Debut or Die - Chapter 495

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 495
A brilliant deduction success BGM played over the video as Park Moon-dae’s narration began.
[Park Moon-dae: Something felt off from the very beginning.]
Park Moon-dae reading through the profile.
[Park Moon-dae: The mortician was identified as the culprit, but there was no explanation of what crime actually occurred. That was strange, wasn’t it?]
Above the phrase “You are the culprit of this incident” on the profile document was a photograph marked with a large red X.
A black robe and a grotesque skull mask.
It was identical in appearance to the corpse the eliminated players had seen in the blood-soaked bathroom of the afterlife!
Park Moon-dae, who had been studying it intently, tilted his head as he turned to the next page.
[Park Moon-dae: But then again, the mission seemed far too simple.]
The mortician’s mission.
It ended in a single sentence.
[To be burned as an offering.]
It meant the eliminated were to die.
Once you understood what “burned as an offering” meant while playing the game, it became a remarkably simple yet terrifying narrative.
[Park Moon-dae: Actually, if the culprit just gets caught, the mortician dies anyway. And there are plenty of other ways to be eliminated besides that.]
[Park Moon-dae: Once I learned what “burned as an offering” meant in the section where we deduced the sacrifice, it seemed too easy, which struck me as odd.]
And that’s when this thought occurred to me.
[Park Moon-dae: The mortician absolutely has to die.]
“…!!”
[Park Moon-dae: The mortician has to die for the story to progress and for someone to escape.]
[Park Moon-dae: So there’s crucial information I need to transmit using the radio here.]
The mortician’s ability—the radio that allows the two worlds to communicate and exchange information—that’s what’s needed.
Then what would be the most striking piece of information from this bizarre afterlife?
[Park Moon-dae: The corpse in the bathroom.]
That grotesque and eerie corpse drenched in blood yet bearing no wounds.
[Park Moon-dae: I thought there had to be something there.]
And the screen cuts to another scene.
The surviving team unlocking the padlock on the bathroom door.
[Kim Rae-bin: This number is correct.]
[Ryu Chung-woo: Good.]
Click.
With a soft sound, the padlock fell away, and the members quietly approached the bathroom entrance.
Sun Ah-hyun whispers into the radio.
[Sun Ah-hyun: We’re in.]
The bathroom interior was as pristine as when Park Moon-dae’s dormitory team had first discovered the radio at the sink area.
And while it was eerily quiet, they weren’t fooled.
-Park Moon-dae: It seemed to be inside the cabinet.
The surviving members, recalling Park Moon-dae’s advice transmitted through the radio, quickly formed a formation and advanced toward the sink area.
And.
[Ryu Chung-woo: I’ll open it.]
After nodding to the three waiting members, Ryu Chung-woo quickly opened the cabinet.
Then,
Flicker.
Flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker—
[Kim Rae-bin: Hmm,]
[Cha Yu-jin: OK.]
The bathroom lights began flickering wildly again.
However, this party—where more than half the members possessed unusually steady nerves—didn’t back down and immediately peered into the cabinet.
And they saw it.
[Cha Yu-jin: Oh my….]
A ghost wielding a blade, staring out from the dark interior of the cabinet.
“Ahhh!”
It had the exact same appearance as the corpse downstairs!
The Graduate Student involuntarily screamed and tore at her pillow.
Could it be that this was the ghost standing behind them when Park Moon-dae and the others escaped from the bathroom?
‘This is terrifying!’
It was a perfectly natural human reaction.
Tense, eerie background music flowed. This was exactly the kind of scene in a horror or thriller film where the characters should immediately bolt and flee!
Naturally, the members should have seen this ghost, scattered in panic, and engaged in a chase with sweaty palms….
[Ryu Chung-woo: Grab it!]
[????]
They decided to overpower it with sheer physicality!
[Cha Yu-jin: Got it.]
As Cha Yu-jin rushed straight into the cabinet and grabbed the ghost’s waist, the actor playing the ghost froze in shock!
The viewers froze along with him, then burst into laughter.
-??
Hahahahaha
-You can see the expression even with the mask on
-We’re sorry, our kids grew up through survival shows and don’t hold back
-The ghost dropped the knife, what do we do
Ryu Chung-woo even snatched the weapon away while Cha Yu-jin held the ghost in place.
Of course, since this was a broadcast, the ghost couldn’t actually stab the members, but their movements were so swift and prepared that they could have countered even if it were possible.
