Chapter 267: Ch 267: Russian roulette
The VIP room of the Casino of Corporeity, which we entered after
increasing our holdings to 2,772 coins through a method that was
practically indistinguishable from fraud.
We had just been offered a special gamble for VIPs by the dealer.
Russian roulette.
Two participants would be chosen from among our party.
[Oh, the more you play this game, the more you only stand to lose. Isn’t that
right?]
[After paying the casino its commission, it’s effectively just a game of
passing coins back and forth between the two of you. Aside from the fact
that one of you is guaranteed to die, of course.]
But for our objective, this gamble was unavoidable.
I looked at the body parts and organs dangling from the rails.
’Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s body pieces are hanging there too.’
Through a game of Russian roulette, we would have to win at least enough
of them to reassemble her into something that would be judged as ’herself’.
Sure enough.
"I’ll volunteer first."
Someone raised his hand immediately.
Agent Choi, his eyes shining.
"Agent!"
"My chance of ’actually’ dying is low, and the chance of a successful rescue
is high~ If you can do basic math as an agent, this is something you take."
That was true.
’Based on what we’ve experienced so far, dying in the Sekwang City
subway means waking up in reality and escaping.’
The problem was.
’...Can we be one hundred percent sure that still applies this time?’
If even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of real death existed...
Then it would end there.
...
"I’ll go first."
At that moment, Assistant Manager Eun Haje brushed off her clothes and
stepped forward.
"...!"
"Ms. Citizen, wait—"
"No. Courage just happens to be my specialty."
She turned toward us and waved the hand fitted with equipment.
The exchanged hand.
"I didn’t have a hand in the first place anyway. There’s no need to recover
it. You could call it saving coins."
"...!"
"And you should go last."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s prosthetic hand pointed at Agent Choi.
"Huh? Come on, Ms. Citizen. I stepped up all cool like, and now you’re
killing the mood..."
I shook my head.
"Agent. You’re the only one who can identify body parts."
"...!"
Agent Choi moved his lips, then finally let out a sigh.
"Sharp as always, Roe you rascal."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje gave a brief snort of laughter, but the tension
in the air remained thick.
"Those of you who only traded your ring fingers, go find them with coins
and exchange them back. Don’t go crying later because you can’t move
properly after you get out."
"...Pardon?"
"It means that your current state might affect you when you wake up, so
don’t take risks you don’t have to."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje stepped forward decisively.
"I’ll play."
"..."
But then.
"This is a game in which one of the participating guests is guaranteed to
die. Are you sure you wish to play?"
What?
"Yes. I’ll play."
"...Would you like me to explain Russian roulette again?"
"A six-shot revolver with one bullet. Two people take turns shooting
themselves. If you get hit, you die. If you fire three shots in a row and
survive, you receive one body part as a reward. Is that correct?"
"Yes. And there is also the option to give up a body part to pass your turn to
your opponent..."
"That’s fine. No one here will be using that."
"..."
And 15 minutes and 20 seconds later.
Bang!
We watched, with our own eyes, as Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s head was
blown apart...
"..."
"..."
The victor.
Agent Bronze stood there with darkened eyes, forcibly suppressing the
trembling of his hands as he stared at the scene.
At the blood-soaked corpse that had fired three consecutive shots.
Click.
"Congratulations! You’ve won!"
This.
This isn’t good. The shock is greater than expected.
No matter how much I tried to remind myself that she would wake up in
reality, watching an acquaintance die right in front of me, ’according to
plan’...
’...It’s worse than a noose.’
The atmosphere froze solid.
"And this person fired three consecutive shots, so as for the additional
reward... ah, she’s deceased."
The dealer, who had been counting, turned toward us.
"She was part of your party, right? ...In that case, you may take the reward
instead."
Our gazes turned to Agent Choi.
The agent capable of identifying body parts stepped forward with a stiff
expression and looked at the pieces hanging from the rail.
Then he selected one.
"That shoulder."
"..."
A part that could be attached directly to the neck.
It was the highest-priority body piece we had discussed in advance.
