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 cow 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.

B a d c h i l d

“…Huh?”

The researcher turned his head.

A blue dragon mascot held his wristband with one claw, crumpling it.

Y o u

Snap.

a r e a b a d c h i l d

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, Cow 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—

G o o d c h i l d

“……!”

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.

“……?”

G o o d k i d s g e t

a g i f t

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.

L e t ’ s p l a y

f o r e v e r

…Umm?