Chapter 56

A Tattooed Woman was seen reading the map placed at the ticket booth entrance.

No matter her attire or language, it was clear she hailed from a vastly different culture.

For nearly a hundred years, no guests had graced this garden—until now.

The garden had rearranged itself into an unfamiliar form.

Though these newcomers bore different cultures and languages, such differences were trivial.

Completely insignificant.

What mattered was the handling of “Object.”

The way these new arrivals treated what they called “Object” was problematic.

It was… sloppy.

Endlessly sloppy.

Their understanding of it was woefully inadequate.

“Hey, Mannequin!”

The tattooed guest turned her head and called out to me.

“Yes? What can I assist you with, Guest?”

I wiped away my thoughts and replied in a friendly tone.

Truthfully, more important than the handling of “Object” was whether this woman would pass through the Theme Park.

***

Fireworks filled the sky.

An expansive yet desolate ticket booth.

The unsettling Smile Statue.

Not a single person in sight anywhere around the wide and barren ticket area.

I asked the mannequin trailing behind me.

“Shouldn’t there be other people here besides me? If these guys are all upper-class deities, surely someone should have passed through by now?”

“Hmm, unfortunately, this theme park is only temporarily open. We’re isolating each guest for individual responses. For blood-boiling competition among guests, please look forward to the official opening.”

So I’m passing through this theme park alone, then?

Shaking off the slight disappointment, I looked up at the large map placed next to the Smile Statue.

Smile Carousel, Smile Shuttle Bus Stop, Smile Roller Coaster, Smile Drop Tower, Smile Viking, Smile Ferris Wheel, Smile Food Court, Smile Maze, Smile House of Horror…

First things first: locate the exit.

Smile Shuttle Bus Stop.

As I studied the map, I called out to the mannequin staring blankly at me.

“Hey, Mannequin!”

“Yes? What can I assist you with, Guest?”

“Do you offer directions? Let’s head to the shuttle bus stop.”

“Hmm, even if we go now, you won’t be able to use it. Would you still like to go?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

The mannequin seemed reluctant for some reason.

Is there something at the shuttle bus stop?

I followed as the mannequin slowly walked toward it.

***

The shuttle bus stop existed far away from the main theme park area.

How could a shuttle bus stop be this distant from the ticket booth…?

“Is it normal for the shuttle bus stop to be this far?”

“It hasn’t fully opened yet. Everything will be properly arranged during the official opening.”

The place the mannequin brought me to was bizarre.

Sticky black mud.

A petroleum stench so strong it made my head hurt.

A building constructed in an unfamiliar style, layering marble upon marble.

And connected to that marble building was an ordinary shuttle bus.

The parked shuttle bus resembled a plane with its boarding bridge connecting it to the building, except otherwise it looked like a common Seoul bus design.

The sky felt completely different too, as if we’d entered another space entirely.

There were no fireworks here—instead, six moons filled the sky.

Six colorful moons floated above.

“Hmm, Guest, come this way. I’ll explain how to use the shuttle bus.”

Inside the marble building, what greeted me wasn’t welcoming.

Heads.

Human heads hung on iron racks like bowling balls!

‘!’

And familiar ones at that.

The Anchovy guy and Pig guy’s heads.

I thought those two wouldn’t survive, but here they were…

“Ah, surprised? These heads are coins used within Smile Theme Park. One coin per head. Like this.”

The mannequin took one head and tapped it twice.

“To ride the shuttle bus, you need 10 coins.”

“So if I collect 10 of these displayed heads, I can board the shuttle bus right now?”

“No, no. These are just sample coins—the park’s assets. Currently, you only possess your own head. However, luckily, there’s an event going on where collecting all stamps allows you to use the shuttle bus without coins.”

When the mannequin tapped the head, it squished and transformed into a grotesque coin.

From the moment I received the invitation, I suspected lethal objects—but this was weirder than expected.

10 coins.

9 stamps.

Numbers don’t match, but whatever.

***

Om.

Lying comfortably on the dining table, I picked at various foods.

Trying to sit on the chair is uncomfortable—it’s too low.

Shouldn’t the theme park adjust the furniture size for me?

Anyway, it’s their fault.

While enjoying my time at the food court, I sensed a change.

More mannequins were appearing.

Previously, mannequins only appeared where needed, but now they gathered around the buildings.

“Guest, we’ve prepared a VIP room specially for you at the food court. Would you like to see it?”

Following the mannequin’s lead, I entered a spacious area.

Inside were things familiar to me.

TV. Ball pit. Bed. Snacks. Video games.

A room filled with everything I love.

“How do you like it? This is the VIP room Smile Theme Park has prepared for you. You can order any food you want using the kiosk over there.”

Hmm.

Feels like they’re trying to keep me here.

Still, doesn’t really matter.

I’ll think about it when I get bored.

Besides, these mannequins seem too weak anyway.

I ordered popcorn at the kiosk and turned on the TV.

An old drama welcomed me back.

Come to think of it, TVs exist inside objects too?

***

Depressing.

It’s been five days since Reaper disappeared.

Work isn’t fun anymore.

“Yerin, wanna grab lunch?”

Doodly-doo.

No appetite lately.

When I feel weak and wobble around, Unnie Seoah suddenly shows up.

She keeps circling nearby, writing something down, but what?

When I ask, she just smiles and won’t show me.

When packing up to leave at quitting time, I suddenly sense Reaper’s presence.

Of course, sensing Reaper’s presence is impossible.

It was probably just a hallucination, but I sprinted towards where I felt it.

I arrived at the Isolation Room where the Reaper vanished, the “Theme Park Invitation Doll.”

The massive doll, now almost seven meters tall, lay curled up like a ball, trembling slightly.

Hmm, something feels off.

A large antenna sprouted from its round head.

That big antenna.

Somehow, it feels like Reaper is beyond it.

***

Uncertain due to the ambiguous passage of time, but maybe three days?

Only three days, yet I’m already bored.

This place is as comfortable as the isolation room I stayed in, so why am I feeling this way?

The firewood in my chest gave me the answer.

Because there’s no one around to interact with.

Nothing’s enjoyable.

Time to leave.

I opened the VIP room door with a loud thud and found many mannequins.

“Guest, where do you plan to go? The theme park is not currently operational.”

Following the mannequin’s gesture, I turned to see the amusement park outside the food court had vanished.

Instead, countless mannequins filled the space like ants.

I showed them the stamped paper, and the mannequin smiled bitterly.

“Of course, stamping is impossible. Please wait approximately one month until the official opening.”

The flames inside me detected hostility from the mannequins.

Unclear before, but now certain:

While the guiding mannequins were ambiguous, these blocking my path clearly opposed humanity.

With a swing of my hand, I severed the blocking mannequin’s neck.

Such fragile mannequins can’t stop me.

Their destruction condition is [cutting the neck].

The decapitated body crumbles into dust, leaving only the round head rolling around.

Suddenly, the mass of mannequins outside the food court rushed in.

Numbers mean nothing to me either.

Golden Reapers popped up beneath my feet in a celebratory pose.

But the Golden Reapers ignored the charging mannequins, prioritizing clinging to me instead.

Starting from my feet, they climbed all over me until I became a Golden Reaper Cocoon.

Hey, you guys fought well earlier.

Why are you doing this?

The situation changed the moment the mannequins attacked the cocoon.

Golden Reapers flung off the cocoon after being punched by the mannequins, flying away like baby birds losing their nest.

They crashed into walls with pitiful expressions.

At that moment, all Reapers raised their heads and stared at the mannequins.

What followed was a massacre.

Waves of Golden Reapers began grinding the mannequins into pieces.