Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Dream and Hope Theme Park
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“That person just now… They must’ve shown up suddenly after a week with the ticket, right…?”
While walking, Yu-na said. Ian glanced at a lump of flesh resembling a dog brushing past him right next to them, then nodded.
“That seems likely. It was a sudden transfer, after all.”
“Y-Yeah… If we’d gone through the main entrance like normal people, it wouldn’t have been like that… If they’d stayed still for a week, it would’ve been a disaster… Hehe…”
Ian ignored Yu-na’s foolish laugh and glanced back.
The Management Bureau agent had long since been neatly disassembled. Torn and ripped body parts lay scattered on the ground, and maggots with human heads picked them up and ate them.
Around the corpse, employees and guests alike swarmed without distinction, shoving something red into their mouths nonstop.
It was quite grotesque. Ian turned his head away.
The term “forced transfer” itself sounded ominous enough, but he hadn’t expected the theme park to classify them as intruders. And dropping them right in the middle of the plaza was practically a death sentence.
More than that, he hadn’t thought the Management Bureau agent would die so pathetically.
The Cartel had intel on the theme park, but the Bureau apparently didn’t.
Or maybe they’d deliberately held back to gather information.
Either way, it was clear the Management Bureau had started intervening in the theme park.
He didn’t know when they’d storm in, but it’d probably be soon—possibly even today.
‘This is a headache.’
There was still a little time, but he couldn’t afford to take it easy anymore. Ian let out a deep sigh and patted Yu-na’s shoulder.
“Eek!!”
Yu-na jumped at the sudden touch, but he ignored it and spoke.
“Let’s hurry. We should clear at least one or two more attractions before the Bureau shows up.”
“O-Okay…”
Ian set off with the now-composed Yu-na, following the map drawn in the booklet.
They arrived at the Ghost House. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary haunted house, but the letters on the sign were made of human corpses.
Blood dripped steadily, and limbs dangled loosely in a bizarre display.
Probably victims who’d challenged the Ghost House and failed. It was unfortunate, but there was no time for sentiment.
“…The booklet changed.”
As they stood facing the Ghost House, the booklet’s general park guide switched to the Ghost House instructions. Ian and Yu-na slowly read the rules.
[Ghost House]
[This attraction operates unmanned.]
[The Ghost House is home to various ghost friends and a murder ghost to amp up the thrills. The prickly, sensitive ghost friends stay in their assigned areas, but the murder ghost will start hunting you the moment you enter! Wonder what happens if it catches you? Give it a try—it might not be so bad!]
[Rule 1. Our ghost friends in the Ghost House are extremely sensitive. If you do anything to upset them or scream, they’ll rip out your heart and brain directly!]
[Rule 2. Our friendly murder ghost will track you down, catch you, and kill you. If you enjoy torture, try getting caught on purpose!]
The rules were simpler than expected.
Avoid upsetting the ghosts and evade the murder ghost. Much better than a bunch of complicated rules. Ian nodded and stuffed the booklet into his pocket.
“C-Can we do this…? Are we going in right away…?”
Yu-na asked.
Ian started to nod, then paused at a sudden thought. He placed his hand lightly on the Ghost House wall.
“Let’s test one thing first.”
“O-Okay…”
Yu-na stepped back, and Ian gripped his Grimoire and activated his magic.
“Be born anew.”
Crack!
As soon as he spoke, the wall warped. It rippled like waves crashing, losing all trace of its former straight shape.
But a nearby theme park employee walked straight past the altered exterior without a care.
That meant one thing.
‘Recreation doesn’t count as property damage or a violation.’
Recreation magic preserved an object’s components exactly, only reshaping the form. It didn’t alter the total mass.
Ian wasn’t sure if that was scientifically possible. Magic defied science anyway, so nitpicking like that wasn’t befitting a mage.
In any case.
It was proven that Recreation magic could be used freely in the theme park without issue. Ian grinned and turned to Yu-na.
“Let’s go. Stay close.”
“Yeah… But that—was that you…?”
“Who else?”
At Ian’s confirmation, Yu-na’s mouth fell open.
“…A-Amazing magic. You forcibly twisted such a huge wall, and there’s no cost…?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not free. It consumes ether. Repeat too much, and you get headaches.”
“Even so, that doesn’t make sense… Even Grimoires like Lemegeton or the Necronomicon can’t do that…”
Yu-na murmured, tracing the wall with her finger.
Ian wanted to let her study the magic, but time was short. They needed to clear more attractions before the Bureau entered and something went wrong with the park.
Sorry—not that he was sorry—but no time for gawking.
So Ian grabbed Yu-na’s arm and dragged her into the Ghost House. She yelped and blushed, but business was business.
Grind, clunk!
They entered the Ghost House.
The entrance slammed shut behind them, revealing a long corridor ahead.
Lit only by flickering candle flames, no other light in sight. At the end, a window hung with a grotesque face and arms poking out.
