Hold up.
Let's take a moment to delve into Baek Saheon's turbulent encounters with his psychopathic roommate.
The psycho who mocked him for losing his left eye.
The dopamine junkie who used people as bait in dangerous Darknesses.
The lunatic who pretended to be a serial killer, hacking away with an axe.
'And now he's playing cult leader too??'
At this point, the sheer absurdity of the situation surpassed all reason, and Baek Saheon began to feel the anomie phenomenon—a breakdown of norms where everything about this chaotic lineup just seemed expected just because it involved that bastard Kim Soleum.
Fine. Let's say that's all whatever.
But how the hell was he facing that lunatic here and now?!
'I even took a vacation leave!'
He hadn't just left the company dorm—he had left Seoul altogether!
Baek Saheon shook his head violently, wondering if this was a nightmare, but the reality was unyielding.
With two elite team superiors by his side and leading dozens of people, Kim Soleum stood in the center of Car 3's corridor, raising his arms dramatically—just like a cult leader would.
"There is no need to worry. We can all pass this test safely."
The only comforting thought Baek Saheon had was the fact that the people in this car were smart enough to point fingers and ridicule the guy.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Jesus, now we've got another lunatic."
"Ugh…"
"D-Don't make eye contact."
Ridicule and rejection erupted toward Kim Soleum, who was spouting nonsense.
'Yeah… This is normal.'
But Kim Soleum wasn't shaken in the slightest.
With a gentle smile, he calmly scanned the people in Car 3.
"…?!"
That made it even scarier!
"Everyone, I understand that you're confused by this sudden gathering, and you probably think this is insane. 'A test? What test?'"
Kim Soleum gave a sheepish smile, his demeanor that of a composed office worker.
"To be honest, I know this sounds cultish, even to me. It's a bit embarrassing, really."
His tone was calm and steady, like someone giving sincere advice over coffee.
"But in such terrifying and dreadful circumstances, we have to muster courage to speak up. If someone knows an answer, sharing it is the right thing to do."
Kim Soleum's expression hardened as he made eye contact with those around him.
"I ask that you set aside your discomfort and think this over. We are not fools—there is a reason why so many of us are here, sharing the same story."
Baek Saheon glanced around at the people teetering on the edge of madness, trapped in this surreal loop of dying and restarting on the same train.
Kim Soleum was telling them exactly what they wanted to hear—the promise of an escape.
And his voice brimmed with conviction.
"This is a test, and there is a way to pass it."
Suddenly, someone spoke up.
"So… you know how to get out of here?"
"Yes."
"…!!"
Kim Soleum subtly turned his gaze behind him.
The people from Car 7, standing excitedly with eyes brimming with fervor, spoke up enthusiastically.
"We just need to go out through the window!"
"Just jump out the window, and it'll be over!"
"What kind of bullshit is this?!"
The horrified passengers of Car 3 were met with a barrage of explanations.
"It's not nonsense! There's a way to make it painless! At least ten people have already gone out!"
"Sure, it's a bit gross, but you just follow the light, and you'll find the exit. Anyone can do it."
"If anyone has trouble walking, someone else can jump out with them to help! It's not hard at all!"
"As long as the venerable Pathfinder helps us…!"
The surprising part was that, although only ten people had jumped so far, there were dozens—nearly a hundred—following this group, including passengers from other cars.
Kim Soleum, watching the hopeful and eager eyes around him, turned his gaze forward and smiled faintly.
"That's right, everyone. You can all make it out through the window."
And at that moment, Baek Saheon realized something—
"There will be no problems."
"That's right!"
—It's a scam!
'T-This fucken psycho.'
He's rallying all these idiots to jump out of the windows so that he can escape safely himself!
'But he won't fool me.'
Baek Saheon swallowed, convinced he had figured it out.
"Listen to the people who've already been out the window…"
"We have! We're the couple who went through the second altar during the third life loop…"
Watching the passengers from Car 3 gradually lean in to hear the testimonies of the Car 7 survivors, who sounded like they were sharing triumphant stories from a self-help seminar, Baek Saheon clicked his tongue.
Idiots.
'I could fabricate testimonies like that with my pen anytime!'
Clearly, Kim Soleum had used the pen he confiscated from Baek Saheon to brainwash these fools.
Fine. If that's how he wanted to play it, Baek Saheon had a strategy of his own.
'Just stay put.'
As long as he didn't join the procession of Kim Soleum's worshipers, he'd be fine.
Baek Saheon grinned confidently, relieved by his quick thinking. He had nearly gotten dragged into this mess!
'Stay under the radar, and once that psycho fools the rest of them into jumping out all at once…'
Just then—
"Alright, let me show you right now! I'll jump through the window this time!"
Huh?
"This time, I'm the one qualified to go through the altar."
