### Chapter 456 – Room 206, The Curse Room – ‘The Demon King Revived After 100 Days’ Re (18)
—
– Cha Jinchul
— Vroooom!
What ‘this’ did was spin its wings like a helicopter.
Seeing that my body was half afloat, it was clear this thing had some flying ability, however limited.
But…
“Another failure.”
Just as the black-haired girl next to me sighed, it became clear that ‘this’ was indeed a failed product.
“Ugh! Not again!”
“It’s trying to eat Seungyub! Why does Elena keep creating cannibal monsters?”
Because it sees people as food.
Moreover, its wings were obviously too small for its size.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many failed attempts I’ve had to deal with since yesterday.
Fortunately, this one wasn’t too tough.
— Kieeeek!
As a piece of interdimensional star debris stuck in its beak melted away like butter, I turned back to Jeju Island’s top star, Elena.
“Geez…! Elena, this seems tough.”
“Indeed.”
“Let’s take a quick break.”
“… Sure.”
The key to surviving the Curse Room attempt was to secure an escape ahead of time.
In the case of Room 206, obtaining the city control device deep within Paradise means escape.
The issue is that time flows differently at that depth.
An hour down there is worth over a week on the surface.
Therefore, we don’t have time to fight every ghoul lurking in the shadows.
We need flight capability.
We’ve got to reach our destination without bothering with the monsters and various terrains blocking our way.
That’s why the top star is ignoring all broadcast appearances and is outside working like mad to create flying monsters.
Of course, the broadcasting crew is frantically reaching out, and the entertainment news is likely screaming about “The Top Star’s Disappearance” nonstop…
But no one cares about such trivial matters.
Even our head honcho, Aira, ditched the cult and joined us right after sending Seungyub brother to that ‘sanctuary.’
Considering the flow of time, anyone who has descended into the depths is effectively cut off.
“It’s taking longer than expected. We’re stuck before even starting.”
“Yeah… Elena’s never been one to just churn out the monsters she wants like a factory.”
“That’s true.”
It’s not that Elena lacks skill in creating ominous visions; it’s more about the limits of her ability.
Beatrix, the original wielder of that power from Room 201, couldn’t just whip up whatever monster she wanted every single time either.
“That ability feels like a gacha game every time I see it.”
“Gacha?”
After hearing Seungyub’s example, Aira gave me a puzzled look, prompting me to chime in.
“Man, you need to pull out words that ‘sister’ can understand. Was gacha even a thing 50 years ago?”
“Ah, ah, that’s—”
— Whoosh!
As Aira waved her hand in disbelief, a sharp force poked at my head.
“Do you think I wouldn’t know what gacha means? I was just worried about how long it would take Elena to pull an SSR.”
“How long it takes her to pull an SSR? Saying that makes it hard to breathe!”
Every legacy has its weaknesses.
The star from the other dimension is powerful and has decent longevity but is hard to control.
The final flash is indeed strong and easy to control, but it’s a one-time occurrence.
Old blood has such a variety of powers that sometimes you can’t even count them, but it often falls short.
And what about ominous visions?
They’re universal and high in potential but hard to manage.
These limitations are what exhaust us now.
“Alright, I’ve got to help.”
“Help? Isn’t this something Elena can handle on her own, what can you do from the outside?”
“Of course!”
At that, both Seungyub and I exchanged concerned looks.
“Just so you know, you have to help.”
“Huh? What? Me?”
What on earth does she mean by that?
Seeing Aira approach with determination made Elena take a step back.
“Wait! Aira, why are you like this?”
“Elena, I want to show you the value of desperation.”
“Er? Huh?”
“The value of desperation?”
“Didn’t you create a semi-decent monster a few times before?”
“Th-that’s—”
“In hellish, horrifying situations where you might die at any moment, your power becomes strong and refined.”
Hellish?
Might die at any moment?
I’m already feeling uneasy!
“What do you mean all of a sudden—”
“‘Ari Land’ is opening!”
“What? What land?”
“Gyro Drop starting!”
“???”
— Thud!
With the sound of the ground shaking as we hit the floor, Aira shot Elena sky-high!
“AAAAHHHH – !”
Elena’s scream pierced the air as Aira’s icy voice followed.
“If you want to live, FLY!”
