The Madman

Mr. Jack is also missing?!

No, something's wrong...

Qin Shang's eyes quickly scanned her diary again. Her intuition told her that this person's mental illness was no simple matter.

At first, she thought it might be related to the knocking and the disappearances.

But the more Qin Shang thought about it, the more something felt off. Why were so many people having trouble, yet the person writing the diary remained safe and sound?

And then, in the end, Mr. Jack also disappeared!

A steam train conductor needs to add coal, stoke the fire, fill out the crew log and speed reports, and coordinate with all colleagues.

According to the diary writer, all their colleagues were dead, and only two people were maintaining order?

Moreover, the second train conductor wasn't mentioned at all. Steam trains were very slow; even traveling to not-so-distant places would take at least a week round trip.

A train conductor couldn't possibly be just one person.

"Conductor Jack is not here, so I will fulfill my duty. I have gathered the passengers, hoping we can get through this last day..."

Qin Shang's heart felt as if it were shrouded in a thick fog, her expression so grim it could wring water.

The person who wrote this diary was clearly not mentally sound, so not everything in the diary could be trusted.

But strangely, the game's background story didn't mention any Mr. Jack.

Furthermore, the diary and the background story's content about passengers being brutally murdered didn't match.

No, the diary and the background story seemed to have one point reversed.

In the background story, Miss Mary was the one who led the passengers in resisting the massacre. However, the diary didn't mention such a person at all. The background story didn't have a Mr. Jack, but the diary was filled with mentions of Mr. Jack.

Among the clues obtained so far, the two people with names were Mr. Jack and El.

There were actually pictures below, but Qin Shang didn't quite understand them.

It was a photograph taken by an old camera, pasted in front of the diary. A figure in a dress stood at the very front of a carriage, raising a hand as if to rally everyone.

Then, everyone on the train was looking up at her, as if she were saying something important.

Although the person in the photo was unclear due to the low resolution, everyone's expression seemed solemn.

At least no one was seen grinning widely.

This was also why Qin Shang couldn't understand the diary's content at first, and everyone thought it was all newspaper clippings.

Oh, right, there were indeed newspaper clippings...

In the next carriage.

Just then, a clear voice suddenly sounded from beside her.

"Big brother, are we really not going to continue exploring the mission?"

Qin Shang's attention was slightly drawn back as she glanced at the little girl.

"Do you want to keep playing mind games with those people? And then die inexplicably in the game?"

The little girl's face turned pale, and she shook her head like a rattle drum.

Qin Shang shrugged meaningfully.

"So, splitting up might not be a bad thing, especially when our identities in this instance are unclear."

"By splitting up, we might be able to ensure more people survive."

The little girl wasn't stupid. While Qin Shang was examining the things on the window, she had also been thinking about the underlying logic.

Now, she seemed to have understood something.

"Are you willing to accompany me to the first carriage?"

The next moment, Qin Shang invited the little girl.

He wanted to see what was on the windows of the first carriage.

He hadn't used [Decipher] earlier, so he hadn't carefully examined the content of the newspaper clippings.

'Grandpa Niu Cosplays Maid to Seduce Zhuang Zhuang's Mom' nodded with a pale face.

Staying here alone was too eerie and terrifying; the little girl would go crazy...

At least she'd have a companion if she followed Qin Shang!

Upon reaching the first carriage, Qin Shang's gaze fell upon the window.

At first glance, Qin Shang noticed the difference: the diary's content was different!

"Miss Mary's condition is very serious. Since she boarded, I've clearly felt her looking worried every day. I think it's the oppressive environment in the carriage that has caused her psychological illness to relapse."

"She's been reporting to me these past two days, suspecting that passengers have gone missing. However, I've taken a headcount and found no one missing. It seems her condition has worsened."

"But there's an interesting coincidence. In a casual chat, I suddenly learned that we both see the same psychologist. This is indeed quite a coincidence. My doctor advised me to take the opportunity of driving the train to interact with passengers; more contact with people would help my post-traumatic stress disorder recover."

Miss Mary!

The diary here mentioned Miss Mary.

Wait...

Since they mentioned Mr. Jack over there and not Miss Mary at all.

Does that mean the diary from over there is Miss Mary's diary from the background story?

But it's quite clear from Miss Mary's diary.

This woman's mental state is not normal!

Even her normal sentence structure is messed up!

Qin Shang frowned. Perhaps Mr. Jack's diary recorded a crucial clue?

His gaze fell on the window.

"Someone is missing!"

The next sentence was like a thunderclap.

So... someone actually disappeared!?

Qin Shang was stunned. He had initially thought it was the imagination of the diary's owner next door.

Because there were too many inconsistencies. Someone was missing, yet she herself was always safe and sound.

In her diary, even Mr. Jack couldn't escape. So who was driving?

This woman's mind isn't right, so the facts might not be what's written in the diary.

As it turned out, the contents of Mr. Jack's diary also mentioned someone missing!

So, is this for real?

A chill ran down Qin Shang's spine.

"When I was on patrol last night, I knocked on Mary's door, and she didn't respond. The missing person is Mary."

"As an elite soldier on the battlefield, my military identity does not allow me to stand by idly while comrades disappear, even if they are just passengers. This is my battlefield, so the bad guy must have infiltrated the passengers."

"I must find the bad guy among the people."

"I've been watching the news lately, and it seems like some guys with similar experiences to mine have left the battlefield but can't leave the killing. They're used to using rocks as pillows, living in caves, ambushing with guns, and the high-pressure tension makes it impossible to adapt to current society, leading them to start massacring criminals."

"I suspect one of these guys has also infiltrated the train."

"A madman like Jack the Ripper. I will not allow it. I must stop him!"

Huh?

This sentence...

Below this diary entry, Qin Shang saw a news photo that had been cut out and pasted, reporting on Jack the Ripper.

In late 19th-century London, this lunatic was indeed frequently reported on. Jack the Ripper's name was well-known throughout the world.

He was a household demon in the late 19th century. No wonder I saw this sentence when I first boarded the train.

"I've brought my hunting rifle tonight. I will continue my patrol."

"No abnormalities, someone is missing."

Qin Shang: ?

Is this a diary written by a sane person?

"No abnormalities" and "someone is missing" can't follow each other, can they?

Someone was already missing, and he still said there were no abnormalities?

"No abnormalities, but someone is still missing."

"No abnormalities, yet someone is missing."

"No abnormalities, but my colleagues are missing, although they didn't like me very much."

"No abnormalities. Some passengers made fun of my clothes during the day, and then they disappeared. I suspect someone is trying to frame me."

Wait...

The last sentence looks a bit familiar!?

"I will hold a trial, a trial of the demon among these people. I have gathered them."

A flash of inspiration struck Qin Shang. His brain whirred, frantically extracting useful information.

In Mary's diary, although a bit erratic, it could still be seen that she was likely involved in the entire incident.

She kept emphasizing that passengers and colleagues were missing.

But when it came to Mr. Jack, Mary was the one who went missing at the beginning.

Their diaries didn't match...

"Mary appeared in my dream and told me that the demon would knock on the door at midnight. I believe her. I must continue patrolling and slowly plan the trial."

"Too many people are missing. I knock on the doors of staff and passengers every day to confirm if they are still alive."

Appeared in... a dream!?

Do foreigners have this saying too?

Qin Shang's mouth twitched. He suddenly felt that this Mr. Jack wasn't so reliable after all!

Dude, you look pretty sick yourself!