Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 171

"New mascot?"

'What kind of insane nonsense is this?'

I immediately fell from the desk. But nothing changed.

Welcome to your new role as the mascot of Flower Golden Resort!

The phrase didn’t change.

And in the ruined management room of Flower Golden Resort... it was just me.

Wearing a suit that looked like a monster.

"......"

Did they decide that I, disguised as a monster, was now the mascot of the Cheerful Theme Park...?

It was an unsettling guess, but it had an awkward logic.

‘This place was never a place for humans to visit in the first place.’

No matter how much of a ghost story it was, there had to be some plausibility. It’s strange to make me the mascot, like I’m being singled out. There must be some reason...

Ah.

I recalled the actions I had taken the last time I entered the theme park.

It was me who activated the gate to the ruined yellow zone.

So, strictly speaking, I... had 'reopened' this resort.

‘......’

I’m losing my mind.

I swallowed.

‘So, I became the mascot? Me?’

I hastily checked my appearance, but the monstrous form still remained, a combat suit that gave me the same monstrous appearance.

‘Another clue.’

I looked back at the desk, where the card with the message had been placed.

Next to the card was an ink bottle.

And a classic feather pen inserted into it.

"......"

Did I write the congratulatory message with this pen?

I thought of the gimmicks from various ghost stories as I sat in front of the desk. Maybe if I wrote ‘I politely refuse’ on the document with that pen, I could escape the situation.

But the moment I held the pen...

‘...?!’

...My hand moved on its own, writing the words.

Things needed to start the resort's operation:

Three employees.

What the hell.

My hand continued scribbling the sentences.

The next part read:

The employment contract is likely in the drawer of the desk.

And it seems there are guests outside. If any of them are suitable candidates, how about politely scouting them?

It was insane. But...

...‘Guests outside’?

At that moment.

"Where... is this?"

"This... This isn’t a resort, right?"

I heard voices from outside the door.

My spine chilled as I stared at the closed door.

The employees from Hundred Dreams Corporation who had drawn the ‘yellow piece’ with me had fallen here too…!

‘Damn it.’

I immediately got up and opened the door.

Crash.

As the door opened, the employees froze, staring at me in shock the moment our eyes met.

"Hah...!"

"Ugh."

They didn’t scream, probably due to their experience with darkness exploration.

Two employees moved cautiously, sending anxious and fearful glances from behind their masks, inching toward the wall and looking up at me.

At least Jang Heo-un’s face had turned pale, but he didn’t stick himself to the wall. Maybe he had heard from Director Ho.

Anyway, my head felt heavy.

Inside the theme park, I couldn’t stray too far from these people.

‘...The last time, the people who drew the same piece were sent nearby.’

If we moved too far away, a string would appear and loop around our necks, choking us.

‘We have to stick together for now.’

And the escape method was clear.

"Please, get on the three fantasy attractions with your team and collect the prizes!"

We only had to board three attractions and get stamps from the mascot.

The problem was that the mascot seemed to be me.

"Excuse me."

Jang Heo-un spoke to me.

"It seems like there aren’t any attractions to board here… What do you think about moving to another zone to ride some rides?"

I turned to look at Jang Heo-un.

"Hick!"

I heard the sound of other employees swallowing nervously.

‘They’re agreeing, but...!’

When I nodded slowly, Jang Heo-un also nodded, his pale face still showing signs of anxiety.

"Then, let’s move..."

Phew.

We stepped outside.

Where we had been was a corner of the lobby, next to the largest building.

We walked through the desolate resort ruins and headed for the outdoor gate.

I led the way. Toward the gate I had escaped through last time.

"Uh, you... know the way?"

"Shut up."

The gate I had exited last time... Thankfully, it was still operational. The lights flickered, and the condition wasn’t great, but some light was still coming through the gate.

...Just as I had left it on.

[◎Welcome◎]

And entering the resort to go to the theme park was possible with a ticket for three attractions...

But.

"......"

I stopped in front of the gate.

‘I can’t get out...!’

The mascot of the theme park cannot leave its designated area.

Cold sweat dripped down my back.

An immense pressure weighed down on my limbs.

I couldn’t interfere with other zones. That was a terrible violation that would threaten my very existence. No. I couldn’t...

My strange identity, already defined as a mascot, was choking me.

