novelraw Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Every player except for me, Lee Ju-seong, blinked their eyes.
It seemed they needed a bit of time to shift the gears of their emotions.
The tension in those who were wary relaxed, and the fear in those who were afraid faded.
While each of them was caught in confusion, doubting their own ears, I asked as if to urge them.
“30 million won per person. Do you really not need it?”
Who would refuse money being given to them?
Several people who were desperate for money hurriedly raised their hands like people catching a bus just before it departed.
“I need it! I do!”
“Are you really sharing the prize money?”
“You’re not scamming us right now, are you?”
Vigilance turned into expectation, and in some cases, fear conversely turned into suspicion.
Just as text messages promising high profits are always scams like voice phishing, they suspected that I wouldn't give away 30 million won for nothing.
I focused on No Tae-jin and spoke clearly.
“Mr. No Tae-jin here said something to me before the game started. Was it…… that he was losing money because of a few idiots?”
People whipped their heads around and their eyes glared sharply.
Backstabbing and badmouthing were daily occurrences in this game, but being treated like a fool to one's face usually felt unpleasant.
No Tae-jin, who suddenly came under stinging glares, hurriedly defended himself.
“I, I, I didn't grumble that harshly! I only said that we could reach the target amount someday if we weren't greedy with each other!”
“Hahaha, I added a bit of my own interpretation.”
“There are things you can say as a joke and things you can't!”
“Now, it seems the atmosphere has lightened up a bit.”
No Tae-jin, realizing I just needed a partner for a short comedy skit, swept his chest and felt relieved.
The players didn't notice at all.
At some point, the atmosphere was shifting rapidly with every word I said.
I clearly held the handle of the sword.
“Let's return to the main point. The reason I want to share the prize money is because I agree with Mr. No Tae-jin's opinion. I also wanted to attempt everyone's survival in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Though it fell through before I could even try. So I hope we definitely succeed in this 3rd round.”
While speaking, I stealthily observed August's behavior.
She remained surprisingly quiet.
If someone who didn't know the situation saw her, they would have considered her a timid person.
A fake that looks like a fake often seems more real.
Her coward-like behavior, which didn't match her chic appearance, was instead adding authenticity to her acting.
I withdrew my gaze from August and urged the players to make a choice.
“Honestly, I don't care if we end up fighting each other. If you don't respond, I will figure out my own way to survive as I see fit. But please know this one thing. That I, too, am a human being who wants to personally experience the miracle called everyone's survival.”
I even clenched my fists while delivering a grand speech.
Did the message I delivered with such emphasis get through properly?
The players murmured.
In particular, No Tae-jin enthusiastically persuaded the people on his left and right, and the persuaded players persuaded yet other players.
The contagion of hope. It was a rare and precious sight to see.
Whether they finished their discussion or not, they expressed the players' will.
“Let's give it a try. Honestly, it's exhausting to doubt and scam each other every time, so let's aim for everyone's survival at least once.”
“In the end, we'll each walk out with 90 million won. 90 million won isn't a small amount either, so let's not be greedy just for this time and finish it until the end together.”
Assuming everyone agreed, we decided to share all the prize money from the 1st set to the 3rd set.
Of course, proceeding in a haphazard way could lead to variables where the math didn't add up.
Therefore, separately from the existing game rules, we discussed among ourselves and added a few rules on the spot.
During Search Time, wait quietly while sitting in your assigned chair.
When it becomes Rule Time, gather in the lobby.
After distributing the prize money, return to the place where your chair is located.
If clauses 1 through 3 are violated, everyone will cooperate to eliminate the traitor.
When I suggested the additional rules, the players praised me for organizing the necessary measures well and readily accepted them.
However, I couldn't forget.
The additional rules were merely a verbal agreement made on the spot among players.
There was no binding force.
No one knew when or who would break the additional rules.
“Then I will distribute the prize money starting now. Before that, would the person with the Prince rank please come forward?”
The one who responded to my call was No Tae-jin.
The prize money for a Prince was 50 million won.
Since we had to distribute 30 million won per person, No Tae-jin was in a position where he conversely had to spit money out.
Nevertheless, he had agreed with my opinion to share everything fairly.
‘Sigh, because of people who make backstabbing a daily routine, even someone like me is being treated like the boy who cried wolf.’
Were the words he said back then sincere?
He was a living witness proving that even a person who is too kind can survive as much as they want.
I tilted the angle of the Money Watch screen toward the person opposite me so it could be seen.
And I teased No Tae-jin while operating the functions with the button attached to the side of the device.
“Welcome, my Prince.”
No Tae-jin stood next to me, squirming in embarrassment.
“Please don't call me by such a strange title. The nuance is a bit……”
“A bit?”
“Gross, I guess…… No, I didn't mean I was saying something to you, Ju-seong, but that I felt gross hearing it.”
“Hahaha, at times like this, you should boldly shoot back by calling me Father. If you take it seriously, I'll end up looking like a fool along with you.”
“Oh~ I should have done that.”
The casual conversation between me and No Tae-jin completely broke down the players' vigilance.
Even though I didn't call for them separately, the person corresponding to the Noble rank left the line and volunteered to be excluded.
“I sat in the Noble chair. I received 30 million won, so I don't need to receive a separate distribution of prize money.”
Subsequently, the person corresponding to the Knight rank came forward and spoke to No Tae-jin.
“I am the Knight. I received 10 million won as prize money. Mr. Tae-jin…… no. If the Prince bestows 20 million won upon me, both sides will have 30 million won.”
“What's with correcting yourself after going to the trouble of calling me by name? Why are you all being like this, making the atmosphere weird~.”
While there are many people in the world who can be teased playfully, people who accept it playfully are rare.
