Chapter 21: Chapter 21

[Translator - Night]

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Chapter 21: One-on-One (6)

"Skill… data?"

Thwack!

I firmly grabbed Jieun's wrist as she muttered in confusion.

"Remember!"

"Huh? Wh-what?"

Jieun's eyes widened like a startled rabbit, clearly shocked by my sudden appearance.

Stay calm.

Just like how someone suddenly awakened from a dream struggles to remember it, being too startled could make her forget everything—and that would be a disaster.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Listen carefully to what I’m saying. You need to remember this feeling."

"This… feeling?"

"How you threw that sword, what you were thinking when you threw it. Etch it into your mind."

I spoke as calmly and clearly as possible.

Seeing my serious expression, Jieun also became serious and nodded, then closed her eyes tightly.

"Earlier, I think it was like this…"

She mimicked throwing something with her empty hand, as if simulating the act in her head.

It was good that she was following my words well, but…

"Not now, though."

「03:35」

The mission wasn’t over yet.

A buoyant atmosphere filled the train, as if everyone thought all the monsters had been defeated.

I raised my voice toward the group, who had gathered in celebration.

"Three minutes and thirty seconds left! Everyone, return to your safe zones!"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot. We just go back to our original spots, right?"

"Yes! That’s correct!"

My voice echoed throughout the train, snapping the prematurely jubilant people back to their senses.

At that moment, people began running to their designated positions from the front and back of Car 5.

Amidst the commotion, a man emerged and hurriedly called out to me.

"W-wait, sir!"

It was as if his daughter were clinging to my collar.

I glanced at him while stepping out of the train door.

His hesitant, nervous expression was plain to see.

"Could it be…?"

"Yura is safe. She was in the car next to mine."

"Ah…!"

The man clasped his hands together as if in prayer, closing his eyes tightly.

Hot tears streamed down his furrowed face and trembling lips.

"T-thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

"It’s not really something to thank me for…"

"I mean it, truly!"

…there wasn’t much to thank me for.

After all, that kid had pretty much survived on her own.

"I’m Kim Hanul. I swear on my name, I’ll repay the kindness you’ve shown in saving her."

"Let’s focus on surviving for now."

Leaving behind Hanul, who clenched his fists and spoke resolutely, I ran toward Car 18.

Finally, after running and running, I reached Car 17, where his daughter was supposed to be.

And then, a strong sense of doubt crossed my mind.

"Come to think of it… how did she manage to hide without being discovered?"

— Click!

I turned the long handle to the right and opened the door to Car 17.

Inside, apart from Ogre's lifeless corpse, there was no sign of anyone else.

Yura, who was supposed to be here, wasn’t either.

Thinking she might be hiding in a bathroom out of fear, I started toward the opposite side.

Clutch.

At the same time, I felt a slight vibration and the weight of something tugging at my shirt collar.

It wasn’t enough to pull me back—just enough to stretch the fabric taut.

"Mister!"

"Oh… Yura."

The little girl had appeared out of nowhere and stopped me once again.

In this silent space, she had clearly walked over step by step.

Yet she moved so quietly, I hadn’t noticed at all.

"Did you stay calm and not cry?"

She nodded slightly.

With her large, blinking eyes, she asked,

"Um… did you see my dad?"

"Yeah, he’s over there—way up front."

Hearing this, Yura exhaled a breath she had been holding in.

Her small gesture was so commendable that I patted her head and continued speaking.

"So wait here until the mission ends, okay? Your dad will come get you."

Yura nodded again, and I watched her with satisfaction before heading back to Car 18.

To the safe zone where I needed to be.

— Click!

Finally, stepping inside the green safety line, I leaned back against the KTX seat.

[Mission Success.]

A welcome announcement came through the speakers.

[Congratulations! Project Selection has been completed.]

[Sync rate has slightly increased.]

Project Selection.

The first project that began at MS Tower had finally come to an end.

‘...I’ve been selected, right?’

[Currently, due to exceptional results, the evaluation grading process has been delayed.]

[Shortly, the final evaluation grade will be assigned based on the accumulated performance of each mission.]

Exceptional results?

No way...

“Is it talking about me?”

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated 19 Demons not native to this land.]

[You have acquired the title of ‘Demon Slayer.’]

“Demon Slayer?”

A title?

It seems the system considers my performance in this mission remarkable.

[Would you like to check the effects of the ‘Demon Slayer’ title?]

“Check.”

[Abilities of lower-ranked demons do not work against you.]

[Attack power increases by 20% in battles against mid-ranked demons.]

[You will not cower before high-ranked demons.]

‘Lower demons, mid demons, and high demons must correspond to minor, middle, and superior demons, respectively.’

This mission was relatively easy because it was designed for facing one enemy at a time.

I would’ve been in serious trouble if it had been a one-against-many scenario.

‘If that situation ever arises.’

I’ll have to use the title’s effects effectively.

Prepare and prepare again.

That’s my philosophy.

As I was intently analyzing the meanings of the notification sounds that kept coming in succession—

— Zizik.

A familiar sound pierced into my ears.

It was faint, which made it even more attention-grabbing.

“This sound...”

It was the same sound that played at the beginning of the restructuring process.

— Zizik Zizik.

Like the sound from a poorly connected radio signal.

Even though it brought back traumatic memories, I focused all my attention.

