"Supervisor, I'll go now. I'm fine going alone."
Dolphin Supervisor volunteered to be the first to jump at the first altar. Since someone had to take the lead and jump alone, and there needed to be someone to stay behind to manage and confirm the final group of passengers, I had to remain until the end.
However, Dolphin Supervisor wasn't entirely alone.
"Then, I'll go too…! For the first one!"
"It's better to do it first if you're going to do it anyway."
There were so many volunteers that even at the first altar, a few people ended up jumping together. And we haven't begun in earnest yet.
Remaining distance: 4
"There's still time to back out if you want to."
But no one backed out, even at the final decision point.
"Let's go!"
"Ahhh!!"
With Dolphin Supervisor leading the charge, more than seven people rushed and jumped through the window, into the first altar.
Open the sea path
The train quickly passed through the altar, and the surroundings brightened once more.
"Oh…"
The passengers blinked at the now-familiar scene, repeated for the fourteenth time, a sight that had become routine.
"T-They're gone."
Of course, it didn't seem much different from the previous jumps. But that was because the real effects of not having the painkiller only kicked in after they'd already fallen.
And then, a strange reaction began to occur. People started thinking, Was it not that big of a deal after all?
Some suddenly decided they wanted to jump too. Like this person.
"Excuse me! I'd like to go as well!"
This particular passenger was someone Dolphin Supervisor had previously flagged as a candidate for sacrifice after witnessing their nasty behavior. Early in the loops, this person had raised their fists and shouted things like, "Get lost before I punch you." But now, they conveniently seemed to have forgotten all that and approached me as if nothing had happened.
Well, that's fine.
"Then you can jump from the second altar…"
"No, I'd like to go with you—specifically with you, venerable Pathfinder, at the very end."
"…Hm. Understood."
If that's what you want.
– What a rude person.
Braun wasn't wrong. I heard the passenger talking with someone in the background.
"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly volunteering to jump?"
"Can't you see what's happening? I'm sure if we jump, we'll get some special ability or reward. It's obvious. You've got to ride the wave when it comes."
Hmm.
There's… No such thing.
"And all that talk about pain? Probably just a bluff to scare us off."
Nope. You'll actually be in searing pain.
Well, they'll confirm it themselves soon enough. Still, it wasn't my job to correct these people's misconceptions. I let them believe what they wanted. I simply added their name to the list of volunteers and took another look at their face to make sure I had the right person.
Wait. That mole on this person's cheek… I hadn't noticed it before because I'd rushed past him earlier, but now it stood out.
And he's from Car 6, right?
I remembered someone with those exact features.
Hmm. That's the passenger who was supposed to become the cult leader in one of the previous loops.
– Oh my! Did he lose the role to you, Mr. Roe Deer?
Ugh. As much as I hated to admit it… it seemed like that was the case.
I guess with how smoothly the past fourteen loops have been going, things like this can happen.
Still, it was much better than the chaos from the original—where the cult leader dragged passengers around, harvesting their organs for live sacrifices, and tossing their hollowed bodies out the window…
The important thing was that most of the volunteers were calm and determined as they headed toward the altar.
"Let's do this."
"Let's become better people!"
"We've got this!"
The atmosphere grew oddly positive. Some passengers even teared up while waiting for their turn.
"This is my first time really challenging myself…"
"That's amazing!"
As the passengers encouraged each other and shared honest stories, I turned to look at one person standing off to the side. Baek Saheon, who was looking at all these people with a look of utter disbelief.
"…Pardon me. I don't know why you're looking at me like that, but I'm not going to jump."
"Understood."
I hadn't expected him to volunteer anyway.
"But, you know." Baek Saheon lowered his voice this time. "If you give me one of those painkillers, I might consider jumping."
"Oh? Then, will you use it right now?"
"No, after this is all over and we get off the train."
"Oh…" I smiled. "No thanks."
"..."
He really thought he could get a free item, huh.
"Ah, we've reached the fifth altar, venerable Pathfinder!"
