I knew.
I knew that the Disaster Management Bureau was rigorously managing the information about this ghost story, 'Dokkaebi Workshop', to prevent any leaks.
But that's precisely… where my knowledge stopped!
'I had no idea that the Bureau was actually managing the ghost story…'
After all, not even a mention of this existed in the !
Who would have guessed they'd go as far as conducting undercover surveillance within the ghost story itself—keeping an eye on visitors and monitoring the equipment production?
A Disaster Management Bureau agent, pretending to be a goblin!
[Oh my, why are you taking so long to answer?]
My head was spinning.
'…What do I do now?'
Wait a second, what have I been saying up until now?
As a chilling realization ran down my spine, I mentally replayed our earlier conversation like a fast-forwarded film.
Thankfully, no critical mistakes… none at all.
'…I'm fine!'
I could still recover. I could salvage this.
With that in mind, I deliberately displayed a slightly pale, nervous expression.
"I'm sorry, Elder, but I wasn't given permission to discuss such matters…"
[...]
I know nothing.
I am but a clueless rookie who hadn't caught on that this 'goblin' was actually a fellow agent.
A ghostly goblin interrogating me about my identity had caught me off guard, leaving me fumbling to respond!
'Please let this work!'
I subtly raised my head, wearing a hesitant expression, as if thinking, What do I do about this goblin?
[Wow, these government Kim-seobangs sure have a lot to fuss over.]
"..."
Huu.
[Kim-seobangs refer to their divisions as teams, don't they? Why can't you just tell me?]
"Yes, uh, well… apologies. It's just how things are set up by the government."
[Geez, how boring!]
The agent disguised as a goblin clicked his tongue and stepped back.
'Made it.'
[Still, a kind-hearted Kim-seobang like you who brought ginseng, I'll let you off!]
It seemed like the agent intended to keep up the goblin charade.
'…The deflection worked.'
A classic case of teasing the junior.
He was probably hoping that someday, when a senior clued me in—That guy was an agent!—I'd be utterly dumbfounded.
The way he sniffed the ginseng stored in my tattoo and reacted made me suspect he'd adopted some goblin-like traits.
'He might've even used some kind of 'equipment' to mimic goblin behavior and abilities.'
After all, goblins were notoriously mischievous.
"Thank you very much, Elder."
I gave a deep bow, playing along.
[Kind-hearted Kim-seobang, I ought to repay your gift with some fine liquor!]
[Come now, tell me what goblin item you'd like. You could sing a song or even dance for it…]
Now he was trying to reward the rookie.
Perhaps he figured the ginseng I'd given him was a valuable item I'd gotten in a fluster.
'…The most natural response would be,'
"No, it's fine, Elder! Instead, could you extend your goodwill to the next 'government Kim-seobang' who visits? As generously as you feel today."
[Hoho, really?]
"Yes, Elder!"
[Alright then, Kim-seobang. I always make sure to repay my debts!]
I smiled brightly and nodded, and the goblin seemed satisfied, even doing a little dance.
Good. That topic seemed to have ended well.
The conversation then naturally shifted to the popsocket I'd brought with me.
[So, the reason you're here today, Kim-seobang, is to get this trinket repaired, yes?]
"…Yes, Elder."
Here came the real problem.
This agent had already recognized that my popsocket wasn't made here. Sweat dripped from my palms.
Sure enough, the goblin-disguised agent nonchalantly probed further.
[Where did this item come from?]
"Uh, I'm not sure. I received it as a government-issued gift…"
[Hmm, lately, even government Kim-seobangs have been sourcing items from other places…]
[Risky, hm.]
"..."
[You never know when a fearsome daytime goblin might appear!]
True, the Disaster Management Bureau wasn't relying solely on this workshop to produce equipment for agents anymore.
'Even my Silver Heart badge must have come from somewhere else.'
Fortunately, the agent seemed to misinterpret the popsocket as something from another similar workshop.
A convenient misunderstanding.
'Lucky.'
Mentioning a fearsome daytime goblin at the end while staying in character as a goblin helped me relax a little.
It allowed me to laugh it off and roll with it.
