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Twenty young women in plain uniforms consisting of a white button-up shirt and pleated skirt sat huddled over desks in a sterile, brightly lit class room.  The door was barred shut and an armed guard stood near the front along with a stern, wrinkled male teacher who looked out at them with a scowl.  “Five minutes left!”  He shouted, pointing to the timer at the front of the class.

One young adult stared at the screen affixed to the surface of her desk, staring at the questions with a glazed expression. Biology, chemistry, history, literature-- all of it bored her to tears.  She managed to answer the questions with ease, but only after half the class finished before her. ‘Not good enough…  I could have gone faster,’ she told herself plainly, without a hint of negative or positive emotion.

Why didn’t she go faster?  Why didn’t she push herself harder?  She stared down in silence, her mind wandering as she thought of things more important to her. ‘When was the last time I played chess?  Or pool?...  Or even poker?’ She sighed, shifting back in her seat as she lulled her head back and gazed blanly toward the ceiling.  A few hours of free time were granted after a massive exam like this one, so she was already looking forward to getting out of this god forsaken dungeon of a classroom.

“Miss Eun-ju.  Is class boring you?”  The teacher suddenly asked, approaching the obviously disinterested student.

Eun looked up at the man with a tired expression, meeting his gaze but not responding.

The man’s scowl intensified as he leaned in, his face mere inches from hers.  “Do you think it’s in the best interest of the dregs of society to show such disrespect to the teachers who work hard to give them a fighting chance?”  When Eun began to turn her head away, he growled and grabbed her chin, forcefully tilting her head toward him.  “You’re playing a dangerous game, Eun.  Where do you see yourself fitting into Korean society when you leave this institution?  Do you understand how many young women like yourself would kill for this opportunity?”

Eun-ju winced, exerting every ounce of willpower to stop her face from contorting into a visage of pure disgust.  “Like myself?  What does that mean?”  She dared to ask despite knowing the answer.

The man withdrew from Eun-ju and clasped both hands behind his back, staring down at her from a domineering height.  “The dregs of our society.  Those without families or those who have been discarded by their families…  Without a proper familial structure, our citizens can’t thrive and become productive members of society.”  He glanced around dangerously, causing many pairs of curious eyes to quickly turn downward.  WIth a sly smirk, he looked down at Eun-ju once more.  “Isn’t it kind of us to give you that chance?  An ungrateful urchin like you is clothed, fed, protected, and given the chance to gain an education.  How easy it would be for us to throw you out to the wolves.”

Eun clung toonto the man’s every word, hatred welling within her.  Studying, physical fitness, and exams twelve to fourteen hours a day.  Meals consisted of bland, but nutritionally balanced food, and a mere four-hourfour hour period one day a week for a limited array of leisurely activity outside of the extra few hours granted after the quarterly exams.  Then there were the strict punishments for disobeying any of the countless rules that dictated the life of every young woman in this facility.  ‘I sure am grateful I get to be an obedient little dog for you.  Thank you for preparing me to have enough value to warrant getting married off as a glorified incubator trophy wife to some wealthy family.’  She thought to herself, but kept it in.  “I will work harder to reform my ways.  Please forgive me,” she said without conviction.

“A-- As you can see, the young women here all perform quite highly!  Even those who lag behind will surely make suitable wives to family’s in need,” the instructor from earlier laughed nervously.

A man in a deep purple suit and round, shielded sunglasses stared down at the instructor, his expression neutral.  He pressed his gloved fingers together and let out a slow breath.  “I will go down to the leisure room by myself.  I will accept no questions from you.”  He stated calmly.  He had been keeping an eye on this batch of women for a few years now, and one had spurred his curiosity.

“B-- But-- I-- of course!  Please be my guest.  Jin, please lead the way for our honored guest,” he quickly barked, turning toward a guard standing near the door.

In a matter of minutes, Chul had been escored to the leisure room, walking past some of the girls who looked up in confusion at the mysterious guest.

The guard turned toward them with a dangerous look.  “Do not stare at our honored guest.  Mind yourselves,” he insisted before standing by the door with his arms crossed, staying ever vigilant.

Chul eyed Eun-ju in the back, sitting at a computer.  He quietly approached, standing a couple of yards behind the young woman, who seemingly didn’t notice the guest due to a pair of headphones secured over her ears. Some type of card game was displayed on the monitor.

Feeling intrigued, he folded his arms and watched in silence as he quickly determined she was playing a virtual version of Black Jack.  It didn’t take long for the wins to roll in as Eun showed a staggering win ratio. ‘Card counting?’ He mused, his lips curling into a slight smirk.  Shortly after, Eun switched to poker, which she played against actual human opponents.  Sure, they played with fake chips with no monetary value, but the game itself was played in a very real way.  Per the rules of the online poker game, a face cam was enabled that blocked the background out from behind each girl, forcing each contestant to put on their best real poker face.

It didn’t take long for Chul to see Eun blossom and flourish, quickly determining which of her foes bluffed.  She methodically made every decision correctly, her face completely devoid of any hint of emotion.  At one point, she bluffed an opponent into folding when she herself had a mere pair of fours, her face and vocal inflection remaining stalwart.

