Episode 126
126. Unmanned cafe
Late night.
Ryumin’s gaze was directed towards the abandoned warehouse.
From time to time, horrifying screams were heard from inside, but Ryumin laughed.
Because they were trash that deserved to die.
‘You got the location right. ‘This is the perfect place for a waste incinerator.’
The surrounding area is full of mountains and there are few people, making it ideal for removing corpses.
Moreover, there is a cleaning lady who listens well.
‘Honestly, I doubted whether Ma Gyeong-rok would listen to my request, but I never thought he would do as I wanted so well… … .’
Ryu Min asked Ma Gyeong-rok to clean up the trash.
Taking the risk of revealing that you know his secret.
‘It was a kind of game. As long as the secret was revealed, it wasn’t strange if they showed hostility at any time.’
If necessary, I even thought about fighting Ma Gyeong-rok.
No matter how much human waste is provided to supply dark magic, no one will be happy that the secrets they have hidden their whole life are exposed.
That’s why I went with the regular method instead.
Since there must have been many people who treated Ma Gyeong-rok in a pretentious way, wouldn’t it work if we did the opposite? That was the calculation.
‘But I never thought that would work. Opening your heart and speaking honestly was a godsend. Strictly speaking, I was just pretending to open my mind.’
I was glad that things went smoothly.
‘Well, it wouldn’t be a loss-making business for Ma Gyeong-rok either.’
Even if I couldn’t win Haengyeo or Ma Gyeong-rok’s heart, I was confident that it would be resolved.
Since you can see the future 7 seconds in advance, you can always change it for the better.
If things didn’t work out, I might have fought Ma Kyung-rok.
‘Anyway, this solves the problem of trash cleaning.’
Ryumin immediately turned around.
The screams became longer, as if they were not being killed gracefully, but I didn’t bother to go inside.
No matter how much of a secret he shared, he had no intention of interfering with Ma Gyeong-rok’s secret meal.
Just hearing the screams is enough for now.
‘Five people each, divided into morning, afternoon, evening, and dawn. Since we decided to serve 20 people a day, Magyeongrok will be able to gather enough dark magic power.’
There are 28 days left until round 9.
Even if you lure and kill them for 28 days, you can only clean up 560 people, but there is nothing you can do about it.
‘Anything more than that is dangerous.’
Ma Gyeong-rok also felt that excessive eating would be burdensome, so we agreed to that level.
‘What should we do with the remaining 471 people?’ … .’
Half of them will disappear in the next round anyway.
If you want to kill it, it would be better to at least rip off the item and kill it.
‘Should I take care of the guys that Ma Gyeong-rok couldn’t handle?’
With that thought in mind, Ryu Min returned home and picked up his cell phone.
While looking at the murder list sent by Yamti to see who should be killed, I saw a familiar name.
‘this person is… … ?’
On a quiet night, Ryumin’s eyes shone coolly.
* * *
Summer in August.
It has been eight months since the world began to fall apart.
A lot has happened in this short period of time.
Not only did the economy shake and a financial crisis occur, but the stock prices of all stocks fell to the bottom.
This is a natural result since most people in their 20s, who accounted for a large part of economic activity, have died.
The store owners quickly replaced them with people in their 30s, but the reality is that there is a shortage of workers and customers.
Nowadays, you can get a part-time job right away by sending a text message.
As a result, unmanned convenience stores as well as unmanned cafes are growing explosively.
This cafe that Seo A-rin and Hong Seon-a stopped by also had an unmanned system.
“Come on, Arin. Two extra shots of caramel macchiato, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“The world has become so much better. “You can also use the cafe unmanned.”
“You too. “If anyone hears it, they’ll think I’m an 80-year-old man.”
Seo A-rin smiled.
I haven’t had anything to laugh about these days.
To the point where I felt happy to be outside and chatting peacefully with my fellow actors like this.
The world has changed so much.
Hell wasn’t far away.
It was nearby.
“Now that I think about it, our main fan base is now in their 30s. “Most people in their 20s are dead.”
“ah… … “He’s suddenly saying something depressing.”
Seo A-rin hoped again and again.
May the reality you find yourself in be a lie.
I hope that survival games where you have to kill and die are all dreams.
“I still think about it when I come back from a round. Couldn’t all of this be a dream? “Wouldn’t my close co-stars contact me again with a smile?”
Seo Ah-rin was sincere when it came to acting.
