Chapter 2: Ch 2: CreepyPasta#1- Abyss Transpo
[This stop is Resentment, Resentment Station.]
[The doors are on your right...]
A suffocating silence flows through the ghost-story subway.
I’m contributing to this silence as well.
Even though I already know this ghost story, I’m the type of person who
gets startled just by the thumbnail when a related YouTube video pops up
and immediately clicks ’Not Interested’.
And now I have to survive in this ghost story?
’Just kill me already...’
That would be a mercy.
I don’t even have the energy to figure out what’s going on.
I pressed my face into my hands, wanting to deny everything.
Then, it happened.
Blink.
[1st Place : Dark Exploration Records Real Merch Box]
"...?!"
I lifted my head.
Something like a notepad was flying around in my field of vision.
I could see it whether my eyes were open or closed.
It looked like a piece of paper, torn from a notepad and folded, fluttering
around.
"This..."
Wait. No one else seems to be seeing it.
I quickly shut my mouth.
Drawing attention to myself in this situation would be foolish.
Instead, I discreetly pressed the notepad in front of me with my hand,
trying not to look too awkward.
Flap.
Amazingly, the notepad moved as if it were unfolding, spitting out
something small.
"...!"
I quickly covered it with my hand, as if to hide it.
It was... a popsocket.
A very simple black popsocket with nothing remarkable about it except for
a golden ’X’ symbol in the center.
But with that design alone, I realized what this popsocket was.
’It’s merch.’
One of the merch sold at the <Dark Exploration Records> popup store,
which I had visited right before waking up in this bizarre situation!
It was one of the items I had purchased today.
With trembling hands, I picked up the popsocket.
In the story, what function did this item have again...
--------------------
[Memorial Popsocket]
: C-Class item featured in <Dark Exploration Records>.
When attached to a smartphone, it displays the text you remember in a
clear, organized page format.
A standard issue item for ninth-level employees at the Supernatural
Disaster Management Bureau under the Ministry of Environment.
--------------------
’Displays memories as text...’
Then, perhaps?
With trembling hands,
I peeled off the adhesive backing of the popsocket and immediately
attached it to my smartphone.
The moment I did, the scattered text I vaguely remembered from <Dark
Exploration Records> materialized clearly on my phone screen in the form
of pages.
--------------------
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Welcome to Abyss Transpo]
: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>
: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-D-16
An early-stage D-Class Darkness with overwhelmingly difficult escape
requirements. A notoriously insane ghost story. Depicts the endlessly
suffering Field Exploration Team.
Exploration Records indicate a total of up to 56 entries.
--------------------
"...!"
So this means...
’Did the merch I bought actually work?’
Come to think of it, the black merch box that had been resting on my lap
had disappeared without a trace.
’So that merch box... turned into this notepad and spat out the merch I
bought?’
What kind of crazy situation is this?
Still, it’s certainly advantageous for me.
The ghost-story universe I’ve entered, <Dark Exploration Records>...
Do you know how many internet veterans have unleashed their creativity
based on this?
There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of ghost stories.
Of course, it’s hard to recall all of them like flipping through a book in my
mind.
Plus, these ghost stories don’t directly tell you how to survive.
You have to infer the correct answers from the stories, which makes it even
harder to figure things out in new situations.
’But if I can check the text of what I’ve read all at once...’
If that’s possible, the first thing I need to look at is...
’Previous escape cases!’
I immediately scrolled down the wiki page.
I quickly read through section ’3.2 Exploration Records’, and then...
"..."
I came to a conclusion.
’I got it.’
I found my answer for which station I need to get off at.
But there’s a problem.
"..."
I turned to look at the others in the subway car with me.
There were eight young new hires in total, including myself.
The people who had panicked after witnessing two live dismemberments
were starting to regain their composure and talk.
"That station name, Resentment... it sounds like the kind of resentment
people feel when they’re angry, right?"
"Yes..."
"Ha, no cell service, no data... seriously, what is going on...?"
"..."
Yeah.
How am I supposed to convince these unfamiliar, untrustworthy people to
get off at the right station with me?
