Any well-known amusement park usually invests in three types of attractions.
One is a roller coaster, another is a carousel.
And the last, which costs the most due to the heavy use of special effects and animatronics, is…
‘The dark ride.’
An indoor ride where you can explore a meticulously crafted and enormous set that introduces the theme of the park itself.
In Korea, rides like ‘Sinbad’s Adventure’ or ‘It’s a Small World’ are well-known examples.
And in this ‘Cheerful Theme Park’ ghost story, that role belongs to this attraction.
“Fantasy Train!” the researcher spat out in exclamation, frantic. “This is the one where everyone died! I’m not getting on! I won’t ride it!”
Testimony #4 (Survivor : Park Yae-in)
– All four who boarded the ‘Fantasy Train’ went missing. Later, their clothes and bones were found repurposed into plush dolls at a souvenir shop. (Presumed deceased)
Yes, that’s what it said.
And in the <Dark Exploration Records> I read, this attraction had indeed caused numerous casualties…
But that’s not the whole story.
‘The fact that there were so many casualties means this attraction appears quite frequently!’
Like any board game with random elements, the ‘Cheerful Theme Park’ ghost story changes its zones and mascot combinations each time you enter.
However, the ‘Fantasy Train’ attraction would likely always appear as a common feature.
Because… its theme was so clear-cut.
“Please look at the description under the sign.”
I pointed to the words beneath the <Fantasy Train> sign.
– Meet the residents and stories of each area in Fantasyland! A delightful train ride!
“It seems like it’s the attraction that introduces this theme park.”
This was also the most crucial element for escaping this ghost story.
‘How are the zones in this theme park divided, and what colors are used?’
Let’s not forget. This all originates from a board game.
What does it mean to choose a faction in a game?
It means you’re selecting your traits.
‘And the fact that the teams were divided by color suggests that advantages or disadvantages arise based on those colors.’
So, understanding that was the most important thing here…
What color team you belong to, which zone your color represents, and what unique traits it has.
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Cheerful Theme Park User Guide (Applicable up to Exploration Record #64)
4- Each zone in the theme park is colored according to its theme! The place where you first open your eyes is the zone your team belongs to!
Respect the zone. The zone is more important than anything. Look at the colors, don’t upset the mascots, the mascots are everything in the zone.
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However, to persuade those who don’t yet understand this, I needed a different kind of logic.
‘Work, brain, work.’
The first target… as expected, was the top superior.
“Hmm. But everyone who got on it died, didn’t they?”
Assistant Manager Jin from A-squad, wearing the butterfly mask.
To win over this elitist, self-important person… right, flattery would do the trick.
“They were civilians, weren’t they?”
“Hmm?”
I deliberately adjusted my tone to sound slightly confused.
“They approached it without any awareness, riding it like any other amusement park ride. The chances they properly responded to a supernatural situation were low.”
“And so?”
“Comparing them to the professional Field Exploration Team, who clears Darkness with a purpose… well.”
I furrowed my brow slightly.
“It seems a bit harsh on the civilians.”
“…Hah.”
The A-squad superior snorted.
“Smooth talker, aren’t you? …Well, you’re not wrong.”
“N-No, we can’t, absolutely not…!”
“Hey.”
The A-squad superior grabbed the researcher by the head.
“……!”
Sharp fingernails pressed against his temple.
“Do you think you have the right to speak?”
“……”
“Do you want to die here and become trash that doesn’t even make it as a souvenir, or do you want to get on that thing?”
The researcher went silent again. No need for a bully here…
“Move.”
“……”
The researcher, looking like death, started dragging his feet toward the Fantasy Train.
‘Two birds with one stone…’
It was a success.
Now, there was only one person left.
The Y-squad newbie, Jang Heo-un.
As I followed the sign to the ‘Fantasy Train,’ I subtly slowed my pace to walk alongside the new employee and whispered to him.
“Don’t worry.”
“Yes…?”
“What I said just now was just to convince that person… actually, I’m going because I thought of a different trick.”
“A trick…?”
“Consider it insider knowledge.”
I smiled slightly.
“I used to work part-time at a theme park.”
“Oh!”
Sorry, that’s a lie…
But in this harsh environment that’s so unfriendly to cowards, isn’t it fine as long as we survive, no matter what it takes?
Trust me, you’ll end up saying, ‘Wow! Thanks for lying, colleague!’ too.
“I-I see. In that case…”
“Yes. It should be relatively safe.”
Just take my word for it.
Anyway, as we followed the sign, the boarding entrance for the ‘Fantasy Train’ soon appeared.
It was a model station with an elegant sign, decorated with intricate, realistic steam engine parts and brick patterns… but.
“No one’s here.”
“……”
Inside, it was eerily empty.
No one was there.
– Haha, enjoy a wonderful train ride! Haha, enjoy a wonderful train ride! Haha, enjoy a wonderful train ride…
The cheerful amusement park music mingled with an odd sense of unease.
What I could see was a train waiting beyond the queue.
And in front of it, a rabbit mascot dressed as a conductor.
“Another mascot, huh.”
“Is that the staff for this attraction?”
That was correct.
As we quickly passed through the empty queue, the conductor mascot with hollow eyes reached out a gloved hand and stamped our wristbands.
[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Admission Ticket ■□□]
So that’s one.
Next, we were guided to board a small train that looked like a colorful, fairytale steam locomotive.
The mascot then returned to its position and began waving both hands.
It seemed to mean something like, “Have a pleasant ride!”
Since nothing unusual had happened so far, the researcher and the Y-squad newbie seemed somewhat relieved without realizing it.
Unfortunately, I was about to do the unusual thing now.
‘The only place it could be… hmm. It must be over there.’
After checking my surroundings, I fixed my gaze on the mascot.
Then I spoke.
“Assistant Manager Jin.”
“What?”
“See where that mascot is standing, playing the staff role? You can see the platform there.”
I pointed to a sort of mock ticket booth table right in front of the conductor rabbit.
“Could you, with your specialized equipment, quietly turn that platform slightly toward us? Without damaging it, and quietly.”
“Why?”
“There’s something behind it.”
The A-squad assistant manager gave me a somewhat puzzled look, but soon pulled out her fake fingernail.
Quickly and quietly.
Tick.
Scrape, scrape…
The retro teal platform shifted, the fake fingernail thrown onto the edge making a faint scraping sound as it turned.
As it rotated halfway, instead of the expected wooden finish, there were buttons and circuits visible.
An emergency control panel for the attraction.
“……!”
Found it.
The control panel!
‘I definitely read about this in the <Dark Exploration Records>.’
There was a scene describing how these theme park rides had control devices implemented as if they were real!
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Right after boarding an attraction named ‘Tomato Express’, shaped like a basket, a label was found inside saying <Smash Against the Metal Plate for Fun!>.
Immediate search for the emergency stop button.
Found successfully at the attraction’s starting point. However, all attempts to press the button failed. (Executor : Assistant Manager Lee Jiwon / Number of Attempts : 6) All participants perished.
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Even though it failed that time.
‘I can do it this time.’