He loved his job and enjoyed the chemistry with the actors.
Luckily, after meeting Ma Gyeong-rok, I was able to receive support in many ways and was successful.
successful life.
But that life no longer exists.
Like most professions today, the entertainment industry was also in decline.
As the mood suddenly dropped, Hong Seon-ah apologized.
“sorry. “I brought up a depressing story.”
“no. “This is reality.”
“Are you tired? Would you like to learn how to smoke now? “Shall we have a cigarette?”
“Haha, thanks to you, I’m smiling.”
I laughed off the joke and drank down my caramel macchiato.
I felt much better when I put something sweet in my mouth.
“But we’re a little better. Because I survived. “Because he’s a player.”
“I see.”
“I’m still shocked that Senior Gung passed away. Who would have thought you would die in the first round? “That too from a man.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female because the stats are the same.”
“Well, there’s no point in middle school students demonstrating the same power as adults. “If I think about it now, goblins are a piece of shit, right?”
Seo Ah-rin was scolded when a curse word came out of her fellow actor’s mouth.
“Even if no one is there, speak carefully.”
“What do you think? Isn’t this my charm? “I don’t know about the fans.”
Hong Seon-ah smiled brightly and raised her sassy nose.
Even though it was an unmanned cafe, there was no one else around except them.
“There are advantages like this because there are no people. “You can go outside without having to cover your face.”
“Instead, profits also decreased.”
“yes. But would profit be a problem in this situation? Surviving right now is the top priority.”
Since it wasn’t wrong, Seo A-rin listened quietly.
What could be more important than survival in this situation?
“I like you Arin. “It’s a good job for survival.”
“Ah, you mean the summoned beasts?”
“okay. From what you said, it’s a completely fraudulent job. The golem gives me strength, and the fairy puts up a protective shield. A fairy over level 20 even helps in battle? How good is it to do everything for you like a slave? “I’m jealous, I’m jealous.”
“Your job is not easy.”
“me? no. It only deals a little damage, but it turns out that assassin is a common job. “There is a skill called invisibility, but it is useless.”
“why? “You can use it during battle, right?”
“That’s right. But not so good when fighting. One attack and it goes away. The cooldown is also long. “It’s just something to use for survival in times of danger.”
“Then that’s good. “Is there anything more important than survival?”
“yes. But in reality, there aren’t many dangerous things, right? It was difficult to use. “It’s not that I’m a voyeur, but it’s useless to rob a bank these days because there are measures in place.”
“… … .”
“Isn’t it written that this cafe only accepts card payments? “I guess they’re scared that players might just steal their money.”
“Seonaya. “You haven’t really thought about it seriously, have you?”
“Am I stupid? I wonder if you had such a ridiculous idea? Anyway, you can’t tell the difference between a joke and a serious one?”
Although Seo A-rin scolded her, she just smiled.
Considering the friendship we had made through filming several works together, it was nice to even chat like this.
He was also the only surviving actor friend.
“But aren’t we really great? “You survive until the 8th round.”
“yes.”
“I heard there are only a handful of people who have survived in the entertainment industry so far?”
“Did that many people die?”
“then! You still don’t know much, do you? Most seniors, juniors, singers, and idols are all dead. “I guess 70% of celebrities are dead?”
“no way. I never thought it would be that much… … .”
“He was paying his respects like crazy and was really out of his mind.”
Hong Seon-ah clicked her tongue.
“Do you even know that? “Did our ransom price go up so much?”
“huh? “The ransom price is rising?”
It is a fact that the entertainment industry, which consists of many people in their 20s, is destined to fail.
But what about the players who survived?
Rather, as a small elite group of celebrities, they dominate the public’s popularity.
That is the current state of the entertainment industry, where a cataclysm has occurred.
When Hong Seon-ah told the truth, Seo A-rin looked like she was hearing this for the first time.
“Our price has gone up and we’ve become more famous than before?”
“You really don’t know? “Have you tried searching your name on the Internet?”
“I’m not good at ego searching… … .”
“Try it now.”
Seo A-rin thought she was being fooled and typed her name into the search bar.
Then, without even realizing it, I made a stupid sound.
“uh?”
There were more articles than I expected.
[What is the list of celebrities in their 20s who survived the 8th round? A total of 19 people, including Seo A-rin, Hong Seon-ah, Koo Yeon-seung, and Jang Bok-chul!]
