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Got Dropped in a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work — Part 2
Secretiv_Sorceress · saltgoblin & I_Love_Kim_Soleum
Completed
Horror
4.9
326 chapters
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A pop-up event for some 'modern fantasy' media I loved so much that I even took a precious day off work to attend. On that day, I ended up transmigrating as a character in that very fantasy world. As none other than a newly hired employee at a famous large corporation! A dream job with great benefits, an excellent salary, and even kind and... Got Dropped in a Ghost Story, Still gotta Work. Part 2.
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I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell
Audio chapters (163) · 151–163
151
Chapter 359
The Sekwang Special City subway tracks undergo a fantastical mutation, transforming into exquisite, sparkling golden rails. A wave of change sweeps over the area, turning the shabby underground into a beautiful, sweet-smelling environment reminiscent of the Flower Golden Resort. Two resort employees announce that construction is complete and head toward Sekwang Station, which has been transformed into 'Monorail City,' a luxurious station with ivory pillars and purple velvet carpets. A monorail arrives, adorned with the face of the Golden Flower Mascot, and is operated by the Conductor Mascot.
The Conductor Mascot gives Go Yeongeun a lodging coupon for the resort. Go Yeongeun notices the mascot behaves strangely and suspects it is Kim Soleum, noting the uncanny connection to Jang Heowoon. She encounters Jang Heowoon acting as a resort employee, but notes he feels deeply contaminated and different. Other survivors arrive, including Kwak Jekang, Lee Yeonhwa, and a lethargic Sergeant who holds 'Early Access' badges given to him by the mascot.
Go Yeongeun attempts to find a way to the surface to find her parents, but the employees reveal there is currently no exit and no entrance gates have been built. Agent Choi realizes that Kim Soleum is using the unsealing of the city to take over the supernatural phenomenon of the subway, trapping everyone inside to fuel his growth. The employees explain that the Mascot's power grows as the resort expands. Go Yeongeun realizes that Kim Soleum is deliberately increasing his contamination to reach a state where he is overwhelmed by it. This plan aims to allow him to briefly regain his human identity by being swallowed by a more powerful ghost story identity. The chapter ends with a shift in perspective to Kim Soleum, who is undergoing this transformation inside a cocoon, having seized a music box from the previous scene.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:29
Chapter 359
The Sekwang Special City subway tracks undergo a fantastical mutation, transforming into exquisite, sparkling golden rails. A wave of change sweeps over the area, turning the shabby underground into a beautiful, sweet-smelling environment reminiscent of the Flower Golden Resort. Two resort employees announce that construction is complete and head toward Sekwang Station, which has been transformed into 'Monorail City,' a luxurious station with ivory pillars and purple velvet carpets. A monorail arrives, adorned with the face of the Golden Flower Mascot, and is operated by the Conductor Mascot.
The Conductor Mascot gives Go Yeongeun a lodging coupon for the resort. Go Yeongeun notices the mascot behaves strangely and suspects it is Kim Soleum, noting the uncanny connection to Jang Heowoon. She encounters Jang Heowoon acting as a resort employee, but notes he feels deeply contaminated and different. Other survivors arrive, including Kwak Jekang, Lee Yeonhwa, and a lethargic Sergeant who holds 'Early Access' badges given to him by the mascot.
Go Yeongeun attempts to find a way to the surface to find her parents, but the employees reveal there is currently no exit and no entrance gates have been built. Agent Choi realizes that Kim Soleum is using the unsealing of the city to take over the supernatural phenomenon of the subway, trapping everyone inside to fuel his growth. The employees explain that the Mascot's power grows as the resort expands. Go Yeongeun realizes that Kim Soleum is deliberately increasing his contamination to reach a state where he is overwhelmed by it. This plan aims to allow him to briefly regain his human identity by being swallowed by a more powerful ghost story identity. The chapter ends with a shift in perspective to Kim Soleum, who is undergoing this transformation inside a cocoon, having seized a music box from the previous scene.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:29
152
Chapter 360
The protagonist, struggling with a melting body and intense mental pressure, manages to seize the music box from the cocoon containing the Flower Golden Mascot and the mass of Kim Soleum. As the music box attempts to reopen to release its healing melody, the protagonist frantically smashes it, destroying the device and its parasitic occupant. From the wreckage, a single silver cylinder—the melody's core—remains. Realizing that the Kim Soleum inside the cocoon is not a separate entity but a reflection of himself—a 'filter' created by the Good Friend ritual—the protagonist faces a horrific realization: destroying the cocoon is effectively suicide. Despite this, driven by the need to end the disaster and return home, the protagonist prepares to destroy his own host body.
