Chapter 2492 – 2492. Devil’S Game
I was out of the Devil’s Game. Of course, not even a second had passed in real time.
‘Am I really out? My body hasn’t moved an inch here.’
The wounds I sustained in the Devil’s Game disappear when I return to reality. Since I wasn’t injured, I was spotless without a trace. Of course, the clothes that got dirty in the game were also clean.
‘Maybe the physical body in reality and the physical body in the Devil’s Game are different. But what happens to the real body if you die in the Devil’s Game?’
Yoo Jin-myung didn’t tell me that. It felt like he didn’t have time to explain.
‘I heard that game points can be used in reality too.’
A notification window popped up.
「Game Point Menu
10 million won – 1 GP
Game Tool and Ability Draw – 30 GP
Game Tool and Ability Enhancement – 50 GP
Game Participation Invitation – 50 GP
Game Escape Ticket – 100 GP
Grand Game Participation Ticket (Remaining Seats: 71) – 100 GP」
「Game Points Held: 15」
You can get ten million won by using 1 game point. But Yoo Jin-myung told me to draw tools and abilities first with game points.
‘I heard that game participants can only use one tool and one ability.’
You can also use the draw to change existing tools and abilities. For example, if you already have an ability and draw another ability, you have to choose between the existing ability or the new one.
Game tools refer to tools that can be used in reality and in the game.
‘Shin Do-hyun has a game tool.’
Shin Do-hyun’s revolver can be loaded with a maximum of one bullet per day. If you enhance the game tool, the number of bullets that can be loaded will increase.
‘If I draw, will I get a sword? The feel of a sword was amazing.’
Still, a gun is good too. It’s common sense that a gun is stronger than a sword. Isn’t it the best weapon to kill someone with a single click of a finger?
I first prepared to leave the hotel. Soon, Shin Do-hyun would come to pick me up. For the time being, I could rely on Shin Do-hyun.
‘I want to rely on her for life. Ah, before that.’
I use my ability.
According to Yoo Jin-myung, the ability restrictions in the game and in reality are separate. Even if you have already used an ability in the game, you can use it again in reality.
‘Paeng Cheon-soo. Is that guy also a participant in the Devil’s Game?’
〈Paeng Cheon-soo is not a participant in the Devil’s Game.〉
That was unexpected.
I was about to ask more about Paeng Cheon-soo when something suddenly came to mind.
‘…Besides me, who else has the Advice ability?’
Normally, it wouldn’t give me an answer. Advice can only be used once a day.
〈It exists.〉
It gave me an answer.
However, it wasn’t the answer I wanted.
‘Damn it. Would it hurt to tell me more? Who has the Advice ability?’
〈Users can only receive advice twice a day.〉
‘Ugh.’
Even though my ability was enhanced by winning this game, I still felt lacking.
‘Okay. I can ask tomorrow.’
I don’t like that the Advice ability isn’t unique to me… but I also had the Hyperfocus ability besides Advice. Moreover, this wasn’t even an ability from the Devil’s Game, but a natural talent.
‘Yoo Jin-myung told me to save the Advice ability as much as possible… well, it’s fun, so it’s okay.’
Honestly, it’s not easy to resist asking questions with the Advice ability.
If I ask, it answers unconditionally, so how can I resist?
50 minutes passed like that. My smartphone vibrated. The caller was Shin Do-hyun. The number I had saved earlier.
I spoke in the softest voice I could manage.
“Yeah. Do-hyun.”
-Come out.
Click.
The call ended.
‘Her chicness is attractive.’
If an ugly woman did that, it would be rude, but when a beauty like Shin Do-hyun does it, it’s a chic and aloof charm.
I went outside the hotel.
I looked around.
Honk honk.
I turned my head at the sound of the horn. I found Shin Do-hyun sitting in the driver’s seat of a van. It was a strange sight, seeing a beauty sitting in the driver’s seat of a truck. I got into the passenger seat of the truck.
“Do-hyun. This is the first time I’m seeing you in reality, right? I never thought you’d come in a truck.”
“The only car I can use right now is a truck.”
