Chapter 9: Cult's Grip
The sand crunched under Kirito's boots, no longer a beach but a stage, the air thick with ocean salt and the sour reek of unwashed bodies and cheap cologne.
The Beach's crowd chanted in a feverish rhythm, their voices a suffocating wave that pressed against Kirito's chest, his sweat-damp t-shirt clinging like a second skin.
His phone flickered faintly in his palm, its glow hidden, the Visa Clock's red pulse casting ticking shadows across his wrist, each beat a cold reminder of their dwindling time.
"This place is a circus, and Hatter's the ringmaster. Time to find the trapdoor," he thought, his theatrical sneer masking the dread knotting his gut.
[SYSTEM: HOST STATUS.]
[STRENGTH: 10. AGILITY: 10. STAMINA: 10. SYSTEM POINTS (SP): 130.]
Hatter stood on the stage, his long hair swaying, his sunglasses reflecting the pulsing neon, his pendant a hypnotic flash that seemed to pull the crowd tighter.
His voice boomed through crackling speakers, each word a calculated lure.
"We are the future! Surrender your cards, join our vision, and live forever in the Borderland!"
Arisu, a shadow in the crowd, sketched furiously, his charcoal-smeared face tense, his eyes darting from Hatter to the guards.
Usagi stood back, her boots grinding the sand, her posture coiled, ready to spring.
Kuina blended in effortlessly, her cigarette smoke curling, her grin sharp as she met Kirito's gaze, a silent signal of their shared suspicion.
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'SCOUTING PUZZLE' (COST: 0 SP)?]
"Yeah, map it. I need the walls of this cult before they choke us," Kirito thought, his fingers tightening around his phone.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE INITIATED: SCANS FOR CULT HIERARCHY AND HIDDEN ASSETS. PROCESSING…]
A figure near the west gate caught his eye—Aguni, massive and still, his rifle glinting, his sweat-slick arms gleaming under the lights, his gaze sweeping the crowd with cold precision, lingering on their group.
The Visa Clock's ticks seemed to amplify, a physical pulse of suspicion.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE COMPLETE. MAP RENDERED: HATTER CONTROLS THE FRONT, AGUNI ENFORCES (WEST GATE). ASSET ACCUMULATION CONFIRMED. SPY NETWORKS DETECTED.]
"Hatter's the puppet, Aguni's the fist. We need to move fast," Kirito thought, leaning toward Kuina, his voice low.
"Okay, plan B. We get close without looking like trouble."
"Plan B? That's where the charm crashes and burns, right?" his inner voice teased.
"Hey, beautiful, you're killing the covert look," he said, flashing a disarming smile.
"How about we coordinate a sneak-up on that guy?"
He winked, deliberate and confident.
[SYSTEM: DEBUFF TRIGGER: FLIRTY FUMBLE. 'WINK' MECHANIC ACTIVATED. COOLDOWN: 120S.]
The wink exploded into a frantic twitch, his eye scrunching like he'd been hit with dust.
Kuina's husky laugh cut through the crowd's chant.
"Still with the twitchy eye? You're signaling SOS with your face, flirt! Stick to the plan, not the pickup line."
Kirito rubbed his eye, flustered, his cheeks burning.
"It's a… strategic tic! Scouting the perimeter!"
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'LIE DETECTOR' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Yes! Dig into Hatter's speech and Aguni's role," Kirito demanded, his focus sharpening.
[SYSTEM: LIE DETECTOR ACTIVE: HATTER'S CORE MOTIVATION: ACCUMULATION OF GAME CARDS. AGUNI'S CORE MOTIVATION: ENFORCEMENT OF FEAR/CONTROL. HIGH-LEVEL DECEIT CONFIRMED. TOTAL SP: 80.]
The truth solidified his strategy—Hatter was hoarding escape, Aguni enforcing it.
"He's not leading, he's collecting," Kirito whispered, his voice hard.
"We don't just play games; we break his system. Espionage is our game now."
