For a moment, I thought I was still caught up in the Nameless Radiant Church's ghost story.

But my fully awake mind accurately assessed the situation.

'This is different.'

The Deputy Eun Hajae before me was no longer the neat office superior in a suit from my memory.

Rather, she looked like a detective on a 3-day stakeout... or yeah, like a journalist.

That's why a sense of reality suddenly returned.

'What's going on here?'

I immediately got up completely from the bed.

"Deputy."

"Yeah."

Deputy Eun Hajae nodded.

"First, sorry for suddenly barging into someone else's house. I shouldn't be seen right now, but I had something I absolutely had to tell you."

The person who had disappeared for 2 months and suddenly appeared in someone's room like a burglar continued speaking while glancing warily out the window.

As if being chased by someone.

"...What do you mean you shouldn't be seen?"

"There's some stuff going on. Just listen to me first."

Deputy Eun Hajae spoke evasively and then took a deep breath.

"You, the day after tomorrow. That is, on January 2nd when you go to work, you'll be assigned a darkness. ...It'll sound ordinary. It's C-grade with a complete manual, and other people besides you are going too. But..."

But.

"Don't go in there."

"..."

"Avoid it by any means necessary, no, rather quit or take a leave of absence. Because..."

The deputy gritted her teeth and then released them.

"If you go in there, you'll die."

"...!"

"Don't ask how I know. Just do as I say..."

"Is it Gwak Jegang?"

"...!"

Judging by Deputy Eun Hajae's expression, I must be right.

'No, a death prediction right after waking up...'

I got up from the bed and pressed my forehead.

"Why on earth would that manager..."

"We all knew that bastard was a psychopath."

Can't argue with that.

Deputy Eun Hajae spat out her words.

"But you're so capable and do a lot of brilliant things, so this time he probably wants to put you in a deadly situation and see how you get out of it."

It seems my display of MZ power had a reverse effect.

'Damn it.'

Right. If it was that guy, he'd be thrilled to throw me into some weird ghost story under weird conditions as an interesting specimen.

But...

"Deputy, isn't there still a chance I could survive and make it out?"

"..."

"Besides, if he wants to see how I 'get out of it', wouldn't he put me in a darkness with a way to survive rather than one where I'd definitely die?"

I hate to say this, but I'm an elite on a fast track for promotion.

I've also made good connections with higher-ups, with Director Cheong and (for some reason) Director Ho viewing me favorably.

'No matter how I think about it, a project to recklessly throw me into a deadly situation just because the research team manager finds it amusing doesn't seem like it would be approved.'

I could be sent somewhere dangerous, but ghost stories themselves are dangerous to begin with.

'Besides, even Deputy Eun Hajae herself said it was a C-grade ghost story with a complete manual.'

Logically, something seems off.

"But how are you so certain? That I'll die?"

I looked at Deputy Eun Hajae with eyes seeking an explanation, and the deputy pressed her brow as if holding back a sigh.

"I only know one thing for certain."

The deputy's hand points at me.

"You'll be reported dead on January 2nd."

"..."

"I... confirmed that in a darkness that shows the future."

"...!"

Good gracious.

A ghost story that glimpses the future? There are even a few wiki entries that come to mind.

But setting aside how Deputy Eun Hajae, who even took a leave of absence, managed to access such a darkness...

'This is strange.'

"So I just confirmed what darkness you'll be sent to on the 2nd. Since you saved my life, I had to at least..."

"Wait a moment. Deputy, this still doesn't make sense."

"What?"

"I've seen the future too. You remember the ghost story I was managing? The tarot cards."

"...Right."

"I recently drew a very good card there. And it hasn't come true yet."

I recalled the Sun card I had drawn.

Upright position. The card of guaranteed happiness.

"I can't be happy after I'm dead, can I?"

"You could be happy and then die."

"..."

No matter how I think about it, this is strange.

But Deputy Eun Hajae looked so anxious, and there was no reason for her to lie to me, so I nodded for now.

