Chapter 547 – A Single Ticket, Ten Dreams, and the Train’s Ending Point (3) Fin
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 0
Current Location: Gateway Train
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
– Han Kain
“I want to take your picture with this. What do you think?”
What a sudden request! I didn’t even know how to respond.
“If you’re making a joke, just stick to assembling it.”
“Oh my!”
Ahri chuckled lightly, as if realizing her mistake.
“It looks like an impressive tool, but what does it do?”
“It’s a kind of sealing tool.”
“A sealing tool? So if you take a picture, does it trap a monster in the photo?”
“… Did you see it with Insight?”
“It’s just that it feels like that since it’s a camera.”
“Similar, yes.”
Just pressing that shutter can seal a Chaos Entity?
I totally understood now why both Ahri and Grandpa reacted so much to the camera.
But it must have its limits.
It surely wouldn’t work against divine beings, and the fact that it was originally destroyed in reality was quite significant.
Would such a precious piece of equipment be lost to some employee mistakes in an organization like the Administration Bureau?
Of course not! It must have been a crazy monster that ripped the seal apart!
“Are you considering using dreams too, Kain?”
“I’m thinking about it. What about you, Grandpa?”
“….”
A heavy silence fell.
Reviving a loved one with the power of dreams.
For some, that truly is a miracle worth sacrificing anything for.
“… I’m contemplating too.”
But are family members revived through dreams fake?
It’s really a matter of perspective.
Not Songee anyway; she didn’t think like that.
“Does it become meaningless because they’ll vanish after the loop?
That’s like saying life itself is meaningless just because everyone dies eventually.”
If Grandpa thought that way, he probably wouldn’t have married in the first place.
I didn’t bother asking Ahri directly.
I assumed she wouldn’t have anyone she really wanted to save—it seemed too straightforward.
“Why don’t you ask me?”
“… Because Miro is already alive.”
The hotel’s official, Ahri’s beloved Miro, is alive already.
“Well, that makes sense. I’m not planning to use it.”
“Really?”
“Not to revive a family member, at least.”
Using it for something else?
That’s possible.
I suspected Eunsol wouldn’t use it for bringing back her family either.
Soon, Ahri couldn’t hide her admiration as she handled the ‘dream’ that was bubbling like foam, glowing in and out like mist.
“This is…”
“….”
“As far as I know, one of the most powerful consumables in the world.”
“That sounds about right.”
It was a reward from the hotel’s second floor, after all.
Nothing comparable would be lying around.
“I want to use it at a decisive moment.”
“Sure.”
A decisive moment, huh?
What moment could she be referring to?
I lightly shook my head before tossing out a question I felt during my consultations with the others.
“According to your explanation, Ahri, an ‘agent’ is, in a way, an immortal being.”
“That’s correct.”
“… When Sanghyun gave up the ‘Unknown Cell’ to gain the ‘Last Flash,’ I thought he’d regret it.”
The Unknown Cell has numerous functions, the first being immortality.
“Looking back, it was indeed the right move. The moment we exit the second floor, we’ve practically secured our immortality.”
“There’s room for that perspective.”
“Room for it?”
She mumbled with a somewhat gloomy expression.
“Agents have ‘forced termination’ you know.”
“Forced termination?”
“It’s a term we use. It refers to the moment an agent’s immortality breaks, and they meet true death like a regular person.”
“… Like when encountering an exceptionally powerful Chaos Entity?”
“Typically, yes.”
A hint of foreboding flickered in Ahri’s expression.
She must have encountered one of those Chaos Entities herself!
The ultimate Chaos Entity that could put an end to her eternal cycle!
If she meets an exceedingly powerful Chaos Entity, even an agent could face a no-return ending.
Feeling the topic was uncomfortable, Ahri shifted to a different subject.
“About Room 207, it seems to have ended quite ambiguously.”
“….”
“I was wondering if the hotel would acknowledge your answer, and it did. But it feels less like a fundamental solution and more like just stating a possibility.”
“There’s likely a fundamental answer somewhere too.”
I admitted that I couldn’t find a fundamental answer in Room 207.
However, issues similar to Room 207 would definitely arise in reality.
“I hope we can find it outside.”
“Let’s work hard—”
“I’m not saying you should do it alone. Let’s do it together. This time, let’s all put our heads together.”
When I met her gaze, I saw Ahri smiling brightly.
That smile was so radiant it made me think we could truly uncover something solid this time.
Well, then again, maybe not!
“I’ll take my leave now. Looks like you have one last guest for your counseling class.”
— Click!
“It’s okay. Even if it’s with my sister and grandpa, it’s fine.”
—
The last guest arrived.
“Look at this! Is this the ‘choice’ you were talking about, hyung?”
“… It seems so. Ahri, right?”
“Yup.”
Seungyub had a little catalog in his arms.
It likely had questions written about how much of Room 207’s memories to carry.
“What kind of choice do you think I’ll make?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can’t you see it with your Insight?”
Nope, can’t see anything.
Because I’m not even looking, you know.
“I’m not even thinking of looking, so no surprise there.”
“Really?”
“The future is your pure choice, not some fate or possibility.”
Grandpa chuckled.