Usagi nodded, her expression grim.
"I knew it. We play their game, but we expose them."
"Exactly," Kirito said, his resolve a quiet fire.
"We infiltrate, grab the resources, and get out before the Beach kills us faster than the Visa Clock."
They slipped into the casino's shadows, the neon game signs humming, their promise of stakes now tangled with the cult's betrayal.
The Beach casino was a cavern of faded opulence, its air heavy with stale liquor and desperation, the neon 6♦ glowing a sickly green above a chipped game table.
Kirito and Arisu stood over the table, the clatter of low-stakes chips a faint distraction from the game's looming threat.
The puzzle was a logic trap, designed to force a paradox, its circuits sparking along the walls like a ticking bomb.
[SYSTEM: QUERY: INITIATE 'PUZZLE OVERCLOCK' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Crank the logic to eleven. I need the cleanest path through this," Kirito thought, his focus narrowing.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE OVERCLOCK INITIATED: GENERATING OPTIMAL LOGIC PATH. PROCESSING…]
Arisu's pencil scratched, his eyes fierce with intensity.
"It's a logic trap. They're forcing a paradox. We simplify the variables."
Usagi scanned the periphery, her hands ready.
"Too many eyes. Kuina's right—spies everywhere."
Kuina's cigarette smoke curled, her voice low.
"The danger's not the game, it's the players. The cult's watching."
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE OVERCLOCK COMPLETE. OPTIMAL PATH FOUND: DEDUCTIVE LOGIC LOOPHOLE. WARNING: EXTERNAL SABOTAGE PROBABILITY: HIGH. TOTAL SP: 30.]
Arisu slammed his palm on the table, startling a nearby player, his voice raw.
"This game's rigged like us! They're not testing intelligence; they're testing desperation! If we play their rules, we lose!"
His outburst, a surge of truth, rallied the team, their bond tightening like a knot.
Kirito placed a hand on Arisu's shoulder, his voice calm but firm.
"Easy, Sketch-pad. We cheat the cheaters. That's my gig, remember? Your brain's the exploit. We've got the plan—now we execute."
The neon's hum stung Kirito's ears, a reminder of the game's stakes, their loyalty a fragile shield against the cult's pressure.
Their footsteps echoed as they moved toward the arena, the clink of chips fading behind them.
The casino vault was a cramped, blinding chamber, its walls lined with sparking circuits, the 6♦ sign pulsing its final countdown.
The air buzzed with electricity, the scent of ozone sharp in Kirito's nose, his pulse racing as the timer ticked down.
"Final solution, Arisu. See the pattern?" Kirito urged, his voice low but urgent.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE OVERCLOCK ACTIVE. FEEDING DATA TO HOST.]
Arisu's deduction was lightning-fast, his voice sharp.
"It's the timing! Not the answer! Delay the vote until the last second—the circuit's pressure will force the majority to pick wrong!"
Kirito directed the players with a deceptive calm, his System-fueled clarity guiding their moves.
But a frantic motion caught his eye—a cult spy, disguised as a player, slammed his fist into a control panel, sparks flying.
[SYSTEM: COMPLICATION ALERT: CULT SPY SABOTAGES VAULT. LOCKDOWN IMMINENT.]
The circuits flared, a metallic CLANG signaling the vault's closing.
"Oh, you didn't just do that!" Kuina snarled, her body a blur as she tackled the spy, blocking his knife with a swift kick.
Usagi positioned herself by the vault door, her stance ready to hold it open.
"Too late, creep!" Kirito yelled, his quip rallying the players, a spark of levity in the panic.
The logic held, the timer expired, and the vault door clanked open.
[SYSTEM: GAME CLEAR: 6♦. REWARDS: 6 DAYS VISA EXTENSION FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. 60 SP GAINED.]
[SYSTEM: TOTAL SP: 90.]
The team fled the casino, the Beach's lights dimming in the distance, their victory a testament to their unity, but the cult's retaliation loomed, their infiltration marking them as a threat.
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