Cold sweat ran down Agent Choi’s composed face.
"Well..."
The head of Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae looked at us and spoke.
"You may stop here and leave the room. What will you do?"
"..."
We had already placed our bet.
That if you die inside Sekwang City, you wake up outside.
In that case.
"We’ll continue."
"Then who will place the next bet?"
It continues.
I raised my hand and pulled the trigger.
Click. The hollow sound of an empty chamber echoed.
’Don’t stop.’
You only receive a body part if you fire three shots in a row.
I didn’t stop and kept pulling. Quickly, so my hand wouldn’t shake from
survival fear.
Click.
The next shot...
Click.
"..."
Cold sweat ran down my jaw.
’I survived.’
And what that meant was.
That my opponent in this game of Russian roulette would inevitably die.
"...Agent Bronze."
"..."
The opponent picked up the revolver I had set down on the table and pulled
the trigger toward his temple.
And then.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out on the very next pull.
"..."
He’s dead.
[In an instant, that makes two corpses.]
"Congratulations! You’ve won! For the guest who pulled the trigger three
times consecutively, the additional reward is..."
My cold sweat felt icy.
Agent Choi moved at an unnaturally fast pace toward the rail and chose a
body part. How many more do we need? Even if we continue, the number
of body parts we can obtain is five. Is that enough? That’s...
"Please get up."
...
"...Pardon?"
"Rest."
When I lifted my head, I saw Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
Chief Lizard swiftly cleared away Agent Bronze’s corpse and sat down on
the padded armchair himself.
"Assign your seat to Supervisor Goat."
"...!"
Baek Saheon immediately turned and started running.
’That little shit.’
I rushed after him and grabbed him.
"Hey—"
"You know you have to die to get out anyway."
"Fuck, what if I really die...!"
"Oh. Then do you have another method?"
"..."
"Or do you want to be trapped alone in this Darkness?"
There was no way he could explore this subway, this crazy annihilation-
sanctioned disaster, on his own while leaving us behind.
In the end, he would either become fully contaminated and end up like
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae, or take euthanasia pills and wake up in
reality. There was no reason for him to take that risk alone.
...Of course.
’...But what if we really die?’
That very small probability was chilling.
But rationally and emotionally, this was something we had to do.
My spine felt cold, but I didn’t release the arm holding him. Letting him run
away here would only lead to a longer and more painful death.
"I’ll just take the euthanasia pills. Why do I have to get shot in the head?"
...
"Then do that."
"...What?"
Right.
No matter what, we can’t force someone to die like this when another
option exists.
’He wasn’t even part of the group from the beginning.’
This wasn’t a matter of character.
...Unless we persuaded him with compensation.
"You can take double the coins you won from the slot machines."
"...!"
[Hooh!]
"Think about it. Even after spending coins on this game, that much should
still be left."
No. In fact, there was a high chance more than two thousand coins would
remain...
I whispered.
"Three-fifty."
"..."
"You can take that much. You’ll need to keep working on this project.
When you come back in ’next time’, shouldn’t you be thinking about what
you’ll buy with several hundred casino coins?"
Silence fell.
Behind us, I could hear Agent Choi choosing body parts and exchanging
persistent, information-laden conversation with the dealer under the guise
of small talk.
"...Five hundred."
"Deal."
"Shit."
Baek Saheon cursed, then flinched at his own words. Sweating profusely,
he came back and sat down on the armchair where I was.
"Then, we will begin."
And then.
Bang!
While pulling the trigger first for three consecutive shots, he died on the
third one.
"..."
"Congratulations!"
All that remained now was...
...
I sat back down on the armchair facing Section Chief Lee Jaheon. The
armchair was slick with Baek Saheon’s blood.
"Section Chief. With just your senses right now... can you tell where the
live round is?"
"That is impossible."
"...Yes."
I knew that already. I was just asking pointlessly. Nothing would change.
And even if he knew, it wouldn’t matter.
’Ha.’
The revolver spinning on the table pointed toward Section Chief Lee
Jaheon.
