Chapter 26: Who’s More Dangerous? That’s Up for Debate!
Decryption was child’s play for Rahman.
As an archaeologist, deciphering ancient scripts was routine. He had the experience and techniques to streamline the process. While others painstakingly matched symbols one by one, Rahman focused on key sections, inferring the rest from context—cutting decryption time drastically.
By 6:00 AM, he’d cracked the letter’s message:
[This wax museum has two nighttime security guards.]
Rahman guessed they were the two men from the photo.
[Both guards protect a secret requiring two access cards to unlock.]
[The so-called “treasure” lies in the staff break room.]
[The female ghost in the break room is a victim. She learned the secret and can never be freed. Avoid harming her unless absolutely necessary.]
Rahman analyzed: This note was probably meant for the frozen wax statue guard. He had no idea how dangerous the female ghost was, nor did he plan to open the break room.
Who’d be stupid enough to try? Even if there’s treasure inside.
Reading further:
[One guard was fired for misconduct. The museum hired a replacement—please cooperate peacefully.]
That summarized the letter’s key points. Rahman concluded:
I’m the new guard. The frozen wax statue is the other.
Thankfully, he hadn’t fallen for the trap. Destroying the cryo-pods would’ve stabbed his “teammate” in the back, escalating the challenge.
If his deductions were correct, 6:00 AM would trigger chaos—and surviving required aligning with the frozen wax statue guard. Even with bonus items, maximizing survival meant playing by the rules.
…
Decryption complete. Reactions varied.
Those who’d spared the cryo-pods sighed in relief. Those who hadn’t looked like they’d swallowed poison.
All that risk—just to screw themselves over.
The female ghost’s delicate beauty had masked her deceit.
Lee Jung-pil’s face was the palest. His proudest moment? Attacking his own ally.
“Protect the enemy, betray your team” might as well have been his motto.
As regretful contestants scrambled for solutions, their phones rang.
Unknown caller. No ID.
Rahman gulped and answered.
“Hello… who is this?”
“I’m the former guard. The museum’s dangerous. Cooperate, and I’ll keep you alive.”
“Cooperate… how?”
“I’m at the entrance. Let me in—I’ll protect you. I just want what’s mine. No harm will come to you.”
Rahman’s blood ran cold.
This guy knows the museum’s secrets. And he’s strong—otherwise, how could he promise safety?
But Rule 1 was clear: No one enters or leaves after 12:00 AM, no matter the plea.
Letting him in would be suicidal.
Every contestant and viewer agreed:
The ex-guard and the female ghost were cut from the same cloth—both here to kill.
The goal? Extract useful intel from them, filter out lies, and survive the final patrol.
Their sole purpose is to feed us information.
Rahman’s mind sharpened. He steadied his breath and strode to the surveillance room, checking the entrance feed.
The figure on-screen was hideous—a grotesque, goblin-like creature with features that triggered instinctive revulsion.
If the frozen wax statue guard was fearsome, this thing was disgusting. The kind you’d slash on sight if you could.
Rahman internally groaned: No wonder their photo hid their faces. This is nightmare fuel.
(Of course, saying that aloud might get him killed by both.)
Even viewers recoiled:
[My God, how does something this ugly exist?]
[His face looks run over by ten trucks. I need eye bleach.]
[Calling him a “guard”? That’s a goblin!]
[No wonder fantasy heroes slaughter goblins. I’d do the same.]
[Goblins lust after women. This one was fired for misconduct. The female ghost’s a “victim” locked inside… Connect the dots.]
[STOP. I don’t need that mental image.]
[Beauty and the Beast, my ass. Kill that thing already!]
Public sympathy leaned entirely toward the “delicate” female ghost. The ex-guard was dubbed “Goblin Guard,” universally despised.
Humans are subjective creatures. Sometimes, truth matters less than the narrative they prefer.
In a hypothetical “vote for the killer” scenario, the goblin would lose unanimously—no evidence needed.
…
Rahman played it smart. Like before, he feigned cooperation but demanded proof: “Give me useful intel first.”
Most contestants did the same. After all, if the goblin could enter freely, why bother negotiating?
Having watched others, audiences naturally switched to Long Nation’s feed—eager for Zhang Yangqing’s next chaotic move.
Zhang Yangqing answered the call, exchanged a few words, and—
The museum doors swung open.
The goblin guard froze mid-scheme: “Wait… I didn’t even trick him yet?”
His bafflement was peak comedy.
Stepping inside, the goblin eyed Zhang Yangqing and gave a thumbs-up:
“You’re bold—knowing how dangerous I am, yet letting me in!”
Zhang Yangqing returned the gesture, grinning:
“You’re bolder—knowing I know, yet walking in!”
Who’s more dangerous? That’s up for debate.
