Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 352

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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 352

 

When I opened my eyes at Flower Golden Resort, the first thing I saw was a massive potion brewing machine.

 

The one I had stored in my inventory was nearly filling the storage room.

 

Trying not to touch the music box beside it, I opened the golden door of the packed storage room.

 

Behind me, I ‘felt’ the storage room ripple and transform back into a formless volume…

 

And then.

 

“Good day, Mascot.”

 

I saw the General Manager standing in front of the door, dressed in a neat suit with a monocle.

 

The Lodge Keeper.

 

The being whose employment contract I had inherited at ‘Horizon Mountain Lodge’ was no longer a lodge keeper but now working as my representative at this resort.

 

Still retaining the same arrogant feeling I’d encountered at the lodge, he spoke to me with a respectful attitude.

 

“Shall I report on Flower Golden Resort’s current profits and operational status?”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

I walked down the corridor to exit the resort, gradually changing my form.

 

When I turned the corner and emerged into the resort’s lobby, I had somehow transformed into a yellow feline mascot with flowering antlers on my head.

 

I’ll

 

Be Back

 

“You’re going to the Blue Dream Zone adjacent to your territory. I’ll escort you.”

 

It’s Fine

 

I warmly waved both hands to the Standard Mascots waving at me and the non-human guests who were coming out to visit the newly opened theme park and greeted me as well, then quickly moved away.

 

‘I mustn’t be tainted.’

 

The moment I arrived at the resort, a comfortable sense of omnipotence settled in my mind.

 

The feeling that this was my territory.

 

…This was the first time I had taken a non-human form since regaining human form at the Scale Tribunal.

 

But this appearance was right for properly conversing with the Blue Mascot.

 

‘Let’s be careful.’

 

I waddled my soft fur-covered body forward.

 

And beyond the resort gate.

 

As if sensing my return and waiting, a figure that had been pacing and looking this way jumped up and waved.

 

The Blue Dragon Character.

 

Good Kid!

 

The Blue Dream Mascot.

 

Perhaps because I was consciously keeping my distance, the Blue Mascot’s voice sounded like complete ‘mascot language’ as before.

 

I ran to the gate.

 

Welcome Back!

 

When I hugged the mascot, a sweet and cool ocean scent came from inside the giant, cutely deformed stuffed doll…

 

I Missed You

 

It was true.

 

The eeriness and unfamiliarity I used to feel when seeing mascots was still somewhere there, but joy came up first.

 

Maybe this is what getting used to something means.

 

I

 

Want To Ask

 

But today’s visit was because I had questions.

 

At my polite request that I had something to ask, the Blue Dragon Mascot nodded.

 

Sure

 

The Blue Dragon and I sat on a sparkling garden bench in the theme park zone between the water park and resort, what used to be Magic Bunny’s Red Zone.

 

Guests heading out to ride attractions during opening hours looked at us, finding us cute, or approached us.

 

I used Standard Mascots to give them small gifts like stickers and balloons to draw attention, and started our conversation.

 

I’m Curious

 

Sure

 

Looking at the Blue Mascot beating his chest as if to say ask anything, I quietly asked.

 

What Were

 

You Originally

 

The mascot’s movement stopped.

 

The Standard Blue Mascots who had been guiding guests also momentarily ceased moving.

 

In that place where only Cheerful Theme Park’s background music played, I opened my mouth again.

 

Before Being

 

A Mascot…

 

Stop It

 

The Blue Mascot’s costume head looked down at me.

 

Those giant doll eyes stared without reflection.

 

We Are

 

Mascots

 

…

 

But I had seen it.

 

Inside

 

There’s Something

 

I pointed at him.

 

At whatever was inside the costume.

 

I

 

Saw It

 

!

 

What lies within you.

 

After Cheerful Theme Park’s business hours ended, after the mascot costume lost its vitality, what remained inside it.

 

The ‘contents’.

 

Though I couldn’t look directly due to the advice ‘don’t look’, I knew from the shadows, black silhouettes, and sounds.

 

It was… the form of a melting dragon.

 

Long body, tail, whiskers, scales…

 

The identity I deduced from this deformed shape was…

 

‘…Could it be the Blue Dragon.’

 

And.

 

I s a w

 

s o m e t h i n g e l s e

 

Magic Bunny.

 

What was originally inside it is presumed to have been similar to a Western dragon form.

 

I remembered.