Meanwhile, near the maintenance track, Reporter Eun Haje and Ryu Jaekwan observe a fantastical ivory and gold door labeled { FLOWER GOLDEN} manifesting from the shadows. Researcher Lee Jaheon, claiming work experience at the resort, leads them through the door into a dazzling, palace-like interior. They are met by a scarred, blue-jacketed Agent who treats them with warmth and familiarity, acting as a guide. The Agent leads them to a magnificent monorail station where a resplendent car awaits. Inside the monorail, they encounter a young man in a gray suit—the Counselor—who appears safe but behaves with unsettling ecstasy. The Agent becomes defensive, sensing a threat, while the Counselor claims authorization to be there via an employment contract with the Mascot, setting a tense confrontation between the Agent and the Counselor.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
14:25
Chapter 360
The protagonist, struggling with a melting body and intense mental pressure, manages to seize the music box from the cocoon containing the Flower Golden Mascot and the mass of Kim Soleum. As the music box attempts to reopen to release its healing melody, the protagonist frantically smashes it, destroying the device and its parasitic occupant. From the wreckage, a single silver cylinder—the melody's core—remains. Realizing that the Kim Soleum inside the cocoon is not a separate entity but a reflection of himself—a 'filter' created by the Good Friend ritual—the protagonist faces a horrific realization: destroying the cocoon is effectively suicide. Despite this, driven by the need to end the disaster and return home, the protagonist prepares to destroy his own host body.
Meanwhile, near the maintenance track, Reporter Eun Haje and Ryu Jaekwan observe a fantastical ivory and gold door labeled { FLOWER GOLDEN} manifesting from the shadows. Researcher Lee Jaheon, claiming work experience at the resort, leads them through the door into a dazzling, palace-like interior. They are met by a scarred, blue-jacketed Agent who treats them with warmth and familiarity, acting as a guide. The Agent leads them to a magnificent monorail station where a resplendent car awaits. Inside the monorail, they encounter a young man in a gray suit—the Counselor—who appears safe but behaves with unsettling ecstasy. The Agent becomes defensive, sensing a threat, while the Counselor claims authorization to be there via an employment contract with the Mascot, setting a tense confrontation between the Agent and the Counselor.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
14:25
153
Chapter 361
Ryu Jaekwan, Reporter Eun Haje, and Researcher Lee Jaheon board a golden monorail to escape the resort, escorted by a Conductor Mascot. Ho Yuwon (the Counselor) stays behind, observing Ryu Jaekwan with nostalgia and a sense of déjà vu, addressing him as 'Student Jaekwan.' Upon arrival at the station, they meet a Dolphin-masked employee who facilitates their exit. Ryu Jaekwan encounters an information desk Mascot, which Ho Yuwon identifies as a mere extension of the Roe Deer. The group is led through an elaborate indoor garden to an employee-only exit by a Mascot. Agent Choi accompanies Ryu Jaekwan to the final door, giving him a direct line to headquarters and encouraging his ambition to become a future Agent. As Ryu Jaekwan and the others exit, they are transported back to their original timeline, likely losing specific memories of the event but retaining the knowledge of being rescued by Agents. Meanwhile, the reality of the resort collapses. The Kim Soleum/Roe Deer entity is rapidly melting, struggling to maintain its form while being confronted by Ho Yuwon. Ho Yuwon reveals he has tracked the entity to the roof of City Hall. In a climactic confrontation, Ho Yuwon attempts to perform a metaphorical 'group counseling session' on the melting entity and the citizens trapped within its cocoon, proposing a way for them to recover through long-term 'hospitalization' (counseling). Accepting the role of both patient and guardian, the entity (Kim Soleum) hangs a doorplate on the exit door, opening it to reveal the Fox Counseling Room.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:27
Chapter 361
Ryu Jaekwan, Reporter Eun Haje, and Researcher Lee Jaheon board a golden monorail to escape the resort, escorted by a Conductor Mascot. Ho Yuwon (the Counselor) stays behind, observing Ryu Jaekwan with nostalgia and a sense of déjà vu, addressing him as 'Student Jaekwan.' Upon arrival at the station, they meet a Dolphin-masked employee who facilitates their exit. Ryu Jaekwan encounters an information desk Mascot, which Ho Yuwon identifies as a mere extension of the Roe Deer. The group is led through an elaborate indoor garden to an employee-only exit by a Mascot. Agent Choi accompanies Ryu Jaekwan to the final door, giving him a direct line to headquarters and encouraging his ambition to become a future Agent. As Ryu Jaekwan and the others exit, they are transported back to their original timeline, likely losing specific memories of the event but retaining the knowledge of being rescued by Agents. Meanwhile, the reality of the resort collapses. The Kim Soleum/Roe Deer entity is rapidly melting, struggling to maintain its form while being confronted by Ho Yuwon. Ho Yuwon reveals he has tracked the entity to the roof of City Hall. In a climactic confrontation, Ho Yuwon attempts to perform a metaphorical 'group counseling session' on the melting entity and the citizens trapped within its cocoon, proposing a way for them to recover through long-term 'hospitalization' (counseling). Accepting the role of both patient and guardian, the entity (Kim Soleum) hangs a doorplate on the exit door, opening it to reveal the Fox Counseling Room.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:27
154
Chapter 362
In the Fox Counseling Room, Kim Soleum is fully revealed from a cocoon as the Sekwang Metropolitan City citizens—distorted forms of human bodies—enter the room as patients. The Counselor, Ho Yuwon, begins to dissolve, unable to withstand the influence of Kim Soleum's rejection of all ghost stories except his own. Ho Yuwon bids Kim Soleum goodbye, noting that they will continue counseling together in a way Kim cannot perceive in their current form. The Counselor's form collapses into the counseling room, which then closes, leaving behind a nameplate marked { Fox Counseling Room (CLOSED) -On long-term leave- }.
