Genius Salsu of the World to Be Destroyed - Chapter 146
Only Noblemtl
Episode 146
Five men in black suits.
They surrounded Youngsoo and knelt and bowed their heads in fear.
“What… what is it?!”
Yeongsu felt a deep sense of embarrassment that he had never felt before in his life.
I’ve met a lot of guys who try to stab me right away, but this is the first time I’ve seen one who tries to stab me right away while greeting me.
Youngsoo was so surprised that formal language came out of his mouth.
“Who, who… are you?”
“yes?”
Five men in suits raised their heads at the same time.
Their faces also hardened with embarrassment when they saw Youngsoo’s face.
One of them asked Youngsoo.
“…Who are you?”
“You guys were the ones who greeted me first?!”
“No, that, definitely… what is it… … ?”
The five men rose from their seats one by one.
Then they started gossiping among themselves.
“It was definitely the same as the representative’s movements! Wasn’t it?”
“I felt that way too.”
“Then what the hell is that person?”
When Youngsoo overheard them from the side, it seemed like they had mistaken him for someone else.
I had confused Youngsoo with the person called ‘CEO’.
however…….
‘The fact that he greeted me without even looking at my face means that he noticed my presence… … .’
Yeongsu usually hides his presence to some extent.
Of course, it’s not hidden as tightly as a covert operation.
However, it is at a level that ordinary players will hardly notice.
But the fact that he immediately noticed Youngsu’s presence… … .
‘These guys are quite skilled.’
Because having a good sense is in line with having good skills.
By the way-
‘What is this guy called Representative that he sounds similar to me?’
He is a person who has a similar vibe to me.
Various thoughts crossed Youngsoo’s mind.
‘Is it possible to buy it?’
If the representative was really alive, this was a bit of a tense situation.
Similar sounds mean similar atmospheres.
That meant that the skills of the CEO and Youngsoo might be equal.
‘… But does that really matter? I didn’t come here to fight anyway.’
At that time, there was a bit of tension in the air.
One of the five men said.
“Okay, that’s fine. If you’re not the CEO, then go your way.”
“… … ?”
Contrary to expectations, they obediently stepped aside.
Yeongsu was embarrassed once again.
‘What? Isn’t this some kind of secret group?’
Anyway, there is no reason not to go since the path is open.
Youngsoo started walking up the road to the hotel.
The road leading up to the hotel was very neatly maintained.
The lawn was well mowed and the garden plants were well pruned.
It was evidence that the entire hotel was well maintained.
Besides Youngsoo, there were quite a few people heading to the hotel.
From the haggard looking to the fit and muscular.
Youngsoo entered the hotel, the ‘castle’, mixed in with those people.
The hotel lobby we arrived at.
As expected, there was no one blocking Youngsoo in the lobby.
I still couldn’t tell if this place’s actual function was as a hotel or not, but I could tell that it was run very much like a hotel.
‘It’s amazing. I can’t believe a place like this still exists.’
For reference, most of the hotels and resorts in the country are currently in a state of disrepair.
Due to the nature of the accommodations, there were many vacancies as there were no residents, and as a result, people flocked from all over, causing slums to develop.
But this place, Hotel Citadel, was not like that at all.
The lobby was very clean and lively.
And it was very bright.
Looking closely, I saw a huge number of luminous stones and candles shining from the chandelier.
The light bulbs that had become unusable due to a power outage were replaced with glowstones and candles.
“hello?”
At that moment, an old, gaunt man approached Youngsu.
A neatly dressed suit and a gentle smile.
Youngsoo said.
“who……?”
“This is Kim Jeong-seok, the concierge of the castle.”
A concierge is a person in charge of overall hotel services.
Judging from the fact that there was even a concierge, it seemed like this place was truly functioning as a hotel.
‘Oh, so that’s why those five didn’t catch me and just let me go.’
From their perspective, Youngsoo would have been nothing more than a visitor.
Youngsoo answered.
“… My name is Cheon Yeong-su.”
“It’s my first time meeting you at the castle, so I’m greeting you first. I hope that’s not rude.”
“Ah… Yeah, well. But what is this place?”
“You came without knowing. Come on. I will show you around.”
So Youngsoo followed the concierge into the hotel.
There were a lot more people inside than outside.
It had to be that way.
Because there was a spacious casino inside.
All kinds of games, including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, were being played here and there.
However, the slot machine was not visible.
It seemed like they had removed everything because the fully automatic equipment was not working.
Youngsoo asked.
“But the currency would have all become scraps of paper, so how… … .”
“Chips are the currency here.”
These are the round, colorful chips used in casino games.
“If you take the magic stone to the currency exchange over there, I’ll exchange it for a chip of equivalent value. You can use that.”
“aha…….”
casino.
It wasn’t unfamiliar because it was a space I often saw in movies and dramas, but it was new.
Because I’ve never actually been to a casino.
Maybe that’s why, even the smell wafting throughout the casino felt new.
“There are restaurants here. If you go down to the basement, there is a bar. You can use as much as you want, whether it’s fine food, alcohol, or medicine.”
“aha…….”
No, wait a minute.
“approximately……?”
“Well, the days of illegal drugs are over. Haha.”
That was true.
Because society was collapsing and the government was collapsing, there was no way the psychotropic drug control laws could be effective.
I knew it.
Still, Youngsoo’s face quietly rotted away.
Because old memories that I didn’t want to remember came back to me.
“… Of course, those are calculated with chips too?”
“Of course. You can use it not only in this hotel, but also outside. Chips are basically currency around here.”
