### Chapter 353 – Room 205, The Cursed Room – ‘□□□□’ (2)
—
– Park Seungyub
In the evening, Sister Elena entered the palace.
Wearing a pure white nun’s robe adorned with numerous blue patterns, I couldn’t help but admire her beauty, but the reaction of the surrounding ministers was anything but kind.
“A follower of heresy has stepped into the royal palace!”
One minister couldn’t hold back and erupted with rage.
Seeing this, my sister requested that the nearby officials step away as if it were the very thing she had been waiting for.
*
“It’s quite an interesting experience, isn’t it? They are looking at you as if you are a complete public enemy.”
Sister Elena smiled brightly, and Eun-sol responded.
“Be careful. There will be plenty of people who see you as an enemy. And your way of speaking!”
“Yes.”
The Light Empire was on the brink of destruction due to the onslaught of the Baehwa Cult.
In such a situation, it would be normal for anyone to cling and beg for help from a delegation from the West, yet the officials treated her as if she were a personal foe. Why was that?!
It was due to the relationship between the organization that Elena belonged to, the ‘Abester Church,’ and the Baehwa Cult.
Eun-sol and Elena began to discuss the two sects.
“Jo Wonhong, the leader of the Baehwa Cult, has a nickname: He commands more people than any king. What does that imply?”
“It means that the influence of the Baehwa Cult is not limited to the Empire.”
“According to the records, the Baehwa Cult reportedly boasts immense power not only in the Light Empire but also in the Western world.”
“Exactly.”
“It gets even more interesting here: the Abester Church that Elena belongs to was originally part of the Baehwa Cult.”
“To elaborate, all of these names were simply imposed by the people of the Light Empire. Abester is the name of their scripture, and fire symbolizes not an object of worship but God Himself.”
“Right. It’s like when Christianity spread; people from the outside observed it and some referred to it as the ‘Bible Church’ while others called it the ‘Cross Church.’”
When I first heard this, I had my doubts.
After all, it was the same Baehwa Cult, so why were they specifically calling Elena’s side the ‘Abester Church’?
It meant there was a need for differentiation.
Elena provided the answer.
“Eight years ago, a major schism occurred within the sect. The reason was the differing interpretations regarding the ‘Ascension Ritual’ that Jo Wonhong is currently performing.”
The Ascension Ritual.
Based on the context, I was guessing this was the very ‘curse’ of Room 205.
“What kind of ritual is it?”
“Your Majesty, you are no longer a teenage boy.”
When I showed respect, the doctor interjected immediately.
“Ahem, First Apostle. Please tell us what you know about the Ascension Ritual.”
“Your Majesty, if we fully understood the results of the ritual, the sect would not have splintered. At the very least, Jo Wonhong believes that the Ascension Ritual is supposed to lead all faithful to a land free of any pain or sorrow—a paradise flowing with milk and honey. Conquering the Empire is merely a step towards the Ascension.”
Elena implied that they thought differently from her Abester Church.
“What about you guys?”
“They believe the ritual itself is a trick of the evil deity and that their leader, Jo Wonhong, has fallen.”
“Evil deity, huh?”
At this point, the relationship between the Baehwa Cult and the Abester Church and the Ascension Ritual became clearer.
Next, the discussion turned to ‘the Absolute Masters.’
“It seems that there are three key individuals in this room: the leader of the Baehwa Cult, Jo Wonhong, the Heavenly Sword, Ija Seong, and the Demon King, Han Kain. These three are regarded as the top three masters or Absolute Masters of all time.”
Jo Wonhong of the Baehwa Cult.
He is said to be the leader of the most powerful faction, and one of the three superhumans in human history.
Estimates suggest that his age falls somewhere between 210 and 230 years. Just looking at that, you can already tell it’s hard to classify him as human.
He is considered the most versatile among the three Absolute Masters. He is chosen by the gods and is one of the most renowned sorcerers and powerful martial artists.
The Heavenly Sword, Ija Seong.
If one were to consider martial forces, he is the leader of the largest faction, Cheonui Alliance.
At 77 years old, he is the youngest among the Absolute Masters.
In terms of capabilities, he is strictly a martial artist, with no interest in sorcery whatsoever. Additionally, he is the teacher of the doctor, Kim Sanghyun.
Upon hearing this, the doctor interjected.
“To recall, when he says he has no interest in sorcery, it means he has no intention of using it.”
Sister responded.
“While he may not plan to use it himself, it means he is still knowledgeable about how to counter it, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. Yet this part is more of a judgment from ‘Kim Sanghyun’ than from ‘Steel Spear’…”
“That makes it all the more trustworthy.”
“In pure one-on-one fights, he’s said to be a cut above Jo Wonhong.”
“Whoa! You’re saying he’s younger and has never practiced sorcery, while also not being a god’s apostle, yet is still a step above Jo Wonhong?”
“Again, this is an evaluation of ‘the student regarding the master,’ and thus it cannot ensure objectivity.”
“Still, that’s impressive. Who is this guy? Though, in truth, longevity doesn’t guarantee exceptional skill…”
At that moment, Elena unfolded a creased paper that mentioned the Demon King.
“Actually, despite all that, they’re still pretty much a second-in-command.”
“…”
The Demon King, Han Kain.
If one had to choose which of the three Absolute Masters is the most enigmatic, everyone would point to the Demon King.
While Jo Wonhong and Ija Seong were clearly born as humans and entered the auspicious line, doubts arise over whether the Demon King ever was human at all.
Having lived for at least hundreds, potentially over up to a thousand years, by changing his physical form, discussing his age becomes pointless—his body is merely a puppet.
Could such a being truly understand human suffering?
Legend has it, he viewed the world as a true ‘playground.’
