Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel (End Part 1) - Chapter 183

The Tiger Sword.

In the past, it was a rumored sword crafted with rituals during the In year, In month, In day, and In hour – matching the pure yang of the tiger – to ward off spirits.

The particular sword now held by the leader of the Hyunmu Team 3 of the Disaster Management Bureau was made specifically for ritual purposes, with no sharpened blade.

However, precisely because of this, it exerted an immensely powerful force in supernatural disasters.

“Hmph.”

Naturally, it couldn’t be used in all supernatural disasters.

Nor could it be wielded by just anyone.

• A situation where something evil and wicked, in the form of a calamity or ghost, directly invades.

Only when this condition was met as closely as possible would its proper power be unleashed.

However, in supernatural disasters, people usually entered or became entangled in the domain of the anomaly.

Conversely, situations where the opponent ‘invaded’ were rare, and it was also uncommon for something to be definitively judged as completely wicked.

However.

‘Perfect.’

The team leader’s hand trembled with something akin to a thrill.

Because the target had invaded the area where he himself worked as an employee.

And, because it had even shed the disguise of a friendly theme park mascot!

All the conditions fit together like a puzzle, to the point of feeling exhilarating.

“Ha!”

And so, the pure yang energy of the sword, surging with half a sword art, became a thunderbolt, striking the wicked and evil entity with immense power.

Beyond powerful.

Completely!

Aaah!

“Agh!!”

An enormous thunderclap and vibration, powerful enough to shake even the distant shelter, reverberated through the ground, spreading in waves.

Dust from the earth and the ruins of buildings momentarily obscured the dark vision, then…

“…!!”

Amidst the collapsing and burning wreckage of the resort building, the horribly crushed corpse of the giant Magic Bunny parade float briefly appeared, casting a shadow in the flickering flames.

And the next moment.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!!!

Even the remaining wreckage of the resort collapsed, and whatever was inside the red mascot was buried deep beneath the ground along with the building.

Completely.

“……”

“……”

“I-is it over?”

The leader of Hyunmu Team 3 opened the shelter door and lightly jumped inside.

“Agh! Team Leader!”

“Quiet.”

The team leader sighed, brushed off his clothes, looked at the sword for a moment as if concentrating, then nodded.

“…The wicked thing is no longer here.”

“Phew!”

The agent sighed in relief and sat down.

The employees, who had already guessed the identities of the Disaster Management Bureau agents from their appearance and speech but hadn’t dared to cause conflict given the situation, also instantly felt relieved.

“Is this what the Mascot asked for?”

The team leader lightly nodded.

The employees murmured in admiration. The Mascot had a plan all along!

Yes. So while it was using the entire resort building as a trap to catch the mad Magic Bunny, a suitable employee could attack…

…Wait.

“Th-then what about the Mascot…?”

It was buried in the building, hit by the lightning along with it.

Silence.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the team leader, but she slightly shook her head.

“I haven’t heard anything about that.”

“……!!”

Wait.

“C-couldn’t we talk to it if even one yellow mascot remained? It seemed like it could switch bodies…”

“They were all still in the resort!”

Besides, they had already seen from the shelter the mad Magic Bunny chasing and parading, trying to tear apart even the last yellow mascot!

“Then… is the yellow mascot also… dead?”

“…!”

At the agent’s conjecture, several employees fell into a panic.

Field Mouse grabbed the collar of the employee who had once been Ladybug.

“Y-you, you don’t know anything? Do you?!”

“Contact with the Mascot is currently cut off! Let’s wait until the theme park opens for business!”

“Aaaah!”

“W-wait a minute. If the Mascot isn’t here… who will stamp our permits?? We need a stamp to leave! Who’s going to certify that we used this shelter?!”

“Calm down! We can just go to the blue zone in the morning and get one!”

“That works for you! I have to pick up a yellow horse and drag even the mascot’s corpse! I can’t leave this zone!”

The stronger the mascot became, the more freely one could move within the zone, but restrictions were still restrictions.

