Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: First Run Phase
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'A hint for the next round...'
Dokgo Hyun murmured to himself inwardly.
A hint stating that the person who receives the first card in the next round would get a number less than 5.
'This isn't just a hint—it's practically a prophecy.'
Dokgo Hyun's heart pounded.
'Is this hint really true?'
There were many points that were hard to believe.
Above all, the cards were shuffled and dealt, so how could it be predetermined?
'The only way to confirm is to try it myself.'
Tadadada...
"Huff... huff..."
Na Youngho dashed down to the basement level 1 of the main building at Hanshin High.
He had started in the science lab underground and was heading up to the first floor above ground.
But he encountered a wraith on the stairs and was forced to flee back underground.
'Where can I hide?'
The basement level 1 of the main building housed the gym, sports storage, science lab, science lab annex, dance club room, and more.
"Kyahaha! Running won't help you!"
Jeong Jiyeong, now a wraith, chased after Na Youngho.
"Damn, she's ridiculously fast."
Na Youngho clicked his tongue.
He had rushed up the stairs to hurry to the new poker room in the annex building, but the sound of his footsteps drew the wraith Jeong Jiyeong.
Startled, Na Youngho immediately unleashed a barrage of [Air Bows] to take her down, but Jeong Jiyeong had the [Super Regeneration] skill.
Even as a wraith, she retained most of a player's attributes, turning it into a skill battle.
'Useless when she's on our side, but terrifying as an enemy!'
That was the nature of the [Super Regeneration] skill.
Na Youngho fled to create distance, while Jeong Jiyeong pursued relentlessly.
Thanks to [Super Regeneration]'s passive effect regenerating muscle fatigue instantly, her endurance efficiency was extraordinarily high.
Thus, Jeong Jiyeong could run nonstop, chasing Na Youngho without pause.
For Na Youngho, who needed distance to fight, she was the worst possible opponent.
"Uwaaaah!"
Na Youngho retreated to his starting point, the science lab.
Clank!
He locked the door.
But...
"Kyahaha!"
Jeong Jiyeong, with [Super Regeneration], slammed her body against the door.
Thud!!
Thud!!
Her shoulder shattered, but it regenerated instantly.
"Ahaha! Idiot! What good does hiding in the basement do? No windows! You're trapped now!"
In truth, there was a window.
Just a tiny one the size of a human head, attached to a ventilation fan.
Even if he broke the fan and removed it, no person could fit through.
Thud!
Thud!
Boom!!
Finally, the wraith Jeong Jiyeong broke through the science lab door.
The moment she scanned around for Na Youngho's position...
Vrrr...
Na Youngho was below the vent window, charging an [Air Bow].
"Ah...!"
The wraith Jeong Jiyeong realized it.
The science lab's ventilation fan was a dual intake-exhaust model. By swapping the wiring terminals, the propeller spun in reverse.
In other words, outside air rushed in through the fan at high speed.
Na Youngho had positioned his [Air Bow] right under that fan, gathering air rapidly.
Whoosh...
The air arrow, fueled by the fan's wind, swelled faster than ever.
"You... You deliberately lured me to the science lab with the vent...!"
"Die."
Thwack!!
Splat!!
The thick air arrow lodged in the wraith Jeong Jiyeong's head.
Then...
Boom!!
One second later, her head exploded entirely.
Due to the air arrow's property, it expanded upon impact, causing the shattered head fragments to spray everywhere.
No amount of [Super Regeneration] could recover from that.
"Wraith or whatever, guess a blown-off head still means bleeding out and dying."
Na Youngho took courage from that fact.
'Whew, charging a full shot tires me out. Now to the poker room.'
At that moment.
"A Poker hint...?"
'Poker Round 2 Hint B: The second card in Round 2 is a letter.'
"Hm."
Na Youngho carefully examined the hint.
Since it was hard-earned, he judged it unlikely to be false information.
'Hint B means there are other hints besides this one.'
In other words, Dokgo Hyun or Oh Sua had likely already obtained different hints.
Rip! Rip!
