NOVEL NEXT – Chapter 30
The faint glow of fluorescent lights filled my vision. Blinking, I looked around and realized I was in a hospital room. Outside the window, the late afternoon sunlight was shining.
“Did I survive…?”
As I tried to move, my muscles ached all over.
Memories slowly, very slowly, came back. The disappearances in S Village. The thick fog enveloping the entire village. The ghost with no lower body. And the final moment when the Palak Sword pierced Iengami’s stomach.
A smartphone on the bedside table caught my eye. I reached out and picked it up. When I turned on the screen, the date was visible.
X月X日.
A day had passed since the last date I remembered.
That meant I had been unconscious for a full day. As soon as I unlocked the screen, a new message popped up.
[You have successfully escaped from the ‘Iengami’ horror story.]
[You have successfully sealed the horror phenomenon completely.]
[You made a crucial contribution to the sealing.]
[You have been awarded 300,000 Dalant as a basic reward.]
+300,000D
[You have been awarded an additional 500,000 Dalant.]
+500,000D
‘If the basic reward is 300,000 Dalant, just like with the Tragedy of the Red Prince… it must have been a B-grade horror story.’
There was also a message stating that I had completely sealed a horror phenomenon that had never been seen before and made a crucial contribution to the sealing.
Seeing that I was given an additional 500,000 Dalant, it seemed that sealing or resolving horror phenomena rewarded a lot of points.
‘I’ve learned something new.’
I immediately accessed the Horror Story Gallery.
The atmosphere in the gallery was the same as usual. I wrote a straightforward title.
─Title) This mission was insane for real
─Author: [Baekyaⓖ]
─Content: I was dispatched to a remote mountain village in Gangwon-do where tourists and elite team members from headquarters went missing. Turns out the horror entity was Iengami, and I almost died… The fog trapped us in the village, and every day it tortured people, driving them insane. No wonder it’s called an Evil God. Thankfully, the team leader carried us, but if I had made even one mistake, I’d be dead ㄷ
Since I was the only Catastrophe Foundation employee in the gallery, comments came in quickly.
[AnalogueLoverⓖ]: Iengami, that’s the vengeful shrine maiden horror story, right? I can’t remember well.
└[Baekyaⓖ]: Yep, that’s the one.
└[AnalogueLoverⓖ]: Isn’t that the one where all outsiders who enter the village die? How did you survive?
└[Baekyaⓖ]: Got lucky. Our team leader had a sealing item. If it weren’t for that, we’d all be dead for sure.
Just as I finished replying to AnalogueLover, Hikiko’s comment also came in.
[Hikikoⓖ]: Just quit. Even if horror stories from the gallery have become reality, facing them in daily life is nothing compared to dealing with them every day at the Foundation. I’m serious, if you keep working there, you’ll die before you even reach retirement age.
I sighed. Hikiko was right. But I couldn’t quit because I needed the reset button. I couldn’t tell her that, so I simply replied.
└[Baekyaⓖ]: I can’t quit right now because I have something to do at the Foundation. Sorry for the disappointing answer.
└[Hikikoⓖ]: I don’t get it. It’s your life, not mine. But take care of yourself and quit as soon as you can.
The sound of the aluminum sliding door opening smoothly accompanied the entrance of a doctor in a white coat, leading Cheon Seungsoo, Kang Hana, Moon Jinwook, and Narae into the room.
Under the fluorescent light, the faces of the team members were clear. Cheon Seungsoo still had a bandage on his forehead, Kang Hana was dressed casually instead of her usual neat suit, Moon Jinwook looked visibly tired, and Narae… was looking at me with a strangely relieved expression.
The doctor carefully checked the IV. After observing the clear liquid flowing through the tube into my vein, he took out a penlight and shone it into my eyes. After a moment of observing my pupils, he nodded in satisfaction.
“Fortunately, the contamination purifier was administered quickly, so there’s no issue.”
At his words, Moon Jinwook let out a deep sigh of relief. The usually smug expression on his face was replaced with genuine concern. The doctor skillfully removed the IV and left.
Silence followed, and then Cheon Seungsoo spoke first.
“Jeongwoo, you did well this time.”
His voice was as calm as usual, but there was a certain weight to it.