To clear the board game without being hanged, they absolutely had to stick together!

…Dragging a dead mascot?

It was then that Field Mouse’s face, the only one alive among the yellow horse team, turned pale.

Tap-tap.

“……?”

A polite knock was heard.

Turning his head, Section Chief Lizard was tapping the floor.

“You may come out now.”

At that moment.

Thump.

The floor made a strange noise and burst open, and a person sprang out from within!

“Aaaah!”

“Agh!”

It was, it was…

“S-security team!”

A figure wearing a strange mask, with black smoke emanating from its entire body.

Numerous strange horns, eyes like yellow lanterns, and a light source at its waist.

A security team employee, whose strangeness seemed bound in a human form by a belt.

The true body that had been inside the yellow mascot suit.

“…!!”

Having faced it in its cute mascot form, they had forgotten the raw, anomalous appearance that now sent warning signals, momentarily chilling the spines of the Daydream employees.

But at the same time, they realized the reality.

It’s alive!

“Aha! I guess you thought Magic Bunny wouldn’t find you as easily if you weren’t in mascot form!”

“Ah…!”

Yes. The yellow mascot had shed its mascot suit like the Magic Bunny after business hours.

And while the yellow mascots lured the Magic Bunny in the resort, its true body quietly hid beneath the shelter, perfectly alive. Which meant…

It was fine!

“I-is the yellow zone safe now? Hick!”

The yellow mascot’s true body, which had quietly looked back at the weasel mask, nodded.

“Ah…!!”

At that moment, the shelter filled with a sense of relief.

We survived!

They had safely survived the Magic Bunny’s attack!

“Aaaah!”

And the team leader of the Disaster Management Bureau silently watched them.

‘Hmm.’

Her eyes quickly scanned the yellow anomaly.

At any rate, that must be the true identity that was hidden inside the cute yellow mascot costume.

‘Did Daydream truly learn how to capture and command supernatural disasters?’

The Disaster Management Bureau seemed very obsessed with cooperating with Dokkaebi and trying to figure out how, so perhaps they had developed their own method.

‘…That also seems to have some kind of restriction on its form.’

It looked formidable, but not everything powerful was evil.

She realized that this being had a certain goodwill towards the human employees and tried to protect them.

‘Hmm. But… did it not consider the repercussions if it failed?’

What if the Magic Bunny had first noticed the yellow mascot’s true body hiding in the shelter?

It would have surely attacked the entire shelter, and all the employees would have died.

‘Well… if it came to that, perhaps dying cleanly would have been a better outcome.’

The team leader felt a strange sense of incongruity but moved on.

At least, this imposing supernatural phenomenon seemed to possess goodwill enough to be ambiguous about being judged a disaster.

“Oh, so Section Chief Lizard heard the situation from the Mascot! That’s why you knocked to let us know, right?”

“No.”

“Huh? Then how did you know?”

“I heard sounds.”

“Aha.”

The atmosphere was quite friendly.

And the team leader realized that, despite the mascot’s true body looking formidable, its movements were strangely lacking power, and no strange spiritual energy made her skin tingle.

When it was the yellow mascot, its oppressive presence had been almost chilling.

…It seemed to have been critically attacked by the Magic Bunny, and as the resort itself, the mascot’s source, was destroyed, it had weakened.

‘…Was all its power drained?’

The team leader conveniently misunderstood the costume!

At any rate, amidst all that, the yellow mascot did take some action.

“Uh, Mascot…?”

The special security team entity stood docilely and lifted something, placing it near where its ear would have been on its mask.

It was…

‘A phone receiver…?’

It was a classic-looking phone receiver with a torn cord.

And it stood still for a while. Only occasionally nodding or shaking its head.

Of course, no sound came from the disconnected receiver…

“……”

“……”

What on earth was it listening to?

In the silence, the employees felt a strange eeriness, but for now, they continued to ride the hopeful atmosphere.

“Th-then we just have to endure here until morning and then leave! Anyway, we used the facility, and if the mascot is here, we can get our permits stamped…!”

