One Day Too Late
"But I didn't do anything wrong?"
"Heh heh heh... Sleeping on the office floor and waking up in the morning like that? Guess I've got a talent for roughing it."
Si-hyeon ruffled his messy hair as he got up from his spot. He really must've been exhausted—his body felt heavy and sore all over. He'd slept for quite a while, but fatigue still lingered. And no wonder; he'd tried everything to escape. He'd even considered climbing down the pipes from the 11th floor.
"Couldn't get out in the end, though. Ah, what time is it now anyway?"
Si-hyeon checked the time on his phone.
9:00 AM
It was exactly the time the lockdown lifted.
"Gotta fly straight home."
Thank goodness nothing special had happened while he was out cold.
Good thing nothing happened to Luna... But thinking she must've gotten tired of waiting and fallen asleep... Ugh! It tears my heart apart!
The image flashed in his mind: Luna clutching his collar, her golden eyes shining as she gazed up at him pleadingly.
— "Si-hyeon... Come back soon..."
Those utterly pure eyes stabbed right at his heart.
"Ugh! Luna, don't kill me... no, don't kill me, but... I'll be right there, forgive me!"
To betray the cutest, prettiest girl in the world! Yeah, I'm trash. Non-recyclable trash!
"Today, I'm Princess Luna's slave. The second I get home, I'll kneel, bang my head on the floor, and beg for forgiveness."
He'd broken a major promise—their engagement, no less. He wasn't sure if Luna would forgive him, but...
"Maybe I should just push through from engagement to marriage today. It's all pretend play, but hopefully that'll cheer her up a bit."
Si-hyeon jumped up and bolted straight to the first floor.
Perfect timing—it's opening.
The lockdown shutters rose one by one, the doors swinging open in that instant.
Beeeep!! Screeeeech!
The detection devices installed everywhere to monitor guild staff went berserk, blaring wildly.
—Beeeep!!
Dozens, hundreds of machines screamed in unison, sounding like shrieks.
"W-what?! What's going on all of a sudden?!"
"The gear's sounding alarms. Something's off."
"Someone shut it down! My ears are gonna bleed!"
The staff flailed in panic at the sudden grating noise. The whole guild building felt like one giant detector, alarms refusing to stop.
"The detectors are going haywire! Why?!"
"This is weird... Even if, there's no way every device malfunctions at once. Doesn't make sense."
"It's definitely picking something up."
Boom!
Suddenly, one detector exploded with a roar.
Crack!
One blew, then others followed in a chain reaction, like they'd been waiting.
"Th-this... The ghost story energy's too strong; the equipment can't handle it."
"Energy this intense... No way..."
Before anyone could finish, the entire building shook eerily.
—Whoosh!
"What was that?! Something like a dark red curtain just flashed by!"
"Not a curtain... That was—"
The guild agents instantly recognized the energy sweeping past them.
"It's the Netherworld... Incredibly fast, but definitely Netherworld."
"Netherworld? Then...?"
"At least Catastrophe-grade... Maybe higher. Link the ops room to monitoring now! Hurry!"
As everyone scrambled back upstairs, Si-hyeon didn't look back—he sprinted out of the building.
"Damn... Damn... Damn!!!"
Endless alarm messages flooded his vision.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Mengmang-grade ghost story Collector's status is extremely unstable!
Mengmang-grade ghost story Collector is being swept by waves of despair!
Unknown reason, but Collector's emotions are fluctuating wildly!
Staring at the barrage of warnings, one word echoed relentlessly in Si-hyeon's mind.
One day.
Just one day...
Just one day alone, and Luna had crumbled.
— "Si-hyeon... I'll wait for you..."
He'd left the good girl to wait by herself. And the one responsible? Him.
"You pathetic bastard... One day...?"
Si-hyeon felt utter disgust at himself.
"We had a promise... With Luna...! And I just sit here whining about 'one day'...?!!"
He'd thought it was just pretend play. A simple game with the girl. Nothing more, nothing less.
"But pure Luna believed every word... That I'd come back and we'd get engaged at night...!"
He'd explained engagement and marriage in detail, filling her with expectations.
— "Si-hyeon and... me... marriage..."
She couldn't express emotions well, but she'd clearly been happy. And he'd crushed that hope. Himself.
"Why did I make a promise I couldn't keep...!"
Today too, he'd said he'd be right back. So wait nicely. Said it so confidently.
But I...!
A nauseating surge of emotion boiled up.
Luna was alone, no one by her side. She waited, but I didn't return. In the end, the girl broke down by herself.
"Regrets can wait... Getting back to Luna is priority one."
Si-hyeon plunged into the swirling dark red Netherworld energy without hesitation.
* * *
—Beeeep!
In Dawn's Light Guild's ops room, blaring alarms mixed chaotically with murmurs.
"What the hell is this...?"
"It's weird! Detectors and cameras all over Seoul are vanishing one by one."
"Vanishing? What do you mean exactly? Destroyed by ghost story power?"
"Not quite... You'll understand if you see the satellite feed."
The monitoring agent projected onto the massive wall screen.
"What is this...? This real life?"
"See now...? It's not just 'breaking'—way beyond that."
