Chapter 77: Moment of Choice, What Ahri went through (1)
broadcasted by Cha Jinchul
As my senses returned, I found myself alongside Elena and Sir Mooksung standing in a massive arena that was reminiscent of the Colosseum.
Moment of Choice?
That was my first time hearing that phrase, yet its meaning clicked in my head instantly. There are many who qualify for the Inheritance, but since there is only one, we have to pick one person.
According to the notification, it seems there are two conditions to be qualified for the Inheritance:
1. Survive until the end.
2. Contribute to the final battle.
Lee Eunsol, Park Seungyub, and Yu Songee were out because of the first condition, and Kim Ahri was disqualified due to the second condition.
But why was Kain out? Did he just give up during his recovery at the hospital? Or is it that being in the hospital meant he couldn’t participate in the ‘final battle’?
In hindsight, the biggest challenge in solving Room 101 wasn’t even the fighting.
In fact, the fighting part was relatively easy.
The TV station staff were just ordinary folks, and the nurses, despite their terrifying appearances, lacked any superhuman strength. Besides, the giant in the hospital was certainly something we could handle with a gun.
The difficulty arose because I made a blunder and got us caught off guard in the fifth round due to a surprise attack, coupled with the curse getting stronger in the process. If it wasn’t for all that, Songee and I could have resolved this together. I bet Elena could have done it solo too—so many other solutions were practically waving at me.
The main obstacle was finding the right location. It involved tracing the TV station without getting sidetracked by family matters and locating the hospital that lay beyond it.
But from that perspective, isn’t it a bit unfair that Kain got disqualified just because he collapsed right before the final scrimmage? After he worked hard to pinpoint the locations!
Well, I can always count on him to get another chance.
Room 102, 104, the Gate Room—plenty of rooms left for him to snag something.
Enough mulling over Kain. It’s time for me to focus on myself.
I stepped toward the center of the arena. Others were gathering there too.
Was that…?
A wave of information crashed into my head, each piece thwack hitting me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, my mind was flooded with a string of incomprehensible characters.
This was information about the Star Fragment of Another World—and boy, was I clueless about it.
Feeling disoriented, I reached the center of the arena where Sir Mooksung stood, gun in hand.
When I spotted the gun, I flinched and took a step back, completely unconsciously, mind you. He chuckled softly and tucked his gun away in his waist pocket.
Looks like I still haven’t fully accepted folks from the Administration yet.
“Alright! Well done, everyone! Now, it’s time to grab that lousy reward! But it seems this bastard running the Hotel wants to pit us against each other! Hey! What’s your take on this, Boar?”
“A fight? What are we, cavemen? I refuse to settle the owner of the Inheritance like that.”
“Then why did you step back, huh?”
“What do you mean ‘step back’? Old man’s losing it again, I swear!”
“Fine, let’s just say I imagined it. But hey, did you get that strange info in your heads just now?”
Elena piped up, “It seems it was likely information about the functions of the Inheritance, but honestly, I have no clue.”
I realized that Elena had felt the same way I did.
“It felt like I was hearing an alien language completely beyond my comprehension.”
The elder nodded, starting to explain.
“I expected as much. It’s not that you’re not smart, it’s just something that requires a bit of background understanding. It’s complicated to explain, but I’ll simplify it as much as I can.
Think of the Star Fragment of Another World as a device that distorts everything. Initially, I thought it was simply something to contaminate the mind, but it’s way more than that.
The Star Fragment distorts everything. Remember how Kim Sangmin’s hospital room looked like something straight out of a sci-fi flick? That’s the Fragment’s doing.
“Everything” includes the human mind and body as well.
The reason we initially experienced the ‘mind distorting phenomenon’ was because we were indirectly exposed to the Fragment’s power through the media instead of direct exposure.
The media is essentially a channel for transferring information, so the Fragment’s mechanism of action is to twist the mind while the body remains unscathed.”
“It distorts the world? I understand it’s some impressive artifact, but how do we actually use it?”
“We needn’t worry about how. Just pull it out, and the Fragment will twist everything around it ping non-stop. The real question is, who should wield it?”
“Based on your explanation, the answer seems pretty clear. Between Elena and myself, we have no clue what this thing does, so I think you’re the one who should take it, Sir.”
“Your wording shows you haven’t fully grasped the Star Fragment at all. Let me be crystal clear. Among us, you, Piggy, are the most suitable to handle this item.”
“Excuse me?”
“The Star Fragment has a grave flaw. It can’t distinguish between friend and foe. Remember how messed up Kim Sangmin turned out when he used it for himself?
He was all kinds of warped. The distorting effect spreads out like radiation. Naturally, the user is the one who suffers the heaviest exposure.”
“Wait! So, how on earth do we use it then?”
“That’s why it should go to someone who can withstand the power of distortion – someone capable of resisting both mentally and physically.
The psychological aspect is not a problem; anyone could temporarily endure it with Songee or Ahri’s help.
But when it comes to physical resistance, you’re the only one here who possesses it.”
After making that point, Sir began to remove his jacket.
The sight of memories from the Hotel getting added to my mental anthology of horrors—brilliant!
Five? Or was it six? Various eyeballs sprang up on his upper body, along with three tongues and teeth protruding like they were auditioning for a horror film.
I backed away involuntarily while Elena, beside me, started gagging.
“Seems like Kain didn’t make it because he couldn’t withstand the curse, and Songee’s arm transformed into a monster. I’m no exception. Elena is fine after using Justice, but what about me?”
