– What a surprise! The moment of a difficult choice has arrived, Friend.
Braun's cheerful voice echoed in my ear.
– So, Mr. Roe Deer, you have only 10 passes in hand, but there are 45 poor candidates who must fall into that wretched altar of rotting flesh to suffer. What criteria will you use to select the 45 sacrifices and then choose the 10 lucky ones to be spared?
– A trial? A vote? A review process? A lottery? Oh, it all sounds terribly unfortunate…
Braun's voice grew more and more excited.
– But isn't that tension, pressure, suspense, relief, joy, and despair the essence of a great show?
– This is the ultimate moment. Ah! Look over there—a panelist is speaking!
At that moment—
"It doesn't matter, does it?"
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol spoke up.
"Assistant Manager?"
"Whether there are 10 painkillers or just one, what difference does it make? Just grab 45 people and throw them out. That's all."
Her tone implied she couldn't understand why this was even up for debate. She turned toward me and added—
"Isn't that what you set everything up for in the first place?"
Click.
The assistant manager lightly pushed the door to Car 1 open. "…! Assistant Manager…"
"Look."
Through the slightly opened door, I saw the passengers in Car 2, waving and offering concerned smiles.
The hundreds of friendly people, creating an atmosphere where everything was progressing smoothly without friction.
"Well, this turned out better than I thought. I figured all this would be a waste of effort, but now it seems like it'll make things easier."
"..."
"After all, the people on this train don't really understand what's happening, do they? They won't figure it out until after they've fallen."
…It was the truth.
I could grab anyone right now and say, 'You've qualified as one of the 45, and it's your turn to jump out.'
They wouldn't even know they were supposed to receive painkillers before falling.
They'd simply jump without preparation… into what felt like hours of endless torture.
"And if it doesn't end at the ninth altar, we can just keep making them jump until no more altars appear."
"..."
"So, let's start throwing them now—"
"That's not possible."
"…!"
Someone else answered.
It was Supervisor Dolphin.
She looked up at Assistant Manager Jin Nasol and firmly replied— "It's not possible."
"Really?"
Jin Nasol's temple twitched, but she was skilled enough to give the other person a chance to explain.
"Then what do you suggest?"
Supervisor Dolphin, staying true to her nature, offered a solution that's very like her.
"Just pick out the worst people and throw them out."
"Are you crazy? Why would we go through the hassle of doing that?"
At that moment—
To reach Tamra, offer a sacrifice.
"It's time."
Jin Nasol strode toward the exit of Car 1.
Supervisor Dolphin's eyes gleamed, and her hand twitched as if ready to act… W-Wait just a second!
"Wait!"
I quickly stepped in front of the assistant manager.
"What."
…It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff.
'Stay calm. Be cautious.'
I swallowed hard and spoke—
"The supervisor's suggestion makes sense. We shouldn't just tell people to jump blindly."
"..."
"What I mean is, there's a valid reason to do it this way!"
"A reason?"
"Yes."
I took a deep breath.
Stay calm.
I had to reflect what I knew from the narrative story into my argument naturally.
"Assistant Manager, when you went out the window, you heard the voice at the altar filled with rotting flesh, didn't you? The one saying things like, 'Abandon your sins'."
Cast away your sins.
Tear off as much as your sins deserve.
The strange, overwhelming resonance that even Happy Maker couldn't block out.
Without it, I would've been clawing at my skin, burning with pain. "And?"
"If the voice is that powerful, it must be deeply connected to this phenomenon. I think that in this Darkness, the keyword is 'sin'."
"..."
"The keyword we need to clear this."
Jin Nasol stopped walking.
"Keep talking."
"Yes."
I swallowed again.
"Isn't it strange from the beginning? Why do the sacrifices wake up on the train again after falling? If they've been offered as sacrifices, they shouldn't return."
"They come back messed up, though."
"Yes, but that's because they follow the voice telling them to 'tear off as much as their sins deserve'. The pain drives them insane."
I connected two things that had been vaguely lumped together over 14 loops.
"So, the sacrifice isn't the person itself—it's the 'flesh' they offer in proportion to their sins, isn't it?"
"…!"
Haven't I gone over this before?
When the cult madness spread, passengers from all the cars killed each other, held deranged rituals, and tossed corpses out the windows. If you were to count the number of people who had fallen to their deaths, the ninth altar should've been easily surpassed by now.
And yet, despite looping hundreds of times, this nightmare never ended. The reason was simple.
"The people themselves are not the sacrifices. It's their sins they're offering at the altar."
"..."
"And the people return."
After completing the offering, the person always walks back through the altar and returns to the starting point of the train.
That's how the loop resets.
Although they come back half-crazed from the pain of 'tearing off their sins', the person themselves always returns.
"They leave their sins behind, in the form of torn flesh scattered throughout the passageway."
Chewed, vomited, and discarded as they go.
"That's what I believe is the offering."
