CHAPTER 331: ROOM 203, CURSED ROOM - 'NEW BEGINNING' RE (11)

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User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 683,624

Current Location: Floor 2, Room 203 – Cursed Room ‘New Beginning’

Sage’s Advice: 3

– Han Kain

Before re-entering Room 203, we made our own plans for how to proceed. We needed to bring the “core”, the spaceship’s power source, to the mountain range.

However, the word “bring” in that simple plan turned out to be an impossible word to execute.

Miro, who had actually seen the core in the previous round, only vaguely recognized the core’s shape, but the actual core was a machine much larger than Miro’s memory and endlessly emitting heat.

Are we supposed to move this thing?

Fortunately, this problem was easily solved. The core was a machine that could move on its own if one just specified the destination.

It wasn’t strange. The people of the past civilization wouldn’t have moved this machine by hand either.

Therefore, the problem wasn’t the core, but “us”.

“Now we have to walk to the mountain range? Just on bare legs?”

“It would be impossible to ride on the moving core, right?”

“We’d be cooked to death just getting close?”

The group that moved the core 1800 years ago probably had a separate means of transportation. We just didn’t have that now.

Silence spread around for a moment.

Songee, who had tamed a flying monster for us, was buried in the primitive plains, and for some reason, there were no survivors among the primitive humans who had served and provided food and water until Elena and Seungyub arrived at the building.

“That can’t be.”

With Elena’s calm answer, everyone’s expressions darkened. Everyone sensed the ominous events that would unfold.

There was only one person among us who could create a supernatural being capable of moving us all quickly.

***Darkness had fallen inside the building. The furniture that was clean until yesterday   now covered with cobwebs and dust that suddenly appeared from all directions.

The clean walls have peeled off, grotesquely revealing the unknown steel frame inside, and creaking sounds have started to come from the ceiling continuously.

– Urgh!

A faint sobbing sound was heard from somewhere. Along with this, the endlessly echoing wind sound resonated, creating an unbearably eerie atmosphere.

The mysterious building left by the owners of the brilliant civilization that had reached sci-fi level technology had turned into a horror movie set.

Jinchul-hyung’s gloomy voice was heard, “...How long do we have to endure this crap?”

“Until Elena says it’s all done?”

“Oh my! I should drink some water.”

Noona smiled bitterly and said, “Check the water condition.”

“It’s green.”

As Jinchul-hyung poured the water on the floor, the table started to melt with a strong smell.

Just as Hyung was at a loss for words, Noona opened her mouth again, “Why on earth has it turned into this mess...?”

Why had the building become like this?

Because Elena couldn’t create monsters with just a gesture in the air.

Just as I couldn’t explain the principles of the Grimoire, Elena also didn’t know the principles of Ominous Imagination. She just knew how to use it.

According to Elena’s explanation, just as angels were born in heaven, demons were born in hell.

“She says a demon powerful enough to move us across the continent can only be born in a hell befitting it.”

“I heard that explanation, too. So that’s why she turned this building into hell like this. What I’m curious about is, can’t she skip this complex ‘preliminary work’?”

A pale hand poked out from under the sofa and grabbed Noona’s ankle. Before Noona’s expression could harden, Jinchul-hyung quickly tore off the hand.

Ominous Imagination was so powerful that it might have the highest peak among the powers we had gained in the hotel.

Building collapse, poisoning, sudden accidents or epidemics.

It could cause all “ominous events’ that humans could imagine, and could even create powerful monsters that would only appear in dreams.

Moreover, although Elena still found it difficult, the original owner of the ability could even enhance herself.

“Skip...”

“Think about it. In the past, weren’t all the monsters Elena created terminally ill?”

“That’s right.”

“At some point, the existence time of the monsters became much longer. It means she’s overcoming her weaknesses.”

I thought I understand what he meant.

As time passed, Songee’s bracelet usage time became longer.

I awakened part of the Grimoire’s power, the Power of Incarnation, in the frozen tundra.

Ahri awakened various powers hidden in Ancient Blood over a long period.

I wasn’t sure if this growth was the growth of the Inheritance itself or our growth as users, but anyway, it meant this power could grow.

Elena, too, unlike in the beginning, could now make monsters persist for much longer.

“Maybe it will be possible someday.”

“I-I guess so?”

“But I think it will take a very long time.”

“Really?”

I recalled Beatrix from Room 201, who was the original owner of the ability.

The monsters she created could persist permanently, and she could even create a powerful body with only her mind imbued in it.

It meant her proficiency was incomparably higher than Elena’s current level, but even she couldn’t create monsters freely in the air.

That was why the Chief Researcher had to create facilities that cruelly killed people who entered.

“Demons can only be born in hell... Even Beatrix couldn’t overcome this problem.”

“That’s right.”

“So—“

At that moment, Elena’s irritation burst out from upstairs.

“Can’t you all shut up? You should be screaming and wailing!”

“...”

“...”

“Kyaaaaaah.”

