The first thing I saw was the pulsing red.
Thump, thump, thump.
I realized, belatedly, that I had collided with something.
Squelch.
With a short, thick sound, I landed on something slimy and sticky.
A foul stench.
The next moment, I recognized it—the stench of decaying meat.
The flesh scattered around me clung to my body, oozing.
It pulsed red.
Whoosh! A gust of wind swept past as the high-speed train I had jumped from roared by, leaving behind a deafening noise and a blast of pressure.
In an instant, the train disappeared into the far end of the tunnel, where a flickering light awaited.
“……”
To be honest, it was disgusting and a bit terrifying, but I wasn’t in pain, nor did I spiral into panic.
It felt more like standing alone at night in front of the garbage sorting area of an apartment complex.
– Good heavens! What an unhygienic environment! Are you all right, Friend ?
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
‘…The Happy Maker is really doing its job.’
It was as if my mind had been sedated, but in reverse. Instead of the cold clarity you get from calming pills, my mind felt warmly dulled, steady.
I stood up, my thoughts calm and stable. But as I brushed off the rotten flesh with my bare hands—
DEVOUR YOUR CORRUPTION
A strange voice echoed inside my head.
“……”
Hmm. Matching this to the testimonies of the previous ‘offerings’ and the current situation, it seems…
‘I should be feeling burning agony all over my body by now, unbearable pain driving me to claw off my own skin and flesh…’
And I would be forced to chew and swallow what I tore off as I staggered toward the light at the end of this disgusting, humid corridor.
This whole tunnel was a testament to that horror.
Luckily, I didn’t feel any of that. I had the mental resistance boost from the silver ring, and the Happy Maker had numbed any potential pain.
“Huuu.”
I stood fully upright and gave my body a light shake.
It didn’t help much—traces of grime and rotten flesh still clung to me.
As for where this flesh had come from… I chose not to think about it.
Even though the Happy Maker kept me calm, it was still gross.
Ah, right.
“Braun, are you alright?”
– Ah, are you referring to the repetitive, radio-tape-like noise? It’s an annoying hum, but not unbearable!
“…And the burning pain?”
– Haha!
– This body doesn’t have skin or flesh! I’m just fabric, cotton, and a pair of eyes and a nose, after all…
R-Right.
‘So the conditions for being a sacrifice apply only to humans.’
Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about Braun losing control and going berserk.
– Well then, does my friend have any more business in this filthy place?
“…No.”
– Then let’s get moving.
Indeed.
‘To escape, I need to get back on that train.’
I began walking toward the end of the corridor.
Squelch, squelch.
The slime and fluid splashed under my feet, seeping into my shoes and soaking my socks red.
CAST OFF YOUR SINS
TEAR THEM AWAY
CONSUME YOUR SINS
“……”
Could it be that the more sins a person has committed, the more intense the burning pain they feel here?
‘In theory, a good person who falls through the window should only experience minimal pain.’
This ghost story focused on the train’s group dynamic devolving into a chaotic, inhuman disaster with each loop. Some details, like this, could only be understood by experiencing them firsthand.
Regardless… the corridor was longer than expected. I kept walking persistently.
‘I hope I don’t need to use another Happy Maker.’
CAST OFF YOUR SINS
CAST OFF YOUR SINS
CAST OFF YOUR SINS
Ignoring the voice, I trudged onwards.
Though my legs felt heavier with each step, the light was steadily growing closer.
Step, step.
The intense light pouring out from the tunnel’s exit nearly blinded me, making it hard to see.
‘Almost there.’
I squinted and pushed forward until the light completely engulfed me.
Go to Tamra
‘……!’
A small, gentle invitation.
The strange warmth and sense of liberation felt like a soft but overwhelming command piercing through the top of my head.
– Whoa! That was quite an aggressive invitation. Wait just a m…
And in the next instant, it disappeared.
I felt my consciousness being pulled downward, like a train speeding down a steep slope.
“…!”
* * * “Huuuhk!”
“Ack! AAAAACK!”
I opened my eyes.
I was sitting in a clean, modern high-speed train car. My body was spotless again, and my mind…
‘Wow.’
The memories surged back, and a wave of nausea hit me.
My stomach churned.
‘I didn’t feel this earlier though?’
I had been buried in a mass of flesh—flesh that people had torn off themselves, eaten, and then vomited. I had stood up and walked through that.
‘Stop thinking about it.’
What mattered now was that I had successfully returned to this point in time.
‘The Happy Maker’s effects have reset to the starting point, too.’
I quickly regained my composure and immediately checked the number of Happy Makers in my inventory.
……
Before use: 11.
Now, still 11.
– Ah, your consumed items have reverted to their unused state. This makes sense, as you’ve returned to the train’s departure point!
Right. I had anticipated this.
‘Good.’
I’m ready.