Chapter 6. Selection (1)
“What the hell are these bastards doing!”
“The trial’s over, damn it! Move!”
The people who were sprawled across the screen screamed angrily one after another. Eun-Ho and his two companions had descended as soon as the trial-clear message appeared, but others were still clambering on top of the screen.
Whoosh!
“God, I thought I was gonna suffocate to death!”
“Who the hell are you people?! I almost broke my back! Do you want to get killed?!”
Three others had climbed up after them—two cleaning ladies and a security guard.
“We... uh... We just followed them! Right, Ms. Kim?”
“That’s right! Those young folks went up first, and we just... Wait, where’d they go?”
Just as the curly-haired cleaning lady tried to point them out, Eun-Ho quickly pulled Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk into the crowd. No reason to draw attention when they had far more pressing matters to tend to.
“We need to observe the others,” Eun-Ho whispered so only his two companions could hear.
Even though the trial had ended, people were still standing near the safe zone, suspiciously eyeing each other. Whatever this “project” was, they’d eventually have to either work with or against the others.
“Let’s see if there’s anyone worth teaming up with,” Eun-Ho said.
“Makes sense!” Jae-Hyuk replied.
Ji-Eun nodded. “Got it.”
Maybe we’ll spot some future competitors too, Eun-Ho thought, opting not to share it with the others. It’d be better for these two kind-hearted people to look for allies rather than enemies.
“By the way, what do you think this ‘project’ is?” Ji-Eun asked, her short bob swaying as she tilted her head.
“They said something about a selection process,” Eun-Ho replied. “Probably means they’re filtering out who gets to survive next.”
Selection was a process to pick out a few from the many—those with exceptional abilities or who fit certain criteria.
So the system wants a particular kind of person. We need to figure out what that is.
At that moment, another system message appeared.
Rumble!
The ground trembled violently. Then, a girl with twin braids came tumbling down from the sky.
[Hmm?]
[Sixteen? Why are there still so many left here?]
The girl, who seemed to be about ten years old, donned a frilly white dress and tiny red shoes, like a doll coming to life. Except, well, she was floating.
Several people cried out in alarm, their faces frozen with disbelief.
“Is she flying?!”
“W-who are you?!”
The girl didn’t even flinch. Arms crossed, eyes half-lidded, she gazed over the group with clear disinterest. With a dull, almost bored tone, she said a word—presumably a name.
[Harona.]
Even without a proper introduction, it was obvious that the girl was the Administrator.
[Hmm.]
Her eyes wandered lazily until they landed on the fallen screen—the one that Eun-Ho’s group had knocked over. Apparently, some had climbed up onto the safe zone, which had been shielded by a screen. Hence, more people survived than expected.
[Smart move. Who did it?]
With a smug smile, the girl lifted her chin and scanned the group. Jae-Hyuk looked from Eun-Ho to the girl, but Eun-Ho shook his head in disapproval. In such a situation, keeping their silence would be safer.
“I-I think I did.”
One of the cleaning ladies who had followed them up timidly stepped forward, maybe hoping for a reward. All eyes immediately went toward her.
“Hey!”
“Why would you say that?!”
Her companions tried to pull her back, panicked. However, the damage had already been done; the Administrator’s expression clearly darkened. She realized too late that she had spoken out of turn. The moment she shut her mouth, the girl was already floating right above her head, looking down at her.
[Was it you?]
“I-I mean, well, actually, it was not exactly me...”
The woman frantically waved her hands in an attempt to explain herself, but her words tumbled out in a mess. After all, a girl young enough to be her granddaughter was hovering over her like a specter, flicking her finger with unsettling calm.
Even Eun-Ho found himself trembling slightly, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure she radiated despite her small figure.
[It wasn’t you?]
The atmosphere grew ice-cold in an instant. When the girl sighed, a literal chill swept through the room, making everyone shiver.
[If it wasn't you, why did you speak up?]
The girl's tone was flat and cold. With her arms still crossed, she tapped a finger against her other arm.“I-I just...”
The cleaning lady’s eyes widened, and her lips trembled, unable to speak.
[Ugh, whatever. Forget it.]
The girl shook her head with a sigh, as if even their conversation was a bother. Raising her index finger, she then pointed straight at the woman.
With a flick, a glowing line traced through the air, following the arc of her finger.
Shiiik.
It cut from the woman’s left arm all the way to her right shoulder—clean, diagonal, and final. The woman’s head slipped off at an angle.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Her head dropped to the ground first, then the severed left arm, followed by the headless body.
[Anyway, I have to figure out who’s who.]
The girl casually turned back to the group like nothing had happened. The corpse flickered briefly and vanished, as though erased from existence.
[So after erasing one, that leaves fifteen out of sixteen, right?]
Since she erased one?
That was how little it meant to her. That level of violence was just part of the routine. Eun-Ho bit his lower lip in anger, but he could not step forward.
Now is not the time. The gap in power is still too big.
[Company policy says I’m supposed to do one-on-one interviews, but I’m too busy for that.]
Company? What exactly is she trying to assess?
Whatever she was assessing now likely mirrored the criteria for selecting the survivor in this so-called project. It would be helpful if he could figure out what the system was looking for from the little administrator—even just a hint would be great.
[Alright, let’s see.]
What’s she checking for? Strength? Intelligence? Leadership?
[Any athletes here? Raise your hand.]
Athletes?
People glanced around, startled by the unexpected question. However, no one raised a hand. Either there were none, or the fear had frozen even the most confident into silence.