The announcement that followed became faint, the volume decreasing, and was intermittently cut off.

[Seoul Station area ...users... guidance…provided…]

[Due to the pletion... changes will be made...]

It sounded like the final words of someone flickering on and off under the control of the system.

And shortly after—

Thud!

A noise akin to that of a broken speaker, followed by complete silence.

— Creak!

The ceiling, the sky, the space itself twisted and distorted, enveloping a set of eyes that had suddenly appeared.

And just as abruptly as they had appeared, the eyes vanished.

What was that?

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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* * *

“What do you think that announcement earlier was about?”

“Who knows? It’s never been cut off mid-sentence like that before.”

As Jieun tilted her head, Jaehyuk, who was deftly adjusting the grill’s temperature, nodded in agreement.

The broadcast, which was patchy as if the signal had weakened—

What were they trying to announce?

Had we missed some important message...?

Such thoughts crossed my mind, but I didn’t voice them.

Because—

“...You’re eating well, Eunho.”

I was too busy eating.

“It’s delicious.”

I spread a piece of lettuce in my palm, placed three freshly grilled hot pieces of meat on it, and topped it with garlic, ssamjang, and green onion salad that someone had found from somewhere.

One good thing about the world ending:

‘You can eat as much as you want without paying.’

“Seriously, even with the world ending, meat is still delicious.”

“It’s probably because it’s Korean beef.”

“Exactly, bro! And this is premium-grade, two-plus sirloin, isn’t it?”

The kind of premium meat that you’d only get to see at a high-end barbecue joint, maybe during an end-of-year company dinner.

“This really feels like a company dinner.”

“Yeah, it does.”

A security guard, a cleaning lady, Yeji from accounting, and the hot-headed guy at one table.

Jieun, Jaehyuk, two students, and I at another table.

Next to us, Yura and her father at a two-seater table.

“Hey! You over there, grill some meat too!”

“Ah, don’t worry, missy! Let the skilled ones handle it!”

“Damn it! Why am I always the one stuck with this?”

Add to that some people who had somehow found alcohol and were getting tipsy.

It was just like a department dinner.

I wondered what mission awaited us tomorrow as these people drank, but...

I couldn’t bring myself to stop them.

They probably wanted to forget what they had been through over the past two days.

Hiss—!

As I silently kept eating, a short student hesitantly spoke up.

“Uh... Ma’am, sir!”

Jieun was the “ma’am,” and I was the “sir,” huh?

Curious, I looked at the student while chewing my meat.

As our eyes met, the student suddenly bowed deeply in gratitude, almost burying their face into their plate.

“Thank you for saving me!”

“It’s nothing. We were all just trying to survive.”

"Still, it's true that you saved me!"

Though I thought it wasn't something to be thanked for, the girl shook her head firmly.

Jieun smiled awkwardly and lowered her head like someone who felt guilty.

"Only thank Eunho. I actually put you in more danger."

"Oh, no! If it weren't for you two, we'd have been in real trouble! Right, Sola?"

At her friend's words, even Yoon Sola, who always carried herself with a stiff posture, lowered her head slightly.

Not much, but enough to notice.

Watching Jieun wave her hands in denial and the students with sparkling eyes, Jaehyuk swung his tongs as he interjected.

"This is heartwarming! By the way, have you all introduced yourselves yet?"

Ah. Now that he mentioned it, I realized I didn’t even know the short student’s name.

As I looked at her, Jieun spoke first.

"I'm Kim Jieun. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Min Yeojin. Please take care of me!"

"Yoon Sola."

The short student, Min Yeojin, spoke cheerfully, while the reserved Yoon Sola was curt.

Min Yeojin and Jieun seemed to hit it off quickly, already looking quite close.

Feeling relieved, I nodded and focused on eating the meat.

That’s when the guy grilling meat for the three girls stared straight at me.

"And you, sir?"

"Ah… I’m Lee Eunho. You’re students from Bogun High, right?"

"?! What?!"

"How did you know?!"

Yoon Sola’s eyes widened in surprise, while Min Yeojin tilted her head and asked curiously.

Such big reactions—they really are high school girls.

"It’s the only girls' high school around here. Plus… your healing skill gave it away."

It wasn’t hard to figure out, but their reactions said otherwise.

"Wow! You’re like a detective, mister!"

Anyway, enough of these trivial conversations.

Since we’d mostly finished eating…

"Jieun."

"Yes?"

I turned to Jieun, who was smiling warmly as she watched me and Yoon Sola bickering.

"If you're done, shall we get going?"

She must’ve finished eating by now, seeing as she’d only been sipping water for a while without touching the meat.

"Huh?"

"Not done yet?"

Or is she still hungry?

Jieun looked visibly flustered and glanced around as if nervous, though no one else seemed to notice.

"Uh… just the two of us?"

"Yes, just us."

At my response, Jieun blushed, stood up abruptly, and Jaehyuk tilted his head in confusion.

The high school girls exchanged meaningful glances with a soft "Hmm—" as if they’d misunderstood something.

Not that it mattered, but just in case Jaehyuk felt left out, I added a comment.

"We’re just going for some self-improvement."

"Self-improvement? Oh! You mean that thing from earlier?"

"Yes, that thing."

"Ahh…"

Jieun muttered, "I see," and pouted slightly.

"Let’s go."

Hmm… Was there a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice?

Maybe I’m imagining things.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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