Satan’s Game

Cillian stands calmly beneath the tree, observing the figure tangled in the branches above. 

The area here is slightly clearer than the dense jungle elsewhere, allowing him to see the person more clearly. After a few moments of struggling, the figure's face comes into view—a man in his early twenties.

The man's sharp black eyes and high-bridged nose sit on a strikingly handsome face with smooth, elegant lines. 

However, his pale complexion, as if untouched by sunlight, gives his skin an almost fragile appearance. Combined with his tall, slim frame, he looks like someone who has never faced the harsh realities of life.

Cillian finds this unexpected.

This man hardly seems like someone who could have made it past even the first stage of the selection trials.

Carlos, tangled in the parachute cords, struggles fruitlessly before finally giving up.

He notices someone standing below but can't make out their face. Reaching into his bag, he retrieves a glasses case and puts on his glasses, finally seeing Cillian clearly.

A smile lights up Carlos's face. He waves enthusiastically. 

"Hey, bro! Can you help me down?"

Cillian stares at him, incredulous that someone who qualified for this deadly game could end up hanging in a tree. 

If Cillian hadn't seen his frantic flailing with his own eyes, he might have thought this guy was deliberately pretending to be trapped .

[Live Comments]Wow. Idiot.

[Live Comments] How did he even pass the last round of the selection? That was against a lion!

[Live Comments] I heard he didn't even fight.

[Live Comments] I bet 50 bucks he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. No way anyone who passed the trials is a rookie.

Carlos notices Cillian scrutinizing him and grows anxious. 

"Come on, help me out here!"

Cillian thinks for a moment.

"I'm not helping you for free. What did you pick for your three items?"

"A watch, oxygen pills," Carlos says, then raises his wrist to display a string of deep red beads. "And my lucky charm beads."

Cillian: "…"

So there really was someone who picked the beads.

And of course, it had to be him.

Carlos isn't oblivious to his skepticism. He quickly tries to justify himself but falters when Cillian turns as if to leave. 

He panics. 

"Wait! Wait! Aren't my items useful?"

[Live Comments]Nope.

[Live Comments] Definitely not.

Cillian stops and finally cracks a smile. 

"Fine. If you've got a watch, tell me which direction is east, and I'll help you down."

"Hold on." Carlos glances at the sunlight filtering through the leaves, then checks his watch.

After a moment, he points confidently. 

"That way. That's east."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. It's 3 PM now. According to the formula, the midpoint between the hour hand and 12 o'clock is South. Once you know South, East is 90° to the left of South. So, that direction is east."

Cillian nods.

Carlos, still eager to show off, continues, "Of course, there's also the Directional method, the Polaris method, and the shadow—"

"Enough." Cillian interrupts, his patience losing.

"Just stick to the point."

Carlos obediently shuts his mouth, though he silently resolves to speak faster next time.

Cillian pulls out his short knife, climbs up the tree, and quickly cuts the cords.

Carlos carefully lowers himself to the ground. Fortunately, the height isn't too great, so he lands without incident.

Cillian examines the parachute cords, finding them sturdy and durable. He cuts off a few lengths and bundles them up.

[System Notification] Acquired three long ropes. Inventory capacity: 4/30.

Carlos, covered in dirt and leaves, has already made a less-than-graceful debut to the global audience. 

Despite initially ranking fourth in the fan polls due to his refined and scholarly appearance, his clumsy entrance sends his popularity plummeting.

He adjusts his glasses and extends a hand to Cillian.

"Hi, I'm Carlos . The system assigned me the codename Strategist."

Carlos. 

Wow. Latino.

A name that sounds harmless enough.

But Cillian doesn't shake his hand.

"Save it. Don't share your name, and don't get too friendly. We're competitors, not friends."

"Oh," Carlos replies, lowering his hand. 

He adds earnestly, "I'm only here to ask Satan for a wish: the knowledge of everything in existence."

Cillian: "…Why are you telling me this?"

"To show that I come in peace," Carlos says sincerely.

[Live Comments] What? Where did this fool come from? Is Satan his dad?

[Live Comments] Incredible. There's never been such an honest boy in all the past games.

[Live Comments] This guy is too adorable!

[Live Comments] I still think he's faking it. No way someone this naive exists. I'm betting on him to win.

Cillian didn't expect Carlos to lack this much caution, blurting out his name and intentions so freely.

Years of watching the brutal games had long eroded his belief in kindness or innocence, but for a fleeting moment, he felt those ideals resurface, faint and fleeting.

Still, he doesn't extend her hand. As he walks away, he leaves Carlos with a single warning:

"In this game, even if you mean no harm, you can't stop others from having ill intentions toward you."

It's the only advice he offers to this bafflingly naïve young man.