’Somehow, I need to make as many people as possible get off with me.’
I clenched my fist.
Did I suddenly develop a noble sense of duty, feeling that these extras who
are destined to die in this ghost-story world are real people whose lives I
need to save?
Well, sure, I might feel that way as a human being, but that’s not my top
priority.
The real reason I’m so desperate is...
’I can’t get off alone...!’
That’s right.
A lot of these stations are just insane.
Walk alone through
(a) a station filled with eyeballs,
(b) a station shrouded in Darkness, or
(c) a station that’s upside-down?
Just imagining it makes me break out in a cold sweat—and I’d probably end
up crawling on all fours in terror.
’Chances of me passing out before making it to safety? Over 90%...!’
No way. Please, save me.
’I have to convince them, somehow!’
I opened my mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it.
’Still, blurting out things like ’supernatural phenomena’ or ’darkness’ would
be idiotic.’
Who would want to believe they’re trapped in a situation straight out of a
ghost story?
They’d either refuse to believe it and mock me, or believe it and panic even
more.
’Slowly... I need to build trust first.’
At least one person.
If I can just convince one or two people, the herd mentality will make it
easier for others to follow.
’Let’s see... someone who seems like they need help, or a clue to build a
connection with...’
"Ha... this is like some YouTube ghost story."
Found one!
"You mentioned a ghost story?"
"Ah."
A woman with short hair and a calm demeanor nodded slightly, looking a
bit flustered.
"Yes. I, um, watch ghost stories on YouTube sometimes, and this reminds
me of one."
"Could you tell me more? This doesn’t seem like a normal situation, so it’s
probably best to share any information we have."
"It’s not really information... it just feels like everything is straight out of a
ghost story. The lecture hall suddenly turned into a subway, and people...
died like that."
Her face turned slightly pale, likely remembering the insane
dismemberment that happened just moments before.
I understand. I want to throw up too.
Let’s both try to erase it from our minds as quickly as possible.
"Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suddenly—"
"No, it’s the same for me. It’s hard to think straight with everything that’s
happening."
The woman gave a weak laugh.
"You seem to be handling it more rationally than anyone else here."
That’s only because you haven’t seen me fainting in panic yet.
"Huh?"
And surprisingly, around this time, someone else approached me.
For a very good reason.
"Um, you were sitting next to me earlier, right?"
It was a man with curly hair who looked fairly innocent.
’Now that I think about it, he was sitting next to me in the lecture hall
earlier.’
It seemed like this new hire wasn’t part of any of the other conversations
happening around us. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced between
the woman I was talking to and me before extending his hand like he
wanted to shake mine.
"My name is Baek Saheon."
"...!"
I nearly forgot to shake his hand for a moment.
Baek Saheon?
’He’s a named character.’
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Daydream Inc.
/ Characters
Baek Saheon
: An employee of Daydream Inc. in <Dark Exploration Records>
Final rank – Section Chief
Total number of Exploration Records – 106
Of these, 17 are special cases recorded in the wiki.
Nickname : Viper.
========================
He was an employee who had appeared multiple times in <Dark
Exploration Records>.
I looked up and stared at the man with the somewhat timid-looking curly
hair, letting out a small sigh.
’This guy... is Baek Saheon?’
He doesn’t really match the image in my head.
Still, it felt strange to meet someone in real life who I had only seen as a
text-based character in a ghost story universe.
Meanwhile, the short-haired woman who had first mentioned ghost stories
extended her hand as well.
"Given the situation, we might as well introduce ourselves. I’m Go
Yeongeun."
It was a name I’d never heard before. And if I don’t know a character’s real
name, it means one of two things:
Either she left early after handling the ghost stories relatively easily...
Or she died right away.
’Damn it...’
Sometimes, named employees only appear with nicknames or code names,
but in those cases, their personalities are so distinct that you can identify
them immediately.
This feels unsettling. I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and hid my
discomfort.
"I’m Kim Soleum."
The handshakes were brief, and we naturally sat down in the subway seats
to continue our conversation.
In the meantime, it felt like the people around us had started to split into
groups.
