Chapter 115

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

A brief pause here.

Let’s take a look at Baek Sa-heon’s eventful records of witnessing his psychopathic roommate.

The psycho who mocked him for giving up his left eye, the dopamine addict who dragged people around as bait in the dangerous Dark, the madman who wielded an axe while pretending to be a serial killer….

‘On top of that, he’s even playing a cult leader??’

At this point, it went beyond dumbfounding, and an anomie began to set in where it felt only natural if all of this lineup was that bastard Kim Sol-eum.

He could let all of that slide.

But how on earth was he running into that bastard right now!

‘Even when I took a vacation!’

He had not only left the company housing but had gone so far as to leave Seoul.

Baek Sa-heon tried shaking his head violently for a moment, wondering if he was having a nightmare, but it was a harsh reality.

Escorted by two superiors from the elite team and leading dozens of people, Kim Sol-eum was standing in the middle of the Car 3 aisle, raising both arms.

While spouting words that sounded truly like a cult.

“There is no need to worry. We will all be able to overcome this trial safely.”

What little comfort he could find was that the fools in this train car were pointing fingers at that guy!

“What’s up with that guy?”

“Fuck, now some crazy bastard is….”

“Sigh……”

“D-don’t make eye contact.”

Mockery and rejection burst out toward Kim Sol-eum, who was babbling out of his mind.

‘Y-yes. This is normal….’

However, Kim Sol-eum didn’t even waver.

He merely smiled gently and looked around Car 3.

“…?!”

That was even scarier!

“Everyone, you must have been bewildered because people suddenly gathered and flocked over. And you might wonder what kind of crazy talk this is. ‘A trial? What trial?’”

Kim Sol-eum put on a bitter smile, looking embarrassed, with the face of a neat office worker.

“Actually, even I, the one speaking, know that it sounds… like a cult. So I am also embarrassed.”

His tone was calm and not particularly elevated. A serious tone as if counseling someone he knew at a cafe.

“But because it is a very scary and terrible situation, I am gathering courage to speak. …If one knows the answer, sharing it is human duty.”

Kim Sol-eum hardened his expression and made eye contact with the surrounding people.

“I hope you can put aside your reluctance just a little and think. We are not fools, which is why dozens of us have come together to tell the same story.”

Baek Sa-heon looked around.

At the people who were on the verge of going crazy in this unrealistic situation of dying and starting over in a train that crashed meaninglessly several times.

At Kim Sol-eum, who began to tell them exactly what they desperately wanted to hear—wishing for an escape from this train, wishing it were a dream.

At that story filled with conviction.

“This is a trial, and there is a way to pass it.”

Suddenly, a voice popped out.

“So… you know the way to get out of here?”

“That is correct.”

“…!!”

Kim Sol-eum naturally turned his gaze back.

Then, the people of Car 7 standing behind him shouted with eyes sparkling with excitement and passion.

“Just once out the window!”

“You just need to go out the window. Then it’s over!”

“What kind of crazy talk is that?!”

A barrage of supplementary explanations was poured upon the astonished people of Car 3.

“No, I’m telling you there is a way to make it not hurt?! About ten people have already gone out through there!”

“Honestly, it’s grotesque, but you just need to look at the light and walk out to the exit. Anyone can do this.”

“For those who have trouble with their legs, someone else can fall together and support them! It’s not difficult at all!”

“As long as the Pioneer helps…!”

The surprising thing was that even though they said only ten people had gone out, the ones explaining numbered in the dozens.

No, nearly a hundred people were following that crowd, and among them, people from other cars were mixed.

Kim Sol-eum looked at those eyes filled with hope and passion, then turned his gaze forward and grinned again.

“That is correct, everyone. Anyone can go out the window.”

At that moment, Baek Sa-heon realized.

“There will be no problem.”

“That’s right!”

He’s pulling a scam!

‘C-crazy bastard.’

He is instigating the other idiots to jump all at once so that he, Kim Sol-eum, can escape!

