Chapter 264.3 |
“……”
The agents’ faces hardened.
Because what she said was an extremely accurate truth.
In reality, there was currently no method or hope for those physically trapped in Sekwang City to get out…
“I just asked on the off chance. You all look so capable, so I thought, maybe…”
But the next moment, as if pushing away her fear, she steadied her breathing and changed her tone.
“For now, it’d be better for you to focus on rescuing Assistant Manager Dolphin. You’re trying to rescue her because the escape method you can use will work on her, right?”
“Yes.”
Chief Lizard answered immediately, and Agent Choi followed up gently.
Go Yeongeun-ssi raised her hand and pointed at something.
“She was probably aiming for that.”
A banner.
Royal Casino Exclusive
Premium Product
Emergency Exit 10,000 coins
That much-talked-about product that lets you leave anywhere. A high-end transportation method for busy ■■ contemporary people, a luxury item for the top 0.01 percent.
“Countless people must have seen that as their only hope and gone after it.”
“……”
“…Including you, Agent Mint?”
“No.”
Go Yeongeun-ssi closed her mouth, then opened it again.
“…Once you know the accumulated number of failed cases, it becomes difficult to muster the motivation to try.”
Her gaze turned toward the addicts filling the slot machine room.
“But Assistant Manager Dolphin seems to have tried.”
“How did you know that?”
“I heard rumors.”
From whom, exactly.
But Go Yeongeun-ssi continued without explaining that part.
A few days ago, there were stories about someone new who had been winning an enormous number of coins at the Casino of Corporeity…
“At first, she only exchanged for food and water, but one day she traded in one more body part to get coins, and using that as capital, she earned hundreds of coins in the dealer room in a single day.”
“…!!”
“So I came to this casino to check, but by then…”
“By then?”
“That person had already entered the VIP room.”
“……”
“She had earned over 1,000 coins.”
So Go Yeongeun-ssi couldn’t confirm it and came back to the Casino of Corporeity again today. And…
“…And it seems that the person from the rumor is the new dealer you saw.”
“Yes.”
Assistant Manager Dolphin.
“She probably lost big in the VIP room. Or, she became severely contaminated.”
“……”
At that point, Agent Choi, who had been closely observing Go Yeongeun-ssi, spoke.
“I did find Assistant Manager Dolphin’s other body parts inside the pawnshop glass.”
“…!!”
“They were carefully set aside deeper in. No wonder they were hard to see.”
“How many are there?”
“Well. It’s hard to say for sure, Ms. Civilian. But… I definitely saw her elbow, her hand, and her left foot.”
I almost asked how he could tell, then realized who I was talking to.
‘He identified me just by looking at the veins in my wrist.’
In that case, the same would apply to a Daydream Inc. employee he’d been traveling with for over a day.
But.
“The body parts stored deeper inside couldn’t be purchased by designation. I was told it was impossible because they’re ‘special items’.”
Special items.
Could it be…
Agent Choi and I met each other’s eyes.
“Are they used for games in the VIP room?”
“…That’s very possible.”
Given that it seemed certain Lee Seonghae-ssi lost most of her body and became a dealer in the VIP room.
Tension spread across everyone’s faces.
In that case.
“To exchange enough body parts to return Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae to her original form, we also have to enter the VIP room.”
“……”
“It’ll be difficult.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje said, putting a cigarette to her mouth, then taking it out again.
“First, we need to make 1,000 coins, but gambling is something you shouldn’t do assuming you’ll win.”
“……”
“That’s how you end up handing over land deeds and house deeds, then signing papers to give up your body. You know that, right?”
Of course.
“But Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae made over 1,000 coins in just a few days,” I answered.
“…!”
“And she did it in a much worse situation than ours.”
Given her personality, it didn’t seem like Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae habitually gambled. Which meant she likely wasn’t a seasoned professional gambler.
[Indeed. Even for a gambler with talent and luck, that wouldn’t be easy. Such unnaturally consecutive wins. Then… oh.]
[It seems she may have added a little magical ‘seasoning’.]
Exactly.
“There has to be ‘another method’ that lets you win with high probability.”
A way to clear it by exploiting gaps within the ghost story’s rules.
It was the kind of capability you’d expect from an elite team employee.
So.
“From here on, let’s figure out that method, stack up 1,000 coins, and enter the VIP room.”
“…Yes.”
Tension flowed among us.
At that moment.
Brrriiiing!!!
“…!”
I turned my head.
One of the slot machines was flashing, spewing out lights and music.
The sign of a jackpot.
And the one sitting in front of it was wearing an excited expression, clutching both the coins pouring out of the slot machine and some kind of ‘product’.
‘Baek Saheon!’
He’d finally hit it.
But…
“…That.”
Every patron in the slot machine room was staring at Baek Saheon.
Then they rushed him.
“…!!”
Baek Saheon hastily swept everything into his arms, then met my eyes.
And without a moment’s hesitation, he started running toward us.
‘Hey!!’
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