Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work
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-No way! The moment of difficult choice has arrived, my friend.
Brown's cheerful voice rang in his ears.
-Now, Mr. Deer has only 10 passes, but there are 45 pitiful candidates who will fall to the horrific rotten flesh altar and suffer.
-What criteria will you use to select 45 sacrifices, and what criteria to pick 10 dramatic exemptions from them?
-Judgment? Vote? Screening? Lottery? Ah, whichever it is, it seems truly regrettable...
Brown's voice rose in delight.
-But that nail-biting tension and pressure, the immersion, sighs of relief, happiness, despair—that's the essence of the show, isn't it?
-The best moment! Ah! And look, one of the panelists is speaking up!
At that moment.
"Does it matter?"
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol spoke up.
"Deputy Manager?"
"Whether it's ten painkillers or one, who cares? Just grab 45 people and tell them to jump. That'll do it."
Her tone made it clear she couldn't comprehend.
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol turned to him.
And then...
"That's why you went to all the trouble to set the mood, right? Isn't it?"
Click.
The deputy manager cracked open the door to Car 1.
"...! Depu...ty..."
"See?"
...Through the gap in the door, he saw passengers in Car 2 waving or greeting with worried faces.
The atmosphere created by hundreds of friendly people, enough for everything to proceed smoothly without friction.
"Perfect. I thought it was pointless busywork, but now I see it saves me some hassle."
"......"
"The people left on the train won't even grasp the situation anyway, right? They'll only realize after they fall."
...It was true.
In fact, he could just grab anyone and say, 'In this round, 45 people have qualified, including you. Jump off one by one from now on.'
Then the oblivious people would simply fall from the windows without even getting painkillers...
Straight into hours of torture without warning.
"No, in case it doesn't end at Station 9, just tell them all to keep jumping until the altar doesn't appear anymore."
"......"
"Alright, now go throw them..."
"That won't work."
"...!"
The response came from someone else.
Dolphin Junior Manager.
Another elite team employee looked up at Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol and replied.
"...What did you say?"
"I said it won't work."
"Oh?"
Jin Na-sol's temple twitched, but she gave the competent one another chance.
"So what do you suggest?"
And Dolphin Junior Manager made the most like-himself choice.
"Just pick out the worst ones and throw them, right?"
"Are you insane? Why bother with that hassle?"
At that moment.
"Time's up."
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol strode toward the door of Car 1.
Dolphin Junior Manager's eyes flashed. He raised his hand... Wait, hold on!
"Wait a second!"
He blocked the deputy manager's path.
"What."
...Cliffhanger.
'Careful, careful.'
He swallowed and said,
"Junior Manager Dolphin's words... make sense. We can't just tell them to jump blindly."
"......"
"I mean, there has to be a valid reason for it!"
"Reason."
"Yes."
He took a deep breath.
Calmly.
Reflect the mountain story he already knew into his clues...
Naturally.
"Deputy Manager, when you went under the windows, you heard voices from the rotten flesh altar. Things like 'Cast off your sins'..."
That strange, massive echo resounding in his mind hadn't been blocked even by Happy Maker.
And without Happy Maker, he would've been tearing at his skin and flesh from the burning agony upon hearing that voice.
"So?"
"If it's such a powerful message, it's surely deeply tied to this phenomenon. So... in this darkness, 'sin' is the keyword."
"......"
"The keyword needed for clearing."
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol stopped in her tracks.
"Keep talking."
"Yes."
He swallowed.
"Wasn't it strange from the start? Why do the sacrificed always wake up back on the train? If they're truly offered as sacrifices, they shouldn't return."
"They go insane instead."
"Yes. But that's... because they follow the command to 'rip off flesh equal to sins' amid the pain."
He separated the two vaguely lumped things from the 14th loop.
"So, the sacrifice isn't the human itself... but the 'flesh' they offer equal to their sins?"
"...!"
He'd said it before.
In the cult frenzy, people from all compartments killed each other, held mad rituals, and threw corpses out windows.
Just counting those who died and fell from windows, the 9th altar should've been easy.
Yet this ghost story hadn't ended through hundreds of loops.
The reason.
"People aren't the sacrifices. They just offer their sins at the altar."
"......"
"And people return."
Those who complete the offering walk past the altar and return to the train's starting point.
