Chapter 117

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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-Unbelievable! A moment of difficult choice has arrived, my friend.

Brown’s lighthearted voice echoed in my ears.

-Now, there are only 10 pass tickets in Mr. Roe Deer’s possession, yet the poor candidates who will fall into the terrible rotting flesh altar and suffer number 45.

-By what criteria will you select the 45 sacrifices, and by what criteria will you choose the 10 dramatic exempt ones among them?

-A trial? A vote? A screening? A lottery? Ah, whichever it is, it seems it will be truly unfortunate….

Brown’s voice rose joyfully.

-But aren’t the sweaty-palmed tension, the pressure, the immersion, the sigh of relief, the happiness, and the despair the very essence of a show?

-It is the best moment. Ah! Just in time, a panelist is opening their mouth over there!

At that moment.

“What does it matter?”

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol opened her mouth.

“Assistant Manager?”

“I don’t know what difference it makes whether there are ten painkillers or one. Just catch 45 people and tell them to jump. That’s all it takes.”

Her tone was that she couldn’t understand it at all.

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol turned back to look at me.

And….

“You painstakingly built up the atmosphere to do that. Is it not?”

Click.

The assistant manager opened Car 1’s door slightly.

“…! Assistant Manager….”

“Look.”

…Through the gap in the door, I saw passengers waving hands or greeting with worried faces in Car 2.

The atmosphere created by hundreds of friendly people, enough for everything to proceed smoothly without any friction.

“Great. I thought you were doing something useless, but looking at it now, we can make the work a bit less tiring.”

“…….”

“In any case, the humans remaining on the train won’t grasp the situation, right? They will only know after falling.”

…It was the truth.

Indeed, it was enough to just grab anyone right now and say, ‘In this loop, 45 people have gained the qualification and you are included. From now on, you just need to jump in order.’

Then, the people who knew nothing would simply fall out of the window without even receiving painkillers….

Into a time like torture without warning.

“No, because it might not end at nine times, just tell everyone to keep jumping until the altar stops appearing.”

“…….”

“Now, if we go and throw them…”

“You can’t do that.”

“…!”

The reply came from someone else.

Supervisor Dolphin.

The other elite team employee replied while looking up at Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol.

“…What?”

“I said you can’t.”

“Is that so?”

Jin Na-sol’s temples twitched, but she gave a competent person one more chance.

“Then what do you propose.”

And Supervisor Dolphin made a choice extremely characteristic of herself.

“We just need to pick out only the worst people and throw them, right?”

“Are you crazy? Why would we do such a bothersome thing.”

At that moment.

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“It’s time.”

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol tried to stride out of the door of Car 1.

Supervisor Dolphin’s eyes flashed. And as she raised her hand…… w-wait a minute!

“Just a moment!”

I blocked the assistant manager’s path.

“What.”

…It was a cliff.

‘Cautious, be extremely cautious.’

I spoke while swallowing my saliva.

“Supervisor Dolphin’s words… make sense. I don’t think we should just tell them to fall blindly.”

“…….”

“What I mean is, there is a reasonable justification to do so!”

“Reason.”

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath.

Calmly.

Reflected the prose story I already knew into the clues I possessed….

Lest it seem awkward.

“Assistant Manager, when you went down the window, you heard a voice at the altar filled with rotting flesh. Like, ‘Discard your sins’….”

Discard your sins

Tear away as much as your sins.

That strange and massive resonance echoing in the head was certainly not blocked even by the ‘Happy Maker.’

And had it not been for the Happy Maker, one would have been tearing off their skin and flesh due to the burning pain that made their whole body feel as if it were burning upon hearing that voice.

“So.”

“If it is such a powerful message, it must be deeply related to this phenomenon. Therefore… in this Dark, I believe ‘sin’ is the keyword.”

“…….”

“I mean the keyword necessary for the clear.”

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol stopped in her tracks.

“Keep talking.”

“Yes.”

