“What the hell? We’re not moving on to another quest?”
“Didn’t they say this was a money-sink quest? Then what is this? Explain! EXPLAIN!”
“Where the hell is that bastard PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic!”
“Where’d he go! Where’d he go!”
A crowd of users had already gathered above the clouds. Just as many were stuck below. A bottleneck had formed because players ascending the stairs were hesitating, causing a pile-up underneath.
“Hurry up and get moving already!”
“Don’t push! We’re stuck up here! Everyone, stash your tubes in your inventory!”
“You psychos, put the damn tubes away! Reduce the bulk!”
The moment the alert popped up, we rushed to the cloud bridge and immediately took in the chaotic scene unfolding below.
“How many minutes left until the quest ends?”
“Twenty. Everyone’s gotta get up here fast.”
“Huff, Da-hoon! Woo-rim! God, I thought I was gonna die.”
Amidst the struggle, Bori Noona had made her way up, blending into the crowd.
“Here, drink this, Bori.”
Jung Da-hoon passed her the straw from his drink.
“…Wow. I can finally breathe again. But seriously, what is this? Where the hell is PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic?”
“A mystery. Rumor is he might be in the VIP zone right now.”
Below, the SafetyGols were shoving players onto the cloud stairs with their brutish hands. But that only escalated the tension, sparking emotional clashes between them and the players, which in turn worsened the traffic jam. Barely ten minutes remained.
Thankfully, the “Tube-Stashing Campaign” was gaining traction, and the clogged staircase began to clear. The players who arrived looked absolutely drained, their appearances a total mess.
“Haaah… haaah…”
“Take a shower with the clouds, everyone!”
Most people were already dressed in swimsuits, so it was an easy fix.
After a quick rinse in the cloud shower, they dried off in an instant and headed to the café, where they grabbed a free drink.
‘Gathering time has ended.’
From high above, the latecomers dangling off the stairs looked like black ants. The moment the quest’s end notification popped up, stragglers clung desperately to the steps.
[Survival Quest: <Ride the Rainbow.
Temporary Decision Maker: PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic will select one of the seven rainbow colors. The chosen color will be hidden by clouds.
Only players who select the same color as the Temporary Decision Maker will be able to enter Shadow Castle.
-Players who fail the color match will be logged out and cannot rejoin the game.]
As soon as the quest alert appeared, people erupted in shouts.
“Wait, that means we’ve got a 1 in 7 chance?!”
“That asshole… I bet he only shared the answer with his buddies.”
“I’m seriously gonna murder him…”
In survival games, getting cursed out usually meant you were doing well. A timely betrayal, perfectly executed.
This quest would drastically cut down the number of players. Nearly 400 people were still clinging to life like zombies, and they were just draining resources without progress. Even if not now, a mass elimination event was bound to happen. This was merely the inevitable.
And for PeeledGarlic, this quest was a golden opportunity—a chance to hand-pick who survived the massacre.
While the crowd’s muttering turned increasingly venomous, I was focused on something else.
‘If you fail the color match, you’ll be logged out and unable to rejoin the game?’
This quest didn’t mention death. The penalty was logout.
“Logout.”
At my quiet whisper, Jung Da-hoon turned to look at me.
“…Pro.”
“I think this might be the right moment.”
“…You’re going to take that risk?”
I nodded silently.
Logout. Forced ejection from the game.
“It’s exactly what I need right now.”
Below the railing, a few latecomers could be seen. They had leapt toward the cloud stairs, only to explode on impact like blood-smeared mosquitoes.
“Ah… this is just pure luck-based BS.”
Bori Noona, who was half-unemployed and prepping to open a café, had an occupation as a Shadow Guide. While we could possibly use her job skill to navigate the quest, her skill set didn’t really match the nature of this challenge.
While everyone else clutched their heads in panic, Jung Da-hoon quietly shared his screen with me.
[System]: Killing is not permitted in this area.
[System]: Nobles are not allowed to speak in this area.
“So… you were planning to kill Garlic-nim?”
“If I could, yes. But apparently, murder isn’t allowed.”
‘Steal, a single strand of hair.’
[System]: You cannot steal another player’s hair in this area.
[System]: All actions that may harm others are strictly prohibited.
[System]: You cannot view another player’s inventory in this area.
‘So, only “others’” inventories are off-limits, huh? In that case…’
Thankfully, I could still access my own inventory. Any club- or bat-like weapons were greyed out, marked unusable—but the “consumables” section was different.
I quickly pulled out a bottle of perfume.
“Everyone, take a sniff.”
I held the perfume under Bori Noona’s nose first.
Sniff sniff. “Did the Baby Fox make this perfume? Smells nice.”
“Make sure you remember that scent. Because—”
“Because?”
