Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 184

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 184

I slowly moved my steps forward.

Magic Bunny’s Fantasy Land.

Everything had stopped and was dark.

The soundless amusement park was enough to conjure sufficiently terrifying imaginations on its own.

Especially if I was walking at the very front.

‘Huu…’

Is this what it would feel like to dress up as a ghost and hide in a ghost house?

I couldn’t tell whether I should cry or laugh at the thought that I was disguised as security team.

What was certain was that the strange sense of security the mascot costume had given me was gone.

…It had its pros and cons, but the rising tension was unavoidable.

[Ah, a midnight infiltration. What a thrilling and exciting situation!]

[And I must convey this message once more. Earlier was truly spectacular! A giant trap hunting a giant monster! Indeed, destruction is one of the primal pleasures. It was such an entertaining spectacle!]

Hmm.

I felt a familiar sense of emptiness and mild relief at Brown’s voice coming through the receiver.

‘I guess I should be glad that at least you found it entertaining.’

I had guaranteed the host in the ghost story that it would be fun, so if he had rated it as boring, I would have been sweating bullets.

And even aside from that, this situation was worth celebrating and feeling relieved about.

Because everything was proceeding according to plan.

Splash.

Following from the very back, the Blue Mascot.

No, someone who had taken off that mascot’s mask.

Being conscious of him sent chills down my spine, but at the same time, someone inside me breathed a sigh of relief.

Scary, but at the same time like having a thousand troops.

‘I’m glad we reached an agreement right before the ceremony.’

Initially, I had wanted to request an attack on Magic Bunny’s zone as soon as the theme park closed for business.

I had wanted to tell him to attack and devour the Red Zone while my resort was under attack.

But if we had done that and the timing didn’t match… it would have been troublesome if the Blue Mascot had been pushed back.

‘The two seem to have similar power levels.’

The Blue Mascot probably thinks that Magic Bunny is as powerful as himself, which is why they’ve maintained a state of mutual disregard.

Because interfering could lead to mutual destruction.

‘Seeing how that crazy Red Mascot doesn’t invade the Blue Zone, there seems to be some kind of balance of power maintained.’

So I had to set up the stage for him to safely devour Magic Bunny.

‘I had to proceed step by step.’

Thus, the result of proceeding in the most probabilistically conservative manner was this very moment.

The employees and I hiding in the shelter, and bombing the resort itself.

Then infiltrating Magic Bunny’s zone together with the powerful Blue Mascot.

Of course…

‘There was a condition.’

Never

Look at me

‘…’

Still, I found myself instinctively listening.

Splash.

The sound of water hitting from behind, the sound of a tail scraping the floor, the sound of something massive dragging its belly and moving its feet as it followed.

I could hear it.

It sounded like massive waves, or like a snake moving, or strangely like wings or whiskers brushing past. Or perhaps like something wetly pressed against the floor.

Following from behind, the Blue Mascot without its mask… something.

Splash.

My nerves instinctively stood on edge.

Perhaps… unlike Magic Bunny, the Blue Mascot didn’t seem to have completely lost its outer shell by having its identity fully absorbed into this theme park.

It sounded like it was maintaining some degree of form.

Of course, I couldn’t turn around to confirm.

‘There must be a reason.’

I continued walking without erasing the words made of smoke, ‘Never look back‘. Ah, I could use this at some point. Did this costume also get influenced by the mascot in reverse?

Anyway, the advance continued.

The destination was the center of the Red Zone.

Magic Bunny’s Fantasy Castle.

“…”

“…”

Even though I hadn’t warned them to be quiet, even the civilians who were rescue targets of the Disaster Management Bureau were moving their steps carefully with their mouths shut.

‘There’s no need for that though.’

But perhaps due to anxiety, our steps began to change to almost a sprint.

The colorful amusement park’s palace-shaped building rapidly approached through the darkness.

The largest core facility of this zone.

‘…Something will remain.’

Even though Magic Bunny’s main body and its hordes had attacked the Yellow Zone only to be struck by lightning and buried under building collapse, there would definitely be remnants still remaining in the Red Zone.

