### Chapter 360 – Room 205, The Cursed Room – ‘The Absolute Master’ (9)
—
– Han Kain
My comrades began sharing information about the demon they had gathered from Room 205.
“They say he treated the world like his playground. He toyed with human lives like they were mere toys.”
“He was an invincible being. Even though he’s linked with Ija Seong and Jo Wonhong as the three absolute masters of all time, it seems clear that he’s stronger than the other two.”
“He’s been shifting bodies for an incredibly long time, so he doesn’t even know how old he is. Some even speculate he might not even be human.”
The more I heard, the more terrifying it became; however, there was one thing that struck me.
“It seems he has a lot of powers I don’t possess.”
Unlike me, he appeared to have considerable physical strength and was a being whose mind remained immortal even if his body perished. Plus, he could perform uncanny techniques that couldn’t simply be explained by the powers of the Grimoire.
The thought of such a creature awakening during the unsealing process worried me.
The doctor, seemingly thinking the same, candidly asked,
“If we unseal it, won’t the actual mind of the demon awaken? Kain, can you manage it?”
“I ought to ask the Owl.”
[Advice: 3 -> 2]
‘Can I handle the demon?’
[Reflect on your experience in Room 201. If your mind awakens, you can handle it.]
That was a surprisingly kind response.
“Hmm…”
“What did you say?”
As I relayed the answer, my comrades showed interest.
I reminisced about my experience in Room 201. Back then, both my personality and the chief researcher’s consciousness awakened simultaneously, but the control was entirely in my hands. The chief researcher couldn’t take control of the body without my permission.
Other people experienced something similar.
Elena became confused as the memories of the Sea God’s second daughter intertwined but soon found herself again.
Ari didn’t lose her identity either; she wasn’t swept away by the captain’s memories.
I felt relieved that there wouldn’t be any significant issues.
At that moment, Ari furrowed her brows.
“If your mind doesn’t awaken, Kain, what then?”
That was a strange notion.
“Is it possible to unseal and only have the demon awaken without me awakening? Doesn’t seem feasible.”
“Think about the first time you met us in Room 203.”
In an instant, a chilling feeling washed over me, but upon reflection, I realized the situation was different.
“At that time, my body could roam freely while my mind was trapped. But now, my body itself is trapped.”
“Hmm… That’s true?”
Naturally, the conversation shifted to how we should proceed next.
Sister Eunsol passionately kicked off the discussion.
“Did everyone understand why the first attempt failed? Ari pointed it out, right?”
The teacher nodded.
“It was because Ari and Miro came to the capital.”
“When the demon’s followers approached the capital, Ija Seong went berserk. At this point, we can come to one conclusion.”
Grandpa reacted as if he understood.
“So, that means we each have different roles from the start? We don’t need to gather unnecessarily?”
“Exactly.”
With that, my sister divided tasks among us.
1. Empire Leadership and Allies
Park Seungyub, Lee Eunsol, Kim Sanghyun, Cha Jinchul, Elena
2. Wandering Martial Arts Masters
Kim Mooksung, Yu Songee
3. Demon Followers
Ari, Miro
“This is everyone’s role. The task for Number 1 is to stop the incoming Baehwa Sect.”
Miro tilted her head.
“So, I’m… Number 3? Then Ari and I shouldn’t go to the capital next time, but go wake Kain instead?”
My sister nodded and suddenly wrote “Cheonjang Mountain” on the whiteboard.
“Cheonjang Mountain?”
“This is the demon’s sealing location.”
No one questioned how she gained such immense intel; after all, she was the protector of the Emperor and the most powerful figure in the empire. If she wanted to know something, she had her ways.
Grandpa let out a small chuckle.
“This situation is laughable. Imagine the people from Room 205 seeing this scene! They exerted themselves greatly, sacrificing thousands of lives to seal the Great Demon of all time!”
Seungyub followed up with,
“It’s funny how the innocent and kind young emperor’s protector is verbally handing over the unsealing method to the followers of the demon! No wonder Ija Seong…”
“Stop the nonsense! Ari and Miro, focus on what I’m saying.”
From there, my sister began detailing how Ari and Miro should conditionally make their way toward the demon’s sealing location. It seemed they had already studied this while staying in Room 205.
By the time they wrapped up the information transfer, Ari asked,
“Is there no other threat at Cheonjang Mountain? I mean, it’s where the Great Demon is sealed!”
“Good point. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much information on that. Kain?”
I hoped for a useful answer.
[Advice: 2 -> 1]
‘What other threats exist in the demon sealing area of Cheonjang Mountain?’
[Two threatening strong individuals. Be cautious of surprise attacks.]
“There are two martial masters there, and we need to watch out for ambushes.”
“Seems like those martial masters are everywhere…”
Ari sighed lightly.
Songee timidly raised her hand.
“Number 2, what’s my and Grandpa’s role then?”
I cautiously proposed my thoughts.
“It seems that being unaffiliated is key.”
“Pardon?”
“Depending on the starting position, we could come to the capital or align with Ari and Miro, right?”
“That’s right.”
“If we align with Ari and Miro, they will find it difficult to move given they are followers of the demon and the martial world. We’d be lending them a huge hand.”
“Oh! True.”
“Conversely, if we join the empire, being unaffiliated means we won’t incur the wrath of the Cheon Eum Alliance or Baehwa Sect.”
In short, we can join either side but should leverage the advantage of being ‘unaffiliated.’
Grandpa, who had been paying close attention, responded,
“Next time we should move toward the capital again.”
