Satan’s Game

Ali has already taken off his shirt, wringing it out as he walks. By now, it's almost dry. 

He sits down without hesitation, tosses a few large logs onto the fire, and hangs his shirt on a branch to dry.

Cillian frowns. 

"You didn't get the last clue, did you?"

Ali, full of suppressed anger, says, "How did you know that?"

Cillian doesn't bother explaining and tilts his chin toward Carlos. He's sure this guy will figure it out.

Carlos looks at Ali's face briefly before saying, "Because you're angry, and you've come to us voluntarily, which means you didn't get the clue. The person who got it should be a slim man in his forties."

The man left the water looking pleased and smug—an easy guess.

"That clue should've been mine. I didn't expect madman to stab me. He wasn't even afraid of getting disqualified."Ali sneers. 

Thinking about the man still makes Ali furious, but this game is all about competition, and it's fair to say he lost as he is not as skilled as that shit.

Even so, his resentment for that man hasn't faded one bit.

"If I see him again after peace mode ends, the first thing I'll do is snap his neck."

Cillian says calmly, "Then I guess I'll be the second one on your list."

"You're not going to share the clue with me?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"I'm not asking for it for free. I can trade something for it."

"I'm not sure your things interest me."Cillian doesn't budge.

Ali says, "I can provide food—no less than five pounds of meat every day. Fish, crocodile, pheasant, hare, or even wild boar."

"I can hunt for myself."

"What do you want?"Ali frowns, realizing something. 

The fastest way to strike a deal isn't to show what you can offer but to ask what the other person needs.

Cillian finally looks at him directly. 

"I want to know what you chose to bring into the game. Then, I'll pick one of them."

"That's a steep price." He shifts his gaze to Carlos. "You agree with me, right, Carlos?"

[Live Comments] Oh no, Ali is tossing this to Carlos. That poor, clueless guy is going to speak up for him.

[Live Comments] If Carlos dares to support Ali, I'm done! Turning into a hater immediately!

Cillian has already made up her mind. 

No matter what Carlos says, her decision won't change.

Carlos doesn't make them wait long. He answers immediately, "No."

"Why not? Trading one item isn't unreasonable. We only brought three things each."Ali looks surprised. 

"But Cillian risked her life to get this clue."

Even though Carlos didn't intentionally stare when Cillian removed his clothes earlier, he couldn't help noticing the small cuts on his stomach, arms, and neck. Also, Cillian barely ignored Ali's arrival earlier adds to his reasoning. 

Judging by their timing, it's likely the two had a fight over the clue.

A clue obtained at the risk of one's life being traded for supplies isn't unreasonable at all.

Ali, however, feels that Carlos is being ridiculously biased and siding with Cillian. He bitterly regrets expecting Carlos to stand up and call out Cillian's greed.

Cillian, on the other hand, looks surprised. She's underestimated Carlos again. 

"At least you can be grateful that you have the chance to trade for the clue. I could've demanded something you couldn't possibly give. If you don't want to trade, go ask someone else. Clues aren't something you can just take by force. And for the record, I might not even want what you've chosen."

Ali's face darkens further. After considering, he says, "The three things I brought are oxygen pills, binoculars, and medicine. The oxygen pills are already used, so it's just the binoculars and the medicine."

"All useless junk."

"Doesn't the medicine work?"

"No, I can identify herbs myself." 

This is a lie because Cillian also chooses medicine, but there's no need to reveal that choice.

Hearing her blunt rejection, Ali feels both frustrated and angry. 

To him, these three items are carefully chosen survival tools, and her outright dismissal feels like an insult to his judgment.

"If you don't give me the clue, you can forget about leaving. I can't kill you, but keeping you both here isn't hard at all."

"Why don't you pick on someone else?"Carlos looks at him.

"Well. Since you two are easy targets."Ali chuckles lightly. 

"…"

Saying something so shameless so confidently is a skill in itself.

Cillian smirks, his expression cold. 

"While you waste time with us, the other two are already looking for the follow-up clues. The system says there are three round of clues in total, and you need the first one to find the second. If you want to waste time here, suit yourself!"

Ali stares at his calm face and realizes he's angry.

Provoking an angry man and continuing to push him isn't wise. It's only asking for trouble.

Ali forces himself to stay calm and concedes, "My bad. I came across too strong."

"Negotiating isn't impossible. Initially, I only wanted one of your items, but now I've changed my mind."

"What do you want?"

"Why don't you start by telling me what you actually brought?" Cillian glances at him. 

"The three items you mentioned earlier—at least one of them is a lie because you're convinced I wouldn't want them. Anyone would think those items are trash. A binoculars? You must be fu*cking kidding me. In a dense rainforest, what can you even see with such a narrow field of vision? Medicine? You claim you're strong enough to drink raw water without needing fire, and yet you'd choose medicine? Medicine, in your eyes, is probably just a health supplement."

[Live Comments] Whoa, his logic is airtight. I knew Ali was lying, but I didn't expect Cillian to figure it out.

[Live Comments] I always thought warriors were just about brute strength.

