Beep beep!
Relaxing for a moment, Jonghyuk opened his phone and saw that the Destiny app was vibrating. Normally, no one should know his identity on that app, right? Feeling puzzled, Jonghyuk clicked open the app.
He noticed that both the class group and the academy group chats were rapidly refreshing with new messages.
"Principal J: Dear students, over the past three years, you have studied diligently and strived for excellence. Tomorrow, you will face your trial."
"Principal J: Through ages of hardship, death is the only constant. I will prepare 3,423 victory drinks at the school, waiting for you all to come and drink them!"
Principal J, now 57 years old, watched each year as a large number of fresh-faced students went off to face their trials, with less than half returning.
This left him with a heavy heart. Rarely did he speak so fervently in the school group, but today, his passionate words stirred many students who were about to head into the "Game of Fate" tomorrow.
"Class 3, Year 22, Liu Zhao: Great! Principal, wait for me to come back and drink that cup with you!"
Jonghyuk had met Liu Zhao from Class 3 a few times and had even given him some pointers on how to refine his skills. Liu Zhao's parents had died in the "Game of Fate," but he never let despair overtake him. He was an extremely passionate person and was the first to step up now, lifting the mood and encouraging others.
"Class 5, Year 22, Zhu Xiuwen: Yes! We'll definitely return together to drink with the principal. And... Tang Shutao, I like you!"
Jonghyuk twitched slightly at this. Zhu Xiuwen was one of the more popular figures at school, practicing the same Jianggu martial arts as Jonghyuk, and it was said he had already begun sensing his inner energy. He was carefree and liked to joke around, but Jonghyuk knew his feelings for Tang Shutao were genuine.
"Class 5, Year 22, Tang Shutao: Get lost! Count me in for that drink with the principal!"
"Class 13, Year 22, Dai Hayan: Yes, count me in as well..."
More and more people began to speak up—some Jonghyuk knew, some he didn't. Some boldly declared they wanted to get the principal drunk, while others jumped on the bandwagon to confess their feelings. Jonghyuk felt an inexplicable sense of relaxation. It had been a long time since he had experienced this kind of student life filled with such youthful energy.
Jonghyuk didn't say anything, simply watching as the lively chatter continued.
Buzz buzz... buzz buzz.
His phone began to vibrate. The incoming call had no contact name, but the number was very familiar.
After pressing the answer button, there was silence on the other end.
Jonghyuk didn't speak either.
He could hear the faint breathing from the other side; he knew she was there, but neither of them knew what to say. They simply listened to each other's breathing. Just as Jonghyuk thought this would continue until his phone ran out of battery, a clear female voice rang out.
"Remember, come back!"
"...Alright."
Jonghyuk held the phone in his hand, but his thoughts wandered far away. For the first time in many years, he skipped his usual nightly training as sleep crept over him.
That night, Jonghyuk slept more peacefully and soundly than ever before.
When he opened his eyes, it was already close to noon. The restful sleep had recharged him, leaving him feeling as though his body was brimming with energy.
After getting up, Jonghyuk no longer hesitated. The restlessness in his subconscious, stirred by Daniel Park's death, had finally settled. He leisurely enjoyed a hearty lunch, practiced his stance work, and took a bath. Then, he donned a black hooded cloak and headed out, making his way straight to the western side of the city.
On the western side of the city, at the Square, a massive teleportation gate, over fifty meters in diameter, dominated the area. It was said that 200 years ago, this square would be filled with elderly men and women leisurely dancing at sunset.
But now, the atmosphere within the solemn crowd was unusually heavy. Most people hid their faces under hoods, speaking in hushed tones.
At 5:30 in the afternoon, the teleportation gate began to flicker with aurora-like colors. A palpable pressure seemed to radiate from it, settling heavily on Jonghyuk. He couldn't quite grasp what it was, but it was undoubtedly a trace of some sort of power.
Hooded figures began to approach the teleportation gate one by one, quickly disappearing from sight. Twelve hours later, when the gate flickered again, they might reappear—or they might vanish for good.
Jonghyuk glanced at his stopwatch, waiting for the critical 5:40 mark.
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the crowd.
Due to his height, Jonghyuk easily spotted a group of people swiftly approaching the area around the teleportation gate. They were dressed in dark red robes, each wearing a white mask.
"Children! Congratulations, you are about to face your Ordained Death!"
"Do not resist, do not desecrate, and harbor no resentment."
"Everything is destined. Everything is… fate!"
Jonghyuk frowned as he saw one of the red-robed figures standing in the center, loudly chanting in a strange, unsettling melody that made those nearby uneasy.
