Chapter 2

Chapter 2. When the Siren Sounds (2)

「Survival Rules for Missing Persons inside the 「Railway Station Where the Siren Sounds」」

■ General Precautions

One. Do not forget that you are human.

Only humans can leave this place.

Two. Comply with the social norms of the Republic of Korea.

Criminal acts are not permitted even within Special Management Zones (hereafter, special zones).

Three. Within the special zone, all acts of consumption, including eating, drinking, or reading, are strictly prohibited.

Such acts may cause severe damage to your body and mind.

■ Escape Directives for the 「Railway Station Where the Siren Sounds」

The 「Railway Station Where the Siren Sounds」 is a railway station-shaped special zone characterized by a siren that sounds every 47 minutes.

The escape routes identified so far are as follows. Please refer to the contents below and return alive safely.

-The following-

Route A. Escape by Boarding a Train

Route B. Escape through the 「Cloth Doll」

Route C. Escape through the 「Recycling Bin」

Route D. Take Refuge in the Special Zone 「Circulating Library」

Route E. Patriotic Martyrdom

---

I was reading the rulebook when I instinctively reached out with my right hand.

Hm? Oh, right.

Then I belatedly sighed at my hand as it swept through empty air.

I had unconsciously tried to pick up a pen and underline every sentence.

It was an editor’s occupational disease and chronic illness.

It also meant this rulebook had that many errors.

Why were the sentences written like this?

There were more than a few lines that made me want to leave comments.

But I set aside my editor self for the moment and chewed over the sentences before me as a missing person.

Even so, there was one word I still could not understand.

What on earth is “Patriotic Martyrdom”?

Surely it doesn’t mean what I know it means?

After thinking it over, I searched the detailed explanations for each route and read the section on “Patriotic Martyrdom” first.

---

Route E. Patriotic Martyrdom

Recommended when escape is not feasible, or when you lack the courage to choose Route C.

This special zone contains areas whose internal structures and hazard levels have not yet been confirmed.

If you are prepared to die, please proceed to the location specified below.

In the event of your patriotic martyrdom, a set condolence payment will be delivered to your legal heir.

Furthermore, if meaningful information is confirmed through your sacrifice, substantial compensation will be paid.

---

……Are they serious?

Once I learned the answer, I felt even sicker.

“Patriotic martyrdom” meant exactly what it did in the dictionary: “giving one’s life for one’s country.”

In other words, since I was going to die anyway, I should use that life to dig up some information.

Dumbfounded, I checked the first part of the rulebook again.

It clearly said “under the management of the Government of the Republic of Korea.”

So they’re serious?

The Republic of Korea is a country that urges its own citizens in distress to either escape on their own or sacrifice themselves?

It was absurd from top to bottom.

But so was the reality I was in.

And if I refused to believe it because it was suspicious?

Did I have any other clues or methods?

Unfortunately, no.

I did not even know why the two people in front of me had suddenly died like that.

So for now, I had no choice but to rely on this rulebook.

With the desperation of someone clutching at straws, I quickly read the rulebook from beginning to end.

The only option I could choose here was “Route A. Escape by Boarding a Train.”

“Route B. Escape through the 「Cloth Doll」” did not meet the conditions at all.

“Route C. Escape through the 「Recycling Bin」” was…… simply something I did not want to try.

I was bad at games of probability.

And more than that, I did not want to meet that cleaner again.

In the end, Route A was the only route even worth attempting.

But according to what was written here, I first had to obtain a ticket to board the train.

There were two ways to get a ticket.

One was to buy it at the ticket counter.

The other was barter.

In an ordinary situation, of course I would buy a ticket at the counter.

But here, purchasing a ticket looked nearly impossible.

Because the ticket was insanely expensive.

---

Route A. Escape by Boarding a Train

A ticket is required to board the train.

The price of a ticket sold at the ticket counter is 15,870,000 won.

It can only be purchased with cash. Credit cards, debit cards, and blank checks cannot be used.

Please also note that the cash machines inside the special zone do not operate.

---

No, what kind of person carries around fifteen million won in cash…….

Fortunately, the author of the rulebook seemed to have thought the same thing.

There was an alternative of sorts below it.

---

If you do not have cash, you may exchange items for cash through the storage lockers located in the concourse.

Place the item you wish to exchange in the locker in row 7, column 1, and close the door.

The item placed in the locker will then disappear, and cash equivalent to 70 percent of that item’s market price will be automatically dispensed.

Citizens carrying high-value items may secure cash through this method and purchase a ticket.

---

Mm. A completely useless alternative.

They wanted me to exchange my belongings for cash and make 15.87 million won.

Maybe someone with expensive luxury goods could manage it, but a poor editor could not even try in the first place.

Even if I emptied out everything I had on me right now, I wasn’t sure it would come to even one million won.

No, now that I thought about it, it wasn’t as if there was no method at all.

If I removed one of the organs inside my body and put it in there, wouldn’t that earn about enough for the ticket?

Of course, to use that method, I would first need to find a kind surgeon.

I felt aggrieved and pathetic, but at the same time, I thought this might be for the best.