I swallowed my saliva.

“Wasn’t it strange in the first place? Why the person offered as a sacrifice wakes up on the train again each time. If they were offered as a sacrifice, they shouldn’t return, right?”

“Instead, they go crazy.”

“Yes. But that is… because they follow the voice to ‘tear away as much as your sins,’ which drives them crazy from the pain.”

I distinguished between the two things that had been roughly lumped together during the 14 loops.

“If so, isn’t the sacrifice not the human itself… but the ‘flesh’ that the human directly offers as much as their sins?”

“…!”

Had I not said so before?

That cults was rampant, causing people in all kinds of cars to kill each other, hold crazy rituals, and throw corpses out the window.

If we only counted the number of people who died and fell from the window like that, we certainly should have easily passed the 9th altar.

Yet, the reason this ghost story did not end even though it looped hundreds of times.

That was.

“People are not the sacrifice. They simply offer their sins as sacrifice at the altar.”

“…….”

“And the people return.”

The person who completed the offering walked out of the altar each time and went back to the train’s starting point.

In that way, the loop started again.

Although they went half crazy due to the pain of ‘tearing off their sins,’ the person themselves returned.

“While tearing off their sins as flesh and leaving them behind in the passage.”

Eating, vomiting, and spilling….

“I believe that is indeed the sacrifice.”

That pain.

The terrible burning pain received as much as one’s sins and the resonance in the head.

…Looking at the rotting flesh piled up in the passage at that point, it was understood from a slightly different angle.

That it was not merely a grotesque trace, but a sacrifice steadily offered to the altar and accumulated.

“Therefore, I believe that a person with sins falling into the altar to offer their sins is the most definitive method. …That is all.”

“…….”

“…….”

Clap, clap, clap.

Supervisor Dolphin clapped lightly behind, but the assistant manager did not budge.

“Of course, my guess could be wrong. But wouldn’t it be rational to choose a safe path in case it is correct?”

Making eye contact with Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol, I spoke earnestly.

“So, for a safe clear, I request you. I will persuade the passengers…”

“You.”

The assistant manager’s mouth opened.

“You lie well too.”

“……!!”

“Well, it’s better to be good with words at least.”

“Assi—”

“This is the third time.”

Thud.

I was grabbed by the collar and lifted into the air.

“Pioneer!”

“Aaargh!”

“Since I let you slide, there’s no end to this. We have to enter the Dark even after getting off at Mokpo, yet you keep wasting energy here?”

From Car 2 beyond the connection area, passengers ran over screaming. However, Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol did not even bat an eye and closed and locked Car 1’s door in front of them.

Click.

“Listen, being grateful that I am spending time on this kind of thing.”

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol thrust her face close.

“The flesh that a human tears off and offers is the sacrifice? Hey. But those guys you stabbed with painkillers and threw in came out perfectly fine without offering flesh.”

“…!!”

“According to your words, no sacrifice was given, yet it proceeded well, safely passing to the next altar, didn’t it?”

That was….

“You lied knowing it, didn’t you.”

…….

“I got caught.”

-My goodness!

It was true.

I had tried to scam the assistant manager.

‘Although I didn’t know I would get caught right away.’

I grinned while breaking into a cold sweat.

However, most of what I said was true.

‘Except for exactly one thing.’

Namely, the conclusion.

“As expected.”

The pressure gripping my neck grew stronger.

“We just need to throw anyone in alignment with the altar, right?”

“*Gasp*, that’s right.”

I admitted readily.

“Actually, how much sin is offered probably doesn’t matter. …Even if none is offered at all. The very act of a human… preparing an offering and coming to the altar is what is important.”

Furthermore.

“Because… in this Tamra-bound train, it seems everyone, *gasp*, is considered to have sins anyway.”

Had I not seen it?

‘Even the so good-natured Silver Heart holder tore off his body at the altar.’

According to the judgment of this crazy ghost story…… there is no human without sin.

Everyone is a sinner, and there is merely a difference in degree….