[No one? Fine. Any celebrities then? Singers, actors, doesn’t matter.]
The system was looking for someone oddly normal, but still not relevant to Eun-Ho.
[Okay, one last question. Has anyone here achieved something global? You know, creating an incredible piece of art or something like that.]
Now the scale seemed to skyrocket.
“Uh, does being a MeTuber count?” one guy asked, nervously raising his hand.
[What’s that?]
“N-never mind.”
[Say another dumb comment like that and I’ll rip your mouth open.]
The man clamped both hands over his mouth and shrank back. After that, no one said a word.
[Thought so. Well, that saves time. Let’s just sweep through... No, let’s speed this up. The floor’s nice and smooth, anyway.]
The floor?
Eun-Ho frowned, trying to understand what she was talking about. The girl muttered something unintelligible, then casually dusted off her hands.
[Oh, right. The orientation rewards will be given out. Technically, I’m supposed to match them to each person’s traits, but meh. Random distribution is easier.]
[Any questions?]
The last question was clearly rhetorical. No one had time to form a question before she vanished entirely.
[The first trial of the Project ‘Selection’ has been activated.]
[By the Administrator's authority, the 'arena' is now open.]
“What the hell?” someone muttered.
“What is this even supposed to be?”
There was no time limit, no map, and no designated safe zones. All the survivors had were the notifications and a gnawing sense of dread.
The space looked like a mid-sized exhibition hall, smaller than an elementary school field. Even after thoroughly inspecting every corner, nothing stood out.
There were glass display cases full of figures and tables with random objects. There were also couches, chairs, and benches scattered throughout for rest. Everything looked quite ordinary.
There’s gotta be something hidden here, Eun-Ho thought as he scanned the room once more.
Smack!
A sharp slap rang out. A woman in a business suit had just smacked the arm of the man standing beside her—the only one bold enough to speak up earlier.
“Why the hell would you mention being a MeTuber?”
“Well, it’s kind of like being a celebrity, right? I thought maybe she’d save me.”
“What? Then what about me?”
The woman glared daggers at him. From the way he fumbled for an apology, they were probably dating.
“Those two are from our company,” Ji-Eun said lowly. “They’re part of the recruitment and training departments.”
“So a work couple, huh?”
“Yeah, they tried to keep it a secret, but everyone knew.”
Eun-Ho only half-listened; his mind was elsewhere.
We have to find out what kind of trial this is, if we want to be ready.
If this was going to be another high-speed test with some combat elements, agility would be key. However, that earlier message—about the ‘arena’ opening—kept nagging at him.
If I know the type, I can prepare better. Should I just choose a safe reward in case it starts out of nowhere?
“Trial reward,” Eun-Ho muttered.
[Completing the orientation has increased your reward level.]
[You have been rewarded with a point and a Newcomer’s Mystery Box.]
“One point and a mystery box?” Eun-Ho muttered.
The reward system had changed.
Pop!
Out of nowhere, a strange little box appeared in front of him.
Am I supposed to open this?
The box was bright red, no bigger than his forearm, and tied with a golden ribbon. Just within arm's reach, it swayed slightly from side to side in the air. It then bounced as he reached for it, seemingly eager to be opened.
“What is that?”
“A gift box?”
The loud pop that accompanied its arrival silenced the exhibition hall. The bickering couple stopped, and the ears of the confused people perked up.
Wait.
Eun-Ho hesitated. What if it was a trap? He retracted his hand slowly.
“It’s a trial reward,” he said aloud. “A mystery box or something. Maybe it will give you a useful item.”
He played it cool, pretending to wonder aloud. Before he could even finish his sentence, calls echoed all around.
“I want one! Give me a mystery box!”
“Trial reward!”
Soon, red boxes popped into view all over the place. Tension and anticipation filled the air as people licked their lips and reached for the golden ribbon. Finally, someone opened a box.
“Holy shit! Min-Jung!”
“What? What is it?”
“T-this... This is insane!” the MeTuber exclaimed. His eyes bugged out, and his jaw dropped. “How much is this even worth?! Holy!”
His girlfriend, Min-Jung, scooped up what he was staring at. There were thick bundles of bright yellow bills, much more than she could hold in both hands.
“One, two, three, four...”
The box was stuffed with cash.
“Babe! How much is one bundle worth?”
“Ninety-nine... no, a hundred! A hundred bills! That’s five million won!”
“No way. There’s gotta be like a hundred bundles here! That’s what, five hundred million?”
That amount would be enough to buy a decent apartment at least outside of Seoul.
Well, it would be if the world as we know it still existed.
Eun-Ho was unsure what the outside looked like now, but if it was anything like here, society had probably collapsed. He could not tell whether that money still had any value.
In the worst-case scenario, a box full of five-thousand-won bills could be worth less than a loaf of bread now.
Well, they’d make decent kindling, at least.
Min-Jung’s box turned out to contain a luxury designer bag. Eun-Ho did not spare them another glance.
Top priority should be armors, then weapons.
Armors would be more practical for now, especially against enemies who could slice people in half with a flick of their finger—like that administrator girl.
Please, let it be something useful.
He was already three rewards behind, having spent them to heal his injured leg. He needed something good enough to close that gap.
Fingers trembling, he pulled on the golden ribbon. The box unraveled with a whispering rustle, and a brilliant light filled his vision.
[You have opened a Newcomer's Mystery Box.]
[Congratulations!]