Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Skill & Run One-Card Poker Round 2
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Na Youngho unleashed his anger at the spirit Lee Woo-hyung.
"You fucking bastard! Is it my fault you died because you're incompetent? Release the barrier right now and fuck off!"
"What if I don't?"
"Then die."
Boom! Boom!
Na Youngho fired off two quick shots with his [Air Bow].
Whoosh!
A cement barrier sprang up right in front of Lee Woo-hyung.
Thud thud thunk!
The arrows of air collided with the wall and vanished.
But Na Youngho inwardly saw his chance.
'Stupid idiot!'
Cement barriers were sturdy, but they had one fatal flaw: they blocked the creator's line of sight.
Na Youngho had deliberately fired sloppy shots, planning to circle around and kill Lee Woo-hyung from behind the cement.
"Ah!"
"Can't create multiple barriers at once, huh? Die."
The moment he tried to draw back the bowstring.
Bang!!
Dokgo Hyun finally smashed through the annex door and burst in.
He'd used the Venom Knife's [Venom Mode] to melt the entire locked handle, carve it out, and kick it open.
"Ugh! Already?"
Na Youngho panicked, while Dokgo Hyun grinned.
"You knew this was coming, right?"
"Wait, hold on! Dokgo Hyun! If you don't kill the spirit...!"
"Can't get to the poker room because the stairs are blocked?"
"Yeah!"
"Don't worry about it. That's my problem. You just die."
"You bastard...!"
And so, the three-way battle between Dokgo Hyun, Na Youngho, and the spirit Lee Woo-hyung unfolded on the first floor of the annex.
Player Dokgo Hyun and the spirit Lee Woo-hyung had tacitly agreed to take out Na Youngho first.
At this rate, Na Youngho was obviously going to get sandwiched and crushed from both sides.
But in a twist of irony, the fight ended the instant it began.
The Run Phase time limit had expired.
Annex second floor, room 2.
It was usually used for evening self-study, but now the desks and chairs were gone, replaced by a poker table.
Oh Sua, who had arrived early, sat quietly.
Flash!
Dokgo Hyun and Na Youngho appeared late via teleport.
"Ugh?!"
The two, in the midst of battle, quickly got to their feet.
Dokgo Hyun scanned the surroundings first, while Na Youngho grabbed his [Air Bow].
"You bastard...!"
Na Youngho aimed his [Air Bow] at Dokgo Hyun, but.
"Ahem!"
The Principal cleared his throat.
"Na Youngho, player? Direct attacks between players inside the poker room are forbidden. Forgot already?"
"Tch."
Na Youngho put away his weapon.
At that moment.
Pop! Pop!
"Ugh?!"
"Ow!"
Na Youngho and Dokgo Hyun's left pinky fingers turned pitch black.
"That's the Spirit's Brand. Since it was the first round, you each got just one."
The 'latecomers' received the Spirit's Brand.
"Hm..."
Dokgo Hyun felt his body grow a bit heavier.
His left pinky finger, marked with the black brand, felt slightly numb.
"The brand effect persists until the end of the tutorial's final mission! Healing potions won't cure it!"
"Um, excuse me..."
Oh Sua raised her hand to ask a question.
"If you get all 10 Spirit's Brands, do you die?"
"Exactly!"
The Principal explained eagerly, as if he'd been waiting.
"Each Spirit's Brand reduces stats by 10%! So 10 brands mean 100% stat reduction—death!"
At the Principal's words, Oh Sua shot a sharp glance at Dokgo Hyun and Na Youngho.
Dokgo Hyun couldn't help but chuckle.
"What? Planning to keep us late so we rack up 10 brands?"
Oh Sua shrank back and averted her eyes at Dokgo Hyun's biting tone.
Then Na Youngho spoke up.
"As if! You'd need to be late 10 times for that! No way...!"
"Oh, I should add about the Run Phase."
The Principal cut him off.
"Repeat offenders get extra brands."
"What?!"
"Exactly as said. First late: 1 brand. Next late: 2 brands. Then 3, and so on. Heh heh heh."
"Guh..."
Whether consecutive or not, brands accumulated with each infraction.
'So four lates total death.'
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 brands.
"Plus, even if you killed a spirit this round, it revives next Run Phase—with memories intact."
"What?! Then killing them hard means nothing!!"
"Heh. Plenty you'd like to say, but let's not."
Dokgo Hyun could guess what the Principal left unsaid.
'Killing spirits gives hints.'
Struggling to kill one yielded a hint for the next round—a big deal.
The problem was...
'Spirits revive with memories.'
The first Run Phase spirits just vented hatred blindly, barely fighting properly.
Truth be told, death came from letting your guard down.
But from the next phase, they'd remember how they died and attack more coldly.
'Need to decide now. Avoid spirits... or hunt them aggressively.'
"Alright, let's start the next round. Take your seats."
