Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 116

“You said the Car No. 1 door opened?”

“Yes!”

I immediately moved with the others to Car No. 2. Baek Saheon rushed out, looking triumphant.

“I did my best to persuade the Car No. 1 occupants to open the door. Oh, and all the passengers helped, of course… ‘Benefactor’!”

“I see. You’ve worked hard.”

It seemed he had gone to the Car No. 1 door at the start of each loop, knocked, and shouted that there was a solution and they should come out.

-And Mr. Doe probably excitedly boasted about what he had done too!

-Ah, I wish I could have heard those interesting stories here… But don’t worry. A good friend always chooses to be with their friend!

Yes. Thank you, legendary host…

Anyway, actively relaying the outside situation to Car No. 1 definitely seemed to have worked.

The wiki had clearly described it like this:

All of that repeated dozens of times.

Each loop was filled with blood and madness.

Those two sentences, I remembered them very clearly…

‘The door to Car No. 1 definitely only opened after all those loops.’

So, I was actually planning to just force the door open around the 20th loop.

‘14th loop is definitely good.’

It wasn’t for nothing that Baek Saheon’s nickname in the wiki was ‘Field Exploration Team’s Viper.’ I nodded, acknowledging that in my own way.

“Then I’ll just talk to them…”

“B-but wait!”

Baek Saheon hurriedly stopped me.

No way…

“Th-that door. It closed again.”

“…”

“No, to be precise, communication happened. Look at this!”

Baek Saheon hurriedly held something out.

A crumpled, dirty piece of paper.

Large letters were written on it…

Endure seven times

…Dark red clumps of filth were smeared around the roughly pressed, crooked letters on the paper.

“Ugh.”

“Th-that… it looks like those rotting things in the tunnel…”

A murmur spread among the people.

“W-wait a minute. Could it be that Car No. 1 has turned into a den of monsters, like that tunnel!”

“Exactly! They locked themselves in and didn’t follow the Benefactor, so they suffered terribly!”

C-calm down.

I hurriedly shook my head to calm the train’s atmosphere, which was on the verge of turning into a full-blown cult.

“It won’t be like that. It just seems like the suffering is severe… Just a moment.”

I immediately headed to the connecting part of Car No. 2.

And knocked on the firmly closed door of Car No. 1.

Knock, knock.

“Is anyone there?”

“It’s no use. I’ve tried so many times…”

“Hello. Um, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I’m the one called ‘Benefactor.’ Can we talk?”

I kept calling out.

“There are hundreds of passengers behind me. Over three hundred people in total. We can certainly help you.”

“Hello?”

“I’ve come to help!”

“I told you it’s no use…”

Click.

“…!”

The lock disengaged.

Ignoring Baek Saheon’s dumbfounded expression, I turned back and calmly said to the others,

“…I’ll go in alone.”

“N-no, you can’t!”

“Benefactor! What if something terrible happens!”

I smiled and soothed the people.

“I think the people in Car No. 1 would be surprised and scared if many people rushed in. And even if something terrible happens, what more can happen than going back to the beginning? It’ll be fine.”

“B-but at least enough for self-defense…”

Thank you. I was waiting for that!

“Hmm, in that case… I’ll ask my colleagues.”

I looked at the two elite team superiors and one colleague.

The three, who had already been briefed, immediately nodded, and thus the joint force of Baek Il-mong Corporation employees entering Car No. 1 was formed.

‘Good.’

It was a huge relief, as signs of Jin Nasol’s patience running out were slowly showing in her eyes.

“Be careful, Benefactor!”

When I asked them to “wait in Car No. 2 until I request, just in case,” the passengers, though worried, obediently retreated to Car No. 2.

That was also a relief.

‘Phew.’

…It’s getting harder and harder to lead people.

‘At some point, things will start to veer in unpredictable directions.’

The fact that we had maintained a peaceful atmosphere until now was because people had listened to me.

I felt the presence of a small badge still attached to the inner pocket of my suit jacket.

The power of the Silver Heart was terrifying. Definitely.

I took a deep breath.

“Then, I’ll open the door.”

That’s when it happened.

…I felt Jin Nasol giving me a cold stare.

“It’s too long, isn’t it?”

“…”

“I wonder if it needs to go on for 14 loops.”

“Yes.”

I replied calmly.

“A safe clear is important too. We minimized all variables and gathered altar experiences to verify the escape method.”

Now all we had to do was escape.

“So, this train is the last one.”

“…”

Jin Nasol crossed her arms, acquiescing to my actions one more time.

…It would probably be the last.

“Just get in quickly, since you’re ready.”

“Yes.”

As Baek Saheon, a new employee with no right to speak, hurriedly followed, I watched Section Chief Dolphin open the door…

Click.

Through the opened door, a fishy smell that stung the nose wafted out.

“…”

The smell from the altar.

