Chapter 18: Great Oni

“Huu…….”

Kkori Kan, having parted ways with the others, dashed inside alone.

The 18th Car, mapped out as a safe zone just for me, was an ordinary KTX train compartment.

[Mission starts in 10 seconds.]

This was all happening before the announcement came on.

‘This is….’

As the broadcast signaling the mission’s start echoed like a flare.

Pa-at!

The few remaining light sources all suddenly went out at once.

And with the heavy sound of something massive splitting—like an enormous tree being chopped by an axe…

— Crack!

A chilling pair of eyes appeared.

This time, not just in the sky, but filling the entire ceiling of the train.

[Mission Start.]

[You have a total of three chances. Eliminate the Oni!]

The black pupil centered in the ‘Eye’ momentarily blurred, and the space before it rippled.

As if a viscous liquid had suddenly reached its boiling point.

And through that flat, shimmering surface came falling down.

— Thud!

“Oni?”

At first glance, it resembled a human, but its limbs were grotesquely long, and its hooked nose was oddly positioned on the front rather than atop the neck.

It barely stood tall enough to reach my chest, wielding a mace covered with all sorts of sharp spikes.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Oni, having spotted me, swung its long, almost ground-brushing arms back and forth.

The spiked mace in its hand slammed into the train floor with fierce force.

Its vigorous shoulder rotation looked like the warm-up before a hammer throw.

‘If that hits me, my head’s going to explode.’

It looked extremely dangerous, but… I’d better test it out.

“Seokhwa, summon!”

[‘Electric Blade Beak Sword’ summoned!]

[‘Electric Discharge,’ remaining uses: 10.]

In an instant, a bright light bloomed, illuminating the dim interior.

Pajijik-!

I clenched the dark brown hilt of the sword, sparking from my fingertips down to my stiffening palm.

A yellowish membrane wrapped around the jet-black blade.

Blue flames danced wildly over the glossy, thin surface.

— Kyaek! Kyeeeek!

The Oni, seemingly threatened by the energy radiating from the sword, let out a piercing cry.

It quickly opened and closed its mouth repeatedly.

‘Now with acceleration too. Let’s play it safe.’

Removing threats was the best option.

Its wrinkled skin looked thick enough, and the effect of Electric Discharge might be weaker than expected.

…Just as I was thinking that and opening my mouth.

— %$!∄$※$∅-!

The monster’s torn eye fixed on me.

Jagged teeth bared.

A strange scratching sound slid into my ears—not from its eyes but its mouth.

Hwoop!

It felt like I inhaled a dense, acrid smoke condensed like a pearl.

Despite choking on the foreign matter clogging my throat, I shouted.

‘Accelerate!’

“……!”

‘Huh? Once more…’

“……!”

‘Accelerate! Accelerate! Acceeeelerate!’

I kept shouting ‘Accelerate!’ inside my mouth, but only the sound of wind escaped weakly.

No skill activation, not even my voice came out.

‘It’s blocking my mouth so I can’t use my abilities!’

Could this be the Oni’s power?

I was lucky to have summoned my sword right when it appeared.

I almost fought without a weapon.

‘Still, that’s a relief.’

It was disappointing not having acceleration, but at least I had an equally strange ability called Electric Discharge.

When applied to a weapon, it releases high-voltage current upon attacking an enemy.

‘So… it activates automatically when I strike?’

Taat!

I raised the Electric Blade Beak Sword and leapt forward.

The incessant crackling of the blade was annoying, but the Oni countered by swinging its mace fiercely.

It seemed confident since it had blocked my skill.

However.

Bwoong-!

I dodged the mace aimed at my head.

Quickly turned around to escape its sight.

While it was stuck extracting its mace from the seat.

I plunged the sword deep into its wrinkled nape.

[‘Electric Discharge’ activated!]

— Pazzzzzzt!

A blinding flash burst out instantly, overwhelming my vision.

I squinted against the glare.

What appeared before my eyes was….

A monster writhing in agony, drenched in bright yellow and deep blue light beams.

