Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Gotta Clock In Even in Ghost Stories
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Several hours later.
"Fuck...!"
The employee in the ladybug mask hid in the restroom next to the resort lobby, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat beading under his chin.
His vision spun in circles.
What the hell is this?
What the hell was this, exactly?
He'd at least steeled himself mentally before entering a new Darkness without a manual, but these events were so sudden he couldn't get his bearings...
I definitely entered as a guest!
That damn Security Team monster had turned into the mascot and dragged him into the ghost story...!
...As an employee here.
And this Jolly Theme Park resort zone was about to open for business.
The ladybug gulped.
...Can I sneak out somehow?
Steal a stamp, dash to the gate.
If I can just deal with that noose around my neck...
That was the moment.
Screeech.
"...!"
The restroom door creaked open as someone entered.
...Two Field Exploration Team employees in resort uniforms.
"There you are. Come out and take this."
The field mouse employee shook a piece of paper.
The guy had been terrified of that Security Team monster at first, but once it actually stamped his ticket, his attitude shifted somewhere.
He was even following orders to tidy up and wait for opening prep!
It was like he'd given up on escaping now that it seemed possible.
Idiot!
Though he tried to sneer at the slave mentality, the ladybug employee barely managed to reach out and take the paper...
"...!!"
"These are the guidelines to follow during work. They were piled up in the employee room... Deputy?"
The ladybug employee swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to the document.
Chillingly bizarre phrasing.
It was a rule-based ghost story, straight out of the playbook.
Damn it...
Cold sweat trickled down the ladybug's back.
He was already managing a similar Darkness with his team, so he desperately wanted to refuse, but he shakily tucked the document away with trembling hands.
He knew this was at least a hint.
But too much was uncertain. As with all Darkness. So...
...I need to make some other bastard break the rules.
Test it out.
The employee hid his sinister glint and scanned the others.
Then spoke in a subtle tone.
"So, what do you all think?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, these rules just popping up out of nowhere. That... you don't think the Security Team mascot just made them up on the spot?"
His voice dropped lower.
"Or maybe he's contaminated and just scribbled whatever...?"
"...!"
The employee fanned the flames.
"Hey, Bison, right? What do you think, Bison?"
"Pardon?"
"About the mascot's condition."
"Ah..."
Jang Heo-un, in the bison mask, finished reading the rules and quietly bowed his head.
"Well... he doesn't seem like a bad person at heart."
"...!?"
"What did you say?"
Was this idiot already contaminated?
The two employees exchanged glances. If need be, they could use this shady branch employee as bait.
But Jang Heo-un spoke in a thoughtful tone.
"This is my second visit here, and before, the theme park zones were divided into scary mascots and nice ones."
"......"
"Other exploration records in the manual show mascots pursuing various values too..."
"So you think that one's nice?"
"Not nice exactly, but thinking of mascots like Magic Bunny... urk."
His face paled as he dry-heaved, recalling that time, and the ladybug mask contemptuously sneered without showing it.
Typical Cleanup Team alum.
Incompetent.
Somehow survived and got promoted with that attitude—must be lucky.
"A-anyway... giving us these rules feels pretty considerate..."
"Ah, I see."
Good enough.
Look at that pointless positive spin.
That guy's bound to screw up soon. Perfect for observation.
The ladybug hid his dark conjecture and stepped out of the restroom for now.
Fine, time to get his own stamp too.
Grab what he could.
If he had to stay in this Darkness till night, holing up here might boost survival odds.
"Um, excuse me."
He cautiously approached the mascot standing blankly at the front desk.
No accessories on the basic doll head—this had to be the Security Team monster's true mascot form.
He bowed as politely as possible.
Arrogance in ghost stories was a death flag.
"If it's alright... I'd like to stay at the resort tonight too, with this ticket...!"
The yellow mascot's round black eyes stared blankly at him.
Black.
...Oddly, the yellow glow on that guy's gas lamp-like black face came to mind...
As cold sweat beaded on the ladybug employee's neck.
"...!"
The mascot approved adding his work name to the guest registry and stamped the ticket.
"Th-thank you...!"
But.
This is about to
"...!!"
The ladybug startled and looked up.
The theme park mascot's cute-yet-eerie mouth didn't move. It was a doll head.
Yet the voice echoed through the lobby.
And the monster began assigning employees.
Jang Heo-un was assigned as front desk assistant greeter and stood by the counter. The field mouse employee, assigned to cleaning, retreated behind the lobby.
The ladybug swallowed and quickly scanned around.
So the remaining position was...
Security!
The mascot approached him.
"...!"
No way. That looked the most dangerous!
He reflexively opened his mouth.
"Um, I'm better with brains than brawn... I think I'd perform better in that role!"
He was aiming for Jang Heo-un's spot.
Better odds for me than that gore-puking punk.
Pretending nonchalance, he subtly eyed the front desk.
The mascot stared silently.
"......"
And began guiding.
To the front desk he'd eyed!
"...!"
Push successful!
The ladybug's heart pounded like it would burst.
But...
His assignment... was the desk next to the front.
...Room service request phone.
Shit.
Room service in a ghost story? Sounded like nightmare requests incoming.
The ladybug gritted his teeth. But he couldn't request reassignment from the mascot.
No desire to be the first rebel with 50% suicide odds.
Meanwhile, the mascot moved on.
The mascot went to the reception desk and stood there.
The spot for directly checking in guests.
The golden sun set outside the window.
The mascot at the desk glanced at the entry-level mascots by the door, and they grabbed the glass doors.
And.
The doors opened.
-♩♪♬♬~♩♬♬~♩♪♪
-Ahahaha!