The agony.
The searing pain proportional to their sins. The voice echoing in their head. Once you see the tunnel littered with rotting flesh from that perspective, it's easier to understand.
Those grotesque remains aren't just remnants of gore—they're accumulated offerings.
"So, the surest way is for someone with sins to offer them at the altar and letting them fall down. …That's what I think, at least."
"..."
"..."
Clap, clap, clap.
Supervisor Dolphin softly clapped from behind, but Assistant Manager Jin Nasol remained perfectly still.
"Of course, my theory could be wrong. But isn't it rational to take the safer route, just in case I'm right?"
Maintaining eye contact with Jin Nasol, I pleaded earnestly, "So, for a safe clear, please allow me to convince the passengers—"
"You."
The assistant manager opened her mouth.
"You're a good liar."
"...!!"
"Well, I'd rather deal with someone who can talk than someone who can't."
"Assistan—"
"This is the third time."
Thud.
She grabbed me by the collar and lifted me into the air.
"Venerable Pathfinder!"
"Aaaah!"
"Getting lenient with you seems to have no end. We have to dive into the next Darkness at Mokpo Station, but you're wasting my time and energy here?"
From beyond the connecting corridor, passengers from Car 2 screamed and ran toward us. But Jin Nasol didn't flinch.
She calmly shut the door to Car 1 and locked it.
Click.
"Be grateful I'm wasting my time explaining this to you."
She leaned in close, her face right in front of mine.
"You said the offering is the flesh torn off their bodies? Then how come those people you injected with painkillers didn't offer anything, and yet they moved on to the next altar just fine?"
"…!!"
"According to you, they didn't give any offerings, and yet the train progressed just fine, didn't it?"
That's…
"You knew the truth, didn't you? You lied."
...
"You've been caught."
– Oh my goodness!
That's right.
I'd tried to con her.
'Didn't expect to get caught this fast, though.'
Sweating, I forced a smile.
But most of what I'd said was true.
Except for one thing.
The conclusion.
"Of course."
The grip on my neck tightened.
"So, we can just throw anyone into the altar, right?"
"Y-Yes, that's right."
I confessed willingly.
"The amount of sins they offer probably doesn't matter. Even if they don't offer anything at all, the act of entering the altar is what's important."
And beyond that— "After all… in this Tamra-bound train, it seems like everyone is considered guilty."
We've seen it, haven't we?
Even the virtuous owner of the Silver Heart had to tear at their own flesh at the altar.
In the twisted logic of this nightmare, no human is free from sin. Everyone is a sinner—the difference lies only in degree.
So, if the goal is to clear the loop, there's no need to waste time picking and choosing the 'worst' people.
"Now you're making sense."
Jin Nasol let go, dropping me.
I barely managed to regain my balance and gasped for air. "Good. Now stop wasting time and make sure everyone cooperates efficiently."
"..."
I forced a smile despite my aching body.
"That sounds strange."
"What?"
"Assistant Manager, you've made an inefficient choice."
Thud, thud!
I glanced back at the passengers knocking on the door, Supervisor Dolphin, and Baek Saheon.
"If you proceed with your method, you'll have to fight three of your own employees."
"…!!"
"And since the passengers just saw you grab me by the collar, they'll resist you fiercely and fight back no matter what you do."
"..."
Given how things had already unfolded, the 'most efficient plan' Jin Nasol had in mind was bound to meet massive resistance.
The passengers wouldn't cooperate at all!
And now that the situation had reached this point, Supervisor Dolphin would certainly side with me and work together to overpower Jin Nasol.
"Of course, Assistant Manager, you could subdue all of us, but that would be such a hassle, wouldn't it?"
"A great point, Supervisor!"
Supervisor Dolphin smiled and stepped closer.
"Why go through all that trouble? Just take a nap, and the three of us will handle everything."
Behind her, Baek Saheon had a face that seemed to say, Me? Seriously? But instead of siding with the assistant manager, he silently rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut.
Since I was an elite team member now too, he'd likely choose to align with the side that had the numbers advantage.
"So, Assistant Manager, could you just turn a blind eye this once? Please?"
"..."
"This isn't really company business—it's just a situation we happened to get caught up in. We just want a slightly safer and calmer approach. It'll only take a little more time."
Please!
'Jin Nasol is a rational person.'
She's not the type to throw tantrums and take the long way around just because she's annoyed.
That was my only hope.
But still, she's human, and humans can act unpredictably when their mood sours.
Especially an elite team superior—she'd naturally feel resentment toward two subordinates opposing her.
I swallowed hard.
"Just as the Supervisor said. This isn't exactly work, is it, Assistant Manager?"
"..."
"..."
After a tense silence, Jin Nasol stomped across Car 1. Then, she sat down on an empty seat.
"…Thank you."
She didn't reply. She simply closed her eyes with a blank expression. Clearly, she was holding back her anger.
Honestly, challenging a superior during an official mission was a crazy move!
