In <Dark Exploration Records>, the creepypastas share a common feature.

The more popular a story becomes, the higher the likelihood of anomalies appearing in the records.

‘It’s because multiple creators are involved.’

When a creepypasta’s first posted, it adheres strictly to its established rules.

However, as the story gains popularity and more people start writing exploration records about it, what happens?

As the numbers of records grow, exceptions begin to occur to break the monotony and repetition—within reason, of course.

The example I desperately recalled was one such case.

The exploration record of the J-squad from <Daydream Inc.>’s Field Exploration Team in which they had to endure 12 hours in an abandoned hospital at night.

But…

※ Note: Exploration ended after 16 hours and 11 minutes.

For some reason, the exploration here lasted 16 hours and 11 minutes, longer than the intended 12 hours.

This was the ‘temporal anomaly’ I was looking for.

Still though…

‘They ended up spending even more time there.’

Something must have gone wrong during the exploration, trapping them in the ghost story longer than the original 12-hour duration.

‘So… I remember now. It was because they missed an important signal.’

It all came back to me.

 

 

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(03:12) Employee Lee Jaejin accidentally disconnected the phone line at the counter.

 

 

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This mistake prevented the incoming call, which was supposed to trigger the end of the exploration. The call for the shift change.

So the situation spiraled out of control, with the doctor who should have finished their night shift at the hospital continuing to work, creating chaos.

 

 

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 (12:12) 7:12 a.m. passed, but the sun did not rise.

 

 

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Despite the passage of time, the night did not end.

The employee who had set their wristwatch to 7 p.m. as soon as they entered the ghost story panicked when they realized the night wasn’t ending.

‘I remember there was an argument about whether to get caught and reset, and one person ended up being tied up.’

Fortunately, after several hours, another squad member reconnected the phone line, allowing the exploration to proceed normally, and they finally escaped.

 

 

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(16:09) Phone line restored. The phone rings immediately. Waited 3 meters away from the desk.

(16:11) The doctor answered the phone and disappeared. Successful escape attempt.

 

 

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A ghost story that doesn’t end when it’s supposed to—a chilling anomaly.

‘But there’s a clue here.’

Despite the extended duration in that case, there was a mechanism at play.

There was a trigger that signaled the end of the exploration.

‘In that case, it was the shift change call.’

And when that trigger failed, the ghost story wouldn’t end.

If I think about it in reverse…

‘If the trigger that signals the end of time works, the ghost story could end faster, right?’

“……”

What in the convenience store could indicate the passage of time?

Thud.

“……!”

Wait a second.

I heard something above me.

I instinctively looked up at the ceiling, which was blocked by the counter.

Above me was… the cash register.

Beep.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep bee- beep beep beep.

The ghost was pressing buttons on the register.

The odd rhythm echoed through the convenience store, accompanied by a distorted, recorded voice.

Calling for assistance… calling for assi– stancecallingfora-a-a-ha-ha-assistancecallingforassistanceassistanceassistance…

“……!!”

Ah, I get it.

The ghost knew I was hiding under the counter.

It wasn’t catching me just yet. It was toying with me.

…Even though I knew this, cold sweat trickled down my back, and I felt a growing sense of dread rather than anger.

Wow, this situation is seriously driving me insane, I’m going crazy.

‘I need to get out.’

I had to run.

But my feet wouldn’t move as easily as I wanted them to. I felt like one of those extras in a horror movie who freezes at the sight of a ghost and dies.

‘No, I can’t.’

Even if I ended up getting caught again, I couldn’t let myself fall into this state of learned helplessness.

I forced myself to crawl out from under the counter.

The moment I did—

Calling for assistance.

The next thing I knew, a blue, bloated face was right in front of me, grinning widely as if its mouth would tear apart.

– Gotcha.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Restart.

‘……’

I took a slow, deep breath.

My heart was pounding so hard it made my head hurt, but I pushed through.

‘Move on.’

My whole body felt numb.

‘Endure.’

Instead of heading toward the register this time, I bolted in the opposite direction, toward the convenience store’s entrance, illuminated by the faint glow of the drink fridge.

“……”

Outside the glass door was pitch-black darkness.

Still, I strained to see something beyond, and as I peered closer, I noticed something attached to the side of the glass door.

“……!”

It was an electronic clock.

