### Chapter 482 – Party Time – Insights and Preparations, and Entry (7)
—
– Kim Ahri
Time flew by like the wind.
What initially felt like a lengthy week of party time was almost at its end.
We had visited the Sanctuary of Blessings on the first day and gathered meaningful intel from Eunsol’s “Greedy Hand”.
Now, it was all about preparing for Room 207, the Gate Room.
No one forced anyone to do anything, so everyone tackled their own tasks.
Some focused on physical training, others researched the historical contexts of ancient Egypt or medieval Europe, and some just relaxed to unwind their minds and bodies.
As for me, I’ve been spending nearly all my time on the snowy slopes.
There’s no better place for training than here.
“…”
I gaze at the ominously glowing crimson stone resting on my palm.
It’s always mystifying every time I see it, and it’s still surprising to realize I obtained this irregular polyhedron.
Officially deemed ‘the second legacy,’ it feels more like my first.
The first legacy, my ancient blood, has been a part of me since birth, feeling more like a natural superpower than a special treasure.
“Hmm.”
Focusing my mind, I sensed the mysterious world revealed by the polyhedron.
To those living in the material world, ‘space’ resembles a stage.
It’s like an actor who has lived on stage their whole life suddenly turning their gaze towards the very concept of the ‘stage’ itself.
The invisible walls and ceiling surround me, distinguishing the inside from the outside.
If executed swiftly and broadly, simple operations like these could create gigantic structures like the cube in Room 201.
“Ugh.”
In an instant, I felt a sharp pain as if a needle had pricked my head.
Despite feeling countless pains during training, adapting to pain is anything but easy.
“Phew….”
Patience is key.
You can’t wield this tool normally without torturing your brain a bit.
Gradually, the invisible walls began sprouting up around here and there.
Just then, an unexpected guest arrived.
— Wham!
“Ow!”
“…”
“What the heck! There’s an invisible wall in mid-air!”
“I’m practicing using the irregular polyhedron.”
“Do you have to make it transparent like this? If it’s white, I could see it in advance and dodge!”
“You can’t dodge if you see it coming. That’s why it has to be transparent.”
“… Is that so?”
“Stop sounding stuffy and come here.”
“…”
“I cleared the walls.”
“Yay~!”
— Wham!
Ah, that was a mistake.
Believing my words, Miro ran over and crashed into yet another wall, her eyes wide, looking at me as if to say, “How could you do this to me?”
I didn’t do it on purpose!
“This time, I really cleared it.”
“Liar.”
“…”
In the end, I had to go get Miro myself.
“So, what did you come here for?”
“Do I need a reason to visit?”
“…”
Miro said that and leaned against me for about 10 minutes, just muttering nonsense.
Lately, I’ve been skipping meals for my training with the irregular polyhedron, only spending time on the slopes. Did she miss me?
It’s a strange feeling.
She’s kinda cute, resembling me.
…
The main point suddenly popped out.
“Do you remember the note that the Midnight Maze left behind?”
“I remember.”
“It said not to use the midnight hour for Room 207.”
“I know.”
“Can we use it this time?”
“… I’m not sure. What did I know about Room 207 back then?”
“I don’t really know either.”
“Liar! You know!”
This flow feels familiar.
“We did meet in dreams back in the day!”
“I said that part was a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“You in the dream aren’t the Midnight Maze. You couldn’t have left your complete self in a dream in the first place.”
“So then -”
“You were mixed up. The you now and the you from the past, even a bit of your regressed, half-crazy infant self.”
“…”
Despite having said this many times, Miro still didn’t seem to believe it.
“Did the Midnight Me know I’d fall into Room 207 during ancient Egypt?”
“Who knows… And falling into ancient Egypt isn’t guaranteed. The information from the dinner party was given indirectly.”
“Why do you talk so ambiguously? You should say, ‘this is how it is, that’s how it is!’”
“If the info is all ambiguous, how can I say anything for certain?”
“…”
“…”
“These days, Kain makes a weird face whenever he looks at me, like he has something to say but doesn’t.”
While everyone was busy preparing for the Gate Room, Kain had begun the most peculiar training among us.
He wasn’t holding any discussions, showing no interest in the legacy training, nor was he taking breaks.
He’d silently walk down the corridor, suddenly approaching one of us, and intensely stare at them for five or ten minutes.
He was playing a game of chess that no one could comprehend, using insights and advice without stop.
The chess pieces were probably ‘us.’
At first, Mooksung reacted lightly, asking, “Hey, can you see my future? How do I become rich?” but it didn’t take long before he started dodging Kain.
Needless to say, the rest of us couldn’t hold out either.
We started avoiding Kain in just a day, and a ‘Han Kain Warning’ popped up in the conversation tab, as if it were a warning!
“That guy is prepping in his own way.”
“I know. But staring for ten minutes without explanation, and then suddenly sighing?”
“…”
“It’s a bit scary lately.”
“Didn’t you say Kain was amazing before?”
“Eek! Don’t say that!”
Miro gasped and suddenly stuffed snow into my clothes.
“You said something bad, so you’re getting punished!”
“…”
“…”
“Okay, now you don’t like him?”
“N-No, not like that. Just… a little….”