The one selected like that reached out and picked up the gun first.
"I’ll fire three shots consecutively."
But.
Bang!
...His head was pierced on the very first shot.
"..."
"How incredibly lucky for you!"
I inhaled, then slowly exhaled.
How many times is this now.
I almost wish I’d died just now instead.
"Congratulations. The deceased’s additional reward is... ah, but this time
you won’t receive a reward. The game has already ended."
Ah.
"So if someone dies on the first shot while attempting to fire three
consecutive shots, like just now... the condition isn’t met?"
"I guess soo?"
Wait.
’Then...’
In the worst case, the body parts of Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae we’ve
obtained so far might be the end of it.
I looked at the three body parts we had acquired.
Shoulder, chest, waist.
Strangely, the moment they were taken out, they stuck together, but they
didn’t even form the minimum structure of a torso.
’We need at least the pelvis.’
Only then could it possibly be judged as ’Assistant Manager Lee
Seonghae’s surviving form’.
And if the body parts lost here are reflected in the state of reality, then at
least that much is needed to do anything after getting out.
If that’s the case...
...
"Just as a suggestion."
I raised my hand and spoke.
"How about spinning the cylinder with two bullets loaded?"
"Oh?"
Let’s gamble with a higher risk method.
And in casino games, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
"Then, if we can fire three consecutive shots with a revolver loaded with
two bullets..."
I looked at the rail.
"We’ll receive two body parts."
"...!"
[This will be very entertaining, Friend.]
[However, wouldn’t that greatly increase the chance of being shot before
completing three shots?]
That’s right.
And this method might not even feel like the danger increases all that much.
It’s a game that ends the moment one of the two dies anyway, so the
framework itself doesn’t change.
In that case.
"And in addition..."
I held back a sigh.
"Even after the opponent dies, the winner must take the remaining gun and
fire at least one shot at themselves."
"Oh?"
"There will still be at least one live round left. Both sides have to pull the
trigger while risking death."
In short, it’s insanity.
[Excellent, Mr. Roe Deer! Both participants will be able to savor the thrill
through proactive action. Oh, if there were spectators, it would be a very
exciting watch.]
[Still, even then, both might die without completing three shots and fail to
achieve the objective...]
No.
’We can achieve it.’
[Hooh.]
I have a plan.
And the dealer, upon hearing this proposal...
"..."
...stayed still, as if listening to some kind of ’decision’ being made within
the casino, then...
"In the VIP room, we must always provide private enjoyment. We’ll accept
that modified rule. Great!"
Huu.
’Got it.’
I blinked and sat back down on the armchair.
And now what remained was...
"Well then. Looks like it’s you and me, Grapes-ie."
Me and Agent Choi.
For the record, Go Yeongeun was excluded for now due to the entry limit,
and thinking about it now...
’That’s probably for the best.’
If she got caught up by accident, she really would die.
"Ah, before we start, let’s talk for a moment."
"Sure."
Agent Choi stood up and grabbed my shoulder.
"That thing earlier. That’s a guaranteed way to get body parts, right?"
"...Yes."
"Okay."
Agent Choi took hold of me and turned my body toward the rail.
"Then, Grapes-ie. Look carefully over there."
"..."
"The third one is the pelvis, and... the seventh is the left arm, the fifteenth
is the right arm."
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s body parts.
He was telling me in advance in case he himself died.
"Let’s say we’ll take those as additional rewards."
"...Yes."
Agent Choi and I separated again and sat down on our respective armchairs.
And the dealer picked up the gun...
"Ah, is it alright if we choose where the bullets are loaded? No matter
where they’re placed, the firing probability is the same."
"...Yes."
...I specified the bullet positions I wanted.
And then.
"If both of us die, please transfer the additional rewards and coins to the
person waiting outside the VIP room as our party member."
"..."
"Ms. Dealer."
"Yesyes."
And the order was...
Tuk.
"I’ll go first."
"..."
"Grapes-ie."
Raising the revolver, Agent Choi spoke.
"Want me to guess? You loaded one bullet every three chambers, right?"
