Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work-Chapter 175

The morning of the third day since the opening of the Flower Golden Resort arrived.

One hour before the lobby doors opened at 9 a.m., the employees gathered in the lobby to listen to the mascot's briefing.

And once again, something outlandish happened today.

Over there.

The mascot pointed to the left window of the resort.

Beyond that window, part of the resort zone, which was still a ruin, was visible.

At that moment,

"Operating!"

And the moment the mascot declared it...

"...!!"

The ruins beyond the window began to reconstruct.

Shattered glass swirled and formed a hemispherical shape, with gold decorations sparkling in the gaps.

Then, the window was filled with vibrant golden flowers.

From above, steam emerged, and a glass passageway stretched out from the resort building, bursting through the window, creating a door that connected it.

Standard mascots rushed out and placed an elegant sign above it.

[Healing Golden Spa]

All the employees blinked, staring at the golden glass greenhouse.

At a glance, it seemed like a beautiful place right out of a fairy tale, but it wasn’t a place for people.

It was a place where, if an unsuspecting human entered to enjoy the spa without any information, they would end up with horrific endings like “■■ became missing,” or “bones of the limbs were removed, later found in a recycling bin.”

The oils used for it were like that.

The oils used in the spa were made from the finest ingredients... Sun Orange, grape, fig, apple juice from the Everlasting Farm, ■■-year-old blood of ■■, blood vessel juice from bipedal primates, etc., carefully selected.

...Kim Soleum recalled the example of the spa introduction and felt a dizzying sensation.

‘It’s perfect for death.’

So, after much contemplation, he implemented an emergency solution.

Automation!

At the Healing Golden Spa, all massages are provided by plants filled with expert-like consciousness, tailored specifically for each person.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

The massages in this place were all provided by strange greenhouse facilities automatically.

Kim Soleum put coins in to sever the dangerous connection between the staff and this hazardous place as much as possible...

Though the spa became even more bizarre in the process, there was no regret!

‘No more adding Napolitan-style work rules...’

The theme "Ensuring a private, quiet rest for precious guests" worked perfectly again.

By the way, the remaining coins were gathered and used to change the bed furniture to match the luxury bedding in the resort room.

Investment without considering profitability!

‘Please stay quietly in your rooms without coming out to the lobby or halls.’

It was purely for minimizing foot traffic and blocking variables.

In essence, it was a sealing mechanism for exorcism.

The mascot’s effort to prevent the work rules from reaching the 20th iteration was heartwarming...

The yellow mascot sighed as he finally assigned new tasks to the new employees.

First, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae, wearing the dolphin mask, was assigned to the spa reservation desk.

“Okay, got it!”

Next, the ferret employee was assigned as the cleaner in the spa waiting area.

“Yes, yes...”

The ferret employee, still dazed, kept nodding and lowered his head as he ran off.

And there was an employee watching this closely.

The ladybug mask.

He realized something on his own.

‘...The useless employees are being placed where they won’t interact directly with guests...!’

In a sense, he hit the nail on the head.

From Kim Soleum’s perspective, the more reliable employees were placed to deal with the ghost stories directly.

It was a utilitarian arrangement to increase the survival rate of all employees, but naturally, people judge others based on their own values and ways of thinking.

‘He’s selecting them!’

The ladybug employee clenched his hands.

If he keeps doing this, the useless employees will either be eliminated or transformed into standard mascots, right?

Either way, it’s a cold-sweat-inducing ending.

‘Damn it.’

He looked around at the competitors with dark eyes.

Since they were already employees, the "clear without being noticed" formula that would let them sneak through safely couldn’t apply anymore.

In that case, he would need to use another formula.

Get into the passable range.

Make sure the ghost story rates him as someone who can survive...!

The yellow mascot called in his team of employees and stamped their boarding tickets with the seal placed at the entrance of the spa.

Next to him, the rat employee seemed to be relaxing and even started grinning.

