Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Skill & Run One-Card Poker Round 5 (1)
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“Why...!”
“What?”
“Why are you so strong? And if you're that strong, why didn't you help us?!”
“Huh?”
Dokgo Hyun made a baffled face, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.
“Oh, you mean during the rabbit monster mission? When you all died?”
Dokgo Hyun got it now.
“Well, you guys decided to follow Na Youngho's lead, right?”
In fact, Dokgo Hyun had suggested they all surround and take down the rabbit monster together.
But only Baek Seonghui had stuck by his side, while the rest followed Na Youngho to the annex building.
“Even setting aside that you rejected my plan, I don't exactly have any obligation to take you under my wing and save you.”
Dokgo Hyun said coldly.
“Besides, you died because you were weak. Why blame others for it?”
He kept up the cold criticism right to the end.
Han Se-kyung couldn't take it anymore.
“Uwaaaah!!”
The moment she resolved to rip him apart at close range with [Space Tear]...
Thwack!! Thwack!! Thwack!!
Dokgo Hyun unleashed a flurry of pounding blows on Han Se-kyung, knocking her out cold.
Then he reclaimed his Venom Knife.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
He stabbed all the spirits, including Han Se-kyung.
Just to be thorough, he made sure they were all dead.
“Nice! Got all four hints!”
The hints read as follows.
‘Poker Round 5 Hint A: Both players will definitely draw alphabet cards.’
‘Poker Round 5 Hint B: In the next round, the dealer will arbitrarily suggest doubling the ante.’
‘Poker Round 5 Hint C: The Poker Room for Round 6 is in Classroom 2-5 of the 2nd year wing.’
‘Poker Round 5 Hint D: Don't worry—identical cards won't appear for both players in the same round.’
“Hmm.”
Dokgo Hyun scanned the hints.
‘Hint A is straightforward. Both drawing alphabet cards massively simplifies the possibilities.’
There were only four alphabet cards in total.
J, Q, K, A.
‘If I draw J, I lose for sure. Q gives me a 1/3 chance to win. K gives 2/3. A is a guaranteed win.’
The probabilities were so obvious there wasn't much else to think about.
The key variable was that only Dokgo Hyun knew this simplified setup—Na Youngho didn't.
The next round would be dead simple for Dokgo Hyun, but a headache for Na Youngho.
Dokgo Hyun checked the next hint.
‘Hint B is fine too. Doubling the ante next round? That's exactly what I want.’
In poker, higher base stakes favored the player with more chips—that was common sense.
And Dokgo Hyun had overwhelmingly more chips.
‘I've got 43. He's got 17.’
Over 2.5 times as many.
Even if he messed up big in the next round—like drawing K while Na Youngho somehow got A—Dokgo Hyun would still have plenty left.
‘Good. Hint C... location of the Round 6 Poker Room.’
Not directly helpful for this round, but knowing the next one's spot in advance couldn't hurt.
After Round 5 ended, players entered the run phase and got teleported randomly, so prior knowledge meant less scrambling.
‘Finally, Hint D. Least useful. No identical cards in the same round, so relax? That's obvious.’
This was a variant one-card poker using only spades.
Identical cards were impossible from the start.
The one exception would be Dokgo Hyun's card cheating from the previous round...
‘Is this a warning aimed at me?’
A heads-up from the Total Administrator: try that cheating again, and you're dead.
‘Doesn't seem to mean anything else...?’
At that moment.
‘No, wait.’
Dokgo Hyun, studying it closely, sensed something hidden in this hint.
‘What is it? Feels like I'm missing something. That phrasing—“in one round”—sticks out. It's not even in the mission window.’
Dokgo Hyun pondered as he headed to the Poker Room.
But he couldn't pinpoint anything decisive.
‘This round might be a bit risky.’
The moment Dokgo Hyun opened the door to the Poker Room—the gym storage shed...
Whoooosh...
A gust of wind stirred as the door let air flow in.
The dust-choked air felt oppressively stuffy.
‘What a dust pit this place is.’
Dokgo Hyun grumbled inwardly as he stepped inside.
The cramped space felt even smaller, cluttered with unused gym equipment strewn about haphazardly.
Na Youngho sat silently on a stool.
“Come on, take a seat. Hurry up.”
The principal greeted Dokgo Hyun with exaggerated fuss.
“Feels like it's finally time to wrap everything up, doesn't it?”
Ignoring the principal, Dokgo Hyun sat on a stool.
The instant he did...
‘Tape?’
He spotted tape sealing the only vent.
‘No way...’
Dokgo Hyun realized Na Youngho's scheme.
Shff.
Clunk.
The principal shut the door.
“Heh heh. Everyone's seated, so let's start dealing. No getting up midway!”
‘Fell for it.’
That instant.
“[Air Bow].”
Fwump!
Na Youngho activated his skill.
Twanggg...!
Shoooo...
Pulling the bowstring turned the room's air into air arrows.
“Hey! Attacks are forbidden!”