[ 12:00⼁04⼁04 ]

April 4th, 12:00.

That must be the current set date in this ghost story.

My eyes, adjusted to the darkness, also caught sight of a bell attached to the door. If I touched that door, the ghost would surely hear the bell and come rushing over with its odd, heavy steps.

‘And it probably won’t even open…’

Since the location for survival had been set as the convenience store, there were likely restrictions in place.

I tore my gaze away from the glass door and half-hid behind a nearby shelf.

Leaning against the wall, I continued to scan the store while thinking. Cold sweat ran down my temples.

‘I need to survive for three days.’

So what could trigger the completion of my time here?

What typically happens after three days at a convenience store…?

‘Deliveries?’

I glanced at the boxes stacked near the door.

Could I somehow check the delivery time for new goods and use that to signal the passing of time?

No, that’s too indirect.

Such complicated and detailed conditions wouldn’t work.

The <Dark Exploration Records> are internet-based ghost stories.

‘And internet ghost stories are quite direct.’

The more intricate and fiddly the conditions, the less impact they have, making them less popular.

‘I need something simpler, more obvious.’

So, in a convenience store, what could be the clearest sign of time passing?

“……!”

Of course.

I turned to the shelf closest to the entrance. It wasn’t the drink fridge, but a different refrigerated shelf emitting a cold breeze.

Curiously, though, there were only a few items displayed there—some dairy drinks, coffee, and… doshirak boxes and triangle kimbap.

Quickly perishable food items.

‘Expiration dates!’

I hurried to the shelf, carefully picking up a doshirak and triangle kimbap to check their expiration dates.

‘Most kimbap has a shelf life of 36 to 48 hours.’

The doshirak would likely be the same.

But strangely, many of the doshirak and kimbap had expiration dates that were either more than three days away or were completely smudged and unreadable.

I kept searching, patient and quiet, carefully turning the items over and checking both sides.

And finally…

‘Found it.’

The current time in this ghost story is April 4th at 12:00.

I found an item with an expiration date of April 7th at 12:00.

 

[Gravy Burger Steak Doshirak]

 

I grabbed the doshirak and headed for the cash register at the counter.

‘Ugh.’

The image of the ghost madly pressing the buttons on the register flashed in my mind, but it was just a memory. The ghost hadn’t appeared here yet.

‘Stay calm.’

I navigated the register’s settings, selecting ‘Date and Time Adjustment’… and there it was! I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘The set time is…’

Exactly two days and 23 hours from the start time of April 4th, 12:00.

 

[April 7th, 11:59 p.m.]

 

‘Please let this work!’

I pressed the change button and then confirmed…

 

[Time adjusted successfully]

 

“……!!”

It worked!

‘Thank goodness, it actually worked. Sometimes it doesn’t let you change it, but thank heavens this time it did.’

I steadied my trembling hands, a mix of joy and anxiety coursing through me.

I was almost there.

All I had to do now was register the food as an item close to its expiration date.

Bee-bee-bee-beep—!

“……”

 

[Expiration Alert]

[Items approaching expiration date!]

 

The cash register announced cheerfully.

The recorded voice echoed through the dark convenience store.

Bee-bee-bee-beep—! Bee-bee-bee-beep—!

“……”

I froze and turned my head slowly.

In the distance, I saw it.

Our eyes met.

It was coming.

“Shi—!”

I forced myself to focus on the screen. Just look at the screen!

Please, please, hurry!

My shaking hand missed the barcode scanner three times before I finally got it.

 

[Would you like to register this item?]

 

I spammed [Yes] with all my might, and…

The strange, erratic footsteps grew closer, almost upon me.

I kept my composure as much as I could, moving my hands as fast as possible…

[Item registered for expiration.]

At the exact moment the ghost’s distorted steps brought it to the counter…

 

[Process complete]

 

It disappeared.

“……”

Click.

The lights turned on.

The bright convenience store flooded with light, and the now unremarkable POS screen displayed a simple message.

 

[Registration complete]

 

The sound of a receipt printing broke the silence.

In that white noise, I realized.

‘I did it.’

I had succeeded.

“Huu.”

I leaned against the counter, my legs trembling.

‘I can finally breathe…’

It’s amazing how much we humans rely on light!

Still, the brightness alone was enough to bring my mind some peace.

‘Now I just have to head for the door and—’

Clang!

