How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 12

The Catastrophe Foundation’s Field Investigation Team 4 office.

In a corner of the meeting room, Moon Jinwook was looking at the new employee with an expression of disbelief. Steam was still rising from the coffee cup in his hand.

“So… you sped up time?”

His voice trembled with disbelief. The coffee cup in his hand shook slightly.

“Yes.”

Baek Jeongwoo answered with a steady voice. With his black suit sleeve slightly rolled up, he continued calmly as if reporting a routine task.

“I made all the hamburgers in an hour, then just tweaked the clock a bit.”

“The clock…?”

Moon Jinwook shot up from his chair. The documents on the desk shook, and a pen rolled off onto the floor. But he didn’t care. He didn’t have the time for that now.

A momentary silence filled the office. The fluorescent light on the ceiling flickered once, then emitted a steady white light again. Only the hum of the air conditioning system could be heard.

“How did you even think of that…”

Without finishing his sentence, he looked at Baek Jeongwoo with awe. In over two years at the Foundation, he had never thought of such an approach.

Analyzing horror stories, responding to them, even entering and escaping them—he had done all that. But manipulating the system of the horror story itself…

“The only object that told time in the horror story was the desk clock.”

Baek Jeongwoo shrugged. His expression remained calm.

“Since the horror story had a time limit, I thought maybe time manipulation was possible.”

Kang Hana, who had been reviewing documents across the desk, suddenly looked up. The fountain pen in her hand stopped on the paper. Ink was slowly soaking into the paper, but she didn’t seem to care.

She set her coffee cup down gracefully and joined the conversation.

“But wouldn’t doing that raise the horror story’s grade?”

Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.

“At least to a D-grade…”

“Yes, it did.”

Baek Jeongwoo nodded. The fluorescent light reflected off his black hair, creating a faint glow.

“The dolls became much more aggressive. But they weren’t watching the CCTV, just closing the doors.”

“That’s it?”

Kang Hana’s eyebrows rose slightly. Her expression was a mix of doubt and curiosity.

Everyone at the Foundation knew that raising the grade of a horror story wasn’t just about increasing difficulty. A higher grade meant the survival rate dropped exponentially.

“Ah…”

Baek Jeongwoo hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t reveal the existence of the Dalant Shop. Instead, he decided to share another important discovery.

“While listening to the phone call, I figured out why the dolls were chasing the security guard.”

He paused briefly to gauge their reactions. Moon Jinwook set down his coffee cup, and Kang Hana placed her fountain pen on the documents. Both of their gazes were fixed on Baek Jeongwoo.

“It was because of the rule that you have to wear a costume inside the shop.”

He took a breath and continued.

“If we make costumes based on the character dolls from Destroyer Entertainment and have the staff wear them, we might be able to safely clear the horror story even if we manipulate time.”

Moon Jinwook and Kang Hana looked at each other. In the silence of the office, their eyes exchanged a wordless conversation. Their gazes were filled with amazement and wonder. The same thought crossed their minds.

‘He’s a genius.’

Moon Jinwook thought. The pen in his hand slipped and fell onto the carpet, rolling under the partition, but no one cared.

‘He was literally born to clear horror stories with that level of intuition and logic.’

The insight to see through the essence of horror stories, the ability to calmly find solutions in dangerous situations, and the creativity to propose new manuals—it was all there.

Such talent wasn’t easy to come by. Passing the Foundation’s entrance exam was hard enough, but to achieve such results on his first mission…

“You’re amazing.”

Moon Jinwook said with a voice full of admiration. A smile spread across his face.

“At this rate, we’ll catch up to you soon.”

Baek Jeongwoo shook his head awkwardly. His face turned slightly red.

“No… I actually thought I was going to die when the horror story’s difficulty increased.”

The atmosphere in the office grew heavy. The breeze from the window slightly shook the blinds, and the fluorescent light flickered once. Everyone knew the danger of that situation.

A horror story rising from E-grade to D-grade wasn’t just a scary experience—it became a real threat to life. According to the Foundation’s statistics, the survival rate in a horror story with a raised grade was less than 20%.

