“Why bind an NPC right at the start?” the [Fire Queen] questioned, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
Su Shisan answered smoothly, like she’d done this a hundred times before.
“We’re prisoners. I believe the person responsible for unlocking doors is the most important to us.”
“Sure, we might meet higher-ranked officers later, but those who are truly useful are probably tied to the main storyline. Anyone else might be less helpful than the one I’ve already bound.”
Her words clearly hit the mark. The [Fire Queen] dropped her suspicion instantly.
She was the impulsive type and actually appreciated how Su Shisan didn’t hesitate to use her skill right out of the gate.
“Early use means early cooldown. Since you’ve already activated it, we don’t have to waste time figuring out how to get out of here,” she said briskly.
“Have him unlock the door for us. And while he’s at it, send him out to scout and map the place—especially the open areas. There might be an exit out there.”
“I’m afraid that won’t work,” [Blackback] shook his head, shutting down the plan.
“I checked when we arrived—this whole place is under heavy surveillance. Even with my Eagle Eye, I could barely find a few blind spots.”
Still, perhaps wanting to prove his worth, he offered an alternative.
“I’ve got an invisibility item. Anyone in physical contact with me can turn invisible too.”
Su Shisan’s eyes widened. So that’s why [Sparta] was still uneasy despite this being a high-security sky prison. These players might not have powerful innate skills, but their items?
Definitely real and useful.
Even B-rank players would kill for an item like that. [Blackback] gave a smug little smile.
“But since you all don’t trust me, I guess you wouldn’t dare trust this item either, right?”
“Come on, don’t be like that!” Everyone instantly did a 180, showing textbook-level flexibility. “Of course we trust you!”
“Tch.” The [Fire Queen] scoffed, folding her arms with disdain.
“Do whatever you want. Once we’re out, I’m going solo. Stay out of my way.”
Taking her cue, [About to Die] raised his hand cheerfully.
“I’d like to go solo too. This way, you won’t have to worry about me being a mole leaking your movements.”
He’d kept quiet earlier, afraid that his desire to go off alone might draw suspicion. After all, these were all B-rank players—if they thought someone was shady, they wouldn’t hesitate to take them out.
He had no intention of dying before even exploring the dungeon.
But now that someone else had made the first move, he could speak up without drawing unwanted attention.
“I’ll stay in the cell,” said the blond-haired boy, raising his hand. His name was [Heaven Above], and his ability let his soul leave his body and take on a semi-physical form.
He dared to remain behind because of another player, [Old Qian], whose skill allowed him to identify safe zones within a dungeon.
This prison cell was confirmed as a “safe room”—at least for the first two days. In tougher dungeons, safe rooms were a common feature, and usually, players were secure inside them.
[Lord] glanced at them, brows furrowed, but then softened her tone.
“That’s fine. Just make sure to share any clues you find. Let’s keep communication open.”
She wasn’t thrilled about people going rogue, but she also understood the importance of uniting all usable forces.
Not long after, the guard [Sparta] had assigned to Su Shisan arrived. He respectfully opened the cell door.
“Master, I’ve acquired the key.”
Su Shisan cast a quick glance at the group eyeing her, then asked calmly, “When do room inspections happen?”
They didn’t have the means to escape just yet.
They had to stay here for three days, and if they got caught trying to break out on the first day, the whole experience would go from ‘exploration game’ to ‘hell-mode manhunt.’
The guard understood and answered thoroughly.
“Death row inmates get yard time at 8 a.m., then lunch at noon. Room checks are at 10 p.m.”
They had arrived at 2 p.m.—perfect timing to begin exploration.
Su Shisan nodded and turned to the others.
“Any other questions?”
“Can you give us a reason to roam freely around the prison?”
[Lord] asked instantly, clearly having thought of this earlier.
Unfortunately, the guard shook his head.
“If you weren’t death row inmates, maybe. But since you are…”
They were scheduled to be executed in three days. No way the prison would let them casually stroll around.
[Time is Short] nudged [Fire Queen], and the two exchanged a glance before [Fire Queen] asked, “How many levels are in the prison? What floor are we on? Which floor has the most guards?”
“There are five floors in total. You’re on basement level two. The top floor has the most guards.”
