Chapter 118

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Hey, Supervisor, I will go out now. I’m fine even on my own.”

Supervisor Dolphin readily volunteered to fall at the first altar.

Since one had to go alone at the first altar, someone had to take the lead, but since a person to organize and check the passengers until the end was also needed, I had to remain until the final moment.

However, Supervisor Dolphin did not fall alone either.

“Th-then I will also go first…! I will go.”

“Since we’re going to do it anyway, the first is better.”

Because there were so many volunteers, several people decided to jump together even at the first altar.

And right before the start.

Distance Remaining: 4

“You have the opportunity to stop even now.”

Even at the final crossroads, not a single person quit.

“Let’s go!”

“Uaargh!!”

People went out the window.

Led by Supervisor Dolphin, over seven people swarmed down at the first altar.

Open the seaway

The train exited the altar quickly, and the surroundings brightened again.

“Ah….”

The people blinked at the daily scenery, which had been repeated 14 loops and was almost learned.

“T-they went.”

Naturally, it would have seemed not much different from having jumped before.

‘Because not having painkillers only exerts its influence after going down.’

And a subtle symptom occurred.

‘Wait, was it actually no big deal?’

Perhaps because they thought so, people saying they would also fall emerged belatedly.

For instance, like this person.

“Excuse me! I will go out too.”

Speaking of this passenger, he was the person whose bad character had been witnessed by Supervisor Dolphin and was marked as a candidate for sacrifice….

Perhaps because he conveniently deleted from his memory that he raised his fists at people and said, ‘Go before I just beat you up,’ in the early loops, he spoke to me nonchalantly.

Well, even so, it doesn’t matter.

“Then, falling at the second…”

“No, I am going with you, I mean, the Pioneer. I definitely want to go together. At the very end.”

“…Hmm. Understood.”

If you say so.

-He is a rather rude fellow.

It was as he said.

And the sound of that passenger chatting with his companion was heard from behind.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why the hell are you suddenly saying you’ll jump.”

“Tsk, can’t you tell by looking at the atmosphere? Clearly, if you believe and jump, they give you some special ability or something. Fuck, it’s obvious at a glance. You have to ride the wave quickly at times like this.”

Mmh.

‘Oh dear….’

There is no such thing.

“There’s a high probability that the pain part is also a bluff meant for filtering, you know?”

It wasn’t.

‘You will really be in pain.’

Well, delusion is also a personal freedom.

I decided not to try and stop him. Instead, to add him to the list of people going to the altar, I checked his face once more….

Wait a minute.

Come to think of it, that person’s face….

‘…He has a huge mole on his cheek.’

It was a feature I had failed to see because I was hurriedly passing by, worried that Supervisor Dolphin might throw a preemptive face punch.

‘And he was a Car 6 person, right?’

Someone with exactly matching characteristics came to mind.

Mmh.

‘It seems that person was the passenger who originally became the cult leader….’

-Oh dear! Was he pushed out of the role by Mr. Roe Deer?

Mmh, I hate to admit it… but it seems so.

‘Since the total 14 loops flowed so smoothly, does such a case also emerge?’

Well, it is much better than dragging passengers around with fear and madness, extracting human organs to offer as living sacrifices, and then throwing only the husks out the window….

In any case, the important thing was that the majority of the volunteering passengers were going down to the altar together without any issues, in a calm and steadfast attitude.

“I will go.”

“See you all after becoming even cooler people!”

“We can do it!”

Strangely, the atmosphere grew better and better. Even some people wiped away tears while waiting.

“U-uh, actually, this is the first time I’ve ever challenged myself with something like this…”

“Awesome!”

While people encouraged each other and shared sincere stories, I looked back at a single person who was isolated.

At Baek Sa-heon, who wore an uncomfortable expression looking at all of this sight.

“…Look, I don’t know why you are watching me. I’m not going down.”

“Suit yourself.”

I didn’t expect it anyway.

“But by the way.”

Baek Sa-heon spoke in a somewhat suggestive voice.

“Well, if you need it, you could give me a painkiller and I might go down.”

“Ah, you want to use it now?”

“No, after all this is finished and we go out.”

“Oh….”

I grinned.

“Forget it.”

“…….”

Just comfortably hitch a free ride.

‘Trying to get an item for free like that.’

“Ah, it’s the fifth altar, Pioneer!”