And then—Aira let go of Elena from the sky.
“FLY! Save yourself with your power!”
“AAAAHHH – Aira, you really—!”
At this point, I finally understood what Aira meant by ‘my help.’
“Are you crazy!”
Elena’s body trembled as she fell slowly.
Time felt like it slowed because of that brief ‘moment.’
Maybe I’m just quickening the flow of my thoughts?
Worried that Elena might get hurt, Seungyub summoned Yumi.
I hurried over and stretched out my arms, poised beneath the now slowly falling Elena.
After gauging just where she was going to land, I positioned myself and reached out—
— Thud!
“Whew! I-I survived! Jinchul, th-thank you!”
“…”
“Aira, you better not make me build a monster for hunting you!”
“…”
Before I knew it, Aira, Seungyub, and I were all staring blankly at Elena.
More precisely, we were staring behind her.
“Elena.”
“Ari! You can’t be serious—”
“Look behind you. Jinchul isn’t holding you up right now.”
“Wha?”
Is this what it feels like if clouds were alive?
A living cotton candy-like entity held Elena suspended in mid-air.
Elena waved her hand absentmindedly, and the creature adjusted its position to set her down.
Clearly capable of flying, it wasn’t so dull or violent that it couldn’t understand commands.
This was the best specimen among the monsters Elena had created so far.
However, there was just one problem.
“But it’s too small. Jinchul and Seungyub need to fit on it too.”
“…”
“Not SSR, but maybe SR-ish? Looks like we need more gyro drops until we get it right!”
…
About 30 minutes later, a larger version of that previous cloud-like thing appeared.
Perhaps due to excessive use of power, Elena was angrily stomping Aira down in her heels.
“Let’s GO! Elena, chill out!”
“Shut it!”
I thought to myself.
I feel sorry for Elena, but we should’ve started the gyro drops earlier!
In the Curse Room, time is a precious resource.
“Should’ve been done in 30 minutes, but two days down the drain. Next time, let’s push her off a cliff. That’ll cut the time to 10 minutes!”
“Yumi, don’t say such awful things.”
“… Fine.”
Finally, we were ready to depart.
—
[User: Kim Sanghyun (Wisdom)
Date: Day 488
Current Location: Room 206, The Curse Room – ‘The Demon King Revived After 100 Days’
Mission: 3]
It’s been three days since the Demon King’s cult dropped me into the ‘sanctuary.’
Surprisingly, I’m still alive.
“Hyah!”
— Kieeeek!
I smashed something charging at me from all sides with a hammer—something that could only be described as a zombie.
Each one by itself was nothing, but there were just too many!
“Yahhh!”
The eerie situation resembled the hell I had experienced before.
Maybe it was inspired by that very place!
This is a city.
A mock garden created by the Demon King, poorly mimicking Paradise.
— Kiiiyik!
Since it’s a city, there were also places resembling apartments, and the iron gates looked pretty sturdy.
Could I catch a breath for a second?
“Whew! What is this….”
The rotten smell of decay wafted towards me from behind.
Sadly, there was no safe zone in this place.
“Kkiiee—”
— Crack!
These things were easy to flatten, each one as inconsequential as they appeared.
But the real problem was that this wasn’t the end.
My heart raced.
An indescribable fear crept into one part of my mind.
“Phew… Hah. I expected it, but this is really tough.”
It suddenly struck me how fortunate I was to be from a special forces background.
Thanks to my physical abilities alone, I could hold my own.
— Oooooo!
The bizarre wave of energy shook the air around me.
It’d be extremely dangerous to see the source of that wave with my own eyes.
Fortunately, I had just the ability for such situations.
[Mission: 3 -> 2]
“Where on earth should I go?”
[Don’t stay in a cramped spot; there’s an enemy near the school warehouse outside the building -]
“…”
The mission instructed me to check out the school warehouse from the apartment.
“Whew… I wonder if everyone’s alright.”
Han Kain had said he’d gather followers with the help of the mayor this time.
Aira had sent me to the sanctuary, and by now would have surely headed to the depths.
How’s Yu Songee doing? Is she persuading the mayor without any powers?
Thinking of my companions calmed my anxious mind a bit.
Yeah, this is just temporary pain in this hotel-like setting.
