Chapter 6

Chapter 2. Selection (1)

"Damn, what the hell are you guys doing?"

"The mission is over! Get out of the way!"

People who were lying under the screens started to shout one by one.

We three came down as soon as the notification that the mission was over appeared, but there were still people on top of the screens.

— Flutter!

"Ah, I thought I was going to suffocate to death!"

"What's wrong with you? I almost broke my back! Do you want to die?!"

Three people had climbed up with us.

Two building cleaning ladies and a security guard.

"Ah, no, we just followed! Right, Kim?"

"Right! Those young guys... No, where did they go?"

Just as the curly-haired lady was about to point at us,

I quickly took Ji-eun and Jae-hyuk and hid among the people.

I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention.

More importantly, what we needed to do now was...

"We need to observe the people."

I whispered quietly so only the two of them could hear.

Even though the mission was over, people were still standing near the safe zone, eyeing each other warily.

I still don't know what this 'Project' is, but we'll have to cooperate or compete with the people gathered here.

"Let's look for someone we can team up with."

"Sure!"

"Got it."

'And someone who might become a future competitor.'

I didn't think it was necessary to tell them everything, so I kept the last part to myself.

It would be more comforting for these two good people to look for 'potential allies' rather than 'potential enemies.'

"By the way, what do you think this 'Project' is?"

Ji-eun, who had her short hair cut above her shoulders, shook her head and asked.

"They said 'Project Selection.' It probably means they're going to select who will survive from among us."

Selection (選別).

The act of selecting a few outstanding or specific individuals from a large group.

It means they're going to keep those who meet the system's criteria.

'What kind of people they want. We need to figure that out.'

That's when it happened.

A system message sounded,

— Rumble!

The ground shook,

and a girl with pigtails fell from the sky.

She looked to be about ten years old.

She was dressed in a lacy white dress and wore tiny red shoes, a very ordinary little lady.

...Except for the fact that she was floating in the air.

"She's flying?!"

"Who, who is she?!"

A few people shouted at the girl in shock.

But the girl, with her arms crossed, glanced at the people and lazily spat out a word that seemed to be a name.

This girl is the 'Administrator.'

Even without an introduction or explanation, we knew it.

The girl's gaze finally landed on the screen we had knocked over.

It seemed more people had survived than planned because the safe zone, which was already full, had been covered with a screen.

The girl, with her chin up, smirked and asked.

Jae-hyuk looked back and forth between me and the girl but shook his head.

In a situation where we couldn't understand her intentions, it was better to be cautious.

"Chun, that thing, I... "

One of the ladies who had climbed up with us stepped forward, perhaps hoping to get something.

"?! "

"Why are you stepping forward?!"

Her two companions tried to stop her from both sides, but it was too late.

The girl's expression had already hardened.

Realizing she had said something unnecessary, the lady quickly shut her mouth, but the girl had already floated up to her head.

"Um, um, what, actually, it's not me, I..."

The lady waved her hands and rambled.

With a girl who could be her granddaughter floating above her, wagging her finger disapprovingly, she couldn't help but panic.

Even I shivered from the oppressive aura emanating from her small body.

The atmosphere rapidly froze.

It wasn't just a feeling; when the girl sighed, a chill actually spread, making everyone shiver.

"That... "

The girl, with her arms crossed, tapped her fingers and said.

In a cold tone, the lady's eyes widened, and her lips moved soundlessly.

The girl shook her head as if annoyed, pointed at the lady with her index finger, and then, with a flick,

— Swish.

A shining line was drawn along the trajectory of her finger.

From the lady's left arm to her right shoulder, diagonally.

"......!"

Her head, cleanly cut off, slid down the diagonal line.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her head, which had been on her shoulders, fell to the ground with a thud. Her left arm, now only the part below the elbow, thudded. Finally, her body, now without its owner, thudded.

Turning to the pale crowd, the girl continued as if nothing had happened.

The lady's body, now in three parts, flickered and then disappeared.

'So, one less person?'

That's all it was to her.

I bit my lower lip but couldn't step forward.

'Not yet. The power difference is too great.'

'Company?'

What are they trying to figure out?

The ability they are trying to assess is likely the same as the criteria for 'selecting' survivors in this project.

