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The cold blue light of the control room illuminated Gi-hun's face.
His eyes were bloodshot from fatigue, but they still held a strong determination.
24 hours had passed since the first game, 'Survival Run', ended, but the faces of the 89 eliminated participants still lingered in his mind.
"Mr. Seong Gi-hun, preparations for the second game are complete."
The Front Man's cold voice echoed through the control room.
Gi-hun slowly raised his head to look at him.
He couldn't read the expression hidden behind the Front Man's black mask, but he could sense a subtle enjoyment in his voice.
"The name of this game is 'Hidden Truth'. Participants must find hidden clues in the maze to locate the exit. But there are traps lurking in the maze."
Gi-hun's eyes widened.
"Traps?"
The Front Man nodded slowly.
"Yes, some clues contain false information. Wrong choices lead to immediate elimination."
Gi-hun's fists trembled.
He was consumed by the thought that he had to stop this cruel game somehow.
"Please explain the game rules to the participants, Mr. Seong Gi-hun."
At the Front Man's words, Gi-hun slowly approached the microphone.
Just then, the control room door opened and an employee rushed in.
"Front Man, sir, it's an emergency. The police are searching around the island."
The Front Man's posture suddenly stiffened.
"What?"
The image of Hwang Jun-ho flashed through Gi-hun's mind.
'Jun-ho, it was you...'
"Mr. Seong Gi-hun, start the game. I'll handle this issue and return."
The Front Man quickly left the control room.
Gi-hun hesitated for a moment but then stood in front of the microphone.
His voice was trembling.
"Everyone, we're starting the second game. The name of this game is 'Hidden Truth'."
Tension settled on the faces of the participants on the monitor.
Gi-hun saw the face of Kang Sae-byeok's sister, Ji-young.
Her eyes held fear along with strong determination.
"You will enter a maze. There are several clues hidden in the maze. You must gather these clues to decipher the exit code."
Gi-hun paused for a moment.
A conflict arose in his mind.
'If this continues, many people will die...'
He took a deep breath and continued.
"But be careful. Not all clues are true. If you choose false information... you'll be eliminated immediately."
A murmur arose among the participants.
Gi-hun watched their terrified expressions through the monitor.
"One minute until the game starts. Get ready."
Gi-hun stepped away from the microphone and sat down.
His hands were still trembling.
Then, a familiar face caught his eye.
It was Cho Sang-woo.
There was a sharp light in Sang-woo's eyes.
He was staring straight ahead as if looking directly at the camera.
Gi-hun felt a chill down his spine.
'Sang-woo, you know something...'
"Game start!"
The doors of the huge maze opened, and the participants cautiously entered.
The maze walls were made of high, cold concrete, and only dim fluorescent lights illuminated their path.
Gi-hun watched the monitor with a tense expression.
His eyes alternated between Ji-young and Sang-woo.
Ji-young carefully explored the maze as she moved forward.
Her eyes caught the first clue.
It was a note attached to the wall.
"Three times right, two times left."
Ji-young hesitated for a moment before following the instruction.
As she turned the last corner, a small box appeared. She carefully opened the box.
At that moment, a sharp scream echoed.
Another participant had made the wrong choice. Gi-hun's heart pounded.
Meanwhile, Sang-woo was behaving differently from the other participants.
Instead of looking for clues, he was carefully observing the structure of the maze.
His eyes shone with sharp insight.
As time passed, more and more participants were eliminated.
Every time Gi-hun saw participants disappearing with screams, his heart grew heavier.
Then, Sang-woo suddenly started moving.
He moved quickly as if he had perfectly grasped the structure of the maze.
Gi-hun watched him with surprised eyes.
"That guy, he knows something..."
Gi-hun muttered.
Sang-woo headed towards the center of the maze.
There was a large circular space there, and a complex puzzle was drawn on the floor.
Gi-hun held his breath and watched Sang-woo's actions.
Sang-woo observed the puzzle for a moment, then started solving it at an amazing speed.
"That's... a map of the maze!"
Gi-hun realized. Sang-woo had already grasped the core of the game.
At that moment, the control room door opened and the Front Man entered.
There was tension in his voice.
"The situation is serious. The police have landed on the island."
Gi-hun's heart started beating rapidly.
This was an opportunity.
A chance to stop the game and end everything.
He slowly stood up.
"Shouldn't we stop the game then?"
The Front Man coldly replied.
"No. The game continues. We have another plan."
Gi-hun was confused.
He sensed there was a hidden meaning in the Front Man's words.
Just then, a commotion occurred on the monitor.
Sang-woo had completed the puzzle.
The floor of the maze opened, revealing a secret passage leading underground.
"That's...!"
Gi-hun exclaimed in surprise.
The Front Man slowly nodded.
"Yes, the hidden truth. The real purpose of this game was to find that passage."
Gi-hun was confused.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll soon find out, Mr.Seong Gi-hun. It's time for you to go down there too."
Gi-hun felt a chill down his spine at the Front Man's words.
He realized now that he too was part of this game.
On the monitor, Sang-woo and a few survivors were descending into the secret passage.
Ji-young was among them.
Gi-hun took a deep breath.
He was now at a crossroads.
Should he go down there to uncover the truth of the game, or should he escape now...
"Choose, Mr. Seong Gi-hun. It's a choice that determines your fate."
The Front Man's words echoed through the control room.
Gi-hun looked at the monitor one last time.
Determination settled in his eyes.
"Alright. I'll go down."
As Gi-hun left the control room, the sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance.
Time was running out, and the hidden truth of the game had yet to be revealed.
Gi-hun opened the secret door leading to the maze.
An unknown world lay before him.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness.