The first thing I saw was a red pulsation.
Thump, thump, thump.
I realized belatedly that I had crashed into something.
Splat.
With a short, heavy sound, my body fell onto something slimy.
A foul stench.
The next moment, I realized it was the odor of rotting protein.
Lumps of flesh scattered around me clung to my body.
They pulsated in red.
Whoooooosh!
The wind blew.
The high-speed train I had been riding roared past me, leaving behind a thunderous noise and wind pressure.
In an instant, the train disappeared toward the end of the tunnel, where a light sparkled…
“…….”
To be honest, it was very filthy and a bit scary, but I didn't fall into pain or serious panic.
It felt like standing alone in front of an apartment's trash collection area in the middle of the night.
-My goodness, what an unhygienic environment! Are you alright, Friend?
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
‘…Happy Maker is really doing its job.’
Just as the heart cools and hardens to become less nervous after taking a calming pill, my head felt warmly solidified.
I stood up in a fairly calm and stable mental state.
However, the moment I brushed off the rotten flesh with my bare hands in the process.
Eat your wickedness.
A strange voice echoed in my head.
“…….”
So, well. If I roughly match the current situation with the testimonies of the people who were offered as sacrifices…….
‘This is the point where one feels a pain like the body is burning, and unable to endure it, they start tearing off their own skin and flesh….’
And then, while chewing and spilling that flesh, one must walk forward toward the light at the end of this filthy and dismal passage—it seemed like such a crazy situation.
This passage itself was the trace of that horror.
Fortunately, I was in a state where all pain was numbed and I was even wearing a silver ring that increases mental resistance, so I didn't have to feel such insane impulses.
“Whew.”
I stood up completely and shook my body slightly.
It wasn't very effective. The traces left by the filth and rotten flesh were vivid.
As for the source of this flesh… let's try not to think about it as much as possible….
Thanks to Happy Maker, I wasn't shaken, but it was still unpleasant.
Oh, wait.
“Braun, are you okay?”
-Ah, are you talking about this noise that sounds like a radio tape on repeat? It feels like meaningless noise pollution, but it's not unbearable!
“…The Burning Pain?”
-Haha!
-I have neither skin nor flesh on this body! I am only cloth, cotton, eyes, and a nose….
I, I see.
‘So the conditions for the sacrifice only applied to humans.’
It was a relief that Braun didn't lose his mind and try to perform the Executioner's Sword ritual out of desperation.
-Anyway, does my friend have more business in this messy place?
“…No.”
-Then let’s get out of here quickly.
Indeed.
‘Because I have to go back inside that train to escape.’
I stood up from the spot and began to walk.
To the end of the passage.
Squelch, squelch.
The fluids of the filth splashed under my feet, entering my shoes, and my socks became soaked in red.
Discard your sins.
Tear them away as much as your sins.
Eat your sins.
“…….”
Does the Burning Pain get stronger for those who have committed more sins?
‘Then theoretically, a good person would feel minimal pain even if they fell here from the window….’
Since this is a ghost story that focuses on the group inside the train becoming a miserable and horrific inhuman hell as the loops repeat, I could only guess such details by experiencing it.
Anyway… the passage was longer than expected, and I walked persistently.
‘I hope I don't have to use another Happy Maker.’
Discard your sins.
Discard your sins.
Discard your sins.
I continued walking while ignoring the voice.
My feet seemed to grow heavier, but the light drew closer steadily.
Thud, thud. The intense light coming from the exit of the tunnel almost blocked my vision and made it difficult to see ahead.
‘Ah.’
I’m almost there.
Frowning, I stepped further forward….
Finally, the moment I was enveloped in the light.
Go to Tamra.
‘……!’
A small, soft invitation.
An unusual sense of warmth and liberation, a strange feeling like an enveloping… revelation piercing through the top of my head….
-Whoops! The recruitment is quite aggressive. One moment…….
The moment it vanished.
My consciousness was sucked somewhere at a tremendous speed, like a train falling down a steep slope.
“…!”
“Gasp!”
“Agh! Aaaaagh!”
I opened my eyes.
I was sitting in a compartment of a comfortable, modern high-speed train.
My body was clean again, and my mind was….
‘Wow.’
As I recalled it, a sensation like I was about to vomit surged through me.
My stomach churned.
‘I… I didn't feel this sensation?’
You mean I was buried in flesh that people had torn off and eaten while alive and then vomited out, and I stood up and walked through that?
‘L-Let’s stop thinking about it.’
In any case, the important thing was that I had successfully returned to this point in time.
‘The effect of Happy Maker also completely vanished as I returned to the starting point.’
I quickly regained my composure and first checked the quantity of Happy Makers.
…….
11 before use.
It remained the same.
-The consumables you used have returned to their unused state. Strictly speaking, since we returned to the point when the train departed, it can be seen as a natural occurrence!
Right. It was as I suspected.
‘Good.’
Preparation was complete.
When I looked up, Assistant manager Jin Nasol was looking at me with a nonchalant face.
“How was it?”
“It’s a horrific and disgusting place. If someone falls without preparation, they’ll almost certainly show symptoms of mental derangement or Contamination.”
“Really? Then get up. Securing in advance….”
“Hey! Look here! This person is fine!”
“…….”
Aaaagh!
Jin Nasol looked displeased as her speech was interrupted, but she didn't take immediate action as civilians came flocking in.
‘H-Hurry up.’
I forced a faint smile at the people who were astonished to see that my condition was normal.
“Are you okay?! Oh my god!!”
“This person, this person volunteered to fall! But… y-you’re, you’re fine?”
