Dead End Alley.
A strange alley that sounds like it was named after the once-popular hot spots.
If a civilian got caught up in this by downloading the app from a flyer for fun, they might be confused at first.
The first impression of the ‘big road of Dead End Alley’ is that it looks like a lively night market due to the many street vendors.
But if you look closely for just a moment…
Confirmed items sold by street vendors on Dead End Alley:
1. Beaded Strap
A strap made of scarlet cords and ivory-colored beads. When touched, it gives off a salty, ashy residue, and the surface of the beads writhes and vibrates.
An employee who touched the strap later reported hearing persistent cries for help, sobs, and the voice of ■■, causing them prolonged distress. They recovered after a short-term memory removal procedure.
2. Old-fashioned Bubble Gum
A gum with letters printed upside down. The bubble inflates into the throat rather than out of the mouth. Successfully removed before suffocation.
3. Floral Slippers
A civilian, persuaded by the merchant to try them on, testified that there were flames, blades, and ■■ beneath their feet before ■■ ■■.
They then disappeared into the alley, sobbing.
4. Picture Frame
A picture of a family member being murdered is printed on it.
…….
At this point, anyone would know.
'To leave here safely, I must not look around!'
The items for sale are things that are impossible to use normally if they are people, and yet the merchants are actively trying to attract customers.
The best strategy is to pass by quickly with a disinterested expression, as if you're someone with a clear destination.
However, the further you stray from the dazzling signs and lights, heading into the small alleys as if fleeing, the more you'll feel something strange...
Because it never ends.
The alley gets narrower and narrower, until... it eventually becomes so tight that no one can fit through.
'...Once you reach there, it's over.'
Right. You can't just blindly walk out of the alley.
So what should I do?
It's simple.
Since I received guidance when I came in, I just need to follow the same guidance to leave.
Ding.
'...It's started.'
I looked at the newly appeared event page on my smartphone app.
Dead End Alley 10,000 Steps Event
Don't give up your body!
Remaining steps: 10,000
This is it.
The mastermind behind the ghost story, and the most straightforward and safest lifeline to get out.
By successfully completing the '10,000 Steps' event on the smartphone app, you can escape from the alley.
You just need to focus on this to leave.
...However, no matter what the coward thinks, the resident of my pocket is just intoxicated by the atmosphere of the night market.
“ – Ah, it’s been a long time since I've been to a place like this. It’s not the kind of place a show host can visit privately, is it?”
“ – Sometimes, even a lively night market like this has its charm! How about picking something that suits us, my friend?”
“ – The quality isn’t great, but a couple of items for souvenirs wouldn’t be bad!”
Aaaaah.
‘...No. Let’s buy it somewhere else. I should get something better for my friend.’
“ – ...! That’s touching, alright! I’ll think about something that suits your friend, too....”
It was at that moment.
I'll show you something valuable??
“…!!”
One of the protruding street vendors grabbed my arm.
There’s something better over there. I’ll show you. Come inside.
There was nothing behind the street vendor.
No open door, no store, no space.
But the merchant repeats.
Come inside.
Don’t look at me.
Without looking at his face closely, I just need to quietly and naturally refuse. I was just about to speak…
I was about to open my mouth, but...
Before I could, the lizard team leader grabbed the merchant’s arm.
“??”
Tight.
The red vertical pupils focused on the merchant.
“…….”
“…….”
The merchant slowly averted his gaze.
Then, he subtly let go of my arm and started soliciting another figure as if nothing had happened.
“…….”
This... works?
I’ve just realized something new. The lizard can make ghosts behave properly....
"Thank you."
"Yes."
Physical exorcism... it couldn’t be easier than this.
‘By the way, I had planned to get custom gear for Jaheon Lee, the Team Leader, to enhance his physical strength.’
I should mention it once this is over.
For now, perhaps due to the actual threat, Team Leader Lizard didn’t say anything that could be considered a command, which could only be given by someone who’s not about to faint.
He just said this.
"When entering with more than four people, move in pairs of two, and if possible, check new alleys as per the standard manual."
Hmm?
" Roe Deer, choose a colleague to accompany you."
Ah. I see.
Since my rank is the highest among the three, he probably intends to send me to another team to maintain fairness.
‘It’s a shame... the power of the lizard.’
The sweet taste of the ‘freebie’ I just experienced was so sweet.
But it was something I had prepared for. Anyway, since I entered with Team Leader Lee Jaheon, just like during the exhibition, I might be able to get help if things go wrong.
