The sprint of Baek Saheon, stuffing the coins and prizes that poured from the winning slot machine into his embrace.
And behind him, chasing like mad, the missing persons from the casino ghost story, who had traded most of their limbs for coins.
The destination… us!
'This bastard.'
It was a sight that sent a chill down my spine.
Of course, given the number of people here, it made sense for Baek Saheon to run this way if he wanted to live, but how was this any different from the mountain serial killer incident!
'I'll deal with you after this.'
I swallowed and quickly prepared my response.
But facing dozens of insane ghost story long-term missing persons head-on…
"Let's go. For now!"
"Scatter to a wider area!"
"No!"
"…!"
"They'll chase us until we die outside! We have to hold out as long as possible while running away inside the casino!"
Ms. Go Young-eun's voice made the people trying to secure the entrance freeze.
"If a disturbance occurs in the casino, will 'measures' be taken?!"
"…! Yes! So, while avoiding them as much as possible, we should do so without damaging the casino…"
Those who had heard ghost stories more than once quickly grasped the situation.
'Just until the casino staff, who are crazy enough to control disturbances, arrive…'
We just had to hold out!
Then, who among us has the best mobility and strength…
"Manager! Please hold the Goat Child!"
"Yes."
"Ah!"
Baek Saheon let out a yelp, but we ignored him.
And we started running like mad, evading the long-term missing persons.
Where to?
It flashed in my mind.
"Let's go to the Dealer Room!"
Since there's a 50-coin limit, the long-term missing persons who were lingering in the Slot Machine Zone likely won't be able to enter!
"This way!"
I ran urgently. The moment I left the slot machine room and turned the corner.
Thump.
The body of a long-term missing person, who had burst out of the door with us, brushed past me by a hair's breadth and slammed into the side wall.
"…!!"
The sound of dozens of human bodies colliding with the wall, unable to overcome inertia, the sound of the Manager leaping over them and landing on the floor with explosive power unbelievable for a human, and the sound of the dilapidated casino breaking apart from the rampage of the missing persons.
"Huff."
Beside me, I heard the sound of Ms. Go Young-eun, whose stamina had weakened during her disappearance, catching her breath. I urgently helped her up and we ran.
The widely open Dealer Room door appeared.
"We're going in!"
The agents, without getting entangled in a fight with the long-term missing persons, stepped into the Dealer Room by 'appropriately blocking' them, tripping or pushing them.
And.
"It's… blocked, right?"
"Yes."
Quite a few long-term missing persons stopped at the Dealer Room door.
'I was right.'
But reality is not theory.
Missing persons who barged into the Dealer Room appeared one after another.
'Damn.'
They pushed, stumbled, and crushed those who stopped, continuing to chase us.
But the dealers weren't stopping them yet. Why?
"…Noruya, is it possible they were all treated as one group and their total exceeded 50 coins?"
It's possible.
We were introduced to the Dealer Room that way too!
'Damn!'
But the fact that the number of pursuers had significantly decreased gave us some breathing room.
"Hoo."
With a little leeway secured, people began to weave between tables, trying to put distance between themselves and the long-term missing persons and defend themselves.
But there was no need.
The long-term missing persons were only chasing Lee Ja-heon Section Chief, who was carrying Baek Saheon.
"…Wait a minute."
Agent Choi quickly approached, leaping over a damaged table, and took the coins from Baek Saheon's embrace.
"No…!"
"Citizen, just a moment."
He then showed the coins that had spilled from the slot machine to those around him before leaping back over the table.
"...."
However, the long-term missing persons still chased only Lee Ja-heon.
"Why aren't they being lured away?"
"They're not after the coins."
It was as Agent Bronze said.
'Are they just chasing the winner?'
At any rate, seeing the long-term missing persons relentlessly sticking to Lee Ja-heon Section Chief made me anxious.
There was naturally a limit to how long we could shake them off in this confined space.
Just then.
"Visitor."
The dealer's voice.
"Visitor?"
He had our attention.
…!
"Manager, please slip past right next to that table."
"Yes."
I ran ahead. Lee Ja-heon Section Chief followed me, moving almost attached to the table.
Right, the table where the dealer was standing.
The long-term missing persons chased between them.
But those who couldn't maintain their balance, instead of crashing into the wall just before, this time crashed into the table…
With a thump, the table overturned. And shattered. The long-term missing persons ran over the table…
"Please stop."
The dealer said, holding up a hand.
Looking at his damaged table.
"...."
"...."
What was surprising was that the long-term missing persons of the Body Casino stopped all movement at that moment.
Like mice in front of a cat.
"I apologize, but acts of disturbance within the casino are prohibited. And…"
The dealer pulled something from his pocket and held it up.
A single sheet of paper.
A bill.
"You will be charged for the damage."
Then.
Thud.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
Rumble, rumble, rumble….
The limbs and organs of the long-term missing persons began to fall off.
"…!!"
"Table damage, door damage, slot machine damage, entrance lighting and equipment malfunction confirmed. The costs have been billed to the responsible parties."
