Chapter 6: Project Selection

“Damn it, what the hell are you guys doing?”

“The mission’s over! Move aside!”

The people crushed under the screen started shouting one by one.

The three of us had come down as soon as the mission completion notification appeared, but there were still people climbing on top of the screen.

— Flutter!

“Ha, I thought I was gonna suffocate and die!”

“What are you people? You almost broke my back! Want to die?!”

There were three who followed us up: two cleaning ladies and a security guard.

“Ah, no, we just followed along! Right, Ms. Kim?”

“That’s right! Those young folks went first... Wait, where did they go already?”

Just as the curly-haired lady tried to point at us,

I quickly grabbed Jieun and Jae-hyeok and slipped into the crowd.

There was no reason to stand out.

More importantly, right now…

“We need to observe the people.”

I whispered quietly so only the two of them could hear.

Although the mission was over, the people near the safe zone still stood cautiously, eyeing each other.

I still didn’t know what the ‘project’ was, but we’d have to either cooperate or compete with these people gathered here.

“Let’s find someone worth teaming up with.”

“Got it!”

“Understood.”

‘And also those who might become future rivals.’

I swallowed the last thought. No need to share everything.

It’s easier on the kind two if they see others as potential allies rather than enemies to fight.

“By the way, what do you think this ‘project’ is?”

Jieun shook her short, freshly cut hair over her shoulder and asked.

“They said ‘project selection.’ Probably trying to pick out who survives from among us again.”

Selection (選別).

The act of picking out the outstanding or those with certain traits from the many.

It meant leaving behind only those who fit the system’s taste.

‘I have to find out what kind of people it wants.’

At that moment, a system message sounded,

— Kugu-gu-gu-gung!

The ground trembled,

[Huh?]

and a girl with twin tails suddenly dropped from the sky.

[Sixteen? Why are so many left here?]

She looked about ten years old.

Dressed in a white lace-trimmed dress with tiny red shoes—a very ordinary little lady.

Except for the fact she was floating in midair.

“She’s flying?!”

“Wh-who are you?”

Several people shouted at the girl with shocked expressions.

But the girl, arms crossed, lowered her eyes and glanced over the crowd before lazily uttering a name.

[Harona (訶魯那).]

This girl was the ‘Administrator.’

No introductions, no explanations, but it was clear.

[Hmm-]

Her gaze wandered here and there, landing on the screen we had knocked down.

Since they had covered the already full safe zone with a screen and climbed on top, it seemed more people survived than planned.

[Smart move. Who are you?]

The girl raised her chin and smirked sullenly.

Jae-hyeok and I looked back and forth at her but shook our heads.

In a situation like this, better to be cautious.

“That’s Chon, I was—”

One of the ladies who had followed me forward stepped up tentatively, maybe expecting something.

“?!”

“Why are you stepping forward!”

Her two companions hurriedly stopped her, but all eyes were already on them.

The girl’s expression visibly hardened.

Realizing she’d said something wrong, the lady quickly clammed up, but the girl had long since floated above their heads.

[Is it you?]

“Uh, well, actually, I’m not, it’s just that—”

The lady waved her hands, babbling nervously.

It was only natural to panic when a girl young enough to be her granddaughter floated overhead and flicked her fingers impatiently.

Even I trembled at the oppressive aura radiating from such a small figure.

[You’re not?]

The atmosphere froze rapidly.

Not just in my imagination—the girl sighed, and an icy chill ran through the air.

[Then why step forward? Why?]

“W-well…”

The girl crossed her arms and tapped her fingers as she spoke in a cold tone.

The lady’s eyes widened, her lips moving silently.

[Ah, fine, fine.]

The girl shook her head like she was annoyed and pointed her index finger at the lady.

Then, flicking it quickly,

— Squeak.

a shining line traced along her index finger.

From the lady’s left arm to her right shoulder, diagonally.

“...!”

And the lady’s head was cleanly sliced along that line.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The hair on her shoulder fell to the ground with a thud.

Her left arm, now severed below the elbow, thudded down.

Finally, the headless body collapsed with another thud.

[So, I have to identify the targets first.]

Turning to the pale crowd, the girl continued as if nothing had happened.

The lady’s body, now divided into three parts, flickered briefly and then vanished.

[Sixteen minus one, that makes fifteen, right?]

‘Minus one?’

That was all it took. To the author.

I bit my lower lip but couldn’t step forward.

‘Not yet. The power gap is too big.’

[The company’s policy is to interview one by one, but I’m a bit busy.]

‘Company?’

What were they trying to figure out?

The abilities they sought to assess likely wouldn’t differ much from the project’s survival criteria.

I needed a hint about what this system wanted—from this tiny Administrator.

[Now, from among you—]

‘What is it? Strength? Intelligence? Leadership?’

[Athlete, raise your hand?]

Athlete?

Surprised by the unexpected question, people looked around, but no one raised their hand.

