Mistaken for a Catastrophe-Level Ghost Story Employee 108

Chapter 108.

Swallowed by pitch-black darkness, when faint light finally seeped back into my vision, the place where I stood was.

A vast, dark space with cold stone floors.

My mind was still clear.

My body seemed unharmed.

Which meant.

There was no time to waste.

Though the fox was nowhere in sight, I didn’t have time to search for her.

Whoosh—!

I immediately pulled out the Mass-Produced Hero mask from my employee ID and pressed it against my face.

As the white mask settled, I slowly rose and surveyed my surroundings.

…Dark.

Aside from the hard stone beneath my feet, there was nothing visible.

‘The Shadow Man…’

I hadn’t expected him to pull something like this.

This was bad.

With nothing in sight, the only thing I could do was—

Wait for the Shadow Man’s next move.

Moving recklessly would only give him an opening.

Haaah—

I steadied my breathing.

If my eyes were useless, I had to rely on sound.

Every little noise mattered.

Step—

!

At the sound of footsteps behind me, I clenched my fist and spun—

[Master?]

—Halt!

The familiar voice made me freeze mid-motion.

Turning toward the sound, my gaze landed on—

Twitch—

A pair of fox ears.

“…It’s just you?”

The sight of her signature ears and twin tails eased some of my tension.

But…

The fox wasn’t about to let the earlier moment slide.

[…Master. You were about to hit me just now.]

“…You didn’t get hit, so it’s fine.”

My cold reply only made her flare up.

[I knew it! I almost got punched!]

She vented her frustration, but I brushed it off.

“Disciple.”

Yet, her anger didn’t subside.

[You owe me an apology!]

[If I can’t get married because of this, it’s your fault—]

“……”

If words wouldn’t calm her down—

Violence would.

Thud—!

Even in this situation, she still knew how to push my buttons.

“Stop whining and summon some will-o’-wisps.”

[……]

Fwoosh—

Though her lips jutted out in a pout, she obeyed.

Flicker—

As the ghostly flames illuminated the area, the first thing that caught my eye was—

A massive, empty throne carved from stone.

The same material as the floor beneath us.

……

I stared at the ominously crafted seat for a long moment before—

“…Fuck.”

The curse slipped out before I could stop it.

This can’t be happening.

It’s just a coincidence. A similar space. Please, don’t let this be—

Then, from the once-empty throne—

[Welcome to my domain.]

A voice, dripping with arrogance, echoed through the hollow space.

A man who hadn’t been there before now sat upon the throne, his golden hair cascading like liquid sunlight.

Clad in regal attire, a golden crown rested atop his head as he gazed down at us.

[I’ve altered my form for your sake. This should make conversation easier. Be grateful.]

“……”

I stayed silent.

Facing the bitter truth I’d been denying—

The crowned figure’s voice lowered, resonating through the stone.

[Speak. I don’t recall bringing a mute statue here.]

[I’ll overlook it this once—only because you’re His subordinate. Don’t make me a wicked king.]

‘Why… why him?!

Grind—

My teeth clenched.

The Shadow Man had thrown us into the worst possible place.

We were now face-to-face with one of the most dangerous entities in the ghost story hierarchy—a being even the GRA Agency had marked as a top-priority target.

[The King of the Black Forest.]

Designation: The Black King.

His classification?

S-grade.

I was standing before an S-grade ghost story—one I should never have met.

His voice rumbled again.

[I’ll ask once more.]

With each word, crushing pressure bore down, threatening to burst my heart.

Yet, he continued.

[Subordinate of Him—reveal His whereabouts at once.]

The Black King demanded Noise’s location.

And I had to answer.

Or die.

Just act like always.

Force a smile. Buy time. Find a way out.

Stay calm.

“…He’s—”

But before I could finish, the Black King’s golden eyes locked onto me.

[Choose your next words carefully.]

[An unwelcome answer will have consequences you will bear.]

The fox, unable to withstand the oppressive aura any longer—

Thud—

Collapsed.

Pale-faced, his expression screamed surrender.

The Black King repeated his question.

[Where is—!]

But before he could finish—

Bzzzt—!

Static.

A familiar distortion crackled through the air, seizing everyone’s attention.

Then, from the noise—

Bzzzzzt—!

A tall man in a black suit materialized, his face obscured by visual distortion.

His playful voice rang out.

“VVIP customer service is my duty. Employee Park Yeon-jeong.”

“…Noise. You—”

Noise had appeared.

Not inside the library—

But outside it.

This was the first time he’d manifested beyond its walls.

Even the Black King seemed stunned.

Bang—!

He shot up from his throne, unrestrained joy twisting his features.

[So… the rumors were true.]

Noise bowed politely.

“A pleasure to meet you, VVVIP customer. From now on, I will handle your service.”

Even facing an S-grade, Noise remained unshaken.

He even had the nerve to tease me.

“Park Yeon-jeong, don’t forget to take notes this time. Opportunities like this are rare.”

As he straightened, the Black King spoke again.

[When I first heard the tale, I dismissed it as absurd rumor.]

[But now, seeing it with my own eyes…]

[It was real.]

A sinister smile spread across his face as he revealed the truth.

[You’ve grown weak, ‘Primordial ghost.’]

“An embarrassing old nickname.”

Primordial ghost.

The moment those words left the Black King’s lips—

Snap—!

He flicked his fingers.

All the purple flames lighting the space vanished.

In the dying light, only his voice remained.

[It’s time to step down from your shattered throne.]

[Our former king… our father.]

In the suffocating darkness—

The only thing visible was Noise’s silhouette.

Then, his voice echoed softly.

“Ah, the stage lights went out.”

Still playful,he raised his arms dramatically.

“A stage for leads must be bright! Don’t you agree?”

Clap—!

With a single snap of his fingers—

Click—

Click—

Click—

Click—

Click—

Click—!

Spotlights blazed to life, flooding the space with light.

[…Even as a remnant of the old king, you still wield his power.]

“King? You flatter me. I’m just Park Yeon-jeong’s excellent supervisor, Noise.”

With a bright smile, Noise-style customer service officially began.

“You are taking notes, right, Park Yeon-jeong?”

“…….”