These were the Death Messengers! Jonghyuk couldn't believe they dared to show up in the city. He had no fondness for them—just a bunch of scum who exploited fear to extort wealth.
What surprised Jonghyuk even more was the complete absence of any official personnel who should have been maintaining order. The vigilantes and heroes, those who had gained power through the [Game of Destiny], were nowhere to be seen.
Something must have gone wrong.
Jonghyuk felt a growing sense of unease.
"Don't listen to these Death Messengers! We must defeat this damned [Game of Destiny]!" Jonghyuk was startled to hear someone boldly step forward to scold the Death Messengers in such a situation.
Everyone knew these people were capable of anything—they were a group of lawless thugs.
The red-robed Death Messengers were equally shocked that someone would dare defy them so openly. One of them stepped forward and threw a punch at the student who had spoken out.
Liu Zhao had anticipated a reaction when he spoke up. As the punch came his way, he quickly stepped back to dodge it. But his opponent, relentless, didn't give him a moment to recover. After missing the punch, the Death Messenger swiftly pivoted and delivered a fierce sidekick. Liu Zhao couldn't evade this time and had to raise his arms to block it.
Bang!
Pain shot through Liu Zhao's arms as the force of the kick sent him tumbling. His hood fell back, exposing his face.
'Damn it! They've seen my face!'
Panic surged through Liu Zhao as he took several more jabs.
The red-robed Death Messenger, growing more aggressive, leaped into the air, aiming a kick at the back of Liu Zhao's head. Liu Zhao, already off-balance, could only raise his hands in a desperate attempt to block the incoming strike.
At some point, Jonghyuk moved closer, grabbing Liu Zhao's hood with his left hand and yanking him behind him. With his right arm raised, Jonghyuk intercepted the incoming kick with ease. Thanks to the alloy bracer on his arm, he felt no pain—only surprise at how weak the Death Messenger's strength was.
"Ah!" The Death Messenger, having kicked what felt like solid steel, fell to the ground, clutching his foot and howling in agony.
He hadn't held back in his strike, and now it felt like his bones were shattered, leaving him in excruciating pain.
"Are you all defying the Lord's call? Fools!" The leading Death Messenger, seeing that they had encountered a tough opponent, dropped the pretense. He pulled out a machete from beneath his robes, and the other Death Messengers followed suit, brandishing their weapons.
"Run!" The parents who had brought their children to face the trials were mostly ordinary people who had barely survived the [Game of Destiny] by exploiting its rules. Few of them had any real abilities, and they quickly chose to retreat.
The vigilantes still hadn't appeared to restore order.
In the chaos, Jonghyuk dragged Liu Zhao with him, dodging the Death Messengers while moving toward the teleportation gate. They had no other way out. Liu Zhao, understanding their precarious situation and not wanting to slow Jonghyuk down, signaled for him to let go. The two split up, each running towards the gate.
Jonghyuk blocked another slash with his alloy bracer, kicked his opponent to the ground, and took a quick glance at the time—5:37.
Having realized that these opponents weren't particularly strong, Jonghyuk decided not to rush into the teleportation gate in panic. He planned to hold off the Death Messengers until the crucial moment at 5:40 before entering the [Game of Destiny].
The leader of the Death Messengers struck Jonghyuk's bracer with his machete, causing his hand to go numb from the impact. Then, Jonghyuk's counter kick left the leader tasting blood in his throat. The leader couldn't believe someone could possess such strength without even entering the trial. Wasn't this kid only 18 years old? Shouldn't he still be just a child, crying and cowering in fear when faced with a knife?
But the leader's keen instincts noticed that Jonghyuk kept checking the time. Based on what he knew about trial candidates with this much potential, Jonghyuk must be waiting for a specific world.
The leader had already formulated a plan and shouted loudly.
"That kid's wearing armor! Push him in and don't let him enter the mission world he's prepared for!"
The Death Messengers swarmed Jonghyuk. Clad in his steel armor, he was momentarily unable to evade as several of them grabbed hold of him. Jonghyuk exerted his strength, and despite the efforts of seven or eight Death Messengers, they couldn't move him. Shocked, they realized just how strong he was.
"Step aside!" One of the Death Messengers pulled out a high-tech gun and aimed it at Jonghyuk.
The weapon began to glow as energy gathered at the muzzle. A sharp pain shot through Jonghyuk's forehead, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
"Fuck it!"
Realizing he couldn't afford to risk further confrontation, Jonghyuk stopped resisting and, using the momentum of their push, ran into the teleportation gate.