And all of that could become Magic Bunny.

I knew now. Mascots were that kind of species.

And those remnants would function like the main body given time.

I had to catch them before that happened.

“…We’ve arrived.”

I stopped first upon hearing Lee Seong-hae’s whisper.

The back of the Fantasy Castle came into view.

Right. We had approached from the rear, and the exaggerated fairy tale palace had a back door that was cleverly hidden with modern technology finishing, as befitting a theme park.

“…”

I didn’t stop Lee Ja-heon from trying to force open that back door.

Crack, creeeeak.

The door opened, revealing the colorfully decorated and silent interior.

Terrible things casually displayed like theme park concept props revealed themselves in the darkness before hiding again the moment my light disappeared.

Gulp.

I heard someone swallowing behind me.

[Now, search to your heart’s content. Friend…]

I thoroughly searched every wall surface and came to the side of the gate where the Red Rabbit Mascot would have stood to guide visitors.

Then the ‘thing I was looking for’ revealed itself.

[Authorized Personnel Only]

“This is….”

“…Is this some kind of staff area?”

That’s right.

The resort also had a facility office that only authorized personnel could enter.

Thinking about how I had found operational documents and stamps there, I was certain there would be a similar space in this Red Zone too.

If there was a place where I could gain recognition for conquering the Red Zone….

‘It would be right here.’

“Is this our destination?”

I nodded my head.

Lee Ja-heon casually opened the locked door once again.

Underground.

Modern-style stairs leading downward appeared.

The stark design was rusted here and there, as if corroded by blood.

“….”

I gave people a choice through acting.

Choose freely

▶Wait here

▶Go down

“Huh…?”

And I quietly stood in front of the stairs to the ‘Magic Bunny Personnel Only’ area.

‘Please, just a few strong people follow me.’

The thought of walking alone with that unmasked blue mascot thing without being able to look back made me break out in cold sweat.

But surprisingly, everyone followed.

“Wh-what if I accidentally look ‘back’ while waiting!”

“With things like this, you usually die if you fall behind.”

“….”

Hmm. That was quite a persuasive choice.

Anyway, exploration in the darkness began again.

As we went down, I saw several doors with strange names like ‘Supply Room’, ‘Freezer’, and ‘Magic Storage Room’, but I didn’t touch any of them and just kept going down.

I can sense it.

[Oh, is this the instinct of one who was a mascot?]

Something like that.

People also followed me while trying not to even look at the glass windows on those doors.

And finally, the moment we reached the bottom.

A rusted nameplate came into view.

[Mascot Development Room]

A half-open door.

Found it.

“Excuse me, Teacher. Wait a moment. What does mascot development mean….”

I grabbed the door handle and flung it wide open.

“…!!”

I heard the sound of employees covering their own mouths to prevent screams.

They had no choice. What was before our eyes was….

[My, how avant-garde!]

In the center of the huge development room space, I saw a massive red body with flesh only half-filled.

Hind legs with sharp claws, majestic and sinister membrane wings, a severed tail, a giant… something with only the lower half remaining.

“Hiiip,”

People froze in terror.

Then, a cheerful voice came from beside us.

“Ah, it’s a costume!”

“…!”

“But it looks unfinished? Only half of it is there.”

That’s right.

Looking closely at the thing with only its lower half on display, the inside was completely hollow, and bundles of cut hair that seemed to replace cotton were stuffed here and there.

Traces of what seemed to be attempts at making mascot costumes in-house.

‘Phew.’

I examined that bizarre beast’s lower half more closely with the vision created by my inner light.

It was densely covered with scales.

Human fingernails.

‘…Ha.’

And that wasn’t the end of it.

Throughout the spacious ‘development room’, I could see parts that couldn’t be connected and were left abandoned.

Yellow vertical pupil eyeballs, small membranes like fins, bizarre and massive front claws like bird feet, tongues, flesh from snouts.

These were traces of mascot development. Many forms made my stomach churn as I could guess the source of the raw materials.