"Yes, you've been approved this time."
"Wow!"
"Let's give a round of applause!"
Wait, what?
"The first altar is the loneliest and scariest because you have to go through it alone…"
"It's fine! I want to follow in the venerable Pathfinder's footsteps exactly."
"I-I'm not a Pathfinder, just the first one to try it… Umm. Yes. Well."
Kim Soleum smiled shyly before earnestly grasping the participant's hands as if in prayer.
"I'll do my best to ensure you're protected from pain by strengthening the mark I'll give you."
"…! Yes!"
First Altar Entrance
Baek Saheon watched the scene unfold, his expression blank with disbelief.
Under the dim, crimson lighting of the train, he saw Kim Soleum gently grasp the volunteer's arm and do something subtle…
"I'm off!"
"See you soon!"
"Good luck!"
Amid cheers and encouragement, the volunteer, now resolute, stepped through the window.
This repeated over and over until—
Fourth Altar Entrance
"And now, we have our final participants."
That's when it hit him.
'…Items!'
Kim Soleum had been secretly using some kind of item on the participants before they jumped.
Whatever it was, it actually helped them avoid going insane after falling through the window!
'Wait a second.'
Could he actually be doing something about this?
And if that psycho was going so far to ensure people were safe, then—
Baek Saheon's mind spun rapidly as he switched gears.
'This Darkness is a first-come, first-served clear system!'
A system where you had to fill the quota before anyone could clear the game!
'Jumping through the window isn't just some symbolic act—it's the main event!'
And Kim Soleum would be the type to stir up a frenzy to get people to willingly jump. Why?
'Because that gives him more dopamine!'
Forcing people through the window wouldn't be as fun for him. No, he'd prefer this method because it was more exciting and rewarding.
What a terrifying lunatic.
Baek Saheon shivered.
But that wasn't the issue right now.
'If that psycho has a plan—'
Then!
"S-Supervisor!"
Baek Saheon shot his hand up and stood, finally revealing his presence right after the train passed the fourth altar and the light returned.
"Who's that?"
"Wait, was someone else in here?"
The passengers, who had become familiar with each other after looping five times, were startled by the unfamiliar face.
But Baek Saheon put on a shocked expression, pretending to be as surprised as they were, and turned to address the person he knew would give him the best chance—Kim Soleum.
Sure, approaching the elite team was tempting, but he doubted they'd entertain a random new face meaningfully.
Better to play the roommate angle.
And judging by how Kim Soleum had made himself the ringmaster of this whole circus, it seemed like the safer bet.
"My goodness… Hello, sir! I didn't expect to see you here."
"..."
Kim Soleum stared at him silently for a moment.
Then, he smiled.
"Really? But I did."
Fuck!
"Truly?"
"Haha, of course not. Just kidding. How could I have known?"
"..."
Driven by his rising fear, Baek Saheon barely stopped himself from blowing a goddamn fuse.
"Ahh, this person is from the same recruitment batch as mine. I heard he took a vacation leave and was on his way to his family home."
"Ah."
"Nice to meet'cha."
The two elite team members nodded indifferently, showing little interest in a rookie with no seniority.
Instead, it was the crowd behind them that grew excited.
"Oh, if he's a colleague, then maybe he can head straight to the window!"
"Yeah, just like those others!"
Perfect!
Baek Saheon beamed.
"Oh, in that case, I'd be happy to test the window…"
"No. He's not qualified yet."
This fucking bastard!
"T-Then… when will I qualify?"
Kim Soleum looked at him as if he truly pitied him and shook his head.
"I do not know."
"..."
"I'm just someone who passed the test before, trying to guide everyone toward the least painful path."
A vein throbbed on Baek Saheon's temple.
But he forced a polite, desperate smile.
"I see. Oh! Even so, I'd like to speak privately with you, about some work-related matters—"
"Hey!"
Suddenly, a thunderous scolding erupted from the passengers eagerly sending off window jumpers.
"What's wrong with this guy? The train is in chaos, and he's talking about work?"
"Does he not understand the situation?"
"It's fine, everyone. People prioritize different things. We still have time until the next life loop, so I'll have a quick chat with him."
"Aigoo, yes-yes."
The passengers muttered among themselves, calling Kim Soleum 'too kind for his own good'.
Baek Saheon no longer felt goosebumps—just resignation.
"Shall we talk over there?"
"…Sure!"
But the moment they entered the restroom and locked the door, Baek Saheon couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I saw you using an item, Supervisor."
Kim Soleum's polite smile vanished, his face becoming expressionless as he crossed his arms.
"And?"
Baek Saheon gulped.
"I'm just saying… think about what would happen if I went out there and told everyone."
He had to get this lunatic to the negotiation table somehow. But Kim Soleum silently studied him for a moment before subtly nodding.
