Tutorial
A man sat in a heavy chair upholstered in fine leather. His hair was as white as snow, hinting at his years of experience, and the deep wrinkles etched across his forehead revealed a strong-willed, stubborn personality. He intently examined a few documents laid out on a desk crafted from ebony wood. The nameplate on the desk read:
Onnuri CEO Lee Geonwoo
Onnuri was the top company in Korea. No, according to recent rankings, it had climbed into the global top 10, making it a true world-class enterprise.
"As you've seen, the Paradise facility was fully completed a month ago, and we've gathered all the information on the participants."
The woman reporting to Lee Geonwoo was a tall beauty at 177cm. Her voluptuous breasts, slim waist, and long, graceful legs could make anyone mistake her for a famous model. Yet her expressionless, icy face betrayed a sharp intellect that contrasted sharply with her alluring figure. Her name was Ahn Segyeong—Lee Geonwoo's direct secretary, a top graduate from Korea's premier university who had also completed elite studies at a top American school. She was the person in charge of the entire Paradise Project.
"I see... When can we execute it?"
"Anytime. However, it will take about two or three days to gather all the participants."
"Understood. Proceed immediately."
"Yes, sir."
Ahn Segyeong turned and left the room. The trigger had been pulled. There was no turning back now.
Lee Geonwoo sank into brief contemplation. Was this truly the right path? But the doubt vanished quickly. They might not understand now. But when everything was over, they would.
Lee Geonwoo leaned deeply into his chair.
"Looks like I don't have much time left either... I wonder if he'll be pleased with my gift?"
Lee Yumin quickly scanned the room. There was a simple bed, a shower booth large enough for one adult man, and a toilet. The space was about 4 or 5 pyeong—roughly 13 to 16 square meters. The walls were painted stark white, and the entrance was sealed by a similarly white-painted steel door. It was firmly locked, with two square holes punched in it, one high and one low.
Yumin recalled his last memory before sleep. He had been spending cozy time with his stepsister, then fallen asleep in his bed as usual. When he woke, he was here. Aside from a slight drowsiness, his body felt fine. Only his clothes had changed: a light blue short-sleeved T-shirt, loose pants, and Lee Yumin embroidered on the left chest. It looked just like a prison uniform. And this room felt like a solitary confinement cell.
How much time had passed? Yumin tried opening the door and inspecting every corner, but soon gave up and sat on the bed. The door was too sturdy, and there was nothing else to see in the tiny space.
Then he noticed something else strange: a metal bracelet clamped tightly around his left wrist. It looked indestructible and impossible to remove.
More time passed. Noises stirred faintly outside the door. Then, through the lower hole, a meal tray slid in. Whoever delivered it left immediately, and silence returned.
Yumin rushed to the door and shouted, but got no response. The tray held rice, soup, and three side dishes. No drinking water, but with the shower booth, he wouldn't die of thirst. He'd already confirmed the shower and toilet worked fine.
Seeing the food made his stomach growl. It had been empty for a while, but the bizarre situation had distracted him from it. Yumin sat on the bed and ate. The meal wasn't bad—more like a balanced diet packed with proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, and all essentials for survival than something flavorful.
Thus began Yumin's inexplicable prison life. Meals came three times a day—breakfast, lunch, dinner—with slight variations in sides. Aside from worrying about his stepsister and boredom, it wasn't particularly grueling.
Rules were posted on the wall: Return the tray after eating, no talking, no actions beyond instructions. But days passed without any instructions.
He had two spare outfits besides what he wore. No underwear. The clothes were thin, but not cold. His last memory was late December, deep winter. Yet he felt no chill. Not due to heating. Was this place outside Korea?
More days dragged on. With no windows in the walled room, he tracked time only by meal timings and lights-out. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, then darkness signaled night.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to Paradise.
Yumin had just finished his usual lunch ration and was resting when the voice echoed. It was the first other person's voice he'd heard since arriving—a clear, bright, young woman's tone that didn't fit this prison at all.
The doors will open soon. Please follow the arrows to the central Square. Creating a disturbance or acting outside instructions may result in severe penalties. Take note.
A clunking sound came from the door. Yumin pushed gently—it swung open smoothly, despite being locked before. An arrow on the facing wall pointed right.
Yumin decided to comply. Rebelling here would just lock him back in.
