"Woo—"
The new train let out a long, echoing whistle as it slowly pulled away, heading toward Train to Busan.
Inside the carriage, however, the air was heavy. The joy of surviving had been diluted by a quiet, complex sorrow.
Yoon Sang-hwa held his wife Seong-kyeong tightly. Her eyes were full of gratitude—and worry.
Soek-woo sat nearby, cradling his daughter Su-an. The little girl stared curiously at the scenery rushing past the window, not quite understanding what had happened.
"Daddy, where's that uncle?" Su-an suddenly asked.
Soek-woo froze, glanced at Yoon Sang-hwa, and a shadow flickered in both men's eyes.
"He… still has something important to do," Soek-woo said softly, brushing his daughter's hair.
"Will we see him again?"
"Yes, we will. Definitely," Yoon Sang-hwa answered hoarsely, gazing out the window as if he could still see the figure clad in dark red heavy armor.
The train conductor came down the aisle. From the survivors, he had already heard about Ian's deeds. The weathered old man's eyes were filled with deep respect. "That man… truly a hero."
"Yes," Soek-woo murmured. "A true hero."
"Shouldn't we… do something for him?" Seong-kyeong asked softly.
After a moment's silence, she suddenly stood up, stepped into the center of the carriage, and called out, "Everyone! We're alive thanks to that gentleman's help!"
"He's still out there—fighting for us, for everyone! We might not be able to help him, but at the very least, we can pray for him! Bless him!"
"May he succeed in his mission!"
"May he return safely!"
"Hero, we're waiting for you!"
Their voices—those blessings, those prayers—rose and joined together, forming a warmth that seemed to pierce through time and space, reaching the ears of the man still battling the undead.
[You have gained Interdimensional Energy. Mod Unlock Progress: 55.42%.]
The sudden surge of Interdimensional Energy left Ian puzzled, though he had his guesses.
Maybe protecting the main characters granted him Interdimensional Energy. Or perhaps it came from sincere gratitude.
Or maybe… both.
Still, Ian didn't dwell on it long. He had plenty of time to study it later. Right now, there were zombies stretching their necks just waiting for his blade.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Transmigrator Group Chat.
[Freezing Cold]: "@Dead Legs Run, Chloe, how are things over there? Did Big Brother Ian come to save you?"
[Boiling Alive]: "Yeah, Chloe, don't scare us—say something!"
[Starving Platform]: "Chloe should be fine. Trust the Big Brother."
[Dead Legs Run]: "I'm safe! All good! [Image]"
In the picture, Chloe was covered in dirt but smiling brightly. The background was a regularly shaped large pit, with a few torches stuck in the walls.
[Freezing Cold]: "Where's that? Did you fall into a hole?"
[Dead Legs Run]: "Hehe, that's my 'safe house'! Ian dug it for me. He said it's too dangerous outside and told me to stay here for a while."
[Boiling Alive]: "That's our Ian! Always thinking ahead! But wow, Chloe, why are you all dusty, like a groundhog!"
[Dead Legs Run]: "You don't get it! This is called 'natural style'! Anyway, where's Ian? Why isn't he talking?"
[Freezing Cold]: "@Super Block Man, Ian, you there? Chloe says you're busy dealing with zombies. How's it going?"
[Super Block Man]: "Hold on, let me kill a few zombies first. [Image]"
The image showed Ian's back standing atop a blood-soaked train car, facing an endless horde of zombies.
[Freezing Cold]: "Whoa, he looks so cool."
[Boiling Alive]: "Whoa, he looks so cool."
[Starving Platform]: "Whoa, he looks so cool."
[Dead Legs Run]: "Whoa, he looks so cool."
…
Busan Station had become a living hell.
Wrecked trains, twisted tracks, shattered remains—and endless zombies.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay, nauseatingly heavy.
But in that infernal scene stood a lone figure, reaping death like the Grim Reaper himself.
It was Ian.
He was clad entirely in dark red heavy armor, wielding a massive crimson blade that pulsed with a deadly glow.
"Time… accelerate."
Ian muttered as he pulled several Watches of Flowing Time from his Transmutation Tablet.
"Tic… tic… tic…"
The Watch of Flowing Time emitted crisp sounds, its hands spinning rapidly. An invisible force enveloped Ian's entire body.
Onefold… twofold… tenfold… a hundredfold!
He had pushed his time flow to terrifying extremes.
In his perception, the world slowed to a crawl. Zombies moved as if in slow motion; even the floating dust in the air was visible.
"Well then… let's begin."
A crimson light flashed in Ian's eyes—and his figure vanished.
The next instant, the entire station erupted into a storm of blood-red sword light.
Fast.
Too fast!
So fast that no human eye could follow!
Only afterimages, shrill roars, and the wet sound of blades cutting through flesh remained.
Ian became an unstoppable killing machine, darting through the horde.
He no longer sought precision—only efficiency.
Each strike carried monstrous power, cleaving zombies and structures alike into fragments.
Every second, hundreds—thousands—fell.
The whole station became a colossal meat grinder.
This wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
After an unknowable span, Ian finally stopped.
He stood amid a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, the glow on his crimson blade slowly fading.
Around him, not a single zombie remained standing—only torn limbs and a station reduced to rubble.
All of Busan Station, and much of the surrounding area, had been annihilated.
"Whew…"
Ian exhaled and released the time acceleration.
Instantly, the world resumed its normal flow.
"Rumble…"
A deep tremor shook the ground—what remained of the buildings was collapsing.
"Time to go."
He extended his right hand. The Void Ring gleamed, unleashing a powerful suction that drew in debris, remains, and zombie corpses alike, converting them into EMC.
…
The layer of earth disappeared, and sunlight instantly shone down.
A gentle breeze lifted Chloe from her pit. Her face was smeared with dust and dirt, but she cheered and waved her arms in excitement.
"Wow! Big Brother! Where did you bring me? Is this even a station anymore? Did you do all this, Big Brother? That's incredible!"
She looked at the now-desolate station and at Ian—who stood, calm and unscathed, in his dark armor—with shining eyes.
"No big deal." Ian shrugged, speaking lightly, though the grin beneath his helmet was impossible to hide.
"So, what are you gonna do next, Ian?" Chloe asked curiously.
"Keep killing zombies," Ian replied. "I need to gather some strange energy from them."
"Ian! Can you take me with you?" Chloe quickly said as she saw him preparing to leave.
"The world I crossed into—it's called the Zombie Universe. I think it's not just Korea that's overrun. The whole world might be finished! I can't survive alone!"
When Ian didn't respond, she stepped closer, pleading, "Please, Ian! Take me with you! I can cook, I can clean, and I can also swa—"
"…"
Ian coughed twice. "Fine. Since you're that sincere, I'll reluctantly take you in. But it's not for free—you'll have to work for me." He thought, 'From now on, I'll have her help with the Skyblock construction.'
She blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "Yay! Long live Ian!"
Work? Work was fine. Work anywhere was still just work.