"Ah, those people... it looks like they’re trying to communicate with the
front car somehow?"
"Seems so."
In this ghost story, moving between subway cars is prohibited.
As expected, they soon gave up trying to communicate and returned, using
hand gestures to signal their failure.
"What should we do? We can’t communicate with the front car at all. And it
looks like there’s a fight breaking out up there..."
As the tension and anxiety among the passengers grew, another station
announcement played.
But this time, the atmosphere of the keyword was different.
[This stop is Euphoria, Euphoria Station.]
"Huh?"
The murmuring crowd suddenly fell silent.
"Euphoria?"
"Doesn’t ’euphoria’ sound kind of... positive? Maybe..."
No.
’You can’t make such a simple judgment here...!’
I gritted my teeth as I recalled the Exploration Records I had just read.
In this ghost story, the station names change every time it appears.
That’s why it’s impossible to find a specific phrase or station like ’get off at
this station’ or ’this station is the answer’ in the previous cases to guarantee
an escape.
’But you can identify trends.’
Like this.
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
/ Welcome to Abyss Transpo
3.2 Exploration Records (up to 56 entries)
1- Stations named after colors like red, yellow, blue.
: Two-person escape success (Attempt : Blue Station)
2- Stations named after body parts like left arm, cornea, heart.
: No recorded escape success (Attempt : Cochlea Station)
3- Stations named after serial killers like ■■, ■■■■, ■■■.
: Twelve-person escape success (Attempt : ■■■■ Station)
4- Stations named after years like 2008, 2012, 2016.
: No recorded escape success (Attempt : 2024 Station)
5- Stations named after illnesses like asthma, stroke, glaucoma.
: Three-person escape success (Attempt : Cold Station)
[Read More]
========================
See?
Even after 56 cases, there’s no connection between the station’s positive
name and the likelihood of escape.
But people were about to get off en masse at Euphoria Station.
[The doors are on your left...]
The scenery of the platform that greeted us was bright and pleasant, adding
to the problem.
’Damn it.’
The platform looked clean and bright, like a brand-new station in a newly
developed city.
I could feel the mood of the people shifting in that direction.
"Ah...!"
"Sh-should we get off and look for help? This place actually looks fine..."
The excited crowd started to gather near the doors, peeking out.
No way!
’The number of people in my group!’
And my mental state after witnessing this!
’Damn it.’
In the end, I ran and blocked the doors again.
"...!"
"W-what’s going on?"
"Please wait."
[The doors are opening.]
"Are you certain?"
"What...?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I mean, are you sure this place is safe? Or at least have a solid
theory?"
I deliberately averted my gaze.
"I think most of us can agree that this situation feels like a ghost story."
Go Yeongeun, who had caught everyone’s attention with my words, looked
startled but didn’t retract her statement.
[The doors will close in 30 seconds. Once closed, they will never open
again.]
"But whether in ghost stories or horror movies, have you ever seen good
things happen when you rely solely on luck or a hunch?"
"...Well, no, but—"
"Can you really risk your life without a solid deduction or theory?"
The anxious people paused for a moment, then someone shouted in
frustration.
"Well, do you have some amazing deductions?"
"This guy’s been spouting nonsense since the start..."
"Oh, just move already! What deduction? What is this, some kind of quiz
show? Did someone give you a hint or something?"
"Yes."
"...?"
"I am giving you a hint."
I took a breath.
Then I raised my hand, pointing upward.
At the subway’s electronic display, where the speaker was located.
"I’m talking about the announcements."
– Please pay attention to the announcements for a pleasant journey to your
destination.
From the beginning, the subway announcements had kindly informed us of
this.
"Haven’t they been telling us to listen to and follow the announcements all
along? They’re being very obvious."
With that in mind, I added as I heard the next announcement.
[Passengers whose destination is Euphoria Station should disembark
according to the announcement.]
"Is there anyone here whose destination is Euphoria Station?"
"..."
"..."
The people froze.
"Well, it sounds like a good thing, right?"
"Euphoria, like, living life to the fullest, that’s the goal of life, right..."
"So, is your destination Euphoria Station?"
