Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Chapter 19 - 괴담에 떨어져도 출근을 해야 하는구나 19화
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Jolly Theme Park
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The psycho doctor had shoved his own researcher into the ghost story exploration as a sacrificial lamb.
Probably to observe, through synergy with that researcher, how the Field Exploration Team members would die in even more bizarre ways.
The problem was that I was on the same team as that researcher.
‘Whew...’
I came to my senses.
My ears detected the ghost story before my eyes did.
Cheerful melodica and orchestra sounds.
Typical theme park BGM.
“Gasp.”
When I opened my eyes, we awoke right in the heart of a quaintly colorful theme park.
Children's laughter echoed everywhere.
But no bare human faces could be seen anywhere.
The only things milling about were mascots.
I could make out guests wearing doll masks in the distance, but they'd vanish like a mirage if I approached.
‘That kind of place.’
I immediately checked my wrist.
Three blanks.
‘As expected.’
The insane board game amusement park where you have to ride three rides to get out.
: A ghost story featured in [Darkness Exploration Records], Daydream Corporation identification code Qterw-B-11.
An amusement park within a board game themed around various fantasy lands.
Once inside this ghost story, you can return home after using three major attractions.
It gained even more fame from the appendix called ‘Jolly Theme Park User Guidelines,’ written by players of the board game in a delirious state.
If you're looking for the game based on this ghost story, click this link.
There are many amusement park ghost stories. But this one stood out in [Darkness Exploration Records] for its sheer grotesqueness, uniqueness, and relentless terror.
‘There were even popup store goods modeled after this theme park.’
The appendix, [Jolly Theme Park User Guidelines], had also garnered cult popularity.
They called it the ‘napolitain ghost story’ or something.
‘And it's Dusk Grade.’
A Dusk Grade darkness.
Civilian survival rate... 2%.
Probably why all four of us previous civilian survivors were extremely lucky.
If I cross-checked the lists of missing persons who vanished without a trace before that, there'd likely be quite a few cases where everyone died in this ghost story.
Cold sweat trickled down.
‘...D Squad's in danger.’
Of course, right now, my own nose was three inches long.
We were the ones stuck with the variable called ‘researcher gets dragged in’!
“Uwaaak, heuaaa... P-Please, let me out. Th-this is wrong, wrong...!”
“Quiet!”
I clamped the mouth of the convulsing researcher and forced him to crouch down.
At that moment.
Drip.
The countless mascots of the theme park all turned to stare at the wailing researcher in unison.
“......”
This was a nightmare in itself.
I mustered all my strength not to squeeze my eyes shut.
3.
2.
1.
The noise returned.
The stares vanished.
In the lively theme park scenery starting up again, I slowly released the researcher.
The A Squad employee slapped the researcher's jaw.
“...!”
Thwack. After the short, dull sound, the A Squad employee gripped the researcher's jaw tightly and thrust his butterfly-masked face close, speaking in a low, sinister tone.
“Hey.”
“......!”
“Cry one more time, and I'll kill you first before we start. Got it?”
“H-Hik.”
The researcher backed away with a terrified expression before collapsing in place and clutching his head.
He seemed to be muttering things like ‘This is a dream’ or ‘It's a lie’ mixed with curses—full-blown panic.
“...Isn't that a bit too harsh?”
The Y Squad newbie said cautiously, but the A Squad employee ignored him.
Instead, he asked me.
“You there, newbie. Top of your class at onboarding, right? Good judgment.”
“...Thank you.”
“Got your custom gear?”
Hm.
So he's treating me like a fellow employee for now.
‘Not elite squad, but top of class?’
The criteria felt overly simplistic, but I responded politely without showing it.
Custom gear? Yeah, I have it.
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“Fingers that allow remote touch. Limited by time and uses.”
That's all I'd say for now.
And I needed to ask about this much too.
“What weapon do you use, Deputy?”
“None of your— Hm. Fine.”
The A Squad employee pulled back his index fingernail.
