Chapter: 21
Chapter 21: Room 102, Cursed Room – ‘Mansion of Fear’ (7)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 7
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 102 (Cursed Room – Mansion of Fear)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
After coming back from the cathedral, I laid Ahri, who seemed to be knocked out cold, in a room.
My mind was filled with all sorts of tangled thoughts.
Two people died, a mansion overflowing with bizarre occurrences, a girl shrouded in secrets…
And most importantly, a devil feasting on sacrifices to resurrect itself.
What on earth should I do to escape from this nightmare?
I can’t solve all the problems at once, so I need to keep it simple. Haven’t we already confirmed one solid escape plan? There’s nothing to worry about, right?
For now, let’s focus on the boat. I organized my thoughts. When we all gather for dinner, I’ll suggest that as soon as the weather clears up even a bit, we should jump into the boat and make a run for it.
Even if the lake is a bit treacherous, I figured it’s better to face some dangers out there than to stay cooped up in this mansion.
And… there’s one thing troubling me. But if it’s Jinchul-hyung, I’m sure he can keep it under control.
An hour later, my plans came crashing down in the worst possible way.
Gurgle… Cough… Gack…
A clot of blood spewed from Jinchul-hyung’s mouth, filling the mansion with his agonized cries.
We’d gotten so used to the sight of someone dying, it was almost sickening. Just two days from arrival, and this was already the third victim to start heaving blood.
We had planned to gather everyone for a talk about our escape strategy. While I stood there trying to recall the plans, Seungyub had asked the butler to prepare a light snack, and Songee was busy gathering beers and drinks. Meanwhile, hyung was glaring suspiciously at the butler as if he’d pounce at the first sign of danger to our two friends.
We sat around the hastily prepared table, thinking we’d grab a snack before diving into the plan, but within a minute, Jinchul-hyung began rolling on the floor.
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
The possibility of food poisoning had been on our minds since the beginning. We had to avoid all eating the same thing and dropping dead at the same time.
So, I had the butler eat first under the pretense that the food was poorly seasoned, but before I could even come up with excuses, Seungyub chugged his drink like it was the last beer on Earth.
Both of them were perfectly fine… so why was it only Jinchul-hyung who was in distress?
The scene of death was becoming alarmingly familiar to me. Seeing Songee sobbing and Seungyub trembling again was something I really didn’t want to witness.
But still… I wanted to hold his hand at least. Quietly approaching, I took hold of Jinchul-hyung’s hand, which was thrashing on the floor.
His trembling gaze met mine.
“Kain… Cough Kain… I should have done better…”
Though I couldn’t console the others who had left before him, I decided to comfort Jinchul-hyung.
“Hyung. Let’s go outside.”
“Ah… sniffle You’re right. No big deal. We’ll see outside, Kain.”
And just like that, 90% of our group’s strength vanished into thin air.
Standing by the window, I peered into the night sky. The storm raged on, and the moonlight, even in the gusts of wind, broke through the curtains, casting a pale glow throughout the room.
What was I supposed to do now?
The person I could have discussed plans with, along with our backup, had disappeared.
All I had left was a girl who had sobbed so much that she couldn’t even cry anymore and a boy chasing after love as a means to escape this grim reality.
With our strength non-existent, was it really wise to attempt a boat escape?
Honestly, I lacked the confidence to suppress this threat alone. Wading through a sea of thoughts, I suddenly heard footsteps outside.
Could it be my turn to be targeted?
Without hesitation, I grabbed a silver dagger and positioned myself by the door. If the person coming in was who I thought it was, perhaps stabbing first would save me.
But the figure that entered was far from what I expected.
“Ahri? It’s late… More importantly, you’re awake?”
“No. Ahri is still asleep. That’s why I could come see you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
This was not the Ahri we’d known since day one. She was the ‘other Ahri’ I saw at the cathedral yesterday.
How was she able to appear when we weren’t at the cathedral? Was the cathedral just a place where the seal on this ‘other Ahri’ was released?
“Who the heck are you…?”
“Care for a card game?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“At this hour? Some more clarification would be appreciated?”
“Playing a card game is exactly that clarification, you see.”
The ‘other Ahri’ comfortably spoke in a casual tone, and it felt all too natural.
I was completely thrown off. Why did she suddenly want to explain something to me?
As I stared at her suspiciously, the ‘other Ahri’ spoke with a knowing undertone.
“You’re suspicious of me, huh?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I wasn’t?”
“You don’t have much information, do you? You should probably figure out how to gain something from me.”
…She had a point.
We quietly sat on the bed as she began to explain the game rules.
Simply put, I would use ‘Attack Cards’ to either destroy Ahri’s ‘Defense Cards’ or reduce her health points.