“You see? This brat here has come up with a pretty decent way to tell you to take charge of your own life.”
“….”
Is Seungyub really trying to ask me for advice on what choice to make?
The boy leaned back in his chair with a playful grin.
“If I erase my memories, what’s going to happen?”
“The first thing that comes to mind is that your martial arts will weaken?”
“Yeah, probably. But honestly, that’s not a big problem.”
To Seungyub, the weakening of martial arts didn’t seem like a huge deal.
“The path you’ve already tread will speed up your progress. Didn’t your hyung say that?”
“He did.”
“So, what’s bothering you then?”
Seungyub’s answer to Ahri’s question.
“… I’m afraid of losing my memories with Yumi.”
The boy worried about the disappearance of memories of his beloved.
It’s not something I could push him into without considering his feelings.
Ahri and Grandpa silently gazed out the window as well.
Soon, Seungyub got up again.
“Hyung.”
“I’m listening.”
“Noona.”
“Yep.”
“Grandpa.”
“Sure thing.”
“It feels weird saying hyung, noona, and grandpa. All three of them sound pretty odd.”
“….”
I figured he’d get mixed up with names from the start, but hearing him say it directly made me feel a pinch in my chest.
“But this will be the last time.”
“You…”
The cheerful boy smiled.
At this moment, he looked just like that naive boy we all know.
“Once we get off the train again, I’ll become the good and smart Seungyub again!”
“Ha!”
“Hey? That was a pretty major declaration!”
“Sorry, but you were never actually very smart.”
“Was I nice at least?”
“Mookseong! He might not be bright, but he’s got good character.”
“W-What kind of harshness is that!”
Watching Seungyub leave the train car with a chuckle put my mind at ease.
Then, at that moment, a vision flickered before my eyes.
“Ah…!”
I see it.
I can see it!
The moment the boy is reunited with love once more!
Just as I rushed to him to alleviate Seungyub’s final concern—BAM!
Grandpa quickly held me back.
“Stay put.”
“Ugh! Why are you doing this?”
“Hey! Are you just going to sit there?”
“No, I was about to—”
“I know! I can tell! So just stay still.”
“Huh?”
I was bewildered.
Ari looked at me with wide eyes, just as confused.
And then there was the only ‘married’ one among us.
“Let it happen. Once a flower blooms it’ll bloom again anyway. If you force your hand in, you ruin the romance.”
“I mean, what’s romance even—”
“Kid! What’s left if you take romance out of love?”
This complicated matter had reached its conclusion.
—
The next morning.
Everyone stood at the train door, ready to disembark.
At last, the moment we had awaited for so long to return to reality.
We even held reality-manipulating tools in our hands to grant our wishes!
At this point, a merchant appeared as if waiting for us.
“Congratulations!”
“Oh, uh, thanks.”
Even Grandpa, who usually wanted to eat merchants for breakfast, muttered a thank you.
Was it because of the warm atmosphere?
The merchant slyly added a few words.
“This much is discretionary, so allow me to provide a kind of guideline.”
A guideline?
“Take about six months off and relax.”
What does that even mean?
Ahri cautiously asked.
“Isn’t there a phenomenon of ‘light that brings about the end’ occurring outside? So why—”
“Ah-ha!”
“….”
At the merchant’s ‘ah-ha,’ Ahri immediately fell silent.
“Who knows when that little body of yours will grow some ‘decency’? Asking such bold questions in front of me? Don’t you think you should reflect a bit?”
His attitude was as if he was offering some wisdom, telling her not to butt in.
It was ridiculous, but at this moment, he was totally the boss.
“… Raise your hands.”
When Ahri obediently raised her hands, the merchant added a few more words.
“Spend the first six months just going with the flow, and for the next six months, do some information gathering. The main game starts in a year. And…”
“….”
“Starting from now until we arrive, concentrate fully!”
“Uh?”
— SLAM!
Suddenly, without warning, just as we were about to react!
The train doors swung open wildly.
Right after, it felt like an invisible giant grabbed us and threw us all out!
“AAAHH!”
“WAAH!”
“AAAAH!”
— WOOOOSH!
I gave up on controlling my body and instead focused all my energy to keep my eyes wide open.
What’s out there?
Is there something there?
There must be something if I’m being told to focus all my thoughts!
…
…
…
???
What is that?
Hotel?
Buddha?
Or maybe—hell?
“Now’s the time!”
What?
“The timing to use your dreams is now!”
Are you really telling me to use dreams right now?
Aren’t we supposed to save it for after we arrive?
“Well, you can use them after arriving, but if it’s about who’s going to use them, I recommend you do it now if possible!”
In that chaotic rush, my companions, with shocked expressions, hurriedly pulled out their ‘dreams.’
— WOOOSH!
Seven dreams shone bright.
The mighty brush of greatness painted over the world.
…
Could this be the final memory here in the hotel?
— CRASH!
*
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 0
Current Location: Shin-gil Apartment, Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
– Han Kain
“….”
I woke up in a soft bed.
I, we….
We finally escaped from Hotel Pioneer!
— BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
“… What are you doing here?”
— BEEP!
Could it be that Songee and Fero can’t be in the same place?
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