Now, the moment I disembark from the elevator and board the train, the urban legend should be nullified, just as I predicted.
Its very name, the Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend, reveals its nature.
This entity has claimed the station itself as its territory.
Considering this, the reason why the train repeatedly announced ‘Gyeonggi Gwangju Station’ as both the current and next stop becomes clear.
It signifies that the entity’s range of activity is limited to that area.
Though it appeared god-like, it was ultimately nothing more than an anomaly mimicking a deity with clear limitations.
The anomaly’s machinations, however, did not cease merely because I had descended from the elevator.
A sound echoed through the station.
Soon, a subway train pulled in.
“It’s over now.”
I let out a hollow laugh as I watched the approaching train.
This wasn’t even a decent trap.
It was merely proof of how desperate the entity had become.
Yet, having commuted through this station hundreds of times, I knew better.
“…Trains bound for Pangyo arrive from the left, not the right.”
I waited, refusing to board.
The doors stood wide open, the lights flickering erratically.
Presently, the doors closed, and the train departed.
Shortly after its departure, another train arrived.
This time, it arrived correctly from the left, not the right.
It was as if this was finally the true exit.
Bright light spilled forth.
Inside, the subway carriage hummed with its usual bustling atmosphere.
But no, this was not it.
The reason for my certainty was clear.
In truth, I had already experienced this deception.
This was my third attempt at reaching this point via the elevator.
The boarding time.
That was the sole criterion for distinguishing a real train from a fake one.
I lifted my gaze to the electronic display board.
[Pangyo Direction]
[Subway 19:35]
[Subway 19:58]
[Subway 20:21]
No matter how many layers of deception the urban legend wove, it could not tamper with that display board.
A random subway, devoid of rules, could never become a rule itself.
The moment one boarded a train simply because it had arrived, they would be ensnared by the entity.
“…”
How many times, then, had trains entered and departed, repeating this cycle?
Time was slowly running out.
I pulled out my phone from my pocket, checking only the time.
[19:35].
Though dozens of notifications had accumulated, I had no time to check them.
Turning to Kim Sera, who was eyeing the train with suspicion, I extended my hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah! Alpha! If you board like that! This could also be a trap! It might be better to observe a bit longer and take the next train—”
“By any chance, do you live in Seoul?”
“…How did you know that?”
“Well, Gyeonggi Gwangju Station is a developing area. Trains don’t run every few minutes like in the city. The interval between trains is roughly twenty minutes.”
“What? Is that even possible? At that rate, it would be better to take a bus than a subway!”
‘Seoulites, honestly,’ I thought to myself.
I clicked my tongue softly.
“Precisely. Missing this train here means being exposed to unknown threats for the approximately twenty minutes until the next one arrives.”
Although I spoke these words, I knew the true danger.
I had already experienced and understood the nature of the peril.
In a previous loop, I had disregarded the time displayed on the board at her urging.
Shortly after the train departed, everyone in the station surged towards us.
The result was death by crushing.
We were buried in the crowd and died there.
Her hesitant voice reached my ears.
“But…”
I took her hand, pulling her forward, and met her gaze.
“Just trust me this once.”
[The train bound for Pangyo is now departing.]
As the announcement concluded, the train doors closed.
And no one remained standing on the platform.
Kim Sera, observing the passing scenery from inside the train, broke the silence.
“…Strangely, Alpha, I feel like we’ve met many times before. I’m not usually one to trust others so easily.”
“Is that so?”
The train pulled away from Gyeonggi Gwangju Station.
The scenery outside began to change.
Finally, this damned space was nearing its end.
Soon, an announcement flowed into my ears.
[The next station is Imae. Imae Station.]
Clear.
Ding!
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend]
[Progress] : 99%
[Rulebook – Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend]
Rule 1. Cognitive Distortion
1-1. The moment one enters the station, a phenomenon of cognitive distortion occurs in everyone.
1-2. Everything that transpires within the station appears natural, like an ordinary day.