“I’m not saying anything. It’s just unexpected.”
She started the car and stepped on the accelerator. She didn’t seem very skilled at driving. If you watched her closely, you could see that she was nervous. She also didn’t know the way well, as she often glanced at the navigation system.
‘I should let her focus on driving.’
If I talk to her carelessly now, it will only annoy her. I know well because I got my license a few years ago and drove myself.
As we got out of the city and the road became quieter, Shin Do-hyun’s tension eased somewhat.
“I heard you killed a loan shark’s subordinate?”
“I did kill him. Though it turned out that I didn’t kill him… If it’s Paeng Cheon-soo, he’ll probably notice. If he knows about the Devil’s Game like Yoo Jin-myung said. Ah, are you thinking of reporting me or something?”
“…I don’t intend to. I mean, we’re already murderers from the moment we decided to kill Oh Geun-sung there. I’ve already made up my mind.”
“When you decided to kill Oh Geun-sung?”
“No. When the invitation to the Devil’s Game came again… when I decided to participate without tearing it up. I decided to change my life even if I had to step on other people’s corpses.”
“Was it a meal kit factory? A factory at that age. That’s amazing. But aren’t meal kits popular these days?”
“It’s not my factory, it’s my father’s. There was a conflict with a large corporation… and apart from that, work strangely didn’t come in. I didn’t know the reason before… but now I know. The work that should have come to our factory strangely went to the competing factory. When I looked into it, there were rumors that our packaging and materials were of very poor quality.”
“Could that be.”
“A participant in the Devil’s Game. I can’t be sure, but I think so. When someone’s life changes for the better… it means someone else’s life gets worse.”
I thought of the thug I killed first. After winning the Devil’s Game, it became someone else who killed that thug, not me.
‘Why did that guy confess… hmm. I’m not really curious.’
I glanced at Shin Do-hyun sitting next to me. She was wearing sportswear and a seatbelt… but her chest was so big that the seatbelt dug into it. Her already large and round chest was emphasized. I felt like I was getting an erection.
“If I’m going to be screwed, I’ll become a bitch.”
That bitch’s chest is something else.
No. No, this is a time to be serious.
“I sympathize with your thoughts.”
Honestly, it was hard to focus on what Shin Do-hyun was saying. Right now, a simulation of a sweet cohabitation life with Shin Do-hyun was running in my head.
Sex at night. Dates during the day. Where should we go on dates? Is Shin Do-hyun good at cooking? Even if she’s not good at cooking, I should understand. Shin Do-hyun is pretty. And she has a solid pair of boobs.
The truck headed towards the factory area.
“That’s our factory. You’ll be working there from tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
The factory was quite large. The lights were on, so it seemed like they were also working night shifts. In other words, the factory was doing well enough to have night shifts.
“Where’s your house?”
“There. It’s nearby.”
We passed by a little more. It was a container building.
“…Here? This is a warehouse.”
“The dorms are for the employees, so you can’t use them. This is where my father lived when the factory was first established. There’s a mattress, refrigerator, and boiler, so you can live here for the time being. I’ve prepared a blanket. It’s May, so it won’t be cold. I’ll come at 8 a.m. tomorrow, so be ready. Let’s have breakfast together.”
“Ah, okay.”
Honestly, I felt like running away. If she hadn’t said we’d have breakfast together, I might have actually run away.
‘I think a hotel would be better.’
After Shin Do-hyun left, I spread the blanket on the mattress and lay down. The blanket was clean.
‘It’s not as comfortable as a hotel blanket.’
Before going to sleep, I checked my bank account. Since I won the Devil’s Game, I wondered if they would give me money like before.
My expectations were correct.
100 million won was deposited into my account. There was no message, which was strange, but the date the 100 million won was deposited was a week ago. It was also deposited by an insurance company.
‘That’s the insurance company that compensated me when my parents died. Is that devil trying to scratch me on purpose?’
I decided not to question the source of the money. The devil must have taken care of it.
‘With 100 million won, can I buy a used Ferrari? Would Shin Do-hyun not like it? But I want to drive a Ferrari….’
