Novel Test - Chapter 5

Chapter 2. Even in a Horror Story, You Still Have to Go to Work

 

 

[This station is Resentment, Resentment Station.]

[The doors will open on the right….]

 

The subway car in this horror story was filled with a suffocating silence.

I was contributing to that silence.

Even though I knew this horror story, I was the type to get startled just by the thumbnail of a related video on YouTube and click “Not Interested” to move on. And now I had to survive inside one?

‘Just kill me already….’

That would be merciful.

I was reaching a point where I didn’t even have the energy to deduce what was happening. I pressed my hands against my face, wanting to deny reality.

Then it happened.

 

Flicker.

 

[1st Place: Dark Exploration Records Real Goods Box]

 

“……?!”

I raised my head.

A memo-like object was floating in my line of sight.

I could see it whether my eyes were open or closed.

It looked like a scrap of paper torn from a notebook and folded… fluttering around.

“This is….”

Wait. No one else seemed to see it.

I immediately shut my mouth. Drawing attention in this situation would be stupid.

Instead, I awkwardly pressed the memo with my hand.

 

Flutter.

 

Surprisingly, the memo unfolded as if alive and spat out something small.

“……!”

I hastily grabbed it, covering it with my hand.

It was… a grip stick.

A simple black grip stick, with only one distinctive feature—a golden “X” engraved in the center.

But that pattern alone made me realize what it was.

‘It’s merchandise.’

The very merchandise sold at the pop-up store I’d visited right before waking up in this bizarre situation!

It was one of the items I’d bought today.

With trembling hands, I picked up the grip stick.

In the story, its function was….

 

[Memorial Grip Stick]

: A C-grade item appearing in .

When attached to a smartphone, it organizes and displays remembered text in a clear, page-like format.

Issued by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau under the Ministry of Environment (Grade 9).

 

‘Displays memories as text….’

Then, could it be…?

With shaking hands, I removed the adhesive backing and attached it to my smartphone.

At that moment.

The fragmented text I remembered from took clear shape, forming pages on my phone screen.

 

======================

Dark Exploration Records / Horror Story

[Welcome to Abyss Transit Corporation]

: A horror story appearing in <Dark Exploration Records>. The identification code for White Day Corporation is Qterw-D-16.

An insane horror story boasting overwhelming escape difficulty among early Dusk (D)-grade horrors. And the eternally suffering field investigation team

A total of 56 investigations have been recorded.

======================

 

“…!”

So this means….

‘The merchandise I bought is actually functional?’

Come to think of it, the black merchandise box that had been on my lap was now gone.

‘Did that box… transform into that memo and spit out the merchandise I bought?’

What kind of insane situation is this?

No, but this is clearly advantageous for me.

This horror story universe I’ve been thrown into—.

Do you know how many internet veterans have poured their creative energy into expanding this? There are literally hundreds of horror stories.

Of course, it’s impossible to recall all of them from memory like flipping through pages.

Moreover, true to its horror genre, it doesn’t explicitly state survival methods, forcing readers to deduce them from the narrative, making it even harder to find answers in new situations.

‘But now I can check everything I’ve read as organized text.’

If this is possible, the first thing I need to check is….

‘Past escape records!’

I immediately scrolled down to the wiki page.

After breathlessly reading up to “3.2 Investigation Records,”

“…….”

I quickly pieced together an answer.

‘I get it.’

Meaning, I’ve figured out which station to get off at—my own answer.

But there’s a problem.

“…….”

I turned my head to look at the others in the same car.

Eight young new employees, including me.

Those who had panicked after witnessing two people being “disassembled” were barely regaining their composure and starting to talk.

“What was that just now… ‘Resentment Station’—doesn’t that sound like the word for holding a grudge…?”

“Yeah….”

“Ugh, no calls or data are working, seriously… What the hell is going on….”

“…….”

Right. The problem is how to convince these strangers, whom I can’t trust, to get off at the correct station.

‘I need to get as many people as possible to get off together.’

I clenched my fist.

Was it because I suddenly realized that the extras who died in this horror story universe were real people? Did I feel some noble sense of duty to save their lives?

Well… um, of course, I did feel that way on a human level, but that wasn’t my top priority.

The reason I was so desperate was….

‘I can’t get off alone…!’

Exactly.

Many of these stations are completely insane.