‘So, among my colleagues, I’m supposed to choose who to go with?’
Hmm.
I spoke politely.
"Then, since we’re familiar with each other, is it okay if I accompany Mr. Bison?"
"Yes."
It’s probably better to avoid bringing in someone new, as it would make moving around more difficult.
‘...Because I need to check that chocolate wrapper.’
Moreover, I think my colleague, Kang Yihak, would probably prefer to accompany the leader...
"Oh, excuse me! Just a moment. If it's okay, can Mr. Bison and I go together?"
Kang Yihak interrupted.
Huh?
"Well, since you two are originally from the same team, it wouldn't be right for outsiders to break up the team! I have something to say to Mr. Bison as well..."
Kang Yihak conveyed the message to Team Leader Lee Jaheon, saying, ‘Since this isn’t a high-grade ghost story, it’s fine as long as the two employees follow the manual,’ in a way that was both persuasive and didn’t offend anyone.
"If you two are fine with it, I’m sure it will be fine with our colleagues as well!"
"Yes."
The lizard nodded.
"Move in a team of three."
"...Huh?"
" Roe Deer, Pony, and Bison. Move in a team of three."
Kang Yihak responded, barely losing her composure.
"Uh, thank you, but… isn’t it a bit risky for the Team Leader to go alone?"
"Yes."
“…….”
Oh dear.
But now, persuasion was out of the question.
‘A team of three, huh?’
Before leaving, Team Leader Lee Jaheon approached me.
"Mr. Roe Deer."
Then, he suddenly handed me something.
"Press this in case of an emergency."
“…….”
A small brown circle fell into my hand.
A small button.
It was something I had once used on a Tuesday Quiz Show.
...It’s Deputy Eunhaje's communication device.
"…Have you made contact with Deputy Eun Hajae?"
"Yes. I was asked to pass this on to you yesterday."
“…….”
I slowly nodded my head.
"Thank you."
"Yes."
Then, the lizard disappeared into the alley ahead…
"...Then let's walk and move to another area from this street market."
"Yes...!"
"Ah, yes, sure."
I also moved my steps with my two colleagues.
Don’t give up on your body!
Remaining steps: 9130
Walking through the long alley with the bizarre street vendor lights flashing, while making sure the app doesn’t turn off, turned out to be surprisingly exhausting.
Especially if you can’t relax your vigilance for even a moment.
"Haah."
Jang Heo-un slightly lifted his mask to wipe the sweat that had accumulated beneath it.
Wait a moment.
"Be careful."
“…!”
I stopped Jang Heo-un.
"It’s better to follow the anonymity manual more strictly here than anywhere else... Mr. Bison."
"…Yes."
Jang Heo-un slowly wiped off his sweat and lowered his hand.
……
One of the street vendors, who had been watching him closely, started to solicit again.
Murmurs.
"Haah."
The alley vendors showed an aggressive tendency to sell their goods and get paid, by any means necessary.
To avoid getting caught up in this, don't expose any personal information, details, or appearance that could be a weakness.
Especially, it's advised to strictly control any mention of real-life human traits, residence, acquaintances, or actions.
The company's manual was precise.
‘The moment you fail to follow this, you'll be passively dragged into the solicitation.’
Like those people poking around at the far end right now.
"It’s amazing that there’s a place like this in this neighborhood."
"Huh? What is that? It looks so real... Real, real, real... So real!! Want to buy real!"
"That’s the person! Yes! It's a person!"
The problem was that they didn’t have any mask to hide their identity, nor any information…
"Huh? Huh... Huh? Why does that person have three eyes? Huh? Ah, humans originally have three eyes, right! Sorry, I must have been mistaken, I’ll buy an extra eye, honey."
"Yeah! Trade it for your ears!"
They followed the street vendor and disappeared into the alley.
‘...It's already too late.’
This is how people go missing.
A chilling fear ran down my spine.
But I couldn’t show it. Not in front of my colleagues.
Instead, I clenched my teeth and moved forward, pretending to be calm.
"Let’s get out of this street first..."
"Mr. Roe Deer, over there...!"
Jang Heo-un pointed at something with his trembling hand.
It was…
A 'person' passing right next to us.
A high school student with a nervous expression, looking around.
‘Damn.’
"This...!"
Jang Heo-un rummaged through his bag and pulled out a black cloth mask.
He approached the high school student and handed it to him without saying a word.
