Cycle of Death - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My eyelids were incredibly heavy, narrowing until they were almost slits.

I couldn’t tell if I was seeing things or if it really happened-

That killer in the police uniform actually appeared right beside 511!

The two of them started chatting, just like in the video I had recorded.

“Yo, you’ve finished the job already? Not bad, not bad.”

“Enough. They’re all dead. I won. Now, can you give me an answer?”

“What’s the rush? Time isn’t up yet.”

“I can apply for an early termination, can’t I? Since everyone is dead, let’s end this.”

“Really? Are you sure? You want to end it early?”

“Yes, absolutely certain. I want to end it now.”

“Emmm…”

The Police Officer hesitated for a moment before continuing:

“Fine, then we’ll end it early. I hereby declare-you lose!”

511 looked back with a face full of shock. “How is that possible? Everyone is dead! Whether it was the last round or this one, I’m the only one left!”

“Why didn’t you check all the bodies?”

With a cold sneer, the Police Officer turned his head toward me.

At that point, they were already quite far away from me.

I hadn’t moved a muscle or made a sound, which led 511 to truly believe I was dead!

But what was the point?

Because I saw him charging toward me, face contorted with rage, brandishing his knife!

In that moment, I realized once again that I was a dead man.

But things took an unexpected turn!

The Police Officer reached out and snapped his fingers-

511 instantly crumbled into ash!

The wind from his own momentum helped, sending the black soot drifting into the air.

I was dumbstruck.

In the blink of an eye, the Police Officer was standing right in front of me.

He was still just as leisurely, just as relaxed and at ease.

He smiled at me and said:

“You win.”

After a flash of blinding light, I suddenly reappeared at the base of the dormitory building.

Yes, I was standing.

I felt my waist and found that the wound had vanished without a trace; there wasn’t even a drop of blood on my clothes.

The horrific experiences of that entire night felt like a nightmare that had finally left me.

But was that really the case?

Of course not.

Because I looked down and saw a set of black clothes lying on the ground, along with a black mask and a familiar knife.

A familiar voice suddenly spoke beside me: “This round is about to begin. They’ll be back for dinner soon. Are you ready? You have to kill everyone within the time limit to win. Only if you win can you ask your questions and leave this place.”

I turned my head and found the “Police Officer” standing before me.

I suddenly understood what 511 meant by “the last round and the next round.”

I also understood why there were two of me and two of 511.

I spoke up: “I get it. The survivor of the last round becomes the killer for the next round. I have to kill everyone to escape this cycle, right?”

He nodded.

I laughed instead, asking him back: “Really? But the student living in 511 during the last round didn’t act like that at all.”

He asked me thoughtfully, “Then how do you think it works?”

In the last round, 511 needed to use our hands to kill all the killers from the round before that. That was why he controlled 503 and orchestrated the entire situation.

However, I was alone. I had no helpers.

I understood!

“When you say ‘kill everyone,’ you don’t mean the students who are about to arrive, but…

“Everyone except for ‘me’!

“Only 503 understood that in the last round, didn’t he?”

He pulled back his smile and gave a non-committal shake of his head.

Then he said, “Go on then. Don’t worry, I’ll block all the emergency calls for you…”

With those words, he turned and vanished before my eyes.

I didn’t know who he was, but he certainly wasn’t human.

I didn’t know why this cycle existed.

But perhaps if I win, I’ll find the answers.

I picked up the items from the ground and charged toward the dormitory stairs.

I must win.