I lifted my head.
Water was filling the resort hallway.
It was slightly murky — not the clear, disinfected blue of a theme park pool, but something closer to rainwater.
Ruuuumble…
The water poured in, forming waves.
I watched as the thick current — which, strangely, did not enter the open management office — surged through the dark hallway of the Flower Golden Resort.
That overwhelming vista.
And….
G o o d C h i l d
I stepped towards the water's edge.
And, unable to think of a more fitting title, I called out.
"…Venerable one?"
C o m e H e r e
The rainwater rippled, took on an outline, and splashed into the empty air of the hallway.
As if beckoning.
"..."
I put my hand into the waterway.
My cloth hand got soaked and was sucked heavily into the water.
Strangely deep.
"…!!"
Splash!
And just like that, I sank.
My breath… my breathing was not difficult.
It was peaceful.
'Ah.'
I lowered my head.
I watch as the scale in my arms shimmer even in the opaque water, then dissolves away….
And then.
Ruuuumble…
The current surged, flowing fiercely toward the other end of the hallway.
'…!'
The hallway scenery changed in an instant.
The water around me cushioned the movement, keeping me from crashing into anything. Even submerged, vision blurred, I saw it.
'A Daydream Character!'
The Dragon character from Daydream, holding a pair of office scissors, is finally submerged by the massive wave it encountered, its cotton stuffing getting soaked as it sinks.
'Ah.'
Its outline flickered in the current.
The blackish-golden liquid covering the character was washed away.
The Daydream Character — its shoddy stitching fully exposed — seemed to spot me and tried to raise its scissors, but it was swept away by a current stronger than itself.
A wave.
It tore the creature apart.
The worm-like things that had been squirming in the gaps of the Daydream Character also scatter.
Into the deep water.
The remaining scraps of the Daydream Character drifted downward, settling like sediment on the hallway floor — sinking as if to the bottom of the sea.
I watched the overwhelming sight in silence.
Ruuuumble…
The water kept flowing.
I pass through the hallway and finally emerge into the vast lobby of the old Flower Golden Resort.
There, too, the water lapped at the walls.
The lobby doors, unable to withstand the water pressure, burst open, and the waterway surged forward again.
What's taking me along the path is….
N o w
H e r e
…Outside the resort.
All the way to the gate.
"..."
I carefully pull myself out of the water.
I walk to the gate and look beyond the yellow zone.
It's where the blue zone used to be.
In my mental world, that place was…
"..."
The Blue Dream Water Park is now submerged.
A vast expanse of water covered everything: the swimming pools, the wave pool, the lazy river, the artificial ponds.
The sea.
That place had become the sea….
"..."
A strange lump rises in my throat.
The act of cutting out a piece of the sea and cramming it into a swimming pool.
The act of adding preservatives so it wouldn't rot, even when stagnant.
I couldn't understand… why all of it felt so cruel.
Or whose emotions these were.
I
A m O k a y
"…!"
I lower my head.
The 'wave' ripples and speaks.
H e r e
"..."
I see it.
The gate I must pass through.
◎ E X I T ◎
Please Come Again
It seems I can exit my mental world if I go through this gate….
Then I can wake up.
Thanks to the one inside the Blue Mascot who answered my call, I had been saved from being murdered as the persona of the Good Friend.
But.
'…If I leave, Director Cheong will just use another method.'
So….
A r e Y o u W o r r i e d ?
…!
"…Yes. I am worried."
The wave ripples.
I t ' s O k a y
I
W i l l H e l p Y o u
I knew what those words meant.
That it… would deal with Director Cheong.
That was a possibility I had hoped for to some extent when I used the scale.
That its identity as the 'Master of the Deep Sea' would be conceptually advantageous against Gwang-cheol, who is symbolized by fire and drought.
Because in a ghost story, that's what matters.
'But… is it really okay?'
I knew I should just nod eagerly.
Whatever Director Cheong did while stuffing that Dragon into the Blue Mascot, whatever might happen when it confronts her….
It's offering to help.
My situation isn't one where I can afford to worry about ghost stories. At this rate, my ego will collapse and I'll be permanently stuck in the Security Team's basement.
