A horrific stench filled the studio.
Walking into the center of the spotlight was a bipedal creature with the head of a pig.
It had an emaciated, skeletal body.
Blood seeped from the eyes of the giant dead pig that served as its head.
[One moment, please. Since you are a man of few words, an artist of silence... Ah! Now, the maestro's equipment is coming in!]
Thirteen silver trays descended from the air, suspended by wires.
The large, circular silver trays were thick and elaborately decorated with delicate engravings.
Faces screaming in agony. Countless ones hanging like clusters of grapes.
[Now, shall we meet our passionate participants who applied to be members of the choir?]
Lights flickered on over each platform.
The figures of pale, terrified humans stood upon the six platforms.
[You recognize some faces from last week, don't you? Haha, I wonder if our participants, who have kept their record of 99 consecutive wins, can set a 100th record in this new corner?]
[Stay tuned! It will be revealed soon!]
Waaaaah!
The audience seats were empty. However, recorded sounds mechanically filled the venue.
[But the first glory must go to the first participant, right?]
The Host stood in front of an unknown employee.
The employee, wearing a mole mask, hunched their shoulders.
[Here is the question.]
Flash.
[Which of the following creatures has the longest lifespan?]
"H-human. Number 2, it's human...!"
[Correct!]
A flash of relief crossed the eyes behind the mole mask.
Yes. In the original Tuesday Talk Show, the turn would have passed with cheers.
But in the new corner, a new stage had been added.
[Congratulations on passing, Mr. Mole!]
The bleeding pig-headed conductor raised its skeletal arms and swung a silver baton.
The mole mask was ripped away, along with the head inside.
[You'll make a beautiful harmony!]
Thud.
The body of the headless participant fell to the floor below the platform like a doll with its strings cut.
"...!"
The employee's head, now just a neck, floated into the air and was displayed upon a silver tray.
The mouth was still gasping open and shut.
[It will awaken the appropriate talent in each participant. Oh, marvelous. Simply marvelous...]
As the pig raised both arms, a clear, transparent scream suddenly began to ring out from the employee's gasping mouth, following a melody.
"H-human. It's human. It's humaaaannnn!"
It sounded as if someone were forcibly squeezing the vocal cords to create the melody of a woodwind instrument.
[Finally, the first member has taken their place!]
The choir practice began.
Endlessly repeating the last words spoken before the head was severed.
==========
The ‘Chorus of the Sacrificial Lamb’ consists of one conductor and 13 silver trays summoned by him.
The heads of talk show participants are placed on the silver trays, and the selection process is determined through that day's broadcast corner.
The heads fused with the silver trays each produce different sentences and instrument sounds to form an a cappella.
The maximum number of heads recorded is 7.
One head: Induces mild headaches, anxiety, and sudden mood swings.
==========
If one were in the comfortable position of simply reading a ghost story.
Since it's only one head, the effect is manageable despite the gruesome situation... one might think.
However, if you were directly caught in this insane situation, those words wouldn't come out.
Like the employee who was directly affected over there.
"Aaaagh!! S-Siyeon, Si...!"
Incineration.
The light on another platform went out. The corpse, turned to ash, stuck to the floor beneath it.
The gasping mouth, now just a head, still sang a bizarre melody.
"H-human. Number 2. Humaaaannn!"
[Next is... Ah, another new face. Mr. Jellyfish! Let's see if you can create a wonderful choral harmony with the participants who passed!]
[Then, the question...]
"I don't know! I don't know the answer!"
The employee wearing the nameless jellyfish mask shouted before even reading the question.
Their instinct seemed to have judged that it was better to get the quiz wrong and receive a penalty.
[My goodness!]
It was an impressive display of judgment.
...Though it was a meaningless gesture.
[Disqualified]
The head exploded.
Like fireworks, the light from the sparkling mirror ball and a shower of confetti fluttered through the studio.
The recorded reaction of the audience, a mix of disappointed sighs and cheers, filled the studio.
[Oh dear, you failed! How unfortunate...]
[He failed to join the great choir!]
"......."
Yes.
'The penalty system is gone; if you can't answer the quiz, you're automatically disqualified.'
I blinked.
It didn't feel real.
That half the people were dead within five minutes of the recording starting.
And that there was no exit.
Only three remained.
The assistant manager and the supervisor from Team D.
And I.
[Then shall we meet the next participant? Oh, they're familiar faces!]
"......."
I recalled a fact I had been ignoring.
...That I hadn't seen the names of these superiors in the <Dark Exploration Record> either.
It was the same as my colleague, Go Yeongeun.
I remembered what I thought when I heard Go Yeongeun's name.
-Either they handled the ghost stories relatively easily and resigned early.
-Or they died quickly.
[Mr. Badger!]
The supervisor among us was called first.
Park Minseong.
Standing on the platform furthest from me, the supervisor's jaw went pale.
A death sentence; soon it would be my turn too...
[It's your turn to answer!]
No.
'Get it together!'
I punched my stomach, which was hidden by the platform.
The pain cleared my head a little.
'Being a coward or whatever, there's no excuse.'
This isn't the kind of situation where that sort of fear dominates.
'It's a Disaster.'
So to speak, it was the overwhelming feeling one gets when witnessing a natural disaster right in front of them.
I had been swept up in an unexpected natural disaster. Yes, that was it... If I panicked here, there was no way out. Even what could be saved wouldn't be.
I mustn't forget. The one with the highest probability of survival here is you!
I have to think.
'Right.'
I have information and Items.
[Mr. Badger, are you ready?]
The Host and the staff's eyes were off me for this moment—is there nothing I can try? Really?
I desperately recalled the items I possessed. I frantically reviewed the characteristics of this ghost story.
