NoveLight ™
Morning.
I sat quietly in the empty office.
Sure. Let’s have it at lunch.
As I tidied my desk and chatted with Braun to fill the silence, around 8:50 a.m., my lizard-headed supervisor entered through the door.
I stood up and greeted him politely.
“Good morning, Captain.”
“Morning.”
I lifted my head and continued, “I heard you were the one who made it possible for me to take paid leave… Thank you.”
“Noted.”
The lizard’s vertical pupils shifted to glance at me.
“Are you prepared to perform your duties in the same capacity as you did two weeks ago?”
“Yes. I can work as I did before. If my performance falls short, I’ll do my best to regain my rhythm quickly.”
“I see.”
The slitted pupils fixed on me.
“I will assess your performance and make adjustments as necessary.”
Hmm.
At this point, I could roughly translate what he meant.
“Whether you do well or not, I’ll cover for you, so just keep working hard like before.”
Honestly, considering his appearance and speech patterns, it didn’t matter if he looked like a lizard—he was a good boss.
But that didn’t mean I could let my guard down.
“For now, I need to clear the Darkness perfectly.”
I’d already received paid leave. If a hardworking employee who reached supervisor level in just 60 days came back from a break and couldn’t perform like before, it would raise eyebrows.
It would look… suspicious.
[“Wasn’t it true all his colleagues survived? What’s wrong with him now?”]
[“Maybe this Kim Soleum is unexpectedly mentally fragile?”]
[“But if his mental resilience is so weak, how did he achieve those results before?”]
That kind of talk.
“Once doubt starts, nothing good comes of it.”
I couldn’t give anyone an opening.
“Let’s clear everything properly.”
Even if I hadn’t been able to buy reliable new items during my break…
I recalled the message that had been floating on the alien store’s homepage the entire time.
“Undergoing renovations (Temporary issue)”
"I understood!"
Yes.
The site was under renovation.
“When will it reopen?”
Since there weren’t any documents about the renovations, it was probably a short-term thing, and it’d reopen soon.
My budget was fixed, so I planned to review the newly available items once the alien store reopened.
For now, I needed to refocus and clear the Darkness efficiently.
“They won’t assign us high-grade Darkness for a while anyway.”
The odd emptiness of the reduced team was unavoidable, but quitting wasn’t an option. I’d just have to push through.
Trying to sound energetic, I asked,
“So, are we heading into the Darkness today? Since we’re down to just one team member, I heard there’s a higher chance of being sent to support another team…”
“That’s correct.”
Oh.
“Which team are we supporting?”
Maybe I’d get to meet one of the rookie colleagues I hadn’t crossed paths with yet…
“The elite unit.”
…
Excuse me?
Again?
“Team A?”
“No.”
“Then… which team?”
“Team C.”
It was a team I wasn’t familiar with.
The “elite unit” part was unsettling, but at least it wasn’t a meeting between Team A’s captain and Lee Jaheon.
‘Wait.’
On second thought, I wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with Team C.
[K.LEE: Hello, this is Assistant Manager Lee Kang-heon from Team C, haha.]
That shady assistant manager who introduced me to the Salmon Market!
‘He did say he was from Team C.’
So I might finally meet him in person this time.
But first, a more pressing question came to mind.
“If it’s an elite unit, does that mean it’s a high-grade Darkness?”
“What metric are you using to define that?”
“…My apologies. That was poorly phrased.”
“?”
“Could you tell me what grade it is and whether the manual is available?”
“It’s D-grade. The manual is complete.”
Oh, that’s a relief. No chance of seeing them send in a cleanup team as meat shields. Feeling slightly reassured, I asked casually,
“Understood. When do we depart?”
“We’ll leave in five minutes.”
Got it.
We grabbed our bags and left the office, walking down the hallway.
But then…
"……."
"……."
“Captain.”
“Yes.”
“Why are we heading toward the annex instead of Team C’s office?”
