### Chapter 462 – Day Off – The Second Sentence
—
– Han Kain
Date: Day 551
Current Location: Floor 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
The third escape attempt from Room 206.
Thanks to this, Room 206 became the room with the most attempts after Room 101.
Perhaps due to mental fatigue, the expressions of my comrades in the corridor were filled with exhaustion.
Is that why?
A notification popped up on the wall display saying that tomorrow is a day off.
Eunsol-noona reacted immediately.
“Oh! Room 206 has two days off already. Is it that difficult of a room?”
I thought it wasn’t just about the simple difficulty but that it was ‘longer’ than others.
Other rooms had attempts lasting just a couple of days, but 206 felt like it dragged on for months.
Of course, that’s for those who stayed in paradise.
For those who moved to the depths, it probably felt like it ended in less than a day.
“First of all, thank you all for your hard work. Let’s share what each of us has experienced.”
Naturally, we gathered around a snack table and let the storytelling flow.
This time, the party was largely divided into three groups.
1. Me (Kain), Yu Songee, Lee Eunsol, Kim Mooksung
2. Kim Sanghyun
3. Kim Ahri, Elena, Cha Jinchul, Park Seungyub, Miro
We were responsible for spreading the ‘Kain Faith’ disguised as a cult of the original creator.
Given our roles, we didn’t gather any incredible information.
That said, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.
“Kain, is the charging for the Holy Sun finished?”
At Ahri’s question, everyone looked at me with a mix of anticipation.
I answered with a light nod.
When I first obtained the Holy Sun, I was looking at 144,000 souls and followers, which felt overwhelming.
I filled it all up.
“Brother, doesn’t this mean we can do something amazing now? Like flying in the sky?”
Seeing Seungyub’s excited expression was quite adorable.
A bit childish, but he’s still just a young boy!
I wanted to entertain him, but not right now.
“Sorry, but it’s a chargeable legacy, and if I use it recklessly, I’ll need to recharge it again.”
Fortunately, he’s not too bright but has a good personality.
“Oh, I see! I’ll definitely want to see it when I need it next time.”
“Sure.”
Seeing the hint of respect in his eyes made me feel even better.
If I had the time, I could shape this kid into something useful.
Isn’t it a bit silly how this incredibly useful ability is stuck with such a hopeless kid?
It’s inefficient.
Anyway, those who gathered various information spent quite some time exchanging opinions.
Sanghyun shared about the mysterious experiences he had in the sanctuary, mentioning contact with the inexplicable being presumed to be the ‘Ultimate One.’
During his explanation, he suddenly turned to me and asked.
“By the way, that guy told me something. Why does the Demon King act like a real god? What does that even mean?”
“…”
“To you, I mean Kim Sanghyun, you don’t have the right to know. However, your comrades already know the answer.”
“Already know the answer…?”
“I think that comrade is referring to you, Kain. Do you have any guesses?”
Why does the Demon King act like a real god?
The simple answer is obvious to all.
The Demon King reacts to human imagination because people worship him as a god.
Of course, Sanghyun wouldn’t be looking for that common answer.
“…”
“Haha, I just took a wild guess. If it doesn’t come to you, feel free to ignore it. It’s not directly related to solving the room; it’s just personal curiosity.”
Why does the Demon King act like a god?
That question should be rephrased.
Why do gods act like gods?
What reason is there for a being of greater power to fulfill the wishes of weak, insignificant beings?
Humans wouldn’t automatically shelter an ant they see on the street, so why do gods care for their followers?
I know the answer.
It’s because I’m experiencing that phenomenon myself.
“… I can’t distinguish.”
“Excuse me?”
Where does ‘I’ end, and where does outside begin?
Humans are beings shackled by the physical form.
My body is me, while beings outside of myself are others.
But what about a transcendental being, free from such trivial constraints?
For them, the boundary between ‘I’ and ‘not I’ is extremely vague.
If they regard everything as themselves or ‘something that can become a part of them’…
If everything feels like a flow drawn into a massive gravitational pull, like a black hole…
“…”
To those who have attained the ultimate self, the distinction between ‘god’ and ‘follower’ is meaningless.
Similar to how a human doesn’t regard each and every cell as an other.
The Demon King didn’t fulfill the desires of his followers; he merely acted to satisfy his own aspirations.
“That’s enough of that. Let’s change the subject.”
—
Ahri, Elena, and the others shared the information they uncovered after breaking the seal in the depths of paradise.
As we listened, we realized one significant fact.
“This information is quite similar.”
The information hidden by the Demon King Cult and what we gleaned through Miro both point to similar resolutions.
“… That means it’s more credible.”
As Ari said, a type of cross-reference has occurred, increasing its reliability.
“We discovered the same solution from two different routes: changing the Demon King into a less dangerous entity through Demon King worship.”
After a moment of silence, Ari muttered thoughtfully.
“At this point, it seems like this might be the solution the hotel prepared. The specific means were already in the control system in the depths.”
At that moment, I lowered my head.
I had to cover my distorted expression with my hands.
Ari, though older than she looks, is an agent of the Administration Bureau.
She has accumulated experience that cannot compare to ours.
But is this the only unpleasant method she can think of?
Once something feels bothersome, it has a way of pushing old memories to the forefront.
Now that I think about it, she was the one who opposed going into Room 104 multiple times, wasn’t she?
Because of her foolishness, my growth only slowed down.
“Hey, everyone, please listen to me for a second.”
