Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 267
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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A VIP room in the Body Casino, where I'd ballooned my coins up to 2772 through methods that were little more than scams.
We'd just been offered a special gamble reserved for VIPs by the dealer.
Russian Roulette.
Participants: two from our group.
But to achieve our goal, we had to take this gamble.
I glanced at the body parts and organs dangling from the rail.
'Lee Seong-hae's pieces are hanging there too.'
Through Russian Roulette, I had to win at least enough to be recognized as 'himself' and reassemble him.
And sure enough.
"I'll step up first."
Someone from the group raised their hand immediately.
Choi the agent, eyes gleaming.
"Agent!"
"My odds of 'actually' dying are low, and the rescue odds are high~ If you're an agent who knows basic math, you gotta do it."
That's right.
'Based on what we've experienced, dying here in the Segwang Special City subway just wakes us up in reality and lets us escape.'
The problem was.
'...Can we be 100% sure it'll work this time too?'
Even a one-in-a-thousand chance of real death.
And that would be the end.
......
"I'll go first."
At that moment, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je brushed off her clothes and stepped forward.
"...!"
"Citizen, wait..."
"No, courage is my specialty, after all."
She turned to us and waved the hand equipped with her item.
The swapped hand.
"I didn't have this hand to begin with anyway. No need to go fetching it. Saves coins, you see."
"...!"
"And you can't go last."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's prosthetic hand pointed at Choi the agent.
"Huh? Come on, citizen, you stepped up so coolly—don't back out now..."
I shook my head.
"Agent. You're the only one who can identify the body parts."
"...!"
Choi the agent worked their mouth, then let out a sigh.
"You Deer bastard, sharp as ever."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je smirked, but tension still hung heavy in the air.
"You lot who only swapped pinkies—go use coins to reclaim your pinkies. Don't whine later that you can't move even after getting out."
"Pardon?"
"Your current state might affect you when you 'wake up,' so no need to gamble on unnecessary risks."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je strode forward assertively.
"I'll play."
"......"
But then.
"This is a game where one of the participating guests must die without fail. Are you sure you want to play?"
Huh?
"Yes. We'll play."
"...Would you like me to explain Russian Roulette again?"
"Six-shooter with one bullet. We take turns shooting ourselves. If you get hit, you die. Fire three in a row without dying, and you get a body part as reward. Right?"
"Yep! And there's also the option to forfeit a body part to pass the turn..."
"No need. No one here's using that."
"......"
And 15 minutes and 20 seconds later.
We watched Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's head explode right in front of us...
"......"
"......"
The victor. The pale-faced Bronze Agent stood there with dark eyes, suppressing trembling hands before the scene.
Staring at the blood-soaked corpse that had fired the first three shots in a row.
Click.
"Congratulations! You've won!"
This.
Wasn't working. The shock was bigger than expected.
No matter how much I reminded myself we'd wake up in reality, watching an acquaintance die 'as planned' right in front of me...
'...Worse than the noose.'
The mood froze solid.
"And this one fired three in a row, resulting in injury... Oh, they've died."
The dealer, who had been counting, turned to us.
"Party member? ...You can take the injury instead."
Our gazes turned to Choi the agent.
The agent, who could distinguish the body, stepped forward with a stiff face and examined the parts on the rail.
And selected one.
"Shoulder!"
"......"
A part that could attach right to the neck.
It was the top-priority piece we'd discussed beforehand.
Cold sweat dripped from the composed Choi the agent's face.
"Nooow..."
Lee Seong-hae Deputy's head turned to us and asked.
"You can stop here and leave the room. What'll it be?"
"......"
We'd already bet everything.
On dying inside Segwang Special City waking us outside.
So.
"We'll continue."
"Then who's betting next?"
It continued.
I raised my hand and pulled the trigger.
Click. The empty chamber echoed hollowly.
'Can't stop.'
I had to fire three in a row without pause to get a body part.
I kept pulling without stopping, fast enough to suppress the survival instinct shaking my hand.
Click.
The next one...
Click.
"......"
Cold sweat trickled down my jaw.
'Survived.'
And that meant.
My Russian Roulette opponent had to die for sure.
"...Bronze Agent."
"......"
The opponent picked up the pistol I'd set on the table and aimed at their temple, pulling the trigger.
And.
The gunshot rang on the very next shot.
"......"
Death.