[Live Comments] Are you kidding???Warriors represent both strength and wisdom.

Exposed so directly, Ali knows he can't keep his other items hidden.

But compared to the clue, they don't seem as important.

In a low voice, he admits, "I chose a flashlight… and… a drone."

Hearing this, Cillian's eyes light up.

Carlos adds, "A flashlight is great for traveling at night, and a drone is an upgraded version of a telescope. It can fly high to survey obstacles along the path. Both are excellent choices." 

He pauses before continuing, "Last night, you probably used the drone to find the firelight, didn't you? You traveled quickly but only arrived after Cillian had already lit the fire. That means you started far away and couldn't have seen the firelight through the trees. But thanks to the drone, you found us. Traveling at night isn't easy, but with a flashlight, it becomes manageable."

Cillian says cheerfully, "We'll take those two items."

"Not leaving even one???"Ali's face stiffens. 

Cillian doesn't bother sparing him a glance. "I also want five pounds of meat, preferably crocodile."

"You don't—"

"Add a fish, too."

Ali shuts his mouth.

Every sentence adds another demand.

Son of bit*ch!

Ali sullenly opens his system backpack and takes out the flashlight and drone but doesn't hand them over immediately. 

"What's the clue?"

"And my five pounds of crocodile meat?"

"You tell me the clue, and I'll go catch it."

Carlos looks at him and says, "Statistically, that's a lie."

Cillian doesn't want to push him too hard—cornered dogs bite, after all. 

He takes the still-sealed clue from his backpack. 

"I haven't opened the clue yet, so there's no way I can fake it."

Ali inspects it closely, confirming the system's fingerprint lock is intact, and says grudgingly, "Fine."

Cillian wiggles his fingers, and Ali hands over the items. He lazily tosses them into his backpack, then activates the system, which immediately displays the electronic screen.

[System Prompt] Please input fingerprint to unlock and confirm the number of viewers.

Cillian selects "3," presses her index finger, and the clue box appears before the three of them.

[Side Quest 2] The endless black soil devours all light.

[Progress Update] Current Chests Found: 0/3. Clues Available: 0/3

The three look ahead but see no markers or signs.

Compared to the first clue, this one is far more abstract, offering no guidance from the system—it's all down to guessing.

No, Ali thinks it's more like a blind cat trying to catch a dead mouse.

How could anyone figure this out?

Ali glances at Carlos, whose brow is already furrowed. 

"Hey, dumbass, got any ideas? Let's team up."

Compared to the cunning warrior, he'd much rather work with Carlos—at least he isn't a schemer.

"No idea."

"F*ck you, @#$%."

Carlos: "…" That flip in attitude was way too fast.

Ali curses under his breath and starts walking away.

Cillian feigns curiosity. 

"Hey, where's my five pounds of baby crocodile meat?"

Ali snaps back with a growl, "In your f*cking dreams."

Cillian waits for Ali to disappear into the trees before smirking faintly. He then asks, "Carlos, why don't you choose to team up with him? His physical strength is much better than mine."

Carlos glances in Ali's direction. 

"He's dangerous and swears a lot. His character seems questionable."

"Fair enough."Cillian laughs softly. 

"Get the drone out—it can be useful now."

"For what?"

Carlos explains, "To scout the terrain."

***

Ali storms into the forest, simmering with frustration. He doesn't even know where to start looking for the next clue.

Suddenly, he hears footsteps crunching on dry leaves and fallen branches.

Ali tenses up, alert, until a woman emerges from the forest.

She looks to be in her thirties, with a sharp, hawk-like gaze. She's tall, slim, and carries an air of cold precision.

She reminds Ali of those runway models—not stunningly beautiful but striking in a cool, detached way.

Ali immediately recognizes her as the woman who had stood on the opposite riverbank that morning.

The woman stops about ten meters away from him. "I'm Sue."

Another one introducing herself.

Ali, still in a bad mood, snaps, "F*ck off."

Sue smirks—a cold, detached expression. Even her smile feels icy. "Don't you realize that guy set you up?"

Ali pauses for a moment.

Sue continues, "He tricked you."

Like a dragonfly touching water, her words skim across Ali's mind but leave a sharp impact.

From the very beginning, Warrior had planned to trade the clue for items. 

Accumulating the most useful resources early in the game gives any player a huge advantage.

But maximizing those gains requires negotiation skills.

Clearly, his initial refusals were just a way to feign reluctance and increase the leverage.

Step by step, he raised the stakes until Ali had no choice but to agree.

Even if Ali had firmly insisted on handing over only one item at the start, he would have accepted.

But it's too late to regret now—the items are in his backpack. Unless he willingly takes them out, they're gone.

The more Ali thinks about it, the angrier he becomes. 

He fell for it—completely!

Meanwhile, Sue inches closer, her voice low and enticing. 

"Why don't we team up? Share the clue with me."

"Why the hell would I share it with you?"

Sue's smile deepens, her tone deliberate. 

"Because I have—a gun."

Ali's expression changes instantly.