Chapter 13 Part 1: And the performance has begun

The finger was sucked in without any resistance.

The feel of the space inside was a combination of subtle warmth and an indescribable squishiness, making the internal structure even creepier.

And as if it were alive, as breaths passed between the knuckles of my fingers.

Ugh!

Please!

It’s disgusting!

A strange space where I wanted to pull my hand out immediately.

But fortunately, I grabbed the edge of something hard not far away and pulled it out in one swift motion.

Pop!

The sound effect of taking it out is also the worst.

What I pulled out of the employee ID card was the glasses I had been looking for so much, and the last bear doll clinging to the glasses frame came into view.

Thud!

Ah.

The last bear doll also met the expected ending, and contrary to the surprisingly useful function.

The identity of the employee ID card, which had been hidden until now and was reluctant to use.

Certainly, it’s an item I’ve never heard of before.

Then.

If what the man at the general store said is really true, an unexpected development that the announcer created this item.

‘…………No, seriously.’

It’s a new ghost story that’s only F-grade.

It was questionable why it had so many irregularities.

If there was a setting at the time that ghost stories could be made into items, this guy would have been a candidate for ‘grade re-evaluation’ with a high probability.

In the <Ghost Story Record Repository>, it’s not very common, but looking at the settings.

-This…I made it too strong?

There are a few ghost stories that have been re-evaluated in this way.

From the perspective of a veteran who has encountered many ghost stories.

‘This guy is at least…….’

C-grade.

Or it’s a guy with the potential to receive more. And if this guy is really a ghost story of C-grade or higher…

Don’t mess around.

Don’t mess around any further.

As I’ve been doing so far, faithfully carrying out the tasks that the announcement tells me to do and observing the situation is the best choice for now.

‘……………I have to go now.’

Now that the item check is over, there’s no point in delaying any longer, only increasing anxiety.

Pitter-patter!

As soon as I tried to take a step.

The three bear dolls chasing after me.

Another ghost story, the ‘little friends’, received from the ghost story kid [I Hate the Dark!].

I roughly know how to use them. They might be a big help if I take them with me.

But.

“Can you stay here today?”

!!!

Is this what it means to freeze in place? Seeing the three bear dolls freeze at the same time after hearing my words just now, I couldn’t help but smile.

But I’m sorry too.

If it’s an item given by an A-grade, it’s clear that it will be a great help.

But as Mr. Announcer said. These little friends are gifts from that A-grade ghost story.

If they are damaged or lost during use

What kind of misunderstanding will I be subjected to?

Also, the moment I heard that the ghost story kid had parents.

Two ghost stories flashed through my mind.

Top-grade ghost stories that should never be involved.

Me.

Moreover, one of them is a ridiculous ghost story that is equivalent to S-grade.

One of them, a ghost story that should never be dealt with or offended, belatedly made me realize.

I was very lucky that I didn’t put out the last candle at that time.

I wanted to bow to my past self.

‘Good job. Past me.’

So for a while, the safety of these bear dolls is the most important.

While having an existential crisis about having to take care of the safety of dolls, I thought that this action was an action to save my life, and I straightened my bent knees.

A short deep breath.

I started to take the steps I had stopped again.

The white librarian, who was already holding the doorknob, quietly opened the door.

This time too, a hollow darkness greeted me beyond the open door. What kind of ghost story will be waiting for me this time.

I was worried about whether I would be able to come back alive from there today, and my steps slowly extended towards the darkness.

In the process of passing through the white door, I brought the items held in my hand one by one in front of the employee ID card.

In an instant, the items were sucked into the employee ID card.

‘It works?’

The first meeting wasn’t very good, but this guy was definitely capable.

Step.

Not long after passing through this white door.

‘I’ve arrived.’

The sight that reached Park Yeon-jung’s eyes was quite different from the places I had seen so far.

A main hall decorated in a wide and splendid way.

A dignified space with a ceiling that is several times higher than a school gymnasium and chandeliers that look expensive at first glance.

It’s probably a place I’ll never visit in my life, a meeting place for high-ranking people that you would only see in dramas or movies.

A high-class banquet hall.

On the long white table that stretched endlessly, the subtle scent of wine that tickled the tip of my nose and high-quality meats were deliciously plated.

Damn.

An array of foods that look like a work of art.

But here, it wasn’t just Park Yeon-jung alone. There were many people dressed in suits and dresses enjoying the banquet.

Of course, they weren’t human.

The things that are enjoying food in the banquet hall now… were ‘clothes’.

Only clothes with volume were moving around the banquet hall with dignity.

As if an invisible man was wearing clothes and visiting the banquet hall, there was no face.