Kyeeeek-! Kyeeeek-!

The Oni barely managed to gasp through its slack mouth, trembling from crown to toes like a trembling aspen.

Smoke rose from the charred skin around the stabbed nape.

[‘Electric Discharge,’ remaining uses: 9.]

Koong!

The Oni collapsed like a lightning-struck ancient tree.

‘This….’

An incredible force.

Even through the stiffening hands controlled by Seokhwa, the thrilling sensation transmitted itself.

‘Amazing.’

To think one strike would have this much impact.

I was caught off guard by its unexpected power.

‘It does have the drawback of needing Seokhwa to activate.’

But the effect was powerful enough to offset that flaw.

Pajik! Pajijik-!

Staring blankly at the crackling bolts of light as the Oni’s limp body sagged, as if one monster wasn’t enough.

[Oni eliminated!]

[18th Car cleared.]

The announcement signifying mission completion sounded.

Then the Oni’s corpse sprawled on the seat slowly vanished.

Is it over?

‘I wonder if everyone else succeeded?’

Thanks to the temporary skill, I handled it relatively easily, but it must have been tough for the others.

[Mission failed.]

I worried most about the kid left alone… wait, failed?

[Penalty for mission failure will be applied.]

Why?!

[……Harona-nim?]

Seung, barely restraining his anger, spoke quietly.

To his superior who was clearly at fault.

[You said the support items weren’t a big deal.]

[Hmm… did I?]

[Yes. You said they wouldn’t be much use.]

The anonymous observer had sent ‘Electric Light Oil’.

It was not a bad item.

However, because the high-voltage current affected not only opponents but also the user, the consensus was that it was all flash and no substance.

Especially during the early phase when the body isn’t fully prepared.

But the subject, ‘Lee Eunho,’ the author himself.

[No, don’t people usually save risky stuff like that for when they get stronger? Like ‘I have to be stronger to use this!’ Isn’t that the usual routine?]

[…]

[He’s the weird one!]

Harona sighed deeply, looking coldly at Seung’s lame excuses.

She hadn’t stopped the generous observer from donating, thinking it would be nice to have some support items.

Never expected he’d use it immediately like this.

[What’s the point in saving it? He’s using it well even now!]

[Haah. I was worried about exactly this.]

It wasn’t a lie.

The Oni that blocked the mouth was a natural enemy for subjects reliant on skills.

Moreover, Lee Eunho’s skill dependency was very high.

His own combat ability was weak, so that more or less balanced things out.

[Still… we don’t know yet. Only nine Electric Discharges left.]

[That author would even twist grass into a weapon. I was careless, Harona-nim.]

[So what?]

…That aside, arrogant was arrogant.

Harona frowned at Seung, who was venting all his thoughts.

Then.

[Enough, enough!]

— Bang!

A small fist slammed down on the desk.

Flinch.

The trembling of space even spread to Seung’s body standing with his hands behind his back.

[The mission’s already started!]

Seung froze mid-sentence, mouth agape.

[If you’re not going to watch, leave.]

[…Sorry.]

Seung let go of his hands and straightened up.

At the same time, the broadcast played on the screen.

‘Anyone outside the safe zone will be eliminated.’

‘Rescue coordination complete.’

As the first round ended, the safe zone that had reactivated fulfilled its role once more.

The second round began.

‘Due to mission failure penalty, the Oni evolves into a Great Oni.’

‘Eliminate the Great Oni!’

The Great Oni, far larger than before, overwhelmed Lee Eunho.

Its spiked mace, once the size of the subject’s head, was now twice as big.

But.

[Not too worried.]

Seung’s words came in a calm, enlightened tone, and Harona nodded along.

[How about the other cars?]

[They’re panicking exactly as expected. Some have already been defeated.]

The screen, densely packed, showed Lee Eunho’s group too.

‘Kyaaaaaaaah!’

‘Damn! What do we do?!’

‘Help!!!’

…Just screams from those whose mouths were blocked by Oni.

The little kid hiding in the corner, covering his mouth.

