Chapter 17. One-on-One (2)

[A gift has arrived from an anonymous observer!]

[Would you like to check it?]

Every word triggered alarms in Eun-Ho’s mind, yet curiosity pushed him to check out the item anyway.

“Check it,” Eun-Ho said.

As soon as Eun-Ho replied, a small cluster of light floated into view. The faint glow grew, its shape solidifying with sharp edges.

The light exploded into a crisp white box about the size of a palm, topped with what looked like a small envelope.

“

Oooh

! What’s that, Hyungnim?” Jae-Hyuk asked with widened eyes.

“Isn’t that a Mystery Box?”

The guy with the foul mouth reached out to touch it, but his hand passed straight through the box like smoke.

“

Tsk.

”

Then, he pulled his hand back, glancing around to make sure no one saw his little fail.

“But why are you the only one getting it?”

Before Eun-Ho could reply, Ji-Eun cut in for him, “Well, because Eun-Ho did all the work on this trial. He came up with the strategy, lured out the bugs, and even fought that guy earlier.”

“Damn it! I helped with the trial too, didn’t I?”

The grumbling man thumped his chest as if he had been wronged, but Ji-Eun just shrugged, unfazed.

“Sure, you helped. You stood still and sprayed bug repellent.”

“What did you say?! All you did was sit there slicing bugs!”

“Exactly. Which is why I’m not acting all jealous like someone here.”

“Jealous? Watch your mouth!”

Despite the harsh tone, his lips pouted like a sulking child. Ji-Eun seemed to find it amusing and had to stifle a laugh.

“Oh, come on. You’re not jealous?”

“I’m just... Impressed! That’s all. Impressed!”

That was basically the same thing.

Noticing everyone's eyes were now on him, the guy tugged his cap down to hide his face and muttered under his breath.

“He’s already crazy strong. Imagine if this gift just makes him even more overpowered, you know?”

Ji-Eun remained silent.

He became more animated, “Like, what if later on he starts smashing buildings with his bare hands? Fighting giant monsters and taking ’em down in one hit or something! You guys really don’t think that’ll happen?”

Everyone glanced at each other then nodded.

“Yeah, if it’s Eun-Ho, I can totally see it,” Ji-Eun replied.

“Exactly! You could pull that off, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk added eagerly.

Ha, these people...

Eun-Ho let out a quiet sigh.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not happening,” Eun-Ho replied.

Though the foul-mouthed man did not argue further, he stayed glued to the spot, clearly curious about the box.

“It’s not a trial reward,” Eun-Ho explained. “It’s labeled as a gift.”

“A gift?” Ji-Eun asked.

“From who? Man, this system has everything,

huh

?” Jae-Hyuk added.

That was exactly what Eun-Ho was thinking. He felt a strong urge to delve deeper into the system, but, as always, time was never on his side.

“I have no idea who sent it. It just says an anonymous observer.”

“Observer? What does that even mean, Hyungnim?” Jae-Hyuk asked.

“Probably the one watching us with that Eye,” Eun-Ho said, pointing up.

As his finger traced the sky, everyone instinctively looked up.

Where the blue sky should’ve been, an impossibly large eye loomed instead—cold and unblinking.

Being stared at like that made him feel exposed, as though he was walking through a crowd buck naked. He suddenly wondered if even speaking out loud was safe anymore.

“A-anyway! Let’s open it, Hyungnim!” the guy said eagerly, practically bouncing on his feet.

The envelope and box floated in the air as if wagging their tails, waiting to be opened.

Eun-Ho reached for the envelope first, eager to see what it contained. The moment his fingers brushed the paper, it unfolded on its own, like an intricate origami demonstration. When the pristine, smooth inside was fully revealed, he saw his name elegantly scripted across the page.

- To: Lee Eun-Ho

- From: Unknown

- Message: None

Huh. That’s it?

Eun-Ho thought.

Well, it was from an anonymous sender, so that made sense. He could always figure out who later. For now, the real question was what exactly had they sent.

Slowly and carefully, Eun-Ho reached for the box.

Then, he flinched. “

Ah—!

”

“Eun-Ho! Are you okay?” Ji-Eun rushed over.

A sharp jolt ran through his fingertips, snapping his hand back.

