It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story 036

My foot steps onto the ground beyond the golden line.

If this were a game, it felt like stepping into some special field.

The mist vanished like a lie, revealing the scenery properly.

But…

‘…It’s vast.’

The field in the mountains under the full moon was much larger than I had expected.

A gigantic field that could cover the entire ridge.

The calm and dark green plants swayed under the blue-black moonlight.

However, it did not feel peaceful or pleasant at all.

It felt ominous and eerie.

-There’s a strange scent.

Just like that said.

Moreover, amidst the swaying green, those tiny red berries appeared… wait a minute.

‘…Ginseng?’

That’s right.

Is this a ginseng field?

Wait a minute, ginseng is artificially cultivated and grown, but this doesn’t seem to be humanly cultivated…

‘…Wild ginseng?’

Are all these wild ginseng??

‘No way….’

I hurriedly looked around the field and noticed a sign posted at the outer edge.

[Thousand Years]

“…….”

I immediately turned my back to cross back over the golden line.

– Doe?

‘Let’s bounce.’

A thousand-year-old wild ginseng?

It felt like opening my pencil case to borrow a pen only to find it filled with gold bars.

Just as I was about to cross back over the golden line,

[Guest!]

“…!”

[Ah, dear guest. Please don’t leave….]

A thin voice behind me was sobbing.

I slowly turned my head halfway back.

[The ghost attached to the tiger is coming to harvest me! The terrible tiger is coming to chew off my limbs and spit them out onto the ground! Help me, help me…!]

One of the fruits that had sprouted in the field was gently shaking.

Then, as if realizing I was watching it, its leaves drooped.

[Ah, now it’s my turn. I’ll be brutally torn apart and not a shred of cloth will remain….]

“…….”

I turned my body to look at the wild ginseng.

The fruit cluster that caught my gaze shook fervently.

[Rather than be given to the wicked tiger, I would rather be eaten by you, dear guest! If you take me to a large iron pot and boil me down, all ailments will be cured and my frail parents will rise up like young men and regain their strength!]

Come to think of it, wild ginseng has often been depicted in folktales as a good and mystical being.

A reward given to good people.

I knelt down towards the ginseng that was shaking the berries.

[Deaaar Guest!]

And reached out my hand towards the ginseng…

But then I abruptly stood back up.

[…?]

“Lies.”

The berries froze up.

And the ground trembled as a gloomy, deep voice erupted from it.

[You’ve noticed, haven’t you! You filthy thing!]

Right.

‘Isn’t this the burial place of Saint Ginseng?’

Have you heard the tales of how ghosts do everything backwards?

But I’m in a place lured by a ghost and the designation is a graveyard?

‘It’s impossible for the wild ginseng growing in this neighborhood to be normal.’

It wouldn’t be strange if the attributes were entirely opposite. I had a feeling this would happen.

[Hehehehe, hehe!]

The wild ginseng began to squirm and rise.

Hiiiiiik!!

Half-formed, its appearance was a ghastly shade of blue-purple, resembling a mini zombie.

It was even spewing out a thick, reddish-black liquid!

‘Even though I was mentally prepared, this is terrifying!’

[You should be buried too! You should become ginseng and be buried here! Let’s get your hands and feet chopped off so you can’t escape! Let’s feel the pain of living while dying!]

The surrounding leaves twisted like tentacles, wriggling out of the soil. Aaaah!

Without delay, I immediately pulled something from my waist.

‘The white apple!’

An item with a strange effect, “Eating it will instantly plunge you into a death-like sleep.”

But what should I do with that?

‘It seems hard to chew on an apple in such an emergency….’

So I had made it into juice!

Chh-thuck.

I took out the sealed pack filled with the apple juice made from the white apple and poured it all over the field ahead.

The wild ginseng…

[Kikikikiki! It doesn’t work! It doesn’t work! Foolish one! I’m going to pull off your limbs…]

Cool.

It fell into a faint sleep.

“…….”

The white apple… the effect is definitely working.

I cautiously moved my feet.

The grotesque wild ginseng, half-buried in the ground, lay still, fainted.

It felt weird like a cockroach that had been hit with insecticide lying on the floor, or like a dog or cat soundly asleep, exposing its belly.

-Oh! Though rude, it’s quite an interesting creature! How about taking it as a souvenir?

Normally, I would have thought they were crazy.

But I carefully peered at the wild ginseng.

It talked, expressed emotions, even tried to trick me and seemed to calculate the situation. It even appeared like some kind of liquid was flowing within it.

