### Chapter 286 – Meeting for Progress, Entering the Second Movie
—
– Han Kain
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 132
Current Location: Tier 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
After successfully concluding the first movie, we gathered around the snack table to chat. Elena showed a rather amusing reaction as she listened to how Songee had managed things.
“Wow, there were more hidden elements than I expected. I never imagined Princess Evelyn would be that kind of character. And to think the empress was behind it all… I was really underestimating things.”
She seemed a bit pride-wounded. This was different from her reaction when she got eliminated in the Curse Room. The movie setting probably contributed to that. It’s like someone in the industry got caught off guard and crumbled in seconds while an ordinary person figured it all out.
I felt like I needed to boost her spirits a bit.
“Elena, this isn’t your fault. The first attempt always kicks off without anyone knowing much. It’s about learning from others’ failures to guide the following attempts.”
“Thank you, Kain. But to be honest… I don’t feel like I figured out much on my first try. I bombed out, and Songee did most of the problem-solving.”
The atmosphere was becoming somewhat heavy. At that moment, my sister casually lightened the mood.
“Alright! Since we resolved it, no need to beat yourself up. I think it just means you have to immerse yourself in it a bit more.”
Elena nodded with a slight smile.
“I think so too. Looking back, I got too shocked when I first saw the crown prince, which broke my immersion in the movie. I didn’t expect that little kid to be him. Losing that immersion probably led to my shaky actions. I hope others keep this in mind.”
Ahri smoothly changed the topic.
“Well, it looks like today’s activities are wrapped up, but tomorrow we have to enter somewhere again. How about going back into the Hotel Cinema?”
A moment of silence swept the group.
Our originally intended room was Room 203. The problem was that Room 203 was the most ‘physically’ challenging room we had encountered. So we switched to Room 204.
The Hotel Cinema isn’t physically demanding. Only one person can enter at a time, and no matter how long it is, it all wraps up in four hours. There’s no comparison to rolling around in the Stone Age for a month!
However, it does concern me that our inner thoughts will be revealed.
…Elena doesn’t know this yet. It seems the fact that our inner feelings get exposed is a bit of an embarrassing topic, so Songee avoided bringing it up, and we didn’t mention it either.
Eunsol stepped in.
“Though Room 204 has its own difficulties, isn’t it way better than surviving for a month in the Stone Age?”
My brother Jinchul shook the half-empty popcorn bag next to him.
“Popcorn is definitely a million times better than tree bark. I think I’d prefer to push through Room 204 to the end.”
Everyone quickly rallied around this opinion.
It’s either rolling around eating rotten water and food scraps in the Stone Age for a month or having a few hours of embarrassing experiences. There’s no contest here; it’s gotta be the latter.
Ahri added another point.
“Remember the reward we got when we cleared the mission room on the first floor, Room 106? It gave us hints for solving other curse rooms. Maybe there’s something like that in Room 204 too. Let’s resolve the Hotel Cinema first!”
So, we decided to re-enter the Hotel Cinema tomorrow. The second movie is titled ‘Guardian of the Rampart.’
The doctor chimed in with a comment.
“Keep in mind that the genre of the movie we’re entering tomorrow has already been decided. It’s a ‘war movie,’ as the guide mentioned. The kinds of ‘nonsense’ like today won’t fly this time.”
Ahri chuckled.
“That’s a bummer. But, looking at just the title ‘Guardian of the Rampart,’ the time period is a mystery.”
Since I had the same thought, I opened my mouth.
“Right? It gives off vibes of a pre-modern war wielding cold weapons, or it might be a fantastic war with magic and superpowers. Or it might revolve around a modern war centered on something like the ‘Maginot Line.’”
“Who should go in first?”
Everyone took a moment to think deeply.
The Hotel Cinema shares a strange resemblance with the Curse Room. The odds of breaking through on the first attempt are slim.
The person entering first tomorrow has to face an unknown enemy without knowing if they should wield a sword, cast magic, or shoot a gun.
Grandpa offered a cold opinion.
“Let’s approach the first attempt as more about gathering information rather than breaking through. Look at it rationally. It makes sense for someone who fits the ‘sacrificial’ role to go first.”
“Grandpa, calling someone a sacrificial pawn is a bit harsh…”
“Jinchul, I mean you or Kain shouldn’t be the ones in on the first try. No matter what, if it’s a pre-modern battle, you’re stronger than the rest, and if it’s a modern war, Kain’s possession would come in handy.”
“Actually, I was thinking of taking the Blessing to the ‘horror movie’ next. Just to remind you, it’s tough to use the grimoire without the protection of the status window.”
“Given that, didn’t you use possession just fine even with the Blessing in a worse condition?”
“Based on my experience, possession is manageable enough until then. Must be because I’ve leveled up? But channeling divine power would be too much. I’d probably go mad and die.”
“Isn’t possession enough? For example, you could take over the body of a fighter jet pilot.”
“Uhm, I don’t know how to pilot a plane?”
“Who cares about piloting? Just crashing it would be a big win!”
— Tap!
Ahri refocused everyone’s attention.
“Let’s save the discussions about ranks after second place and pick who will go in first tomorrow. I totally agree with Mukseong’s reasoning. It makes sense to prioritize either Kain or Jinchul for later. For the record, I insist on going into the horror film, so I’m out. Who wants to take the lead for the war movie?”
As I thought about the remaining members, I realized Elena and Songee had already used their chances. Seungyub would rather stick to horror than war movies; it just doesn’t click. The whole pick is off, really. Eunsol seems to fall into the same category.