As the rooftop environment stabilizes, Section Chief Lee Jaheon (now in human form with a Lizard's head) arrives. He reports that the blockade on Sekwang Metropolitan City is lifting, reintegrating the city into reality. Kim Soleum regains their human form, though they remain under the influence of the Golden Flower Mascot. Lee Jaheon confirms that the project is terminated and that Ho Yuwon's role as Director is over.
Suddenly, a massive, celestial eye with countless pupils (the Dragon/Gangcheori) appears in the sky, looking down at Kim Soleum. The entity attempts to use the employment contract to force Kim Soleum to return to Daydream Inc. to face liability for the loss of the project and the Dream Essence Liquid. Kim Soleum resists by invoking a higher ontological law: as a 'Good Friend' of the Cheerful Research Institute, they cannot cooperate with anyone who betrays the Institute—implying the Dragon/Gangcheori has betrayed them. Kim Soleum argues that this renders the employment contract null and void. The sky tears apart, and the entity threatens to strip Kim Soleum of their status as a 'Good Friend' to bypass the logic.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:19
Chapter 362
In the Fox Counseling Room, Kim Soleum is fully revealed from a cocoon as the Sekwang Metropolitan City citizens—distorted forms of human bodies—enter the room as patients. The Counselor, Ho Yuwon, begins to dissolve, unable to withstand the influence of Kim Soleum's rejection of all ghost stories except his own. Ho Yuwon bids Kim Soleum goodbye, noting that they will continue counseling together in a way Kim cannot perceive in their current form. The Counselor's form collapses into the counseling room, which then closes, leaving behind a nameplate marked { Fox Counseling Room (CLOSED) -On long-term leave- }.
As the rooftop environment stabilizes, Section Chief Lee Jaheon (now in human form with a Lizard's head) arrives. He reports that the blockade on Sekwang Metropolitan City is lifting, reintegrating the city into reality. Kim Soleum regains their human form, though they remain under the influence of the Golden Flower Mascot. Lee Jaheon confirms that the project is terminated and that Ho Yuwon's role as Director is over.
Suddenly, a massive, celestial eye with countless pupils (the Dragon/Gangcheori) appears in the sky, looking down at Kim Soleum. The entity attempts to use the employment contract to force Kim Soleum to return to Daydream Inc. to face liability for the loss of the project and the Dream Essence Liquid. Kim Soleum resists by invoking a higher ontological law: as a 'Good Friend' of the Cheerful Research Institute, they cannot cooperate with anyone who betrays the Institute—implying the Dragon/Gangcheori has betrayed them. Kim Soleum argues that this renders the employment contract null and void. The sky tears apart, and the entity threatens to strip Kim Soleum of their status as a 'Good Friend' to bypass the logic.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:19
155
Chapter 363
In a maintenance track passageway, the Mascots open a gate to Sekwang Metropolitan City and provide Go Youngeun with a Golden Map Sketchbook. Go Youngeun departs through the gate to find her family, notably without being stopped by the Mascots. Agent Choi, Agent Haegeum, and Team Leader Lee observe the scene. Agent Choi expresses a desire to enter the city, sparking a philosophical debate with Team Leader Lee regarding the value of individual lives versus many. Suddenly, a decorated Monorail arrives, emitting a chilling sensation of a Supernatural Disaster. From the train, Braun, the Host of the Late-Night Talk Show—a massive figure with a Braun-tube TV head and a classic suit—steps out. Braun reveals he was previously a small plush doll known as 'Pinky' and engages in a tense, witty exchange with Agent Choi. Braun reveals he is visiting because his 'dear Friend' (Kim Soleum) is running the resort. As the Mascots begin to tremble and undergo bizarre physical distortions, Braun announces that Kim Soleum's location is changing; he is now in the 'Burning Drought.' Simultaneously, Kim Soleum is forcibly pulled from a rooftop in Sekwang Metropolitan City by Director Cheong (the giant eye). Kim Soleum awakens in a derelict, nightmare version of the Daydream office. While observing from a doorway, Kim Soleum witnesses a twisted, black Golden Dragon Mascot using office scissors to butcher a cloth doll that looks identical to Kim Soleum (ID 130666). Kim Soleum realizes he is no longer human, but has become a plush doll himself, possessing blunt cloth limbs and a name tag labeled 'Good Friend.' The chapter ends as Kim Soleum's eyes meet the eyes of the attacking Mascot.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
17:56
Chapter 363
