Chapter 31
I had grasped the general outline, but I couldn’t carelessly shout out the answer just yet.
‘If they ask what kind of animal, I won’t even be able to guess properly.’
That would widen the range too much.
For now, I decided to skip figuring out B’s role. Then what about C?
‘I know he’s male, but I don’t know if he’s the dead son or the mother’s sibling.’
So that had to wait as well.
Still, I had enough clues to form some assumptions—so it wasn’t a wasted round.
[Wow, very interesting questions are going back and forth here.]
[But no one has shouted the correct answer yet? Then let’s add a new rule here!]
A bad feeling washed over me.
[Until now, only the person who correctly guessed a role could win and escape, right? I will add another method of escape!]
[You know that if all your fingers are folded, you are automatically eliminated? Whoever makes the eliminated person fold their last finger will also receive a chance to escape.]
Pretending to be considerate—when really, all they’re doing is forcing us to target someone for death and intensifying the tension.
A, who had only four fingers left, turned pale.
Among all of us, the girl suspected to be the ‘daughter’ and I were affected the least by the new rule—since we had the fewest bent fingers.
“Fold if you were given birth to by the ‘mother.’”
The next participant asked.
A useful question for me as well.
“Aaargh!”
‘As expected.’
The fingers of the person suspected of being the ‘daughter’ and the one suspected of being the ‘dead son,’ C, both bent.
Then someone suddenly yelled:
“Answer!”
[Yes, please go ahead!]
“That participant’s role is the ‘daughter.’”
The pointed participant’s face paled. Others looked frustrated, realizing they’d lost their chance.
[Correct!]
[The participant with the role of ‘pet dog’ may now escape!]
‘Pet dog? When the question said fold if you have children, his finger bent.’
So dogs counted as children too? How are we supposed to deduce that logically?!
Giving the ‘daughter’ role to a male participant wasn’t the only twist, huh.’
[Everyone, applause!!]
Our hands were forced into motion—mine too.
The participants clapped with blood-covered hands. It was a horrifying sight.
B ran out crying, practically fleeing. The one who played the ‘daughter’ was being dragged away.
[Now the game is back on track!]
[Here’s a surprise announcement to increase speed!]
Another one.
By now, anything the radio voice said made me uneasy.
[Once we return to the first player after this turn…]
[I will reveal what remaining roles are left.]
[Knowing the roles will make it easier to guess, right? Hehehe.]
[It’ll become a bloody battle! Actually, if real blood spills too… oh dear.]
[I’ve talked too much. Next question, please!]
No.
‘If the roles are revealed, I’m in danger.’
Not just danger—if my role is mentioned, C and I will be caught instantly.
Our roles were too unique.
‘Unique roles are only beneficial when others can’t predict them!’
They changed the rules however they wanted without anyone agreeing. Damn it.
‘I must escape this turn.’
Focus. I couldn’t die here.
I had to find Macho-hae, and I also had to return proudly in front of Dan Seo-hyuk.
Thankfully, it would be my turn right after one more person.
“Answer.”
Someone raised their hand before the next player even asked a question. His gaze was fixed on me and C.
Cold sweat dripped down.
“That participant’s role is…”
His finger slowly lowered… and pointed at C.
“‘Dead son.’”
Correct.
[Correct!!!]
[One of the hardest roles to guess. Amazing!]
[The participant in the ‘grandmother’ role may escape, and the one who played ‘dead son’ will be taken to the auction…!]
The radio voice stopped.
The ‘grandmother’ participant who was about to leave turned around.
[My, my. Hold on. A very interesting situation has occurred.]
[‘Black Knight.’]
What?
“The Black Knight only restores one finger! Since the ‘dead son’ had their role exposed, the Black Knight shouldn’t apply anymore!”
The grandmother shouted—and she was right.
The fact that the radio voice deliberately emphasized this meant something.
[I told you—‘very interesting’ situation.]
They simply wanted to create an exception.
[A participant requested the use of ‘Black Knight’ while sacrificing all of their own remaining fingers, wishing to revive the eliminated one!]