It was a fake nail for nail art.
From the back of the detached nail, something sticky stretched out long.
A translucent thread.
“It extends endlessly, and the tensile strength is pretty good.”
“...Seems incredibly versatile for many uses.”
“Hm. Yeah.”
His mood seemed to improve a bit.
I immediately nodded and asked.
“May I ask your name?”
“Just call me Deputy Jin. What's with the awkward formal intros?”
Isn't that basic courtesy between people...?
Anyway, the unique surname made it easy to pinpoint.
‘Probably... this employee.’
And so on. Not much detail to infer his personality specifically, but he came across as quite capable and ruthless in the story. Then, the Y Squad newbie quietly asked me.
“...What exactly is this custom gear?”
Ah, right. He probably wouldn't know properly.
“Oh, the company lets you customize gear using darkness...”
“Hey. Move out quick. In large-scale darkness like this, observation comes first.”
“......”
“What're you doing, top newbie? Let's move.”
Bluntly cutting me off. I followed after A Squad's Deputy Jin, who was already striding away without waiting, and replied.
“Yes. I'll explain the situation to my colleague while we move.”
“What? Why bother with— Ah.”
A strange smile formed under the butterfly mask.
“You don't know, do you?”
“......”
“Whatever, do what you want.”
I didn't argue. Instead, I gave the Y Squad newbie a rough explanation of what ‘custom gear’ was. To avoid creating discord in the team, I added.
“I agonized over it and spent quite a few points. Things are scary from here on too.”
“......I see.”
I nodded and continued.
“Come to think of it, sorry for the late intro. I'm Kim Sol-eum.”
“...I know.”
A slightly gloomy voice leaked from under the ox mask.
“I'm... Jang Heo-un.”
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
I tried speaking to the researcher slumped on the ground too, given the situation, but got back something close to panicked whimpering.
“N-No, I can't walk. Help me, someone!”
“I could support you, but... that'd hinder the deputy, right?”
I added with a concerned tone.
“That would raise your chances of dying.”
And like magic, he stood up. ‘Knew it.’ A Squad Deputy glanced over with displeasure but didn't interfere, just scanned the surroundings as he walked. I quickened my pace too and looked around. A dreamlike theme park—flashy yet somehow dizzying and oppressive. ‘Red theme, huh.’ Red symbols adorned every flag, building, and tent in this theme park zone. ‘We drew the red piece, so we dropped into this zone.’ The flags showed a cute rabbit raising one hand in a smile.
Literal translation: magic rabbit adventure space...?
‘Really feels like a theme park.’
Then.
Sure enough, a rabbit mascot blocked A Squad Deputy's path.
“Ah, blocking the— ”
“Hold on.”
I stopped the deputy who was trying to go around the mascot.
Because...
“...Looks like a parade.”
A line formed behind the rabbit mascot, and from the back, cheerful music and various flashy rabbits appeared.
But none of it excited me.
I struggled not to cover my face with my hands.
‘It's starting...’
The parade approached.
A rabbit mascot in a dress waved from atop a palace...
Bang!
She struck nearby carrots with her colorful staff.
Then, all sorts of sparkling red things poured down on the mascots.
Candy, jewels, glitter, fireworks effects!
But that wasn't the end.
Bang!
The next one burst in succession, showering new red objects.
Blood, guts, organs!
It came crashing down.
Crash, crash. The mascots danced amid the entrails, staining the stone pavement right in front of me red... Man, this is insane.
‘This is the problem.’
This crazy theme park spits out things impossible to laugh at with human sensibilities, but if you scream or cry, you're [censored]!
Splatter.
Blood soaked the toe of my shoe.
Something rolled over and bumped my shoe tip.
An eyeball.
‘!@#$!@%!%’
Aaah!! Aaaah!!
A silent scream raced up my spine.
‘G-Gonna puke.’
I tried to endure by squinting thinly, not looking properly ahead, acting calm...
