Chapter 116: Ch 116: An unwilling ratio
"The door to Car 1 has opened, you say?"
"Yes!"
I immediately moved with the others to Car 2. Baek Saheon rushed out,
looking triumphant.
"I did my best to convince the passengers in Car 1 to open the door. Of
course, it was a group effort from everyone, venerable Pathfinder."
"I see. You worked hard."
It seemed that every time the loop restarted, he had been knocking on Car
1’s door, shouting about how there was a solution and asking them to come
out.
– And surely, he must have enthusiastically shared grand tales of the things
you have accomplished, Mr. Roe Deer!
– Ah, I wish I could’ve heard those fascinating stories myself... But, fret
not! A good friend always chooses to stay by his friend’s side!
Yes. Thank you, legendary host...
Anyway, it seemed that effectively sharing information about the outside
situation had indeed made a difference in Car 1.
I remembered exactly how it had been described on the wiki.
Everything repeated dozens of times.
Blood and madness reigned in every loop.
Those two sentences were crystal clear in my memory.
’The door to Car 1 only opens after all those loops.’
Honestly, I had planned to break in myself around the 20th loop.
’But 14 loops in? That’s pretty good.’
No wonder Baek Saheon had earned the nickname Field Exploration
Team’s ’Viper’ on the wiki. I nodded, acknowledging his efforts.
"Well then, let’s proceed to talk with them—"
"Wait!"
Baek Saheon hurriedly stopped me.
No way...
"Th-The door has shut again."
"..."
"Well, technically, we did make contact. Look at this!"
Baek Saheon frantically handed me something.
A crumpled, filthy piece of paper.
Scrawled in large letters...
JUST ENDURE SEVEN TIMES MORE
...were jagged words that were pressed firmly into the paper, surrounded by
dark, reddish-black stains of some vile, slimy substance.
"Ugh."
"Th-That stuff... It looks like the rot we saw in the tunnel."
A murmur of unease spread among the crowd.
"W-Wait. What if Car 1 has turned into some sort of cursed hellhole? Like
the tunnel!"
"Right! They shut themselves off and ignored the Pathfinder’s guidance,
and now look at them—suffering horribly!"
Please, calm down.
I quickly shook my head, trying to soothe the crowd on the brink of falling
into cult-like panic.
"That’s unlikely. They seem to be in great pain, yes. But give me a
moment."
I headed straight to the connection between Cars 2 and 1.
Then I knocked firmly on the closed door of Car 1.
Knock, knock.
"Is anyone there?"
"It’s useless. I’ve tried multiple times—"
"Hello. I’m the one people call the ’Pathfinder’. Can we talk?"
I continued calling out.
"Behind me are over 300 passengers. We can help you."
"Hello?"
"We came to offer our assistance!"
"I’m telling you, it’s useless—"
Click.
"...!"
The lock disengaged.
I ignored Baek Saheon’s dumbfounded expression and calmly turned to
address the crowd.
"...I’ll go in alone."
"W-Wait, you can’t!"
"Venerable Pathfinder, what if something happens?"
I smiled, reassuring them.
"If too many people enter all at once, it might overwhelm and frighten the
passengers in Car 1. And if something does happen, we’ll just return to the
start of the loop, right? I’ll be fine."
"B-But at least take something for self-defense—"
Thank you. I was waiting for someone to say that.
"In that case, I’ll rely on my colleagues."
I looked at the two elite team superiors and my fellow batchmate.
The three, who had already been briefed, immediately nodded. Thus, the
united front of Daydream Inc. employees entering Car 1 was formed.
’Perfect.’
It was a relief, especially since I could already see the signs of Jin Nasol’s
patience wearing thin.
"Be careful, venerable Pathfinder!"
I asked the passengers to stay in Car 2 until called for, and despite their
concern, they reluctantly complied.
Another relief.
’Pheww.’
...It’s getting harder and harder to manage everyone.
’Sooner or later, things will start spiraling in unpredictable directions.’
"The only reason we’ve managed to maintain a relatively calm atmosphere
so far is because people have been listening to me."
I could still feel the weight of the small badge inside the pocket of my suit
jacket.
The power of the Silver Heart was terrifying—undeniably so.
I took a deep breath.
"Then, I’ll open the door now."
That was when I felt it.
Jin Nasol’s cold gaze, quietly watching me.
"Isn’t this taking too long?"
"..."
"Should it have even reached the 14th loop?"
"Yes."
I replied calmly.
"A safe clear is important. I’ve minimized variables, gathered experience
from the altars, and confirmed the escape method."
Now, we just needed to execute it.
"That’s why this train ride will be our last."
"..."
Jin Nasol crossed her arms, silently granting me one last pass.
Hopefully, the final one.
"Well, since we’re ready as you say, let’s just get on with it."
"Yes."
As Baek Saheon scrambled after us without any authority to object,
Supervisor Dolphin opened the door.
Clack.
The moment it opened, a sharp, metallic stench hit our noses.
"..."
It was the same smell from the altars.
And then—
"I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared!"
