Enjoy your game of tag. ^^
Sagak, sagak.
I kneaded the damp sand.
It took shape just as I pressed it with my hands.
A high-grade trap that gobbled up a whopping 3,100 points.
Sand Playground.
This thing is... the squishy texture is surprisingly addictive.
"......Fun."
Playing with sand at my age.
Maybe it's because my body has become younger.
They say the body and mind are one.
I just want to believe that...
Three dolls in suits are fidgeting beside me.
Ppyok, ppyok, ppyok, ppyok.
I told them to build a sandcastle.
"Huuung......."
Is it because they're free labor?
Their skills are absolutely terrible.
Anyway.
"Ugh, my wrists. Why is the setup such a pain in the ass?"
I thought the system would just build it instantly if I paid money.
[Sand Playground] was quite picky about how it was used.
A recipe draft that serves as the foundation for the blueprint.
I have to mold it by hand and register it.
"Still, though......."
I only have to suffer the first time.
I lifted the clay doll I had been kneading up to eye level.
"Ta-da! Finished!"
A crude human model the size of a fist.
As for facial features, it's just holes poked with my fingers.
The arms and legs were just stuck on, like stretching rice cakes. Overall, it was round and sloppy.
But I'm not a sculptor.
This is intuitive and decent enough, right?
I slid the doll in front of John's eyes.
"How is it? Made it well, didn't I? Hehe!"
John clapped his blunt hands, which were wearing brass knuckles.
Ppyok!
Ppyok-ppyok, ppyok!
See?
My work must be so moving that he's giving me a standing ovation.
I placed the final piece among the other works of art.
"Ahem!"
My, oh my.
It's quite a spectacle.
Thanks to diligently molding them whenever I had spare time, there are hundreds of clay dolls spread out.
Of course, it feels like looking at a Terracotta Army with a few screws loose.
As for the design, I can just overwhelm them with sheer numbers!
[Please save the name of the sand game.]
"A name......."
I hadn't really thought that far.
Just...
"Sand Siege?"
[The 'Sand Siege' game has been saved.]
[Hereafter, when an intruder is detected, the designated game will begin.]
Okay.
With this, the preparations are perfect!
"Now I just need the guests who will give me my allowance to arrive......."
The allowance I got last time was a whopping 12 million won.
That's pretty lucrative for an entrance fee.
"Huhu-hung."
Looking at it like this, it might be misunderstood.
Of course, I don't want to fight them either.
But what can I do?
The hunters are trying to kill me.
So, this is self-defense.
"Yawn! I'll take a nap in the meantime."
Since I got this body, I seem to have become especially sleepy.
I'm always sleepy after playing.
"Brown. Wake me up when the guests arrive......."
The moment I turned my body.
"Hick!"
A cold chill shot down my spine.
It happens every time guests come to the house.
It's an unpleasant sensation, like pouring ice inside my clothes.
"Teddy Bear!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and focused my mind.
Sensory assimilation technique I recently learned from a gallery tip post.
My vision forcibly twisted and changed to the scenery of the Zone 1 maze.
My reliable tagger, Teddy Bear's perspective.
It was crouching on all fours at the end of the hallway corner, holding its breath.
But the footsteps coming from beyond the corner were unusual.
Kugugugugugu—
Just how many people came in?
It's the sound of at least dozens, no, well over a hundred people.
Seeing the crowd that revealed themselves as they turned the corner.
Oh my god.......
I let out a dumbfounded sound without realizing it.
"Hueh?"
An unprecedented line formed in front of the main gate of Chuncheon Blockland.
8:00 AM.
Even before opening, over 60 people were lined up waiting to enter.
"Alright, everyone, stay in line! Don't lose sight of the flag!"
Black Hand Guild Leader, Bae Sin-hyeok, waved a red tourist guide flag.
While he was controlling the people at the front, a van from the direction of downtown Chuncheon slammed on its brakes and stopped.
Skreeeeech!
The car door opened, and hulking men in sloppy suits poured out.
Bae Sin-hyeok raised the flag high at them.
"Hey! Boss Man! Over here, over here!"
A man wearing sunglasses and a thick gold necklace approached.
Mercenary broker, Boss Man.
