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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Easter Egg
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"Kuhuk...!"
Andariel's eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
His pupils trembled beyond control, reaching the stage where he couldn't accept reality.
"Whoa, how many straight wins is that already?"
"But isn't it weird? Why do only skeleton soldiers keep showing up?"
"Right? Isn't this discrimination?"
The other participants in the "Death Booking" shared the same bewilderment.
Park Chan-woo's party with Lee Hyuk-soo was on a winning streak, but their opponents were always just "skeleton soldiers."
In contrast, the other participants faced stronger foes with each victory.
Zombies, ghouls, even three-headed man-eating dogs.
It was only natural for whispers of discrimination or favoritism to arise.
They had all seen Park Chan-woo giving "tips" to the game master.
"Hey, Andariel! Isn't there a problem with fairness here?"
Team Leader Kim Byung-han bellowed, veins bulging in his neck.
After encountering the Abyss during lunch and facing a man-eating ghoul, Kim Byung-han had realized the world had turned into something straight out of a fantasy novel.
He also knew that to reach the top in this new world, he had to move faster than anyone else.
Park Chan-woo. You bastard, just wait. You dare call me a bed-wetter?
Of course, the biggest reason he'd ended up joining the first night's Abyss was Park Chan-woo.
Those eyes that looked down on him with contempt.
He couldn't forget the gaze that arrogantly called him a pig, a bed-wetter.
To him, Park Chan-woo was less than a pushover.
So he gazed up at the moon.
He'd farmed relentlessly upon entering the Abyss and gathered strong-looking people to reach this point.
Kim Byung-han and his party had already been together before arriving at the "Water-Loving Nightclub." Naturally, they had better synergy than any other group.
Three straight wins without a single pass.
"Hey, demon manager!"
"...Shut your mouth, human."
"...Hic!"
Kim Byung-han hiccuped in shock.
He immediately clamped his mouth shut with both hands.
...Andariel's attitude had changed.
The demon manager—or waiter—who had seemed friendly on the surface was gone.
He, too, couldn't comprehend the current situation any more than the others.
...It has to stop.
The winning streak.
Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-soo were rampaging without end.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 41-win streak in progress. 2,990 points accumulated so far.
Before they knew it, 41 straight wins.
This was beyond Andariel's calculations.
No, no one—not the "Owner of the Moon" who created this Abyss, nor the other Creators—could have imagined such a thing.
The problem was that he, Andariel, was the game master of this game.
I shouldn't have let him in...!
He'd allowed Park Chan-woo inside despite the party not being properly formed.
If questioned, it would be Andariel's fault.
Abuse of the game master's authority—overstepping his bounds.
And he'd even taken a "coin" as a bribe, leaving no room for excuses.
If this doesn't stop now... I'll be the one who dies.
His role was merely to arm the humans just enough.
To show them hope and put on a "show" for the Creators' amusement—that was the game master's primary duty.
The issue was that Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-soo had far exceeded those bounds.
Treasures purchasable with booking points?
No matter how hard humans tried, they could never accumulate over 500 points.
That was by design.
They were placed there just to torment them with false hope: "Look at these; strive and maybe you can get them."
If they failed to hunt the Twelve Divine Generals, it was their own fault for not trying hard enough—accept death meekly!
To let them taste that overwhelming despair, the "Owner of the Moon" had even opened his own warehouse.
Humans couldn't buy them anyway.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 42-win streak in progress. 3,300 points accumulated so far.
The longer the streak, the more points they gained.
At 42 wins, the two had each acquired 3,300 points.
The biggest problem... was that once they'd entered the game, Andariel had no authority to stop them.
"Already over 3,000 points."
"..."
Park Chan-woo glanced at Lee Hyuk-soo as he spoke.
3,000 points was enough to buy an "Elixir."
The moment to fulfill their one burning dream.
After each battle, they could purchase items with points—no interference, purely by their own will.
"Don't you want to buy an Elixir right now?"
"...You said to follow your lead."
Hearing Lee Hyuk-soo's reply, Park Chan-woo smiled faintly.
He meant he wouldn't buy it since he hadn't been ordered to.
If Lee Hyuk-soo had bought it on his own or wavered, he would have been disappointed.
But Lee Hyuk-soo was strictly obeying Park Chan-woo.
He instinctively knew they could see further by exploiting the current situation.
And that all his opportunities came from Park Chan-woo.
"Buy the 'Greatsword of the Lion King.'"
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Lee Hyuk-soo spent all their booking points.
Soon, the "Greatsword of the Lion King" appeared in his hands.