How envious I was when I saw Ferraris while walking down the street.
‘I should drive a Ferrari once in my early twenties.’
I fell asleep, dreaming of a glamorous, rosy life.
• • •
“Sung Yu-jin. Wake up. Wake up.”
I opened my eyes to a sweet wake-up call. Shin Do-hyun, dressed in a suit, was looking down at me as if I were pathetic.
“I said I’d come at 8 a.m.”
“Uh…. Is it that late already? Sorry.”
“Never mind, get ready to go out. We have to eat breakfast.”
I quickly got ready and followed Shin Do-hyun to a Korean diner. There, I met a pot-bellied middle-aged man.
“Oh. Are you Do-hyun’s friend? I didn’t know you were a man… are you her boyfriend?”
“Not yet, but…”
“…Not yet?”
The middle-aged man’s eyes shone sharply as he scanned me. I felt a sudden wave of displeasure. Is he picking a fight right now?
“Stop talking nonsense and eat. You too, Dad.”
Was he my father-in-law…!
I quickly bowed.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Father!”
“Ahem. Who’s your father!”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
I was going to call him father-in-law, but I held back. I showed a friendly attitude, helping him with his utensils and such, to make a good impression on my potential father-in-law. Since there were many older men at the factory where I used to work, it wasn’t difficult to deal with my potential father-in-law.
“I heard about you from Do-hyun. Your house was completely burned down in a fire, right? Even if that warehouse is uncomfortable, it shouldn’t interfere with your life. You can stay as long as you want. If you have any inconveniences, let me know.”
“Thank you. I’ll work hard!”
“Work? What are you talking about.”
“He agreed to help us with our work when he has time.”
Shin Do-hyun said.
“Haha. You don’t have to do that. We’re busy these days because things are going well, but we’ve also hired a lot of new employees. You should do your own work. You too, Do-hyun. How can you make your friend work?”
“…I’m just going to make him do simple tasks.”
It seemed like I didn’t have to work at the factory. That’s a relief.
‘…Do I have to work at the factory to make a good impression on my father-in-law? But then I might actually become an employee, right?’
I was confused.
“How did you meet Do-hyun? My daughter is such a tomboy… she never brought any friends over, but suddenly she brings you. I know it’s nosy of me… but I’m curious how you met.”
“Ah, that’s.”
“He’s just a junior from university that I knew.”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
I broke out in a cold sweat trying to match Shin Do-hyun’s story.
After that, I helped Shin Do-hyun with small tasks she asked me to do. Shin Do-hyun worked at the factory. Her position was just an employee, but her work was that of a president.
‘Is Shin Do-hyun going to inherit the factory later?’
I got free time in the afternoon.
With nothing to do, I spent time exercising behind the factory. I swung a stick around, and threw stones.
Maybe it was because it wasn’t a sword, but the stick didn’t feel right. What was surprising was the stones. Every time I threw one, it hit exactly where I wanted it to.
‘Oh, oh. Did I have this talent?’
It was a bullseye every time I threw. The only times I couldn’t hit were when the distance was too far for my strength.
‘I would have won a gold medal if I had done archery.’
I threw everything, stones, wood, rubber bands, etc. I hit them all. I had a throwing skill that would make Jumong cry.
‘I should try using a gun or a bow later. Should I borrow a gun from Do-hyun? Would she lend it to me?’
Time passed quickly as I discovered my new talent. I had dinner with Shin Do-hyun. Afterwards, I went to a live-fire shooting range in Seoul with Shin Do-hyun. Shin Do-hyun went there to practice shooting, but from other people’s perspectives, it was a date.
“Wow. What a waste of a woman.”
“Why does a woman like that go for a guy like that…”
“Does he have a lot of money?”
The murmurs of the people weren’t bad.
I subtly put my hand on Shin Do-hyun’s shoulder.
“Take it off.”
I took it off immediately. It seems like we’re not there yet.
I showed off my bullseye talent at the shooting range. Even if I shot carelessly, it hit the center of the target. On the other hand, Shin Do-hyun wasn’t very good at shooting.