'Still, I'm screwed.'
This agent would undoubtedly remember me—the random visitor who showed up today and handed over ginseng.
'As soon as he leaves this ghost story and talks with other Disaster Management Bureau agents, I'll be flagged as a person of interest.'
…Was there really no way out of this?
[Anyway, I'll fix up this trinket for you, so sit tight!]
"Yes…"
The agent, imitating a goblin, disappeared into the 'Dokkaebi Workshop'— the tiled house—with my popsocket in hand.
He was probably handing it off to the other 'goblins' inside. I waited quietly.
A dark thought crossed my mind.
What if the agent pieced everything together, confiscated my popsocket, and placed an emergency call to the Disaster Management Bureau? That thought alone made cold sweat trickle down my back.
Thankfully, it didn't take long.
[Here, take your trinket!]
The returning agent tossed the popsocket lightly toward me. I barely restrained myself from cursing as I carefully caught it.
The crack on the popsocket remained.
However, the fissure was now filled with something smooth and glossy. An adhesive that shimmered jade-green.
"Ah, is it fully repaired now?"
[Ohoh— You don't just serve rice without letting it simmer first. You think an elder's craft can be completed as easily as slurping cold porridge? Wait for the adhesive to dry!]
[Handle it like a swaddled baby for a month. While doing so, wish for what form you'd like it to take. Then, it'll transform into a splendid trinket!]
A month?
"…Thank you."
I carefully held the popsocket.
'…Feels like it'd break apart if I put any pressure on it.'
In other words, I'd have to handle it delicately for an entire month. Which meant…
'I won't be able to access the wiki for a month.'
I'd been re-reading it daily, trying to commit as much as possible to memory. This disruption was unsettling.
Human memory has its limits, after all. I felt uneasy, but there was no alternative. I had to endure. Getting a new popsocket seemed out of reach.
'At least I managed to get it repaired.'
That left one problem.
How do I leave this place naturally?
[Now now, young Kim-seobang, how about a bite of that buckwheat cake you brought? Let's chat about what government Kim-seobangs have been up to lately!]
But dear elder, I have no idea…
'If this conversation drags on, I'll be exposed in no time.'
I might not just end up on a wanted list—I could be tied up and hauled off to the Disaster Management Bureau's glass cell right now.
…Fine.
I steeled my resolve.
'I'd be caught eventually, anyway.'
If I'm screwed either way, I'm going out with a bang!
"Yes, Elder. I'm here because I—"
Cough—
Suddenly, I coughed up blood without holding back.
Gurgling, dark clots spilled down my chin. I hurriedly wiped them away with my sleeve, feigning a panicked expression as I looked at the goblin.
"I-I'm sorry…"
It wasn't just to stir alarm.
Blood.
[Kim-seobang…!!]
Traditionally, a goblin's most sensitive trigger.
Rattle-rattle-rattle.
The large tiled house trembled.
Scary! Scary! Scary!
Why scary? Why scary? Why scary?
[Aigoo! Quit making such a fuss! It's nothing!]
Scary! Who's it? Scary! Who's it?
Even as the agent yelled, the house continued shaking. I paled, clapping a hand over my mouth as I retched.
"I'm s-sorry."
[Get out of here! Who the hell sends a sick rookie to the goblin's turf? I'll deal with that bastard myself—!]
"N-No! Elder, I… I came here on my own, I didn't know any better."
[Elder, my foot! You still don't get it?]
Time to pretend I'd caught on.
"...!"
I widened my eyes, clumsily scrambling to my feet.
"No way…"
The goblin-agent crossed his arms.
[Consider yourself lucky, rookie, that this sunbae is stationed here.]
"Y-Yes… sorry, sir."
I wore the most clueless, dazed expression possible, as if I barely understood what was happening, and slowly got back up.
Thud. Thud.
Now, loud knocks—like broomsticks or wooden clubs—echoed from the tiled house's door.
The agent clicked his tongue and barked at me.
[If you're sick, just rest! Why crawl into a place like this? Did HQ send you?]
Oh?
Wait, if I play this right…
"…No, sir."