Walking through a station filled with eyeballs, a pitch-black station, or one where everything is upside down—alone?

Just imagining it made me break out in a cold sweat, to the point where I felt like crawling on all fours.

‘The probability of fainting midway and failing to escape is over 90%…!’

No. Please save me.

‘I have to convince them somehow!’

I opened my mouth to speak but quickly closed it again.

‘Blurting out stuff about supernatural phenomena or darkness would be stupid.’

Who would admit they’re trapped in a situation straight out of a horror RPG? They’d either laugh in disbelief or panic even more.

‘Slowly… build trust first.’

Just one person.

If I can convince one or two people, herd mentality will make it easier for others to follow.

‘Let’s see. Someone who needs help or shows signs of being open to bonding….’

“Ugh… this isn’t some YouTube horror story.”

Found her!

“Did you say… horror story?”

“Ah.”

A short-haired woman with a calm demeanor nodded slightly, looking somewhat flustered.

“Yes. I, uh, watch horror stories on YouTube, and this reminded me of them.”

“Could you elaborate? Given how unusual this situation is, sharing any information might help.”

“Well, it’s not exactly information… but everything feels like a horror story. The lecture hall suddenly turning into a subway, people… dying like that.”

Her face paled slightly, likely recalling the insane “disassembly” show from earlier.

I get it. I also feel like throwing up.

Let’s both quickly erase that from our minds.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up….”

“No, I feel the same. This situation is so absurd I can’t even process it.”

The woman gave a weak smile.

“Hey, you seem like the most level-headed one here.”

That’s because she hasn’t seen me on the verge of fainting yet.

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, around this time, someone else approached me first.

With a very valid reason.

“Uh, you were sitting next to me earlier, right?”

A man with curly hair and a rather innocent-looking face.

‘Now that I think about it, he was sitting next to me in the lecture hall.’

This new employee didn’t seem to have joined any of the ongoing conversations. Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced between me and the woman before extending his hand for a handshake.

“I’m Baek Sa-heon.”

“…!”

For a moment, I almost forgot to shake his hand.

Baek Sa-heon?

‘He’s a named character.’

 

======================

Dark Exploration Records / White Day Corporation

/ Characters

Baek Sa-heon

: An employee of White Day Corporation appearing in <Dark Exploration Records>.

Final rank: Team Leader. Total investigations: 106. Special cases recorded on the wiki: 17.

Nickname: Viper.

======================

 

He was an employee who had appeared multiple times in .

I looked up at the curly-haired man with a somewhat fragile demeanor and frowned.

‘This guy… is Baek Sa-heon?’

He didn’t quite match the image.

Still, seeing a character from the horror story universe in person felt surreal.

Meanwhile, the short-haired woman who’d first brought up horror stories extended her hand.

“Given the situation, let’s at least introduce ourselves. I’m Go Yeong-eun.”

A name I hadn’t heard before. And an employee’s real name being unknown meant one of two things.

Either they handled the horrors relatively smoothly and left early…

Or they died quickly.

‘Damn….’

Some named employees only appeared by nickname or codename, but those cases were so distinct you’d recognize them immediately.

This was unsettling. I shook off the unease and hid my expression.

“I’m Kim Sol-eum.”

The handshake ended quickly, and we naturally sat down on the subway seats to continue talking.

Meanwhile, the group had subtly split.

“Ah, those people… seem to be trying to talk to the front car.”

“Yeah.”

This horror story forbade moving between cars. Sure enough, they soon gave up on gesturing and returned.

“What do we do? We can’t communicate with the front car at all. And it sounds like a fight broke out there….”

As the anxious and restless group murmured, another station announcement played.

But this time, the keyword’s tone was different.

 

[This station is Ecstasy, Ecstasy Station.]

 

“Huh?”

The murmuring crowd froze for a moment.

“Ecstasy?”

“Doesn’t that sound… positive? Maybe….”

No.

‘You can’t judge it that simply…!’

Recalling the investigation records I’d just read, I gritted my teeth.

First, this horror story changed its station themes every time it appeared.

So finding an exact answer like “get off at X station” or “Y station is the correct one” from past cases was impossible.

‘But you can identify patterns.’

Like this.

