Satan’s Game

This game.

This damn game.

This fu*cking game.

Cillian stands frozen for a moment before breaking into laughter. 

This might be the first genuine moment of joy he's had since the game started.

Ali, still fuming, mutters, "With your physique, seriously? You couldn't even beat an ostrich in a fight."

Carlos, unbothered, corrects him. 

"Actually, Ostriches are one of the strongest bird species. Their combat abilities rival leopards, and their killing power is comparable to wolves or hyenas. They're the king of birds. They're not weak at all."

"Shut up."Ali is clearly done with the conversation. 

"Oh, ok." Carlos turns to Cillian. 

"Did you chop down those banana trees earlier? I picked up two bunches after you."

"They're still green. You can't eat them."

"Roast them over a fire. Once they're cooked, they lose the bitterness and become edible."

Cillian shrugs. 

Bananas are plentiful in the jungle, and even if they get burned, it doesn't matter. He tosses two bananas into the fire and waits.

Ali's small crocodile finishes roasting, the smell wafting over and making Cillian's stomach growl.

Cillian keeps his eyes on the cassava and bananas roasting in the fire. Beside them, fern roots cook on a heated stone slab. The slab is now burning hot, and the fern roots curl and darken as they cook.

He tastes the fern roots first. They're not good, but they're filling enough. 

In the wilderness, there's no room for culinary expectations—eating to survive is all that matters.

A short while later, the bananas finish roasting. Cillian peels away the charred skin, revealing soft, slightly mushy flesh inside.

He sniffs it—no bitterness, just a strong smoky aroma.

Taking a bite, he finds the taste bland, almost like flavorless mashed potatoes, but the texture is firm and satisfying.

Pleased, he throws a few more bananas into the fire.

Seeing this, Ali decides not to bother trading for cassava anymore. After finishing his crocodile, he heads back into the forest, likely searching for bananas of his own to roast.

Cillian glances toward the forest on the opposite side of the waterfall. 

Smoke rises faintly from the trees—others are clearly preparing for the same thing, conserving energy and getting ready to dive.

Now, it's just Cillian and Carlos by the fire.

Carlos is still carefully roasting bananas, seemingly experimenting with his own makeshift recipes.

"Carlos."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned earlier that one of the items you picked was an oxygen pill, right?"

The pill, which allows someone to stay underwater for roughly an hour, is exactly what Cillian needs right now.

"Yes," Carlos replies.

Cillian smiles faintly. "How about we team up?"

Carlos raises an eyebrow. "Team?"

"Yeah."

"Why would you do that with me?"

"You're useful."Cillian is blunt.

Carlos considers this and nods. "Fair point."

Cillian can't help but chuckle. If there's one thing Carlos doesn't lack, it's self-confidence.

"So, what do you think?"

"But there's only one winner in this game."

"Do you really think you can make it to the end with your physical fitness?"

Carlos calculates for a moment, considering the environment and the competition. 

"Probably not."

"Then we team up. We make it to the final stage together, and from there, it's every man for himself."

[Live Comments]Team! I'm rooting for you guys.

[Live Comments] Hah, they're bound to betray each other.

[Live Comments] I'm still betting on the Boxer and the Assassin.

After weighing the pros and cons, Carlos nods. 

"Alright."

Cillian grins, using a stick to pull a cassava from the fire and tossing it to Carlos. 

"Then let's seal the deal with cassava. I'll share my fire with you."

"In return, I'll share my oxygen pills," Carlos says, picking up the cassava and blowing on it to cool it down. It's still too hot, so he sets it back down. 

"You'll need one for the pool. Lucky for you, I have it."

Cillian isn't worried about Carlos seeing through his intentions. If he had any objections, he would've declined the offer immediately.

By agreeing, Carlos has implicitly accepted the terms of their shared resources.

Carlos asks, "What's your name?"

Cillian pauses for a moment but eventually answers, "Cillian."

"Cillian… That's nice," Carlos comments.

The cassava has cooled down enough to touch, and Carlos takes a bite. It tastes better than the bananas, but raw cassava can be toxic if not properly processed.

Carlos only eats the outer layer that has been thoroughly roasted. He reminds Cillian, "It's toxic. Don't eat too much."

"Thanks."

After lunch, Cillian retreats into the forest and finds a hidden spot to sit. 

From there, he has a clear view of the waterfall and pool below, but the thick foliage ensures that no one can see him.

He waits for an hour. The smoke across the way has dissipated, but still, no one comes near.

Carlos eventually returns, carrying an armful of tree bark. Instead of immediately returning the borrowed knife to Cillian, he starts stripping the bark. 

The fibrous material quickly twists into rough cords under his hands.

Carlos patiently braids the fibers together, then hands the partially twisted cord to Cillian. 

"Braid it tighter into a rope."

"You're making a rope?"

"Yes. A makeshift lifeline. If there's danger, I'll pull you up."

Cillian pauses. "You're not going in the water?"

Carlos adjusts his glasses and says matter-of-factly, "I can't swim."

"…Seriously?"

"And even if I could, my stamina isn't as good as yours, and I can't see well without my glasses. So, by any metric, you're the better choice to go down. Don't worry—I'll hold the rope securely and pull you up."

