Train Station (3)
"Brothers, before we head up, I've got a question."
Go Cheon-su caught his breath and spoke up just before ascending.
"When I'm talking to you guys, how much does my appearance get filtered from the outside view?"
Go Cheon-su was curious about the details—whether he looked completely still no matter what he did, or if making noise through something other than his voice would still be audible to others.
Go Cheon-su let out a hollow chuckle at the unusually verbose explanations from the viewers.
"Come on, brothers. You think I'd go that far?"
The chat devolved into chaos.
What surprised Go Cheon-su a bit was how many viewers were now genuinely worried about his safety.
"Brothers, I'm touched. Looking out for me like this in case I screw up."
It felt good for a moment, the fervent support, but Go Cheon-su soon sighed.
Only my voice gets muted while I'm talking to viewers...
That meant if he made noise with his body during a chat, someone would hear it.
"Brothers, just one more thing."
Go Cheon-su stretched as he asked.
"Monsters can't hear me talking to you guys either, right?"
Go Cheon-su slowly descended the stairs.
"Hold on a sec."
He'd go up eventually, but first, he needed to grab something.
Go Cheon-su reached the bottom of the stairs and stood before Yoo Young-jae's nearly ragged corpse.
"Whew, he got fucked up bad."
The Silent Girl's grip strength seemed far superior to a zombie's. If she hadn't frozen due to the lack of noise from above, there wouldn't even be a trace of Yoo Young-jae left by now.
"Let's see..."
Go Cheon-su rummaged through Yoo Young-jae's clothes. They might've torn together, but if anything survived, he had to take it.
"Got it!"
A wallet. Torn a bit, but the contents were mostly intact.
Go Cheon-su pulled out Yoo Young-jae's business card from inside.
As Go Cheon-su turned to climb back up amid the viewers' praise—
Kraaaaaah!
Yoo Young-jae let out a guttural roar.
"Huh?"
Go Cheon-su's eyes widened at the sight of Yoo Young-jae rolling his eyes back and rising.
"Zombie...?"
Yoo Young-jae was turning into a zombie, writhing as he rose.
Go Cheon-su grimaced.
Shit, this just got more annoying.
An infectious entity made the Silent Girls even more terrifying.
Kraaaaaah!
"Die!"
Go Cheon-su thrust his dagger at the staggering zombie before it could even hunt.
Squelch!
The blade pierced its jaw, and the zombie collapsed.
"Phew."
Go Cheon-su retrieved his dagger and sighed. Startled, but no time to dawdle.
He climbed the stairs again, extra tense with each step.
Please, nothing here...
At the top, Go Cheon-su held his breath and peered around.
Fortunately—or not—no monsters caught his eye.
But now that there's none, it feels even more off.
Threats that existed but were invisible loomed larger.
Go Cheon-su scanned cautiously.
Straight path to the concourse and ticket counters, shops lining both sides.
Many shops had shattered glass doors. As the viewers said, spots for ambushes everywhere.
He had to stay sharp.
Damn, where the hell are they?
If they weren't visible here, linking up might be impossible.
Go Cheon-su grew anxious.
Crash!
A sudden noise made him whip around.
Shit.
He nearly made a sound himself.
Go Cheon-su checked the source.
From the bathrooms...?
He crept toward the restrooms.
Damn it.
The path from entrance to inside was winding, hard to see from outside.
"Brothers, about this skill—does it work on anything I touch?"
"Got it, brothers. Assuming it works."
Go Cheon-su opened his skill window immediately.
There was the reward skill.
NewOwner's Reward Skill: One-time skill that deprives a touched target of hearing. 1-minute limit.
A green [Use] button sat beside it.
Go Cheon-su pressed a hand to his ear, straining to sense movement inside the restroom passage.
If something's there, I can kinda feel it...
"Uwaaaaaah!"
A scream echoed from within.
And it was a very familiar one to Go Cheon-su.
Yang Min-cheol!
Someone was definitely inside. The thuds of Silent Girls pounding on the bathroom door now rang clearly outside.
"W-wait! Min-cheol, get up!"
Jo Yong-jin's voice too.
They seemed to be climbing onto toilet stalls to evade the Silent Girls.
"On my way, brothers."
Decision made.
Go Cheon-su ignored the restrooms and kept walking.
What else was he supposed to do?
"Rescuing them doesn't balance the risk-reward."
Grateful as he was, entering the restrooms without gain was pointless danger.
Better to thank the Silent Girls for clustering there and slip past.