 

======================

Dark Exploration Records / Horror Story

/ Welcome to Abyss Transit Corporation

3.2 Investigation Records(Recorded up to 56th attempt)

1. Station names marked with colors like red, yellow, blue.

: 2 successful escapes (attempted at Blue Station)

2. Station names marked with body parts like left arm, cornea, heart.

: Escape failed (attempted at Cochlea Station)

3. Station names marked with serial killers’ names like ■■, ■■■■, ■■■.

: 12 successful escapes (attempted at ■■■■ Station)

4. Station names marked with years like 2008, 2012, 2016.

: Escape failed (attempted at 2024 Station)

5. Station names marked with diseases like asthma, stroke, glaucoma.

: 3 successful escapes (attempted at Cold Station)

[More]

======================

 

See? Even after 56 attempts, the positivity of a station’s name had no correlation with escape success.

But now, people might rush to get off at Ecstasy Station.

 

[The doors will open on the left….]

 

Because the arriving platform looked bright and pleasant.

‘Damn.’

The station was clean and cheerful, like a newly built one in a modern district, and I could feel the crowd’s mood shifting.

“Ah…!”

“Should we get off here and look for help? This place seems normal….”

Delighted people began crowding near the doors.

No!

‘My companions’ numbers!’

And my sanity witnessing this!

‘Dammit.’

I finally ran over and blocked the doors.

“…!”

“What the hell?”

“Please wait.”

 

[The screen doors are opening.]

 

“Are you certain?”

“Huh…?”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes…? That this place is safe. Or at least, do you have any reasoning?”

I deliberately shifted my gaze.

“Most of you agreed this situation feels like a horror story.”

Go Yeong-eun, caught in the collective gaze, flinched but didn’t retract her statement.

 

[The doors will close in 30 seconds. There is no turning back.]

 

“But in horror stories or movies, have you ever seen someone succeed by relying on luck or gut feelings?”

“…Well, no, but—”

“Without any deduction or reasoning, are you really willing to bet your life on this?”

The restless crowd hesitated briefly before erupting in anger.

“Oh, so you’ve got some grand deduction?”

“This guy’s been spouting nonsense since earlier….”

“Just move! What’s with the ‘deduction’ crap… You think this is some quiz show? Did someone give you a hint?”

“Yes.”

“…?”

“The hints… are being given.”

I took a deep breath.

Then I raised my hand and pointed upward.

At the subway’s display panel with its speakers.

“The announcements.”

 

-For a comfortable journey to your final destination, please listen carefully to the announcements.

 

From the beginning, the train’s announcements had been politely informing us of this fact.

“They’ve been telling us to focus on and follow the announcements. Explicitly.”

In that sense.

Listening to the next announcement, I asked.

 

[Passengers whose final destination is Ecstasy Station must disembark here.]

 

“Is Ecstasy Station your final destination?”

“…….”

“…….”

The crowd froze.

“But… it’s positive, right?”

“Ecstasy means living joyfully… that’s life’s purpose….”

“So, is Ecstasy Station your final destination?”

“…….”

“…….”

Everyone seemed to sense something off.

But a few turned their anger on me.

“What, you think you know better? Why are you meddling when you’re just as clueless?”

“If we can’t escape because of you, will you take responsibility? Will you?!”

Take responsibility?

“Yes.”

“……!”

“Huh…?”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

That was an easy question.

‘I was planning to escape together anyway.’

Getting off here would guarantee failure, so my answer couldn’t be worse.

But the unexpected answer seemed to stun them.

“…….”

My firm stance seemed to shake their resolve, their conflict visible.

 

[The screen doors are closing….]

 

The doors closed in the meantime.

“Ah…….”

I stepped aside. A few people, looking lost, pressed against the doors.

But no one yelled at me for stopping them anymore.

‘This much… should do.’

I was feeling somewhat satisfied when a frantic shout rang out.

“Hey! Everyone in the front car got off!”

“…!”

They all got off?

I immediately looked out the window.

Not everyone, but about five or six people had disembarked at once.

“…….”

Hah.

I really didn’t want to see what would happen next.

But witnessing it would help me persuade others later, damn it….

Gritting my teeth, I squinted at the blurry scene outside.

“Huh? They’re running!”

The disembarked group seemed determined to move quickly. Five or six figures sprinted toward the station’s exit and stairs.

But it was too late.

“Ah!”

The platform floor bubbled with