"Why did they make me do this? If I fail the first door, they're going to think I am a dumbass," Eun-Jeoung muttered as she entered the room. The space was white-tiled, reminiscent of a test subject's environment, featuring a suit and a table with a play button.
With uncertainty, Eun-Jeoung clicked the play button, triggering a voice that began, "So you're tackling the first door. How unlucky! I wonder what they'll say if you fail it," intensifying Eun-Jeoung's stress levels.
"The task in the first door is Paint Ball. You'll have 5 attempts to defeat 10 robots at the amateur level. You must wear the suit, have limited ammo per try, and face the challenge without teammates. However, you'll have barricades for protection, though be cautious, as the robots can enter your area. You have 10 minutes for each attempt, with a 20-minute break between each. Best of luck; don't fail your team," the voice explained.
Eun-Jeoung grasped that this game emphasized speed and agility. Despite the seemingly generous 10-minute time limit, she recognized it as a bluff. The real game, she understood, unfolded in the first 2 minutes. If too many robots breached her defenses during that crucial period, even as amateurs, they could easily overpower her.
Eun-Jeoung donned the suit, lifted the paintball gun, and pressed the button. "Trial 1 commencing," echoed the voice. The floor tiles separated, the suit hanger went underneath barricades emerged, and the walls split apart, revealing robots adorned in paintball vests, armed with paintball guns.
Swiftly, Eun-Jeoung sought refuge behind a barricade, taking a shot that successfully hit one robot but missing the rest. Aware of her limited 30 bullets, she repositioned herself and cautiously peeked out. Bagging another robot came at the cost of them closing in. Moments later, all the robots revealed themselves, leading to Eun-Jeoung's defeat.
"Ah, come on! They move so fast; what am I supposed to do?" Eun-Jeoung complained. During this time, she noticed that the barricades remained above. Utilizing the non-counting bullets in the twenty-minute break, she practiced her aim from various angles, determined to improve for the next attempt.
"Trial 2 commencing," the voice announced.
This time around, Eun-Jeoung experienced a significant improvement in her aim within a short period. During her peek, she managed to eliminate four robots, then swiftly repositioned, repeating the process and taking down three more. With an anticipation honed by experience, she smoothly turned and successfully neutralized another approaching robot. "Only two left," Eun-Jeoung muttered to herself while maintaining cover behind the barricade.
As she cautiously peeked, she identified one of the two remaining robots. A quick scan revealed no sign of the other, so she took her chance and eliminated the robot she could see. However, in the midst of this success, she tripped and got shot by the remaining robot.
"Fuck this, how is my luck so bad?" Eun-Jeoung exclaimed in frustration.
After regaining her composure in a few minutes and practicing, Eun-Jeoung braced herself for "Trial 3 commencing."
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Sticking to her proven strategy, she secured an impressive five eliminations during the first peek. Swiftly repositioning, she netted four more on the subsequent peek. Deciding to change tactics, Eun-Jeoung skillfully maneuvered behind the barricades, successfully flanking the last robot. Her plan unfolded flawlessly.
"You have passed the trial. Congratulations, you may proceed to the waiting room," the voice declared, and a door opened behind her.
"Hope you guys succeed," Eun-Jeoung wished her companions as she walked into the waiting room.
***
"I wonder how long they're going to make me wait in this room," Alejandro mused to himself, occupying a room adorned in white with gold outlines similar to the pervious room, featuring a red velvet carpet and a white couch on the side.
Abruptly, a voice echoed in the room, commanding, "Enter the room." A wall split, creating a door-shaped opening.
Observing the room in front of him, Alejandro acknowledged, "It seems you succeeded, Eun-Jeoung. Good job," as he walked through the newly formed entrance.
Stepping into the casino, Alejandro was immediately engulfed in a wave of vibrant energy. The entire space dazzled with a kaleidoscope of colors, neon lights flickering and bouncing off mirrored surfaces. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, accompanied by the rhythmic symphony of slot machines chiming and electronic beeps. The blackjack tables, adorned in rich green felt, stood out in the lively ambiance. Despite the vibrant setting, the casino was devoid of people, with only robots occupying the space.
Upon entering, Alejandro noticed a robot holding a tablet on a tray, featuring a play button and a pair of headphones. He decided to put on the headphones and clicked the play button.
"Welcome to the second door; your first person did not fail you, I see," the voice began in its audio recording.
The voice continued, "The task you have to accomplish is making a million dollars. It might sound like fun, but it's not a game. You start with $10,000 worth of chips, and you have two days to turn it into $1 million. If you fail to reach the goal or go into negative, you fail."
"If you're unfamiliar with the games, there's a description button you can click for an explanation of how it's played. For games requiring more than one player, the robots will fill in the vacant spots. Best of luck; don't let your group down," the voice concluded its audio message.
"This is going to be tough," Alejandro remarked with a tinge of worry in his tone.
He approached the slot machines, selected one, and clicked on the description button. A hologram materialized, presenting information: "Slot machines feature spinning reels adorned with various symbols. Players place bets, spin the reels, and outcomes are determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG). Winning combinations along designated pay lines result in payouts, influenced by the player's wager. Modern slots incorporate special features such as wilds, scatters, free spins, and progressive jackpots. Payout details are displayed at the bottom."
The hologram then displayed a multitude of symbol combinations with corresponding outcomes, offering a comprehensive overview of the game.
"That's a lot of information, but at least I've got two days to make that money," Alejandro noted. It was then that he realized he hadn't received the ten thousand dollars in chips. Searching for an entrance, he couldn't find one until he noticed a sign that read "Chips Converter." Alejandro entered the square room, discovering an ATM-like machine equipped with a fingerprint scanner.
"Maybe I'm supposed to give my fingerprint," Alejandro pondered, placing his thumb on the fingerprint scanner. The machine promptly dispensed 100 chips, each valued at $100. Shortly after, a robot entered the room with a chip holder and asked, "Would you like me to carry it?"
"Sure," Alejandro replied.
The robot efficiently gathered all the chips, arranging them neatly in a pile. They then returned to the casino, and Alejandro made his way to the roulette table, stating, "Guess it's time to try my luck at gambling."