‘But you can’t fool me.’

Baek Sa-heon swallowed his saliva, thinking that he alone had noticed.

“Look, if you listen to the stories of the people who went out the window here…”

“We did! In our third life, my husband and I went out at the second altar…”

He clicked his tongue as he watched the people of Car 3 slowly lean in to listen to the Car 7 people who babbled about their experiences as if leaving testimonies of passing an exam.

Fools.

‘Even those kinds of experience stories could be made by brainwashing them with my fountain pen!’

It was clear that Kim Sol-eum had brainwashed the people using his confiscated fountain pen.

Right. If so, he just had to maintain his strategy.

‘Let’s stay still.’

It would be fine as long as he didn’t join that procession of Kim Sol-eum worshipers.

Baek Sa-heon made a firm resolution and smiled a smile of satisfaction.

It was a relief that he had judged alertly.

Had he not almost been swept into the situation!

‘If I just stay out of sight and endure until that bastard tricks the other fools and throws them all in at once….’

It was then.

“Look, instead of a long explanation, I’ll show you from now on! Going out the window!”

Huh?

“I will go out the window at this altar.”

“That’s right. He is the qualified person this time.”

“Ooooh!”

“Everyone, applaud!”

Uh?

“The first altar might feel more lonely and scary because you have to advance alone…”

“It’s fine! I want to do exactly what the Pioneer did!”

“I, I’m not the Pioneer, just someone who tried first… Hmm. Yes. If so.”

Kim Sol-eum smiled as if slightly embarrassed, then looked at the opponent as if praying seriously and held their hand.

“I will also do my best to protect the volunteer from pain, striving to give the token strongly.”

“…! Yes!”

Entering the First Altar

Baek Sa-heon watched that situation with a dumbfounded expression.

In the red train car that grew dim upon entering the altar, he saw Kim Sol-eum lightly grasping the person’s forearm and doing something….

“I will be back!”

“See you in a moment!”

“Good luck!”

And receiving enthusiastic cheers from the people, the volunteer in question went down the window with a determined face.

Such events repeated several times, and after repeating….

Entering the Fourth Altar

“Now, they are the last ones.”

And he realized.

‘…An item!’

Kim Sol-eum had been subtly using items on the people who went down.

Whatever it was, so that they truly wouldn’t go crazy even if they fell out the window!

‘W-wait a minute.’

He was actually sincere?

And for that psychopath to bother doing that much meant….

Baek Sa-heon’s mind spun rapidly, and he switched his stance in an instant.

‘This Dark, it’s cleared on a first-come, first-served basis!’

It’s a first-come, first-served basis, but it’s the kind of thing that isn’t cleared until all the slots are filled, isn’t it?

‘Falling out the window is the main game itself!’

And Kim Sol-eum was a bastard fully capable of doing cult-leader-like things to instigate people to volunteer and jump.

Why?

‘Because that gets the dopamine flowing more!’

Because that is more fun than catching people by force and throwing them out the window!

He was indeed a truly spine-chilling guy….

Baek Sa-heon shuddered.

But that was not what was important right now.

‘If that bastard has a plan!’

If so!

“Su-Supervisor!”

Hitch a ride!

Raising his hand high, he stood up from his seat for the first time and revealed his presence.

It was right after they passed the 4th altar and the train brightened.

“Wh-what?”

“Was there a person over there?”

Regardless of whether the people in the same car, who had come to know each other through word of mouth after the loop repeated five times, were surprised by that unfamiliar face.

Baek Sa-heon put on an even more surprised expression and desperately initiated a conversation with Kim Sol-eum in a natural and friendly manner.

Yes, to Kim Sol-eum!

In fact, he wanted to talk to the elite team first, but no matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t seem like they would deal with an unfamiliar rookie in any meaningful way.

If so, let’s target the one who at least had the connection of being a roommate.

Since the one put forward as the figurehead also seemed to be that psychopath!

“Oh my goodness… Hello! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“…….”

Kim Sol-eum stared at him silently, then.