[Celebrity players such as Seo A-rin and Hong Seon-ah, who have established themselves as leading stars in a gloomy situation! Inquiries from advertisers are pouring in.]
[Jang Bok-chul, who has appeared as an extra for 10 years, has emerged as a shining star following Seo A-rin… … .]
[Jang Bok-chul, who gained fame as an unknown actor, says his ideal type is Seo A-rin. A surprising confession.]
[For Seo A-rin and other players who survived the 8th round, the overall advertising price increased by 2.8 times compared to before.]
These are the articles that come up when you search for Seo A-rin’s name.
Seo A-rin’s eyes became a surprised rabbit’s eyes, as if she didn’t know her name was being mentioned so many times.
“W-what is this? “When did my ransom price go up again?”
“Because the number of celebrities has decreased, advertising revenue has increased and prices have risen. “The girl named Jang Bok-chul in the article was an unknown actress, but she survived this 8th round and is gaining recognition with great momentum.”
“… … .”
“And yet you had no idea it was like this? “Are you lying just to make fun of me?”
Seo A-rin was genuinely embarrassed and waved her hands.
“Oh, no. I really didn’t know. I haven’t been on the internet for a while, let alone search for names… … .”
“Even if you don’t use the Internet, your manager or someone from the company would have told you.”
“manager… … ?”
Seo A-rin thought of Ahn Sang-cheol and shook her head.
“You didn’t say anything to me… … .”
“There are so many articles, but you haven’t heard anything? “Who is the CEO of your agency?”
Although it is not an official agency, the representative of the company that provides support is Ma Gyeong-rok… … .
I also never heard anything.
Seo A-rin shook her head with a bitter expression.
“No one told me. “What is the situation now?”
“Ha, does this make sense? “Celebrities don’t even know that their prices have risen.”
Seo A-rin looked at Hong Seon-ah, who was sighing.
It looks like he’s smiling, but is it because of his mood?
“I need to get rid of your company quickly. They’re such f*cking guys, aren’t they? “The information was completely hidden in order to steal the down payment.”
“… … .”
“The ransom article first appeared three months ago. So, how is that possible? I knew about it for at least three months but kept my mouth shut.”
“Why should I say this, but… … You didn’t say anything either. “We hadn’t even contacted each other for a few months, and then he suddenly did it today.”
“hey! Of course I thought you knew! Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t read articles on the Internet? “And a celebrity too!”
Seo A-rin became completely dumb.
I brought it up for no reason, but I couldn’t even get my head around it.
“It was because I was busy. As you know, the world is so scary that I’m trying to avoid all contact for a while… … .”
“Ugh, really! “Dang-cheong, dang-cheong!”
Hong Seon-ah, who had been harsh without hesitation, spoke patronizingly.
“Don’t do that, come to our company. How good is our CEO? Arin would be treated well by you. “He has some reputation among new actors.”
“no. it’s okay. Why should I move now? “There is still time left on the contract.”
“You cancel the contract. Shall we talk to our representative? “If it were you, you probably would have paid the penalty as well?”
“It’s okay, I don’t want to move around like a migratory bird.”
Hong Seon-ah’s eyes turned cold for a moment.
“Are you telling me to listen?”
“huh? what?”
“no. Anyway, it’s a shame. “It would be nice to work at the same company.”
“What is there to do? Celebrity life is over now. I’m not sure if I’ll survive the next round, but there’s no way I’ll be able to do anything long-term, be it drama or anything… … .”
“He only knows one thing and doesn’t know the other? Why is there no work? Just by winning a good advertisement, you can earn 10 years worth of salary as an ordinary office worker. Is it just an advertisement? Even if you can’t film a drama or movie, you can appear in entertainment or various programs.”
When I heard it, it made sense.
“But your company has even blocked all such work? “You really haven’t worked properly since the Cataclysm?”
Seo A-rin nodded cautiously.
I’m afraid I’ll get scolded for no reason.
“Yes… … .”
Sure enough, Hong Seon-ah tapped her forehead.
“It really isn’t a good place to work. Why go into such a stupid place… … .”
“Seonaya. Anyway, the words are too harsh… … .”
“let’s go!”
“huh?”
Suddenly, Hong Seon-ah stood up and grabbed Seo A-rin’s wrist.
“There’s someone I can introduce to you, so let’s go.”
“who?”
“there is! Someone who will save you from death!”