"Blaaargh! Gruuuh, uuurk!"
"Hiiic, hiiicc..."
Wailing voices.
"Go in."
I stood there, momentarily stunned by the scene before me.
Car 1 was completely contaminated.
Over 50 people inside were thrashing around, laughing hysterically, rolling
on the ground, and sobbing uncontrollably.
The floor was a mess of vomit, blood, and torn chunks of flesh.
A small banner, soaked in filth and blood, lay crumpled across the aisle.
[Blue Photography Club – 17th Annual Trip]
That’s right.
The passengers in Car 1 were members of a large group booking—a travel
agency tour.
They were people who already knew each other well, who were connected
and friendly.
And now, they had ended up like this...
"These people... they’ve been taking turns throwing each other out the
window, haven’t they? Or maybe they’ve been doing it by rotation?"
"What? But 53 people are completely out of their minds. Even if they threw
someone out each time, it’s only been 14 loops."
"You’re right. Which means... just as Supervisor Kim speculated, there’s a
’person of interest’ among them."
Exactly.
Unless every single person had been thrown out, there was only one
possibility.Someone within the contaminated group had overwhelming
influence—strong enough to sway and lead others.
And that someone, within this closely-knit group, likely wore a piece of
equipment that could spark extreme persuasion and groupthink.
"Employee Baek."
"...!"
"The thing I asked for."
Baek Saheon flinched before hurriedly lowering his eyepatch and scanning
the area. His purple reverse-eye darted around frantically until it suddenly
froze.
He held his breath and pointed.
"There."
Right behind me.
I turned slowly to look at the person Baek Saheon was indicating.
"..."
A middle-aged man lay collapsed, gripping the handle of the door
connecting to Car 2 before losing consciousness.
If I had passed him on the street, I would’ve thought he was just an
ordinary, kind-looking man.
That is, if his entire body weren’t convulsing, twisted grotesquely on the
floor.
"W-We caaaaan..."
Dark red fluid dripped from his mouth as the veins in his temples bulged.
His entire body was covered in self-inflicted scratches where he had torn at
his own skin.
"Possible, it’s possible..."
"S-Seven times, seven more times..."
I slowly approached the man as he mumbled into the air.
His shirt had ridden up slightly due to his thrashing, revealing the end of his
belt.
There it was—glinting faintly in silver.
A small, shining badge.
"Is this the person of interest?"
"...Yes."
The critical figure behind the Tamra Express Disaster—
The Silver Heart Owner.
"H-Help..."
All that remained now was to confirm it.
"Elder Sir."
I knelt down in front of him, meeting his eye level. I leaned in just enough
to whisper into his ear, making sure no one behind me could hear.
"You read the directive, didn’t you?"
"...!"
"The confidential government directive about ’The Paradise Test’."
The dull, vacant eyes that had been clouded with confusion suddenly
regained a faint spark of awareness.
"H-How did you—!"
"One moment, please."
As expected.
’So it’s true...’
After brief consideration, I took out a Happy Maker syringe from my
pocket.
– Ah, preparing for another interview, are we?
’...Yes.’
I needed to talk to this man, no matter what.
To secure the information I needed—and to subtly dispel the growing
suspicion that I knew too much about this situation from the start.
I injected the potent painkiller into the back of the Silver Heart owner’s
hand.
Phhk.
"Huuuuhk!"
With a loud gasp, his convulsing body immediately stilled, collapsing onto
the floor with a soft thud.
And then—
"Hiiic! Hiiuuhk! Hiic, hicc..."
Tears streamed down his face as he drooled onto the ground.
"What the hell? What’s wrong with him?"
"...He’s fallen too many times into the altar."
Judging by his condition, he had likely been thrown out at least five times.
Since Happy Maker was a painkiller, not a restorative, his shattered mind
wasn’t going to recover fully.
But at least he could talk now.
"I can’t... I-I can’t do it anymore...!"
"...Yes."
This man was the key.
Thankfully, he began providing valuable information right away.
The Silver Heart owner, tears streaming down his face, grabbed my
shoulders as soon as we made eye contact. His grip was desperate.
"You! You know, don’t you?!"
His trembling hands tightened around my shoulders.
"Seven! Seven times is all it takes! W-We can do it!"
"What exactly do we need to endure?"
"The altars!!"
Then, with a pleading tone, he added,
"I know what this is. This, it’s. I know. It’s managed by the government!
Over there, we, we have a department dedicated to these kinds of
phenomena—this is part of it. I’ve seen it myself!"
"..."
"I read it! I-I worked in that place—"
Behind me, I could hear the elite team members murmuring.
"Ah, so he’s a retired employee of the Disaster Management Bureau?"
"Hmm... maybe he has some useful equipment."
They were spot on.
I pressed forward with more questions.
"I understand, sir. Then, can you tell me—what exactly is this supernatural
phenomenon?"
The retired lower-level office worker from the Disaster Management
Bureau, still half-delirious, began spilling bits and pieces of classified
knowledge.