Ahri would withstand my attacks with ‘Defense Cards’ while drawing cards, and if she picked a ‘Sacrifice Card,’ she could obliterate it.
Ahri would win if she eliminated six out of her total eight ‘Sacrifice Cards,’ while I win if I reduced her health to zero before she could.
We played several rounds.
As I chipped away at Ahri’s health and demolished her defensive cards, I tried my damnedest to take her down, but it was no easy feat. Ahri kept blocking me and consistently managed to eliminate her six ‘Sacrifice Cards’ to claim victory.
I lost one game, then the next, and the one after that. After pulling off a five-game losing streak, I thought,
“Honestly, aren’t the rules a bit too skewed in Ahri’s favor?”
“Do you think I have the upper hand?”
She asked, catching me completely off guard.
“No… I mean, I guess it’s just that I’m still not used to this?”
“It’s both. You know you’re inexperienced, but let’s not forget the rules are inherently advantageous for me.”
This girl had started this bizarre card game and casually confessed that it’s rigged in her favor.
What kind of response was she expecting?
“You aren’t experienced with this game, and the rules are against you. What’s next?”
“Well… I guess I just need to think harder about it?”
“But your opponent will be doing the same, won’t they?”
I was at a loss for words. I felt completely stumped.
“How about changing your strategy?”
“Change my strategy?”
“Accept the fact that you cannot win with your current skills.”
Finally, I had a flicker of understanding regarding what this girl was trying to convey.
“What good would it do? I’m essentially alone now. If I lose, everyone dies… how do I accept that?”
“Why do you think you die if you lose? You could still survive by drawing.”
I tried to answer her. “I get what you’re saying, but I was playing for a draw from the start. My only goal was to escape, yet I’m stumped on how to approach it. The boat…”
“Stop fixating on the boat. Think back to the card game. To win, you needed to wipe out my HP. But don’t you see? There’s an easier method for a draw, right?”
An easier method.
In that moment, I finally grasped the implication of her words.
“Let’s play one more game.”
In our final match, I gave up trying to reduce her HP. I also tossed out the whole destroy-the-Defense-Cards plan.
Instead, I aimed to obliterate her ‘Sacrifice Cards.’ Ahri’s win condition relied on her personally eliminating six out of the eight ‘Sacrifice Cards.’
In this case, there was no need to knock Ahri down a peg to thwart her victory. All I needed was to destroy more than three ‘Sacrifice Cards’ before she did.
Once the last game concluded, Ahri exhibited a faint smile for the first time before making her way outside. I realized there was another way to escape.
But could I really trust her?
This place was a nest of deceit. What on earth should I believe in?
After deliberating, I came to a decision.
Let’s trust Eunsol noona. She discovered something before her tragic end, and following the instructions from her note led to some change occurring in Ahri.
So at this point, trusting the ‘other Ahri’ might just be the path Eunsol noona intended.
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 8
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 102 (Cursed Room – Mansion of Fear)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
On the morning of the fourth day since arriving at the mansion, I woke up to see that the storm was finally beginning to ease. Rushing to wash up, I almost called for hyung or noona, only to realize that there was no one left to call.
Honestly, talking to Seungyub or Songee felt pointless at this point.
From now on, I had to prepare to act on my own.
Stepping outside, I spotted the butler who was tidying up the garden.
“It’s still early, Mr. Kain.”
“Just noticed the rain is finally letting up. Maybe there’s a chance to escape soon.”
“It’s indeed fortunate the rain is easing off. However, just because it’s lighter doesn’t mean the water levels will drop immediately. It might take a day or two before we can use the boat.”
“True about the boat, but is there any decent way to go through the mountains? With this kind of rain, I feel like I could manage climbing up with a raincoat.”
“Well, assuming it was sunny, crossing the mountains would be feasible. Unfortunately, given the storm that raged until yesterday, the terrain is likely very tricky… Hiking in the rain is exceptionally risky.”
“Although hiking in the rain can be dangerous, honestly, I think this mansion poses a much greater risk.”
It was a sad truth I couldn’t deny. “In that case, should we check if there’s a foothold leading out through the mountains?”
“I think it’d be best if just the two of us have a look, Mr. Kain. I’ll get ready.”
“I’ll prepare myself as well.”
Seizing the moment while the rain thinned out, I chose to search for an escape route leading up the mountain alongside the butler instead of heading for the lake.
Heading back to my room, I geared up in the best attire suitable for hiking and stuffed a few thick towels inside my clothes.
And with a silver dagger tucked securely in my jacket, I made my exit from the mansion.
Today, I might end up killing someone.
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