“Urk.”
“...?”
Wait.
That sound... wasn't from me, right?
I glanced over, and there was the ox mask with a hand over its mouth.
‘Maybe.’
“...Can't stand seeing cruel things?”
“......”
The ox mask slowly nodded.
His exposed lower face was already pale white.
‘Comrade...!’
My chest nearly warmed.
Finally, someone to share this insane horror of the situation!
‘Hey, you're holding up pretty well!’
Let's dodge well and breakthrough this mess together... I nearly said that when.
“Ah, seriously... What the hell.”
A voice irritated to the core.
...A Squad Deputy.
“Can't stand cruelty? Why can't you get that a torture dummy like that without spare lives is just dead weight?”
“...!”
“Hey, top newbie. I'm telling you 'cause you got potential. That one.”
A Squad Deputy's index finger pointed at the Y Squad newbie.
The Y Squad employee flinched.
“Don't get chummy with X, Y, Z types for no reason.”
“......”
I'd heard something similar from my direct superior just before.
...I already knew why.
‘Field Exploration Team assigns alphabets to each squad.’
And that order means something.
Elite squads A, B, C.
Standard squads D through W.
And X, Y, Z...
Personnel who passed onboarding but have some defect preventing normal exploration duties, gathered in the Field Exploration Team.
Mainly deployed for experimental special situations.
Mostly referred to by the last three letters (X, Y, Z).
“The last three letters are just dumps for those kinds. Meat shields. Like spare lives handed to capable employees, so don't mind them.”
“......Yes?”
“They don't properly tell newbies about variable elimination or whatever, but whatever, they're dying here anyway.”
The ox mask employee froze.
“Wh-what do you...”
“Cleanup Squad ox mask. Raise your left hand.”
“!”
Like a lie.
Jang Heo-un raised his left hand into the air.
“...!!”
His exposed lower face went pale with bewilderment under the mask.
“Wh-what...!”
A Squad employee tilted his chin up.
“Meat shield. That's how you use 'em.”
Yeah.
‘...A device to extract more cruel and dramatic exploration records.’
In short, slaves or suicide squad.
But seeing it in person was more grotesque than imagined. Especially since the ox mask employee seemed to be fighting it.
‘This is nuts.’
The golden mark near the butterfly mask's jaw gleamed.
“When something dangerous but you wanna try pops up, test it on those kids first. But sometimes they misinterpret and die without following orders, drives me crazy.”
“Uh, ugh...”
“Well, if they had the brains to understand, they wouldn't be in that squad to begin with?”
The abuse continued flatly before ending in a weary office worker's tone, as if suppressing irritation.
“Why'd they even join a place like this and be a nuisance. Every time, real... psychos, cultists, criminals...”
“......”
Definitely, the Cleanup Squad was stocked with deliberately flawed personalities.
A device to lower the psychological barrier for readers of ghost stories.
‘Feels a bit better if a bad, defective person dies like a tool than a good, normal one...’
Seeing it in reality tasted bitterly sleazy.
What did the ox mask do so wrong to get suicide squad treatment?
“Even that damn cowardly bastard...”
Yeah, coward...
“......!?”
...W-wait.
Wait a sec, Deputy!
I feel like I just heard something huge...
“...Did you just say ‘coward’?”
“Yeah. Passed onboarding but still whines like a coward? Unbelievable?”
A Squad Deputy gestured with his chin.
“Like that Y Squad newbie.”
......
‘That's it?’
For real?
They stuck the ox mask newbie in Cleanup Squad just for being a scaredy-cat?
That was the disqualifier?
Then...
‘Me?’
...I'm a scaredy-cat too!
Suddenly, like a panorama, I recalled what I said to my superiors on my first day after fleeing the convenience store ghost.
“......”
Only now did I realize.
Thank goodness they didn't believe me.
‘Coward gets branded F-grade and becomes company outcast...!’
Not just dirty looks, but officially shoved into death spots!