From those who writhed on the stairs, unable to enter the casino, to those who managed to keep their legs and fled to the slot machine room.
What was certain was that the detached organs and bodies, after twitching, disappeared before long.
'Ha.'
Despite having seen all sorts of scenes, it was a sight that made my stomach churn.
And those who had lost enough of their bodies to never stand again…
Were simply left on the floor.
With only parts of their bodies wriggling.
"...."
"...."
"Are you alright, visitor?"
When I turned my head, the dealer, with Deputy Lee Seong-hae's head, was smiling.
"…Yes."
"Don't worry. It wasn't you who caused the disturbance or damaged property! We hope you have a pleasant time at the casino from now on."
"Thank you."
Baek Saheon's eyes rolled around, as if gauging if he could extract anything more by playing the role of a 'customer who suffered hardship,' but he eventually settled down quietly.
It was certainly a good judgment to conclude that the probability of getting into trouble by causing a disturbance was higher, but it was infuriating to the point of admiration…
In any case, we sat in a corner of the Dealer Room, where the disturbance had somewhat subsided, and began to sort out the situation.
"...."
Lee Ja-heon Section Chief let go of Baek Saheon without hesitation, and Baek Saheon stood against the wall, avoiding his gaze.
And then…
"Mr. Goat."
"…Yes?"
"Why are you so surprised? I was going to thank you."
I smiled and patted Baek Saheon's shoulder.
"You earned a lot of public funds for the team."
"…!"
"I was so grateful that I spoke politely. Really."
"No…"
"Right?"
I pressed my face close to Baek Saheon.
"You're not going to say that you tried to earn coins for personal use, leaving everyone else to find information while you alone spun the slot machine, and then dumped all the danger onto your teammates, are you?"
"...."
And when things turned out this way, Baek Saheon had no choice but to force a smile and answer.
"…Of course! I'm happy to have made a great contribution to the team."
"Wow."
Deputy Eun Haje's exclamation was heard. I felt a little embarrassed…
But honestly, this wasn't me threatening him; it was something that shouldn't be done out of basic decency.
I suppressed a sigh so it wouldn't be obvious.
'Still, after work, he should return what he earned, right?'
Now I roughly knew what kind of whip and carrot to use.
[Excellent. Friend!]
Thank you.
"Then, let's settle the accounts."
"Yes."
We sat with our heads together and tallied all the coins we possessed.
Adding Baek Saheon's coins won from the slot machine to the initial funds…
"It's 256 coins."
It was a considerable amount.
"It was worth helping you run away, even losing your shoes. Don't you think so, citizens?"
"Haha…"
The other members chuckled at Agent Choi's words as he patted Agent Bronze, who had lost his coat and shoes while stopping the long-term missing persons. I was somewhat impressed.
'Excellent hoarding of public funds…'
The coins were thus sorted and returned to Deputy Eun Haje's embrace for the time being.
And what remained was.
[Oh, there were prizes. Of course, it's hard to expect anything great from a cheap slot machine!]
That's right.
"It seems to be a slot machine prize."
It looked like an ordinary gift box, except for the unreadable words written on it.
"Here."
I handed it to Baek Saheon, who, while looking hesitant, tore open the packaging and checked the contents.
The contents were revealed.
It was a neatly packaged in plastic…
'…Electronic device?'
A small, rectangular object with a blue plastic body and two buttons to press.
There was something that immediately brought to mind its overall appearance.
"It looks like a voice recorder."
"Yes."
However, it didn't look very sturdy, and its small size suggested it might be disposable.
"Hmm."
Just then, Baek Saheon's voice was heard.
It sounded somewhat soft and melancholic.
"Surely… you're not going to take this prize too?"
Oh?
"Running away is something anyone here can do. You're all veterans. But hitting the slot machine jackpot is an achievement only I could accomplish. I hope you'll leave me at least this much…"
[Hmm. Your acting isn't bad?]
Indeed.
It seemed he had changed his strategy based on the team members.
However.
Ms. Go Young-eun, with a pale face, shook her head first.
"Um, first of all, it's best not to… use that prize, if possible."
"Yes?"
…A bad premonition arose.
"Do you know what it is?"
"…I've heard 'rumors'."
Ms. Go Young-eun glanced at the prize with slightly fearful eyes.
"…Most of the people who can't leave the casino are there because of the slot machine prizes."
"…!"
Wait a minute.
"Could it be that they were chasing us too…?"
Because of the prize?
"Now that I think about it, it might be so. If it wasn't for the coins."
"...."
"Chief Sanyang, do you happen to know the item's performance?"
"…From what I've heard."
Ms. Go Young-eun swallowed and said.
"If you listen to the sound coming from this voice recorder, your mind becomes peaceful, your energy surges, and your wounds heal."
It was an incredibly good function.
"Oh?"
"Then it seems better than our company's first-aid kit."
But it ended chillingly.
"At first, yes."
...!
No way.
