### Chapter 263 – Room ???, The Cursed Room – ‘????’ (1)
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– Han Kain
At least this room isn’t the mission room. That’s because there wasn’t any notification about the first mission, and the last line from the hotel’s alert reminded me that we were currently in a cursed room.
Normally, when entering a cursed room, you’d focus on the events within, but all I could think about was what happened just before we entered.
It felt unnatural.
Is it just difficult? Dangerous? It’s not just that—something feels off. This kind of absurdity is something I only felt when I first entered the hotel. I tried to assess exactly what part was absurd enough to be bothersome.
First, the notification that came out early in the morning.
Why did the hotel, which usually notifies us during regular hours, decide to wake us up at dawn just to deliver a parcel alert? By the next morning, my eyesight would have recovered. So, they must have sent that notification at dawn purely to mess with us.
I can accept that, but the truly incomprehensible part comes next.
Second, the patrons acting like clueless fools.
Patrons ought to be aware of how things go at the hotel. They know what the hidden elements are and are familiar with the scenarios in each cursed room. If they didn’t, then the advice from the owl or the hints we got when we met the patrons in the sanctuary would make no sense.
So, the current situation is ridiculous. If our circumstances were predetermined from the start, and the parcel was a trap, does that mean the owl is just a clueless fool? Why on earth did it push us to search for the parcel even while being trapped in a cage?
The fortunate patron is the same. Either way, the first try in the next room would surely malfunction the blessing, so why give us such a powerful enhancement now?
…
While wandering silently inside the tent, two thoughts popped into my head.
First, it seems the current situation is not what the patrons intended. The owl was desperately trying to intervene with its foolishness. The fortunate patron expended his strength to grant Seungyub a powerful enhancement.
Surely their intended flow was for us to use the hourglass correctly and for Seungyub to endure well in Room 203 with his new enhancement.
But a tainted hand intervened. Perhaps it was the intent of whoever trapped the owl in a cage.
Second, the hourglass is not a trap. If it were a trap, then the owl’s actions of delivering the hourglass despite the penalty wouldn’t be explained. Clearly, there must be a proper way to use it.
When you think about it, the heritages we have carry substantial risks. The grimoire is bound to go insane without the status window’s protection, the star just becomes a self-destruct device if summoned recklessly, and the ominous imagination—how do you even use that ability without a clear mind?
The hourglass must be similar. There must be a suitable way to use it. I have to check outside. Didn’t it say there were numbers on the bottom?
— Clunk!
“Are you alright… newcomer?”
“I’m fine. Got something to say? Your name’s, uh…”
“Old Wolf Claw.”
“Alright, Old Wolf Claw. Do you have something to say?”
Well, this is it. It’s time to put external thoughts aside and focus on what’s going on inside this room. I don’t even know what room this is or the name of the scenario, but the current situation itself is terribly exhausting.
Old Wolf Claw gestured and moved his hands as he explained through his tears just how dire the tribe’s situation was. Although I knew my state as a ‘newcomer’ was abnormal, he emphasized that if I didn’t show my well-being, everyone would be uneasy.
So, what he meant was that I should step out of the tent. As I listened, my head started to ache, so I waved him off, assuring that I understood, and simply put on a fur pelt hanging on the wall before stepping outside.
The fur pelt felt heavy and smelled unpleasant. I probably wouldn’t have worn such a thing if the civilization were at least at a medieval level.
However, strolling among the tribesmen outside, I came to the realization that to these people, the fur pelt I wore might as well be an emperor’s robes. It looked decently clean at least!
Looking around, it seemed like the level of civilization here was barely at the Stone Age. The reason many of the people were scantily clothed was not just poverty, but they simply lacked the ability to fashion decent clothing in the first place.
While enjoying the fresh air outside, a woman, nearly half-dressed, came running toward me with a child.
“Please, my child has been restless since yesterday and has a fever. I beg you—”
I didn’t know what to do. Would just petting the kid’s head sooth my conscience?
“Can’t you please move out of the way!”
Before I could do anything, a nearly quadrupedal old man glared at the woman and drove her away. Startled, I said that wasn’t necessary, but the old man earnestly explained to me.
“Approaching the sick is very dangerous! If the newcomer faints again, we all die.”
Listening to that made sense. In this Stone Age at least, it’s common knowledge not to approach the sick carelessly. Somehow, I, a modern 21st-century person, nearly overlooked that fact and was about to make a mistake.
Seeing me wander outside in seemingly good condition, a younger man, “Blue Wolf Claw,” approached. I guessed “wolf claw” was a title for the best warrior in the tribe. “Old Wolf Claw” was probably a legendary warrior from the past.
