Chapter 73. The Cost of a Choice (1)
Two doors stood open before him.
“We checked everything. But there’s nothing special left inside!”
“Should we take a look outside?”
“I think there might be something in the woods?”
One of the doors, which led back to the arena, was his personal escape hatch. Meanwhile, the other opened into a forest beyond the arena. At first glance, it seemed like they were being asked to choose between the two. However, there was no time limit, meaning no forced decision.
This ticket doesn’t expire, so that means I can take my time.
“Let’s look around first,” Eun-Ho said.
“You mean we’re going to go outside?”
“Yeah. But let’s split into teams just in case it’s dangerous.”
Whether it was inside the arena or out in the woods, they still had time to look for a proper way out.
And if that doesn’t work... No. Let’s not think like that. We’ll make it work. We’ll find a way, Eun-Ho thought.
Eun-Ho quietly yet firmly made a decision. “I’ll head out and take a look first.”
Right away, two familiar voices chimed in.
“I’ll go with you, Hyungnim!”
“Me too! Can I come, Eun-Ho?”
Eun-Ho had been planning to ask Jae-Hyuk and Ji-Eun anyway. “Of course.”
Who knew what awaited him in those woods. Going in with these two would be the best bet. Jae-Hyuk would take point, Eun-Ho would follow, and Ji-Eun could cover them from the rear. Both of them had proven they could handle themselves.
And thanks to the yellow-haired guy’s friend’s potion, Sol-Ah doesn’t have to be with me all the time.
With the plan set, he moved to step forward. However, voices popped up one after another.
“Alright, then let’s hea—”
“Me too! I’m going with you, Eun-Ho!”
“Same here! Count me in!”
“We’re coming too!”
“Same... Just in case someone gets hurt.”
This wasn’t like them. Even Ye-Ji and the wary foul-mouthed guy eagerly volunteered.
Are they not understanding how dangerous this can be?
Just to be sure, Eun-Ho asked, “You guys don’t actually think that forest’s gonna be some peaceful campsite, right?”
“Obviously not! We almost got roasted by a dragon, remember? Hell, even gladiators didn’t fight dragons.”
“Young Man... Do you think we’re stupid or something?”
The foul-mouthed guy and the old security guard were quick to bite back.
“Wait. Are you guys trying to farm monsters or something? For titles? Or even items?” Eun-Ho asked.
“Nah, that’s your thing, Eun-Ho.”
“Exactly! I’d rather those monsters just stop showing up, honestly.”
So it’s not about rewards either. Then why?
Eun-Ho almost asked, but bit it back. Instead, he looked them in the eye. “Are you sure? It’s dangerous out there and I can’t guarantee that I'd be able to protect everyone all the time.”
“Pfft. Honestly, I’d rather be out there getting ambushed by some legendary monster than stuck here alone getting picked off by wild dogs.”
“... You’re kidding, right?”
“Kidding?! Ask around! I’m right, aren’t I?”
Ye-Ji and the cleaning lady nodded like they were in perfect sync.
“Seriously, if you can take down a dragon, what else is left?!”
“Exactly! Flame doesn’t seem to affect you and you move like the wind. Besides, you can even teleport, for God’s sake! Unless it’s one of those Administrator folks, you’ve got everything else beat!”
“Ooh! Do you think you could take them next?!”
“Hell yeah, he could. One good blink-attack and even an Admin’s done for.”
They kept going, getting more absurd by the second. Heck, they seemed about to form a fan club.
“Heck yeah! We’re rolling with the Dragon Slayer!”
“D-Dragon S—”
Hearing that title from someone else made Eun-Ho’s head ache, so he turned away.
Ji-Eun, who’d been watching all this unfold with a mix of concern and amusement, asked gently, “Should I stay behind? Just in case a portal shows up here.”
“No. Staying alone would be even riskier,” Eun-Ho replied.
She nodded, convinced, and started prepping with a more relaxed face. “Yeah, being here doesn’t guarantee safety, does it?”
After one last sweep of the arena, everyone gathered at the massive wooden doors—the ones that dragon had been dragged through in chains.
“Shall we open it?”
“Man, it’s as if we’re gladiators who just earned our freedom.”
Together, they threw the doors wide.
Clunk! Grrrrk—!
Thump.
Their feet hit soft dirt. There were no paved roads nor signs, just earth. Suddenly, a downpour of sunlight washed over them—dry, brilliant, blinding. It felt like stepping into another world.
***
“Hmm...”
A soft, indecipherable sound escaped the Director’s lips.
Is that a sigh or a chuckle? Seung thought.