There are many clothes around holding wine glasses and talking.

An outburst of unknown language.

‘They’re not talking about me, are they?’

More than that, the invisible men who talk so well even though they don’t have mouths.

But the moment I saw the high-class banquet hall and the many clothes without bodies there.

I thought it could only be that ghost story.

…Well, this guy didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it from the beginning.

/Ghost Story Log

[And the Performance Began.]

:Identification Code Cd-E-31

Grade E.

The only drug that the world allows is ‘music’. Then we are all drug addicts.

So let’s accept it.

【Let’s twist our bodies and participate in the performance.】

That will play a beautiful melody for you.

Many people are said to have received mysterious invitations. (The performance is determined by the number of people invited.)

Physical restraint is possible.

No mental damage. (At the time of recording)

*Additional notes.

Enter this ghost story with a minimum number of people.

Fortunately, it’s not A-grade this time.

Moreover, E-grade, one level above the lowest F-grade among ghost story grades.

The moment I realized that I had entered [And the Performance Began.].

I’m alive.

There’s no law that says you should just die.

For the first time since entering the ghost story, I took a sigh of relief.

I immediately checked for signs of people around me.

What I could see in the banquet hall were just the sights of invisible men who didn’t care about me and seemed to be busy talking to each other.

I couldn’t feel any other human presence except for Park Yeon-jung himself.

‘There’s no one. That’s good!’

When I realized that I was the only person who had visited this ghost story.

Park Yeon-jung thought that this ghost story would end very easily.

Because, the key to conquering this ghost story lies in the number of people. One of the contents already introduced in the ghost story log.

-Many people are said to have received the mysterious invitation. (The performance is determined by the number of people invited.)

The smaller the number of people, the higher the survival rate!

The larger the number of people, the lower the survival rate.

This ghost story is a ghost story that can be cleared more easily the smaller the number of people.

Moreover, if it’s a person like Park Yeon-jung who already has all the strategy guides for this ghost story in his head, it’s a ghost story that is strange if you can’t clear it.

[And the Performance Began.]

This ghost story also has a basic guidebook.

<How to enjoy the performance 1000000%.>

1. Those who have received the invitation and visited this concert hall, please follow the instructions of the staff. (The orchestra members are waiting for you.)

2. Standing on the stage without the conductor’s permission is prohibited. (Don’t ask why.

3. Please applaud the melody (scream) that occurs during the performance! Cheer! It improves the quality of the performance.

4. If you need anything during the performance, please politely ask the surrounding staff. (Kindness is not a choice, but a necessity.)

5. Low-class guests who do not wish to watch the performance, please leave the concert hall immediately.

It’s not the etiquette you would see at any concert hall.

If you read it, it’s all screwed up.

It’s obvious that it’s the worst performance that makes you want to avoid it just by looking at the guidebook.

Then.

The choices I have to make now are not that many.

-Will you watch the performance?

-Will you leave this concert hall?

It is broadly divided into these two, and there are other minor escape methods, but the rest are quite cumbersome.

So, pass again.

Of course, ‘leaving the concert hall’ is the correct answer here.

This is not a place where you have to give up a body part to escape, such a ridiculous method.

It’s a very simple escape method where you just have to find an emergency exit called the ‘back door’.

But the real problem here is.

The task given to me now.

The heavy task given to me, ‘ghost story capture’.

If it were people who were accidentally dragged in, I wouldn’t know, but my purpose here should not be escape.

Remaining here.

To subdue and capture the ghost story guy.

This is the original purpose for which I was sent here.

To do that, the choice is narrowed down to the second method, ‘watching the performance’, due to force majeure.

“……I have to watch the situation first.”

There’s still plenty of time.

If it goes wrong, it’s not too late to escape then.

I was already getting a headache thinking about how to explain it to Mr. Announcer.

But that’s that, and this is this.

It’s not too late to think about excuses later. Anyway, if I’m the only one who was invited, right now, find the conductor…

【This is an announcement.】

A neat voice that brushes past my ear.

Unlike a certain library, the sound speakers and the soft tone of the announcement voice coming from them.

The first thought that came to my mind after hearing this voice.

Why?

Why is there an announcement now?

But it was too late to realize anything.

[The performance to be held today is ‘orchestra’.]

【The performers who are applicable, please come to A-2 room as soon as possible as there will be rehearsal preparations soon.】

【I will announce it again………………】

I didn’t mishear, did I?

If the form of the performance to be performed today is ‘orchestra’…

Hmm.

Okay.

It’s decided.

I’m screwed.

Park Yeon-jung, the bear doll

He regretted leaving the three