“Congratulations on waking up.”
“Have I been out for quite a while?”
“You’ve been out for almost a week.”
Nice. Let’s go with the amnesia trope.
“Alright. Blue Wolf Claw, now that I’m awake, my memory is a bit hazy. Can I ask a few questions?”
“Ask anything.”
“Are there more people like me? Like… ‘newcomers’? I feel like there should be about eight or so.”
Where on earth could my companions be? The young warrior seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.
“The beings leading the tribes on the plains all inherited great bloodlines. I’m not sure how many of them there are.”
Great bloodlines, huh… It seems my companions woke up in their respective tribes too.
I continued to ask various questions about the tribe’s situation. Given that their level of civilization was at a Stone Age, it didn’t take long to grasp a basic understanding.
The “tribe” is a rather large group of refugees consisting of over 2,000 people. I must be something like the chief inherited from the blood of the god they worship. Their biggest issues right now are climate and monsters.
Recently, the weather has been getting colder. Their territory, where the tribe had endured till now, was devastated by the attack of the “Wriggling Teeth.” As a result, the food situation has become critical, and the “Wriggling Teeth” attacking every night terrifies the entire tribe.
Of course, no one could adequately explain what “Wriggling Teeth” actually are. Of course, they seem to want me, who inherited the blood of a god, to lead them against the monsters and guide them to safety…
But what on earth should I do? Without a map, where am I supposed to go?
Lost in thought, a bowl of gruel arrived as their meal. The unpleasant stench mixed with a strangely sweet taste of some poorly blended fruits, coupled with a fishy aftertaste.
I can confidently say that according to 21st-century standards, even the dog or cockatoo that Songee raised wouldn’t touch this food. But seeing the “tribe’s best warrior” drool over the gruel made me eat it anyway.
*
After futzing about the tribe’s situation and listening to the elders about the nearby geography, the sky had already turned scarlet. It was that time when the sun was beginning to set, and a ruckus started echoing outside the tent.
“What’s going on?”
“… You may have experienced this the last few days—”
“I told you I don’t remember much from the past.”
“I’m sorry. The tribesmen have gathered around the tent you’re staying in since it’s been a while.”
I quickly understood what that meant. After being chased by the monster known as the “Wriggling Teeth,” people die at night when the monsters attack. Given the situation, as it got late, they probably flocked to my tent, which they considered the safest spot.
“Let’s take a look.”
“Uh?”
“I want to see what the Wriggling Teeth are up to.”
I thought they would oppose, but it didn’t turn out that way. The people who had spoken to me in the tent all brightened up and eagerly followed.
What kind of people would choose to be near someone treated as ‘divine offspring’ in this stone-age tribe? They’d most likely be strong warriors or elders who used to be warriors. Surely they weren’t the kind to be afraid to fight, even if it meant risking their lives. That thought soothed me a bit.
Outside the tent, the people looked so pitiful that they were more like monkeys than humans. Their frail physiques and hunched-over posture twisted my insides.
In front of everyone, I raised my hand to the sky and conjured the grimoire. The book, emanating ominous energy as it appeared from thin air!
In this murky, dark world, the only fate left for mankind was to crumble in the darkness. Such immense power in a place like this, while it may be ominous and wicked, was still something everyone had to rely on.
Before diving into serious business, I casually skimmed through the grimoire to confirm what I had suspected.
The mental protection of the status window has evidently weakened. It doesn’t feel like it’s completely gone. The alert from the hotel upon arriving in the room warned that “blessings will not function normally,” which oddly phrased it differently than when the blessings “could not be used” in Room 107.
Thinking back, Cha Jinchul—though weaker than usual—still held enough power to fend off monsters. The conversation window hadn’t completely malfunctioned either. At least I could send some sort of “signal.” Based on the circumstances, it seemed the blessings for everyone hadn’t vanished completely. They were just outrageously weakened and damaged.
With this level of compromised protection, using the grimoire may have restrictions as well. I need to finish quickly. Prolonging the battle could worsen things.
— Growl! Auw!
A sinister sound emanated from the western sky. The “Wriggling Teeth” had arrived. Hearing the monster’s voice sparked some questions in my mind.
What exactly is the curse of this room? Something that devours the world? No matter how I look at it, this world is already ruined!
Glancing at the residents of this ‘already ruined world,’ I could sense the emotions reflected in their eyes.
Originally, the moment they felt the murderous intent spewing from the monster, they should’ve been trembling and flocking to my tent. But instead, there was a glimmer of hope in their eyes, as if they believed I might solve all their problems.
Caught up in the atmosphere, my mouth involuntarily opened.
“Tonight, we hunt.”
—
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