In the same vein, No Tae-jin could be said to have a personality optimized for building a network of people.
As No Tae-jin transferred 20 million won to the Knight rank player, the settlement for the major ranks ended.
Next was the turn for the Commoners and the Slave.
The Commoner rank players lined up in front of me.
Among them, August was included.
‘Is August a Commoner? If the dealers had openly intervened in this game, August should have been the Slave. With this, it's confirmed that this is a fair match without dealer intervention.’
If there had been January's intervention, I would have to be the King and August would have to be the Slave for August to be able to suppress me.
However, appearing before me as a citizen who has no choice but to be unilaterally defeated by me was, in itself, beneficial information for me.
‘With this, it's proven that the dealers cannot rig the match…… and since I have the chance, shall I test August's true feelings?’
I deliberately adjusted the angle of the screen exquisitely so that my balance was visible to the players' eyes.
“30 million won deposited. Next person.”
One person, two, three, four…… and finally, the fifth Commoner approached me.
It was August.
Her asymmetrically cut bangs completely covered the left side of her face, and her right eye, which was at least revealed, sparkled like a camera lens zoomed in.
I deliberately brought my face very close as if I were about to dive into her pupils.
“Hmm.”
When I aggressively narrowed the gap between our faces, August was quite flustered and leaned her upper body back slightly.
“Why, why are you doing that?”
I straightened my upper body, which had been leaning forward, and smiled.
Beaming.
“I thought your face looked like someone I've seen somewhere before. Have we met somewhere?”
“No way. I'm meeting you for the first time here today.”
“Think carefully. Is your birthday perhaps in August?”
August is the English word for the 8th month.
If she's a dealer worth her name, there was no way she wouldn't understand my message mixed with provocation.
I expected her to be shaken, but as expected of a dealer, August didn't even change her expression and responded flexibly.
“Uh…… are you hitting on me right now?”
“If I say yes, will you fall for me?”
“Mmm, let me return the words you said while getting off the elevator earlier.”
“That depends on what you all do?”
“Yes, whether I fall for you or not depends on what you do, Ju-seong.”
While exchanging questions and answers with August, the deposit to August was completed.
August stepped back, and as a finale, I deposited 30 million won to the Slave grade player.
After distributing the prize money to everyone, the balance status had changed.
[Current balance : 2.335 billion won.]
When the distribution was finished, there were 10 minutes left in Rule Time.
We promised to wait while sitting in our respective chairs until the next Rule Time according to the additional rules and then dispersed.
I deliberately chose a route that circled around.
Found an empty corridor on the 1st floor.
Moved to the 3rd floor from the empty corridor.
Went out to the hallway on the 3rd floor and moved to another empty room.
Moved to the corridor on the 2nd floor from the empty room.
When I arrived at the corridor where the throne was, it was after the 1st set ended and the ranks were reset.
[The 1st set Rule Time has ended.]
[The ranks have been reset.]
[We are now entering the 2nd set of Search Time.]
Like a snake moving in a winding curve, I hid my information as much as possible by utilizing the fact that there were stairs in every room.
I didn't just move blindly; I moved while checking various things.
This game site was wide and the soundproofing for each room was perfect, and the upper and lower floors where noise was at least shared were empty rooms.
In other words, there was no way for other players to find out the location of my room.
Unless they had been following me craftily.
As soon as I arrived at the corridor with the throne, I pulled up the corners of my mouth.
“Can I take it that I have succeeded in hitting on you?”
As if flowing down from the stairs, white canvas shoes appeared first.
Long and elastic legs and a smooth silhouette as if forged like a blade followed.
On the face that was revealed last, an expressionless look like an ice sculpture was placed.
“You were hitting on me to fight, weren't you? If that's the case, you succeeded.”
“It's going to be a fierce date.”
“If it's an after-party, I'll decline in advance.”
There was plenty of displeasure in August's voice.
I shrugged my shoulders and provoked August in a cheeky tone.
“Dealer August. Correct?”
August barely maintained her expressionless face and spoke coldly as if nothing had happened.
“Are you the type to throw unreasonable jokes during a date? I really hate that.”
“You don't have to hide it from me. Even though I look like this, I have many friends.”
“And even talking to yourself. You weren't popular in society, were you?”
“How about listening to what I have to say before feigning innocence? Depending on the conditions, it's not like I can't tell you the identity of the traitor.”
In fact, a traitor didn't exist.
I had acted as if there were a traitor to plant the seeds of suspicion so that the dealers couldn't trust each other.
It's unfair if only players suspect and use each other, right? Don't just watch, join us in the world of backstabbing and suspicion.
The hint about the traitor was a move aimed at complex effects.
I expected August's concentration to be disrupted a bit after hearing the shocking news.
However, my attempt instead turned out to be like lighting a fire in August's fighting spirit.
August cracked her knuckles while pressing down on her fists.
“It seems you've misunderstood something. I didn't come looking for you for any other reason. I came here for an extremely ordinary player-like reason.”
A series of snapping sounds echoed like a machine gun.
She jumped with five steps remaining on the stairs and landed lightly on the corridor floor, boasting excellent physical balance.
“Everything is because of money. In this game, I can't even imagine any purpose other than making a fortune.”
I took a toothpick case out of my pocket and took a combat stance.
“The negotiation failed then.”
Inside the case, there were plenty of hypodermic needles that had gone through a special processing to have rust on them.
The moment I shook the case and poured a few hypodermic needles onto my palm.
August raised her guard and began bouncing on both feet, taking steps.
I don't want to yield the first attack to the opponent.
As our thoughts coincided, we both rushed toward each other at the same time without needing to say who was first.
I, who had foreseen August's deployment in advance.
August, who possessed a rank 1 ability that could definitely win against me.
The first battle between a player and a dealer began.