“Yes. I am going now.”

Leaving Baek Sa-heon behind, I blended in among the passengers and sent advice and applause to the volunteers.

Meaning, I did what I could do as the Silver Heart holder.

And…….

After about three hours passed like that.

Entering the Ninth Altar

“…….”

Finally, the last moment arrived.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

I stood together with all the remaining volunteers.

…The people who said they would go out the window this time easily exceeded twenty.

‘It is an absurd number.’

Honestly, it’s scary.

If these people truly struggle in pain and begin to resent me, can my mental state endure it?

“I will go!”

“Ya-yap!”

Two or three people jumping out of the window hand in hand without hesitation followed in a stream.

After confirming that the last person among the volunteering passengers jumped out the window, I stood in front of the window immediately.

“A-are you going?”

Actually, even if I backed out now, it wouldn’t hinder the clear.

But still…….

-Ah, are you going to use that excellent painkiller this time too, my friend?

…….

‘No.’

I packed the painkiller back into my pocket.

I threw my body toward the window.

Splat.

The body that fell from the high-speed train rolled down into the dark red altar passage.

And the moment my five senses grasped the surrounding scenery….

…….

‘Fuck.’

It was a primitive hell.

I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t felt disgusted by this scenery.

Even though it was a task I had done twice, the difference between when the Happy Maker was stabbed into the forearm and when it wasn’t was stark.

It was a hell filled with rotting blood and filth, where countless pieces of rotting flesh of unknown owners wriggled on the floor, creating waves like earthworms. The flesh was moving!

C-could this also cause mental aberration? No, since I wore the silver ring, I should be o… no, let’s stop, let’s stop thinking.

I caught my breath so that the silver ring’s resistance would exert its power.

Yet, the sound striking my head was not heard as before.

‘Gathering my mind….’

At that moment.

A pain as if my whole body were burning struck me.

“…!!”

I almost fell.

Burning pain.

Burning pain!!

Bur-

ning

pain

Bur-

ning

pain

Bur-

ning

pain

Each letter felt like it was searing my whole body with candle wax.

It wasn’t a matter of simply not hearing that bizarre voice echoing in my head!

And those who heard that voice….

“Crazy! Crazy!”

“Kggghhh!”

“Wh-what is it saying, what… s-sinnn?”

Wailing, screaming, and symptoms of delirium rang through the altar.

My head spun.

Thud.

Near me, a person collapsed completely and fell amidst the pieces of flesh. I suppressed my scream and pulled the person up.

“Krrrghhh….”

‘P-painkiller.’

The sole thought of pulling them up first and stabbing them with the Happy Maker dominated my mind.

So, the moment I supported the opponent and shouldered them.

“…!”

Suddenly.

The burning pain dropped sharply.

‘……No!’

It hadn’t decreased, but because I didn’t feel the burning pain in the back and shoulder areas in contact with this opponent, it felt relatively easier to endure…….

“…Ah!!”

I realized.

In the areas of mutual contact, the burning pain is not felt.

Because they are not exposed to the altar’s environment!

“Everyone! Cling to each other! It gets better if we stick together!”

As I said those words, I locked bodies with a nearby person as if putting my arm around their shoulder.

The words spread out.

“Let’s not expose bare skin! The, the voice comes from there!”

“Hold each other’s hands!”

Soon, the sparsely separated groups of two or three united, and those people clung to each other in front and back.

“Fuck off! Aaargh!”

Of course, in the midst of that, there was also a person who failed to snap out of it, pushed people, and sank completely into the pieces of flesh.

“I won’t leave you alone, you fucker!! You tricked us! Tricked■■■”

Even a passenger who joined demandingly at the last minute saying they would obtain a ‘special ability’ glared at me as if they would kill me and pointed a finger, then got left behind, buried in the flesh.

However, the majority of the people, over twenty, began to gather and surround each other like penguins.

“I-it works….”

“It’s bearable. It’s bearable…!”

“L-let’s move!”

And staying as close as possible, locking arms and squeezing together, they began to run toward the light.

The pain was minimized.

Unable to bite with teeth or scratch with fingernails, both hands squeezed together tightly gripped the people standing on either side, and the rotting flesh beneath their feet scattered with their running steps.

Screams and shouts rang out, but at the same time, encouragement and rallying cries also rang.

A shared sensation.

