Chapter: 122
### 122 – Room 107, The Gate Room – ‘Jekyll and Hyde Game’ (13) Fin
—
– Han Kain
After thinking for a long time, I glanced at the clock and saw just over a minute left.
I’m going crazy. I feel like I’m on the verge of figuring something out, but the time is just too short.
The good news is, I’m absolutely certain who today’s ‘execution target’ is.
It’s definitely Ahri.
Just like before, I told Elena to defend Ahri.
But, in the end, it’s Elena’s choice to make. I need her to trust me and defend Ahri…
/The sun is setting now. Daylight is over, and Hyde’s time has come./
My consciousness started to fade…
—
– Round 6, Han Kain.
As soon as I opened my eyes, joy surged within me.
Yes! This time, no one disappeared!
The announcer appeared.
/Congratulations! Hyde’s fifth execution has failed. The doctor successfully defended the right target.
In round 5, Hyde was ‘Elena.’ Now, Hyde migrates to another person./
We managed to survive this turn.
This revealed even more about the order!
Han Kain -> Yu Songee -> Park Seungyub -> Kim Ahri -> Elena
The only remaining candidates to infest are Kim Mooksung and Lee Eunsol.
Hearing the announcer, Elena calmly replied.
“I think it’s time I reveal myself. I’m the doctor.”
Eunsol, surprised, exclaimed.
“What? Why are you revealing that? Did you get caught?”
Elena glanced at me and replied.
“Yeah, when I was selected as the doctor, a hologram appeared in front of me displaying all of your names. Hyde would have seen it too. There’s no need to hide anymore.”
Eunsol said, “Well, it’s the last round now. Only Mooksung and I are left as candidates. Once this turn is over, Hyde is locked in.”
Grandpa Mooksung interjected.
“Then just pick either me or Eunsol.”
But Eunsol proposed a different idea.
“Wait, do we really need to do that? If we’re wrong, the number of people who will die increases. We can just hold out a bit longer; only one of us will drop after this turn.”
As everyone debated, I finally realized…
I figured out Hyde’s criterion.
Initially, I thought it was based on the ‘order of threat to Hyde.’
Since both Songee and I hold legacies that impact human minds, we might’ve posed a threat to Hyde.
However, soon, I sensed something was off.
Who actually posed the biggest threat to Hyde?
Was it Songee who did nothing until her last breath because of the bracelet?
Or me, just stuck in my own head?
Absolutely not.
Seungyub targeted Songee as the first infestation.
In the next round, since he was ‘Hyde’ himself, not picking someone could actually be the right answer.
That’s basically getting it right twice in a row.
If the ‘order of threat’ was the criterion, he should have targeted Seungyub in the first round or at the latest in the second round, but Hyde kept aiming at me until the third round.
Moreover, if it was indeed an ‘order of threat,’ would he be able to differentiate those without legacies or contributions to the game?
After mulling it over, I came up with another criterion:
‘Contribution’
The more impressive the performance in each room, the greater the contribution builds, and the more contribution one accumulates, the stronger their blessings become.
While we can’t see our contributions visually, there are indicators to judge them.
Strength in the Sanctum of Blessings.
It seems that the more someone has enhanced their abilities several times, the higher their accumulated contributions—and those who enhanced first are edging closer to the next boost.
When we solved the Human Farm and first visited the Sanctum, the enhancers were me, Park Seungyub, and Yu Songee.
On the second visit after solving the Common Sense Renovation Media, the enhancers were me, Kim Ahri, Elena, and Cha Jinchul. But I had purposefully delayed my boost to aim for a more powerful upgrade.
On the third visit after solving the Mansion of Horror, the enhancers were me, Kim Mooksung, and Lee Eunsol.
I noted that I was there every time.
Wow! Am I lowkey carrying this party?
Shoving aside those useless thoughts, I ranked the contributions based on the number of enhancements and the order they were made.
Han Kain > Yu Songee = Park Seungyub > Kim Ahri = Elena = Cha Jinchul > Kim Mooksung = Lee Eunsol.
…
The rankings I came up with perfectly matched the order Hyde had labeled us. I see it now! A sigh escaped me.
