Choi Yu Seong, who clenched his fist strongly, shouted toward the endless ceiling.
This is because the voice came from above.
“What did you do to them, you bastards?!”
It was a sharp cry, but the opponent beyond the speaker continued to speak calmly.
[At least they’re still alive. And it’s about time for them to wake up.]
Choi Yu Seong bit his lower lip and took a deep breath.
It felt like his reason was about to be paralyzed and his mind would be blown away in anger, but that shouldn’t happen.
‘Calm down. Choi Yu Seong. You need to think of a solution to the situation now.’
You cannot find the answer while being swayed by emotions.
[But you are more rational than I thought. I thought you’d run to break the wall at any moment.]
“I don’t even expect that will be at the level where I can swing my fist to break it. Maybe there’s a mana barrier. It’s not a good time to use power stupidly.”
[Exactly right. The mana barrier on the glass wall is at the level that even an S-Rank Hunter cannot break. So, it would better not to think uselessly.]
“Now answer my question. Who are you and where is this? Why did you kidnap us? Is this also Father’s test?”
Choi Yu Seong asked several questions, but he had already found answers to some of them.
First, the identity of the culprit who kidnapped Choi Yu Seong and his companions.
‘Choi Ji Ho or Baek Cheol. Or even both.’
Other than that, third-party intervention is almost impossible.
Choi Yu Seong stayed at Choi Ji Ho’s mansion.
No matter how many teeth are missing, a tiger is a tiger.
Even Baek Cheol, an S-Rank Hunter, was in the mansion.
The probability of a third party intervening in this situation and kidnapping three people was extremely low.
This also made it easy to find the answer to the third question.
‘If Choi Ji Ho and Baek Cheol are related, it must be Father’s test.’
But the situation is very different from before.
‘I don’t feel good.’
A voice came in response to him.
[This is The Room of Sacrifice]
“Did I ask just one question?”
[Also, a test is correct. However, many things are different from before. What have you come to get from the place you came to?]
“Don’t know! No one even told me in the first place.”
Choi Yu Seong, who was somewhat deliberately angry, nibbled his lower lip.
This is to induce the opponent’s carelessness by showing his nervous and anxious appearance.
‘Maybe they would be relaxed and leave some clues without realizing it.’
And in fact, Choi Yu Seong’s heart was feeling quite anxious and threatened.
If this is the test of Choi Wu Jae or someone else from the family, it won’t be a big threat to Choi Yu Seong.
At least they don’t mean to kill or maim him.
However, it is different for Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun.
Choi Yu Seong cares about them a lot, but the Jin siblings were one of the most common soldiers from the perspective of the entire family.
“The name of The Room of Sacrifice and the situation… It feels nasty as expected.’
The fact that this happened on the last day of the decision to go back was also very annoying.
The voice was heard continuously toward the frowning Choi Yu Seong.
[The value of the treasure you will get is considerable. It is too precious to be obtained without any sacrifice or price.]
“Do we need to talk about the price? That’s what Father was supposed to give me as a present in the first place.”
[There’s no law that I have to follow Chairman’s words. The value of the thing is determined by me, the owner.]
“Therefore, who are you?”
[… You seem to have understood the situation roughly, so let’s begin the test. Choi Yu Seong. You can choose only one of the two people behind the glass walls in this room.]
They answered other questions quite sincerely but did not reveal who they was until the end.
This means that they are very reluctant to reveal their identity.
Even the other party is trying not to have unnecessary conversations with Choi Yu Seong.
He felt a willingness to prevent any possible situations in advance.
In any case, it was a teeth-grinding situation from Choi Yu Seong’s point of view.
[You have three chances to open the glass wall. It is a number that allows you to open both doors once to discuss and then make a choice.]
The voice continues toward Choi Yu Seong.
Around that time, Jin Do Yun slowly raised his head whether he had come to consciousness first.
However, he seemed busy figuring out his situation and location, as if Choi Yu Seong could not be seen through the glass wall.
[It is okay not to use all three chances. There is a key on the left wall inside the room. And the moment you pick it up, poison gas is sprayed in the other room you did not choose. It is so strong that even an elephant dies in 3 seconds after one breathe.]
As if responding to the voice, Jin Do Yun raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
‘Even if he can’t see me from the other side, he can hear it.’
Choi Yu Seong was in deep agony while standing in place.
[Choi Yu Seong. Through the sacrifice of one person who follows you, you get a very valuable treasure. So, it can be said that the gift from Chairman to you is delivered safely. That is all. Is there any rule you don’t understand?]
“I understand everything. In short, it’s like this.”
Choi Yu Seong looked at the ceiling in a rather crooked manner and shouted in a slightly agitated voice.
“Choose someone’s death with my own hands now! On the other side, they’ll die.”
