Chapter 27 - Day 7, Preparations
The blood vessels in my whole body felt tight. It was like the pain when donating blood, amplified by 10 times. There wasn’t a physical HP Bar above my head or a message in front of me. It was different from the letters that popped up when looking at an item.
"W-what?” Four confused voices echoed in the darkness. The range of darkness was just as I thought. It was the same range of vision like in the dungeon. I aimed my fist at the closest one. The blitz tactic was the key. I didn’t know what variables the four opponents had so it was best to utilize the advantage of surprise.
Bam!
As soon as the guy collapsed from being hit in the stomach, the one next to him swung a club at me. He couldn’t see, but it seemed like he was responding accurately and quickly to the sound. Of course, it was a blind hit but it might work because it was a pincer attack.
I moved my head, grabbed his wrist and pulled back his arm. There was the sound of something breaking. Every time I dealt a blow, the pain in my blood vessels gradually faded. The blood-sucking effect worked without any problems.
There was the feeling of someone kicking me from behind, but I gritted my teeth and withstood it. The pain was severe but I could endure it. I turned around. This time the kick was a bit higher. However, it missed and the leg moved to the side, causing the person to stumble.
The remaining person didn’t come directly. He hesitated while holding a bottle in his hand. It was because a disaster could happen when it missed unlike the colleagues who swung a fist. The person was only a few steps away, so I killed my footsteps and approached immediately.
I grabbed the bottle and lightly kicked his testicles. The problem was the next step. Their shouts and screams rang through the alley. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t exercise their courage.
I quickly dragged them to a building that was being redeveloped. As I entered through the tarps covering the outer wall of the building, there was nothing to be seen.
"If a sound leaks out of your throat then you will die.” Of course, I was bluffing. There were grunts as I punched three of them in the abdomen. The one left was the supposed leader.
He was the one watching me quietly. I pinched the flesh on the inside of his forearm with my index finger and thumb, then twisted it painfully.
Quark!
“Ugh...!”
I didn’t know how powerful my grip was after being influenced by the lizardman essence, but he received pain when I used only a little bit of my power.
“What is my name?” I saw this in a novel. The detective said that asking questions like ‘what is your name?’ made it harder to hide their thoughts instead of yes or no questions.
“I-I don’t know! We just followed...”
“That is enough. Be quiet.” From here on, I was going to test the talents and techniques I acquired in the dungeon. How efficient were ‘Compulsion’, ‘Eloquence’ and ‘Charisma’?
"Kim Sung-tae. Lee Ji-hwan. Kim Sung-ik. Jang Hyo-jin." I took out their cell phones, removed the batteries, and read their names on the ID cards in their wallets. I read the addresses written below. It was significant.
"A-Are you crazy? This isn’t the dungeon... We didn’t plan anything other than a simple assault. Killing us is too much. Our instructions were just to scare you a little...”
"Of course, those are just words.” I tried to laugh like a psycho as much as possible. The effect was obvious. Even though I didn’t say the word ‘kill’ myself, they had already imagined a snuff film in their minds. The leader’s name was Kim Sung-tae.
"Sung-tae. The problem with attacking me is that I will pay you back. Not only that, I was insulted as well.”
"What should...”
"Make me feel better. If I feel better, I might not use your cell phone to call your family.” The other three looked at me nervously as they carefully listened to my words. "Are there any facts I should now? Things that I might not know about the dungeon? Points will be given to the person who tells me first.”
It didn’t take long for the first answer to come out. The person called Jang Hyo-jin spoke first.
"Well, you don’t need to be in the place where the stairs were originally.”
"Huh?”
"So even if you are in the bathroom or someplace else... As long as the space is isolated, a staircase will appear at midnight.”
“Oh?”
The experiences from individuals were quite specific. I looked at Kim Sung-tae. "Your employer was experimenting with this?”
“...” An expression of embarrassment was his answer. They had probably done such experiments.
"With this, I don’t have any bad feelings towards Jang Hyo-jin. Does Sung-tae’s silence represent the rest of you?”
Kim Sung-tae hesitated before speaking. If two people were in the same place, then one staircase would be created. However, stepping on the same staircase wouldn’t cause the stairs to overlap. If someone went into the dungeon with an injury, that injury would be healed when they left the dungeon.
Once I listened to the experiment, I asked a few additional questions before saying. "They are pretty safe experiments. Have you never tried an experiment like this?”
“What...?
"Killing a person outside the dungeon and seeing if you can absorb their abilities.”
“C-Crazy!” Kim Sung-tae forgot his position and spat out. “Hey... There are still some lines we shouldn’t cross. I don’t know what thoughts you are having but... I told you. This is real life. It’s nonsense to think like that.”
“That is true.” I put a falsely evil expression on my face.
I released the expression. "This is somehow quite awkward to say.”