“Because Team C has already entered the Darkness.”
"……."
Excuse me?
After several rounds of back-and-forth with the captain, I gathered the details:
"……."
Wow.
When I first joined, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je nearly blew a fuse when we barely scraped by as a three-member team with a rookie.
“But here they are, volunteering to go in with just two.”
Ominous.
I wanted to collapse on the spot.
But I needed points, and it was time to re-enter the Darkness.
“So far, none of the elite teams I’ve met have been normal….”
And I had a strong feeling this one wouldn’t be, either.
As a junior supervisor, I had no choice but to follow orders.
If I had wanted to avoid this, I should’ve tried joining Team A. Though, if I had, I’d probably already be dead, working cleanup duty.
“…Am I already feeling nostalgic?”
I forced myself not to think of Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je or Supervisor Park Minseong as I kept walking.
Captain Lee handed me a tablet.
“Review the manual for the next ten minutes.”
“Is there a reason I only get ten minutes?”
“Time is short until the entry phase closes, and the survival rate for the past two quarters is 97%.”
Thanks for the reassuring explanation…
“I’ve gotten used to the 3% death rate being a given, huh.”
Honestly, with a completed manual, those 3% were probably people with horrible luck or reckless behavior.
“It’ll be fine.”
I looked at the tablet with a mix of resignation and acceptance…
"……."
"……."
Yeah.
Because we’re screwed.
---------------------
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Ignorance is Bliss]
A ghost story featured in the Dark Exploration Records. Identified by Daydream Inc. as Qterw-D-2367.
A textbook horror story that requires surviving an entire night among ghosts—a slow, nerve-wracking ordeal.
---------------------
"……."
Wait.
Wait a moment, Captain…!
Instead of breaking down and begging not to go in, I managed to propose something rational—barely.
"Could we take about 30 more minutes to prepare before entering?"
"That’s impossible."
"……."
Right. The entry door would seal itself soon.
Not so rational after all.
"……."
Ahhhh! Seriously?!
Why this story for my return mission?!
"There are no recorded deaths apart from two heart attack cases. It’s safe compared to others of the same grade."
"…Understood."
“It’s not that I don’t know that…!”
I’d simply forgotten something.
I’d gotten so caught up in crafting the image of myself as an “elite rookie” that I’d neglected reality.
Before my paid leave, I was still someone who silently cried inside while speedrunning missions because I hated being scared.
And now, my return mission is a pure horror scenario—the kind I fear the most.
“I’m stuck with strangers, half of them from an elite team, so I can’t even pull any tricks.”
What’s worse, it’s a low-grade mission where it feels wasteful to use any special items. I’d have to rely on sheer grit to get through this.
No miraculous escapes, no elaborate plans—just raw exposure to the horror as intended by the story’s designer.
“Ha…”
I almost wished for a sudden jump scare, like those spontaneous hauntings. At least those left you no time to think.
Now, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over me.
Resigned, I stepped into the Darkness, feeling like I was being led to the slaughter. My legs trembled.
"This way."
At least this wasn’t one of those Darkness zones that twisted space and swallowed us into bizarre dimensions.
This time, the entry was simple.
We knocked on the door of a confined space that met specific conditions, and entering it triggered the ghost story.
The requirements were strict:
Our company had built a space specifically to meet these conditions by remodeling a section of the annex. It was regularly used even outside missions.
A 4m x 4m x 2.4m room labeled…
[Breakroom]
Captain Lee and I stopped in front of the door bearing this nameplate.
It looked like an ordinary breakroom next to a typical office. But under today’s conditions, it wasn’t.
A Wednesday on a date ending in 4.
Knocking on the door in a specific rhythm would start the ghost story.
"……."
Was it… my turn to knock?
Due to my position?
Knock, knock.
Knock-knock.
Knock-knock-knock.
I carefully rapped on the door, trying not to let my trembling hands show.
