Chapter 16. CCTV evidence!
That evening, after another failed day, Shin dragged himself back to the hideout. He felt like shit. He had nothing to show for his efforts, and now he was ready to finally confess to Suzune and Elena what his quest really required—something near impossible.
And even if he did complete it, it wouldn't be enough to level up since it's reward offered him less than a 100XP.
He was probably going to die in the next Elimination Round.
So tonight, he just wanted one thing: to sit with them. Talk. Laugh. Eat. Pretend—for one fleeting moment that nothing wrong was coming ahead.
But the worst wasn't waiting for him the next day when the Elimination Round begins.
It was waiting for him at home right at this very moment.
As Shin pushed open the creaky door of their hideout, an acrid metallic scent of blood hit him like a wall.
His pulse instantly quickened.
He took a cautious step inside, his boots sticking slightly to the floor. Something was wrong. Dread clawed at his throat.
Then he saw it.
His breath caught. The air disappeared from his lungs. And for a split second, his heart simply... stopped.