[Exactly right. It can be said cold-hearted, but this level of determination is essential to protect the treasure and also to stand beside Chairman.]
“Is there no option to give up? Those two are more precious than gifts for me.”
[Chairman has already decided to give you a present. It’s one of those rules that can’t be reversed.]
“… Such a shit.”
The smirking Choi Yu Seong asked with both hands in his pockets.
“By the way, why do you hate to identify yourself?”
[Let’s start the game.]
“I guess years are really fleeting.”
Choi Yu Seong murmured as if talking to himself and first approached the room on the left where Jin Yu Ri was with slow steps.
“Since Ji Ho hyungnim thatI know wouldn’t enjoy this kind of cruel game. Right?”
Choi Yu Seong, biting his lips tightly, stared at the high ceiling sharply.
***
A bitter smile appeared on the lips of Choi Ji Ho, who leaned against the chair while pressing the mic’s power button.
He couldn’t see it, but he felt it.
Beyond the monitor, his younger brother is looking at himself with great resentment.
“Is this alright, sir?”
Baek Cheol, who was watching the situation from the back, asked in a worried voice.
“It is enough. Because it is something I have decided to take on and afford for.”
“Young Master Yu Seong… is very different from what I had heard.”
“Originally, he was a brilliant child when he was young. It seemed a bit crooked as he got older, but it was not strange when he found his place. Still, I didn’t know though. I never thought Yu Seong would be the first child to come here.”
Baek Cheol’s gaze passed by Choi Yu Seong then turned to Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun, who were captured in different rooms.
“The relationship between the three seemed quite strong.”
“That is why I prepared for this test.”
“Young Master Yu Seong will…”
“He will resent me a lot.”
“He will understand that it is an inevitable choice.”
“I think that is unknown. However… I can’t stop here even for the sake of Yu Seong.”
“…”
“The place called Hyesung Group. I also belong to it, but it is a really terrible place. The people who will sell their souls to the devil if they can take over Father’s position are not just the siblings, right? To survive in such a place, he has to throw away the clumsy mindset that he can choose everything.”
The evidence were two eyes that could not even be opened carelessly and his limbs that would not work no matter how hard he physically tried.
“Master…”
“It is fine if Yu Seong doesn’t understand me. Now that it’s come to this point, I hope that Yu Seong will survive to the end in this family.”
Choi Ji Ho’s face turned to the monitor again.
“Captain Baek. So, Yu Seong chose the woman side first.”
“She is clever, sir. All the sparring requested to find out her abilities in advance were also rejected. Therefore, she was quite difficult to suppress. I am thinking that maybe she can play some tricks.”
“Well. Perhaps that will make it easier for her to understand and give up on the contrary.”
In the monitor which the two were facing, Choi Yu Seong and Jin Yu Ri began to talk while looking at each other.
***
Entering through the thick glass wall that opened slowly, Choi Yu Seong first explained the situation to the surprised Jin Yu Ri.
“…and became like this. I’m sorry. I should have judged a little sooner. I told you to stay alert and we have been here too long.”
Looking at Choi Yu Seong who lowered his head, Jin Yu Ri shook her head.
“It’s not Yu Seong oppa‘s fault. We were in a situation where we had to wait and there wasn’t much of a threat here. We were was just worried and preparing just in case. Rather, I and oppa were suppressed without fighting back… It was pathetic. We’re disqualified as escorts.”
With a deep sigh, Jin Yu Ri raised only her head from the hanging wall and looked around.
“It’s impossible to break through the glass wall. The ceiling… is a level where the end looks blurry even with my own eyes. Perhaps, it’s going to be over 30m? Even if Do Yun oppa jumps, he can’t jump over it at once. It’s not just a stone wall. It’s also covered with steel, so it’s impossible to go over there. Digging this ground would be the fastest way? Did you bring a spoon, perhaps?”
“You can still joke in this situation.”
“What can I do. Crying doesn’t mean you’ll get a solution.”
Jin Yu Ri, who seemed to be grinning, pulled the chain that tied her arms greatly.
“It’s not an ordinary restraint, it’s a seal that blocks the ability itself. You said that the first brother is the culprit, but the whole family has a lot of money as expected. Hyesung Group. Huhu.”
“Of course it is. Besides, there’s no way they use ordinary restraints to bind an A-Rank Hunter.”
“Yu Seong oppa. No. Young Master.”
“Why are you like that suddenly?”
“Please choose Do Yun oppa.”
“…”
“I’ve been thinking about it. I think there must be a way to escape somehow if I’m alone.”
“That’s a lie. The moment I release Jin Do Yun, a poisonous gas that can kill an elephant instantly will come out. How can you do it?”
“I also have a knack at holding my breath, you know.”
“Don’t think ridiculously and just wait. There’s got to be a way to save both of you somehow.”
“Probably not. I think I know why the First Young Master made a room like this.”