“We’re almost there!!”

The light drew near.

Slowly but surely.

A bit more.

A bit more….

And finally!

“Ah…….”

The people cheered desperately and threw their bodies into the light.

“Waaaaah!!”

Enveloped in the light together, my mind began to be elevated loftily.

Though the voice, which had already disappeared, was not heard….

…….

Suddenly, such a thought occurred to me.

Perhaps the trial presented by this ghost story had never been solved ‘properly’ even once until now.

And at this very moment, I felt as if I had vaguely seen the direction of the solution.

‘Perhaps Tamra.’

Is a mysterious world that can be reached if all passengers of the train jump together and undergo this process?

* * *

I opened my eyes.

“Ugh!”

“Ugh…”

“Ah… wh-what.”

Inhaling sounds and small groans were heard here and there.

The characteristic flinching of people who had been dozing off and woke up startled was also visible as seats shook here and there.

I immediately raised my head and looked at the train video first.

And the characters flowing on the screen.

Bound for Mokpo

Changed.

Departure

Beep!

Making a cheerful sound, the high-speed train began to pull out of the station…….

“Oh, we returned safely.”

“……Yes.”

Escape, successful.

‘Phew….’

My tension loosened completely, and I stretched out leaning fully against my seat.

However, the moment I saw the person in front, I grew alert again.

‘…Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol!’

Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol was looking at the train’s ceiling with crossed arms, without a word or expression.

Well, of course, all of this had become a matter of dreams now, and since Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol hadn’t jumped at the end, it seemed her remaining anger wouldn’t be large, but….

‘But still, let’s do what needs to be done!’

I hurriedly searched my pockets and pulled out an item that would give energy to my tired, efficiency-supremacist boss.

It was something the three of us sitting here all possessed. None other than….

“…Assistant Manager.”

“…….”

“The Dreamscape Collector is full.”

Clear golden liquid sloshed inside the collector.

Yes.

Since we were on a business trip, we naturally had the Dreamscape Collector, and because we cleared the ghost story, the liquid was collected.

‘Though if we cleared it when it was the old Iksan-bound train, it probably would have come out as an F or D-grade but….’

Now, with the anomaly manifesting, the extended route added, restarting in the double digits, and numerous people falling to the altar together….

“It’s a C-grade.”

It was the same grade as the Mokpo Dark we had intended to enter.

And since the Dreamscape Collector had already filled up, it was meaningless to enter a new Dark now.

A expression finally returned to Assistant Manager Jin Na-sol’s face.

“If so, we don’t have to go to Mokpo, do we? Return at the next station.”

“Yes, yes, ma’am!”

I swept my chest while letting out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness.’

Is finishing work early indeed the best present for an office worker….

It was then.

Nodding was heard from the back seat.

“Hey… I had a strange dream… like the train running on water?”

“Whoa, what is that. Just a nonsense dream.”

“No, but it was fun. Pandemonium broke out, and a saint-like person even appeared… did they call him the ‘Pioneer’? Anyway, that was exactly the seat in front of us?”

“Uh, really?”

“…!”

W-wait a minute.

It seemed that my playing the cult leader was so intense that it remained firmly in the people’s memory.

‘L-let’s leave my seat first.’

After asking for understanding from my superiors, I headed to the restroom first to stay out of sight.

Click.

“Phew.”

Mmh. Let’s stay here for a few minutes until the details evaporate from the passengers’ memories before leaving….

-Like a star avoiding obsessive fans….

For some reason, it was embarrassing that it was highly similar….

Still, it wasn’t a bad situation.

‘Rather, a very good ending.’

A faint sense of pride spread from my chest.

……The peace that the passengers of the Tamra-Bound High-Speed Rail Incident originally could not enjoy.

‘Because… the ending was more terrible.’

Since it was shockingly hopeless, it was remembered very clearly even without the wiki.

At some point where hundreds or thousands of loops proceeded, the passengers’ minds completely collapsed, and they went beyond collective madness to become almost non-human.

The train cars, which had already turned into hell due to the collapse of all passengers’ minds, were now a swamp of pain where making the decision itself to jump out the window in accordance with the count was impossible.

‘But through repeated trials, the ‘correct answer’ might inadvertently pop out probabilistically….’

After countless restarts and endless time, they finally matched the numbers and jumped to the 9th altar.

