As soon as Joo Yeon entered the room, she was sent crashing onto the hard floor by Ji-yeong, who hugged her tightly.

"You idiot," Ji-yeong muttered, her arms squeezing the air out of Joo Yeon. "I thought you were gonna mess it up at the last second."

Joo Yeon groaned, half from the impact and half from the suffocating hug. "I could say the same to you," she shot back, but there was no real bite in her words.

Ji-yeong pulled back slightly, her expression softening. "We made it."

Joo Yeon let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Yeah. We did."

The relief was short-lived, though. Around them, the remaining players staggered into the room, some of them trembling, others completely silent. The number of survivors had dropped drastically.

Joo Yeon's eyes flickered across the room until they landed on the genius. He was standing with his group, arms crossed, his usual unreadable expression in place. Beside him, Player 456 was wiping his lips, probably from the honeycomb trick. They were all talking and Joo Yeon couldn't make out what they were saying.

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

Joo Yeon quickly looked away.

Before she could dwell on it, the PA system crackled to life once more.

"Attention, players. I will now announce the results of the second game. Out of the 202 players who participated, 94 players were eliminated."

The sound of a massive piggy bank filling with money echoed from above. The prize was growing, but so was the danger.

Ji-yeong nudged Joo Yeon. "Bet it feels different now, huh?"

Joo Yeon clenched her fists. She wasn't sure what she was feeling anymore.

All she knew was that the next game would be even worse.

"The prize money accumulated this round is 9.4 billion won. The total prize money accumulated so far is now 34.9 billion won," the woman in PA said.

Joo Yeon swallowed hard, the weight of the announcement settling deep in her chest. Ninety-four players... gone. Just like that.

Ji-yeong let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's a lot of money."

Joo Yeon didn't respond. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning the faces of those who remained. Some looked relieved, others shaken. A few, like the genius, remained eerily composed.

She stole another glance at him. He wasn't looking at her anymore, instead speaking in hushed tones with his group.

Joo Yeon forced herself to tear her gaze away. There was no point in dwelling on him or whatever conversation he was having.

The sound of heavy doors opening snapped her attention back to the present. The guards stepped aside, revealing stacks of metal trays lined up at the front of the room.

"Attention," the PA system blared again. "Your mealtime begins now. All players, please form a line in the center of the room."

A few players hesitated before moving, but hunger quickly outweighed suspicion. Ji-yeong nudged Joo Yeon and gestured toward the trays. "Let's go."

Joo Yeon took the boiled egg and the green-colored soju bottle from the staff member's outstretched hands. No tray, no utensils—just the bare minimum to keep them going. She rolled the egg between her palms before cracking it against her knuckles, watching tiny bits of shell flake off.

Beside her, Ji-yeong did the same, letting out a dry chuckle. "Guess they're not worried about us starving. Just enough to keep us on our feet."

Around them, the atmosphere was tense. Players huddled in small groups, eating in silence or whispering in low voices. Some stole glances at others, their eyes sharp with calculation. Joo Yeon unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip. The water was lukewarm, doing little to wash away the unease settling in her stomach. She glanced across the room, her gaze landing on the genius and his group. They were speaking quietly. Joo Yeon swallowed the last bite of her egg.

A commotion near the food line drew their attention.

"Hey!" someone shouted, but no one dared to stop them. When the last of the food was handed out, murmurs spread through the room. "Five meals are missing," a player muttered, eyes darting toward the thug's group, who sat smugly with their stolen portions. Tension crackled in the air. Joo Yeon exchanged a wary glance with Ji-yeong.

"Where's our food?" a woman asked from the guard to which the guard answered that they prepared the meals for the exact amount of the number of players.

"Excuse me... It was them. They...skip the line and got seconds. I saw it," a woman said pointing at the thug's group

Player 101, the thug, leaned back, grinning as he wiped his mouth. "Hey, what's the matter, everybody? Jeez. You never seen a guy eat before? Is that it? Shit."

A player who hadn't gotten their meal stepped forward, fists clenched. "Who do you think you are? That's my food you just ate."

The thug scoffed and held up an empty bottle. "Oh? So, uh, is this yours? Is your name on it? 'Cause I sure don't see anything."

His group erupted in laughter.

