jdhmnovel Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60
April.
In terms of pure physical strength, he was the man ranked as the clear number one among the dealers on this island.
In terms of combat power including abilities, he was ranked third.
He was evaluated as a powerhouse following January and February.
Of course, since it was a skill level evaluated under limited conditions by the organization's higher-ups, the ranking itself could be overturned at any time depending on compatibility or the situation.
Even taking that into account, it was clear that he was a top-tier powerhouse among the dealers.
I, Lee Ju-seong, spoke to April’s back with a bold attitude.
“Should I assume that the opponent this time is a dealer?”
April did not give me a single glance.
It wasn't that he was gauging me; it was an attitude that I was simply insignificant and not worth looking at.
The lack of an answer was a bonus.
“…….”
It was behavior that perfectly exuded another of April’s characteristics: a ‘fundamental tendency to loathe players.’
Like all dealers, the dealers were also once players.
Each became a dealer for their own reasons, but in April’s case, he was someone who changed his label to dealer after developing a so-called hatred for players because he had been betrayed so much during his time as a player.
In April’s eyes, I must also be reflected as a type of insect.
I purposely approached April’s side and spoke as if tempting him.
“Just because you were designated as an opponent doesn't mean we must absolutely be at odds. Let's proceed toward finishing the game safely for each other.”
I expressed my intention to include April in the list of everyone surviving.
However, he did not answer.
He only rolled his eyes briefly to glance my way, then stared straight ahead again.
His jaw was fixed perfectly vertically, and his pupils were like a fixed camera.
When I stared intently, April finally broke the heavy silence after a few seconds.
“It would be better to focus quietly on the announcement for now.”
It was a commanding tone, as if flowing from top to bottom.
We were all clearly staying within the same space, but in April’s perception, it seemed we were staying on different floors.
Soon after, I had to stop the attempt to shake April’s psychology.
Because the broadcast explaining the game rules flowed through the speaker inside the elevator.
[We will now begin Round 5 of the Money Game.]
[Game: East West South North Game.]
-All players will enter a ‘5x5’ checkerboard-shaped maze.
-You can move inside the maze using the East West South North paper model provided yesterday.
-The paper model must be used by only one person per turn, and the order must be organized sequentially so that everyone is given a fair opportunity.
-When you finish moving, a battle unfolds according to the prize money written inside the paper model. The larger the prize amount, the stronger the enemy deployed.
To summarize, it was a ‘maze escape game’ moving by using the East West South North paper model as a dice.
One must fight an enemy once every turn, and a dealer was included among the appearing enemies.
The announcement continued.
-If you win the battle, the prize money accumulates by the amount at stake, and if you lose, the prize money decreases by the amount at stake.
-Move with the East West South North paper model to escape the maze.
-The time limit is 90 minutes.
-If you fail to escape within the time, half of your balance will be confiscated as a fine.
90 minutes was a very tight time.
Considering that the games held until now were given more than three hours, this Round 5 was an hour and a half, which corresponds to half of that.
Furthermore, among players, a path for everyone to survive was always open, but this time, the main point was that the path for everyone to survive was not open since we had to face the organization's lackeys.
I retried the conversation with April.
“Since it’s a game created by the organization, if we don't get greedy, a path for everyone to survive will be open, right? You can at least tell me that much.”
April did not look back.
Instead, he wordlessly placed his hand on the elevator wall and gave it a light thump with his palm.
It was a movement like trying to catch a buzzing gnat.
“Listening to your hypocritical words continuously makes me nauseous.”
Because of the thick voice, it sounded like he was getting angry, and on the other hand, it sounded like he was being sarcastic.
Perhaps it was both.
The developed muscles seemed to emit strong heat.
It was like a steam engine that consumed coal named hatred.
Inside April’s body, a turbine producing fighting spirit was spinning constantly.
The momentum was so grim that even Park So-yul, who had a rather strong personality, backed away toward the elevator wall, and the student couple held each other's hands tightly, trying to distance themselves even a little more from April.
However, I remained by April’s side without hesitation.
“In what part did you feel it was hypocritical?”
“You should know that better yourself? Have you ever once done your best for everyone's survival?”
“You speak as if I should have pursued ‘only’ everyone's survival.”
“A player having a lot of money means they trampled on others more than anyone else.”
I could be certain through the short psychological warfare with April.
That this person had no intention of stepping out of the frame of his own experience.
Even now, the instructions from the organization's higher-ups to keep me tied to the Money Game for a long time would be valid.
April stepped forward saying he would carry out the operation voluntarily, and this was merely an excuse; he intended to remove me given the chance.
Because for him, the equation ‘Player with lots of money = Evil’ was deeply engraved like a mark left on concrete.
If the opponent had no room for negotiation, I had no intention of showing mercy either.
My balance of mercy is not generous enough to give infinitely to an enemy.
When the psychological warfare ended, the sound announcing arrival at the game site was heard.
Ding!
The elevator door opened with an electronic sound.
At the moment the door opened, he turned his head for the first time, looked at me directly, and spoke.
“I will wait for your challenge anytime. Do not think of using those poor children as a front to slip away cleverly.”
The thick voice echoed clearly like a verdict declaring guilt.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose once and laughed lightly.
“Aren't you choosing the wrong opponent to use the expression ‘poor’ on?”
I threw back a round-about remark that those were words he should use for April himself, who had made an enemy out of me.
April pressed the elevator open button strongly.
In a way that said let's see whose words are correct.
I stepped out beyond the door first, and the group followed me while being wary of April.
When we all got off, the elevator door closed.
April did not get off.
He seemed to be planning to participate in the game through another route.
Clang!
The seam of the elevator door engaged completely, and April’s figure could no longer be seen.
