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Chapter — Collision in the Ghost Chamber
The underground labyrinth was quiet—too quiet.
Rows of overhead lanterns flickered faintly as Beak Eun-ji walked cautiously, her gloved fingers brushing the air. A faint trail of sparks danced across her palm—her element control responding to the rising hostility around them.
The request had come in suddenly:
A secret, unregistered ghost chamber had appeared deep beneath the old Yeongdeunpo demolition site.
Only A-rank exorcists were allowed in.
But Beak Eun-ji hadn't come here alone.
No—because the chamber's location wasn't discovered by Blue Ravens.
It was leaked by someone else.
"Lee Chan-woo…" The name left her lips with a frown.
He was a known middleman for underground job brokers.
But even he wouldn't purposely misreport the location of a chamber like this… right?
Before she could think further, the ground beneath her trembled.
A faint vibration.
A low hum.
And then—
The ghost chamber formed.
A swirling vortex of purple fog locked the area into a barrier-like dome.
The temperature dropped so suddenly that her breath turned white.
Eun-ji summoned flames to her hand instantly—
But froze when she saw the person standing only a few meters away.
A long coat.
A black mask.
And an aura thicker and heavier than any she'd ever felt.
"T-The Phantom…?"
Her heart skipped.
The underground legend.
The faceless monster of the ghost world.
A hunter so strong rumors claimed he could clear A-rank chambers alone.
And now he was staring directly at her.
"…This is troublesome," a cold voice echoed from behind the mask.
Before she could even react—
A roar erupted in the distance.
The ghost appeared.
---
A-Rank Ghost: Chain Wraith Sovereign
A towering figure of shadow wearing a cracked bone crown.
Hundreds of ghost chains snaked outward from its body, clattering violently as if hungry.
Eun-ji instinctively stepped back, flames of all colors sparking around her.
The Phantom did not move.
The wraith screeched.
The chains shot forward like lightning.
---
The Fight Begins
Eun-ji jumped backwards, her hands glowing as she slammed both palms to the ground.
"Element Crash!"
Stone spikes erupted from the ground, blocking some chains.
Fire spiraled around her wrist as she condensed it into a blazing whip—
But then—
Chains slipped through the stone as if it were air, aiming straight for her heart.
Before she could counter, a blur crossed her vision.
A hand grabbed the chains mid-air.
A black-gloved hand.
His hand.
The Phantom appeared between her and the attack—having crossed fifteen meters without sound.
His voice was low.
"Don't die. You're in my way if you do."
Eun-ji didn't know whether to be offended or relieved.
The wraith roared, sending dozens more chains.
The Phantom swung his arm.
The air distorted.
> [Skill Activated: Chain Domination]
Black spectral chains erupted from beneath him, spiraling like serpents and colliding mid-air with the wraith's chains in a loud cacophony.
A ghost vs. ghost clash.
Each collision shook the chamber.
He can manipulate chains too!?
Eun-ji's eyes widened.
But the Phantom wasn't done.
His body blurred again—this time appearing above the wraith.
> [E.P.S.T — Enhanced Phantom Step Technique]
Velocity: 32x Amplification
He practically vanished, reappearing directly atop the wraith's shoulders.
"Spirit Enhancement."
His aura ignited in a storm of white-blue flames.
He drove his fist downward—
A shockwave cracked the stone floor.
The wraith staggered as a dent appeared in its ghostly armor.
"Insignificant… human…"
The Sovereign hissed and released a burst of energy that sent both of them backward.
As the Phantom slid across the ground, he skidded and lowered his stance.
Eun-ji immediately unleashed her next attack.
A vortex of lightning erupted behind her.
"Thunder Spiral!"
The blast tore into the ghost's side, ripping apart several chains.
The wraith shrieked—
Then all the detached chains reassembled and flew at Eun-ji.
Dammit—! She prepared another elemental burst—
But the Phantom appeared behind her, grabbing her shoulder.
"Move."
He threw her aside gently but firmly.
Then he raised both hands.
Dark flames surged upward in a pillar.