'I don't ask for much.'
If only I could get out.
It's not like I'm aiming to get this crazy talk show canceled or anything. Just for a moment, just stop for a moment and...
Ah.
I raised my head.
Right next to me, I could see the Host's back.
He was about to give the supervisor the quiz.
[It seems you're ready! Good...]
He's close.
'...In that case!'
I hid my trembling hands beneath the platform. Then, lowering my body slightly, I pulled out two items I had tucked into the inner pocket of my suit jacket.
A cheap sticker with a smiling emoticon and a canned bottle with 'Drink me' attached to it.
'Hurry.'
I opened the canned bottle.
Then I thrust the unwrapped Smile Stickers into the canned bottle.
Hurry, hurry.
"...Ah. Before I answer, can I say a word to the viewers?"
[Oh, of course!]
The supervisor looked this way, pretending to look at the camera.
Toward the platforms where the assistant manager and I stood.
"...I have a family member in the hospital; I'd appreciate it if someone could check on them after this filming is over! If possible."
[Wow, that's touching!]
[So, the answer is?]
The supervisor gave a thin smile while breaking into a cold sweat.
"I don't kno—"
"One moment."
I raised my left hand.
"Host."
At the same time as I drew his attention,
I reached out my right hand and stuck three or four of the now-damp Smile Stickers onto the bottom of the spherical TV that was the Host's head.
"......."
Splash. A drop of water fell to the floor.
Did the camera catch it? Did he notice?
No, if he had, my head would have exploded already.
[Oh, Mr. Roe Deer! Do you have something to say?]
He didn't notice.
I swallowed hard.
Turning my head, I saw the supervisor looking at me with bewildered eyes.
He seemed shocked that I had interrupted the Host and spoken to him at will without being incinerated.
It was definitely a gamble.
'But there's a rationale.'
Didn't the Host say so earlier?
-Since it's a recorded broadcast, it'll be even smoother than before! Haha!
In other words, the current filming isn't a live broadcast.
'Then, as long as I don't completely ruin the flow or act uncooperatively, it might not count as obstructing the broadcast.'
Simply raising a hand to make a personal comment should be fine!
[Mr. Roe Deer?]
He let it slide.
"Yes."
I caught a glimpse of the bottom of the Host's TV where the water had been dripping.
Then, lowering my voice so only the Host could hear, I said,
"Actually, my head is spinning. Can I... rest for a moment."
[.......]
What I just did was...
Smile Sticker
An Item that induces a weak sense of intimacy when attached to a sentient being.
Alice Picnic Set / Canned Beverage
Soaked the other Item in this to double its effect before attaching it to the target.
...Of course, there was room for debate here as well.
-Can the Host be considered a sentient being?
The Host is clearly not human.
But he must possess intelligence, right?
No, he has to. Because I bet my life on it.
And now there's no turning back.
What if I get incinerated for obstructing the broadcast? Well, if I'm going to die anyway, dying comfortably would be better.
The dress shirt covering my back was damp with cold sweat.
The Host made a sound...
[Oh my!]
"......."
[Was your passion for the broadcast too much? Yes, that can happen, I understand... Hmm. Mr. Roe Deer has been working hard.]
[If that's the case.]
The Host's monitor turned black.
He raised his right hand and...
[Cut! Let's take a break!]
The band sound stopped.
The staff murmured.
[Haha, my apologies. My screen has become opaque. Makeup!]
The camera lights were hastily turned off.
[Wipe it carefully. Mmm, excellent!]
A Faceless Staff member holding makeup tools ran up and diligently polished the old TV screen until it shone.
Then the Host grabbed the makeup artist as they were leaving and pointed at me.
[Ah, I'd be very grateful if you could guide that participant to the waiting room on your way out. He's supposed to bring me some water.]
Then, he winked an emoticon eye at me from inside the TV, briefly displayed some text, and then deleted it.
[Go get some water and rest!]
"......Thank you."
It worked.
'For now, it's done.'
I stumbled down from the platform and walked to follow the makeup artist immediately.
Even though the filming had stopped, the ominous and horrific pig head still stood in the center of the stage, motionless except for waving its baton.
Extracting a bizarre song from human heads on the grotesque silver trays.
'Endure it.'
Don't look.
I walked across the center of the stage with stiff legs...
[Recording will resume in 30 minutes!]
It was just as I was passing the opposite platform.
The assistant manager standing there suddenly thrust something into my hand as I passed.
"......!"
I quickly looked at the assistant manager.
I saw her mouth move.
-Check it, alone.
What is this?
I was guided immediately to the door behind the stage.
Inside was a waiting room in a typical old Hollywood style.
Except for the fact that a bizarrely large number of black-and-white broadcast posters were plastered everywhere like talismans.
"Thank you."
The makeup artist just nodded silently and vanished.
Click.
"Whew."
...I survived.
It was only for 30 minutes, but I had postponed my scheduled death.
'I have to do something in the meantime.'
And a new clue had appeared.
I immediately opened my fingers and checked the object the assistant manager had thrust at me.
The object she had tried to deliver to me by any means in this urgent situation was...
"...A button?"
It was a button meant for a suit.
At the same time, it was a button in the sense that it could be pressed.
Meaning there was a space inside, and it felt like it would click if pressed.
"......."
There was only one way to find out, and there was no time.
'She gave it to me because she judged it would be helpful.'
I pressed the button immediately.
Beep-beep-beep...
.......
Click.
[This is Lee Jaheon.]
"...!"
[Who is this? That's Assistant Manager Eun Haje's call button.]
Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
The leader of Team D, who was said to have gone out for field work, was connected through the button.
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