Grinned.

“Is that so? I knew, though.”

Fuck!

“Really?”

“Haha, no way. It was a joke. How would I know.”

“…….”

Baek Sa-heon barely suppressed the irritation rising through his fear!

“Ah, this person is also a peer from the same company. He said he took annual leave, so it seems he was on his way down to his family home.”

“Ah.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The two elite team employees nodded roughly. They felt no particular impression from a rookie who didn’t even have much experience.

Rather, the ones who welcomed him were the people standing behind.

“Ah, if you’re a work colleague, you might be able to go out the window right away!”

“Yeah. Just like those people!”

Perfect!

Baek Sa-heon rejoiced.

“Ah, well, if it’s like that, I would gladly take the trial out the window once…”

“No. This person does not have the qualification yet.”

You bastard!

“Th-then… when will I get the qualification?”

Kim Sol-eum shook his head while looking at Baek Sa-heon as if he felt truly sorry.

“I cannot know that either.”

“…….”

“I am merely someone who passed this trial first, and I only wish to guide you to a path as painless as possible.”

Veins bulged on Baek Sa-heon’s temples.

However, he spoke while desperately smiling gently.

“I see. Ah! Just a moment, although the situation is like this, due to company matters, I’d like the two of us to talk quietly…”

“Uh-uh!”

A thunderous criticism erupted from among the passengers who were fully focused and immersed in seeing off the people going out the window.

“No, the train situation is like this right now, and you’re talking about company work? Trying to call the Pioneer over for merely such matters…”

“This guy has no grasp of the situation!”

“It is fine, everyone. What each person considers important can be different…. Since there is some time until the next life, we will have a conversation in the interim.”

“Oh, yes, yes.”

The people whispered that he was ‘so kind it was a problem.’

Baek Sa-heon did not even get goosebumps anymore…….

“Shall we talk over here?”

“…Sure!”

However, as soon as they went to the restroom and locked the door, he couldn’t hold back and spoke.

“Excuse me. I saw everything, you using the items, Supervisor.”

The smile Kim Sol-eum had been wearing until just now returned to an expressionless face like a lie, and he crossed his arms.

“So?”

Baek Sa-heon swallowed his saliva.

“Just… think about it. What would happen if I go out right now and expose everything to the people?”

He had to drag this crazy guy to the negotiation table somehow.

However, Kim Sol-eum stared at Baek Sa-heon silently, then…… nodded slightly.

“Brown says you won’t do that.”

“…Ah, is that so?”

“Yeah. In the current atmosphere, if you did that, they say you’d be thrown out the window bare-bodied.”

“…….”

“If it leads to the same result, volunteering and jumping is simpler, so there’s really no reason to go back.”

It was the truth.

‘F-Fuck.’

Baek Sa-heon swallowed hard.

Fortunately, instead of pressuring him any further, Kim Sol-eum did something unexpected.

He used a carrot instead of a whip.

“Now that I think about it, I have a request for you.”

“……!”

“I need your eye.”

Huh?

“The one I gave you as a present.”

Baek Sa-heon reflexively grabbed his eye patch.

Recalling the purple reversed eye that must be beneath it.

When verifying the field of vision through that equipment, a warmer-colored halo is visible for more dangerous entities.

An excellent risk detector.

It was also an item that would be extremely useful for the field exploration team, where split-second judgment is crucial.

To the point where Baek Sa-heon himself could not understand why on earth Kim Sol-eum had given this to him.

Well, actually, the reason was simple.

Because for Kim Sol-eum… even if he wore that equipment, there was a high probability that everything would appear as a bright red halo…….

Because it was a body part, it was heavily influenced by the wearer’s subconscious judgment, meaning it had little utility for someone with a coward’s heart.

Even so, giving it to someone else would become an act of encouraging them to gouge out an eyeball, so it ended up being given to Baek Sa-heon, who already lacked one eye.

He was actually the right person.

Because among his peers, there was no one with a stronger survival instinct than him.

