—Youngest.

"Absolutely not getting on."

I said as I watched the approaching subway light.

"It's obvious what'll happen inside, so why would I get on?"

Let me say it again: that subway was definitely that train from the 'First Scenario.' The very train where the 「Proof of Value」 scenario began—where every human who entered the cars was slaughtered.

—It could just be a train. If you ride that, we can get there faster.

"It's Bulkwang Station 3434. Did you forget that important train number too?"

—What kind of human remembers that crap? And aren't you being too tense? What happened there was only the 'First Scenario.'

Kim Dokja's words had a point.

What happened there was only the 'First Scenario.' A story from when my average Chegeunmin stat was 1.

And now, I'd long since broken past a total stat of 100, and become strong enough to contest even a decent great-person-grade constellation.

"Looks like you forgot already, but this is the 'Horror Realm.' Do you really think that's just going to be the stage of the First Scenario?"

I still hadn't checked that subway's terror grade, but some 'terrors' in this world had control strong enough to suppress the power of constellations. Even the traffic light, a calamity-grade terror, had been like that—so if that subway was above it?

If the First Scenario was about to break out in there, and the suppression power of that scenario was strong enough to crush even my status?

—Hmph. Youngest.

"I'm not getting on."

—No, listen to me.

"I'm not getting on."

—So I'm saying, stop saying that—

"I'm telling you I'm not getting on."

—I said stop saying it! That's the trigger!

"Huh?"

['Nameless Terror' has been unlocked.]

[Disaster-grade terror, 'A Strong Denial Is a Strong Affirmation' activates!]

What?

['A Strong Denial Is a Strong Affirmation'’s effect is realized!]

In the moment I blinked, I was already on the subway.

*

rlaehrwk41 : maybe yoo joonghyuk is on there too??
rlaehrwk37 : shut up
……
【Who just said that?】

*

Come to think of it, 『Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint』 is a story with deep ties to subways. The place where the first scenario begins is a subway, and the place where the final scenario ends is a subway, too.

And now that even I had gotten on that subway, the subway as a setting started to feel metaphorical.

Maybe every Kim Dokja was fated to never escape this damned subway line forever.

Clunk.

Holding the strap handle, I looked around. The inside of the subway was an ordinary after-work scene you could see anywhere.

People sitting in the seats, people standing. As if they'd made a promise, everyone had their heads down, focused on their smartphones.

Are those people real, or fake.

I don't know. Ever since entering a 'terror,' I can't really tell what's illusion and what's real.

After observing those people out of the corner of my eye, I quietly turned my gaze and checked the car number.

It really was that very car Kim Dokja rode. Damn it.

—Youngest.

The call that had been cut off for a moment connected again.

I hurriedly demanded,

"What was that earlier, exactly. Why am I suddenly on the subway—"

The moment I spoke, the passengers' gazes all focused on me. The hairs on my head stood on end, and tinnitus rang in my ears. Along with a faint dizziness—

「On the su b way」

A strong wave of nausea, and—

「ma king a c all」

As if the world was flipping upside down—

「is rude」

[Exclusive Skill, 'Fourth Wall' activates!]

The moment I hurriedly ended the call, the gazes that had been on me returned to their places. The ringing in my ears vanished and the world settled back into place.

After taking several deep breaths to calm my startled heart, I selected 'me' from my smartphone contacts and sent a text message.

'Let's talk like this.'

Thankfully, a reply came back.

—Yeah.

'Please explain the situation simply. I can't understand what's what.'

—The fable that pulled you into the subway is a disaster-grade terror that wanders the Horror Realm. The terror's name is 'A Strong Denial Is a Strong Affirmation.'

'So it's a different terror from this subway, right?'

—Right.

'Then why did that terror show up right now of all times?'

—We were just unlucky. Mm, there is a part that feels a bit off, but let's talk about that later first.

'No. Don't tell me later.'

—Youngest, since it's come to this, let's think about it positively. What's a subway. It's transportation.

'In this story, a subway is an express route to the underworld.'

—Don't think about it so negatively. Maybe we can get to where we want faster.

'Search and find related materials, quickly. This subway has to be in the book Han Sooyoung wrote too, doesn't it.'

In truth, I could've found it and read it myself, but right now I didn't have the leeway to do that. My stomach was still churning from the aftereffects of those gazes earlier.

