Chapter 272

The last report I had received regarding Ms. Kang Yihak was during my investigation into the ‘Man on the Screen’ urban legend.
The update was grim: she had gone missing.
Rumors suggested the Disaster Management Bureau had detained her, but I assumed her status as a manager would guarantee a swift and relatively painless release.
‘…Wait, why is she here?’
In the middle of a grimy, desolate hallway stood the porcelain figure of a sophisticated woman.
A muffled noise vibrated from within the ceramic shell.
“~!!”
It was a strangled, desperate cry—the sound of someone clawing for air, the frantic scream of a person entombed alive.
—Yes…. There’s a chance… an employee went missing on that level….
‘…Was that missing person Ms. Kang Yihak?’
There was no time to process the realization.
In an instant, the Clay Figurine in the corridor split, duplicating itself.
“…”
Further down the hall, a second figure appeared, significantly smaller than the one looming before me. It resembled a Matryoshka doll—a smaller, nearly identical version of the original.
In its reduced size, its true nature became unmistakable.
‘It’s a jar.’
Suddenly.
Creak.
‘…!’
The porcelain lady began to lurch toward me, her body swaying unsteadily. Embedded jewels caught the flickering hallway light, snapping off and clattering to the floor.
From inside the hollow figure, I could hear the sickening slosh of liquid and the rattling of gems against a human body.
I remained perfectly still, observing.
“Careful…. Whatever you do… don’t touch it….”
….
“It’s baiting us on purpose….”
The air grew thick with dread.
Behind me, I heard the sharp intake of breath as Deputy Manager Eun Haje realized what we were facing.
“God dammit. It’s the Honey Pot Bastard.”
Indeed. I recognized it as well.
It was one of the Twilight Grade Darknesses used by Daydream to harvest gold.
Specifically.
A ghost story that remained at a manageable Twilight level only if one followed a very rigid protocol.
———————=
Darkness Exploration Record / Ghost Story
[Golden Jar of Canopus]
: An entity recorded in the <Darkness Exploration Record>, assigned Daydream Inc. code Qterw-E-195.
A twisted variation of the vessels used in ancient Egypt to preserve internal organs for mummification.
This entity is a jar that failed its original purpose; it now uses precious metals as lures to trap humans and harvest fresh organs for a mummy’s journey to the afterlife.
———————=
Truly….
‘Seeing this, it’s obvious why Ms. Kang Yihak ended up trapped…’
I let out a heavy breath.
In its current state, it functioned like a massive, supernatural Venus Flytrap, with Ms. Kang Yihak serving as the bait and the fuel.
‘This explains why subduing it is such a nightmare.’
Even a simple attempt to shatter or restrain the figure causes it to shed its jewelry. And….
A documented phenomenon exists where the Darkness replicates itself through the very ornaments attached to its shell.
The jewelry that drops from the jar tends to reappear in nearby enclosed rooms, creating a breadcrumb trail that leads the finder straight back to the Golden Jar.
If no one picks them up, the fallen trinkets begin to coat themselves in glaze and clay, eventually maturing into a small, independent jar within three days.
This creates a brand-new Golden Jar entity.
If the recovery team failed to find every single missing earring or bead, each one would eventually grow into a new Clay Figurine.
They would simply continue to lure more victims.
Furthermore….
“…That Honey Pot Bastard just consumed someone, didn’t it?”
“It did.”
Eun Haje hissed a curse under her breath.
“Why? What’s the problem?”
“They say once it’s fed, it goes into a violent frenzy until the digestion is complete and the organs are harvested. That one is….”
She stopped mid-sentence.
‘She figured it out.’
The real reason the Annex Basement 2nd floor had been closed off for so long.
The Security Team wasn’t trying to fix the breach; they were waiting for the person inside the jar to die.
More precisely, they were under orders to let it happen.
‘We just have to wait for the timer to run out.’
Once the victim is reduced to harvestable organs, the Golden Jar of Canopus satisfies its urge and reverts to a passive state.
Besides….
The self-replicating behavior of this entity doesn’t actually align with traditional Egyptian lore.
