Who could have imagined a situation like this?

Being trapped in a sealed room with three ghosts mimicking humans, sweating nervously while trying to remain perfectly still.

And on top of that…

Pretending not to notice anything.

“...Don’t let it show.”

Even when everyone around me—except for myself—was cheerfully clapping with the backs of their hands.

No, not people…

Ghosts.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

“Don’t. Let. It. Show.”

And then, one of them turned to me and asked,

"Why aren’t you clapping?"

"……."

Oh, hell.

I barely managed to keep my hands from trembling as I raised them.

Then…

Clap, clap.

I lightly tapped one hand against the other, politely and softly.

Feigning a sheepish laugh, I glanced around as if embarrassed, like a junior employee unsure of the timing.

"Ah, I hesitated and missed the timing. It’s a bit embarrassing."

"……."

Please.

Please just let it slide.

"Oh, don’t worry about it~!"

"Hey, Leopard, don’t pressure the capable rookie. Let’s all sit down and relax."

"Ah, of course."

Leopard—or the "thing" pretending to be him—shrugged and sat back down.

“Phew…”

But the relief was short-lived.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

Dolphin suddenly dropped her head to the floor.

Then began banging it sideways against the ground.

No change in her expression.

"Ah, it’s like there’s a bug or something. A bug… I can’t catch it, though."

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

"Um… I heard no other creatures can enter this Darkness. Could you have mistaken it for something else?"

"Ah."

Dolphin stopped moving.

Her long hair was disheveled, and her skull was visibly dented.

"Right. Thanks, Supervisor Roe."

"You’re welcome."

And then, as if nothing had happened, she casually resumed her conversation with Leopard.

"……."

Would fainting… count as disappearing?

This was driving me insane.

“How did they all get swapped except for me?!”

If only I could’ve blacked out and been replaced, waking up tomorrow morning without remembering anything.

"Supervisor Roe, here."

"Ah. Thank you, Captain…"

The lizard captain—no, don’t think like that. Captain Lee Jaheon handed me some snacks.

It was gimbap from a pretty decent snack bar near the office.

“I guess I do need to eat something since we’re stuck here for almost 24 hours…”

It was a rational judgment, except I felt like I might choke or vomit the moment I put something in my mouth.

“Ugh.”

"Oh, how about we share? We brought sandwiches too."

The two from Team C pulled out their sandwiches.

Reflexively, I responded with polite social skills.

"I should’ve brought something, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m sorry and thank you."

"Oh, come on, don’t worry about things like rank or seniority here. The Captain doesn’t seem to care about that either, right?"

"Correct."

Leopard gave a thumbs-up with a grin.

"Man, this is great. Our team captain’s like that too. Roe, you know the Team A captain, right? That mallard guy? Captain Lee’s in a whole different league of nice people."

Ah.

"You must really admire him. He seems like a great person."

"Right? He even used a wish token to take some time off… I really hope he doesn’t quit, though."

I avoided reacting to the mention of Team A’s captain and shifted the conversation into a pleasant compliment.

Not that it mattered since they were all ghosts. Still, I wasn’t about to break character.

“Forget it, forget it…”

This felt less like a ghost story and more like awkwardly chatting with senior colleagues during a workshop dinner.

Of course, it didn’t last long.

After the meal, Leopard yawned and got up.

"Ugh, we’re going to be here all day… I think I’ll take my shoes off. That okay?"

"What? You should’ve brought slippers like me!"

"Well, I didn’t, did I? Don’t worry, my socks are clean."

Leopard casually chatted with Dolphin as he bent down to remove his shoes.

“Fine. Even if he suddenly starts tap-dancing on the table, I won’t—”

A hand emerged from the shoe.

A crumpled, squished hand unfurled itself and stuck to the floor.

"……."

"Oh, while I’m up, how about some more coffee? Anyone else want some?"

Leopard stood on his hands.

The hands on his feet reached up and waved.

Thump… thump.

He began walking upside down.

"Supervisor Roe."

I swallowed my scream.

"Yes, Assistant Manager Leopard."

"Can you help carry the coffee? I’m having a hard time seeing for some reason. Oh, oh—"

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

His hand-stand body kept bumping into the drawer where the coffee was kept.