I stretched my body fully and refreshed the atmosphere with a bright voice.
“Is there anyone who doesn't understand the rules?”
The group shook their heads weakly.
Their concentration was scattered, and their morale was crawling on the floor.
They were properly overwhelmed by the atmosphere April gave off.
Park So-yul said with an expression showing a strong sign of tension.
“You’re unhesitating even toward the dealer. Personally, I feel like you provoked him unnecessarily...”
“It was a provocation out of necessity, so do not worry.”
“You provoked him because it was necessary?”
“April leaked crucial information. He said I am absolute evil, while Yong-hun and So-hui are poor. I gained valuable information that he is the type who distinguishes good and evil according to the player's balance, so I made a profit.”
Inferring based on the information I found out, since he had concluded that I was a person crazy for money, he must have arrived at the idea that he should use a large prize amount as bait to hook me.
To the current me, would the maximum prize of 50 million won really be a large sum?
Thinking based on this, there was a high possibility that the maximum prize for this Round 5 was not 50 million won.
Various cases came to my mind, but I did not bother to speak them aloud.
It wouldn't be too late to reach a conclusion after collecting more clues.
To relieve the tension of the group, I clapped my hands strongly with an energetic motion.
Clap! Clap!
“Now, now, the game time is only 90 minutes, so let's move quickly. First, let's figure out where this is.”
Currently, we had entered a space where three sides were pure white walls.
The size of the space was approximately 30 pyeong.
The ceiling was around 3 meters, much lower than other game sites, and the walls were merely concrete painted over, so it was sturdy yet desolate.
A thick iron door was attached to each of the three walls.
On the upper part of the wall placed in front of the elevator, a long horizontal rectangular electric display board was attached.
[Current Location: C1]
[Current Accumulated Prize Money: 0 won]
I spoke, considering that this maze was a ‘5x5’ checkerboard arrangement.
“They’re using the arrangement method of a chessboard as it is.”
When I said chess, Sim Yong-hun understood immediately.
“If it's as you say, this must be the south central square.”
As Sim Yong-hun reacted to my words, the other two women perked up their ears.
They were members who began to focus on the game in earnest, escaping from the impact April showed.
I took out the paper model I had brought.
“Now that we know where we are, let's decide the order.”
Seo So-hui slightly raised her hand like a student wanting to give a presentation.
“I think it would be good for the strong person to be given as many opportunities as possible.”
Discussing strength itself became a controversy often, regardless of time and place.
Depending on the person, it could be a cause of conflict as it was a matter of pride.
However, the three group members other than me treated ‘the strong one’ and me as synonyms, as if it were a word registered in a dictionary beforehand.
Seo So-hui said.
“We can just put Ahjussi as the first priority and decide the turn among ourselves.”
Sim Yong-hun said.
“It makes no sense to discuss a separate first priority when Ahjussi is here.”
Park So-yul said.
“Well, for now. It's certain that you're stronger than me. Please step forward first. Let's see your skills and see how much they've changed while I wasn't looking.”
After confirming me as the first priority, they began to decide the order among themselves.
Unexpectedly, the student couple revealed their abilities without hesitation.
Since they were scheduled to have individual battles anyway, the two of them judged that hiding their abilities was meaningless.
As Park So-yul also revealed her ability, the combat power of the three people could be compared bluntly.
As a result of the comparison, the order was decided in less than a minute.
Me-Park So-yul-Sim Yong-hun-Seo So-hui.
After confirming the turn, I inserted the thumbs and index fingers of both hands into the handles of the East West South North paper model and gripped it tightly.
“Usually, they install many exits at the corners of a maze. So let's try going around the corners first.”
Park So-yul looked back and forth at the iron doors installed on the left and right sides and said.
“This is the south center, so to move to the nearest maze corner, we have to go east or west.”
“Since we have to leave it to luck for now anyway, we can just decide roughly.”
“Then let's go west. Moving clockwise feels more stable, doesn't it?”
Accepting Park So-yul’s preference, I set the direction toward the west.
I moved the paper model inserted in my fingers according to the rules of the game.
A vertical snap.
A horizontal snap.
Under the side labeled ‘West’ on the top of the paper model, the prize amount written inside appeared.
The prize amount was 35 million won.
Immediately after performing the action as the first batter, the text displayed on the electric board changed as if responding to my action.
[The first turn is Mr. Lee Ju-seong.]
[You have chosen West 2 times.]
[Please move west 2 times.]
Click! Great!
A sound of the locking mechanism being released came from inside the thick iron door, and then the door opened with the noise of hinges bending.
Through the open door, area B1 appeared, which had the same structure as area C1.
In area B1, iron doors were similarly installed on three sides, and the iron door leading to area A1 was open.
We crossed area B1 and passed over to area A1.
Clang!
When all members arrived at area A1, the iron door we had just passed through closed and locked firmly.
Inside the newly arrived closed room, a new text appeared on the electric board installed in area A1.
[Prize Multiplier: x1.]
[Prize Money: 35 million won.]
[Battle Opponent: 4th-rank ability user.]
The moment I saw the text that appeared on the electric board,
I unconsciously inhaled.
4th-rank.
That meant some kind of human implanted with nanomachines containing 4th-rank abilities.
At least, that’s how we took it.
It was right after that.
Click.
The door opened.
Three organization members wearing Copper Masks entered.
Each of them was holding a thick iron chain.
The Bronze organization members pulled the chains and brought some kind of creature into area A1.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
The creature entered while panting, that hot mass of muscle was covered in dark brown coarse fur.
The 4th-rank ability user mentioned on the electric board.
Its identity was a wild boar with a size approaching that of an average compact car.