### Chapter 416 – Room 104, The Curse Room – ‘The Preparatory Elite Hotel High School’ Re (15)
—
— Lee Eunsol
As I stroll through the bustling hallway, I find myself pondering about this person named Han Kain.
His gender? Male.
His appearance? A rather handsome young man.
Credentials? A freshman at K University.
So far, a typical profile, right?
But these words hold no meaning for Kain anymore.
His age? Indeterminate.
Race? Half human, half transcendent being.
Owner of the grimoire and a user of divine descent.
Perhaps this is the more fitting description for him?
As time passed, I began to understand what the other comrades were like, but with Kain, I still have no clue.
Let me reflect back to my experience when we first entered Room 102.
Back then, Kain was certainly sharp and demonstrated considerable quick-wittedness.
In sports terms, he was a promising prospect from the get-go, right?
That’s likely why the Owl, mentioned by other sponsors, didn’t hesitate to engage actively.
He only got wiser with experience.
Understanding scenarios, analyzing the current situation, and planning for the future.
In these matters, his influence has grown over time, and Kain has become more unreserved.
Thoughts and actions flow freely.
Once he makes a decision, he doesn’t hesitate.
If it’s a rational necessity, he’ll do whatever it takes.
Does that sound too positive?
I could twist it a bit to paint a different picture, though.
He has no hesitation in eliminating those outside himself and his hotel comrades.
When he deems it necessary, he’ll sever a child’s throat without a second thought.
If it’s rationally needed, he wouldn’t hesitate for human sacrifice either.
Is that too negative?
Honestly, I’m not quite sure.
In the realm of nirvana, there’s this saying about the blind touching an elephant.
When several blind men touched an elephant and each one had different interpretations based on what they felt.
It’s a parable mocking the folly of judging the whole based on a part.
Am I not caught in such a trap?
Here I am, unable to move beyond being human, trying to evaluate the one who has traveled the farthest among us, and I could be talking nonsense.
After coming out of Room 203, what I witnessed was a monster in the form of a crow, resembling Kain.
Recently, I candidly shared this with Kain.
—
“I didn’t know you saw me that way. No wonder you flinch whenever you look at me!”
“…”
“So, we’re off to Room 104 again. If my balance is disrupted, the sacred sun can restore it.”
“That’s a relief.”
“And don’t worry too much.”
“Hmm?”
“Those guys aren’t really anything special.”
—
Kain said that with a sort of chuckle, as if it was nothing at all.
What in the world happened recently? Is there a reason to downplay the influence of the grimoire or divine descent?
Honestly, I’ve got no clue.
I just hope his judgment is accurate.
—
Let’s set aside my thoughts and get back to business.
In South Korea, there’s a notoriously infamous cult, and it’s more significant than one might think.
What kind of country is my proud motherland?
A nation where self-proclaimed prophets and Buddhas number in the hundreds, and that’s quite the feat!
Wow—national pride is off the charts!
…
In such a country, it’s not easy for a mere cult to make a name for itself.
It implies something extraordinary is at play, and their special trait is none other than their ‘evangelical approach.’
Their main targets aren’t people without religion.
Their forte is devouring perfectly sound churches whole.
Here’s the rundown:
Terraforming Stage 1: Sowing Discord.
Just then, a plump figure appeared in front of me.
“Uh, Eunsol! Where did the butterfly go?”
*
Caught in a panic before me is this plump fellow named Butler Park, one of the links between the cult and the school.
“I… I don’t know! Suddenly, the butterfly burst out of my body, and now it’s gone!”
Everyone was working hard to throw the school into chaos, but that was just Stage 1.
At Stage 2, most of them start pretending to be ‘ordinary people possessed by demons,’ except for a few.
“Demon! A demon has definitely taken over the school! Oh, lord! Father! Aurelia shall save us all—”
He spoke with an expression of genuine fear.
“Aurelia? You mean the saint you mentioned earlier?”
“Of course! Soon the saint will appear and—”
I poked gently.
“Why… why isn’t she helping us right now?”
“Eunsol?”
“With the school in this state! My gosh, everyone is suffering due to these demons! Where on earth is the saint—”
“Be quiet!”
“…”
“…”
“My apologies.”
“Hmm, I got a bit too excited. Let’s head outside. I’m sure something’s going on out there—”
— Bang!
Before I could even stand, the door burst open, and excited teachers rushed in.
“Where is the saint?”
“Father, are you abandoning us?”
“Oh no! Order is crumbling, and the world is falling apart—”
Leading a dozen teachers was the Grandfather, who smiled softly at the sight of me.
He was using his recently reinforced blessing power, ‘Mob Psychology.’
“What on earth is that? These stupid kids—”
I grabbed the arm of the panicking plump guy.
“Butler, don’t shout; let’s join them first. We can persuade them later.”
“Y-yeah!”
*
“Aurelia! Where on earth are you? Please don’t abandon us!”
“Please, don’t leave us behind!”
Exactly 10 minutes elapsed.