> [Dark Fire Manipulation]
Inferno Form
The black fire twisted into the shape of a dragon and swallowed the chains whole, melting them instantly.
The wraith recoiled as its abilities were devoured.
Eun-ji stared, frozen.
What kind of exorcist has this many abilities…?
The Phantom didn't let the ghost recover.
He bent his knees slightly—
The chamber shook.
Then—
He vanished.
Reappearing directly inside the wraith's chest.
"End."
A silent whisper.
A point-blank blast of dark flames, aura enhancement, and chain domination combined into a single devastating burst.
The ghost imploded.
And the chamber collapsed with it.
---
As the Chamber Began to Break
The swirling purple walls began fading away.
Eun-ji was breathing heavily, staring at the masked figure standing calmly amid the debris.
He walked toward her slowly.
Each step echoed with quiet authority.
Eun-ji stiffened as he stopped only a meter away.
His voice was colder than before.
Not threatening—but absolute.
"Today was a mistake.
You weren't supposed to see me."
Her throat dried.
"I— I won't tell anyone."
The Phantom leaned closer.
"Good. Keep your mouth shut."
Her heart thumped painfully in her chest.
Why does his voice… sound so familiar?
But before she could speak again—
Eun-ji inhaled sharply.
This close… she could feel the immense pressure beneath his calm posture.
He turned away.
"Don't try to recruit me again."
"But— Blue Ravens could really use—"
He paused.
A moment of silence.
She wondered if he would snap at her.
But he said nothing.
Because the truth was…
He was already a Blue Ravens member.
Just one she didn't know about.
"I'll think about it," he lied flatly.
She brightened immediately.
Which annoyed him deeply.
---
The Exit
The chamber walls fully dematerialized.
Light flooded in—
And both of them froze.
A massive crowd was gathered outside.
Dozens of exorcists from the Han Ye-rin Group,
and even worse—
Press cameras.
Broadcast drones.
Journalists.
"Is that the Phantom!?"
"Zoom in! Zoom in!"
"Beak Eun-ji is with him—could this be a collaboration!?"
"Phantom, over here! Look this way!"
Eun-ji's eyes widened.
"What— how did they know we were here!?"
The Phantom cursed under his breath.
He couldn't afford footage.
Exposure.
Or rumors.
He closed his eyes—
And activated the stolen ability.
> [Ability: Dimensional Ghost Form – Park Ji-hoon Variant]
His body flickered.
Then phased completely out of reality.
Eun-ji gasped as the Phantom faded from sight like a shadow dissolving under sunlight.
When the light cleared—
He was gone.
Vanished so perfectly not even she could sense his presence.
Journalists shouted in confusion.
"He disappeared!"
"What kind of ability was that!?"
"Where is he!?"
Eun-ji stared at the empty spot beside her.
Half terrified.
Half amazed.
And for the first time…
She realized the truth.
The Phantom wasn't just a strong exorcist.
He was a phenomenon.
A storm wearing human shape.
---
---
Chapter — The Hidden Hands Moving in the Shadows
The press lights finally faded from his vision as Jae-min slipped through the back streets, his copied ability still shimmering faintly around his body.
Dimensional Ghost Form—Park Ji-hoon's signature.
A perfect technique for disappearing without a trace.
He reappeared only when he was dozens of blocks away.
But while he vanished from the scene…
Someone else had planned everything.
---
Han Ye-rin Group Guild Headquarters
Inside a luxurious hall filled with marble floors and golden railings, a young woman's heels clicked sharply as she walked out of the monitoring room.
Shin Soo-jin.
The star member of the Han Ye-rin Group.
Elegant. Deadly.
Her reputation was well-earned.
Multiple drone screens around her replayed the scene outside the ghost chamber.
Reporters shouting.
Beak Eun-ji caught in the lights.
And the masked figure—disappearing like smoke.
Shin Soo-jin's lips curved slightly upward.
"So… you can phase out of space."
Her red irises glowed faintly with interest, reflecting the frozen frame of the Phantom mid-disappearance.
