Chapter 153. Sub-Trial (1)
She didn’t call him Mr. Lee, but President Lee. In fact, it was a title Eun-Ho had never once been called in his entire life.
“Hi, my name is Lee Eun-Ho,” he said, trying to keep his tone polite. “Do you need something from me?”
He could concede a hundred times over that she had come looking for him, so he might as well ask.
However, instead of answering directly, the woman threw out something completely unexpected. “You’ve been making a mess on my turf.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean,” he replied.
“You roped in the kids from my floor and started a pyramid scheme, didn’t you?”
Ah. So that was it.
If this place had someone who acted like an administrator, it made sense she’d raise an issue. He had figured he could run things quietly for a day or two during his OJT. Still, he had his reasons.
“I simply shared a portion of the profit with those who helped me,” he said.
“And because of you, the residents are at each other’s throats. Someone even put up their farmland as collateral for a loan just to join your little venture. It turned into a brawl.”
“... What?”
No wonder he had been racking up results at a ridiculous pace. It was clear that there had been something going on behind the scenes.
I knew it wouldn’t last long... But I didn’t expect this to happen, Eun-Ho thought.
Who would’ve expected people here to be that greedy? Though he had many thoughts, he kept all that to himself, giving nothing away.
In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize for something that wasn’t his fault. “I never forced anyone. If you ask around, you’ll hear the same thing. If trouble started, it was because someone overreached out of greed.”
Chuckling in disbelief, the woman looked him over. “Hey you.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve got a lot to say. Just like I thought.”
“I’m only defending myself,” Eun-Ho replied calmly.
“Defending yourself?” Her eyes narrowed with interest. “Who sent you here?”
“The System assigned me here. It said I needed to complete my OJT here.”
“Hah? Then you’re telling me you’re a new hire?” Then, she whipped off her sunglasses, staring at him hard. Clearly, she was shocked. Then she turned to her subordinate instead, eyes still fixed on Eun-Ho. “Sun-Sik! Is this true?”
“It is, Madam. Today is his first day of OJT.”
“This is unbelievable! A fresh recruit controlled the Tower residents like puppets? In a single day?”
Her shock made Sun-Sik nod so vigorously, it seemed like agreement born of awe. “You see it too, don’t you, Madam? He’s no ordinary kid.”
“Tsk.” She scoffed again, this time without humor, her gaze stripping him down from head to toe. “To think those idiots let a hatchling run circles around them... It seems like I’ve been scolding the wrong person. Still, I can’t wrap my head around it. You’re coming with me.”
“Where to?” Eun-Ho asked.
Instead of answering, she flicked her hand as if giving a command.
Ding!
A chime echoed, and a system message unfolded before his eyes.
[A Sub-Trial has been activated.]
“Huh?”
“A Sub-Trial?”
A new trial that was completely out of nowhere appeared in front of him.
[Trial: Defeat the Gambler in a Wager.]
[Rewards: Gambler’s Recognition and one Point per victory]
“A wager?”
Hmm... The Gambler’s Recognition? Eun-Ho thought.
He had wondered ever since people called her Madam. Still, earning rewards for every game won did not sound bad at all.
“I got the same notification!” Ji-Eun shouted.
“So we’re rewarded for every game we win? That’s way too good for a mere sub trial!” Jae-Hyuk shouted as well.
They weren’t wrong, because if they managed to win multiple games, the reward was practically on par with a main trial.
[Penalty on Refusal: Gambler Affection will decrease.]
[Current Affection is low. If lowered further, the Gambler may become hostile. Proceed with caution.]
The penalty wasn’t even for losing, but for refusing. Win or lose didn’t matter, as what she wouldn’t accept was walking away.
“Best two out of three, and you choose the game. Anyone from your group can face me. How does that sound?”
“Any game at all?” Eun-Ho asked.
“Yes, as long as the outcome is clear.”
If they could freely choose the game, they could pick a match where no skills mattered, and whatever tilted the odds toward them.
