Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 117

-Oh my! A moment of difficult choice has arrived, Friend.

Brown’s cheerful voice rings in my ears.

-Now, Noru has only 10 passes, but there are 45 poor Candidates who will fall to the terrible Rotten Flesh Altar and suffer.

-By what criteria will you select 45 Sacrifices, and by what criteria will you choose 10 dramatic Exempted Ones from among them?

-Trial? Vote? Evaluation? Lottery? Ah, whichever it is, it seems truly regrettable…

Brown’s voice rose with delight.

-But that nail-biting tension and pressure, and the immersion and sighs of relief, happiness, despair—isn’t that the essence of the show?

-This is the best moment. Ah! Just in time, the Panel over there is opening their mouth!

At that moment.

“What does it matter?”

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol spoke up.

“Deputy Manager?”

“I don’t see what difference it makes whether there are ten or one painkiller. Just grab 45 people and tell them to jump. That’ll do it.”

Her tone suggested she couldn’t understand at all.

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol turned to look at me.

And…

“That’s why you carefully set up the atmosphere, isn’t it?”

Click.

The Deputy Manager slightly opened the door to Car 1.

“…! Deputy Manager…”

“Look.”

…Through the gap in the door, I saw Passengers from Car 2 waving their hands or greeting us with worried faces.

The atmosphere created by hundreds of friendly People, so cooperative that everything could proceed smoothly without any friction.

“Good. I thought it was pointless work, but now I see it’ll make the job less tiresome.”

“…”

“Anyway, the humans remaining on the Train won’t understand the situation, right? They’ll only know after they fall.”

…It was the truth.

In fact, all we had to do was grab anyone and say ‘This round, 45 people have been qualified and you’re included. Now you just need to jump out in order.’

Then the People who knew nothing would just fall from the Window without even getting painkillers…

Into a torture-like time without warning.

“No, since it might not end at round 9, just tell everyone to keep jumping until the Altar stops appearing.”

“…”

“Now, let’s go and throw them…”

“That won’t do.”

“…!”

The answer came from someone else.

Dolphin Assistant Manager.

Another Elite Team Employee answered while looking up at Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol.

“…What did you say?”

“I said that won’t do.”

“Really?”

Jin Na-sol’s temple twitched, but she gives capable people one more chance.

“Then what do you suggest.”

And Dolphin Assistant Manager chose a very characteristic option.

“We just need to pick out only the worst people and throw them, right?”

“Are you crazy? Why do that troublesome thing.”

At that moment.

“Time’s up.”

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol strides toward the door outside Car 1.

Dolphin Assistant Manager’s eyes flash. And she raises her hand… W-wait a minute!

“Wait a moment!”

I blocked the Deputy Manager’s path.

“What.”

…It’s a Cliff.

‘Carefully, carefully.’

I swallowed and said.

“Dolphin Assistant Manager’s words… make sense. I don’t think we should just tell them to fall randomly.”

“…”

“What I mean is, there should be a valid reason for doing so!”

“Reason.”

“Yes.”

I took a Deep Breathing.

Calmly.

I reflect the story from the prose I already know onto the clues I have…

So it doesn’t seem awkward.

“Deputy Manager, when you went out below the Window, you heard sounds from the Altar full of Rotten Flesh. Something like ‘abandon your sins’…”

Abandon your sins

Tear away as much as your sins.

That strange and massive resonance that rang in my head definitely wasn’t blocked even by ‘Happy Maker’.

And if it hadn’t been for Happy Maker, I would have been tearing at my skin and Flesh in Burning Pain that consumed my whole body after hearing that voice.

“So.”

“If it’s such a powerful message, it must be deeply related to this phenomenon. So… in this Darkness, I think ‘sin’ is the keyword.”

“…”

“The keyword needed for Clear.”

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol stopped walking.

“Keep talking.”

“Yes.”

I swallowed.

“Wasn’t it strange from the beginning? Why do people offered as Sacrifices always wake up on the Train again? If they were offered as Sacrifices, they shouldn’t come back.”

“Instead they go crazy.”

“Yes. But that’s… because they tear their own Flesh following the voice that says ‘tear away as much as your sins,’ so they go mad from the pain.”

I distinguished between two things that had been roughly lumped together during the 14 rounds.

“Then, the Sacrifices aren’t the humans themselves… but the ‘Flesh’ that humans directly offer according to their sins, right?”

“…!”

Didn’t I say this before?

That a pseudo-religion spread, causing people from all cars to kill each other, hold insane rituals, and throw corpses out the windows.

Just counting the number of people who died and fell through the windows like that, surely they should have easily passed the 9th altar.

Yet the reason this ghost story didn’t end despite looping hundreds of times.

That is.

“People aren’t the sacrifices. They just offer their sins as sacrifices at the altar.”

“….”

“And people come back.”

Those who finish their offerings always walk away from the altar and return to the starting point of the train.

That’s how the loop begins again.

Though they’re half out of their minds from the pain of having their ‘sins torn out,’ the people themselves do return.

“They tear off their sins as flesh and abandon them in the corridor as they go.”

Eating, vomiting, spilling…

“I think that’s what the real sacrifice is.”