He swallowed nervously, unsure what came next. As just another low-ranking employee, he couldn’t possibly grasp the full picture, let alone comment on it.
“Okay, so he took down the Flame Dragon.”
Harona responded swiftly to the Director’s slow, deliberate tone. “Yes, Director. He continues to show remarkable skill.”
“And he didn’t even leave alone.”
This time, her answer came slower, more hesitant. “... No, sir.”
Perhaps he isn’t pleased. I mean, he has every right not to be, Harona thought.
Anyone else with such a feat under their belt would've used the exit ticket and gone straight for the reward. Lingering behind could only mean one thing.
With a carefully composed expression, Harona said, “If it's about the others, I can take care of—”
“Leave it.” The Director raised a hand, as if such things were irrelevant. “Now I understand why you were so eager to scout him.”
“Ah.”
Harona felt something swell in her chest, something new. For the first time in her long tenure as an Administrator, she felt overwhelmed. She’d found a raw gem, and now it was being acknowledged by her sky—her everything.
“Then, shall we begin the evaluation—”
Just as she let herself bask in that feeling, her sky gave a thunderous command, like a bolt from the blue. “Erase it.”
“... What?! Sorry sir?”
“I said. Get rid of the entire arena.”
“B-but... We carried out the trial exactly as ordered! So why?!”
It was a short command, devoid of reason, purpose, and mercy. However, the Director’s expression wasn't entirely grim. That alone hinted at something more—a deeper test.
“Let’s watch. If he survives this, then...”
Harona held her breath, eyes shining like gemstones.
***
“Eun-Ho! This place is—”
“Peaceful, right?”
“Yeah. Way more calmer than I thought it’d be.”
Just like Ji-Eun said, the forest beyond the arena was serene. From a distance, it was dense and lively from a distance. However, once inside, it felt still, too quiet, and almost tranquil.
Birds chirping drifted lazily through the air from time to time. Sunlight streamed down through leafy branches, making everything feel like a forest retreat.
“Feels like we’ve been walking for an hour and yet nothing’s happened.”
The only danger they’d faced so far was Yul complaining that her legs hurt, which ended the moment Han-Wool gave her a piggyback ride.
“Bird... Smiley face... And airplane...”
The little miss had been counting cloud shapes the whole time like she was in a children’s cartoon.
Eun-Ho reminded everyone. “Let’s stay alert.”
After all, there was no telling when or where a monster would leap out and snap someone's neck.
The group nodded seriously.
“Got it, Eun-Ho.”
“Understood, Hyungnim!”
They kept walking through the forest for some time.
Ding!
[The Choice trial has been completed!]
At last, this godforsaken trial was over! From the looks on their faces, it seemed Eun-Ho was the only one who got the notification. Still, something tugged at him.
If it was going to end like this, why did they give me the exit ticket at all?
His feet halted as a strange chill crept up his spine. Then, came another notification.
[The final evaluation grades of this project have been calculated.]
[Your rank has been updated following successful completion of the Project Choice.]
[Your evaluation grade is S+]
Yes! Eun-Ho exclaimed inside.
Last time he got an S+, the special reward included education points. He then met a doppelganger and unlocked the swordsmanship skill, and was lucky enough to get an audit pass to the Swordsmanship Class. He'd made every bit of it count.
Maybe they’ll give more education points this time too...
[Congratulations!]
[You have successfully completed an additional trial available only to top-performing candidates.]
[Your reward has been doubled.]
Ding!
[Please check your rewards.]
He was about to call up the reward screen when another system message cut in.
[The arena will now be erased.]
[Brace for impact.]
“The arena is being erased?”
Then, following his words, everything went still. Footsteps and rustling leaves ceased, and even the birds fell silent. It was as if the world itself held its breath.
Something’s off...
Sound layered over sound until something unseen was smeared across the atmosphere. Then, the bird chirping returned.
“Huh?”
“Min Yeo-Jin! Did you feel that? Like, rain?”
“Yup, I did too!”
The girls glanced upward, palms open.
“Bird... Smiley face... Airpl—huh?”
“Wait. The sky is...”
Plip.
A single drop fell onto his forehead. Before he could process the chill, the pitch-dark sky exploded with light, sparks flying.
Bzzzzt!
Kaboom!
The arena began collapsing with a deafening crash.
Krrrrr—!
Everything they’d stood on until moments ago crumbled like a sandcastle, disintegrating in an instant.
“L-look at that!”
“If we’d stayed behind, we’d be dead!”
Even from a distance, the crash and the tremors hit them full force. Then came a torrential downpour. Rain pounded from above, drowning them in chaos.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Shhh—!