"Uuhh, the thing is, this—this supernatural phenomenon. It’s, uh, if you
survive seven altars. Just seven altars—it ends. Just a dream... oh, It’s all
just a dream. And, and that’s why our photography club..."
He trailed off, his cloudy gaze shifting around the carriage.
He looked at the other members of the Blue Photography Club, lying on the
floor, writhing in pain and madness.
I understood now why they had ended up like this.
’The Silver Heart owner convinced them...’
He had persuaded them that they only needed to sacrifice themselves once
to reach the seventh altar.
But not everyone had the same kindness and courage as the Silver Heart
owner.
Some resisted. Others hesitated or panicked. Some were too afraid to jump
when it was their turn. Amidst the chaos and arguments, the Silver Heart
owner likely became the example—jumping out of the window repeatedly
to encourage them.
And the more he fell, the more his mind broke, and the contamination from
his Silver Heart spread to the entire car.
Trapped in a cycle of pain and contamination, everyone in Car 1 eventually
lost their minds.
At some point, they all started jumping out of the window, their sanity fully
shattered.
Eventually, they unlocked the door and spilled into the other cars, causing
the chaos that followed.
’That’s when things took an even darker turn.’
That was why we couldn’t forcibly open the door to Car 1 earlier.
If we had, we would have triggered a full-blown catastrophe with the half-
crazed Silver Heart owner leading the charge.
’That’s why we had to wait.’
Until the right timing presented itself.
Even the owner of the Silver Heart wasn’t a god.
At some point, amid the madness, confusion, and crumbling sense of self,
that passenger must have desperately wanted help from others.
But by then, it was already too late.
The chaos unfolding in the other cars had reached a level that couldn’t be
undone...
The moment they gave up and wrestled with accepting help from others—
There had to be peace outside Car 1, and the appearance of an alternative
solution.
Something convincing enough for their shattered mind to reach out and
unlock the door.
...But this was the 14th loop. By now, Car 1 was already hell.
"I-I’m sorry, e-everyone... It h-hurts so much... hiiiiiic..."
"..."
This is maddening.
The overwhelming tragedy of seeing this firsthand hit much harder than any
prose I’d read in the wiki.
’That’s why we need to escape quickly.’
I bit down on my lip and asked the critical question—the one that could
give me the decisive clue.
"Elder, the train you saw in the directive... which train was it exactly? Was
it this one?"
"Hiiic, yes. It’s this train, that’s right. The train to Iksan. The train bound
for Iksan..."
Supervisor Dolphin tilted her head, puzzled.
"Iksan? That’s strange. This train is heading to Mokpo."
Baek Saheon quickly chimed in.
"Um, actually, we do pass through Iksan Station, Supervisor."
"Oh, really? So, Iksan is just a stop along the way?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
But instead of trusting Baek Saheon’s explanation, Dolphin decided to
verify it herself.
She strolled through the filth-covered aisle of Car 1, ignoring the sobbing
and chaos around her. Eventually, she pulled a booklet from a seat pocket
and quickly flipped through it.
She nodded after confirming the details.
"Aha. Yup, that’s right!"
"Okay. Then, according to the retired Disaster Management Bureau
employee, we just need to get through seven altars, correct?"
"Exactly. Seven altars... which means 28 sacrifices—oh, wait a second."
She froze.
"Seven altars?"
"..."
Ah.
She caught on.
"Um, Supervisor Roe Deer."
"Yes."
"Did you know that train routes often get extensions over time?"
"That makes sense."
"So, maybe this train used to have a shorter route. Maybe back when Iksan
Station was the final stop."
"..."
"That could be why it was originally called the Iksan Express."
Bingo.
She nailed it.
Technically, the route had been extended in the mid-2010s—from Iksan to
Mokpo.
"And one more thing."
Dolphin’s finger stopped at a specific section in the guidebook.
"From Seoul to Iksan, if you’re on a local train, you pass through exactly
seven stations."
"..."
"So, those altars we’ve been passing through—those are the stations."
Right.
"And if we follow that same logic..."
She flipped the page with a flick of her wrist.
"Unlike the old Iksan route, the current train to Mokpo passes through nine
stations."
She clapped the booklet shut.
"Which means the altars aren’t over at seven—we have to pass through nine
altars."
"..."
"And that means we need to offer sacrifices at nine altars, totaling 45
people."
It was a chillingly accurate deduction.
’As expected of an elite employee.’
And that truth explained why the passengers in Car 1 had completely lost
their minds.
■■th Loop :
After passing the seventh altar, an eighth altar appeared.
The supposed ’solution’ provided by the Silver Heart owner—their one
thread of hope—was shattered.
With that hope gone, Car 1 fell into a spiral of rage, fear, and panic until
everyone mentally collapsed.
’...It’s a relief we didn’t get to that point.’
I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
As I let out a silent sigh of relief—
"But, Supervisor."
Dolphin turned toward me.
"You only have 11 doses of painkillers, right?"
"..."
"And you’ve already used one, which leaves 10. So..."
"We need 45 people to jump, but the painkillers will only cover 10 of them,
right?"