That pain.

The terrible burning pain and ringing in their heads, proportional to their sins.

…Looking at the rotting flesh that had piled up in the corridor at that point, you understand it from a slightly different angle.

That it wasn’t simply grotesque traces, but sacrifices that had been steadily offered to the altar and accumulated.

“So I think having someone with sins fall to the altar to offer their sins is the most reliable method. …That’s all.”

“….”

“….”

Clap clap clap.

Dolphin Assistant Manager applauded quietly from behind, but the Deputy Manager didn’t move a muscle.

“Of course, my speculation could be wrong. But wouldn’t it be rational to take the safe route in case I’m right?”

I spoke earnestly while making eye contact with Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol.

“So, for a safe clear, I’m asking you. Let me persuade the passengers…”

“You.”

The Deputy Manager’s mouth opens.

“You’re good at lying too.”

“…!!”

“Well, it’s better that you can at least talk well.”

“Depu…”

“This is the third time.”

Thud.

I was lifted into the air by my collar.

“Forerunner!”

“Aaaaah!”

“There’s no end when I go easy on you. We still have to enter the darkness after getting off at Mokpo, and you’re wasting energy here?”

Passengers from Car 2 beyond the connection section came running while screaming. However, Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol didn’t bat an eye and closed and locked the Car 1 door in front of them.

Click.

“Be grateful that I’m spending time on this crap and listen.”

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol brings her face close.

“The flesh people tear off and offer is the sacrifice? Hey. But those guys you injected with painkillers and threw in came out fine without offering any flesh.”

“…!!”

“According to what you said, they didn’t give any sacrifice, but they still moved on to the next altar just fine, didn’t they?”

That’s…

“You knew and lied anyway, didn’t you.”

….

“You caught me.”

-Good heavens!

Right.

I tried to scam the Deputy Manager.

‘Though I didn’t expect to get caught so quickly.’

I broke out in cold sweat and grinned.

But most of what I said was actually true.

‘Except for one thing.’

The conclusion.

“As expected.”

The pressure gripping my neck intensifies.

“We can just throw anyone according to the altar’s timing, right?”

“Gasp, that’s correct.”

I readily admitted it.

“Actually, how much sin you offer probably doesn’t matter. …Even if you don’t offer any. The act itself of humans… preparing an offering and coming to the altar, that’s what’s important.”

Moreover.

“Anyway… on this Tamra-bound train, it seems like all people, kheuk, are considered to have sins.”

Didn’t we see it?

‘Even that virtuous Silver Heart Owner tore flesh from their body at the altar.’

According to this insane ghost story’s judgment… there are no sinless humans.

Everyone is a sinner, with only differences in degree…

So if clearing is the goal, there’s no need to specifically look for and choose bad people.

“Finally, you’re making sense.”

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol released her hand with a snap.

I barely managed to balance myself on the floor and gasped for breath.

“Good. Now stop saying useless things and cooperate quickly. Efficiently.”

“….”

I grinned with difficulty.

“That’s strange though.”

“What?”

“Deputy Manager, you’ve just made an inefficient choice.”

Thud thud!

I looked back at the passengers knocking on the door, Dolphin Assistant Manager, and Baek Sa-heon.

“If you want to do things your way, Deputy Manager, you’ll have to fight three employees.”

“…!!”

“And since the passengers just saw you grab me by the collar, they’ll violently refuse and resist whatever you do.”

“….”

Now that the situation has been set up this way, the ‘most efficient movement’ that Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol herself thinks of will face tremendous backlash.

Because the passengers won’t cooperate at all!

And with the dynamics like this, Dolphin Assistant Manager will definitely join forces with me to try to subdue Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol in return.

“Of course, Deputy Manager, you might be able to subdue everyone… but that would be very troublesome. Right?”

“Ah! That’s a good perspective, Team Leader.”

Dolphin Assistant Manager approached with a smile.

“Right. Why do troublesome work! Just rest and the three of us will handle it.”

Baek Sa-heon made a ‘me too?’ expression from behind, but instead of taking the Deputy Manager’s side, he quietly rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut.

If we’re on the same Elite Team, he’d probably join the side with better odds and more numbers.

So…

“Deputy Manager. Couldn’t you just turn a blind eye to this troublesome matter just once?”

“….”

“It’s not really company business, just a situation we got caught up in by chance. I’d like to use a slightly more comfortable and safe method. It’ll just take a bit more time.”

Please!

‘Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol is a rational person.’

She was someone who would think it stupid to throw a tantrum just because she felt bad and take a troublesome detour.

I had no choice but to trust and rely on that.

‘But… still, as long as she’s human, she could act impulsively when upset.’

Especially as an Elite Team superior, she would be even more resentful of this situation where two team leaders are rebelling…

I swallowed my saliva.

“This isn’t work, just like you said, Deputy Manager.”

“…”

“…”

After the silence.

Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol moved her feet. And…

She sat down in an empty seat in Car 1.

“…Thank you.”

No reply came back. Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol just closed her eyes with an expressionless face.

She was clearly cooling down her anger.

Actually, since I had confronted my superior during a business trip, it really was crazy behavior!