However, they apparently couldn’t officially bring this out or introduce it as a ‘mascot’ in the theme park.

This was Red Rabbit’s, Magic Bunny’s zone after all.

That majestic and intimidating appearance, which didn’t suit this colorful and cute amusement park, couldn’t be brought out.

The Cheerful Theme Park wouldn’t have allowed it.

“Did the rabbit want to use that… as a new mascot instead?”

“…Who knows.”

I could hear the agents whispering.

[New image development! Cliché but a typical idea. What’s Noru’s guess?]

Hmm.

‘…Isn’t it the opposite?’

[Hmm?]

‘I think it was trying to restore its original form with that costume.’

Magic Bunny had completely lost its original form that was inside the mascot costume.

‘If that’s the case, it would have tried to make the costume in the shape of its original form.’

Whether by instinct or calculation.

Though it ultimately failed.

‘And when I piece together those fragmented forms, Magic Bunny’s original identity was….’

That was the moment I thought that far.

Something moved.

“Ahhh!”

I quickly grabbed the civilian by the back of the neck and threw them to the agents.

Squirm, squirm, squirm…

The scale-covered tail that the civilian had been examining closely was moving, dripping with essence.

“Huff.”

Magic Bunny’s remnants.

It was clinging to the inner wall of the tail-shaped costume, writhing.

There were no arms or legs.

No various organs and limbs collected and attached from missing persons and visitors’ body parts.

The leftover contents of Magic Bunny’s costume suit that had lost its form.

But its cunning and aggression seemed to remain intact.

And.

Creak creak creak creak.

Sounds began coming from all directions.

The sound of all the costume suit parts in the development room vibrating.

And the giant thing in the center also began twisting its joints following the tail.

Even redder things writhed and bulged between the red masks.

“Ahhhhh!”

Some people’s screams, those hesitating as they tried to flee to the stairs upon realizing they couldn’t look back, agents taking defensive positions with civilians between them…

“Should we destroy it?”

“This seems like something we could fight, don’t you think?”

No, that’s not it!

I quickly shook my head and manipulated the black smoke again.

I sent it toward the giant figure that had followed us from the very back and was quietly standing in a corner of the development room.

Blue Mascot’s main body.

“…!”

The one who had removed Blue Mascot’s mask was enveloped in my black smoke, momentarily blocked from everyone’s view.

‘Now!’

I pointed toward the stairs with my hand, signaling people to evacuate.

The employees hurriedly rushed toward the stairs. I followed them to the stairs and stood last with my back to the development room door.

Standing with their backs to the development room like me, sweating coldly, I withdrew the smoke I had sent to Blue Mascot and formed words again in front of them.

Never look back

And.

Splash.

A sound comes from the development room.

“…”

The one inside Blue Mascot who had followed us moves.

To fulfill the promised task.

The giant wave slowly moving its powerful steps, the master of the deep sea, the friction sound of it surveying the fragmented costume suits and their contents as if lost in regret…

So this moment has finally arrived

You wicked seed from another realm

It sucks them in.

“…!!”

The sound of Magic Bunny’s leftover contents in the development room being crushed and compressed as if sucked into a fierce tsunami or whirlpool.

Just like how the ‘bad child’ was sucked into its mouth at the water park.

Swallowed.

Strange screams, strange emptiness.

“Huuuugh.”

“Ugh!”

People instinctively cover their ears and bow their heads deeply. Those movements as if they don’t want to witness an unbearable scene, as if trying to reject it.

However…

I made eye contact with someone looking at me.

The one wearing Yellow Mascot’s mask.

Jang Heo-un was smiling faintly.

As if completely subordinated to something else, as if he didn’t even have a self left to tremble in fear at this situation.

As if he would turn around and face what was happening now whenever he wanted.

A different kind of chill ran through my entire body.

But the giant presence behind me was also reaching its peak.

The sound of giant water streams striking all sides of the development room like heavy whips or tails, and…

It disappeared.

“…”

“…”

The people who had been covering their ears very slowly remove their hands.