So, this is…

‘A sentient being… right?’

I found it, the substitute for a sacrifice.

“…So, I have gathered all the materials, finished preparing the ceremony, and I can use this strange wild ginseng as the sacrifice… right?”

“Yes.”

“……”

The faces of the people in the abandoned house, who had heard the summarized version of ‘Kim Sol-eum (disguised as a security team) went through something outside’ turned blank.

Maybe I summarized too much.

But it couldn’t be helped. I literally couldn’t explain how the hell I went about it, so it boiled down to ‘Anyway, I got it.’

‘The fact that I brought wild ginseng is a bit concerning, but… it’s better for my mental state than randomly killing someone.’

I thought that if there was a real big problem, Brown would have sounded the alarm.

Anyway, I looked at the people with the most natural expression I could muster.

They stared at me in shock, then exchanged glances between the items I had prepared and the wild ginseng.

But it seemed to get through to them.

“Wow, the security team… They even do stuff like this!”

No, that’s not it.

Feeling a bit guilty, I glanced at the real security team, but the Security Team Leader was lying in a lazy manner among the middle schoolers.

He must have mingled with the kids, jabbering away.

“Hyung, you don’t look that strong.”

“Nah… I’m super strong.”

The kids chuckled. I guess they felt a bit relaxed with more people around.

Manager Lee Byeong-jin checked the supplies, then looked nervously at Ko Seon-ha and me, swallowing hard.

“Uh, then does that mean we’re all heading to the shrine now? To perform the ceremony…?”

“Yes.”

“…The shrine is nearby, so just move carefully. Nothing happened while I was at the shrine as well…”

Ko Seon-ha turned to me with a tense expression.

“Did you, by chance, visit the shrine while you were out?”

“Yes.”

With Brown erasing my existence, I burned the peach tree branches.

I was so nervous, I almost cried three times.

“…Then it will be easier. Just walk quietly and quickly without making a sound. Since it’s foggy, just don’t make mistakes.”

“Understood.”

“…Then, let’s go to the shrine together.”

The time has come.

We took a moment to catch our breath and prepare mentally, then lined up in front of the closed door.

“Kids. You must not stop. Keep walking.”

“Yes……”

At Ko Seon-ha’s words, the kids nodded with scared faces, soon huddling between the adults.

“……”

But why am I standing right at the front…?

Everyone, why are you naturally stepping back?

‘Did I summarize the process of gathering supplies too much…!’

Do they think of me as some fearless, probing genius or something? Oh, please…

‘They wouldn’t believe me if I said I was scared now, right?’

…But I guess it’s better than being at the very back.

I resigned myself and opened the door again.

Creeeak.

Once again, the mountainside wrapped in darkness and fog appeared.

Huff.

“Ugh,”

“Shh.”

The kids sealed their lips tightly, looking terrified.

We slowly moved our feet as quietly as possible.

Tread, tread.

Every time a small sound echoed, our footsteps quickened.

I could feel the pressure that they could approach us from behind at any moment as if a specter was about to talk to us.

–Friend! You don’t need to hurry. Just remember, Brown is always here…

And fortunately, that ‘in case’ did not occur.

Beyond the darkness and fog, I could see an old tiled roof.

An oddly curved, red and blue old house.

It’s the shrine.

Thud.

“Phew.”

“Is everyone in?”

Everyone who had safely entered the shrine took a breath.

Lastly, the Security Team Leader sauntered in, shut the green paper door, and locked it.

Manager Lee Byeong-jin hurriedly tried to add a talisman he picked up from the abandoned house on top of the door, but Ko Seon-ha stopped him.

“There could be issues with the ceremony. Let’s just leave it. We need to hurry and get out!”

“R-right.”

In the meantime, I looked around the shrine.

My eyes, adapted to the darkness, revealed the shapes in the shadows.

Inside was eerily clean but very old.

Between two headless, rusty Maitreya statues, there was a completely broken incense burner.

And above there was a worm-eaten wooden plank.

-So this is the plank where the ceremony is written. It has quite an atmosphere…

I followed and read the content on the plank that Brown informed me of.

“…The most courageous person should come forth and perform the ceremony.”

Well, I’m definitely not that person.

“……”

Seriously, don’t look at me two of you.

I naturally turned my gaze to the Security Team Leader. Their eyes followed as well, but……

“I can’t do it.”

“…Huh??”

“I can’t, so don’t ask me to do it…”

“Ah, I see.”