Every bit of information was valuable.
But him escaping?
That annoyed her.
She clicked her tongue softly.
"Tch. Slippery… but not unbeatable."
Then her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the caller ID.
Guildmaster Rin-Yun.
A fat businessman with a thick neck, golden rings on every finger, and eyes that valued power more than people. He didn't fight—he managed. And he managed ruthlessly.
Soo-jin answered the call.
"Guildmaster."
His voice was cold even through the speaker.
"Did it work?"
She exhaled slowly.
"Not completely… but not a failure either. We confirmed at least one ability of his."
There was a moment of silence.
Then a hum of satisfaction.
"Good. Very good. Shin Soo-jin… you never disappoint."
Her faint smile returned—sharp and proud.
"Thank you, Guildmaster."
"Continue the operation," Rin-Yun ordered.
"We will capture this Phantom. And if he refuses to join us…"
His tone dropped into a dangerous rumble.
"…we will crush him into dust."
The call ended.
Soo-jin lowered the phone, her red eyes gleaming with excitement and cruelty.
"This is only the beginning… Phantom. I'll expose you. I always get what I hunt."
---
Jae-min's Home
The door barely clicked shut when Quinn grabbed his arm.
"Oppa! How did they KNOW you were going to that chamber!?"
Her voice was trembling, eyes teary and scared.
Jae-min sighed, tossing his coat aside.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "But I'll find out."
His tone was calm—too calm—and that scared her even more.
He stepped into his room and immediately dialed a number.
Lee Chan-woo.
The broker who'd given him his earliest jobs.
The call picked up instantly.
"Jae-min? What is it? You sound tense."
"What happened today?" Jae-min asked directly.
"How did the press know about that chamber?"
A beat of confusion echoed on the other line.
"The press?? What are you talking about?" Lee sounded genuinely shocked.
"I didn't inform any media. I didn't even tell anyone except you. Why? Were you there?"
Jae-min swallowed and smoothly lied.
"No. I wasn't. But the Phantom and Beak Eun-ji got there before I did somehow."
Lee Chan-woo paused.
"That doesn't make sense… but I'm sorry. I'll look into it. And Jae-min—be careful. Someone's moving pieces around."
The call ended.
And Jae-min's eyes turned cold.
He didn't like the idea of being watched.
---
Silver Cross Union Guild HQ
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Go Ji-min, the famously hot-blooded S-rank exorcist, marched forward with clenched fists, her aura flaring with frustration.
She shoved the office door open.
"Kang Dae-hyun!"
The guild captain turned his head, smiling as usual.
That eerie, playful smile that made people uneasy.
Ji-min slammed her hands on his desk.
"This is pointless! We aren't getting ANYWHERE with this! The Han Ye-rin Group just pulled off a huge stunt—they're ahead of us now!"
Kang Dae-hyun simply twirled the pen between his fingers.
"…Are you done shouting?"
His tone dropped.
The air thickened.
Ji-min froze as a suffocating murderous aura pressed onto her shoulders like a boulder.
Her knees nearly buckled.
"Don't ever raise your voice at me again," he said quietly.
The aura vanished instantly—yet Ji-min still felt cold sweat down her back.
"Y-Yes, Captain…"
Kang Dae-hyun leaned back in his chair.
"This is still part of the plan."
His smile sharpened unnaturally.
"We made a deal with the Han Ye-rin Group. So stay out of it… for now."
Ji-min nodded stiffly and left the office.
But she wasn't happy.
Not even close.
---
Outside the Office
As she walked out, she spotted a tall man leaning against the wall.
White hair.
Dark uniform.
A long scythe strapped to his back.
Kang-Mim.
Also known as The Reaper.
Another top member of Silver Cross Union.
He lifted his eyes toward her.
She glared back.
For a long three seconds—
Aura clashed.
Silent pressure collided violently, sending small cracks across the marble floor beneath them.
Neither spoke.
Neither blinked.
Then they broke eye contact and walked past each other.
But both shared the same thought:
The hunt for the Phantom had only just begun.
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