"It’s not because you’re the rookie. You were just sitting nearby. Sorry if it feels like I’m making you do this."

Oh, God.

"Of course. No problem."

I stood up abruptly and walked over to Leopard.

On second thought, maybe being next to the ghost with a crushed skull was worse than standing beside this upside-down ghost.

Right?

It had to be…?

-“Fascinating! Could this be an attempt at an uncanny valley effect? It’s quite the entertaining performance, Supervisor Roe. Let’s enjoy this to the fullest!”

-“Enjoy?!”

“I deserve a medal for not squeezing my eyes shut right now!”

Enjoyment was too high a bar for me to clear!

"Here, let’s move the coffee."

"Sure."

I handed cups of coffee to the hands on his feet while carrying a few myself to the table.

I was honestly proud of myself for not trembling or spilling the coffee.

But now that everyone’s coffee was refilled, it turned into a casual group conversation again.

"So."

Dolphin smiled brightly, her caved-in skull looking horrific.

"Why don’t we go around and share stories about the ghost stories we’ve cleared? Honestly, this job gets so dull without that kind of fun!"

Leopard shook his head.

"Nah, what if a ghost overhears and starts acting out? Let’s just talk about something light, like favorite foods."

"Ah, that’s good too."

"……."

He wasn’t wrong.

Discussing the ghost story itself wouldn’t trigger any problems, but it often led to accusations about who the ghost was—which was highly discouraged.

Not that it mattered here since all of them were ghosts.

"I like crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Like eggplant tempura."

"Oh, nice! I like things that burst when you bite into them. Like eyeballs!"

Whip.

Dolphin leaned her face right into mine.

"Roe, do you have eyeballs? You must, right? Did you bring them? Let’s share them!"

Ahhhhhh!

"They’re not for eating."

I politely folded my hands under the table, pretending to steady myself.

"And it seems we share similar tastes. I also think texture is important."

"Oh~ A comrade!"

The ghost mimicking Dolphin beamed.

"Roe’s not a ghost, huh? Talking about food so normally."

Wow.

“I can’t take this anymore.”

If this conversation continued, I was definitely going to scream.

-“Oh dear, Supervisor Roe seems quite sensitive to the uncanny valley effect! Such an engaged audience is always appreciated, but what a shame about the situation…!”

-“Don’t worry. Isn’t my presence alone a great comfort? Your friend is right here!”

…Wait.

Yes.

That’s it.

“Brown was right.”

• “A great host always has words suited to the situation!”

Exactly. The fear I was feeling was rooted in the "uncanny valley" effect—terror amplified to the extreme.

“It’s the horror of seeing something that looks human but clearly isn’t.”

Here I was, sitting in an ordinary break room, watching company employees casually exhibit grotesque, alien behaviors. The surreal terror was suffocating.

And the kicker? I was the only human among them.

“If that’s the case…”

I glanced to my side.

The lizard boss was casually eating a sandwich, wrapper and all.

"……."

"……."

Oddly, not scary at all.

Even if he started flicking his tongue or walking backward while grinning maniacally, or even shaking his head wildly while holding a completely normal conversation—it wouldn’t matter.

I was already scared!

I already saw him as a lizard!

There was no deeper level of discomfort to sink into.

“I’ll stick to the boss like glue.”

A solution presented itself.

Suppressing my cold sweat, I naturally turned my chair toward the lizard captain, as if I had something important to discuss.

"Captain Lee Jaheon."

And I did have something I wanted to ask.

According to the Dark Exploration Records, the ghosts in this story were identical to their original counterparts in appearance, personality, and behavior.

This meant that casual, natural questions would likely elicit the same responses as the "real" person—unless the ghost started doing something bizarre.

“If I keep things light, I might even get a proper answer.”

I pulled my chair closer, as though initiating a heartfelt conversation between colleagues. The goal was to create an atmosphere where the other ghosts couldn’t intrude. It seemed to work.

"During work, we never seem to have the chance to talk like this. May I ask you a few things?"

"Go ahead."

"Thank you. I’ve always wondered… how are you so strong?"

"That’s a good question."

Fortunately, Captain Lee didn’t seem offended.

"It’s a result of combining natural aptitude and learned skills."

"……."

A textbook answer that would work for any question! It was like asking a top student how they excel academically and getting the classic "I just studied hard" response.