“cohort?”
“It’s not just our citadel that chips are accepted. They’re also used as currency in the areas surrounding the citadel.”
“… … !”
“In short, you could say that… we are also serving as the Bank of Korea in this area.”
This was also unexpected.
A region with its own monetary economy.
‘It hasn’t even been a year since the collapse of civilization, and in that short period of time, is this possible…?’
Even the Mujin Guild, which managed a fairly large area, was unable to establish a monetary economy.
But this thought was fleeting.
A sharp scream coming from somewhere interrupted Youngsu’s thoughts.
“Kuaaaah!!”
Screams heard coming from the casino.
Yeongsu also turned his head in that direction.
“…What is that sound?”
“Would you like to go and see it?”
A gloomy shade hung over the concierge’s voice.
Youngsoo nodded for a moment.
Following the concierge, we arrived at a small hall located in a corner of the casino.
But there was no game table in that room.
There were just a few people holding bows huddled together in an empty room.
One of them fired an arrow into his bow and pulled the string.
Yeongsu turned his gaze in the direction the arrow was pointing.
There was a target there.
A target made of a human.
A person was tied to a large circular turntable.
A man tied up with his arms and legs outstretched in the shape of the letter “大”.
There was already an arrow embedded in the man’s arm.
Perhaps that arrow was the cause of the scream just now.
“Then I’ll turn it! You have to shoot within 3 seconds!”
The dealer spun the wheel.
The turntable spun around and around, and people spun around too.
3 seconds, 2 seconds, and the bowstring is released.
Peeing-
puck!
The arrow landed just below his armpit.
The man who shot the arrow shouted in joy.
“Good!”
“What the fuck, how did you get it to fit right there!”
Youngsoo had a hard time understanding what was happening.
The concierge kindly explained it to Youngsu.
“Don’t think about it too hard. It’s a game where players take turns shooting arrows and the person with the highest score at the end wins.”
“… Are you saying that kind of game is aimed at people?”
“If you hit a person, you lose points. If you shoot an arrow outside the board, you get zero points. The closer you shoot to people, but not to people, the higher your points.”
As the concierge continued his explanation, the next shooter fired an arrow.
This arrow lodged itself in his left calf.
“Kwaaaaak!”
The man tied to the turntable screamed.
“What the hell!”
The shooter who had scored a goal swore.
But on the contrary, there were also a group of people who were cheering behind the scenes.
“Okay! Calf! Left! I told you it was right there!”
“Hey, man, I walked on the right… …!”
These people were not participants in this human archery.
Just another bunch of gamblers betting on the outcome of this archery match.
Those who had bet that the arrow would hit the left calf took their chips and went outside.
It was a grotesque sight.
Among the people laughing and enjoying the game of shooting arrows at humans as targets, Youngsoo didn’t know what expression to make.
The concierge who saw it said.
“Don’t take it too seriously. The person tied to the turntable over there did so willingly.”
“Voluntary… …?”
“Yes. If you participate in this game as a target human and survive, you will be rewarded with a pretty large sum of money.”
Now Youngsoo seemed to understand how this human archery thing worked.
But the most terrifying question still remains unanswered.
Youngsoo asked.
“… Then what happens if you get hit by an arrow and die?”
“Whoever shoots that arrow automatically loses the game.”
“No, what happens to dead people?”
“Oh, that’s it. The body will be auctioned.”
“…Is there anyone who wants to buy it?”
“Of course. People are great bait.”
“bait?”
“Yes. Usually, the corpses that are auctioned off are used as bait for monster hunting.”
“… … !”
“Here, magic stones are money. And monsters are a source of high-quality magic stones. If you can kill a monster with just one corpse, you can make several times the profit.”
Youngsoo’s expression gradually hardened in an indescribable way.
The concierge asked.
“So, have you decided what you want to do?”
“…I came here because I have something to talk about with you, sir.”
“You came to see the CEO. He’s not here right now, but he’ll be back from his outing in a bit. Until then, why don’t you have a drink at the bar?”
As he said that, the concierge handed over a chip.
“Here is my welcome drink. Welcome to the Citadel.”
“…thank you.”
Youngsoo looked at the chip quietly.
I didn’t see anything particularly special.
There was just a strange smell.
It’s the same smell I get all over this casino.
‘What is that smell?’
That’s when I started walking back across the casino.
A limping man caught Youngsoo’s eye.
The man hurried to the table and sat down, hugging a bag full of chips.
Then he took out the chip and started playing the game.
Youngsoo knew who that man was.
Because I could see blood flowing down the left hem of the man’s pants.
That man was the one who had been tied to the turntable just a moment ago.
He was literally risking his life and gambling away the money he earned.
“Hehehehehe… … .”
As soon as he held the card in his hand, a laugh escaped the man’s mouth.
A face that completely forgot that he could have died just a few minutes ago.
Yeongsu just turned his eyes away from the magic mirror.
“…Let’s have a drink.”
Youngsoo headed straight to the basement.
* * *
Concierge Kim Jeong-seok returned to the lobby.
One of his closest subordinates asked quietly from the side.
“Who are you?”
“who?”
“That young man you were escorting me for a moment. What kind of person is he that would do something like that… .”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t know?”
“I escorted you because I didn’t know. I wanted to know who you were. And I wanted to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”
“No, so why would I… … someone I don’t even know… .”
“You didn’t feel it.”
As he spoke, Jeong-seok’s eyes were trembling slightly.
“… is a monster.”
“yes?”
“If you watch a lot of players, you can feel it. That… is the same type of person as the CEO.”