Chapter 4

Chapter 1. The Start of Restructuring (4)

Manager Kwak's brows furrowed, but he took a calm step forward, calculating the distance where his club wouldn't reach, without showing it.

"Why are you digging your own grave?"

"W-What?"

"There are already people who have fled to other safe zones. If they survive, everyone will know that you, Manager, are the murderer who killed your colleagues."

"..."

"Who knows, there might be a mission in the future where you need to collaborate with others. It's too disadvantageous."

Manager Kwak's eyes darted around, seemingly shaken.

"How do you know that?"

"Isn't that how it always goes with hiring and firing? I have a lot of experience with restructuring, layoffs, and such."

I didn't want to reveal that I knew about the 'next step' through the system, so I made up an excuse.

Even though the restructuring I experienced and the restructuring of the Earth are not the same, it seemed convincing enough that he didn't ask further.

"Think rationally."

A mission where only a certain number of people can survive.

At first glance, it might seem better to go alone rather than in a group.

After all, it's a competition.

But.

'In the early stages, the number limit isn't that strict. So, it's best to move in a group to survive the early and mid-stages, and then compete within the group in the later stages.'

I'm not sure if Manager Kwak has the capacity to think that far.

If he refuses...

"What makes you think you can interfere? Do you think I'm easy to handle?"

If he refuses, there's no choice but to use another method.

"You, you, you've always been a jinx. Do you think I'm on your level?"

Manager Kwak glared at me with a dirty look.

A person who divides people into 'levels' and feels murderous rage towards those who ignore them, while also looking down on and ignoring those they consider below them.

'People who are just above you are always the scariest.'

"I don't care if we're on the same level or not."

"Shut up! Who are you to tell me what to do? You bastard!"

Does he not even have the basic sense to distinguish right from wrong?

Just as I was about to turn away, something heavy flew at me.

— Thud!

The brown pot thrown by the agitated Manager Kwak.

Fortunately, my body was faster than my judgment.

I stepped back before I could even identify what it was.

'Again?'

"Don't ignore me! Don't ignore me!"

Manager Kwak threw the pot as if trying to crack everyone's heads in front of him.

Thanks to that, the people gathered at the meeting room entrance scattered to avoid the flying pot and its fragments.

'Pathetic. Using such an important throwing weapon like that.'

"That lunatic!"

— Thud!

People started to flee with frightened faces, witnessing the murder and attempted murder right before their eyes.

"Mr. Eunho, should we go down now? We might be able to make it to the 4th floor."

"It's too late."

My pace was already tight, and it would be crowded there too.

Ms. Ji-eun seemed to understand soon, biting her lower lip and looking solemn.

"Is this it?"

"No. The game hasn't even started yet."

"Then what... Ah!"

Ms. Ji-eun stumbled as she collided with one of the fleeing people.

From the direction of her body, it seemed she was giving up and trying to go to another floor.

— Thud!

I grabbed the man's wrist and held him back.

"What, what is it?"

"If you don't have a plan, let's move together."

He had a sturdy build, not exceptionally large but noticeable.

A familiar physique shaped by long-term exercise.

"I have a plan. I'm trying to go to another safe zone."

"Don't you think it's too late?"

He avoided my gaze and shrugged.

To Ms. Ji-eun, I spoke calmly despite my urgency.

"3 minutes left, 180 seconds. 5 seconds to the stairs, 15 seconds per floor with your stride, so 165 seconds to the 4th floor. We'll arrive 10 seconds before the deadline."

"Y-Yes?"

"There are over 700 survivors left in this building. There are only two safe zones, and this one is empty. Where do you think everyone else is?"

"The 4th floor safe zone... Ah!"

"It might be even worse there."

The man finally understood the desperate situation and bowed his head.

"I understand. But we can't just fight, can we?"

Burnt skin.

A body hard as rock.

Short hair.

Awkward speech.

Muscles shaped by real training, not just the gym.

"Have you been exercising? Or are you a soldier?"

"I was discharged from the Army last year. How did you know?"

Holding his wrist, I led him out, and the disheveled office came into view.

"Let's talk about that later. For now, find something that can be used as a shield."

"A frying pan might work."

"3 minutes left. Look around. The bigger, the better."

It wasn't very reliable, but there was no time to be anxious.

"Ms. Ji-eun, check the women's restroom. There should be a mop in the cleaning closet."

"Okay!"

I spoke rapidly and headed for the men's restroom.

Unfortunately, there was no cleaning closet in the men's restroom, but fortunately, Ms. Ji-eun came out with a mop in both hands.

"There's only one. What should we do?"

"One is enough. Give it to me."

"Shouldn't Mr. Eunho use it?"

She looked surprised when I, the most physically challenged among the three, said I would take it, but then she nodded calmly.

"You must have your reasons."

"Yes. The two of you... need to push it."

"What...?"

I pointed behind her.

The sergeant was pushing a large whiteboard towards us.

"I found it!"

* * *

「01:45」

"Let's enter when I give the signal."

The meeting room looked the same as before, except for the reduced number of pots due to Manager Kwak's earlier outburst.