Ancient Egypt never produced Canopic Jars in the shape of full-sized women, nor did they use porcelain in this manner.
This has led to the terrifying theory that this is actually an unknown entity merely wearing the mask of a historical artifact.
An undefined horror.
With no established rules to follow, the staff are terrified of provoking it.
They simply wait for it to settle back into its Twilight Grade docility.
‘They never had any intention of saving… Ms. Kang Yihak.’
The company likely viewed her as a liability—a low-level employee already tainted by a previous incident. They had written her off as a lost cause, a mere statistic.
And the situation was getting worse.
“…That thing!”
I looked down at the jewelry I held.
“Did this come from that thing? This…”
The realization hit me: the earring I had retrieved from the destroyed toy maker was a piece of this Clay Figurine.
‘Damn.’
I had been baited.
“If that entity isn’t contained, it will hunt the person who holds its treasure until their organs are ready for the jar.”
The company usually handles these items by melting them down immediately into raw gold to break the curse.
But being hunted by this thing, could I really escape without alerting the Security Team?
Especially since I was a high-profile member of the Special Department.
My team’s faces paled.
‘If I destroy it, the Security Team will be on us instantly.’
Moreover, the resulting explosion of shards and gems would cause an uncontrollable infestation of new jars, potentially triggering other entities on this floor.
Just like the toy maker incident!
‘I have to keep this quiet.’
Director Ho’s protection only goes so far; if I cause a catastrophe of this scale, even he won’t be able to shield me.
“Hoo.”
Tink. Tink.
The Clay Figurine continued to shed accessories at my feet.
It was an invitation, demanding I pick them up.
‘….’
If I ignored it, the entity would eventually stop the lure and resort to physical ‘contact’ to claim what it wanted.
‘It doesn’t care about the person, only the harvest.’
It was a stalemate.
“Hmm… should I just… swallow the whole thing…?”
I’m sorry, what?
“I think I could eat it… leave no trace behind…?”
The Security Chief’s head began to warp, his features melting into a massive, shadowy silhouette….
Not Recommended
Reason: There is a survivor inside the jar
“…Hmm.”
The Security Chief instantly deflated, returning to his usual, lethargic self.
Phew.
‘…Is he acting out because of that Red Riding Hood encounter?’
He was noticeably more predatory than usual. I needed to keep an eye on him.
[My, my, that would have been a marvelous show for the intermission! Devouring the hunter and the prey, ceramic and all. There is such a delightful, primitive joy in a truly messy feast.]
Wait.
‘Swallow it?’
Even if the Security Chief was on edge, his tactical instincts remained sharp.
He suggested eating it because it was the only way to ensure not a single shard or jewel remained to replicate. And….
‘Can’t I do something similar?’
….
I summoned my Black Smoke, letting it surge forward to envelop the porcelain figure.
“…!”
“Noru?”
Request to Stand By
I paused to think.
‘I almost slipped up.’
Being back in the Annex Basement had triggered old habits from my days in the Field Investigation Team. I had forgotten something crucial.
I wasn’t an investigator anymore. That meant….
‘I’m allowed to be messy.’
I reached out and ripped the head off the Clay Figurine.
“…!”
Crack.
I had done worse to living things; breaking porcelain was effortless by comparison.
‘No need to worry about Contamination here.’
With a sharp, structural snap, the jar’s seal—heavily encrusted with jewels—shattered.
However, no gems hit the floor. My smoke acted as a net, catching every single piece before they could scatter.
Exactly.
‘I already have its attention.’
As long as the entity perceived that I had “collected” all its pieces, the curse would stay focused on me.
Grind.
I crushed the head and the trinkets within the smoke, then briefly reached out to shove the entire mass into my inventory tattoo.
“Hic.”
Immediately after, I plunged my bare hand into the hollow torso of the Golden Jar of Canopus.
Using one of my many yellow eyes to peer into the dark, I rummaged through the interior of the ghost story with my gloved hand.
It was filled with cold, damp fluids and shifting jewels, but nothing that could truly harm me.
Then.
“…Lord Cat?”
Found her.
Pull.
I hauled the human body out and tossed it toward my team.
