**Chapter 1: Blood and Shame**

Lee Myung-gi was the stem of many people’s debts. Ever since he’s gotten to the games, Jun-hee’s been letting him know that consistently. But she doesn’t go to the extreme lengths that Nam-gyu and Thanos do. No—they do more than just tell him. The six-legged pentathlon had just ended that same day. The dorm lights were shut off, and the ominous glow of the Piggy Bank loomed overhead—blood money flashing inside. The air was thick with tension, and the darkness seemed to suffocate the players. Lee Myung-gi stood in the bathroom, stepping away from the urinal and heading over towards the sink. His eyes caught his reflection in the mirror, the X patch adjacent from his Player ID was the first thing to catch his attention. His youthful appearance stared back at him, his black hair parted down the middle, and his brown eyes seemed to hold a mix of fear and desperation. Did he want to leave? In reality, no he didn’t. But with Jun-hee here, pregnant, he has no say in the matter. It’s only right that he gets her out of dodge—or at least try to. The vote didn’t exactly go their way earlier. The faucet water ran hot as Myung-gi washed his hands. His mind drifted between several things. The next game that he’s technically being forced to play, Jun-hee’s current status, and if there’s really a way out of this place. Probably not, but he’ll try. And as long as Jun-hee’s alive, that’s enough reason. The faucet water cut off, steam from the heat rising into the air before vanishing. Myung-gi wiped his hands across the sides of his tracksuit pants, drying off his palms as he approached the bathroom door. However, right before he could make it out, the door opened. And coming inside was Choi Su-bong, and Nam-gyu. ‘Dammit.’ Thought Myung-gi. He knew where this was going. The beating he received just yesterday was already bad enough—he doesn’t have time for this shit anymore! “Well, well…” Nam-gyu was the first to open his mouth, his expression unreadable. He just stared at Myung-gi. “…MG Coin. What a fucking surprise.” His voice was laced with malice, and Myung-gi could sense the animosity emanating from him. Myung-gi stopped in his tracks, backpedaling just a bit. It’s the dead of night, 001 isn’t there to save his ass again. And the guards? As if they even care. “What’re you doing up so late, MG Coin?” Grumbled Thanos, tilting his head in a crazed manner, eyes damn near bulging out of his head. “Huh? Thinking about how you scammed me out of all my damn money!” Thanos’ voice was a mixture of anger and desperation, his eyes gleaming with a manic intensity. This again. It’s always about this with Thanos. Money, money, money. Scam, scam, scam. It’s all he ever talks about, it’s pathetic. Myung-gi closed his hand, balling a fist. “How many times do I have to tell you? The price of the coin increased, but nobody sold at the right time.” Myung-gi tried to defend himself, but his voice was shaking. Thanos took a step forward, Nam-gyu beside him. “Does that fix anything, MG Coin? Hm? No. I’m still in debt because of you—I was gonna kill myself because of you.” Thanos’ voice cracked with emotion, and Myung-gi could see the pain and desperation in his eyes. A sickening thud crashed into his ribs. He yelped, his body defensively curling. You don’t want to be held accountable?” Nam-gyu asked, pulling his fist back, delivering another strike to Myung-gi across the cheek, sending the opposition to the floor. Myung-gi’s head rang and his vision became a blur. That hurt, bad. He groaned, pushing himself away with his hands, but he felt a strong hand pull him by the collar. It was Thanos. The scene descended into chaos as Thanos and Nam-gyu continued to beat Myung-gi, their voices rising in a cacophony of anger and resentment. Myung-gi tried to defend himself, but he was no match for the two men. Young-il was doing the night watch for his “team” at the moment. Gihun insisted that they always have one member awake to alert the others in case of danger. Young-il had taken over so Gihun would sleep, and he was getting bored. Every player in here was asleep except him, if you could even call him a player considering the fact that he’s the organizer of these games, although the others don’t know that. As if on cue, as a gift to cure his boredom, one of his guards walks into the room making a swift line towards Young-il. Young-il had instructed the guards to not make his presence in the games known, so whatever this guard needed must’ve been important to potentially blow their cover if anybody woke up. “Sir we need your assistance in the bathroom,” the guard whispered in a distorted voice. Young-il nodded, stood up and followed his employee to the bathroom. The guard stopped beside the bathroom door, and Young-il entered the bathroom to find that there was only one occupant inside, player 333. Player 333 was a motionless bloody lump on the floor. He was fully nude, and his body was covered in bruised, blood, and semen. Young-il sighed and walked to Myung-gi’s side, then he crouched down to inspect some of the bruising on his chest. Myung-gi soon woke up, and his new found awakness was presented to the other with a physical full body flinch. Young-il now seeing that Myung-gi had awaken was going to more away and potentially give the man privacy but those plans quickly fell through. Myung-gi instantly recognized player 001 as his former savior before this incident, and he moved one of his shakey hands and set it on the others leg. “P-please don’t leave me alone, I-I-I don’t want it to h-ha-happen again,” Myung-gi sobbed out, his voice was as broken as his body was, he was pathetic and he knew it, but he didn’t care after the abuse he suffered. Young-il looked down at the boy, and felt an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time the need to protect, the need to worship, and the need to cradle this weak pathetically charming man. He gently placed a hand on Myung-gi’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. As Young-il gazed into Myung-gi’s eyes, he saw a deep-seated fear and vulnerability. He knew that he had to act quickly to prevent further harm. Young-il glanced at the guard, who was still standing by the door. “Take them away,” Young-il ordered, his voice low and firm. “Players 230 and 124, they will be dealt with. As for player 333, get him medical attention immediately.” The guard nodded and swiftly left the bathroom to carry out Young-il's orders. Young-il turned his attention back to Myung-gi, who was still shaking with fear. “Hey, it's okay,” Young-il said softly, trying to calm Myung-gi down. “You're safe now. I'm here.” Myung-gi looked up at Young-il, his eyes searching for reassurance. Young-il's presence seemed to calm him slightly, and he slowly nodded. Young-il helped Myung-gi to his feet, supporting him as he stood. Myung-gi was still weak and in pain, but with Young-il's help, he was able to stand. As they walked out of the bathroom, Young-il couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility towards Myung-gi. He knew that he had to protect him, to keep him safe from further harm. But as they walked, Young-il couldn't shake off the feeling that he was playing with fire. He was the organizer of the games, and Myung-gi was just a player. But as he looked into Myung-gi's eyes, he saw something that gave him pause. A spark of connection, a spark of understanding. And Young-il knew that he was in trouble.