Manager Lee Byeong-jin squeaked and turned to me.

I stared hard at the manager.

“……”

“Uh,”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes, yes….”

Even if he was neurotic, he would still be less of a coward than me…

Manager Lee Byeong-jin with trembling steps moved forward, then soon turned back with a horrified face to me and Ko Seon-ha.

“W-wait a minute! The tune to pay homage!”

Ko Seon-ha gasped.

“Right! ‘The song to offer to the mountain lord!’”

“Yeah, that one! There’s nothing that can replace that tiger song or folk song! No matter how well-equipped we are, if we don’t have that….”

Ah.

“I have it.”

“……??”

“Wait a moment.”

I called the middle schoolers.

And asked in a very polite manner.

“Hey kids. You said you were on a school trip.”

“Yes….”

“Did any of you happen to sing songs on the bus ride down? Or do you know any celebrities?”

The kids exchanged looks, then one student without bangs pointed silently.

I quickly asked that student.

“What’s your name?”

“I-I Na-yeon.”

“Got it, Na-yeon. I have a question.”

I tried my best to wear a kind expression. The adults’ faces all turned into question marks at once.

“…?? Excuse me, what are you doing….”

“Among famous idol songs, are there any songs that mention tigers in the lyrics?”

“…!!”

I turned to look at the adults.

Their expressions were blank.

“B-but, c-can I write a pop song? Idol songs….”

“You can.”

I lifted the ceremonial note that Ko Seon-ha had written.

“If you see, it just says ‘tune.’ There’s no need to use folk songs or nursery rhymes.”

“…!”

This isn’t a horror story Wiki’s writing area, and there’s no need or reason to select songs that match the horror story’s atmosphere.

It’s human prejudice that has narrowed the scope.

“Ah….”

I turned back to the child.

“Na-yeon. So, do you have a song in mind? Anything about mountain lords or tigers would be fine.”

“Ah!”

And Na-yeon’s face lit up as she answered.

“I do! Saint U’s Peekaboo!”

Bingo.

“Also, there’s a B-Tik song…”

“Is there one you know all the lyrics to? One that’s famous at the same time.”

“Yes! Saint U’s Peekaboo!”

Okay.

I turned to the adults and declared sternly.

“We will use Saint U’s Peekaboo as the tune to offer to the mountain lord.”

Take that, tiger, let’s go with an idol song!

Inside the quiet shrine.

With trembling hands, Manager Lee Byeong-jin gently dusted ash into the incense burner.

It was the ash from the burned peach tree branches.

-First.

-‘The one performing the ceremony must come forth, place the peach branches into the incense burner, and smell the incense.’

-‘Carefully close the lid of the incense burner, and when the scent wafts away, reopen it.’

The manager covered the worn-out, broken incense burner with the similarly worn-out lid, waiting a few seconds before removing the cover.

Amazingly, the ashes disappeared.

In its place, a complete incense stick lit aflame.

From the little twig-shaped incense, the scent of peach wafted up thickly.

“…!!”

-‘If the incense is burning, the mountain lord has acknowledged your sincerity’… Oh, it’s synchronizing perfectly with the plan. Fantastic!

“Ugh.”

The scent was pungent, causing Ko Seon-ha to cover her nose and step back.

The manager hurriedly moved on to the next action.

-Second.

-‘Open the paper door.’

Creeeak.

Beyond the open door, the dark forest came into view. The kids hid behind the adults.

-‘Crush three plums in a bronze cup and sprinkle them onto the earth beneath the floor. Throw the remaining cup to the east and never look back.’

I handed Manager Lee Byeong-jin three plums. He smashed the plums with his fingers in the bronze cup before sprinkling them onto the earth.

As a result, a sweet and sour scent rose.

Ko Seon-ha, who had stepped back, moved forward and sniffed, looking a bit better.

Then she gestured to Manager Lee Byeong-jin.

It was time to proceed with the third action.

-Third.

-‘Prepare the tune to offer to the mountain lord. The more known among people, the better the effect.’

Manager Lee Byeong-jin carefully rolled up the lyrics he had prepared in advance and placed them in the drawer beneath the incense altar.

-‘Write the lyrics, place them in the incense altar, sing loudly, and clap every time you take a step, bowing thirty steps.’

Through the open door, people stepped out one by one.

The student named Na-yeon started singing the lyrics she taught.

“…Peekaboo. I’m coming out.”

The middle schoolers began to chant.

The tune offered to the mountain lord.