“…”
Corpses clung to the ceiling like metal scraps stuck to a magnet. In some rooms along the corridor, a woman in mourning clothes peeked out and giggled.
“Eugh… Grotesque…”
Yu-na, who’d been blushing moments ago, switched to full alert. Ian felt the same, though he didn’t say it.
No place to linger. Ian opened his Grimoire and placed his hand on the wall.
He unleashed Recreation, creating a new path in the straight corridor.
Grind!!
-??
-?!!!?!
Grotesqueries licking their chops and waiting for prey startled and burst from their rooms.
No chance. Ian turned their room doors into walls.
Crash—something slammed into them, followed by roars and pounding on the walls.
Ian ignored it and walked the new path.
Yu-na stared blankly at his back for a moment, then followed with an excited expression.
“That’s seriously amazing magic! You can remodel an entire space!”
“…”
“What Grimoire did you pick up to use something like this? Merlin’s or something? Huh? Huh?”
Her earlier timid demeanor seemed a lie as she blushed and huffed excitedly. Ian chuckled and forced open a path to the exit.
Thud!
At the end of the straight path stood a large hole marked “Exit.” Ian answered as he walked toward it.
“Just a pretty impressive Grimoire. That’s what I think, anyway.”
At his words, the Grimoire in his hand trembled.
Like a girl confessing her feelings.
*
Thanks to Ian’s magic, they cleared the Ghost House easily. No encounters with waiting ghosts or the murder ghost.
First attraction cleared. Ian and Yu-na headed straight for the second without hesitation.
Destination: Bumper Cars.
The rule was to drive a bumper car and survive without getting smashed by others until time ran out. Like a battle royale.
Unlike normal bumper cars, the guest vehicles were tiny compacts, while the autonomous ones were all massive like dump trucks.
Monsters that would shatter the walls on impact.
No way to endure that passively. Ian prepared to remodel the trucks with Recreation.
But Yu-na was faster.
“T-This time, let me. I think I’m better at this…”
“…You sure?”
Ian had been curious about her magic anyway.
He stepped back to watch.
“Hup.”
Yu-na pulled a long wooden wand from her guitar case.
The classic mage’s staff. She tapped their compact car with it and chanted.
“The enlightened one commands: Become treasures harder than anything.”
Sizzle.
As her spell finished, the car’s durability changed. From ordinary compact to tank-like toughness.
She didn’t stop there, altering the trucks too.
“The one dissolved in truth commands: Become softer than anything, like mud.”
Unlike before, the trucks turned squishy. Poke the bumper, and it dented deeply—like slightly softer tofu.
Ian tapped the jiggling truck bumper and whistled.
‘Magic to adjust object hardness.’
Simple, yet not really.
On a person, it could burst them open with a smack.
Even aside from that, incredibly versatile. Make the unbreakable breakable, or vice versa. Creating an indestructible shield would be trivial for her.
‘Recreation can’t do this. It changes shape but not elemental composition, rigidity, or hardness.’
If Ian Recreated tissue paper into a giant shield.
It’d still be tissue paper—easily torn. But if Yu-na boosted its hardness to the max, it’d never tear or pierce.
“…”
Unlike her frail, timid personality, her magic was impressive. Ian turned to her, inwardly impressed.
“Hah… Hah…!”
Exhausted from back-to-back spells, Yu-na collapsed pale-faced, catching her breath. Ian knelt beside her.
“Fatigue as the cost?”
“N-Nooo… It takes a little bloooood…”
Yu-na shook her head, anemic.
“N-Normally one car takes 100ml averaaage… But eight cars… Probably 800ml evaporated…”
Funny face, serious issue. Ian chuckled dryly and laid her down.
“That’s serious. Lie down and rest.”
“…Hehe, feels gooood to be worried abooout… But no need… I carry pills for thiiiis…”
She rummaged in her pocket, pulled out red pills, and chewed them dry. Soon, color returned to her ashen face.
“Phew… Feel alive now…”
“What are they? Rapid blood regen or something?”
“K-Kinda. Refined ghoul blood. Supplies about 200ml of blood… Improves condition too… But more than two a day, and your head explodes on the spot…”
“…Huh.”
“A-Anyway, let’s go. Gotta finish bumper cars before the spells wear off.”
Ian nodded, took her hand, and helped her up.
Without hesitation, they boarded the hardened car and entered the wide field. Thankfully, it drove itself that far.
Soon, the softened trucks rolled in. The magic reacted only to impacts, so driving worked fine.
[Alright, game start! Go!]
Vrooom!!
The moment the field speaker announced, trucks charged from all sides at Ian and Yu-na’s clinging car.
A normal person would panic, but they sat calmly.
Collision.
Splat!!
The squishy trucks splattered like pudding, scattering everywhere. Their car didn’t budge.
‘Solid performance.’
Ian watched the crushed trucks while lighting a cigarette.
Second attraction cleared.