 

That bizarre statue that seemed to be trying to recreate its original form by weaving together collected body parts from customers.

 

Of course, Magic Bunny had already completely melted down into an amorphous mass of flesh.

 

As if it had lost all identity while being inside the costume.

 

‘…Perhaps, that’s also due to the costume’s influence.’

 

Magic Bunny wore a red rabbit costume, but the Blue Dream Mascot was a blue dragon.

 

If it was thanks to that, that this being could endure without completely collapsing?

 

Where exactly did these beings inside the costumes originate from.

 

I had one theory about that.

 

C a p t u r e d

 

f r o m e l s e w h e r e ?

 

Another ghost story.

 

Cheerful Theme Park was naturally a board game created by Joyful Research Institute.

 

-Since ghost stories are influenced by concepts and rules, we tried our best to make everything acceptable for children…

 

Entities from other ghost stories were processed into mascots by the Pleasant Research Institute, which processed ghost stories into less dangerous toys.

 

Then everything made sense.

 

…

 

Why

 

a m a s c o t ?

 

Blue Mascot’s horns droop down.

 

Its round body also droops pitifully, miserably on the bench…

 

My

 

p l a c e

 

i s g o n e

 

…!

 

C o u l d n ‘ t

 

p r o t e c t i t

 

…Something like bitter pain is conveyed.

 

Homesickness.

 

‘Ah…’

 

And there’s an image that reflexively comes to mind.

 

The form of this mascot sitting face to face with the Tattooist at Moonlight Tattoo Shop.

 

‘That Tattooist was… from Mermaid Graveyard.’

 

Deep sea.

 

Under the ocean…

 

I looked around.

 

The theme park that recreated a seaside.

 

The appearance of Blue Dream Water Park.

 

‘…’

 

That deep sea city contaminated by biological disaster had another name attached to it, though it was through hallucination.

 

‘Sparkling Dragon Palace.’

 

That itself proves it.

 

…It was the name of a place where dragons existed.

 

M e r m a i d P r i n c e s s

 

!

 

F r o m

 

t h e r e ?

 

Blue Mascot stopped like a still life painting.

 

And as if looking around, as if it shouldn’t be caught, it looked around the theme park…

 

It grabbed my hand.

 

Those words

 

are correct.

 

‘~!’

 

Though the agonizing pain no longer came, the overwhelming feeling was immense.

 

I… as a being occupying a similar role, very slowly digest that overwhelming feeling. And understand.

 

‘I was right.’

 

This Blue Mascot was an entity that existed in that mysterious undersea city. The place that was destroyed as biological disaster spread and became Mermaid Graveyard.

 

And that biological disaster was…

 

-Don’t worry. The function of that music box melody has already been thoroughly verified in an undersea city!

 

Instigated by Director Cheong.

 

For verification of the music box melody ‘Angel’s Sigh’ that caused disaster in Segwang Special City.

 

Probably… the state of darkness ‘developed and improved’ at Daydream Research Lab.

 

‘…’

 

I ‘moved’ the Standard Mascot to bring a piece of paper, then showed it to Blue Mascot.

 

Know?

 

Know

 

It knew exactly what kind of organization had created this Cheerful Theme Park and forced it to become a mascot.

 

…I could sense faint resentment, but the nuance was closer to resignation than hatred or resentment.

 

I know

 

Because there’s nowhere else to go anyway.

 

I felt faint sadness from within the mascot costume…

 

Then

 

This

 

Know?

 

I took the Blue Mascot’s hand.

 

…I could feel the massive being inside the costume holding back its thoughts to avoid giving me excessive influence.

 

I slowly moved my fist over that hand, forming letters.

 

Kwang-cheol

 

Like the mascot’s language, countless meanings were embedded and conveyed within it.

 

The image of Director Cheong, filled with my fear and wariness, representing something related to this theme park ghost story.

 

The Blue Mascot looked at me.

 

I could hear it.

 

I

 

Don’t know name

 

It didn’t know that being’s name.

 

But

 

Know

 

It knew that some separate being had been involved in this matter.

 

At that moment.

 

I received a strange image through the mascot’s hand that I was gripping tightly.

 

Low-quality videotape-like images, mascots spinning around mindlessly in front of darkened rides, chunks of flesh being injected into empty mascot costumes, the form of a massive creature being crushed, screams, the wavering music of the Cheerful Theme Park, someone’s hearty laughter…

 

The process of making mascots.