1-3. Upon realization, never reveal that you are seeing or knowing something different.
1-4. Violation of this rule will result in immediate assimilation into the urban legend.
Rule 2. The Bench Beside the Turnstiles
2-1. Do not look at the people beside the turnstiles.
2-2. The bench, despite being genuinely unoccupied, induces a false impulse that ‘a seat has appeared.’
2-3. This impulse is extraordinarily powerful; resistance has been confirmed impossible even under the influence of medication (Antigen).
2-4. The moment you perceive the illusion of an empty seat, immediately avert your gaze.
2-5. Sitting down will instantly make you a part of the urban legend.
Rule 3. Announcements and Exits
3-1. Do not be deceived by announcements and lose your judgment. Announcements create urgency and illusions for people.
3-2. There are only two exits. A third exit does not exist.
3-3. Remember the building’s structure. This is a multi-level subway station; there is no underground level.
3-4. Should you be led by illusion and descend with the crowd, you must absolutely not board any train.
3-5. Boarding directly leads to ‘assimilation.’ It is better to meet death as a human.
Rule 4. Means of Transportation
4-1. Do not use the stairs. Stairs connect to ‘incorrect floors,’ and once you descend, you can never return.
4-2. You must use the elevator. However, do not stare at the mirror inside the elevator. If ‘your reflection’ follows even one second late, you must immediately abandon boarding.
4-3. The moment your eyes meet the entity in the mirror, the urban legend synchronizes with reality.
Rule 5. The Display Board Schedule
5-1. Only use trains that precisely match the time displayed on the electronic board.
5-2. Randomly arriving trains that do not match the schedule are fake.
5-3. Boarding a fake train will result in incorporation into the urban legend.
5-4. If the clock blurs or stops, your choices have already vanished.
Rule 6. Subway Direction
6-1. Trains bound for Pangyo arrive from the ‘left.’ Any train entering from the right is fake.
6-2. A train with the wrong direction may appear ‘like an exit,’ but its interior is a closed loop from which there is no return.
6-3. Even if the direction is correct, it is a trap if it does not match the timetable. Board only when both conditions are simultaneously met.
[Rulebook Update Complete]
[Current Number of Rules : 6]
[Discovered 5 Undiscovered 1 (Hint: Mirror)]
[Level Adjustment : Caution-tier → Danger-tier]
[Conditions for Next Stage Met]
[You have successfully nullified the Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend.]
[First Clear Perk : 100 Urban Legend Coins awarded.]
[Initial Clear Perk : 100 Urban Legend Coins awarded.]
[99% Progress Perk : 99 Urban Legend Coins awarded.]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
****
The Anomaly Gallery Victim’s Association.
It was a gathering of individuals who had reincarnated into a dark fantasy of urban legends.
Though their places of reincarnation differed, they shared one thing in common.
Information.
This was precisely why the Anomaly Gallery was exceptionally more active than other Isekai or Cyberpunk galleries.
Here, the value of information surpassed that of any other worldview.
It was even more precious than human life itself.
Thus, this Anomaly Gallery had a unique rule.
Whether the individual desired it or not.
The moment a victim encountered an urban legend, they could not disable the [Broadcast Stream].
Even if the victim perished, that information would still be transmitted to the Anomaly Gallery.
Therefore, when news broke that a newcomer had encountered the ‘Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend,’ most users connected to the gallery took keen interest.
The Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend was an anomaly that had never once been nullified.
It was an infamous entity even within the Anomaly Gallery.
This fact compelled even the most prominent, usually sedentary users to flock to the discussion.
[Broadcasting][Code:Newbie120053]
[Dark Merchant] : Oh, it’s really a newbie lololol
[Daddy Long Legs] : But the problem is, even if the gallery opens when you encounter an urban legend, there’s no way to know unless you check your phone.
[It’s Shallow Here] : lolololololol Newbie life termination reserved.
[Cucumber Candy] : Isn’t that just a clean death zone?