Fortunately, Kim Dokja seemed to guess my condition.

—Wait a moment.

After the conversation reached that point, I raised my head and saw pitch-black darkness flowing past outside the subway window. As I stared at that darkness for a while, the things that would happen next came to mind in order.

「In this subway car, the 'First Scenario' began.」

Then, a doubt suddenly surfaced. If every terror was a 'discarded fable,' then why did this subway exist in this 'Horror Realm'?

Because it had lost its use in the scenario now?

Or maybe it was the opposite.

For example, if this train had existed here from before the First Scenario even existed.

My short doubt vanished along with the vibration of my smartphone.

—Youngest, for now, sit down there.

It was obvious what Kim Dokja was telling me to sit on.

Right now, I was standing while holding the strap.

And in front of my eyes were 'two seats' that were empty, as if waiting for me.

I stared down at those seats and texted back.

'I don't want to.'

—Why?

'It's obviously suspicious. Why would I sit there.'

Let me say it again: this was a subway on the way home after work. After work.

Does it make any sense for there to be two empty seats left on the way home after work?

And none of the people standing were even trying to sit there.

—Then you have to sit even more. That's how something will start.

So I was thinking, I'd rather it not start at all—yet my body was already moving.

Even if my reply was crooked, in truth, I knew sitting there was the right judgment.

No. More precisely,

This would be the more 'interesting' thing.

As I wondered if this was how a person gradually went bad, the moment I sat down, my body became comfortable as if by magic.

'Wow, this.'

There was no other way to describe it except that it really felt like sitting in an empty seat on an after-work subway.

—I found the related page. I'll display it, so read it.

I immediately began reading the file Kim Dokja sent.

+

* A portion of this document has been modified by SVRP.
SVRP. PW ?
Calamity-grade terror— After-Work Subway

+

Just like with the 'traffic light' and 'Tooth Fin'...... Somehow, the 'PW' attached to each document seemed like it might be an abbreviation for 'Parallel World'—that is, a parallel universe.

Ways of Survival's parallel worldlines were based on Yoo Joonghyuk's regression number, so if PW 041 meant the 41st regression, PW 0 would mean the 0th regression.

This time it was marked as '?', so it looked like this terror didn't have a fixed regression it appeared in.

Either way, I decided to keep reading.

+

A mysterious after-work train that sometimes appears throughout the Horror Realm. It takes passengers to the 'desired location' within the Horror Realm.

+

Kim Dokja's guess was right.

So it really was a 'means of transportation.'

But after that, explanations continued in a long chain.

There was no way a normal means of transportation would have this much detailed explanation attached.

I already don't want to read it.

+

Out of record statistics from a total of 872 regressions, the probability of successfully arriving at the destination using this train is 4.5%.
All passengers who failed to arrive at the destination went missing.

+

A curse spilled out in my head.

I flipped the page quickly.

Right, even if only 4.5% live, living is living.

Fortunately, there was a clear record.

+

In PW 0838, a normal clear record regarding this 'terror' has been observed.
[Click here!]

+

When I clicked the screen, a scene was streaming in real time before my eyes. The inside of a burning subway. Screams of pandemonium and bloodstains smeared everywhere.

In a scene that strongly reminded me of the First Scenario, I heard someone mutter.

「"Fools."」

I only heard the voice, but I could tell who it was right away.

Unfortunately, the visual material ended there.

I kept reading.

+

If even a single passenger in a given car is killed, it has been confirmed that a 'crime-prone zone' is immediately declared in that car. The crime-prone zone continues until the last remaining passenger, a single person, is left.
……
The surviving passenger of the 'crime-prone zone' is summoned to the head car of the train.
In the head car, a 'crime-prone zone' is declared again, and likewise continues until the final single person remains.
The final passenger can communicate with the 'conductor' and get off at the Horror Realm's desired region.
PW 0838 final passenger.
Tyrant King Yoo Joonghyuk.

+

Of course it was.

Because it's Yoo Joonghyuk, he'd be able to clear a terror in a way like this.

Let's see. Is there any other record?

+

PW 0912.

Including Fayhu and Nirvana, it has been confirmed that all 48 named passengers died.
PW 0912 final passenger.
Heaven-Shattering Sword Saint Namgung Minyoung.

+

Like master, like disciple.