“I understand how you feel.”

Kang Hana said with a warm smile. Her expression showed both the compassion of a senior and the understanding of a colleague.

She picked up the documents on the desk. The papers shimmered in the sunlight. It was a meticulously written report in black ink. The cover read, “Jack’s Hamburger Shop – New Manual Proposal.”

“Now that the report’s been submitted…”

A moment later, a cheerful notification sound came from her computer. The heavy atmosphere in the office was broken in an instant. The monitor screen displayed a message: “Approval Complete.”

“Baek Jeongwoo, check your account.”

Baek Jeongwoo took out his smartphone and checked his account. His eyes widened momentarily.

A whopping 40 million won had been deposited.

“This is…”

Seeing Baek Jeongwoo at a loss for words, Kang Hana explained.

“That includes the basic hazard pay and the incentive for creating a new manual.”

Kang Hana said calmly. A small smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

Baek Jeongwoo was momentarily speechless. So this was the Catastrophe Foundation’s way. Testing employees with horror stories and rewarding them handsomely for results.

‘Maybe the Catastrophe Foundation… isn’t such a bad company?’

***

Evening time, I was sitting at my assigned desk. The shadows cast by the partitions around me grew longer.

When I accessed the intranet, the Catastrophe Foundation Family Net appeared. The Foundation’s logo glowed faintly on the screen. Below the sleek logo was the phrase, “For Our Family.”

Scrolling down, the screen was filled with the Foundation’s products. The Family Net offered many special items that couldn’t be obtained at the Dalant Shop.

Most were products the Foundation had developed themselves. They were items that had stabilized and commercialized the power of horror stories through scientific research.

While the Dalant Shop’s products contained raw, primal power, the Family Net’s products felt more refined and polished.

Of course, the price range was different too. Products for politicians and conglomerates often cost tens of billions. Potions that could cure cancer, drugs that extended lifespan—everything imaginable was possible here.

Of course, the price range was different. What could be bought for a few thousand Dalants at the Dalant Shop often cost hundreds of millions here. But the stability was guaranteed, and side effects were minimized.

The “Negative Absorption Tea Bag” was a prime example. It had a similar effect to the “Emotion Straw” from the Dalant Shop but was much safer to use. While the “Emotion Straw” could affect the user’s mind, the tea bag purely absorbed external emotions.

I began to slowly browse through the product list, looking for items within my budget.

Next was the “Shadow Sticker.” It was an adhesive patch made of pure silver. The description said that when placed on a target’s shadow, it would immediately fuse with the shadow and restrict the corresponding part of the body. However, it had the limitation of being ineffective after sunset.

The “Emotion Spray Set” was also intriguing. It was a spray filled with a rainbow-colored liquid that changed the target’s emotions based on the spray’s color. Red represented anger, blue sadness, and yellow joy.

Finally, the “Painkiller.” It was a pill that blocked the target’s senses. The description said that taking it would make you unable to feel any kind of pain. The unique feature was that consciousness and other senses remained normal. However, taking two pills in a day would cause you to fall into a deep sleep.

‘If I have to keep facing horror stories…’

I fell into deep thought. The 40 million won I just received. What would be the most efficient way to spend this money?

The Negative Absorption Tea Bag seemed necessary for teamwork. But the Shadow Sticker’s suppression ability was also appealing. The Emotion Spray could help manipulate the psychology of others, and the Painkiller could be a last resort in dangerous situations.

The sunset was setting outside the window. The red light seeped into the office. I slowly exhaled.

‘I need to prioritize.’

But before that, I needed to understand the true purpose of all these products. The Foundation’s products always had meanings beyond their surface descriptions.

I stared at the monitor, lost in thought.

In my newly begun life at the Foundation, this choice could be a crucial turning point.

The clock pointed to 6 o’clock. It was time to leave, but I remained seated. The choice had to be made carefully. My survival depended on it.

‘Now, what should I buy…’

As the monitor’s blue light illuminated my face, I fell into deep contemplation.