The vote to continue or end the game was underway. The scoreboard fluctuated unpredictably, the alternating chimes of ‘X’ and ‘O’ buttons echoing through the arena. Watching from his place among the players, Hwang In-ho—disguised as Player 001 under the alias Oh Young-il—silently observed the shifting tides of desperation and greed.

The votes were nearly tied before a sudden surge tipped the scale in favor of continuing. Despite more than half of the players perishing in the first three games, there were still those who wanted more.

"The same foolish greed," In-ho thought, scanning the room. He stood near Seong Gi-hun, having recently joined his group. Gi-hun looked utterly broken. His face darkened with exhaustion, his eyes filled with despair. It was almost pitiful—he seemed on the verge of self-destruction.

In-ho narrowed his eyes, studying him. "How much longer will he hold on to that naive belief in humanity?"

Deciding to play along, In-ho moved toward the neutral zone between the two voting sections.

“Are you all insane?!” he suddenly yelled. “You want to keep playing after what just happened? After nearly dying in that last game?! Wake up!”

The pink-masked guards silently observed their disguised leader’s outburst, but they did not interfere.

Turning toward the yet-to-vote players, he gestured toward Gi-hun’s group.

“Think about the consequences. Player 456 has been warning us since the beginning! He’s seen these games before—he knows what’s coming!”

His gaze flickered to the sticker on your jacket—the ‘O’ from the previous voting round.

“How old are you, even? We already have nearly 250 million won each. What more do you people need?!”