‘I-I just thought not to let weaknesses show...’
That wasn't enough!
Suddenly, I heard my survival rate plummeting in surround sound.
No!
“Anyway, nothing specific to order right now. You're in the way, so just you and me move. Got it?”
No way!
Alone with you, and five minutes in, you'll peg me as coward!
I could see Employee Kim Sol-eum exiled to Cleanup Squad tomorrow after A Squad Deputy's ‘This guy's a coward’ testimony!
“Then go ahead first.”
“Wh-what?”
For the first time a month into the job, I broke the newbie ten commandments.
Defied a superior.
And with a plausible excuse.
“I'll look after my team members.”
“......”
A Squad Deputy halted.
For a moment, I worried he'd use the Y Squad newbie to take my head.
“You idiot...”
But the butterfly mask deputy opted to cut me loose and leave instead.
But... uh, thing is.
‘You can't go alone anyway.’
‘No way they'd let a tough guy like you go with eyes open...’
You're our tank.
The deputy in the butterfly mask choked with a gurk sound, as if grabbed by the nape.
“You damn...! Ah!”
A red string.
Like a leash, the line connecting above our heads tautened visibly, then vanished as the deputy smartly backpedaled to close the distance.
“This...!”
“Deputy Jin.”
I put my index finger to my lips.
And rolled my eyes.
The mascots around the parade were all staring at Deputy Jin in unison.
“......”
A Team deputy calmed quickly.
Competent people are so convenient...
“Don't tell me splitting the team...”
“Yes. Didn't we all draw red pieces? We're bound as a team... probably under physical constraints.”
“......No way.”
The deputy looked at me and asked meaningfully.
“You... predicted this?”
...?
I just read this ghost story beforehand, but...
Play it smooth.
I set the mood and spoke.
“If you remember... there were definitely four civilian survivors.”
“So?”
“Weren't they on the same team?”
I said seriously.
“We got assigned four to a team too, so probably the civilians were the same. Highest chance they survived together.”
“......”
“So, assuming we need to look out for each other as four to escape this darkness safely.”
A brief silence followed.
“...Makes sense. Yeah.”
Fortunately, the A Squad superior accepted rationally.
“Mr. Kim Sol-eum, thank you, thank you...”
“No problem. Let's do our best together.”
The ox mask colleague seemed moved too, but now wasn't for sentiment, comrade scaredy-cat.
‘Let's see.’
I objectively assessed the team.
Superior steeped in chosen-people complex.
Scaredy-cat dimwit.
And bonus inter-department employee.
‘Heh, total mess.’
If this were [Darkness Exploration Records], they'd all die at the start and POV switch to Lizard Manager, fitting cast.
But a way to survive with this lineup...
‘Exists.’
If we strictly follow the rules and aim for escape routes!
“...Do you remember by any chance?”
“What.”
“The text on the [Jolly Theme Park] board game box.”
The eyes under the butterfly mask narrowed.
“Three attractions... Yeah. This bracelet has exactly three slots.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Let's proceed that way. Following the demands implied by the darkness is the standard clear method.”
“...Talking like an expert after 3 years at the company, you one-month newbie?”
Oh crap.
“That month was all darkness without manuals... Hm, got into the habit of speculating like this.”
“Whatever.”
Fortunately, A Squad superior nodded roughly.
Not sarcasm, I guess.
“Your hypothesis is convincing.”
“Yes.”
Seemed reasonably convinced.
I raised my hand politely and suggested.
“So, we should ride an attraction first.”
Luckily, one of the nearby signs had the attraction I wanted.
Literal translation: magic train.
“...Isn't this the attraction the civilians testified about?”
“Correct.”
I nodded calmly, and the panicking researcher shrieked spasmodically.
“R-Riders all d-died, they said!!”
Yes.
This was the hell train with 3% survival rate!
‘Not that I'm crazy.’
[Darkness Exploration Records] veterans have ways!
...Ways to clear it a bit less scary.
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