I took off my shirt too, just to be sure, and when Elena turned her back, I slipped off my pants for an extensive check-up. I found patches of faint bruising and slight scaling.
The extent of my change was definitely milder.
“I guessed as much. Watching your movements earlier hinted something was off. If you had undergone a transformation as severe as mine, there’s no way you’d still be moving around so freely, regardless of your strength. You seem to resist the distortion well.
Your body’s strong resistance to this distortion probably comes from your blessing. It’s a shame you lack mental resistance, but that can be managed with the help of our teammates.”
“I see that I might be a better candidate than you, Sir, but can’t Elena use it as well? When she activates her blessing, I assume she has formidable resistance both mentally and physically?”
“That’s only when Justice is active. She doesn’t need a wild collectible like this one. No need to burden her with a ticking time bomb when she’s already strong enough.
What she requires isn’t power amplification while Justice is engaged, but rather assistance to cover her vulnerabilities when her blessing is inactive.
Of course, we ought to ask her opinion as well. So, what do you think, Miss Elena?”
“I, I agree. It would be better for Jinchul-ssi to take it.”
The atmosphere was settling now.
The Inheritance, the Star Fragment of Another World, bore the power to twist everything into something unrecognizable. It was a dangerously destructive item capable of wrecking anyone’s body and mind, but with its biggest flaw being that it couldn’t tell allies from enemies.
Thus, only those who could withstand its distortion powers could use it effectively.
Outside of Elena’s exceptional case, we had three mental resistance methods available; the status window, bracelet, and Ahri’s blood. As for physical resistance, that role fell solely upon me.
This meant Sir concluded I was the only feasible option to wield this artifact with Songee or Ahri’s support.
I got his point, but seriously, wasn’t the downside of this Inheritance a bit too heavy? It was way different from the bracelet.
“Why does this Inheritance incur such a massive penalty as opposed to the bracelet?”
“Believe it or not, I’m not the damn manager of this wretched hotel, so how the hell should I know? However, in terms of destructive power, it does have its merits over the bracelet: that merely controls the mind, while the Star Fragment has the capability of wrecking both the body and mind—so its power is significant. Naturally, it takes the user down with it, which creates the real complication.”
“That seems like a serious issue.”
“You’re going to have to pit your wits and tough it out.”
Having wrapped up that discussion, the two of them stepped back naturally.
Soon, the Star Fragment floated gracefully to the center of the arena.
“Am I picking that thing up?”
“Hey, you! Are you trying to make us feel envious? Hurry it up already and grab it!”
I reached for the fragment—swoosh—and just like that, the arena crumbled without a single scuffle.
It felt like gaining an Inheritance was overshadowed by the warmth of successfully resolving things through dialogue, despite the Hotel’s obvious attempts at inciting chaos.
This hotel was relentless in provoking our internal conflicts.
Perhaps, among the many trials tossed at us by the Hotel, the most brutal one wasn’t found within the cursed rooms.
My mind began to drift, floating up high as if my very soul were dislodged from my body.
Then it happened.
What was that?! Did I just hear someone crying from afar?
I must’ve been hearing things. Shortly after, I spotted a door.
At long last, the grueling anguish experienced in Room 101 had come to an end.
*
# What Ahri went through (1)
by Kim Ahri
“Cow!”
My mother’s innocent voice rang out.
I’m sure it’s a rarity in this world to link the words “mom” and “innocent.”
Hello everyone~! To my beloved comrades or perhaps, the magnificent beings watching over us from beyond the hotel?
“Worm.”
You didn’t happen to forget about me, did you?
A black-haired, red-eyed mystical beauty who looks right out of a game or a movie! That’s yours truly!
While everyone else is wrestling with their bizarre family and battling through the terrifying TV station, I’m just here enjoying a blissful game of Shiritori with my mommy.
Chickenpox.
BEChapter: BEChapter:
And I win again! 5 out of 5 wins~!
“You lost again, mom? Sorry, but I can’t open the door for you.”
Having a cursed child in the same room with me presents some risks. However, straight-up refusing a child without any negotiation isn’t exactly ideal teaching.
“Again! Let’s play again~~!”
“Okay.”
Especially when that child can reduce a house to rubble with just a simple gesture.
In fact, that’s an extremely precarious situation.
At moments like these, straightforward games are the most effective. Kids are all about that.
“Car!”
Rat!
Skip!
I’ll let you come in if you win, mom~
“Thumb!”
Buffalo.
I wonder how things are out there? As for me, I’m managing just fine.
Octopus!
Smallpox!
“Mom, you lost again.”
“That’s not fair!”
6 wins out of 6 games! Bow before the master of Shiritori!
Everyone else is probably toiling hard.
Shouldn’t at least one of us be able to chill? To save their energy, I’ll make sure to rest well for everyone’s sake.
Of course, I’m not devoid of plans.
If my teammates can’t resolve the room by tonight, I’ll take mommy with me to the TV Station. I already promised her we could go later tonight.
With my mom by my side, there won’t be a single issue, whether it’s the TV Station or the hospital.
TV Station staff? Monster nurses? My mom could just flick her finger and send them flying. Simple, right?
“Mantis!”
She might get annoyed if I say Swinepox, huh? I guess I’ll need to stretch this out a bit more.
Ever since I returned to Room 101, a single curiosity has lingered in my mind.
In a hotel entirely cut off from the outside—no TV, no internet—how did mom end up infected by the curse?
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