“Kyaaah!”
“Is this an earthquake?!”
“The ground! It’s collapsing!”
The earth beneath them cracked and sank, drawn down into a spiraling vortex like a black hole.
[The arena will now be erased.]
[Brace for impact.]
“The arena...”
“Huh?”
Ji-Eun looked alarmed, clearly unsure what he meant. Eun-Ho couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud: this entire space was vanishing.
“Just run!”
Instead, they ran with the earth crumbling behind them—second by second, breath by breath.
***
Rain poured down in sheets, a torrential downpour that crashed against the earth like the sky itself had burst open. Then, somewhere amid the chaos, that familiar whistling bird chirping still filtered through.
Boom!
Lightning struck, blinding white bolts tearing through the blackened sky. They crashed into trees and rocks, splintering them apart, erasing them, and setting them ablaze. Anyone would’ve been obliterated if they got hit by one of those.
Crack!
Hence, he ran like hell.
“Blade Wind! Blade Wind! Blade Wind!”
Swinging faster than ever before, Eun-Ho carved a path through the overgrowth. Despite having run so far, only the collapsed ruins of the arena greeted him. A growing black hole lay just beyond it, threatening to consume everything.
Eun-Ho turned and shouted to the others scrambling after him, “Huh? Stop!”
“What the hell?! Why are we back here again?!”
“W-what?! Did we come back to the same place?!”
Think. Think. Think. Think! Why did we circle back here? Did I pass through some hidden portal without realizing it? If not, what could it be?
Suddenly, he heard the same bird chirping from before.
Ugh, that damn bird chirping again?
It echoed in his ears, too consistent, too familiar, and too patterned.
Wait a second...
Fwoosh—!
He snapped his head up. Amid the dark storm clouds blanketing the sky, he could make out a few familiar shapes.
“Bird, smiley face, airplane...”
“Huh? Uncle, are you watching the clouds too?”
Yul had appeared beside him, cheerful and oblivious.
“Yul... Have the same clouds been passing over and over again? Is that why you were counting them?” Eun-Ho asked.
“Yup!”
No way. The bird chirping and the cloud shapes... If that’s the case, then next up will be the lightning.
“Lightning will follow shortly! Get away from the trees! Now!”
Pzzzzt!
Just as he’d predicted, the black sky burst into white.
Crackle—!
A lightning bolt slammed into the tree where the foul-mouthed guy had just been leaning, gasping for breath.
“Holy shit! That was way too close!”
Now, it became obvious why the forest had felt too peaceful, and why not a single monster had attacked them.
“There are rules here!” Eun-Ho shouted.
“Rules?”
“The bird chirping happens every five minutes, and it repeats. Same sound, same pattern.”
“You sure it’s not a coincidence, Hyungnim?”
“The clouds also follow a pattern. And at the end of that pattern comes a lightning. Is that still a coincidence?”
Jae-Hyuk’s eyes widened in realization. The others began looking around, expressions uncertain.
“Really? I didn’t notice that.”
“Now that you say it...”
“Then... Someone must be controlling this place!”
“There’s something that’s been bothering me from the beginning,” Eun-Ho said.
“What is it?”
There was that strange little itch in the back of his mind. Focused on survival, he’d pushed it aside during the fight, but it had returned.
“What do you think Exquisite means?” Eun-Ho asked.
[You have defeated the Exquisite Flame Dragon!]
It’s not exactly the kind of word you'd expect in front of a divine beast, right?
Ji-Eun tilted her head, thinking. “Um... Maybe it means it was well-crafted?”
“Exactly.”
Exquisite as in expertly made, like exquisite craftsmanship, exquisite mechanism, and exquisite structure. Not a likely word to be added in front of a dragon...
Then Eun-Ho understood the subtle wrongness he had been sensing all along. “It was made!”
“Made? What was?”
“The arena, the dragon and the forest. Even the lightning! It was all made by the administrators to trap us!”
“What?! Are you saying they programmed this whole loop?!”
There had to be some mechanism behind it, something artificial. The world seemed flat, but maybe it was circular—like a tiny, closed-off version of Earth.
“Exactly. And now, they’re collapsing it from the inside out, trying to erase everything including us.”
“What the hell?!”
“So we’re stuck here?!”
Everyone turned to him, panic rising.
However, Eun-Ho shook his head. “No way.”
“But you just said it’s all being erased—”
“So you just want to sit here and wait to get deleted? We will break our way out.” Eun-Ho replied.
“I’m sorry what?!”
He’d already figured out a method to escape from the world in total collapse.