Chapter 1
[Taves Closed Beta Tester Recruitment]
The multinational company Laurel is bringing you a virtual reality escape game!
Eligibility: Anyone, regardless of nationality, age, or gender.
How to apply: Fill out the form on each country’s local branch homepage and submit it.
Winners will be given round-trip plane tickets, and during the testing period, all living expenses including food, clothing, and shelter will be provided.
P.S.
Testers who clear the game will have their wishes granted.
Laurel will review the wish you wrote on the homepage to see if it is possible to grant. If you write an impossible wish, you may be disqualified, so please write seriously.
Laurel takes no responsibility for anything that happens during the test process.
This announcement, posted earlier this year worldwide, was enough to excite not only gamers but even people who normally didn’t play games.
Of course.
The prize was a wish, and the one making the promise was Laurel.
If it had been any other company, people would have laughed and called it a scam. But when Laurel says it, it’s different.
Laurel, the multinational company led by the world’s richest man, Aiden Stewart.
So far, nothing they announced has ever failed to come true.
They said they would conquer hair loss, and they really did.
They even kept their promise to give free medicine for life to all those who participated in the clinical trial.
The same was true for other fields of business after that.
So when they mentioned granting wishes, people believed them.
And of course, I was one of the people who applied to become a tester because of that.
Last November, one month ago, I proudly received a tester invitation.
[Invitation]
Tester Name: Joo Jin-young
Gender: Male
Nationality: Republic of Korea
Age: 24
Identification Code: KM24-AEMT13119
Never tell anyone your identification code, even if they ask.
The invitation included a plane ticket (a private jet, no less) and details about the accommodation.
To have been chosen among such fierce competition—could it be that my luck is finally turning?
All my life, I had been far from lucky. As a child, I had many accidents that almost killed me.
Because of that, I often relied on paramedics. Perhaps because of those experiences, I decided to become a paramedic myself and am currently in college for it.
I wanted to save others who might end up like me.
Anyway, it’s winter vacation now, and instead of home, I’m at the testing site.
Wow, so luxurious.
A large fountain carved in marble.
An art exhibition hall to the right.
Luxury brand shops to the left.
An orchestra playing above everything.
Under the glow of a chandelier, the scene made my eyes widen.
This must be what people mean when they say “paradise” or “heaven.”
“This is like another world.”
“It’s amazing. Like the inside of a fairytale castle.”
“Look at all those high-end brand stores. Even ones not in Korea!”
“As expected, Laurel is different.”
“Even though I know it’s virtual reality, it doesn’t feel like it.”
Other people seemed to share my thoughts, constantly exclaiming in awe.
What surprised me was that many of them seemed to be Westerners, but everything sounded perfectly translated.
It seems the game has a real-time translation system.
“Testers, hello. Welcome to the Hellfire Twin Towers.”
A blonde woman in uniform bowed politely.
The Hellfire Twin Towers—built by Laurel, led by Aiden Stewart.
This place was the exact virtual copy of that building.
Following the staff’s instructions, we entered an elevator and went up to the 90th floor.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened.
Red carpets, chandeliers, and elegant guest room doors.
I felt awkward standing there in my plain gray hoodie and black pants.
This must be how a luxury hotel feels.
“Female testers, please follow the male staff on the left. Male testers, please follow the female staff on the right.”
We split accordingly and followed our guides to a lounge.
It looked just like one I had once seen in a video—bar, tables, chairs, even a terrace.
The staff began calling out names one by one.
When mine was called, I stepped forward.
“Are you Joo Jin-young? I’ll scan your smartwatch for confirmation.”
She scanned it with a small device.
“Thank you. I’ll issue your room key. Please wait in your room until the official schedule begins.”
The key wasn’t a card; instead, my smartwatch was automatically registered with a code.
When I held it to the room sensor, the door opened.
Beep. Click.
Room 9045.