Thus, if clearing it is the goal, there is no reason to bother finding and choosing bad people.

“Finally we understand each other.”

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol released her hand with a slap.

I barely stood balancing on the floor and gasped for breath.

“Good. Then now, stop saying useless things and quickly cooperate, all of you. Efficiently.”

“…….”

I grinned with difficulty.

“That is strange, though.”

“What?”

“Assistant Manager, you have made an inefficient choice right now.”

Thud, thud!

I looked back at the passengers knocking on the door, Supervisor Dolphin, and Baek Sa-heon.

“If you wish to do it your way, Assistant Manager, you will have to fight three employees.”

“…!!”

“And because the passengers just saw you grab me by the collar, whatever you do, they will violently refuse and counter it.”

“…….”

Since the board was already set up like this, the ‘most efficient movement’ Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol herself thought of would run into tremendous backlash.

Because the passengers wouldn’t cooperate at all!

And since the layout had become like this, the ‘most efficient movement’ would be hindered as Supervisor Dolphin would unconditionally join forces with me to suppress Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol in reverse.

“Of course, you could suppress everyone, Assistant Manager… but that would be an extremely troublesome task. Correct?”

“Ah! An excellent perspective, Supervisor.”

Supervisor Dolphin approached with a smile.

“Exactly. Why would you do a troublesome task! Just sleep and the three of us will take care of it and come back.”

In the back, Baek Sa-heon wore a face like ‘Me?’, but instead of taking the assistant manager’s side, he quietly rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut.

If they are of the same elite team, they will stick to this side with more heads based on the winning rate.

Therefore….

“Assistant Manager. Just this once, won’t you turn a blind eye to this bothersome matter?”

“…….”

“Because this is not real company work, just a situation we got swept up in by chance. I wish to use a slightly more comfortable and safe method. It’s just that it takes a little more time.”

Please!

‘Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol is a rational human.’

She was someone who would consider it foolish to make a fuss because she felt bad and take a roundabout, bothersome path.

I had no choice but to bet on that.

‘But… still, since she is human, she could act impulsively out of bad mood.’

Especially for an elite team superior, the antipathy toward this situation where two supervisor-level employees rebelled would be severe…….

I swallowed my saliva.

“This is, as you said, Assistant Manager, not work.”

“…….”

“…….”

After silence.

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol moved her booted feet. And….

Sat in an empty seat of Car 1.

“…Thank you.”

An answer did not return. Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol merely closed her eyes with an expressionless face.

She was clearly cooling her anger.

Indeed, it was a crazy act since I had run up against my superior during a business trip!

‘Phew…….’

I am sorry, Assistant Manager….

Still, according to expectations, once everything was finished, an efficient result that even Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol could accept would come out.

Though I let it pass because I couldn’t explain it rationally right now.

Right now, I had to move.

“…Let’s do this quickly.”

Soon we will enter the first altar.

Perhaps Supervisor Dolphin had a similar thought, as she tried to unlock the door first.

“Yeah, yeah. Now, let’s go out quickly and pick 45 bad people!”

Mmh.

“Well, Supervisor. About that.”

“…?”

“Can we do it in a slightly different way?”

“Oh?”

* * *

Slide.

I opened the door of Car 1.

“Ah! It’s open… Gasp!”

“W-what is this place?”

The passengers who had been knocking on the door, probably discussing and worrying whether to break it or not, rejoiced but then gasped in horror. They were bewildered by the terrible sight inside Car 1.

However, seeing me, they were relieved for now.

…Probably because the person they considered the answer sheet of this train was fine.

I bowed my head.

“Everyone. Thank you for waiting.”

“A-are you okay, Pioneer?”

“Earlier, that person…”

“Of course I am fine.”

I looked back at Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol and smiled bitterly on purpose.

“Because I… learned a shocking fact, she helped me snap out of it.”

“…What do you mean, a shocking fact?”

Phew.

