On the desk was a small welcome gift package—expensive snacks and company-branded office supplies.

There was even a diary tucked away in a half-open drawer.

Judging by the company logo on the cover, it was another standard-issue item.

'But it's from last year.'

Maybe it was left behind by the previous occupant of this housing unit. I opened the diary.

On the first page, in huge letters, it said:

– RUN.

'Aigoo.'

I appreciated the wise words from my predecessor, but I was already too far gone.

Not even scary at this point.

'Just another chapter in the horrors of corporate life, huh.'

My sense of camaraderie with the author of this note swelled. I closed the diary and carefully put it back in the drawer.

Now that I've checked everything out, it's time to get down to business.

[Dark Exploration Records Real Merch Box]

– New merch unlocked! (!)

Now that I was alone, I could finally check it out!

'Huu.'

With a bit of nervous excitement, I sat on the bed and reached toward the floating notepad in a comfortable position.

Tak.

Just like before, when it spit out the grip holder, the notepad opened, and something fell out.

It was a clear OPP vinyl packet.

Inside, I could see a stack of stickers, the kind usually used for fancy merch.

"This …"

I picked up the vinyl packet.

Inside was a typical smiley-face sticker—yellow, with a standard smiling emoji.

A.k.a. the bribe item.

========================

Dark Exploration Records / Daydream Inc.

/ Items

Smiley Sticker

A salesperson's best friend! 🙂

When attached to a

sentient being

, it induces mild feelings of

friendliness

toward the user.

Unlock Requirement : Must be a full-time employee or higher at Daydream Inc.

(p.s. Misusing the item for personal reasons, like flirting, will result in

disciplinary action

.)

========================

"Huh."

Despite its cheap packaging and rough finish, this sticker was an iconic item used in several parts of <Dark Exploration Records>.

It induces friendliness? That's basically a way to manipulate favorability.

'It was used to convince other departments for collaboration, wasn't it?'

And I immediately understood why it was unlocked now.

– Unlock Requirement : Must be a full-time employee or higher at Daydream Inc.

"So I unlocked this because I became a full-time employee?"

In the <Dark Exploration Records>, most items created by organizations or specific groups had usage restrictions tied to ranks or affiliations. From a world-building perspective, it was to prevent rampant misuse.

'And from the perspective of those who create the ghost stories, it was to stop eager newbies from barging into every narrative and recklessly using all sorts of tools like some

Mary Sue

causing trouble.'

Anyway, the fact that I now met those conditions means…

'Does this mean that every time I get promoted or change departments, this <Merch Box> will spit out new merch?'

It definitely seemed like it could be helpful for survival.

But really, I'd prefer if they hadn't dragged me into this world in the first place. When I think about it, even this feels like a ghost story in itself.

'Ugh.'

I glanced up at the glowing notepad a few more times, feeling uneasy, before finally shifting my thoughts.

"Well, at least I got something useful."

The Smiley Sticker. It would be a bit tricky since I'd have to stick it directly on someone, but having the ability to earn favor in an emergency is certainly a useful condition.

However, there's a catch.

'…This thing was discontinued after some drama.'

Apparently, the creators fought fiercely over the power of the sticker, arguing like it was life or death. The item ended up being discarded entirely from the narrative.

I'm not sure when exactly it disappeared, but it's possible the set in my hand could be the last remaining one in this universe.

I stared at the Smiley Sticker in its packaging.

Hmm.

Better make sure no one finds out about this.

Just in case, I took five stickers and tucked them into my suit pocket. That way, I'd have them ready for my first day of work.

'…First day of work, huh.'

I was starting to feel a bit unsettled, but I knew I needed rest.

After everything that had happened, my body and mind were completely drained.

'I need to recover.'

I changed into the provided robe, locked the door, and got into bed. It was my first proper rest since being plunged into this ghost story.

To be honest, I didn't sleep well.

The sight of people being torn apart and the grotesque images of that subway station replayed in my mind, like my brain had turned into a surround-sound home theater system.

Still, after a couple of days, I was at least able to sleep through the nightmares. It was a small comfort.

A few days passed like that.

I checked my dwindling bank account balance and made sure to stretch it out as best as I could, buying clothes and daily necessities.

Of course, I didn't forget the most important thing.

'I need to memorize everything.'

Through the Memorial Popsocket, I continued reading all the <Dark Exploration Records> wiki pages I had once glanced at, memorizing them until they could roll off my tongue.

This was my lifeline now.

And soon enough, Monday arrived.

It was my first day at Daydream Inc.

* * *

"……"

Monday morning.

I made my way to Daydream Inc.'s headquarters with a less-than-pleasant expression.

Go Yeongeun, who I bumped into as I left the officetel, seemed surprised.

"Oh, Soleum-ssi, are you okay? Did you, um, not sleep well?"

"…Kind of, yeah. I'll be fine."

"Oh dear…"

The two of us, both new hires, exchanged a few short pleasantries as we walked the fifteen minutes to the headquarters.

Along the way, we passed a few other new members of the Field Exploration Team, all of them looking just as tense, though we only exchanged nods.

We scanned our employee IDs and boarded the elevator.

"I heard the Field Exploration Team uses floors 10 to 15… Ah, I'll get off here. Soleum-ssi, let's give it our best shot, okay?"

"Yes, let's do our best."

I waved as Go Yeongeun got off on the 10th floor, then glanced at the button I had pressed for my floor.

13th floor.

'Even the floor number feels like a bad omen…'

I could only hope it was just my imagination.

I double-checked the assignment notice I'd received two days ago.

[New Employee(Field Exploration)_Assignment.pdf]

– Kim Soleum / D Squad

Ding.

The elevator doors opened on the 13th floor, revealing a hallway divided into sections labeled with letters.

I made my way to the automatic door labeled 'D' and pressed the button.

At the same time, I greeted those inside.

"Good morning."

"Oh!"

"You're here!"

A few adults sitting in the spacious office lifted their heads and greeted me.

One of the men stood up and extended his hand.

"Welcome to D-squad of the 15th unit."

A woman with a blank expression and a bob haircut nodded and added,

"By the way, they call us the 'Death Squad' because all the newbies die."

"……"

"Just kidding."

Should I just quit right here and now?