In a maintenance track passageway, the Mascots open a gate to Sekwang Metropolitan City and provide Go Youngeun with a Golden Map Sketchbook. Go Youngeun departs through the gate to find her family, notably without being stopped by the Mascots. Agent Choi, Agent Haegeum, and Team Leader Lee observe the scene. Agent Choi expresses a desire to enter the city, sparking a philosophical debate with Team Leader Lee regarding the value of individual lives versus many. Suddenly, a decorated Monorail arrives, emitting a chilling sensation of a Supernatural Disaster. From the train, Braun, the Host of the Late-Night Talk Show—a massive figure with a Braun-tube TV head and a classic suit—steps out. Braun reveals he was previously a small plush doll known as 'Pinky' and engages in a tense, witty exchange with Agent Choi. Braun reveals he is visiting because his 'dear Friend' (Kim Soleum) is running the resort. As the Mascots begin to tremble and undergo bizarre physical distortions, Braun announces that Kim Soleum's location is changing; he is now in the 'Burning Drought.' Simultaneously, Kim Soleum is forcibly pulled from a rooftop in Sekwang Metropolitan City by Director Cheong (the giant eye). Kim Soleum awakens in a derelict, nightmare version of the Daydream office. While observing from a doorway, Kim Soleum witnesses a twisted, black Golden Dragon Mascot using office scissors to butcher a cloth doll that looks identical to Kim Soleum (ID 130666). Kim Soleum realizes he is no longer human, but has become a plush doll himself, possessing blunt cloth limbs and a name tag labeled 'Good Friend.' The chapter ends as Kim Soleum's eyes meet the eyes of the attacking Mascot.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
17:56
156
Chapter 364
In a hallway outside the old Daydream office, a distorted, black Daydream Mascot Character—a grotesque, reassembled version of the yellow dragon 130666—is butchering a stuffed doll representing Kim Soleum's identity. The monster is drenched in dark golden liquid and bears Kim's various identities (bow tie, glasses, name tag, etc.) as trophies. The mascot stabs the doll with office scissors, and Kim, currently in a plush doll body, narrowly escapes by barricading the door. As the mascot cuts through the door, Kim realizes this is a mental world—not Director Cheong's, but Kim's own psyche, which the mascot has infiltrated. Kim realizes that because this is a dream, standard 'waking clichés' can be triggered through symbolism. After realizing Braun was present in this mental space from the beginning, Kim searches a cabinet and finds a white Lizard blanket. Kim uses the blanket as a symbolic trigger for waking, despite the mascot stabbing Kim's shoulder with scissors during the process. Kim wakes up in a dark, elegant hallway of the original Flower Golden Resort in its prime, rather than the ruins. Kim realizes the horrific possibility that the Daydream Mascot may have been recycled from the original Golden Flower Mascot. Determined to find answers to combat Director Cheong, Kim enters the Resort management office to find the employment contract.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:11
Chapter 364
In a hallway outside the old Daydream office, a distorted, black Daydream Mascot Character—a grotesque, reassembled version of the yellow dragon 130666—is butchering a stuffed doll representing Kim Soleum's identity. The monster is drenched in dark golden liquid and bears Kim's various identities (bow tie, glasses, name tag, etc.) as trophies. The mascot stabs the doll with office scissors, and Kim, currently in a plush doll body, narrowly escapes by barricading the door. As the mascot cuts through the door, Kim realizes this is a mental world—not Director Cheong's, but Kim's own psyche, which the mascot has infiltrated. Kim realizes that because this is a dream, standard 'waking clichés' can be triggered through symbolism. After realizing Braun was present in this mental space from the beginning, Kim searches a cabinet and finds a white Lizard blanket. Kim uses the blanket as a symbolic trigger for waking, despite the mascot stabbing Kim's shoulder with scissors during the process. Kim wakes up in a dark, elegant hallway of the original Flower Golden Resort in its prime, rather than the ruins. Kim realizes the horrific possibility that the Daydream Mascot may have been recycled from the original Golden Flower Mascot. Determined to find answers to combat Director Cheong, Kim enters the Resort management office to find the employment contract.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:11
157
Chapter 365
