The tattoos etched into me by the urban legends were all symbolic scripts.

One was in Latin:

: Socius :

It had appeared when the membership badge from the blue dragon mascot at the theme park burned up. According to Braun, it granted some kind of "special access," like a pass with certain privileges.

The other was in Chinese characters:

: 恩主 :

This one had emerged when the contract document from the lodge keeper in the serial killer ghost story was destroyed. However, since I didn’t fulfill the conditions to claim its powers, it remained purely ornamental.

If I had to choose which one to "enhance"...

: 恩主 :

This choice was straightforward.

"Please take care of it," I said.

The tattooist studied the marking I pointed to.

The reasoning was simple: it’s better to diversify my abilities.

Given my (unfortunate) career trajectory, it was almost certain I’d encounter many more urban legends. No single power could solve every problem.

Even Team Leader Lee Jaheon had nearly died despite his immense strength. Relying on just one ability wasn’t a viable strategy.

It made more sense to unlock a dormant ability than to mildly upgrade one I already had.

This tattoo parlor had proven itself benign. It wouldn’t grant harmful abilities, so there was no risk of the lodge keeper suddenly reappearing to kill me.

Besides...

I glanced at the Latin tattoo.

"Good kid."

The emotional bond I’d formed with that dragon mascot made it feel wrong to overwrite the marking. A warning bell rang in the back of my mind—it was better not to mess with it.

- Ah, it's starting! Braun exclaimed enthusiastically.

I had made my decision. The tattooist prepared to work.

When she tried showing me several design options, I stopped her.

"Ah, please use your best judgment. I trust your expertise."

I smiled.

"I believe in your abilities."

"...!"

Her eyes sparkled briefly, and she gestured for me to sit comfortably in the chair under the moonlight. She also handed me Braun to hold.

- Do they think I’m some kind of stress-relief toy? This is an amusing yet insulting misconception!

Despite his grumbles, there was no pain.

The tattooist donned intricately designed steampunk goggles and activated a massive tattoo machine.

‘...Is it supposed to be that big?’

The machine was nearly the size of surgical equipment. Just as I was beginning to question its purpose, the moonlight began flowing into it.

Ziiiing.

The light streaming from the LED ceiling was absorbed into the machine, concentrating at the tip of the needle. It shone like a gemstone as it moved toward my arm.

I followed the instructions and closed my eyes.

"......"

A strange sensation spread from my left arm—not pain, not itchiness, nor even pressure. It felt as if layers of grime were being scrubbed away and my skin was being reassembled, fresh and new. It was refreshing, almost soothing.

Tap, tap.

It was over.

The light dimmed, and the tattooist motioned for me to open my eyes.

"...!"

"Wow."

The tattoo now had a background.

A deep indigo night sky with a full moon painted in a single sweeping stroke. The characters stood against it like moon shadows, surrounded by scattered stars glimmering in pearlescent light.

The tattooist, hands on her hips, looked at me as if asking, "How do you like it?"

"It’s amazing," I said earnestly.

Pleased, she patted my shoulder and hurried to the counter.

"...?"

She returned holding a single pearl. It looked as though she had removed it from the necklace I’d offered earlier.

‘What’s this?’

The tattooist held the pearl above my tattoo—and pressed it into the design.

"...?!"

- Oh, now this is interesting. Hmm...

- Deer, it seems a "pathway" has opened.

A pathway?

- Try gently rubbing the tattoo. You should feel something.

I hesitated, then placed my hand on the tattoo. There was no swelling or pain—just smooth skin.

"...!"

I felt it.

A subtle "gap" beneath the surface of the tattoo.

"......"

I cautiously reached into the tattoo with my fingers—and pulled out the pearl the tattooist had just inserted.

‘...Is this a storage space?’

- Exactly. It seems that the lodge keeper’s contract included provisions for "space." Providing rooms for guests is a servant's duty, after all. The artist must have tapped into this and given you a small private inventory!

Wait a minute.

Does that mean I now have my own personal inventory, like something out of a webtoon?

‘This is actually happening?’

My heart raced at the unexpected gift.

- It seems to be a cube roughly two feet in dimension. You can think of it as a small pocket space linked to you.

Two feet—that’s about 60 centimeters. The metric system might be more practical, but this was still incredible information.

But...

‘Does this mean it’s connected to the lodge?’

The lodge had been destroyed. It shouldn’t exist anymore.