And then,
[Ryu Chung-woo: Lift it!]
[????]
The four of them hoisted the ghost—bound with curtains—into the air and began running in perfect synchronization.
-? hahaha
-What kind of luggage is this?
“Turning luggage into a casket lolololol”
It was like watching someone doing obstacle training with a log.
[Sun Ah-hyun: The door—it’s open!]
And rushing past the already-opened door, I shove the ghost into the coffin!
-Damn, that’s crazy
-It’s hilarious but so thrilling
Because the members were so serious, the comedy was merely a side effect; instead, the tension of potentially losing the ghost and the nail-biting suspense came alive through the rapid editing.
And the youngest members, terrified at the sight of the struggling ghost, desperately slamming the coffin lid shut by hand.
Bang! Bang!
-Oh my god
-That’s brutal;
Moreover, the coffin lid rattled as the ghost thrashed inside.
But the members calmly pressed down on the coffin lid and attempted to communicate with the ghost as if following protocol.
[Ryu Chung-woo: Would you mind talking with us? Sir, based on your appearance, it seems you’re the one who created this altar.]
[???: ….]
[Cha Yu-jin: There’s a possibility this person is an American ghost. Hey, can you hear me?]
Surprisingly, there was no response whatsoever.
Cha Yu-jin shrugged. The viewers let out hollow laughs.
-As if it’s an American ghost lol
-But they caught it physically, why are they treating it like a ghost lolol
-A ghost that controls its pace
-I’m laughing then screaming and my cat is looking at me weird
└lololol
In contrast to the viewers who found it absurd—whether this was even right, or how they came up with this idea in the first place—the members remained serious.
[Sun Ah-hyun: Should we… light the candles now?]
[Ryu Chung-woo: Wait.]
Ryu Chung-woo, who had been silent for a few seconds as if thinking, soon divided the team in two.
Himself and Sun Ah-hyun.
And Cha Yu-jin and Kim Rae-bin.
[Ryu Chung-woo: While we hold this down, I’d like you two to check that cabinet where the ghost came out earlier. I think there was something behind it.]
[Kim Rae-bin: Yes!]
And so, while the more composed professional athletes kept watch over the coffin, the two youngest members ran eagerly to the bathroom.
And forgetting even their bickering, after thoroughly searching inside the cabinet covered in fake blood, they discovered….
[Cha Yu-jin: Kim Rae-bin! Look at this!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Good heavens!]
The inner panel of the cabinet rotated like a revolving door.
And what lay beyond it was… a dark concrete staircase descending downward.
[Cha Yu-jin: That’s… looks like the way to hell.]
[The path to hell…?]
It looked like the path to hell.
Along with Cha Yu-jin’s words, the dark stairwell passage was captured on camera.
And then came a question through the walkie-talkie.
[Park Moon-dae: Is there any writing there?]
[Kim Rae-bin: !! Yes, there is!]
On the concrete wall beside the stairs, dark crimson letters were scrawled.
And finally, the full picture of the incident came to light.
-It really is a cult sect
-They were trying to resurrect a celebrity corpse through some insane ritual? That’s insane;;-
-Oh my god…
In summary, the cult leader had been murdered during some bizarre ceremony.
The killer was a mortician.
So to come back to life, he attempted to recreate the murder case in which he died, sacrificing Testa members one by one as human offerings!
-Suddenly occult and creepy
-If things had continued like this, only 2 survivors would have remained…
And the way to stop this terrifying situation was discovered in the Afterlife.
[Lee Sae-jin: There was something written in the cabinet in this bathroom too. Like, how to resurrect, precautions and stuff like that.]
[Kim Rae-bin: Indeed! I see.]
If they burned the ghost as a burnt offering at the altar, they could escape this bizarre ritual space.
An “Emergency Exit” would supposedly open, but viewers were divided on what that meant.
That’s when it happened.
[Bae Sae-jin: And another thing.]
[Bae Sae-jin: This cabinet here also seems to be opening.]
-Huh?
-What then?
In an instant, the broadcast cut to a view of the Afterlife.
Park Moon-dae calmly held the walkie-talkie, his gaze fixed inside the cabinet as he spoke.
[Park Moon-dae: We have stairs going both up and down.]
[Kim Rae-bin: !!]
That’s right.
Behind the cabinet in the Afterlife, stairs led in both directions—up and down.