“If things keep going like this, we’ll be able to escape within four days?”

“......”

What a fool.

The ladybug employee anxiously thought.

Where do I stand in the order of room service?

‘I can’t be pushed aside before I get all three stamps.’

But no matter what an individual employee thought, the resort continued to operate.

Start of business.

The day began with new facilities.

That day’s business was successful.

However, starting the next day, the yellow mascot began to notice strange phenomena.

***

On the fourth day of operation.

Kim Soleum exchanged a bewildered glance with Jang Heowoon.

“......”

“Um, somehow, the guests seem a bit different today...”

That’s right.

Since the spa opened, strange phenomena had been occurring.

Until yesterday, the guests who came to the resort mostly looked like they were here to enjoy the theme park, or at least looked like they had enjoyed the theme park.

It made sense. After all, this was a theme park-affiliated resort.

But today... there seemed to be an increase in strange appearances.

"I heard it’s a place where I can rest quietly. Thank you for the gift. Please don't mind me. As long as there’s bathwater, I’m fine. Thank you."

The creature that just passed by was a bizarre slime-like entity with limbs attached.

It looked like something that would appear in a ghost story about getting stranded in a secluded forest.

They didn’t have wristbands or souvenirs, nothing indicating they were here for the theme park. Clearly, they didn’t look like they came for a theme park experience.

And today, such strange guests rushed toward the front desk and started reserving rooms.

A crowd that could almost be described as a rush!

‘...??’

Is this really working?

Somehow, a bad feeling settled in. The sales were good, but...

Next.

Anyway, Kim Soleum received the next guest.

And that guest...

Had a familiar face.

“One room, please. Including the spa. Hoo...”

A pale man in a uniform-like costume and a cap.

‘It’s the apocalypse taxi driver...!’

Kim Soleum broke into a cold sweat!

Why is that guy here in a theme park-like place? Was there any of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who’d be interested in a theme park?

‘This isn’t good.’

He needed to assess the situation.

Eventually, the yellow mascot spoke up.

“Hmm?”

This...

One more gift.

Kim Soleum hurriedly prepared a survey asking "How did you find us?" and handed it over.

The taxi driver scanned it with tired eyes and simply spoke.

“I heard a lot about it through recent reviews... I need rest for my job, you see. I can’t quit until it’s over. Haha…”

...??

Looking at the taxi driver as he took the deluxe room and headed to the 4th floor, the yellow mascot blinked.

‘Recent reviews...?'

Then it hit him.

The coupons that the blue mascot had been handing out.

Flower Golden Resort

Deluxe Room 1-day stay voucher

(Review required)

‘...!!’

No way.

The yellow mascot immediately called Lee Jaehun.

Had the reviews...

Been written?

“Yes.”

What in the world!

“An employee assigned as a guide handed out postcards.”

Kim Soleum called the standard mascots working on the task to verify the identity of the postcards.

‘Oh my god.’

...The postcards written by guests who had used the coupons were already piling up into dozens.

And there was one postcard from Assistant Manager Lee Jaehun.

The mattress is soft.

‘......’

It was a good review, but...

‘It seems these review postcards are spreading through some strange ghost story network as promotional material.’

...And this matched perfectly with the newly launched social distancing theme, creating an incredible synergy that seemed to draw in ghost stories from characters who would normally never visit a theme park....

An unexpected boom!

‘Aaaah.’

Kim Soleum could have screamed, wondering, ‘Why is business going so well?’ and suddenly reduced the number of rooms dramatically, and no one would have found it strange.

However, actions like kicking out incoming guests were not allowed by his identity as a mascot...

In the end, the yellow mascot drooped his horns in resignation.

‘...Let’s think of it as an opportunity to quickly meet the satisfied guest count.’

He recalled the conditions for the third facility expansion that he had written yesterday.

For resort facility expansion, the necessary conditions are:

3 employees300 satisfied guestsMascot ceremony ritual

The required guest count had increased exactly tenfold.

