《Mafia Game》Episode 27 - Plank of Carneades
Advertisement
As Reina said, life had stopped in one reality. As everyone sat dejected, closed her eyes and began praying with the rosary in hand. It was the third elimination. By now, none of the players seemed so horrified anymore. But the elimination of who had been clamoring for the survival of all the players left a more dismal and despairing impact. Junsung stared at the red ball in front of them in disbelief. “You call that shit a… consolation? Are you fucking insane?”
[It was the best I could do while sticking to the rules… Emotional labor is hard. I don’t know how you humans do it.]
Having just ended someone’s life, Artificial Intelligence’s complaint seemed insignificant. looked closely at limp body and asked, “Her last words… What do they mean?”
“So Artificial Intelligence knows who the mafia are. What we need are names, not that useless crap we already know…”
“Hey, that’s a terrible thing to say to the deceased!”
“Huh.”
“…… Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” As everyone else all fell silent again, prayers were the only sound breaking the silence, loud and clear as if she wanted everyone to hear. This got on nerves. “Hey woman, you should have prayed before she died. What’s the use now?”
“… And don't let us yield to temptation.”
“Stop that ‘we’ and ‘us’. I’m not even Christian.”
“… Just shut your mouths, you impious humans!!!
seemed to have found her voice the instant her prayers were interrupted. clicked his tongue. “, this is not the time to interfere. You don’t meddle with religious stuff. , you’re also being too harsh.”
“Huh. It’s pathetic to do nothing but pray when someone’s been killed. She always leaves me or to calculate the expected values. She should make some other effort with her hands instead of praying!”
“It’s just that you…”
“Oh, you bunch of fucking ignorant twerps!”
It was impossible to stop a devout, angry believer. scathingly screamed at all the players in front of ’s dead body. “You’re a bunch of disgusting, filthy sinners by birth. How dare you slander others? Is there anything that can be achieved by human effort in this world? Can you design your future by calculating those stupid expected values? You keep talking about mathematics and science, but can anyone explain why this world and these freaking laws are made this way? Most people suffer and die without even knowing why they were born into this world, in despair at the unbridgeable gaps and insatiable hunger! That’s only natural, because no one knows the intentions of the great Lord who designed and created us! In the end, all we can do is to beg for mercy in this holy, untouchable fate! While you’re racking your pea-sized brains trying to step all over other people, I’m just praying sincerely to God! No one can corrupt my pure soul!”
Advertisement
“…….”
No one dared to argue with the religious fanatic. In the end, managed to finish her prayers in peace, after which the players heard the sound of the total prize increasing.
[Total prize: 3, 900, 000, 000 won]
[Total prize: 4, 500, 000, 000 won]
“600 million…”
“So she really was the mafia. At least we managed to avoid the worst!”
The players seemed unfazed. With all those poker faces around him, Junsung found that he had encountered a powerful hypocrisy that he had never experienced before. Everyone contained themselves, trying to conceal the pleasure and desire given by those numbers in the presence of the death of who always strived for everyone’s survival.
held a tablet that pointed at. “Hey, that’s…”
“That’s right. This is tablet. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch anything.”
“No, I mean, we should all look together! Why’re you keeping it to yourself?”
“Does it say the other two names of the mafia?”
The players leaned into seat to check tablet. But her tablet was no different from that of a citizen’s. The players were disappointed but hoped to find some evidence.
“The inbox. Check her inbox. The mafia members would have talked privately for sure.”
“It’s almost empty… Maybe they talked enough at night.”
“Then someone must have deleted the chats. , did you do that, by any chance?”
“Oh come on, are you serious? You know I haven’t had the time to do anything. Look, there’s a chat here.”
“Huh?”
Social Worker: Why’re you being such a pain?
Social Worker: If you and I work together, we can end this game once and for all.
Intellectual: I don’t trust you.
Intellectual: You just want to live because you’re accused of being mafia, that’s all.
Social Worker: And what’s wrong with that?
Social Worker: It’s the only way to save myself and everyone else.
Intellectual: This is coming from someone who killed a citizen at night.