And…

“Scary! Scary! Scary! Scary!”

“Kee-eugh, Keu-eugh!”

“H-h-hoo-hoo-hoo…”

Sounds of wailing.

“Go in.”

I stared blankly at the scene inside the open door.

Car No. 1 itself was contaminated.

Over 50 people were writhing, laughing madly, or rolling on the floor and wailing inside.

The floor was filthy with what looked like vomited blood and fragments.

…And a small banner, stained with blood and filth, lay sprawled in the aisle.

[Blue Photography Club 17th Regular Outing]

That’s right.

The people in Car No. 1 were a large group of passengers…

A group of people who had booked their tickets through a travel agency, already familiar and friendly with each other.

The reason they were in this state was…

“These people, they must have been taking turns throwing themselves out the window… Or, in order?”

“What? All 53 people look insane. What are you talking about? Even if they threw one each time, it would only be 14 times?”

“That’s a good point. Then… as Section Chief Kim deduced, was there a ‘person of interest’?”

That’s right.

Unless everyone had been thrown out, there was only one possible explanation for this.

Among the contaminated, there was someone with a very strong influence.

Someone, especially within an already close-knit group, wearing equipment that could induce powerful persuasion and shared consciousness… that is.

“Employee Baek.”

“…!”

“The favor I asked.”

Baek Saheon startled, then lowered his eye patch and began to look around.

His purple inverted eye darted busily this way and that, then he gasped.

And reached out his hand.

“Over here.”

Right behind me, coincidentally.

I slowly turned around and looked at the person Baek Saheon pointed to…

“…”

A figure who had lost hold of the door handle leading to Car No. 2 and fallen backward.

If I had met this person on the street, I would have thought them a good-natured middle-aged person and passed by.

…If not for the fact that their entire body was contorted and convulsing in place.

“W-we-e-e…”

Dark red filth drooled from their mouth, veins throbbed on their temples. Flakes of skin torn by fingernails covered their entire body. And…

“Can do, can do…”

“S-seven times, seven times…”

I slowly approached the person, who was muttering while staring at the air.

And, as their upper garment rode up with their writhing movements, I checked the end of the belt that was revealed.

A small, gleaming silver badge.

Found it.

“Is this the person of interest?”

“…Yes.”

The person of interest in the ‘Tamra Express Train Incident.’

‘The owner of the Silver Heart.’

“H-help…”

Now, only confirmation remains.

“Sir.”

I bent down in front of them, matching their eye level.

And whispered into their ear, in a voice quiet enough not to be heard by those behind me.

“You read the note, didn’t you.”

“…!”

“The note about the ‘Mureungdowon Test,’ registered with the government.”

The eyes, which had been vacantly unfocused with an open mouth, suddenly regained a flicker of reason.

“H-ho-how…!”

“Just a moment.”

It was indeed correct.

‘If so…’

I hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a ‘Happy Maker’ from my pocket.

-Ah, preparing for a new interview?

‘…Yes.’

I absolutely had to talk to this person.

For justification.

…To gently conceal the suspicion that I had known about all this beforehand.

Thump.

A powerful painkiller was injected into the back of the Silver Heart owner’s hand.

“Hoo-uhhhk!”

The convulsing, contaminated body movements instantly ceased. Thud. The middle-aged body sprawled on the floor…

And then.

“Hee-eugh! Hee-eugh! Hoo-hoo-hoo…”

Tears streamed down their faces, and they began drooling on the floor…

“What, what’s wrong with him?”

“…He fell too many times from the altar.”

This person seemed to have fallen at least five times.

The Happy Maker was a painkiller, not a recovery agent, so the already collapsed mind had not returned.

Still, conversation was more possible now than before.

“Can’t do it… anymore, can’t anymore…!”

“…Yes.”

That was important.

Fortunately, the other party began to provide information excellently.

The Silver Heart owner, who had been shedding tears, rushed towards me as soon as our eyes met, gripping my shoulder tightly and spitting as they spoke.

“You! You know!”

The hand clutching my shoulder was desperate.

“Seven times! Just endure seven times! You, you can do it…”

“…Endure what?”

“The altar!!”

And they pleaded fervently.

“I know, this, this is managed by the government! You, you, there’s a department that manages things like this, it was there.”

“…”

“I read it! I, I worked there…”

Behind me, I heard the elite team’s conversation.

“Ah, he’s a retired employee from the Disaster Management Bureau?”

“Hmm… Did he perhaps have some equipment?”

It was the correct answer.

I continued to ask the Silver Heart owner.

“I see. Then what kind of supernatural phenomenon is this?”

The retired low-level clerical worker from the Disaster Management Bureau, half-lost in their sanity, was casually spilling bits of the Disaster Management Bureau’s secrets.

