After barely escaping the deranged red mascot zone, we finally made it to the blue zone.
That's where D-squad was waiting for us… with A-squad's leader hanging limply over Section Chief Lee's shoulder.
"..."
I managed to ask,
"Uh, Section Chief, Is that a corpse on your shoulder…?"
"Oh, she's just unconscious."
Ah, he was moving her somewhere safe.
Just as I started to feel relieved and the sense of familiarity returned, D-squad's assistant manager pointed her thumb at a large inner tube they'd been dragging with the supervisor.
"The corpse is over there."
"..."
Seeing them haul a body shoved into a tube… really added a new level of horror.
"We wrapped it up well, but some parts were broken off."
Please, spare me the details.
"No, seriously, it was horrific. Ugh…"
Supervisor Park shuddered.
"Roe, you better be careful. The mascots here act like some kind of righteous enforcers," Assistant Manager Eun quipped.
"Huh?"
Here's how it was explained: the mascots in this zone absolutely despise violence between team members.
"So, in typical A-squad fashion, the assistant manager with the praying mantis mask decided to run a little experiment."
While riding the first attraction, he kept forcing the Y-squad employees into dangerous positions for laughs: telling them to unbuckle their seat belts, stand up, sing along, or even do a handstand on the track.
"Three Y-squad members died that way. The last one begged for mercy through tears, but he didn't even blink… It was revolting."
"..."
It seemed that feeling was shared by more than just the survivors. Assistant Manager Eun scowled.
"When we got off the ride, the mascot was waiting for him, just standing there and calling him a 'naughty child'. And then…"
She spared me the details, thank heavens.
"I thought I was going to vomit."
"..."
"Well, I mean, honestly, he had it coming! …Even if the chief disagreed with those methods," Supervisor Park said, glancing over at the limp body of A-squad's leader on the section chief's shoulder.
"By the way, why exactly did she pass out?" I asked, still a bit puzzled.
"Well… our squad leader here, um…"
"..."
Wait a minute.
No way.
"See, she pushed us a bit hard, trying to save her subordinate somehow. And it got a little excessive, so…"
"The chief just knocked her out."
"..."
"Hey. We're all going to agree she passed out from high blood pressure, so keep your mouth shut, Roe."
"Yes, I'll take it to the grave."
"Oh, and if you're wondering why Y-squad got treated that way…"
"I already heard. From that person over there."
I discreetly nodded toward the assistant manager in the butterfly mask. Seeing that I already knew, Supervisor Park seemed a bit more at ease, as if glad to skip such a dark topic.
"Anyway, how are your team members doing?"
Ah.
I quickly checked on the bison mask with the injured shoulder and the butterfly mask with the blistered face.
"Some of them need first aid. Could we get some help?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Section Chief Lee unceremoniously dropped the unconscious A-squad leader from his shoulder onto the ground. Then, he started shaking her shoulder.
"W-wait, Chief!"
"Ahh!"
"...?!"
After shaking A-squad's leader awake, the section chief said with a calm face,
"Section Chief Seo, there are employees here in need of treatment."
"W-What…"
Looking dazed at first, the A-squad's leader pointed a shaky finger at Section Chief Lee as realization hit her.
"You!! You—"
"Yes?"
"How could you do that to Assistant Manager Lee! The one with the praying mantis mask…!"
"He's deceased."
"..."
"..."
"And while he was dying, what were you doing?"
"We waited until he passed, then retrieved the body and moved on to the next attraction."
Oh, dear lord.
A-squad's leader was at a loss for words, her expression one of disbelief, before finally managing to stammer out a response.
"Y-You watched A-squad die? Are you insane, Lee Jaheon? How are you going to take responsibility for this loss?!"
"? I'm D-squad's leader. A-squad is not my responsibility."
With a slight squint, the section chief looked at her, almost perplexed.
"The responsibility for the loss of A-squad Assistant Manager Lee Seokjong rests with you, A-squad's leader."
"..."
Witnessing someone say something like that to a superior in a work setting was… something else. Even if they hold the same title, an elite squad leader should technically outrank him.
A chill went down my spine in an entirely new way.
"..."
A-squad's leader glared at Section Chief Lee, her eyes bloodshot.
"You fainted, yet we still completed the three attractions together to meet the clearance conditions. Now, take responsibility and treat your—"
"Chief."
