Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Skill & Run One-Card Poker Round 4
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Fluffy... fluffy...
The purple smoke cloud floating in the air somehow looked adorable.
"What...!!"
Na Youngho, who had been sniping from a high window, froze.
In his eyes, the purple cloud had suddenly appeared, blocking Dokgo Hyun from view.
'That bastard! Using the dye spray I gave him for free!!'
Back then, Na Youngho had been chased by the rabbit monster and mentally shaken, and the dye spray seemed useless, so he'd handed it over without a second thought.
Dokgo Hyun had combined it with his skill to create a purple smoke cloud.
"Kuh...!!"
Na Youngho prepared to fire.
'Only about 30 seconds left until time limit. He can't hide under that purple smoke forever. He'll have to come out. I'll wait for it!'
Fluffy... fluffy...
The purple cloud drifted lazily, slowly descending at a snail's pace.
'He'll dash out to the right or left.'
That was his guess based on the main building entrance's position.
In truth, breaking a window would lead to the 1st-floor Staff Room 1, but after a soccer ball shattered one in the past, safety bars like iron grilles had been installed.
In other words, busting through a 1st-floor window was impossible, so he'd definitely head for the entrance.
'Right or left—come out already!'
At that moment.
Step... step...!
Dokgo Hyun stepped out from both sides at once.
'Both at the same time?!'
Dokgo Hyun had taken big strides in place under the purple spray cloud, then used [Time Distortion] to replay the motion, creating afterimages.
Two Dokgo Hyuns walking out—not running, but striding with exaggerated steps.
'Walking out instead of running!'
The sudden tempo change made Na Youngho hesitate.
'Stay calm. One of them is an afterimage. That's certain.'
Aim at one, and the other would bolt—that was obvious.
'The question is which one's the afterimage, left or right.'
Option one: left is real.
Option two: right is real.
Na Youngho couldn't tell no matter how hard he looked.
Step... step...
The Dokgo Hyuns on both sides kept walking at a steady pace.
At this rate, they'd reach the entrance.
In that instant, the answer flashed through Na Youngho's mind.
"You think I'm falling for that!!"
Na Youngho prepared to unleash a barrage of air arrows at the purple cloud.
"The real answer is option three!! Both are fake afterimages, and the real body's still hiding under the smoke!!!"
Na Youngho judged both as afterimages and instead fired into the spray cloud.
シュシュシュク!!
パバババク!!!
Air arrows shredded the spray smoke.
But beyond it, nothing was there.
Because the real one was on the left.
"Hahaha!! Overthought it, friend!!!"
Dokgo Hyun didn't forget to taunt as he dashed forward.
He sneered outwardly, but inside, his blood ran cold.
'I survived because I planted that seed of doubt.'
Dokgo Hyun had lied to Na Youngho last time, claiming his only skill was [Instant Acceleration]. This time, Na Youngho had caught on that it was a bluff.
In short, Na Youngho had learned Dokgo Hyun was a master of deception.
To maximize that doubt, Dokgo Hyun used the mini-item Na Youngho gave him to float a smoke cloud, then boldly stepped out with both afterimage and real self.
And Na Youngho fell for his own suspicions, attacking an empty cloud.
'If I hadn't planted that doubt in Na Youngho, he'd have picked one and sniped it.'
In that case, Dokgo Hyun would've had a 50% chance of dying to the shot.
Thud!
Dokgo Hyun bolted straight into the entrance.
Staff Room 1 was right next to it on the 1st floor.
'Hurry!'
Tatada...!
Ignoring the "No Running in Hallways" sign, he flung himself into Staff Room 1.
Crash!
He slammed hard into the floor.
Right after.
Dokgo Hyun had barely made it inside the poker room.
"That was really close! Be faster next time!"
The principal said with a grin, while Oh Sua, sitting on her stool, looked a bit disappointed.
Flash!
Na Youngho was teleported in.
"Damn it!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Three more Spirit Brands were added to Na Youngho's nails.
All six nails were now pitch black.
'One more tardy, and he's dead.'
Dokgo Hyun glanced at Na Youngho before sitting on his stool.
Na Youngho roughly yanked Dokgo Hyun's shoulder, forcing him to turn.
"Let go of my shoulder while I'm being nice."
"You weak punk. Daring to use the spray I gave you like that?"
"That's your gripe? How I use what I got is my call. In fact, you've got that precious brain from your parents, yet you're brainwashed like an idiot. Fix that first, huh?"
A savage burn slipped naturally from Dokgo Hyun's lips.
"You son of a bitch!!"
The moment Na Youngho activated his skill to draw [Air Bow].
"Stop! Firing means mission failure!!"
The principal shouted sternly.
Na Youngho trembled, aiming at Dokgo Hyun's head instead of sitting.
But Dokgo Hyun just yawned.
