Chapter 21. One-to-One (6)

“Skill data?”

Eun-Ho grabbed Ji-Eun’s wrist sharply, cutting off her dazed mumbling.

“You have to remember!” he said urgently.

“W-what?” Like a startled rabbit, Ji-Eun’s eyes widened. She clearly hadn’t expected him to appear out of nowhere.

Stay calm. Just like someone suddenly waking from a dream, if she panicked now, she might forget everything. That could be dangerous.

“Listen carefully. You need to hold onto that feeling,” Eun-Ho said.

“This feeling?”

Eun-Ho tried to remain calm, slowly yet precisely saying, “Remember how you threw that sword and what you were thinking when you did it. Etch it into your mind.”

Seeing how serious he was, Ji-Eun nodded solemnly and closed her eyes.

“It felt like this, I think...”

She mimed a throwing motion with her empty hand, as if rehearsing the scene in her head. Eun-Ho appreciated how well she was following his instructions, but the trial was not over yet.

“Not now.”

[03:35]

People were letting their guard down, thinking all the monsters on the train had been taken care of. A giddy, premature relief filled the air.

Eun-Ho told the scattered crowd, “We have three minutes and thirty seconds left! Everyone, return to your safe zones!”

“Oh, right! My bad! I have to go back to my starting spot, right?” someone asked.

“Copy that, sir!”

Eun-Ho’s reminder echoed through the train car, pulling people back from the brink of celebration.

Then, from both the front and rear of Car 5, people began rushing back to their assigned positions.

Amid the crowd, a man pushed through and desperately shouted, “W-wait! Sir!”

He grabbed at Eun-Ho’s sleeve, like a child clinging to their parents. As Eun-Ho turned to him, the man hesitated, clearly unsure of how to start.

“

Um...

Is my daughter—”

“Yul is safe. She was in the car next to mine.”

“

Ah...

!”

The man clasped Eun-Ho’s hands as if in desperate prayer, eyes shut tight. Tears streamed down his face, his lips pressed together in trembling restraint.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!”

“There’s really no need to thank—”

“No, I really mean it!”

Well, maybe not

no

need, but honestly, the kid had practically saved herself.

“I’m Kim Han-Wool. I swear on my name that I will repay you for this.”

“That’s okay. Let’s just focus on surviving. All of us.”

Leaving the solemn, tearful Kim Han-Wool behind, Eun-Ho made his way toward Car 18. He sprinted through the train until he finally reached Car 17, where Yul was supposed to be.

Just then, a thought nagged at him.

Wait a minute. How did she manage to stay hidden this whole time?

Clunk!

He turned the long handle to the right and slid the door of Car 17 open, finding it completely quiet. Inside, the corpse of the Grand Ghost lay motionless on the floor. There was also no sign of Yul anywhere.

Maybe she got scared and is hiding in the bathroom?

Eun-Ho turned to the far end of the car to investigate. The still and silent air then shifted, almost imperceptibly.

Tug.

A light weight tugged at his shirt collar. It was not enough to unsteady him, but it was just enough to stretch the fabric.

“Mister!”

“Oh, Yul!”

The little girl stood behind him, having somehow snuck up without making a sound. She had probably walked the length of the train in that eerie silence, yet he had not heard a single step.

“Are you okay? You aren’t crying?”

She nodded softly, her big eyes blinking. “

Um...

Did you see my dad?”

“Yeah, he’s right up ahead. Just a little further.”

Finally, Yul let out the breath that she had been holding, her lips quivering with emotion.

Touched and quietly proud of her, Eun-Ho gave her a gentle pat on the head. "Stay here until the trial ends, okay? Your dad’s coming to get you."

Eun-Ho gave Yul one last reassuring smile and then nodded again. She was as quiet, steady, and obedient as ever.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed back to Car 18—his safe zone, where he was meant to be.

Clunk!

Stepping safely inside the green safety line, he sank into a KTX seat, allowing himself to relax for the first time.

[The trial has been completed.]

The announcement echoed through the air.

[Congratulations! Project Selection has been completed.]

[Synchronization rate has slightly increased.]

The first project, Project Selection, in the MS Tower was finally over.