‘But if I don’t leave now, how can I ride the attractions or anything!’

This damn Golden Resort doesn’t even have any attractions.

It’s a ruin!

I looked at the gate that led to the Blue Dream Waterpark.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

‘...Even if I die and become a corpse, this doesn’t seem possible.’

Of course, imagining my body being dragged around like luggage, riding the attractions in the blue zone with them made my skin crawl.

But this wasn’t about whether I could accept such a miserable death or not.

‘I’m not even sure if I could bring a dead mascot to another zone.’

I wasn’t even sure what would happen if the mascot died in this zone.

Even to those people.

‘......’

Then.

I turned to face the employees.

"Hick!"

The mouse-mask employee was silenced by the ladybug-mask employee.

I politely ignored the scene and blocked the path in front of the gate.

"Uh...?"

And I pointed a finger in one direction.

Back to the room where we had originally regained consciousness.

"Are... Are we not supposed to leave? Should we go back?"

I nodded.

"Then, if we go back, is there another way?"

I nodded.

"...!"

The employees' faces turned pale.

"Si, shoudn’t we...?"

"Hahaha, so, we just follow you, right? Like that?"

The ladybug employee covered the mouse employee’s mouth and hesitantly backed away as they looked at me.

‘Damn.’

At least I’m glad they’re listening.

I suppressed a sigh and returned to the building where we had regained consciousness.

I opened the office door where I had exited earlier.

"Ah...!"

I stopped Jang Heo-un from following and pointed to the worn-out door plaque.

[Administrator's Zone]

Violation of the rules.

No matter how much I think about it, it shouldn’t be entered recklessly.

Thud.

I slammed the door shut and entered, closing my eyes tightly.

Ah....

‘This is crazy.’

...I thought that if I took off this suit and was judged human again, I might be stripped of my mascot status.

But, on the other hand, the terrifying end of being modified into a ghost story to fit the mascot criteria was also incredibly persuasive.

No, this was probably the more conventional ending in a ghost story.

‘Hah.’

In the end... based on the hints I had now.

The only way for the group that drew the yellow piece to escape the Cheerful Theme Park was one.

‘...Activate this resort and make three attractions accessible.’

And what I needed was....

I went back to the desk and looked at the document card placed there.

Things needed to start the resort’s operation:

Three employees.

"......"

I opened the desk drawer.

Inside was the employment contract as written on the document.

Employment Contract

I accept with joy and gratitude my role at Flower Golden Resort, and I swear to devote myself to the cheerful and happy operation of the theme park.

Employer:

Employee:

It was a creepy document, like one for an illegal test subject.

‘No way, this can’t be right.’

I immediately grabbed the pen and fixed the contract.

Employment Contract

I accept with joy and gratitude my role at Flower Golden Resort, and I swear to devote myself to the cheerful and happy operation of the theme park.

The employee may leave at any time, safely returning home, and refuse any actions that threaten their safety.

Employer:

Employee:

I erased as much of the ambiguous parts as I could.

‘You can’t just overwrite it.’

The pen rejected me. Barely succeeding in crossing out the lines, I hastily wrote additional instructions in small handwriting in the blank space.

Then, with the completed contract, the original document card, and the feather pen, I headed out the door again.

Click.

The employees, gathered in the hallway, looked at me with tense, wary eyes.

Among them, Jang Heo-un stood a bit apart, quietly.

‘Phew.’

I handed them the employment contract I had written.

"What is this...?"

"......"

"…!!"

The employees froze, staring at the contract with trembling eyes, as if confirming something horrifying.

Because it told them they had to get a job at the theme park.

"Y-you want us to sign this...?"

"Ah...."

Of course, signing an employment contract in a ghost story usually leads to a horrifying disappearance more than half the time.

The glances of those who knew that truth changed.

The eyes of experienced people, looking for an escape.

"Um... I already have a job, so suddenly signing this is difficult. Can I think about it for a moment?"

"Me too, please...!"

They would try to find a way to escape or prepare equipment to suppress me if I let them take their time.

‘If they’ve been in the field exploration team long enough, they’ll surely have a lifeline they’ve hidden.’

So, I couldn’t afford to wait.

‘I have no choice.’

I silently stared at the one who had spoken first.

"Uh...?"