“Ah, and no abilities allowed. This condition favors you, so don’t overthink it.”
“Understood,” Eun-Ho said with quiet certainty.
Ji-Eun, Jae-Hyuk, and Wei each nodded back.
The Gambler smiled as if she had known he would say yes. “Good.”
“Everyone, gather up for a moment,” Eun-Ho said.
“Yes, Hyungnim!”
“You too, Mentor.”
“Huh? Me as well?”
They leaned in, preparing to discuss strategy.
“First, we should pick the ga—”
Snap!
The Gambler suddenly snapped her fingers.
“Huh?”
“W-what?!”
[The Gambler’s Trial now begins.]
[You have been transferred to the House.]
Then his voice faded, cutting in and out like a radio losing signal. “Ho... ...s?”
Oh. This is going to be far more serious than I expected, Eun-Ho thought.
***
A dim room awaited them, washed in red light that barely illuminated the green felt of the gambling tables. There were roulette wheels, blackjack stations, mountains of chips, and bottles along the walls. The entire casino seemed to spread around them like a hungry beast.
They found themselves at a long, rectangular, eight-seater table in the center. Eun-Ho sat at one end, the Gambler at the other. Their teammates filled in the remaining seats.
She leaned back in a red-cushioned chair with her arms crossed, radiating leisure and control even in stillness. “Once you’ve decided, tell me.”
The others, suddenly seated at a casino table with stakes unknown, appeared anything but calm.
“Hyungnim, what game should we pick?” Jae-Hyuk whispered.
“I have no clue,” Eun-Ho muttered.
Rock-paper-scissors, race, speed quiz...
Everything that came to his mind felt too ordinary. He felt like he could beat any of them if they were regular people. But that wasn’t his opponent, was it?
I have no idea what she was capable of, Eun-Ho thought.
[You greet the Master of the 26th Floor.]
Not only could she move all of them with a snap of her fingers, she had also claimed ownership over an entire floor of the Tower.
“You’ve been making a mess on my turf.”
Someone like this wouldn’t be easy, Eun-Ho thought.
He had to choose a game where abilities didn’t matter, where neither strength nor luck gave her an advantage. Something where she couldn’t answer confidently or evade the trap entirely.
Wait.
That line of thought felt familiar, a scenario where the wrong answer was impossible, yet so was the right one.
Ah, right! It was with that jerk from earlier... The one who tormented Ji-Eun with something like “Don’t you know who I am?!” So, I just need a loaded question that has no-win answer. Perfect.
Eun-Ho met her eyes with certainty. “I’ve decided.”
“Already? That was pretty quick. And your choice is?”
The first game that Eun-Ho chose was simple.
“We’ll play Truth or Lie,” he announced.
The Gambler slid her sunglasses down her nose, blinked slowly, then pushed them back up. “Truth or lie?”
She seemed genuinely surprised, so he clarified, “Yes. One person asks a question, and the other must answer either yes or no.”
“And how exactly is that a gamble?” she asked.
“Well...”
He laid out three rules. First, every answer had to be true. Second, each player had to ask one question in turn, and failing to answer resulted in immediate loss. Third, they could not repeat questions.
“Hmm.” She wrinkled the bridge of her nose slightly, thinking. It was likely not because she misunderstood the rules, but because she was trying to read his intentions. “And every answer must be true? No exceptions?”
“That’s right.”
“So the trick is to ask something difficult. Hmph... That’s interesting.” Either that, or she was deciding what question could pry his throat open. “Fine.”
“How shall we decide who goes first?” he asked.
“You can ask first. I doubt mine will overlap with yours.”
“Then I’ll begin.”
[Round one begins.]
[Truth or Lie will begin.]
Eun-Ho didn’t hesitate. He threw the question that would end the round instantly. “Will you answer my question with no?”
It was a question impossible to truthfully answer with either yes or no.
“... Ha.” The Gambler gave a short, dry laugh. Her red lips curved as the frown behind her sunglasses deepened. She understood perfectly. “There’s no truthful answer to that.”