“Sir. It would be better to fix your posture…”
I raised my hand to stop the male employee from bothering Shin Do-hyun. After seeing my skills, he had no choice but to shut his mouth and back off.
“Do-hyun. Your posture is wrong. I’ll show you. Not like that, but like this.”
Surprise skinship!
Since it was under the pretext of education, Shin Do-hyun didn’t shake me off even though she frowned. She had seen me shoot bullseyes.
It goes without saying that I didn’t touch sensitive areas like her chest or butt. I had that much sense. At most, it was just her waist or shoulders. But even that made my heart pound. It was the first time I had skinship with a woman other than my mother since elementary school.
After correcting her posture, Shin Do-hyun’s scores improved. At least she was able to hit the target every time. It was difficult against moving targets though.
“Sung Yu-jin. You drive.”
I drove on the way back. It had been a while since I drove, so I was nervous, but it was much easier and more natural than I thought. I was definitely a better driver than Shin Do-hyun.
After that, I dropped Shin Do-hyun off in front of her house and returned to the factory.
It was midnight. I resisted the urge to use Advice and called Yoo Jin-myung.
“Did you find out about Paeng Cheon-soo?”
-Yes. He’s quite famous in the underworld. Paeng Cheon-soo, the boss of the Paeng Shin faction. He was a big shot that even the police were wary of. It seems difficult to go and kill him right now… and I would like you to use your Advice ability to find out Paeng Cheon-soo’s plan.
“Hmm. Okay.”
I used my Advice ability right away.
〈Paeng Cheon-soo is trying to completely dominate South Korea with the power of the devil.〉
I told Yoo Jin-myung.
-It doesn’t tell you the detailed plan. Paeng Cheon-soo himself said he wasn’t a participant of the devil, so… please find out how many Devil’s Game participants are under Paeng Cheon-soo.
〈131 people〉
“131 people. Wow, that’s no joke. If I had made a mistake, I could have been included in that group.”
-That’s less than I thought.
“You think that’s less?”
-Less than 50 of them are probably from debt-ridden backgrounds. The role of the debt-ridden people is probably to bring in game invitations. They must have pushed their subordinates into the Devil’s Game with game invitations. And they must be using them to collect game points. Paeng Cheon-soo’s goal is probably to dominate South Korea. Or even more than that. If he has information about the Devil’s Game, he can also come up with a strategy, so 131 people themselves aren’t surprising.
“He has quite the ambition. Doesn’t that mean we have to kill Paeng Cheon-soo right now?”
-That’s impossible. If I were Paeng Cheon-soo, I would always have subordinates with abilities specialized in protection.
“So we shouldn’t do anything? That guy will try to kill me.”
-According to the information I’ve obtained, Paeng Cheon-soo’s forces aren’t making any significant moves. Did your advice warn you? Or are you being followed?
“That’s not it.”
-To Paeng Cheon-soo, you’re just a small fry. You’re annoying, but you’re not a high enough priority to kill by force. Paeng Cheon-soo is probably having a hard time just managing 131 participants right now. People tend to have other ideas when they gain power. Paeng Cheon-soo himself will probably participate in the Devil’s Game soon. He must have gathered enough information about the Devil’s Game, and he needs to become a participant and gain abilities to make it easier to manage his subordinates.
“So you’re saying we should just stay still? That bastard will try to kill me someday.”
-And he’s also our competitor. He’s planning to monopolize the wish-granting rights. Yu-jin. I would like you to use your Advice ability to find out which subordinates are dissatisfied with Paeng Cheon-soo and which subordinates have betrayed him. If we find them… I’ll try to incite them.
“You’re trying to cause internal division. That’s a good plan. But is there a guy with the Advice ability among Paeng Cheon-soo’s subordinates?”
-No. As far as I know, the Advice ability is a very rare ability. Even if there are over ten thousand Devil’s Game participants worldwide, there will only be one or two people with the Advice ability. Even if there was someone with the Advice ability, Paeng Cheon-soo would have killed them.
“Why?”
-Because it’s a powerful ability that’s too dangerous for someone other than himself to have.
‘Is that so.’