The woman who survived by running all mission long.

Even the man who got crushed right as the first round began.

Compared to them, Lee Eunho was…

‘Accelerate!’

As the Great Oni appeared, he shouted ‘Accelerate’ like he was waiting for it.

A speed so fast ordinary humans wouldn’t even recognize it—like a flash of light.

He dashed from one end of the train to the other, stepping on seats, and leapt off in less than half a second.

[That’s lightning speed.]

— Tzzzzt!

Lee Eunho’s sword pierced between the Great Oni’s face and torso.

Then, electric currents struck like lightning.

Combined with the weight of his full-body charge and the blade’s keen sharpness.

Koong-!

The Great Oni’s neck cleanly rolled off.

‘Great Oni eliminated!’

‘18th Car cleared.’

Haah.

Seung sighed as if the earth had swallowed him.

[The skill gap with the others is too big.]

[Is that so?]

[Not just combat power, but intelligence is enormous.]

Too perceptive, you might say.

He even figured out this mission’s rules on his own.

‘18th Car… cleared?’

Narrowing his brows, muttering to himself.

Then, as if he’d realized something, he dashed quickly to the next car.

[Looks like he caught on.]

The condition to succeed in this mission.

That was.

[You have to clear the entire train all at once.]

Individual safe zones were bait all along.

Because communication and cooperation were impossible, every subject had to do their part for the mission to clear.

For Seoul Station survivors overly dependent on Lee Eunho, it was the worst possible condition.

…The problem was Lee Eunho wasn’t just doing one person’s share but five, ten times over.

[Harona-nim, if this gets reported to higher-ups, what will happen to us…?]

[It’s fine, it’s fine. How would they even find out?]

In the middle of all this, carefree Harona answered with an excited expression, her twin tails bobbing.

Her eyes fixed on the screen.

Seung couldn’t hide his unease even then.

[There will surely be a fairness controversy among the observers.]

[Really?]

Harona glanced at her anxious subordinate and smiled.

[Don’t think so.]

[What do you mean…?]

Then came a cheerful notification sound.

— Ding!

【‘Management Bureau Crow’ claps its hands at subject ‘Lee Eunho’s’ item usage ability.】

【‘Investigation Bureau Prince’ questions whether such a guy existed in District 13.】

【A small number of observers start closely monitoring subject Lee Eunho.】

— Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Ah, no, why the reaction…?]

Instead of controversy, the response heated up in another direction.

New observers even flocked in, apparently hearing about it somewhere.

【Subject Lee Eunho’s ‘Eye’ has exceeded the maximum allowable number of users!】

【Upgrade ‘Eye’?】

【If you decline, 3 observers will be randomly expelled.】

Seung was bewildered as events unfolded contrary to his expectations, carefully watching the observers’ reactions.

Harona licked her lips.

[Hmm—an upgrade.]

[Ha, Harona-nim! You don’t mean you’re about to use points already…?]

[That’s right, I’m about to.]

[That’s impossible! Using precious points already!]

Seung shouted somewhere between anxiety and shock.

No fooling management would upgrade a subject’s eye—these were people barely keeping it together.

[Hmm—]

[Besides, this author will probably struggle to clear this mission!]

Seung saw that Lee Eunho’s situation was precarious.

[He has to single-handedly eliminate all Oni in every zone! Don’t you get it?]

Plus the time limit was ten minutes.

Clearing from the 18th Car to the 1st and returning before the safe zone activated was an impossible amount of time.

Even a flying, nimble fighter had only one body.

[So, you think he’ll fail?]

[Well…]

But Seung couldn’t answer hastily.

He wanted to say it was absolutely impossible, but somehow, he had the hope that the author would pull it off—somehow.

[Strike while the iron’s hot.]

— Pa-at!

【Points awarded!】

【Subject ‘Lee Eunho’s’ Eye upgraded to level 2.】

[But…!]

[Shh.]

Harona smiled at Seung, who still hadn’t stopped worrying.

[You have to get what you invest. By any means necessary.]