“I’m alright. It’s probably just a shock from static electricity.”

“Oh, okay then.”

She was clearly more shaken than he was.

Eun-Ho gave a small smile as if to say don’t worry, then continued opening the box.

The first thing that caught his eye was tiny sparks scattering around the small box, crackling as if trying to break free.

Snap! Crackle! Zzzzt!

Is that a vial?

Eun-Ho thought.

There was a small bottle, maybe ten centimeters tall, shaped like a plump little fruit with a rounded belly.

“Hyungnim! That looks like a stamina potion or something,” Jae-Hyuk exclaimed.

“Yeah, looks kinda like the ones in the shop,” Eun-Ho replied.

Eun-Ho recalled those Watered-Down Fatigue Recovery Potions from the shop. Even though they were barely good for everyday fatigue, they cost a whopping three hundred Welfare Points.

However, this one was different. Even just bringing his fingers close to the box made a sharp jolt ripple across his skin.

Zzzzt!

He clenched his teeth, forced through the sting, and grabbed the bottle. A soft ding sounded as a translucent system window popped up in front of him.

[Electric Oil]

- Oil extracted from lightning-struck ancient trees.

- When applied to a weapon, it discharges high-voltage electricity upon hitting an enemy.

- Warning: Conducts electricity on contact. Handle with care.

- Remaining Uses: 10

High-voltage electricity, huh?

Eun-Ho thought.

The glass bottle glowed softly, filled with a thick liquid that shimmered in yellow and blue shades. It wasn’t as fluid as water, nor as solid as jelly, but somewhere intriguingly in between.

Despite the stillness and absence of light, the liquid shimmered faintly, its surface stirring. Faint electric sparks danced endlessly across its surface.

“What is this? This looks way better than anything in the shop,” Eun-Ho muttered.

“T-this must be a legendary item, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk said, nearly breathless.

“Is it enchanted or something?”

When Eun-Ho looked up, he saw everyone’s eyes glued to the bottle in his hand. They were practically gawking at it, stunned by how it pulsed with energy all on its own.

“

Whoa

, let’s try it out!” Jae-Hyuk shouted.

“

Hmm...

Well, I do need to open it to coat the blade, but...”

However, off to the side, Ji-Eun stood with her arms crossed, looking distinctly uneasy.

“Eun-Ho, this thing... It’s not dangerous, right? It’s literally crackling with electricity.”

“

Ugh

, yeah! Hyungnim, doesn’t it hurt?” Jae-Hyuk asked.

“I mean, it kind of is dangerous,” Eun-Ho admitted. “The system says it’ll shock you just by touching it.”

“What?! Then how are you supposed to use it?!” Ji-Eun’s eyes went wide like a startled bunny.

Eun-Ho just shrugged at her and casually stepped out of the circle of gawkers. He would have preferred to find somewhere more private to test this, but who knew when the next trial would pop up?

“Summon.”

He held out his hand, and the familiar weight of his sword handle settled into his palm. He could feel the concerned stares from Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk.

“Eun-Ho! What if you get electrocuted or something?!”

“I just have to avoid conducting electricity.”

“

Ooh!

Should we find some rubber gloves or something?” Ji-Eun offered.

Although finding rubber gloves wasn’t a bad idea, it was probably useless if the voltage was too high. Fortunately, there was something much better for this.

“Petrify,” Eun-Ho said calmly.

A non-conductive material, one that neither heat nor electricity could pass through.

“

Whoa!

”

“Right, stone doesn’t conduct electricity!”

Pop!

The bottle opened with a soft sound, releasing a clean, crisp scent. The yellow-blue Electric Oil sparkled like lightning trapped in a bottle.

Crack! Crackle! Bzzzt!

Sparks burst from the mouth of the bottle as Eun-Ho dipped his petrified right hand in carefully.

There we go,

Eun-Ho thought.

The thick, shimmery fluid clung to his fingers like honey, letting itself be drawn out smoothly. He gently spread it across the surface of his black blade, which rested on the ground.

Then, another

ding

echoed in his ears.

[Your weapon Razor Beak Blade has been upgraded to Electrified Razor Beak Blade.]

[You have acquired a temporary skill Electric Surge.]

