Chapter: 116
### 116 – Room 107, The Gate Room – ‘Witch’s Forest’ (7)
—
– Han Kain
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 38
Current Location: First Floor, Room 107 (The Gate Room)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
Arima’s “treatment” had begun.
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Please, please save me!”
“Keep still! Hold him down!”
…
Our party was left speechless by the unimaginable “treatment.”
Arima had her guards restrain the slaves and began to peel their skin off while they were still alive, applying it to Jinchul’s body.
Initially stunned, Songee promptly ordered Luka—she even took a moment to name the two-headed wolf—to attack the witch.
If I hadn’t intervened immediately, a fight would have broken out.
The witch seemed to be enjoying our flustered reactions.
Songee couldn’t hold her anger any longer.
“What the hell is that? What kind of treatment is this? Stop her immediately!”
Kim Mooksung: “Songee! Communication window!”
After Grandpa Mooksung’s “communication” upgrade, the character limit in the dialogue box had significantly increased.
In a situation where reckless chatter could lead to being underestimated, this feature was incredibly useful.
Yu Songee: “Shouldn’t we stop this?”
Kim Ahri: “Calm down. Considering the witch’s abilities, this kind of ‘treatment’ is expected.”
Kim Mooksung: “It’s brutal, but saving Jinchul is our priority.”
Yu Songee: “In that way?”
…
For the first time, I felt a disconnect between the Management Bureau team and the rest of our group.
The Management Bureau, accustomed to such grotesque cruelty, was judging the situation pragmatically, while the rest of us were frankly horrified.
As Arima began to skin the slave, I reluctantly had to look away.
Calm down.
I thought as I forced my frozen heart to reason.
Mooksung’s judgment was right. Is it really meaningful to question the brutality now?
We had already killed countless NPCs inside the cursed room to survive.
Saving Jinchul was far more important.
The “treatment” lasted about 30 minutes.
By the time the slave’s screams subsided, Jinchul’s skin looked human again.
No need for blood types or immunosuppressants; just peeling off a slave’s skin and sticking it on was apparently enough. Doctors would faint from shock!
Of course, in a world where magic existed, there was no time for doctors.
I approached Arima.
“The skin looks much cleaner now. When might he awaken?”
“That’s not for me to say…”
“…”
“The way his insides twisted up is hard to fathom. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. Healing is possible, but…”
She winked at me after trailing off.
I understood the implication.
She meant that if I wanted more effective treatment, I had to teach her magic.
—
And this is where it truly begins.
I beckoned Arima over.
She looked puzzled.
“Who is this? She’s quite the beauty!”
“She’s my apprentice. From now on, I’ll be lecturing Arima-chan, so at least introduce yourself nicely.”
Arima’s expression froze immediately.
“I thought I was learning directly from the wizard?”
Sorry. I’ve got no knowledge to share.
I smirked as I forced a laugh.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Words carry power! I speak kindly, yet you think you’re on the same level as me? You can’t handle even one word I write.”
“What are you talking about—”
Without hesitation, I summoned the grimoire and opened it slightly.
Is she truly a witch? I deliberately opened it slowly, but sensing the danger, she immediately averted her gaze.
Yet the slave, half-skinned and moaning beside us, remained unresponsive.
In an instant, the slave’s eyeballs melted, letting out a final scream before he breathed his last.
… At least it’s a relief. Staying alive in that state would have only prolonged their suffering.
Watching that scene, Arima gasped in shock.
“Do you still wish to learn directly? I see you have plenty of spare eyeballs, so it might be fine?”
“… For now, I’ll learn from your apprentice.”
—
Not half bad.
It felt like the psychological dominance that slipped away due to the horrific spectacle had returned to me.
Naturally, Ahri approached Arima and started rambling.
“Start with the theory. The essence of vision is ‘impermanence’! All things are in constant flux, like a wave of material and spirit. The strong shall weaken, and the weak shall strengthen. As the full moon waxes, it wanes. Ultimately, nothing is eternal. The mind is never one with the body; amidst the undulating waves, the spirit spreads like a wave—”
What are you rambling about? This is incomprehensible, and before I knew it, I found myself using the dialogue box.
Han Kain: “What on earth is this?”
Kim Ahri: “Woof woof!”
It was absurd, but I managed to keep a straight face, chiming in occasionally.
“Hmmm. Aria, I’ll explain this part a bit more clearly. The mystery of impermanence comes from the principle of non-self. How could there possibly be an ‘I’ in this universe? All that exists is mere illusion, shaped by conditions and changing accordingly. The ‘I’ is nothing but an empty shadow; shadows can move anywhere…”
Kim Mooksung: “What are you mumbling about?”
Han Kain: “Meow?”
Kim Mooksung: “You’re losing it! Totally losing it!”
Lee Eunsol: “Did you attend a temple when you were a child?”
All the while, Aria had been yapping nonsense, and I was supplying cat sounds as reactions for a whole hour.
Arima seemed to have gained some profound realization, starting to ask questions.
“Listening to the teacher feels like shedding years of shadows from my mind. Are you suggesting that we shouldn’t confine the human mind to the brain, but rather perceive it as a flowing wave?”
… What the heck is she saying?
Han Kain: “What is going on with her?”
Kim Ahri: “Looks like she found enlightenment from all the barking.”
Han Kain: “Is that really how enlightenment works?”
Kim Ahri: “The great Wonhyo gained enlightenment from drinking murky water.”
I suggested taking a break and sat down.
Could it be that the barking and meowing-filled lecture was genuinely moving to her?
Arima moved closer to Jinchul, indicating she was beginning yet another treatment.
About 30 minutes passed? Arima rose and spoke to me.