The butterfly-masked assistant manager interrupted, not in an attempt to dissuade Section Chief Lee, but rather addressing the A-squad's leader, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"Perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation outside? Let's complete the clearance before anything else comes up. Plus, you still have that deranged researcher from Research Team 1 to deal with."
"…Yes, of course."
The eyes under the teal duck mask blinked, then gradually calmed down. It seemed she'd found a new focus for her anger.
But she still left one last comment hanging in the air.
"Squad Leader Jaheon, shall we take this outside?"
"Yes."
Supervisor Park leaned in and whispered to me,
"Don't worry. Apparently, our squad leader hears lines like that as an annual event."
"..."
Is that, uhh… really okay?
Well, one thing's certain.
I'm definitely not at the level to get involved here.
Better to keep my mouth shut and keep my head down.
In any case, the A-squad's leader used her special equipment to heal the butterfly-masked assistant manager. The sight of the skin on her jaw and head area regenerating, almost like it was rewinding, was amazing.
"Employees with equipment like that are almost nonexistent. So envious."
Same here. I wondered if there was any way to acquire something similar. Having equipment like that would definitely improve survival rates. I watched A-squad's leader's specialized equipment—a healing ring—very closely.
'Healing… huh.'
After ensuring the butterfly-masked employee was fully healed, A-squad's leader was about to walk right past the Y-squad member with the shoulder injuries, barely sparing a glance.
"Could you possibly heal this one too? We need to stay together, and his mobility might be an issue."
"...!"
Surprisingly, the A-squad assistant manager subtly nudged the squad leader to heal both me and the Y-squad rookie.
Thanks to that, the Y-squad rookie, whose shoulder was now miraculously healed, blinked beneath his bison mask.
"…Thank you."
The assistant manager nodded slightly.
'Does she really only consider efficiency?'
Once she'd understood the mechanics of this ghost story and secured an escape plan, she immediately switched to decisions that minimized risks. A logical approach… maybe that's what makes her elite here. I made a mental note to remember A-squad's equipment and specialties.
… And maybe to try and forget about the bodies stuffed into that tube.
"Right then, let's ride the two remaining attractions and head out quickly."
"Oh, thank you."
As soon as the healing was complete, the red team moved toward the attractions to fill the empty spots on our admission wristbands. The others followed, not exiting just yet.
"It'll only take about 30 minutes, don't worry," they reassured us, likely staying close to keep an eye on the situation and help out us rookies. Although grateful, part of me thought it would be less terrifying if they just left, considering that tube full of corpses following us…
"As I mentioned before, the mascots here are surprisingly moral for monsters."
That much I'd guessed from our earlier communication.
'If they cleared three attractions so quickly, there must be a reason.'
This team must've been lucky enough to encounter a benevolent zone where the mascot's demands were reasonable. They'd beaten some crazy odds for sure.
"They even answered questions about what was in each attraction. And since we were the first to clear three, they gave us a souvenir."
How nice for them, taking it easy.
Meanwhile, we've been scrambling for survival in that insane Magic Bunny zone…
Strangely enough, while the red team had lower odds for survival, we managed to keep everyone alive up to this point.
Soon, we reached the entrance of an attraction adorned with… a blue dragon head drawn to exaggerate its cuteness, its body wearing a life jacket.
[Hello]
The mascot stationed there waved a greeting sign.
I bowed slightly in response, and the mascot returned the gesture.
"Hm."
We boarded a flume ride called 'Blue Mountain'. It was a typical water attraction where we sat on a boat and enjoyed the stream. The other two field team members boarded without issue.
Only the last person had a problem.
"Fuck."
The researcher sneered, cursing at the mascot. It seemed like he couldn't help but let out his disgust and fear after dealing with Magic Bunny and facing a slightly less terrifying mascot.
"These disgusting little fuckers…"
"Hurry up and get on."
"Yeah, yeah."
He stole a glance at the mascot before boarding the attraction. The blue dragon mascot's button eyes watched silently.
"..."
With everyone on board, we finished the remaining attractions smoothly.
[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Admission Ticket ■■■ ]
"Finally…!"
"Huu."
At last, we'd filled every slot on the wristband.
"The exit is to the north. Let's move."
"Yes!"
Soaked from the water but not caring at all, we were finally on our way out of this cursed theme park.