Quickly, I rifled through my mental database of Disaster Management Bureau anecdotes.
'…There was that betting culture during training!'
Like some test of courage where they competed to show off their competence and bravery.
Good. I'll go with that!
"…The other trainees told me to get the Memorial Popsocket repaired myself…"
The agent flinched.
[…Do they still do that these days?]
I just smiled sheepishly.
The agent, still wearing the guise of a goblin, seemed to suppress a laugh, then rubbed his face before waving me off.
[…I'll let it slide without reporting it to HQ. Just get out of here.]
It worked.
"Th-thank you."
[What's your codename?]
"It hasn't been assigned yet… I'm still thinking about what would suit me."
[…Fine. You'll know when the time comes.]
The agent pretending to be a goblin gestured.
Fwick—
With a flick of his hand, I felt myself being gently pushed…
[Go and rest.]
BAM!
I fell flat on my rear.
"Hah…"
When I raised my head, I found myself back on the bustling streets of Hongdae.
The streets were as lively as ever, the sun was blazing, and the café with the blue roof was busy as usual…
'I made it out alive!'
Without being exposed.
– That was an excellent adlib, Friend!
I let out a long sigh, covering my face.
I nearly sprawled out in the middle of the street.
The next two days were spent in genuine recovery.
Not being able to use the popsocket made me anxious, so I tried jotting down what I remembered from the wiki. But I stopped when I realized I might be unintentionally distorting or creating details that were never true. Instead, I obsessively replayed the information in my mind, which made time pass more quickly.
And then—
"Kim Soleum-ssi."
"Section Chief."
Three days later, back at work, I met Section Chief Lee Jaheon again.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. You should schedule an additional consultation within the month, Kim Soleum-ssi."
"...Yes."
Fortunately, he seemed fine, too.
Section Chief Lee Jaheon didn't ask me anything further. Neither about Braun's 'Lights Out' ability nor about the black water mascot that had chased me.
Even when I shared my side of the story as much as I could, he only responded with a calm, "I see."
'Consistent as always.'
Because of that, I also found it hard to ask him any questions.
Besides, after three days of sick leave, I had too much work piled up to waste time prying.
'Wow, how am I supposed to finish all this?'
After yet another irregular escape, the entire D-squad, except for two temporary employees, took immediate leave.
The pressure from all sides was relentless.
I spent the day writing reports with the section chief, doing interviews, and even calling Director Cheong to express my gratitude.
In the midst of it all, I had to include in my report how I'd used the taxi Darkness to escape Death Lane, which left me racking my brain over how to explain how I knew to summon it.
'Should I just say I saw some flyer advertisement in Death Lane?'
But wouldn't that count as contaminating the manual?
My head was spinning when—
"The taxi you summoned is categorized as a pending Darkness under manual review."
"...!"
As I turned to look at Section Chief Lee Jaheon with a chill creeping over me…
The lizard calmly added,
"That means it's information that can't be obtained through the company's official systems."
Whoa.
"So, I changed the recorded caller."
"…Who is it now?"
"Me."
Wait.
"You changed the report to say you were the one who called the taxi, Squad Leader?"
"Yes."
I was starting to grasp his modus operandi.
"…Was this both a reward for my significant role in escaping Death Lane and you taking responsibility as the squad's leader?"
"Yes."
And that wasn't the end of it.
"Oh, by the way, do you recall, Squad Leader? You once promised me some equipment during the pantry ghost story…"
"Yes. It'll be ready by next week."
Wow.
I decided to wholeheartedly respect Section Chief Lee Jaheon. So what if he's a bit slow? He's the dream boss!
'Just deal with the slowness yourself!'
Got it, Kim Soleum!
I shouted at myself internally and dove into the mountain of paperwork. New equipment in the works, new team roles ahead.
A new chapter in my corporate life was on the horizon.
But first, another darkness awaited me.
…Along with a most unwelcome face.
"Well, long time no see, Mr. Roe Deer!"
Research Team's Kwak Jaekang waved cheerfully at me.
"Would you be interested in, say, an abandoned elevator?"
No way! Absolutely not!!