Choi Yu Seong, who clenched his fist strongly, shouted toward the endless ceiling.
This is because the voice came from above.
“What did you do to them, you bastards?!”
It was a sharp cry, but the opponent beyond the speaker continued to speak calmly.
[At least they’re still alive. And it’s about time for them to wake up.]
Choi Yu Seong bit his lower lip and took a deep breath.
It felt like his reason was about to be paralyzed and his mind would be blown away in anger, but that shouldn’t happen.
‘Calm down. Choi Yu Seong. You need to think of a solution to the situation now.’
You cannot find the answer while being swayed by emotions.
[But you are more rational than I thought. I thought you’d run to break the wall at any moment.]
“I don’t even expect that will be at the level where I can swing my fist to break it. Maybe there’s a mana barrier. It’s not a good time to use power stupidly.”
[Exactly right. The mana barrier on the glass wall is at the level that even an S-Rank Hunter cannot break. So, it would better not to think uselessly.]
“Now answer my question. Who are you and where is this? Why did you kidnap us? Is this also Father’s test?”
Choi Yu Seong asked several questions, but he had already found answers to some of them.
First, the identity of the culprit who kidnapped Choi Yu Seong and his companions.
‘Choi Ji Ho or Baek Cheol. Or even both.’
Other than that, third-party intervention is almost impossible.
Choi Yu Seong stayed at Choi Ji Ho’s mansion.
No matter how many teeth are missing, a tiger is a tiger.
Even Baek Cheol, an S-Rank Hunter, was in the mansion.
The probability of a third party intervening in this situation and kidnapping three people was extremely low.
This also made it easy to find the answer to the third question.
‘If Choi Ji Ho and Baek Cheol are related, it must be Father’s test.’
But the situation is very different from before.
‘I don’t feel good.’
A voice came in response to him.
[This is The Room of Sacrifice]
“Did I ask just one question?”
[Also, a test is correct. However, many things are different from before. What have you come to get from the place you came to?]
“Don’t know! No one even told me in the first place.”
Choi Yu Seong, who was somewhat deliberately angry, nibbled his lower lip.
This is to induce the opponent’s carelessness by showing his nervous and anxious appearance.
‘Maybe they would be relaxed and leave some clues without realizing it.’
And in fact, Choi Yu Seong’s heart was feeling quite anxious and threatened.
If this is the test of Choi Wu Jae or someone else from the family, it won’t be a big threat to Choi Yu Seong.
At least they don’t mean to kill or maim him.
However, it is different for Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun.
Choi Yu Seong cares about them a lot, but the Jin siblings were one of the most common soldiers from the perspective of the entire family.
“The name of The Room of Sacrifice and the situation… It feels nasty as expected.’
The fact that this happened on the last day of the decision to go back was also very annoying.
The voice was heard continuously toward the frowning Choi Yu Seong.
[The value of the treasure you will get is considerable. It is too precious to be obtained without any sacrifice or price.]
“Do we need to talk about the price? That’s what Father was supposed to give me as a present in the first place.”
[There’s no law that I have to follow Chairman’s words. The value of the thing is determined by me, the owner.]
“Therefore, who are you?”
[… You seem to have understood the situation roughly, so let’s begin the test. Choi Yu Seong. You can choose only one of the two people behind the glass walls in this room.]
They answered other questions quite sincerely but did not reveal who they was until the end.
This means that they are very reluctant to reveal their identity.
Even the other party is trying not to have unnecessary conversations with Choi Yu Seong.
He felt a willingness to prevent any possible situations in advance.
In any case, it was a teeth-grinding situation from Choi Yu Seong’s point of view.
[You have three chances to open the glass wall. It is a number that allows you to open both doors once to discuss and then make a choice.]
The voice continues toward Choi Yu Seong.
Around that time, Jin Do Yun slowly raised his head whether he had come to consciousness first.
However, he seemed busy figuring out his situation and location, as if Choi Yu Seong could not be seen through the glass wall.
[It is okay not to use all three chances. There is a key on the left wall inside the room. And the moment you pick it up, poison gas is sprayed in the other room you did not choose. It is so strong that even an elephant dies in 3 seconds after one breathe.]
As if responding to the voice, Jin Do Yun raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
‘Even if he can’t see me from the other side, he can hear it.’
Choi Yu Seong was in deep agony while standing in place.
[Choi Yu Seong. Through the sacrifice of one person who follows you, you get a very valuable treasure. So, it can be said that the gift from Chairman to you is delivered safely. That is all. Is there any rule you don’t understand?]
“I understand everything. In short, it’s like this.”
Choi Yu Seong looked at the ceiling in a rather crooked manner and shouted in a slightly agitated voice.
“Choose someone’s death with my own hands now! On the other side, they’ll die.”
