Midnight Station.
The place the train announced had a casino was different from Segwang Station, which was pristine from the platform up.
Red and yellow lights.
As soon as I stepped onto the floor, I saw small lights, like incandescent bulbs, clustered on the ceiling and strung in colorful rows.
Some bulbs were burnt out, broken, or disconnected, but this only added to the strange atmosphere.
The feeling of an old, worn-out entertainment facility.
[Hmm. It seems it's not being properly maintained.]
However, my attention to the facility was fleeting.
A more shocking sight was unfolding around us.
The passengers who disembarked with us.
The moment the long-term missing persons, who had poured out of the train doors, set foot on the Midnight Station platform.
Their true forms were revealed.
"…!!"
Worn-out clothes, faded overcoats, disheveled and dirty hair, and hollow, emaciated bodies.
The appearance of those who had been isolated and abandoned for a long time.
Freed from the train's influence, which 'shows passengers as they were upon boarding,' this was undeniably the appearance of long-term missing persons.
A chilling shock enveloped the group.
But for those who had entered various dangerous ghost stories, this might have been a somewhat familiar scene.
The shocking element was something else. For instance…
Their bodies were fragmented.
"..."
Arms, legs, sometimes hands, eyeballs, noses, ears, hair… various deficiencies were apparent in their exteriors.
It wasn't just one part, nor was there any pattern. Some were in such a state that they could barely walk or move.
They kept falling or crawling as they tried to move as they normally would, bumping into the platform screen doors.
Yet, they continued to move.
Up there.
Towards the stairs, towards the waiting room.
'An exhibition…'
The sight reminded me of the Mansion of the Blind, and tension flickered across the faces of the former and current Field Investigation Team members who had nearly died there.
But there was a clear difference between them and the visitors, the victims, of that place.
The finish.
"…It's too smooth."
As if extracted from dolls or clay, the connection points of their missing body parts were unnaturally clean.
Even parts that seemed impossible to cut with human tools were missing, and as they moved, empty air could be seen being pressed through the silhouettes of their clothes.
The strangeness that emanated from it.
That sight, which drove the uncanny valley to madness, created an even more terrifying scene when contrasted with the worn-out, messy appearance characteristic of long-term missing persons…
And the ominousness.
'…Why did they become like this?'
Various speculations and keywords flashed through my mind, wondering what on earth was happening at this 'casino' station.
Especially for those who had experienced it.
"..."
"..."
"Please wait a moment."
We silently affirmed.
As Manager Lee Jaheon, whose gloves were also worn out, changed into a spare pair, we stood on the platform and waited.
We waited until the frenzied movement of the long-term missing persons subsided somewhat.
Then, we slowly began to walk.
Towards the stairs.
And as I stepped onto them, I realized.
A faint, cheerful sound could be heard from above.
Piano, brass, and strings.
A melody that seemed to beckon.
[Ah, it's a cheap jazz recording. In the right time and place, it might be somewhat romantic, but now it only highlights the decay of the facility…]
"…Is anyone feeling drawn to the music or having strange sensations? ...No one. Okay. Let's go."
We moved slowly upwards, trying not to collide with the 'passengers' struggling or tumbling down the stairs.
And finally, the waiting room should have appeared…
"…!"
The front of the stairs was blocked by a wall.
A wall finished with tiles.
And on that wall, a door and a small unmanned booth were all that were present.
There were words written on the door…
Royal Casino
Open
Enjoy a Fantastic Experience
"…Judging by the circumstances, it seems all the missing persons have gone in here."
The sound of music was coming from beyond.
As if tempting us.
"If Deputy Dolphin also disembarked at this station, she's likely inside."
Hoo.
Deputy Manager Eun Haje rubbed her own shoulders.
"Should I knock?"
"If we die doing that…"
"We just end the exploration early."
Knock, knock.
The Deputy knocked on the door.
Then, from the small unmanned booth next to the door, a small sign with a ballpoint pen attached popped out.
"…!"
I immediately turned my head to check. It was…
"An unmanned pawn shop?"
It was a form of usage guide.
※ We exchange body parts for casino coins. ※
Please write the part you wish to exchange on the enclosed form, and you can check the price.
Then, please submit the form to the booth.
"…!"
"Shit."
And so, we confirmed the general mechanism.
"…It's a body part trafficking casino."
The wiki page was updated.
Segwang Subway Map
·Segwang Station (Forest of Demise Path)
·Midnight Station (Body Casino)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
·(Unregistered)
Body Casino.
Midnight Station (Body Casino)
A subway station in Segwang Metropolitan City, home to a gambling establishment named '■■City Royal Casino'.
Originally a casino in a hotel connected to the subway for foreign tourists, it mutated to find new monetary value upon the arrival of the Day of Disaster in Segwang Metropolitan City.
For users who no longer had valuables to exchange, the casino began offering new exchange items.
Over 90% of the people who evacuated to this station on the Day of Disaster are now dead or wandering as addicts.
'Truly.'