Inside his mindscape, Kim Soleum discovers the labor contract that binds him to Director Cheong, located in a drawer within the management office of an abandoned resort. He attempts to destroy the contract by tearing it, but the paper remains intact each time. He tries to edit the contract using a fountain pen, but the ink vanishes, as he lacks the authority to alter a signed agreement. A presence identified as a 'Good Friend' (the Mascot) approaches, forcing him to hide. Kim Soleum uses his 'Wiki' ability to read the contract, revealing that its authority originates from a seized Yellow Dragon core used by Cheong Dallae. The realization that he is a 'Good Friend' doll made from dragon parts causes him to experience a temporary loss of identity. He deduces that Director Cheong's obsession with dragons is a defensive mechanism to eliminate superior competitors. Kim Soleum realizes he can use his authority over his own 'inventory tattoo' to hide objects. He successfully stashes the contract inside his cotton-stuffed arm and retrieves a blue scale gifted by the Blue Dragon Mascot. He uses the scale to call upon the Blue Dragon. Meanwhile, in Sekwang Metropolitan City, Agent Haegeum, Agent Choi, and Agent Chogae race toward City Hall to investigate a disturbance. As they ascend, the sky turns gray and lightning strikes. Agent Chogae notes that the Blue Dragon's arrival brings rain and lightning, signaling the manifestation of the summoned entity.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:25
Chapter 365
Inside his mindscape, Kim Soleum discovers the labor contract that binds him to Director Cheong, located in a drawer within the management office of an abandoned resort. He attempts to destroy the contract by tearing it, but the paper remains intact each time. He tries to edit the contract using a fountain pen, but the ink vanishes, as he lacks the authority to alter a signed agreement. A presence identified as a 'Good Friend' (the Mascot) approaches, forcing him to hide. Kim Soleum uses his 'Wiki' ability to read the contract, revealing that its authority originates from a seized Yellow Dragon core used by Cheong Dallae. The realization that he is a 'Good Friend' doll made from dragon parts causes him to experience a temporary loss of identity. He deduces that Director Cheong's obsession with dragons is a defensive mechanism to eliminate superior competitors. Kim Soleum realizes he can use his authority over his own 'inventory tattoo' to hide objects. He successfully stashes the contract inside his cotton-stuffed arm and retrieves a blue scale gifted by the Blue Dragon Mascot. He uses the scale to call upon the Blue Dragon. Meanwhile, in Sekwang Metropolitan City, Agent Haegeum, Agent Choi, and Agent Chogae race toward City Hall to investigate a disturbance. As they ascend, the sky turns gray and lightning strikes. Agent Chogae notes that the Blue Dragon's arrival brings rain and lightning, signaling the manifestation of the summoned entity.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:25
158
Chapter 366
In the mental world of the Flower Golden Resort, Kim Soleum witnesses a massive surge of murky rainwater filling the hallways. The water carries a Daydream Character—a Dragon mascot—which is torn apart by the current, exposing its shoddy stitching and internal worm-like entities. Kim Soleum is swept through the resort's lobby and out through the gate into a mental vision of the Blue Dream Waterpark, which has been transformed into a vast sea. The "Master of the Deep Sea" (the Azure Dragon) communicates through ripples in the water, offering to assist Kim Soleum in dealing with Director Cheong. Despite Kim's protests regarding the Dragon's safety and its potential loss of identity as a Mascot, the Dragon insists it has already arrived at Sekwang City Hall. The Dragon pushes Kim Soleum through the exit gate, causing him to wake up on the rooftop of Sekwang City Hall.
Kim Soleum wakes to find himself surrounded by agents, including Agent Choi, Agent Haegeum, and Agent Chogae (in a Lion Mask), who have arrived to assist. He realizes his arm is broken, mirroring injuries sustained in the mental world. The Gangcheori, manifesting as a colossal entity with a head made of a giant, multi-pupiled eye, looms in the sky, absorbing various divine powers and evolving beyond its original nature of fire and drought. Kim Soleum realizes that while the entity has grown more powerful, its core identity remains a disaster that ruins farming. He realizes that the traditional ritual to combat Gangcheori—the rain-calling ceremony—can still work. Guided by the insights of Agent Chogae and the determination of the agents, the group prepares to perform the ritual of 'Chasing Gangcheori' to call for rain and drive back the disaster.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:10
Chapter 366
In the mental world of the Flower Golden Resort, Kim Soleum witnesses a massive surge of murky rainwater filling the hallways. The water carries a Daydream Character—a Dragon mascot—which is torn apart by the current, exposing its shoddy stitching and internal worm-like entities. Kim Soleum is swept through the resort's lobby and out through the gate into a mental vision of the Blue Dream Waterpark, which has been transformed into a vast sea. The "Master of the Deep Sea" (the Azure Dragon) communicates through ripples in the water, offering to assist Kim Soleum in dealing with Director Cheong. Despite Kim's protests regarding the Dragon's safety and its potential loss of identity as a Mascot, the Dragon insists it has already arrived at Sekwang City Hall. The Dragon pushes Kim Soleum through the exit gate, causing him to wake up on the rooftop of Sekwang City Hall.
