Kang Sae-byeok gripped Cho Sang-woo's hand tightly and jumped forward. Luckily, the glass beneath them held firm—it was reinforced.
The VIPs watching from the luxurious viewing room were impressed.
Lion Head: "Number 250's ideas are always so damn unpredictable."
Eagle Head: "His thinking breaks out of every conventional mold. Headquarters could use someone like him."
Deer Head, still unwilling to admit defeat, turned to the Front Man's Execution Team Leader. "Is Number 250 really refusing to join us?"
Execution Team Leader: "I agree it's a pity, but his stance is firm."
Bear Head: "What a shame. If he designed the next set of games, it'd be a masterpiece."
Ox Head: "Number Two, I'm starting to regret agreeing to your bet."
Deer Head: "We can't go back on our word now!"
Ox Head: "I didn't say I would—I just regret it, that's all."
Now, only one pair of glass panels remained ahead of Kang Sae-byeok. She once again grabbed Cho Sang-woo's hand and leapt—but this time, the panel under her feet shattered instantly.
Following Kai's earlier instructions, Kang Sae-byeok held onto Cho Sang-woo with one hand and stretched out the other to grab the metal frame, desperately trying to pull herself back up.
At that moment, Cho Sang-woo hesitated.
There was only one reinforced panel left ahead. If he simply let go, Kang Sae-byeok would fall, and he'd advance easily.
As for Kai's earlier warning—that the girl behind him, Player 240, would push him off if he betrayed her—he didn't believe it.
She was barely over one and a half meters tall, frail-looking, and clearly exhausted. How could she push him down?
Kai, watching intently from behind, read the struggle on Cho Sang-woo's face. He'd already prepared for either outcome.
If Cho Sang-woo let Kang Sae-byeok fall, Kai wouldn't actually have Ji-yeong push him—she'd only get herself killed trying.
But once Kang Sae-byeok died, Seong Gi-hun would surely turn against Cho Sang-woo, leaving Kai with a three-versus-one advantage in the final game.
If Cho Sang-woo saved Kang Sae-byeok, she'd owe him her life—and Seong Gi-hun, that bleeding-heart saint, would hesitate to help Sang-woo in the next round. Either way, Kai and Ji-yeong would make it to the end.
Still, deep down, Kai hoped Cho Sang-woo would let her fall. He wasn't confident he could take Sang-woo head-on if the next game was a fight.
Kai shouted, "One minute left! Pull her up already, or we're all dead!"
Cho Sang-woo's mind raced. Wait—that's right. There's still the sixth game.
As Seong Gi-hun's childhood friend, he knew Gi-hun too well.
If he killed Kang Sae-byeok here, Gi-hun would never forgive him. And Kai—damn that scheming bastard—was clearly trying to use him as a knife.
With a frustrated grunt, Cho Sang-woo pulled Kang Sae-byeok up. She scrambled onto the last reinforced panel, then leapt safely to the other side.
One by one, the others followed.
Just as Seong Gi-hun was about to jump to safety, Kai suddenly shoved him mid-air, sending him plummeting into the darkness below.
Everyone froze.
The Guard in the red triangle mask hesitated. "This—"
Kai shrugged. "The rules never said you can't push someone once you reach the finish line, did they?"
Seong Gi-hun hit the ground hard, blood pooling beneath his head. Barely clinging to life, he was carried away by the Guards.
Kai had thought it through. Since Cho Sang-woo had spared Kang Sae-byeok, Seong Gi-hun would still side with him.
Even if Kai allied with the two women, he wouldn't stand a chance against the two men. Eliminating Gi-hun now was the only way to control the final game.
Cho Sang-woo could only mutter, "That Number 250… he's unbelievable."
In the VIP room, chaos broke out.
Eagle Head: "Didn't see that coming! So you can push someone even at the finish line."
Bear Head: "I thought he was just smart. Forgot how ruthless he could be."
Deer Head: "Genius move. He reduced competitors and forced the two remaining women to rely on him. If they don't team up, they're doomed against Number 218. Brilliant."
The countdown hit zero. All the remaining glass panels exploded, shards spraying like bullets.
Kai reacted instantly. Seeing a huge piece flying toward Kang Sae-byeok, he tackled her to the ground. "Get down!"
He kicked Ji-yeong down next to him just in time.
When the glass storm subsided, only Cho Sang-woo's left eye was scratched. The others were unharmed.
The four survivors returned to the dormitory. Only four beds remained.
While the others sat in heavy silence, Kai noticed something—murals on the walls.
They depicted the previous five games in perfect detail.
He froze, realization hitting him like a truck.
They could have known all the games—except the last—from the very beginning. The beds had just been covering the clues.
Kai's expression twisted. "This is absolutely f*cking ridiculous."
Kang Sae-byeok turned to him, angry. "Why did you push Player 456 down? We could've passed together!"
Kai scoffed. "He and Number 218 are friends. If the final game's a fight, do you really think we'd win against them together?"
Kang Sae-byeok glared. "But you still shouldn't—"
"Enough," Kai cut her off sharply. "I just saved your life—twice. Without me, you'd have fallen or been skewered by glass. And now you're questioning me? Don't act self-righteous."
She fired back, "You saved me just so I'd help you against Number 218! If I died, you and that little girl wouldn't stand a chance!"
Kai sneered. "We have a saying in: judge by actions, not intentions. Whatever my reason, I still saved you twice, didn't I? And let's be honest—what other choice do you have? You want to trust him instead?"
He nodded toward Cho Sang-woo.
"Help him or stay neutral—either way, he'll get you killed. But if you side with me, I'll make sure the three of us split the 45.6 billion equally. I may not be a good guy, but I'm better than him."
Kang Sae-byeok fell silent.
Ji-yeong suddenly rolled off her bed and collapsed to the floor.
Kai rushed over and checked her pulse. "Menstrual cramps aren't an illness, but they can sure kill you from the pain."
She was weak—too weak. For the next round, she'd be useless.
Just then, the automatic door hissed open. The Square-masked Supervisor entered, flanked by four Circle-masked Guards carrying sleek black gift boxes.