“…!”
Before the woman—whose limbs were already beginning to crystallize into jewelry—could hit the floor, Manager Lee Jaheon lunged forward and caught her.
Ms. Kang Yihak gasped, her lungs finally finding air.
And.
“Still a bit left….”
Gulp.
A massive, wolf-like maw manifested and swallowed the rest of the porcelain torso in one go.
There was a brief, muffled sound of grinding ceramic, a heavy swallow, and then.
“…”
Total silence returned to the hall.
“Hoo.”
The Security Chief finished the job by extending his shadow across the floor, snapping up the smaller jar that had been lurking around the corner.
We all turned our attention to Ms. Kang Yihak.
“…”
“…”
“We saw you open your eyes, stop pretending.”
“Hah!”
At Baek Saheon’s dry remark, Kang Yihak sat up with practiced ease.
The jewelry embedded in her skin chimed like bells as she moved.
“Oh, my goodness, thank you! I was just, you know, caught in a bit of a situation, and it seems I’ve benefited from your help. I’ll buy you all a drink sometime. Anyway, I’ll be going now….”
“She’s a witness.”
“…”
“She saw everything.”
“Hahaha, I have no idea what you’re implying….”
“The company is going to have questions about how she survived this.”
If Ms. Kang Yihak spoke to anyone, our entire heist would be exposed….
And everyone knew she was the type of person who would sell a secret for a handful of gold.
“Understood. We’ll move her in a secure state.”
“Got it.”
“Wh-what??”
Ho Yuwon would deal with the fallout later.
For now, Ms. Kang Yihak was strapped into a wheelchair and designated as Manager Lee Jaheon’s responsibility.
“Wait! Are you with Lord Cat? It was Lord Cat who saved me….”
I sent a message to the group.
Suggestion: Continue without me
130666: I will catch up
“…!”
‘Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae already has her gear.’
It was safer for me to move alone for a while.
The Golden Jars were anchored to me now.
‘And I can talk my way out of a Security Team encounter more easily if I’m solo.’
Or at least, if I appeared to be on official business.
Reason: To ensure a safe exit
Suggestion: Take Manager Pony with you.
“Fine.”
“Once I’m cured, can I keep these gold bits as a souvenir….”
Thud.
Lee Seong-hae efficiently knocked Ms. Kang Yihak unconscious, and the group began to retreat in a disciplined formation.
“We know the way to the emergency exit, we don’t need a guide.”
“Yes…”
Baek Saheon, however, didn’t move.
I had a firm grip on his shoulder.
“…?!”
Reason: Monitoring
“Fine.”
“Hey.”
Monitoring wasn’t the only reason. I needed someone who looked ‘human’ for the next phase of the plan.
Eun Haje caught the hint and hurried away without looking back….
“No way…”
Baek Saheon looked annoyed, but he didn’t fight me. He was likely still bitter about not getting a souvenir from the last fight.
Once the others had rounded the corner, the Security Chief looked up.
“Let’s move… before others arrive….”
“…Yes.”
His voice had a lingering hunger to it, as if he were still looking for something to bite.
‘…Best not to get on his bad side.’
I followed the Security Chief deeper into the facility.
We were heading into the heart of the restricted zone.
“Now… we are entering Security Team territory… expect contact. If I stop, you freeze…”
Positive
Our footsteps were the only sound in the narrow hallway.
The numbers on the heavy steel doors began to climb until they reached the three-digit markers.
The Security Chief came to a halt.
“…This is it….”
E-404
Target reached.
The final ghost story needed for our equipment.
Offering a Ritual
Commonly referred to as the Tainted Wish.
“…”
We pushed the steel door open.
The room smelled of cold ash, burnt olives, and a heavy, metallic scent that was hard to place.
The small room was floored with fine, grey dirt. A stack of withered olive branches sat in the corner.
In the center.
There was a crude altar, looking like something built by children out of scavenged rocks.
A rough stone slab.
Stained with the soot of countless fires.
———————=
Darkness Exploration Record / Ghost Story
[Offering a Ritual]
: An entity from the <Darkness Exploration Record>, Daydream Inc. code Qterw-E-404.