 

This time I endured that bomb of images amid the shock that felt like my eyeballs were being squeezed out. The information value that included even the pain the other party felt seemed to shake my brain like crazy…

 

But the laughter sounded familiar.

 

…It was exactly the sound I’d heard recorded on the panel on the rooftop of Segwang City Hall.

 

‘Director Cheong.’

 

I realized amid the shock that my deduction was correct…

 

‘The mascots were indeed dragons from different origins.’

 

They had extracted powerful entities that would be judged as ‘dragons’ by people in ghost stories and deliberately stuffed them into this theme park.

 

‘…As if mocking them?’

 

No, it was strange from the beginning.

 

‘Could I really consider this being before my eyes to be such an evil and dangerous ghost story?’

 

Maybe because I’d seen so many creepy ghosts and terrible entities in insane ghost stories, the Blue Mascot felt strange but not evil.

 

If anything, it felt closer to a spiritual being.

 

‘It goes against the original purpose of the Joyful Research Institute.’

 

The results didn’t match that research institute’s priorities.

 

That also seemed to mean Director Cheong had been involved in this process…

 

‘Did he deliberately… contaminate them with biological disasters to make them dangerous beings?’

 

What could be the reason?

 

‘Does he want to oppress dragons?’

 

The tendency was definitely established.

 

Once I returned, I decided to investigate various legends related to the imugi called Kwang-cheol in more detail.

 

It was also what I did best.

 

Remembering and applying the rules and principles of ghost stories well was the essence of the catharsis that clearing cases in Darkness Investigation Records provided.

 

Understanding Director Cheong’s behavioral principles might help with terminating the Segwang Special City disaster.

 

‘There’s no time.’

 

Now there were three days left until the blockade burst and hell arrived.

 

Let’s proceed quickly.

 

Thank you

 

Just as I was about to get up after saying thanks, …the moment I looked at the Blue Mascot, a sudden premonition flashed by.

 

‘Blue Dragon.’

 

Azure Dragon.

 

And due to the Segwang Special City incident, one Disaster Management Bureau team had even its name completely deleted, and that name was…

 

The Blue Dragon Team.

 

‘…’

 

Looking at the Blue Mascot, I opened my mouth.

 

Remember?

 

Blue clothes

 

The theme park’s garish colors reflected in the Blue Dragon Mascot’s black eyes.

 

Goblin fire

 

However…

 

Don’t know

 

The mascot answered.

 

Stopped knowing

 

…

 

I see

 

I simply hugged the mascot once.

 

The Mascot seemed a bit surprised, but waddled over and hugged me in a somewhat shy yet willing manner.

 

The laughter of Theme Park Visitors and formal tongue-clicking sounds could be heard.

 

[Phew, such coyness. At this level, it’ll look sickeningly sweet even through the camera.]

 

I wondered why it was so quiet…

 

But that cold-sweat-inducing sarcasm actually made my heart feel a bit lighter.

 

Good child

 

Be careful

 

And the Blue Mascot who finished the hug spoke seriously.

 

Here

 

Stay

 

Safe

 

…

 

Certainly.

 

If I stayed inside this Theme Park, I would probably be fine even if Segwang Special City’s disaster spread nationwide.

 

If I reestablished my identity as the Resort’s General Manager…

 

If I gave up living as a human, that is.

 

‘I could even bring all my other Acquaintances here to take refuge.’

 

I could just hire them all as Resort employees.

 

No, I should have hired them quickly before dying. Then they could have survived peacefully in this Resort while maintaining their sense of self as much as possible…

 

But I can’t do that.

 

Because I know people who would absolutely never accept that.

 

And I wanted to survive as a human.

 

…So I wanted to go back home.

 

Safe

 

Therefore, I just beat my chest confidently.

 

You

 

Safe?

 

Are you sure you won’t melt away like Magic Bunny?

 

I

 

Endure

 

A voice that sounded like making a resolution could be heard.

 

Good child

 

Same

 

Right.

 

We could be considered to be in similar situations.

 

In the sense that we both ended up in this situation thanks to Director Cheong.

 

However, the Blue Mascot seemed to want to say something to me until the very end.

 

My gift

 

Remember

 

Hmm. It seems to be referring to the Scale I received last time.

 

‘It seems like it was torn from its original form…’

 

…Thank you.

 

Thank you

 

Good child

 

I got up from the bench and left the Blue Mascot.

