How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 21

“This is the report on the recent horror story investigation.”

I handed the stack of documents on the desk to Kang Hana. It was a five-page A4 report. I had put particular effort into analyzing Lee Narae’s traits and abilities.

Kang Hana’s eyes sparkled as she skimmed through the report.

“Oh… You even figured out that the true identity of the ‘Reincarnated Witch’ urban legend is a fox spirit, specifically a three-tailed fox?”

“Well… I got lucky.”

Actually, it wasn’t luck—it was thanks to the Retrospective Thought Enhancement Serum. In my memory, information about urban legends was cataloged neatly and systematically.

But since I couldn’t mention the existence of the Dalant shop, I just brushed it off as good luck.

“For a newbie, you’re quite sharp and logical.”

Kang Hana closed the report and continued.

“Considering this was a D-grade urban legend, the hazard pay should be around 10 million won.”

“10 million won?”

“The approval should come soon… Oh, it’s done. Check your account.”

I checked my phone, and sure enough, 10 million won had been deposited.

While the Dalant earned from clearing urban legends was nice, the hazard pay in cash was also quite rewarding.

“Is the hazard pay always around this much?”

“No, it’s because this was a D-grade urban legend. For E or F grades, where there’s almost no danger, it’s usually between 2 to 5 million won.”

So, 2 to 5 million won per urban legend investigation. Compared to a regular job, the income was definitely appealing.

Of course, the downside was that death was always a possibility.

“Ah, I see…”

“Jeong Woo, since you got hazard pay this time, how about dinner with me…”

That’s when it happened.

“Senior, have dinner with me tonight.”

Narae suddenly cut in from the side. The marks from the handcuffs were still visible on her wrist.

“Wait a minute.”

Kang Hana put down the documents and spoke.

“Jeong Woo and I already have dinner plans.”

“Really? I didn’t hear about that.”

“We just talked about it while reviewing the report.”

Narae’s eyes narrowed. Her pupils elongated vertically like a cat’s, glowing yellow.

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll just join you.”

“This is work-related…”

“Even better. Since I’m Senior Baek’s buddy, I should naturally be involved in work-related discussions…”

“Hold on.”

Kang Hana raised her hand to stop Narae.

“You haven’t been officially assigned as a buddy yet…”

“Assigned? Team Leader Cheon just designated me as Senior Baek’s buddy earlier.”

“That was unofficial, and more importantly, Narae, you’re an urban legend…”

“Enough.”

I cut in, not wanting to watch their tension escalate any further.

“Let’s just all eat together.”

“Huh?”

“What did you say?”

Their voices overlapped. I sighed and stood up.

“We’ll all have to work together eventually anyway.”

Kang Hana gave me a hesitant look but eventually nodded awkwardly. Narae, seemingly done with the argument, pursed her lips and followed me.

The atmosphere in the elevator was heavy. Kang Hana and Narae stood at opposite corners, staring out the window.

*Beep*—we arrived at the company cafeteria located in the basement.

“I’ll have bibimbap.”

Kang Hana spoke first.

“I’ll have seonji haejangguk (blood sausage soup).”

Narae followed.

No wonder she’s a fox spirit—she likes blood sausage.

“I’ll have… pork cutlet.”

The cafeteria was quiet during dinner. We sat in a corner, and Narae was the first to speak.

“By the way, you wrote the report really well, Senior.”

“Ah, thanks…”

“How did you know I was a three-tailed fox? You could’ve guessed I was a fox spirit from the shapeshifting, but I never told you about the three tails.”

I just happened to see her three tails when her shapeshifting slipped a bit.

At Narae’s words, Kang Hana looked up. Her gaze sharpened.

“How did you figure that out?”

I brushed it off with a vague answer.

“Um… just a hunch.”

“A hunch? What kind of…”

Before Kang Hana could finish, our food arrived. Narae immediately started digging into her seonji haejangguk.

“Were you that hungry?”

“Of course. Even spirits need to eat.”

She kept glancing at me while eating, probably doubting whether I’d keep my promise to turn her into a celestial fox.

I cleared my throat and spoke to her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely keep my promise.”

“Really?”

Kang Hana stopped eating and looked back and forth between us.

“What promise?”

“It’s just… something personal.”

As I dodged the question, Kang Hana’s gaze grew colder.

“Something personal? With an urban legend entity?”

“Manager, it’s…”

“No, I’m just curious. What kind of promise?”

Narae chuckled and chimed in.

“What’s wrong, Manager? Are you jealous?”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s okay. The promise I made with Senior is just…”

“Narae, that’s enough.”