And now, he had to hold a suspicious event as well...

‘Well, at least I still only need three additional employees, so I should be glad about that.’

Anyway, seeing the influx of guests, it seemed he didn’t need to worry about reaching the guest count.

“Is something wrong?”

Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae asked as he looked at the yellow mascot, whose horns were drooping.

Of course, the mascot had no reason to get angry with the alien lizard who just wrote a good review as instructed...

No.

The yellow mascot patted the lizard’s back.

Good job.

“? Yes.”

It was like a sitcom.

However, there was someone watching this scene with anxious eyes, unable to laugh.

The ladybug-masked employee sitting at the room service call desk.

He was scanning the scene with bloodshot eyes.

‘Is he being recognized?’

What if that lizard assistant manager gets promoted?

He’d be left behind.

His chances of survival would decrease...!

‘No.’

He had to find a way.

The ladybug employee recalled his ‘secret weapon,’ but then clenched his teeth.

The lizard assistant manager was too difficult to deceive.

His special method of escaping ghost stories was already famous in the company. If he tried something foolish, his head might physically explode.

Similarly, the dolphin team leader was tough. They were the elite team.

In the end....

The only employee who was overvalued and vulnerable was one.

“......”

He looked around the front desk.

Jang Heowoon, the employee wearing the bison mask who had been promoted to manager, was working.

That night.

Knock knock knock.

A guest arrived at Jang Heowoon’s room.

“Excuse me, may I ask who you are...?”

“Oh, it’s me. Ladybug.”

“Ah!”

Jang Heowoon, who had been recalling various work rules, relaxed slightly, and the tension faded from his face.

Luckily, the ghost-like guest who mimicked voices checked out yesterday. He had personally handled the check-out.

‘Okay, good.’

Jang Heowoon opened the

«N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t»

door, and the ladybug employee, with a somewhat awkward expression, stepped inside the room.

“Hello, Mr. Bison. Sorry to bother you, but could I borrow something...?”

“Uh, excuse me.”

“Yes?”

Jang Heowoon blocked his path.

“Please don’t come in.”

“......!”

“It’s in the work rules.”

Even if a fellow employee visits, it’s better not to make exceptions. Once you realize they are not yourself, it’s already too late.

“......”

“I don’t intend to be rude. It’s just... I think it would be safer to stick to the rules.”

“Of course.”

The ladybug employee took a step back and chuckled.

“My water bottle is empty. Could you just lend me a bottle of water? I’ll leave immediately...”

“Ah...! Of course. I should have extra. Please wait a moment...”

Under the bison mask, Jang Heowoon’s complexion brightened slightly as he quickly retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge inside the room.

“......”

Taking advantage of the moment, the ladybug employee moved ever so slightly.

Just a little.

Flutter.

“......”

“Here you go.”

“Thank you!”

The ladybug took the water bottle from Jang Heowoon, who had returned to the front door, and smiled as he left.

Jang Heowoon bowed slightly toward him before closing the door.

“Phew.”

He was alone now.

Oddly, it felt scarier to be resting at night. Recalling the blood and intestines he had seen earlier during the day made him feel a tightness in his stomach.

‘But it’s worth it.’

This resort was truly a wonderful place, and the mascot was truly great, amazing, and magnificent.

It felt like life was finally returning to his daily routine after such a long time.

Jang Heowoon thought this as he looked around to do the final door lock-up...

But then.

‘Huh?’

Something had fallen on the floor by the entrance.

A flat yellow square.

‘A Post-it?’

It was the kind of Post-it used for documents.

It seemed like it had been dropped by either a standard mascot cleaning staff or the ladybug employee.

Since it was yellow, Jang Heowoon smiled absentmindedly.

‘This fits here.’

It was closer to yellow than gold, but still, Jang Heowoon picked up the paper.

The front side of the Post-it, which had fallen on the back, was now visible...