GDCG c275

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Chapter 275

“So, you’re going in with this lineup this time?”

“Yes.” 

I looked ahead. 

After finishing the rescue operation between shifts, the agents who had come to the Fox Counseling Room wore complicated expressions as they looked at the newly added members. 

It had clearly been a schedule that should’ve left them exhausted—but perhaps because so much had happened in their absence, there was a sharpness in their eyes. 

Director Cheong, the security team, even the newly introduced equipment. 

Agent Choi scratched the back of his head and spoke. 

“If you go in on this schedule, we can’t keep up. You know that, right?” 

…I knew. 

The agents had used up all their leave this time, and toward the end of it, they’d taken calls from other Black Tortoise teams and worked substitute shifts.

They had received more leave instead of overtime pay, but it was only natural they couldn’t use it again so soon….

‘No—even if they could in theory, it would look suspicious.’

To begin with, the fact that those workaholic agents had taken leave instead of overtime was already suspicious enough. This was a time to be careful.

There was no choice—they had to sit this one out.

And on top of that, the two people going in instead of them were…

Long-term Recovery Room

(No Visitors Allowed)

Someone so contaminated their face couldn’t even be seen.

“…Hello…….”

And one wearing a security uniform—someone clearly not normal.

Of course it would leave them uneasy….

“…Ah, we’ve met before, haven’t we? You’re the one who attacked me in that ‘underground laboratory.’”

“…Um… yes…….”

Especially Agent Choi—who had once confronted the security captain and witnessed the sheer scale of that contamination—smiled only with his mouth as he extended a hand, scrutinizing the captain from head to toe.

But the security captain simply accepted the handshake lazily, as if everything were a bother.

Agent Bronze spoke in a low voice.

“At the very least, include only one of the two.”

“Sir,”

“When we enter Segwang Special City, no one can be certain what state they’ll be in.”

That was true.

Everything so far had only been inferred inductively from experience—no one could be certain.

That was why I had originally planned to exclude the security captain. But— 

“…You can just kill them, right…….”

“...!"

He volunteered.

“The security team knows best… how to kill contaminated entities……. If we have to go in… it’s better if both of us go.”

Because they could control each other.

“I won’t eat anyone either……. I’ll just… kill them…….”

"......"

At that chilling statement, Agent Bronze barely managed to speak again.

“Security personnel typically don’t enter supernatural disaster zones directly. And that Special City is no ordinary phenomenon. From experience—”

“I have… experience…….”

“...!"

“Sir. Most of our company’s security team used to be part of the Field Exploration Team.”

The careful reuse of contaminated employees.

Only then did Agent Bronze fully understand what that meant—his expression turning cold.

And his gaze shifted to me.

…Right. From a certain perspective, I looked like a similar case.

“Let’s agree to withdraw immediately if anything feels off.”

In the end, Agent Bronze didn’t object any further.

The security team’s participation was confirmed—

At the cost of dragging Daydream Inc.’s reputation in his eyes even lower than rock bottom.

“Hmm.”

Agent Choi didn’t seem surprised.

He just added a few more remarks, confirming details.

“Right. You used to lead an elite team, didn’t you?”

“Well…… yeah…….”

J3—once the leader of Elite Team B—answered reluctantly, slouched.

…Hearing that, a thought naturally arose.

‘If we enter Segwang Special City…’

Would the security captain also return to how he was before the contamination?

[Transformation, huh. A theme everyone loves.] 

I couldn’t quite call it hope, so I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

Next, the new equipment I had requested was introduced. 

“So this is… the collector?” 

Affirmative. 

Agent Bronze picked up the specially manufactured item from Daydream Inc. with a strange expression.

The Dream Essence Extractor.

The very reason the Field Exploration Team risked their lives entering ghost stories.

Under the pretext of “security measures for project confidentiality,” Director Ho Yuwon had approved and smuggled out several extractors belonging to “long-term missing personnel,” with their registration numbers removed.

Unlabeled extractors.

That wasn’t something anyone but a Development Director could pull off.

‘Even getting three is impressive.’

Naturally, these extractors were among the few items the company tracked obsessively.

If they found out agents were handling them like this, they’d probably try to tear us apart alive.

‘He must’ve faced serious opposition internally.’

We had to hope high-grade dream essence would actually be extracted. If one got lost, there was no telling what kind of punishment would come. 

But if it worked—

‘The company won’t be able to look down on this project, at least for the rest of the year.’

And I judged the chances were extremely high. 

‘At Segwang Technical High School, even after dying and exiting, dream essence was extracted just fine.’

In other words, unless it counted as true death in reality, the extractor would function properly.