- Hard to say. Where it’s connected depends on the terms of the original contract, which only the signee would know.

"......"

- How intriguing. This would make an excellent wager! Shall we place bets on what might happen?

I respectfully declined.

Still, it seemed unlikely that the parlor would grant harmful abilities. There was no reason to fear this newfound power.

‘At least I won’t have to worry about smuggling items anymore.’

That alone made this a monumental gain.

"Thank you. This is fascinating and incredible."

I handed back the pearl, and the tattooist accepted it with a satisfied smile.

"Is that all?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Then, I’ll be on my way."

As I turned to leave, the tattooist signaled for me to wait. She rummaged under the counter and produced a neatly wrapped item.

‘...A tattoo design?’

When I unwrapped it, I realized what it was: temporary tattoo stickers.

Three of them, featuring the exact tomato tree design I’d chosen earlier.

"...!"

Wait.

"If I wear these, will they grant the same effect as the tattoo?"

The tattooist nodded, smiling.

‘Unbelievable.’

This was an unexpected bonus.

"Thank you," I said.

She waved goodbye with a warm smile.

I carefully placed the stickers into my new "space" and finally stepped outside.

"Have a great day."

The door clicked shut behind me.

Ding.

When I turned back, the shop was gone.

"......"

It had reverted to an empty storefront, its glass window adorned with a twisted real estate contact.

‘Well, that’s how it works.’

The Moonlight Tattoo Parlor could only be accessed once through this "Vacant" urban legend.

‘Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to encounter another legend like this in the future.’

- A unique and delightful experience.

I agreed.

"Deer, how was the exploration?" Park Minseong asked when I returned to the office.

"It went well."

That day, I safely completed the "Vacant" exploration and accrued a decent number of points.

Braun’s aromatic massage left a pleasant scent that lingered for days.

As for the tattoo? By the next morning, it had vanished, leaving only the original characters on my arm.

But the ability remained.

‘Time to put it to good use.’

With thoughts of all the possibilities, I began testing my new inventory.

Three weeks passed.

To my disappointment, the ability remained unused.

"......"

Well, realistically, that’s how it should be.

Most explorations with manuals provided all necessary items, so smuggling extras wasn’t required. And the frequency of manual-less missions had significantly decreased.

‘Nothing at the alien shop caught my eye either....’

For now, it served as a convenient pocket for carrying existing items. I did discover that the space preserved food without spoilage and stopped analog clocks, though digital ones still drained batteries. The rules remained a mystery.

Still, life continued without pressing need for the inventory.

‘It’s a good thing.’

"Three weeks until the next personnel reshuffle."

"Don’t worry, Deer. You’ll stay with us!" Minseong said.

"I hope so."

The hottest topic in Team D was whether I’d survive the reshuffle and stay with them.

Despite the occasional scares and injuries that came with working at this ghost story company, I’d grown accustomed to the rhythm.

I even found comfort in the camaraderie of my team.

But, naturally, that comfort didn’t last.

Three weeks and two days later.

Monday morning.

"Deer, you’re here?"

"......"

Something was off.

‘What’s this?’

The office atmosphere was unnervingly calm, like the moments before someone sends a farewell message during a disaster.

A peculiar serenity hung over everyone, the kind that preceded tragedy.

It was anything but a good sign.

"...Well, sometimes you just have to do these things," someone muttered.

"It’ll be fine. Our team has always had incredible luck!" Park Minseong said, though Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je didn’t bother to respond.

The situation felt grim.

"Take a seat, Deer," Ha-je said.

Instead of my desk, he directed me to the sofa. He sat across from me and placed a tablet on the table.

"This is the Darkness you’ll be entering in three days."

"......"

Three days?

‘Why so much notice?’

Normally, such advance preparation was accompanied by, "You might be sent in," not a definitive assignment.

"It’s a B-grade Darkness with a twelve-member team," Ha-je explained.

"......"

"Don’t be too alarmed

. The survival rate is absurdly high. Plus, the reward points are generous—2,000 points per person."

"...And?"

Ha-je’s expression shifted into a wry smile, as if acknowledging my perceptiveness.

"And, well, there’s a catch. There always is. This one’s a bit unique."

"...In what way?"

"The simplest way to put it..."

Ha-je crossed his arms.

"It’s a luck-based death game."

"...!?"

"The moment you enter, one person must die. Completely random. Pure luck."

Damn it.