[Real Tears] : To think I’d get to watch someone go there in real-time;;
[Happiness Hoarder] : How is a newbie supposed to clear that? They’ll just get turned into a bloody mess, lol. What a waste of time. I’m out.
[Laughter Man] : I’m excited.
[Taste of Collapse] : Ah… another one gone like this. They should at least give it a Caution-tier rating. What is this, Tier 2?
[Spectator1] : A newbie gone the moment they arrived. What a title—’Legendary Video Reserved,’ seriously.
[Karyl Is Truth] : If it’s funny, I’ll send coins lol.
I watched as the investigation unfolded.
Initially, they were merely spectators, observing a pitiful newbie destined for an early demise.
However…
[Dark Merchant] : …What. This is a newbie?
[Frozen Tuna] : Wow, I was bawling my eyes out begging for help back then lol. Luckily, agents came and barely rescued me;;
[Ramen Broth] : ??? Are they faking this?
[Hopeless Life] : Someone’s filming a documentary just to survive, while someone else is shooting a blockbuster movie by themselves?
[Nuclear Nonsense] : I’m getting goosebumps right now lol. The mirror moved about a second late just now, was it luck? Damn. They never look. What a waste.
The newbie in the broadcast was different.
The image of a jobless slacker that had appeared when the broadcast first began was nowhere to be seen.
They possessed an outstanding insight into anomalies.
‘I believe we must stop there.’
Unswayed, their gaze was unwavering.
‘There is no escape route here.’
A mind that directly saw through the anomaly’s schemes.
‘Try to recall the building’s structure.’
[Crazy b*tch] : Insane;;;;
[Tteokbokki Gukbap] : Is this not acting? How is this a newbie? Then what am I!!!
[Flounder] : Wow, I seriously didn’t expect that fake-out there;
[Not Human] : If it were me, I’d have already soiled myself and fainted.
[Rumor Mill] : This is truly shaping up to be legendary;;
[Certifier] : Hey, screenshot and immortalize this lol. This will be the new standard for newbie-level plays.
[Yyk] : So you’re saying I’m not even a newbie?!
[DbD Master] : Seriously, no newbie could be that calm.
[‘Human Centipede’ has sponsored 3 coins.]
[‘One Punch Cut’ has sponsored 5 coins.]
[‘Future SCP’ has sponsored 5 coins.]
This was clearly not the level of someone who had just embarked on the path of anomalies.
It was as if…
Their unhesitant actions, as if they had prior knowledge and experience, were nothing short of astonishing.
A seasoned veteran.
No, they were even beyond that.
[Veteran84] : As an urban legend veteran, I have something to say.
[Veteran84] : …Even I couldn’t do that.
[Crying Cat If You Don’t Understand] : Meowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeow
Soon, the two individuals, having boarded the elevator, ascended to the second-floor station.
Until the very end, the man remained unperturbed.
With mere hints and keen intuition, he unraveled every single detail.
The world slowly crumbled around them.
The broadcast stream concluded as the train receded into the distance from Gyeonggi Gwangju Station.
Throughout every moment, the newbie’s expression never once wavered.
No relief, no happiness was discernible.
All that was evident was a controlled tension and keen observation of his surroundings.
[MyHandHurts] : …That bastard. Isn’t that an anomaly?
[LurkerFor20Years] : Seriously, they don’t seem human;;;
[ZeroCalorieTact] : But you have to admit what’s true. Is this newbie’s class for a fresh joiner for real? Looking at the ID creation time, it hasn’t even been an hour.
[UpvoteFairy] : Dropping an upvote and leaving.
[SeriousGuy] : First nullification of the Gyeonggi Gwangju Station Urban Legend in Anomaly Gallery history…
The final comment encapsulated the thoughts of every user.
The collective impression after witnessing it all.
[BabyChungsik] : How is that a newbie..?
Soon, a post appeared on the Anomaly Gallery.
[Title : Something like this?]
-Author: SeriousGuy
…lol
[Upvotes 521][Downvotes 42]
[Veteran84] : …Damn. Turns out I was the newbie all along.