Song flowed as children's laughter filled the lobby.
Jolly Theme Park BGM.
The mascots bowed toward the open doors in unison.
Flower Golden Resort had opened.
I realized it.
Being able to communicate with language is truly precious...
Even if it's in that weird mascot yellow-speak.
Sniff.
Never thought I'd say that...
Anyway, the vibe's set.
I swallowed a groan, squeezed my eyes shut inside the mascot head, then opened them.
And scanned the employees.
Assigned them to spots where they can slack off maximally while passing duties.
They'd memorized the rules by now, fighting over pens to copy them.
Hoped they'd play it smart. Overdo it and some ghost or monster might pull insane crap on them.
But too lazy and noticeable... who knows how the resort reacts.
"......"
I swallowed and eyed the wide-open resort doors.
And that newly added document line.
Had to run it anyway.
Need at least 30 guests to unlock the next area.
Three employees could be wrangled somehow with tricks, but no alternative for this.
For now... endure.
At least through today.
-Ahahaha!
And, and...
Finally, guests entered through the resort's open doors.
From other theme park zones, souvenirs in hand... I tried not to imagine what they were made of.
But.
...Why am I excited?
My guests.
Recognizing them as official guests of this fine resort made my heart race inside the mascot head.
No!
I desperately suppressed it and greeted the first arrivals.
They looked like a normal, cheerful family at a glance. Hair wet from enjoying the waterpark.
"Hello. We'd like a room please."
If not for the tire-like thing crushing their heads, torsos, and hips into organ paste.
...Clearly a horrific family accident.
Whew.
I assigned them a deluxe room and added a kid's extra bed.
"Daddy, we're really sleeping in the amusement park this time?"
"Yeah. Finally, our little ■■ gets to play one more day in the park!"
Blood dripped onto the counter, then back into the squished guts.
Jang Heo-un covered his pale mouth but bowed deeply like a greeting to muddle through.
"Thank you!"
As the guests headed to the elevator, Jang Heo-un let out a slight sigh of relief.
I raised a mascot paw and patted his head.
"...! Th-thank you..."
Jang Heo-un bowed deeply, then looked up with sparkling eyes somehow.
And started handling greetings more proactively.
......??
Don't overdo it...
Anyway, assigning rooms to similarly eerie guests continued.
More customers than expected. Like they'd been waiting for opening.
And all paid with identical currency.
I rolled one lightly in my paw.
Colorful plastic coins.
...These look like Jolly Theme Park board game pieces.
Yeah. Plastic coin-shaped game tokens.
Front had weird script, back the park logo.
Mostly blue.
Hm.
I pocketed them for now. Since used for lodging, probably useful somewhere.
After sending off three or four groups and catching a breather.
Screeeeech.
Strange noise from the door.
Balloon rubbing glass.
Magic Bunny's balloon.
Holding a bright red balloon, dragging legs, it looked up and spoke fast and precise.
"Helloone nightstayplease.give me a quiet room no one finds where I can die."
"S-sorry, guest, but acts harming public morals are prohibited at our resort."
Heo-un!
No need to try that hard!
I hurriedly pulled out a notice from under the desk and shoved it at the thing, barely humanoid now.
A derivative of resort rules.
"Dying is fun! Dying is fun!"
It caused a ruckus.
Resort rule violation!
Entry-level mascots rushed in, grabbed the troublesome guest's arms, and dragged it out the door.
...The back door.
Phew.
Good.
Uh, anyway, I safely defended the resort.
Like this... that's how to handle it?
Yeah.
Just hold out like this.
A safe ghost story resort of class and refinement!
Around the same time, Blue Dream Waterpark.
"Phew. All filled up."
"Let's get out quick!"
The Field Exploration Team employees who'd drawn the blue horse completed all three attractions and prepared to leave.
Honey pot, honey!
B-grade cakewalk!
With existing exploration records and easy rules, they'd breezed through Blue Dream Waterpark.
Heading to the gate.
"...?!"
"It's... closed...?"
A sign hung on the main gate, blocking entry.
"Wh-what?"
"So... where do we go?"
Confused but cautious, they spoke to the blue mascot by the gate.
It pointed one way.
"Thanks!"
They hurried off. Mascots waved directions each time they met.
"So friendly."
"Wish all Darkness were like this?"
Two giggling employees, with the lizard-masked one quietly scanning surroundings behind.
The path veered outward, to a beautiful garden.
"Ooh."
"New build? Smells like paint."
At the garden path's end... a gate.
But beyond it, ecstatic lights shimmered.
"Wh...?!"
Wavy golden streetlamps led to a grand, flashy hotel-like building gleaming.
Field Exploration Team employees instinctively knew.
"Y-yellow zone."
"Wasn't in original explorations...?"
The blue mascot by the gate watched silently, then offered something.
"Huh?"
Thick small papers folded to hide contents, stuck on a board. Peel to reveal—lottery style.
"......"
Employees swallowed.
"Here, it should be..."
"Yeah. Seems safe."
Nice zone, maybe snag useful items.
Total win.
One bet here...
Dodged that monster Security guy today—clearly good luck.
And leaving soon anyway!
They couldn't resist greed and peeled papers.
"Oh? Winner!"
"Damn, dud..."
And the one at the very back reached quietly for a paper too...
"......"
Lee Jaheon looked up into the blue dragon mascot he'd met at the dead-end path.
But the mascot didn't stop him from joining.
Lee Jaheon peeled one.
Winner.
"......"
He took the offered prize.
Printed ticket coupon.
He looked up at the golden resort twinkling with brilliant lights.