Chapter 4: Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: The Beginning of Restructuring (4)

Assistant Manager Gwak's brows furrowed, but he took a calm step forward.

He subtly calculated the distance to ensure the wooden bat wouldn’t reach him.

"Why are you digging your own grave?"

"What… What are you talking about?"

"Some people have already fled to other safe zones. If they survive, everyone will know you killed your colleagues—a murderer."

"……."

"There might be missions later requiring collaboration with others. Wouldn't that put you at a major disadvantage?"

Assistant Manager Gwak's eyes darted nervously, showing his unease.

"How... how do you know that?"

"That's how it always is when it comes to picking and firing people. I've had plenty of experience with restructuring and layoffs..."

I decided not to mention that I learned about the 'next stage' through the system.

Instead, I made up a plausible excuse.

The restructuring I experienced couldn't be the same as Earth's version, but my explanation seemed convincing enough, as he didn’t press further.

"Think rationally."

This was a mission where only a certain number of people could survive.

At first glance, it might seem better to go solo, since it’s a competition after all.

But...

‘The initial stages aren’t too strict on the number of people. It's better to move as a group, survive through the early and mid-stages, and compete within the group in the later stages.’

I wasn’t sure if Assistant Manager Gwak could think that far ahead.

If he refused…

"Who do you think you are, stepping in like this? Do you think I’m an easy target?"

I’d have no choice but to resort to another method.

"You... you bastard. I’ve always hated your guts. You think you’re on the same level as me, huh?"

He glared at me with murky eyes, seething with contempt.

A man who categorizes people into 'levels'—someone who harbors murderous rage against those 'above' him for looking down on him, yet dismisses people like me at the bottom of the food chain as 'beneath' him.

‘The ones right 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 lecture me? You piece of trash!"

Was he incapable of the most basic reasoning?

I figured there was nothing more to say and turned to leave, but a heavy object came hurtling towards me.

— Thud!

It was a brown flowerpot, thrown by an agitated Gwak.

Thankfully, my body moved faster than my judgment.

I stepped back just in time, evading it before I even realized what it was.

[Measuring data required to unlock skills.]

‘Again?’

"Don’t ignore me! Don’t you dare ignore me!"

Gwak, now fully unhinged, kept throwing flowerpots, aiming to bash in everyone's heads.

People gathered at the meeting room entrance scattered to avoid the flying pots and shards.

‘Pathetic. Wasting critical throwable weapons like that.’

"You lunatic!"

— Crash!

Those who witnessed his attempted murder and reckless violence began fleeing one by one, their faces pale with fear.

"Eunho, should we head down now? Maybe we can make it to the 4th floor if we hurry."

"It’s already too late."

Even at my pace, it would’ve been cutting it close.

The lower floors were likely packed with people by now.

Jieun seemed to understand, biting her lip with a troubled expression.

"…Is this the end for us?"

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

"Then what…? Eek!"

She stumbled as she bumped into someone trying to escape in the chaos.

— Grab!

I caught the man by the wrist before he could flee further.

"What... What are you doing?"

"If you don’t have a plan, join us."

He wasn’t particularly tall, but his sturdy build stood out.

The physique of someone well-acquainted with physical training.

"I do have a plan. I was going to try another safe zone."

"Don’t you think it’s too late for that?"

When I pointed it out, he averted his eyes, avoiding my gaze.

I shook his shoulder and spoke slowly, clearly, just as I had with Jieun earlier.

"Three minutes, 180 seconds left. Five seconds to reach the stairs. Based on your stride, it’ll take about 15 seconds per floor to descend. That’s 165 seconds to reach the 4th floor, leaving you with 10 seconds to spare."

"Huh? Wha—?"

"There are over 700 survivors left in this building. Only two safe zones exist. Everyone fleeing from here must already be cramming into those zones. What do you think you’ll find when you get there?"

"The 4th floor safe zone will be... Oh!"

