ITSN 05

Chapter 5

When Juhong lost consciousness, she once again came face-to-face with that strange white line.

The same one she had encountered on the day the training center exploded—on the brink of death.

It was unsettling, yet oddly comforting at the same time. Maybe this white line was the only thing that could explain her current situation.

The line squirmed like a caterpillar, taking shape, and against a faintly bluish transparent screen, it formed glowing white text.

[Game Acceptance Reward]

A gift has been sent to you from □□□ for being kind and courageous.

Would you like to open the gift?
Yes or No

Juhong held her breath, unable to fully comprehend the words.

Game acceptance reward?

A gift? Who is □□□?

Nervously, she reread the glowing letters over and over, her mind racing.

The training center exploded and I died. Then this thing appeared, and I accepted the game □□□ offered, so I came back to life. But of all things… as Yu Haein…

At that moment, the bluish transparent screen disappeared, replaced by stark white letters floating vividly against the darkness.

[To be precise, it is not “as Yu Haein,” but rather “in Yu Haein’s body.”]
[Think of it as you, Juhong, having possession of Yu Haein’s body.]

It was strange. She hadn’t spoken, she had only thought it—and yet, it responded.

Again, another reply appeared.

[Because I am connected to your thought circuit, Juhong.]

Connected to my thought circuit?

[I will explain as much as you want. But first, I recommend checking your reward.]

Then the bluish screen appeared again.

[Game Acceptance Reward]

A gift has been sent to you from □□□ for being kind and courageous.

Would you like to open the gift?
Yes or No

It was a little bewildering.

Yes, she had been invited to a game and she had pressed the accept button—but at that time she hadn’t been in her right mind. To avoid being sucked into that pitch-black void, she had no choice but to accept the game.

It had been practically forced on her.

And now, there was a “reward” for accepting it? What could it be?

Half afraid, half curious, Juhong reached out her finger.

Yes!

[Mafia Game Participation Reward]

Status Regeneration: ON
※ All of Yu Haein’s previous physical defects have been removed.

Status regeneration?

Ah—that’s why she could see now, and why the burn wounds were healing so quickly.

Juhong looked down at her unblemished hand again. At last, the absurdity of this situation felt a little more real.

Then who is □□□?

As if unable to answer, the white line froze like a paused screen for a long moment before moving again.

[Then, let me explain about the game.]

So, it couldn’t say who □□□ was? Was it one of those things where the name couldn’t be spoken? Like Voldemort?

[I will explain about the game.]

……

Realizing she wasn’t going to get an answer, Juhong quietly read the letters spilling out from the line.

[Mafia Game]

Mafia Game.

A social game so popular that even children and adults played it, and it had even been turned into TV variety shows.

You know the kind: everyone sits in a circle, closes their eyes, and the game master assigns each role.

“We will now select the mafia.”

Once the mafia is chosen, the doctor, the police officer, and the judge are selected in the same way.

Everyone else becomes ordinary citizens.

When the players open their eyes, the game officially begins.

It always starts in the morning. A seemingly peaceful morning—but in truth, the mafia has killed a citizen during the night.

“Last night, the mafia killed citizen OOO. Starting now, the citizens must work together to find the mafia hiding among you.”

From there, the players debate, trying to uncover the mafia.

Meanwhile, the mafia lies and deceives, manipulating the citizens into making the wrong choice.

Which meant, if you weren’t careful, you’d make the wrong judgment.

Sometimes, everyone looked like the mafia. Sometimes, everyone seemed innocent.

Then, the white line began laying out a set of instructions like a rulebook.

[Game Overview]

1. Game participants are divided into mafia and citizens.

2. …

“If this is the game I think it is, I don’t need such a tedious explanation.”

Juhong steadied herself and spoke again.

“Instead, I’ll ask questions.”

[Go ahead.]

It was still unreal to the point of bewilderment—but there was no choice but to accept it.

And if she was going to accept it, then she needed to fully understand the situation.

“Where are we in the game right now?”

[Stage]
☞ It is now the second morning.

The second morning?

So someone was killed during the first night, and now it was morning again?

[Yes, that is correct.]

But… it had been about two days since the incident. And it was still only the second morning?

[The passage of a day in the game does not match real-world time.]

Then?

[For the second night to come, certain conditions must be met.]

Conditions? Like what?

[Like the moon becoming full, you must first complete the given quest.]

So it was about clearing stages.

[Yes. Do not neglect to look for scattered clues, like puzzle pieces, and pay close attention to your surroundings. The mafia and the allies may be closer than you think.]

Closer than I think…

Juhong nodded as she watched the words flash rapidly past, then continued her train of thought.

Alright, next question.

Is this game connected to my reality?

In other words, was the mafia she needed to find the same as the industrial spy inside InnoSystem? Their team had been chasing an industrial spy.

[Yes, that is correct. The final goal of this game is to identify the culprit behind that very case.]

“Then Yu Haein wasn’t the culprit?”

[Yes. Yu Haein is not the mafia.]

So Yu Haein wasn’t the culprit.

“How could that be…?”

Juhong was a hacker.

She judged everything based on accurate information and algorithms.

From her calculations, Yu Haein was the culprit.

Yes, she had been helping Detective Sooyoung investigate the industrial spy case, but her true motive was different.

Three years ago, her entire family had been massacred.

At first, she thought it had been just a home invasion gone wrong.

Back then, Juhong had just joined a large corporation and was away in Jeju Island for new employee training—by chance, sparing her from the tragedy.

It was Sooyoung, her brother’s friend, who came to her with the truth.

“This isn’t just some ordinary robbery-homicide.”

Not just an ordinary robbery-homicide? Juhong couldn’t understand.

Her family had been ordinary people. Why would anyone call their deaths not a normal crime?

“It’s all because of Rok.”

That was when she found out. The man she had thought was just a stone-bed salesman—Rok—was actually an NIS intelligence officer.

And Rok had leaked state secrets.

“Why would he do that…?”
“Because of a woman, it seems.”

That was when Sooyoung showed her a photograph.

The photograph of Yu Haein.