Chapter 262.2 |
Midnight Station (Casino of Corporeity)
A subway station of Sekwang Special Metropolitan City in which a gambling establishment known as the ‘■■ City Royal Casino’ is located.
Originally, it was a casino within a hotel connected to the subway and operated as a tourist facility for foreign visitors. However, on the <span style=”color: #ff4d00; display:inline;”>day of the disaster</span> at Sekwang City, it underwent a transformation in search of a new form of monetary value.
In response to users who no longer possessed valuables suitable for exchange, the casino introduced <span style=”color: #ff4d00; display:inline;”>new exchange items</span>.
Of those who evacuated to this station on the <span style=”color: #ff4d00; display:inline;”>day of the disaster</span>, more than ninety percent are currently deceased or wandering as addicts.
‘Seriously.’
It had truly become conditions worthy of a high-level ghost story…
“…Looks like you have to sell something to enter.”
But.
“Makes it easy then.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje began writing a sentence on the form attached behind the sign without hesitation.
Left hand
“Ms. Civilian!”
“I don’t have one hand in reality anyway, and I’ve got replacement equipment ready right now, so this is the right call. Let’s not waste time.”
And astonishingly, rough handwriting, like something scrawled hastily, began to rise up from the paper.
Left hand 32 coins
Is that the price?
“There’s no way to tell what kind of value that has. How many coins does one game even cost.”
Scratching her head, Assistant Manager Eun Haje suddenly, without any discussion, slipped the paper into the counter.
The paper disappeared into the darkness. Then it sounded like coins clinking from inside the counter…
“Ugh.”
Blood began to spurt from Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s wrist.
“…!”
“Assistant Manager.”
I hurriedly took out a hemostatic agent and brought it to Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s mouth. The same one from Daydream’s infirmary.
When Assistant Manager Eun Haje swallowed the hemostatic agent, the bleeding stopped, and the area around her wrist was revealed…
Her left hand was gone.
And then.
Clink.
A small pouch popped out from the counter.
“So these are the coins?”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje lifted the pouch, about to check inside.
At that moment.
I felt others’ gazes.
“……”
The long-term missing persons who had been struggling on the stairs were all looking this way.
More precisely, at the pouch Assistant Manager Eun Haje was holding.
“……”
Click.
The door opened, and multicolored light spilled out from within.
“Let’s go in now.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje urgently pulled coins from the pouch and roughly handed one or two to each of us, then started moving. We took them at once and followed her toward the door…
Bang.
The door closed right in front of us.
“…!”
I reflexively grabbed the doorknob, only to realize it was blocked by some kind of force.
“…It seems only the person who made the trade can enter.”
Huu.
At least, when the pouch disappeared, the long-term missing persons also turned their gazes away…
“…So anyone trying to go inside will have to exchange one body part each.”
That’s right.
Which body part to give up in order to enter.
[Oh, Friend… If you’re looking to have some fun, I can introduce you to a much more proper place.]
‘……We’re here to work, so I’ll just gratefully accept the thought.’
I calmed my good friend, who was saying something terrifying, and continued thinking.
‘Which part should I cut.’
In the meantime, there was already someone who had reached a conclusion.
Right ring finger 4 coins
Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
“Did you choose the finger you use the least?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Mr. Citizen, is there a reason you didn’t put your toes on the list of candidates?”
“I considered the risk of issues with my center of balance during movement in emergencies.”
“Hmm. You know how to choose well~”
Everyone’s criteria were similar. They were selling parts that were least likely to be used independently.
What was surprising was that Baek Saheon, after some thought, made the same choice as Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
I thought he would dig in his heels and refuse to enter.
‘Is it because it’s a casino.’
I could feel a desire to gain something.
‘…Hm.’
“Only 7 coins for an appendix? These bastards must’ve eaten a lot of people.”
“It would be better to choose something else, considering internal bleeding.”
I watched as the agents, after deliberation, sold the left and right ring fingers respectively.
In the end, when you judge wisely, decisions tend to converge in similar ways.
Still, I had a bad feeling.
‘…It feels like the coins won’t be enough.’
We had no idea what would happen inside, so wouldn’t it be better to secure something like emergency funds.
“Then we write everything down in one go, submit it, and go straight in. Alright, you’ve all got it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You answer decisively. Let’s go.”
I watched Section Chief Lee Jaheon submit his form first, bind his glove to stop the bleeding, collect the pouch from the counter, and enter the casino door.
The others, who had already filled out their forms in pen, moved in unison.
“Agent Grapes.”
As I watched Agent Bronze pick up the pouch that came out of the counter, I took hold of my own form.
And then…
I picked up the pen again and erased what was written.
<del style=”text-decoration-style: double;”><i>Right ring finger <b>4 coins</b></i></del>
“Agent!”
Right eye 35 coins
I threw it straight into the counter.
The moment blood burst into my vision, sight on the right side itself disappeared.
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