webnovel Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66
April’s body slumped limply.
I pulled out the dagger with the certainty that it was over.
Thick liquid poured out like a waterfall from the spot where the dagger had been embedded.
What poured out of April’s body was not limited to blood.
Patter!
A small medicine bottle about the size of a thumb fell from inside the punctured jacket.
Perhaps it was recently prescribed, as the medicine in the bottle was hardly diminished.
‘Had April been taking medication?’
Since it was a part that wasn't shown in the drama, it was information that clearly fell into a blind spot in my memory.
Curiosity arose, so I pocketed the medicine bottle.
At the same time I hid the medicine bottle, the sound of clapping was heard from behind.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sound of clapping felt very alien, like the eccentric behavior of a castanets player who had escaped a maestro's conduct.
Looking back, July was approaching while clapping.
As soon as July met my gaze, he politely bowed his waist slightly forward.
“It was a truly magnificent blow. Day by day, you are becoming closer to an unreachable existence.”
I raised my arm high and then swung it down, throwing the dagger to the floor.
The dagger, having fulfilled its duty, was stuck upside down in the floor.
“Is it my imagination that you seem rather happy even though a fellow Dealer has died?”
“Hahaha, it’s not exactly a harmonious workplace where we have to look out for each other's family events.”
“More importantly, the conditions of the match with April. You will handle it at your discretion, right?”
“I cannot go back on my word. April’s balance should be roughly 500 million won.”
Since the scope of the balance hadn't been specifically defined, I couldn't know the criteria for how the balance was calculated.
Of course, April wouldn't have possessed 500 million won in pure cash.
I thought it probably meant that if only the liquidatable parts among the assets April held were considered, 500 million won could be transferred.
It was not a bad amount for a bonus.
Aside from my personal match, the amount earned during this Round 5 game had already been settled.
[Final Prize Money: 360 million won.]
[Survivors: 4 people.]
[Prize Money per Person: 90 million won]
90 million won for running around for about an hour.
It was by no means a small amount.
However, the amounts earned in each previous game were so large that it wouldn't be strange if it felt relatively small.
Nevertheless, I composed my mindset while walking toward the exit.
‘If my sense of money becomes dull, the atmospheric pressure of my heart drops. 90 million won is a huge sum. I must continue to recognize that it is a lot of money.’
My sense of money must not become dull.
The moment the sense becomes dull, even though I have actually obtained a fairly large amount, I get the feeling that the reward is small compared to the effort, and my five senses become sluggish.
It is necessary to continuously whip myself mentally to lower the minimum point where I can feel a sense of accomplishment.
In other words, I must keep the threshold of pleasure low to survive.
‘Well, in the end, it’s like a diet. It’s not about being complacent because you recorded a low weight once, but about whipping yourself to stay at the low point and maintaining it.’
To begin with, it was 90 million won only when considering the prize money obtained through the game, but for me alone, I had earned 590 million won, so mentioning a small amount was contradictory in itself.
Gaining about 600 million won even after achieving everyone's survival.
Thinking about it again, I felt like I had done quite well.
It was truly a miracle-like achievement.
While I was lost in thought, the sound of Park So-yul calling me from afar was heard.
“Ju-seong! Come quickly! Let’s go back!”
I raised my head, which had been tilted slightly forward while I was lost in thought.
And looking straight ahead, I advanced with a straight gait.
“Going back…… Yes, I should. Let’s go back.”
Thus, we achieved a result that everyone among the players could be satisfied with and left the game site.
At the same time we left the game site, where the scent of blood and dust was being deposited in layers in the air, a change occurred in my balance.
[Current Balance: 5.65 billion won.]
***
After leaving the Game Tower, I and my party members headed to different places.
I moved to the hotel room where I had checked in, and the rest of the party moved to the medical facility.
This Round 5 was merely a medium level of difficulty by my standards, but for the rest of the party, it was clearly a high level of difficulty.
I was the only person who was fine without a single wound.
The other three were covered in wounds and felt their muscles stiffening in various parts of their bodies, so a medical examination was essential.
“Please come to my room once all three of you have finished your examinations. I have something to say.”
Leaving behind the instruction to gather in my room, I went over to the hotel and had time for a cooldown.
I took a shower with warm water, drank the water I had left at room temperature just before the game, and sitting in the table chair by the window, I munched on peppermint candies I had grabbed a handful of from the breakfast buffet exit and hoarded in my room.
I felt the back of my head, which had been giving off a slight fever, gradually cooling down.
As if an overloaded engine had regained its normal RPM.
I looked down at the playground through the window and whispered calmly.
“It seems that only the kernels that haven't been filtered through the sieve are remaining.”
Players who had played the East West South North Game at other locations were coming out into the playground.
One team had four survivors.
It was a cult team led by Kim Ju-han.
Setting their abilities aside, there was no room for doubt about their cohesion, so it wasn't surprising even if they succeeded in having everyone survive.
The rest of the teams all had three survivors.
Although there were occasionally people with serious injuries mixed in, the survival rate was quite high for improvised teams.
I could tell that the number of veterans becoming accustomed to this game was gradually increasing.
“Since four people are gone, there are twenty left. They will surely bring in players from outside to replenish the numbers in the next game.”
Through this Round 5, the management must have felt it too.
That it is difficult to incite conflict among players with a game conducted with a small number of people.
Park So-yul’s wish to encounter her mother might come true surprisingly soon.
