Chapter 69: Room 101, Cursed Room – ‘Common Sense Renovating Media’ (3)
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)]
Date: Day 22
Current Location: Floor 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 0
In just a single day, we wrapped up up to the third attempt.
As I stepped outside and looked around, everyone appeared rather bewildered, wearing expressions of confusion.
I could guess why. Besides me and Grandpa Mooksung, no one had even made it to the ABS TV Station.
Everyone was likely trying their best to figure things out but were clearly feeling stuck and frustrated.
“Let’s call it a day for now and head back to Room 105. There’s so much I need to explain,” I suggested.
As I hinted that I had discovered something, their faces relaxed a bit, and they slowly stood up. While walking, I condensed our conversation topics into three main categories:
First, the information I picked up: ABS, the Hospital, and the students.
Second, the method that Grandpa Mooksung and I used to reach the TV Station.
Third, a discussion about how those without mental resistance would participate in the exploration of the TV Station.
Those three topics should do for now.
*
Sadly, we wasted too much time on the third attempt, and dinner at Room 105 had already wrapped up.
With no choice left, we all went back to the front desk and gathered around the snack table. Thankfully, the table was always stocked with snacks and drinks, so we managed to fill our stomachs a little.
Eunsol-noona was the first to kick off the conversation.
“Well, it seems like Kain and Grandpa have figured some things out. Let’s hear it! I was just on the ‘Rest Team’ so I’ll sit back and listen.”
… She still didn’t seem to be over what happened earlier.
First off, I decided to relay what Grandpa Mooksung and I found out.
I started by mentioning that we discovered we had to go to the ABS TV Station through an internet search. Looking at their reactions, I could tell some hadn’t realized this yet, while even those who had found out probably didn’t know how to get there.
Next, I shared the eerie findings from exploring the basement of the TV Station: the horrific scene in the security room, the “caution” warnings, and everything I encountered while ignoring those warnings.
That included the hospital’s creepy landscape, monsters disguised as nurses, and grotesquely transformed students.
Even though we seemed to have gathered a lot of new information, I couldn’t make sense of what it all connected to.
Others seemed to feel similarly.
“It’s chaotic. There are a ton of disparate pieces of information, but it feels like we can’t find a thread that connects them,” Eunsol-noona remarked.
“I think we can classify what we have into three main groups: ‘the TV Station’, ‘the Hospital’, and ‘the School’,” I echoed back.
By ‘School’, do you mean those high school kids that turned into grotesque forms of flesh?”
“Exactly.”
“I wonder what comes up if we search for ‘New World Hospital,’ ‘Lee Hyukjin,’ and ‘Kim Sangmin’ online?”
“Let’s all search for those keywords on our phones or computers during our next attempt, share our findings when we meet at the TV Station, and if some couldn’t make it, they can fill us in later.”
So during the next attempt, we agreed to search for our keywords using our devices before regrouping at the TV Station.
Moving on to the second topic, I asked, “So how do we actually get to the TV Station?”
“I went the hard way, dragging my cursed sister along. My original plan was to maintain social distancing under the excuse of COVID, but once we got into a taxi, that was out the window. To be honest, this method is impossible without the filter or bracelet, so I think Sir should explain a more accessible way,” one of them said.
“I’m talking about the method you all initially used in Room 101 – teleportation,” Grandpa Mooksung interjected.
He briefly explained his technique.
1. Plan to head towards the TV Station while maintaining a sound mind.
2. Get infected by the curse, and teleport to the waiting room at the TV station.
3. Find yourself alone in the waiting area, and eventually wake up.
Everyone’s jaws dropped in astonishment.
While the discussion continued, Songee raised a potential issue.
“Grandpa, I feel there’s a risk with that method. What if we change the plan unexpectedly?”
The thought of changing plans, that was certainly a consideration I had overlooked.
“Just because we planned to go to the TV Station while we’re sane doesn’t guarantee that we’ll stick to that plan after being cursed, right?”
Even post-curse, we wouldn’t turn into mindless robots; instead, we’d become twisted versions of ourselves.
If we decided, ‘Let’s not go to the TV Station!’ we might just stay cursed indefinitely!
Ahri chimed in with another potential snag.
“This is similar to Songee’s ‘changing plans’ issue, but what if my family teleports with me? I can already see my mom trying to follow me anywhere!”
I couldn’t help but wonder about Ahri’s mother, who was so strong that Ahri believed she could never win against her, and apparently had an obsessive personality, ready to follow her daughter everywhere.
I was beginning to find this more and more confusing.
So, examining the problems with teleportation: what if ‘another version of me’ changes the plan after being infected? We may outright decide not to go to the TV Station or, worse yet, arrive with a cursed family member.
The former just means one less member, but the latter puts everyone at risk due to that one infected family member.
…
After some thought, I made a suggestion.
“It seems there’s quite a bit of danger with teleportation, so instead of relying on one method, let’s all try different ways. Is there anyone here who can bring their family along like me?”
I glanced at Songee as I spoke. After all, the only ones who could endure a long trip with a cursed family member seemed to be Songee and me.
As expected, she nodded.
“I can walk to ABS in 15 minutes, so I’ll bring my family like Kain-oppa did.”
“Wait, you live near ABS?”
It seemed that Songee didn’t make it to the TV Station for the third attempt because she simply wasn’t aware of needing to go there, and hearing that she could walk to ABS in 15 minutes made me realize just how posh her neighborhood is.
I suddenly felt quite like a commoner in comparison. Looking around, it seemed everyone was on board with the plan.
Anyway, the only methods we discovered for getting to ABS involved either bringing family or teleportation. Since only Songee and I could bring family, the rest would have to rely on teleportation.
“Sorry, but I’ll have to give up on teleporting as well. I could go, but my mom will definitely follow.”