'I won't be going anywhere near an amusement park for a long time…'
[Have A Safe Journey Back]
The farewell sign above the northern exit gates sparkled with the words. Next to it, a blue mascot stood, dressed formally.
"Looks like we just need to scan your completed wristbands here to exit."
The blue mascot gestured politely toward the gate scanner.
"Alright, alright, Squad Leaders, you first. Off you go."
D-squad's assistant manager made the smart move to organize the situation and get the superiors out first.
People began to exit one by one, and as it came time for the assistants and other staff to leave…
"Alright then, Assistant Manager Jin, after you—"
"M-Move!"
The researcher pushed past everyone, sprinting to the gate.
"Seriously…?"
Though Supervisor Park and Assistant Manager Eun looked momentarily taken aback, they quickly let it slide, likely thinking, 'Civilians, right?' A few seconds' delay was no big deal.
Oblivious to their expressions, the researcher rushed to the gate to scan his admission wristband.
'It's like he's made a habit of it.'
Honestly, I found myself frowning.
Badchild
"…Huh?"
The researcher turned his head.
A blue dragon mascot held his wristband with one claw, crumpling it.
You
Snap.
areabadchild
Riiiip—
a r e n 't y o u ?
The band broke.
Snap!
He stared blankly at the torn wristband pieces on the floor, seeming not to comprehend.
Then—
"AAAAAHHHH! AAAGGGHHHHH!"
The blue dragon's mouth opened wide.
"Save me! Save me!"
It began to pull him in.
Beside me, Bison Mask muttered feverishly.
"Ohhtheseagod'swrathhasawakened.Thewickedarebeingswallowedbythetide…"
The rookie and I averted our eyes.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
So this is how it ends…
When moving to another zone, the previous zone's aggro mascot stops pursuing you.
But the consequences of one's actions follow.
Cheerful Theme Park User Guide (applicable up to Exploration Record #64)
6- Remember, the theme park is a shared space!
Please follow proper etiquette and manners when using public facilities. Countless eyes are watching you, and no one forgets anything. Hey, there's a mascot right behind you.
All mascots in the Cheerful Theme Park know what you've done. That includes everything the researcher did.
– Fuck, move already!
Pushing A-squad's assistant manager into the line of attack to escape the red mascot earlier…
'Maybe they were willing to overlook it, considering the extreme situation…'
The problem was, he did the same thing twice.
'It's karma.'
The researcher's screams turned into wails.
"That bastard tried to kill me too! Why just me, why just me! You trash, you —"
That's right.
But A-squad's assistant manager never went through with it. She listened to reason.
'But you didn't.'
Even I, as someone who's practically a member of the Cowards' Club, thought he had this coming.
– Save me! Aaaaaah!
The researcher's voice stretched like taffy, leaving behind a chilling sense of dread.
'Ugh.'
My cowardly heart reacted instinctively, making me flinch, but—
"Don't."
"..."
A-squad's employee grabbed my arm, holding it down.
"You can't save him."
Not that I'd even considered trying.
So I remained quiet. Soon the screams faded, and the unsettling atmosphere around us dissipated.
When I looked up, the blue dragon mascot stood there, as polite and composed as before. You'd never believe it had just killed someone. Somehow, that made it all the more disturbing.
'The standards are stricter than I thought.'
As expected from a ghost story setting, this mascot seemed to have its own code, beyond just refusing to harm teammates.
'I'll tread carefully from here on out.'
"…Let's try exiting again."
"Yes."
One by one, the remaining people filed out.
"Let's take a look outside."
I gave up and let the superiors go first. After seeing my fellow coward through the gate, I stood by the exit next to the blue dragon mascot.
"..."
The dragon, cutely stylized with round eyes, looked directly at me. Could you, um, not stare? This is terrifying enough. It's nerve-wracking being the last one here, and I'm trying my best to keep my nerves in check.
Then—
Goodchild
"...!"
Was it trying to reassure me?
Unlike before, the mascot's voice didn't sound eerie.
'Maybe they're willing to overlook the damaged property…'
Thank goodness.
"Thank you."
I nodded and tried to walk past. But the mascot moved to block my path.
"...?"
Goodkidsget
agift
The blue dragon reached out, gently touching my wristband.
[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Admission Ticket ■■■ ]
The wristband warmed slightly, and as the mascot released it…
[◎ (Cheerful) Fantasyland Membership ◎ ]
The text had changed.
Le t 's p l a y
forever
…Umm?