IASDG 04

Chapter 4

Where is this?

I was standing alone in a wide space filled with long desks and many chairs.

A lecture hall? Why am I in a place like this? Just a moment ago, I was in the café hall with other people.

I retraced my memory.

That long-nailed creature had gone into the warehouse, and then I heard people’s screams. Soon after those screams stopped, a cylindrical beam of light appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around me.

“And then everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, this was the first thing I saw.”

The last faces I’d seen before my vision went dark came back to me.

Shock. Fear.

Even Ms. No-eun, who always kept a calm face, couldn’t hide her panic at that moment.

Maybe I ended up worrying her more than I meant to.

“Hm. For someone suddenly dropped into an unfamiliar place alone, you look rather calm.”

At the sound of a gruff male voice behind me, I turned.

A werewolf?

Sitting on a chair by the chalkboard was a figure in a researcher’s lab coat—but with the head of a wolf.

Well, only his head was wolf-like, so calling him a “werewolf” was a little ambiguous.

“That’s not true. I just don’t show it, but I’m actually very shocked.”

He stared at me in silence.

Because of the black eyepatch covering one eye, I thought a mafia-style suit would’ve suited him more. Yet strangely, the lab coat didn’t look out of place either.

“Can’t tell if you’re good at hiding your feelings, fearless… or just plain dull.”
“Honestly, I think the danger I was in a moment ago was much worse than being in some unknown place.”
“You’re right. The danger right in front of you is scarier than some vague, possible threat down the road.”

He chuckled lightly.

“So, who are you? Judging from the situation, it feels like you’re the one who brought me here.”
“Call me Wordid. Oh, and I already know your name, so no need to introduce yourself. Now, let me ask you one thing—why do you think I called you here?”

I thought for a moment before replying.

“I don’t know the exact reason, but doesn’t it have to do with what just happened back at the café?”
“Correct. You caused quite the scene. I never imagined someone would exploit both the rules and their loopholes to wipe out multiple people at once like that.”

His explanation was long, but in short: I had killed several people without using the duel system.

“Killing someone without issuing a duel is against the rules. But using a monster immune to the duel system to kill people… well, technically, that’s still using the rules. So it’s not a clear violation. And since there was intent in your actions, it’s even harder to judge. Thanks to that, I got stuck cleaning up the mess.”

“…”

I hadn’t intended it that way, but I decided not to correct his misunderstanding.

Better to let him think that than risk being branded a rule-breaker and executed on the spot.

“Honestly, it’s tricky. Strictly speaking, you achieved the quest’s goal. But whether you followed the rules or not is… ambiguous. My subordinates are divided on whether you should live or die. On top of that, I also need to decide what to do with the five people who were with you, since they’re tied up in the contribution records. So, as the operations team leader… what judgment should I make?”

His words were cold, logical, and without a hint of personal feeling.

But his eyes—those were icy.

So this is what they mean by escaping the wolf only to be caught by the tiger?

I had a gut feeling—if I misstepped here, I’d be game over.

And if I got a game over… what would happen to my wish ticket?

I couldn’t just stand here and let my fate rest entirely in his hands.

“If I want to survive this… I need to find some kind of foothold.”

When the path ahead is blocked, move. By moving, you’ll see things from a new angle, and sometimes, that reveals something hidden.

Those were Ms. No-eun’s words. I had to act on them.

“What about you, Mr. Wordid? You said your subordinates are divided, but you must have your own thoughts, don’t you?”
“I’m split down the middle.”
“Sounds like you don’t really care which way it goes. Why is that?”
“Because uncertainty is a double-edged sword. Every test comes with risks, but usually they’re controlled risks. You, however, stepped outside that control from the start. An uncontrollable test can lead to surprisingly good results—or completely ruin the whole system. So half-and-half is a fair way to put it, don’t you think?”

Maybe… just maybe I can get out of this.

He said “half-and-half,” but I could tell—part of him wanted to take that high risk and see what would happen.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned “surprisingly good results” at all.

“I understand. But are you really okay with that?”
“Okay with what?”
“Well, most people strive to achieve more. To climb higher, whether it’s money, fame, honor, or legacy.”

Call it greed or call it ambition—it’s all the same.

And Wordid was no doubt one of those people.

“You also want to climb higher, don’t you, Mr. Wordid?”
“And what makes you say that?”
“If not, you wouldn’t be talking about ‘half-and-half’ and risk. You’d have just eliminated me outright.”
“So you’re saying… I should shoulder the risk you represent and place a big bet?”
“You already know it yourself. Within controlled risks, you only ever get controlled results.”

To get what you really want, you need to take risks—whether small or great.

I was betting my life to appeal to either his greed or ambition, giving him a choice.

It was like I had taken his sword and hilt and handed them back, asking him which he wanted to grab.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Wordid suddenly burst into loud laughter.

What the—?

After laughing for a while, he spoke again.

“I underestimated you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just talking to myself. Anyway—I’ll take your deal. Honestly, I’m curious to see how far you can go, what kind of results you’ll produce. Besides, in this case, it’s not like we didn’t make mistakes ourselves.”

Phew.

I couldn’t help but sigh. If I had to keep walking this tightrope, ten lives wouldn’t be enough.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“That’s… a lot of pressure.”
“Good. That’s exactly the point. Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ll send you back to your place… no, wait. Since you’ve already cleared the quest, there’s no need to send you back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the same cylindrical beam of light enveloped me again.

“Wait—what about the other five tied up in the contribution record?!”

Wasn’t it written? That regardless of quest success, others’ fate would be decided by the operations team.

“Consider it a little gift, since we’re partners now. They’ll pass. Let’s meet again if the chance comes.”

And my vision went black again.