Kai slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying in a hospital room.
If it weren't for the several armed Guards in pink standing nearby, he might've actually believed he'd left the Game for good.
Noticing that Kai had woken up, one of the Triangle-masked Guards quickly spoke into his walkie-talkie.
Moments later, the Black Masked Captain stepped into the room.
As soon as he entered, he said in a teasing tone, "Your physique is weaker than I expected. You woke up fourteen hours later than the doctor estimated."
Kai sighed. "I told you I'm not good at fighting. So… how long was I out?"
The Captain checked his watch. "One day, six hours, and seventeen minutes."
Kai frowned. "What about them?"
The Captain paused. "Who?"
"Don't play dumb—you know who I'm asking about."
The Captain crossed his arms. "Number 67 is severely injured and still in the ICU, but she should survive. As for Number 240, she's in the room next to yours."
Kai nodded. "And what about the prize money?"
The Captain raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're actually asking about the bonus first? I thought you'd have more… existential questions."
Kai smirked. "I'd love to ask who you people are, why you run these sick games—but let's be real. You wouldn't answer, would you? So, might as well ask something useful. Has the money arrived?"
The Captain reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black-and-gold bank card.
"Inside is your 15.2 billion won bonus."
Kai took the card, flipping it between his fingers. "Can I have my phone back now?"
The Captain chuckled. "Normally, I wouldn't return personal belongings yet, but you're different. I trust you won't do anything stupid—like call the police."
He handed Kai the phone.
Without hesitation, Kai opened his banking app and paid off all the loans and debts the original owner had owed to the banks and loan sharks.
The Captain tilted his head. "I don't recall telling you the card's password. How did you…?"
Kai smiled. "It's a four-digit code. I figured you'd just add a zero before my player number. I was right, wasn't I?"
The Captain gave a short laugh. "Clever man."
Kai leaned back, stretching slightly. "Well, that's that. Debt-free at last. Time to figure out how to burn through the rest of my 15 billion."
The Captain's tone turned serious. "Number 250, do you remember what you promised me?"
Kai sighed. "I remember. I'll meet those VIPs—but not until my injuries heal. You know what my body's like. If I show up half-dead and something happens, you'll be the one taking the blame."
The Captain nodded. "Fair enough. With our medical resources, your body should heal in a week."
Kai glanced at the X-ray on the wall and pointed at it. "That's my X-ray, right? You can clearly see a fractured rib. Are you seriously telling me it'll heal in a week?"
The Captain's silence said it all.
Kai continued, "I'm no doctor, but I know the basics. A broken rib takes four to six weeks to heal. One week? What am I, Wolverine? Deadpool?"
The Captain sighed. "Then there's no way I can make the VIPs wait for a whole month. How about we negotiate again? You know, I might wear the rank, but I'm still just an employee."
Kai took a sip from a green canned drink on the bedside table. "How long can they stay, at most?"
"Ten days," the Captain said. "No more."
Kai nodded. "Alright, I'll take that loss—ten days it is. But I have one more condition."
The Captain frowned. "What condition?"
"During these ten days, you can't restrict my movements."
"That's fine," the Captain replied, "as long as you don't leave the island."
Kai chuckled. "Leave the island? I'd love to, but I don't even know where this place is. Unless you expect me to swim back to the mainland?"
"You've got a point."
"And one more thing—I don't want to be monitored wherever I go."
"That's also fine," said the Captain. "In your current state, you're not exactly a threat. Even if you try something, we have hundreds of armed men here."
Kai smirked. "Lastly, I want to see the other two players. Anytime I want. No restrictions."
The Captain was silent for a moment.
"Number 240 is fine," he said eventually. "But Number 67… she's in intensive care. If you go now, you'll disturb her rest. If something happens because of that—"
"That's fine," Kai interrupted. "I won't go in. The ICU has glass windows, right? I'll just look at her from outside. I need to confirm she's still alive."
The Captain finally nodded. "You can."
"Good. Then those are all my terms."
The Captain gave a small nod. "I've agreed to them all. In return, I hope you'll consider my suggestion. I sincerely invite you to join our organization. We need someone like you."
Kai's voice was firm. "I already told you—no."
The Captain didn't push. "Alright. As we say, 'A forced melon isn't sweet.' But I believe that once you've spoken to our country's organizers and the VIPs, you'll change your mind."
Kai gave a tired wave. "If you're done, leave. I'm a patient, remember? I need rest. Otherwise, I can't guarantee I'll be well enough to meet your precious VIPs in ten days."
The Captain chuckled. "After organizing so many Games, this is the first time I've been outplayed by a player. Rest up—I won't disturb you further."
Before leaving, he turned to the Guards. "You all, come with me. I promised him his freedom."
Once they were gone, Kai immediately examined every corner of the hospital room.
Given how every part of the Game was rigged with surveillance, it wouldn't surprise him if they were watching even now.
But after a thorough check, he froze.
There wasn't a single camera.
Kai tilted his head. "Huh. Maybe I'm just paranoid. That makes all that acting I did earlier look kind of dumb."
Still, after confirming the room was clear, he quietly slipped the pull tab from the canned drink into his pocket.
Meanwhile, outside, the Black Masked Captain stood before the ICU window, staring at Kang Sae-byeok—Player 067—who lay motionless, a ventilator hissing softly beside her.
"How's her condition?" he asked.
A doctor in a Square mask replied, "Not optimistic. She'll likely survive, but her brain activity is severely impaired. There's a high chance she may never wake up again."
The Captain's tone was cold. "Once that's confirmed?"
"As long as the brainwave monitor registers brain death," the doctor said, "we can confirm it."
The Captain nodded. "Do everything you can to wake her. But if she slips into a vegetative state—take her to the crematorium. Burn the body."
"Yes, sir."