It wouldn't be strange to be panicking.
I know that, but….
....
"Thank you. But… I think it might be too dangerous."
I crouched down and smiled faintly at the waterway.
"Director Cheong has already harmed you once, venerable one. There's no guarantee she won't do it again."
Yes.
It felt good to say it.
This feels right.
"So, I would appreciate it if you could just lend me what power you can without revealing yourself…."
But.
N o
"…What?"
I
A m A l r e a d y
H e r e
"What!?"
H e r e
It was saying it had already answered my call — that it had arrived on the rooftop of Segwang City Hall during closing time
Wait, wait a minute!
"It's– it's dangerous!"
Besides, if it did that, it might not be able to return to being a Mascot!
Without a Manager to hand over operations to like I did, that was a suicidal act. A Mascot isn't supposed to leave the theme park! That identity was a restriction, but it was also a source of authority. If it lost all that by doing this….
"…You might disappear."
I t ' s O k a y
Droplets formed on the wave, as if soothing me.
I t ' s O k a y
"..."
No.
This wasn't reassurance that it would be okay.
It was comfort.
And.
I
W a n t T h i s
A guarantee that this is an act the Dragon itself desires.
Because in addition to helping me, it has its own karma to resolve with Director Cheong.
"..."
In that case.
"So that doesn't happen… I will do my best to assist you."
I explained my plan.
The wave seemed to listen intently, and then the great Dragon beneath the wave Agreed.
"…Thank you."
And.
N o w
G o
The waterway, like a hand, gave me a gentle push.
'Ah.'
I lost my balance and fell….
Past the exit gate.
* * *
"Grapes-ie!!"
I opened my eyes.
Plink. Plonk.
Raindrops were falling on my face.
Just like in the mental world, the rain soaked my body….
I reflexively lifted my head.
The giant eye that had appeared in the sky was now gone.
Director Cheong's eye.
Dark clouds, heavy with rainwater, are covering it….
'Ah.'
"Are you conscious? Hurry!"
Someone pulled me up.
When I turned my head, I saw not only a Lizard's face but also blue jackets… Wait, wait a minute!
'The agents?'
Did they get here in that time?
I scrambled to my feet–
'Ugh!'
My arm is broken. …Coincidentally, it was the same arm that was torn in the mental world.
'Was I caught again on the emergency stairs, dragged into the sky… and then dropped onto the rooftop?'
Gritting my teeth and looked around.
Among the people surrounding me, I saw an unexpected person.
"Agent Chogae?"
"Oh, the agent from the subway!"
The Lion Mask bobbles.
"That Gwang-cheol seems to have lost its strength from the Azure Dragon's energy. In this gap, quickly…."
You.
"..."
From the sky.
A huge, heavy voice echoes.
To evade.
You have a talent for making things difficult.
I swallowed.
The agents moved me behind them, bracing themselves without looking up.
Not a very obedient attitude.
"Director of a pharmaceutical company, have you ever heard of a Ministry of Employment and Labor audit?!"
Agent Choi!
"Killer word choice! For a second there, I thought I'd been caught in a supernatural phenomenon that sent me back to the 80s!"
It seems the state's foot soldiers have developed a habit of speaking carelessly.[1]
Trespassing without permission in a place you shouldn't be.
"Huh? Since when did the Segwang Metropolitan City become a Daydream corporate city?"
I saw the cold sweat trickling down Agent Choi's neck.
'What are they doing?'
Now that I look, the agents are preparing something.
Agent Chogae shakes the Lion Mask as if to draw its attention.
Surely you don't believe in these dark clouds and rain?
Are you waiting for the Dragon King of the East Sea to appear with lightning?
"You know it well, Gwang-cheol! You'd better run with your tail between your legs…"
Unfortunate. That one has been unemployed for a long time.
"…What did you say?"
My, it seems you haven't heard the news in a few years.
That after he lost his job, he struggled to find new work… and finally took a job opportunity I arranged for him.
What could I do when he said he wanted to work, even in a vulgar profession like wearing a character costume and acting cute.
I had to help him.
Insulting remarks pour down.
