~Chapter 77~
“A bet?”
I tilted my head in confusion, and he continued writing.
[You’re not really enjoying this either, are you?]
…Not wrong, but…
Who even are you?
I hesitated, then picked up the pen.
[What kind of bet?]
[How many people will make it out of here alive.]
I couldn’t believe my eyes. But soon, I calmed down and wrote again.
[ㅗ]
(A Korean gesture meaning “screw you”)
This guy’s definitely not a guest.
He let out a dry laugh and rubbed the pen nib against his glove to get the ink flowing again. Then he began writing once more.
[Just kidding. That one’s too easy to predict anyway.]
[More importantly, what will you bet?]
[Let’s bet what we each have right now.]
Something we have on us…
A name popped into my head—Arkan.
Could he mean that?
I brought it just in case. I’d already used all my questions for today, but I was going to be here past midnight anyway.
As if confirming my guess, he nodded toward my bag. Then, like he was offering to show his hand first, he opened his coat pocket and pointed inside.
“…!”
Inside was a necklace—far more luxurious than the one Lily had shown me at the Magic Tower.
It had to be fake.
If it were real, why show it so openly?
Just as that thought passed my mind, he grabbed my hand and forced it inside the pocket.
The moment I touched the necklace, a burning heat shot through my fingertips.
It felt like I was burned. I quickly tried to pull my hand back, but his grip was too strong—he wasn’t letting go.
Leaning in close, he whispered,
“You can check if it’s real later.”
His disguised voice cracked slightly at the end. Then he let go of me as if nothing had happened.
Is he planning to prove its authenticity at the auction?
I massaged my burning fingers and picked up the pen again.
[There’s nothing in it for me.]
[Why not?]
[Because I can just buy the necklace.]
[What if I don’t put it up for auction?]
[Then there’s no way to know if it’s real.]
He didn’t respond right away—maybe he didn’t like my answer.
A moment later, he wrote:
[If you don’t take the bet, I’ll have to kill you.]
Chills ran down my spine. I was terrified, but I forced myself to stay calm.
…If he just wanted the item, he could’ve stolen it.
He clearly looked stronger than me. Taking something from a rookie like me would’ve been easy.
So why propose a bet at all—especially using a necklace that everyone’s after?
He’s insane—but weirdly, he follows rules.
That odd sense of fairness made me suspicious, and I reached a theory.
[Then go ahead. Try killing me.]
There must be some unnecessary step required to possess Arkan.
Something like… the “guide” has to consider it fair.
“We’re now at 500,000 gold! Any more bids?”
The auction room buzzed with excitement.
Tap! Tap!
“The royal relic of the ancient desert king Fnier goes to Guest 57! Congratulations!”
Even through his black mask, I could feel him glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.
“Do you think I wouldn’t know how to kill you?”
He definitely knows what Arkan is. Probably even more than I do.
He boldly bet a necklace on it—that’s proof enough.
He likely has it. Which means… he’s probably behind all of this.
“I’m not interested in betting.”
Thankfully, my voice was disguised—it covered up how scared I was.
“Really? Then how about this?”
Please stop talking…
I figured I’d tell Lily everything during break time and get help.
But his next words shook me.
“What if it’s for the lives of the helpers working here? I counted about twenty of them. Isn’t that a cheap price to pay instead of them dying pointlessly?”
I barely managed to speak.
“Why would I care?”
“…”
“You think you can kill them?”
Thank God I’m wearing a mask.
But I wasn’t joking. The Moon Shop helpers are famous mages from the Empire.
…Problem is, this guy might actually be able to.
“Ah, time’s up! We’ll resume after a short break! And remember, we’re not done yet, so don’t leave!”
The host’s cheerful voice made people laugh around the room.
Fortunately, timing was on my side.
***
I headed straight for the lounge.
Guests were given private resting rooms during breaks.
“Room 23… There it is.”
I stepped in and immediately took off my mask, then sank to the floor.
Did I manage to keep my cool?
I was so tense from sitting next to that guy, my arm had gone numb.
I removed my glove to check the finger that had been hurting.
“Oh, crap.”
So it wasn’t just in my head.
It did hurt.
A blister had formed right where I touched the necklace.
Torture device, seriously?
So much for “youth and beauty”…
I put my glove back on and picked up the blank card sitting in front of the mirror.
[Guest 24 has the necklace.]
This was how I contacted Lily.
The card glowed for a moment. Then I flipped it over.
[Found a sleeping potion.]
That was her reply. She now held a small bottle that looked like perfume.
…A sleeping potion.
Suddenly, a hazy memory came to me.
Peril had been asleep for 50 years under a contract with the royal family.
In the original story, the contract was simple.
The Empire promised Peril the death he longed for—and he accepted, thinking it was his last chance.
But it was a lie.
He wasn’t allowed to die—just put into a long sleep.
His power weakened, and his mind cracked.
It was the cruelest punishment: being forced to reflect on every part of his past for fifty years.
The overwhelming regret trapped him in his memories.
Idette was the only one who could wake him up.
Why?
Because she understood him.
Peril lived in sorrow and regret. But when Idette entered his dream, she helped him face his past.
And the moment he fully understood himself, he woke up.
But that wasn’t the only reason Peril fell in love with her.
His students had tried to save him too—but failed.
Because they didn’t truly understand him.
To overcome his madness, someone had to fully empathize with his pain.
Idette was the only one who could.
Now I get it.
I used to wonder—why go through all this trouble just to brainwash people with a necklace?
But now I know:
It’s about making others see things from Peril’s point of view.
That’s the most accurate and powerful method.
I left Lily one last message and stepped out.
Still… what should I do about him?
He radiated a strange kind of fear.
I didn’t know why he was after Arkan, but…
One thing was clear:
I cannot let that guy get his hands on Arkan.
…I hope I don’t end up dying today.
People say the scariest ones are those with unknown motives.
Just then, the sound of the auction resuming echoed from outside.
“Haa…”
I sighed and opened the door—
“…!”
I bumped into someone.
They had the number 22—the guy who’d been sitting beside me earlier.
Did he enter the wrong room?
Before I could speak, he stepped in and shut the door.
Was that psycho switching number tags now?
I quickly said, “This is Room 23.”
Then he carefully removed his mask.
“I told you.”
“…!”
“I’d find you.”
It was Ricardo’s voice.