"Put it on."
"Yes, yes...?"
‘If this goes wrong, we’re in trouble...!’
I immediately intervened.
"Calm down. Put on the mask quickly, and ignore anyone talking beside you. Just walk quietly."
"What... Ah."
"Try not to look around. You need to act as if you’re casually here for a visit."
Whether it was because of the ‘Silver Heart’ I was carrying, the high school student seemed to sense something odd and took the mask Jang Heo-un offered without thinking.
"Don’t turn off the 'Death End Alley' app, and make sure to reach 10,000 steps. Then, you’ll be able to leave."
“…….”
The student, with a mix of suspicion, anxiety, and alertness on his face, eventually turned and ran off in the opposite direction.
"Ah...!"
Jang Heo-un seemed to want to call out, but he hesitated and gave up. The high school student was already far away, and Kang Yihak was just watching with a smile.
“…….”
And I think I understood the other reason.
"By the way..."
Jang Heo-un mumbled with an expression of disbelief.
"Wasn’t that the uniform of Sekwang Technical High School that student was wearing just now?"
“…….”
Yeah.
In this space, you can witness all sorts of things.
Dead friends, family members who went missing when we were young, victims of large accidents, pedestrians dressed in 1980s fashion, and even students from schools that don’t exist in reality.
Countless guests, onlookers, and even those…Who are inside the ghost stories have flowed into this alley.
But.
"It’s better to pretend you didn’t see anything here. The basic manual says not to draw attention."
"Ah. Yes...!"
Jang Heo-un took another deep breath.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Hey, you don’t need to be that nervous. Let’s just follow the manual and act like we’re here casually having fun!"
Kang Yihak’s words were right.
It was strongly recommended to maintain a natural atmosphere, as if you were just hanging out with a friend in this alley.
"Let’s move forward, but still remain cautious."
"Yes!"
We walked through the crowd, trying our best not to bump into anyone or attract attention.
Tap tap.
With every step on the alley floor, the app’s counter decreases.
And the moment the thousands place in the remaining steps changes.
Don’t give up your body!
Remaining steps: 8999
I noticed a gap between the street vendors.
‘It’s a passage.’
A path leading to a narrower alley.
The street vendors disappeared, and now there were proper stores selling various daily necessities.
"I’ll turn this way."
It was at that moment.
"Ah, since we’re entering a new alley, should we try to act more natural from now on?"
Kang Yihak interjected.
Hmm.
"Could you explain a bit more what you mean?"
Kang Yihak smiled slyly.
"Let’s aim for a lucky item grab!"
“…!”
"No, there are quite a few exploration records of people buying decent... 'items' here, so I was thinking we should explore the market a bit too. It seems the most natural, after all!"
It’s basically shopping in the open.
"...! But that’s written in the manual as something we shouldn’t really do..."
Jang Heo-un is right.
Buying items under the judgment that it helps the exploration is not prohibited in the manual, but it is also not recommended.
Any risks arising from the purchase cannot be handled as work-related injuries.
The last line may sound like something a thug would say, but the reason the manual doesn't recommend it was clear.
It’s because the likelihood of impulse buying is high.
The longer we walk, the more this street makes us see tempting stores and products.
Then, in this strange place, employees who gradually lost their rationality as if hypnotized often ended up buying things without thinking about the risks.
Even though the payment wasn’t with regular currency.
Yet, Kang Yihak still brought it up...
‘What is she after?’
It clearly means there's something up her sleeve.
“ – Ah, politics! It’s a variety show about everyday life.”
“ – But if we step back, it becomes a documentary. We can’t let that happen. Let’s go, Roe Deer!”
‘Ugh.’
I thought I might make a connection with someone new after a long time, but here we are again…
‘It can't be helped.’
I smiled slyly at Kang Yihak.
"Let’s do it."
“…!”
"Shopping is fun to watch."
"Oh! You had the same thought, Supervisor! I knew it, right?"
"Yes."
Then, she casually raised his hand and pointed.
It was toward a shop nearby, one that I knew well.
"What about that one?"
Fresh Meat Butcher Shop
A shop that displays live organs and body parts.
The shop can be identified by the red and blue lights and the owner wearing a bloodstained apron, sitting in front of the glass window.
“…….”
“…….”
"The goods look good. Let’s go in quickly."
I started walking toward the butcher shop.
“…?!”
This is what we call ‘you can’t reason with a crazy person’…!