In any case, Baek Sa-heon, who did not know all these principles, merely asked while showing wariness.

“…When should I use it.”

“In Car 1.”

“Car 1?”

He seemed to have heard it in the people’s conversations. Baek Sa-heon frowned and rolled his brain before recalling.

“…I think they said the door over there is closed.”

“Right.”

Kim Sol-eum readily admitted.

“The door has probably been locked since Loop 2. And right now, they must be locking the door every time we return to the start point of the train.”

“…….”

Just hearing it….

Was suspicious.

‘No, more than that, how does that guy know this?’

Didn’t he come from Car 7?

But how on earth does he know the situation of the frontmost car so well.

‘Could he be leading and saving people because of this…?’

For information gathering power?

A-anyway.

“So, what do you want me to do.”

“It’s simple.”

Kim Sol-eum spoke as if throwing it out.

“Once the door of Car 1 opens, go straight to Car 1 and pick the person who shows up as the most dangerous there.”

“Who on earth is in Car 1?”

“I don’t know.”

If you don’t know, who does!

Sure enough, Kim Sol-eum tilted his head and caressed his chin.

“But you see…. It seems they are throwing someone out the window in Car 1 on their own accord every time.”

“…!”

“Without me knowing. I mean, because it seems someone is falling in each loop…. That is so unfortunate. It must hurt….”

“…….”

“So I’m going to stop them.”

That’s a lie.

“How about it? Good, right?”

“Th-that is true. Indeed!”

This is a total lie.

‘He’s trying to beat them up because they are falling on their own accord and ruining the big picture, fuck.’

However, he decided not to say a word.

Because Baek Sa-heon valued his own life….

Instead, he spoke while desperately smiling.

“Well, then. If I identify the most dangerous person in Car 1, won’t that person gain the ‘qualification’? The qualification to receive the item.”

You’re giving me the item for this, right?

“Huh? That’s just a request I made. What does the item have to do with qualification?”

“…….”

“Rather, if someone encourages the people of Car 2 to try and persuade Car 1 until the door opens voluntarily, well… wouldn’t that person gain the qualification?”

“…….”

Baek Sa-heon smiled brightly!

“Wow! That is exactly what I wanted to do as well. Hahaha….”

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes!”

Die!

Die, Kim Sol-eum, you bastard!

* * *

In that way, Kim Sol-eum successfully put Baek Sa-heon to unpaid labor.

‘As they say, even dog poop can be used as medicine.’

“You have come!”

“Yes. Let’s do our best this time too.”

The train started again. The people of Car 7 greeted each other energetically and also greeted Kim Sol-eum. No, now people from other cars came over to chat.

They looked so stable that one could not think they had experienced train crashes six times.

…Indeed, it seemed correct that having hope made it at least a bit easier to endure.

‘The important thing is holding onto people’s sanity.’

To do that… I have to keep playing this crazy cult fraud role that isn’t even in my destiny….

‘Sob.’

-Let’s go, Mr. Roe Deer! I look forward to seeing what kind of audience, no, passenger will be expecting your wonderful performance today. Ah, this is truly fun….

“Everyone, today many people from Car 8 have obtained the qualification.”

“Ohhhhh!”

Brown, please don’t you cheer too….

Kim Sol-eum was starting to feel a reality check, but in any case, he did not give up on scamming the people steadily.

Rather, he engaged in the duty passionately.

And as time passed….

Loop 14.

“Pioneer!”

“Pioneer, we’re almost there now. Haha!”

Obtaining the support of 342 out of 355 passengers across the seven train cars, Kim Sol-eum succeeded in uniting the public opinion of the people in every car except Car 1.

It reached a point where Brown was starting to ask Kim Sol-eum if he was interested in producing related programs.

Now only one car remained.

‘Car 1.’

The place where 53 passengers had kept the door locked and had been quietly isolated without any news since Loop 2.

The place where one could only know that they were steadily offering sacrifices.

“I-it opened!”

Finally, the news was heard.