How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 5

“Is that so.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled at my words. She had been smiling slightly ever since she heard that I knew well about the Catastrophe Foundation, and now it seemed like she was ready to start a serious conversation.

“How much do you know about our company?”

I tensed up at her question. I already knew the reality of the Catastrophe Foundation from the documents I had read.

Catastrophe Foundation.

Good welfare, but equally devastating survival rates.

A black company that pushes its employees into horror stories to create the world’s best products.

But revealing that I knew such facts, which were unknown to the general public, might brand me as a dangerous person in her eyes.

So, I only mentioned what ordinary people might know within the Catastrophe Foundation’s worldview.

“I’ve heard that it’s a company that creates mysterious items that can’t be explained by scientific knowledge.”

At my answer, the woman nodded leisurely.

“You only know the publicly known facts.”

The atmosphere in the room subtly changed. The woman’s smile became more natural.

She entered amidst the piled-up cup noodle containers and food delivery wrappers that had accumulated over a week. Even then, there was no change in her expression. She seemed accustomed to such scenes.

The bed sheets were crumpled, and sleeping pills and Woo Hwang Chung Sim Hwan were scattered on the desk. She glanced at them and continued.

“The reason our Catastrophe Foundation can create such mysterious items is that we fundamentally utilize horror stories.”

To avoid arousing her suspicion, I pretended not to know and asked.

“Does that mean… the employees of Siegfried Group, no, the Catastrophe Foundation, often encounter horror stories?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I fell silent at her words.

I already knew, but hearing it directly sent a chill down my spine.

Looking at the Woo Hwang Chung Sim Hwan on the desk, I thought. The memory from the subway a week ago was still vivid. Every time I slept, the scene came back, tormenting me with nightmares, so I had to rely on sleeping pills and Woo Hwang Chung Sim Hwan.

A week of insomnia and nightmares.

Days when even going outside became terrifying.

And now, an employee from the Catastrophe Foundation had come to find me.

Interpreting my silence, the woman paused briefly before speaking.

“You probably have an idea by now, but the reason I came here is to make two proposals to you, Baek Jeongwoo.”

In the darkness of the room, only her voice was clear. I opened my heavy mouth.

“Two proposals?”

The woman raised her index finger and continued. Her nails were clean, without any nail polish, but up close, I could see scars on each knuckle. Probably traces of directly facing horror stories.

“The first is to take a memory eraser and return to your daily life before encountering the horror story.”

“Return to daily life…”

“Yes, I know you haven’t been able to sleep properly for days because of those memories. Now, you can forget everything and return to the past.”

At that moment, the memory from the subway flashed by. The mechanical movements of the dwarfs, the sound of flesh tearing, the metallic smell piercing my nose… My whole body trembled as if electrocuted.

Feeling a panic attack coming like last time, I took a deep breath. Silence flowed between us for a moment.

The woman seemed to be observing my reaction. Her calm expression suggested she had seen such reactions often.

But there was something more important. I took a deep breath and calmly asked her.

“Then, what’s the second proposal?”

The woman smiled as if she had expected it.

“The second proposal is to join our Catastrophe Foundation.”

“I’ll join.”

I answered immediately.

Her eyebrows slightly raised.

“Please decide carefully. Facing horror stories is more dangerous than you think. Many people actually die.”

But I had already made up my mind.

Even if I erased my memories and lived on, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t encounter horror stories again in this world where all sorts of horror stories from the internet had become reality.

To restore reality to its original state, I needed a hundred billion Dalant. To gather that much Dalant, I would have to face horror stories hundreds, thousands of times.

Living as an ordinary citizen like now would only make me a victim of horror stories again. It’s better to make it a profession and prepare.

After pretending to think for a moment, I answered.

“I’ll join.”

The woman nodded as if she had expected it and took out a business card from her suit pocket. It read ‘Kang Hana, Assistant at Catastrophe Foundation,’ with a phone number.

I was momentarily breathless.

Kang Hana, Assistant.

A notable character even within the Catastrophe Foundation’s worldview.