When the games ended and Eun proved victorious by a wide margin, Chul couldn’t help but clap as Eun began to remove her headphones.  She jumped in shock and quickly turned to see the peculiar man standing behind her.  “W-- What do you--,” she stammered, having been completely entranced by her games.

“Call me Chul.  To put it bluntly, I am of higher standing than anyone you have ever met since entering this facility. I would like to invite you for some dinner and a game of chess; I hear you are quite skilled,” he said with a seemingly genuine smile.

Eun-ju froze, having heard that name before.  The name ‘Chul’ had been thrown around at times, with instructors and even the headmaster turning pale whenever he was mentioned.  Apparently, he had some stake in this institution and was someone even the highest ranking employees feared and respected.  “Do I have a choice?”  She dared to ask, immediately wondering if she’d regret her insolence.

Chul laughed in response.  “A spicy one, aren’t you?  You do have a choice, actually.  I will not force you,” he promised.  “You can deny my request and never see me again.  With your current record of slacking and performing middlingly on exams, you will still manage to find yourself married to the son of a lower elite family, where you will bear four to eight children and perform as a pretty, well educated doll-- or, perhaps puppet is a better word,” Chul continued.  “Or, you can get dinner with me and play a game of chess.”

Chul froze and immediately started to process the man’s every word.  What the hell did that mean?  If she went with him, would she have a chance at escaping her fate?  This man was surely intimidating, but she got worse vibes from the faculty of the institution she was forced into.

“I will not elaborate further.  Please give me an answer in the next ten seconds; if you deny my request, we will never again meet,” Chul pressed, his voice turning stern.

“Y-- yes,” Eun immediately replied, her heart racing.  “I will get dinner with you-- and play chess as well,” she promised, elenching her hands.  A small thread of light fell before her in a sea of churning darkness.  With much trepidation, she grabbed onto that flimsy thread for dear life, deciding the outcome couldn’t possibly be worse than what was currently in store for her.

“Excellent,” Chul replied, standing to his feet.  “Please come with me and we will head to my top floor suite,” he said calmly, fully understanding these young ladies rarely left the basement levels of the institution.  

A short while later, Eun-ju had done her best not to devour the delicious meal too ravenously, not used to such decadence.  Chul made small talk with her before they started their game of chess shortly after.

Chul watched her every move, marveling at her decision making skills. ‘Wonderful.  Truly wonderful,’ he grinned.  Despite his praises, he would not lose.  He pulled ahead and thought five steps ahead whenever she thought only four.  After thirty minutes, Chul’s lead was quite obvious much to Eun’s dismay.

“I-- I can’t beat you,” Eun grunted, a pang of frustration rising within her.  She wasn’t used to losing, but she wasn’t going to throw a fit.  “You will checkmate me in four moves…  I concede defeat,” she said to him before withdrawing from the board and staring into his eyes.

“Miss Eun…  Do you enjoy playing games like this?  Do you like to gamble?”  Chul asked after a few moments of silence, leaning back in his seat as he laced his fingers together.  “Despite your loss here, you performed beyond my expectations,” he said with a small laugh.

Eun-ju blinked and eyed him suspiciously.  “Wait-- wait a moment.  I lost but you’re complimenting me?” 

“You were never going to defeat me…  But you came closer than any I have met barring one of history’s greatest chess grandmasters.”  With that being said, he was sure Eun could attain that level if she truly wished.  “What if I told you I could offer you a chance at a life you would enjoy far better than what the institution here has presented you?”  He asked carefully, staring into her eyes as he observed her closely.

Eun’s heart raced, her eyes widening.  Her eyes then shifted to the corner and moved back and forth as she clenched her hands over her knees. ‘Is he serious?’ She mused. “Explain yourself.  What do you mean?”

“I offer you a chance a thigh stakes gambling…  There is much to lose, but also much to gain with me as your sponsor.  You will get excitement and a genuine chance at clawing your way out of the hellish existence you find yourself in,” he smiled. “Would you like to hear more?”

Eun-ju sat in silence, her mind racing a million miles per hour.  Gambling?  A chance to escape this hell?  Was he serious?  She thought long and hard, biting her lip as her eyes darted back and forth. Thankfully, the man before her had a great deal of patience.  “Please…  Tell me more,” she finally conceded, looking at the man with determination.

“Do I have your full attention?”  Chul asked the girls, waiting a moment as he scanned the room and ensured no one was going to speak up.  “Good.”

Grace took a slow breath, still reeling from Arina’s interact with Kalea.  It wasn’t as if she was upset by Arina; if anything, she felt something strange and primal within her upon seeing Arina’s uncharacteristic actions.  She shook her head and pushed the distractions away, knowing it was imperative that she pay attention.

“Much like the first game, you will all be broken up into groups of three.  This time, however, you will get to decide your groups amongst yourselves,” the man started.

