The steel door groaned shut behind them.
CLANG.
The sound echoed through the archive like the closing of a vault.
For a moment—
complete silence.
The room was enormous.
Far larger than it should have been.
Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched into darkness, disappearing beyond sight.
Not books.
Boxes.
Thousands of carefully labeled wooden boxes.
Each carried a year.
2012.
1998.
2005.
Unknown.
Yue Ning whispered,
"...This isn't an archive."
She swallowed.
"...It's a memory vault."
No one answered.
Because she was right.
🔹 THE MAN IN THE LIBRARY
A soft scraping sound echoed between the shelves.
Someone was moving a ladder.
Slowly.
Carefully.
An elderly man climbed down from the top shelf with surprising grace.
His silver hair was tied neatly behind his head.
He wore an old-fashioned school uniform unlike any they had seen before.
Not torn.
Not dirty.
Perfectly maintained.
He carried a feather duster in one hand.
A small notebook in the other.
Without looking at them, he dusted one of the boxes.
Only then did he speak.
"...Visitors."
His voice was warm.
Almost gentle.
"...That has become rare."
🔹 THE GUARDIAN
He finally looked at them.
Kind eyes.
A calm smile.
"I am the Keeper of the First Archive."
He bowed politely.
"You may call me..."
A pause.
"...Master Wen."
🔹 AN UNEXPECTED WELCOME
Mei Chen blinked.
"...You're... not attacking us?"
Master Wen looked genuinely confused.
"...Should I?"
"...Most people try."
He chuckled softly.
"Violence is noisy."
"I prefer conversation."
Lin Xia didn't relax.
Because sometimes—
the calmest people were the most dangerous.
🔹 THE FIRST LESSON
Master Wen walked between the shelves.
Running his fingers gently across the wooden boxes.
"Do you know what every player who comes here wants?"
No one answered.
"They want answers."
He smiled.
"They never ask if they deserve them."
🔹 THE OFFER
Master Wen stopped before an old wooden table.
On it sat a Go board.
Black stones.
White stones.
Already arranged in the opening position.
He looked at the girls.
"I have protected this archive for a very long time."
"I will not stop you from entering."
A pause.
"But I also cannot simply allow it."
He rested one hand on the Go board.
"So..."
"...I offer a game."
Silence.
Not a challenge.
An offer.
Exactly as the system's rules required.
🔹 THE GAME
Lin Xia stepped forward.
"What game?"
Master Wen smiled.
"Go."
Mei Chen sighed dramatically.
"...Please don't tell me this is another game nobody taught me."
The old man laughed.
A genuine laugh.
"Then perhaps today is a good day to learn."
🔹 THE REAL RULES
Master Wen turned over a wooden plaque beside the board.
ARCHIVE GAME
Game: Go (Weiqi)
Players: One representative from each side
Victory Condition: More territory at the end of the game
Special Rule: Either player may pause once during the match to ask a single question. The opponent must answer honestly.
Yue Ning frowned.
"...A question?"
Master Wen nodded.
"In this archive..."
He tapped one of the memory boxes.
"...Truth has value."
🔹 THE DECISION
The three girls stepped aside.
They whispered among themselves.
Mei Chen spoke first.
"I'm out."
She laughed.
"I'd lose before the opening."
Yue Ning shook her head.
"I know the rules..."
"...but Lin Xia is better under pressure."
Lin Xia looked at both of them.
"...Are you sure?"
Both nodded.
Mei Chen smiled.
"Go beat the old man."
Master Wen chuckled.
"I appreciate your confidence."
"...But confidence and victory have never been the same thing."
🔹 THE AGREEMENT
Lin Xia sat opposite him.
She looked at the board.
Then at Master Wen.
"I accept."
A soft chime echoed throughout the archive.
Unlike previous matches—
there were no flashing lights.
No dramatic announcements.
No countdown.
Only a quiet message appeared above the board.
GAME ACCEPTED
🔹 FINAL MOMENT
Master Wen picked up the first black stone.
But before placing it—
he looked at Lin Xia.
"There is one final thing you should know."
She waited.
"If you win..."
He smiled gently.
"...I will answer any one question you ask."
"And if I win..."
The room fell completely silent.
"...You must leave this archive..."
"...and never return."
Lin Xia didn't answer immediately.
She looked at the board.
Then at her friends.
Then back at Master Wen.
Finally—
she reached for the first white stone.
"...Let's begin."
The first stone touched the board.
Click.
And somewhere, deep beneath the archive—
the First Lock stirred for the very first time.