I carved patience into my heart as I opened my mouth.
We had discovered the path of ‘Demon King worship,’ which seemed like the hotel’s prepared answer, but why should we not go down that road?
Fortunately, a logic emerged that could persuade my companions.
People like Eunsol and Jinchul were already showing discomfort at the phrase ‘Demon King worship.’
So when I emphasized how unethical that path was, how it would make humanity the slaves of a demon, they quickly came around.
It was easier with Elena and Miro; simply my opposition seemed sufficient for them.
As for Yu Son and Park Seungyub, they didn’t seem to have their own thoughts from the beginning.
It felt like they would just go along with whatever decision others made.
These guys seem to already be half-filled with that Holy Sun even without me saying so?
I stressed to the two Bureau agents that we already had 0.5 tickets, so we needed to make sure to claim the remaining 0.5 from Room 206.
“Ari, remember this. The legacy of Room 206 is a ‘means to save the world,’ right?”
“… That piece of information did come up in the hotel cinema.”
“Given the circumstances, it’s likely the Unyielding Reason and the One More Chance, or the Ruler of Time, are legacy candidates. Which of these would likely be the item that saves the world?”
“…”
“You don’t know exactly, do you? I think it has to be both. We need both to succeed. So finding a ‘better solution’ isn’t a choice; it’s a necessity. I’m sure Grandpa thinks so too, right?”
“Uh, um? That seems to be the case; Kain, my, how you’ve become quite assertive today.”
“It’s a matter with a clear answer.”
—
Finally, Kim Sanghyun raised his hands before I could even speak.
“Let’s do it that way.”
“…”
“Kain has already persuaded everyone else quite well. Listening from the side, it was quite a logical argument. I’ll follow that direction as well.”
—
The meeting continued late into the night, and really, all kinds of wild ideas came flying out.
Finding an ‘answer’ the hotel prepared plus a ‘different answer’ turned out to be quite the challenge.
“Ugh! If we don’t have anything to protect, we don’t even need to fight the Demon King! Just wipe out humanity with the control system!”
This was the responsible Mayor Songi’s suggestion.
“Let’s make a spaceship the moment we walk in and ditch Earth!”
“…Are we the ones who made the spaceship to find, or are we making one?”
“I searched all of the chief’s memories, and there were no spaceships to be found!”
“Miro! A spaceship isn’t something you can whip up in 100 days, you know!”
The former astronaut shot down Miro’s spaceship plan immediately.
“Can’t we just kill everyone and then rewind time to bring them back?!”
“… Dude, didn’t Ahri tell you before why that wouldn’t work? Those dedicated to the Unyielding Reason won’t be reborn even if you rewind time. Even the Ruler of Time can’t do that.”
“R-Really?”
Park Seungyub, who was still quite young, seemed to have repetitive memory problems, as he kept coming up with the same thoughts that Jinchul shot down.
A painful time passed as everyone racked their brains.
“Ugh… My head hurts. Everyone be quiet!”
Eunsol-noona suddenly summoned her flute.
— Pee-pee-ri-ri~!
It sounded like an elementary school kid playing a recorder.
The legacy took the form of a flute, but it’s probably because Eunsol-noona never learned how to play one.
“Ahh~! Why isn’t it working?”
“Noona, doesn’t getting a headache from thinking too much seem natural?”
“Oh, come on! This flute is surprisingly useless!”
“Hey! You should be grateful that you have some legacy!”
“Isn’t there only one person here who doesn’t?”
“W-What?!”
They joked around lightly among themselves, relieving their fatigue.
And then…
“…”
It suddenly clicked for me.
It felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over me pulled deep from the ocean.
“Eunsol-noona.”
“Hmm? Kain?”
I tried to appear nonchalant, speaking in a joking manner.
“Hehe, you know, I learned the flute when I was little? Can you play the flute again? I’ll help you with your posture.”
“Ooh~! Kain was cultured as a child, huh?”
As the flute’s sound spread once more, it felt like déjà vu.
No, perhaps it was more intense since it had occurred twice.
I felt like an ice cube being continuously plunged into a pool of cold water pounding against my head.
Then, ‘I,’ who had been watching everything from behind the curtain, awakened.
—
If ‘I’ have awakened now, then who is that standing in front of the curtain?
“Ugh!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Um… I’m just going to take a quick break.”
“You seem tired. Okay, tomorrow is a day off, so rest well.”
As soon as I arrived at Room 105, I leaned against the wall, feeling like I was about to collapse.
[Advice: 3 -> 2]
What in the world is happening here?
[Balance has been lost. It’s time to resume a task that has long been put off.]
Balance is lost?
“…”
The thought I had quietly held in the Curse Room.
Could it be that the Owl had directed all of this?
[Is it you?]
No answer came back.
It was as if to say it wouldn’t entertain such a question.
“…”
Long-overdue tasks.
Oddly enough, as soon as I heard those words, I knew what I needed to do.
If one side has grown too strong and lost balance, shouldn’t we make the other side heavier?
In a moment, a book appeared.
As if it had been waiting for this moment, the book opened up by itself as soon as it appeared.
— Fwooosh!
The first sentence I understood long ago.
There is no unchanging self.
When I mastered this principle, I realized that I might no longer be ‘one’ anymore.
And then….
「If what belongs to another can also belong to you, then couldn’t you also be another?」
“… What does this even mean?”
— Crackle!
Sparks flew.
Lightning split me apart.
In that moment, I knew I had taken an irretrievable step.
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