I looked around. The participant presumed to be the ‘mother’ was crying uncontrollably.
‘No way…’
[Hehehe. Such pitiful family love—quite interesting indeed.]
“W-what? Then what about me?”
The grandmother asked, but there was no answer.
Instead, the ‘mother’ collapsed on the floor.
Thud, thud.
The large man entered again and dragged away the limp ‘mother.’
[Since the ‘dead son’ already has their identity revealed, it would be difficult to continue. So we will allow escape as a special exception.]
[Instead, the ‘grandmother,’ who failed to kill anyone, will be eliminated!]
[What a heartwarming ending! Very immersive role-playing! Everyone, applause!!]
“What the hell!! That’s bullshit!! I guessed correctly! You kidnap people and force them into this garbage and dare talk like that?!”
…Huh?
‘That’s strange. That reaction was too human for a ghost.’
The mother crying earlier had felt strange as well.
All eyes turned toward the grandmother, who was screaming with a flushed face.
[…]
The radio was silent. That made it worse.
[Garbage game?]
A chill.
The air was instantly filled with terror on a different level than before.
Everyone trembled.
It was primal fear.
[Garbage game?]
[Garbage game?]
[Garbage game?]
[Garbage game?]
“N-no, that’s not what I—!”
A voice colder than anything thus far came from the speaker.
[We do not appreciate participants who refuse to cooperate.]
[Even more so those who insult a game meticulously loved by its developers.]
[You are unworthy even of being auctioned.]
The tone was mechanical and emotionless—like a machine that only executed preset warnings.
[You are expelled.]
Expelled? Different from eliminated?
A black hole opened beneath the grandmother’s feet—large enough to swallow a person.
Then, she fell straight down—
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Her scream grew fainter as she dropped.
How far did it go?
“Aaaaahhh!!!!!!!
Save me!!!!!
Get me out of here!!!!!
It hurts, it hurts, IT HURTS!!!”
Terrifying cries echoed from below.
…What was down there?
How many people were trapped?
[Well!]
As if they were done, the hole vanished.
The screams disappeared instantly.
The sudden silence was even more horrifying.
[Sorry for the confusion! Now shall we continue the remaining game?]
[The remaining participants will sincerely join this fun game, right?]
[Please respond.]
Basically coercion.
“Yes!”
“O-of course.”
“Thank you for inviting us to this… uh, glorious game.”
Only five of us remained, including me.
[And you, participant?]
Though it had no eyes or hands, I knew it was directed at me.
“…Me too.”
Saying something I didn’t mean made me feel sick.
“I will do my best to participate in the game.”
Yeah—because I had to escape.
Whether it was fun or not, I didn’t care.
[Hmm.]
[Very well. Then, please proceed with the question.]
It seemed displeased—but since there was no punishment, I had to consider that fortunate.
It was now my turn.
This had to end here. If I wanted to live.
‘Among the survivors, two reacted to the question “Fold if you’re male.”’
Both bent fingers on every question so far, but A was the only one with a secret they couldn’t tell family.
Still, I couldn’t announce the answer with such limited certainty.
I needed a question that could decide it.
A final gamble.
“…Fold if you are someone who could use the Black Knight for a woman other than your wife.”
If our roles were exposed because of this, I could die.
All or nothing.
……
……
No movement.
Cold sweat streamed down my body.
I waited a little longer.
Then, A’s thumb slowly began to cut itself off.
As if to taunt me.
“Answer.”
I raised my hand. My dried-blood-covered hand shook pathetically.
“That participant is the ‘father.’”
[…]
No response.
Unlike before, the radio didn’t answer immediately.
[Well now.]
[Impressive.]
The muttering voice reached my ears unusually clearly.
I turned toward the speaker—
[Correct!!]
[Macho—… no, the participant with the ‘mistress’ role may now escape!]
It almost said Macho-yeon—my name?
The back door opened. The large man entered and approached the one playing the ‘father.’
I stood up and calmly walked toward the back door.
The remaining participants and the large man stared at me as if drilling holes through me.
Their gazes were disgusting.