He memorized the content and tore it into shreds.
Warning messages had been flowing for the past three minutes.
To avoid other wraiths, Dokgo Hyun had hidden in the teachers' restroom on the first floor of the main building before emerging.
'Time to run from here!'
Dokgo Hyun sprinted toward the annex entrance.
The problem was that he wasn't the only one running.
Tadad...
"Ah?!"
"Huh?!"
Na Youngho and Dokgo Hyun ran into each other just a few meters from the annex.
Dokgo Hyun from the central entrance, Na Youngho from the east entrance—they crossed at right angles.
"...!"
They both assumed combat stances.
But...
"We're too close to fight here."
"Yeah."
The annex entrance was right in front of them.
Wasting time brawling here felt inefficient.
"About three minutes left on the timer too."
"...Truce here?"
"Sure, let's do that."
They relaxed their stances and took one step toward the annex entrance.
Then...
Thwack!
Both attacked each other simultaneously.
Whoosh!
Swoosh!
An air arrow grazed Dokgo Hyun's cheek, and the Venom Knife sliced Na Youngho's hair.
They immediately leaped back, bracing for a follow-up.
And grinned.
"Thinking the same as me, huh."
"If we kill our opponent right here for sure."
"No need to risk it on probabilistic poker..."
"Exactly the same thought?"
They exchanged bitter smiles.
No sentimentality about the harsh reality forcing them to kill—just pure fighting spirit for final victory.
Before they knew it, their blood was turning into that of pure-blooded players.
"You know this too, right?"
"If the first ambush fails."
"The odds of a decisive win drop."
"And the chance we both die at once rises."
They conversed in combat stances because neither could move rashly.
'If the distance were really close or really far...'
It was awkwardly in-between.
Too far for Dokgo Hyun's [Instant Acceleration] rush, too close for Na Youngho's [Air Bow] shot.
'Should I just [3-Minute Regression]?'
Dokgo Hyun considered deliberately charging Na Youngho, taking an arrow, and dying.
Then trigger [3-Minute Regression].
'After regressing, I run out a bit slower, target his back. Ambush the off-guard Na Youngho and kill him.'
Success rate: generously 80%.
No matter how alert Na Youngho was, he couldn't match Dokgo Hyun, who knew the next three minutes intimately and had [Instant Acceleration].
'Plus, [3-Minute Regression] triggers [Hyper Mode], boosting all stats. Factoring that in, nearly 90% chance to kill him.'
"You look like you're scheming hard."
Na Youngho said with a smile.
"Same to you."
Dokgo Hyun smiled back.
And Dokgo Hyun nearly committed to the [3-Minute Regression] plan.
'Die on purpose to Na Youngho's hand, regress, and kill him!'
The moment he moved to execute...
'Wait!!!'
A corner of his mind, tempered by delinquent hunting experience, screamed caution.
'Short-sighted planning is dangerous. This isn't one-on-one—it's a three-way battle! Keep that in mind!'
Dokgo Hyun had been focusing on Na Youngho, subtly dismissing Oh Sua.
'Was I unconsciously assuming Oh Sua could be sidelined? Is her incompetence truly verified?'
Oh Sua's skill seemed useless, but it wasn't confirmed.
She was a woman who survived to the tutorial's final mission, after all.
Beyond the skill description he taught her, or maybe even that description was a lie.
'Come to think of it, Oh Sua's skill hasn't been verified.'
He'd seen and felt Na Youngho's skills firsthand, but not Oh Sua's.
With that clarified, he restarted his reasoning.
'Killing the tough Na Youngho first, then the seemingly easy Oh Sua later... In a standard skill duel, that's textbook.'
But...
'This duel isn't standard skill brawling! It's variable-heavy deviant poker!'
Using [3-Minute Regression] to kill Na Youngho here wastes his daily three ultimate uses.
Then he'd face Oh Sua one-on-one in poker, unable to rewind surprises.
'What to do? What's the answer?'
"As expected. Thinking something similar to me, huh."
Na Youngho said.
"Similar thoughts?"