“...?” As they looked at my expression, saliva thickened in their mouths. I noticed it. I was mocking them until now. In fact, it was a little fun deceiving them. I knew more than anyone else the limit as a psycho. If they were murdered then the risks to me were enormous.
"If it is like this...” I placed my hand on Kim Sung-tae’s head as I pondered aloud. I placed strength into my wrist and shoved his head down on the ground. After lifting Kim Sung-tae’s head again, his face had become bloody.
“Ugh...”
"No matter how angry, don’t forget your position now.” He was the one who told me that when you entered the dungeon, your wounds will disappear. After two hours, the evidence will disappear. It didn’t matter what I did as long as they didn’t die.
“Give me all the items you have.”
“...”
"I can see from your reaction that this isn’t sufficient. You should worry about each other.”
Noises were heard from one side. The three people, except for Kim Sung-tae, were already scared. I collected all the items, such as clubs and bottles, and stored them in my inventory.
"Coins?”
"We don’t manage the money or supplies...”
“I see.” I nodded. I checked the time and went to work. I started beating the four people up.
“I-I gave you the items! There is no more, really!”
"I know.” I showed them the time on my cell phone. "There are approximately two hours left. Anyway, if you stay here then the staircase will appear.”
Once you entered and exited the dungeon, your wounds were restored. This meant that when they entered the dungeon, their wounds would be maintained. I didn’t know if the goblin’s medicine could restore broken bones. However, they would have to consume quite a lot of medicine on the seventh floor and would have to worry about all types of disadvantages.
They might have to eat their medicine to an extreme level. If they were with colleagues from the fifth floor, they might become meals for several people.
"I’d appreciate it if you convey my thanks. Tell them that this is just fair play for what they tried to do.”
Three of them gave up. Kim Sung-tae maintained his spirit until the end. After it was over, he said to me. “Again... Do you want to consider it again?”
“What?”
"The ship you are on is rotten. I saw it. Earlier at the cafe, I heard it from Sang-min and Sang-ah.” These people were acquaintances of the Yoon siblings? They felt like the entourage of a chaebol child that often appeared in dramas.
“... Everyone misjudged. You are a great person. Now I know it for sure. I mean, the words that were said... I’ll make Sang-min recognize his mistake and reevaluate you.” Despite his blurry eyes and bloody lips, Sung-tae seemed quite strong-willed.
“Based on the system of the dungeon, a small number will survive. I am sure I will meet you again. Honestly, to say that I don’t have any bad feelings right now... It would be a lie. But that’s just the way I feel. If you join then Sang-min will surely get closer to being the final one... Of course, he will also give you sufficient compensation.” A so-called loyalist.
"I’ll say it once again... Yoon Ji-hee is rotten. Maybe she will do something unexpected... After her father died, she grew up with a mother who is a third rate actress. Did you know that?”
“Hrmm.”
“Rather... You might get caught around the ankle, compared to your profits... It is like picking up an empty bowl compared to a bowl of rice. If you want to get far in the UZ Group...”
"Nothing like that.”
“What?”
"I have no intention of joining UZ Group. In the first place, it doesn’t seem like a company that can support me after I graduate.” I got up.
Kim Sung-tae stared at me with disbelieving eyes. But it was true. After hearing the story of succession from Yoon Ji-hee, if Yoon Sang-ah and Yoon Sang-min hadn’t entered at that moment, I would have killed Yoon Ji-hee on the seventh floor and neatly separated from the problem.
It was too reckless to get involved in such a fierce competition due to Yoon Ji-hee. However, Yoon Sang-min and Yoon Sang-ah had given me a hint. At the cafe, she had unintentionally provided me with extra information.
Just one thing. I had made one mistake when judging Yoon Ji-hee. This was it.
I was sure after hearing the information. That’s why I refused the suggestion to kill Yoon Ji-hee and even called the chairman. I was sure. Secure Yoon Ji-hee, not the UZ Group.
"Well, I guess your words are correct.”
“... Then why...”
"But you and those cousins, have you ever wondered what greed is after you entered the dungeon?”
“...?” I think I found the answer. After knowing this, it made a lot of sense. It wouldn’t matter if anyone else knew. Rather, those who knew the answer would snort with laughter. Maybe I had already known. When I looked at it, I could see the practical meaning.
I left the construction site. Quite a lot of sound should’ve leaked into the outside world, but in the end, the police didn’t come. As I headed home, I messaged my school friends. It was to obtain some information about Yoon Ji-hee’s academic life.
The last person I sent a message to was Yang Su-jin.
- What about the errands?
- I’ve prepared everything.Should I bring it in my bag?
- Yes.Good work.
- I’ll see you inside!! ☺☺
I took a shower and packed the things into my bag. Then I waited for the stairs.
[7th floor arrived.]