“Do you have something in mind?”
“We need to drag Ija Seong into this. Don’t you think?”
Hearing this, many among my comrades nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere was different from earlier when they were expressing animosity toward the Cheon Eum Alliance.
Even though some might hold grudges after being stabbed by Ija Seong, it’s clear that if we could use his strength, he would be a tremendous asset in our confrontation against the Baehwa Sect.
It would be rather absurd to discuss grudges after the room had already reset.
Jinchul and the doctor actively agreed,
“Yeah, Grandpa, that’s right. If Jo Wonhong’s abilities are similar to Ija Seong’s, it’s honestly going to be difficult to handle.”
“I’m on the same page. Plus, I want to keep ‘affinities’ in mind.”
‘Affinity’?
“According to the memory of the Iron War Spear, Ija Seong holds an advantage over Jo Wonhong in one-on-one combat. However, that’s solely between those two. Against us, Jo Wonhong could pose a greater threat.”
That made sense, largely due to the special treasure in Jo Wonhong’s possession.
“The Crimson Flame Chain!”
“The judgment of the Crimson Flame Chain may be useless against a martial master like Ija Seong, but for us? Kain, Ari, and Miro, there’s a high chance of instant death as soon as we expose ourselves.”
Elena nodded,
“It’s significant that he has a vague understanding of my blessing. If we confront him, he’ll likely try to escape by citing morals, making it hard for me to activate ‘Justice.’”
Sister Eunsol answered her own question,
“Then wouldn’t invoking ominous thoughts be a gamble? Oh, but then you might be in danger if your judgment interacts with Elena.”
“If I summon a demon or monster, I’ll quickly become a target of the judgment from the Crimson Flame Chain.”
As I listened to the conversation, I realized that the very existence of the Crimson Flame Chain feels like it counters many of us.
…Is it a heritage meant for team kills?
Ari summarized what we had discussed,
“So, Kain is trapped, Miro and I would fall dead if we get too close, and Elena can’t respond. In the end, it’s just Sanghyun and Jinchul who can hold the fort… This won’t work.”
At that moment, Miro murmured under her breath,
“In the worst case scenario…”
“In the worst case?”
“One person might need to sacrifice themselves.”
“…”
“It’s said that once the Crimson Flame Chain is used, it goes out of control, right? It’s not a one-time thing, but it needs charging time, I guess?”
“Right. So, if it comes to that, one of us—me or Miro—might have to get hit by the Crimson Flame Chain, allowing Elena to act based on ominous thoughts.”
In that instance, Grandpa pounded the table to shift the topic back.
“Let’s return to the previous discussion. Given what you’ve heard, it’s clear Jo Wonhong is quite the handful. We need to drag Ija Seong into this. So, Kain.”
“Yes?”
“Ask the Owl, ‘Is there a hint for resolving Ija Seong’s heart demon?’”
“…What if there’s no heart demon? It might just end there without a response.”
“Just do it trusting me, kid.”
With Grandpa showing an unusually confident demeanor, I decided to go for it.
[Advice: 1 -> 0]
‘How can we resolve Ija Seong’s heart demon?’
[Contemplate what caused the heart demon to arise.]
“There’s actually a cause behind the heart demon?”
“Hmm… intriguing…”
Moments later, Grandpa and the doctor began a complex discussion regarding Ija Seong.
“Sanghyun, hmm. Teacher. Considering why Ija Seong cracked up, it’s obviously due to the demon, right?”
“I’m not well-versed in the concept of heart demons, so let’s approach it from a ‘mental disorder’ perspective.”
“A mental disorder?”
“If Ija Seong has struggled with an inferiority complex regarding the demon for decades, that’s ample reason for his mental spiral. The royal family seems to be another cause.”
“The royal family? I hadn’t thought of that.”
“That’s just speculation, but—”
As the two pondered over Ija Seong, my sister meticulously planned our next moves.
“First, the empire’s forces should strive to block the Baehwa Sect like in the previous attempt. Grandpa and Sanghyun will try to persuade Ija Seong. If we can reel in the Cheon Eum Alliance, it’ll make things easier.”
“Then Number 3, Miro and I will head to Cheonjang Mountain to wake Kain!”
“That’s right. Number 2, Grandpa and Songee will assist us during the second attempt.”
The meeting felt like it was nearing its conclusion.
I suddenly had a thought and spoke up.
“Ari.”
“Yes?”
“For the next round, you should take this with you.”
As I pulled out the hourglass, Ari immediately frowned.
“…?”
“When I start with it, it turns into a nonexistent item. But the Owl said to take the hourglass to the cursed room.”
“… Fine.”
As I handed the hourglass, which was useless in my hands, to Ari, Seungyub reacted.
“Who should take the protective suit? Since I started with it, it was just lying in the Imperial Treasury.”
In this scenario, Seungyub’s position was similar to the chess king.
He played the most crucial role, as the entire scenario could collapse with his fall, but that ironically meant he couldn’t be too proactive; he’s the emperor.
Thus, it makes sense for whoever’s exposed to danger to take it.
Sister Eunsol answered,
“Miro should take it. Since there are two obstacles on the way to the demon’s sealing location in Cheonjang Mountain. And it warned about ambushes, right? Wearing the suit would be wise to avoid Miro sleeping in a cave and dying.”
“Definitely. But… what kind of reactions will the people inside the room have if I enter in such a spacesuit?”
“…?”
With that, the meeting gradually reached its end.
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