NoveLight ™
After that, the situation settled down remarkably quickly.
Well, to be fair, it wasn’t as though it could remain unsettled.
The lizard captain began questioning my actions from the previous night.
At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.
And then, I raised a figurative thumbs-up toward my superior—a gesture of admiration and deference.
“I couldn’t miss the chance to have an in-depth conversation with a superior I respect, even under such unusual circumstances.”
“I see.”
“Thank you for kindly engaging with me for so long.”
“Yes.”
Phew.
As for the C-Team members who had spent the night peacefully asleep, they woke up just as I and Captain Lee Jaheon were about to leave.
They laughed sheepishly.
“Ah~ Of all people, the two of you got stuck with that. What a coincidence.”
“Wow, we were so scared, weren’t we?”
“Totally chilling~”
Lies!
Watching them chuckle as they recalled the actions of the ghosts mimicking them, I was reminded of just how fearless the so-called “elites” of this company truly were.
Oh, and before I forget…
“This might be my chance to figure out who referred me to Salmon Market.”
"Excuse me, may I ask your names?"
"Of course!"
The dolphin-masked supervisor raised her hand enthusiastically.
"I’m Supervisor Lee Seongha, and over there is Deputy Manager Kang Dojun."
"……."
Huh?
Wait a second.
The deputy manager who introduced me to Salmon Market was… ah!
"Is your team leader by any chance named Kang Hanheon?"
"Huh? Oh, no."
"……."
I’ve been played.
I should’ve known. They’d been too willing to share their information—it was all a lie.
“They must’ve counted on the fact that, as a regular team member, I can’t directly access the contact details of elite team members like those in Teams A, B, or C.”
Not that it mattered much. It just made me glad I’d been cautious when setting up my account.
As I was about to wrap up the conversation with a polite "it seems I was mistaken," the dolphin supervisor suddenly leaned closer and whispered.
"Supervisor Roe."
"……!!"
"Did you happen to get a KakaoTalk message about making money?"
"…From someone with a Hawaii beach profile photo?"
"Exactly!"
“Is this person well-known?”
"They’re sort of infamous within the company."
Glancing at her colleague to ensure no attention was drawn to us, she continued quickly.
"By the way, I graduated as the top of my class too."
Ah.
"I also got a message. From the guy with the bear-eating-lots-of-fish vibe… Ugh, what’s it called—oh, Salmon Market."
So she got scammed too.
"Apparently, quite a few promising individuals received similar messages!"
She explained that the sender’s identity varied each time, but one thing remained consistent:
[K.LEE: Oh, hi there, employee! ㅋㅋㅋ]
The profile picture and the name “K.LEE.”
The dolphin supervisor continued in a hushed voice.
"Want to hear my theory?"
"Of course."
"My guess? The site admin sent those messages themselves. Trying to find real explorers to sell legit Darkness artifacts on their secondhand platform."
Oh.
"Do you think someone from the company created the site?"
"At the very least, they’re connected! They know way too much about the exploration teams."
Interesting.
I rubbed my chin.
“If someone in the company really is behind this….”
It had to be someone notable.
I mentally skimmed through the Dark Exploration Records for employees who might pull off such a scheme.
"Thank you. That clears up some questions."
"Don’t mention it."
The dolphin supervisor shrugged nonchalantly.
"By the way, are there a lot of employees who use Salmon Market?"
"Quite a few. The company doesn’t care as long as we’re not selling dream essence collectors or masks. It’s like how soldiers during wartime were allowed to plunder to keep morale up—ugh."
She frowned.
"Honestly, this company is the worst."
I couldn’t help but nod.
"They do seem to downplay the value of human lives."
"Eh, it’s eco-friendly for humans to die, so who cares about that."
"……."
"The real issue is how random it all is. If it were me, I’d start by eliminating people based on their morals. Ugh."
…C-Team scares me.
"Anyway, that’s all."
"Thank you."
"No problem!"
Tying up her long hair, the dolphin supervisor grinned brightly.
"By the way, Supervisor Roe, you were so polite even when I was a ghost. I think kind people should live long lives."
She gave me a cheerful thumbs-up.
Um. Thanks.
And so, I parted ways with C-Team on surprisingly good terms.
“Let’s meet again in a Darkness with a high point payout! We’ll show off our awesomeness!”
“Better if only one of us needs to come and rake in all the points! Haha!”
Well.
“I’d rather not experience the awesomeness of an elite team in a Darkness, thank you very much…”
Still, they were easier to work with than Team A.
C-Team’s slight air of superiority was just a typical elite team trait—manageable.
That is, if you ignored the replaying horror of the ghostly versions of them I’d witnessed today.
“Ughhhh.”
Time to go home.
And indulge in the luxury of sleeping through the day.
Relieved to have a day off, I bowed slightly to Captain Lee Jaheon.
"Captain, thank you for everything today. Once again, I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions, even in the midst of the Darkness."
"Yes."
"If there’s ever anything you’d like to ask me, please don’t hesitate!"
"Yes. I’ll ask now."
"……."
Already?
Captain Lee calmly posed his question.
"Supervisor Roe, have you used the ‘Fox Counseling Room’ yet?"
"…!"
That was one of three new privileges granted to me as a supervisor:
It was the only one I hadn’t used yet.
"No, I haven’t."
Understandably so—I hadn’t had the time or the opportunity.
"Do you plan to use it?"
"……."
Hmm.
"Captain, you’re recommending it because it’s meant to help recover from psychological damage caused by contamination, correct?"