Kim Soleum wakes to find himself surrounded by agents, including Agent Choi, Agent Haegeum, and Agent Chogae (in a Lion Mask), who have arrived to assist. He realizes his arm is broken, mirroring injuries sustained in the mental world. The Gangcheori, manifesting as a colossal entity with a head made of a giant, multi-pupiled eye, looms in the sky, absorbing various divine powers and evolving beyond its original nature of fire and drought. Kim Soleum realizes that while the entity has grown more powerful, its core identity remains a disaster that ruins farming. He realizes that the traditional ritual to combat Gangcheori—the rain-calling ceremony—can still work. Guided by the insights of Agent Chogae and the determination of the agents, the group prepares to perform the ritual of 'Chasing Gangcheori' to call for rain and drive back the disaster.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
16:10
159
Chapter 367
Lee Seonghae accompanies Go Yeongeun to a redevelopment zone, where Go Yeongeun reunites with her family in a moment of profound relief. As they gather, a strange vibration emanates from the direction of City Hall, where Kim Soleum is located. Using a telescope-like Item, Lee Seonghae observes an activity on the City Hall roof. Meanwhile, a Chasing Gangcheori ritual—an ancient exorcism meant to expel drought and disaster rather than negotiate with it—is being performed. Led by Agent Haegeum, who strikes a giant gong, a crowd engages in a rhythmic, percussive performance using kkwaenggwari and bells to create a protective and expelling cacophony. The ritual involves a symbolic act of flicking water toward the sky to prevent the disaster from breathing fire. As the ritual reaches a crescendo, the participants feel a sense of imminent success, but the entity known as Gangcheori (linked to Director Cheong) speaks through the clouds, expressing annoyance and warning that its departure is only temporary and inevitable. Kim Soleum realizes that the ritual only provides a seasonal reprieve, and as long as Director Cheong's social and supernatural power exists, the disaster will return. To ensure a true, permanent solution rather than a temporary postponement of misery, Kim Soleum decides to take a drastic action. Jumping from the rooftop and climbing the physical form of the water Dragon, Kim Soleum uses their employment contract—which contains a trace of the Yellow Dragon's Core—as a medium. Kim Soleum deletes the existing contract and overwrites it to declare that Cheong Dallae has lost one eyeball (contract) to Kim Soleum. In doing so, Kim Soleum sacrifices their own identity, reason, and self, dissolving into nothingness to finalize the overwrite. The chapter ends with Kim Soleum tearing the modified contract.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
17:18
Chapter 367
Lee Seonghae accompanies Go Yeongeun to a redevelopment zone, where Go Yeongeun reunites with her family in a moment of profound relief. As they gather, a strange vibration emanates from the direction of City Hall, where Kim Soleum is located. Using a telescope-like Item, Lee Seonghae observes an activity on the City Hall roof. Meanwhile, a Chasing Gangcheori ritual—an ancient exorcism meant to expel drought and disaster rather than negotiate with it—is being performed. Led by Agent Haegeum, who strikes a giant gong, a crowd engages in a rhythmic, percussive performance using kkwaenggwari and bells to create a protective and expelling cacophony. The ritual involves a symbolic act of flicking water toward the sky to prevent the disaster from breathing fire. As the ritual reaches a crescendo, the participants feel a sense of imminent success, but the entity known as Gangcheori (linked to Director Cheong) speaks through the clouds, expressing annoyance and warning that its departure is only temporary and inevitable. Kim Soleum realizes that the ritual only provides a seasonal reprieve, and as long as Director Cheong's social and supernatural power exists, the disaster will return. To ensure a true, permanent solution rather than a temporary postponement of misery, Kim Soleum decides to take a drastic action. Jumping from the rooftop and climbing the physical form of the water Dragon, Kim Soleum uses their employment contract—which contains a trace of the Yellow Dragon's Core—as a medium. Kim Soleum deletes the existing contract and overwrites it to declare that Cheong Dallae has lost one eyeball (contract) to Kim Soleum. In doing so, Kim Soleum sacrifices their own identity, reason, and self, dissolving into nothingness to finalize the overwrite. The chapter ends with Kim Soleum tearing the modified contract.