The cash drawer beneath the cash register popped open.

‘Huh?’

Inside was a thick, brown envelope.

“This is…”

I grabbed the envelope and opened it.

Inside were four thick bundles of crisp, golden bills.

“……!?”

Stacks of 50,000 won bills!

‘Is it a hundred bills in each stack?’

That meant a total of 20 million won.

It was the first time I’d ever handled so much cash. But why was this money in the convenience store’s cash drawer…?

Oh.

‘The reward!’

 

 

 

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Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
/ Make Your Choice

Note

If you clear it, you actually get the money. Maybe it’s just a nice ghost who likes to scare people for fun.

 

 

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Oh.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“If he makes it through three days, he should be able to come out right away.”

“First try success? Wow, that’s pretty generous.”

D-squad of <Daydream Inc.>’s Field Exploration Team.

The two employees had just stepped out to the rooftop for a smoke after sending the new recruit into the ghost story.

No matter how many times they did it, it never felt routine. Pushing new recruits into paranormal phenomena was still unsettling.

But this particular ghost story, <Make Your Choice>, was known to be harsher if the time limit was shorter and more lenient if it was longer. Since the rookie was assigned three days, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult for him.

‘It’s like a three-day courage test at most.’

Of course, it was still harsh. But there was a shared understanding between the two employees:

– If he can’t handle this, he’ll be dead soon anyway.

Better to quit now than get killed later.

Many recruits had quit after this initiation, which was why D-squad often got side-eyed from the HR department, but they managed to get by, joking around as usual.

Watching a coworker, especially a new team member, die right next to you was terrible for one’s mental health, after all…

But this time, something felt a little different.

There was a strange sense of anticipation.

“This new guy, though.”

“Yeah?”

“He’s something else.”

“He sure is.”

The rookie assigned to D-squad, Kim Soleum, had ranked top in his class.

“I’ve never seen anyone act like that on their first day.”

Most new hires freak out the moment they realize their ‘job’ involves repeatedly being thrown into life-threatening paranormal phenomena. It’s only natural.

But Kim Soleum… he was eerily calm.

“He didn’t even seem nervous.”

“Yeah, didn’t flinch at all. Even drank his coffee just fine.”

Not once did he lose his composure, break down in tears, or try to run away.

Of course, Kim Soleum had already spoiled everything for himself and spent three days mentally preparing and resigning himself to the situation, but from an outsider’s perspective, he seemed like a rookie with an insane level of mental fortitude!

“You like him already, don’t you?”

“Yeah, he’s solid.”

Strong nerves were always welcome in this department, where employees regularly encountered horrific, bizarre, and eerie urban legends. Cowards wouldn’t survive.

‘Well, it’s not like any coward could pass the death survival test anyway…’

But one did!

Not that his superiors would ever know—they just kept nodding and praising the new recruit, thinking they had a gem on their hands.

There was just one thing that bothered them.

“He doesn’t seem like the type to slack off, so why didn’t he take any notes?”

“Maybe he’s just new to all this. We’ll teach him. He’ll catch on.”

In a job where life was on the line, information and manuals were crucial. The two nodded in agreement.

“He needs to write things down so he can review them later. That’s how you learn.”

“Exactly. It’s not like he knew all this in advance.”

He knew it all in advance!

Unaware, the two continued chatting, saying things typical of a team with a new recruit, before finally deciding to head back to the office.

“We still have to write the report.”

“Ugh, those reports no one even reads…”

The rookie wouldn’t be coming out for at least three days.

Still, the ghost story had food and a place to sleep, so even if it took a while, he’d be fine.

They nodded, picked up the tablet with the internet post that had sucked in the new recruit, and started heading back when…

Tick.

The tablet spat out a person.

The new recruit, who was supposed to come out three days later.

“……?!”

Kim Soleum, the rookie, dusted off his perfectly intact suit and stood up as if nothing had happened.

In his hand, he held something.

A completely filled ‘Dream Essence Collector’.

“I’ve filled it.”

“……?!?!”

 

[Clear time: 1 hour and 24 minutes.]

 

The rookie, who had just achieved an unbelievable feat, looked at his stunned superiors with a calm, composed expression.

‘I almost died of a heart attack.’

Of course, this was just the result of a desperate coward who, if given the chance, would have crashed through the walls of the haunted house to escape!