My eyes settled on the woman, her skin covered in tattoos, as she studied the map by the entrance to the ticket office. Her attire and the language she spoke were clear indicators that she was from a culture quite unlike our own.
In this garden, which had remained void of guests for centuries, a handful of visitors now wandered. Their presence transformed the garden, giving it an unfamiliar air.
Yet, even though we were from quite different cultures, the differences in and of itself were minor, hardly worth noting.
They didn’t matter at all.
What truly mattered was the approach taken towards the ‘Object’. The Object that had come here as a guest was the real problem.
Its treatment was far too indulgent.
Our understanding of it was quite limited.
“Oy, mannequin!” The tattooed visitor called out to me.
“Is there an issue, dear guest?” I dismissed my previous thoughts and replied with a courteous tone.
In truth, for me, the primary concern wasn’t the handling of the ‘Object’, but whether the woman would navigate the theme park successfully.
The sky was lit up with fireworks, but down here, the ticket booth was dead empty, just me and a creepy smiling statue. In this vast and expansive ticket booth, not a single person could be seen.
I shot a look at the mannequin that was following me.
“Shouldn’t this place be swarming with people? There were a lot more who entered, so why can’t I see even a single damn idiot? Even if all of ‘em are idiots, no way everyone’s too thick to figure out that simple ass guest room puzzle.”
“Hmm, regrettably, the park’s not officially open yet. We are doing a soft run, tending to each guest separately. I would appreciate it if you were to look forward to the grand inauguration of our theme park, where the true test of mettle shall commence among our esteemed guests.”
Great, a solo trip through this madhouse.
I shook off the tiny bit of regret I felt and looked at the large map next to that freaky smiley statue — Smile Merry-go-round, Smile Shuttle Bus Stop, Smile Roller Coaster, Smile Drop Tower, Smile Viking, Smile Ferris Wheel, Smile Food Court, Smile Labyrinth, Smile House of Horror, and so on…
Hmm, all of them were fine and dandy, but the first place I needed to check was the escape route—The Smile Shuttle Bus Stop.
I called the mannequin who was staring at me as I looked at the map.
“Is there an issue, dear guest?”
“You’re supposed to show around, aren’t you? Let’s go to the shuttle bus stop.”
“Hmm, even if you were to go now, you wouldn’t be able to use it. Do you still wish to proceed?”
“It doesn’t matter, just lead the way.”
Something was off with the mannequin, like it was dragging its feet.
Was there something at the shuttle bus stop?
I followed the mannequin, trudging my way towards the shuttle bus stop.
The Shuttle Bus Stop was a good hike from the theme park—way farther than I’d figured from the ticket booth.
“Is it okay for it to be this far out?”
“The distance is considerable because the opening hasn’t been finalized yet. It’s set to be properly placed once the park officially opens.”
The bus stop the mannequin took me to was a strange sight.
A building, all marble upon marble, built in a style I had never seen before.
But the place was messy, sticky black mud everywhere. The stench of petroleum was so strong that it split my head with pain.
Hooked to that marble monstrosity was a plain shuttle bus.
Nothing odd about the bus itself, just your run-of-the-mill bus design found all over Seoul. But, weirdly, the bus was hitched to the building with a boarding bridge, as you’d find on an airplane.
Even the sky here was different, not like the one over the park, as if this stop was in its own bubble.
It was like stepping into another realm, a completely different space from the theme park.
Unlike the theme park, there were no fireworks filling the sky, instead something strange littered the sky.
Six vibrant, colorful moons.
“Ah, dear guest, if you would be so kind as to follow me. Allow me to teach you how to use the shuttle bus.”
Stepping into the marble building, I was met with—yuck-! …quite a disgusting sight.
I saw rows of human heads, strung up on iron hooks like they were bowling balls!
And among them were two heads I knew all too well.
The anchovy and the pig.
I never pegged them for survivors, but this… this was a sick joke.
“Ah, you must be taken aback. These heads here are the currency used at the Smile Theme Park. One head equals one coin.”
The mannequin grabbed a head and gave it a good thump.
“If you want to use the shuttle bus, 10 coins are needed.”
“So, if I snatch these ten heads here, I can take the shuttle right now?”
“Ah, a common misconception, I’m afraid. These heads are mere decor, they are the property of the theme park. Currently, the only coin you, my dear guest have, is your own head~ However, fortunately for you, an event is underway! Should you collect all the stamps, you shall gain access to the shuttle bus, irrespective of your own count.”
The head that the mannequin smacked morphed, twisting into a vile, hideous coin.
I guessed the Object was a death trap when it invited me, but it turned out to be a stranger Object altogether.
The math seemed off, but then again, did it even really matter?
Sprawled out on the table, there I was, gobbling up all sorts of yummy things without a care in the world.
Sitting? Oh, that’s a no-go. Even if I try to sit on the chair, it’s too low, so I can’t reach the food on top of the table!
It’s just me here anyway, no one else is here, so why not make everything my size? It’s only fair! The theme park should’ve thought of that.