[Park Moon-dae: Since we came down in a coffin and arrived here, the upward stairs must lead to your side.]
The broadcast cut to show the two cabinets’ stairs connected.
[Park Moon-dae: Then the downward stairs… I want to check if that’s the exit.]
[Kim Rae-bin: Pardon?]
The flashlight beam turned toward the downward stairs.
The light above the staircase went out, but the silhouette of a sign became visible in the darkness.
[Park Moon-dae: There’s an Emergency Exit sign.]
[Cha Yu-jin: Oh!]
-Incredible
And so, a thrilling escape sequence with a final time limit began.
[Ryu Chung-woo: Hurry!]
The moment the candle was placed on the altar and the coffin burned, the dormitory began to shake as if it might collapse, and the surviving Testa members quickly descended into the Afterlife through the cabinet passage.
As the coffin descended into the Afterlife, there was a possibility that a ghost might emerge from it.
[Bae Sae-jin: This way!]
Fortunately, the survivors met up with the eliminated members who had been waiting on the stairs beforehand, and quickly descended the stairs again.
And then they saw it.
[Park Moon-dae: The Emergency Exit!]
Lights illuminated down the stairs in a cascade, shining on the emergency door!
The members opened the emergency door and rushed out one by one.
[Cha Yu-jin: Ooooh!]
Outside was the open air.
Beyond the set as the sun had set, staff members applauded under the filming lights.
[Everyone escaped successfully!]
With cheers, a sense of liberation overflowed!

* * *
And immediately following was the behind-the-scenes segment.
[Production Team: As we mentioned, through this game, the roommates for Testa’s newly relocated dormitory would be determined.]
[Production Team: We’re scoring based on mission success and escape order, so those with higher scores get to choose their rooms first!]
The members who successfully completed the mission and escaped in the upper ranks began eagerly selecting their rooms.
Of course, Park Moon-dae was among them.
His interview was inserted.
[Park Moon-dae: I did some advance research on which rooms the members prefer.]
[Park Moon-dae: I’m thinking I should go for a room that would suit a quieter member.]
An interview that appeared to have been filmed right after the game ended. At that point, he seemed quite confident.
But soon he faced this reality.
[Production Team: Unfortunately, Moon-dae, you didn’t clear the mission.]
[Park Moon-dae: ?]
-Huh?
-But Moon-dae got burned, so why—
The viewers’ confusion was echoed by Park Moon-dae on screen.
[Park Moon-dae: I cleared the mission. I got burned, so…]
Until this moment, Park Moon-dae had an expression suggesting there must be some mistake.
But the Production Team suppressed their laughter and said this.
[Production Team: Ah, well…]
[Production Team: The doctor saved you. Let’s give them a hand!]
[Park Moon-dae: ?!!!]
Park Moon-dae turned his head.
‘Doctor’ Cha Yu-jin waved his hand with a bright smile.
-Wait
“No way, seriously? lol”
That’s right.
Cha Yu-jin’s profession is a doctor!
With a doctor’s ability, he could unconditionally save one person before the game even started!
And the mission aligned perfectly with that.
If the person he designated truly faced a mortal crisis and survived, mission success!
So the moment Cha Yu-jin saw the profiles back then, he deduced this.
[Cha Yu-jin: All culprits kill the smart ones first.]
[Cha Yu-jin: So I’m saving Park Moon-dae hyung!]
And by sheer coincidence, Cha Yu-jin’s deduction was flawless.
Park Moon-dae was burned as a sacrifice first.
In other words… complete success!
[Cha Yu-jin: Park Moon-dae hyung burned? Not happening!]
[Park Moon-dae: ….]
Originally, he was supposed to climb up near the end of the game and reveal the existence of the cabinet passage connected to the afterlife.
But because of Testa’s playstyle of covering everything with raw physical power, there was no opportunity for that!
As a result.
[Production Team: So here’s what happened….]
Cha Yu-jin: 1st place.
Park Moon-dae… last place.
Hahahahaha
-Park Moon-dae hard carry then sacrifice
-So touching, Moon-dae!
-We won’t forget! We won’t forget!
And so Park Moon-dae lost his right to choose a room….
‘Poor thing, but so adorable!’
The Graduate Student felt sympathetic yet couldn’t suppress her laughter.
But Park Moon-dae did have his own happy ending waiting for him.
After hearing the full story, Park Moon-dae on the program trudged toward the last remaining room with all hope abandoned, but….