Agent Chogae froze.
The Lion Mask trembled.
However, he won't be able to leave that little amusement park now.
He's being treated according to his abilities.
"You…."
Go on, call out with all your might again. Calling the Azure Dragon… well, you all have your vain rituals, don't you?
....
"There's no need to call."
I placed a hand on Agent Chogae's shoulder.
"Agent,"
Because.
"He is already here. …Down below."
I pointed below the rooftop.
Thunk.
On the roadside of the old Segwang Metropolitan City.
A Fire Hydrant on the side of the wide road suddenly bursts open from all sides.
And.
Ruuuumble…
Water shot up.
"...!!"
From the rooftop, it looks like a painting.
The streams of water from Blue Dream Water Park spread across the ground in an instant, covering the roads.
Small, neat finishing touches appear on the outskirts of the roads where the water pools.
The tiles of Blue Dream Water Park.
Yes.
—I've already expanded a second branch of the theme park in the subway system there….
—Since that infrastructure is in place, how about a temporary opening of Blue Dream Water Park next to it? The cost won't be great.
—Like a pop-up.
And so it was done.
Following a proven method, the swimming pool filled the subway maintenance tracks like a sea and flooded onto the surface, revealing the theme park of dreams.
A brief hallucination that will vanish once people fill Sekwang Special City again and daily life resumes.
A fragment of Blue Dream Water Park.
But that alone was enough.
This is….
"Director."
I said.
"He has come for you."
A massive form emerges from the water of the water park.
"…!!"
A waterway.
Rippling and dancing as it soars into the air, it had no fixed form.
But an appearance is Projected onto it, according to the symbols imagined by civilization and stories.
The streamlined body of a snake, the eyes of a rabbit, the ears of an ox, the talons of a hawk, the paws of a tiger, and….
The antlers of a deer.
All of it is wreathed in cloud-like fins and winding whiskers as it soars to the sky.
Ascension.
"Gwang-cheol is… fire and drought."
"..."
"Behold, the waterway that drives out fire and drought."
A trembling voice is heard.
"The procession of Our Lord."
The Dragon's form enveloped the city hall, casting a shadow over the rooftop.
But as it drew closer, I saw–
Its form is crumbling in places.
Missing scales, parts of its claws whitened and worn down, the cruel and merciless traces of torture, as if chunks of its flesh had been pickled in a jar of saltwater.
And yet….
It is so powerful.
Divine.
Beautiful.
I feel like if I got any closer, I would want to pluck out my eyes and offer them.
"Don't look too closely! You might not be able to handle it!"
Ah.
At the same time as Agent Haegum's words, I gasped for breath and let my gaze blur.
But even blurred, its silhouette and presence pressed down on the rooftop — awe and terror intertwined.
The Azure Dragon.
Its massive form flashes amidst the dark clouds.
A divine figure.
And….
A gaze.
Flash.
Lightning strikes, illuminating the sky.
A faint voice can now be heard from beyond the dark clouds.
As the Five Elements say, sugukwha, water overcomes and suppresses fire….
Fire and drought crumble before the procession of the Dragon King of the East Sea, who has brought the rain.
Yes.
And, and….
Did you… think of something like that?
A non‑verbal expression — amusement — rippled through the massive voice.
You all… are truly old-fashioned.
"..."
What ancient story are you talking about.
Wait….
Behold.
The sky opens.
A H E A D M A D E O F A G I A N T E Y E
Wheretheheadshouldbeacrystalshimmers[2].
Insteadofaheadthereisagianteyeballtransparentenough toseethroughinsidenumerouscirclesglitterandlookaroundspinningroundandroundthecrystalisapowerfulenergysourcethatshouldnotbegazedatitflashesinvariouscolorsandthenisinvadedbyblacknessahhhhhhhhhh [3]
Now.
The countless eyes see.
Do you think I fear water?
Something that is neither dragon nor snake.
A Disaster that was once clearly of a similar form now rolls dozens of pupils in a giant eye like a massive crystal ball, in place of the head that should rightfully be on its body.
Each and every one of those pupils is a Divine Power. Beyond fire and drought, sulfur and floods and hell surge.