The scent of something pleasant greeted me as I entered.
I threw myself onto the cushioned chair in the living room.
It was so comfortable it felt like my body was melting into it.
Honestly, this chair was more comfortable than my bed at home.
On the table were an information sheet and two booklets.
Information:
You may do anything freely in your room.
Room service phone number is the same as your room number.
Once you leave, the room will be cleaned automatically, and some hotel items may disappear.
Though the official schedule has not begun, the game test has already started.
The test has already started… I should remember that.
I put the information sheet in my pocket and picked up the two booklets:
Welcome to Laurel!
Game Taves: In Search of Its True Form!
My stomach growled. First, I ordered food.
The hotel food was top-class, as expected.
As I ate, I read the booklet Game Taves. It had details about its development, interviews with the creators, and their message to testers.
They said:
“Please enjoy the game however you wish. Whether you win or lose, there is an ending. The goal you set will change your path. You may face danger, but you will move closer to the answer.”
At the end of the booklet, a folded A4 paper was tucked inside.
It read:
“Time is the capital given equally to all. Those who use it well will win.”
A good quote.
Yes. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Staying inside the room would be a waste.
So I stepped out.
In the hallway, many people were coughing and sniffling.
Some staff were even delivering medicine to rooms.
What bad luck, to fall sick at such a time.
I took the elevator and explored the floors:
89th: Gallery
88th: Culture & Science
87th: Sports Outdoor
86th: Restaurants
85th: Café Village
The moment I arrived at the café village, the rich smell of coffee surrounded me.
It was like an entire café street transplanted here—famous franchises and unique shops alike.
One sign caught my eye: Bayt al-Hikmah.
It wasn’t English or European, and unlike the glass-walled shops, this one was closed off, making me curious.
Ding-ling.
I entered. The master was brewing coffee, and groups of people chatted at tables. Only one seat was empty.
When I sat, a touch panel rose from the table, like a kiosk.
As I was ordering, I overheard people playing cards nearby:
“Triple, two pair.”
“Flush, full house.”
Win or lose, players everywhere act the same.
“Excuse me, may I sit here? There are no other seats.”
I looked up. A young East Asian woman with long black hair tied back was staring at me with a cold expression.
“Go ahead.”
She thanked me and sat down.
Her outfit was unusual: white blouse, black tie, short blue jacket, black shorts, ankle boots.
Not quite a student, not quite an office worker. I couldn’t guess her background.
She ordered her drink. Soon, mine arrived.
“Is that… cacao nibs tea?” she asked, frowning slightly.
“Yes. Not many people know it, but you recognized it.”
“I tried it once. The taste shocked me. But you seem to enjoy it.”
“I like its bitter taste. It wakes me up.”
She shook her head as if she couldn’t understand.
But it was fine. I wasn’t drinking it for others.
Her drink arrived next—hot chocolate. The smell was so overwhelmingly sweet it made me dizzy, but she drank it happily.
So she also liked unusual tastes.
Suddenly, from the next table:
“Cough, cough.”
“With headache and cough, he should rest in his room, not come to a café.”
“Dr…ink… peppermint… bett…er…”
“Is his brain sick too?”
One of the foreign men was clearly very ill. His speech was slurred.
There were others coughing in the café too.
Thud.
The man collapsed.
My paramedic instincts kicked in, and I rushed over to check.
He’s burning up. An unbelievable fever.
He needed ice.
“Here.”
The woman I sat with handed me an ice pack she had prepared with a napkin.
I quickly placed it on his forehead.
The café master called for help, and soon, a doctor and rescue team arrived.
The doctor checked the patient, frowning.
“Unconscious. High fever. These ice packs won’t be enough—look, already melting fast.”
The master brought more ice packs, but they melted almost instantly, turning to steam.
Was this man even alive?
Through the steam, I saw a flicker of light.
Flash!
The next moment—an arm flew through the air.
The doctor’s arm.