 

The Blue Dragon Mascot waving its Hand energetically had a cute feeling befitting a product of Theme Park Ghost Story, but now I could guess at the existence beneath that Mask.

 

Something suppressed and hidden.

 

So I too, inside the Costume Suit, made a bitter and complex expression.

 

An Emotion that couldn’t be expressed outside the Mask.

 

Returning to the Resort, I immediately prepared to go back.

 

But the General Manager approached me saying he had something to report.

 

“This is a regular report about my remaining employment Contract period.”

 

…

 

Wait a minute.

 

Considering that I was missing for 293 days, plus the time I spent rolling from Security Team to project team before that…

 

It should be roughly 600 days…!

 

-The employment Contract period you inherited is 1241 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 23 seconds by solar calendar.

 

Phew.

 

No, there’s still more than a year left.

 

Still

 

Left?

 

“That’s correct.”

 

With three days left on the Segwang Special City countdown, this reprieve feels more than generous—it feels sufficient.

 

“Shall I report again when the employment Contract period falls below 365 days by solar calendar?”

 

Yes

 

‘Hmm.’

 

Does he perhaps want to continue working at this Resort?

 

I thought I sensed some desire from this General Manager, but since I wasn’t in a situation to worry about that, I was about to leave the Resort without regret when…

 

“Would you like to hear any other reports?”

 

…

 

“What kind of report?”

 

I returned from Mascot to human form.

 

Fortunately, it was possible without much difficulty.

 

I felt a bit uncomfortable and cold, but even that sensation was forgotten at the General Manager’s words.

 

“This is a report regarding the resort pop-up store established in the leased underground space.”

 

…!

 

They’re talking about the space where the two Heo-uns are housed at Segwang Special City’s Ohu Station.

 

“Is there a problem?”

 

“It’s good news. In three days, there’s potential for improved profitability of that store due to reduced transmission fees.”

 

I got goosebumps.

 

It means the blockade of Segwang Special City will be lifted.

 

Once the blockade is lifted, the reception fees will change.

 

“…Is that the end of your report?”

 

“I have an additional opinion I’d like to present.”

 

The General Manager said.

 

“If you permit it, I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to actively purchase additional resort land using the pop-up store as a channel.”

 

…What?

 

“We could buy up all of that underground space and develop it into a complex resort centered around the monorail.”

 

I understood what he meant a beat too late.

 

He was saying we should devour all the Segwang Special City subway ghost stories and turn them into Flower Golden Resort branches!

 

This is insane.

 

If I expand the Cheerful Theme Park ghost story further, my condition would be….

 

“No. That’s fine. Please put it on hold for now.”

 

“…I will proceed as you’ve instructed.”

 

The General Manager withdrew.

 

[It might sound a bit presumptuous, but isn’t it a decent proposal, friend?]

 

No.

 

Phew, if I did something like that….

 

[All the people who fled underground would be able to enjoy your charming little resort to their heart’s content! Just like Noru advertised through dreams on the train.]

 

…!

 

[Of course, it’s up to your choice. Friend!]

 

….

 

‘In the worst-case scenario, maybe….’

 

….

 

….

 

“General Manager.”

 

I turned around.

 

“I’d like you to explain what method you have in mind.”

 

I didn’t leave the resort until close to midnight.

 

“Grape.”

 

“….”

 

“Where the hell have you been all day….”

 

Agent Choi stopped speaking when he saw my complexion.

 

I rubbed my face and smiled.

 

“I’m fine. …I went to do more research on the termination.”

 

“….”

 

“Agent… did you have a conversation with Ho Yu-won in the counseling room?”

 

“…You could say that.”

 

I knew he was hiding something.

 

…He probably knew too.

 

That I was hiding something.

 

Agent Choi put down the researchers’ ‘Potion Maker Repair Log’ he’d been reading and spoke again.

 

“Grape. About the termination method you’re trying to attempt…. Switching out the rooftop machine, that’s what it all comes down to, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

And I added firmly.

 

“And that attempt should be made by one person first. The more people there are, the more vectors for contamination there will be.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“Yes. I’m speaking from experience having been there directly. And….”

 

I met Agent Choi’s eyes.

 

“For the same reason, it would be most efficient for me to handle it quickly since I’ve been there before.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”

 

Agent Choi backed down.

 

I slowly held back a sigh.

 

“Then shall we prepare?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

D-2 until the day of disaster arrives.

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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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