TDWAD 19

Chapter 19

“Sss—Stop! How many times do I have to tell you I’m not food?”
At Seiren’s firm tone, “Zombie No. 17” let go of her arm.
If he had been three seconds faster, he might’ve stuffed it in his mouth and chewed it, but now he just lowered his head with a sullen look, as if sulking.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d quit making that face—it ticks me off. Line up from the left in order. Hey, No. 17, hand one of these out to each person. …No. 9, No. 6, No. 14—don’t you dare crush them! Everyone spits out the shells and only eats the contents.”
Following Seiren’s orders, the zombified passengers slowly began unwrapping and eating energy bars.
Though “zombified,” they were simply overwhelmingly aggressive and craving flesh and blood.
They still had the bodies of living humans—nothing about that had changed.
“When you’re done eating, sit down. Quit drooling and staring—turn your heads left and right. Stay just like that, still.”

Clunk.

Leaving the zombie-filled Car 2 and returning to Car 1, Seiren slammed the door shut.
“I’m so done with this!”
“Oh, Iren-unnie. You’ve worked hard…!”
Han Yeon-ha quickly ran up and clung to her.

—Her personality might be nasty, but her abilities were the real deal. You could call her a hidden trump card.

Seiren was the “Counterpunch for the Black Specter” that Do-yoon had prepared.
But aside from being a kind of tranquilizer for zombies…
She was also one of the two emotional supports Han Yeon-ha relied on deep down.
“Hey, quit hanging on to me.”
“Huh? What happened in the car behind?”
“No. 17 tried to bite me again—like some chicken delivery showed up at a fasting retreat.”
“It’s because of that wretched Black Specter. He’s being controlled, too.”
“I know, I know. But you have to see the look in his eyes—ugh…”
Rubbing the goosebumps on her arms, Seiren turned her gaze toward the back of Do-yoon’s head.
He was one of the only three people whose “Resistance” had kept them from becoming zombies.
He sat cross-legged in a corner seat, motionless like a statue.
“Sleeping again? He’s been sleeping all day.”

As if.
Even now, outside wasn’t just a bloody battle against monsters—
Awakened ones, NPCs, even other Awakened were crossing swords with no room to retreat.
He would have to join that fierce battleground soon enough.
Do-yoon had already devised a two-track plan—combining a “hold-the-line” strategy with his next move.

<Sword Spirit’s Ten Scrolls – Exploring the Ten Extremes of Swordsmanship (Swift Sword, Heavy Sword, Strong Sword)>
<Seven Breathing and Circulation Habits of a Successful Martial Artist>
<From Four-Ounce Deflections to Merging of Transformations>
<Understanding Lightness Skills, Body Movement, and Step Techniques>
<Great Circuit: The First Step Toward Mastery>
…
…

By the 11th and 12th rounds, most of Korea’s martial arts masters were “reincarnators.”
Their memories—handpicked from the Great Library of Memories.
Journeys of people who once stood at the pinnacle of their eras, starting from scratch and surpassing their former selves.
They weren’t martial arts manuals registered in the system like Heavenly Fortune Sword Art, but learning their know-how and insights was undeniably valuable.
While countering the Black Specter’s schemes, Do-yoon read through these memories whenever he had time.
He savored them,
immersed himself in the feeling of becoming one with himself.
And at last—
He could feel something starting to sprout.

[‘Qi’ – 10]
[Pay 1,300P. Strengthen this stat? Y/N]

‘Strengthen.’

If “martial arts” were software, and “insight” the operating system that ran it smoothly—
Then “Qi,” this special stat, was the hardware containing it all.
Balancing these three pillars was the top priority for any martial artist.
Otherwise, there was no reaching the higher realms.

[‘Qi’ – 11]
[Pay 2,500P. Strengthen this stat? Y/N]

‘Only 11, but already on par with regular stats in the 21–25 range… so that’s why they call it a special stat.’
But this was no time to be stingy over 2,500 points.
Choosing to strengthen it, Do-yoon sank deeper into his consciousness.

Hoo.

A hot energy started from his lower abdomen, climbed his spine, and halted at the crown of his head.
The flow of internal energy noticeably slowed—
Because the Life-and-Death Gate connecting the Ren and Du meridians hadn’t fully cleared.
Moving sluggishly through the gate, the energy traced the centerline of his chest and abdomen before pouring back into the lower abdomen.
This was the Minor Circuit (Xiao Zhou Tian).

‘Then…’

Do-yoon took a deep breath, focusing his energy and seeking a new path.
Internal energy that had only ever traveled the Minor Circuit now sought a broader world.
Not just the Ren and Du meridians—
But the limbs,
the five viscera and six bowels,
the bone marrow throughout his body.
Qi surged through every meridian in his body, flooding him in an instant.

Then came—
The explosive, grand cycle.

[You have succeeded in ‘Breathing and Circulation (Great Circuit)’!]
[Achievement unlocked! ‘Finally a Master’.]
[Achievement reward granted.]

• Unlocking new “Trait.”

[Swift, Precise Breathing (B)]: Upon reaching the realm of the elite, your internal energy control becomes faster and freer. Chance of internal injury –10%, internal energy recovery speed +10%.

‘Not bad at all.’

[Player Hyun Do-yoon, rank increased.]
[Rank: AA]
[VVIP Advice: Your synergy between regular stats, special stats, and legendary martial arts is excellent. Continue to complement them.]

