ocean-life Chapter 98.2
Chapter 98.2
Chapter 98.2
“......”
Inside, it looked like an ordinary staff area.
A mix of corridors, storage spaces, and employee lounges.
Worn-out sofas, desks, laptops, boxes of supplies. In one corner, seasonal decorations were stacked.
Look for an object resembling a house, such as a model of a residence, apartment, or yurt.
I carefully sifted through the decorations and found it.
A hanok model.
It seemed to have been used as a Chuseok holiday decoration.
‘This must be it.’
I crouched before the hanok model and reached for its tiny gate.
The moment I opened it—
BAM!
I fell backward, landing hard on my rear.
“Ah...”
Already in pain, I felt blood welling up in my throat but suppressed it.
This was not a place where I could afford to shed blood.
‘Let’s see...’
I got up and surveyed my surroundings, which were no longer the bustling café but a quiet, enclosed hanok courtyard.
The space was eerily still, with no wind and surrounded by walls.
The characteristic wooden beams and ivory-colored walls of a traditional Korean house came into view.
‘Silent.’
It felt like stumbling into a break room where no one was supposed to be.
Suddenly—
[Hey! Who’s there? You can’t just... Eh? Kim-seobang[1]?]
The hanok’s door burst open, and out came someone with braided hair, wearing a tracksuit.
The person pointed a finger at the Disaster Management Bureau’s metal badge on my hoodie.
I took a deep breath and bowed my head slightly.
“Ah, my apologies. It’s my first time here.”
[A new Kim-seobang, huh?! Must be those meddling government agents up to their weird tricks again!]
[What if you, a scrawny Kim-seobang, stumbled upon a mischievous noontime goblin while wandering in broad daylight, eh?!]
Though the figure seemed ordinary—just large and loud—
[What’s wrong? Lost your hearing? Why aren’t you speaking, Kim-seobang?!]
It wasn’t human.
The title Kim-seobang alone gave it away.[2]
‘That’s a goblin.’
And this was their gathering place.
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Dokkaebi Workshop]
: A ghost story featured in
: Disaster Management Bureau identification code – no records found
: Daydream Inc. identification code – no records found
A workshop where goblins gather at night to craft clubs and hats. Nearly all exploration logs occur during the day.
The Disaster Management Bureau strongly restricts information to prevent Daydream Inc. from accessing it.
Refer to the relevant documents for usage details.
========================
This was it.
– Brazen yet amusing offers! What do you think, Mr. Roe Deer? Would you trust the artisan’s skill?
“......”
‘That’s... tempting.’
Why hesitate when a benevolent goblin offers you an item?
‘Because I’m here under false pretenses.’
I’m not an actual agent.
I’m only impersonating one with this temporary badge, so I’ve got to tread carefully here.
‘The government should never find out about me.’
If the Disaster Management Bureau received a report of someone intruding on a ghost story they’re desperately trying to control, it’d be a disaster.
If today had been within fifteen days of their scheduled inspection, I wouldn’t have come at all.
‘That’s exactly the regular schedule for the Bureau’s visit.’
Even if repairing the popsocket is minor, offering premium ginseng and leaving with an item though?
‘It wouldn’t be with any ill intentions, but that goblin would undoubtedly gossip about it.’
– Aha, very true!
Even if I begged him to keep it a secret, he’d likely forget and slip up later.
‘Better refuse.’
“I’ll just give you the ginseng. Please enjoy brewing it into a fine tonic.”
[Oh, what a kind-hearted Kim-seobang! Truly generous!]
The goblin beamed as he took the ginseng.
Then—
[But you see, it’s proper to leave here with something, you know.]
“......”
What?
[Which team are you from? Judging by the temporary badge, are you one of the new recruits undergoing training?]
What the hell was this?
– Ah, goblins may be loose-lipped, but you should’ve been more cautious!
– Your reasoning was sound, Mr. Roe Deer, but there’s a flaw in your logic.
Which was—
– This one’s human.
“......”
I barely managed to turn my head to look up.
[Why aren’t you answering, eh?!]
It wasn’t a goblin—it was a Disaster Management Bureau agent pretending to be one.
Note/s:
[1] Seobang – old-fashioned term for ‘husband’, but these days older people use it to refer to a son-in-law (or grandson-in-law, nephew-in-law, brother-in-law, etc) ↩
[2] Korean Goblin / Dokkaebi – often depicted wearing vibrant, traditional Korean hanboks with simple designs. Their appearance is diverse and intimidating, emphasizing their untamed and fearsome nature.
Dokkaebi come in various forms with distinct traits and behaviors:
– Cham dokkaebi: mischievous tricksters
– Gae dokkaebi: malicious and evil
– Kim seobang dokkaebi: portrayed as dumb farmers
– Nat dokkaebi: unique for appearing during daylight
– Go dokkaebi: skilled warriors wielding weapons
– Gaksi & chonggak dokkaebi: considered attractive to humans
– Oenun dokkaebi: one-eyed creatures
– Oedari dokkaebi: one-legged beings known for their love of wrestling
(Source: Mythlok) ↩