"..."
"..."
It seemed like most of them sensed something was off.
But a few people started to get angry with me.
"Hey, do we have any real ’destination’ right now? Why are you butting in
like you know everything, when you don’t either?"
"If we can’t get off and escape because of you, are you going to take
responsibility? Will you take responsibility?"
Take responsibility?
"Yes."
"...!"
"Wh-what...?"
"I will take responsibility."
That’s an easy question.
’I was planning to escape together with them anyway.’
If they get off here, it’s a guaranteed wrong answer, after all. So, there’s no
way my answer could be worse than that.
But since they didn’t expect my response, they stood there with their
mouths open, frozen in their places.
"..."
Seeing me take such a firm stance seemed to shake them. I could see their
internal struggle.
[The doors are closing...]
Meanwhile, the doors shut.
"Ah..."
I stepped aside. A few people who had been staring at the closed doors in
disbelief clung to them.
But no one was yelling at me for blocking them anymore.
’Is this enough...?’
I was feeling somewhat satisfied when I suddenly heard a panicked shout.
"Hey, everyone in the front car got off!"
"...!"
They all got off?
I immediately looked beyond the train window.
Not everyone, but about five or six people seemed to have gotten off at
once.
"..."
Sigh.
Honestly, I didn’t want to watch what was going to happen next.
But I needed to see it to make a coherent argument later. Damn it...
Holding back a curse, I squinted through the window, my vision blurring
slightly.
"Huh? They’re running!"
The people who had gotten off seemed to have quickly decided to move. I
saw five or six figures running toward the platform’s exit, heading for the
stairs.
But they were too late.
"Agh!"
The platform floor began to boil with a yellow hue, and the runners’ feet
started sinking into the ground as if melting.
"G-Gold...?"
It was a bizarre sight, as if their lower bodies were turning into gold and
fusing with the floor.
They screamed and struggled to run, but their movements grew slower and
slower...
Until finally, their bodies collapsed, leaving only their upper halves, which
tumbled forward at the base of the stairs.
Even those were turning into shining gold.
The easiest way to experience happiness.
"Heuuuk—"
"Mmph—"
[The train is now departing from Euphoria Station.]
Inside the departing train car, only the sounds of people gasping in shock
and sobbing filled the air.
One of the people who had been about to get off grabbed me in desperation
and asked,
"Y-You said you’d take responsibility. Can you really guarantee we’ll find a
safe place? Huh?"
"Yes."
I answered firmly.
It was ridiculous how the conversation had jumped to me guaranteeing the
correct answer, but honestly, that was the only answer I could give.
’This is crazy, really.’
My legs were shaking so badly I thought I’d collapse.
The image of their lower bodies disintegrating kept replaying in low
resolution in my mind, making me nauseous.
One thing was certain.
Even if I were to survive this, I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
During all this, Baek Saheon spoke to me in admiration.
"You’re amazing, Teacher."
"...Teacher?"
"Oh, I tend to call people ’teacher’ when I meet them."
He awkwardly smiled and added,
"There aren’t many people like you these days. You know, who can firmly
say what’s right or wrong, instead of speaking in vague terms like ’I think it
might be...’"
"..."
"I hope the outcome matches your confidence."
Uh... thanks for the encouragement, but this isn’t the kind of situation
where vague words or detached speech will help.
’If we don’t get a good result here, you’re dead too, you know...’
Wait.
No, that’s not right.
I had missed something while whining about how scared I was.
’If there’s a record of Baek Saheon working as an employee in <Dark
Exploration Records>, that means he passed this entrance exam, right?’
If that’s the case, couldn’t I just follow Baek Saheon when he gets off at a
station?
If I convince myself and Go Yeongeun, that makes three of us. When
someone actively supports getting off, there’s a higher chance others will
follow as well.
’Is it really this simple?’
"Baek Saheon."
"Yes?"
"Is there a particular station you want to get off at? I mean... is there a word
or name that, when it appears, makes you think, ’I should get off here’?"
"...Huh, suddenly?"
"I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts."
"Ah."