"Yeah. Heart's not in it, but decision's made."
NewOwner's Mission - Extract Yang Min-cheol and Jo Yong-jin from the restroom.
🎁 Reward: 20 Zen
20 Zen.
The massive sum halted Go Cheon-su's steps.
"Twenty...?"
NewOwner had issued another mission.
This guy...
Even after the prior skill reward, NewOwner showed no signs of backing off—seemed pissed.
Conflict stirred, but with no rebuttals from others, Go Cheon-su bit his lip.
Damn. Forcing the risk-reward again.
After brief hesitation, he ducked into a nearby X-brand fast food joint.
Ignoring the chatter, Go Cheon-su passed the seating and entered the kitchen.
"Brothers, what do you take me for?"
He stopped before the french fry fryer.
There they are.
Small stopwatches hung on the wall nearby—for timing fries.
"See 'em, brothers?"
Go Cheon-su peeled them off and clipped them to himself.
"Behold the 'Suicide Watch' strategy."
With his bizarre naming, he exited and headed straight for the restrooms.
Screams still leaked from inside.
Quiet down already.
Just agitating the Silent Girls.
Go Cheon-su set the timers and rushed in.
Crack!
As expected.
Yang Min-cheol and Jo Yong-jin perched on toilet stalls; Silent Girls smashed at the door pursuing them.
Two of 'em.
Problem was, these seemed to be all the Silent Girls he'd spotted.
"Hyung...?"
"You...!"
Yang Min-cheol and Jo Yong-jin gaped at Go Cheon-su.
As he flashed a sly smile—
Beep-beep-beep!
One stopwatch on him blared.
Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!
The others followed.
Crunch...
The Silent Girls halted mid-smash, turning to Go Cheon-su.
Aggro 2 - 10:00
Definitely aggro'd.
Go Cheon-su bolted out.
The two Silent Girls chased instantly, forgetting the stalls.
Viewers directed him, but he ignored.
Beep-beep-beep...
He yanked one off and lobbed it low toward the stairs.
Not yet!
Still several on him.
He ripped off the rest and hurled them the same way.
Urk.
The charging Silent Girls froze in confusion, then dashed toward the stairwell after the sounds.
Phew.
Go Cheon-su sighed and approached the restrooms slowly.
Yang Min-cheol and Jo Yong-jin still clung to the stall walls.
"Jeez, really."
Go Cheon-su clicked his tongue and whispered.
"Get down. Quietly."
They descended sheepishly.
"What the hell got you cornered here?"
Go Cheon-su scolded, then shook his head.
"Whatever, grill you later."
Priority: escape safely.
Dragging this out spelled disaster.
Go Cheon-su gestured; they supported crutchless Jo Yong-jin and followed.
At the entrance, Go Cheon-su peeked out first.
Beep-beep-beep!
A few stopwatches still ticked.
Small size kept the Silent Girls chasing echoes, teased endlessly.
Not thrill-seeking.
Go Cheon-su sighed.
"Brothers, that skill's too risky."
Not perfect like Han Do-choe's reward.
Required touch—but Silent Girls' combat power was no joke.
Pure attack strength dwarfed zombies.
One grab, and flesh tears off.
Not messing around.
Even the mission timing allowed escape without it—cheaper than Han Do-choe's.
"Go Cheon-su."
Jo Yong-jin said fearfully.
"My crutch broke."
Go Cheon-su sighed again.
Shoulda been careful, stayed unsaid.
Zombies alone? Fine. But with strong monsters, escape together uncertain.
Damn.
Mission unfinished—had to drag till completion.
He knew.
But ditching Jo Yong-jin immediately might make Yang Min-cheol grab his ankle in shock.
That hesitation.
Plus, abandoning right after rescue felt off to Go Cheon-su.
"Min-cheol, keep supporting a bit longer. Whisper, remember."
Yang Min-cheol nodded.
Jo Yong-jin shut up.
They hurried out before stopwatches died.
Reward granted.
Check chat $ for details.
Mission clear popped up.
Concourse wasn't far; he got Jo Yong-jin there.
"Urk?"
But what was this?
Jo Yong-jin groaned.
What the—
Go Cheon-su glared.
No loud noises till clear.
Jo Yong-jin's groans grew.
Crunch.
Go Cheon-su gripped his shoulder, shaking hard.
"Shh."
A soft warning—then shock.
Jo Yong-jin's eyes clouded over.
This bastard...!
Yang Min-cheol noticed too, face twisting as he looked at Go Cheon-su.