The pain from his neck made it hard to breathe, but Yu Zhiye showed zero panic and even bared his teeth in a grin.

  “My rod is enchanted with Curse of the Vanishing. If you want everybody here to die, then go ahead.”

  “Madaraka! What curse, no curse, I don’t care! Since you’re seeking death, then—”

  “Wait! Mr. Park, you can’t!” Kim Sungho quickly rushed up, only to earn a murderous glare from the beefy beast in human skin.

  “You dare to interfere in my business?!”

  “That…” Facing such a monster, Kim Sungho wanted to shrink back, but as a fellow gamer, he knew some things must be made clear.

  So he dabbed the sweat on his forehead and stood his ground.

  “Mr. Park, I have quite some knowledge about the game. As far as I know, any item enchanted with that curse will be destroyed once the player dies and drops it. So if Steve here dies…”

  “It will do nobody any good. We’ll lose our only safety line and your partner still won’t get saved. Do you get me?”

  Though the anger had reached Park Insu’s brain, he wasn’t dumb. In fact, he just wanted to intimidate the weak.

  But now, he was riding a tiger and can’t get off!

  Kill? Then they can forget about saving anyone! Even exploring will be out of the question.

  Don’t kill? What about his face!

  Thankfully, a clever somebody came to give him a step down.

  “Mr. Park, we all know you have the greater good in you. Will you do us a favor and let Mr. Steve go this time?”

  “Hurmph!” Park Insu tossed his victim down and gradually shrunk back down. He then spat out. “Dead brat, treat it as you being lucky today!”

  Cough, cough! Yu Zhiye choked on the hot sand and groaned. “Oh… I’m dying… I’ m dying…”

  “Madaraka! Quit pretending! I didn’t even choke you that hard!”

  “Oh, things can’t be said like that. The neck is a fragile spot…”

  But seeing that there wasn’t even a bruise on Yu Zhiye’s neck, Kim Sungho was embarrassed to say anymore and simply went to help Yu Zhiye up.

  “Little Brother Steve, why do you have to be so stubborn? Just play along and everybody will be happy. Don’t do this next time. Come, let me help you up.”

  Bu Yu Zhiye ignored his help and laid there in the sand like a salted fish, refusing to get get up.

  “This…”

  Kim Sungho looked at the others with a helpless face.

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  Kwan Minhwoo squeezed out a smile. “Mr. Steve… stop acting like a child. We’re all adults here.”

  “Ah? We’re all adults here?” Yu Zhiye perked up. “If so, then as adults, since he hurt someone, shouldn’t he take responsibility and compensate?”

  Damn! Everybody understood: Insurance scam!

  Thought this was a serious guy, but it turned out he was a shameless fraud!

  Okay, it might not completely be a fraud this time, but does this idiot still think they’re back in their previous world?

  Kwan Minhwoo looked at Park Insu, who sneered with zero remorse, then frowned at the weaker party.

  “Mr. Steve… we really don’t have time for this. Please get up. There’s somebody waiting for you to save.”

  Yu Zhiye lost all interest and hugged the floor once more. “Sorry. I don’t understand what you mean. If you want to save someone, go do it yourself. I have no obligation to do anything.”

  “Bah! Quit spouting bullshit! I hate annoying snots like you! You really won’t learn unless you see your coffin!”

  “Brother Tae, Brother Tae! Calm down, calm down!”

  Kim Sungho held back the baldie and shot the salted fish a wry smile.

  “Little brother Steve, we’re trying to help you here. Please don’t embarrass us. If you still act like this, then we can’t stop what will happen next…”

  The pot-bellied uncle spoke with good intentions, but Yu Zhiye blankly stared at them.

  “Oh, that’s right. I’m dying… Whatever. Since that’s the case, I don’t care anymore. Come! Let’s all die together...”

  Seeing the young man rolling himself towards the quicksand bank, everybody failed to react for a second, but quickly went up to stop him in the next!

  “Steve, Steve! Hold up! Don’t do stupid things! Things can be discussed slowly!”

  “Madaraka! You crazy!”

  “Yes, Mr. Steve, life is precious. Don’t waste it!”

  “Yeah! Yeah! Boss Kwan is right!”

  “Bah! Just let this trash die then! Like we actually care!”

  “Brother Tae, remember, that’s not one life, but two!”

  Everyone then remembered their real purpose and looked over to the background character still stuck in the quicksand.

  “Oh no! Boss! His head is starting to go under!”

  “Bullshit! We can see something that obvious!”

  “Madaraka! Quick, we need to pull him out or he’ll drown!”

  Everybody finally started panicking and the two brains of the group glared at the salted fish they saved.

  “Little Brother Steve, please stop playing around! This is a human life we’re talking about!”

  “Mr. Kim is right! Mr. Steve. Now is not the time to mess around. Just tell us, what exactly do you want?”

  “Hey, now we’re talking.” Yu Zhiye blinked and finally bounced up with a smile. “I told you all yesterday, didn’t I? I’m no saint, so it’s only right I get paid for how much I contribute.”

  “You mean…”

  “I don’t want much. Just a little payment for my hard work and sacrifice.”

  “Food, stone, wood, plastic bottles… any and everything except sand and trash is accepted. I’m an easy guy to talk to.”

  “You…”

  Both the four-eyes and the pot-bellied uncle frowned then looked over at Park Insu, as if saying, “It’s your partner, it’s your problem.”

  Park Insu obviously didn’t look like he wanted to pay!

  But Yu Zhiye didn’t give him the chance to refuse.

  “If Mr. Park can’t afford to foot the bill alone, I’m sure everybody here will be happy to help contribute a little for the greater good, like Mr. Kwan always like to say.”

  Kwan Minhwoo’s face became ugly. Damn! He shot himself in the foot!

  The four-eyes was left speechless, but Kim Sungho certainly didn’t like the idea of the fire spreading over to their team.

  “Ohoho, Steve… what greater good not greater good? Everybody’s just trying to survive here… I think it’s only normal for us to prioritize our own team.”

  “Eh? Prioritize the team?” Yu Zhiye cheekily smiled back.

  “But, Mr. Kim, I remember you saying just yesterday to prioritize the living over the lifeless. So what’s wrong with contributing a little bit of insignificant resources to save a life?”

  “Or is the life of others not a life? If you don’t care about the life of others, then why should I?”

  “You…” Kim Sungho was left speechless. Everybody knows this in their hearts, but is this something you should say out loud?!

  Yu Zhiye obviously didn’t care about tearing down that wall. Just lay it all out in the open!

  “Okay, Mr. Park. You see how it is. It’s not that I don’t want to help. It’s them who aren’t willing.”

  Yu Zhiye dusted his hands off and pointed at the drowning man.

  “Well, his life is now in all your hands. Make your decision. What will it be?”