[Number of uses has been recharged by 1.]

[Number of uses has been recharged by 1.]

[Number of uses has been recharged by 1.]

...

Bzzzt!

The sword was upgraded.

***

“I can’t wait to see it in action, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk shouted in excitement.

“I know, right? When you stab something, it’s gonna spark like

bam!

” Ji-Eun added.

“Wait! Doesn’t that make it more like a taser-sword than a regular stun baton, Noonim?”

The two of them were somehow more hyped than Eun-Ho himself, exchanging excited banter with shining eyes.

“Don’t get too excited. It only works ten times, and unless you petrify your hand first, it’ll shock—”

[Attention all survivors in the Seoul Station area.]

Eun-Ho wanted to tone things down a bit because it wasn’t a toy, but a system announcement cut him off.

[The next trial will begin shortly at 1:00 PM.]

“What? Already?!”

“But how long has it been since the last one?!”

The security guard, who was in the middle of lighting a cigarette, scowled and dropped it to the ground. Another man, hurrying his young daughter toward the restroom, abruptly scooped her up and bolted back inside.

“One o’clock? Wait!”

“Shit. That’s now! It’s one o’clock right now!”

It was currently 12:59 PM. The word “shortly” in the announcement turned out to be literal.

[The trial has started.]

[Safe zones have been generated.]

Swoosh—!

A large map exploded across everyone’s vision, filled with long, rectangular segments linked together. It was a train.

“That’s the platform! Run everyone!”

[You have five minutes. All individuals outside the safe zone will be eliminated.]

“Five minutes?!”

“That’s insane!”

Unlike the previous trials, this one came with no warnings or grace period—just a relentless five-minute countdown. Some cursed under their breath. However, when had the system ever cared about their circumstances?

“Stop whining and just run unless you want to die!” Eun-Ho shouted to the group.

“Yessir, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk replied.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Fourteen people sprinted across the plaza and into the Seoul Station building. To a casual observer, they’d have looked like commuters rushing for a departing train. However, in reality, this was a race for their lives, a desperate sprint driven by pure survival instinct.

“Shit! We have only four minutes left!”

“

Aaaah!

”

“Daddy, I need to use the bathroom!”

“I’m sorry, Yul! If we stop now, we’ll both die!”

One or two people slipped from rushing too fast, but no one looked back. Eun-Ho paused to help Ye-Ji to her feet.

“E-Eun-Ho! Thank y—”

“Save it for later.”

Right after, Eun-Ho pulled the map back up. Most of the group had already vanished ahead.

Where? Where’s the fastest route?

Eun-Ho thought.

“Hyungnim! We’ve gotta head down fast!”

“Three... Four... There! This way!”

With Ye-Ji, Jae-Hyuk, and Ji-Eun in tow, Eun-Ho led the sprint toward the platform. They flew down a too-long escalator and finally reached the open doors of a KTX train.

“This is the one! The far-right car!”

Out of the eighteen cars, the very last one on the right—Car 18—flashed green on the map, marking it as a safe zone. Only about a minute remained.

Eun-Ho had a speed-boosting skill, so reaching it was within his grasp. However, the others weren’t so lucky. He was about to sprint when Ji-Eun shouted, her eyes flickering nervously from side to side.

“W-wait, Eun-Ho! You’re going the wrong way!”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Look at the map! It says to go left!” Ji-Eun appeared baffled.

“I’m telling you, it’s the far-right car! Car 18!” Eun-Ho shouted.

Then Jae-Hyuk squinted at the map too.

“Wait. Hyungnim, did you say the last car?”

[00:57]

“We only have one minute left!” Ji-Eun babbled nonsense, and Jae-Hyuk and Ye-Ji exchanged confused glances, uncertainty written all over their faces.

However, Eun-Ho’s map was unmistakably pointing to the right.

“Ji-Eun! Isn’t the safe zone the last car on the right?”

“

Huh?

No, it’s the first car! Car One on the far left!”

Everyone froze because each of their maps showed a different safe zone. There was only one conclusion: this trial was a solo survival challenge.

As if hit by the same realization at once, they all looked up and shouted in unison, “Be careful!”

“You too, Eun-Ho!”