Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Interview
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The condition to acquire the Rune of Clones was simple.
All one had to do was commit murder at the place where the rune was hidden while impersonating someone else.
Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounded.
‘How often does someone commit murder while impersonating another person?’
But today, that very thing was about to happen.
That guy, impersonating the Black Scythe, would commit murder and obtain the Rune of Clones.
‘Of course, he has no idea.’
Ryu Min read the imposter's thoughts.
-Heh heh, they really think I'm the Black Scythe? Idiots. I didn't think it would be this easy to fool them.
While maintaining a blank expression on the outside, he was laughing his head off on the inside.
‘Not a flicker in his expression? He could be an actor.’
The real nickname of the man currently impersonating the Black Scythe was [Kukurubbingbong].
He would stumble upon the Rune of Clones by chance and later earn the moniker "Doppelganger."
‘He’s a nobody now, but he becomes famous after getting the Rune of Clones.’
Famous not in a good way, but in a bad one.
Because he used the Rune of Clones to commit all sorts of crimes.
‘Makes sense. He was a piece of trash with a record of fraud to begin with.’
Loan scams, pyramid schemes, dine-and-dashes, spam coins, impersonating hacked exchanges, voice phishing, and so on.
He was an experienced and professional con artist who had tried nearly every scam that made money.
‘And a guy like that becomes a Player and is now impersonating the Black Scythe…’
The reality that even criminals could gain otherworldly powers was bitter, but only for a moment.
Seeing the imposter before him as planned, Ryu Min smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
‘I’ll use him to get my hands on the Rune of Clones.’
It was a chance to obtain a Hidden Piece.
"Alright, now that everyone's introduced themselves, I'll just confirm some personal information. Shall we start with you, Kkokkomakkomak?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
Ryu Min put on a tense expression, like a newly enlisted trainee.
"Your real name is Kim Seung-hyun, correct?"
"Yes."
"And your age?"
"I'm nineteen."
"Do you currently have a job?"
"No, I just graduated from high school..."
"Nineteen, unemployed..."
The interviewer muttered, jotting down the information on a document.
"On your application, you wrote that you're a level 13 Assassin. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is."
"And is it also true that you've reached 4th in the district rankings?"
"Yes, yes."
Even as he answered "yes," he couldn't help but scoff internally.
‘True? It’s all a pack of lies.’
There was only one thing he hadn't lied about.
His nickname.
‘Kkokkomakkomak is a real nickname.’
In other words, Ryu Min was also impersonating another Player.
‘That's the only way I can meet the conditions to get the Rune of Clones, too.’
The interviewer would be dumbfounded if he knew.
There were two imposters right in front of him.
‘No matter what lies I tell, they have no way of verifying them.’
That didn't mean it wasn't uncomfortable.
His identity was hidden, but his face was not.
‘Well, it's fine. I don't have to worry about my face being leaked through these guys.’
Ryu Min glanced at Black Flame Dragon and the imposter.
-District ranking 4th? The skinny bastard is surprisingly good, huh?
-Hmm. Even I haven't made it to 4th... I guess I shouldn't underestimate him just because he looks like a pushover.
While he was reading their thoughts, the interviewer's gaze shifted.
"Understood. Next, I have some questions for Black Flame Dragon in the Right Hand."
"Before that, can I ask something?"
"Yes, Black Flame Dragon. What are you curious about?"
"Why aren't we talking one-on-one? Why are you revealing our personal information in front of everyone else? Is there a reason?"
At his somewhat disgruntled tone, the interviewer's expression hardened slightly.
"Well, I was asking openly so you could all get to know each other and become friendly... Are you uncomfortable with others hearing your personal information?"
"Is there anyone who wouldn't be?"
"You'll all find out anyway once you become members and get close, won't you? Besides, I'm only asking for basic information like name, age, occupation, and your otherworldly level and class."
"..."
Though he tried to sound reasonable, Black Flame Dragon's dissatisfaction didn't fade.
The interviewer let out an audible sigh.
"Hmph, if you're really that unhappy, we can just not proceed with your interview..."
"Well, it's not that big of a deal, so just go ahead."
Black Flame Dragon answered nonchalantly, but Ryu Min knew.
He was quite flustered on the inside.
‘Of course he is. He applied with the intention of preying on other Players, so he'd want to pass the interview no matter what.’