Walking the corridor, he soon reached the circular central Square mentioned. People emerged one by one from radiating corridors around it.
Yumin was stunned. Including himself, about 18 gathered. And he recognized several faces—especially his stepsister Lee Gayoung, which hit him like a shockwave.
"Ga... Gayoung?"
"Oppa... sob sob... You were here too?"
"Yumin?"
"Yumin oppa. What's going on?"
"Honey... You're here too?"
"Jeongho oppa. Where the hell is this?"
...
People rushed to familiar faces. The Square erupted in voices mixing joy, despair, bewilderment, and anguish.
Yumin hugged the running Gayoung. Around him approached a few women: his department TA, Jeong Suji, and his tutoring student, Shin Minseo.
Please be quiet. If the disturbance continues, I cannot explain Paradise or how to escape it.
The noise didn't die down easily. It couldn't. Meeting acquaintances here—especially his stepsister—was too shocking for Yumin. The misery of sharing this prison overshadowed any reunion joy.
Please be quiet. This is a warning. Violating it may result in severe penalties. To escape Paradise, follow my instructions faithfully. If the noise persists, the first penalty will be halting all meals for everyone.
The clamor softened a bit. Sniffling and murmurs lingered here and there.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down for a moment. Let's hear what she has to say first."
A man in his mid-30s, holding a woman, spoke up. Yumin knew them well—they were his next-door neighbors before Paradise, a newlywed couple married about a year. The man's name was Kim Jeongho, 34; the woman's, Ahn Seohyeon, 28. They had treated orphan Yumin and Gayoung like their own siblings, bringing side dishes and essentials often.
"Who the hell are you to butt in? You with the staff or something?"
The sneering man was familiar too: Jang Woohyeok, Yumin's high school classmate, rumored to be a chaebol heir. Spoiled and fearless, he'd ruled school with his cronies, even teachers wary of him. Yumin, no pushover, had suffered plenty.
"That's not it. I'm just saying let's listen first. I'm curious and frustrated too. But yelling won't solve anything, right?"
Jeongho's earnest plea got a reluctant nod from Woohyeok, though he muttered, "The nerve of them. I'll kill every bastard behind this later."
The Square quieted considerably. Occasional sobs remained, but conversations stopped.
Now I can continue. First, let me introduce myself. I'm the administrator supporting your faithful Paradise life and maintaining the facility.
Now, about Paradise that you're curious about. My tone's too stiff, huh? Because you kept chattering. I'll speak casually from now on. Ready?
Yes, seems so. First, Paradise isn't in Korea. It's on a private deserted island. Excluding you all in the Square, only me and a few admins live there—no other residents at all.
Paradise is a massive facility built on that island, designed to survive even a nuke. Self-escape is impossible, so don't bother trying. Wondering how to escape?
Missions every three days. Participants random, contents random, penalties on failure random. But failure penalties are mostly severe—beware. Worst case is death.
Completing enough missions unlocks areas bit by bit. Smart ones get it already? Yes. Keep succeeding, all areas open, and you escape. Easy, right?
Let me reintroduce: I said administrator, but there are many. One oversees us all. Call me Angel. Why? Sounds pretty and divine, doesn't it?
The self-proclaimed Angel continued in an innocently cheerful voice. Even mentioning harsh penalties and death sounded lighthearted, not grave.
Assuming you understand, here's the first mission. Too tough early on would be hard to adapt, so simple ones until you're settled. Think of it as the game's tutorial. I'm so nice, right?
Participants: Lee Yumin, Jeong Suji. Enter through the open door ahead.
On one side of the Square stood a circular room about 10 pyeong, all walls transparent glass. Its entrance slowly opened—likely where they meant.
Yumin released Gayoung's embrace and looked at Suji, who had approached. Their eyes met; she was watching him too.
Yumin decided to follow orders. Refusing now seemed unwise. Suji apparently agreed.
They entered; the door shut automatically behind. The room was empty. Then the central floor parted left and right, rising to reveal an object: a bed large enough for two.
Within 30 minutes: Participant Lee Yumin must ejaculate inside Jeong Suji once. Failure penalty: All Paradise participants fast for 3 days.
Note: Female participants are on contraceptive hormones—no pregnancy worries. Begin. Have fun.
With Angel's signal, a timer appeared on the inner wall: 00:29:59.