Satan’s Game

Carlos watches as the fragile trust between Ali and Sue likely falls apart. He realizes this might be Cillian's chance to survive. 

Trying to stay calm, he says, "Ali, you know the kind of person I am. I promise to share the clue with you—just you."

Sue's cold voice cuts in. 

"Shut up. Ali, cut the rope and push him off. That's two fewer competitors. Efficient, isn't it?"

"Kill two, and then you'll find a way to take me out too. That makes three gone. Nice plan huh!"Ali suspects. 

The atmosphere grows heavy with tension—no trust, only suspicion and survival.

Carlos knows Ali starting to doubt Sue. But before Carlos can say more, Ali raises his hand—it's because Sue has pulled out a sniper rifle.

Carlos freezes, his throat tightening. "You can't shoot. If you use the gun, you'll be disqualified."

"So what? I'll take you both down with me. Who cares about disqualification?"

Carlos frowns, realizing the gun's true purpose. 

It's not just a weapon—it's a tool for control! 

A single-use gun might disqualify the user, but it's terrifyingly effective at making others obey.

No one wants to argue with a gun pointed at their head.

Carlos knows he wouldn't risk his life over pride either. Slowly, he raises his hands. "Okay, okay."

Sue scoffs. "Coward."

Carlos doesn't argue. Right now, she's in charge because she has the gun.

Sue moves closer, grabbing the drone, flashlight, and cooking pot near the cliff's edge. She tosses them into her pack. 

"Empty out your system inventory," she orders.

Carlos pulls out random items: firestarters, rocks, and a banana.

Sue glares at him. "What is all this junk?" Her eyes fall on his wrist. "What's that?"

Carlos removes it. "Just a lucky charm."

Sue's lips curl into a cruel smile. She kicks his wrist, sending the beaded bracelet flying off the cliff.

[Live Comments] NOOOO! Not the bracelet!

[Live Comments] I feel like I just lost something precious!

[Live Comments] RIP, lucky beads.

Carlos watches as it disappears into the abyss. He stays calm—losing the beads isn't worth fighting over. But it still stings.

"Move closer to the edge," Sue demands.

Carlos meets her gaze. "So you can push me off?"

She laughs coldly. "You catch on quick. Move."

"No."Carlos doesn't flinch.

Sue presses the rifle to his head. "Move!" she snaps.

The air grows thick with tension. Neither side moves, both waiting for the other to break.

Ali hesitates, his body tense, ready to run, but Sue's sharp voice cuts through. "To the edge. Now."

Ali glances nervously at the gun pointed his way. Reluctantly, he steps closer to the cliff, throwing a quick look at Carlos, who stands his ground. 

Sue turns her focus to Carlos, her gaze piercing. "He moved. Why not you?"

Carlos's pale face looks calm under the sunlight, but his steady eyes give nothing away. "No," he says firmly.

"Not afraid to die?"

"I am," Carlos replies evenly.

"Then move."

Carlos meets her gaze. "Your gun has one bullet. Out of everyone here, I'm the smallest threat. You won't waste it on me. But if I move closer to the edge, you can push me. I won't let that happen."

Sue's face hardens, then twists into a cold smile. "I hate being defied," she mutters.

Without warning, she grabs Carlos by his shirt and shoves him toward the cliff. 

He stumbles, his foot skimming dangerously close to the edge. Glaring at Ali, Carlos silently pleads for backup.

Ali hesitates for only a moment—then bolts into the trees, disappearing without a word.

Carlos stares in disbelief. Sue doesn't stop, shoving him again, harder this time. She has more strength than he expected. His heel slips, and for a moment, all he can feel is the abyss pulling him in.

[Live Comments] Lack of physical strength really is a huge disadvantage.

[Live Comments] Ali is such an idiot—why is he running away?

[Live Comments] If Carlos gets pushed off, Cillian will be the next to die.

[Live Comments] Goodbye, my strategist. Goodbye, my warrior.

Carlos is already at the edge.

His right foot almost slips, dangling dangerously over the abyss.

—— He is about to die.

It is infuriating.

He hasn't even passed the first stage.

The wind howls past, the cliff beneath him threatening to end everything. His mind spins. 

This can't be it!

He's not ready to die, not like this. All his planning, his strategies—useless against raw force.

Before he can process what's happening, Sue suddenly lets go and steps back. Carlos blinks in confusion. Then, out of nowhere, a rock flies past his head, narrowly missing Sue.

She turns sharply, her expression darkening. Carlos twists to see Cillian standing nearby, calm and focused.

Carlos's heart leaps.

[Live Comments] The warrior is here!

[Live Comments] Just do it, Cillian! Finally, someone who doesn't just talk!

Cillian doesn't hesitate. He charges forward the second Sue acts, closing the gap in seconds. He grabs Sue's wrist, forcing her hand down.

The moment their strengths clash, Sue realizes this opponent is no ordinary person.

Ali calls him Cillian, the warrior.

And a warrior symbolizes strength and courage.

From just a brief exchange of blows, Sue understands—this man is the real deal.

Without her gun, there is no way she can win.

Sue tries to retreat, but Cillian's quiet laugh sends chills down her spine. Her hand is locked in a grip of steel; she cannot move at all.