One by one, the group asked questions related to the prison. Su Shisan only half-listened, her mind focused on [Sparta]’s first move.
He already knew she’d help players escape, so he must’ve set traps in advance. If all went to plan, a few of them were bound to die.
Just as Su Shisan expected, [Sparta] had prepared plenty of “surprises.”
“Damn! Where did the lasers come from?!”
[Sheets & Covers] was gasping, clutching his chest—he’d narrowly dodged death.
They looked up and saw the stairwell crawling with crisscrossing red laser beams. The moment someone stepped on the stairs, the defense system activated.
The stairs were narrow, the lasers dense, and worst of all—they had to hold hands to stay out of the security cameras’ view.
Looking at the situation, [Blackback] spoke with zero sympathy. “Maybe it’s best if we all just go our own ways.”
He could dodge both surveillance and lasers easily using his skills and items. Originally, he’d offered to help to prove he wasn’t the mole—but now, taking others along was just a burden.
[Lord] scowled. While she hadn’t insisted everyone stick together, being forced to split up so early was still unexpected.
After a brief pause, she nodded. “Fine. Everyone goes solo. That way, no mole can track our movements.”
Normally, pairing up would be safer. A mole wouldn’t want to expose themselves by letting a teammate die.
But this was a B-rank dungeon—no one had the power to guarantee survival for themselves or others. Soloing was the lesser evil.
“I agree,” [Blackback] said.
“If anyone’s seen following another person—clearly the mole.”
Su Shisan kept her head low, pretending to be worried. But behind the veil of her long lashes, her eyes sparkled.
Originally, she only planned to nudge the group toward harder paths like [Sparta] asked. But now? Now they’d chosen to split up on their own.
And everybody knows—splitting up is horror 101. That’s when the monster picks them off one by one.
Too good an opportunity to pass up.
“Shisan? Why are you back?” [Heaven Above] looked shocked when the cell door creaked open again.
Su Shisan’s face lit up with delight.
“There’s a small tunnel near the stairwell—[Blackback] found it. Might lead underground, but it’s too narrow for us. [Lord] asked me to see if your spirit form can squeeze through.”
That quickly? [Heaven Above] brightened.
“How small is it?”
“About this big…” Su Shisan gestured vaguely, then added with a huff, “Forget it, go see for yourself. Everyone’s still waiting.”
Slightly cautious, [Heaven Above] walked to the door and peeked into the corridor. When he spotted a few familiar figures in the distance, he finally let down his guard and stepped out.
Su Shisan handed him a handkerchief.
“Wipe the dust off your nose.”
“You girls are always neat freaks.” Not suspecting a thing, he took the handkerchief and wiped his face.
The next second, a wave of drowsiness hit him like a truck. His knees buckled.
“Crap… I’ve been tricked…” That was [Heaven Above]’s last thought before blacking out.
Su Shisan caught his collapsing body and, checking that the others were still out of view, calmly drew her dagger—and claimed her first kill.
She had been the first to leave earlier. But instead of going far, she’d doubled back through a hidden passage.
No one would expect she’d strike so close, right under their noses.
After wiping the blood from her blade, she laid his body neatly on the bed, staging it as though he’d been killed in his sleep.
If this could mislead players into thinking [Old Qian] was wrong—that the cell wasn’t a safe zone—it would be a huge win.
With that done, she slipped away, ready for the next step.
[Heaven Above] had been easy. The others wouldn’t be. They all knew the risks of going solo, and were on high alert.
Worse, B-rank players weren’t pushovers—and many had powerful survival tools.
But that was fine. Su Shisan had plenty of experience picking people off one by one.
Especially when the entire dungeon was on her side.
She tapped her translucent earpiece.
“Sparta? I need you to track [About to Die] on surveillance. Yeah, the guy with the mole on his chin. He’s next.”
Most players would have life-saving gear, but [About to Die]’s skill was ‘Feign Death.’ Since his skill already provided a built-in escape mechanism, he likely didn’t carry extra protection.
As long as she could finish him off during his fake-death state, it would be a clean kill.
And while [Sparta] took care of that, Su Shisan had one more thing to do.
She made her way to the top floor, peeking through a window at the prison yard below.
Then she pressed her earpiece again.
“One more thing—I need you to send two people to the yard. And do exactly as I say…”