The Chronicle of the Beginning and Climax

Chapter 8 – The First Test

A strange, tense silence settled over the room after Taehwan's death. No one moved. No one spoke. The air felt thick, suffocating—like a noose tightening around everyone's necks.

The Book of Change lay beside Taehwan's lifeless body, its pages fluttering slightly from the cold, artificial wind circulating in the room.

One rule was now clear: The system did not tolerate cheaters.

Jihwan exhaled softly, his fingers tightening around his own book. But his mind wasn't on Taehwan anymore. His focus was on the message that had appeared before.

[The Variable has taken an interest in you.]

That meant someone—or something—was watching him specifically. But why?

His thoughts were interrupted as the mechanical voice of the system echoed through the room.

[The First Test will now begin.]

The walls trembled. The entire space shifted and reformed, stretching into something far larger, something unfamiliar. The wooden floor morphed into polished white tiles. The simple walls became towering marble pillars, stretching endlessly toward a dark ceiling.

What had once been a simple rest area was now a grand, cathedral-like hall.

A massive golden door stood at the very end.

Above it, words began to appear, etched into the air in gleaming silver letters.

[Trust or Betrayal – Choose Wisely]

Jihwan narrowed his eyes. A trust game?

The players whispered amongst themselves, unease rippling through them like a growing storm.

Seojin, ever the leader, stepped forward first. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes scanned the golden door with sharp calculation.

"A test of trust," he muttered. "That means we have to make a choice."

Jihwan's gaze flickered to the side, catching a glimpse of Sohyun. She wasn't speaking, but her fingers were slowly tracing the edges of her Book of Change, as if searching for an answer within its pages.

Then, the rules appeared.

---

[First Test Rules]

1. The golden door requires three players to enter at a time.

2. Each group must vote: Trust or Betray.

3. If all three choose Trust, they pass and move to the next room.

4. If at least one chooses Betray, the betrayer moves forward—the others die.

---

A deadly silence.

Jihwan's lips curled slightly. So that's how they're playing this.

Not a test of intelligence. Not a test of skill.

A test of human nature.

Sohyun spoke first, her voice calm but firm. "We should go in groups of people we trust."

Someone laughed bitterly. "And who the hell can we trust?"

The truth was, no one.

The tension spiked instantly. Some players glanced at each other suspiciously. Others took a step back, as if distance could protect them.

Then, without hesitation, Seojin turned to his group.

"I'll go first," he said.

Two of his followers stepped up without question. The three of them approached the golden door.

A thin, glowing thread of silver light wrapped around their wrists. The system had locked in their choice.

Then—

The results appeared in the air.

---

[Result: Trust – Trust – Betray]

Player Kang Seojin moves forward.

Player Lee Hyunsoo – Eliminated.

Player Han Minjae – Eliminated.

---

The two players collapsed to the ground instantly. Their bodies vanished, erased from existence.

A sharp gasp rippled through the remaining players.

Seojin, now on the other side of the golden door, didn't even look back.

Of course.

Jihwan's fingers tapped lightly against the cover of his book. That man had never planned to trust anyone from the beginning.

Sohyun's expression darkened. "He killed them without hesitation."

Jihwan didn't respond. He simply watched.

Because Seojin had done more than just move forward.

He had set a precedent.

Now, everyone knew betrayal was an option.

And that meant this test had just turned into a bloodbath.

One by one, more groups stepped forward.

Some tried to trust. Some were fools. Some were smart.

And one by one—players vanished.

The numbers fell rapidly.

27… 24… 19…

It was accelerating.

By the time only thirteen players remained, the golden door was stained red.

Jihwan exhaled slowly. A choice, then.

He could trust. Or he could betray.

And yet… neither was the real answer, was it?

His Book of Change flickered. New text appeared.

[The Variable is still watching.]

Jihwan's grip on the book tightened.

There had to be another way.

Something no one else had noticed yet.

And if he found it…

He wouldn't just survive.

He would win.