“Exactly.”
If she answered yes, then she wasn’t answering with no, which was a contradiction. If she answered no, then her answer was no which matched his question, making the no a lie. It was indeed a perfect checkmate in a single move—a simple trick that was elementary, yet inescapable.
“Your answer, please,” Eun-Ho said calmly.
She let out a thin, defeated laugh. “... You got me.”
Eun-Ho smiled, satisfied. “Will you concede?”
However, the owner of this domain wasn’t someone who bowed so easily. She wasn’t planning to go down so quietly. “I still have my turn. If we both fail, it’s a draw, isn’t it?”
“... Very well. Ask.”
The Gambler unfolded her arms, placing her elbows on the table. She leaned forward, close enough for her perfume to bleed into his breath. Her sunglasses tilted, revealing eyes sharp enough to burn through him.
He waited, wondering what weapon she had prepared.
“When this game ends, I intend to kill either you or that kid.”
Eun-Ho froze and thought, kid?
She lifted one finger with red nail polish on and pointed toward Wei. No flourish, no theatrics—only a faint curl of the fingertip, as if selecting a card to toss away. “The one who lives will be whoever you choose. Do you want it to be you?”
What?
“... Is that your question? Whether I want you to spare me instead of him?”
“That’s right. If you say yes, I blow the child’s head open. If you say no, I will blow yours.”
Eun-Ho hadn’t anticipated that.
The Gambler’s voice sharpened like a blade. “Well? Answer.”
Swoosh—
Then, the woman pulled something out from beneath the table. It was a keypad with eight buttons, numbered from one to eight.
Eight seats... So, she’s going to choose a target!
The moment Eun-Ho realized it, he shot up from his chair, bolting forward. “Acceleration. Summon.”
Boots hit the chair, then the table. One leap carried him straight across, and before her eyes even registered his movement, he cut not the keypad but her entire arm.
Swish—!
Blood burst in a red fan across the table, and her severed arm hit the carpet with a dull thud, dry and lifeless. Without stopping to stare, Eun-Ho raised his sword again.
Swoosh—!
He set the blade against her throat.
The Gambler only tilted her head slightly. “... Impatient, aren’t you?”
Even with time stretched thin around them, her voice didn’t waver. There was no hesitation nor fear.
“Yes,” Eun-Ho answered. He had chosen himself that if just one of them could live, he chose to survive. “But only if you can kill us.”
He implied that if she intended to kill them after the game, he would take her head first.
“Hmmm...” Her sunglasses hid half her expression, but Eun-Ho could feel her stare drilling into him.
While Eun-Ho was counting to three in his head, she murmured softly, “... I like those eyes.”
Her severed arm attached back to her shoulder as if it had never been cut, and Eun-Ho’s pulse jumped. She then raised her hands in surrender. “I lose.”
Tick!
Then, time snapped back into motion, and a crisp chime struck his ears.
Ding!
[Round one has been completed.]
[You have won Truth or Lie.]
[All teammates have earned 1 Point each.]
“... You didn’t even try to dodge,” Eun-Ho said. “You said you’d kill me.”
She shrugged, still unconcerned. “There are still two rounds left. If you kill me now, wouldn’t that be boring?”
Her tone was light and almost scolding, as if she was talking to a child who misunderstood the rules. In other words, she never intended to use the keypad in the first place.
“... You never meant to kill anyone, did you?” he asked.
She crinkled her nose behind the glasses. “Most people choke on that kind of question. But you didn’t even blink.”
“We agreed to answer truthfully,” he reminded.
“Truthfully, yes. But you never said the questions had to be honest, did you?”
“... What?”
She had asked earlier, “And every answer must be true? No exceptions?”
Right. The answer had to be true, but not the question.
He hadn’t expected her to twist the rules that way.
She’s no ordinary opponent.
As he thought that, she smiled, cool and unhurried, and leaned forward. “So, Handsome Gambler, what’s our next game?”