After Ahri’s decisive statement, I reorganized our plan on a fresh sheet.
1. Escape Team: Park Seungyub
2. Advance Team (Teleportation): Elena, Kim Mooksung, Cha Jinchul, Lee Eunsol
3. Advance Team (With Family): Han Kain, Yu Songee
4. Full-on Give-up Team: Kim Ahri
Now, we transitioned to the last topic.
How would we explore the TV Station?
“From my and Grandpa Mooksung’s insights, gathering at the TV Station would still pose a problem.”
I had been able to inspect the desolate basement myself since there was no one around, but exploring the upper floors seemed impossible without mental resistance. Right, sir?
“I can assure you that as someone who shadowed Kain. It’s impossible. I had my fair share of intense training, yet resisting is utterly beyond my means. The power of the curse can’t simply be withstood by will.”
Songee added her perspective.
“What if Kain-oppa and I explore alone while everyone else waits downstairs?”
“Hmmm. You’ve been there before, Kain. What do you think?”
“If there’s no better alternative, that’s probably what we have to resort to. Does anyone have other ideas?”
…
Silence ensued. It was a tough situation. Since Ahri had given up on teleportation due to her mother, besides Songee and me, there was no one left with the stamina to handle mental contamination.
Eunsol-noona broke the silence.
“We’re already on our fourth attempt, right? Supposedly things start going sideways on the fifth. So if we can, we should aim to solve things this time. Why not have Jinchul take the red pill?”
That wasn’t a bad idea.
I had been quite concerned about the number of attempts, and ideally, we’d want to resolve it by now. However, it turned out the one who should consume the pill was deep in contemplation instead.
“Hmmm. Do you have any thoughts? Just spit them out.”
Urged by Grandpa Mooksung, Jinchul hesitated a moment before finally speaking up. “This may come off as naive or ignorant, but I’ve been pondering this after hearing about teleportation. The world inside Room 101 operates on a distorted common sense, right? What if we act a bit more thoughtlessly and forward?”
“Just say it plainly. What are you suggesting?”
“Let’s kill everyone on the way.”
“…”
“…”
Everyone was left momentarily speechless.
“Now that I think about it, during my first attempt, I participated in a killing competition while my mind was shattered.”
And as Kain pointed out, how they had over a hundred people die at a college welcome party as part of some ‘courage test’, right?
“In a world like this, is killing even a crime? Do regular police officers even function?”
“Let’s just storm the TV Station and eliminate all the staff with whatever weapons we have as soon as we arrive.”
It was crazy talk, but he made a point.
I realized my fake sister went as far as hacking down a taxi driver with an axe right in the street, yet there was no sign of police.
In such a lunatic world, crazy plans are the norm. A realm hosting killing competitions, Mukbang shows where people devour each other, and Russian Roulette during welcome parties as commonplace—would wiping out a few employees be any issue? It might even be inconsequential!
And if we took out all the staff with guns, there’d be no need to worry about mental contamination!
“Wow…. In a world of one-eyed people, two-eyed folks end up being the odd ones out, huh? In a crazy world, you can thrive like a boar!” exclaimed Grandpa Mooksung.
“Why are we bringing boars into this again?”
“I was saying you’re a genius! That plan has potential. If killing a few people lands you in jail in that world, then every single one there would already be locked up!”
With that absurd discussion, we finalized the plan for the fourth attack that we’d be carrying out from tomorrow.
1. Everyone should search the Internet the moment they use their smartphones and computers.
2. Teleport or head to the TV Station with family when the time is right.
3. Kill everyone on the job and explore the upper floors.
We wrapped up the meeting and finally escaped the long, tiring day, heading back to our rooms in 105.
*
Later that night, with everyone peacefully asleep,
Kim Mooksung stepped out of Room 105. Outside, Ahri was waiting.
“What’s with the ‘Direct Message’ at this hour? Got something on your mind?”
“I felt something strange during the meeting earlier.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Don’t you think there’s something off about Kain?”
“Isn’t he becoming increasingly reliable? It’s admirable how he can think rationally even amidst horrifying sights. He could be an agent if drafted on the spot.”
“That’s precisely the problem. How long has it been since our arrival? We’ve encountered so many absurd situations that the time might feel distorted, but for Kain, it shouldn’t even be over a month yet.”
“True.”
“Mooksung, picture those ‘ordinary people’ we encountered outside. It’s standard for them to scream at the sight of just one corpse; normally, they’d collapse and lose their minds seeing someone decaying amid filth or students tortured into grotesque flesh.”
“No matter what they’ve experienced, can one truly develop such superhuman willpower within just a month? He’s like a thirty-year veteran agent, just like us!”
Hearing this, it did seem strange. His transformation was indeed too drastic compared to the others. Jinchul was still naive, and it looked impossible for Eunsol, Songee, and Elena to act calmly in the face of such gruesome horrors.
“It seems he began undergoing drastic changes after he learned to use the filter at Hotel High School. Since then, he’s been utilizing his blessing much more frequently.”
“Do you think the Owl is influencing his psyche?”
“Perhaps.”
“Even so, can that be considered bad? When you think about the bigger picture, the Owl ultimately supports him. In such a savage place, that kind of extraordinary willpower can be beneficial.”
“The only allies of a human are other humans.”
“Is this ‘insight’ something you’ve gained over the years of upholding the world, Sunbae?”
“It’s been so long since you referred to me like that! I’m getting goosebumps over here.”
“Sometimes I feel sad that I’m the only one who ages.”
“Stop with the honorifics, it’s disgusting. Anyway, Kain still doesn’t trust me completely, so I’d like you to guide him in a more human direction, if possible.”
“Sure, I’ll treat it as mentoring my future junior agent and do my best!”
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