Disaster.
Disaster!
"No."
"No no no no no."
Avoicelikeacorporateexecutivegivingadviceflowsfromwithinthesky[4]
Yes. Not anymore.
This is all self-improvement.
Would it do to live for long ages in society with the title of executive and not have this kind of development?
This is all just the obvious law of the world, how could you not know? You all….
The rain stops.
Aren't you all just lazy!?
The clouds are torn apart, and the waterway in the shape of a Dragon convulses, its incomplete form laid bare. But it is still powerful and does not disappear. It resists.
I know I shouldn't look at that desperate and unbearable sight and try to lower my head again, but I can't.
A wicked gaze turns toward us.
Dozens of eyes.
Did you believe that as the years flow and the rivers and mountains change, everything would stay the same?
Yes, this insane, massive being has already stolen and grafted Divine Powers from countless ghost stories over the ages it took for the rivers and mountains to change. The characteristics of fire and drought are now just a fraction of it now! I– I made a miscalculation. Time is on Cheong Dallae's side, and in that time, that thing has already become a more powerful and indescribable being….
"But even as the years flow and the rivers and mountains change… some things remain."
…!
I turned my head.
A faint fog has now settled on the rooftop.
No, a cloud.
The Dragon's power, shielding us — however briefly — from the Corrupt gaze and voice.
For a moment, I can breathe.
And….
I see the agent in the Lion Mask, raising a hand to point at the bizarre Disaster.
"Just as that being's identity hasn't changed over all those long years. Greedy, ill-tempered… even its malicious nature of harming people."
"..."
"It's the same."
I turned the words over in my mind.
Ah.
"…Actually."
"Hm?"
"There's no error in the folklore, either."
I remember.
"That's because the Gwang-cheol folktale was already passed down in various regions in the late Joseon Dynasty as a monster that brought about disasters other than fire and drought."
It even includes things that are opposites in the Five Elements, like storms and hail.
"But there is also something that doesn't change."
I notice it. That is….
"That it is a disaster that ruins farming."
That core remained the same.
"Gwang-cheol… is still the disaster called Gwang-cheol."
....
"Right. That's it! Still a disaster!"
Agent Chogae looks back at me.
"And our ancestors devised a way to fight this Supernatural Disaster since long ago."
The corners of his mouth turn up in a smile.
As if he's noticed that I'd led the conversation this far to draw this conclusion.
"Dependable agent, do you know the method?"
I do.
"…Chasing Gwang-cheol."
The ritual that is the origin of the rain-calling ceremony.
A rite to call for rain by chasing away the natural disaster that ruins farming, named 'Gwang-cheol'.
"That's right!"
A clap.
"Do you know how to do it?"
"I do."
But I hesitate for a moment before adding.
"In theory."
"That's enough."
From behind, Agent Choi grabs my back.
And as he retrieves the nearly broken bell from my waist, he pats my back.
"I'm taking this, Grapes-ie."
"..."
"Now, let's do it together."
I lifted my head.
"Oh, Civilian, you're going to help too? Great!"
Beyond where Agent Choi and Section Chief Lee Jaheon are talking.
Agent Haegum is looking at the sky.
"The reason for chasing it hasn't changed."
She sheathes her sword.
"It's Corrupt identity hasn't changed."
She takes out an instrument.
"And the divine being who will listen to our plea is here."
She looks at me.
"The ritual will work just as it always has."
....
"Let's make it a lively one!"
The sound of a small gong rides the beat and rings across the rooftop.
Chasing Ggwangcheol.
The rain-calling ceremony had begun.
[1] (kirikirinki) Cheong uses language fit for Joseon dynasty here, the way the fox counselor used historical vocabulary when talking about how Sekwang used to be called Gwangjin
[2] Where a head should be, a crystal shimmered.
[3] Instead of a head, there is a giant eyeball, transparent enough to see through.Inside, numerous circles glitter and look around, spinning round and round.The crystal is a powerful energy source that should not be gazed at.It flashes in various colors… and then is invaded by blackness—ahhhhhhhhhh—
[4] A voice like a corporate executive giving advice flows from within the sky