"It could be even worse than here."

The man finally grasped the dire situation and hung his head.

"I understand now. But even so, we can’t just fight them off, can we?"

Tanned skin.

A body like chiseled stone.

A crew cut.

His mannerisms and speech were stiff, but not awkwardly so.

"You worked out? Or military?"

"I was discharged last year as a sergeant in the Army. How did you know?"

Dragging him by the wrist, I led him out into the disheveled office.

"We’ll discuss that later. For now, find something we can use as a shield."

"A shield… Oh! Would a frying pan work?"

"…We’ve got three minutes. Look around for something bigger."

He didn’t inspire much confidence, but there was no time for doubts.

“Jieun, head to the women’s restroom. There should be a mop in the cleaning supply closet.”

“Got it!”

I quickly rattled off the instructions and headed for the men’s restroom.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a cleaning supply closet in the men’s room, but Jieun soon emerged holding a mop in both hands.

“There’s only one. What do we do?”

“One is enough. Please give it to me.”

“You’re going to use it, Eunho?”

She widened her eyes when I, the least physically fit of the three, volunteered to take it, but then nodded with a composed expression as if she understood.

“You must have your reasons.”

“Yes. You two... you’ll need to push that.”

“What do you mean by ‘that’...?”

I pointed behind Jieun.

Sergeant Choi was dragging a large whiteboard toward us.

“I found it!”

01:45

“When I give the signal, we go in together.”

A quick glance into the conference room showed it was the same as before.

The only difference was that the number of potted plants had decreased, thanks to Assistant Manager Gwak angrily throwing them around earlier.

“Watch out for the wooden planks and the flowerpots. He’ll throw them without hesitation if you get close.”

“Understood!”

“If we use the whiteboard as a shield, we should make it inside. By the way, your name was...?”

“Choi Jaehyuk!”

This army sergeant seemed different from the average conscript who finishes his term.

He didn’t carry the relaxed demeanor of a corporal but instead exuded the intense energy of a rookie trainee.

Like... I don’t know... maybe a dependable black Doberman.

“Mr. Jaehyuk, when I signal, push to the right. Jieun, you handle the left. Since you’ll need to move simultaneously, it’ll help to coordinate your steps.”

“Understood.”

“And when you reach the safety zone boundary...”

As I explained the so-called "Palm Strategy," the two listened intently, nodding seriously.

The mop handle was slippery with sweat.

00:15

“Now!”

A low but commanding shout.

— Clatter!

The wheels of the whiteboard screeched as the three of us rushed forward.

It took 5 seconds to use the whiteboard as a shield and reach the conference room entrance.

It took 3 seconds to brace ourselves against flying flowerpots and dumbbells crashing into us.

It took 2 seconds for Assistant Manager Gwak to strike the whiteboard with his bloodstained wooden plank, breaking it.

And when we reached the safety zone boundary...

“Flip it!”

The three of us slid the whiteboard across the floor and flipped it in a single motion, landing inside the safety zone in 1 second.

The strategy worked like flipping a hand.

“Was it a success?”

Just as I thought Jaehyuk, Jieun, and I had all made it safely…

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“You bastards...!”

“Argh!”

Assistant Manager Gwak grabbed a sharp fragment of a broken flowerpot and stabbed Jaehyuk in the side.

“Mr. Jaehyuk!”

— Whack!

I quickly kicked Gwak, forcing him away from Jaehyuk, and swung the mop.

The sudden blow bent Gwak’s neck at an unnatural angle.

“You... even you dare look down on me?!”

He charged like an enraged bull, as if I were a red cape.

And then.

[Time Limit Reached.]

— Thud!

I sidestepped, and Gwak, unable to stop his momentum, crashed outside the safety zone.

[Initiating structural adjustment.]

“Huh? Wha...?”

The mission was over.

“A chance... I barely... had a chance... and because of you...!”