So... I’m selected, right?

[Due to unexpected performance results, evaluation grading will be delayed.]

[In a moment, the final evaluation grades will be issued after results from all trials are tallied.]

Unexpected performance, huh? Wait. Are they talking about me?

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated nineteen Ghosts not native to this world.]

[You have acquired the title Ghost Slayer.]

“Ghost Slayer?”

Hmm... I get a title?

Acquiring a title meant that the system had officially recognized his performance as exceptional.

[Would you like to check the effects of Ghost Slayer?]

“Yes.”

[Ghost Slayer]

- Grants immunity to the abilities of low-tier Ghosts.

- Increases damage by 20% when fighting mid-tier Ghosts.

- Grants fear immunity against high-tier Ghosts.

So Ghost, Greater Ghost, and Grand Ghost must have been low, mid, and high-tier Ghosts.

The trial had only been manageable because the Ghosts had come one at a time. Eun-Ho thought that he stood no chance if he had to face them all at once.

If that ever does happen, I’ll have to make full use of this title.

He always planned for everything and expected the worst anyway. As he ran through the notifications in his head, taking mental notes of every stat and effect, he heard a familiar buzz.

Pzzzt—

It was faint yet unmistakable. It was subtle enough to make him stop breathing and focus all his attention.

“Wait. This sound has to be...” Eun-Ho muttered.

It was the same one that had played at the very start of the restructuring process.

Pzzzt—

The sound was like radio static struggling to find a signal. Haunted by the memory, he strained to listen. However, the announcement that followed grew fainter and more fragmented with each second.

[Attenti... surviv... of the... Seo... Station area.]

[Du... to th... project completion... chang... will occ...]

The announcement sounded like the last garbled words of people fading from the system—a stuttering, broken farewell. The next moment, the transmission cut out completely, replaced by the jarring thud of a busted speaker.

Creak!

Just like when they first appeared, the Eye closed, warping the ceiling, the sky, and the very air. The dark pupil vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared.

What was that?

***

Tilting her head in confusion, Ji-Eun asked, "What do you think that broadcast earlier was about?"

Jae-Hyuk, who was expertly checking the grill’s heat like a seasoned pro, chimed in, "I was wondering the same thing. It’s never cut out like that before."

Perhaps, the signal had gotten weaker, cutting in and out as though struggling to reach them.

What was it trying to tell us? Did we miss something important because of it?

Eun-Ho wondered, but he didn’t say anything out loud. He was too busy eating.

“You’ve got quite the appetite, Eun-Ho,” Ji-Eun commented.

“

Haha.

It’s really good.”

He laid a crisp lettuce leaf across his palm and then stacked on it three sizzling cuts of meat that were still crackling from the grill. A slice of garlic followed, then a dollop of

ssamjang

[1], and a generous pinch of seasoned green onions..

Someone had clearly scavenged all the best side dishes from who-knew-where. Even though the world had ended, if there was one silver lining, it was the free, unlimited all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.

“It’s crazy, right? The world ends, yet somehow meat still tastes amazing,” Ji-Eun replied.

“Probably because it’s Korean BBQ,” Eun-Ho said.

“That’s right, Hyungnim! Plus, they gave the best ones!”

This was not just any meat. It was premium sirloin, the kind that only showed up at year-end company dinners if one was really lucky.

“This almost feels like a work party.”

“Yeah, it really does.”

The group had settled around the tables like teams at a company dinner. One table seated the security guard, the janitor, the foul-mouthed guy, and Lee Ye-Ji. At another sat Ji-Eun, Jae-Hyuk, the two high schoolers, and Eun-Ho. Off to the side, Yul and her father had claimed a small two-person table of their own.

“Hey! How about you do some grilling for once? You’re just sitting there stuffing your face!”

“Now, now, young lady. Let the pros handle it!”

“

Ugh

, just leave me alone already! You’re so annoying.”

Someone had even found alcohol, and a few were already tipsy and flushed. The venue definitely had a company party vibe.

Thinking about what kind of trial would come tomorrow, Eun-Ho wondered if they should even be drinking at all. However, he didn’t have the heart to say anything. After everything that they had been through, a brief respite could be just what people needed.