That’s how long it took for my grandfather to ‘persuade’ the plump butler.
To summarize what I saw while observing the effects of mob psychology was like a higher version of Miro’s ‘voice’?
The capability was similar, but the range was broader.
The intensity might feel a little weaker, but because of that, it didn’t come across as ‘supernatural’ from the side.
In other words, the stealth aspect was a level up.
Perhaps because it’s such a remarkable ability, even my grandfather appeared a bit excited.
— Beep!
And then, with the signal tone, the next stage began.
Terraforming Stage 2: Trials
“Th-the lights went out!”
“Ahhhh!”
“What on earth is this?”
— Uoooooh!
Suddenly, the lighting dimmed, plunging the entire school into darkness, and eerie sounds echoed from everywhere.
A red liquid soaking the floor revealed a sinister shape. A pitch-black girl.
At first glance, she resembled a young girl, but no one there thought so.
“Ahhh! A ghost!”
“Saint! Saint! Saint!”
“O heavenly Father, we ardently pray—”
Panic spread everywhere.
Even my grandfather and I, knowing it was Elena’s and Ahri’s doing, felt a chill.
No ordinary human could withstand it.
— Splash!
Thus, when Ahri suddenly started running, no one was left to evade or resist.
They simply prayed, waiting for their Father and the saint to come to their aid—
— Rustle!
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
While watching, I thought it was going too far.
Didn’t Kim Ahri just scare people? Why would she actually kill two?
Ahhhh! What’s with this feeling? Were those my innards squeezing out from my arteries?
I can’t believe this is happening while my grandfather is right beside me, and suddenly my head rolls to the side—
“Eunsol! Calm down!”
“Haah!”
“Whoa! That one there, you don’t want to touch it, right?”
As I struggled to take deep breaths, the horrific surroundings felt like they were gushing blood.
Lee Eunsol: “It’s not like they’re actually going to die!”
Kim Ahri: “How was it?”
Lee Eunsol: “Are you kidding? If you’re going to do this, you should’ve warned me beforehand!”
Kim Ahri: “Then how would you have made your performance feel real?”
So, you killed the teachers to make my act look authentic?
Even if they are NPCs, that’s a bit extreme!
“Ughhh!”
“Please… please spare us!”
Amid the screams of desperate teachers, I thought—
If Kain’s mind has gone a bit haywire, it’s likely due to the grimoire’s impact, but the second reason would definitely be that crazy Administration Bureau girl!
Kim Miro: “Can I go out now?”
Yeah, yeah. Let’s calm down.
Ahri is old enough that she could be experiencing a little senility at this point.
More importantly, I need to stay cool and move forward with the plan.
I’ll need to step up in the next scene.
Lee Eunsol: “Let’s begin!”
— “Raaah~! Aaaah~!”
A beautiful melody erupted from the stairs.
Blood and pulsating entrails – Ugh, Kim Ahri! – filled the hall with hellish vibes, contrasting sharply with the enchanting voice.
She cut through the darkness, appearing gloriously.
With shimmering silver hair cascading down, gem-like red sparkling eyes, and perfectly chiseled features.
She looked less like a person and more like a fairy, Miro.
Her entirely white figure seemed, in a way, almost sacred.
Even if it’s just her appearance, that look radiated charisma, right?
And of course, a sprinkle of mystique is a necessity.
— Tick!
“Uh? Uh? Th-the lights are coming back on!”
With the signal tone, the previously dark lights returned.
“Ahhh!”
The ominous aura radiating from the pitch-black girl fled in confusion.
In that moment, my grandfather, hiding behind, opened the brooch, causing mystical butterflies to begin enveloping Miro.
This is Terraforming Stage 3.
“Queen Bee Replacement”
*
The divine girl walks while singing a beautiful song.
With each step she takes, darkness diminishes and the vile demon screams as it flees.
Ahri really is amazing at screaming.
Even in the midst of it all, a few ‘skeptics’ with dubious looks were quickly shifted into reverent poses watching Miro after she waved her hand a couple of times.
The holy girl, the saint.
Some congregants were already clamoring that the Father had sent down a new daughter.
It’s humorous to see that they can’t distinguish between the real saint Aurelia and the fake saint Miro, but to them, it makes sense.
After all, only Aurelia is the one continuously connected to the Lord.
The rest only experienced divine grace through the saint as an intermediary.
Therefore, with another miracle in front of them, they could only assume this was also a choice made by the Lord.
Soon, hundreds of people emerged following Miro out to the playground.
The new saint turned around with a beautiful smile for everyone.
“Ahh…! O God!”
“I’ve captured this glory in my eyes; I have no regrets even in death—”
“Silence! The saint has something to say!”
Everyone waited for the saint’s new revelation.
…
We waited.
…
What is she doing?
Kim Miro: “Hey guys.”
Lee Eunsol: “???”
Kim Mooksung: “What’s up?”
Kim Miro: “I forgot my lines.”
—
Well, those sisters really do look authentic!
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