Looking back, contribution is the most critical standard the hotel considers for bestowing legacies or enhancing blessings—why didn’t I figure this out sooner?
With Hyde infesting either Lee Eunsol or Kim Mooksung…
Elena then spoke up.
“Sorry, but could you two shut your eyes and cover your ears for a moment?”
We needed to converse freely among those we’re certain are not Hyde.
Following her instructions, Eunsol and Mooksung closed their eyes and covered their ears, taking refuge at the edge of the room as much as possible.
Elena, Ahri, and I gathered on the opposite side and chatted quietly.
Ahri spoke first.
“Isn’t the next execution target going to be Elena?”
“I think so, since I’m the doctor.”
I chimed in.
“Are you planning to defend yourself this time?”
“Yes.”
I hesitated.
Based on the contribution order I calculated, Hyde’s ranking would be:
Han Kain > Yu Songee > Park Seungyub > Kim Ahri > Elena > Kim Mooksung? Lee Eunsol.
Since Songee and Seungyub had died, the targets could be Han Kain, Kim Ahri, or Elena.
As for me, it seemed Hyde had given up, and Ahri had succeeded in her defense this time, so would Hyde also be willing to give up?
Hyde had already targeted me twice; maybe this time she’d go for Ahri? Yet still, she might aim for Elena, the doctor…
The three of us deliberated, but certainty about who Hyde would target eluded us.
…
A brilliant idea struck me.
“Alright! The time is almost up, everyone gather around!”
Eunsol and Mooksung stood upright and turned towards the table.
I decided to be as natural as possible, pretending it was just a momentary slipup—
I spoke loudly enough for Elena to hear.
“Just so you know, I’m counting on you to protect yourself.”
Elena’s eyes widened, and then immediately sharpened.
I was convinced now. I didn’t need to offer further hints; Elena would surely understand this much.
/The sun is setting now. Daylight is over, and Hyde’s time has come./
My consciousness began to fade…
—
– Round 7, Han Kain.
I raised my head.
Without realizing, I erupted in laughter!
/Congratulations! Hyde’s sixth execution has failed. The doctor successfully defended the right target.
In round 6, Hyde was ‘Kim Mooksung.’ Now, Hyde migrates to another person./
Seeing the success of the defense, Eunsol sighed in relief.
“Wow! I was really shocked earlier. Was Hyde targeting Elena? Just because she’s the doctor?”
Elena smiled softly while Eunsol continued.
“Kain! You should be more cautious next time. I was really startled when you mentioned that Elena would self-defend. If Hyde was in me, they would surely have targeted someone else after hearing that. Thankfully, it was your grandpa—”
“I heard that too.”
Eunsol fell silent at Grandpa Mooksung’s words.
I finally responded with a smile.
“That’s what I told both of you. Seeing that you thought it was a mistake, it looks like Hyde got fooled. As you said, Hyde learned that Elena would protect herself, making it likely they aimed at someone else. Most likely, me, right?”
Turning my head to look at Elena, she nodded.
“That’s right. From the beginning, Hyde wanted to eliminate you, Kain. If I signaled that I wouldn’t protect you, obviously Hyde would go back for you. Turns out I was right.”
This maddening game was finally coming to an end.
Everyone’s tension eased, and casual conversations began.
I explained my deductions and Hyde’s judgment criteria; everyone looked intrigued.
Yet, a hint of regret lingered.
If I had used my legacy more actively, figured out the criteria faster, or come up with the act to fool Hyde sooner!
…
But it’s pointless now. Nobody’s blaming anyone for those missed opportunities.
After all, amidst a relentless cycle that offered barely 15 minutes of breath, it’s tough to think those things through.
The time for round 7 was nearly over.
At last, everyone’s laughter waned, and a slightly awkward glance settled on Eunsol.
Hyde can’t infest the same person twice.
Having just infested Grandpa Mooksung, only one host candidate remained.
Eunsol smiled and replied,
“What’s with this atmosphere? It feels as if we’re saying goodbye forever? I’ll go ahead; let’s meet outside! And… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but don’t save me.”
…
We targeted Eunsol for Hyde.
The announcer descended, and the room dimmed momentarily.
When the light returned, Eunsol had disappeared.
/The time for decision has ended! What are the results?