Bae Sin-hyeok wrapped his arm around his shoulder and bowed his head.
"The level of armament is certain, right?"
Boss Man lowered his sunglasses slightly and whispered in a low voice.
"We brought plenty, from Soviet-made Degtyaryov light machine guns to AK-47s. Well, don't worry. They're the Red Mafia who are top-notch in Vladivostok."
A man walked out from their group.
A man with a long scar on his left cheek.
He extended a rough hand to Bae Sin-hyeok.
"I'm Adolf."
Bae Sin-hyeok shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Bae Sin-hyeok, Guild Leader of Black Hand."
"Let's stop the pleasantries here...... The promised amount is certain, right, Guild Leader Bae?"
Instead of answering, Bae Sin-hyeok pushed a suitcase in front of Adolf.
Adolf slightly opened the suitcase zipper.
It was full of crisp 50,000 won bundles.
"30 million won as a down payment. The remaining 270 million will be paid once the job is done."
Adolf handed the suitcase to Boss Man.
"But......."
He rolled his blue eyes and scanned Blockland.
"Is there really a witch in this theme park?"
Bae Sin-hyeok narrowed his eyes and looked at Adolf's gaze.
'Hmph. You rookie.......'
There was no way the Red Mafia would move over 40 heavily armed troops for a mere 300 million won.
It wasn't a profitable business.
So, their real purpose was obvious without even looking.
The intention to test the waters and then stab in the back to steal the Witch's heart when the opportunity arose.
There must be unregistered hunters mixed in among them.
But Bae Sin-hyeok didn't care.
'Acting all tough. You guys are just meat shields anyway, you idiots. Heh heh.'
He raised the corners of his mouth sinisterly.
"You'll know once you go in."
Soon, a crowd of nearly 100 people passed through the main gate of Blockland.
Vice Guild Leader Seo Yu-na approached Bae Sin-hyeok closely.
"Guild Leader, did you really have to bring in such ruffians?"
"Then do you trust our guys?"
Bae Sin-hyeok sneered.
"Those bastards aren't even regular hunters anyway. If things go wrong, we can just cut ties and run."
"Are you saying you're going to use them?"
"Shh! Shut your mouth. Do you want to spread the word to the whole neighborhood?"
Yu-na bit her lower lip gently.
"It's not too late even now. Let's cancel the operation."
"What?"
"Nothing has happened yet, and maybe there's room for dialogue. I'd rather go in alone and try to persuade......."
Bae Sin-hyeok's eyes turned cold.
"Vice Guild Leader Seo Yu-na. Are you trying to pull a stunt to monopolize the Witch's heart for yourself?"
"That's not it! I just......!"
Just as Yu-na was about to counter, a guild member ran up, panting.
"Guild Leader! We found a strange structure in the bushes behind the restroom!"
They headed to the thick bushes behind the restroom.
Pushing through the grass, an alien structure revealed itself.
A castle gate made of colorful blocks.
Bae Sin-hyeok took out the Witch Detector from his pocket.
Zhiiiing—!
Piiiiiiip!
"It's certain. It's the Witch's House! Everyone, get ready!"
A crowd of 100 people swarmed into the block castle gate.
Once they crossed the gate, a luxurious mansion lobby unfolded.
A place assembled entirely with Lego blocks.
While Seo Yu-na admired the playful scenery, she frowned at an unpleasant melody coming from somewhere.
Meanwhile, Adolf led the mafia toward the antique wooden door in front of the lobby.
"Wait! You can't just move recklessly like that!"
Yu-na tried to stop them urgently, but Bae Sin-hyeok grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.
"They're volunteering to be meat shields, so why stop them? Leave them be."
Yu-na bit her lip as if displeased, but didn't reply further.
After all, the command of the guild was with the Guild Leader.
The mercenaries went into the hallway first.
Bae Sin-hyeok, having confirmed there were no traps, finally led his guild members and followed.
Yu-na looked around the colorful passage and muttered quietly.
"It's like a maze."
"......Then isn't that actually a 'thank you'?"
"Yes?"
Bae Sin-hyeok touched the block wall with his left hand.
"You know the left-hand rule, right? If you just keep your left hand on the wall, you're guaranteed to escape! You didn't even know that?"
"No, that's......."