A miniature altar designed for burnt offerings. It utilizes plaster and olive wood; a supply of branches is kept nearby for convenience.
The practitioner burns salt, grain, and oil on the stone while chanting their desire three times. Success or failure is interpreted through the patterns in the ash.
On a success, the requested item appears buried in the earth beneath the altar.
Documented success rate is roughly 30%.
———————=
On the surface, it seemed incredibly convenient.
However.
Items pulled from the altar are frequently found to be tainted by a high-level Darkness.
While a user can keep trying until they succeed, each subsequent attempt increases the severity of the contamination on the final product.
Experiments showed that ‘living beings’ could be requested, but they invariably appeared as corpses.
Because of its erratic nature and the ‘gifts’ it leaves behind, it is rarely used by standard personnel.
‘That’s why the Security Team loves it.’
The members of the Security Team are already so deeply corrupted that a little extra contamination from a tool won’t kill them or force them into retirement.
They have already crossed the point of no return.
And that….
‘…applies to me too.’
In my current 130666 form, the risks were negligible….
‘….’
[A sacrificial fire! Ah, the ‘offering’—a ritual found in almost every human history. This is quite familiar to me.]
[It’s a bit like a game of house, but let’s see what the spirits have in store for our friend here.]
I stepped up to the stone and arranged the salt, grain, and oil on the wood.
I struck a light.
The fire caught with a hiss, the flames growing unnaturally tall and casting dancing, distorted shadows against the walls.
I made my request.
I repeated the specific item three times.
“…”
“…”
The fire died as quickly as it had risen, leaving a pile of grey dust on the stone….
It had formed a perfect, unbroken circle.
[Oh, how remarkably simple!]
[But a clear sign of favor nonetheless, my friend.]
It worked.
I began to dig into the soft earth beneath the stone. Just a few inches down, I felt something solid. I pulled it out with my gloved hand….
The packaging was familiar.
Those golden days,
a sweet treat!
Nostalgia Candy.
This was the primary source for the Security Team’s supply of the Nostalgia series.
‘….’
I looked at the wrapper.
No dirt, no whispers, no visual distortions.
It was clean.
‘Success.’
This would be enough.
If I used this back in the city, it would likely restore my legs to their former state.
‘…Ah.’
I held the candy for a moment, feeling the pull of the name. A genuine sense of longing.
Then.
Hand
“H-hand??”
Gift
I dropped several of the candies into Baek Saheon’s open palm.
‘He probably doesn’t have a specific use for them.’
But they were good insurance for an escape. It would also keep him from wandering off if he thought there were more rewards coming.
And since I had plenty….
‘I should give some to the Security Chief as well.’
I turned to offer him some.
“Wait… one moment.”
The Security Chief held up a hand.
He reached into his uniform and pulled out a device.
A radio.
The walkie-talkie was vibrating and emitting a faint, rhythmic glow. He clicked the button to receive the transmission.
The voice on the other end was unmistakable….
[Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you.]
It was Section Chief Kwak Jegang.
[Damn, you. Why the delay? A security officer is supposed to be alert at all times.]
The Security Chief said nothing.
I assumed it was just Kwak Jegang being his usual abrasive self, and I prepared to wait out the rant, but…
[More importantly….]
[Staffer, you’re standing right next to him, aren’t you?]
….
…!
I stared at the radio.
The voice coming through the speaker was uncharacteristically giddy.
[I’m fully aware you’re raiding the Annex on Director Ho’s behalf. How do I know? Heh….]
[Director Cheong found out.]
…!!
[I’m just calling to suggest you run while you still can. The Director has already deployed your own Security Team to intercept you!]
…What?
[You know Director Cheong. She isn’t the type to let a betrayal go unpunished….]
[Who knows what she’ll do to you. Ha, hahaha…. Oh boy.]
Static. The line went dead.
And then.
Knock, knock, knock.
“…”
“…”
We all turned our heads toward the heavy iron door.
A small, innocent voice drifted through the metal….
Teacher, are you in there?
It’s ••• from the Sprout Class!