### Chapter 334 – Room 203, The Cursed Room – ‘A New Beginning’ (14)
—
– Park Seungyub
—
The frail doctor couldn’t easily rise from his bed, his voice barely above a whisper. Thankfully, his pronunciation was still clear enough that we could chat without too much trouble.
It felt like the passage of time had only deepened the wisdom of someone who was already insightful.
“I realized your failures and returned to my original tribe. But, it seems a replacement for me, Barna, has already arrived.”
…
“Luckily, Barna’s character is good, and he followed me well, so we got along smoothly. Looking back, it was quite fortunate. It means two new beings contributed to the tribe’s development. What happened to Barna, you ask? Sadly, he passed away about 120 years ago.”
…
“I never knew making bricks could be so hard. Of course, it was nothing compared to the effort put into working with metals later. You probably didn’t understand how difficult it is to create the everyday items you see around you.”
…
“What happened with the ‘Blue Wind’… Let’s keep that to ourselves. It’s personal. However, please refrain from referring to her as a ‘primitive.’ She was an incredibly wise and patient individual.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“It’s alright.”
—
We talked long into the night with the doctor.
In moments like this, I appreciated the ‘endless time’ in this room. If it were one of those rooms where you need to wrap things up in a day or two, there wouldn’t have been time for such a conversation.
After about three hours, our discussion finally turned to us.
“Adrablita scattered the cryogenic sleep facilities across the continent.”
“Why would they do that?”
“For the exact same reason I was left alone.”
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
“You understand the goddess’s purpose now, don’t you? She desires the eternal existence of the room. Neither the escape from the hotel party nor death is what she seeks.”
“If we had all been in one place…”
“Natural disasters like earthquakes could collapse the facility and either allow many of you to escape or lead to complete annihilation. The latter is surely what Adrablita fears more.”
—
To prevent the possibility of us dying en masse during our cryogenic sleep due to a natural disaster, we had been scattered across the continent.
It was unbelievable yet understandable.
For a being wanting to preserve this world across hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, it makes sense to prepare for natural disasters.
Even humans take precautions against natural disasters at a national level.
“After you were scattered across the continent, I was at a loss. Then Pero led me and the tribe to settle in this area. Hence, we built a city here.”
They established a city while waiting for the day we would awaken. It’s an incredible story, but I found it puzzling.
“Pero brought you here?”
“That mysterious bird born in the hotel often flew to Seungyub’s location or would start journeys with Songee.”
“Right.”
“It seems he can locate us individually.”
It was no surprise to hear Pero could track our locations. There had been times in the past when he suddenly flew from a distance to me, and he always seemed to find Songee like a ghost.
“Why did Pero lead you to me specifically? I mean, there are many capable companions, like Kain hyung or Ahri noona…”
“Hah! Cough, cough!”
The sudden cough from the doctor seemed to signal a weakness in his frail body, yet it also invited laughter. Maybe it was a bit of both.
“Seungyub. This isn’t about who’s better. Pero didn’t have a choice from the start.”
“No choice?”
“You seem to have misunderstood. Pero didn’t wake Seungyub. The great cosmic energy awakened Seungyub, and Pero was merely there at the right time.”
That’s when it clicked.
The only force that could wake us, frozen in cryogenic sleep—both body and mind—was the power of chance.
“Divine fortune!”
“Indeed. Just a few days ago, there was a sudden earthquake nearby, and the security unit guarding the facility fell into a ground fissure. There used to be many more monsters.”
—
A doubt crept in.
“It’s fascinating. Divine fortune is a powerful force, but….”
Did they really cause an earthquake just to wake me up? Is that even possible? Really?
The doctor couldn’t provide a sharp answer to this question either. Instead, he spoke about a plan he’d been devising for years.
“Seungyub, your companions are still alive. It’s a paradox, but the entity that put them in danger has done its utmost to protect them.”
“That’s a relief.”
“What should we do now?”
“We should wake them up! Our companions!”
“That’s exactly it. You said they are scattered across the continent, right? Who should we wake first?”
After a moment of speechlessness, the doctor answered with a smile.
“Let’s wake Ahri first. She still holds the ‘captain’s authority.’ She will be incredibly useful.”
“Where’s she?”
“She’s in the mountain range where you all fell asleep. The others were all relocated, but Ahri was not. Perhaps she couldn’t be moved because she’s the captain.”
“Ah, got it!”
“We’ll set off to the mountains soon. While I couldn’t find a way to rescue Ahri on my own… with Seungyub’s ‘luck,’ there will certainly be light for everyone—cough!”
—
Was it because the doctor had been talking for so long with his weakened body?
A brown lump shot out from his mouth. For the first time, as he silently gazed at the clump mixed with blood and phlegm, he muttered words close to resentment.
“Why did you wake up now?”
“…”
“Could you not wake up even 200 years, or 100 years! No, at least 50 years earlier?”
I had no answer. I couldn’t understand why divine fortune had chosen to wake me ‘so late’ either.