"Braun says you won't do that."
"…Oh, really?"
"Yeah. He says if you tried, they'd throw you out the window with nothing but your clothes."
"..."
"It's simpler to just jump on your own than to get thrown out, don't you think?"
It was the truth.
Damn it.
Baek Saheon gulped, hard.
Fortunately, Kim Soleum didn't press him further. Instead, he did something unexpected.
He dangled a carrot.
"Actually, I have a favor to ask you."
"...!"
"I need your eye."
Huh?
"The one I gave you as a gift."
Baek Saheon instinctively put a hand over his eyepatch, thinking of the purple reverse-eye beneath it.
The device allowed him to see dangerous entities through glowing heat halos—the more dangerous, the brighter the halo.
It was an excellent danger detector, highly valuable to the Field Exploration Team, though Baek Saheon never fully understood why Kim Soleum had given it to him.
The truth was simple: if Kim Soleum wore it, everything would glow red. The device was so sensitive to the wearer's subconscious that someone with even a hint of fear wouldn't be able to distinguish levels of danger. And since giving it to anyone else would mean telling them to 'pluck out their existing eye', it was only natural that the already one-eyed Baek Saheon ended up with it.
He was, after all, the perfect candidate. No one in their batch had stronger survival instincts.
But Baek Saheon, unaware of this reasoning, remained cautious as he asked, "…When should I use it?"
"In the Car 1."
"Car 1?"
Baek Saheon frowned as he tried to recall what he'd overheard from others. Then it hit him.
"…They said the door to that car is locked."
"That's right."
Kim Soleum admitted it casually.
"It's probably been locked since the second loop. And now, every time the train returns to its starting point, they lock it again."
"..."
Just hearing that…
Felt suspicious.
'How does this bastard know all of this?'
Wasn't he originally from Car 7?
How could he possibly know what's going on at the front of the train?
'Is that why he's been leading people around, gathering information?'
Whatever the case.
"So, what do you want me to do about it?"
"Simple."
Kim Soleum spoke nonchalantly.
"When the door to Car 1 opens, you go in and identify the person with the highest danger reading."
"W-Who exactly is in Car 1?"
"No idea."
If you don't know, then who does?!
As expected, Kim Soleum tilted his head to the side and stroked his chin.
"But you know… they've been randomly throwing people out the window in that car every loop."
"…!"
"And it happens on its own. It's like someone gets thrown out every time, without fail. It must be painful for them… poor souls."
"..."
"So, I figured I should stop them."
Lies.
"Sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Y-Yes! Absolutely!"
Total BS.
'He's pissed that they're messing up his grand plan and wants to take control.'
But Baek Saheon kept his mouth shut. His life was more important.
Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Then, if I identify the most dangerous person in Car 1, wouldn't that qualify me for an 'item'? The item that grants eligibility."
This has to be how I get one of those items, right?
"Huh? That's a different matter. Items and eligibility aren't related."
"..."
"But if someone volunteers to help convince the people in Car 2 to open Car 1's door, maybe that person will earn eligibility."
"..."
Baek Saheon grinned widely.
"Wow! That's exactly what I wanted to do! Haha…"
"Great. I'll leave it to you, then."
"Yes!"
Die!
Die, you bastard Kim Soleum!
And that's how Kim Soleum successfully roped Baek Saheon into unpaid labor.
'After all, even dogshit can be used as a remedy, as they say.'
"You're here!"
"Yes. Let's give it our best again."
The train restarted. The passengers from Car 7 greeted each other enthusiastically and even struck up conversations with people from other cars.
Despite having experienced six train crashes, they seemed remarkably stable.
'It's true—having hope makes it easier to endure.'
But keeping people mentally grounded meant one thing.
'I'll have to keep up this crazy cult leader scam act.'
'Damn it.'
– Let's go, Mr. Roe Deer! Today, I'm excited to see what kind of audience—or passengers—will be captivated by your brilliant performance. Oh, how very fun…
"Everyone, today many from Car 8 have gained eligibility."
"Wooooo!"
Braun, stop cheering. Please.
Kim Soleum was beginning to feel a little existential dread, but he didn't let it stop him. He remained dedicated to his 'job' of leading the passengers.
And so, time passed…
The fourteenth loop.
"Venerable Pathfinder!"
"Venerable Pathfinder, we're almost there. Haha!"
Kim Soleum had gained the support of 342 out of 355 passengers, unifying the sentiment in every car except the first.
Braun even suggested creating a TV show based on his leadership.
Only one car remained.
'Car 1.'
A total of 53 passengers had locked themselves inside since the second loop, cutting themselves off from the rest of the train. The only thing known about them was that they had been consistently offering sacrifices.
"T-The door, it opened!"
Finally, the news they had been waiting for.