“……”

“R-right…?”

The mascot quietly looked at Field Mouse, then…

It shook its head.

“…!”

“You mean… we can’t leave?”

It was then.

The black smoke hovering around the mascot drew patterns in the air.

The hazy darkness took shape in the yellow lantern light.

Words.

You can leave

“Ah…!”

Before that

Finish up

“Huh?”

Red zone

Occupation

“…?!”

Thus, in the middle of the night.

The employees of the yellow zone carefully exited the shelter together, following the anomaly that had been the yellow mascot.

Even the shelter itself was already swaying, perhaps due to the yellow zone’s decline.

“Well, since it’s come to this, let’s go together.”

“Team Leader…”

Agent Go Myeong wiped away tears, saying she had been calling her superior all day long.

Some employees were ready to vehemently refuse to follow, but because someone from their same team followed, they reluctantly left the shelter.

Those who picked the same colored horse would be hanged if they strayed too far.

And they had no confidence in overcoming Section Chief Lizard or Chief Dolphin of the elite team to make them stay.

Furthermore, the most active among those who would vehemently refuse… had already been reborn with the identity of ‘Flower Golden Resort employee’.

“I received orders to cooperate with the employees’ actions and work!”

And so, everyone began to move, following the special department entity in a security team uniform.

Their first destination…

The gate, already dark.

• Are you going to infiltrate the red zone by crossing the blue zone?

As the former yellow mascot affirmed that question.

“Hmph.”

Holding their breaths, the employees quickly crossed the gate. And then…

They met eyes with the blue mascot.

“…Hmph!”

It was carelessly placed at the gate, still wearing its mascot suit.

But it lacked the vibrancy of business hours.

The rigid mascot suit clearly showed that someone was inside, manipulating it.

The strange anomaly that had been the yellow mascot approached it.

And communicated with smoke again.

To the red zone

The one in the blue mascot suit quietly stood up.

And began to walk as if guiding them.

“……”

“……”

Had they already agreed in advance?

The employees swallowed, silently following the two anomalies.

The blue mascot crossed the water park, now closed for business.

Splash-splish.

A watery sound accompanied each step.

In the middle of the night, walking by dark water, relying only on the yellow lantern light emanating from the anomaly’s body.

An eerie atmosphere, making them forget this was a theme park, permeated the air… Tension arose along several people’s spines.

Then.

“Excuse me, Blue Mascot. Isn’t it stuffy to keep wearing that mascot suit?”

Aaaah!

“They said you can’t cross into other zones in mascot form. If you’re coming with us, you should take off the suit, right?”

At Lee Seonghae’s unreserved remark, several employees and even one agent gasped in horror.

But the blue mascot was silent.

…It simply stared at the questioner, then continued walking without a word.

Chief Lee Seonghae tilted his head but soon shrugged and followed its footsteps.

Soon they stood before a giant wall.

The wall separating Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland and Bluedream Water Park.

The wall looked thicker and more ornate, as if it had been reinforced once more.

Lizard asked.

“Shall we break through and enter?”

The one who had been the yellow mascot nodded. But it raised a hand.

Wait.

As if to tell them to wait.

And when it gazed at the blue mascot, the one in the mascot suit walked to the very back.

Thump, thump.

The employees heard the dragging footsteps of the mascot suit, returning behind them…

And then.

Don’t look back

“…!”

The employees staggered.

A will as deep as the abyss and as powerful as a tidal wave seemed to churn within them.

They knew instinctively. It was fine because it was heard from behind. They must not look at it directly. If they looked directly.

They must not.

“……”

Ziiiiiip.

Behind them, a rusty zipper was lowered, and the sound of something standing up, dropping the mascot suit fabric to the floor, was heard.

Splash-splish.

A watery sound.

The anomaly holding the yellow lantern at the very front formed words with smoke.

From now on

Never

Look back

“……”

The employees swallowed.

Thus, they stepped into the darkened Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland.

With something from the abyss trailing behind them.

The ending was in sight.