Phew.
I'm sorry, Assistant Manager…
But once this is over, I believe the results will be efficient enough for her to accept them.
For now, though, I needed to act quickly.
"…Let's get this done right away."
We were nearing the first altar.
Supervisor Dolphin seemed to think the same, as she began unlocking the door.
"Alright! Let's head out and pick 45 wicked people to drop!"
Uh…
"Supervisor, about that—"
"…?"
"Could we approach it a little differently?"
"Oh?"
Drrrk—
I opened the door to Car 1.
"Oh! It opened—huh!"
"W-What is this place?"
The passengers who had been discussing whether to break down the door looked relieved when it opened but recoiled in shock upon seeing the horrifying state of Car 1.
Their fear faded slightly when they saw me.
Probably because the 'answer sheet' they trusted on this train was still standing.
I bowed my head.
"Thank you all for waiting."
"Are you alright, venerable Pathfinder?"
"That person earlier…?"
"I'm fine, of course."
I glanced at Jin Nasol and forced a bitter smile.
"She was helping me snap out of it after I discovered something shocking."
"Shocking?"
Huu.
"Everyone, I have something to tell you."
I took a moment to steady myself as I faced the hundreds of expectant eyes before me.
"This time, there is no limit to who can leave through the window."
"Ooohhh!"
"And this will be the last time."
"..."
"Excuse me?"
"What does that mean?"
"It's exactly as it sounds."
I spoke slowly and clearly.
"After this, the trial will be over."
The passengers murmured, some asking what I meant and whether everyone still needed to jump through the window.
"Originally, yes—everyone was supposed to go out one by one. But there's been a change."
The passengers fell silent, listening intently.
"Everyone here has qualified."
"T-Then!"
I nodded.
"Yes. Anyone can go through the window and pass the trial."
"Oh my god!"
"Then I'll…"
I raised my hand to stop those who were already stepping forward. "However, this time, it will be painful."
"…!!"
I said it plainly and honestly.
"When you fall, you will feel searing pain as you walk. You may even feel the urge to tear your own flesh off. You'll have to fight through the pain and the voice echoing in your head, taking one step at a time toward the light…"
The passengers fell silent.
They began exchanging glances and whispering.
Then, someone shouted from the back.
"This isn't what you promised!"
"Yeah! You said you'd protect us…"
I nodded.
"Of course. If you don't wish to participate, you don't have to."
"H…Huuuh?"
"But there is one thing I can guarantee."
According to the confidential document from the Disaster Management Bureau about the Iksan Express, where this same ghost story ended safely in the past…
When this ghost story ends, the passengers will suddenly awaken at the starting point of the train, as if waking from a nightmare.
They'll brush it off as a 'bad dream' and go back to living their normal lives.
The events aboard the Tamra Express will fade like an unpleasant dream within half a day, and eventually, they'll forget everything. However…
A few changes were observed among those who voluntarily jumped through the window.
I remembered the passage.
A passenger who habitually verbally abused their subordinates apologized immediately after getting off the train and never did it again. A passenger who used to jaywalk out of habit felt too ashamed and stopped doing it. Another passenger, who had only considered volunteering at a youth center, actually started doing it.
Even a scammer involved in an insurance fraud scheme abandoned the plan and handed over information to the police.
Overall improvements in morality, self-esteem, and pride were observed.
Exactly.
As long as the train didn't endlessly loop but ended safely as it had in the past, the horrifying pain from this ghost story would remain nothing more than a fleeting nightmare, quickly forgotten.
But the positive changes would remain.
'…That's why, when this ghost story happened on the Iksan Express, the Disaster Management Bureau didn't label it as a disaster—they simply documented it in a confidential report…'
In short, if I exaggerated just a little— "Those who go through the window this time will feel proud of themselves when they emerge from the tunnel."
I continued.
"Instead of regretting what you did yesterday, you'll be someone who steps forward in the moment. You'll meet a better version of yourself without shame."
A small voice came from the crowd.
"…Is that the answer?"
I met the passenger's gaze and slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"..."
"That much, I can promise you."
The crowd fell silent again.
"Then, let me ask once more. Is there anyone here willing to endure the pain and go through the window?"
...
"I will."
I turned my head. Supervisor Dolphin had raised her hand. And then—
"I'll go too."
One by one, more hands went up.
"I will."
"Me too…!"
On their faces was a strange sense of exhilaration, overcoming their fear.
This was crowd psychology.
A double-edged sword.
But after 14 loops, the collective bond and influence that had built up among the passengers now manifested as something reverent. Their courage inspired those closest to them.
In an instant, nearly half the passengers on the train had voluntarily raised their hands.
…The ending I had worked so hard for, even playing the role of a cult leader over 14 loops, was now right in front of me.
"Everyone…"
First Altar Entrance
"Thank you. I will go with you."
Just as the Silver Heart owner had once envisioned.