Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
In any amusement park, if it is a place with quite a name, there are three types of attractions that they invest money to pull off.
One is a roller coaster, one is a carousel.
And finally, the high-end attraction that eats up the most money because they have to dump in a lot of special effects and animatronic dolls is precisely…….
‘Dark ride.’
An indoor riding amusement ride that tours inside a sophisticated and massive set introducing the theme of the theme park itself.
In Korea, things like the Adventures of Sinbad or Global Village were famous, weren’t they?
And in this ‘Pleasant Theme Park’ ghost story, that was precisely this attraction.
“Fantasy Train!”
The researcher spat saliva.
“They said everyone died on this! I’m not riding!! I’m not riding!”
Testimony #4 (Survivor: Park Ye-in)
-‘Fantasy Train’ riders, all 4 people went missing.
Afterward, stuffed dolls made by recycling the clothing and bones of the corresponding personnel were found in the souvenir shop. (Presumed dead)
It was indeed written that way.
And in the <Records of the Dark Exploration> I read, it was indeed an attraction that had caused numerous casualties, but….
That wasn’t all.
‘The fact that it caused numerous casualties means that the frequency of this attraction’s appearance is that high!’
Befitting a board game with random elements, the ‘Pleasant Theme Park’ ghost story changed its sector and mascot combinations every time one entered.
But this attraction called ‘Fantasy Train’ would have commonly appeared every single time.
Because… the theme was very clear.
“Look at the introductory text under the signboard.”
I pointed under the signboard of the <Fantasy Train>.
-Meet the residents and stories of each sector of Fantasyland! A pleasant train ride!
“It seems to be an attraction that introduces this theme park.”
It was also the most important element for escaping from this ghost story.
‘How is this theme park divided into sectors and colors?’
Let’s not forget. This was originally a board game.
What does choosing a faction in a game mean?
It meant choosing my special characteristics.
‘And dividing the teams by color means that benefits or disadvantages occur according to that color.’
So in this place, grasping that properly first was more important than anything else….
Which sector the color team one belonged to was in charge of.
What kind of unique characteristics it possessed.
———————=
Pleasant Theme Park User Guide (Applied up to Exploration Record No. 64)
4. Each sector of the theme park is colored according to its theme! The place where you first open your eyes is precisely the sector your team belongs to!
Respect the sector. The sector is more important than anything else Look at the color Do not offend the mascot’s feelings The mascot is everything in the sector
———————=
However, to convince the people who still didn’t know this, another logic was needed.
‘Work, my brain.’
For starters, Target No. 1 is… the highest superior, of course.
“Hmm. Everyone who rode it died, though?”
Assistant Manager Jin of Group A wearing the butterfly mask.
To capture this elite who was full of elitism… right.
Let’s flatter her.
“Isn’t that just a team of civilians?”
“Hmm?”
I deliberately used a tone of voice as if slightly puzzled.
“They are people who approached with the mind of riding an amusement ride without any vigilance under a state of knowing nothing. The probability of them properly responding to a supernatural situation is low.”
“So?”
“Comparing them to the Field Exploration Team, which professionally clears the Dark with a sense of purpose…. Hmm.”
I frowned slightly.
“It seems a bit harsh on the civilians.”
“…Ha.”
The Group A superior snorted.
“You speak so brazenly and well. …Well, that is true, though.”
“Is, is that true…!”
“Hey.”
The Group A superior tightly grabbed the researcher’s head.
“…!”
Her flashing nail sharply jabbed his temple.
“Do you think you have a right to speak?”
“…….”
“Do you want to die right here and become food waste that can’t even become a souvenir? Or do you want to ride that?”
The researcher fell silent again. He truly had a designated bully….
“Move.”
“…….”
The researcher, wearing a deathly expression, began to drag his feet and move.
Toward the direction of the Fantasy Train.
‘Killing two birds with one stone….’
It was successful.
Then is there only one last thing remaining?
The Group Y rookie, Jang Heo-un.
While following the ‘Fantasy Train’ signboard, I quietly slipped back, walked in step with the rookie employee, and tipped him off.
“Do not worry.”
“Yes…?”
“What I said just now was just to convince that person… actually, I’m going because I thought of another clever move.”
“A clever move… you say,”
“You could call it the insider’s know-how.”
I laughed softly.
“I actually worked part-time at a theme park before.”
“Ah!”
I’m sorry. It’s a lie….
But in an extreme situation that was unfriendly to cowards, wouldn’t it be fine as long as we reached survival no matter the method?
I’m telling you, you will also say, ‘Wow! Thank you for lying, colleague!’
“I, I see. If so….”
“Yes. It will be quite safe.”
Just think of it that way.
In any case, as we followed the signboard, the boarding entrance of the ‘Fantasy Train’ soon appeared.
It was a model station with a cool signboard decorated with sophisticated and realistic steam engine parts and brick decorations, but…,
“There is no one here.”
“…….”
Inside it, it was eerily empty.
No one was there.
-Haha, enjoy a wonderful train journey! Haha, enjoy a wonderful train journey! Haha, enjoy a wonderful train journey….
It felt strange as it crossed with the exciting amusement park music.
