Chapter 55

A man who was nothing but bones moved restlessly around the room.

Clang clang.

The sound of metal clanging echoed with every step he took.

This guy seemed to have some kind of anxiety disorder; he couldn’t stay still for a second.

“Rules… rules. This is harder than it looks.”

“But I’m a genius! Why can’t I figure this out? Is the problem wrong?”

He kept muttering to himself nonstop.

And his self-justifications and arrogance were pretty over-the-top.

The strangest part, though, was how he’d gathered all the nails in the room, placed them on a tablecloth, and carried them around.

I thought for sure someone this weird would’ve been disqualified right away…

But surprisingly, he managed to pass the room’s trap successfully.

Still, after spending over 10 hours struggling with the puzzle, it seems unlikely he’ll make it through till the end.

As he happily celebrated passing the room, he followed the rules by receiving congratulations and getting his stamp.

Clap clap clap.

“Congratulations, Guest!”

Finally!

I’ve barely managed to open the door of the room.

Looking into the mirror, I saw my face drenched in cold sweat.

What a disgraceful sight.

I kept pushing up my glasses that kept slipping down with trembling hands.

Seeing my bony wrist peeking out, I quickly pulled my sleeve back down to hide it.

“Huh, hehe. This place seems prepared specifically for intellectuals like me, doesn’t it, Mannequin-chan?”

“Wow, you’re absolutely right, Guest!”

The female-shaped mannequin next to me, Mannequin-chan, clapped her hands together in agreement.

Why do I call her Mannequin-chan?

Because I told her she could be called whatever I wanted, so that’s what I’m going with.

Sure, her face was terrifying, but if I imagine her wearing a puppet mask, she’s actually kinda okay.

The quiz from the room was simple.

Is this supposed to be a lethal quiz?

It was so easy that I couldn’t help but ask.

For someone who used to be obsessed with these kinds of puzzle games, it was way too EZ.

Shouldn’t they give us something more challenging that requires proper logical reasoning?

As I stepped outside the room, fireworks welcomed me with a big bang.

The cool night breeze dried my sweat-soaked body.

While looking at the large map at the theme park entrance, I discussed plans with Mannequin-chan.

“Hmm, hehe. Since we’ve already gotten one stamp from the room, let’s strategically target similar puzzles next.”

Pointing at the food court, I asked Mannequin-chan,

“Doesn’t the FOOD COURT offer quizzes similar to the ones in the rooms?”

“Yes, Guest! They’re incredibly similar—so much so that it might surprise you.”

“Great, then let’s head there!”

Clang clang.

The sound of blades clashing as I walked was oddly satisfying.

We soon arrived at the food court, a single-story building spread across a wide area.

As I entered and closed the door behind me with a loud slam, I tried shaking it but it wouldn’t budge.

“Ah, of course. Same structure.”

Nervously, I patted the knife tucked inside my coat.

Inside the food court, countless mannequins were busy preparing food.

There were seven stores:

Red sushi bar.

Orange Japanese tonkatsu shop.

Yellow army stew specialty.

Green fast-food joint.

Blue pizza parlor.

Indigo bakery.

Purple fried chicken spot.

Kiosks allowed guests to order their desired meals.

“This is Smile Theme Park’s pride: the Food Court. We cater to every guest’s preferences with diverse cuisines.”

“Wow, they really do have everything I like here.”

So, the colors tagging each store serve the same function as before, huh?

Seeing familiar elements from the room puzzles made me feel unnecessarily tense.

At this rate, we’ll clear objects quickly, and exoneration will be practically guaranteed, right?

In the food court, there was also a paper with rules and an eraser labeled “delete.”

“Isn’t this too easy?”

[Smile Theme Park Food Court Rules.]

[Welcome to Smile Theme Park!]

[Using the Food Court is free!]

[All dishes are prepared with care by our staff.]

