The faint noise was quickly drowned out by lively music.
As if nothing had happened, people resumed their playful, cheerful expressions.
Again, happiness and joy filled the air.
But not everyone felt that way.
An ominous warning had etched a tiny suspicion in their hearts.
Once a rift appears in your mind, there’s no turning back.
Among one hundred, there are those who quietly slip away, a mere one or two who harbor doubt.
The children too cast anxious glances at Red.
Red smiled and reassured them that everything was alright.
The children’s faces lit up once more.
Indeed, it’s Red!
With just a few words, she had uprooted the seeds of doubt sprouting in their hearts. It made me feel anew just what Red represented to the children.
She is indeed the infamous crime killer.
If anyone were to plot something here, it would easily be crushed by her hands.
At the moment the children turned their heads forward, Red’s smile faded.
Her gaze shifted from the initial warm atmosphere to one of alertness as she closely monitored her surroundings.
As the saying goes, “Even if it’s a stone bridge, be cautious as you cross,” being careful never hurts.
Yet it felt strange.
At this moment, there were no signs of an impending disaster here.
No sense of death, no smell of blood; none of that ominous atmosphere could be found.
Despite being called the Grim Reaper, nothing here seemed worthy of suspicion.
To me, this looked like nothing more than a very ordinary amusement park.
Of course, in a world like this, one can’t be too complacent in the face of normalcy, so like her, I too kept my doubts alive.
“Hey, sis! Look over there, there’s something amazing!”
Lena tugged at the hem of Red’s clothes, pointing to something in the distance.
[A machine that depicts the world within your imagination]
Wow…
What an intriguing machine it is.
Curiosity always blooms when encountering something mysterious.
The children eagerly begged Red to check it out.
“…Alright, let’s go.”
“““Wooaaah!!”””
The children dashed toward the attraction.
Watching their innocent backs, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Was that something I misinterpreted just now?
Right before speaking, I noticed her glancing at me subtly.
What was that about, all of a sudden?
“Come on, Lily, let’s go.”
Red took my hand and led me toward the attraction.
I found her sudden change in demeanor puzzling, but I quickly forgot and followed her lightly.
As we entered the facility, an android greeted us and began to guide us slowly.
The android explained the machine.
It stated that if you insert a hand into the input chute large enough to fit one, the machine would read your mind and depict your imagination as a drawing.
Then, a piece of paper would come out.
I didn’t believe it was 100% accurate, but it was indeed an astounding machine.
The children were fascinated and decided the order of play through rock-paper-scissors.
According to the results of rock-paper-scissors, Lena went first.
As Lena was about to insert her hand into the chute, a look of tension crossed her face.
But she mustered her courage and slid her hand in.
Beep beep—
The machine made a sound, and a moment later, a piece of paper ejected.
Everyone gathered around Lena, watching the drawing with wide eyes.
Lena’s drawing depicted a vibrant green meadow basking in clear sunshine.
The fresh atmosphere matched Lena perfectly.
Other children seemed to share my thoughts.
“It looks warm.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Next was Bada.
Bada’s drawing featured a landscape with colorful clouds and rainbows, an image befitting dreams.
It was a true reflection of Bada’s love for books.
The other children followed suit, and while the scenery varied, the overall vibe of the drawings was similar.
Bright, fresh, and incredibly rich.
“Lily, you should try it too.”
I had planned to just watch.
The children were persistently urging me to give it a go.
Reluctantly, I stood before the machine.
“I wonder how mine will turn out?”
“I’m sure it’ll be such a beautiful drawing.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Well…
I was a bit curious as well.
I didn’t fully believe it, but what would my world look like?
I put my soft hand into the input chute.
In some movies, characters have lost their wrists doing just that.
While I waited, thoughts like that swam in my mind.
[#@!$!@$!@$@!$$#@$%$^]
The machine emitted a violent sound.
For a moment, I thought it might have broken, debating whether to pull my hand out when the drawing safely emerged.
Phew.
Looks like it’s not broken.
The children gathered around to see the drawing, their mouths forming “Eh?”
The machine must be broken.
There’s no way this could come out otherwise.
Unlike the other children’s, my drawing was completely blank.
To be precise, the entire front looked as if it had been splattered with black liquid.
“What is this?”
“It’s totally black.”
“Hey, look at this, the machine must be broken, right?”
As Red took in my drawing, her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
After a brief pause.
She spoke with her usual demeanor, albeit somewhat forced.
“…I guess so. It seems the machine malfunctioned. I’ll go check on it for you.”
As she turned to explain, a fleeting moment of sadness and sympathy flickered through her eyes.
The children continued to comfort me until the facility was over.
Maybe they mistook my disappointment at not receiving a proper result for sorrow.
Even when I indicated I was fine, they didn’t stop.
Sigh.
After that, we began riding the attractions again.
Despite how much fun we were having, we grew tired from all the movement and stopped to rest on a bench.
Red sat beside me.
She handed me a synthetic ice cream, which I didn’t refuse.
I moved my mask slightly and began to lick my ice cream, relieving the fatigue in my body.
Red placed a hand on my head and gently patted it.
As I tilted my head in confusion.
Red smiled with satisfaction.
“Lily, you’re so cute! Did you dislike that?”
Hmm. It felt a bit embarrassing, but…
I just let it be.
She went through the trouble of bringing me to a place like this; it wouldn’t be polite to reject her feelings.
