Debut or Die - Chapter 488
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these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.
Chapter 488
I looked at Seon Ahyeon.
He wants to trade cards?
Moreover, the person who called me outside their room took something out of their pocket.
“…!”
It was a gold card with a QR code. It’s a currency used for card exchanges.
“Where did you find it?”
“Well, actually…”
Seon Ahyeon whispered quietly. He said that when they woke up in the room, they read the profile while simultaneously searching the room.
“At that time, under the bed… I found it.”
“…”
In other words, it means he found it at the start of the game.
And you’ve kept quiet about it until now? Seon Ahyeon did that?
I couldn’t help but be impressed. Everyone sure knows how to make good TV. It was admirable. I was curious to see how this would turn out once it was edited according to Ryu Seorin’s scenario.
“But I’m not sure if it’s okay to use it like this. It could be used at a crucial moment.” Seon Ahyeon nodded with a determined expression.
“We need information, so it’s okay to use my gold…!”
“Hmm.”
If we were aiming for efficiency in serious gameplay, the best answer would be to wait until someone else does it…
But this is for entertainment. It was better for the progression to get the first attempt out of the way quickly. So, I nodded.
“Then let’s reveal our roles to each other. I think that’s better.”
“Okay, I’m… a scholar.”
Oh. I nodded.
“What about Moondae?”
“I’m a doctor.”
“A-Aha!” Seon Ahyeon blushed and nodded, saying it was a good profession.
And with that, the conversation ended.
“We’re exchanging cards.”
“Huh?”
“Did you find the gold?”
I gathered the other members and stood in front of the entrance.
“Let’s just try it out once.”
“Okay.” Keun Sejin nodded
I reviewed the game rules once again.
“If one of us is to be sacrificed, this card exchange will change the sacrifice, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
It’s like passing the Joker in a card game. Just like passing the bomb. However, this seemed more like a survival game with a hidden culprit, like in Mafia. But whether it’s Mafia or citizens, it doesn’t seem necessary to assign roles like ‘Scholar’ or ‘Doctor’ first.
I recalled the answer I gave to Ryu Chungwoo earlier.
Which job do you think has the highest chance of dying?
“Detective or clown.”
If the mafia is the person who choose it, then they must be choosing detective. But if the citizen is the person who choose it, they must be choosing the clown. This is the standard route. Jobs like Scholar or Doctor don’t attract as much attention as those two.
So, the only place still dark because the lights haven’t come on yet is the front entrance. Relying solely on the light from the panel, we held our cards.
“Let’s do it.”
“Yeah.”
Seon Ahyeon and I scanned the gold QR code.
“…”
Then, the screen on the front door panel began to swirl silently in a dark red color.
“Whoa!”
“Wow, this is scarier than I thought.”
Listening to the nervous voices, I kept my eyes fixed on the panel. The whirlpool lasted for about 3-4 seconds before disappearing. What remained on the screen were the backs of two cards.
[Mark Exchange Complete]
[Park Moondae Seon Ahyeon]
“Oh.”
“So, this is how it’s done.”
The members’ small exclamations of admiration echoed. And then I fiddled with my card.
“No other information, huh.”
It seemed that only the exchange records were neatly stored there.
“Nothing special.”
“Yeah. But… it was interesting!”
“That’s true.”
There were no other unnecessary details.
Seon Ahyeon and I, seemingly satisfied with the demonstration, stepped back from the front door. After that, it was a continuous exploration.
“MoondaeMoondae~ Did you really not open the bathroom door in this dorm? Oh, if it’s this difficult, there might be some gold in here too….”
“There’s a ghost inside.”
“Ugh.”
And then a skit.
“There’s chicken in the fridge!”
“…!!”
“They’re giving us food. How touching.”
Just as the skit continued, the atmosphere was starting to loosen up a bit. The members, perhaps becoming desensitized to their surroundings, began to scatter and poke around the two large lodgings.
Has it already been two hours?
And then, a moment later.
Beeeep!
“…!”
An alarm blared from the entrance. And like an emergency announcement, a voice began to repeat along with the siren sound.
[Warning, please enter the Room of Beginning.]
[Warning, please enter the Room of Beginning.]
[Warning, please enter the Room of Beginning.]
“Wh-What’s going on?”
“Room of Beginning?”
The scattered members rushed out.
Conscious of the siren sound, I shouted loudly. “It seems to mean the room we each started in!”
“Oh!”
“See you all in a bit!”
The ones who had run to the entrance quickly dispersed in an orderly manner. They truly lived up to their experience in broadcasting. I also returned to the room where I had started. The room that had been replicated my room from the previous dorm.
Click. As I entered and closed the door, blocking out the sound of the siren for a moment.
Ding-dong!!
“…!!”
[This is a mid-announcement.]
…So there was a speaker here too.
…Phew. They must be doing this on purpose to startle people.