[Kim Rae-bin: Park Moon-dae hyung! I look forward to working with you going forw….]
[Park Moon-dae: That’s enough.]
[Kim Rae-bin: ??]
[Park Moon-dae: Thank you.]
By sheer luck meeting the best possible roommate, he arrived at his happy ending.
lol lol
Haha that’s hilarious
-Live peacefully with the rabbit, Moon-dae
‘Oh how cute….’
The Graduate Student nodded while laughing.
By the way, Ryu Chung-woo entered Cha Yu-jin’s room as the 1st place winner, and it was quickly filled.
[Cha Yu-jin: Welcome bro!]
[Ryu Chung-woo: Haha! Yeah, count on me.]
Next, Sun Ah-hyun and Lee Sae-jin met, showcasing Testa’s long-standing camaraderie among members of the same age.
[Sun Ah-hyun: Sae-jin…!]
[Lee Sae-jin: Oh my gosh, Ah-hyun! We finally became roommates!]
By this point, viewers naturally caught on.
-Wait, hold up
-If it’s like this, solo room lolol
That’s right.
The final, long-awaited solo room belonged to….
[Bae Sae-jin: Sigh….]
After six years of waiting, Bae Sae-jin finally claimed the solo room for himself!
[Wish Fulfillment Ceremony]
Bae Sae-jin sat on the bed with a blissful expression, subtly expressing his victory gesture alone in the solo room.
It was an extraordinarily rare sight. The unmanned camera had been forgotten.
-Lololololololololol
-Hamster boy…
-1 hamster 1 cage okay got it
Viewers showered the introverted Bae Sae-jin with endless laughter and congratulations.
[Testa has moved into their new sweet home.]
The caption shifted cheerfully, and the video ended on a bright, joyful happy ending. The Graduate Student found herself clapping and smiling without realizing it.
‘That wasn’t bad….’
That was the moment.
Suddenly, the video brightened again.
“…??”
What came into view was Cha Yu-jin in a hoodie with a sullen expression.
He pouted his lips and threw down the card he’d been holding.
-Huh?
-???
-What?
[Cha Yu-jin: This game wasn’t fun. A cult sect? Ghosts? Way too childish.]
[Kim Rae-bin: And you were the most immersed in it too.]
[Cha Yu-jin: Hey!]
As the two bickered, the camera’s view gradually pulled back, revealing the location where they were.
“…!”
The Graduate Student recognized the place immediately.
‘Gasp!’
It was the attic.
The very same location from Testa’s last album title track MV, Roll the Dice!
Testa’s appearance of having just finished playing the board game remained unchanged.
However, this time, the letters written on the board game board were different from before.
【LAMB】
The title of this very entertainment program!
In that moment, the fans realized.
-insane
-wait, is this the board game they were playing?
-i got chills
-wow
As the chat refreshed rapidly.
Among Testa members who had finished organizing the cards, the member serving as game master this time opened his mouth.
[Sun Ah-hyun : Hey, so… should we try a different game?]
Sun Ah-hyun.
[Sun Ah-hyun : This one will be even more fun. …I’ve been preparing for it for a while.]
His face, smiling softly and quietly, was captured in close-up as the entertainment program ended.
[To be continued…?]
Against a black background, a meaningful caption remained.
-wait
-??
-excuse me
-is this the next album teaser?
Soon the fans grasped the situation.
‘Right, this is a comeback teaser!’
-insane i want to watch from the beginning
Ugh…
For the next week, this content itself was bound to be flooded with fresh interpretations and abundant teasers.
‘Wow, they’re making a comeback again this year?’
The Graduate Student quickly found her friend Home Ma, known for being quick with gossip, and sent a KakaoTalk message.
While Testa’s fans were screaming over this unexpected universe connection.
Fans of another group were also screaming.
[【One Take 4K】 Chung-ryeo (CHR) ‘Ash’ @Music Broadcast Studio MusicBOMB]
-no way
I’ve gone crazy, seriously.
It was because Chung-ryeo’s solo album comeback music broadcast activities were underway in the first week.
And several days before that.
Park Moon-dae received a text message.
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo : Scheduled for filming on 9/13 (Wed) at 5 PM
“….”
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo : See you at the exact time^^
A featuring collaboration.
At a point when his group activities had ended, it marked the belated beginning of Park Moon-dae’s individual activities.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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