After the goblin disappeared, people reacted in various ways. Some desperately tried to escape from the train, while others called the police. Yoo Sang-ah was among the latter.
"The police… The police aren't answering! What do we do, what do we…?"
"Calm down, Ms. Yoo Sang-ah."
I looked straight into her unfocused pupils and said.
"Ms. Yoo Sang-ah. You've played the game the dev team just released, right? You know, the one where the whole world collapses and only a handful of people survive."
"What? What are you talking about all of a sudden…"
"Think of it like this. We're inside that game now."
Yoo Sang-ah's lips parted slightly in a daze.
"A game…"
"It's simple. Don't panic, just do exactly as I say. Got it?"
"O-okay. What should I do?"
"Don't move. Stay completely still."
With that, I too began to steady my breathing.
Even I needed time to fully accept what was happening.
"Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World."
The scenes that existed only in the novel were now vividly unfolding before my eyes.
> "The goblin stretching its antennae."
"Corpses scattered around the cabin like trash."
"An office worker trembling, covered in blood."
"An old woman moaning in the priority seat, having wet herself."
I observed each scene carefully—like Neo in The Matrix, doubting the reality around me.
I watched, questioned, and eventually accepted it. I had no choice but to acknowledge the truth.
I didn't know why. But there was no doubt:
The Methods of Survival had become reality.
Now think.
How do I survive in this new world?
"Alright everyone! Please calm down. Take a deep breath first."
Someone stepped forward exactly five minutes after the goblin vanished.
A man with a short two-block haircut.
He stood a full head taller than average, with a sturdy build.
"Has everyone calmed down? Please stop what you're doing and give me your attention for a moment."
The crying and phone calls died down. As soon as enough eyes were on him, the man with the two-block cut continued.
"As you know, in a national emergency, even a small commotion can lead to major casualties. Therefore, I will take control of the current situation."
"Who the hell are you to say that?"
"A national emergency? What kind of bullshit is that?!"
Several people, regaining their senses, stood up and pushed back against the word "control." Then the young man pulled out an ID from his wallet.
"I'm currently a First Lieutenant in the Army, serving with the 6502 Unit."
Some people visibly relaxed at his words. "He's a soldier. A real soldier."
But it was too early to feel relieved.
"I just received a message from my unit."
People crowded around his smartphone. I happened to be nearby, so I had no trouble reading it.
> "Level 1 National Disaster declared. All personnel must report to base immediately."
Gasps could be heard all around.
A national disaster.
I wasn't surprised. I had expected this.
In fact, what shocked me was something else entirely.
Army First Lieutenant Lee Hyun-sung.
So this is the Lee Hyun-sung.
I knew him.
This was my first time seeing his face, but his name had always been clear in my mind—for a good reason: he was one of the major supporting characters in Methods of Survival.
"Steel Sword Saint, Lee Hyun-sung."
Even characters from the novel were appearing now.
There was no denying it anymore. The story had become real.
"Hey, soldier! What the hell is going on?!"
"I'm still trying to get in touch with my unit, but…"
"What about the Blue House?! What's the president doing?! Someone contact the president now!"
"Sorry, but as a low-ranking officer, I don't have a direct line to the Blue House."
"Then what do you mean you're taking control?!"
"It's all for the safety of the citizens…"
Despite the barrage of questions, Lee Hyun-sung remained calm.
Watching him, I realized once again that the novel's descriptions had not been exaggerated.
But… was this how Lee Hyun-sung was supposed to appear?
The question came to me suddenly, followed by a sense of unease.
As the only reader of Methods of Survival, I could say with certainty:
This was not how Lee Hyun-sung made his first appearance.
In the novel, he didn't show up until after the first scenario ended.
...So what the hell is going on?
My mind grew chaotic. If only I could reread Methods of Survival, maybe I could figure it out.
"The Prime Minister's speech just went live! It really is a Level 1 National Disaster!"
At someone's shout, everyone scrambled to turn on their smartphones. Yoo Sang-ah turned hers toward me.
"...Reader, look at this."
There was no need to type in a search. Every major portal site had the same top trending keyword: "Prime Minister's Speech."
Of course, I already knew what the video would say.
> "Dear citizens,
We inform you that unknown terrorists are currently active in Seoul and other unspecified regions."
The speech was brief.
The government would do everything in its power to fight the terrorists. There would be no negotiations. Citizens were advised to remain calm and continue their daily lives...
When I read it in the novel, it didn't strike me much.
But hearing the actual words now, I couldn't help but feel a bit dumbfounded.