—Shhh!
Structures across Seoul's heart evaporated, fragmenting into pieces. Living beings, massive buildings, even the Hangang Bridge—everything in the Netherworld faded bit by bit.
"How are humans supposed to handle this...?"
As everyone stared blankly, Guild Master Han Do-jin entered.
"We've witnessed this before. Didn't everyone see the message that popped up in the Netherworld just now?"
Mengmang-grade ghost story 'Collector' has awakened.
The ghost story that turned a joyful New Year's spot into a massacre in seconds. The first mengmang-grade.
Tremble.
Damn... Thought she was stable, but it was too soon...?
The moment he registered the Collector's emergence, Do-jin's hands and feet began to shake.
Grip.
He quickly grabbed the trembling parts with his other hand, forcing calm.
I can't show anxiety. It'll tank morale.
Do-jin shook his head fiercely, banishing negativity.
"Ghost story's here, so we respond however we can. First, map the Netherworld's range and core. The Collector should be there."
"Master, you're not saying we go there, right? You know even Director Seo Ji-hoon couldn't handle a mengmang-grade."
"So we just sit and watch people die? Forgotten why we built this guild and fight ghost stories?"
Guilds worldwide shared one creed.
"Protect humanity from ghost stories. Nothing else matters."
"...I misspoke. Forget it. But Master, another issue."
Do-jin's deputy manipulated the monitor, adding a screen: dark red ghost story energy engulfing Seoul's map.
"Netherworld's too vast. It's swallowed the whole city end to end, expanding real-time. Can't pinpoint the center."
"Hold up—you're saying it's impossible without even trying?"
Victoria, watching from the command chair, cut in.
"We're already in the Netherworld's zone anyway. Can't leave even if we want. Only way is finding the ghost story."
"Master Victoria, we know that. That's why locating the center's hard—all detectors are dead."
"I can see that. So use another method."
Victoria turned to Elissa, holding her.
"Elissa, can you sense where the ghost story is with your power?"
"Ghost stories usually lack emotions, so my ability's useless... But this one's oddly detectable."
Elissa closed her eyes, reading the flood of emotions from the Netherworld.
Sadness and despair.
From dying people...
Fighting spirit and rage.
From guild staff and resistors...
Then, something unfamiliar: guilt. Frail, like from a young girl.
How can a ghost story feel this...?
Elissa opened her eyes, pointing at the screen's suspected core.
"Not certain, but there's a uniquely odd emotion here."
"Where?"
"Around Bosingak to Jongno... Need to get closer for details."
Do-jin stood immediately, ordering all staff.
"Detection Teams 1 and 2, all combatants—move out with me now."
* * *
"Haa... Made it home somehow. Felt like an obstacle course game."
Buildings looked bug-eaten, chunks missing. Roads and sidewalks had massive dark pits like scooped by a giant spoon.
No sense of reality whatsoever.
"Straight out of a novel."
I'd seen this before.
"Well, read it, technically."
It was the standard scene whenever Luna appeared as the Collector.
"Problem is, this is just Stage 1."
Mengmang-grade ghost story, Collector's power unfolds in three stages.
All lifeforms and objects in Netherworld range randomly 'collected' bit by bit.
Massive black sphere forms around Collector, rapidly dominating Netherworld and devouring everything inside.
Total annihilation. Worlds vanishing with a pop!—seen it too many times in the novel.
The Collector's power is absolute. No ghost story or awakener can resist that authority.
One question arises.
Why am I fine?
Everything's still randomly vanishing. Neighboring buildings, parked cars—mostly gone.
But not me, weirdly. Can't use beginner package now anyway?
Even if I could, it's not night.
Honestly, no clue.
"No point overthinking the unknown."
Figured it was luck and hurried home.
Thud!
"Luna!! I'm here! You okay?"
Door open, eyes met the girl sitting quietly in the room's center.
"Si-hyeon...?"
Golden eyes turned to stare blankly.
Notifications were freaking out, but... she looks fine? What's up??
Thought I'd bolt if her eyes looked off on sight.
Against worries, Luna hadn't lost reason. No prank cam BS.
Dunno what's going on, but she can talk—so it'll work out!
I sighed in relief, approaching Luna.
Hug and pat her; that'll calm her!
Yeah, everything I'd taught her wasn't wasted! Waiting properly. Earning praise. Etc.
Ahh, is this how Sullivan felt teaching Helen Keller?
My girl's finally growing up!
I cranked the hope circuit full, thinking positive.
As I neared, Luna reached out like always, hug gesture.
"Si-hyeon... Hug me tight..."
"Of course! C'mere, Luna!"
I squatted before her, arms out for the tightest hug yet—
—Zap zap zap!!
"Kyaaah!!"
I couldn't process what happened. I'd just gone to hug her.
Electric shock outta nowhere?
Did I evolve into Pikachu overnight? Luna shuddered like hit by a million volts, shoving away.
I approached again, worried.
"Luna, you oka—"
—Zap zap zap!
Touching her downed form triggered another shock.
Whaaat??
As I blinked confused, electrocuted(?) Luna staggered up.
Act?
What nonsense.
Aren't you Luna?
What the fuck is this?