"Number 123 and 357, welcome to the final game," said the masked man.
The door in front of them opened.
What appeared before them looked like a staircase leading straight to heaven.
As the masked man led them forward, he explained, "The sixth and final game is The Floor is Lava."
From the viewing gallery, one VIP exclaimed:"The floor is lava! That was my favorite game to play when I was a child!"
The masked man continued:"Here are the rules of The Floor is Lava.The first player to reach the top platform wins. A player who pushes their opponent into the lava wins.Of course, it's not real lava. We're using water instead. The water level will continue to rise after the game begins. If one player enters a state in which they can no longer continue, the other wins."
Jeong-hyuk asked emotionlessly:"What do you mean by a state where the player can't continue?"
The masked man replied:"It means the player has died."
The two looked at each other.
"Now, the game begins."
Ki-hyun immediately shoved Jeong-hyuk and bolted forward. Jeong-hyuk quickly got up, tackled him to the stairs, and rushed ahead. Halfway up, Ki-hyun leapt forward, grabbed Jeong-hyuk's leg, and stabbed him in the thigh with a knife from his pocket. In pain, Jeong-hyuk kicked him off. Ki-hyun tumbled down the stairs but managed to grab the side railing.
The VIPs watched with delight.
Jeong-hyuk, gritting his teeth through the pain, continued climbing. Ki-hyun charged again, aiming for his waist with another stab. Jeong-hyuk dodged it and retaliated, slashing Ki-hyun's face.
Ki-hyun stabbed again; Jeong-hyuk dodged. Ki-hyun's knife got stuck in the stairs. Jeong-hyuk punched him and shoved him off. Ki-hyun clung to the edge.
Getting back up, he landed punch after punch on Jeong-hyuk's face. Jeong-hyuk, exhausted, couldn't fight back and was beaten helplessly.
Ki-hyun paused:"I never wanted to kill anyone. But for money... I had no choice."
With that, he walked away.
A VIP said:"It seems like it's almost over."
Another added:"Almost there."
Just a short stretch left. Ki-hyun looked down at the rising water. His body trembled with weakness as he climbed. Just before reaching the platform, Jeong-hyuk leaped behind him, locked his arms around his neck, and said:
"Thank you... for not killing me just now."
Then Jeong-hyuk dragged them both down. At the last second, he let go, and Ki-hyun plunged into the water while Jeong-hyuk barely grabbed the ledge.
Jeong-hyuk climbed onto the platform and collapsed in exhaustion.
Ki-hyun thrashed in the water, gasping:"You... win."
A gunshot rang out — BANG.
"Number 123 eliminated."
A VIP clapped,"It was truly a thrilling and exhilarating showdown. Exciting and thrilling!"
On the central monitor, only Jeong-hyuk's photo remained. The dorm display showed: "1 Player" — "45.6 billion". The piggy bank sat in the center of the room. The VIPs began to leave.
Cut to, Jeong-hyuk in a car, being escorted away.
The Host said:"Congratulations on your victory. That was an excellent match."
Jeong-hyuk asked:"Why… why do you do something this inhumane?"
The Host replied:"You know horse racing, right? You're the horses. Just like those on the racetrack. Frankly, I didn't expect you to make it this far. Just treat it like a dream. Not exactly a nightmare, is it?"
Then he released a puff of gas.
Jeong-hyuk lost consciousness again.
Back in the outside world, he was dumped at the roadside.
Later, Jeong-hyuk pulled a debit card from his mouth and went to the bank. He entered his password: 0357. The machine spat out cash. The screen displayed: 45,599,990,000.
He returned home and collapsed on his bed.
The next morning.
He microwaved some leftover food and turned on the TV, blankly watching the news.
The news reported a mother's suicide, driven mad by her child's disappearance.
Jeong-hyuk suddenly thought of Il-hoon.
He turned on his computer and looked up Il-hoon's personal info. He found his father's number and made the call.
"Hello, who is this?" came the voice.
"Are you Il-hoon's father?" Jeong-hyuk asked.
On the other end, the father's pupils widened in shock.
Soon after, they met at a café.
The father, anxious, asked,"My son… do you know where he is?"
Jeong-hyuk didn't answer.
He simply handed him a box,"Il-hoon asked me to give this to you."
Then he turned and walked away.
The father opened the box. It was packed with money. He looked up, stunned, watching Jeong-hyuk walk away.
One month later.
Jeong-hyuk had paid off all his debts and returned to writing.
He turned everything he experienced into a novel.
The book became a bestseller. He made a fortune — but he felt no joy.
Staring at the piles of money he once desperately craved, his heart filled with sorrow.
One day, like usual, he headed to the subway. There, he noticed a well-dressed man slapping another person while playing the flipping card game.
He rushed over, but the suited man had already boarded the train. Jeong-hyuk snatched the card from the other player's hand.
That night, he stared at the card, unable to sleep.
He dialed the number.
A voice answered:"Do you want to participate in the game? If so, state your name and date of birth."
"Lee Jeong-hyuk. October 29, 1996."
The voice replied:"Number 357, don't do anything foolish. Take your money and live a good life. That's your right path."
Jeong-hyuk hung up.
A drop of blood hit the bathroom floor.
———————THE END———————