"Congratulations! You've won. The guest who fired three in a row gets an injury..."
The cold sweat chilled me.
Choi the agent hurried to the rail at an unusually fast pace and picked a body part. How many more do we need? We could get up to five if we kept going, but would that be enough? That...
"Get up."
......
"...Pardon?"
"Rest."
I looked up to see Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
The Lizard Section Chief quickly cleared Bronze Agent's corpse and sat on the corresponding sofa.
"Assign your spot to Goat Supervisor."
"...!"
Baek Saheon immediately turned and bolted.
'That bastard.'
I dashed after and grabbed him.
"Ack."
"You know you have to die to get out anyway."
"Fuck, what if it's real death...!"
"Oh, so there's another way?"
"......"
"Or you wanna get stuck in this Darkness alone?"
He couldn't scout this insane apocalypse-grade disaster subway alone anyway, leaving us here.
He'd end up fully corrupted like Lee Seong-hae Deputy now or take euthanasia pills and wake in reality. No need for him to take that risk.
...Of course.
'...But what if it really kills us?'
That tiny doubt chilled me to the bone.
But rationally, emotionally, it had to be done.
My spine crawled, but I didn't release my grip on his arm. Letting him flee now would lead to a longer, more painful death.
"Just eat the euthanasia pills...! Why shoot my head?!"
......
"Then do that."
"Pardon?"
Yeah.
No matter what, I couldn't force this death method. There was the euthanasia option.
'He wasn't even part of the group originally.'
This had nothing to do with humanity.
...Unless compensated.
"I could double the coins you won at the slots."
"...!"
"Think about it. Even after playing, you'd have that much left."
No, high chance of over 2000 left...
I whispered.
"350 coins."
"......"
"You could take that much. We gotta keep this project going... Think about what hundreds of casino coins could buy next time we come in."
Silence flowed.
Choi the agent selecting parts, bantering with the dealer for info—it echoed behind me.
"...500 coins."
"Deal."
"Fuck."
Baek Saheon spat the curse, flinched, but still sweating, returned and sat on my sofa.
"Then we'll begin."
And.
During his three consecutive pulls first, he died on the third.
"......"
"Congratulations!"
Now left...
......
I sat facing Section Chief Lee Jaheon again on the sofas. Baek Saheon's blood made the sofa slick.
"Section Chief. Can you sense the loaded chamber right now?"
"Impossible."
"...Right."
I'd asked pointlessly, knowing it changed nothing.
Even if he could, it wouldn't matter.
'Ha.'
The revolver on the table pointed at Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
The designated opponent picked up the gun first.
"I'll fire three in a row."
But.
...His head was pierced on the first shot.
"......"
"You're extremely lucky!"
I sucked in a breath, then panted...
How many times was that?
Better to die now.
"Congratulations! The loser's injury... Oh, but you can't claim it this time. Game's over!"
Ah.
"If you die on the first of three consecutive pulls... like now, the condition isn't met?"
"Seems so?"
Hold on.
'Then...'
In the worst case, Lee Seong-hae Deputy's body we have now might be it.
I looked at the three pieces we'd gotten so far.
Shoulder, chest, waist.
Oddly, they stuck together the moment extracted, but didn't even make a minimal torso.
'Need the pelvis at least.'
Only then might it register as 'Lee Seong-hae Deputy's surviving form.'
And if lost body parts reflect in reality, we'd need that much to do anything outside.
So...
......
"How about this."
I raised my hand and said.
"Spin it with two bullets loaded."
"Ooh?"
Let's gamble with higher risk.
And casino games reward higher risks with bigger payouts.
"So... if you can fire three in a row with a two-bullet revolver,"
I looked at the rail.
"You get two body parts."
"...!"
Yes.
Plus, this might not feel like much extra 'risk.' The game ends with one death anyway—the frame's the same.
Then.
"And additionally..."
I held back a sigh.
"The winner, after the opponent dies, must pick up the gun and fire at least one more into themselves."
"Oh?"
"One bullet left for sure. Both risk death and must pull the trigger."
In short, madness.
No.
'We can do it.'
I have a plan.
And the dealer, hearing the proposal.
"......"
Paused as if receiving some 'decision' from the casino...
"VIP rooms always provide private pleasures. We'll accept that variant rule. Good!"
Phew.
'Got it.'
I blinked and sat on the sofa.
Now left...
"Whoops. Grape and me."
