CHAPTER 122: CHAPTER 122 - THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL

Chapter 122 - The Price of Survival

...Yeah. This is fine. No point dragging a ticking time bomb around.

If it was going to backfire later, it wasn’t a treasure—it was a trap. Jhin had just let go of his lingering attachment to Arman ’s body when—

[’Kimmy’ is drooling at the snack in front of it.]

Something completely unexpected happened.

Before he could even stop it, an immense suction burst out from his pocket—and in an instant, the black dragon Arman ’s corpse was sucked straight in.

"...!"

The enormous carcass vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but the sound of a squirrel’s tiny burp.

[’Kimmy’ has consumed ’Corpse of Black Dragon Arman .’]

[’Kimmy’s’ fullness has greatly increased.]

[’Kimmy’ has acquired the trait: Dragonkin.]

A short while later, Jhin stood looking down at a squirrel whose fur had turned a dark brown and whose movements had become more nimble than ever.

The Gluttonous Beast—Kimmy.

If Jhin had made one mistake, it was that he had left this thing hungry for far too long.

There hadn’t been much opportunity to feed it—not back on the Ghost Train, and certainly not during their time in the semi-dungeon of BeyWorld.

Kimmy must’ve been starving.

So, okay.

He could understand that.

"But still, no means no. I told you not to eat materials without permission, didn’t I?"

Kimmy was a beast with its own AI. And from the days of Exodia 1, Jhin had trained it never to consume materials without explicit permission.

That was a standing command—a pet rule he’d programmed in long ago.

’Granted, I can’t say for sure if Exodia 1 commands still carry over here...’

But until now, Kimmy had never eaten anything without orders.

Naturally, he had assumed the rule still applied.

’This is a headache.’

Sure. It’s fine that it ate the thing. Whatever.

But why did it have to eat a bugged item?

What if something went wrong?

Kimmy was one of his most valuable extinction-species rewards. It hadn’t shown its full potential yet, but once fully raised, it could outclass ten Arman -level beasts.

"This isn’t about being petty. I’m doing this for your good. Take your punishment like a champ, Kimmy."

So, Jhin decided to discipline it.

A penalty for snacking on valuable material items without permission.

To prevent this kind of incident from repeating, new rules had to be enforced.

Kimmy raised its tiny arms above its head and slapped its hands to its ears like it was bracing for impact.

Unexpectedly, Lykan stepped forward to supervise the punishment.

The wolf-like player crept up to the squirrel and muttered under his breath.

"In Exodia 1, maybe you were the senior. But around here, I’m in charge. You’d better behave. Otherwise—kapow!"

He whispered like he thought no one could hear him.

But everyone could.

Does Lykan even know what level Kimmy is?

Jhin just shrugged and left the two of them to it, making his way toward the others.

They were clustered together, tapping furiously at their smartphones in hopes of reaching Ark.

Jhin approached one of them.

"You changed your wallpaper."

Millie.

Her phone now showed a picture of the carousel—a place that no longer existed. In it, she was smiling softly. Jhin, beside her, wore a faint, awkward grin.

It had only been a few days.

It felt like years had passed.

"It’s a memory."

"...A memory, huh."

Jhin glanced toward the newly restored BeyWorld.

Dark, gloomy, and oppressive—it was nothing like the soft image on her phone.

In fact, the phone wallpaper felt more real... and the world behind them more dreamlike.

If this had all been a dream, it was the kind you desperately wanted to wake up from.

"So in the end, this whole place was just Pierrot’s trap?"

Millie swept her gaze across the broken BeyWorld.

Jhin thought he knew what was going through her mind. He was thinking the same thing.

"No... I don’t think so. I don’t think it was just about Pierrot’s intentions."

"Huh?"

"It was too... warm."

Pierrot’s intent had been clear—transition BeyWorld from day to night and enjoy the screams of the players.

But if that was the only reason, then why had the mascot suits fought so hard to preserve daytime?

Why had they worked to prevent the Night BeyWorld from taking over?

Their actions ran counter to Pierrot’s goals.

Jhin looked down at his ring.

"Someone else’s wish must’ve been part of this."

Rookie employee Chance.

He had died in BeyWorld, been resurrected by Pierrot, and later—through a strange coincidence—his lingering spirit had regained awareness of its own memories.

But that wasn’t all.

Maybe—just maybe—BeyWorld in the daytime... was the kind of normal life he’d always wanted to create.

A peaceful weekend afternoon in an amusement park.

The kind of place he’d dreamed of building.

And perhaps... the kind of place he wanted to protect.

"You really think so?"

Millie asked.

Jhin let out a dry laugh.

"Who knows. I just hope that’s the case."

The dead don’t talk. The dungeon had been reset.

There was no way to research any of it now.

And that meant... they were free to interpret things however they wanted.

Ding-ling-ling.

Just then, Millie’s phone rang loudly.

Everyone turned toward the sound, including Adonis’s squad who’d been trying to reach Ark.

Millie spoke.

"It’s Pete ."

She answered on speaker.

Pete ’s frantic voice burst through.

—"Ohh —wait, wait, it’s really connected?!"

"What? What’s going on? Why are you shouting?"

—"Just give me a sec—!"

Through the speaker came crashing sounds, like mortars landing. Deafening noise filled the background.

Eventually, the explosions quieted.

Pete ’s voice returned.

—"Millie! Is Tomas with you?"

"He’s right here."

—"Thank God! I knew it—your GPS signal lit up and I just knew it was you!"

His voice was excited, almost elated.

—"Where are you guys? I’m coming to get you."

"We’re still in BeyWorld."

—"That place got completely wiped out... but I guess with you and hyung there, you figured it out, huh? Seriously, this duo’s unstoppable."

He was rambling now.

Jhin spoke up.

"But seriously—what’s going on? What was that noise just now?"

Pete didn’t hesitate.

—"Right. Big news. It’s Ark—we’re under attack!"