"...!"
"One round in, skip two, another round in, skip two..."
As he says that, he looks at me.
"Then no matter what the firing order is... once a live round fires, the next
two are empty."
That’s right.
"Then if I get shot, you’ll surely succeed with three consecutive shots and
get the body parts."
Of course.
Either way, the final shot will be live.
"So the two of us are guaranteed to die."
...
"See you later."
Bang!
Agent Choi died on the second shot.
"Congratulations. You’ve won."
"..."
Blood is splattered across the armchair.
Blood and corpses cover the floor and the couch.
"Would you like to rest a bit before proceeding with the ’winner’s Russian
roulette’? Or..."
"Ms. Dolphin."
I was certain after that game.
I turned my head and looked at Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s head.
...
No.
"You knew, didn’t you?"
"What?"
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae herself.
"You allowed that modified rule knowing full well, didn’t you?"
"..."
"If I can choose where the bullets are loaded, then the winner shooting
themselves has no real meaning."
I continued.
"Depending on the bullet placement, you can choose a position where
survival is guaranteed."
There’s no way the dealer didn’t know that.
And yet she pretended not to, and allowed it anyway.
That meant it was a decision made by another self, not the dealer persona.
"Did you let it slide, Ms. Dolphin?"
"..."
I’d felt something was off for a while.
’You kept trying to push us to leave...’
– This is a game in which one of the participating guests is guaranteed to
die. Are you sure you wish to play?
That wasn’t something a dealer should say.
Within the bounds of not violating casino rules, she had been subtly and
passively encouraging people to leave this room.
Then, if that’s the case...
"Did you become a dealer while preserving part of your ego through some
kind of procedure? So you could stay alive and continue searching for a
chance of survival?"
"I don’t know what you meann."
"Isn’t part of your consciousness still intact right now?"
"..."
"And so you saw my adjustment of the bullet order as a way to survive to
the end, and let it pass..."
"Dear guest, based on your statements, you are confirmed to have
manipulated a modified rule."
Ah.
"That constitutes cheating within the casino. Please return all rewards you
have received during the Russian roulette games so far and leave the VIP
room."
"..."
"Leave immediately. Otherwise, measures will be taken."
I looked at the ’rewards’ from Russian roulette.
The body parts that had automatically connected to one another.
’Since her ego is still left intact, I thought I might be able to persuade her
into attaching those body parts herself.’
From the looks of it, that was impossible.
’Then.’
"Wait."
I turned as if to leave, and then...
I lunged at the dealer.
"...!"
And started tearing off Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s head.
"Ugh—"
A horrifying sensation I’d never experienced before surged through my
hands.
The crunching sound, the sound of mismatched flesh tearing away. The
sound of the dealer’s powerful body breaking my ribs, the crushing force of
her biting into my hand, the sound of her trying to pull out documents...
But if not this way, there might not be another chance.
"Huuhp!"
I finally tore the head free.
And immediately... attached it to the body parts I had already obtained as
rewards.
"...!"
If the VIP room was truly private, the dealer response would be slightly
delayed, which was why I dared this.
’There’s no turning back.’
Soon, this casino would confiscate my body just as it did to the long-term
missing persons.
If that’s how it’s going to be, then.
"Uugh."
I ran to the rail and, with blood-soaked hands, pulled out several of
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s body parts I’d identified earlier, then
urgently attached them to her.
And.
I forcibly shoved the euthanasia drug into her mouth.
"...!"
When I covered her nose and mouth, she swallowed. By the time I
confirmed that, I sensed movement outside the VIP room.
The sound of someone approaching after detecting ’property damage’.
"Ugh."
I immediately grabbed the revolver on the table.
And then, and then...
Click, click.
After two empty rotations, the bullet shot into my head.
* * *
"..."
Why does my head hurt this much?
I briefly wondered if being shot affected the body in reality...
But I soon realized that wasn’t the case.
Because.
"...!"
I was still in a human body.
And.
"Huuhk—"
Go Yeongeun-ssi is...
...carrying me on her back while running.
Through the subway station.