I cut her off firmly. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere good.

“Manager, let’s just eat.”

A heavy silence fell over the table. We focused on our food, with only the occasional clink of chopsticks breaking the quiet.

‘Having to go on field trips with this kind of atmosphere…’

I sighed and cut into my pork cutlet. The tension between these two might be scarier than the urban legend at Dorimcheon Station.

After finishing the meal, Narae and I headed to Dorimcheon Station. We took the subway from Gangnam Station and transferred at Guro Digital Complex Station. The clock showed exactly 9 PM.

Dorimcheon Station was eerily quiet. It was usually a quiet station, but at this hour, it felt even more desolate.

No station staff were in sight, and the ticket booth was tightly shut. As we stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the flickering fluorescent-lit platform, Narae sniffed the air.

“Something about this place feels similar to Samdocheon.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like… there’s a smell of death.”

In Buddhism, Samdocheon is the river that separates the living world from the afterlife. If what she said was true, then this place was a boundary between life and death?

While I pondered, I began memorizing the platform’s layout.

The old platform’s fluorescent lights flickered faintly. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the ceiling, and dust piled up on the floor. It felt like the station had been abandoned for years.

The posters on the walls were faded. Some were so worn that the text was illegible. Thanks to the serum, I memorized everything as it was, but just in case, I tried taking a photo with my phone.

*Click!*

But strangely, no matter how I tried, the camera only showed a black screen.

“Hmm… Is this another anomaly?”

Perhaps the Dorimcheon Station platform itself was in a different dimension, rendering the camera useless.

We began climbing the stairs.

First loop.

At first, the stairs seemed normal. But the public service poster on the wall was odd. It was supposed to be an anti-smoking campaign, but the image had changed to a ghostly face.

“Let’s turn back.”

As soon as we did, the floor number increased to B5.

Second loop.

Nothing unusual happened. We followed the manual and proceeded straight, and the floor number increased.

B4.

Third loop.

A middle-aged man in a suit appeared. His mouth was torn to his ears, and he had no eyes. He screamed at us.

*Screeeech!*

The piercing voice made me jump back.

Since it wasn’t a gruesome scene, Leon’s keychain effect didn’t activate.

“You’re scared of a mere low-level spirit?”

Narae mocked me. But according to the urban legend investigation records, anyone caught by this man disappeared immediately, so Narae and I retreated back the way we came.

Fortunately, once we returned to the stairs, the man didn’t follow.

[B3]

After noticing the anomaly and turning back, the floor number naturally increased to B3.

As we entered B3, the temperature dropped sharply. A chill seeped into my bones. Even though it was winter and we were dressed warmly, this wasn’t just ordinary cold.

‘An anomaly.’

We immediately turned back, and the floor number increased again.

[B2]

One more correct answer, and we could escape the Dorimcheon Station urban legend.

Honestly, it felt easier than “Jack’s Hamburger Shop.” The energy bars and water bottle I brought just in case felt unnecessary.

Still, since this was the final stretch, I stayed vigilant, carefully checking for any anomalies while comparing my memories.

That’s when it happened.

A black wave surged toward us like a tidal wave. This wasn’t in the company manual or the original urban legend I’d read.

‘What is this?’

Panicked, I instinctively knew we couldn’t let the water touch us.

“Don’t let the water touch you!”

I grabbed Narae’s hand and ran back. But the black wave was faster. In an instant, it reached our ankles, then our waists.

“Hold your breath!”

With Narae’s shout, we were completely submerged. The cold water rushed into my lungs. My body felt like it was freezing, and my consciousness began to fade.

* * *

How much time had passed?

When I came to, we were back on the platform. My suit and bag were soaked, and a sharp chill hit me.

“Cough, cough!”

I coughed up the water in my lungs and barely managed to stand. Narae was coughing beside me.

The cold still lingered in my body, as if my soul had frozen.

We climbed the stairs again.

[B1]

We reached the exit leading to the surface. As soon as we passed the ticket gate, we stopped in our tracks.

“What is this…?”

I was speechless. The scene before us was no longer the streets of Seoul at night.

A red moon filled the sky. Beneath it stretched an endless row of cherry blossom trees. But the petals weren’t white—they were pitch black, like charred ashes, scattering in the wind.

This was clearly not the real world—it was another dimension.

I instinctively turned to check the station’s nameplate.

[Samdocheon (三途川)]

Instantly, every hair on my body stood on end. This was definitely an urban legend I’d seen on the forums before.

Falling unconscious on the platform and waking up in a station that doesn’t exist in reality.

This is… Kisaragi Station.