“I want to dig deeper, but…”

With anyone else, that would’ve been a polite dismissal, but with the lizard captain, it was hard to tell.

Smiling awkwardly, I replied, "I see. I’ve been thinking about increasing my strength without relying on items or contamination."

"Follow a protein-heavy diet and combine aerobic and anaerobic exercises."

"…And that’ll make me as strong as you?"

"No."

"……."

I almost gave him a bewildered look, but I stopped myself.

"Any advice you can give me, then?"

"Yes. Focus on your other strengths."

The lizard captain spoke in his usual flat tone.

"No one excels in every area. Don’t waste resources on inefficient or unnecessary things. Rely on others when needed."

…Wait a second.

"Are you saying that when I need strength, you’ll handle it, so I should focus on developing my own strengths?"

"Correct."

The lizard nodded.

"Your strengths are creativity and judgment."

"…Thank you."

Well, then.

“Should I feel flattered or frustrated?”

I was grateful he wasn’t dumping responsibilities on me, but still…

“Let’s push a bit further.”

I hesitated before probing again.

"But we sometimes have to enter the Darkness alone. Strength is a versatile and effective tool in such situations, so I think it’s still necessary."

"Fair point."

The lizard stared into the distance, as if deep in thought, before responding.

"I’ll recommend an item."

"…!"

Jackpot.

"It enhances physical strength?"

"Something similar. Use it as a parent item when crafting specialized gear."

"…! Thank you."

I’d been considering upgrading or expanding my gear anyway. This was perfect timing.

“At least I gained something here.”

Even amidst the terror of a ghost-filled story, I managed to secure a useful lead.

…Wait.

The lizard sitting in front of me wasn’t the real Lee Jaheon—it was a ghost.

“Does this promise even count?”

I panicked briefly before recalling the manual: those replaced by ghosts retain a vague memory of what occurred in the sealed space.

Given Captain Lee’s personality, the promise would likely hold.

“Good enough.”

Phew.

Having accomplished something gave me a small sense of achievement.

“I’ll ride this feeling to endure the rest of the terror.”

Stretching my arms, I avoided looking at the two C-team ghosts now standing on their hands and grinning at me upside down.

At this point, I didn’t care which of them was the one who’d introduced me to Salmon Market.

“Empty your mind…”

I launched into an endless stream of mundane chatter with the lizard captain, avoiding conversation with the ghosts as much as possible.

The lizard captain ghost, bombarded with my incessant small talk, didn’t have time to do anything eerie—he just kept answering my questions.

“So, the captain prefers beef over pork. Fascinating.”

-“Friend, this isn’t even small talk anymore—it’s amateur autobiography research at this point…”

I know, Brown, but I have no other choice.

When even that ran dry, I pretended to be sleepy, closed my eyes, and played word games with Brown in my head.

No matter what absurd noises came from around me, I responded with, "I’m too tired… let’s talk after we’re out."

“It’s 3 a.m., for God’s sake.”

I felt like I was swimming in cold sweat, but no emergency situation arose.

Clutching Brown in my pocket, I endured a harrowing few hours that felt like an eternity.

And then…

"……."

"……."

Click.

The break room door finally opened.

I had made it through the night alone.

"……It’s over."

It’s over, damn it!

I wanted to jump up and punch the air, crying tears of victory.

“I did it.”

It was the first time I’d endured raw ghostly horror without any shortcuts.

It felt like I’d overcome my limits.

“I deserve a pat on the back.”

I staggered to my feet. Nobody knew how much I’d struggled with even a D-grade Darkness.

"Supervisor Roe."

"…!?"

Oh, uh…?

I turned my head to see the lizard captain looking at me, wide awake and perfectly normal.

As if he hadn’t spent the night at all…

…Wait.

“Huh?”

His eyes were open?

"Ca-Captain…"

"There’s no need to wait for Team C to wake up. You may leave."

I stared at him, then at the collapsed, sleeping bodies of Team C.

"……."

"……."

No way.

"Last night… were you not a ghost?"

"I wasn’t."

"But you clapped with the backs of your hands!?"

"?"

The lizard tilted his head, then seemed to realize something.

"I assumed it was a popular trend."

"……."

Ah.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!