Just as the female lead was central for the romance film to ensure a natural flow, it seems logical for an adult male figure to take the lead in a war film. There’s a need to consider that there are evaluators who value ‘natural flow.’
No matter how much we claim the first in is the ‘sacrificial pawn,’ if it’s a mispick at the level where normal progress is impossible, we won’t even gather information correctly.
Thus, with me, Jinchul, and Ahri stepping back, the two most viable candidates to enter first for the war movie were the doctor, a special forces veteran, and Grandpa, who has a wealth of experience.
When the eyes focused on the two of them, the doctor was the first to raise his hand.
“I’d like to go in first.”
Grandpa chimed in.
“Wouldn’t I be the better choice? You seem too good to throw away on the first.”
“Sir, the person entering first needs to gather as much information as they can even if they can’t solve things. For that, the ability to move freely is essential.”
“What do you mean?”
“The profession of a doctor has its advantages in this regard, doesn’t it?”
“Wow…”
When I thought about it, it was quite convincing.
A doctor is always welcomed on the battlefield, throughout history. Using the pretext of healing, they can wander anywhere in a war zone and might even encounter injured enemy soldiers or high-ranking officials from their own country depending on the situation.
Eunsol smacked the table approvingly.
“Alright! For tomorrow’s operation, we’ll have Sanghyun go first into the second movie. Then we can decide the next order based on the information he gathers. Anyone else have something to add?”
I quickly spoke up.
“Just a piece of advice—I’m thinking of asking about the Lego in relation to evaluation standards.”
Ahri reacted.
“Are you asking what criteria they’re judging by? That sounds good! Just ask away.”
—
‘What criteria is the third evaluator in the Hotel Cinema, the enigmatic artisan, using for judgment?’
[This question consumes all three of your advice counts. Would you like to ask?]
—
This was just as I expected. Asking about the evaluator’s criteria is a question on a higher level than simply querying internal movie narratives. However, it was essential to get an answer. I signaled my intent to spend all three points, and a response came.
—
[Advice: 3 -> 0]
—
[Consider what kind of being Lego is.]
—
“…Ah.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just used up all three of my advice counts.”
“Yeah, I kind of thought that would happen. So what’s the response?”
“It told me to think about what kind of being Lego is.”
Ahri leaned back in her chair looking tired.
“Looks like Kain’s mentor has really taken to abstract riddles lately. What is this, Socrates?”
“What is Lego?”
Seungyub was the first to respond.
“It’s a toy, right?”
“What kind of being is a toy?”
“It’s something you play with?”
“What does it mean to play with something—”
“Ugh! Kain, quit being an Owl about it! I’m tired; let’s cut this meeting and go rest.”
With that, the meeting came to a close. The next day, the doctor entered first into ‘Guardian of the Rampart.’
—
– Kim Sanghyun
—
…
…
My head is pounding. Someone is shaking me—
“General! General!”
“…Ugh! Where am I?”
“You’re awake! Everyone! General Kim has awakened! Immediately inform the higher-ups of the general’s recovery!”
“Yes!”
I sat up on the hard wooden bed and surveyed my surroundings. Judging by the clothes of those moving about, the bed, and the structure, it seems the background is a pre-modern East Asian setting. Naturally, I felt a pang of disappointment. Considering I had experienced a modern war, I was hoping for a movie with a contemporary background.
Should I pretend to be suffering from amnesia while I gather information?
No. Given my rank, I’m a general, and feigning memory loss would likely result in being locked down to prevent ‘morale damage.’ It’s better to act like I’m in good shape to gather information.
I hope everyone else avoids such mistakes.
“Everyone!”
“General, what are your commands?”
“Report what’s happened while I was asleep. What’s the state of the front lines?”
Soon, multiple warriors clad in traditional Eastern armor entered and began chatting about various topics. After listening attentively for a while, I could grasp the general background.
Firstly, the setting is a pre-modern Eastern culture.
Secondly, the ‘rampart’ refers to the defensive walls built by the ‘Jinchun Empire’ where I belong.
Thirdly, the enemy is a group called the Durkans, a nomadic tribe, and a general named Murthani is said to be quite dangerous.
Fourthly, in short, it appears to be a movie set against the backdrop of a pre-modern Chinese empire and nomadic tribes…
—
As the logical ‘explanation’ went on for a while, the audience collectively gaped in disbelief.
“Oh no! Sanghyun! This is way too excessive in the explanation department!”
Eunsol and Kain agreed with that sentiment.
“… The doctor sounds less like a character in the movie and more like he’s providing a literal explanation to us.”
Songee looked somewhat uneasy.
“I think it’s important to immerse ourselves in the movie to solve it…”
On the contrary, Mukseong understood Sanghyun’s intention.
“That guy probably thinks he can’t solve things anyway, right? Seeing as he’s not breaking through, he prefers to gather as much information as he can and pass it on to us.”
In short, Ahri summed up the audience’s reaction with one line.
“A walking explanation from the movie!”
“Oh no! But more importantly, what the heck is going on? Why are our inner thoughts being laid bare?!”
No one could answer Elena’s shocked question.
—
Among the reports from the subordinates, there was an unexpected revelation.
“So, I was almost poisoned?”
“Yes. Three days ago, someone tampered with your meal.”
“And the culprit? Was it caught?”
“Well…”
This situation was already exhausting. Someone tried to poison me, and they hadn’t even caught the culprit yet? I’d have to be paranoid every meal from now on.
I hope everyone is careful here. While Jinchul might have resistance to poison, Kain could easily bite the dust while he’s busy eating.
—
“… While Sanghyun’s immersed, my immersion is shattered.”
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