Those Who Went First
The problems listed in the rulebook were almost exhausted. There were still about 200 from the Response Bureau, but the remaining 300 were unknowns.
The staff team hadn't found an escape method yet.
Do I have to resort to force now?
If push came to shove, he'd wield his weapons, but civilians were still around. Fighting would put their lives at risk too, so he had to solve as many problems as possible with everything he had.
Please, let it be one I know.
"Next question!"
Q. What should you be careful of on the Buenar passenger ship?
It was an unknown, not provided by the Response Bureau.
How the hell do you solve something like this?
Honestly, even the ones so far were mysteries—how had the agents figured out the answers?
The answer to "Jokegibak 12 is equivalent to ephthalene?" was Ebon Rune 10g.
How do you even find that out?
No theory behind it, no foundation, not a riddle or nonsense—just a problem that felt inherently shitty.
It wasn't a quiz made to be solved; it was a deliberate trap disguised as one, designed to kill people.
"Tosami, any idea how the agents who wrote this rulebook found the answers?"
Tosami nodded.
"Brute-force word combos. If it matches, pass. If not, fail."
They'd tried every combination from A to Z to find the right answers.
Some were even in English.
Considering that... how many people died trying to figure this out? Unimaginable.
"No answer here."
Tosami pulled a pen from her pouch, speaking calmly as always.
"What's that pen?"
"Invisible to civilians and anomalies. Only visible to 9th Grade agents or higher who've had the special eye procedure. We use it for the hidden staff manual in the rulebook too."
"Why'd you take it out?"
"Yeah. Gonna note the unanswerable questions and our guesses. For whoever comes after. They might figure it out from this."
Tosami scribbled the question. The desk, already filthy with countless notes, grew even blacker.
"Can't even see it well. Who's gonna spot this?"
"Nonsense. Focus hard enough, you will. Aren't you 9th Grade?"
"Even 9th Grade agents can't see it."
"You gotta concentrate."
"So you can see everything on this desk at once?"
"Nah. Only a chosen few. The rest, too much and your brain melts from side effects. Seeing hidden info takes practice and training."
"Really? Hang on, step out."
Tosami blocked his path.
"Don't. You'll melt your brain. Truckloads of agents died trying without training."
"I'm fine. My eyes are good. Seen it a few times."
"Not for just anyone. Needs gradual prep and growth."
"No time for that now."
"......"
He shoved aside the dawdling Tosami and stared at the desk.
It's just an ordinary desk.
He tried peering into the hidden side.
No hidden truths. What you see is what it is.
He didn't stop.
Hidden info visible via Direct Gaze and Truth-Seeing Eye Drops effect.
Like an oil painting unraveling, endlessly layered script bloomed into view. He took it all in at a glance, yet the massive volume imprinted in his mind couldn't be contained at once.
His brain screamed not to look further. He looked anyway.
It was like trying to read a whole book from one page—suicidal. No longer a scream, but a twisting crunch as his brain forcibly folded and unfolded.
"Blood from your eyes. Close them now, recommended."
"I'm good."
He just kept gazing.
Got the Wish Ticket to save my family. Stuck at problem 30. Leaving my solved info and wrong answers.
Q. What to say to Ernon. A. Agamemnon is alive.
Q. What's in Borgochyo's wardrobe. A. Berinanchop.
Records of those who cracked these lethal quizzes filled his head.
Some succeeded; most failed miserably.
Some he knew, others new. They piled up, flooding his mind.
The problem: too much volume. Couldn't pinpoint the answer he needed. Even what he'd absorbed threatened to melt him.
"Hngh...."
This info mountain, built on countless deaths, wasn't for solo browsing.
Too intense all at once.
He melted the freshly absorbed info into a forum post. Even max length yielded thousands of entries.
So much left by those who went first.
"Time to answer approaching, but no participants have yet! So different from the confident ones before. Step it up, everyone!"
"Just heard viewership spiked. They must be waiting for your pathetic falls! I'm excited too!"
"Hold on a bit! D Team's dropping! Only 20 points left! C Team at 25! Bored? While you wait, enjoy penalty-mad C Team! Staff! Show that blusterer's clip compared to now!"
"Haa... this viewership after so long. Thrilling."
Raopf trembled in ecstasy.
"5 to limit!"
4.
3.
2.
1.
"Time's up! Correct answer for 'What to be careful of on the Buenar passenger ship?'"
Raopf saw the participants' lost expressions. Her lips curled ear-to-ear.
This. She dragged people here for quiz shows to see these faces.
Zero scores, racing to death—their ever-shifting expressions.
The sweet hope of the Wish Ticket, then despair without reaching it. Pure ecstasy. Viewers craved it too.
To see it, she'd broken broadcast rules, even accepted the moon.
Now show me those abyss faces.
Relentless deathmatch.
Problems depleted, but masks stripped too.
Couldn't impose harsh penalties yet, but soon.
Agents wouldn't kill civilians, so they'd chase answers—stacking penalties.
After known problems and enough penalties, unknowns. Then agents take hits.
Maybe agents would miss on purpose to lighten penalty load. She baited that with extra points.
Agents sacrificing civilians for self-preservation? Prime viewing.
That blustering C Team guy seemed perfect, pity he's mad already.
Still fine.
Exposed faces promised spectacle either way. Gap from bland masks to raw emotion—irresistible.
Her gaze drifted to the D Team man.
Dared mock her, whom even eye contact should terrify.
She'd broken fairness, imposed intimate skinship penalty—bounced off.
She'd fled in panic.
Breaking fairness.
Failed punishment.
Humiliating.
Redemption: wretched end.
How to kill this time?
Deduct points first.
As Raopf organized her thoughts, Jeongchan raised his hand.
"Answer is..."
Raopf's face crumpled at his words. Spot-on.
"......Correct."
Few had solved it. Solvers never escaped—all died here.
How?
Raopf eyed Jeongchan questioningly. He whispered, meeting her gaze.
"Remember my wish?"
My wish is to live happily ever after with you, Raopf.
"Just wait."
Gulp.
His wish-fulfilling vibe made Raopf swallow hard.