As the group split up to recruit new teammates, Kang Sae-byeok quietly leaned toward Kai. "Why do we need to find one more person?"
Kai's tone was calm, calculated. "To avoid anyone ending up alone. It's always good to have backup. There are sixty players total—no one should be left out if we overfill a little."
While their group dispersed, a heated argument broke out on the other side of the room.
Player 101—the tattooed brute named Deok-su—shoved Big Sister 212 to the ground. She clung to his leg, crying out, "Oppa! Oppa! Don't do this!"
Deok-su sneered and kicked her away.
"Oppa!" she screamed, tears streaking her face. "If you betray me, you're dead!"
Deok-su only smirked and spat back, "Oh, I'm so scared."
Watching from afar, Kai frowned. That's odd. Before the third game, no sane player would abandon an ally they already trust. Everyone knows the next round could depend on teamwork. Something's off.
Of course, he couldn't have known that Deok-su had already learned the next game's content—making him confident enough to discard his "useless baggage."
Meanwhile, Kang Sae-byeok noticed a girl sitting alone on the stairs, staring blankly at the floor.
Something about the girl's loneliness reminded her of herself—an orphaned thief scraping by in the backstreets of Seoul. Without thinking, she walked over and extended her hand.
When the team regrouped, the lineup was… unconventional, to say the least.
They now had:
Seong Gi-hun
Choi Sang-woo
Ali (Player 199)
The old man, 001
Kang Sae-byeok
Kai
The new girl, Player 240
Choi Sang-woo's expression darkened immediately. "Didn't I say no more women?"
Player 240 shrugged indifferently. "Oh? Then I'll leave."
Kai nearly groaned aloud. Perfect. We're basically a charity team now—a shelter for the old, weak, women, and children.
Old man 001, weakling 250 (me), woman 67 (Kang Sae-byeok), and now this kid, 240—who doesn't even look eighteen! God help us.
But instead of joining Sang-woo in scolding Kang Sae-byeok, he forced a diplomatic smile. "Forget it. It's too late to replace her anyway."
Before anyone could respond, the uncle Sang-woo had recruited—Player 96—suddenly stood up, bowed apologetically, and said, "I'm sorry. This team looks too weak. I'll find another group."
He left without looking back.
Sang-woo clutched his head. "Great. Now we're one man short."
Seong Gi-hun, ever the optimist, said, "I'll go look for someone!"
But Kai snorted. "Forget it. Who'd willingly join a team like ours?"
Ali frowned. "But… if we don't have ten people…"
Before he could finish, a familiar voice cooed from behind Sang-woo.
"Well, look at you boys. Short one person, aren't you? Lucky for you, a soul like me's still available."
It was Big Sister 212, smiling as she draped an arm around Sang-woo's shoulders.
Sang-woo covered his face. "It's over. Another woman. Ten-person team—three women, an old man, and a scrawny guy. If this is a physical game, we're screwed."
Kai sighed and muttered under his breath, "God, please, please don't make this a strength-based round."
Still, he knew better than to rely on divine mercy. He began silently plotting a contingency plan.
Meanwhile, Seong Gi-hun tried to stay positive. "Come on, everyone. Let's look on the bright side—we all know each other. That's something, right?"
Kai stared at him, deadpan. No wonder idiots live happy lives.
Soon, the six newly formed teams were herded into the game arena.
As the massive steel shutters lifted, Kai immediately noticed two towering platforms suspended above a deep chasm. A long rope stretched between them.
His heart sank.
Tug-of-war…? Of all things, tug-of-war?!
Before the broadcast even began, he already knew what was coming.
"This is rigged," he muttered. "We're the weakest team here."
Still, as the announcement boomed across the room, Kai's mind began racing.
"Welcome to the third game: Tug-of-War! The game will take place atop the towers. Pull the opposing team off the platform to win. Survivors advance."
Choi Sang-woo and Seong Gi-hun's faces turned pale. But Kai's eyes suddenly gleamed.
Wait… there's still a loophole.
He subtly tugged on Kang Sae-byeok's sleeve and whispered, "You brought your dagger, right?"
Kang Sae-byeok blinked, puzzled, but nodded.
"Give it to me," Kai said. "I guarantee your survival this round."
Though she didn't understand what good a dagger could do in a tug-of-war, she hesitated only briefly before handing it over.
Kai leaned close to her ear. "If it feels like we're about to lose, stand directly behind me. Do not move. You'll live, I promise."
Kang Sae-byeok frowned. "If we fall, we all die. What difference does it make where I stand?"
Kai patted her shoulder, smiling thinly. "You'll understand when the time comes. Just remember—stay behind me, and you won't die."
Kang Sae-byeok narrowed her eyes. "If that's true, why don't you stand first so everyone can live?"
Kai's grin turned sharp. "It's the third round. Time to start cutting off dead weight. The fewer survivors, the bigger the prize for the rest of us. I don't owe anyone here anything—why shouldn't I use their lives to add a few hundred million won to my share?"
Kang Sae-byeok stared at him coldly. "Then why save me? Just for the dagger?"
Kai shook his head. "Because I'm weak. Outside the games, I need protection—and you're the only one I can trust not to stab me in my sleep. Think of it as… mutual insurance. I protect you in the game, you protect me after it."
He smiled, almost cheerfully. "We're good for each other, don't you think?"
Then his tone darkened again. "Of course… if we're lucky enough to win this round, no sacrifices will be necessary."
As he spoke, he looked up at the twin towers gleaming above them, eyes glinting with equal parts fear and excitement.
The weakest team on the field. The cruelest game so far.
And Kai—already calculating a way to twist the rules—was quietly smiling.