The principal fussed.
Dokgo Hyun, knowing Na Youngho's plan, stayed still.
“So that's your play.”
Dokgo Hyun gave a wry smile.
“Yeah. You're dying this round.”
Na Youngho said.
‘Sealed-room oxygen trick.’
No windows in the gym storage.
Door closed, sole vent taped shut.
In this state, Na Youngho created air arrows.
And then.
“Inventory.”
Na Youngho briefly opened his inventory window and tossed the air arrows inside.
“Dismiss inventory.”
Dismissing it...
“One air arrow's worth of air just vanished from this room.”
Na Youngho declared.
Just one arrow's volume was gone, but the storage was tiny.
Repeat it, and the air would deplete fast.
Sure enough, Na Youngho started over.
Twanggg...!
Shoooo...
Before poker even began, Na Youngho was stacking the deck in his favor.
“Ante phase. Speed is in Dokgo Hyun player's favor, right? Heh heh heh!”
The principal said, clearly enjoying himself.
Clink!
Dokgo Hyun tossed in his chips wordlessly.
But.
“Ah, starting this round, we're raising the ante. Two chips each!”
The principal changed the rules on a whim.
Dokgo Hyun had predicted it from the hint and stayed silent—speaking would waste precious oxygen.
Na Youngho, however, drawled slowly on purpose.
“Raising... the ante... on your own... is that... allowed...?”
His voice was unnaturally sluggish, unlike his usual self.
But.
Twanggg...!
Shoooo...
Twanggg...!
Shoooo...
Slow with words, but cranking out air arrows fast and stuffing them into inventory.
“Hahaha! Principal's prerogative. So ante up.”
“Hmmm...”
“What, not paying? Ante is mandatory.”
“Each phase... we get three minutes... to act, right? I'll take my time...”
Exactly.
Na Youngho had run the numbers multiple times.
‘To induce hypoxia, I need to suck out air faster.’
He was depriving Dokgo Hyun of oxygen to suffocate him.
‘Not full suffocation, but pass out from low oxygen and he can't bet.’
That alone was a win for Na Youngho.
“Na Youngho. Isn't this a pathetic gimmick?”
“Why? Feeling the burn already?”
“Filling every three minutes per phase? Boring. Do your worst.”
“10 seconds left!”
The principal yelled.
Na Youngho made one last air arrow, inventory'd it away, then paid the ante.
Clatter!
Two chips down.
“Good. Dealing phase! Na Youngho first, as the earlier arrival!”
As usual, the principal held the deck in his left hand, dealing with his right.
Flip!
Card to Na Youngho, then Dokgo Hyun.
Dokgo Hyun's card was...
‘K.’
He was certain, thanks to the hint.
‘Both get alphabets. I got K, so his is J, Q, or A.’
Drawing K gave Dokgo Hyun 2/3 odds of winning.
Na Youngho could only win with A.
‘Air's the wildcard, though.’
Shoo.
Shoo.
Na Youngho was frantically making air arrows and inventorying them.
‘Tch.’
He'd bluffed earlier, but now his forehead and eyes were starting to ache—probably not imagination.
Three minutes passed.
“Na Youngho player! Bet!”
“All in.”
Clatter!
Na Youngho shoved in all 15 chips—17 total with ante.
‘All in?’
Dokgo Hyun nearly called on reflex.
Win this, and Na Youngho was broke—dead.
‘I'll take it! 2/3 odds for me!’
Hints didn't lie.
Hint A: only A, K, Q, J possible.
He had K—advantage his.
‘2/3 chance I win.’
66.6% wasn't 100%, but double Na Youngho's 33.3%.
‘Go!’
He was about to call instantly, but.
‘No, hold on.’
A vague instinct brushed his mind.
‘Look back at everything so far.’
Then Na Youngho interrupted his thoughts.
“Heh. Curious why I went all in?”
“Gonna tell me if I say yes?”
“Of course. Or should I just show you?”
Na Youngho reached as if to flip his card right then.
“Na Youngho player! Opening outside open phase is cheating!”
“I know. Kidding.”
Na Youngho grinned and made another air arrow for inventory.
Wasting Dokgo Hyun's time like this.
“Can't open cards, but talking's fine, right? I drew A, actually.”
It made Dokgo Hyun's heart sink.
He kept a straight face, but Na Youngho smirked like he could read minds.
“For real. That's why all in—unbeatable A.”
“...”
“Heh. Tough choice? Better hurry. Air's almost gone.”
The tiny space made breathing genuinely hard now.
“Huff, huff.”
Dokgo Hyun felt early hypoxia: dizziness, labored breaths.
Na Youngho, meanwhile, wasn't suffering much.
‘Why isn't he gasping too?’
Depleting air should hurt him too, but he looked comfy.
As Dokgo Hyun puzzled, Na Youngho pulled an air arrow from inventory to his mouth.
“Sluuuurp...!”
He was hoarding pre-made air arrows to breathe exclusively from them.