At that, Grace and Arina briefly cast relieved smiles each other’s way and the others could be heard muttering amongst themselves.

“Each of the four teams will be provided $30,000 in cash.  Regardless of how you divide it up doesn’t matter; any and all money lost or gained by a member of your team will be considered a shared total.  If one member of a team takes $15,000 for themself and loses it, the entire team is down to fifteen grand.”

Grace’s brow furrowed as she started to digest this influx of new information; there was quite a lot to process right out the gate and she didn’t want to miss a beat.

“You will spend a grand total of twelve hours in the Grand Casino.  You will find all kinds of games ranging from Black Jack and Poker to roulette, slot machines, pachinko, and more.  You will see for yourselves soon enough,” Chul said curtly.  “The goal is simple.  The more money you walk away with at the end of the night, the higher your score.  The first place team will have their transformations lessened slightly, the second place team will not transform any further, the third place team will have their transformations progressed moderately, and, well…”  He grimaced and pushed a finger up to adjust his sunglasses.  “You do not want to be the last place team.”

The room went silent and Grace felt Arina’s grip on her hand tighten, giving her a squeeze of reassurance. ‘That won’t be us,’ she assured herself.

“Also, any team that walks away with less than their initial $30,000 will receive an additional penalty.  If the night goes so poorly that the first place team has $27,000 remaining, even they will receive a penalty.  On top of that, teams are allowed to exchange money with one another if they choose to participate in a moderated gambling match.  One team cannot hand money to another unless one of our dealers or game masters is there to approve the rules and perform as referee.  If any of you go this route, reach out to any guard, dealer, or staff member and they will assist you.”

He clapped his hands together and grinned.  “You will now have five minutes to decide your teams.  Good luck,” he said to the girls before walking to a door in the back and making his way out.

Everyone immediately scrambled to find teams, with Grace not wasting a beat as she grabbed Arina’s hand and plans began to form in her head.

“What are you thinking?”  Arina quickly asked, trusting in Grace’s judgment.

Grace immediately saw Ruby teaming up with Edith and Gina, which expected.  She also saw Phoebe with Ella and knew those two came as a pair, so they were off the table.  In a matter of seconds, she realized her options were Uma, Lisa, Rose, Kalea, and Eun.  Of them, Uma had approached Ella and Phoebe with a friendly wave, with Rose looking bewildered and Kalea snorting and laughing to herself as she began to walk.

There was no time.  Considering all of her options, there was one person she thought would give them the best chance of survival.  “This way,” she said to Arina as she made her way to the back and stood before a disinterested Eun-ju.  “Hey.  Let’s team up,” Grace said confidently, staring down at the still sitting woman.

Eun looked up at Grace and tilted her head.  “Us three?”  She looked between the two.  “I didn’t think you were my biggest fan,” she said simply.

“I believe in you and your abilities,” Grace confessed, not relenting.  “The past is the past.  You play to win, and that’s what we need.  I might not have done well at the first Mollusk Match game, but I’m not stupid.  I can use my brain-- so can Arina.”

Eun scowled and shifted her gaze to the side, considering the proposal.  She then looked at the others in the room and winced, a realization coming to her.  “I’m sure neither of you are dumb as bricks, but do you even understand gambling?  What will either of you bring to the table?”

Arina grinned and stepped forward, deciding to offer her two cents. “For one, we’re mentally stable and won’t get hung up on pride or pettiness.  Secondly, we aren’t wild cards.  We’re willing to trust you and your abilities.  No screaming, no running off and wasting most of our money while you’re not looking, etcetera, etcetera…”



Grace was thankful for Arina’s sharp mind.  “We won’t actively hold you back and you might be surprised to find how much we can actually offer.  Can you honestly say you’d rather team up with any of the other remaining three?”  She gestured to show that two groups were fully formed, with Ruby, Edith, and Gina forming one, and Uma, Phoebe and Ella making up the other.  

Eun-ju sighed and rubbed her temples as Lisa suddenly approached with Kalea behind her..  “Eun-- join up with us,” she insisted.

If Eun didn’t team up with Arina and Grace, she’d be stuck with either Rose or Kalea on her team.  On top of that, she didn’t like Lisa much to begin with. ‘What a pain,’ she mused.  “I’m teaming up with these two, sorry,” she said plainly, gesturing toward Grace and Arina.

“W-- What, why!?”  Lisa cried in protest.  “Surely you can see the benefit of teaming up with someone of my caliber!  I may have experienced some hiccups along the way, but I am confident I’m smarter than those two!”  She insisted, her face turning red.

“You heard her,” Grace said with an unamused expression.  “We’re a team and that means you are with Kalea and Rose.”

No one envied that particular team.  Rose was a nervous mess ever since her run-in with Lucius, and Kalea was certifiably insane, and in Grace’s opinion, quite dumb.  The teams were now set and nothing would change that.

Chul stepped back out and went to the front, giving the contestants a bow.  “Your time is up, ladies!  Please follow me and the third Mollusk Match game shall commence!”  The time of reckoning had arrived.

CHAPTER END

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