“Yes. I’m fine for now. But… what on earth happened after I fell?”
“T-That is….”
To skip the frantic and rambling words of the people and leave only the important parts, it was like this.
“After you fell, the countdown started again…!”
“Ah, that’s right! It was like the cooldown reset as if demanding one more person be sacrificed.”
As I thought.
“…! I see. Then at that point… did the train crash again?”
“No! After that!”
One of the passengers who had gathered added an explanation.
“The strange thing is, no one fell from our car, but they said the offering was received and the path suddenly opened…….”
“…….”
“There were murmurs that someone seemed to have fallen from the front car, but everyone was so agitated and a fight broke out, so I don't know the details….”
“…….”
“No! They called us crazy! Even though they’re the ones who can't grasp the situation!”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
“It’s driving me crazy, seriously.”
“Even in games, you shouldn't leave those kinds of trolls alone.”
I see.
The conflict was slowly escalating.
‘It was from this round.’
Round 3:
Factions split by train cars and fighting occurs. They urge each other to pick passengers to be offered as sacrifices. Bloodshed begins to occur.
And….
Fatalities occur due to violence within the cabins.
…….
For now, I nodded calmly.
“I see. It seems the number of people to be sacrificed increases by one each time.”
“Wh… What?”
“One person at the first altar, two people at the second altar. What I’m saying is that the required sacrifices seem to increase sequentially like this.”
“Ah…!”
Perhaps everyone had guessed it but hadn't dared to say it out loud; although groans and moans of terror broke out here and there, no violent rebuttals followed.
They were just scared.
“What do we do? What should we do? No… why do we have to go through this? Sob….”
“D-Do we all have to jump out of the window for this to end?! Is that it?!”
It was a quite plausible guess, but I gently grabbed the person’s shoulder.
“No. Please calm down. There must be a way to end this.”
“Uuuugh.”
“Look at me. I was fine even though I fell. There is a way.”
“Ah…….”
Taking advantage of the slightly calmed atmosphere, I spoke softly.
“You said the other person who fell from the window is in bad shape? If it’s okay, could you guide me to them?”
“A… ah, yes!”
“This way!”
I looked around the seats as I followed the people who were hurriedly leading the way.
“Ooh. I’m coming too!”
Beyond Supervisor Dolphin, who immediately followed me.
Assistant manager Jin Nasol stood with her arms crossed as if telling me to go ahead and try.
‘She’s letting it slide.’
If she judged it to be inefficient, it wouldn't be strange for her to immediately flip the script, grab all the people who were in the way, and throw them out the window one by one.
‘That won't clear it.’
So….
For now, this was the most efficient and humane way I could take.
“He’s sitting here… but….”
I looked at the person sitting in the guided seat.
A person wearing glasses was staring into space with his mouth agape. The first sacrifice of the 2nd round, who had fallen before me.
“Sir?”
“…….”
No response. He looked completely out of his mind.
“W-What on earth is down there for him to be like this….”
“It was horrific. But….”
I reached out and placed one hand on my chest.
“I realized something.”
“……Yes?”
Clink.
I lowered my hand and naturally placed it into the inner pocket of my suit jacket.
Then, I pinned on a small badge that had been there from the beginning.
Silver Heart.
“Everyone! Please don't worry too much.”
At the same time, I approached the office worker with glasses.
“Hic! Hic-hic! Hic!”
“It’s alright… it’s okay.”
I approached him and carefully injected the Happy Maker.
‘Since the ingredients will completely disappear once the next loop comes.’
This would be better for him than being in insane panic and fear.
And since the Happy Maker is a small device no different from a ballpoint pen, it would look to others as if this person had calmed down just because I supported him….
Like magic.
“……Gasp!”
The man with glasses gasped for breath.
Reason returned to his eyes, and a definite peace settled in.
“Th-That was truly horrific…… A-ah… ha…… It’s over.”
Slowly.
A faint smile spread across his face.
“Thank you…. My heart is… at peace…….”
Then he slowly rose from his seat and hugged me and the other passengers.
The people accepted it in a daze and began to look at me with wonder in their eyes.
“Y-You brought him back to his senses…….”
“How….”
I’m a scammer….
However, I continued speaking while looking down at my hands as if I were also filled with wonder.
“I don't know why I’m the only one who gained this ability, but now I….”
Taking a deep breath.
“I think I’ve vaguely realized what is happening on this train.”
“…!!”
“I-Is that true?”
“Yes.”
I raised my hand and folded my fingers as I continued.
“Who the people are that must fall out of the window, and how many times must pass for all of this to end….”
“M-My goodness.”
What am I doing right now?
‘I’m pulling a scam.’
And this kind of scamming method is a regular feature in creative works about apocalyptic situations.
‘Commonly known as a pseudo-religious cult leader…!’
A guy who instigates people, claiming it's God's will and doing strange things.
Did one appear in Car 6 before? …Hmm. I think so.
Round 5:
Various exclusive groups are formed in each train car. Among them, a situation occurs where a superstitious religion worshiping the loop phenomenon captures passengers from other cars and kills them in advance according to a barbaric ancient ritual style before throwing them out the window.
Sorry… no, I’m not sorry at all, but,
‘You’re not going to exist from now on.’
Because I’m going to beat you to the punch.
“The virtuous people of Car 7. From now on, please lend me your ears.”
I stood in front of the train door and shouted.
“We have been chosen for a Great Trial!”
-My goodness!!
From my suit's front pocket, I heard Braun's standing ovation.
A scammer who received a seal of approval from the Ghost Story Host….
Is now launching.
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