Then I held my breath.

"...!"

The black smoke around my suit grew denser, swirling as I breathed, and it weighed heavily around the employees’ feet and waist.

If I didn’t sign, things would happen.

The sensation of it hit my senses strongly.

It felt like I would die right now if I delayed.

I lowered my gaze and looked at the mouse-mask employee.

Close.

The employee, completely enveloped in black smoke and the dim glow of yellow lantern light, trembled.

"Sniff... sniff..."

Eventually, the mouse employee, tears flowing, reached out with trembling hands and signed in the "Employee" section on the paper I offered.

‘Please, don’t write your real name.’

I had planned to stop them if they tried to write their real name and guide them to use a nickname, but fortunately, "Mouse" was written.

‘Phew.’

I inhaled deeply, pushing the black smoke away.

"Ah…!"

The mouse employee sat down and leaned against the wall, bowing to me.

The ladybug-mask employee, who had been watching all of this with a sideways glance, took the opportunity to quietly retreat and...

"Ugh!"

They shoved Jang Heo-un aside and bolted down the hallway, trying to run away.

But.

"Ugh!!"

The ladybug employee collapsed as the thread tightened around their neck.

‘They were trying to escape the yellow team.’

The yellow thread strangled their neck....

So, I was still considered part of the yellow team. The rules of entry from the board game applied here.

I sighed and approached the employee.

Fortunately, instead of running further, they kneeled in the hallway and sat down.

"I-I’m sorry. I thought I saw something... and I was trying to chase down any intruders, haha..."

I silently extended the employment contract again.

"......"

The ladybug employee swallowed, eventually closing their eyes tightly and signing the paper.

Ladybug. Good.

And finally....

"......"

Jang Heo-un glanced up at my face for a moment, then quickly bowed his head and signed the paper.

‘Thank you.’

With that, I got signatures on three employment contracts.

‘Finally...’

It was time for me to sign as the employer.

I chose the most fitting alias.

Employer: GOLDEN

At that moment.

Flame.

The employment contracts burned and turned to ash.

And it stuck to the foreheads of the three employees.

"Ah...!"

Now, the foreheads of the Hundred Dreams Corporation employees were marked with a flamboyant, cursive version of the letter ‘G,’ resembling the alphabet.

"......"

I looked at the first document I had taken from the room.

When I lifted the pen again, the words began to appear on the document.

Things needed to start the resort’s operation:

Three employees—completed.

The surroundings started to vibrate.

"...!!"

The dilapidated ruins we had been in crumbled, and something new emerged.

Shining golden light.

Luxurious wood and gold decorations surrounded the bright and beautiful hallway, wrapping around the area with magnificent chandeliers swaying from the ceiling, and at the end of the corridor, a massive and enchanting lobby appeared.

A space that looked like something out of a comic, with golden stairs, magenta velvet, and sparkling yellow crystal sculptures blooming like flowers.

And....

[Flower Golden Resort]

The elegant script on the sign of Flower Golden Resort revealed the enchanting resort of the Cheerful Theme Park.

"...!"

Unfortunately, the guests were not suitable candidates. However, I took pity on the fragile lesser beings and hired them.

Although they lacked the skills to work as regular employees at Flower Golden Resort, I expected them to work diligently.

The pen moved on its own.

The document updated on its own.

■■Due to the lack of these, I have decided to temporarily open the lobby and basic accommodations.

I hope many guests will find comfort here.

And.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

And, for the guests seeking rest, I decided to show a friendly and cheerful appearance, fitting for a theme park.

As soon as that sentence was recorded.

My appearance began to change.

"...!!"

Something warm, soft, and stifling began to wrap around my suit.

With soft fur, it naturally enveloped my body like skin and formed a thick shape.

"......"

Before I knew it, I saw my reflection in the clean, sparkling hallway glass.

The mascot was there.

"...!"

A creature with branch-like horns... now resembling something deformed, almost like a child’s toy, from the cat family.

The new costume of the Cheerful Theme Park mascot.

But I wasn’t the only one changing.

"Ahh!"

The employees’ bodies twisted and changed as well, taking on the form of the mascot’s regular version. Wait...!

I gritted my teeth, and with my clumsy, mascot-like hands, I grabbed the pen and scrawled on the paper.

