A woman covered in tattoos was seen reading a map placed at the entrance of the ticket booth.

Her attire and the language she spoke made it clear that she came from a completely different cultural background.

A visitor who appeared in a garden that had been devoid of guests for nearly hundreds of years.

The garden changed its composition into an unfamiliar form.

The newcomers had entirely different cultures and languages, but those were merely trivial differences.

They didn’t matter at all.

What mattered was the treatment of the "Objects."

The issue lay in how the arriving guests handled what they referred to as "Objects."

They were too lenient.

Their treatment was endlessly lenient.

They lacked an understanding of it.

"Hey, mannequin!"

The tattooed guest turned her head and called out to me.

"Yes, how can I assist you, ma'am?"

I erased my thoughts and replied in a polite voice.

In truth, what mattered more to me than the treatment of "Objects" was whether this woman would make it through the theme park or not.

Fireworks filled the sky.

A vast and desolate ticket booth.

A disturbingly smiling statue.

Not a single person could be seen anywhere in the vast and desolate ticket booth.

I asked the mannequin trailing behind me.

"There must be many people who entered besides me. Why don’t I see anyone? No matter how idiotic they are, there’s no way not a single one of them made it through, right?"

"Hmm, unfortunately, this theme park is temporarily open, so we’re responding separately to each guest. Please look forward to the fiery competition among the guests during the official opening."

So, I’ll have to make it through this theme park alone?

Shaking off a bit of disappointment, I looked up at the large map placed next to the smiling statue.

Smiling Carousel, Smiling Shuttle Bus Stop, Smiling Roller Coaster, Smiling Drop Tower, Smiling Viking, Smiling Ferris Wheel, Smiling Food Court, Smiling Maze, Smiling Haunted House...

The first place to check is the exit route.

The Smiling Shuttle Bus Stop.

I called out to the mannequin, who was staring at me as I examined the map.

"Hey, mannequin!"

"Yes, how can I assist you, ma'am?"

"You do provide directions, right? Let’s go to the shuttle bus first."

"Hmm, you won’t be able to use it even if you go now, but would you still like to visit?"

"Yes. It doesn’t matter, let’s go."

The mannequin seemed somewhat reluctant.

Is there something at the shuttle bus stop?

I followed behind the mannequin as it slowly walked towards the shuttle bus stop.

The shuttle bus stop was located in a rather isolated area, far from the theme park.

A shuttle bus stop this far from the ticket booth...?

"Is it okay for the shuttle bus stop to be this far away?"

"It’s because the park isn’t fully opened yet. It will be properly organized when it officially opens."

The place the mannequin led me to, calling it a bus stop, was a strange place.

Sticky black mud.

The stench of petroleum so strong it gave me a headache.

A building constructed in a style I had never seen before, with layers of marble stacked upon each other.

And a plain shuttle bus connected to the marble building.

The bus parked at the stop looked like an ordinary bus you’d see in Seoul, except it was connected to the building via a jet bridge, like an airplane.

The sky also changed entirely, just like the bizarre environment of the bus stop.

It was as if I was in a completely different space from the theme park.

The fireworks filling the sky were no longer visible here, and instead, something strange filled the sky.

Six moons.

Six brightly colored moons floated in the sky.

"Hmm, ma'am. Please come this way. I’ll explain how to use the shuttle bus."

As I stepped inside the marble building, what greeted me was a collection of heads.

Human heads hung on metal stands, like bowling balls!

'!'

And then, I saw some familiar heads.

The heads of that skinny guy and the fat guy.

I never thought they’d survive, but to confirm it like this...

"Oh, you seem surprised. These heads are the coins used in the Smiling Theme Park. One head equals one coin. That’s how it works."

The mannequin tapped one of the heads, causing it to change into a grotesque-looking coin.

"To use the shuttle bus for a fee, you’ll need 10 coins."

"So, if I take those 10 heads on display, I can ride the shuttle bus right now?"

"No, no. These are display coins. They’re assets of the theme park. Currently, the only coin you possess is your own head. But luckily, there’s an event going on now, so if you collect all the stamps, you can use the shuttle bus without needing any coins."

Coin 10 pieces.

Stamp 9 pieces.

It seems like the numbers don’t match, but does that really matter?

Om nom nom.

Lying comfortably on the dining table, I was picking and eating various things.

