More Demonic Than the Devil (1)

"Next duel in 23:59:55."

Upon arriving in the waiting room, Yun-seok sat still for a while. He was thinking about the illusion of Kang Hyung-woo he'd seen during the duel. More precisely, he was mulling over what Kang Hyung-woo had said.

—I set fire to your family's factory. That was me.

It wasn't something Kang Hyung-woo had actually said. It was just a suspicion buried deep in his subconscious—that with that guy's obsession, he might really have done it—bubbling up to the surface.

'If that's true... what should I do?'

He asked himself that, but there was nothing he could do. Kang Hyung-woo was blood of the JC Group family, while Yun-seok was just an ordinary guy whose father ran a subcontractor for them.

Maybe that's why. Even while harboring that suspicion deep down, he'd quietly turned a blind eye to it.

Knowing and enduring it... was worse than not knowing at all.

If he hadn't been dragged here and gone through these life-or-death battles that changed something inside him, he probably would still be thinking that way.

'If I get to go back... I'll look into it properly.'

Yun-seok had grown beyond just his combat skills. At the very least, he'd gained the courage to face the truths he'd been ignoring.

'To do that, I need to survive somehow first.'

Revenge or forgiveness—only the survivor could choose. Reaching that conclusion again, Yun-seok checked what he'd gained from this duel.

The challenger info hadn't changed much. One Flash from Cheon-ho had been added to unique skills, he'd advanced from Floor 1 to Floor 2, and he'd gained 1 coin and 2,000 AP as promotion rewards, doubling his total score. That was it.

That's when Yun-seok realized something.

'...It's doubling every time?'

The first green monster was worth 1,000 AP. The sign above Cheon-ho's head showed 2,000 AP. The next opponent would probably be 4,000 AP—matching his current total score.

Then 8,000, 16,000, 32,000 after that.

'If I win ten more like this...'

The scale would change entirely. A whopping 2.4 million AP. And if he won ten more after that? Over 1.2 billion.

For Yun-seok, who was scraping by, meticulously splitting up a few thousand AP for efficiency, it was an unreal number.

If total score was a basic measure of strength, winning twenty more times would make him 308,000 times stronger than now.

'Are they trying to make a god or something...?'

Even 308,000 times stronger than now—could that rival a god? Still, it was an absurd scale that made him think that.

'...Focus on what's right in front of me.'

Back to reality, Yun-seok opened the chat room first.

The total capacity was the same, but the number in parentheses after "chat room" had changed. It was 3 on Floor 1, now 2.

'Does a new channel open every ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠10,000 capacity?'

Anyway, same capacity but fewer initial participants. Down from about 2,000 to around 1,000. Still a lot, but compared to Floor 1, conversation frequency was overwhelmingly lower—enough to follow in real time.

Definitely different from the chaos of Floor 1. Less random shouting, more organized. Unlike the place flooded with nonsense, info was exchanging efficiently here.

Skimming for useful bits, Yun-seok used the filter to show only Earthlings' chats.

'Less than a hundred.'

That didn't count those who hadn't opened chat. Factor in other channels, it'd double. Surprisingly, unverified rumors were spreading there.

He couldn't verify Demon666's claim. But the chat filled with quick agreement. Crowd psychology turned doubt to belief fast.

Humans chase even faint hope, ignoring surrounding despair.

'Something's off...'

Soon the chat was flooded with Demon666's topic. Suicide ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hopefuls popped up, eager to die and return home. Some doubted, but he dismissed them.

Scammers usually lie for profit. Demon666 seemed to gain nothing.

But...

As hype peaked, Yun-seok saw Demon666's game.

'Eliminating rivals...'

If challengers believed dying sent them home, they'd throw fights next duel. Matches were random, no guarantee. But more believers raised odds. Maybe that's what Demon666 wanted.

Well-meaning challengers dropped filters, preaching Demon666's gospel. Looked genuine. Other dimensions started tilting heads. Some naively bought in fully, proselytizing harder than Earthlings.

Yun-seok figured some didn't believe but played along. Smart ones knew agreeing helped them more than arguing.

'Broadly speaking, am I that different...?'

He didn't join the evangelism but stayed silent with suspicions. Too late to stop. It had snowballed uncontrollably. New entrants got swept up in the heat.

Yun-seok quietly left the chat. No useful info in that madhouse anymore—and watching longer might mess with his head.

"Just do my job. That's the answer."

Yun-seok browsed the shop, pondering best use of his 2,000 AP.

'Skip convenience first...'

Convenience sold furniture (beds let you sleep), food, tickets. All irrelevant to combat. He closed it without a second look.

'Pass on sundries.'

Sundries had potions and combat supplies. Effects looked great, but one-use and pricey. Big flaw.

'Feels good short-term, but buying makes you lose long-term.'

Duels matched by total score (total AP earned). Saving AP was advantageous long-term.

Sundries had permanent rank-up potions for stats/skills too. He'd buy someday. But too expensive now. No skills to upgrade, and 1,500 AP just to bump one stat from F- to F?

Didn't know rank gap size... but ignorance made it a hard buy.

'Skills or gear then.'

He'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyed gear on Floor 1, so focused on skills. Three candidates.

All 1,500 AP. Remaining 500 for gear—probably shoes. Barefoot couldn't last.

'Hmm...'

Which was most helpful? Yun-seok soon decided.