Trap

I slept long and deep. I woke up the next morning during the walk, stretched, and yawned. I left my cell and headed toward the cave on the left, watching the water flow. Lie came up behind me.

"Morning."

"Morning. You're not following me, are you?"

She let out a small laugh. She got the joke.

"What do you know about that guard's room? For your revenge."

"Not much. He just sleeps there."

I thought about what it would take to get a guard removed. Guards could harm prisoners if there was a valid reason, but they faced punishment if a prisoner died or was excessively injured. A prisoner couldn't change layers on their own—that was forbidden. If a guard was found to have helped a prisoner cross layers, the punishment was certain.

I explained it to Lie. Her eyes widened, and she nodded. She stood close to me. I had noticed she was starting to trust me more over time.

The layer transition point was in the right corner of the first layer. Two guards stood watch. A prisoner couldn't pass through there alone.

"I'll think of something for this. Have you had breakfast?"

"I have. You?"

"Not yet. Come with me."

I got my food in the dining area and sat down with Lie. I kept thinking while I ate. The traitor could slip up at any moment, so I kept observing my surroundings.

If I could make it look like the guard had helped someone cross layers and create evidence to prove it, he'd be removed. He might even face special punishment. I asked Lie if he locked his door. Only at night, she said. I nodded.

"We need to observe that guard more closely. Tell me the areas he frequents."

Lie agreed. I had two reasons: to help with her revenge and to take advantage of whatever items were in the guard's room.

A prisoner approached me and asked if the rumors about me were true. That's when I realized someone was spreading gossip about me. I talked to people, tried to clear things up, but it had little effect. I explained the situation to Wakamura and Lie. I secretly bought a pen and paper from the store. The walk ended, and I returned to my cell.

An interesting method came to mind to destroy the rumors. I would deliberately spread vile slander about myself. I'd write down false, terrible things about myself on pieces of paper, then secretly place them in specific locations during the evening walk. I'd also leave a vulgar note in front of my own cell. People would see so many slanders that they'd realize they couldn't be real—just the product of someone's hatred. Once they reached that mindset, I'd show them the vulgar note and tell them I found it outside my cell. I'd say someone was secretly harboring hostility toward me. This wouldn't just restore the trust I'd built—it would strengthen it.

During the evening walk, I did exactly as planned. People found the papers and began shifting toward the mindset I expected. I stepped forward and showed them the vulgar note. It was a deception, I told them. Someone secretly hated me, though I didn't know why. People began to trust me again. I gave a speech, swaying their motivations. I turned the attack against me on its head and doubled the trust I'd earned.

The one behind this is that traitor. They're preparing a small attack against me.

I went back to Lie.

"Did you observe the guard?"

"He hangs around the canteen during evening walks. Just eats."

I explained my plan. She listened carefully and nodded.

"Move the mine cart on the left side close to the cliff's edge. Throw a large rock behind it so it falls. The noise will draw everyone's attention. You slip away. I'll enter the guard's room while everyone's distracted."

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"What will you leave behind?"

"A note. It'll look like an indirect message showing the guard helped a prisoner cross layers. You'll pass by the room like it's a coincidence, see the note through the window, and report it to another guard."

"Will the system really believe something this shallow?"

"That's the biggest weakness I've noticed here. They don't care about doubt or certainty. Surface-level evidence is enough. They're impatient and irritable. Even if his guilt isn't fully proven, they'll still send him away."

I told Lie to act coy and sweet if she needed to persuade anyone. She shot me an annoyed look. Lie wasn't that kind of girl—she had a rough edge to her. She was softer around me, but she still had to play the part. Still, she accepted. She didn't question the plan. She knew I was fighting for her revenge. She returned to her cell.

I returned to mine as well. The evening walk ended.

I lay down on the bed. My thoughts drifted to the moment I had hurt myself during the first game. I remembered the wide grin on my face. I had enjoyed what I was doing far too much. My eyes had gleamed. The closer I got to danger, the more I feared death—but I also trembled with excitement.