For Black Flame Dragon, who possessed the Rune of Absorption, a Player union café was nothing short of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Then I'll begin the questions. Your real name is Shim Hyung-taek, correct?"
"Yes."
"And your age and occupation?"
"I'm fifteen, a middle school student."
"Oh, you're the youngest of the applicants."
He was smiling on the outside as if giving a compliment, but his thoughts were different.
-This fatass. I thought he was at least an adult, but he's just a middle schooler?
-Heh heh, he looks so damn old for his age.
Even the imposter, who had been maintaining a poker face, was barely holding back his laughter.
But Ryu Min couldn't laugh.
He knew what Black Flame Dragon had done.
‘Would they be laughing like that if they knew this kid brutally murdered his own classmates? Of course, they were more like bullies who teased and tormented him.’
Having had a similar experience, Ryu Min could understand.
He must have wanted to kill them.
And having experienced countless murders in the 4th round, he must have been confident.
‘But to murder ordinary people so brutally just because they messed with you? That's not something a normal middle schooler can do.’
It was something even most adults would struggle with, yet Black Flame Dragon had planned and executed the murders methodically.
‘He’s definitely no ordinary kid. Even considering he has the Rune of Absorption.’
That was why Ryu Min had killed him five times in the 4th round to keep him in check.
His very existence was a danger.
"Is it also true that you're a level 10 Warrior and have reached 3rd in the district rankings?"
"Of course it's true. Did you think I was lying?"
As Black Flame Dragon spoke sullenly, the interviewer seemed a little taken aback.
"Ahem, I was just asking for confirmation. I apologize if you were offended."
"..."
"Next, Black Scythe's name is..."
"Kim In-hong. Age 28. Occupation is fund manager. I've never once lost the 1st place rank in this district, my level is 30, and you're well aware that my class is Reaper, right?"
"Ah, yes! Of course."
"Are we done now? Is there anything else I need to prove?"
"Not at all! Thank you for the confirmation."
After speaking nonchalantly, the so-called Black Scythe crossed his arms again.
He was a smooth talker, just as you'd expect from a con artist.
‘That guy, everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie.’
Even the name he gave, Kim In-hong, wasn't his own.
Not to mention the information about the Black Scythe.
‘A fund manager? What a joke, for a guy who lives by scamming others.’
The reason he was posing as the Black Scythe was all for money.
‘He plans to use the Black Scythe's reputation to borrow money from Players. That's why he's trying to join the café.’
Even if the economy collapsed and a dystopian era arrived, money wouldn't disappear.
Its value would only decrease.
"That concludes the simple information check. We will now begin the actual interview."
The three men focused on the interviewer's words.
"First, I have a question for all of you. Please tell me, one by one, why you wish to join our PleSeBa. Let's start with you, Kkokkomakkomak."
"Ah, for me..."
As someone who had repeated this loop, Ryu Min naturally knew the answer they wanted to hear.
He knew the purpose of the café called PleSeBa and what kind of Players they wanted to recruit.
"The world is a dangerous place these days, isn't it? It's scary to be alone, and I thought it would be good if fellow Players could unite, so I decided to apply."
"Hmm, I see. Next, Black Flame Dragon in the Right Hand?"
"Umm..."
Shim Hyung-taek fell into thought for a moment.
He couldn't very well say he came here to kill Players, could he?
"I... have a similar reason to Kkomak. I can't go to school anymore, and I'm worried about the next round, so I thought it would be nice to ask for each other's opinions and be a source of strength..."
‘So he’s riding my coattails.’
When he provided the model answer, Black Flame Dragon would follow suit.
It was something he had repeated in previous regressions.
‘Only by Players banding together can we set the world right. That's this café's slogan and motto.’
As long as you spoke on the theme of Player unity, you could consider the first part of the interview passed.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"And you, Black Scythe?"
"I just saw there was a café and applied. It looked like it might be fun."
"...Haha, is that so?"
Whatever the Black Scythe said would be a free pass.
Why would they fail a big shot like the Black Scythe when he was gracing them with his presence?
‘This is just a formality, too.’
It was obvious, even without reading his mind, that the interviewer wanted to pass him on the spot.
"Excellent. All three of you have given answers that are quite satisfactory from the café's perspective. Now, one more question. Kkokkomakkomak."
