Chapter 22.2

Chapter 22.2

I looked down at the ground.

‘...The bricks are a different color.’

As if by magic, two white brick lines were under the decorative archway. The mascots couldn’t cross from the red brick floor beyond.

B o r i n g

I glanced down at my admission ticket.

[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Admission Ticket ■□□]

[(Cheerful) Fantasyland Admission Ticket ■□□]

Not fun

The voice faded away. The mascots clustered in front of us stood perfectly still, and then, in a blink...

Vanished.

“......”

“......”

The sound of our gasping breaths filled the now-silent air. I swallowed hard.

“...It seems this is the end of Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland.”

We survived.

“We made it. We escaped.”

“Aah...!”

“Huuuuh...”

The Y-squad newbie collapsed to the ground, clutching his shoulder in relief and pain. I leaned my head back against the wall, gazing up at the sky, catching my breath.

‘I thought I was done for...’

My heart was pounding out of my chest.

I’m alive, huh.

The A-squad assistant manager glared icily at the researcher who had pushed her, but then, glancing at the nail-shaped wound in my hand, regained her composure. It seemed she’d decided there was no need to get worked up over killing the researcher right now.

It was impressive how calm she remained, despite the intense pain she must have felt from the acidic liquid splashed over her head.

“Anyway.”

“Yes?”

The A-squad assistant manager took a deep breath.

“Thanks. I owe you my life.”

“......”

I hadn’t expected that.

“It’s nothing. You survived thanks to your specialized equipment...”

“There’s no point being modest here. Just say, ‘Got it.’ You’ve landed yourself on the right side here.”

Ah, yes.

“Unlike some idiot.”

“......”

The researcher desperately avoided her gaze.

The A-squad assistant manager gave him a brief look before returning to business.

“This place seems like a sort of buffer zone. Was that your plan? But it’s too cramped to just stand here... what’s the next step?”

The west.

Of course, the squad leader had probably meant the west side within Waterland itself. But since we were at the far western edge of Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland, it allowed me to deduce the existence of a separate Blue Zone.

‘The east side was blocked by the forest, the north led to the entrance, and the south was a cliff...’

Really, the only plausible place for more space beyond Magic Bunny’s Fantasyland was the west.

My guess was right.

“It seems the blue mascot, exiled from Fantasyland, created a new zone here.”

“Aha...”

“For now, let’s get through as quickly as possible.”

“Y-Yes, let’s!”

Hands busily pried away the remaining bricks. Even the Y-squad newbie, injured as he was, used his one good hand to help.

Meanwhile, the researcher lingered in the corner, looking sly, as if he’d finally noticed things were going in his favor.

And within a few moments—

“It’s open!”

One by one, we began crawling through the now-exposed gap. I was the last to emerge, standing on both feet in Waterland, gazing at the blue pools and bright sky above.

A breeze, heavy with moisture, brushed by.

‘This sunlight...’

It felt so unbelievably good.

And as I stood, momentarily feeling a strange sense of liberation, I spotted people waving and running toward us from afar.

“Roe!”

“......!”

The members of D-squad.

“Are you alright?!”

“Assistant Manager!”

The D-squad members bustled over, each carrying some bulky load, likely inner tubes or other gear.

Relief surged through me, perhaps from the familiarity of seeing the people I’d been working with for the past month.

“How have you all been!”

I greeted them happily and stepped forward, wondering if I should help take some of the load off the squad leader’s shoulder, as any proactive newbie would...

Wait.

‘That’s a person.’

It wasn’t equipment.

Hanging limply off the lizard squad leader’s shoulder was a human body.

‘...A casualty?’

Looking closer, I realized the person wore a teal duck mask.

It was the A-squad leader.

“......”

No.

Nooo!!