The loop restarts.
Though half-mad from the pain of 'ripping out sins,' the people themselves return.
"Discarding the sin-flesh into the aisle along the way."
Eating, vomiting, bleeding...
"That's what I think the sacrifice is."
That pain.
The horrific burning agony equal to sins and the echoing voice in the head.
...Seeing the rotten flesh piled in the aisle at that point reframes it.
Not mere grotesque traces, but sacrifices steadily offered and accumulated at the altar.
"So, having sinners drop to the altar to offer their sins is the surest way. ...That's my theory."
"......"
"......"
Clap clap clap.
Dolphin Junior Manager clapped softly from behind, but the deputy manager didn't twitch.
"Of course, I could be wrong. But preparing for the possibility it's right by taking the safe path—isn't that reasonable?"
He met Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol's eyes and pleaded earnestly.
"So, for a safe clear, I beg you. Let me persuade the passengers..."
"You."
The deputy manager's mouth opened.
"You're good at lying."
"...!!"
"Well, better than being bad at talking."
"Depu...ty..."
"Third strike."
Thud.
He was grabbed by the collar and lifted into the air.
"Pioneer!"
"Aaaah!"
"Look, if I keep letting it slide, it'll never end. We still have to enter another darkness after Mokpo—wasting energy here?"
Passengers screamed and rushed from Car 2 beyond the connector. But Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol didn't blink, closing and locking the Car 1 door right in front of them.
Click.
"Be grateful I'm wasting time on this crap."
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol shoved her face close.
"Flesh people rip off themselves is the sacrifice? Hey. But the ones you stabbed with painkillers and threw in came out fine without offering any."
"...!!"
"By your logic, they didn't offer sacrifices, yet they passed to the next altar just fine?"
That was...
"You knew and lied."
"......"
"Busted."
Right.
He'd tried to scam the deputy manager.
'Didn't expect to get caught so fast.'
He grinned, sweating coldly.
But most of what he said was true.
'Except one thing.'
The conclusion.
"Indeed."
The pressure on his neck intensified.
"So anyone matching the altar works?"
"Yes, exactly."
He admitted readily.
"In truth, how much sin they offer doesn't matter. ...Even none at all. The act of humans preparing offerings and coming to the altar—that's what's key."
Besides...
"Anyway... on this train to Tamra, it seems everyone is considered sinful. Heh."
He'd seen it.
'Even that kind-hearted silver heart owner ripped flesh at the altar.'
By this mad ghost story's judgment... no sinless humans exist.
Everyone's a sinner; only degrees differ...
So if clearing is the goal, no need to hunt for the wicked.
"Finally, words getting through."
Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol released her grip.
He barely balanced on the floor, gasping.
"Good. Now no more nonsense—everyone cooperate quickly. Efficiently."
"......"
He forced a grin.
"That's weird."
"What?"
"Deputy Manager, you're making the inefficient choice right now."
Thud thud!
He looked at the passengers pounding the door, Dolphin Junior Manager, and Baek Saheon.
"To do it your way, you'd have to fight three employees."
"...!!"
"And the passengers just saw you grab my collar, so whatever you do, they'll resist fiercely."
"......"
With the board set like this, Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol's 'most efficient move' would hit massive backlash.
Passengers wouldn't cooperate at all!
And with this setup, Dolphin Junior Manager would side with him to subdue her instead.
"Sure, you could overpower us... but it'd be a huge hassle. Right?"
"Ah! Good point, Junior Manager."
Dolphin Junior Manager smiled and approached.
"Exactly. Why bother with the hassle? Just rest, and we'll handle it."
Behind, Baek Saheon wore a 'Me?' face but stayed silent, rolling his eyes instead of backing the deputy.
Same elite team, he'd join the side with numbers.
So...
"Deputy Manager. Can't you overlook this hassle just once?"
"......"
"This isn't real company work—just got caught up. We want a bit more comfortable, safe way. Just takes a little longer."
Please!
'Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol is rational.'
She'd think throwing a tantrum over bad vibes and taking the hard path was stupid.
That was his bet.
'But... she's human; bad mood could spark something impulsive.'
Especially an elite team boss—resentful at two juniors rebelling...
He swallowed.
"Like you said, this isn't work."
"......"
