Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Teammates I Really Want to Kill
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The first person to enter becomes the team leader—that announcement made Bai Yu, the Chinese guy, scowl deeply as he turned to me and Nick with a question. Right then, as if on cue, the ongoing broadcast cut off for a moment.
“Which of you two is the leader? You, hooknose? Or... you?”
Thanks to the bracelet, his ear-grating Chinese finally came through as Korean. Probably the same for them, hearing it in their own languages.
But what the hell was with this bastard using informal speech right off the bat with strangers? Was the translation function limited to that, or was he just looking down on me? Not that I planned on being polite myself.
No reason to use honorifics with some NPC-wannabe.
“Me. Got a problem with that?”
I flashed the armband and replied casually. Bai Yu let out a heavy sigh before continuing.
“You. What country are you from?”
That look in his eyes, dismissing all non-Chinese Asians as inferior, and his authoritarian tone assuming natural superiority as a Chinese man.
This guy reeked of the type who saw himself as Asia's number one, the greatest Chinese ever, from the greatest nation, ordering barbarians like me around.
Fat chance.
If he spouted any bullshit, I'd curse him out to his face, and if he swung first, I'd smash him dead and melt his skull with my unholy touch.
I wasn't generous enough to let provocations slide. If he attacked first, I'd have justification aplenty. Cross into violence beyond words, and I'd mercilessly ship him off to Kashnax's embrace.
As I clenched and unclenched my fist, prepping some top-tier parental insults to bait him into striking first, Nick—who'd been watching the exchange—cut in and stole my response.
I'd planned to roast him so hard he'd lose it and give me an excuse to kill, but Nick ruined it.
“Hey, Chinaman. You might think you can bully this small, fragile Korean by bringing up nationality, but I'd stop there if I were you. That's not righteous behavior.”
Nick just insulted me. Small and fragile? Pretending to rein in the Chinese while dragging me down too...
Infuriating, but his intervention shifted Bai Yu's aggro onto him.
Bai Yu snorted at Nick's warning to butt out and not cross the line, finding it amusing.
“What? Chinaman? Ha. Mind your own business, you damn hooknose. This isn't your place, limey bastard.”
“Damn hooknose? You're insane. That's some seriously racist shit. And my nose is average for a white guy. Ching chong chang.”
“Ching chong? You motherfucker!!”
Bai Yu seemed to have fully switched targets to Nick, lunging at him, while Nick flipped him off, fuming.
They looked ready to draw blades, so I jumped between them.
These two idiots had been glaring from the start, using me as an excuse to throw down, hyped for it. If I didn't intervene, one would die for sure. My bet was on Bai Yu.
'What absolute psychos...'
Yeah, both these bastards were nuts. I had to keep my head straight. Otherwise, they'd rip each other apart.
“Cut it out! No fighting, you fuckers!!”
“Let go!! Pancake!! I'm killing that hooknose today!!”
“Hahaha! Try it, stupid chink!!”
“Fuck!! You crazy gook bastard!! I said stop!!! And you, quit provoking him!! Argh!! Stop! Put the knife away!!!”
I barely calmed Bai Yu, who'd drawn his hand axe, sat him back down, and coaxed Nick—who'd half-pulled his knife—to chill, wiping cold sweat.
College group projects sounded better. After adapting to this apocalypse, grouping survivors meant any annoyance led to instant blades.
'This shit's usually my specialty...'
Somehow, as team leader, I'd ended up the voice of reason. Driving me mad.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Looks like disturbances are breaking out everywhere. Some don't want to be leader. Others tried to snatch the armband. Note: Rooms with bloodshed before bracelets were worn have been isolated. Those still without bracelets will also be isolated, so please equip them quickly.] Our room survived thanks to my mediation, but others without one had started fighting and got isolated—automatic elimination, per the broadcast.
