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Chapter 6: Selection (1)
"What the hell, who the hell are these people?"
"The mission's over! Move aside!"
The people piled up on the screen began to shout one by one.
The three of us had come down as soon as the notification announcing the mission's end appeared, but the screen was still crowded with people clinging to it.
— Rustle!
"Ha, I thought I was gonna suffocate and die!"
"Who the hell are you? My back almost broke! Do you have a death wish?!"
Three people had followed us up.
Two building cleaners and a security guard.
"Ah, no, we just followed them! Right, Mr. Kim?"
"Yeah! Those young folks went first... Wait, where'd they go?"
Just as the curly-haired cleaner pointed in our direction—
I quickly pulled Jieun and Jaehyuk into the crowd to hide.
There was no benefit in drawing unnecessary attention.
More importantly...
"We need to observe these people."
I whispered quietly, ensuring only the two could hear me.
Though the mission had ended, the people near the safe zone still stood on edge, wary of each other.
I still didn’t know what this "Project" was about, but we'd need to either cooperate or compete with the people here.
"Let’s find someone we can team up with."
"Got it!"
"Understood."
‘And figure out who might become our future competitors.’
I didn’t feel the need to say everything out loud.
It was easier on the two, kind-hearted as they were, to think of potential allies rather than opponents.
"By the way, what do you think this 'Project' is about?"
Jieun asked, shaking her neatly cut bob.
"'Selection,' it said. Probably to weed out who will survive from this group."
Selection.
The act of picking out a select few from the many—those who excel or meet certain criteria.
The system planned to keep only those who fit its preferences.
‘I need to figure out what kind of people they want.’
Just then—
A system message sounded,
— Rumble!
The ground shook,
And a twin-tailed girl dropped from the sky.
[Hmm?]
The girl couldn’t have been older than ten.
She wore a white dress trimmed with lace, small red shoes, and had the appearance of a perfectly ordinary little girl.
...Except for the fact that she was floating in midair.
"Is she flying?!"
"Who—who are you?!"
A few people shouted at her in shock.
The girl crossed her arms and lazily scanned the crowd before spitting out a word that seemed to be her name.
[Ha Rona.]
She was the "Administrator."
No introductions or explanations were needed; it was obvious.
[Hmm—]
Her gaze wandered until it landed on the screen we had knocked over.
Since we had used the screen to extend the safe zone and climbed on top of it, more people had survived than initially intended.
[You used your head well. Who did it?]
The girl tilted her chin and smiled slyly as she asked.
Jaehyuk glanced between me and the girl but shook his head.
It was best to tread carefully in such an uncertain situation.
"Ah, that—actually, I..."
One of the cleaners who had followed us spoke up, perhaps hoping for some kind of reward.
"?!"
"Why did you step forward?!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Her companions hurriedly tried to pull her back, but it was too late.
All eyes were on her now.
And so was the girl’s, her expression hardening noticeably.
Realizing she’d made a mistake, the cleaner clamped her mouth shut, but the girl was already floating above her.
[Was it you?]
"N-no, I mean, actually, it wasn’t..."
The woman waved her hands frantically, stumbling over her words as the girl stared down at her with a dissatisfied expression.
The woman’s eyes flashed in anger at his answer.
He floundered, trying to appease her.
It seemed they were a couple.
“They’re coworkers from my team, recruitment team and training team.”
“A workplace romance, then?”
“Yes. They tried to keep it secret, but everyone who mattered already knew.”
I half-listened to Jieun as I pondered.
I need to know what kind of mission this is to prepare properly.
Agility might be the best option if it was another speed-focused task involving a bit of physical exertion.
But the mention of the Arena being opened weighed on my mind.
Maybe I should go with something versatile just in case. It could start without warning.
“Mission rewards.”
[Orientation complete: reward level upgraded.]
[You have received 1 mission point and a Random Box for Newcomers.]
“1 point? A random box?”
The reward system had changed, and now a strange red box had appeared in front of me.
— Pop!
Am I supposed to open this?
The red box, about the size of my forearm, was tied with a gold ribbon and floated at arm’s length, tilting slightly side to side.
As I reached out, the box bobbed eagerly, as if asking to be opened.
“What’s that?”
“A gift box?”
The sudden pop! of the box quieted the exhibition hall.
Even the quarreling couple and the bewildered crowd perked up, their interest palpable.
...Wait.
Thinking it might be a trap, I hesitated, pulling my hand back.
“It’s a mission reward. A random box—maybe it’s meant to give us something useful...”
Feigning curiosity, I spoke aloud.
Before I could finish my sentence, others began clamoring for their own mission rewards.
“Me, me! I want a random box too!”
“Mission reward!”
All around, red boxes materialized, and people gulped audibly as they hastily untied their ribbons.
As the first reward was revealed, anticipation and tension filled the air.
“What the—! Minjung!”
“What’s wrong?”
“This, this, this...!”
The YouTuber called out desperately to his girlfriend, his eyes wide and his jaw practically on the floor.
“This is... how much is all this?! Insane...”
The woman’s eyes sparkled as she picked up a bundle of yellow cash.
One. Two. Three. Four...
Stacks of crisp, yellow bills piled up in her hands until they overflowed.
Enough to completely fill the arm-length box.
“Oppa! How much is one bundle?”
“Ninety-nine... a hundred! A hundred bills! Five million won!”
“Insane... There must be a hundred bundles! That’s... five hundred million won?!”
Five hundred million.
Enough to buy an apartment in the provinces, if not in Seoul.
...Back when the world was normal.
Given the situation outside—whatever it might be—there was no guarantee society’s foundation still stood.
The value of money might not be what it once was.
In fact, there was no certainty that the currency of the old world was even usable.
In the worst case, a box full of bread might be more valuable than five hundred million won.
At least it’d make good kindling.
Next, the box Minjung opened contained luxury bags.
I turned away from the two without a second thought.
Priority 1: armor. Priority 2: weapons.
Armor seemed more efficient than unfamiliar weapons for now.
Especially since the “company” the administrator belonged to seemed to have individuals who could tear people apart with a flick of their finger.
Please, let it be something useful!
I was already three rewards behind due to my injured leg.
I needed something that could make up for the gap.
— Shrrrrk.
I grasped the shimmering gold ribbon with that desperate hope and gave it a tug.
The wrapping unfurled with a soft noise.
A bright light filled my vision.
[You have received a Random Box for Newcomers.]
[Congratulations!]
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