"......"
Silence.
Then Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol moved her foot. And...
Sat in an empty seat in Car 1.
"...Thank you."
No reply. She just closed her eyes, face blank.
Clearly suppressing anger.
Actually, bucking a superior on a business trip was insane!
'Whew...'
Sorry, Deputy Manager...
But as expected, she'd accept the efficient result after it ended.
Couldn't explain rationally now.
Time to move.
"...Let's get to it."
Entering the first altar soon.
Dolphin Junior Manager thought the same, moving to unlock the door.
"Yep. Out we go—pick 45 bad ones!"
Hm.
"Uh, Junior Manager. About that."
"...?"
"Can't we do it a different way?"
"Oh?"
Rattle.
He opened the door to Car 1.
"Ah! It opened... H-heck!"
"Wh-what's in there?"
The passengers who'd been pounding, debating whether to break it, lit up then freaked out at the horrific state inside Car 1.
But relief upon seeing him.
...The train's answer key, looking fine.
He bowed his head.
"Everyone. Thank you for waiting."
"A-are you okay, Pioneer?"
"That guy earlier..."
"Of course."
He glanced at Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol and forced a bitter smile.
"He helped me snap out of it after I learned some shocking facts."
"...Shocking facts?"
Whew.
"Everyone. I have something to say."
He breathed deep, meeting the eyes of hundreds watching him.
"This time, there's no limit on who can go out the windows."
"Oooooh!"
"And this is the last one."
"......"
"Pardon?"
"What does that..."
"Exactly that."
He spoke slowly.
"After this, the test ends."
Passengers buzzed, questioning if not everyone had to go out.
"Normally, everyone would go out slowly. ...But things changed."
Passengers held their breath, listening.
"Because all of you qualify."
"Th-then!"
He nodded.
"Yes. Anyone can go out the window and pass the test."
"Oh my god!"
"Then I..."
He stopped those raising hands.
"But this time, it will hurt. A lot."
"...!!"
Blunt and honest.
"You'll feel burning agony walking after falling. Maybe so bad you want to rip flesh. Fight pain, echoing voices in your head, step by step toward the light..."
Passengers fell silent.
Frozen, they eyed each other, murmuring.
Someone yelled from behind.
"That's not what you promised!"
"Yeah! You said you'd protect us..."
He nodded.
"Of course. If you don't want to, you don't have to."
"Uh... Huh?"
"But one thing I promise for sure."
Actually.
According to Disaster Management Bureau files on the past Iksan train safe end...
When this ghost story ends, passengers wake at the start point, startled like from a nightmare.
Then live normally, thinking 'What a bad dream.'
Tamra train events fade like a bad dream over half a day, eventually forgotten.
But...
He remembered that line.
A passenger habitually verbally abusing subordinates apologized immediately after alighting and never did it again.
One who jaywalked habitually felt 'strangely ashamed' and quit; another started volunteering at a youth center they'd only thought about.
Even a scammer planning insurance fraud abandoned it and tipped off police.
Overall improvements in morality, self-esteem, pride observed.
Yes.
If it ends safely like before, not looping horrifically hundreds of times, the agony ends as a short nightmare, forgotten.
But the good remains.
'...That's why, when it was the Iksan train, the Bureau called it a phenomenon, not disaster—just made files...'
So, exaggerating a bit.
"Those who go out the window this time will feel proud of themselves when they exit the tunnel."
He continued.
"Instead of regretting yesterday's deeds, you'll be the one who stepped up then—and meet a better self without shame."
A small voice from the crowd.
"...Is that the answer?"
He met that passenger's eyes and nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"......"
"But that much, I guarantee."
Passengers quieted again.
"Then I'll ask again. ...Anyone willing to endure the pain and go out the window?"
......
"Me."
He turned.
Dolphin Junior Manager had his hand up.
And.
"I'll go down too."
One by one, hands rose.
"Me."
"Me too...!"
All faces showed strange elation overcoming fear.
Crowd psychology.
A double-edged sword.
But the group bonds and influence from 14 loops showed solemnly now.
Inspired by those closest.
In moments, nearly half the train voluntarily raised hands.
......The ending he'd become a cult leader over 14 loops to see was here.
"...Everyone."
"Thank you. I'll go with you."
As the silver heart owner wished.