Anyway, it’s the theme park’s fault!!
As I munched away, blissfully lost in the food court, I felt something was off.
Mannequins. More and more of them were creeping in.
Usually, there’s just the one following me around, and a few others scattered where they were absolutely needed. But now? They were swarming, a bunch of them were gathering around the building.
“Dear guest, we have arranged exclusive VIP facilities within the food court, tailored specifically for you~! Might I entice you to take a brief tour?”
Following after the Mannequin, I waltzed into a huuuge room.
And, ooooooh!! It was stuffed with all my favorites! A TV, a ball pit, a cozy bed, snacks galore, and games, games, games!
It was filled with only the things I liked~!!!
“How do you like it, dear guest? This is our VIP room, specifically arranged by the Smile Theme Park for your comfort. And should you fancy a bite, just head over to the kiosk there, and order whatever your heart desires.”
I got this funny feeling they were deliberately trying to keep me here.
That’s a puzzle for another day, maybe when I’m bored of this place and leave.
Besides, these mannequins? Pfft, they look so weak.
I zipped over to the kiosk, ordered a mountain of popcorn, and flicked on the TV.
A drama that I hadn’t seen in ages was airing.
Now that I think about it—since when could TVs work inside Objects?
The days have been heavy, each one feeling longer than the last. Five days had passed since the Reaper vanished, and everything felt so dull…
Work used to be this sparkly place, all smiles and laughs, but now I hated it.
“Yerin. Wanna grab a bite?”
I had no appetite these days, food had lost its magic, every day felt the same.
As I just went about my days, bored out of my mind, I would often sway around listlessly. And every time, Seoah unnie would appear out of nowhere, jot something down in her notebook, and vanish!
What did she write?! A secret recipe?! A love letter?!
But whenever I asked her about it, she never told me and just gave a knowing smile!
As the workday came to an end and I was busy packing up my stuff, I suddenly felt the presence of the Reaper.
It was a stupid thought. After all, it was impossible to sense the presence of the Reaper. I know, I know, it’s probably just my imagination running wild again, but I couldn’t help it.
I rushed with all my strength to the place from where I felt the presence.
Soon, I arrived at the containment room of the < Theme Park Invitation Doll > where the Reaper was last seen.
There, the < Theme Park Invitation Doll >, now an enormous figure of nearly seven meters, was curled up into a ball, writhing around helplessly.
Something strange was sticking out from the crown of the doll’s ball-like head.
It was a big, honking antenna!!
And I don’t know how, but I felt it! The Reaper was in that antenna!
I couldn’t quite pin down the time—was it three days? Time was funny here.
It’d just been 3 days and I was already feeling bored. This VIP room was comfy, just like my containment room in Sehee Research Institute, but did I get bored this early?
Ah, but then it hit me, I got the answer from the firewood in my chest. It’s the silence, the absence of people—it made everything feel so dull. On top of that, no matter what I ate, I didn’t enjoy it no matter what.
So, I trotted over to the VIP room door and swung it open, only to find a crowd of mannequins waiting for me.
“Dear guest, where are you planning to go? The theme park is currently under preparation and cannot be used.”
I followed the mannequin’s pointing finger, and what do you know? The whole park, save for the food court, had vanished into thin air.
What stood in its place were a sea of mannequins.
As I handed over my stamped paper, I got nothing but a wry smile in return.
“Of course, you can’t get a stamp. We will be officially open in about a month, so please wait until then.”
Right then, the flame burning in my heart sniffed out the mannequins’ hostility.
It used to be a vague, murky feeling, but now? Crystal clear.
Whether the mannequin that guided me had a mind of its own or was hostile towards humanity, I couldn’t tell. But the swarm of mannequins that blocked my path? They were mindless drones and were clearly hostile to humanity.
With a flick of my wrist, I lopped off the head of the nearest mannequin, sending it bowling across the floor…
Hmph-! Such weak dolls couldn’t even hope to hold me back! The killing condition for the mannequins was surprisingly simple: < Sever the neck. >
I gloated as the headless mannequin crumbled into dust, leaving only its football like head rolling to and fro.
Then, as if on cue, all the mannequins that were swarming outside the food court rushed at once.
They think numbers will tip the scales? Not a chance.
Hehe~ The Golden Reapers I summoned appeared at my feet in a hurray posture. But instead of joining the fray, they clung to me, climbing from my toes to the crown of my head.
And voila, I’m a Golden Reaper Cocoon™! Huh? No, wait, wha? But you guys were good fighters, weren’t you…? What’s gotten into you?
But then, the situation changed when a cheeky mannequin took a swing at the Golden Reaper Cocoon™.
The Golden Reapers Cocoon™ burst with the mini reapers scattering through the air like popcorn, and crashing into the wall. They mini reapers were shocked, their expression utterly dumbfounded like a baby bird that had lost its nest.
In that very instant, every single Reaper perked up as they looked at the mannequins with anger and hostility, as if they had killed their mother.
And thus began the massacre.
A tsunami of Golden Reapers swooped in, utterly decimating the mannequins.