While I was counting the number of survivors and picturing the future flow in my mind.
A knocking sound was heard from beyond the entrance.
Knock knock knock.
Is it Park So-yul?
It didn't take long for the ‘perhaps’ to turn into ‘as expected.’
The visitors were Park So-yul, Sim Yong-hun, and Seo So-hui.
They had come to fulfill the instruction to visit me as soon as they finished treatment.
In the hands of Park So-yul and Sim Yong-hun were medicine bags of different sizes.
I asked about their condition while letting the three inside.
“How were the results of the medical checkup?”
Park So-yul took charge of the answer.
“They said I just need to apply the medicine well and rest. These two here have to wear casts for a while.”
Sim Yong-hun was wearing a cast on his left arm, and Seo So-hui was wearing one on her right leg.
It was impressive that Sim Yong-hun had received medicine, but Seo So-hui had not.
As I watched Seo So-hui’s empty hands, she scratched the bridge of her nose awkwardly and laughed, “Hehe.”
“The doctor said he would prescribe ingredients that are okay for pregnant women to take. But I thought it would be better to be careful if possible.”
“You are going through a lot of trouble with your heavy body.”
“Oh, I’m not at the point where I’d be given a reserved seat yet. Since it's early, doing my best for a bit doesn't mean a problem will occur or anything.”
Doing my best for a bit…… There was no way I could fail to notice the meaning contained in those words.
It was an indirect expression that she would participate in more games.
The prize money the two currently held was 280 million won.
If the commission is removed, about 170 million won remains.
Since they said their debt was 30 million won, the money falling into their hands would become even less once the debt is paid.
It was an amount with which they could set up a household from scratch if they spent frugally in the countryside.
However, if an additional 100 to 200 million is added here, the money would double but the standard of living would become five or six times more comfortable.
Considering that they were students and couldn't find a decent job, I could understand their feeling of wanting to earn just a little more before leaving.
However, my thoughts were different.
I spoke firmly.
“Both of you, please exit at this point.”
Seo So-hui instinctively tried to object but soon closed her mouth.
As if she had much to say, she repeatedly opened and closed her lips, then took a deep breath and asked calmly.
“I’m thankful for your help in this Round 5. But we decide our own future. I wish you would respect that part.”
“Heh.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I wasn't giving an order. It's because the two of you have already obtained nearly 300 million won. It’s a sufficient amount to exit.”
“But once we pay the commission……”
“I’m talking about the amount after the commission is removed. Because I’m going to give the two of you 200 million won.”
Seo So-hui’s mouth hung open.
She was doubting her own ears.
No matter how much camaraderie they had built while cooperating in the same game, they were merely people who had spent at most about an hour together.
So when I said I would give them a huge sum of 200 million won, she couldn't help but disbelieve it.
I tapped the Money Watch screen with my index finger.
“Naturally, I’m not giving it up for nothing. I can copy an opponent’s ability if I satisfy certain conditions. I have already copied Ms. So-hui’s ability as well.”
“Ah! So that's why you used the same ability as So-yul Unnie throughout the game! I understand now!”
“I will use Ms. So-hui’s ability to rent Mr. Yong-hun’s ability. 200 million won for 200 days. I don't know how long this game will last, but 200 days will be more than enough to use it until the game ends.”
For now, the ability is in a copied state because the two recognize me as an ally, but it is a situation where it's certain the ability will be erased in some form sooner or later.
Whether they earn a bit more money and exit early, or Seo So-hui dies and Sim Yong-hun turns dark. Either way.
But what if I compare Sim Yong-hun’s ability with Seo So-hui’s ability?
Even if the two exit, Sim Yong-hun’s ability will be maintained during the rental period.
In other words, even if by some chance not a single ally remains by my side, I will secure at least one ability I can use.
I asked about Sim Yong-hun’s intentions.
“This ability activates only after mutual agreement and payment of money. Mr. Yong-hun, I will pay 200 million won, so will you accept the deal?”
Sim Yong-hun suddenly seemed overwhelmed with emotion as he turned around and showed me his back.
And he threw his head back and exhaled a mouthful of hot breath.
“Haah, really…… Hahaha, I don't know what to say.”
He sniffled.
He wiped both eyes with his sleeve.
He exhaled long to lower his raised shoulders.
When he finished all the actions to compose his emotions, Sim Yong-hun finally turned around and looked me in the face.
“I will accept the deal.”
“Then let's go outside the hotel for a moment. Abilities cannot be activated inside the hotel.”
“That…… Thank you so much.”
I and Sim Yong-hun went outside the hotel to complete the deal, and after completing the deal, we returned to the room.
My balance decreased by 200 million, and Sim Yong-hun’s balance increased by 200 million.
Having earned a bonus of 500 million won from the deathmatch with April, consuming 200 million among that wasn't even enough to be considered an indulgence.
Even after finishing the deposit, the balance still maintained a surplus.
[Current Balance: 5.45 billion won.]
While I was munching on a peppermint candy sitting at the coffee table after closing the deal, the two students looking up at me with expressions overcome with emotion caught my eye.
They were feeling infinite gratitude for having obtained unexpected extra income and becoming able to return safely.
Soon, the two will undergo the return procedure.
From now on, these two will not appear in my scenario.
Instead, they will move to another stage and begin writing a scenario of their own.
I wore a deep smile as a way of wishing that their stage would begin successfully.
“I hope you both have a happy married life.”