‘Phewwww…’

I’m sorry, Deputy Manager…

Still, by my estimation, once everything was over, there would be efficient results that even Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol would find acceptable.

I couldn’t explain it rationally right now, so I let it slide.

For now, I had to move.

“…Let’s hurry up and do this.”

We were about to enter the first altar soon.

Dolphin Team Leader seemed to have similar thoughts as she tried to unlock the door first.

“Yes yes. Now, let’s hurry out and pick 45 bad people!”

Hmm.

“Um, Team Leader. About that.”

“…?”

“Could we do it a different way?”

“Oh?”

Creak.

I opened the door to Car 1.

“Ah! It opened… Gasp!”

“Wh-what is this place?”

The passengers who had been knocking on the door, probably discussing whether to break it down, were delighted at first then horrified. They were shocked by the terrible state inside Car 1.

But seeing me, they felt relieved for now.

…Probably because the person they thought was the answer key for this train seemed fine.

I bowed my head.

“Everyone. Thank you for waiting.”

“Are, are you alright, Forerunner?”

“Earlier, th-that person…”

“Of course I’m fine.”

I looked back at Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol and deliberately smiled bitterly.

“I… learned a shocking fact, so she helped me come to my senses.”

“…A shocking fact?”

Phew.

“Everyone. I have something to tell you.”

I took a deep breath and looked at the hundreds of people watching me.

“This time, there are… no restrictions on who can go out the window.”

“Ooooh!”

“And this is the last time.”

“…”

“Excuse me?”

“What do you mean…”

“Exactly what I said.”

I spoke slowly.

“After this time, the test will be over.”

The passengers began murmuring, asking what that meant. Some asked if everyone wasn’t supposed to go out the window.

“Originally, everyone should slowly go out the window. …But there’s been a change.”

The passengers held their breath and listened to my words.

“Because all of you have gained the qualifications.”

“Th-then!”

I nodded.

“Yes. Anyone can go out the window and pass the test.”

“My goodness!”

“Then I…”

I spoke to the people who were about to raise their hands and come forward immediately.

“However, this time it will definitely be painful.”

“…!!”

Completely honestly.

“If you fall, you will feel burning pain as you walk. It might hurt so much you’ll want to tear off your flesh. Fighting against the pain and the voices ringing in your head, you’ll have to walk step by step toward the light…”

The passengers became quiet.

The frozen people began looking at each other and whispering.

And someone from the back shouted.

“That’s not what you promised!”

“Right! You said you’d protect us…”

I nodded.

“Of course. If you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to.”

“Uh… huh?”

“However, I can promise you one thing for certain.”

The truth is.

According to the Disaster Management Bureau’s brief document about the past Iksan-bound train where this ghost story ended safely…

When this ghost story ends, passengers wake up startled as if from a nightmare and regain consciousness at the train’s starting point.

They go on living reality normally, thinking ‘I had a nightmare.’

What happened on the Tamra-bound train disappears over half a day like forgetting an unpleasant dream, and eventually they completely forget it.

But…

Several changes were observed in those who testified they voluntarily fell out the window.

I remember that passage.

One passenger who habitually verbally abused subordinates apologized immediately after getting off this train and never verbally abused anyone again.

A passenger who habitually jaywalked corrected that habit because ‘somehow he felt ashamed of himself,’ and another passenger actually started volunteering to clean at the youth center, which they had only thought about.

Even one con artist passenger who was participating in insurance fraud planning gave up that plan and turned information over to the police.

Overall improvement in morality, self-esteem, and pride was observed.

Right.

If this doesn’t repeat hundreds of terrible loops but ends safely like before, the horrific suffering in this ghost story will end as a brief nightmare and be forgotten.

But the good things remain.

‘…So, when this ghost story was the Iksan-bound train, the Disaster Management Bureau called it a phenomenon rather than a disaster and only made brief documents…’

So, to put it somewhat dramatically.

“Those of you who go out through the window this time will be proud of yourselves when you finally exit the tunnel.”

I continued speaking.

“Instead of looking back on what you did yesterday with regret, you’ll become someone who steps forward in that moment, and you’ll meet a better version of yourself without shame.”

A small voice emerged from the crowd.

“…Excuse me, is that the answer?”

I made eye contact with that passenger and slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

“…”

“However, I can guarantee at least that much.”

The passengers fell quiet again.

“Then I’ll ask again. …Is there anyone who wants to endure the pain and go out through the window?”

…

“Me.”

I turned my head.

Dolphin Assistant Manager was raising her hand.

And.

“I’ll get off too.”

One by one, people raise their hands.

“Me.”

“Me too…!”

All their faces are filled with a strange elation that overcomes fear.

Crowd psychology.

It’s like a double-edged sword.

But the collective solidarity and influence built up over 14 rounds was revealing its outline in an utterly reverent form this time.

Being inspired by the courage of those close to you.

In an instant, nearly half the people on the train voluntarily raised their hands.

…The ending I had tried to see over 14 rounds, even if it meant becoming a cult leader, was right before my eyes.

“…Everyone.”

“Thank you. I’ll go out together with you as well.”

In the way the Silver Heart Owner had wanted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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