"Yes."
"Have you ever been bullied at school? Or is there anyone you want to kill?"
"What?"
Although he had expected the question, Ryu Min feigned surprise.
"What do you mean by that..."
"It's a necessary question for the interview, so please just answer."
"We-well, I was bullied... but not to the point of wanting to kill anyone..."
"Hmm, is that so? Is there no one you hold a personal grudge against? You can tell me now."
"Uh, no, there isn't."
As Ryu Min waved his hands in denial, the interviewer looked somewhat disappointed.
"Understood. Then I'll ask Black Flame Dragon the same question. Have you ever been teased at school? Or was there anyone who bullied you? Or anyone you want to kill?"
"..."
Looking at Black Flame Dragon, Ryu Min could see he was contemplating what answer would get him through the interview.
-What kind of question is this? What do they want? Shit. Should I just honestly say I killed them all?
Watching the conflicted Black Flame Dragon, Ryu Min laughed inwardly.
‘Go on, be honest. If you say you committed murder, you'll probably get a free pass.’
But he wasn't crazy enough to confess his crimes to a stranger, and Black Flame Dragon shook his head.
"Bullying? Nothing like that."
"Ah... there isn't?"
The interviewer sighed, looking disappointed once again.
"And you, Black Scythe?"
"Why? If there's someone I want to kill, are you going to kill them for me? What's the point of asking such a useless question?"
As the Black Scythe retorted, the interviewer's eyes widened.
He looked surprised by the defiance, but that wasn't it.
"Oh, how did you know? That's right. I asked because we'll kill them for you. To be precise, we'll kill them together."
"What?"
The others stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
It was only natural, given how casually he was discussing murder.
"Why is everyone so surprised? You've all experienced killing in the 4th round, haven't you?"
"..."
"Well, I understand. Killing in the other world and killing in reality probably feel different."
"..."
"I'll reveal it now, but the final stage of the interview is to commit murder. You must kill someone to pass the final interview. That's why I asked if there was anyone you wanted to kill."
"Co-commit murder... you say."
Ryu Min's mouth hung open as he put on a masterful performance of shock.
"Why would we do something like that..."
"Hmm? You don't seem to understand, Kkomak."
‘It’s not just me. The others look confused too, so please explain.’
As if in response to Ryu Min's thoughts, the interviewer nodded.
"Alright. I suppose I should make you understand why we're doing this. As those of you who have seen the news know, the government is already showing signs of regulating and ostracizing Players. They're afraid of our power, which transcends that of humans."
He wasn't wrong.
Faced with the rise of Players who were immune to conventional force, the government was preparing various laws.
‘But the fence of law is unlikely to have any power over Players who ignore it in the first place.’
Moreover, such policies would only fuel resentment among Players.
One only had to look at the interviewer before them to see that.
"We are different from ordinary people. We are no longer weak and inferior beings. I can say with certainty that a world led by Players is coming. If we join forces, that time will come even faster. That is the very purpose of this café!"
The interviewer's fervent speech resembled that of a fanatic lost in a cult, but...
‘I can't refute it, since it's what actually happens.’
Having experienced a world led by Players, Ryu Min couldn't just laugh it off.
"Therefore, we have no need to remain within the confines of the law. We must resist and fight against the government's regulations. We must show them that Players *are* the law."
"So that's why murder...?"
"That's right. Murder is a form of defiance, a way to show our will as Players to the government. It shows that they cannot bind us with things like laws."
"..."
"Do you understand now? Kkomak?"
"Ah, yes..."
"Our PleSeBa only passes those who are prepared to stand against the government and lead the future world. If any of you are not inclined to do so, please feel free to get up and leave now. However, those who leave now should not expect our café's help in the future."
He politely called it "help," but in reality, it meant being put on a blacklist.
In a way, it was no different from a threat.
Did they realize this?
No one stood up from their seats.
"Heh heh, it seems you all have sufficient resolve. Excellent. Then I will consider you all in agreement with the final interview and proceed."
"Proceed? With the murder?"
At Black Flame Dragon's response, the interviewer replied coolly.
"That's right."
"How can we proceed when we don't have a target to kill?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
The interviewer flashed a chilling smile.
"I've already scouted a target for an occasion just like this."