"Thank you. I still believe we can all work together and clear the game in harmony."Carlos frowns slightly. 

Cillian hears him but doesn't turn back. He lifts a hand in a casual wave, his only response before disappearing into the jungle.

The tropical rainforest is hot and humid, and after a while, his clothes are damp with sweat. 

There are no paths here, only dense thickets and tangled vines. Every step is a struggle, her boots sinking into muddy ground. The twenty minutes he's walked feels like an hour of effort.

The greenery stretches endlessly, vibrant and lush. The ground is still wet, likely from recent rain, making the terrain even harder to navigate.

So far, he's only encountered Carlos, but he's certain that the other contestants landed nearby as well.

As the sky darkens, Cillian, who wisely chose fire as one of her items, feels no panic. The only issue is finding a suitable place to rest.

When the jungle is fully enveloped in darkness, he spots a small rocky overhang. It's more of a slanted boulder than a cliff, but it provides just enough space underneath for one person to lie down.

Using a stick, he clears away fallen leaves and debris from the ground. Luckily, there are no sharp rocks, and with some large leaves for padding, it'll do for a makeshift bed.

Rainforests are never short of firewood.

Cillian quickly gathers a bundle of dry branches and uses the system to ignite a flame.

Humans are peculiar creatures—no matter how frightening the surroundings, the presence of fire seems to dispel fear, offering a strange sense of security.

He uses his knife to crack open a cocoa pod he picked up earlier. It'll serve as his dinner.

The pod, the raw material for chocolate, is fully ripe with a deep reddish-purple hue. Some parts are pecked at by birds or small animals. 

Inside, the flesh is white, with dozens of seeds nestled within.

The seeds are what chocolate is made from, but for now, he can only eat the thin layer of sweet pulp around them.

It's not much, but it's enough to replenish a bit of his energy. 

Better than nothing.

*Rustle, rustle.

Footsteps shuffle through the leaves nearby.

Cillian immediately hides his knife in his hand, waiting silently for whoever—or whatever—is approaching.

*Rustle, rustle.

The footsteps are maddeningly slow, as if the person is dragging out every step. It feels like an eternity before they finally emerge from the shadows, panting heavily.

It's Carlos.

Cillian raises an eyebrow. "You followed me."

Carlos, still catching his breath, shakes his head. 

"Not followed. Just… trailed."

"What's the difference? Dude, I can't even."

[Live Comments]What's the difference?Hahaha Warrior got nothing to say.

[Live Comments] This guy is too sincere. Honestly… kinda adorable.

[Live Comments] If you can't handle it, don't join. Waste of a slot.

[Live Comments] Can't handle it? He passed the devil's trials. First place, ok?!

[Live Comments] Definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Carlos leans against a tree for support, his once-neatly combed hair now slick with sweat. 

"I was headed east too, but then I noticed your footprints and the path you cleared. It made walking a lot easier, so I followed. But you walk so fast—I only just caught up."

Cillian can't help but "admire" his intelligence. 

Clearly, the brain of this guy works well—unlike his body or social skills.

He points to a branch on the ground. 

"This is my space. Don't cross it."

"Got it." Carlos slumps to the ground, exhausted from the trek.

After catching his breath, he notices the fire. "Did you make that?"

Cillian doesn't respond.

"You must've picked fire as one of your items," he deduces aloud. 

"Because you don't have any tools to start a fire—no stones, no bow, not even rope. So it must've been a system item."

Cillian shoots him a sharp smile. 

"Say one more word, and I'll pull out a Knife big enough to chop you in half. Thirty meters long."

[Live Comments]Talkative much?

[Live Comments] C(See)? Nobody's perfect. High IQ, handsome face, but low EQ and won't shut up. My sisterly heart aches for him.

Carlos freezes and instinctively scoots back. 

"I just wanted point out that fire isn't necessary in the jungle. There are plenty of ways to start one."

Cillian rubs his forehead. If Carlos doesn't leave soon, he might really attack this shit.

How did someone like him make it through the trials?

*Rustle, rustle.

The sound of more footsteps breaks the silence.

Cillian knows it's not Carlos—this weakling doesn't move that fast.

Gripping his knife tightly, he focuses his gaze on the darkened forest.

The firewood crackles softly, the only other sound in the oppressive quiet.

Finally, a figure emerges.

It's a man. 

Towering at nearly 6'6" (two meters), his broad, muscular frame resembles a grizzly bear. His bulging muscles strain against his shirt, which looks ready to tear at any moment. Every inch of him radiates raw, intimidating power.

[Live Comments]AHHHH, IT'S THE BOXER! THE STRONGEST MAN!

[Live Comments] High alert! Something big is about to go down!