"Yes, let's proceed."
Leaving Baek Saheon behind, I mingled with the passengers, offering advice and applause to the volunteers. It was my way of fulfilling the role of the Silver Heart holder.
And then… About three hours passed.
Ninth Altar Entrance
"..."
At last, the final moment had arrived.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
I stood together with the remaining volunteers. This time, more than twenty people were lined up to jump through the window.
This number is insane.
To be honest, it scared me. If these people started writhing in pain and resenting me afterward, would my mental state hold out?
"Let's go!"
"Yes! Down we go!"
Without hesitation, two or three people held hands and leapt through the window one after another. I watched until the last of the volunteers jumped, then moved to the window myself.
"A-Are you really going, venerable sir?"
Technically, I could step back now without affecting the clear. But still…
– Ah, are you going to use that excellent painkiller again, Friend?
...
No.
I returned the painkiller to my pocket. And launched myself through the window.
SPLAT—
My body tumbled into the crimson corridor of the altar after falling from the high-speed train. The moment my senses began to register the surroundings—
God damn.
It was pure, unfiltered hell.
I couldn't believe I hadn't been disturbed by this scene before. Despite having experienced this twice, the difference without the Happy Maker was overwhelming.
The ground writhed with countless rotting flesh pieces, squirming like worms, while decayed blood and filth formed a grotesque sea. A-Are these hallucinations? No, I have the silver ring, so I should be… No, stop. Stop thinking.
I took deep breaths, allowing the ring's protective effects to kick in. At least the dreadful voice that had once echoed through my mind was gone.
Focus… focus…
At that moment. Searing pain engulfed me.
"…!!"
I nearly collapsed.
It burns. It burns!!
IT B U R N S
IT B U R N S
IT B U R N S
Each letter felt like molten wax searing my entire body.
The absence of the voice didn't lessen the agony. Around me, those still hearing it were writhing in torment.
"Madness! This is madness!"
"Aaaaaargh!"
"What's it saying…? Sin? Sin?!"
Cries, screams, and chaotic babbling filled the altar. My head spun.
Thud.
Nearby, someone collapsed into the pile of flesh. I bit back a scream and helped pull them out.
"Grkkk…"
Painkiller. I focused only on supporting the person and preparing to inject the Happy Maker when—
Suddenly, the pain lessened.
No… that's not right!
It wasn't that the pain had decreased. It was that where my body was in contact with the other person—on my back and shoulders—the pain didn't register, making the rest more tolerable.
"…Ah!!"
I realized something. Where there was physical contact, the scorching pain wasn't felt. The body wasn't exposed to the altar's environment!
"Everyone! Stay close to each other! It helps with the pain!"
I linked arms with someone nearby as I shouted. The message spread quickly.
"Don't expose your bare skin! That's where the voice comes from!"
"Grab someone's hand!"
Groups of scattered people began clustering together, huddling close.
"Get off me, you piece of shit! Aaaaah!"
Of course, not everyone was coping well. Some still panicked, shoving others into the flesh piles.
"You fucking bastard! I won't let this goooo! You lied! You liiiii■■■"
That one man, who had arrogantly joined the group earlier in hopes of gaining 'special powers', screamed curses at me before sinking into the mire.
But over twenty people managed to band together, pressing close like penguins.
"We're holding on…"
"It's bearable… It's bearable!"
"Let's move!"
Linked together, we interlocked arms and pushed forward, sticking as closely as possible. Our intertwined hands gripped one another firmly, preventing any self-harming reactions. Feet scattered the decaying flesh as we ran.
Screams and cries echoed, but so did words of encouragement and determined shouts. A shared sense of purpose.
"We're almost there!"
The light drew closer. Slowly but surely. Just a bit more. A bit more… And finally—!
"Ah…"
The people let out desperate cheers as they hurled themselves into the light.
"Whooaaaaa!!"
I, too, was engulfed by the light, my consciousness slowly elevating into a distant euphoria. Though the voice had long since vanished… ...