An "Ancient"-grade weapon with no equip restrictions, offering the greatest power boost for Lee Hyuk-soo.
It had extra effects against the undead and other deceased beings.
And every monster in this "Death Booking" was fundamentally one of the "dead."
"Lee Hyuk-soo. Still level 1?"
"...Still level 1."
As expected, hunting here granted no experience.
Yet just wielding that greatsword gave him attack power equivalent to a level 10 Awakener at minimum.
With his genius-level sword talent, his actual combat prowess might exceed that.
The booking target is determined by the party's average level. My level and Lee Hyuk-soo's average -48.5, so we can win another ten easily.
After 40 wins, the point gains had spiked sharply.
And if Park Chan-woo's prediction held, the 43rd opponent's level would be "-5."
How far could they go?
The Mage's Stone costs 5,000 points.
Purchase was inevitable.
But Park Chan-woo wanted more.
For that... he'd need Lee Hyuk-soo's sacrifice.
Skip the Elixir, and 20 more wins would be feasible.
"...Won't you stop now?"
It was then.
Demon Manager Andariel approached, face flushed with fury.
"I'll let it go this far. But if you keep exploiting bugs for unfair gains, I can't stand by as game master."
Park Chan-woo sneered at Andariel's words.
"Me, a bug exploiter? Guess the Abyss is a pushover if that's possible."
"Didn't you rig it so only skeleton soldiers appear?"
"Rigging, huh. If you're so sure, swear on your heart in the Abyss. We can check if I used bugs to rig skeleton soldiers through a vow."
"..."
Andariel shut his mouth.
He didn't know how a human knew about "Abyss vows," but no matter how he thought about it, this had to be a bug.
Over 40 skeleton soldiers in a row? Impossible.
That human had definitely pulled some trick.
Even bankrupting a Creator for coins was likely the same.
The vow was a bluff.
A ploy to force him into a corner by acting tough.
What a pathetic trick.
Andariel was the game master.
An upper demon standing above humans.
He knew humans well.
Better yet, the human coming on strong played right into his hands.
Now Andariel was certain.
"...Fine. I'll swear on my heart in the Abyss. That you pulled some 'trick' in this game."
Not bug or rigging—a broader "trick."
He bet everything on it.
Refuse, and he'd brand him a bug exploiter. Either way, Park Chan-woo was doomed.
He won't accept.
A smug look finally crossed Andariel's face.
It had taken over 40 wins to be sure, but with this human dead, it would all be undone.
Gotcha.
Park Chan-woo smiled inwardly.
The baited hook had finally snagged the big fish.
"I swear on my heart in the Abyss too. That I pulled no 'trick' in this game."
"...?"
Andariel could only tilt his head.
Did this human not know what that meant?
Swearing on one's heart in the Abyss.
A demon ritual wagering body, soul—everything.
Pain beyond mere death.
Swaaaaa...
In an instant, before them.
"Gasp...!"
"I-it's a reaper!"
A reaper holding scales appeared.
The "Reaper of Vows" overseeing the Abyss.
One of the mightiest reapers, verifying whose vow was true and delivering ultimate agony and annihilation to the loser!
Reapers had no will, only objective judgment.
Soon.
Kiiiiiik!
...The scales began to move.
Thump! Thump!
Before long, Park Chan-woo and Andariel's hearts lay upon the scales.
The pointer swung back and forth, then swiftly tilted toward Park Chan-woo.
Andariel's face drained of color.
"...Wait."
...It tipped further, and further, locking 100% toward Park Chan-woo.
In other words.
"I pulled no trick, Andariel."
Park Chan-woo's vow was true.
No way!
Andariel's pupils dilated massively.
Not a bug?
No tricks at all?
Then how did skeleton soldiers appear over 40 times in a row?!
But his mouth wouldn't open.
The verdict was in.
Stop...!!
Snip!
The heart on the scale was severed.
With it, Andariel's body began shredding into hundreds, thousands of pieces.
About three seconds later, Andariel vanished as if evaporated.
Ting. Ting ting ting...
Park Chan-woo picked up the coin from the floor.
The one he'd tipped was lying there alone.
At the same time.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Upper Demon "Game Master Andariel" has been annihilated. Acquired "4,444 Booking Points." ⚡ EASTER EGG ACTIVATED ⚡ "Easter Egg" has activated! ⚔ EASTER EGG REWARDS ⚔ Booking Party's win streak points +20%. All treasures discounted 20%. Acquired 4 Lucky Dice (lowers booking target's level by 1~6). ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Title "Easter Egg (All Bonus Stats +2)" added. Acquired "Easter Egg (001)."