The sight of a person’s head flying off in front of that ticket counter was still vivid before my eyes.

Since I did not need to pass in front of it, I should just call that fortunate. Yeah.

In the end, the only method I could attempt was barter.

I took a deep breath and stood up.

Then I slowly came out into the concourse.

It was quiet and clean, just as it had been when I first came here.

The traces of overflowing blood had been wiped away perfectly, and the cleaner was no longer in sight.

I walked with my eyes on the floor, trying not to look at the signs placed here and there or the letters on them.

A huge celadon vase set out as decoration.

Beside it, an escalator connected to the second floor.

When I rode the escalator running by itself, a second-floor corridor appeared.

On one side of the corridor were restaurants and cafés.

On the other were restrooms and several office spaces.

Those office spaces looked like conference rooms or business lounges.

But since I could not read the lettering on the signs, I could not confirm it.

So I counted the pillars in the corridor as I walked forward.

One, two, three…….

As written in the rulebook, I stood in front of the sixth pillar and looked to the right. There was an automatic glass door.

I could not read the letters written above it either.

But if I had found the right place, this would be the Armed Forces Lounge inside the station, used by soldiers and civilian military employees.

As I approached, the glass door opened automatically.

The inside was like a small unmanned café.

The atmosphere was quite cozy.

But the moment I stepped inside, I flinched in surprise.

Something was sitting at the far end of the lounge.

It wore a khaki top and bottom, but it did not look human.

Its head hung low, and its arms and legs were abnormally long.

The knees it had bent to sit in the chair rose a good fifty centimeters above its head.

On top of that, its outer skin was split pitch-black like charcoal and gleamed.

It looked like a spider, dead and shriveled.

I tensed inwardly at that grotesque sight.

Even so, I approached while pretending outwardly that nothing was wrong and asked politely.

“Do you happen to have any ownerless tickets?”

Then the bizarre thing slowly nodded.

---

If you cannot purchase a ticket at the ticket counter, please go to the Armed Forces Lounge on the second floor of the concourse.

Afterward, request a barter exchange from the 「Thing in the Old Military Uniform」 there.

If it finds an item it likes, it will give you a ticket.

Up to five barter attempts are safe. Attempts beyond that may provoke the aggression of the 「Thing in the Old Military Uniform」.

The items that have successfully been bartered so far are as follows.

1. Cigarettes

2. Painkillers

3. Handkerchiefs

4. Silver rings

5. Crosses, rosaries

6. White flowers

7. Burn medication

8. Uncooked rice

The items that have failed in barter so far are as follows.

1. Pornography

2. Various electronic devices

3. Precious metals except silver rings

4. Food such as snacks, chocolate, bread, gimbap, etc.

5. Various clothing and footwear

For your safety, barter attempts with the following items are prohibited.

1. All firearms, including replicas

2. All bladed weapons, including replicas

3. All explosives and explosive devices, including replicas

4. Living or dead humans

---

I had none of the items listed there right now.

Not among the successful items, the failed items, or the prohibited items.

Whichever category they belonged to.

Still, there was room to try.

Who knew being too busy with deadlines to clean out my bag would come in handy?

As it happened, I had visited a promotional goods company last week.

Thanks to that, my bag currently had all kinds of commemorative items and merch samples rolling around inside it.

I opened my bag, took out a metal cigarette case, and placed it on the table.

No reaction.

I put away the cigarette case and placed a portable first-aid kit on the table.

No reaction.

Instead of the first-aid kit, I tried placing a flower-shaped keychain on it.

Still no reaction.

At the string of failures, I laughed hollowly.

Room to try, my ass.

Right. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.

Since cigarettes, painkillers, and white flowers worked, I had taken out a cigarette case, a first-aid kit, and a flower-shaped object that I had.

All of them were flatly rejected.

Now all that remained in my bag were odds and ends like bookmarks and memo pads.

If even these failed, I would have no choice but to move on to the 「Circulating Library」.

Or climb into the 「Recycling Bin」 and leave everything to luck.

I really didn’t like either option.

Wondering if there was anything else, I rummaged through my bag.

That was when I felt something rectangular along the inner lining of the bag.

I wondered what it was and took it out of the inner pocket.

Oh, right. I had this.

What came out of my bag was a pocketbook about the size of my palm.

When I flipped through it, a short signature and message from the author were written on an inner page.

「To Editor Seo Do-un, who always gives me help,

From Na Bit, who is always receiving it.」

Na Bit was one of the authors I was in charge of.

And what had just come out of my bag was a collection of lines made to commemorate Author Na Bit’s tenth debut anniversary.

I had put it in my bag to take home, but I had been so busy lately that I had completely forgotten about it.

I turned a few more pages of the book.

Then, on the off chance, I placed it on the table.

This time too, there was no reaction.

I was thinking I had been wrong again when it suddenly stretched out a long, gaunt arm.

Then it picked up my book and began slowly turning the pages.

What?

Did it work?

……Did it actually work?

It must have worked!

I thought there was nothing to lose!

At the thought that I had succeeded, I rejoiced a little too soon.

But in the next moment.

It suddenly tore my book apart.