It had become a condition befitting a high-grade ghost story…
And the most dangerous part was this.
"…To enter, we'll have to sell something, won't we."
But.
"This makes it easy."
Deputy Manager Eun Haje began to write on the form attached to the back of the sign without hesitation.
Left Hand
"Citizen!"
"I don't have one hand in reality anyway, and I have replacement equipment readily available, so this is fine. Let's not waste time."
And surprisingly, from the form, a rough handwriting, as if scribbled, began to appear.
Left Hand 32 Coins
Is that the price?
"I have no idea how much this is worth. How many coins per game, I wonder?"
Deputy Manager Eun Haje, scratching her head, impulsively, and without consensus, put the form into the booth.
The form disappeared into the darkness. Then, from inside the booth, the sound of coins jingling was heard…
"Ugh."
Blood began to spurt from Deputy Manager Eun Haje's wrist.
"…!"
"Deputy Manager."
I urgently took out a hemostatic agent and brought it to Deputy Manager Eun Haje's mouth. It was the same one from the Daydream Infirmary.
As Deputy Manager Eun Haje swallowed the hemostatic agent, the bleeding stopped, and the area around her wrist was revealed…
Her left hand was gone.
And.
Jingle.
A small pouch popped out from the booth.
"Is this the coin?"
Deputy Manager Eun Haje lifted the pouch to check its contents.
At that moment.
I felt a gaze.
"..."
The long-term missing persons, who had been struggling on the stairs, were all looking this way.
More precisely, at the pouch Deputy Manager Eun Haje was holding.
"..."
Click.
The door opened. Colorful light poured out.
"Let's go in immediately."
Deputy Manager Eun Haje hastily took coins from the pouch, distributed one or two to each of us randomly, and moved towards the door. We immediately accepted them and followed the Deputy into the door…
Thump.
The door closed before my eyes.
"…!"
I instinctively grabbed the doorknob but confirmed it was blocked by some kind of force.
"…It seems only the person who made the transaction can enter."
Hoo.
Fortunately, as the pouch disappeared, the long-term missing persons also turned their gaze away.
"…Anyone who wants to enter must exchange at least one body part."
That's right.
What part would you give up to enter?
[Oh, friend… If you want to enjoy the game, I can introduce you to a more proper place.]
'…We're here to work, so I'll gratefully accept the thought.'
I calmed the Good Friend who was saying terrifying things and continued to ponder.
'What should I cut off?'
Meanwhile, some had already reached a conclusion.
Right Ring Finger 4 Coins
Manager Lee Jaheon.
"Did you choose the part of your hand you use the least?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Citizen, why wasn't your toe a candidate?"
"I considered the risk of affecting my center of gravity when moving in an emergency."
"Hmm. You know how to choose properly~."
Everyone had similar criteria for selection. They were selling the parts that were used least independently.
What was surprising was that Baek Saheon, after some deliberation, made the same choice as Manager Lee Jaheon.
I thought he would refuse to enter.
'Is it because it's a casino?'
I felt a desire to acquire something.
'…Hmm.'
"The appendix only gets you 7 coins? These bastards, they must have eaten a lot of people."
"Considering internal bleeding, it's better to choose something else."
I watched as the agents, after much deliberation, sold their left and right ring fingers respectively.
Ultimately, if one judges wisely, the decisions converge similarly.
However, I had a premonition.
'…We might not have enough coins.'
I didn't know what would happen inside, but wouldn't it be better to secure some emergency funds?
"Then, we'll just list them all down and go in quickly. Alright, understood?"
"Yes."
"Still, it's good that you answer so clearly. Let's go."
I watched Manager Lee Jaheon go first, list his item, bandage his hand with gloves, and then take the pouch that came out of the booth before entering the casino door.
The rest of the group, who had already written everything on their forms with pens, moved in unison.
"Agent Grape."
As I watched Agent Bronze grab the pouch that came out of the booth, I held my own form.
And then…
I picked up the ballpoint pen again and erased the written words.
Right Ring Finger 4 Coins
"Agent!"
Right Eye 35 Coins
I threw it into the booth.
The moment blood spurted from my vision, my right visual field disappeared.
"Now…!!"
"I-I'm fine."
Actually, I wasn't fine. It hurt terribly. It hurt so much I wanted to curse. It wouldn't be strange if tears welled up from my remaining eye.
'But Deputy Manager sold her bare hand?'
Does she think she's some Hahudun? Please!
I snatched the heavy pouch that came out of the booth and leaped through the open door. As Agent Bronze practically pulled me inside, the door closed.
Click.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Stop it. Your eye won't reattach just because you say that."
Deputy Manager Eun Haje quickly stopped me and checked my condition.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
I urgently downed the emergency medicine from the Daydream Infirmary to stop the bleeding and replied.
The pain gradually subsided. I gave up on the brave attempt of shining my smartphone screen on it and instead examined the severed parts of others.
'…There's a wound.'
Why were the long-term missing persons' severed ends so unnaturally smooth?
'Was it contamination after all?'