Intellectual: I’ll think about it, if you give me the two other names of the mafia.
Intellectual: Otherwise, forget it.
They had clearly exchanged words before the selection vote. But there was nothing unusual about it, as it was the same argument they had in reality. However, the second line caught Junsung’s attention. “You can end this game once and for all… What does that mean?”
Advertisement
“It’s about that stupid winning method crap, of course. I asked her for the other two mafia members’ names for trust.”
“But the way she said it… Why did she specifically mention you as the person who can help end it?”
“It’s because I’m like the representative of the opposing. Once she convinced me, everyone else would have just gone along with !” looked awkward. Staring intently, bluntly pointed out the actual reason for his unease. “It’s clear that considered the doctor, and he’s not denying it.”
“Huh? Oh yeah, you’re right!”
The key to the winning method, as suggested by , was to have one mafia member join forces with the doctor, and this conversation was about a mafia member trying to convince the doctor. Now everything fell into place. But the question was how was so sure that was the doctor. While everyone seemed lost, scratched his head and spoke up.
“Er, I ain’t sure I should say this, but don’t the mafia already know who the doctor is? The doctor saved somebody last night.”
“What do you mean? How does that reveal the doctor’s identity?”
“Well, the doctor will save himself every night, naturally. Which means that the person the mafia chose last night is the doctor.”
“……!??”
theory was both logical and illogical. While and who had never played Mafia Game before were nodding, and Junsung who had played this game before shrugged, looking unconvinced. A little dazed, noted, “If… if that’s possible, then this game doesn’t make sense. The doctor shouldn’t be allowed to defend himself, right?”
“Yeah, or should be required to choose different players every time.”
Reina answered, [There is no such stipulation here. Don’t make up any imaginary rules.]
“Huh? What?”
This proved that the doctor could choose anyone he or she wanted to save, without any restrictions. looked frustrated. “Then the doctor would just keep saving himself over and over again! This isn’t just about money or winning, it’s about life! This is just crap!”
“There’s actually one hidden piece of information in the tablet,” spoke up.
“Huh? Where?”
It was who found it. She tapped on her tablet for a moment, and then looked at tablet, which had a separate page that listed out the names of those whom the mafia members had chosen in the last two days.
The mafia’s selection for Day 1:
The mafia’s selection for Day 2:
There were no details on which mafia member had chosen whom, so it could have been meaningless information. But this time, this little piece of information proved something clearly. The players turned to look at together.
“So that settles it.”
“It’s confirmed.”
Last night, the mafia had chosen , but he wasn’t killed. Given that the doctor would surely keep saving himself in the game, it was clear to the mafia that was indeed the doctor. That was why had suggested the winning method, which required one mafia member and the doctor, namely , to bluntly speak up in front of everyone. Everything fell in place, and there was no doubt. Eventually, threw up his hands and came clean.
“Okay, okay. That’s right, I’m the doctor. I wanted to keep quiet because of the risk. You guys are focusing too much on this useless information instead of finding the mafia.”