"Be careful of both the clubs and the pots. They'll definitely throw them if we get close."

"Understood!"

"We'll use the whiteboard as a shield. What's your name?"

"Choi Jae-hyuk!"

Is there a difference between a regular soldier who serves until the end and a sergeant?

He felt more like a fresh recruit with a buzz cut, full of determination, rather than the relaxed attitude of a sergeant.

Like a... black Doberman, reliable.

"Jae-hyuk, when I give the signal, push the right side. Ji-eun, take the left. We need to move together, so try to match your steps."

"Got it."

"And when we reach the safe zone boundary..."

While explaining the 'palm strategy,' the two of them nodded seriously.

The hands holding the mops were sweating.

「00:15」

"Now!"

A low but strong command.

— Rattle!

The sound of the whiteboard's wheels and the footsteps of the three people echoed.

It took 5 seconds to reach the meeting room entrance with the whiteboard as a shield.

3 seconds of hesitation as pots and dumbbells hit us.

2 seconds until the excited Manager Kwak's bloodied club broke against the whiteboard.

And when we reached the safe zone boundary.

"Flip it!"

It took 1 second for the three of us to push the bottom of the whiteboard and slide into the safe zone.

A quick strategy to flip like a palm.

'Success?'

Just as I thought we had succeeded, all three of us safely inside.

"Y-You bastards...!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Manager Kwak, who had thrown his broken club, stabbed Jae-hyuk's side with a sharp pot fragment.

"Jae-hyuk!"

— Thud!

I quickly kicked Manager Kwak to push him away from Jae-hyuk and swung the mop.

Manager Kwak's neck bent abnormally from the sudden attack.

"You, you, you even ignore me?!"

He charged like an enraged bull.

As if I were a red cloth.

And.

— Thud!

Like pulling in a red cloth, I dodged, and Manager Kwak, unable to stop his momentum, fell out of the safe zone.

"Wh-What...?"

The mission was over.

"Almost... had a chance...! Because of... that bastard..."

Only the flickering Manager Kwak was left.

"Why is it Mr. Eunho's fault? If Manager Kwak hadn't attacked first..."

"Ji-eun."

She shook her head silently.

Threatening his colleagues, killing Mr. Oh, rejecting my proposal, and attacking Jae-hyuk with the pot fragment at the end.

If he had just stayed still, we could have all passed the mission.

There was no need to argue.

Manager Kwak's miserable life was already over.

"..."

"He's gone."

"Indeed."

As we looked at the now empty space, the familiar system notification sound rang out.

A familiar but desperately needed notification sound.

'The first mission was 20%, the next was 70%. So this time...!'

"Mission reward."

My voice trembled involuntarily.

"Leg reinforcement."

Will it work? It should. It has to.

During the 0.1 seconds of waiting for the system's response, my heart sank and then returned to its place.

"!"

Thud.

I took a step with my right foot.

Thud. Thud.

Left foot, right foot. No delay at all.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

It felt light. So light that I felt like I could fly.

'It worked...!'

I jumped on the spot like a madman.

I saw Ms. Ji-eun looking at me with wide eyes, but I didn't notice.

It was so exhilarating that I wanted to run all night.

"Ha..."

"Mr. Eunho! Congratulations!"

To survive.

To do that.

'I'm still not enough.'

Reviving my dead legs is the most precious reward for me.

But using all three rewards to recover my body, I can't help but fall behind those who have already strengthened their healthy bodies.

It's like the starting line is three steps behind everyone else.

So.

'First... 'that method'.'

Overtaking the competitors running ahead.

It's what I've always done with the most effort and skill.

So I will go ahead.

I will go ahead of everyone and survive. Definitely.

"Are they all healed? Goodness...!"

Ms. Ji-eun covered her mouth in amazement, as if it were her own success.

She's a good person, indeed.

"Thank you. I'll be right back..."

"Ha..."

Just as I was about to stand up, I heard Jae-hyuk's heavy breathing.

I realized I should have helped him and made him lean against the wall.

"Jae-hyuk! Are you okay?"

"Huff..."

He couldn't even answer.

"The fragment is embedded. We need to remove it..."

Blood was seeping through his shirt, and a pot fragment was stuck in his side.

If left, it might cause an infection.

"...It will hurt. Bear with it."

"Ah, aaaaaah!"

Jae-hyuk screamed.

"I haven't touched it yet."

"..."

I gently touched it, and...

— Click.

"Huh?"

The pot fragment popped out.

"I guess... this is as far as I can go..."

"Huh?"

"To my mother... in my hometown... my last words..."

...Last words?

My eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

"Jae-hyuk?"

He looked up at me with a distant gaze when I called his name.

"Say it yourself, the last words."

"Too... much..."

His slightly drooping eyebrows, moist eyes, and tightly pressed lips.

A hurt expression.

"I'm not going to die. Not from this."

3cm? No, 2cm?

There was only a little blood on the tip of the pot fragment.

Upon closer inspection, he hadn't lost much blood.

Even if he wanted to die, he couldn't.

'Why are you so scared?'

I thought I had a Doberman as a companion.

But it seems he's just a black stray dog.