Before I knew it, the fluorescent lights had gone out again, and I was sitting on the edge of the bed in a dark corner of the room. Then that eerie mechanical voice came through the speaker once more.
[Check the drawer by the bedside.]
Alright.
I moved my hand. Inside the drawer by the bedside, there was an electronic device. It definitely wasn’t there earlier.
Did one of the staff filming over there come out and put it in? They must be working hard.
I muttered to myself as I saw the black box with just the camera sticking out from the corner. Then, I carefully turned on the screen of the electronic device. It was a Osung tablet, probably received as PPL.
Beep. The lit-up screen pierced through the dark atmosphere, flashing brightly.
[Revealing Job Ability]
[Your job ability is…]
Hooh.
So this is why they separated the members. I slowly read through the text.
“…”
Was this… supposed to be used here?
It was quite intriguing. As I rubbed my chin, thinking of a few ways to apply it, another notification sound went off.
Hmm?
The screen on the pad changed again.
[01:00:00]
[※Mark verification available※]
The time remaining until the game ends, and… the mark on my card.
“…”
I raised my hand and touched the pad.
[Kya-haha!]
The first thing I heard was the laughter of a child. That innocent sound created a sense of unease, sending chills down my spine. Then, without warning, a large red circular pattern filled the pad. It was a lamb skull design.
[Your card is ‘Sacrificial Mark.’]
[Current Lamb: Park Moondae]
“…”
I see. I took my eyes off the pad screen for a moment and took a deep breath.
I have the Sacrificial Mark. So, if things continue like this, I will die.
* * *
“Alright~ Everyone, did you all see that?”
“Yeah, Hyung!”
The siren blared again, and the members emerged from their respective rooms.
The remaining hour flew by in an instant. Now, instead of searching for more gold, they focused on conversations and surveillance.
“Hey, where are you two going? Card exchange, perhaps?”
“… We’re just heating up some chicken.”
“…Alright.”
On the surface, an hour passed smoothly without any incidents or conflicts. However, a strange tension was building up.
Soon.
It’s the end.
I kept track of the time, waiting for the ending. And a moment later. Biiiiiiip!!
“Oh.”
“Looks like time’s up.”
This time, no one was too surprised. However, everyone had slightly tense expressions.
The one to be eliminated has been decided. After spending several hours here, the level of immersion naturally intensified, and the word ‘sacrifice’ started to feel somewhat terrifying. It was like entering a haunted house at an amusement park.
“It’s up.”
And the panel on the front door really showed that the countdown had ended.
[00:00:00]
Then, as if to cover it, large letters appeared.
[Exchange Ended]
“…”
A modulated mechanical voice began to flow from the speaker again.
[This is a notice before the announcement.]
[The first sacrificial mark you received was decided by the votes of your supporters.]
“S-Supporters?”
[As a result of the votes from fans who love you.]
…Fans?
The screen showed a bright red graph climbing endlessly, eventually displaying a staggering number of 20,374 votes. Considering such a high number and the explanation…
“Could it be… this was a fan vote?”
“When did they receive the votes?”
That’s what I’m saying. Despite the members’ shock, the panelist calmly continues the narration.
[The job with the highest number of votes received 20,374 votes.]
Now, everyone is holding their breath, staring at the panelist.
[And now that the time limit has passed, the job with this sacrificial mark is…]
Gulp. In the eerie tension, the sound of someone swallowing could be heard. The results were announced.
[Scholar.]
“…!!”
“Ah.”
I instinctively glanced at Seon Ahyeon. Seon Ahyeon’s face was pale.
“…”
“Okay, I’m… a scholar.”
Seon Ahyeon definitely said that.
And the members immediately started looking around to find the person in question.
“A scholar?”
“Who is the Scholar? Speak up!”
“…”
But it was silent.
No one stepped forward, and Seon Ahyeon kept quiet as well.
“Huh?”
“…Why isn’t anyone coming out?”
Bae Sejin squinted his eyes, and Kim Raebin looked around in confusion.
“Isn’t it a situation where we can’t change the results anyway?”
“That’s right!”
“Then why…?”
It was when everyone was chattering with confused expressions.
[The Sacrifice Room has opened.]
Creak.
“Gasp.”
The front door opened automatically. And behind it, another door also opened automatically. It was… the single room in our lodging. The room that hadn’t opened before.
“Is that the Sacrifice Room?”
“It seems so.”
The thought came to mind reflexively. The note that had fallen under that door, which Kim Raebin had picked up.
-I open at the end.
Does that mean that room opens when this game ends? Or, perhaps, when it’s confirmed who will die or meet their end…
I followed them, guessing as much. Given the atmosphere, I thought I should mention this in the interview.
And in front of the open solitary cell door—
“I’m going in!”
Cha Eugene stepped in without hesitation, but…
“Oops!!”