"Just sit, Na Youngho. With six brands already, how strong can your skill even be?"
"What'd you say! Die, you bastard!!"
As he pulled the string.
"Stop!"
Oh Sua yelled.
Not to save Na Youngho, but for herself.
"Sit down now!"
"But this punk keeps...!"
"Sit!!"
Bang!!
Oh Sua slammed the poker table with her fist.
Only then did Na Youngho sit, fuming.
"Idiot, as expected."
Dokgo Hyun jabbed.
"Enough, sunbae. Provoking Na Youngho sunbae won't help."
"That was aimed at you, calling you the idiot."
"What?"
"I said you're the idiot, Oh Sua. I read your ensology. Still in the mystery club, huh."
"...!"
"It sucked. Thought I'd die of boredom."
The blatant provocation was obvious, so Oh Sua held her anger.
Dokgo Hyun pressed further.
"Thanks to that, I roughly figured your skill."
"No way. You pieced it together from that?"
"Yeah."
"Hah. Sounds like Freud analyzing personality from a diary."
Oh Sua dismissed him as beneath notice.
"Hit the nail on the head, huh? Denying it proves it. Right?"
Dokgo Hyun smirked.
Oh Sua showed only her stiff profile, visibly tense.
But Dokgo Hyun was the one burning inside.
'Gotta keep provoking.'
"Your skill brainwashes and controls people you lock eyes with for long, right?"
"...And if it is?"
Oh Sua stared straight at Dokgo Hyun, taunting.
Dokgo Hyun turned away, breaking eye contact, then continued.
"Not going all-out to kill me in the run phase? That was your dumbest move. Seems you're obsessed with beating me in a brain game here at the poker table. Why?"
"Not obsessed. This strategy's low-risk and surer to kill you."
Oh Sua replied earnestly.
"Even for Dokgo Hyun sunbae, 5v1 is tough. Worst case, I lose the spirits and Na Youngho sunbae."
Oh Sua never underestimated Dokgo Hyun's combat prowess.
"Then I'd lose my minions and the hints. So I chose differently."
"Safely killing the spirits yourself and stealing hints?"
"...As expected. You saw through it. Collect all hints for info superiority—sure win. No need to fight and take risks. Superior strategy."
"Hah. You can just spill it all like that?"
"You already know. And I'm confident telling you won't matter. As you said, my skill's brainwashing type—once it sticks, it never comes off."
Oh Sua calmly looked at the referee.
"Principal? Let's start."
The principal flinched—he'd forgotten to proceed while spectating the spat.
"Ho, sparks are flying in this convo."
The principal regained composure.
"We've delayed enough. Game on!"
The principal pulled out 13 new cards.
Na Youngho had shredded the K last round, so fresh deck.
"New deck, but Skill & Run One-Card Poker progresses without reset."
The principal shuffled the 13 cards swiftly in his grip.
"Ante phase. Bet one chip each!"
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
Now the dealer would deal cards at whim.
"Talkative order this round? Dokgo Hyun, Oh Sua, Na Youngho!"
Shuffle!
Cards were dealt.
Oh Sua, second to receive, recalled all four hints.
'Poker Round 4 Hint A: First card recipient gets an even number 10 or below.'
'Poker Round 4 Hint B: Sum of all players' card numbers is 23 or less. (Alphabet cards count as 10.)'
'Poker Round 4 Hint C: Second card recipient gets 6 or above.'
'Poker Round 4 Hint D: Third card recipient gets no alphabet cards.'
Individually vague.
Combined, they revealed this round's cards.
Having killed all four spirits and claimed the hints, Oh Sua was set.
'Perfect. I'm second.'
So she got 6 or above, as hinted.
The card? A whopping...
'J! Got it!'
Victory certain per Hint B.
Because...
'Total sum 23 or less!'
Oh Sua's J = 10.
Max sum of the other two: 13 or less.
Plus Hint A: first gets even 10 or below—so Dokgo Hyun max 10.
Hint D: third no alphabets.
No combo beats her.
"Dealing phase. Dokgo Hyun first!"
Dokgo Hyun had 27 chips, paid 1 ante, now 26.
He eyed his card, thinking.
'Bust this round.'
His number: 4.
'Too low for odds or anything.'
Then Oh Sua spoke up.
"Fold?"
"..."
Dokgo Hyun pondered his card.
Oh Sua giggled.
"Folding's pointless. Next round, I'll kill my puppets for hints again, dominate info. Even if you stack antes, I'll win eventually."
"Will you?"
Dokgo Hyun replied coldly, then eyed the principal.
"Run phase question."
"Yes?"
"Say one player... no, bluntly: if I kill Oh Sua next run phase, what happens to her chips?"
Sharp question.
The principal chuckled.
"Dokgo Hyun really gets the game."