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17:18
160
Chapter 368
On a rooftop amidst ritualistic sounds, Kim Soleum tears a contract, which serves as the repository of Director Cheong Dallae's absolute authority. By editing the Wiki to transform his own contract into the Yellow Dragon's contract—the very foundation of the 'Authority of Contract'—Kim Soleum nullifies all of Director Cheong's contracts. A massive, multi-pupiled eye in the sky reacts violently before the sky closes and the Disaster departs. The Azure Dragon descends, reclaiming its Core (the Yellow Dragon's Core/Cheong Dallae's 33rd pupil) which was ejected from the lens. This core burrows into Kim Soleum's mangled, dying body. As the Azure Dragon departs, Kim Soleum's humanity dissolves; he loses all emotion, personality, and physical form, transforming into a formless, contaminated lump of flesh, bone, and black smoke—the recycled corpse of the Yellow Dragon. He realizes his final sacrifice has succeeded: Director Cheong will need significant time to recover her lost authority, providing a grace period for others. Agent Choi, bloodied and injured, finds Kim Soleum's empty Dream Essence Collector. Despite Lee Jaheon's attempt to use Nostalgia Candy to restore him, Kim Soleum remains in an irreversible, non-human state. The chapter ends with Agent Choi holding a Dream Essence Collector filled with golden liquid, telling the transformed Kim Soleum that he must go home.
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13:30
Chapter 368
On a rooftop amidst ritualistic sounds, Kim Soleum tears a contract, which serves as the repository of Director Cheong Dallae's absolute authority. By editing the Wiki to transform his own contract into the Yellow Dragon's contract—the very foundation of the 'Authority of Contract'—Kim Soleum nullifies all of Director Cheong's contracts. A massive, multi-pupiled eye in the sky reacts violently before the sky closes and the Disaster departs. The Azure Dragon descends, reclaiming its Core (the Yellow Dragon's Core/Cheong Dallae's 33rd pupil) which was ejected from the lens. This core burrows into Kim Soleum's mangled, dying body. As the Azure Dragon departs, Kim Soleum's humanity dissolves; he loses all emotion, personality, and physical form, transforming into a formless, contaminated lump of flesh, bone, and black smoke—the recycled corpse of the Yellow Dragon. He realizes his final sacrifice has succeeded: Director Cheong will need significant time to recover her lost authority, providing a grace period for others. Agent Choi, bloodied and injured, finds Kim Soleum's empty Dream Essence Collector. Despite Lee Jaheon's attempt to use Nostalgia Candy to restore him, Kim Soleum remains in an irreversible, non-human state. The chapter ends with Agent Choi holding a Dream Essence Collector filled with golden liquid, telling the transformed Kim Soleum that he must go home.
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13:30
161
Chapter 369
In a research facility within the subway-turned-Resort, a Dream Incubator is being filled with Dream Essence to facilitate the return of Kim Soleum, who currently exists only as a pulsing lump of flesh in a tank. Agent Choi initiates the process by contributing a massive amount of essence from a highest-grade Darkness. Lee Jaheon, inhabited by an alien entity, follows, contributing two Collectors—one from escaping the Sekwang Metropolitan City disaster and another from the 'Chasing Gangcheori' incident—effectively paying with items he had deliberately withheld from the company to aid the revival. Lee Seonghae arrives next, contributing her essence after reuniting with her family and noting that Kim Soleum's current state is far from his preferred one.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje and Ryu Jaekwan then contribute. Eun Haje, having survived a high-grade Darkness, shares a poignant, whispered moment with the lump, thanking him for his sacrifices and promising to look after Park Minseong. Ryu Jaekwan, an agent who was saved by Kim Soleum in high school, contributes his essence to repay the debt, acknowledging the desperation of the attempt. A Sergeant (unnamed) also contributes essence he scavenged from the counseling office. Despite these significant contributions, the total reaches 4,974,100 points, falling 25,900 points short of the 5,000,000 required.