All that was visible was the train standing beyond the queue line.
And the rabbit mascot standing in front of it dressed as a conductor.
“It is a mascot again.”
“Is that the employee of this attraction?”
It was correct.
As we quickly passed through the empty queue line and approached, the empty-eyed conductor mascot reached out his gloved hand and stamped our bracelets.
[(Pleasant) Fantasyland Ticket ■□□]
So that was one.
Subsequently, we were guided to board a small train that looked like a colorful steam locomotive in a fairy tale.
And the mascot himself returned to his position and began to wave both hands.
Was it a feeling like ‘Have a pleasant ride!’?
Up to this point, nothing had happened, so the researcher and the Group Y rookie had somewhat relieved faces without realizing it.
Regrettably, I was going to do that something now.
‘A place where it could be… hmm. Is it only there?’
After checking all the surroundings, I eventually fixed my gaze on the mascot.
And I opened my mouth.
“Assistant Manager Jin.”
“What?”
“The place where that mascot in the employee role is standing. You see the platform, right?”
I pointed at a kind of model ticket office desk right in front of where the conductor rabbit was standing.
“Would it be possible with Assistant Manager Jin’s dedicated equipment to slightly turn that platform over here? Quietly, without damaging it.”
“Why?”
“There is something on the back.”
The Group A assistant manager stared at me with a somewhat strange expression, but soon pulled out her index fingernail.
Quickly and quietly.
Tick.
Kigigigik….
Thrown toward the retro teal platform, the fake nail caught on the corner turned the platform while making a subtle friction sound.
On the back side visible as it half-turned, the wooden finish commonly expected was not visible.
Instead, complex buttons and circuits were visible.
Attraction emergency control panel.
“…!”
Found it.
Control panel!
‘I definitely read it in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>.’
A scene describing that in these theme park rides, control devices were implemented just like in reality!
———————=
Immediately after boarding the basket-shaped attraction named ‘Tomato Express,’ confirmed that a label with the content <Please be crushed delightfully on the iron plate!> was attached to the basket.
Immediately search for the emergency stop button.
Succeeded in finding it at the attraction’s starting point. However, all attempts to press the button failed. (Executor: Supervisor Lee Ji-won, number of attempts: 6)
All dead.
———————=
Even though that side had failed.
‘This side can do it.’
I immediately flipped the coin and summoned the semi-transparent glove, tossed a 500-won coin, gestured, and merged it.
‘Five seconds is enough.’
My hand, floating in the air, approached the back of the half-revealed platform.
The target was… the lever.
MIN MAX
∥—————–∥
▲
“W-Wait a moment, Sol-eum. What on earth is that? That notation is….”
“Hold on tight.”
“Yes? Wh-What….”
“The train seat handles,”
My hand pulled the lever all the way.
“Hold onto them properly.”
MIN MAX
∥—————–∥
▲
At that moment.
The train shot forward at an insane speed.
Kiiiiiing!!
-Fantasy Train departing!
“Heup!”
“Wh-What is this?!”
I answered while desperately holding onto the train seat handle tightly.
“I pulled the speed lever! To maximum speed!”
“Why did you pull that, you crazy bastard!”
Because there was something I aimed for.
“If we run fast, they can’t do any nonsense to the train, can they!”
“……!”
It was literally skipping the event.
‘A dark ride is usually an amusement ride where the vehicle moves slowly while you view and experience the decorated interior.’
But what if we pass through there insanely fast?
‘Everything gets skipped!’
The interior decorations, the effects.
And even the danger to life resulting from them!
In the case of the <Records of the Dark Exploration> I had read, they had used it to slow down the speed on a roller coaster, but in any case, the important thing was the presence of a speed control device!
With a high probability, I knew it would work here too.
‘Great!’
It was successful!
Only… the next step was the problem.
I glanced outside.
Kiiiiiing!
Wind pressure was felt.
A speed no different from a roller coaster.
This was strictly a speed that must have been put in to be used only for safety check purposes.
…It meant it was a speed not considered for actual operation.
‘…If one gets scared and faints, they’ll probably be flung out of the train, right?’
Then it was a guaranteed death.
It could be called a side effect of the train running like a runaway train.
Though it was a fatal disadvantage to a coward like me….
‘There is a security measure!’
Feel like fainting?
Just don’t look!
[Passengers, you have visited the beautiful Fantasyland!]
The moment the narration came out, I shouted.
“I will close my eyes!”
“What?!”
I closed my eyes, playing crazy.
“I think that narration will be important, I will concentrate as much as possible!”
“…!”
“If it seems like we’re going to die, please tell me!”
“This guy is completely insane, isn’t he?! Haha, good!”
Just when the sound of the Group A assistant manager laughing ceased,
The narration whipped past my ears.
[How was this Fantasyland born?]
[A long, long time ago, 403930291928494 hours ago, Yellow Flowers, Blue Dragons, and Red Rabbits lived together in one land.]
[Precisely in this wonderful place!]
“Th-This strange flower, the flower is calling m….”
“Duck down!”
[But they were too different!]
[‘You are too loud!’]
[‘You are too dirty!’]