But one thing I was certain of, there was undoubtedly a reason for why I woke up so late. Divine fortune possesses that type of power.
—
After a moment of silence, the doctor opened his mouth again.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, no! You’ve gone through so much…”
“Seungyub, the story I’m about to tell may surprise you, so listen closely. Tomorrow morning, you’ll need to help with a city event.”
—
The next morning, with the help of the locals, I was festively dressed.
Covered in white powder and painted with red dots on my cheeks and forehead, the final touch was a white winged outfit resembling that of an angel.
At first, I couldn’t help but wonder why we were doing such silly things during this busy time. We needed to hurry and set off to rescue Ahri noona!
Once I finished dressing up and stepped outside with the elderly doctor, I realized that people from the entire city had gathered since dawn just to see my face.
Men and women, as well as the elderly and children, had every kind of person among them.
As I sensed a pressure that can’t be described, I had a vague realization.
—
Nothing remains unchanged.
Even the most loyal vassal will switch allegiances if the lord denies land and stipend, and love can fade if family members neglect their mutual duties.
Faith is no different; unreciprocated belief will invariably break.
It’s for this reason that our doctor, as well as the high priest of the city of light, had to show his face to all.
He needed to reveal that the faith passed down through generations was not false and that, at last, the descendants of the ancestors had awakened from their endless slumber.
For these people, what are “we”?
We are the embodiment of the faith inherited from fathers, grandfathers, and their fathers before them; we are the demigods who bear the strength of great ancestors.
Moreover, we are the ones who will guide those suffering from the painful injustices of this world to the paradise flowing with milk and honey.
We are Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Siddhartha Gautama.
—
This realization plunged me into guilt. The truth is, all of this is a lie.
What? A demigod bearing the strength of my ancestors?
A paradise flowing with milk and honey?
How am I supposed to provide such a thing?
Why on earth is the doctor feeding these people such ridiculous lies—
—
Calm down.
It wouldn’t make sense for me to resent the doctor at this point. He has undoubtedly been in a position where he had to say something, anything, while leading these people over the long years.
—
Suddenly, I became aware that everyone’s gaze was on me.
The citizens of the city, the subjects the doctor had nurtured, were all looking at me with deep expectation.
Sensing the atmosphere, the doctor lightly coughed as he reached to take my hand and turn back.
But I gently pushed away the doctor’s hand and gazed into the air.
—
I wanted to give back.
Even if I’m not a demigod or anything, and I have nothing to offer these people…
I wanted to show that the faith they’ve dedicated their lives to was not a lie.
Having deceived them for so long, I wanted to maintain the ruse until the very end.
At this moment, with these feelings, it felt like something would happen.
—
Three white doves fluttered down from the sky, landing on my head, shoulder, and hand.
A sudden hush fell over the bustling square, and everyone gazed in silent awe, carefully placing their hands together in prayer.
Was it because they were too young to hide their wonder? One of the children in the square exclaimed in surprise.
“Bird! A dove! Did the divine being call them?”
As if waiting for a cue, the doves departed from my body and gently brushed the child’s head before flying into the sky. I delivered the most honest answer I could muster.
“I don’t know.”
—
As the people of the square began to disperse, the doctor couldn’t hold back anymore and asked.
“How did you do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Perhaps the white powder I was covered in was some sort of grain that they smelled?”
“Haha!”
The doctor suddenly burst into laughter like a madman, bewildering the surrounding guards with his antics.
“That’s a very trustworthy answer.”
That evening, the doctor finally proclaimed to the citizens of the city that the time of revelation had arrived.
The next day, we set off for the mountains, leading the city’s elite soldiers.
—
Upon arriving at the mountain range, the familiar scenery came into view.
Although hundreds of years seemed to have passed since we last remembered, the flow of time appeared to have bypassed the great nature surrounding us.
“As you know, there are quite a few security units in the mountains.”
“…”
“I hope Seungyub can manage it. I’m… sorry. If only my body was young again.”
“No, you’ve done so much already; I should at least be able to make a period out of it.”
“I’m just glad I could provide you with protective gear. You have no idea how hard it was to find this.”
As the doctor gestured, the men behind him removed the protective suits known as ‘armor of the ancestors’ and presented them to me.
—
— Whoooosh!
As soon as I donned the protective suit and stepped into the entrance of the mountain, a menacing sound reverberated through the air. Just then, another companion landed on my shoulder as if to comfort my tensed self.
“Pero! You’re here! Where have you been?”
— Peeep!
Pero had disappeared right after guiding me to the city.
According to the doctor, Pero seldom stayed in one place, making it difficult for him to see Pero for a long time.
The already mysterious bird had transformed into an even more enigmatic being. Regardless, it was comforting to have him back by my side.
Taking a deep breath, I clicked the window that only I could see.
[Heavenly Luck Activated! The energy of the universe blesses you.]
“Ahri noona! I’m coming!”
—
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