Yu-na sighed and looked straight ahead.
Adolf and his group, who were running in the lead at the end of the hallway, suddenly stopped.
It seemed they had discovered something.
Bae Sin-hyeok and Seo Yu-na also hurriedly followed them and turned the corner.
"Hmm? What's that?"
"A teddy bear?"
A pink Teddy Bear is standing blankly in front.
It looks at least 3 meters tall.
Adolf gave the order without a moment's hesitation.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
The Red Mafia elites built a formation in perfect order.
Prone, kneeling, standing.
A 3-rank firing formation.
"Fire!!"
Simultaneously with the order, dozens of men pulled the triggers at once.
But instead of a roar, an absurd noise filled the hallway.
Boing!
Ta-da!
Red firecrackers popped out one after another from the muzzles of the light machine guns and assault rifles.
Instead of lethal bullets, 'Bleh' flags came out.
"......?!"
Adolf's eyes widened.
'What the hell happened?'
He hurriedly pulled a pistol from his pocket and fired, but.
Pop!
Ta-da!
Only colorful confetti scattered into the air.
"Blyat!!"
While they were in disarray.
Teddy Bear rushed forward fiercely on all fours.
Ppyong ppyong ppyong ppyong!
The heavy ball of fur leaped lightly into the middle of the firing formation.
"Kyaung!"
It swung its blunt front paw widely.
"Ugh!"
"Keuk!"
"Argh!"
With a single blow, four armed men flew in all directions.
But the strange thing was what happened after.
"W-what is this?"
"Why is my body like this?!"
Instead of blood, cloud cotton poured out from the wounds of the men who had been knocked down.
"Move aside!"
Adolf stepped forward, baring his teeth.
He clapped his leather-gloved hands together.
Crack!
Bluish plasma flashed between his hands.
Seo Yu-na, who was watching from behind, widened her eyes.
"A Hunter......?!"
As Adolf extended his clasped hands forward.
Rumble!
Bang!
A bolt of lightning shot out.
Intense electricity swept through Teddy Bear's entire body.
"Kkyuuung......."
The teddy bear burned black and collapsed to the floor.
'Amazing....'
Seo Yu-na swallowed her admiration inwardly.
With that level of skill, at least top-tier C-class.
If coordinated well, isn't he a talent worth aiming for a B-class raid?
However, the relief didn't last long.
Stab.
"......?"
Adolf frowned and looked down at his side.
One of the subordinates who had just been hit by Teddy Bear's paw was stabbing a toy kitchen knife into Adolf's waist.
"S-sorry. I, I couldn't help it......."
Bae Sin-hyeok raised his eyebrows.
'What? Are those bastards having an internal conflict?'
Bloodshot eyes appeared in Adolf's eyes.
He roughly grabbed his subordinate's head with his hand.
"If you don't know gratitude, die."
Zzzzt, bang!
The high-voltage lightning manifested from his hand instantly burned the subordinate's head.
Thud!
Immediately after the corpse left his grasp.
Suddenly, a translucent text appeared before Adolf's eyes.
[Congratulations.]
[You have been designated as the 'Tagger'.]
He frowned, looking at the empty air.
"......What is this now?"
Yu-na hurriedly approached him and checked his condition.
"Mr. Adolf! Are you okay? Your wound......."
"Forget it. You...... can't you see this right now?"
"Yes? What?"
"Tsk, these letters. This!"
She shook her head with an expression of not understanding.
"There's nothing there."
Adolf gritted his teeth as he looked at the translucent text.
'Could it be that only I can see it?'
At that moment, Yu-na's gaze turned to his left hand.
"Ah, Mr. Adolf...... y-your hand......."
"Huh? Why, what about my hand......."
Adolf lifted his left hand.
"What the. This is my hand?"
The boundaries of the five fingers had disappeared, and it had changed into a soft, blunt doll shape.
And the next warning message appeared.
[※ You can prevent 'Toy-ification' by attacking intruders.]
[Have a fun game of tag. ^^]
'Toy-ification... if that means.......'
Does it mean this horrible change?
I don't know if I can trust these words in the first place.
But as of now, there's no other way.
Adolf stared intently at Seo Yu-na.
"M-Mr. Adolf......?"