“Captain, how long can you

remain in this body?”

“I can stay in this form for 60 hours. Additionally, the summoner cannot terminate the use prematurely. The emergency call device only deactivates once the summoner is safe.”

An intriguing choice of words.

But 60 hours? That should be plenty.

Enough to find a gap in the system.

“...Let’s prepare and wait.”

I calmed my nerves and began brainstorming.

“...Until just before the next talk show begins.”

***

Time passed.

The live broadcast preparations for the talk show began.

Most of the staff were busy moving between the backstage and the main stage, setting up equipment. Normally, I would join them, checking equipment, chatting with the host, attending meetings, or occasionally wandering into other departments.

“As production staff rather than cast, I can get away with that.”

Since I worked as a creator for the talk show, not a field preparation staff member, I didn’t have any assigned tasks during the live broadcast itself.

That meant whatever I did could easily be passed off as natural—like wandering around as though I were running errands or looking for something.

“This way.”

I was frantically searching the studio, now mostly devoid of faceless staff members.

I was looking for one thing.

“There should be an area with waiting rooms for the guests.”

I’d overheard it before.

“There’s a guest entrance,” someone had said.

Every guest had an original place they came from, and accommodations were made to invite them to the studio comfortably.

“I have to find it.”

Of course, even just locating the waiting room was tricky for me.

The moment I stepped outside the staff area or my dressing room, I’d lose all sense of direction as if caught in a maze.

But Captain Izaheon...

“...He’s incredibly fast.”

It was like he was operating on sheer volume.

The strength and speed at which he navigated, checking paths and signs, was astonishing. My field of vision shifted rapidly as he moved.

“It’s as if his physical performance is identical to his own body.”

Maybe this lizard captain could summon that level of strength and endurance no matter whose body he was in....

The only issue was—

Tap tap.

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“...!”

The field of vision turned around.

A faceless staff member gestured at me, seemingly asking why I was there and offering to guide me if I was lost.

“...Tell them I’m running an errand and will return shortly.”

“I’m running an errand and will return shortly.”

The faceless staff member didn’t insist and disappeared... only to return moments later with another staff member.

“...”

Gulp.

If I had a body right now, I would have swallowed hard.

“This isn’t good.”

If I seemed suspicious, the host would be informed immediately. And if that happened...

I’d be back, happily hosting the talk show.

Thanks to some kind “persuasion” that would erase any doubts I had.

“...The new staff member seems to be offering to run the errand in your place.”

“No need.”

Captain!!

“Tell them I think it’s meaningful to handle it myself. It’s not a big deal, and as a new employee, I’d like to quietly and quickly take care of it.”

“I think it’s meaningful to handle it myself. It’s not a big deal, and as a new employee, I’d like to quietly and quickly take care of it.”

“...”

Not quite how I would’ve phrased it, but...

Thankfully, the staff nodded and disappeared. With the live broadcast just around the corner, they didn’t seem to have the time to waste.

“Phew...”

“I will proceed.”

“It’s like piloting a robot.”

A robot ten times stronger and more durable than I was.

Breathing silent sighs of relief, I continued sharing Captain Izaheon’s perspective as he searched.

There were a few more close calls, moments that made my metaphorical palms sweat, but we got through them unscathed.

And soon enough—

“I’ve found it.”

“...!”

Click.

The view shifted as a door opened.

Guest Space.

The CCTV-like view before me now revealed a dark hallway with an antique, ominous atmosphere.

Numerous doors lined the hallway, each bearing the unchanged nameplate of a guest who had appeared over the past month.

It was as though each guest used a new room every time they appeared.

“...”

The strange, ominous sensation I hadn’t felt in a month swept over me. It was faint, but palpable.

I swallowed hard.

“Please find the door labeled ‘Happy Ending Teddy Bear.’”

The view shifted rapidly, scanning door after door until it stopped at one.

Next to the door for today’s guest, with its brightly lit sign, we found a dimly lit door.

Yesterday’s guest’s waiting room.

Happy Ending Teddy Bear.

Click.

The dark room inside hadn’t been cleaned yet, and everything in it was tailored to the proportions of the plush bear.

Traces of the teddy bear’s presence lingered.

...Even scraps left from its construction.

“...”

I tried to avoid looking at the dismembered parts of fabric and synthetic skin.

Thankfully, Captain Izaheon, controlling my body, wasn’t easily fazed and swiftly scanned the room. Soon, he stopped at something.

“It’s the dollhouse door.”

On one wall was a colorful door, barely reaching my waist, like something made for a child’s toy.

“Let’s go through.”

Creak.

From my shared view, I saw my hand opening the tiny door and crawling through the dark space on all fours.

There was light ahead.

And moments later—

“...!”

The view brightened suddenly.

A modern hallway came into view.

In stark contrast to the host’s elegant, classical studio, this space was finished with concrete and paint in a contemporary style.

From somewhere nearby, a voice echoed:

“And next up! We’re introducing a product that can turn your hair into living snakes...!”

It was the voice of a home shopping host, selling ridiculous items.

Delusion Home Shopping!

“I knew it.”

Yesterday’s broadcast mentioned that “Happy Ending Teddy Bear” had been sponsored by this place, so I suspected the door might lead here.

“Got it.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

It was similar to my escape from the Death Path before—a transition from one ghost story to another.

“Since this is another studio, the host might take longer to notice.”

With the live broadcast starting soon, he wouldn’t have the time to chase me here.

And who knows? Maybe I’d find something useful here to block the host’s pursuit.

“With Captain Izaheon’s strength, it should be safe here.”

I decided to bet on that.

The view shifted as Captain Izaheon moved down the bright hallway.

Calming my nerves, I spoke.

“Captain, let’s find something subtle but helpful—”

“Oops.”