Dokgo Hyun sat immediately; Na Youngho glared for a while before sitting.
Skill & Run One-Card Poker Round 2
"Pay the ante."
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Three chips were placed.
"Dealing phase. As stated, I deal in random order!"
Shuffle!
Three cards were swiftly dealt.
This round: Oh Sua, Na Youngho, Dokgo Hyun.
Dokgo Hyun inwardly sighed in relief.
'Can use the poker hint.'
His Round 2 poker hint: 'The first player's card is 5 or lower.'
'So Oh Sua's card is 5 or below.'
And Dokgo Hyun drew...
'6.'
Low number, but per the hint, Oh Sua definitely beat him.
'Problem is Na Youngho, second to receive.'
From Dokgo Hyun's view, Na Youngho's odds of drawing higher or lower than him from the remaining 11 cards...
A. Chance of 5 or lower: 3/11.
B. Chance of 7 or higher: 8/11.
Not 4/11 for A because Oh Sua already locked in a 5 or lower.
Of course, assuming the hint is true—which it had been so far.
'No way I win this round.'
Dokgo Hyun quickly gave up.
Ironically, knowing one other player's hand was definitively lower made surrender easier.
'Hints are more crucial than I thought.'
Dokgo Hyun decided to fold early and spectate comfortably.
"Betting order: Oh Sua, Na Youngho, Dokgo Hyun. Oh Sua?"
"Check!"
Oh Sua checked without hesitation.
Knowing her hand from the hint, Dokgo Hyun smirked.
'No choice but to check. It's just a 5.'
"Na Youngho's turn."
"...Three minutes."
Na Youngho pondered deeply.
He had a hint, but it wasn't very helpful.
Na Youngho thought.
'Second card in Round 2 is a letter.'
Indeed, his second-place draw was a Q.
Very high... but.
'Problem if Oh Sua or Dokgo Hyun has an A or K—or both. I lose.'
He tried calculating odds mentally, but it was tricky.
'Still, low chance I lose this round.'
He decided to go bold.
"Raise. Two more."
Clatter.
Paid total three chips.
"Ho, aggressive. Dokgo Hyun's turn."
The Principal spoke, and Dokgo Hyun was certain.
'Na Youngho has a monster hand.'
Not mere intuition.
Earlier, protesting to the Principal, Na Youngho had yelled.
'What?! Then killing them hard means nothing!!'
Meaning Na Youngho killed a spirit.
And got its hint.
'His raise isn't just from a good hand. It's from combining hints after killing a spirit.'
If Na Youngho hadn't protested, Dokgo Hyun might not have known...
'I'm sure now.'
Clack.
Dokgo Hyun tossed his card to the dealer.
"Fold."
"Per rules, folded cards are revealed to all."
The Principal flipped it.
Clack.
"A 6."
Na Youngho felt regret.
It ended quickly after.
Oh Sua, sensing Na Youngho's momentum, confirmed his powerhouse hand and folded.
Clack.
Oh Sua's card: 5.
"Kuh."
Na Youngho was deeply disappointed.
"Na Youngho, player, wins!"
Clatter!
Na Youngho received a few chips.
For Na Youngho, it was a prime chance to rake it in, but he only recovered his ante.
"Damn it!"
Na Youngho tore his card and flung it on the table.
The split Q was revealed; the Principal gave a wry smile.
"Na Youngho, player? After open phase, feel free to vent by tearing or revealing cards. But damaging or peeking early is forbidden. Be careful."
The Principal activated his [Portal Hand] skill lightly.
Shrrk.
A portal appeared in his hand, sucking up the used cards, then dispensing 13 new ones from within.
"Now, entering the second Run Phase! Repeat latecomers get 2 brands this time!"
Flash!
The Principal and poker table vanished, teleporting the three players.
A large water tank sat somewhat exposed on the main building rooftop.
Dokgo Hyun teleported right beside it.
"..."
Having made his decision, Dokgo Hyun acted at once.
Leap!
Poker room location mattered little.
'Kill Oh Sua this Run Phase.'
The 3rd Year Class 10 classroom wasn't far from the rooftop.
Best to hunt the enigmatic Oh Sua quickly.
Thud thud...
As he dashed down the stairs, the poker room location appeared.
Ignoring it, he raced down to the third-year hallway.
"Ah."
Oh Sua was just stepping into the hall.
Her eyes wide like she was startled.
'No personal grudge.'
But she'd survived to the final tutorial too, so Dokgo Hyun felt no qualms killing her.
However.
Riiip!
Space tore open, and a spirit appeared.
Han Se-kyung with her [Space Tear] skill.
She manifested right between Oh Sua and Dokgo Hyun.
'Which side does the spirit target?'
If spirit Han Se-kyung went for Oh Sua, it was a win for Dokgo Hyun.
But.
"Hee hee hee."
Han Se-kyung grinned demonically and spoke to Dokgo Hyun.
"Die."