Gwak flickered like a failing lightbulb.

“It wasn’t Eunho’s fault. If you hadn’t attacked first—”

“Jieun.”

I shook my head silently.

He had threatened his colleagues, killed Executive Director Oh, refused my proposal, attacked us, and stabbed Jaehyuk with a flowerpot shard.

If he’d stayed calm, all four of us could have cleared the mission.

Everything was Gwak’s doing.

There was no need to say anything more.

Gwak’s pitiful life was already over.

“...He’s gone.”

“Yes.”

Jieun and I stood in silence, staring at the now-empty space as if nothing had ever been there.

Then, a familiar system notification chimed.

A sound that was both familiar and desperately awaited.

[Please select your mission reward.]

“The first mission gave 20%. The second was 70%. So this time...!”

“Mission reward.”

My voice trembled involuntarily.

“Leg enhancement.”

Would it work? It had to work. It must work.

In the 0.1 seconds of waiting for the system’s response, my heart sank and then soared.

[Mission reward has been granted.]

[Limp recovery rate: 100%.]

“...!”

[Recovery Rate of Limpness: 100%.]

"……!"

Tap.

I lifted my right foot and took a step.

Tap. Tap.

Left foot, right foot.

Not even the slightest delay.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

It’s light.

So light that I feel like I could fly.

'It worked……!'

Like a madman, I jumped on the spot.

I noticed Jieun staring at me wide-eyed like a startled rabbit, but I didn’t care.

The exhilaration was indescribable.

I wanted to keep jumping all night.

"Haa……."

"Eunho! Congratulations!"

But I have to survive.

For that—

'I’m still not there yet.'

Reviving my dead leg is an invaluable reward.

However, I used all three of my rewards to restore my body, so I’m naturally at a disadvantage compared to those who used theirs to enhance their already healthy bodies.

It’s like starting three steps behind everyone else.

In that case—

'First, that method.'

Catching up to and overtaking competitors ahead.

It’s something I’ve done all my life with the utmost effort—and succeeded at.

So, I’ll move ahead.

I’ll outrun them, and I’ll survive.

I have to.

"It’s all healed, right? Oh my goodness……!"

Jieun clasped her hands over her mouth, looking genuinely thrilled, as if it were her own accomplishment.

She really is a kind person.

"Thank you. I’ll just step out for a moment……."

"Haa……."

Just as I was about to rise, I heard Jaehyuk’s labored breathing.

Only then did it occur to me—I had forgotten him, sprawled out on the floor.

I propped him up against the wall.

"Mr. Jaehyuk! Are you okay?"

"Hoo……."

He was too out of breath to respond.

"There’s a shard stuck in you. We’ll need to remove it……."

A shard of a flower pot was lodged in his side, the shirt around it soaked with blood.

If left untreated, the wound could become infected.

"……It’s going to hurt. Please bear with it."

"Hrr, hreeeeeeeeeek!"

Jaehyuk screamed.

"I haven’t touched it yet."

"……."

Maybe it was from the movement causing his clothes to rub against the wound.

I carefully reached out with my fingers—

—Plop.

"Huh?"

The flower pot shard came out with a small pop.

"Looks like this is the end for me……."

"Excuse me?"

"To my mother back home…… my final words……."

…Final words?

I unconsciously frowned.

"Mr. Jaehyuk?"

At the sound of his name, he looked up at me with a wistful gaze.

"Say them yourself, your final words."

"You’re too…… cruel……."

The corners of his brows dipped, his eyes glistening, lips pressed tightly together.

He looked wounded.

"You’re not dying. Not from something like this."

Three centimeters?

No, maybe two?

It was just the very tip of the shard with a bit of blood on it.

Looking closer, he hadn’t even lost much blood in the first place.

It’s not enough to die, even if he wanted to.

'Why is he so scared?'

I thought I was getting a Doberman as an ally.

Turns out he’s just a black mutt.

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