"I understand. I'll try to come up with a plan."

"Damn it, alright."

Deputy Eun Hajae looked up at the sky briefly as if tension had been released, then soon muttered as if making an excuse.

"Roe, I didn't originally plan to show up like this breaking into your home, but it was urgent so I was a bit rude. Sorry. Seeing someone who left the team just makes things complicated."

"It's fine. I was a bit surprised... but it's good to see you're doing well."

"...Sigh. Roe, how do you plan to survive in this company with that personality..."

"Haha."

My personality is average, it's the other employees whose personalities are like ghost stories...

'No, wouldn't I be crazy to be any more disrespectful to a former superior who came to save her junior...'

And let's not even mention that I have an even bigger problem (being a coward) than my personality.

Anyway, Deputy Eun Hajae made a chin gesture towards me with a tired expression that showed relief.

"Well, I'll be going now. Get some rest."

"Just a moment."

"What is it?"

"About your... hand."

I carefully focused my gaze on the empty left sleeve of the other person.

Eun Hajae casually waved her arm.

"What? Are you still worried about this? Roe. I told you I wouldn't take the regeneration potion. You use it yourself."

"That's not what I meant."

There's one method that's recently occurred to me.

"You gave me some communication equipment, right?"

"Oh, yeah. But I just didn't need it anymore..."

"So, I wanted to introduce you to a piece of equipment as well."

And I flicked my custom equipment, the coin.

If you give 500 won to the glove that appears in midair, you can use...

A third hand.

In other words, equipment with the ability to gain one more hand.

"How about using this as the parent equipment to customize one for yourself?"

"...!"

* * *

And on the evening of December 31st.

I met Deputy Eun Hajae, who was wearing a hat pulled low, in front of the annex, and approached the twilight-grade darkness storage used for creating custom equipment.

[Friendly Seed Kit / Qterw-E-99]

A huge rusty machine standing tall among fake weeds.

It's a twilight darkness used almost exclusively by the Field Exploration Team to create custom equipment.

It's been a while since I've seen it.

But Deputy Eun Hajae has a rather displeased expression.

"I feel like I'm just wasting your break time..."

"Not at all. I was planning to make a new custom equipment soon anyway."

"Really?"

"Yes. Using this. I received something from the team leader..."

I took out what I had prepared. Namely...

-Please return after use. The limit is 1 time.

Equipment that increases strength, which I received from Manager Lee Jaheon as parent equipment!

But Deputy Eun Hajae was shocked before I could even explain.

"You received that?!"

"Oh, is it an item you're familiar with?"

"Yeah, it belonged to someone who retired... No, the team leader really is an amusing person. I don't know how he borrowed it when they weren't even that close."

I looked down at the equipment in question.

The strange bracelet, which looked like it was made by braiding human hair, was already more than half broken and looked jagged like woven straw.

"That allows you to temporarily use superhuman strength, but I heard the hair breaks as you use it."

I see.

"It's a good piece of equipment even considering it's consumable. Look at the team leader. As expected, he's the prime example of 'if your body's good, your brain doesn't have to work hard.”

"..."

That's an undeniable truth...

Anyway, I was going to offer Deputy Eun Hajae to use it first, but...

"It's fine, you go first."

"...Alright."

I approached the old LCD screen attached to the machine.

[Please give me plants 0/2]

I put the bracelet I received from Team Leader Lee Jaheon into the rusty machine.

[Plant information saved]

[Please give me plants 1/2]

The next item to put in...

'I have quite a few useful items now.'

Hmm.

Considering the attributes of the equipment Team Leader Lee Jaheon lent me, I had about three decent options.

1. Supplement the durability as a consumable.

2. Preserve the effect of enhanced strength.

3. Combine different functions.

'That should do it.'

Well, since plant gene inheritance is random, there's a high chance it won't add the options I want and fail...

'Alright.'

After some deliberation, I put in one of the items I had and authenticated my genetic information to run the machine.

[Combining genetic information]

[Generating kit...]

[Planting complete]

Click.

