Chapter Twenty: The Captain's Game
Minwoo's grip tightened on the canteen's door handle. He could hear them now, the low, panicked whispers from the classroom, a sound far more chilling than the shriek of any monster. The hunt had begun, and the prey was one of them. He took a deep breath, the scent of stale food and fear a sickening mixture, and walked back in.
The room had changed. It wasn't just filled with groaning students anymore. They were now in small, anxious clusters, their eyes darting from face to face. Suspicion was a physical presence in the air, a thick blanket of mistrust that was already beginning to suffocate them. Hana was still by the door, her eyes wide, her face pale. A boy named Jihun, a burly kid from the football team, was huddled with two others, his low voice a constant rumble. They had all survived, and they were all looking for the prize.
Minwoo's return immediately drew their attention. A girl in the front row, a loud-mouthed gossip named Nari, pointed a trembling finger at him.
"You left!" she accused, her voice high and shrill. "Why did you leave? You were gone for a while. What did you do?"
Minwoo met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I went to the canteen," he said, his voice flat. "I was hungry."
"You went to get food?" Jihun scoffed, his gaze hard. "At a time like this? We all just went through hell. The world is ending, and you're worried about food?"
"A Level 5 hunter who's hungry is a threat," Minwoo replied, the truth of his words a cold hammer to their faces. The level of his power, a secret only he and Hyejin knew, was now an open mystery to them all. "A Level 3 hunter is prey."
His words hung in the air, a silent challenge. Jihun's expression tightened, but he said nothing. He knew Minwoo was right. Power now dictated the rules.
A quiet, unassuming boy in the corner, a computer whiz named Sunwoo, spoke up. "Minwoo, you... you said you knew the System. What's a Class Captain?" His voice was a quiet plea for information.
Minwoo ignored him, his gaze fixed on Jihun. "You're a Gladiator," he said, his voice low. "You've got high Vitality. You took a lot of hits. Are you the Captain?"
Jihun's eyes widened. "How... how did you know that?" he stammered, a flicker of fear in his gaze.
"Because I watched you fight," Minwoo replied, a cold lie on his tongue. He hadn't seen Jihun fight, but he knew the class would have high Vitality. He was fishing for a reaction, testing the waters.
Hana, who had been silent, stepped forward. "Minwoo," she whispered, her hand reaching for his arm. "What's happening? Why are you doing this?"
He looked at her, and his voice softened just enough for her to hear. "The system is forcing us to play a game. The penalty is too severe. We can't just wait."
A new voice, smooth and confident, cut through the tension. It was the student council president, a top student named Daehyeon. He had a natural charisma that had made him a leader in the old world. "Minwoo is right," he said, stepping into the center of the room. "The System is trying to divide us. We shouldn't turn on each other. We should work together. If we all get together and share our stats and skills, we can figure out who the Captain is without anyone getting hurt."
His suggestion was a logical one, but Minwoo's past life screamed at him. It was a trap. The Class Captain would never reveal themselves, and if they did, they would be an easy target for anyone with a knife and a desire for power. Minwoo saw the fear in Daehyeon's eyes, the way his hands were shaking just a little. Daehyeon had a plan, a logical one, but Minwoo knew there was a flaw in it.
He looked at the faces of his classmates, at the fear, the paranoia, and the greed that was already beginning to fester. The hunt had begun, and he wasn't just a player. He was a master of the game. And he had no intention of playing by anyone else's rules.