The Neck-Cutting Ghost
Yeon Cheong and Jin Hong arrived at Chunja Halmae's house in the Tower of Trials 1st Floor Residential Zone, sacks slung over their shoulders. They knocked on the door, and after a moment, the elderly woman approached slowly. She reached out and gently stroked Jin Hong's hair.
"What brings you two here today?"
"We got extra rations and came to drop some off," Jin Hong replied.
"Aigoo, you little rascals… You went all the way there just for me?"
"We picked up ours too while we were at it," Yeon Cheong added.
Chunja Halmae smiled warmly and ushered them inside. Her home remained spotless as always, a small miracle in the squalor of the first floor. No matter how many times he saw it, Yeon Cheong found it remarkable.
"Uncle Ben said he'll be here soon," Jin Hong chimed in. "He wants us all to have dinner together for once."
Chunja Halmae nodded. "Sit down. I'll fetch some water."
While she stepped away, Yeon Cheong glanced around the room. Despite its age, the space was carefully arranged and maintained. It was clear that surviving this long on the first floor required more than luck.
Most residents here lived without any sense of security. Some days they managed two meals; on bad days, they went hungry entirely. But Chunja Halmae had carved out a modest comfort through years of experience. She mended clothes and traded her skills for small amounts of food and water. It wasn't much compared to the upper floors, but that quiet contentment kept her going.
"Cheong, who do you think the Neck-Cutting Ghost really is?" Jin Hong asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. "People are dying, so it can't be some actual ghost without a body."
The Neck-Cutting Ghost was all she could talk about lately. At her age, a single gruesome rumor was enough to spark endless speculation, fear, and excitement. There was an innocent charm to it, the kind that only came with youth.
"I hope it's nothing serious," Yeon Cheong said, settling into a chair, "but my gut says otherwise. It means we're dealing with a killer."
He didn't like that the title had been pinned on someone else because of his actions. The name itself didn't matter much, but wearing the blame still left a sour taste.
In the past, there was a notorious killer on the first floor. He wasn't called the Neck-Cutting Ghost, but…
Yeon Cheong's recent deeds had fueled the rumor, and it happened to match the real killer's methods perfectly.
Kim Tae-gil. Mid-forties. Ordinary-looking resident.
Despite his gentle smile, the man was vicious. He was also skilled at butchering monster carcasses brought back by deliverymen. With the Tower's permission, he kept various blades in his home and produced remarkably clean cuts. The sound of him sharpening knives could be heard throughout the neighborhood every day.
His method was simple. At night he would slip into other living quarters and ambush the occupants, severing their heads and displaying the bodies like trophies. Crude, but brutally effective.
If it's the man I'm thinking of…
His next target was already decided. Yeon Cheong sipped the water Chunja Halmae brought and glanced at Jin Hong. The killer would come for her. A young girl living alone in the residential zone would be the perfect outlet for his violence.
A knock sounded at the door. Jin Hong rushed to open it and greeted Uncle Ben with a bright smile.
"Come in!"
"Kid, how many times have I told you not to open the door without checking first?" Ben scolded, though his tone was more worried than angry.
He wasn't wrong. Even when expecting visitors, basic caution was essential on the first floor.
"He's right, Jin Hong. You need to be careful," Yeon Cheong added.
"Ugh, not you too, Cheong."
Chunja Halmae chuckled and pulled up a chair. "It's been a while since we all sat down together. Not much food, but it'll do."
The table held little: a small pitcher of water, some hard bread, and a few cans of rations they had brought from the latest distribution. Ben tore off a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth.
"You wanted to hear about the Neck-Cutting Ghost?" he asked Yeon Cheong.
"Yes. I'm curious."
"Me too!" Jin Hong raised her hand eagerly.
Chunja Halmae frowned. "What kind of rumor is this?"
"It's been spreading around the first floor," Jin Hong explained. "They say a ghost that cuts off heads is going around killing people."
"Sounds like nonsense to me," the old woman muttered.
Ben shook his head. "It's not just talk. Over ten bodies turned up in the black market with their heads missing. This morning, three more were found in the residential zone."
"…The end times," Chunja Halmae whispered.
"The world already ended," Yeon Cheong said quietly.
Ben gave a short laugh. "True enough. But it hasn't completely fallen apart yet, has it?"
Yeon Cheong smiled faintly and tore off a piece of bread. "Has anyone figured out who's responsible?"
"My friend in the guard says they have no leads. By the time they reached the black market, everything was already over. The residential zone killings happened hours earlier, and the bodies were starting to decay."
"There are differences between the black market and residential zone murders, aren't there?" Yeon Cheong asked.
Ben looked at him with mild surprise. "You know quite a bit. Yeah, there are differences."
Of course he did. He had been the one who decapitated the bodies in the black market.
"The black market corpses were clean," Ben continued. "Just the heads cleanly removed. But the residential zone killings… they were messy. Blood everywhere, multiple stab wounds to the chest. Looks like the victims fought back."
Just as I thought.
Yeon Cheong nodded to himself. If things followed the original timeline, the killer would soon target Jin Hong.
"What's the difference?" Jin Hong asked. "If the head comes off, there's still blood, right?"
Yeon Cheong shook his head. "Killing someone by cutting off their head and cutting off the head after they're already dead are two very different things."
Jin Hong made a face. "Ugh…"
"You brats!" Chunja Halmae snapped. "Is this the kind of talk we have at the dinner table?"
"He asked," Ben said with a shrug, stuffing the rest of his bread into his mouth.
They laughed and chatted until the sun began to set. Ben stood up. "I should get going."
He gave Chunja Halmae a quick hug. His home was far from hers, and he needed to leave before dark.
"You two, keep the doors locked," he said, looking especially at Jin Hong.
"We'll be fine," she replied lightly.
"Should I stay over tonight?" Yeon Cheong offered.
Jin Hong's face flushed. "Huh? Suddenly?"
"You said it's dangerous."
Ben gave them both a stern look. "Hormones are one thing at your age, but—"
"That's not what I meant," Yeon Cheong cut in calmly. "Two people together are safer than one alone."
Ben scratched his head. "…Right."
Chunja Halmae nodded. "I'd keep you both here if I could, but…"
She couldn't. Technicians' homes were regularly inspected by the guards. Bringing in extra people would be seen as suspicious behavior.
"We'll head out too," Yeon Cheong said. "Thanks for the meal."
Ben waved and left. Jin Hong fiddled with her reddened ears and glanced at Yeon Cheong.
"Embarrassed? It's not like we haven't stayed together before."
"My room… I didn't clean it."
"Then let's go to my place."
"No! Let's go to mine!"
Despite her protests, she looked quietly pleased. Yeon Cheong smiled to himself. Simple as always. In a world where trust was scarce, she was the easiest person to read.
And I need to prepare.
In the original timeline, Jin Hong had survived the attack, but it had cost her dearly. She had fought Kim Tae-gil for dozens of minutes, losing several fingers before the guards arrived. The trauma had nearly broken her bright spirit. Yeon Cheong had no intention of letting that happen again.
"By the way, where exactly is your place again?" he asked.
Jin Hong puffed out her cheeks. "You don't even know? I know exactly where yours is."
"Last time you said it made you sound like a stalker, so you wouldn't tell me."
"…Did I?"
She laughed, and Yeon Cheong nodded. He had missed these silly conversations.
The Neck-Cutting Ghost, huh.
Whether the name referred to him or the real killer, it was time to show who was truly on top.