Me and Choi the agent.
(Note: Go Yeongeun was sidelined due to party limits, but now...)
'Thank goodness.'
If she got caught up by mistake, she'd really die.
"Ah, before we start, a quick word."
"Sure~"
Choi the agent stood, grabbed my shoulder, and said.
"That earlier? Guaranteed way to get the body, right."
"...Yes."
"Okay."
Choi grabbed me and turned my body toward the rail.
"Then, Grape. Look closely."
"......"
"Third one's pelvis, seventh left arm, fifteenth right arm."
Lee Seong-hae Deputy's body parts.
In case they died, they told me.
"Claim those as injuries."
"...Yes."
Me and Choi the agent dispersed back to our sofas.
And the dealer picked up the gun...
"Ah, can I choose where to load the bullets? Odds are the same regardless."
"...Sure."
...I specified the bullet positions I wanted.
And.
"If we both die, please hand over the 'injuries' and coins to the one waiting outside as our party member."
"......"
"Dealer."
"Yes."
And the order...
Thud.
"Me first."
"......"
"Grape."
Choi the agent raised the pistol and said.
"Wanna guess? One bullet every three chambers?"
"...!"
"One in, skip two, one in, skip two..."
They looked at me.
"No matter the spin, once a bullet fires, next two are empty."
Right.
"So... if I get hit, Grape succeeds three in a row guaranteed and takes the body."
Of course.
Whichever way, the last shot's live.
"We both die for sure."
......
"See you later."
Choi the agent died on the second shot.
"Congratulations! You've won."
"......"
The sofa was drenched in blood.
Floors and sofas filled with blood and corpses.
"Rest before the 'winner's Russian Roulette'? Or..."
"Dolphin."
I confirmed it in the last game.
I turned to look at Lee Seong-hae Deputy's head.
......
No.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"Pardon?"
Lee Seong-hae Deputy herself.
"You allowed this variant rule knowing?"
"......"
"If I choose bullet positions, the winner shooting themselves is meaningless."
I continued.
"I can pick a guaranteed survival spot based on loading."
The dealer couldn't not know this.
Yet they 'played dumb' and approved it...
Meant a choice from another self.
"Dolphin, you let it slide?"
"......"
Felt off from earlier.
'Kept urging us to leave...'
Not dealer-like.
Subtly pushing people out within casino rules.
So if...
"You preserved some ego as dealer after some 'treatment'? Staying alive, scouting survival chances?"
"No idea what you mean."
"Some of your consciousness remains?"
"......"
"You saw my bullet adjustment as your survival shot and allowed it..."
"Guest, your statements prove variant rule tampering."
Ah.
"Casino cheating. Forfeit all injuries from Russian Roulette played so far and leave the VIP room."
"......"
"Leave immediately. Or we'll take measures."
I looked at the Russian Roulette 'injuries.'
The auto-connected body pieces.
'...If ego remains, maybe persuade her to attach them herself.'
Seems impossible from context.
'...Then.'
"Hold on."
Pretended to turn and leave...
Then lunged at the dealer.
"...!"
And started ripping off Lee Seong-hae Deputy's head.
"Mmph."
A horrific sensation transmitted through my hands—like nothing I'd felt.
Crunching bones, mismatched parts detaching. Dealer's tough body cracking my ribs, their grip biting my hand, fumbling for documents...
But no other chance otherwise.
"Hngh!"
I finally tore off the head.
And immediately attached it to the pre-obtained injury body pieces.
"...!"
If VIP room truly private, dealer backup delayed slightly—that's what I banked on.
'No turning back.'
Soon this casino would claim my body like the missing organ victims.
So, since it's come to this.
"Hngh."
I went to the rail, grabbed a few pre-specified Lee Seong-hae Deputy pieces with bloody hands, and hastily attached them.
And.
Forced euthanasia pills into that mouth.
"...!"
Blocked nose and mouth—swallowed. By confirmation time, presences approached outside VIP room.
Sounds of someone detecting 'property damage' coming.
"Hngh."
I snatched the pistol from the table right away.
And, and...
Click, click.
Two dry fires, then the bullet blew my head.
"......"
Why does my head hurt so much?
The gunshot affecting my real body maybe...
But I realized soon it wasn't.
Because.
"...!"
I still had a human body.
And.
"Huff."
Go Yeongeun was.
Carrying me on her back, running.
Through the subway station.