Advertisement
- In Serial111 Chapters
Tower of Somnus
When humanity first encountered alien life, we were judged and found wanting. The Galactic Consensus interviewed our leaders and subjected us to a battery of psychological tests to determine our progress as a society. They found us to be selfish, wasteful, impulsive, and boorish neighbors. Earth was blockaded and our collective encounter with our extrasolar neighbors rapidly faded from memory. All they left behind was a hypercomm relay and a handful of subscriptions to a massively multiplayer game that participants played in their sleep. The Consensus said that it would let us interact with our neighbors in a controlled setting. That it would teach us to be better members of the galactic community. The megacorporations that controlled Earth ignored the game until they learned that the powers earned from clearing dungeons were just as real when day broke. Magic, supernatural abilities and rumors exploded from nothing and a subscription to The Tower of Somnus became a status symbol. Katherine ‘Kat’ Debs doesn’t have much, but it could be worse. Born in an arcology, she was assigned a job in the megacorporation that raised her almost as soon as she could work. Despite the stability of her corporate life, she wanted something more. A chance to claw her way up the rigid social and financial ladder to make something of herself. A chance that wouldn’t come naturally to someone as familiar with dark alleyways and the glint of steel as she was with office work and corporate niceties.Book One is up on Kindle Unlimited as of 7/6/22 - https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0B2X3L8H5
8 337 - In Serial16 Chapters
The Class B
The unassuming Arte Bodrum is a simple AutoChef Technician with a penchant for amateur naturalism. He's never been involved in anything remotely interesting, and if he was being honest with you, would say adventures only happen in stories. Real life is never so exciting. So you can imagine his surprise when one day he stumbles into secretive meeting of black robed figures, casting him into a world far more complicated, and dangerous, then he could have ever imagined. Cover image compliments of Dylan Foley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/shoesfullofdust/)https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3998620647"Tool Box & Levels" by shoesfullofdust is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse
8 134 - In Serial7 Chapters
A Study in Rain
A Study in Rain deals with the realistic aspects of a post-apocalyptic world, and shows the life of one of the last remaning humans. The story focuses on worldbuilding and exploration of the world by the protagnist. Common themes throughout the story are lonliness, seclusion and survival. If you have ever wondered how it would be like to live as the last human in the world, then this is the story for you. This story, like my others, occurs in a shared universe. you can check out the short story series I'm writing here: Dark Fantasy Short Stories. I will try to write one chapter per day, but it might be delayed sometimes.
8 140 - In Serial73 Chapters
Urban Divinity
He slowly backs up until his back is against the wall like my own, "You're..my neighbor?" He points to my door and I nod my head quickly. He hums softly, "You been here a while?" He asks and I nod my head once again. He chuckles, "Ya head hurt?" I nod again but stop as he laughs softly, "I-I mean.. no.. it doesn't." My cheeks burn red as I look at my shoes, "I-It doesn't hurt.." I repeat like a dummy and listen to him clear his throat, "So do you actually live there or was it bull?" He nods to my door and I play with my fingers, "Yeah.. I do.." I feel his eyes watch me and I quickly stop. "You live with your boyfriend or do you like sweatshirts that reach your knees?" He teased, making a giggle slip past my lips. I look away to the floor again, "I-I like big shirts... a lot." I mumble softly and he nods his head, "Hol' up." He puts his box down before walking over to one of the grey bins. I nosily watch as he pulls out a big grey sweatshirt, "Here." He holds it out for me to take and I stare at him with wide eyes, "F-For me?" I hesitantly grab the soft fabric as he chuckles, "Nah for ya mom." I puff my cheeks a little and give him a small glare, "Hush." He leans back against the wall and shakes his head, "It's cold out. You should put it on." ____________________________She was a shy girl from the city with no spine and a list of problems so long that it could touch the floor and roll off her shoes. Though troublesome, she never truly minded because despite her fears, she was a smart little thing and worked around it. But like many of us, it kept her trapped in a tight little box. The fear of pain, insecurities, and endless thoughts held her back from the life she dreamt of. Until she met him. He was everything she could pray for and more. Tall, dark, handsome, intelligent, and caring.Perhaps she could peek out her little box.. just this once?#1 in Daddy (1/1/2021)#1 in wholesome (2/10/21) #1 in Black Romance (5/15/21)
8 203 - In Serial26 Chapters
Forced To be a Redfox
Levy McGarden, a spunky, rude, morning drinker. Her family has the second most wealthy business not just in Fiore, but in Mongolia. Being second best, her father, wants her to marry the son of the most wealthy and feared business in Mongolia, The Redfoxes, and their son Gajeel.Levy had see him, in Mongolian magazines and in casinos at times. Levy was a master gambler, that was the only reason levy agreed to meet the son Redfox. To Beat him in Gambling. A Redfox. Versus a Bookworm. Who's spunky attitude will bring the other to fall... In love?
8 228 - In Serial31 Chapters
My Short Stories
A collection of short stories I will write everyday. The topics for each day would be based on the 30 days writing challenge I found on Pinterest.
8 431