[‘You are too boring!’]
[In the end, they couldn’t acknowledge each other’s appearances and ended up fighting. This is my land!]
“Uaaack! Snake, snake monsters, a monster is crawling on the ground! Hieek! It’s trying to attach to the train… but it fell behind…….”
“Huuup.”
[The Yellow Flower said.]
[‘I hate you! Get out of here!’]
The attraction passed by in an instant.
As the train shot past like an arrow, the boarding time was speeded up as if fast-forwarding.
[The Blue Dragon said.]
[‘I hate you! You get out!’]
‘Is the fight also in the late stage….’
Now was the final content.
‘This was also described several times.’
Those mascots eventually wanted to live as each wanted.
So, they divided the sectors by their respective colors and lived peacefully in the way each wanted in Fantasyland….
[The Red Rabbit said.]
[Die.]
…….
What.
[The Red Rabbit decided to eliminate his friends by any means and methods. No, they are no longer friends. Enemies! Enemies! Enemies!]
[One by one, one by one, one by one! Falling into holes, falling into water, pushing off cliffs!]
[Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!]
Diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedi
The narration cut off.
And suddenly it came out again.
An unnaturally bright voice.
[The Red Rabbit won!]
The voice crackled.
[The only one ruling this land is the Red Rabbit, Magic Bunny.]
[Only Magic Bunny is the dream, the fantasy, and the rule, and only his ideology is worthy of enjoyment.]
Silence.
The fellow passengers, who had been making a fuss as if they had seen all sorts of terrible or scary things, were only making rough breathing sounds.
The panting sound of fear.
And.
…The train was slowing down.
I swallowed my saliva.
‘…It is the terminal.’
Because no matter how fast an amusement ride was, it slowly stopped when it ended.
[Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland]
The back of my neck was damp with cold sweat.
An ominous premonition encroached.
I eventually raised my head.
[The great Magic Bunny!]
The head of a giant rabbit mascot appeared straight ahead.
The bizarre rabbit’s crimson eyes spun, its mouth opened, and the creepy teeth densely growing inside lunged forward as if turning inside out.
[Become a member of the great Magic Bunny!]
A case I had never seen before.
[Die]
Dizzying sounds filled the air.
At every train window all around, red rabbits clung as if their doll masks were about to burst, holding down their heads and staring intently over here.
[Die]
I almost fainted.
“Heuuueup, heuuu…!!”
“D-D-Di….”
The snickering narration ran wild. As red lights flashed inside the train and panic-stricken mutterings swept from all directions, making my mind hazy.
A voice struck.
“Ah. I roughly get it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’s like a rookie initiation ritual, isn’t it? Killing the person next to you… quite typical.”
What are you talking about right now?
“You saw it just now too. The rabbit killed all his friends. Ah, you wouldn’t have seen it because you closed your eyes. Still, you grasped it roughly from the narration, right?”
It was the flat voice of the Group A employee.
When I turned my head, I saw the employee in the butterfly mask looking around at the rabbits at the windows as if this kind of thing was a daily occurrence.
“Then whom shall we kill?”
“What…”
“Shh.”
The eyes under the butterfly mask grew sinister.
A gaze measuring value.
“Hmm.”
Group Y.
Researcher.
Me.
Group Y.
Researcher.
Group Y.
Researcher.
Researcher.
Group Y….
“You.”
Pointed out.
The moment the Group Y rookie employee’s jaw turned pale blue.
The Group A assistant manager’s index finger turned.
“Grab that white coat bastard.”
The researcher.
“…!”
A death sentence.
“Now, now….”
Thump.
The Group Y rookie employee locked the researcher’s limbs with unnatural movements.
“Wh-What are you doing, wh… n-now, wait a moment.”
“Cover his mouth too. Ah, you keep your mouth shut too.”
“Uup!”
“Ah… will we have to personally kill one per person for this? Hey, top rookie.”
I reflexively stared at the opponent.
“You kill this one. Let me observe a bit.”
“Uup! Uuuup! Uupup!”
“Don’t use the dedicated equipment, do it directly… Ah, right. Earlier, that rabbit pushed the dragon off the cliff, didn’t he? You throw him directly out of the train. Let’s see if that also counts.”
Me?
“Hurry.”
I turned my head with a creaking sound to look at the window again, then hurriedly returned my head to its original position.
‘The mascot is crying tears of blood…!’
Look at those things stuck messily to the window.
I absolutely cannot open that train window. If I open it, I will sink to the floor and become a screaming machine.
Moreover, to lightly kill a person like eating cup ramen?
No, no. Setting that aside.
‘…This is the annihilation route!’
Having realized it now when an irregular popped out and the situation was too scary that my mind was hazy, it was certain.
‘We must not cater to that mascot’s whim here!’
This… if we step onto this path, we all die!
But how on earth do I convince her?
That employee was someone who would instantly cut my neck first if I said something like, ‘I have seen more than 70 exploration records from the future.’
‘So, so….’
Ah, I don’t care anymore!
“Wait a moment!”
“What?”
“This is a trap.”
Let’s bet on a bluff.
I started lying without even putting saliva on my lips!