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. Perhaps, this test that the ghost train presented had never been properly solved until now.
And at this moment, I felt like I had glimpsed the direction of the answer.
What if, in Tamra…
What if, by having all the passengers on the train jump together and go through this process, we could reach an unknown world?
I opened my eyes.
"Huuuhk!"
"Urgh…"
"Ah… W-What is this?"
All around me, I heard people gasping for breath and letting out small groans. The distinct jerking movements of people waking up from a nightmare were evident, as I saw chairs shaking across the train car.
I immediately lifted my head to check the train screen. There were letters on the display:
Bound for Mokpo
Then, it changed.
Departing
Fweeeeet!
With a high-pitched sound, the high-speed train began pulling out of the station…
"Oh, we made it back safely."
"…Yes."
Escape, successful.
Huuuu…
I exhaled, my body slumping fully into the seat as the tension drained away. But the moment I glanced at the seat in front of me, I snapped to attention.
…Assistant Manager Jin Nasol!
She was sitting there, arms crossed, silently staring at the ceiling of the train with an unreadable expression.
Of course, it was all part of a dream now, and since she hadn't jumped through the window in the end, she probably wasn't too angry. But still…
I should still do what needs to be done!
I quickly rummaged through my pocket and pulled out something designed to restore energy to a no-nonsense, efficiency-obsessed superior like her. It was something that all three of us in this section had.
"…Assistant Manager."
"..."
"The Dream Essence Collector is full."
Clear, golden liquid shimmered inside the collector as it sloshed.
Right. Since we were technically on a business trip, we had brought Dream Essence Collectors with us. By clearing this ghost story, they had been filled.
If we had cleared the ghost story back when it was still just the Iksan Express, we'd probably only get an F or D-grade…
But an abnormal phenomena had occurred, and the route was extended. And then there were the double-digit loops, and there were numerous people jumping through the altars this time…
"It's a C-grade."
The same grade as the Darkness we were supposed to explore in Mokpo. Now that the collectors were full, entering a new Darkness wouldn't have any benefit.
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol's expression finally shifted.
"Then we don't have to go to Mokpo anymore. We can return at the next station."
"Yeees!"
Relief washed over me, and I let out a deep breath.
Thank goodness.
For a corporate worker, going back home early is truly the best gift.
Just then, I heard murmuring from the seats behind me.
"Hey, I had the weirdest dream. The train was running on water or something."
"Haha, what? That sounds like nonsense."
"But it was fun. Everything was chaotic, and there was even this saint-like figure they called the venerable 'Pathfinder'—that guy sitting right in front of us."
"Wait, seriously?"
"…!"
H-Hold up. It seemed my stint as a cult leader had left a lasting impression on some people.
I need to get out of here.
I quickly excused myself to my superiors and discreetly headed for the restroom.
Click.
"Huu."
Okay. I'll hide here for a few minutes until the details of the dream started fading from their memories.
– You're like a celebrity avoiding overzealous fans…
It was embarrassingly accurate. But this wasn't a bad outcome.
No, it's actually a great ending.
A faint sense of pride spread through my chest.
...A sense of peace that the original passengers of the Tamra Express had never experienced.
Because back then, the ending had been far more horrific.
It was seared into my memory, even without referencing the wiki. At one point in the endless loops, the passengers' minds had completely broken. They had descended into collective madness, becoming something no longer recognizable as human.
By then, the train cars had become a living nightmare, where the mere concept of deciding to jump through the windows was lost in the sea of pain.
But if you repeat the process enough times, there's always a chance that someone stumbles upon the right answer…
After countless restarts and endless time, they eventually gathered the correct number of sacrifices for the ninth altar and escaped this anomaly. But in a sense, they never truly escaped.
Even for those who experienced being offered once, the trauma lingered for several minutes afterward, as if waking from a terrible nightmare. So what happens to those who endure it hundreds or thousands of times?
…They could never escape the nightmare.