“If it weren’t for your quick decision-making, we would have all been killed by the Evil God.”
“No, it was only possible because of the team leader’s Palak Sword.”
I coughed awkwardly and deflected the praise to Cheon Seungsoo. It was true. No matter how much I had figured out Iengami’s identity, if we didn’t have the tool to seal the Evil God at the critical moment, we would have all died.
But Cheon Seungsoo shook his head and continued to praise me.
“No matter how good the weapon is, it takes a skilled person to wield it at the right moment.”
At his words, I awkwardly bowed my head. He looked around at the team members and then spoke.
“And… there will be some changes to Team 4’s duties going forward.”
“Team leader, what kind of changes…?”
Moon Jinwook asked with an uneasy expression.
“It seems that our team will be promoted to an elite team.”
At his words, Moon Jinwook’s face turned pale. I nodded inwardly. Becoming an elite team meant we would be deployed to investigate new horror stories without any response manuals.
“Why is our team being promoted to an elite team…?”
Kang Hana’s voice trembled. The usual firmness in her tone was gone, replaced by a shaky uncertainty. Her hand unconsciously gripped her shirt sleeve tightly.
“Our team’s performance has been outstanding since last month, and we handled this case so well that they decided it would be a waste to keep us handling only manual-based horror stories.”
Cheon Seungsoo answered calmly while looking at me. He probably knew that all of this started after I joined the team.
“Team leader, if we’re dealing with horror stories without manuals, doesn’t that mean we’re being sent to die?”
Moon Jinwook said with a dying expression. He was unconsciously fiddling with the luxury watch on his wrist. The usual composure was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, I didn’t feel much of a difference when I was in an elite team.”
That’s right,
Cheon Seungsoo was from Team 0, the elite of the elite within the Foundation. He had been transferred to a regular team as a leader only after receiving too many disciplinary actions. Given his background, his reaction was natural.
“But there’s some good news too.”
Seeing Moon Jinwook’s pale face, Cheon Seungsoo added.
“If we’re promoted to an elite team, our salaries and hazard pay will triple. And the entire team’s benefits and treatment will also improve.”
At his words, the atmosphere in the room subtly changed. Moon Jinwook’s stiff face began to relax.
Triple.
I did the math in my head.
Starting salary would go from 40 million to 120 million. Hazard pay would triple to 600 million a month. At least the money would be good.
Kang Hana’s gaze shifted from me to Moon Jinwook. Her expression showed a mix of worry and anticipation.
“And this ‘Smiling Evil God’ horror story has been classified as a B-grade danger level.”
Cheon Seungsoo continued. He took out a tablet from his black suit pocket and showed the screen. A detailed report on the horror story was displayed.
“Although it was sealed, the company has decided to award an additional 200 million on top of the basic life allowance of 100 million in recognition of our achievements.”
At his words, Moon Jinwook let out a cheer.
I also smiled. Finally, I could afford Nostradamus’s Eye. The eye that could see 10 seconds into the future. With that, future horror investigations would be much easier.
“Then let’s have a team dinner today with the incentive we received, right?”
Kang Hana’s voice had regained its usual firmness. But Cheon Seungsoo shook his head. A somewhat apologetic smile hung on his lips.
“I’m busy with something else today.”
Cheon Seungsoo took out a black corporate card from his suit pocket. The Foundation’s logo was engraved in silver on the card’s surface.
“So, you guys can have dinner together without me.”
***
At 7 PM.
The savory smell of grilling beef filled the restaurant. The sound of sizzling meat on the grill echoed through the room. It was our first team dinner after defeating Iengami.
Kang Hana was more talkative than usual. Partly due to the alcohol, but it seemed that the camaraderie built through this incident had opened her up.
“Actually, I’m strong against monsters but weak against ghost-type horror stories.”
It was a well-known fact within the Catastrophe Foundation universe that Kang Hana was weak against ghosts.
Ghosts are immune to physical attacks, after all.
Kang Hana put down her soju glass and spoke. Her usually sharp eyes had softened.
“So, when I faced that ghost in the fog, do you know how scared I was?”
Her voice carried a sincerity I had never heard before.