So in a functioning subway ghost story, in the middle of a Catastrophe-Level disaster— 

‘We’ll definitely get high-grade output.’

And one more thing.

I took out a fourth extractor, different from the others.

An Elite Team extractor.

One of the items from the 'Dark Exploration Records Real Goods Box'.

I had reclaimed it this time.

—Section Chief, can I buy back some of my belongings with this?

—Yes.

By melting down fragments from the 'Golden Canopic Jar', I had barely repaid my debt to Section Chief Lee Jaheon and bought back the item before it was disposed of….

‘…Whew.’

If this Elite Team extractor also produced dream essence—

I could siphon off some of the liquid.

As for how to use it… several ideas came to mind. But first— 

Question

Target: Agent Choi

“Hmm?”

I let a small wisp of smoke rise so only Agent Choi could see it.

Current status of the Dream Cultivation Room 

That space—the one that had once housed the potion workshop.

The same place where I had been exposed as a spy. 

“…Ah, that underground laboratory.”

Agent Choi asked smoothly, without changing his tone.

“Why? You planning to use it for something?” 

Affirmative.

“Hm.”

He gave no further answer.

But from that silence, I sensed something.

‘Did they just hand it over to the Disaster Management Bureau?’

If we obtained dream essence this time, I’d need to make contact again.

I nodded toward Agent Choi and moved on.

Finally, personnel check.

“Shame—Assistant Manager Dolphin will have to sit this one out.”

Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae was excluded.

If she regained consciousness at Casino Station, her contamination as a dealer could cause serious problems.

She also had many matters to handle after returning from her long disappearance, and hadn’t officially been assigned to Director Ho’s project team yet.

“This leg equipment should last at least a few months, so don’t worry. I just wish I could help you kind folks directly with the exploration… it’s a shame….”

“Yeah. It’d be reassuring to have you with us.”

That was true.

I knew just how valuable an Elite Team member like Lee Seonghae was in unexplored darkness.

If she were to rejoin the Segwang Special City exploration—

“…If we completely reclaimed her body from the casino, would that reduce the contamination? Or maybe we just destroy the casino?”

For that to be possible—

‘We’d need someone like a master gambler to explore the body casino.’

We didn’t have anyone like that right now. For the time being, we had to conserve the remaining casino coins.

I gathered the coins I still had on me.

Thankfully, they hadn’t been confiscated when I escaped the casino.

I hadn’t been able to retrieve the coins used in Russian roulette, though.

“How many do you have?”

Casino Coins: 924

Not a small amount.

But—

“To be exact, I have 424 left.”

More than half of it already had an owner.

I glanced at Baek Saheon, who was looking at me expectantly.

But—

“As promised, 500 coins….”

“I’ll keep an eye on this side for you!”

"...?!"

He got grabbed by Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae. 

I looked away.

“~!"

You’re sitting this one out, after all…. 

‘Anyone who entered the VIP room will probably be treated as part of the same group. If he goes back into the casino, they’ll likely collect the remaining damage debt with his body.’

There were too many new variables in this exploration. Letting Baek Saheon act alone would be dangerous.

Don’t worry. I’ll pay you the coins I promised. …When you can use them on the next entry. 

Instruction: Remain on standby 

"......."

The surprising thing was that Baek Saheon accepted it.

‘I thought he’d make a fuss, saying he couldn’t trust me and demanding it right now.’

The glance he shot toward Lee Seonghae suggested he was planning to stick close to the Elite Team and get something out of it.

‘Hmm….’

Fine. Try it if you can. 

Anyway, the finalized team was as follows:

Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

Assistant Manager Eun Haje.

Kim Soleum (130666).

J3 (Security Captain).

And— 

Supervisor Park Minseong (contaminated).

“Another government-certified cult-company team, huh. Let’s go.”

Carrying both hope and fear,

we plunged into the passage leading to a Catastrophe-Level foundation.

***

I opened my eyes.

Multicolored bulbs. And in the distance, a subway platform where those who had lost their bodies writhed.

Midnight Station.

The place within Segwang Special City where the body casino existed.

“…!"

I pushed myself up.

‘I was worried we might reappear where we died.’

But everyone had awakened on the platform floor again. That was a relief.

And then—

“......."

Someone who had risen at the same time turned to look at me.

It was—

“Roe Deer?”

“Supervisor.”

Supervisor Park Minseong stared at me in disbelief.

His face was damp with cold sweat, as if he had just woken from a nightmare—

…but it was normal.

“Are you alright?” 

He had recovered. 

Freed from the contamination of the “sprout-class instructor,” his eyes trembled as he regained full clarity.