We need to get a hint of what this system wants from us. From this small administrator.

'What is it? Strength? Intelligence? Leadership?'

Athlete?

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, people looked around, but no one raised their hand.

Even if there were real athletes, everyone was too frozen to step forward.

The system seems to be looking for something relatively ordinary—though not applicable to me.

It seems a bit grand in scale.

"Um... Are YouTubers allowed?"

"......No."

A man bravely raised his hand but quickly covered his mouth in shock.

After that, no one spoke.

'Bottom?'

The girl muttered something incomprehensible and then dusted off her hands.

The last part seemed to be a formality.

She disappeared before anyone could think of a question.

"Crazy..."

"What's going on here?"

A mission activation notification appeared, but there was no time limit, map, or safe zone.

Looking around the exhibition hall, which was slightly smaller than an elementary school playground, there was nothing special.

'There must be something hidden.'

Glass display cases filled with various figures and tables.

Furniture like chairs and benches for people to sit and rest.

Am I missing something?

— Slap!

Then, a woman in a suit slapped the arm of the man standing next to her.

"Why did you bring up YouTubers?"

The man who had been the only one to speak.

"They're similar to celebrities. I thought they might save us..."

"What? What about me?"

The woman glared at the man.

Judging by how he tried to calm her down, they were probably a couple.

"Those two are our company employees. From the recruitment and training teams."

"They must be a company couple."

"Yes. They said they were keeping it a secret, but everyone who needed to know already knew."

Listening to Ji-eun's words, I thought.

'I need to know what the mission is to prepare.'

If it's a speed battle with a bit of violence, agility seems useful.

But the announcement that the 'arena' was open bothered me.

If I knew what the mission was, I could prepare in advance.

'Maybe I should take a safe option? It could start suddenly.'

"Mission reward."

"1 point? Random box?"

The reward system has changed.

And a strange random box suddenly appeared in front of me.

— Pop!

'Should I open it?'

The box, as big as a forearm, is tied with a golden string.

It tilts from side to side at a height I can reach.

When I extend my hand close to it, it bounces as if urging me to untie it quickly.

"What is that?"

"A gift box?"

The sudden appearance of the box made the exhibition hall quiet.

Even the arguing couple and the confused people perked up their ears.

'...Wait.'

Thinking it might be a trap, I subtly pulled back my extended hand.

"It's a mission reward. They say it's a random box, maybe they're giving us something good..."

Pretending to be curious, I said, and before I could finish, people were shouting for mission rewards everywhere.

"Me, me too! Give me a random box!"

"Mission reward!"

Red boxes appeared everywhere, and people swallowed hard as they untied the strings.

Amid the tension and anticipation, the first reward was revealed.

"Crazy! Minjeong!"

"What's wrong?"

"I, I, I, this...!"

The YouTuber called out to his girlfriend in distress.

His eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape.

"How much is this?! Jackpot...!"

The woman's eyes sparkled as she picked up a stack of yellow bills.

One. Two. Three. Four...

The stacks of bright yellow bills were piled so high she couldn't hold them all in her hands.

Enough to fill the forearm-sized box.

"Bro! How much is one stack?"

"Ninety-nine... Hundred! Five hundred thousand won!"

"Crazy... A hundred stacks? That's... 500 million?!"

500 million.

Enough to buy an apartment in a provincial city, if not Seoul.

'...Until this morning.'

I don't know exactly what the situation outside is like, but if it's the same here, the social infrastructure must have collapsed.

It's unclear whether the currency value is the same as before or if the old world's currency can even be used.

In the worst case, a box full of 50,000 won bills might be less useful than a box of bread crumbs.

'At least it would be useful as kindling.'

Next, a luxury bag came out of the box called Minjeong, and I turned my head away from the two without a second thought.

'First priority is armor, second is a weapon.'

Armor would be more efficient than an unfamiliar weapon.

Given that the 'company' the administrator belongs to has people who can cut someone in half with a flick of a finger.

'Please, something useful!'

I was three rewards behind because I was fixing my injured leg.

I needed something useful enough to make up for it.

— Rustle.

Holding the shimmering golden string with a fervent wish, the packaging unraveled.

Soon, a bright light filled my vision.