Without warning, Player 271 lunged forward, grabbing at the bottle in the thug's hand. A struggle broke out, their bodies clashing as they wrestled for control. The bottle slipped from their grip and shattered against the floor.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the thug's face twisted in fury.

Without hesitation, he drove his fist into 271's face. Once. Twice. The player collapsed, but 101 didn't stop. He kicked him, punched him, kept going long after the fight had left the man's body.

"Shit," he mumbled getting up and wiping blood off his face.

For a second, no one moved. No one breathed.

Then Sang-woo stepped forward, crouching beside Player 271. He grabbed the man's shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Hey," he muttered. No response. He checked again, his jaw tightening when he realized the truth. He was gone.

A chill settled over the room.

Across the space, Player 456 broke first. "Hey! Someone just died! Are you just gonna stand there?" he shouted at the guards, his voice sharp with disbelief and rage. "Do something!"

The guards remained motionless.

Not a single one reacted.

Instead, the PA system crackled to life.

"Player 271, eliminated."

A mechanical trill followed, and above them, the massive piggy bank rumbled. A fresh drop of money spilled into it, the sound of wealth growing louder than the silence of death.

Joo Yeon felt her stomach twist.

The heavy metal doors groaned open, and two guards stepped inside. The sight of them made the remaining players stiffen, but they didn't raise their guns. Instead, they carried a sleek black coffin, its polished surface gleaming under the fluorescent lights. A perfectly tied pink ribbon adorned the top, as if it were a grotesque gift.

Joo Yeon's blood ran cold.

Without hesitation, the guards moved toward Player 271's lifeless body. No words. No hesitation. They lifted him with practiced efficiency, placing him inside the coffin like he was nothing more than discarded cargo.

The lid snapped shut.

Then, just as quickly as they arrived, the guards turned and carried the coffin away, disappearing through the open doors.

The air was thick with something unspoken.

Joo Yeon swallowed, her gaze darting across the room. Some players stared at the floor, others at the piggy bank overhead.

Ji-yeong exhaled sharply beside her. "That's it, then," she muttered, voice hollow.

Joo Yeon couldn't help but feel something was going to happen tonight. Her eyes darted around and saw players getting into groups. Some were weak, but some were strong.

Her gaze flickered back to the thug's group. Another player had just joined them, slipping into their circle like he had always belonged. The group barely acknowledged him, too caught up in their own twisted celebration.

She forced herself to look away, scanning the room until her eyes landed on Player 456. He was making his way toward 067. He hesitated for a second before speaking to her in hushed tones. 067 barely reacted, giving only short replies, her expression unreadable.

It wasn't long before 456 stepped back, retreating to his own group. As soon as he rejoined them, they started talking—voices low, serious.

Joo Yeon narrowed her eyes. Everyone was forming alliances. The weak, the strong, the desperate. The realization settled in her chest like a weight.

Tonight was going to be brutal and it's all about survival.

Beside Joo Yeon, Ji-yeong mumbled, "What are we gonna do?"

"For now, let's stay alert. As soon as lights are off, we go under the beds. And if anyone attacks us... we might need to fight back," Joo Yeon mumbled as she laid back on her bed.

Ji-yeong gave a slow nod, her expression unreadable.

The PA system crackled to life.

"Lights out in 30 seconds."

Joo Yeon's grip on the soju bottle tightened.

"10... 9... 8... 7..."

She shifted slightly, glancing at Ji-yeong, who was already watching her.

"6... 5... 4... 3..."

Joo Yeon exhaled, steadying herself.

"2... 1."

Darkness swallowed the room.

For a moment, no one moved. No one breathed.

Joo Yeon slowly slid off the bed, her body moving on instinct. She crept underneath, pressing her back against the cold floor. Turning her head, she spotted Ji-yeong doing the same.

Then, a scream shattered the silence.

A woman's voice, raw with terror.

Laughter followed—low, cruel.

Player 101.

Then chaos erupted.

Metal clanged against metal. Bodies crashed into bunks. Shadows moved frantically in the darkness as the sounds of fists meeting flesh and desperate cries filled the air. More screams rang out—some in agony, some in rage.

Joo Yeon pressed her hand against her mouth, heart pounding as she watched feet scramble past her hiding spot. A player's body dropped to the floor just inches away, unmoving. The scent of blood thickened the air.

This was no longer a game.

It was a massacre.