Just then, a familiar ‘warning’ popped up in the chat tab.
—
Kim Mooksung: Heading towards Han Kain’s snowy slopes.
Han Kain: Why do you keep announcing my movements?
Kim Mooksung: Kain Alert issued!
—
“Gasp! Kain’s coming!”
“… Run away!”
It was already too late.
“Ha! Run? Come on, Ari, that’s too much of a joke.”
“…”
“Um, Miro—”
“Eek!”
“…”
“M-Miro. I wanted to talk to you. And, um, I’d prefer if you kept your distance.”
I wanted to have a conversation with Miro all alone.
Usually, she might have blushed and teased me, but this time she was so shocked, she almost darted off, but got caught.
“Ah!”
“Please, just stay still. I have something to say!”
“… You two go have fun together.”
What on earth did I want to say to Miro?
I felt a bit curious as I returned to the hotel.
—
“Miro, the time capsule has Ahri in it too, right?”
“Yeah. Right now, it’s morning, and Ahri—wait! If you have something to say to Ahri, why did you send her away?”
“Call Ahri for me!”
—
I woke up on the snowy slopes.
The location shifted abruptly, Miro’s vague smile, and Kain’s tense expression.
I understood.
I’m a summoned being from the past.
As I was processing the situation, Kain sent Miro away.
“What’s this? You have something to discuss with me alone?”
“Yeah.”
In that moment, curiosity aroused in me.
This isn’t the Cursed Room but the hotel’s snowy slope.
If he has something to say, he could just talk with the current ‘original’ self.
“… It’s a matter only I can consult with you.”
“What does that mean—oh.”
I understood.
The power of insight is about visualizing a specific future based on provided evidence.
During dinner time, I gathered various clues regarding Room 207, so insight must have shown several possibilities that weren’t visible before.
The problem is, Kain can’t disclose the possibilities he’s seen to us.
If he tells us, our actions will change, rendering the possible scenario he saw meaningless.
“Right now, it’s okay to tell me. Anyway, the memory from our conversation won’t be relayed to the original.”
In an instant, a multitude of thoughts raced through my mind.
It’s an interesting thought to use the time capsule summoning body as a ‘strictly secure counseling role.’
This guy, who seemed to distance himself more from everyone, also couldn’t bear the weight of insight alone, which gave me a small sense of comfort.
Thinking about the fascinating information I was about to find out, I felt a hint of guilt.
Kain might say he is different, but to us, insight looks strikingly similar to precognition.
Information about the future!
Finally, I was genuinely pleased that he chose ‘me’ as a counselor.
“Okay, what do you want to talk about?”
…
We spent time listening, responding, sharing opinions, rebutting, and discussing.
I heard aspects of infinite possibilities that he would normally never share with anyone.
Ominous possibilities.
Inevitable failures.
Unbearable costs.
Even he, just half a step beyond human bounds, revealed some considerable fears about the grim futures.
“When you work as an agent, there are often situations where someone has to die.”
“…”
“Honestly, even if you aren’t an agent, being a military commander would be the same. The chance of casualties is towering high, but someone has to go and hold the defense line.”
“…”
“The key thing isn’t whether a sacrifice can be avoided or not. It’s about who, where, and how the sacrifice can be meaningfully utilized.”
“…”
“I hope this helps.”
“It has helped.”
It was a fascinating time.
Plus, the end of this time was approaching.
“Who’s next? Your loyal vassal?”
“… Sanghyun isn’t a servant-like person. He’s just a reliable colleague.”
I didn’t deny that the next person to meet would be Sanghyun.
Next was Sanghyun, and then…
…
At this point, I had about 5 minutes left.
Was this Kain’s way of expressing gratitude for our lengthy chat?
He didn’t leave me for those 5 minutes but rather shared playful stories.
“Aha… it’s time to part ways.”
“Parting? I’m still in the hotel. So be kind to my future self!”
This was my last memory.
—
“Kain, what is this?”
“It’s an envelope.”
“I can see that. I’m asking what’s inside.”
“Unfold it at the most crucial moment in Room 207.”
“When is that moment?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
“… Understood.”
—
“Kain, what’s this thing?”
“It’s an envelope.”
“Um, I can see that. What’s inside? A small piece of paper?”
“Check right when Elena’s turn begins in Room 207.”
“Right as it starts?”
“Yes.”
“C-Can’t you just give me a warning beforehand?”
“Nope. Can’t do that.”
“… Okay.”
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 938
Current Location: Floor 2, Central Hall
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
– Han Kain
Finally, the day has come.
The day we must enter the second ‘Gate Room.’
— Gulp!
Sounds of everyone gulping echoed around.
Even the bravest among us couldn’t hide the tension in this moment.
“U-Um, should I open the door?”
As Jinchul awkwardly smiled and spoke, nobody answered.
“… Shouldn’t we go in? If we linger around, the hotel will probably pull some weird stunt again.”
“Yo! Just shut up and open it, you wild boar!”
— Creak!
The culmination of hidden causality on the second floor.
The place where various questions we’ve searched for are hidden.
A room where the hotel promised everyone could escape.
Finally, the door to Room 207 opened.
It’s about to begin.
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