"Correct. I recommend you schedule a session soon."
It was a fair point.
Except for one problem.
“There’s a side effect.”
The Fox Counseling Room had a significant, undocumented side effect in the employee manual.
It was rare enough not to concern most employees, but…
“I’d rather not take that risk, no matter how small.”
Besides, I wasn’t experiencing anything severe enough to warrant it.
No strange whispers in my mind, no obsessive thoughts about the manuals—at least not without conscious effort.
Nights were a bit tough, but having someone to talk to—like Brown—made it bearable.
-“Such an honor, my friend!”
Indeed, Brown.
I never thought a monster in a ghost story could feel like such a lifeline.
‘Humans truly are creatures of adaptation.’
Anyway, since I have the day off today, I can sleep during the day and make up for the lack of sleep in this way. It shouldn’t be a problem.
Of course, outwardly, I nodded politely.
“Yes. I’ll schedule a session when I have time.”
Though, in reality, that “time” might not come for several months—if at all.
But it wasn’t technically a lie.
“…Understood.”
The lizard captain gave me a long look, then nodded and left.
And so, I made it home safely.
“Phew.”
Click.
I unlocked the door and stepped into my apartment. The entire company building felt quiet, probably because everyone else was at work. Even Baek Saheon wasn’t around.
‘Let’s sleep.’
After washing up, I lay on my bed, preparing to check the latest updates on various sites before falling asleep—
“…!”
Only to find myself wide awake.
‘It’s open!’
The alien store had finally completed its revamp and launched a new homepage.
The flashy colors on the screen practically stabbed my eyes.
<Cosmic Shopping Mall>
I see the goods
★ Grand Reopening Sale! ★
Amazing prices!
Wow, really… amazing.
The design, that is.
‘How did this get even worse?’
Pixelated fireworks exploded across the screen, their increasing colors and effects making the page even more unbearable.
If these aliens outsourced their design work, someone needed to stop them.
-“Friend, have mercy on this narrator and spare me the torment of that hideous flyer.”
I obliged, placing Brown on a towel on the desk.
This design disaster was mine to endure alone.
‘Anyway, a grand reopening sale is a great opportunity.’
This might mean more items had been added, too.
With a bit of anticipation, I clicked the Enter button.
Item List
Happy Maker – ₩27,999,999 ★
Nostalgia Candy – ₩12,999,999 ★
Packaging 12B357na – ₩9,999,999
Necronomicon – ₩49,999,999
We Help! – ₩66,666,666
Special Deal: Spend ₩100 million and get 20% off!
Become a VIP at the Cosmic Shopping Mall!
“…….”
Hold on.
“It’s here!”
-“Friend?”
I nearly jumped out of bed in excitement but managed to calm myself.
“The armor is finally here!”
-“Ah, you’ve found the item you were searching for? Congratulations!”
Exactly.
Packaging 12B357na – ₩9,999,999
‘I absolutely have to buy this.’
And it’s the cheapest item on the list! What a deal!
I added it to my cart, and only after doing so did it hit me that it was ₩10 million. For a brief moment, reality sank in—but canceling the purchase? Not a chance.
As I calmed down and browsed the other items, something struck me.
“…….”
-“Friend? Is something wrong?”
“No.”
In fact, the opposite.
I double-checked the list in disbelief, but it was real.
‘Wait… I know all these items.’
This was a first.
Even for items that didn’t appear in the Dark Exploration Records, there were usually vague mentions or clues that allowed me to make educated guesses.
While some items gave off an ominous vibe bordering on ghost-story level, I could think of their utility and usage almost immediately.
‘This is incredible.’
Then I noticed something curious: a star icon next to certain items.
Happy Maker – ₩27,999,999 ★
What was that about?
When I hovered my finger over it, an explanation popped up.
★ Similar to something you’ve purchased before!
‘Ah.’
These aliens… So the revamp was about introducing algorithms?
They’d implemented a system where items related to my previous purchases appeared at the top with a star.
‘Shouldn’t this be the opposite?’
It made sense for clothes, maybe, but why would I buy similar items again? Unless it was a consumable that had run out, like…
Nostalgia Candy – ₩12,999,999 ★
‘The Nostalgia series.’
This was from the same line as the threadlike restraint device that had wrapped around my wrist during the security room incident.
The series was themed around “returning to a cherished moment of the past” to regain a sense of identity.
If this candy version worked similarly, it likely provided that effect through consumption.
‘This is a must-buy.’
I was nearly out of the mini apples, whether in juice or pill form.
I immediately added it to my cart and continued leisurely browsing the rest of the list…
Painkillers, recovery items, armor, intimidation tools, escape kits….
And I realized something.
‘They’re all great.’
Every single item was useful. Knowing their purpose allowed me to discern their value.
And then there was this:
Special Deal: Spend ₩100 million and get 20% off!
“…….”
A discount.
‘This isn’t an everyday opportunity.’
Combining my salary, side earnings, and performance bonuses—minus living expenses—my budget could stretch to…
‘₩140 million, maybe ₩150 million?’
“…….”
-“Friend, are you enjoying your shopping experience despite the visual torture?”
“No.”
-“Hmm?”
“I just finished.”
I looked at my cart.
Happy Maker – ₩27,999,999
Nostalgia Candy – ₩12,999,999
Packaging 12B357na – ₩9,999,999
Necronomicon – ₩49,999,999
We Help! – ₩66,666,666
Total: ₩167,666,662
Discounted Price: ₩134,133,329
Time to go all in.
Purchase everything.