The joy of surviving a near-death experience, like a gentle spring breeze, swept away the gloom that had covered everyone's hearts. Tense nerves finally relaxed, and everyone let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Those who had made it through the disaster gathered together, sharing their experiences since being separated—their stories filled with danger, fear, and relief.
Seong-kyeong (the wife) leaned closely against Yoon Sang-hwa (burly husband), softly asking how they had managed to pass through so many zombies to get here.
Yoon Sang-hwa's voice was low and warm as he gently ruffled Seong-kyeong's hair, recounting the harrowing journey in detail—of course, giving special mention to Ian's help along the way.
When Yoon Sang-hwa pointed toward Ian, Seong-kyeong and the others finally noticed the mysterious figure who had been silently standing behind them all along, clad like a medieval knight.
For a brief moment, everyone froze—then shock spread across their faces.
Once the surprise faded, gratitude rushed over them like a flood. Seong-kyeong, Soek-woo, Su-an, and the others all stepped forward, bowing deeply before Ian in heartfelt thanks.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Seong-kyeong's voice trembled slightly. Her pregnant belly made bowing a struggle, but her eyes were filled with sincerity.
"Thank you, mister, for saving me and my dad!" Su-an looked up at him, her clear eyes shining with admiration.
"We'll never forget your kindness!" the others echoed in turn.
Ian waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, don't bow. It was nothing. If you really want to thank someone, thank Chloe. She's the one who called me over."
"No, no, it's all thanks to you, big bro! You're amazing!" Chloe said quickly, waving both hands.
After a while, everyone calmed down. The baseball player Yong-guk pulled out his phone with trembling hands and dialed his girlfriend Kim Jin-hee's number. The familiar ringtone echoed through the empty carriage, each chime striking his heart, tangled with anxiety and hope.
"Hello? Jin-hee, are you okay? I... I'm still alive!" Yong-guk's voice cracked, eyes welling up.
"Yong-guk! Thank goodness, you're safe… sob…" came Jin-hee's tearful reply from the other end—but her tone suddenly shifted to panic.
"Are you safe there? If not, come to Car 15! There are lots of people here, it's safe, really safe—sob—"
"Jin-hee? Jin-hee, what's wrong? Jin-hee! Talk to me!" Yong-guk shouted.
But all he heard was chaos—muffled noises, as if someone had covered Jin-hee's mouth—then a sharp crack, and the line went dead.
Yong-guk's face turned pale. His hand trembled as he clutched the phone. He slowly raised his head to look at Ian, eyes full of despair and pleading, lips quivering as he managed to utter a few words.
"Si... sir..."
Ian saw his broken expression, patted his shoulder lightly, and smiled faintly. "Don't worry. Leave it to me. Even if you didn't ask, I was already planning to pay those 'people' a visit."
He cracked his neck, eyes sharpening as arcs of lightning flickered faintly around him. "I'm tired of killing zombies, so it's a good change of pace to kill some 'beasts' to adjust. This is Train to Busan, after all. If I don't kill the beasts like Director Kim, wouldn't I have come here for nothing?"
"Everyone, stay close. Let's go 'visit' Car 15!"
With a single kick, Ian smashed open the door to Car 14 and strode forward.
Yoon Sang-hwa and the others exchanged glances, then silently followed. They knew another massacre was about to begin.
Car 14 was still crawling with zombies, but to Ian, they were nothing more than a flick of the wrist. Since Su-an was present, he refrained from using any AOE skills and opted for precise strikes instead.
Crossing his hands, two Red Matter Katars materialized in his grasp. In the blink of an eye, he appeared at the end of the carriage. The charging zombies froze mid-motion—and in the next moment, each one burst apart and vanished into thin air.
Since a child was watching, Ian immediately sold the corpses into the Transmutation Tablet the moment they died.
Su-an's eyes widened as she watched him dispatch the terrifying monsters with effortless grace, her face full of awe.
"Wow… Uncle, you're amazing…"
Hearing her exclamation, Ian's lips curved into a smile. With a thought, the Abyssal Helmet dissolved into dark red particles, revealing a handsome face.
The carriage lights illuminated his features, lending him an almost unreal charm.
"Wow…" Su-an stared, mouth agape, utterly entranced.
And not just her—Seong-kyeong and the others were stunned as well. None of them had expected such a face beneath that grim and heavy helm.
"Alright, alright," Ian said, waving his hand to break the spell. "Let's get back to business."
He then motioned for Yong-guk (baseball player) to knock on the door to Car 15.
Sure, Ian could have just stormed in and slaughtered everyone, but he figured it'd be better to have Yong-guk and the others point out which ones deserved it. After all, among the people inside, there were probably still a few innocent souls.
Yong-guk and Yoon Sang-hwa stepped forward and knocked loudly. Thump, thump, thump. But inside Car 15, there was nothing but dead silence.
After several tries, Yong-guk, desperate to confirm his girlfriend's safety, lost his patience. Anger flared. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, he swung it furiously against the glass.
"Damn it! You won't open up? Then I'll smash it open!"
After a few heavy blows, a shrill voice rang out from inside.
"Don't come in! You people passed through all those cars—you must've been bitten! You'll turn into monsters any minute! We won't open the door! Just die out there!"
Yong-guk was furious, shouting, "Bullshit! All the monsters nearby are dead! It's perfectly safe out here! What the hell's your problem?!"
But no matter how they explained or swore, the people inside wouldn't believe them.
"All the monsters are dead? By who? Don't tell me you killed them? Hah! That's hilarious. They've obviously been bitten and are hallucinating!"
"Yeah! Everyone, keep the door shut! Don't let them bring the virus in!"
Then came Director Kim's disgusting voice, full of mockery. "Heh, trying to trick us into opening the door? Nice try. You can rot out there for all I care!"
Yong-guk was trembling with rage, about to start cursing, but Ian stopped him.
Stepping forward, Ian examined the door and smiled faintly. "Alright, everyone inside—you've got 30 seconds. If you don't open up by then, I'll open it myself. And trust me, you won't like what happens next."
"Ah, look at this punk, threatening us now? Everyone, hold the door! Don't let them in! They're infected—they're just making their last desperate stand!"
Director Kim sneered, ordering the passengers to block the entrance while forcing anyone who tried to open it back into their seats.
"Time's almost up," Ian said with a smirk. "No one? Really? 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Alright, I'm coming in."
He placed both hands on the sides of the carriage door, his fingers sinking into the steel as if it were tofu. The metal bent under his grip like soft clay, groaning with an ear-piercing screech.
Inside, the passengers who had been bracing against the door lost their balance and tumbled to the floor in panic.
Director Kim, who had been shielding himself behind them, went pale as a sheet. His legs gave out and he collapsed onto a seat, trembling. He couldn't believe what he was seeing—this solid metal door was being ripped apart by this human hands.
What kind of monster was this man?
Ian clapped his hands, as if he'd just done something trivial, then scanned the terrified crowd with a grin. "Well, the door's open now. I think it's time we had a little chat."
"The... the door? How's that even possible..." one man stammered from the floor, eyes wide.
"Hey there," Ian said with a friendly wave, crouching beside him and pointing to the warped door. "Worried about the door, old man? Don't worry, I'll make sure to close it properly when I leave."