[1]
Loading complete.
Unlike before, there was no dark scenery. I felt good physically, even refreshed. But thinking about how I died to that strange monster made my whole body ache, despite feeling fine.
This time, I decided to move forward. There’s something behind me. As soon as I opened the door to the next carriage,
“Die, you monster!”
I heard a gunshot along with a shout.
Blink.
[You died.]
＊ ＊ ＊
“What the…?”
Seriously, what’s going on? I can’t go forward, can’t go back, so what am I supposed to do? Just sit here waiting for the inevitable flow of time to lead me to my death? Should I wait piously for death to come? Honestly, I’m pissed off.
It’s absurd to die without knowing why. There’s a monster, but I don’t see how I fit into its monstrous narrative. Did I get shot in the head or something? No, I did get shot. But why?
Frustrated, I ground my teeth. I couldn’t let myself be caught off guard again, so I grabbed my gun. The chamber was fully loaded with new bullets.
Seeing the full revolver always gave me a sense of security. It was my lifeline. Somehow, it seemed like my English was improving less than my shooting skills in 19th century England. If someone asked me now, “Where did you learn to shoot?” I might answer London instead of Hawaii.
I cautiously opened the door to the next carriage, holding my gun with both hands. It was the dining car. Peering through the crack, I saw a passenger frantically scanning the area in terror. I decided to call him “Passenger 1.”
As soon as I entered, I had to move quickly. I could do this. Even if I couldn’t, I had to.
“Die, you monster!”
The moment the door opened, a bullet flew to where my head had been. I narrowly avoided it and immediately dove to the side, using a seat as cover. Facing the shooter with just a chair between us, I yelled,
“I’m human! Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”
Then I heard a scream and an eerie laugh. I felt like crying.
The creature, having heard the gunshot, appeared. It was now more distinct, possibly having been fed. I saw it clearly.
It was an indescribable lifeform. A massive, jelly-like blob rippling in the air. Its transparent body now had a slight reddish hue. The outlines of its grotesquely swollen internal organs were faintly visible through its membrane, unlike any lifeform on Earth. Everything about it was incomprehensible and abnormal.
A giant squid? An eyeball? A squid’s head with tentacles? I couldn’t tell. The only recognizable feature was its mouth. At the end of its tentacles were giant suckers. I could imagine how it fed, but I didn’t want to dwell on the horrifying and repulsive thought. It felt like my sanity was slipping away.
The pulsating body tore through the door and squeezed into the narrow entrance. Both Passenger 1 and I screamed simultaneously.
We instinctively knew we were going to die horribly. The tentacle shot out in the blink of an eye. My heart sank with cold dread. But it was fine. Death would come faster than I could perceive.
I closed my eyes, accepting the inevitable.
“This route is a dead end.”
＊ ＊ ＊
[3]
So, this is how it’s going to be. Determined to kill me at all costs?
I’ve had three game overs in a flash, each death unique. I forgot how hard this game was.
I remembered being chased by a murderer early on. It was similar then. I died two or three more times trying to figure out the gimmick before realizing, “Ah, I shouldn’t go out at dawn.” But this is different.
Going forward is dangerous. I have to wait until Passenger 1 either dies or meets another survivor. The door is set to trigger a gunshot when it opens. Think of it as a closed area for now.
‘Do I have to go back where the monster is?’
First, I needed to experiment. Maybe all this chaos was because I arrived too early, and I needed to adjust the quest’s direction.
Anyway, there’s no one else in the back of this compartment except the man whose status—alive or dead—I couldn’t determine. He might be the key to overcoming this situation. So, I should take him along.
Let’s not waste time opening the last train car like before. I already know what’s there. I’ll carry him back here and see if Passenger 1 is still around.
My prediction was spot on. Passenger 1 was gone. Without a gunshot, he must have fled forward. With the man draped over my shoulder, I closed the door, and he spoke.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” I replied, continuing to walk.
“Can you walk? Tell me where and how you’re hurt.”
“My shoulder… the tentacle pierced my shoulder and started drinking my blood. It drained all my strength…”
So, you can’t walk. He’s as pale as a corpse. His sunken cheeks and emaciated body made me think he’d collapse if I set him down.
Does this happen when that monster drains your blood? It’s like a real vampire. He’s definitely an adult male, but surprisingly light, making it easy to carry him to the next carriage.
I blocked the entrance with a stick to buy some time, though I didn’t expect much. If it can crush a train, it can break a wooden stick.
At least I made it this far. Save. I saved and moved to the next carriage. I had to hurry. No one knew when or how it might catch up.
The man on my back didn’t speak, just trembled the whole time, making me worry he might die. I was trembling too. Stop shaking! Stop shaking!
“Hey. Don’t die, okay? Seriously, don’t die.”
“Huh? Oh…”
The man mumbled, then weakly chuckled. Fear struck me again, and I reiterated,
“Even if you feel like you’re going to die, don’t give up. Sometimes, if you just hold on, you can make it through.”
“Okay. I won’t die.”
“You’re shaking like someone who’s about to.”
Seriously, no. The game’s claim to deliver realistic horror was echoing in my mind. Up until now, everything had been surreal. Why was it suddenly becoming realistic? If the person I talked to and saw dies, I doubt I could stay sane.
Cold sweat ran down my back. I kept talking to him, and he slowly responded.
In the next carriage (the second one), I finally reunited with Liam Moore. Beside him stood the professor we had met before. Both were stunned to see me return with the half-dead man.
“How…?”
The professor muttered.
How do you think? I retried three times to get here. But I didn’t say it out loud. I just awkwardly smiled and set the man down. His blue eyes looked at me.
“…”
Blue eyes. I examined his state, trying to gauge his chances of survival. He was surprisingly compliant.
“Uh, he’ll be fine. He should survive for about three hours.”
“Three hours.”
“If that thing outside doesn’t kill us, maybe sixty more years.”
“That’s a significant increase.”
“Yeah. Be happy.”
But why did it feel like none of us here would live long?
I felt someone’s gaze and turned to see Liam Moore staring at me with wide eyes.
“Jane, did you see what’s out there?”
I did, but not this time around.
I chose my words carefully. He wouldn’t know if I had seen it or not, given he had been unconscious.
“Um… It was transparent, but seemed to have a reddish tint at times. It looked like a giant octopus with lots of appendages. Honestly, it was disgusting. It made my stomach turn.”
I looked around nervously. Liam Moore kept his eyes on me, assessing if I was just scared or something worse.
Was he sick? Everyone I met ended up dying.
“…Did you notice anything else? Any sounds?”
Herschel, the professor, asked softly.
“Laughter. I heard laughter.”
And for a moment,
How do you know it made sounds?
I turned my head. Herschel was deep in thought, chin in hand. Both he and Liam Moore seemed to have some idea of what “that thing” was.
“Do you know what’s out there?” I asked Herschel. As he was about to answer,
“Jane!”
Liam Moore’s scream rang out.
Bang.
I lost consciousness. The familiar subtitles appeared.
Why? I asked, and the game started again without my consent.