Gritting her teeth, Sue snaps, "If we keep fighting, we'll both end up hurt. Let go."

Cillian chuckles lightly. "Oh? But when you wanted to kill us, you didn't seem so interested in 'Let go'."

Sue still struggles, but Cillian anticipates every move. His strength is undeniable, and Sue knows she's outmatched.

Cillian smirks, his voice dripping with mockery. "You know, I've got someone to back me up. You? Not so much."

Sue's glare hardens. "You're insane. What do you want?"

"You took our stuff. Did you think you could just walk away with it? That easy?" Cillian's words cut through the air like a blade.

The message is clear: You're asking for it.

Sue hesitates, unwilling to give up the supplies she took. She tries to break free, thinking about reaching for her gun, but Cillian's grip tightens. 

There's no escape.

Cillian's gaze sharpens, cold and unrelenting. 

To Sue, it's the kind of look she's seen before—a killer's eyes. Familiar, and far too real.

"Asshole," Sue spits, her voice trembling with rage.

Cillian doesn't flinch. Instead, his smile turns icy. "Do you think I won't kill you?"

His calm, deadly tone sends a shiver down Sue's spine. 

This isn't a bluff.

For a moment, Sue literally falters. She remembers the man standing nearby—Cillian isn't alone. She stops cursing and reluctantly summons her system pack.

Carlos wastes no time. He rushes over, quickly gathering everything Sue stole, including the items she scavenged. 

When he tries to grab the gun, a system alert flashes:

[System Notification: Custom items cannot be looted.]

Frustrated, Carlos leaves the gun but takes everything else—even a small mushroom, not leaving a single item behind.

Cillian smirks approvingly. "Well done," but his grip on Sue remains firm.

Sue assumes this is the end, that Cillian will release her now that he has his things back. But then she feels it—Cillian is pushing her, guiding her steps closer to the cliff edge.

Her throat tightens. Panic sets in. "You're going to kill me?"

"If I kill you, that's one less competitor."

Carlos freezes mid-motion, glancing up at the two people. His mouth opens as if to protest, but he notices the fresh scratches and bruises on Cillian's face. 

After a moment, he looks away, choosing silence.

Sue struggles, desperately trying to break free, but Cillian is relentless. Step by step, Sue is forced closer to the edge.

Cillian stops just as Sue's heels teeter over the void. His smile widens, cruel and mocking. "Beg me."

"I don't beg," Sue says firmly, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Since the day I turned 18, I swore that people would beg me. Never the other way around."

With that, Sue makes her choice. She yanks her arm free and, without hesitation, turns and throws herself off the cliff.

Her movements are quick, decisive.

She'd rather die than beg.

Carlos jogs over, careful not to glance down the cliff.

Cillian is already walking into the woods, not even looking back. Carlos quickly catches up. "Were you scared earlier? When Ali grabbed the rope?"

"I've had worse," Cillian replies casually. He pulls out a bottle of wound powder from the system inventory, unscrews the lid, and starts pouring it over his bloodied hands.

Carlos notices his palms— raw and torn, almost completely shredded from gripping the rope while Ali was shaking it. The coarse texture of the rope must've dug deep, but he doesn't even flinch, just frowns slightly.

Cillian, must have a story. A heavy one.

Just like Sue—another person clearly shaped by her past.

Cillian catches Carlos staring and changes the subject. 

"How did you figure out she was the Sniper ? There were still three unidentified players: Sniper, Assassin, and Sorcerer. Guessing isn't easy."

"Her role was hinted at by her weapon. A sniper would likely choose a rifle, specifically a sniper rifle. When she walked out of the woods, there was a clear indentation on her right cheek. That told me she'd just used a sniper rifle and had been aiming at me from the shadows."

"So you guessed she was the Sniper?"

"Exactly."

Cillian leans against a nearby rock, thinking. He'd assumed Carlos had pieced it together through something far more complicated. 

Yet the logic is so straightforward it almost feels obvious in hindsight.

But then again, it isn't that simple.

If Carlos hadn't delayed Sue at the top of the cliff, Cillian—who had already descended more than ten meters with no place to secure himself—wouldn't have survived. 

There's no doubt about it.

Carlos watches as Cillian finishes applying the wound powder and starts packing it away. He points at a faint bruise on Cillian's cheek. "There's a mark there too."

Cillian looks at him, clearly unimpressed. "And?"

"Did I say something wrong?"

Cillian smirks and flicks something at him. It arcs through the air before landing at Carlos's feet. He leans down to pick it up and freezes.

It's his beads. His lucky charm.

His eyes widen in disbelief. He clutches the bracelet tightly. 

"It hit you? In the face?"

"Yeah," Cillian mutters, rubbing his cheek. "Hurt like hell."

Carlos can't help but laugh softly, like a child reunited with a long-lost treasure.

Cillian watches him, unsure whether getting smacked in the face by the bead was worth it. But seeing his reaction…

Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Yeah, not bad.

Cillian stops walking for a moment and glances back toward the distant cliff. His eyes narrow slightly. "The system didn't report the sniper's death."

Carlos straightens, realizing what Cillian means. 

Which can only mean one thing.

Sue is still alive.