[Exactly right. It can be said cold-hearted, but this level of determination is essential to protect the treasure and also to stand beside Chairman.]
“Is there no option to give up? Those two are more precious than gifts for me.”
[Chairman has already decided to give you a present. It’s one of those rules that can’t be reversed.]
“… Such a shit.”
The smirking Choi Yu Seong asked with both hands in his pockets.
“By the way, why do you hate to identify yourself?”
[Let’s start the game.]
“I guess years are really fleeting.”
Choi Yu Seong murmured as if talking to himself and first approached the room on the left where Jin Yu Ri was with slow steps.
“Since Ji Ho hyungnim thatI know wouldn’t enjoy this kind of cruel game. Right?”
Choi Yu Seong, biting his lips tightly, stared at the high ceiling sharply.
***
A bitter smile appeared on the lips of Choi Ji Ho, who leaned against the chair while pressing the mic’s power button.
He couldn’t see it, but he felt it.
Beyond the monitor, his younger brother is looking at himself with great resentment.
“Is this alright, sir?”
Baek Cheol, who was watching the situation from the back, asked in a worried voice.
“It is enough. Because it is something I have decided to take on and afford for.”
“Young Master Yu Seong… is very different from what I had heard.”
“Originally, he was a brilliant child when he was young. It seemed a bit crooked as he got older, but it was not strange when he found his place. Still, I didn’t know though. I never thought Yu Seong would be the first child to come here.”
Baek Cheol’s gaze passed by Choi Yu Seong then turned to Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun, who were captured in different rooms.
“The relationship between the three seemed quite strong.”
“That is why I prepared for this test.”
“Young Master Yu Seong will…”
“He will resent me a lot.”
“He will understand that it is an inevitable choice.”
“I think that is unknown. However… I can’t stop here even for the sake of Yu Seong.”
“…”
“The place called Hyesung Group. I also belong to it, but it is a really terrible place. The people who will sell their souls to the devil if they can take over Father’s position are not just the siblings, right? To survive in such a place, he has to throw away the clumsy mindset that he can choose everything.”
The evidence were two eyes that could not even be opened carelessly and his limbs that would not work no matter how hard he physically tried.
“Master…”
“It is fine if Yu Seong doesn’t understand me. Now that it’s come to this point, I hope that Yu Seong will survive to the end in this family.”
Choi Ji Ho’s face turned to the monitor again.
“Captain Baek. So, Yu Seong chose the woman side first.”
“She is clever, sir. All the sparring requested to find out her abilities in advance were also rejected. Therefore, she was quite difficult to suppress. I am thinking that maybe she can play some tricks.”
“Well. Perhaps that will make it easier for her to understand and give up on the contrary.”
In the monitor which the two were facing, Choi Yu Seong and Jin Yu Ri began to talk while looking at each other.
***
Entering through the thick glass wall that opened slowly, Choi Yu Seong first explained the situation to the surprised Jin Yu Ri.
“…and became like this. I’m sorry. I should have judged a little sooner. I told you to stay alert and we have been here too long.”
Looking at Choi Yu Seong who lowered his head, Jin Yu Ri shook her head.
“It’s not Yu Seong oppa‘s fault. We were in a situation where we had to wait and there wasn’t much of a threat here. We were was just worried and preparing just in case. Rather, I and oppa were suppressed without fighting back… It was pathetic. We’re disqualified as escorts.”
With a deep sigh, Jin Yu Ri raised only her head from the hanging wall and looked around.
“It’s impossible to break through the glass wall. The ceiling… is a level where the end looks blurry even with my own eyes. Perhaps, it’s going to be over 30m? Even if Do Yun oppa jumps, he can’t jump over it at once. It’s not just a stone wall. It’s also covered with steel, so it’s impossible to go over there. Digging this ground would be the fastest way? Did you bring a spoon, perhaps?”
“You can still joke in this situation.”
“What can I do. Crying doesn’t mean you’ll get a solution.”
Jin Yu Ri, who seemed to be grinning, pulled the chain that tied her arms greatly.
“It’s not an ordinary restraint, it’s a seal that blocks the ability itself. You said that the first brother is the culprit, but the whole family has a lot of money as expected. Hyesung Group. Huhu.”
“Of course it is. Besides, there’s no way they use ordinary restraints to bind an A-Rank Hunter.”
“Yu Seong oppa. No. Young Master.”
“Why are you like that suddenly?”
“Please choose Do Yun oppa.”
“…”
“I’ve been thinking about it. I think there must be a way to escape somehow if I’m alone.”
“That’s a lie. The moment I release Jin Do Yun, a poisonous gas that can kill an elephant instantly will come out. How can you do it?”
“I also have a knack at holding my breath, you know.”
“Don’t think ridiculously and just wait. There’s got to be a way to save both of you somehow.”
“Probably not. I think I know why the First Young Master made a room like this.”