The gentle patting on my head made me feel at ease.
Just as I decided to get up and move again, an announcement echoed through the amusement park.
[Dear visitors of Squid Amusement Park, are you having enough fun?]
Was the speaker the park’s manager?
A youthful voice continued to speak.
[Can you feel the hot heat reaching me? Of course, you are enjoying yourselves, but, this is not the end. The most popular event at Squid Amusement Park is still to come.]
I was already having fun.
News that an even more thrilling game was prepared caused excitement and anticipation to erupt among the crowd.
[You are the luckiest people! Through this game, your lives will completely change. Everything you’ve ever known will say goodbye! The winners of the game will find people! Money! Dreams! You will gain absolute power to fulfill the desires you could never achieve in the city!]
Red’s expression hardened into a cold mask.
I also sensed something unsettling brewing in the air.
[Now, let’s begin! The game that will change your lives drastically!!!]
As the announcement ended, lights began to glow beneath the feet of the people standing around.
Geometric patterns rose, filling the entire space.
The excitement and anticipation—or perhaps confusion—on the faces of the people began to intensify.
The murmur grew louder.
In that moment, I recalled the warning the Solver had given.
Immediately after, a radiant light engulfed the entire amusement park.
*
I looked around.
After the light had engulfed us, we found ourselves transported to a strange place.
A vast plaza spacious enough to accommodate all the amusement park guests.
People started to open their eyes one by one.
Those who had opened their eyes glanced at each other, conversing about their surroundings.
Where could this be? What had happened? What sort of event was this?
Some observed with interest, some shivered in anxiety, and others wore excited expressions on their faces—all showing markedly different reactions.
The murmur began to swell.
Naturally, the children trembled in fear, prompting Red to comfort them.
How much time went by?
As complaints for an explanation started to arise, a strange sound reverberated.
Then, a great number of unidentified individuals armed with firearms and massive robots emerged, surrounding the crowd.
On a platform, individuals wearing strange masks began to appear.
To ensure everyone in the plaza could see and hear, a large hologram illuminated from above the stage.
As the person in the black mask began to speak, a deep and distorted voice filled the plaza.
[You are now participants in the game prepared by Squid Amusement Park.]
The speaker elaborated the current situation and the game’s rules as if reciting a script.
To summarize simply, it goes like this:
Firstly, participants must join all the games organized by the hosts.
Secondly, only those who pass all games can leave this place.
Thirdly, the last survivor will receive a tremendous reward.
The people became even more flustered.
Chaotic voices grew louder, with some protesting being forced to participate without consent.
“Why should we follow what they say!”
“Yeah! I’m not playing any games!”
“Just let us go already!”
As someone suggested rebelling against the situation, everyone seemed to find the courage to raise their voices.
Given this many people, I thought they might overthrow this game board.
Despite the crowd’s harsh protest, the masked figures on stage remained unfazed.
On the contrary.
[You do not have the right to refuse the game.]
Just when people were about to explode with anger and rush at the masked individuals, the one in the black mask raised a hand, and immediately afterward, shots were fired into the air.
Those ready to charge froze at the sound.
Seeing the weapons and giant robots aimed at the crowd, the prior momentum swiftly dissipated, and everyone fell quiet.
Most individuals present were civilians unable to overpower that number.
It seemed that a few Solvers might be mixed in the crowd, but they appeared to be merely watching the situation unfold.
Once silence descended, the masked figure continued speaking.
[Please look at the ceiling. The prize for the winner who passes all events.]
All eyes turned to the ceiling.
There was a giant money vault overhead.
As it filled with money, people’s expressions changed dramatically.
[Additionally, as participants decrease, the prize amount will increase.]
At that remark, the glint of greed ignited in everyone’s eyes.
“This looks dangerous.”
I agreed with Red’s words.
From those who had just been dissatisfied with this place, I could almost hear their minds racing with thoughts on how to get their hands on that money.
“I must go. Kids, stay put for a bit. You have to be quiet until I return.”
The children nodded.
Red took her leave.
[Now then, the first…]
The moment the masked figure spoke, their head exploded.
Not brain matter, but mechanical parts scattered into the air.
Before long, a woman with red hair wearing a black coat stood on the platform.
The masked individuals and giant robots charged at Red, but they were all easily shattered in return.
Not a single bullet could mar Red’s body.
Alone on the platform, Red approached the microphone and began to speak.
She introduced herself and declared her intention to resolve the situation directly.
Then she warned everyone.
[From now on, everyone here must not do anything. If you obey their words, you will die by my hands.]
Some stubbornly clung to their greed and cautiously voiced dissent, attempting to play on the crowd’s psychology.
“Silence.”
Just one word was enough to hush them all.
The greed rising in people’s hearts was completely crushed by the overwhelming pressure emanating from Red.
She was indeed remarkable.
Inwardly, I applauded her bold actions.
There was no need to participate in the game to win.
Instead, participating and winning is a form of defeat.
If one truly wishes to win in this game, if they want to defeat the one who orchestrated this scheme,
we must overthrow the game board itself.
It would normally be nearly impossible to achieve.
However, with Red around, it’s more than sufficient.
You go topple the game board.
I will remain here to eliminate the malice surrounding us while you resolve the situation.
I was not expecting squid game… “I’VE PLAYED THESE GAMES BEFORE!!”