[However, to leave the Food Court, you must eat at least one dish as a sign of respect for our staff’s efforts.]

[These rules apply to all free users.]

[Please read carefully!]

[Delete one line from these rules.]

[Of the seven colored foods, at least six contain poison.]

[Both red and purple foods are poisoned.]

[Both yellow and green foods are poisoned.]

[Both blue and indigo foods are poisoned.]

[Both red and purple foods are poisoned.]

[Both red and indigo foods are poisoned.]

[Both yellow and blue foods are poisoned.]

[Both green and orange foods are poisoned.]

[Smile Theme Park Food Court Rules] are almost identical to the room rules.

The only difference is that instead of conditions grouped in threes, they’re paired in twos.

“Again, purple. Not bad since I love fried chicken the most.”

[Both red and purple foods are poisoned.]

I erased this line.

Mannequin-chan watched me silently without saying a word.

Despite feeling something was off, my solution was perfect!

Of course, removing the line that didn’t overlap—purple—was obvious.

I ordered every type of fried chicken available through the kiosk.

The trays of delicious-looking chicken arrived almost instantly.

“Let’s dig in!”

I bit into a drumstick.

Suddenly, the ceiling spun.

“Uh… I feel dizzy.”

Looking at my palm, it had turned purple.

No, not just my hand—everything looked purple.

Did Mannequin-chan deceive me?

Trying to grab my knife from my pocket, I found myself too weak to move.

I collapsed onto the table.

Lying there, I saw Mannequin-chan staring down at me.

“Why?”

She said nothing, merely gazing at me silently.

***

Dun dun.

Opening the door, I entered the sweet-smelling food court.

Wow!

“Welcome! This is Smile Theme Park’s pride: the Food Court. Here, we provide customized services tailored to each guest’s preferences!”

Just as Mannequin promised, the food court was paradise.

Not pre-packaged meals but freshly cooked hot dishes!

Red tteokbokki shop.

Orange apple pie shop.

Yellow fast-food joint.

Green international snacks shop.

Blue pudding shop.

Indigo world candy shop.

Purple cake shop.

An overwhelming lineup left me unsure where to start.

Orders were placed via kiosks.

Hop hop.

The kiosks were too high, so I had to jump to see the menu clearly.

Jumping up, I selected the purple shop first!

Strawberry cake—it’s my favorite!

Choosing strawberry cake, I dashed to the purple shop counter.

Peeking over the counter, I watched the chefs inside working at what felt like 10x speed.

Maybe I should get that ability too.

It looks cool *and* convenient.

Before long, the cake was ready and handed to me.

Let’s dig in!

Munch munch.

***

After finishing the cake, Mannequin stamped another mark on my sheet.

Now I have three stamps!

Holding up the stamped paper, I saw three smiling doll faces.

Though not exactly cute, collecting stamps this way was oddly fun.

Still, even if I explore the whole amusement park, I’ll only get nine stamps.

The condition for destroying the Theme Park invitation doll is ten stamps… what could the last one be?

Actually, I already had a hunch.

Once, when I held up my paper to Mannequin, she reacted strongly.

That big circle in the middle…

It’s the exact size of the Mannequin’s face.

Hehe.

***

The behavior of the Theme Park invitation doll changed again.

She acted like a thief whose hidden treasure chest location had been discovered.

She sat in the corner, quietly observing the isolation room from afar.

Already grown over five meters tall, she remained slumped, not causing any trouble.

Keek.

Keek.

Her strange laughter now sounded melancholic.

What’s happening inside?

Most likely, the Gray Reaper is doing something related to the highest-level danger object.

“Good job, Gray Reaper. Finish off that doll.”

Overhearing Director Lee Sehee’s muttering, I opened my notebook.

[Gray Reaper Mental Pollution Report.]

[Director Lee Sehee.]

[Muttering with apparent pleasure about phenomena caused by the Gray Reaper’s actions.]

<4th-grade mental contamination?>