His hobbies included ruling over two kingdoms at once to incite baseless wars and manipulating various families from behind the scenes to create blood feuds.
The accounts of his evil deeds would easily surpass a stack of paper.
Eun-sol spoke up.
“Truthfully, the major issue isn’t just all this evil but rather the fact that the Demon King is an immortal being.”
That was the biggest problem.
The Demon King was truly immortal in the real sense, and that was a power he possessed that neither Jo Wonhong nor Ija Seong could claim.
No matter how strong one might be, they must die if their body is destroyed—that is the essence of being human.
Ija Seong, who has lived for more than 200 years, suffers from ailments and occasionally wrestles with illness.
Jo Wonhong, who has also lived past 200 years, is known to have fled when faced with the prospect of execution.
He merely transcended his lifespan, but the limitations of those bound to their flesh remained.
Yet the Demon King had transcended even that limitation, which is why the other two Absolute Masters could not afford to feel anything less than fear toward him.
“So, thirty years ago, the two Absolute Masters joined forces. The Cheonui Alliance and the Baehwa Cult combined their strength to hunt down the Demon King.”
Elena nodded.
“It was said to be rather brutal. They cordoned off entire regions where the Demon King’s presence was detected and exterminated every last human within, from children to the elderly—no exceptions.”
Surprisingly, despite carrying out such a horrific act, they couldn’t kill the Demon King. Ultimately, they sealed the ‘young body’ he inhabited somewhere forever.
I assumed this was related to the seal on Kain, but as we went over these events, we felt a degree of skepticism.
“Doesn’t something feel off? The Kain we know isn’t an entity that can just be killed.”
To Eun-sol’s question, Elena answered.
“The possession itself has a slight delay, and more importantly, if the physical body dies, he dies too.”
“Following the abilities we know from Kain, logically, if they secured the body of the Demon King, the hunting army would have already won. There would be no need for a seal—killing that body would mean Kain’s demise.”
After a brief silence, the doctor muttered.
“It’s just a theory, but…”
“Go ahead and share it.”
“Head Researcher of Room 201 had the ability to manipulate irregular polyhedra. The Second Daughter of the Sea God from Room 202 could use the Flute of Peace.”
“The Captain from Room 203 could wield the Last Ray of Light.”
“Based on the context, the ‘real Demon King’ is likely a being that can survive even after its physical body is destroyed, whereas that’s impossible for Kain.”
“Could the Demon King have a special artifact of some kind?”
“Exactly. It could be that he possesses an object that grants him true immortality, one that transcends the limits of possession and sorcery.”
“That would be one of the relics of this room, huh?”
Elena muttered cautiously.
“I actually have a different concern.”
“First Apostle, please, go ahead.”
“If the seal is lifted, it won’t just be the person bound to the seal who awakens. The original entity will awaken too. The Head Researcher woke up in Room 201, and as I was sometimes swept away by the memories of the Second Daughter in Room 202…”
“…”
“If Kain wakes up, then the Demon King would too.”
“We could resolve the room without releasing the seal. It’s possible to handle this issue without awakening Kain. Also…”
Eun-sol continued with a nuanced expression.
“I think Kain might not be lacking in strength either, so it could actually work out in our favor.”
“…”
At that moment, the doctor lightly slapped the table and shifted the topic back.
“Let’s return to the Baehwa Cult. The immediate threat we face isn’t the dormant Demon King, but rather the Baehwa Cult.”
“Exactly.”
“Everyone seems to agree; the scenario of Room 205 is straightforward. The source of the curse is undoubtedly the Ascension Ritual, and stopping it will lead to a resolution. The conditions for escape can be surmised—we just need to delay the Ascension Ritual significantly.”
“In the end, we just need to fight and win against the Baehwa Cult. The divine revelation mentioned that we shouldn’t count on luck but purely on strength.”
“However, there is a significant problem in fighting the Baehwa Cult.”
Eun-sol answered.
“The Cheonui Alliance bastards—”
“Chowamunju…”
“The Cheonui Alliance, those nice people, aren’t showing any cooperation even when our country is on the brink of collapse.”
“Hmm… Can we handle this on our own? While the Baehwa Cult is powerful, most of their followers are just regular folk.”
Eun-sol put on a bitter smile.
“I checked the numbers earlier; under the Absolute Master Jo Wonhong, there are 13 Commanders at the peak, and counting the number of martial artists boasting prowess in the alliance brings it to over 3,000.”
“…”
“The strength of Jo Wonhong and the 13 Commanders is hard to gauge until we confront them, but their sheer numbers are daunting. Plus, the enemy seems to have a rationale, so using Elena’s sense of justice won’t be easy.”
“Honestly, that is true.”
“What’s the Cheonui Alliance’s purpose for existing, anyway? They seem to be nudging us to persuade them. Sanghyun, since you’re Ija Seong’s disciple, do you have any idea why they’re sitting back while the nation’s crumbling?”
“Many things come to mind.”
“For example?”
“Ija Seong had previously betrothed his daughter to the emperor.”
“Oh?”
“That daughter was suddenly found dead one day.”
“…”
“Two among the Cheonui Alliance’s leaders were purged by the royal family.”
“…”
“There are many more instances. The Empire has been keeping the Cheonui Alliance in check for ages.”
At this point, as the last empress’s son and a strong candidate for the Empire’s final emperor, I couldn’t help but feel awe.
With the Demon King now defeated, only two Absolute Masters remained in the world.
One was charging towards the Empire, while the other harbored a hatred for the Empire.
…
Isn’t it about time for this nation to collapse? It seems only natural for it to fall apart at this point.
“B-but still, we have to find a way to involve the Cheonui Alliance somehow!”
—
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