Starting off eliminated already.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Everyone seems to have equipped their bracelets now. Next, rules to follow and survival info will be provided. No disturbances—listen carefully.] We three finally regained peace and waited silently. Bai Yu closed his eyes, temper cooled. Nick started on his fourth chocolate bar. The thought of leading these idiots made my chest tight; I fiddled with my bracelet.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [First rule, reiterated: 'No team kills.' But since some ignore that, you'll vent on teammates, hate each other, and eventually want them dead. So, special measure: Attempting to kill a teammate deletes your account.] Account deletion?
What nonsense? Did it mean stripping player status... losing all powers on team kill?
“Outrageous tyranny. The devs are abusing power. Not righteous at all.”
“Damn... Annoying, but I agree. What kind of bastard made this rule?”
Absurd enough that Nick and Bai Yu—who'd been at each other's throats moments ago—agreed. Same for me. No team kills... Couldn't off these two... Pure torture for the whole mansion run.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Surely no one's cursing me over this? It's simple: Unite with teammates, problem solved. Some need this safeguard to enjoy team play safely. No objections.] The broadcast wasn't wrong. Can't attack teammates, but other teams are fair game. Just meant we had to cooperate through the mansion.
Problem was, that seemed unlikely.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Next, second rule: 'Escape as three.' Mansion exit opens only for three. If a teammate dies by accident, kidnap or steal one from another team to open it.] Escape requires exactly three. No more, no less.
'Can't kill teammates myself, but accidents... Yeah, can make that happen.'
Plan: Spot other team members, frame Nick and Bai Yu for murder, enslave replacements, escape. Then the broadcast continued, as if reading my mind.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Teams losing even one member fail clear; even if escaping, we confiscate the seal ring. You'd escape empty-handed.] “What the fuck!! No way that's fair!!!”
Not me yelling—Bai Yu. Total scum. He'd already plotted the same frame job. I had too, same mindset...
“Hah... Bai Yu, your poker face sucks.”
“Hmph. Shut up.”
Bai Yu whipped his head away at Nick's jab.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Mansion exit only via designated doors. Other exits or windows lead to dimensional rifts—beware.] Three sheets of paper fluttered down from the ceiling with the broadcast. Printed photos of our escape doors.
“Hm... Door with triangular window.”
“White wooden door. What's with the handle?”
“Rose pattern engraved on it.”
We muttered over the prints. Focus sharpened for all, survival on the line. Nick and Bai Yu scrutinized intensely.
'Individuals... Seem decent enough...'
Our real issue? Mutual loathing over abilities.
“Got 'em memorized. You two? Surely not too hard?”
“Obviously. Want me to draw it?”
“Enough already.”
“Hmph. Acting all leader-like is grating.”
“To me, you're both the same Easterners, but your Chinese superiority complex is pathetic.”
“Hah... Gonna lose it.”
Bickering nonstop. If not stuck together, I'd have enslaved them for evil god snacks.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Finally, mansion interior is vast, time distorted. Don't lose teammates. Broadcast ends. In 30 seconds, teleport to random mansion spot with team.] Broadcast over. 30 seconds to teleport with these hopeless teammates. Just do the job quietly.
'Skills... Hide as much as possible...'
Cultist staples like Tentacle Ejection and Abyssal Maw only in emergencies. One might be a good god spy. No need to expose. If they learned I'm a Cultist, they might risk deletion to kill me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Teleporting now.] Light enveloped us, flinging us somewhere in the Horror Mansion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Ugh... Damn...”
“Hey. Shut up and get up, Pancake.”
“...Huh?”
Bai Yu's voice snapped me up. Pitch black around us. Fetid stench and blood reek everywhere.
Random toss like dice; body sore and battered. No time to whine—I activated distorted vision to pierce the dark.
Bai Yu and Nick crouched ahead. Beyond them, ceiling hung crammed with dangling figures...
“Fuck... Human slaughterhouse?”
The room we landed in bristled with dead humans hooked up.
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