Cillian stares at him, speechless. 

This guy is such a physical liability, and yet he explains it all so logically that it almost sounds reasonable.

[Live Comments]This guy is too real. I love him!

[Live Comments] I can't stop laughing—what a disaster, but what a lovable disaster.

[Live Comments] Iconic.

Cillian sighs and gets to work braiding the rope properly. For the sake of his own safety, he makes sure it's as sturdy as possible.

"I'm worried you'll get dragged in along with the water monster," Cillian says, half-jokingly.

"I'll tie the other end of the rope to that tree."Carlos points to a thick tree trunk.

Cillian forces a laugh. 

If it weren't for the oxygen pill, he would've never considered teaming up with Carlos.

Just then, a sound cuts through the noise of the waterfall—footsteps splashing into the pool.

Cillian looks up and sees a woman dive into the water without hesitation.

"Someone went in."

"No rush. The rope isn't ready yet."Carlos remains calm. 

"The first person in isn't necessarily at a disadvantage, but I'm not interested in taking that risk," Cillian says.

"There are three clues. We're not in a hurry," Carlos replies.

Cillian frowns. "How do you know there are three?"

"The system told me."

"Why would the system reveal that kind of information?"

"There's a Q&A function in the system. It won't give you direct answers, but it will correct your wrong assumptions."

Carlos pulls up the Q&A screen and starts testing his theory.

"There is one clue in first round."

[System Message]Your understanding is incorrect.

"There are two clues."

[System Message]Your understanding is incorrect.

"Three."

[System Message]Please refer to the game rules for understanding.

"There are four clues."

[System Message]Your understanding is incorrect.

[Live Comments]Holy crap, that's genius!

[Live Comments] Satan is definitely going to patch this bug.

Carlos looks at Cillian, his expression smug. 

"See?"

Cillian is impressed. He hadn't expected the Q&A system, designed to help players, to be exploited like this. 

Carlos had cleverly manipulated its mechanical nature to pinpoint the correct answer.

Even in a game that prizes strength, brains can still be a weapon.

Cillian smiles, "Whatever the bug, once it's discovered, Satan will fix it in no time."

Almost as if on cue, the system screen goes dark.

[System Notification]System maintenance complete. You may resume use in 10 seconds.

"See? Told you Satan moves fast."

"No big deal. I already asked everything I needed while I was gathering firewood. Though the system only answers questions related to the first stage."Carlos doesn't seem bothered. 

"Like what?"

"The depth of the pool, the number of water creatures, and their lethality." 

Carlos adds, "The pool is very, very deep. There's one water creature, and it's big enough to kill a strong adult."

He pauses briefly before continuing, "And most importantly, one of the clues has already been taken. However, since that one hasn't opened it yet, the system hasn't announced it." 

"Who's fast enough to pull that off?"Cillian stiffens slightly. 

"The system doesn't answer questions about other contestants. Even if it did, I wouldn't ask."

After two days with Carlos, Cillian has come to understand his peculiar code of conduct. 

Carlos'll exploit game bugs if they're about the environment, but he refuses to gather information on other players. Even if someone handed him a detailed dossier, he wouldn't read it.

A paradoxical and upright young man. 

Rare, to say the least.

If he's not secretly hiding something, though, he's bound to get himself killed.

For some inexplicable reason, Cillian hopes Carlos can make it to the final stage. 

He finds him amusing, and in this monotonous game, having an interesting companion makes things a little less dull.

Of course, if they do end up as the final competitors, Cillian won't hesitate to go all out.

All the knowledge in the world?

What a garbage wish. Toss that in the bin.

By the time they've finished braiding the rope, stretching it to dozens of meters in length, the woman who had gone into the water still hasn't resurfaced.

Carlos remarks, "There's likely another exit in the pool. Rainforest waters are miraculous. You can have a muddy river just a meter away from a crystal-clear lake, separated like two different worlds. Rainforests are awe-inspiring—you never know what to expect. Be careful down there."

"Got it. Hold the rope tight. If there's trouble, I'll tug it," Cillian replies.

Carlos secures the rope to a sturdy tree trunk. The rope is thick—two fingers wide—and unlikely to break unless subjected to extreme force. He ties one end securely around Cillian's waist, double-knotting it for extra safety.

Finally, he hands back the short knife. 

"If it gets dangerous, you can cut yourself free."

Just then, Ali appears, his gaze landing on the two of them. Seeing the rope around Cillian's waist, he smirks. "Woah…You two are friends in such a short time"

"I'm tying a rope. That's all."

Cillian, far more composed, replies, "Four people have already entered the water. That just leaves the three of us."

Ali immediately stops joking. 

Without another word, he strides to the edge of the pool and dives in, splashing like a crocodile as he hits the water.

Carlos, still flustered, asks, "Why did you lie to him?"

Standing at the edge of the pool, Cillian answers earnestly, "Because he's ugly."

Carlos: "…"

Is judging people by their looks really okay?

With a quiet splash, Cillian dives into the water.

The coolness of the pool instantly soothes the oppressive heat clinging to his body.