“Everyone. I have something to tell you.”

I took a deep breath, looking at the hundreds of people watching me.

“This time, for those who can go out the window… there is no restriction.”

“Ohhhhh!”

“And this is the last time.”

“…….”

“Yes?”

“What does that…”

“Exactly as it sounds.”

“With this time as the last, the trial is over.”

The passengers began to mutter, asking what that meant. Some also asked if everyone wasn’t supposed to go out the window.

“Originally, it was correct for everyone to go out the window slowly. …But, a change has occurred.”

The passengers held their breath and listened to my words.

“Because you have all obtained the qualification.”

“Th-then!”

I nodded my head.

“Yes. Anyone can go out the window and pass the trial.”

“Oh my god!”

“Then I……”

I spoke to the people who were about to raise their hands and step forward immediately.

“However, this time, it is unconditionally painful.”

“…!!”

Outright, honestly.

“When you fall, you will walk feeling burning pain. It might be so painful that you’ll want to tear off your flesh. Fighting the pain and the voice echoing in your head, you must walk toward the light one step at a time….”

The passengers fell silent.

The frozen people looked at each other and began to whisper.

And someone shouted from the back.

“The promise is different!”

“Yeah! You said you’d protect us….”

I nodded my head.

“Of course. If you do not wish to participate, you do not have to.”

“Uh…… uh-uh?”

“However, I can promise one thing for certain.”

In fact.

According to the Disaster Management Bureau’s short document about the past Iksan-bound train where this ghost story ended safely….

When this ghost story ends, the passengers wake up startled at the train’s start point, as if waking from a nightmare.

In that way, they go on to live reality nonchalantly, thinking ‘I had a nightmare.’

What happened on the Tamra-bound train disappears over half a day, as if forgetting a bad dream, and eventually gets completely forgotten.

But….

Several changes were observed in those who testified that they volunteered to fall out the window.

I remembered that writing.

A passenger who habitually verbally abused their subordinates apologized as soon as they got off this train, and never verbally abused them again.

A passenger who habitually jaywalked corrected that habit because they ‘somehow felt embarrassed themselves,’ and another passenger actually started cleaning volunteer work at a youth center that they had only thought of.

Even a swindler passenger who participated in planning insurance fraud gave up that plan and passed information to the police.

Overall improvement in morality, self-esteem, and pride was witnessed.

Right.

If it just ended safely as before instead of repeating hundreds of terrible loops, the terrible pain in this ghost story would end as a brief nightmare and be forgotten.

But the good things remain.

‘…Which is why when this ghost story was on the Iksan-bound train, the Disaster Management Bureau called it a non-disaster phenomenon and only made a short document…….’

So to speak a bit, exaggeratingly.

“Those who go out the window this time will be proud of themselves when they finally exit the tunnel.”

I continued speaking.

“Instead of looking back at what you did yesterday and regretting, you will become a person who steps forward at that moment, and you will meet a better self without shame.”

A small voice popped out from the crowd.

“……Excuse me, is that all?”

Making eye contact with that passenger, I nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

“…….”

“But I can guarantee at least that.”

The passengers fell silent again.

“Then I will ask again. …Is there anyone who wishes to endure the pain and go out the window?”

…….

“Me.”

I turned my head.

Supervisor Dolphin was raising her hand.

And.

“I will get off too.”

One by one, they raised hands.

“Me.”

“Me too…!”

A strange sense of elevation transcending fear was filled in all those faces.

Crowd psychology.

It is a double-edged sword.

But the group’s cohesion and influence accumulated during the 14 loops were revealing their contours in a most reverent appearance this time.

Being inspired by the courage of those close by.

In an instant, almost half the train’s passengers voluntarily raised their hands.

……The ending I had wanted to see, even if it meant becoming a cult leader during the 14 loops, was right before my eyes.

“…Everyone.”

Entering the First Altar

“Thank you. I will also go out together with you.”

In the exact way the Silver Heart holder had wanted.