Terrorists…
Well, that's one way to frame it.
"But why is the Prime Minister speaking instead of the President?"
"I heard the President's already been taken out."
"What? Seriously?"
"It's not confirmed or anything, but someone said it in the Naver comments—"
"Damn it, then it's just a rumor!"
Of course, I knew it wasn't just a rumor.
BANG!
Gunshots rang out, making people drop their phones.
The sound had come from inside the phones themselves.
With a crackling noise, the screens turned blood red.
Only after a moment did people realize what had happened, and gasped.
"T-the Prime Minister just…"
The Prime Minister was dead.
And it happened live, his head exploding in real-time.
There were a few gunshot-like sounds, then the screen went quiet. What appeared next was the goblin.
[See? I told you. This isn't some kind of prank terrorism.]
People were speechless, their mouths opening and closing like dumb goldfish.
[Still don't get it? Seriously? I guess you still think this is some kind of game, huh?]
His voice was so calm and composed, it felt all the more ominous. I clenched my fists without realizing it.
[Haha, according to my research, people in this country are pretty good at games, right? Then let's raise the difficulty level a bit.]
Beep. With that sound, a massive timer appeared in midair. The numbers started ticking down fast.
[Remaining time has been reduced by 10 minutes.]
[Time remaining: 10 minutes.]
[If the first act of killing does not occur within the next 5 minutes, all living beings in this compartment will be exterminated.]
"Wh-what the hell is this? This has to be a joke, right?"
"Did you hear that message just now? Hey, you all heard it too, right?"
"Soldier! What are we supposed to do now? Why aren't the police coming?!"
"Everyone, please calm down and listen to me—"
The moment the goblin spoke, the situation in the train car spun out of control beyond even Lee Hyun-sung's ability to contain it. I could feel Yoo Sang-ah clutching my sleeve tightly.
And still, I couldn't shake off the sense of wrongness about all this.
Lee Hyun-sung, a supporting character, had shown up.
But why hasn't he appeared yet?
If the story were playing out the way I remember, he should be showing up right about now.
"There's been a murder in the car behind us!"
Through the glass in the aisle door, we could see a bloodbath unfolding in car 3907. The expressions of those who locked eyes with the killers there turned ghostly pale.
"We can't let them in! No one can come through!"
People rushed to barricade the steel door. But it was pointless. The real threat wasn't coming from that side.
[All access to and from this car is restricted until the scenario in that car is complete.]
As the message appeared, people were flung away from the door as if they'd hit an invisible wall.
"Wh-what's going on now?"
Then, once again, the goblin's voice echoed.
[Haha, while some places are getting pretty exciting, others haven't even started yet. All right, special service time. If nothing happens in the next five minutes, I'll show you exactly what will happen to you.]
A massive screen appeared in the air above the subway.
It displayed what looked like a classroom.
High school girls in navy uniforms were trembling.
A male student bit his nails and muttered, "...That's the uniform from Taepoong Girls' High."
Beep-beep-beep-beep—an ominous sound echoed. The girls started screaming.
[Time limit has been exceeded.]
[Premium settlement is now beginning.]
Even before the message ended, the head of the girl in the front row exploded.
One by one, then again and again, heads burst in scattered, gory flashes. The girls screamed and rushed toward the classroom door and windows.
"Oh my god... H-how is this even—"
Cleaning tools shattered, fingernails were torn off, but the door wouldn't open. No one could escape. Boom. Pop. The heads of the girls continued exploding.
That was when one girl strangled another.
A dying moan, choking, and stillness.
Moments later, only one girl remained in the classroom, eyes filled with venom as she scanned her surroundings.
[#Bay23515 Channel. Taepoong Girls' High, Grade 11 Class B Survivor: Lee Ji-hye]
The image of the girl vanished from the screen. The goblin's voice returned.
[Well? Entertaining, right?]
The goblin laughed as he spoke, but nobody was watching the screen anymore. Instead, people began slowly backing away from one another.
"What the hell! What the actual hell is going on?!"
Even Yoo Sang-ah let go of my sleeve—though she didn't move away entirely.
With both hands free, I took out my smartphone.
Why hasn't he appeared yet?
I was trapped between the parts of the story I knew and the parts I didn't.
There was only one way to navigate through this now: read The Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World again.
But where the hell could I find it?
It was so unpopular, it hadn't even been illegally shared... Wait a second.
[1 attached file.]
Staring blankly at the pop-up on my phone, I froze.
No way... right?
A moment later, when I opened the email attachment, I was overcome with disbelief.
The name of the file sent by the author was:
[The Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.TXT]