From behind, I hear a will that seemed to be trying to be gentle.

It is done

“…”

And.

The stairs begin to move.

“Whaaaat?”

As if being remodeled in real time, they moved like waves and gently pushed people up the stairs.

“What, what is this?”

Finally, the ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ area door opened and they escaped outside magnificently… witnessing an amazing fact.

“Huh?”

All the Red Rabbits had disappeared from Magic Castle!

The terrible symbols he had created still remained, but all the various rabbit character figures that had originally filled Magic Castle had completely vanished.

Instead, new pictures were being drawn.

Blue Dream.

Cutely deformed Blue Dragon figures were appearing here and there.

As if hastily doing repair work before opening for business.

“…!”

“Did, did it work?”

The employees somehow turned to look at me, and I nodded.

Magic Bunny’s zone had been conquered by another mascot.

Completely!

Now

Safe

“Ah!!”

“It’s, it’s done!”

The people who saw my acting sighed in relief. Some brightened up or burst into laughter, but since they couldn’t turn around, they unconsciously made sounds with their mouths.

“Th, thank you.”

“Thank you.”

It was directed toward the Blue Mascot.

The shadow behind me, illuminated by my yellow lantern, swayed as if somehow pleased.

That shadow was….

“…A dragon?”

“Team Manager?”

“A dragon or an imugi… no, never mind.”

I could see the Team Manager starting to say something then stopping.

“….”

I had this thought.

‘I was also forcibly appointed as a mascot.’

If the one behind me was also something else before becoming the Blue Mascot.

And if that doll mask from earlier was indeed Magic Bunny’s original form that had lost its true shape.

Perhaps. I speculated that Cheerful Theme Park might have captured powerful entities originating from other ghost stories or legends through contracts and made them into mascots.

“….”

Wasn’t the board game for entering this theme park also made by Joyful Research Institute?

‘It’s a strange feeling.’

Anyway, it wasn’t something I needed to worry about right now.

What was important now….

Magic Bunny was gone.

Even if someone remained at the resort, there was no longer any possibility of being killed by Magic Bunny.

‘Good.’

That made my heart feel lighter.

[It was Noru who did all the hard work though!]

[Thanks to giving him all the credit, that mascot who thinks he’s the drama protagonist will probably get even more full of himself.]

Sigh.

‘Still, it should be fine.’

I led the employees out of Magic Castle.

Dawn was breaking.

Cheerful Theme Park was about to start operating.

We had returned to the connection gate in the Yellow Zone, but the corridor of the gate we used wasn’t Blue Dream Waterland.

The gate that Magic Bunny had installed.

But now there was a different sign attached to that place.

[Blue Dream Fantasyland Gate]

The Blue Mascot, who had put the mascot mask back on, waved from what was now his zone.

The employees awkwardly waved back.

[Good grief, it’s like Stockholm syndrome.]

…That’s what Brown would have said if he were here.

But when dawn broke, the receiver lost its function, and the connection with Brown was already severed.

Still, I would be able to meet him soon.

I hung the receiver near my thigh.

Then, Lee Seong-hae approached me.

“Um, now you have to go back to being a mascot in a mascot costume, right?”

I looked at her without saying anything.

If there was no other solution, that’s what I would have to do.

And I would be unable to leave with the others, having to remain in this theme park forever as a mascot….

Because if I quit being a mascot, there would be no me left to remain. …I would disappear.

However.

-Cheerful Theme Park is now open!

The moment operations began with cheerful music.

Resort business attire began covering my Security Team clothes.

But it wasn’t a mascot costume.

“Huh?!”

A neat uniform suit with a yellow bow tie.

“An, employee?”

That’s right.

Finally, the horns on my mask were neatly arranged, and I stood in the complete appearance of a ‘Flower Golden Resort’ employee.

“Mascot…sir?”

Hmm.

Strictly speaking, no.

This body was an employee.

Since when?

Since right before the illumination started!

‘I signed an employment contract!’

Employer: GOLDEN

Employee: Noru

Right.