The lump perceives the inevitable: Resort No. 2 is scheduled to collapse and vanish, meaning no more essence will arrive. However, Baek Saheon enters, appearing disgruntled and anxious. After seeing the horrific state of the flesh in the tank, he expresses angry disbelief at Kim Soleum's failure to save himself, yet he offers his Collector. Having delayed its return during the Project's collapse to gain leverage, he finally plugs it in. The total reaches 5,000,2160 points, meeting the required threshold for Kim Soleum's return home.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
15:33
Chapter 369
In a research facility within the subway-turned-Resort, a Dream Incubator is being filled with Dream Essence to facilitate the return of Kim Soleum, who currently exists only as a pulsing lump of flesh in a tank. Agent Choi initiates the process by contributing a massive amount of essence from a highest-grade Darkness. Lee Jaheon, inhabited by an alien entity, follows, contributing two Collectors—one from escaping the Sekwang Metropolitan City disaster and another from the 'Chasing Gangcheori' incident—effectively paying with items he had deliberately withheld from the company to aid the revival. Lee Seonghae arrives next, contributing her essence after reuniting with her family and noting that Kim Soleum's current state is far from his preferred one.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje and Ryu Jaekwan then contribute. Eun Haje, having survived a high-grade Darkness, shares a poignant, whispered moment with the lump, thanking him for his sacrifices and promising to look after Park Minseong. Ryu Jaekwan, an agent who was saved by Kim Soleum in high school, contributes his essence to repay the debt, acknowledging the desperation of the attempt. A Sergeant (unnamed) also contributes essence he scavenged from the counseling office. Despite these significant contributions, the total reaches 4,974,100 points, falling 25,900 points short of the 5,000,000 required.
The lump perceives the inevitable: Resort No. 2 is scheduled to collapse and vanish, meaning no more essence will arrive. However, Baek Saheon enters, appearing disgruntled and anxious. After seeing the horrific state of the flesh in the tank, he expresses angry disbelief at Kim Soleum's failure to save himself, yet he offers his Collector. Having delayed its return during the Project's collapse to gain leverage, he finally plugs it in. The total reaches 5,000,2160 points, meeting the required threshold for Kim Soleum's return home.
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
15:33
162
Chapter 370
Inside a dark research facility, a mass of flesh and Dream Essence Liquid—the result of Kim Soleum's actions—is guarded. Go Yeongeun enters, accompanied by Agent Haegeum. Go Yeongeun reports that she rescued her family and mentions meeting a TV-headed entity named Braun, who revealed that the original 'Wish Ticket' does not require a verbalized sentence to grant a wish, unlike the degraded version used by Daydream Inc. Go Yeongeun expresses her fear that her own desires might interfere with Kim Soleum's true wish, but she resolves to perform the ritual to help him. Using gloves provided by Ryu Jaekwan, she reaches into the toxic mass of the Yellow Dragon's flesh, sustaining burns to retrieve a Pop-socket. She attaches the Pop-socket to the Dream Incubator. J3 then moves the tank, causing Kim Soleum's essence to spill onto the incubator's button. This triggers the machine to process the massive Dream Essence Liquid, resulting in the production of the original 'Children's Paradise Syrup' (Grape Flavor), which glitters like starlight. Go Yeongeun drinks the syrup, focusing not on a specific sentence, but on the raw emotion of Kim Soleum's true, fundamental desire: to go home. The syrup's power recognizes his essence, causing his body to reconstitute from the mass of flesh. As Kim Soleum regains his human form and sensory perception, he realizes he is inside an egg-like membrane within the tank. He discovers a black box—the Dark Exploration Records Merch Box—at the bottom of the tank, which contains a set of seemingly endless stairs and a notice titled "The Way Back."
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
12:54
Chapter 370
Inside a dark research facility, a mass of flesh and Dream Essence Liquid—the result of Kim Soleum's actions—is guarded. Go Yeongeun enters, accompanied by Agent Haegeum. Go Yeongeun reports that she rescued her family and mentions meeting a TV-headed entity named Braun, who revealed that the original 'Wish Ticket' does not require a verbalized sentence to grant a wish, unlike the degraded version used by Daydream Inc. Go Yeongeun expresses her fear that her own desires might interfere with Kim Soleum's true wish, but she resolves to perform the ritual to help him. Using gloves provided by Ryu Jaekwan, she reaches into the toxic mass of the Yellow Dragon's flesh, sustaining burns to retrieve a Pop-socket. She attaches the Pop-socket to the Dream Incubator. J3 then moves the tank, causing Kim Soleum's essence to spill onto the incubator's button. This triggers the machine to process the massive Dream Essence Liquid, resulting in the production of the original 'Children's Paradise Syrup' (Grape Flavor), which glitters like starlight. Go Yeongeun drinks the syrup, focusing not on a specific sentence, but on the raw emotion of Kim Soleum's true, fundamental desire: to go home. The syrup's power recognizes his essence, causing his body to reconstitute from the mass of flesh. As Kim Soleum regains his human form and sensory perception, he realizes he is inside an egg-like membrane within the tank. He discovers a black box—the Dark Exploration Records Merch Box—at the bottom of the tank, which contains a set of seemingly endless stairs and a notice titled "The Way Back."
Guest access includes first 17 of 163 audio chapters. Sign in for Free access.
12:54
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