The repetitive act of inhaling and exhaling—he had never realized it could be so dynamic.
As he basked in the afterglow of accomplishment—

“…hey.”
A faint voice reached him.
“…Do-yoon.”
It grew clearer.
Someone’s hands shook his body.

“…open your eyes, Hyun Do-yoon!”

Lifting his eyelids, Seiren’s face filled his vision.
Her hands still gripped his shoulders tightly, her breath brushing his ear.
She looked startled, but—
It wasn’t fear or relief.
The odd expression didn’t match her urgent actions, which made Do-yoon strangely calm.

“What is it?”
“T-there… there!”

She pointed with her fingertips—
Beyond the train window.

Something that shouldn’t exist was floating there.

[‘Anomaly: Tunnel 187’ – Time until Early Termination: 00:03:19]

Like a giant screen magnifying the status window 100 times—
It filled the entire tunnel wall with oppressive presence.

[00:03:18]
[00:03:17]
[00:03:16]
…
…

“What… do you think that is?”
“Dunno. I think it means three minutes left.”

Seiren’s tone turned sharp at Do-yoon’s nonchalant reply.
“Is this really the time for jokes? This has to be the Black Specter’s doing. Yeon-ha, what do you think?”
“Maybe it’s bait? Can’t get us any other way, so he’s trying a trick to lure us out.”
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”

When Do-yoon headed for the corridor, Seiren followed with a worried face.
“Y-you’re not seriously going to open it, are you?”
“Depends on the situation.”
“What situation?! You said every day that holding out inside to the very end was the only way to beat the Black Specter. That was you!”
“Then what’s that?”

In the middle of the elevator door—
Do-yoon pointed through the round window, like that of a submarine.
Beneath the giant status window, black mist was swirling.

Whooooom—

It twisted and condensed as if alive, slowly forming a shape.
No need to recall his memory—
It was the Black Specter.
Its hideous face was clearly visible through the glass, bathed in blue light.

—Humiliation, humiliation… there’s no greater humiliation…!

A cry—whether of rage or despair, it was unclear.
When Do-yoon turned, Seiren offered her own interpretation.
“He’s talking to us. Humiliation? Who cares—survival comes first.”

—Player Hyun… Do… Yoon…! I swear to the Great Source of Darkness—on the day we meet again, you will be reaped by my hand. There will be no escape!

“…That’s what he says.”
“All just BS. You open that door, and it’s game over!”

Do-yoon put his hand on the emergency handle.
“You don’t trust me?”
“No, I do… trust you? But we’re not certain yet.”
“I’m certain.”
“L-let’s just think this through—”

The moment all the timer’s numbers hit zero—

Clunk—

“Are you insane?! Whoaaa!”

Ignoring Seiren’s scream,
Do-yoon stepped out beyond the elevator door, into the blinding light of the status window.

[‘Black Specter’ has declared forfeit!]
[World First Boss Retirement!]
[National First Boss Retirement!]
[World First Anomaly Clear!]
[National First Anomaly Clear!]
[World First Party Anomaly Clear!]
[National First Party Anomaly Clear!]
[World First AAA-Class Threat Retirement!]
[National First AAA-Class Threat Retirement!]
[World First All Members Survive Anomaly!]
[National First All Members Survive Anomaly!]
[First-Clear Rewards: 185,000P earned.]
[10-Consecutive Achievement Bonus: 24,500P earned.]

A storm of rewards, rivaling all the points he’d ever accumulated until now—
And that wasn’t all.

[Anomaly Clear Success! ‘Hand That Leads to Darkness’]
[Your Contribution: 87%]
[Rewards proportional to contribution:]

• Resistance +1

• 1 Skill Point (usable for S-rank or below)

• Heroic Equipment: “Black Specter’s Gloves”

[Achievement unlocked! ‘Forcing Through the Anomaly’s Torn Rift’.]

‘…What’s this now?’
It wasn’t like Do-yoon knew every achievement.
If even a “keyword search” in his memory netted nothing, that meant it had never been achieved in Korea before.

[Achievement reward granted.]

• Special stat unlocked.

• [‘Mystery’ – 1]

• Unlocking new “Trait.”

[Mad Collector’s Ghost Story Notebook (Unranked)]: Upon successfully clearing an anomaly, add an ‘Exploration Record’ about it.

• The higher the clear rate, the more core records you can store.

• Stored records become unique abilities.

[Mad Collector’s Ghost Story Notebook (Unranked) activated.]
[Exploration Record 1: Survival ability increased in enclosed spaces.]
[Exploration Record 2: Sense of direction improved in darkness.]
[Store Records 1 and 2? Y/N]

His eyes lit up.
‘Survival traits mined from anomalies…!’
The more survival traits, the better.
He’d store them as many times as he could.
Tapping Y, the corners of Do-yoon’s mouth lifted toward his ears—

But it still wasn’t over.

[‘Patron of Destruction’ salutes your flawless plan.]
[Moved by how you toyed with the Black Specter—Support: +10,000P]

[‘Ice Queen’ retraces your actions with a sharp gaze.]
[Appearing at Busan Station right as the anomaly emerged, coming fully stocked with survival supplies—as if you’d foreseen it all.]

[‘Ice Queen’ asks with an icy stare:]

[Player Hyun Do-yoon—are you a regressor?]