He looked down at where his arms should have been.

“W-Where is this? How did I…?”

“Badger!”

The others, now awake, quickly checked his condition and moved to assist.

“Drink this.”

“Ah—okay…!”

We gave him a C-grade regeneration potion first.

Not long after, both of his arms regenerated.

“Haa…!”

We removed the restraints we had used to bind him for the well and let out a breath.

“It worked.”

“…Yes.”

That was a relief.

And during that process—another newly arrived member in Segwang Special City lay there blankly… before opening his eyes. 

The security captain.

J3… 

"......"

He remained exactly as he had been.

Wearing worn outer clothing, a security cap on his head.

[What a shame. It seems the conditions weren’t met!] 

…I didn’t know. 

I was just relieved he didn’t look like he was in pain. 

He had always been capable, anyway. 

And besides— 

“Seeing this, doesn’t it feel like the old exploration days?” 

“…It does.” 

Everyone except the security captain had once been part of Field Exploration Team D. 

Right now, the mood was lifted thanks to Supervisor Park Minseong’s recovery and regenerated arms—but it still felt like we should be careful not to let the captain feel left out. 

“Um… do you need support…?” 

“Ah um… thank you.” 

I didn’t refuse his help in supporting me, with my missing legs.

Of course, the captain might not care about feeling left out at all.

‘But the fact that he was the one who tore off Supervisor Park’s arms… that’ll weigh on him.’

Even now, he seemed to avoid meeting Park Minseong’s gaze. 

And Park Minseong seemed too overwhelmed and relieved to notice. 

Though the moment he heard the situation, his expression hardened. 

“…Catastrophe-Level? Uh—by Disaster Bureau standards…?” 

“Yes. The scale isn’t exactly the same, but compared to Daydream Inc., it would be classified as Abyss-grade darkness.”

“…!! O-Okay.”

At the mention of being in the center of the highest-grade ghost story, Supervisor Park Minseong’s survival instincts as a Field Exploration member kicked in.

“Then I just need to go to the casino and buy Roe Deer’s legs, right?”

“Yes. We need your help—since you’re not tied to the damage incident.”

With that, Supervisor Park Minseong took the remaining coins I had and infiltrated the casino—and before long, returned with my legs.

Reliable, just as expected of someone experienced with ghost stories.

“Here…!”

“Thank you.”

Whew.

Just like that, I recovered my legs at Midnight Station.

‘I figured they’d be in a regular pawn shop, since they were seized as damage compensation—not lost in a VIP game.’

Otherwise, I might’ve had to use Nostalgia Candy and disguise myself just to retrieve them. 

At least I saved myself from wasting more of it.

“So… where do we go now?”

With most of the team unable to enter the body casino right away,

there was really only one plan.

“We take the train.”

And—

“I want to wait for the train Goral mentioned.”

—That train. G1572. If you just get on that one…

…I checked the fire hydrant where Go Yeongeun had shoved me before, but there was no trace left.

Not even a bloodstain. Only a single water bottle remained.

‘She must’ve taken the train.’

I was certain.

I wanted to wait for—and find—the train she had boarded.

But—

“Hmm. Usually, trains… the incoming ones… don’t they rotate on a schedule…?”

“…..!"

“So we don’t actually know how long we’d have to wait…?”

…….

I nodded heavily.

Then asked: 

“Do you have another suggestion?” 

“…My suggestion?” 

“Yes.” 

“Hmm…” 

The security captain spoke slowly.

“Since we have an objective… why not check another station… and wait for the train there…?”

“You mean the train will come there as well?”

“Most likely… yes…”

It was a surprisingly quick—and accurate—judgment.

[Oh-ho!] 

“Then we’ll board the train.”

Section Chief Lee Jaheon accepted his suggestion, and we immediately boarded the train arriving at Midnight Station.

Heading to the next stop.

[The screen doors are closing.] 

The train was completely empty. It felt eerie.

"......."

The friction of wheels on rails echoed. 

After a long silence, the announcement finally played. 

[This stop is Hanbam, Hanbam Station.]

[The Library of Knowledge, a place of rest for citizens, the Sanctuary of ■■. Passengers heading to Hanbit Library, please disembark here.]

A library.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Yeah.”

At the very least, it sounded better than a forest of traps or a body-stealing casino.

[Doors opening.] 

But—the moment the train doors opened and we saw the platform of “Hanbam Station”—

We froze.

“…That.”

The platform itself looked normal. 

But the A4 paper posted on a pillar was the problem. 

Segwang Technical High School Graduation Ceremony

Exit 4 →

This place— 

Was a station near Segwang Technical High School.

 

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