Ssszzzt!

As meat sizzled on the grill.

As Eun-Ho quietly chewed on his food, the shorter of the high school girls hesitantly called, “

Um...

Miss? Sir?”

Ji-Eun gets to be “Miss,” and I'm stuck with “Sir,” huh?

Eun-Ho looked up, still chewing, and met the girl’s eyes. She immediately bowed, her nose nearly touching her plate.

“Thank you for saving us!”

“

Oh,

there’s no need for that.” Eun-Ho waved her off. “We were all just trying to survive.”

The girl shook her head firmly. “Still, we wouldn’t have made it without you!”

Ji-Eun laughed sheepishly and looked down, as if she had done something wrong. “You should just thank Eun-Ho. I just got in the way, honestly.”

“No, what are you saying! If it weren’t for both of you, we would be toast. Right, Sol-Ah?”

Even Sol-Ah, who had been sitting stiff and proud the whole time, lowered her head in agreement. It wasn’t a deep bow, but it was enough to show her sincerity.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Jae-Hyuk had been watching the sweet scene with a pleased expression. He twirled his tongs in the air like a baton and jumped in. “

Ah

, love the good vibes! But has everyone introduced themselves yet?”

Now that Eun-Ho thought about it, he still did not know the name of the shorter girl. He immediately turned to her.

However, Ji-Eun was a second ahead of him. "I'm Kim Ji-Eun. Nice to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Min Yeo-Jin! Nice to meet you too!"

"I’m Yoon Sol-Ah."

Yeo-Jin, the shorter of the two girls, was bubbly and polite, while Sol-Ah maintained her usual cool and curt demeanor.

Yeo-Jin and Ji-Eun seemed to have already hit it off, chatting easily like old friends. That was a relief. It was good to see someone connect so quickly in this bizarre new world.

Eun-Ho nodded to himself and turned his attention back to the meat. He flipped it with practiced ease until he felt a gaze. It was one of the guys grilling near the three girls’ table.

"What about you, Mister?"

"

Oh

, I'm Lee Eun-Ho. You two go to Health High, right?" Eun-Ho asked.

“Wait, how did you know that?!”

Sol-Ah’s eyes widened in genuine shock, while Yeo-Jin tilted her head, clearly curious. Even though it wasn’t such a big deal, they still had such classic high schooler reactions.

“Well, there’s only one all-girls high school around here.” Eun-Ho shrugged. “And well, your healing skills kind of gave it away.”

It had not exactly been a hard deduction, but the girls apparently thought otherwise.

“

Whoa!

You're just like a detective, Mister!”

Eun-Ho simply chuckled in response. That was enough small talk for now; they were all pretty much done eating anyway.

He turned toward Ji-Eun, who’d been watching the exchange between him and Sol-Ah with a gentle smile.

"Ji-Eun."

"Yes?"

"If you’re finished, wanna head out with me?"

She's already done eating, right?

Other than just sipping water the whole time, she hadn’t really eaten much.

“

Huh?

” she said, clearly caught off guard.

Maybe she's not done eating yet... Is she still hungry?

She looked truly flustered, her eyes flickering nervously to the others around the table, as if checking whether anyone was paying attention.

“

Uh,

just the two of us?”

"Yeah. Just the two of us."

Ji-Eun blushed and abruptly stood up. Jae-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion, while the high school girls murmured and exchanged glances.

Are they misunderstanding something?

Eun-Ho didn’t care too much, but just in case Jae-Hyuk was feeling left out, he tossed out a quick explanation.

"We're just doing some self-improvement stuff."

“Self-improvement?

Oh!

You mean that thing from earlier?”

"Yeah, that thing from earlier."

"

Ah...

"

Pouting ever so slightly, Ji-Eun mumbled something like “I thought it was something else.”

“Let’s go,” Ji-Eun said.

Hmm... Am I imagining things, or did I just hear a hint of disappointment in her tone?

thought Eun-Ho.

1.

Ssamjang

is a thick, savory Korean dipping sauce made by mixing fermented soybean paste and chili paste, often with garlic, sesame oil, and other seasonings. ☜