The front drawer of the machine opened, revealing the item.

It's a simple bracelet that looks like a thin wire.

'Hmm.'

I carefully took out the metal bracelet and stored it. I'll have to check its power when I get back.

"Did it turn out well?"

"For now, I think so."

I gathered the items I had put in and stepped back, and now Deputy Eun Hajae stood in front of the machine and began customizing equipment.

First, she put in her own item.

Deputy Eun Hajae's custom equipment.

A communicator shaped like a portable battery that, when plugged in, temporarily allowed smartphones to communicate with the outside world even in ghost stories.

As it turns out, the button-shaped equipment she gave me was an item that came out after putting this machine in and running it.

"It was an unexpected upgrade. Well, you could say it was the luckiest moment of my life."

Deputy Eun Hajae grumbled that she seemed to have used up all his luck on something useless, but her hands were quite careful in handling the custom equipment shaped like a portable battery.

And...

"Here it is."

I input my custom equipment, the coin, as the next item.

Ting.

The coin with a glove drawn on it disappears into the drawer.

[Combining genetic information]

"...Roe. The chances of getting exactly what you want on the first try are usually low."

Deputy Eun Hajae spoke quietly as if admonishing me.

"So don't be disappointed if it doesn't work out. I'm grateful just for you trying. Understand?"

"...Yes."

I looked at the machine's screen.

[Generating kit...]

[Planting complete]

The creation was finished.

The front drawer of the machine opens, revealing the item. It's...

"A glove??"

It was literally a translucent glove.

The flimsy material gives a strange feeling.

"Hmm."

But when Deputy Eun Hajae reached out her right hand to grab it, sparks flew towards it.

"...!"

"Oh ho. Look at that. ...Is this spot already taken?"

Deputy Eun Hajae grinned and brought her empty left hand close instead.

"Then I'll give it an empty spot."

The glove then clung to the empty space like skin.

Like a hand made of electricity.

"...!!"

And... it took on the complete shape of a hand.

"..."

A hint of emotion flashed across Deputy Eun Hajae's expression, but it soon faded as if it were a lie.

Instead, she slowly raised that hand and moved his fingers.

Crackle.

Thin currents of electricity spark.

"Hmm. There's a strange sensation too... Is it because of the electrical signals? This is quite good. The appearance can be covered with a glove."

Deputy Eun Hajae turned to me with a grin.

"Thank you, Roe."

"..."

"All that talk from earlier turned out to be nonsense. It worked on the first try, didn't it? Thanks to you... It seems I'm lucky at the moment I need it."

I looked at Deputy Eun Hajae with both hands now... and just nodded.

"It's nothing."

Thinking it was quite a nice scene to see on the last day of the year.

But just as I was about to wrap up on that somewhat touching note.

"And... sorry to ask, but do you have any plans to use points at the welfare mall? I can buy up to about 1,500 points for you, if we could record that you used this twice."

Huh?

-Oh, an attempt to erase her traces... It's like destroying evidence! Friend, isn't it? Shall we try to coax out what ulterior motive she’s hiding?

...

'I don't think that's necessary.'

-Hm?

I can already guess roughly.

"...Deputy, are you perhaps working in a different department now?"

"...!"

As I thought.

"This darkness is used almost exclusively by the Field Exploration Team. The reason you're reluctant to leave a usage record here... I thought it might be because your affiliation has changed."

"..."

After a moment of thoughtful silence.

"...Well. I can't fool you. Roe. You're still as sharp as ever."

Deputy Eun Hajae smiled bitterly.

"That's right. While Deputy Falcon of the Field Exploration Team is on leave, I'm doing other work for the company..."

"...May I ask what kind of work you're doing? If not, at least which department?"

"..."

Deputy Eun Hajae seemed to hesitate briefly once more, but finally opened her mouth.

"Alright. Since it's come to this... Well. Roe."

Along with an unexpected name.

"Director Ho's project team. You know about it, right?"

"...!"

"I'm working there now."

What?