…
Ding Dong Ding! Participants, congratulations! You have found Hyde.
Congratulations on passing the third trial. Now, you all may resurrect one of the deceased from the Jekyll and Hyde game./
A hologram displaying the deceased appeared at the center of the table.
1. Yu Songee
2. Park Seungyub
3. Lee Eunsol
Jinchul isn’t here. As expected, he’s not eligible for resurrection since he dropped out before the game started.
Who should we bring back?
The remaining individuals began discussing.
Grandpa Mooksung spoke first.
“Isn’t bringing back someone with a legacy the standard choice?”
Elena agreed.
“Right. The abilities of the other two are helpful, but I think we need the bracelets in this situation.”
I held a similar opinion, so I didn’t speak up. To my surprise, Ahri had a different idea.
“I think we should choose Seungyub.”
“Do you have a reason?”
“Just look at how things have gone so far. In Trial 1, the blessing was sealed; in Trial 2, the legacy got sealed; in Trial 3, blessing was sealed again. Based on the sequence, it’s time for Trial 4 to seal a legacy. If Songee comes back, I don’t think she’ll be able to use the bracelet.”
“Isn’t that just your speculation? Even if that’s true, Seungyub isn’t guaranteed to have a legacy either… So you think Seungyub’s blessing is more useful if he doesn’t have a legacy?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I’ve been thinking this based on our experiences in the Gate Room; Seungyub has had such incredible luck! In the first trial, he coincidentally got the cooperative fake first.
In the second trial in the Witch’s Forest, he took a random shot and scared off the witch in monster form. Later, he even tricked the game with card tricks.
In the third trial, he ‘coincidentally’ targeted Hyde twice in a row, right? If we hadn’t doubted Seungyub’s choice, we could’ve won immediately after it started.”
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong, but the first and third trials were under Blessing Seal. It was merely pure luck without blessings, right?”
“That’s the amazing part. I think blessings are only given to those with relevant abilities. Eunsol already had plenty of money that allowed her to gain Wealth, and Jinchul was naturally strong, earning Courage, while Grandpa Mooksung talks too much, giving him Communication.”
Elena chimed in.
“Songee loves animals and gained Affinity; Ahri is secretive, obtaining Secrets; and I’ve always been curious about Justice, so I gained that.”
“Exactly. Seungyub was simply lucky. And that luck multiplied his wings. But back to the main topic. While Songee’s Affinity isn’t all that bad, it isn’t as versatile. Without the ‘Chaos Body,’ her blessings would be nonexistent. In contrast, Seungyub’s luck feels way too useful, all the time.”
Hearing that conversation made the argument slightly convincing.
Anyway, if everyone acquired a blessing closely related to their original abilities, what’s mine? I did well in studying, but that doesn’t seem like evidence of ‘Wisdom’…
Grandpa Mooksung appeared to still disagree.
“When just considering the fourth trial, the chances of legacies being sealed is quite high, so I can understand why you’d want to choose Seungyub based solely on blessings. But ultimately, to clear the Gate Room, we must pass the fifth trial. Wouldn’t Songee with a legacy be more favorable?”
“If we can’t clear the fourth trial, we won’t even get to the fifth. Isn’t it better to focus on the immediate next trial?”
“We shouldn’t just think about blessings or legacies but also consider Pero. Look what he’s doing since Songee vanished. So far, he’s just yanked my hair and binged on sunflower seeds! That’s the sum of what that ditzy head’s been up to! It’s tough to control him without Songee around.”
“Pero also yanked your hair even when Songee was there. He’s just screwing around because there’s nothing to do right now, and he recognizes us even without Songee. Naturally, he will assist us, at least not in detailed communication.”
Ahri’s habit of switching between casual and formal speech when excited still hasn’t faded out….
And Pero has a solid consistency: always yanking Grandpa’s hair.
…
Grandpa Mooksung, wanting to save Songee with a bracelet, and Ahri advocating for the luckier Seungyub were at odds.
Elena and I exchanged sighs. Who should we bring back?
It seems Seungyub’s efforts in the hotel weren’t all in vain.
I’ll have to make sure to tell Seungyub that Ahri argued so fiercely for him later!
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