But the regular employees seemed to fit the uniforms better than the mascot, matching the resort’s luxury better.

"Hah!"

The transformation stopped.

Instead, the employees’ suits transformed into elegant uniforms with golden bow ties.

I withdrew my damp hands, covered in cold sweat.

As long as I didn’t go against the resort’s operations, I seemed to be able to sign it.

And I... I would be fine. My flesh didn’t transform into the mascot, it was just a suit that I had put on.

...Probably.

‘Phew.’

I took a deep breath and waddled toward the lobby.

Horrifyingly, there were already mascots resembling me waiting there.

"...!"

Bellboys, cleaners, security, guides—all kinds of employees in various uniforms were standing there.

No... it was me standing there.

I, as the mascot, managed the resort.

I could do anything, and I could become anything. As long as it was for resort operations.

...Just as it was written.

I knew exactly what I was doing. If I wanted to.

‘It’s making me sick.’

I felt queasy. This didn’t feel like human senses anymore.

But I had to keep going. After all, this was the only way now.

I approached the largest front desk in the lobby. Trying not to make eye contact with the mascot standing at the desk, I scanned the counter.

There was a golden stamp.

‘...!’

It clearly looked like a stamp for confirming the use of attractions.

It seemed that the resort used its facilities to mark stamps.

"Excuse me, this...?"

I hurriedly grabbed the stamp and tried to stamp it on someone’s wristband, but a strong resistance stopped my hand.

‘No!’

I couldn’t just stamp it for a customer who hadn’t experienced the attractions yet! Doing so would violate the operational rules!

I took a deep breath.

Then I presented the accommodation list to them.

"...!"

The employees, already confused by the situation that was deviating too far from the manual, eventually wrote down the nickname on the accommodation list after seeing the stamp.

"I’m... fine!"

Except for the ladybug employee.

"......"

I stamped the accommodation list and gave the stamp to Jang Heo-un and the mouse employee.

[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Boarding Pass ■□□]

[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Boarding Pass ■□□]

"Ah...!"

"It’s real."

The atmosphere lightened a bit.

The ladybug employee glanced at me, somewhat regretfully, but didn’t speak.

‘Let’s create an atmosphere where they’ll voluntarily do it later.’

Right now, if they had the chance to escape or suppress me temporarily, I felt like they’d do it immediately, so continuing this would be dangerous.

I wasn’t actually part of the security team, and I didn’t have any unknown transcendent powers.

‘If I’m not careful, this will fall apart and I’ll die.’

I had to somehow manage to hold this group together.

And, you know...

‘What if staying for three nights lets me leave?’

Since they mentioned three attractions, maybe if I change rooms and stay in different ones, I could figure something out.

I lifted the pen, wondering if I could find a hint.

I would have to assign the accommodation to the employees.

But since they came as guests today, I should let them stay in a nice suite using the boarding passes.

Right.

And the grand opening starts after sunset.

...What?

I was looking forward to it.

I stared blankly at the pen.

‘...That’s right.’

The resort reopening means receiving guests.

And the guests of this theme park were originally....

‘Not human.’

That meant....

When the sun sets, non-human entities would flood in.

‘...!’

I had to leave before that happens.

‘Expansion!’

I had to quickly increase the attractions. I needed to open more areas of the resort and find new attractions!

As a new page appeared in the document, writing filled the screen.

Things needed for the resort’s expansion:

Three employees.

Damn!!

‘Where am I going to find three more?’

Those in other areas would be done with the Blue Dream Waterpark and escape.

They wouldn’t have any reason to come over

«N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t»

here!

I anxiously chewed my tongue.

...If I start the operation like this, I won’t know what the guests will do.

‘That, in itself, is a ghost story.’

At that moment.

My pen moved again.

Then, let’s establish the resort’s rules for the official opening.

"...!"

As the mascot of this place, I had to decide what kind of place Flower Golden Resort should be, with full sincerity.

Just as the red mascot seeks endless stimulation and slaughter.

And the blue mascot values goodness and honor.

My mascot philosophy.

‘In that case.’

I immediately scribbled down.

Flower Golden Resort Rules:

Our resort is a dream destination for guests with courtesy and dignity.

So!

Please make sure to follow the proper manners and etiquette for staying at the resort.

No rude guests allowed.