+

PW 01042 final passenger.
God of Wine and Ecstasy.
Wait. The scale keeps getting bigger.
There's even a regression where an Olympus 12-god-rank participated?

+

PW 01284 final passenger.
Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.

+

Cold sweat ran down the back of my neck.

From somewhere, I heard a grinding sound and turned around—there was already fighting breaking out in the front cars.

A single man was slaughtering all the passengers in his car. The necks of passengers who charged in like evil spirits rolled across the floor like toys.

A broad back that reminded me of Yoo Joonghyuk. A familiar saber, and hair scattered wildly in an old-fashioned way. I could feel it clearly even beyond the doorway.

That's a constellation.

A powerful constellation, at ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) that.

A constellation I knew very well.

—The Greatest Sword of Goryeo.

'It seems like it.'

The Greatest Sword of Goryeo, Cheok Jun-gyeong, was on this train.

No, why, exactly.

—That old man is always looking for ways to get stronger. This probably isn't his first time entering the Horror Realm either.

For a moment, I thought about asking him for help, but when I thought it through, it would be suicide.

Once a 'crime-prone zone' starts, the final survivor on the train is only one person.

No matter how much the Greatest Sword of Goryeo was an ally, at the decisive moment he'd cut my neck clean off.

Then, with a bang, I heard a commotion in the opposite car too.

It looked like 'crime-prone zones' were already breaking out in most cars except ours.

Despite the commotion, the passengers in Car 3807 were calm. As if they couldn't hear any commotion at all, they kept their heads buried in their smartphones.

My mind started to get complicated.

Does that mean I need to trigger a 'crime-prone zone' too?

—Can you beat the Greatest Sword of Goryeo if you fight him?

'I can't.'

—Then just stay still.

'What if we can't get out like that?'

—It's better than dying. And you haven't finished reading yet. Keep reading.

I soon understood why Kim Dokja kept telling me to read.

+

In PW ■■ and PW ■■■, additional clear records have been observed.
It has been confirmed that the survivors in those regressions did not use the 'crime-prone zone.'

+

There is one. A clear record that didn't use the 'crime-prone zone.'

But the record that followed thoroughly betrayed my expectations.

+

[This record has been censored in accordance with the spoiler prevention policy.]
[This record has been censored in accordance with the spoiler prevention policy.]

+

'Are you kidding me right now?'

—Still, at least it's not like there were no gains.

Kim Dokja was right. At the very least, a way to escape without triggering a 'crime-prone zone' definitely existed. Just confirming that was enough.

'Does this terror have a time limit?'

—There isn't a record like that, but it does say that on average, once a train's 'crime-prone zone' breaks out, all cars were cleared within 30 minutes.

Thirty minutes.

As I organized my thoughts inside, I asked,

'Do you have any method in mind?'

—I don't know? But...... there is something that feels a little strange.

'What now.'

—Why did this train recognize the 'crime-prone zone' as the correct interpretation?

Just as I was about to answer what that meant, a light spark jumped on the screen and a symbol appeared indicating there was no signal.

Of all times, now?

Honestly, I was flustered, but since it wasn't my first time experiencing it, I decided to stay calm.

I couldn't borrow only Kim Dokja's wisdom forever.

The terrors of this Horror Realm were unfamiliar even to Kim Dokja. Not knowing the answer was the same for him and for me.

「The reason the 'crime-prone zone' could become the correct interpretation.」

I thought, centering on the hint Kim Dokja had left last.

Every terror has an 'interpretation' bound up with the way that terror originated. Just like the traffic light, and just like Tooth Fin.

Then why did this train recognize 'crime-prone zone' as an interpretation?

What kind of probability existed between trains and violence?

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't understand.

No matter what condition I brought to mind related to violence, I couldn't feel like it matched this subway.

If the after-work subway recognized 'crime-prone zone' as an interpretation, then there had to be a reason for it.

My head started to ache.

Even if it wasn't Kim Dokja, I wished there was someone with me who could be helpful even a little.

For example, Yoo Sangah. Wait a second.

Yoo Sangah?

The moment I thought that, one of the train's doors opened and shut. It happened so instantly that I couldn't even think of running that way.

A new passenger who had just boarded was standing in front of the door. Eyes that darted around the surroundings with anxious tension.

It was a character I knew.