Even if there really was an athlete, everyone was too frozen to step up.

[None, right? Then entertainers? Singers, actors, whatever.]

The system seemed to be checking for ordinary specs—none of which applied to me.

[Last, anyone with some global achievements? An artist who made a huge masterpiece?]

The scale was a bit grandiose.

“Um... do YouTubers count?”

[What’s that?]

“...Ah, never mind.”

[Say one more stupid thing and I’ll tear your mouth.]

After a man bravely raised his hand and then immediately covered his mouth in shock, no one else spoke.

[Yeah, I didn’t think so. Okay, I’ll just sweep through all at once... no, I’ll speed things up. The floor’s nice and smooth...]

‘Floor?’

The girl muttered something unintelligible and snapped her fingers alone.

[Ah! Orientation rewards will be distributed all at once. Normally, they’d be handed out based on traits... but I’m lazy, so I’ll just randomize it.]

[No questions, right?]

That last remark was just a formality.

No one had time to ask before she vanished.

[Project ‘Selection,’ first mission activated.]

[By Administrator’s authority, the ‘arena’ is now open.]

“Damn...”

“What’s going on here?”

Though the mission activation notice had sounded, there was no time limit, no map, no safe zone.

Even after searching the exhibition hall, slightly smaller than an elementary school playground, nothing special was found.

‘There must be a hidden clue.’

Glass display cases filled with various figures and tables.

Chairs and benches arranged for rest.

Had I missed something?

— Slap!

At that moment, a woman in a suit slapped the arm of the man standing beside her.

“Why did you bring up YouTubers?”

The man was the only one who had spoken earlier.

“They’re similar to entertainers. I was hoping maybe they’d be spared…”

“What about me, then?”

The woman narrowed her eyes sharply at his response.

She seemed to be trying to calm him down, suggesting they were a couple.

“Those two are our company employees. Recruitment and training teams.”

“Workplace couple, huh.”

“Yes. They said they kept it secret, but everyone already knew.”

I ignored Jieun’s words and thought,

‘I need to know what kind of mission this is to prepare.’

If it was still a speed contest involving some fighting power, agility seemed best.

But the ‘arena’ announcement still bothered me.

If I knew the mission, I could prepare.

‘Should I try to secure something safe beforehand? Since it could start anytime.’

“Mission rewards.”

[Orientation completion grants a level upgrade.]

[Mission reward: 1 point and a ‘random box for newcomers’ have been granted.]

“One point? Random box?”

The reward system had changed.

And suddenly, a strange random box appeared in front of us.

— Pong!

‘Should I open it?’

A red box, about the size of a forearm, tied with a golden ribbon.

It tilted side to side at hand-reach height.

When I reached out, it bounced lightly as if urging me to untie it quickly.

“What’s that?”

“Gift box?”

With a cheerful pong!, the box’s appearance silenced the exhibition hall for a moment.

The bickering couple, the bewildered people—all pricked their ears.

‘...Wait.’

Suspicious it might be a trap, I quickly withdrew my hand.

“Mission reward. It’s a random box. Maybe it contains a useful item...”

Before I could finish the sentence, shouts of “Mission reward!” erupted everywhere.

“Me too! I want a random box!”

“Mission reward!”

Red boxes appeared in various spots, and people swallowed nervously as they untied the ribbons.

The first reward revealed amid a mix of anticipation and tension.

“Holy crap! Min-jeong!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-this, this, this...!”

The YouTuber called desperately for his girlfriend.

His eyes wide, mouth agape.

“How much is all this?! No way...!”

The woman’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed a bundle of yellow bills.

One, two, three, four...

Stacks of bright yellow bills so thick she couldn’t hold them both hands.

Enough to fill an arm-sized box.

“Oppa! How much is one bundle?”

“Ninety-nine... a hundred! One hundred bills! Five million won!”

“Damn... There must be a hundred bundles? So... five hundred million?!”

Five hundred million won.

Enough to buy an apartment outside Seoul at least.

‘…That was until this morning.’

I didn’t know the exact situation outside, but if it was anything like here, society as we knew it had collapsed.

Whether currency still held value, or if the old world’s money was even usable, was uncertain.

In the worst case, the box full of fifty-thousand won bills might be less useful than bread scraps.

‘Better as kindling.’

From the box held by the woman called Min-jeong, a luxury handbag appeared.

I turned away without regret from the two.

‘Priority one is armor, priority two is weapons.’

Armor would likely be more efficient than unfamiliar weapons.

Judging by the company the Administrator belonged to, there were many who could snap a person in two with a flick of a finger.

‘Please, give me something useful!’

Having missed three rewards while fixing my injured leg, I needed a good catch.

— Sreek.

I grabbed the wavering golden ribbon with all my desperation and pulled.

The wrapping loosened with a soft sound.

Bright light soon filled my vision.

[You have received the ‘Random Box for Newcomers.’]

[Congratulations!]