Just as Bori Noona tilted her head in curiosity, the crowd up ahead erupted in noise. PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic, who had been hiding in the VIP room, had finally shown himself.
“You son of a bitch!”
“You happy being the only one who survives?!”
“Garlic-nim, please… just come back now…”
The sudden appearance of Garlic and his inner circle drew everyone’s attention. But he merely bowed his head quietly to the players.
Blending into the crowd with the open perfume bottle in hand, I edged closer to Garlic.
‘Just a little more… almost there…’
Then—I threw it. Nailed him, right on the back.
Beep—beeep beep beep!
As the players surged forward and broke formation, TrafficGols bellowed out to restore order. Following his commands, I quickly slipped away and rejoined Jung Da-hoon and Bori Noona.
“…If this really might be goodbye, shouldn’t we at least exchange real phone numbers, Woo-rim?”
“Did you forget? I’m stuck here. I don’t even remember my number.”
“Oh… yeah, I remember now.”
“I’m not some clout-chaser. Not a weirdo either.”
“…Honestly, I thought you were filming a prank show or some cringy dare.”
“You remember that perfume you just smelled? I hit Garlic with it.”
“Gasp! Knew it!! So we just have to follow the scent.”
“Exactly. I really hope you’ve got a super nose.”
Just in time, the fox-nose mask Bori Noona was wearing happened to have a bonus—+7% to olfactory sense.
[PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic is selecting one of the rainbow colors.]
Players cursed loudly in Garlic’s direction but then quickly shushed each other when the next popup appeared.
“Quiet!! We need to hear it!!”
Even with the “shhh”s going around, it wasn’t easy to keep a few hundred people under control.
Garlic vanished into the clouds, and after a moment, a system notification appeared:
[The Temporary Decision Maker has completed their selection.]
“Shouldn’t we go before the scent fades?”
“Yeah. The sooner we choose, the better.”
From this point forward, it was voluntary selection.
[Would you like to volunteer for the next turn?
Yes / No]
I hit ‘No,’ but Bori Noona quickly pressed ‘Yes.’
[It is now player ‘Bori’s turn.]
“Yes! Nailed the rainbow test! See you soon! Come down right after!”
“Nice job, Bori.”
Excited, she waved and disappeared quickly into the mist. I stood beside Jung Da-hoon, watching the scene unfold.
“Pro. Are you really going through with it?”
“I am.”
“You still remember my phone number, right?”
“010-9014…”
“That’s right. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
Jung Da-hoon was picked next. I gave him a firm, confident smile.
Logout.
This path had appeared without warning. I had no idea where it would lead—destruction, or maybe back to the world I once knew.
“They’re calling me. I’m going.”
Just before disappearing into the mist, Jung Da-hoon turned and glanced back. We said our goodbyes with just a look.
In the end, I was left standing alone for quite some time.
“Gonna pick red?”
“Feels like they wouldn’t choose either end of the spectrum.”
As time dragged on in silence, players playing the guessing game gradually disappeared one by one.
[It is now your turn.]
Eventually, it came to me.
The space around me was already deserted. As if I had never hesitated, I stepped forward into the fog with unshakable resolve.
As my vision brightened again, I found myself standing before a row of cloud slides, each dyed a different color of the rainbow. Only one of them would take me down to the sandy shores of the Shadow Castle.
“Cancel Humanization.”
[System]: Humanization has been canceled.
[System]: Activated the ‘Fox Who Smells’ skill.
Scents tingled at the tip of my nose. Among them was the faint trace of the perfume I had crafted.
‘Yellow.’
I had returned to fox form for this exact reason.
But instead, I walked the other way—toward the purple slide, the only one completely devoid of that scent. I stood before it and looked down at the abyss below.
‘I think I’ve done enough.’
Even if I might regret it.
Nyang.
I stepped my front paw onto the purple cloud slide. A cold, fierce wind whipped through my fur.
[You have selected the Purple Slide.]
And then, he let himself go, sliding downward. His tumbling body soon shifted into a smooth descent.
At the end of this slide was Logout.
And with that, I launched myself downward. My body tumbled, spun, and then smoothly glided down.
At the end of this slide—logout awaited.
I gained speed. Was what lay at the end my erasure, or the reality I was meant to return to?
In that moment, memories of everything here flashed before my eyes like a lantern show.
‘My choice is the right one. Even if it’s wrong, it has to be right.’
I closed my eyes, ready to accept the result.
At first, there was a gentle jolt of impact. Then, a familiar hand caught me as I slid, one that held me firmly, lifting me up from the path to logout.
“You crazy bastard.”
“…….”
“Almost missed you.”
There are always variables. And today, that variable was Kessler—rolling up his sleeves, hauling me back from the brink of logout.