I brought my original body that was by the Blue Gate and made it sign the employment contract.

To separate it from me as the mascot!

‘Living entities can be made into employees.’

Since the Ceremony Ritual hadn’t been conducted yet, not all of my mind and body existed for the mascot.

However, because the mascot’s ego was strong enough to use even the Standard Mascot like a body, this separation was accomplished exquisitely.

That’s how my main body was separated as an employee!

This is why Magic Bunny couldn’t notice even though I was buried inside the shelter.

Because I was an employee, not a mascot.

“Uh, uh, uh, uh….”

I felt a bit sorry that I couldn’t even smile at the few employees who looked at me in confusion, given my security team concept.

‘Still, I have to do what needs to be done.’

…Of course, there was a problem in this process.

My consciousness being split in two.

Experiencing the death of myself inside the Standard Mascot wasn’t exactly pleasant.

But I could handle it.

No, I had to handle it.

For this result!

‘Now I can get out.’

Anyway, the Yellow Mascots were all dead except for a few standard units, and even the resort had collapsed.

Taking advantage of this moment when the mascot’s power had weakened, I, as an ’employee,’ could quickly resign and leave this theme park.

My consciousness that would remain in the ghost story, torn apart as a mascot… it was creepy, but I had to accept it.

As Brown said, if I had dumped all this on the employee, we both would have been torn apart by Magic Bunny.

‘…If that had happened, my already weakened ego probably wouldn’t have been able to endure it.’

Moreover, this Cheerful Theme Park exploration was specially organized by Director Ho at my request.

Even though everyone volunteered on their own, especially Jang Heo-un… no matter how I thought about it, it seemed like Director Ho had planted him.

So, if I had to bear something anyway, this way was better.

I took a breath.

And I made myself, who had dwelled in the Standard Mascot in the collapsed resort, escape….

‘Let’s have everyone resign first, then rebuild the resort.’

It would be easy if I poured in the Cheerful Coins I received from conquering the Red Zone.

Then the remaining employees would have a place to work, and we could escape quickly too.

There would be no problem.

That’s what I thought at that moment.

Good Child

The Blue Mascot beyond the gate stares at me intently.

Then it raises its hand toward the air… and points to the zone where it stands, the area that Magic Bunny had pioneered.

Hm?

Here

Good Child

Take

‘…?!’

W-wait a minute.

But things were already happening.

The color of the zone that Blue Dragon had ‘transferred’ began to change.

The blue hue of the walking path that had turned blue changed back to golden once more.

And the golden light that climbed up along half of the walking path began to conquer ‘Fantasy Land.’

‘My God.’

The areas corresponding to recreational facilities in Fantasy Land, places that made up almost a third of the entire area, were dyed in golden light.

And cat mascot decorations with flower branches on their heads began to appear here and there.

Good Child

Did it

No.

No!! I didn’t have even the slightest intention of expanding the Yellow Zone…!

‘I just wanted you to give me some money to rebuild the resort!’

I held back a scream while looking at the Blue Mascot’s face, which was somehow looking at me with expectation.

The Yellow Zone’s facilities are now five… no, seven!

‘This is driving me crazy.’

I can feel it.

The mascot’s consciousness was growing too large.

Wait, at this rate, I won’t be able to resign…!

‘The mascot is becoming too powerful!’

Incomparably more powerful things than when I just had one resort were flooding into my head, pushing out my ego as an employee and constantly trying to shift my perspective to the Standard Mascot. No!

‘If I resign now, can I, can I remain myself?’

That maddening moment when mascot joy would surge in even as I was about to be consumed by fear.

Light emerged through the security team uniform.

“…!”

I looked down.

Light was seeping out in the shape of letters near my wrist.

: :

The tattoo that served as inventory.

And that light separated from my skin and formed a shape.

That shape was….

‘Employment contract!’

The contents that had been crumpled up there began to come alive.

One who possesses innate, existential nobility.

The strikethrough that had been hanging there in rejection,

One who possesses innate, existential nobility.

Disappears.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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