In that way, they dramatically escaped from this anomaly, but….

‘In a sense, they couldn’t escape.’

The passengers were assumed to have failed to recognize that the anomaly ended and they returned to reality.

They mistook that they were still trapped in the loop….

Rather, when their mental strength was slightly restored as they returned to reality, they despaired more and actively began to commit crazy acts.

In that way, hell arrived in reality too.

The majority of the passengers killed each other, tore, and dismantled at their seats, in the aisle, and at the windows.

After that enormous commotion and frenzy, the train derailed and….

Exploded.

Thus, the ‘Tamra-Bound High-Speed Rail Incident’ met a terrible conclusion….

Survivors: 7

Casualties: 404

……It was a relief that it did not become reality.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Mmh, and after all was finished, I finally had the leeway to hold doubts.

Assistant Manager ■■

The only Daydream Co. employee among the survivors of this incident originally.

The employee who would have purchased this silver ring I bought at Samangdan-gil by exchanging it with three civilians.

Where was this person?

‘No, is it even correct that they were here?’

I didn’t know.

The only company employee we could verify inside the train earlier was Baek Sa-heon.

And I didn’t want to do conspicuous actions that didn’t particularly help with the clear, like searching out employees.

‘In any case, thank goodness.’

If they were here, since it ended safely, that person would have survived too.

The important thing was that the tragedy that happened on that train did not occur.

Knock, knock, knock!

Ah,

‘I should go out now.’

The next person couldn’t wait and was knocking on the restroom door.

Holding onto the memory of the past 14 loops that was slowly beginning to fade, I recorded a few characters in the notepad on my smartphone, finished washing my face with cold water, and came out of the restroom.

Click.

The waiting person suddenly entered the restroom.

‘Were they in a hurry.’

Quickly brushing past to return to my seat….

Whish.

“You son of a bitch.”

I lowered my head.

A cutter blade.

A knife was passing by, barely slashing my chest….

“…!!”

Fuck!

Stepping backward, I simultaneously grabbed the opponent’s forearm with one arm and twisted it.

Clatter!

The cutter blade fell to the floor, making a sharp sound. Just like that, I suppressed the opponent and pressed them to the floor.

In the process, their face was visible.

“You son of a bitch, uh, uh!”

This is crazy.

I pressed the opponent down while breaking into a cold sweat.

‘The cult leader…!’

“Fuck! It hurts like hell, gasp, I said it hurt! Ah!”

It was the person who was left behind after falling at the final 9th altar!

‘This crazy bastard….’

“Tricking people?!? Then you must die, you motherfucker, son of a…”

Holding the opponent who kept shouting curses, I slammed him hard against the floor once more.

Along with a short thudding sound….

He fainted.

“Gasp.”

Cold sweat was thick in my hands.

‘…Did he lose his mind because he was left behind.’

Since he originally had a bad character anyway, he might have suffered longer because he had more sins to offer….

Even so, it should have been at the level of a nightmare, so he must have a character that is terribly unable to control anger.

‘Because he is this kind of person, he acted like this.’

Phew…

I wiped away my sweat.

Still, the fortunate thing was that my chest slashed by the knife was fine without pain.

Why?

‘…It was a good thing I wrapped the wrapping paper around my body in advance.’

Although I didn’t know I would be dragged into a ghost story again on the way to a business trip, I had padded my bare skin with the protective wrapping paper item since departure, worried there might be no opportunity later.

The ‘Wrapping Paper 12B357-na’ sold at the Alien Shop.

Since I had even received a death prediction, it could be said to be a natural preparation.

‘Even so, I never dreamed that I would almost die from a knife-wielding assailant rather than a ghost story….’

By any chance, was the death prediction I received this one, and did I just block it?

‘What do you think, Brown.’

…….

…….

There was no answer.

“……Brown.”

A strange premonition passed down my spine.

I mean… my chest was slashed just now.

I wasn’t hurt, but that referred to my bare skin padded with wrapping paper.

But what was inside the pocket near the left chest of my suit outside was….

“…Brown?”

Still,

There was no answer.

I hurriedly put my hand inside my suit pocket.

While my trembling hand pulled out the fluffy stuffed doll inside….

Rrip, rrip.

Cotton fell down.

The tattered pink fabric fell, fluttering as it was cut.

“…….”

Holding the stuffed doll keyring cut in two, I froze.