"It's said to be highly addictive."
"…Ha."
And so, I understood why the updated
'It wasn't just gambling addiction.'
They were captivated by 'something' coming from this disposable voice recorder.
Enough to go to a gambling hall and spin slot machines even if their limbs and eyes were gone.
"...."
Baek Saheon began to turn the prize over with a very uncomfortable expression.
"…How long can you endure it?"
"Three times. After listening any more than that, it's irreversible,"
Ms. Go Young-eun continued with a tense expression.
"But I don't know about beyond that. I only heard 'rumors' too."
"…I see."
I watched as Baek Saheon finally flipped the item over and set it down.
Then I saw.
…A picture was embossed on the back of the voice recorder.
'What is it?'
As I focused for a moment, its outline became visible. Curves, swirling shapes. It was…
A conch shell.
"…!"
"Mr. Roe Deer?"
I reflexively raised my head.
Baek Saheon, whose eyes met mine, seemed to have confirmed the same thing, his pupils shaking.
And he knew it too.
'…Mermaid Tomb.'
An item shaped like a conch shell that I saw there.
Angel's Sigh
"...."
Why is it here?
However, the keyword 'voice recorder' had a certain resonance with melody, giving me a chilling premonition.
And I knew a way to verify this…
'Brown.'
[I know what favor you're going to ask, Mr. Roe Deer.]
[Well then, may I read the text written on the box?]
'Yes, I'd be grateful.'
[Oh, of course!]
Then, the sound of the gentleman clearing his throat was heard, and a low voice with pleasant pronunciation echoed.
['Angel's Sigh'.]
…!!
[…Tape recording. 'Listen to the auspicious melodies of heaven at a reasonable price'.]
[That's what it says. Oh, it's obvious marketing.]
A recording?
Then, it was possible to infer that what was heard from the 'conch shell' in the Mermaid Tomb was the original sound, and this was a recording.
But…
'The conch shell didn't have such side effects.'
Addictiveness, you say.
[Isn't it the limitation of an inferior version?]
[When the ingredients are different, it's only natural that you won't get a proper dish by imitating the recipe, Mr. Roe Deer!]
…Is that so?
It was a plausible deduction, but something felt more… unsettling than that.
Do you remember? Even in the Mermaid Tomb ghost story, the conch shell was used as a negative trigger.
'Biological Disaster.'
The biological disaster that ruined that underwater city and turned it into the 'Sparkling Dragon Palace' had disguised itself as a conch shell and entered the city.
My mind became complicated, thinking of the tattoo artist at Moonlight Tattoo Shop.
What is the connection?
Why is an item with the same name as the Mermaid Tomb found in this Segwang Special City Subway casino?
'…I want to investigate further.'
In any case, the function of that voice recorder was intuitively understood, so that was also an achievement.
'Let's remember it for now.'
And while I was lost in these thoughts, I heard Agent Choi interrogating Baek Saheon next to me.
"Citizen, I'm curious how you won at the slot machine?"
"I was lucky."
"Really? You were observing it too diligently for that…"
Agent Choi's gaze turned to Baek Saheon's purple eyes. The ones I bought him from Death Road.
When checking vision through that equipment, dangerous beings appear with halos of hot colors.
But Baek Saheon was blunt.
"Do you think it's a universal tool? You can't figure out how to win with this. It's just…"
"Just?"
"The slot machine also allowed me to gauge its danger level."
"...?"
"I just avoided the ones that felt bad and spun them."
Unlike the agents who looked somewhat puzzled, I immediately understood the meaning and felt a chill run down my spine.
'The slot machine was also judged as a 'being'.'
As a creature from a ghost story.
So the identity of the slot machine is… Ha.
'No, I won't think about it anymore.'
In any case, I had no intention of expecting a coin windfall from the slot machine room.
'Doing it in the Dealer Room is the correct answer.'
The previous case already proves it.
Deputy Lee Seong-hae.
·She said that one day she exchanged a certain part for coins, and based on that, she earned hundreds of coins in the Dealer Room in a single day.
I carefully retraced her actions.
'She stayed still for a few days, then suddenly exchanged coins.'
It means she wasn't just idly passing time, but was 'observing' something.
This casino's VIP rooms are closed, but the Dealer Room door is open.
'Then I can continuously observe the inside of the Dealer Room.'
And the fact that she ran to the Dealer Room after her observation was complete and earned hundreds of coins in a day…
'There must be a secret in the Dealer Room.'
The place we are in now.
I looked at the old, broken tables, the colorful fairy lights blinking from the ceiling, and the overall scene of the abandoned, old casino, its age evident from its unrepaired state.
And the dealer's hands shuffling at the table.
"...."
Ah.
"So, does anyone have any ideas on what to do with this military fund?"
....
I raised my hand.
"Oh?"
"There's something we can try."
It seems she noticed.
The method Deputy Lee Seong-hae tried.
·
And 73 minutes later.
"Current coins held… 924."
"…!!"
Our military fund more than tripled.