Even if I tried to sit on the chair, it was too low and uncomfortable.

Since there aren’t any other guests besides me in the theme park, shouldn’t the chair size at least be adjusted for me?

Anyway, it’s the theme park’s fault.

While I was enjoying my time at the food court, I sensed a change.

The number of mannequins was increasing.

It seemed like the mannequins were only sparsely placed where needed, except for the one assigned to follow me around, but now they were gathering around the building in droves.

"Ma’am, we have prepared a VIP facility in the food court just for you. Would you like to go and see it?"

Following the mannequin’s guidance, I entered a spacious area.

It was filled with things that were familiar to me.

TV. Ball pit. Bed. Snacks. Game console.

A space packed with all the things I love.

"How do you like it? This is the VIP room prepared by Smiling Theme Park. Moreover, using the kiosk here, you can order any food you want."

Somehow...

I sensed an intention to keep me tied here.

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

I’ll think about it when I get tired of it.

After all, the mannequins here seem pretty weak.

I ordered popcorn from the kiosk and turned on the TV.

A drama I hadn’t seen in quite some time greeted me.

Come to think of it, there’s TV even inside an Object?

I’m feeling down.

It’s already the fifth day since the Reaper disappeared.

Going to work, which used to be enjoyable, is now something I dread.

"Yerin, want to go grab something to eat?"

Shaking my head.

I’ve lost my appetite lately.

Whenever I’m languishing with no energy, Seoa Unnie suddenly appears.

And she’s been hovering around, writing something, but what is it?

Even when I ask, she just smiles and doesn’t show me.

As I was packing up to leave after work, I suddenly felt the Reaper’s presence.

Of course, it’s impossible to actually feel the Reaper’s presence.

It was obviously a mistake, but I still sprinted toward the place where I thought I sensed it.

The place I arrived at was the containment room for the "Theme Park Invitation Doll," where the Reaper disappeared.

The now enormous doll, nearing 7 meters in height, was curled up like a ball, letting out weak, gasping sounds.

Hmm, something feels off.

There was something protruding from the top of the round head like an antenna.

An antenna.

It was a huge antenna.

For some reason, I had the feeling that the Reaper was beyond that antenna.

Time is vague here, but has it been about three days?

It’s only been three days, but I’m already bored.

Even though this place is as comfortable as the containment room I used to stay in, why is this happening?

The firewood inside my chest gave me the answer.

Without people around, nothing is fun, no matter what I do.

Nothing is enjoyable, no matter what I eat.

It’s time to leave.

As I walked up and opened the VIP room door, there were a ton of mannequins.

"Ma’am, where do you think you’re going? The theme park is currently under preparation, so you cannot use it."

Following the mannequin’s gesture, I looked around, and noticed that except for the food court, the rest of the amusement park had disappeared.

Instead, the area was filled with mannequins, swarming like ants.

When I showed the stamp-filled paper, the mannequin gave a wry smile and said,

"Of course, you can’t get the stamps either. If you wait about a month, the park will officially open, so please wait until then."

The flames burning inside me read the mannequins’ hostility.

It was ambiguous, but now it’s certain.

The mannequins that guided me before were unclear about having free will or being hostile to humanity.

But these mannequins blocking my way had no free will and were clearly hostile to humanity.

I swung my hand, slicing off the head of the mannequin blocking my path.

Feeble mannequins like these can’t stop me.

The destruction condition for mannequins was to [decapitate them].

The body of the beheaded mannequin disintegrated into powder, leaving only the round head rolling around.

Then, the mannequins swarming outside the food court rushed at me all at once.

When it comes to numbers, I’m not outmatched.

Golden Reapers began popping up from beneath my feet in a triumphant stance.

But the Golden Reapers, instead of attacking the mannequins, prioritized clinging to my body.

Starting from my feet, they began to cling to me, gradually crawling up to my head.

I ended up encased in a cocoon of Golden Reapers.

You guys fought well before.

Why are you doing this now?

The situation changed when the mannequins attacked the Golden Reaper cocoon.

The Golden Reapers were knocked away by the mannequins’ punches, and they flew off, looking dejected, like baby birds that had lost their nest, crashing into the walls.

At that moment, all the Reapers suddenly lifted their heads and started glaring at the mannequins.

And then the massacre began.

The wave of Golden Reapers began shredding the mannequins to pieces.