Baek Saheon seemed to ponder for a moment before shrugging.
"Not really. I’m not very knowledgeable about this stuff."
"I see."
So, he hasn’t gotten a clear idea yet.
I nodded casually. In any case, this seemed like a decent idea, so I was
going to keep an eye on it...
Ding, ding.
[Attention passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transpo to
ensure a pleasant journey. Please pay attention.]
"...!"
The announcement started again.
Everyone stopped talking and immediately looked up.
[The train is about to pass through a curved section, which may cause
noise and shaking.]
[Please be seated to prevent accidents.]
Ah, fucking hell.
"Everyone, let’s sit down."
Without any objections, everyone quickly took their seats.
It was as if my earlier remarks about the announcements had sunk in.
Even the person who had been adamant about getting off earlier sat down
quietly and was one of the first to find a seat.
But not everyone seemed to follow the same logic.
"Oh no! The people in the front car!"
"Those people..."
The passengers in the front car were still standing, seemingly too caught up
in a heated argument.
Although I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, their raised voices
must have drowned out the announcement.
It was clear just by looking at them. They were in complete panic after
witnessing the unimaginable deaths of those who had gotten off earlier.
"Shouldn’t we say something to them?"
"Hey! Can you hear us?!"
"Sit down!"
The new hires closest to the front car shouted, but the people there barely
acknowledged them. One person who happened to make eye contact with
us even walked over.
"Sit down!"
"No, don’t come over here, just sit..."
It was too late.
[Entering the curved section...]
The lights went out.
"...!"
In the Darkness, the train began to shake violently with a loud rumble.
And amidst the rumbling, a sharp noise rang out.
Screams.
– Aaaaaah!!
– Agh, ah, ahhh...
The sound of something wet bursting.
Like squeezing a ripe grape too hard.
Then, a dull thud.
...As if it were happening just on the other side of a door.
"..."
"..."
The people in this car held their breath, trembling faintly, trying to stay
silent.
Then the lights came back on.
– ...
Through the small window on the front door of the train, we could see into
the front car.
It was covered in blood and filth.
It looked as if only living organisms had been thrown into a blender. There
were no traces of people left.
Everyone was dead.
[You may now stand up safely. Thank you for your cooperation.]
In stark contrast to the calm announcement, the train was filled with the
sound of people panicking.
"Let me out! Let me out!"
"Gaaasp, gaaaasp... what the hell is this? What is this... Mom..."
Even in that state, the new hires tried to cover their mouths and listen
closely to the announcement, desperately trying to stay quiet.
After all, it had been proven to be their lifeline!
’Damn.’
While the situation was clearly favorable for my survival, the reality was so
horrific that cold sweat formed on my forehead.
I wiped it away with my trembling hand and clenched my teeth.
I mustn’t look at the front car anymore.
’Just focus on convincing them...’
A few stops later, when the right station comes up, I’m sure people will get
off together...
[Attention passengers, this is an announcement from Abyss Transpo to
ensure a pleasant journey. Please pay attention.]
Another announcement.
"Again?!"
"Hiic, hiiiic..."
Cutting through the sobs of the exhausted passengers, the crisp, mechanical
voice continued with its strange message.
[There is a lost item.]
Wait a second.
I looked up sharply.
[If you’ve found the lost item, please disembark at the next station and
hand it over to the station staff.]
I knew this scenario.
’...A rare escape case!’
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story /
/ Welcome to Abyss Transpo
3.4 Miscellaneous Records (Escape)
A document recording irregular survival cases where the individual
successfully escaped by getting off at a station.
Several methods were repeatedly observed. (The most frequent cases
involved ’temporary stops for train intervals’ and ’lost item
announcements’.)
========================
A guaranteed escape ticket.
As long as you had the announced lost item, you could safely get out!
But...
’Only one person can escape.’
For someone like me, who can’t go alone, it’s a survival ticket that’s useless
from the start.
I clenched my fists tightly.
’So, who should I send out?’
No, is sending someone out even the right answer?
And then...
[The lost item is the left eye of a type-A male in his twenties.]
The lost item was something I couldn’t have imagined.