“Uh, uh, so, th-this, this supernatural phenomenon, uh, if you endure the altar seven times, endure it, it ends, it’s a dream… Uh, so our club…”

“…”

Then, with blurry eyes, they looked around.

At the people of the Blue Photography Club in Car No. 1, who were rolling around in pain and madness.

…I knew why these people had ended up in this state.

‘The Silver Heart owner must have persuaded them…’

To sacrifice everyone just once and go to the seventh altar.

But not everyone could be as kind and courageous as the Silver Heart owner.

Rebellions, discussions, people who promised but got scared and couldn’t jump, and so on. Amidst all sorts of situations, the Silver Heart owner would jump out the window again and again as an example.

‘And the collapsed mental state and contamination would then affect the entire Car No. 1 through the Silver Heart…’

That’s how, in pain and contamination, everyone in Car No. 1 went completely insane.

Eventually, at some point, everyone would jump out the window and completely collapse mentally…

And then they would unlock the closed door and rush into other cars.

‘From there, even more terrible things would happen.’

That’s why I couldn’t forcibly open the Car No. 1 door in the middle.

Because it could lead to a completely hostile relationship with the half-mad, firmly convinced Silver Heart owner, who was sacrificed, and the situation could spiral out of control.

‘That’s why I had to wait.’

Until the right timing came.

The Silver Heart owner was not a god either.

At some point, even amidst the madness, confusion, and ego collapse, that passenger felt a desperate need for help from other passengers.

But by then, it was too late.

Because more terrible things were happening in other cars…

At the moment of agony when the other party gave up and decided to accept help from another car.

The outside of Car No. 1 had to look peaceful, and there had to appear to be other solutions.

Enough for them to unlock the door handle, even with their broken minds.

…14th loop. At this point, Car No. 1 was already hell.

“S-sorry, kids, it, it hurts too much… Hoo-hoo-hoo…”

“…”

This is maddening.

The overwhelming feeling of tragedy when facing it in reality, not just as prose in a wiki, was immense…

‘So, I need to escape faster.’

I barely managed to grit my teeth and ask.

The question that would provide the crucial hint.

“Sir, but what kind of train was it that you saw? Was it this train?”

“Hoo-hoo, that’s right. This is it, the Iksan-bound train! The Iksan-bound train…”

Section Chief Dolphin tilted his head.

“Iksan? That’s strange, this train is Mokpo-bound…”

Baek Saheon quickly interjected.

“Excuse me, it does pass through Iksan Station, Section Chief.”

“Oh, I see. Is Iksan Station a mid-route stop?”

“That’s right.”

Section Chief Dolphin moved directly instead of trusting Baek Saheon.

He swiftly walked through the aisle of Car No. 1, which was a mess of filth and wailing, and pulled out an item from a seat pocket.

A pamphlet placed in the seat pocket.

And after confirming the fact in the pamphlet, he nodded.

“Aha. You’re right!”

“Really? Then we can just follow the Disaster Management Bureau’s testimony.”

“Yep. He said it only takes 7 times, right? Then 28 people… Ah. Wait a minute.”

Then he froze.

“7 times?”

“…”

Ah.

He noticed.

“Excuse me, Section Chief Doe.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know? Most trains extend their routes with the flow of time.”

“I suppose so.”

“So, perhaps this train’s route used to be shorter. Like… with Iksan Station as its terminus.”

“…”

“So much so that it was marked as ‘Iksan-bound’.”

That was correct.

To be precise, this route was extended in the mid-2010s.

From Iksan-bound to Mokpo-bound.

“And also.”

Section Chief Dolphin’s hand, which was skimming the pamphlet, stopped at one point.

“From Seoul to Iksan, if you count the local stops… there are exactly 7 stations.”

“…”

“So perhaps, the altars were stations.”

Yes.

“And if we deduce further.”

Shhhink.

“Unlike the old Iksan-bound train, the stations this train passes on its way to its terminus, Mokpo Station… there are 9.”

Section Chief Dolphin thwacked the pamphlet closed.

“So the altars we have to pass aren’t 7… they’re 9.”

“…”

“We have to sacrifice a total of 45 people up to the 9th altar.”

It was a perfectly chillingly correct answer.

‘As expected of the elite team.’

And that correct answer was also the reason why the passengers of Car No. 1 had completely broken down mentally…

■■th Loop:

The 8th altar appears after passing the 7th.

The solution presented by the Silver Heart owner, which was a ray of hope, had vanished.

Eventually, everyone in Car No. 1, overcome by rage, fear, and panic, completely lost their minds…

‘…It’s truly a relief we didn’t go that far.’

I couldn’t handle it, nor could I bear to watch.

Just as I secretly let out a thin sigh of relief,

“But…”

Section Chief Dolphin looked back at me.

“Section Chief, you only have 11 painkillers?”

“…”

“This time, one has already been used. So…”

“45 people need to fall, but painkillers will only go to 10 people?”