“When that ghost with no lower body charged at me… my legs were shaking so much I couldn’t move. But then, Jeongwoo…”
Kang Hana’s eyes reddened. It was the first time I had seen her show such vulnerability.
“Jeongwoo quickly pulled out that spray and saved me. At that moment… I was really, really grateful.”
Kang Hana carefully wrapped a lettuce wrap and handed it to me. It was a neatly made wrap with meat, garlic, and kimchi, perfectly sized for one bite.
“Even if we’re promoted to an elite team, I think everything will be fine as long as Jeongwoo is here.”
At that moment, the atmosphere in the restaurant subtly changed. Narae’s pupils narrowed vertically. It seemed the fox spirit’s jealousy had kicked in. But this time, it felt like genuine competitiveness.
“Ah!”
Narae, as if she couldn’t be outdone, suddenly spilled soju on her chest. Her white shirt became transparent, revealing her skin.
“Are you okay?”
Moon Jinwook hurriedly handed her tissues, but Narae naturally shook her head.
“It’s okay, I’ll handle it.”
She slowly wiped her shirt with a wet towel. Her movements, under the pretext of cleaning her shirt, were clearly intentional, making her chest more prominent.
Then, she suddenly took off her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt, moving closer to me. A faint peach scent brushed past my nose.
“Senior, ah~”
She blatantly played the fox, trying to feed me meat. The grilled meat between her chopsticks glistened.
Not to be outdone, Kang Hana suddenly let down her hair and tied it back up again. Her collarbone was exposed as she swept her long hair up. The neckline under her white blouse reflected the fluorescent light.
‘Whether it’s a human weapon who can slice through monsters alone or a centuries-old fox spirit… both are equally burdensome.’
The atmosphere in the restaurant became strangely heated. I realized this couldn’t go on.
I held my forehead and stood up. I wasn’t actually drunk, but I had no choice but to calm this overheated situation.
“My stomach feels a bit queasy… I’ll go to the convenience store to get some ice cream and hangover medicine.”
I could feel Kang Hana and Narae’s gazes following my back. Moon Jinwook, having grasped the situation, shook his head and emptied his soju glass.
As I stepped outside, the cool night air felt refreshing. My face, heated from the alcohol, cooled down in the cold breeze. My mind also seemed to clear up a bit.
On the way to the convenience store, the sound of my shoes tapping on the asphalt stopped. In the cold night air, Narae’s breathing was unusually clear.
Turning around, I saw Narae, as expected. Her white shirt was still wet with soju, and her collarbone was visible through the unbuttoned shirt.
“Why did you follow me? You should’ve stayed there.”
“…It’s cold outside.”
As she said that, she blatantly pressed her chest against my arm. A soft sensation transmitted through. Whether it was the alcohol or not, her body temperature felt hotter than usual.
“Uh…”
As I stammered in confusion, Narae looked up at me with a flushed face. Her pupils were still narrowed vertically.
“Senior, no, Jeongwoo.”
Her voice trembled. It wasn’t her usual playful tone but a voice filled with sincerity.
“I’ve been thinking a lot after this incident.”
She looked straight into my eyes under the moonlight. Her pupils were still narrowed, but there was a different emotion in them.
“I’ve been such a fool all this time. All those decades of training seem meaningless…”
Her voice trailed off. Her shoulders trembled through the wet shirt.
“When the Evil God appeared, I couldn’t do anything.”
Narae’s eyes reddened. It wasn’t her usual coquettishness but genuine emotion.
“But you were different. You wielded the Palak Sword and fought the Evil God. At that moment…”
She paused and bit her lip. The peach scent grew stronger in the night air.
“For the first time, I wanted to be with someone. Not just a transaction or a contract, but for real.”
This is dangerous.
Thinking that, I tried to gently push Narae away, but she pouted and said.
“Hey.”
Her voice sounded sweet.
“Don’t you find me attractive?”
My body reacted to her whisper, but I tried to stay calm.
“I do…, but.”
“Then why aren’t you making a move?”
Because you’re a monster and I’m human.
I couldn’t say that outright, so I deflected.
“Wait, you seem too drunk…”
Narae pressed her index finger to my lips.
“Hey, Baek Jeongwoo.”
Then, as if embarrassed herself, she awkwardly smiled and said.
“Let’s mate.”