Had not only horror stories but also the characters from them become reality?

I had just discovered a new fact.

As I was mentally noting that the characters from horror stories had also become real, Kang Hana added.

“I’ll give you three days to sort out your affairs. You’ll hear from the company in three days.”

With those words, Kang Hana left my studio. As the door closed, I felt the tension release, and my legs gave out. I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the business card.

In these times of severe youth unemployment, I had joined the Catastrophe Foundation.

But the anxiety outweighed the joy.

‘Did I really make the right choice…’

Looking out the window, the sun was setting. For the first time in a week, I thought about going outside.

Over the next three days, there wasn’t much to do to sort out my affairs. Just submitting a withdrawal application to the university and packing up my studio.

But even as a seasoned horror story forum user, I needed mental preparation.

I swallowed a sleeping pill and went to bed. Tomorrow, a new life would begin.

* * *

Three days later.

A public forum located in the basement near Gangnam Station.

‘It’s convenient being near the subway.’

I was nervous the entire subway ride. The nightmare-like memory from a week ago was still vivid.

I checked every passenger’s face on the subway, looked for any small people like dwarfs, and listened for any suspicious mechanical sounds.

Every station felt like hell.

Fortunately, it was an ordinary commute. Before I knew it, I arrived at Gangnam Station. Taking the escalator out of the subway station, I let out a sigh of relief.

The forum venue was easy to find. It was a lecture hall in the basement of a large building. A banner reading ‘Catastrophe Foundation New Employee Training Session’ hung at the entrance.

Upon arriving at the forum, about 100 people were already seated. Most were sharp-eyed young people.

A sergeant in military uniform, a police officer in uniform, a young man in a firefighter’s jumper… They seemed to have been scouted from various organizations.

Among them were people like me in ordinary suits. But their eyes were anything but ordinary. All had a certain madness in their eyes.

‘They must be people who survived horror stories like me.’

Among them, ordinary people like me were in the minority. I loosened my tie slightly and sat in a corner.

On the screen at the front, the words ‘New Employee Training Session’ were displayed. Along with the company logo, a flashy animation was playing.

‘It looks like a regular corporate training session.’

But I knew well that this wasn’t an ordinary training. If it was a new employee training at the Catastrophe Foundation, there was bound to be something related to horror stories.

As soon as I sat down, a man walked up to the podium. Dressed in a neat suit with a bright smile, he held a microphone and began a typical corporate orientation.

“Congratulations to all of you who have passed the 300:1 competition and joined our Catastrophe Foundation!”

The screen flashed with a spectacular firework effect and the words ‘New Employee Training Session.’ The new employees around me clapped.

It was all too normal.

But that made me more uneasy.

The Catastrophe Foundation couldn’t possibly be this normal. There had to be something.

“All of you are specially selected talents among numerous applicants.”

The host continued.

I looked around. The soldiers, police officers, and firefighters looked relaxed. Some were even yawning.

But I was different. As someone who had read every document about the Catastrophe Foundation, I knew too well how such situations unfolded.

“But before the official hiring, there will be a probationary test to assess each employee’s practical aptitude for department placement.”

At the word ‘test,’ the expressions of the people around me changed. My expression also stiffened.

Of course, the Catastrophe Foundation was a black company that threw its employees into horror stories. Naturally, the test couldn’t be ordinary.

‘Especially with such a large gathering…’

As I was pondering all sorts of possibilities, the host shouted.

“Then, let’s begin the test!”

Instantly, everyone in the forum felt as if they were falling. Screams erupted.

Some reflexively grabbed their surroundings, while others crouched down. But it was all futile.

All sounds faded away. Screams, chaotic shouts, the sound of chairs falling—everything became faint.

And then, complete darkness arrived.

How much time had passed?

Consciousness returned.

As the surroundings brightened again, the scene before my eyes.

A room with a musty, damp carpet stench, yellow monochrome wallpaper, and the endless buzzing of fluorescent lights.

I let out a hollow laugh.

This is the Back Room.