Have I lost my mind? Is this an addiction to danger?

I calmed myself down. I read a book and went to sleep early.

The next morning during the walk, everything was the same. I chatted with Wakamura and Lie, socialized with others. The walk ended, and I killed time in my cell.

Evening. I threw a glance at Lie. The plan began.

I had secretly moved the mine cart to the edge of the cliff that morning. Lie threw the rock. The cart tumbled down the cliff, the sound echoing through the cave. Guards and prisoners rushed toward the noise. Lie slipped away.

I infiltrated the guard's room. I placed the note on his desk, visible through the window. I exited. Lie passed by the room, glanced through the window, and ran to another guard.

They checked the note. It was reported to the head guard. The guard who had harassed Lie and the others argued loudly in the center of the area. He tried to pin the blame on Lie, but she acted innocent and sweet. Being a girl worked in her favor. The head guard declared him a traitor and sent him away from the layer.

Lie came to my cell. "We couldn't do more than get him sent away. But it worked."

She nodded. Then she hugged me.

I was slightly caught off guard. "Thank you."

She couldn't meet my eyes. She kept hugging me. I didn't know what to say, so I stroked her hair. "It's fine."

For the first time, I saw a faint blush on her face. Then, embarrassed, she let go, couldn't look me in the eye, and quickly left my cell.

Our bond has grown stronger. She won't question my plans anymore.

I slept. During the morning walk, the guards announced a "bonus game" event. Someone had to join, or one person would be hanged. Alternatively, game coins could be paid to skip.

People protested, but the guards didn't care. Lie assumed I would join the game. But first, I checked the game's content. It cost a hundred game coins. When I saw it, my eyes widened.

Math?

A math game in the dungeon? It made no sense. In the training facility, they saw no value in advanced mathematics, so I had barely studied it. Did someone know my weakness?

The traitor might be someone from my past. Or it could be a coincidence.

I was the most well-known person on this layer. Everyone had expectations of me. I paid three hundred game coins, and the event closed. I had spent a total of four hundred points.

Lie came up to me. "Why didn't you join?"

"It could be a trap. Math is completely irrelevant to the dungeon. It would bore the elites too. Someone deliberately arranged this. They know my past. If I had joined without checking the content, I would've faced them in a math game. I probably would have lost. But that's not all. They also predicted that, because of my position on this layer, people would expect me to participate. If I didn't, I'd have to spend coins. Either way, they won."

"Who's the traitor?"

"I don't know. Keep observing your surroundings."

I had fourteen hundred points left.

This traitor is strong. They cost me four hundred points. But they must have spent some too. Did they expect me to fall into the trap, or did they know I'd dodge it and just wanted to bleed my resources? They have partial knowledge of my intelligence level. I'm not sure. Either way, four hundred points are gone.

The start of the month arrived, and everyone received a hundred points. I had effectively recovered three hundred.

Lie spoke up. "I heard you can duel in the other layers—set rewards and penalties, gamble-style. Have you heard about it?"

"No. Not surprising. It makes the other layers more interesting." I put my hands in my pockets. "You know what I plan to do. I'm not staying on this layer much longer."

"I'm aware."

"You've had your revenge. What will you do now?"

Lie thought for a moment, standing still. "I'm coming with you. No matter what, I'll help you."

That pleased me. I nodded.

If we change layers, the traitor can't target us directly. But maybe the traitor isn't even on this layer. They might have people working under them. The periphery is dangerous. Could it be the system itself? Possible. But they wouldn't go out of their way just for me. The warden? I can't reach a solid conclusion.

I stopped thinking. I returned to my cell and lay on the bed.

Could I feel that thrill again when I'm in danger? The moment I grinned while cutting myself...

I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away. I stared at the ceiling and waited for the evening walk.

A strong opponent.