Even if I die, as long as one of my friends survives, we have a ‘next’ to look forward to.
“Let’s get out of here.”
The moment I opened the door.
— Screech!
The shrieking noise was as if I’d stuck a megaphone to my ear.
A heat so intense it felt like my retinas were being burned alive.
Pain that felt like needles stabbing my entire body.
“Ugh!”
I rolled around on the ground, shrieking and crying tears of weakness.
…
“Haah…”
I wish I didn’t know anything!
No, saying that is just weakness talking.
This place is the Demon King’s created mock city, and the semblance of a hotel.
What just happened was most likely a ‘fake prisoner’ fabricated by the Demon King.
If I think of it as a fake prisoner, I can understand why it didn’t kill me as it passed.
It’s because it’s not the 5th attempt yet.
A prisoner from before the 5th attempt only serves as a passive ‘bad ending’ role.
“Phew…”
Leaning against the wall in pain, I pondered.
If there are fake prisoners, there must also be fake adversaries…
“…”
What did the blessing and mission tell me?
There’s an enemy in the warehouse near the school?
“Let’s go.”
Wiping away my still burning eyes, I cleaned the blood from my ear with a cloth.
“One for all, all for one.”
My pain would become the stepping stone for my comrades.
—
— Clutk!
As soon as I stepped through the school gate labeled ‘□□ High School,’ I quickly leaned against the wall.
Warm blood streamed from my cheek, shoulder, and abdomen.
In mere moments, how many blood battles had I gone through?
Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, even with several bites, infection never set in.
I wiped away the blood and took a moment to breathe.
According to the mission, the ‘fake adversary’ should be inside this school.
Preparations are essential.
— Ting!
“I should at least be grateful for this.”
I picked up a crowbar from the guardhouse floor.
Since the city background is modeled on Korea, I wouldn’t be able to find a gun. But a crowbar could definitely out-distance the hammer I was just using.
“Let’s go in.”
As I entered the old, enormous high school, my thoughts wandered.
This place is likely the fake Curse Room created by the Demon King.
With fake prisoners, it’d make sense if there were fake adversaries too, right?
Perhaps the ‘fake rewards’ could be the secret to the Demon King’s cult powers.
If that’s the case, the cult leaders are the ones who overcame the trials set by the Demon King in the ‘sanctuary.’
With this thought, several of the cult’s numerous questions became clearer, but simultaneously, new questions arose.
“Demon King, you must still be watching me. But why mimic a hotel?”
No reply came.
—
[Mission: 2 -> 1]
“Where exactly is the enemy?”
[Enter the third room on the right on the second floor; don’t let your guard down.]
“Third room on the right on the second floor?”
I moved to the second floor cautiously, treading quietly like a mouse.
2nd Year, Class 1, Class 2, Class 4 –
“….”
Did they swap out the nameplates?
How childish can they get?
This is why it told me the second floor’s third room and not Class 3!
After I paused to calm my breath—
— Clunk!
As I opened the door, I swept the crowbar around the doorway.
If someone was hiding behind the door, or next to it, there would be no way for them to evade my attack.
But there was nothing to be seen.
“Where are you?!”
According to the mission, it had to be in this classroom!
[Mission: 1 -> 0]
[Get down!]
“What, what? Get down—”
— Thud!
Just as I was taken aback by the sudden order, I felt a fierce pain accompanied by a heavy blow.
“Graah!”
Someone hit me from behind.
“What, what is this?! Definitely—”
The moment I laid eyes on the man in the raincoat, I instinctively knew the answer.
This guy must have been inside during the moment the mission came through; he then moved to a different spot when I went up to the second floor!
“…What the—”
“Curious, aren’t you? How I ‘targeted’ your power?”
“…”
“It’s not the first time. Generally, people like ‘you’ tend to use similar timing for their advice, huh?”
“…Advice?”
“That response was similar again. Would that word look different to your eyes?”
“…”
I felt confused.
My body, my mind….
It’s just too painful.
Then the man in the raincoat reached for my chest, intending to grab my heart.
In that moment, an undeniable memory flooded my mind.
“This is… This is my power… Diligence… my power!”
“Your power? No, ‘my’ power.”
— Crack!
My consciousness darkened.
I hoped this was all just a dream.
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