The door creaked open as if it had been waiting for us.
“Huh?”
“Oh, people… Oh!”
Inside, two employees were sitting comfortably. Upon seeing us, they waved cheerfully.
"Oh, you’re the support team?"
"Yes."
"Honestly, we didn’t need you, but they insisted on sending someone."
As they muttered about how splitting points among more people diluted the Dream Extract concentration, Captain Lee responded coolly,
"If you have complaints, file for a department transfer and propose changes to the common exploration manual."
"……."
"……."
The two employees’ jaws dropped. Eventually, they nodded awkwardly.
"Uh… we didn’t mean to criticize you personally. Sorry about that…"
"Haha, yeah, that was rude of us. Apologies! You must be Captain Lee from Team D?"
"Yes."
"And this is…?"
"Supervisor Roe."
"Ahhh!"
Both of them visibly reacted.
"You’re that rookie who almost joined Team A? I heard Assistant Manager Butterfly had their eye on you!"
"And you saved someone who was supposed to die? Wow, tell us the story when we’re out of here!"
"It’s nothing impressive, just good luck. But it’s nice to meet you."
Captain Lee and I followed their lead, taking seats at a small table in the corner of the breakroom.
"Since we’ll be spending the night together, let’s introduce ourselves. You can call me Dolphin Supervisor."
"Pleasure to meet you, Supervisor Roe!"
The small woman wearing a dolphin mask waved, her voice lively and cheerful.
Then, a tan-skinned, sociable man extended his hand with a friendly grin.
"And I’m Leopard. Leopard Assistant Manager."
"Nice to meet you, Assistant Manager Leopard."
Hmm.
[K.LEE: Oh, hello there, haha!]
The profile picture from Lee Kang-heon’s chat was a Hawaiian beach. His tanned skin fit perfectly.
The rank and friendly attitude matched, too.
“It’s probably him.”
Still, I kept my options open—I didn’t know his real name yet. And I certainly wasn’t about to bring it up in front of my boss.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise. Let’s just enjoy snacks in this breakroom and get through the night!"
So far, it felt like casual chatter during a late-night shift.
No blood running down the walls, no gravity flipping the room, no coffee machines turning homicidal.
But…
“The ghosts are already here.”
Some of the explorers would already have been replaced by ghosts.
Yes.
Among the people talking right now, at least one of them had already been switched.
Maybe more.
"Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh, I can make it."
"No need! In our team, there’s no such thing as a rookie doing chores. Just relax."
We had no way of knowing when the switch happened. It could’ve been the moment we crossed the threshold or the instant we sat down and started talking.
“Honestly, the ones replaced by ghosts are the easy part.”
They’d lose consciousness upon entering and wake up the next day, unaware of anything.
The real challenge was for the ones who weren’t replaced.
"……."
I had rules to follow.
The ghosts mirrored the explorers in appearance, personality, and behavior. But they created subtle disturbances through actions no human would do.
However, you couldn’t let on that you noticed.
Anyone who openly acknowledged the ghosts’ presence disappeared.
“I can handle this.”
All I had to do was let things slide.
If someone smiled too wide or did something unnerving, I’d just pretend not to notice.
“When that happens, just act natural. Look at someone else. Ignore it.”
With more people around, I felt confident I could endure.
I’d been through enough that I wondered if I’d become braver—or just more numb.
At least I wasn’t breaking out in a cold sweat imagining what might happen next.
"Oh! The entry door is completely sealed now. It’s just us for the night!"
"Awesome~!"
"Let’s do this! Go team!!"
Clap-clap-clap-clap!
Everyone smiled warmly and applauded.
Except…
"Wow!"
Every single person clapped using the backs of their hands.
"……."
Ah.
"Huh? Supervisor Roe, why aren’t you clapping?"
"……."
"What’s wrong?"
Leopard Assistant Manager leaned in, his face uncomfortably close.
"Something bothering you?"