"Yeah. Oh Sua looks weak, but she might have a hidden trump card. Maybe us fighting like this is her scheme... that kind of suspicion."
"Hm. We really think alike."
Na Youngho was also factoring in Oh Sua, not just Dokgo Hyun.
Na Youngho proposed again.
"What do you say? Truce and take out Oh Sua together?"
"Kill the easiest one first?"
"Kill the most suspicious one first. Doesn't it seem off?"
"What does?"
"A guy with an ambiguous skill sticking around for the tutorial finale despite dropout chances."
"She said she had family debts."
"Even with debts, staying in a death game where dying is obvious? You really buy that?"
"Huh?"
Come to think of it, Dokgo Hyun hadn't even questioned it.
'I'm usually suspicious, but I just accepted it?'
Of course, Dokgo Hyun trusted when he trusted.
Like Baek Seonghui from childhood, or his sick brother.
And in the rock-paper-scissors bonus, he'd pretended to believe to catch lies.
But accepting Oh Sua's claim so easily...
'This confirms it. I've been subconsciously underrating Oh Sua.'
Dokgo Hyun judged it almost certain she was hiding something.
'Don't waste the last [3-Minute Regression] of the day until I figure out what Oh Sua's hiding.'
Right after, Na Youngho continued.
"You get it, right? The real unknown danger is Oh Sua. How about it? Let's team up."
"Sure. You lower your weapon first."
"Your knife looks more dangerous. Not a normal knife—some artifact, right?"
"Your bow's ranged. You lower first."
"Fine? Guess I'll yield this time."
Psssh...
Na Youngho released [Air Bow].
With a deflating sound, [Air Bow] vanished.
Na Youngho raised both hands to shoulder height, showing no weapons.
"Now you lower your knife."
"...'
Dokgo Hyun tucked the Venom Knife into his waistband.
Ready to draw if needed, but not swinging immediately.
"Shall we shake on it?"
Na Youngho extended his right hand.
The moment it felt too fast...
Crack!
Dokgo Hyun jerked his head aside, barely dodging.
"Kuh?!"
Thud!
Dokgo Hyun and Na Youngho widened the distance again.
"As expected of Dokgo Hyun. Quick dodge."
Na Youngho looked bitter.
Dokgo Hyun finally realized.
"You released [Air Bow], but kept an air arrow gripped separately."
"Correct."
Na Youngho grinned.
When releasing [Air Bow] and raising his hands, he hadn't dispelled the pre-charged air arrow.
The invisible air arrow was just pinched between his right fingers.
Pretending to shake hands, he'd flung it at Dokgo Hyun's eye like a knife throw.
Hadn't jerked his head fast enough, the air arrow would've embedded in his eyeball and burst.
Best case: one eye blinded. Worst: death.
"One more!"
Na Youngho had another air arrow in his other hand.
Swoosh!
Dokgo Hyun dodged again, barely.
But...
Thud!
Na Youngho slipped into the annex.
Clunk!
Clank!!
He shut the annex door immediately and locked it.
'Damn it!'
Dokgo Hyun inwardly cursed his slip.
Na Youngho chose blocking Dokgo Hyun from the poker room over direct combat.
"Hahaha! It'll take time to break that door! I'm going ahead!!"
Na Youngho shouted boldly and dashed up the stairs to the second floor.
Tadad...
Halfway up the stairs...
Flash!
A concrete wall suddenly appeared on the stairs.
Splat!
Na Youngho smashed face-first into it.
"Grahak?!"
Blood spurted from his nose as he tumbled down the stairs.
"Ugh! What the—?!"
"Hehehe!"
A wraith's laughter echoed from somewhere.
"You...!"
"Yes, me. Or rather, no more formalities. Hehe. It's me!"
The second-year who died in Tutorial Mission 7, Lee Woo-hyung of [Barrier Creation].
Now a wraith, Lee Woo-hyung grinned maliciously.
"Acting all high and mighty, leading us—everyone died because of you. You're not going anywhere."
The wraith Lee Woo-hyung bluntly revealed his grudge.