The passengers presumably did not realize that the supernatural phenomenon had ended and they had returned to reality. They mistakenly believed they were still trapped in the loop… In fact, as their mental strength partially recovered upon returning to reality, their despair intensified, leading them to act even more irrationally and violently.
Thus, even in the real world, hell descended.
The majority of the passengers killed and dismembered each other on the spot—on their seats, in the aisles, and near the windows. After that horrifying chaos and madness, the train derailed… And exploded.
This was how the 'Tamra Express Disaster' met its terrible conclusion.
Survivors: 7
Casualties: 404
…Thankfully, this outcome hadn't become reality. I let out a deep breath of relief.
Um, now that everything was over, I finally had the time to question a lingering mystery.
Supervisor ■■■
The only known employee from Daydream Inc. who had survived this incident in the original scenario. The same employee who presumably had the same silver ring I was currently wearing, having bartered it with three civilians at Death Lane. Where exactly had that person been?
Or rather… were they even here?
I didn't know. The only company employee I had directly confirmed aboard the train earlier was Baek Saheon.
And since I didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble or draw attention by sniffing out all the employees, I let it be.
Well, in any case, it all worked out.
If they were aboard, they must have survived since the incident had ended peacefully. What mattered was that the tragedy originally tied to this train had been averted.
Bang, bang, bang!
Ah—
It's time to leave.
Someone, impatient from waiting, was knocking on the bathroom door. I quickly jotted down a few notes in my smartphone's memo app to hold on to the fading memories of the past 14 loops, splashed cold water on my face, and stepped out of the train restroom.
Click.
The person waiting outside barged in the moment the door opened.
They must've been in a hurry.
I passed by them and headed back to my seat.
Fwick—!
"You fucking piece of shit."
I instinctively lowered my gaze. A box cutter. The blade had narrowly grazed past my chest.
"…!!"
Fuck! I immediately stepped back while grabbing the attacker's forearm and twisting it sharply.
Clang!
The cutter blade fell to the floor with a sharp clang as I pushed the attacker down and pinned him to the floor.
That's when I saw his face.
"You bastard—ah, ahhh!!"
This lunatic. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
The wannabe cult leader!
"Fuck! It hurts—damn it, it hurts!!"
It was the same person who was left behind at the ninth altar!
This insane idiot…
"You lied to me?! Then die, you bastard, you piece of—"
I forcefully slammed him into the floor once more.
Thud!
A short, dull impact rang out. And he passed out.
"Hahh…"
My hands were drenched in sweat.
Did he lose his mind after we left him behind there?
Considering his already bad personality, he had probably experienced even more suffering during the offering because of his greater guilt. Still, even if it had been a nightmare, it must have been a particularly severe one for him.
What an uncontrollable temper.
No wonder he ended up like this.
I wiped the sweat off my face. At least the blade hadn't cut through my chest or caused any pain. Why?
…Good thing I wrapped myself in protective packaging beforehand.
I hadn't expected to be dragged into another ghost story during our trip, but I had prepared for the possibility by layering my skin with a protective wrapping item before departing.
The item, 'Wrapper 12B357나', was something I'd bought from the alien shop. Given the death prediction I had received, it had been a sensible precaution.
Still, I didn't think I'd be dodging death from a knife-wielding maniac rather than getting done in at a ghost story…
Was this the death prediction I had been warned about? Did I just narrowly avoid it?
What do you think, Braun?
...
...
No response.
"…Braun."
An unsettling feeling crept down my spine. I had just been slashed across the chest. Though the packaging had protected my skin, the outer layer of my suit— specifically, the left chest pocket—had taken damage.
And in that pocket was…
"…Braun?"
Still. There was no answer.
My heart pounding, I hurriedly reached into my suit pocket. My trembling fingers pulled out the fluffy animal plushie inside…
Plip, plip, plip.
Cotton fell to the ground.
The pink fabric dangled, torn and frayed, as the broken plush keychain swayed in my hand.
"..."
I stood frozen, staring at the plush doll, now split in two.