“I wish to learn more from you, but unfortunately, I’m limited in my time as a human. I’ll return at midnight.”
Now that’s what I call a ‘respectful’ attitude. She even changed her title to “Teacher.”
It felt as if she considered me some wizarding genius as she bowed and left.
—
… We exchanged baffled glances.
Sister Eunsol spoke up.
“Please tell me you didn’t share any insights after seeing the grimoire?”
“Heck no! The grimoire looked like quantum physics in Arabic to me… I was just rambling nonsense.”
“Then why the heck is she acting like that?”
“I have no clue.”
Grandpa Mooksung nonchalantly chimed in.
“Hey, haven’t you heard about multi-level marketing? When you listen to them, everything sounds plausible. If you’re not a proper expert, distinguishing between flashy nonsense and real knowledge is tough. Why would this witch be any different? She probably pieced together whatever made sense to her. Just ignore it and keep an eye on Jinchul.”
We gathered to check on Jinchul. Was the second treatment effective on his insides too?
He seemed to be breathing more evenly. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but he felt like a person peacefully sleeping now.
Elena responded with intrigue.
“It genuinely feels like something is being healed. He might wake up soon, don’t you think?”
With Jinchul’s noticeable recovery, the atmosphere lightened.
With the witch gone, everyone felt comfortable enough to relax.
I finally allowed myself to take a breather and closed my eyes.
—
– Han Kain
During the day, I prepped the next plan with my comrades, observed Jinchul’s condition, and checked the comprehension of the scenario with additional information.
At midnight, the witch arrived again.
Once more, the same gruesome routine unfolded.
This time, around three slaves died without even screaming, while Jinchul’s insides began stabilizing. If this keeps up, he might actually wake soon?
And then the lecture began.
I decided to change the topic a bit.
“What do you think about ‘luck,’ Arima?”
“Huh? Um… Does that relate to your vision?”
“Would I bring it up if it didn’t relate? Focus. People living mundane lives tend to regard luck merely as fate handed down from the heavens. They have no control, so accepting it is their valid response. But, are we ordinary folks? Is that how you see yourself, Arima?”
“No! I… I walked this path to transcend that petty fate. I know how people slander us—calling us demons or witches. Hunters and priests come to hunt me regularly. But I couldn’t stop.
Regardless of how insignificant I was when born, I didn’t want to continue living like that. I want to become a being like the stars! The endless secrets hidden in this world! If I could grasp even a piece of that…”
A sudden outburst! Had yesterday’s nonsensical lecture actually imparted something to Arima?
I had just casually mentioned wanting to live a bland life, yet she expressed an emotional shift, fervently sharing her dream.
Stunned, I awkwardly continued the conversation.
“Listening to your dreams reminds me of my own journey 80 years ago when I first delved into the study of visions. Every wizard starts humbly.”
Kim Mooksung: “Is this guy acting like a centenarian wizard now?”
“Let’s return to the topic of luck. Luck is nothing but faith! Live solely based on faith. A life without doubt. Trust in myself. When I act, the world follows. This is the vision where luck does not guide us; rather, we guide luck ourselves. Seungyub!”
As agreed, Seungyub stepped forward. He nonchalantly threw a die.
Of course, it landed on 6.
Gaining confidence, Seungyub began an amusing show.
He playfully produced cards, flipping one to stick on Arima’s chest.
Arima gasped as she turned the card and it revealed a Queen.
Seungyub casually handed me a card; it flipped over to reveal a King.
… Even I, who knows luck, found it surprising.
If this keeps up, he might become a god of gambling!
Arima’s eyes widened as she flipped between Seungyub and me repeatedly.
“Is it possible to learn this too?”
A suitable time to hold back, perhaps?
“This is quite hard. It relies heavily on innate talent. However, I wish to show you the diverse possibilities of magic.”
Without blessings, one couldn’t perform such tricks.
“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met! I’d wager even the Chief Sorcerer from the empire across the sea or the Sorcerer King from the Southern Kingdom wouldn’t possess such a variety of powers.”
Do we even have emperors or kingdoms in this setting? Has that region actually been fleshed out?
This was how today’s lecture came to an end.
Arima departed before dawn again.
—
After Arima left, I recalled the scenario details brought up during the day.
Most of it was meaningless: our planning and that Arima would soon arrive at the mansion.
However, one line struck me with a sense of impending dread.
/The witch, having taken a step closer to wicked wisdom, arrived at the mansion today with big dreams./
… The latter part simply meant she’d arrived, but the former was ominous.
‘The witch taking a step closer to wicked wisdom?’
Could it be that she truly gained some insight from the nonsense Arima and I spouted?
—
I stepped outside to ponder during a stroll.
Could it be, perhaps, what if?
Could that witch truly be gaining some sort of realization?
I recalled Arima’s words.
Wonhyo attained great enlightenment just from sipping murky water.
Isaac Newton was inspired by the sight of an apple falling to develop the laws of gravity.
Realizations don’t always come from convoluted lectures by experts.
As a complete novice, one might gain insight from an apple falling or even a cup of rotten water.
Yet for someone who spent their life pursuing wicked wisdom…
A witch knocking at the door of wicked truths, just one step away.
Perhaps even a simple shift in perspective could lead to a leap forward?
I sensed an ominous intuition.
Could she be growing into an evolving villain?
An adversary constantly evolving, and we couldn’t make decisive moves due to the healing of our comrade.
Was the difficulty of this dilemma at the core of our trials?
Let’s finalize things tomorrow. Now, the witch’s reckoning is more crucial than Jinchul’s healing.
—
One final question lingered.
If that witch truly was gaining some “realization,” what could it possibly be?
Somehow… it felt like a wicked understanding beyond the scope of a common criminal’s thought process.
—
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