“Uwaaaaah.”

“Both of you, stop that unconvincing acting. Elena, I’m sorry!”

“Kain, if you apologize, Elena will be embarrassed later when she comes to her senses...”

“Noona, that kind of talk itself seems to be a disturbance.”

“You’re right. Then shall we talk about something befitting hell, to help Elena too?”

“Something befitting hell?”

I was already anxious just hearing it.

“Elena took Seungyub to manifest Ominous Imagination.”

“...”

That was right. The reason why only three people—me, Noona, and Hyung—were on the first floor was because Elena took Seungyub.

“It means Seungyub is helpful in imagining hell, but why?”

“Noona, just say it clearly. What happened yesterday?”

Noona, who had been looking upstairs with a somewhat confused expression for a moment, suddenly opened her mouth, “Seungyub threw all the primitive humans into the monsters’ mouths.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Remember the five or six monsters near the building?”

“...”

“Suddenly all those monsters disappeared, and it became safe, right?”

“We didn’t see such a scene. Only you saw it and told us.”

“Right. I saw it, and suddenly the monsters moved somewhere and started ‘eating’ frantically.”

“...”

“Hundreds of primitive humans and flying... probably ‘fairies’ created by Elena ran away in all directions, so the monsters chased after them to eat them and disappeared. That’s all.”

“H-how on earth did he do such a thing?”

“Elena said the First Human acted almost like a shaman seeing the future. When he saw the monsters, he said if they bravely faced and overcame them, they could go to heaven.”

“Does that make sense? Would they fall for such words?”

“You, don’t you know that tens of billions of people on Earth still believe in religion? I believe in Buddhism too.”

“Huh!”

“Moreover, Seungyub using the First Human would have truly looked like an angel or apostle sent by god to the primitive humans of this world.”

“...”

I think I understood what it meant.

I didn’t need to look far, even I made primitive humans wander around nearby to lure out the robots in the mountain range in the first round.

It was entirely possible. A Divine One performing miracles could truly reign over the primitive humans of this star with demonic charisma.

Seungyub, using the First Human, was a completely different being from the Seungyub in the first attempt who was considered useless to the primitive humans as his Blessing weakened.

“What did he do next?”

“At this point, let me ask. You and Sanghyun thought about and created the command for the First Human, right?”

That wasn’t right.

“No. Basically, Seungyub creates it. Originally, neither I nor the doctor have used the First Human, so it’s difficult for us to know what content should be included, what content can’t be understood, etc.”

“So you and Sanghyun advise Seungyub?”

“Yes.”

“What did you advise?”

“The goal was to find Miro and join up. We also added that he should absolutely not harm ‘us’.”

“The command is quite ordinary...”

“What did Seungyub do after sacrificing the primitive humans?”

“He walked through the pandemonium as if nothing was wrong, then suddenly stopped near the research facility.”

“Stopped?”

“When Elena went closer... there were ‘remains’ of Miro.”

“...That’s even more terrible. What about Songee? Wasn’t she moving together with Miro when an accident happened?”

“There was no trace of Songee.”

“Was she eaten without a trace?”

“Maybe. Or if you die while summoned by the Time Borrower, the corpse might disappear. Let’s ask Miro about that part when we get out.”

Hyung, who was listening, sighed, “The conversation topic really fits hell. So Seungyub discovered Miro’s corpse and the First Human was released?”

“Seems so.”

“Then was he in the First Human state continuously until then?”

“Probably.”

“No, I mean—“

If one used the First Human for too long, the time until one could use it again after use increased endlessly.

Based on the circumstances, Seungyub was in the First Human state for over a week.

“If you use it this long, when on earth can you use the next First Human?”

“Jinchul. There’s no need to worry about such problems in this room.”

Hyung, who was about to say something, thought for a moment and then found the answer.

“...Because 1800 years pass every time the room starts?”

“That’s right. The ability’s cooldown time will all pass while Seungyub is sleeping.”

Seungyub’s Patron said that the First Human would be very useful in Room 203 when bestowing this power. Now everyone understood its meaning.

However, there was one problem.

“What if this is the last round? What happens then?”

“Let’s think about that when we get out.”

A moment later, Hyung smiled and said to me, “I’m saying this because it feels like it’s almost over, but isn’t Room 203 unexpectedly easy?”

“...Why are you saying that?”

“No, I mean, there’s suffering like the food tasting bad and it being tiring to walk, but there haven’t been many life-threatening situations.”

“...”

“The people who died now are Miro and Songee? Since Songee died going along with Miro, essentially only Miro experienced danger—“

“Hey!”

Noona, who had heard up to this point, hit Jinchul-hyung with the towel she had around her neck.

I found those words that just popped out of Hyung’s mouth more ominous than all the ominous phenomena Elena had caused in this building so far combined.

– Roar!

An unholy cry shook heaven and earth. Finally, Elena had created a monster to move us to the mountain range.

Three days later, we reunited with Grandpa and the doctor in the mountain range.