I thought I should be careful and looked around.
Agent Bronze had a look like he had a lot to say, but Agent Choi put a hand on his shoulder, and he turned his head, suppressing his expression.
'Hoo.'
"Return all the coins you received from Deputy Falcon to yourself."
"Uh, well. Let's do that."
Baek Saheon looked displeased, but perhaps sensing the atmosphere, he returned the coins he had received from Deputy Manager Eun Haje.
I also politely handed the cheap, metal-coated coins in my hand to Deputy Manager Eun Haje.
And then I recognized the interior of the casino.
'Similar atmosphere to the platform.'
It seemed to be the entrance to the casino.
Colorful incandescent bulbs, casino-specific gambling colors. Black, gold, and red were everywhere, and those who had lost body parts sat in corners, muttering.
No staff were visible.
However, broken slot machines and operational ones were visible in various places.
It felt strange, as if someone had turned on a neglected and abandoned casino.
The sight of long-term missing persons clustered around the still-operating slot machines, inserting coins, evoked an ominous feeling.
"There's a pawn shop-like place over there too. It's right next to the door we came through… so the inside of that booth is that way?"
"…It seems to be a place where exchanged body parts are stored."
That's right.
Right next to the door we entered. Beyond the dusty, time-worn glass, countless body parts were visible in 'storage.'
And from the only open booth in that glass partition, I confirmed another use for the coins.
Today's Casino Coin Prizes
"As expected."
Items exchangeable for coins were listed.
Water 1 Coin
■■Canned Goods 2 Coins
Kitchen Knife 4 Coins
Pig's Head 7 Coins
Left Ear 21 Coins
Cream Cake 53 Coins
Gas Stove 152 Coins
Golden Goblet 256 Coins
Bathtub of Youth 1810 Coins
※ For other items and special prizes, please inquire at the counter.
[I see a name that brings back memories. To think they handle it in such a shabby place.]
Familiar items caught my eye. But more importantly, a clue was written there.
"There's food."
Even if it was ridiculously overpriced, the fact that it could be obtained was important.
"…Could Deputy Dolphin have disembarked expecting this?"
She probably couldn't have guessed specifically.
However, she might have had some expectations.
"Wouldn't you judge that if many people disembark, there's a high probability of something that aids survival?"
Outside, Segwang Metropolitan City was an Annihilation-class ghost story.
The subway was entirely unknown ghost stories.
If contamination and danger are unavoidable,
And hearing the name 'casino' from the train announcement, choosing a place where at least supplies could be obtained seemed like the best course of action.
'No one disembarking is the real danger signal.'
I guessed that Deputy Lee Seong-hae must have made a similar judgment.
And then.
"…Citizens, please look over there."
Agent Choi pointed to an old banner above the list of coin prizes.
Royal Casino Limited
Special Prize
Emergency Exit 10,000 Coins
The highly-talked-about product that allows you to go anywhere! A luxury item for the top 0.01%, a high-quality means of transportation for busy modern people.
"Could that be a way to escape?"
"…It's entirely possible."
Even selling an eyeball only gets you 35 coins, so excluding the insane requirement of accumulating 10,000 coins.
'Hoo.'
I reflexively brought my hand to my empty eye socket, then met Agent Bronze's gaze with my remaining eye and said defensively.
"It's fine. I chose it considering it's a casino."
Having only one eye doesn't significantly hinder gambling.
'Perception of depth isn't that important in gambling.'
Especially here, where it's called a casino.
'Casinos mainly involve cards and slot machines.'
In this case, lacking an ear or a hand would be more problematic. Being unable to distinguish the sound of cards being flipped from both sides, or being unable to perform tasks requiring two hands, would be more critical.
And then.
'If Deputy Lee Seong-hae also made a similar judgment….'
....
"Found it."
Among the numerous body fragments displayed at the pawn shop, I finally noticed one item.
A black iris with a clear pupil, shimmering green.
It was Lee Seong-hae's eye.
"…It seems she made the same judgment as Roe Deer. Smart ones are different, aren't they?"
Deputy Manager Eun Haje said, clenching and unclenching her left hand, which she had replaced with equipment.
"Selling something like a hand would make gambling difficult. It's not for nothing that they cut off hands in gambling master stories."
"…Citizen, how do you know that?"
"Consider it extensive experience for research. In any case, it seems certain that Deputy Dolphin disembarked at this station."
....
"The problem is whether she's still here."
And one more thing.
How many parts have been lost since then?
'…Let's find her quickly.'
My body moved on its own with impatience.
"Then let's split into pairs and search…"
"Hello."
....
My body froze.
"This is your first visit to the Royal Casino, isn't it? You were looking at the prizes, weren't you, visitor?"
A familiar voice.
"Your party's exchange amount exceeds 50 coins, so we're here to guide you, as you can now use games other than slot machines."
I turned my head.
Standing behind us was the casino dealer who had come to greet a new customer.
"Please come this way."
It was Lee Seong-hae.
Looking at us with one eye missing.