“Wh-What?”
Cha Eugene furrowed his brows and stepped back.
What is it?
Everyone was surprised by the reaction and looked inside the room.
“…!!”
The room… looked like the altar of some cult. Torn black wallpaper and flickering red candles created an eerie atmosphere. And in the center, there was a massive coffin-shaped altar. On it, a crimson sheep’s skull pattern was engraved.
This is insane.
Crash!
“Argh!”
Is there even a thunder effect?
In front of the space where the art team put in all their effort, the members turned into a flock of penguins again.
“MoondaeMoondae, I don’t think I can sleep in this room anymore….”
“Good thing we’re moving.”
“Yeah.”
Anyway, we carefully entered inside.
“…There are name tags.”
“Ugh.”
And soon, we found ourselves standing around the coffin-shaped altar, just like the names indicated on the guest reception table. It was at that moment.
[Participants.]
“I knew this would happen.”
“Me too.”
The eerie narration started flowing through the speakers again. The camera that emerged from the coffin began to rotate, capturing our faces.
[Welcome to the Sacrifice Room.]
“Are you saying we really have to offer a member as a sacrifice here?!”
“Calm down, Raebin.”
[Participants, you must find the Black Sheep here.]
“…”
Black Sheep?
[The participant who has transferred their sacrificial fate to another participant.]
[In other words, the culprit who made the ‘Scholar’ a sacrifice through the final mark exchange is the ‘Black Sheep.’]
“Whoa….”
“Wow, this is getting more confusing.”
I quickly organized my thoughts. Hmm. So, in the end, it means we need to find the one who passed the final mark to the ‘Scholar,’ who became the ultimate sacrifice. It seems they judged that act as a kind of ‘Mafia’ or ‘Culprit.’ So, we just need to find the one who last exchanged with the Scholar, right?
It was a moment that felt almost too easy to deduce. Another condition was added.
[If you correctly deduce the Black Sheep, the culprit will be sacrificed along with the offering.]
[However, if you fail to find the Black Sheep,]
“…Then what?”
[everyone except the Black Sheep and the offering will be sacrificed.]
“Aaah!”
“Wow, this is like a complete horror game!”
Screams and intense reactions erupted from all around at the mention of a massacre.
Oh. So, if the sacrifice keeps quiet, they can survive too. In this case, no one will reveal who they exchanged with. I marveled at the producers’ wickedness.
[Then, good luck.]
Good luck-, good luck, good lu… The eerie echo from the speaker soon crackled and abruptly stopped. Then, a red light illuminated the skull pattern on the coffin.
“Oh!”
“Looks like it’s starting.”
Despite being awestruck by the incredible room, the atmosphere soon settled down. The members seemed to be organizing their thoughts and thinking of things to discuss. Of course, the top priority would be this. Who is the scholar that became the sacrifice?
Actually, if we somehow interrogate that side and catch the last person who made the exchange, it would be over, wouldn’t it?
But the first one to speak was,
“Wait! I have something to say first.”
It was Bae Sejin.
Bae Sejin continued calmly. “I knew what all the professions were.”
“Huh?”
“I’m a lawyer.”
And just as he had told me, he began to reveal all the information he knew. Since it’s the final stage, this does seem reasonable. I nodded inwardly.
If you know all the professions, it’s easier to deduce which profession has which by the process of elimination.
“But there’s one person who mentioned a profession that doesn’t exist! That person is…”
And just as Bae Sejin was about to say Kim Raebin’s name.
“Wait a minute.”
…What?
Keun Sejin suddenly interrupted. Bae Sejin, flustered, paused for a moment before Keun Sejin asked directly.
“What did you say your job was?”
“… I’m a lawyer. The lawyer’s job ability allows me to know other jobs…”
“…? No, you’re saying you’re a lawyer?”
Keun Sejin chuckled. And then dropped a bombshell.
“That’s strange. Because I’m a lawyer, you know?”
“…!!”
“What?”
“There can’t be two people with the same job, right?”
“…”
The members, mouths agape, looked back and forth between the two people with the same name.
Keun Sejin scratched the back of his neck. “Hmm. Judging by your reactions, it seems Sejin hyung has been going around saying he’s a lawyer a lot, but the lawyer can’t do that due to the mission.”
“…!!”
Keun Sejin observed the reactions of the members, then frowned and gave a bitter smile. He then sighed.
“Oh dear~ You all got fooled by hyung. Completely fooled.”
“…”
A moment of awkward silence fell among the members. At that moment.
“Wait a minute.” Bae Sejin said firmly with a pale face. “You’re the one who’s deceiving!”
Oh my.
I swallowed hard.
One of them is definitely trolling, right?
I could already see the viewers munching on popcorn, unable to breathe.
It was literally the beginning of chaos
these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.
Reed chapter first at Utoon.net