Chapter 665 – First Escape, Meeting (2)
—
User: Yu Songee
Date: Day 4
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 105 – ‘The Room of Rest’
—
Late at night.
I’m lounging on the bed of Room 105.
I’m not the only one being lazy here.
Everyone else is resting in Room 105 too, right?
You see, we didn’t really solve Room 301 yesterday; we just barely escaped! Since we have to go back in tomorrow, we need the rest.
“….”
The general meeting wrapped up a while ago.
We shared the information we gathered in Room 301, and managed to discuss the next steps as best we could.
I think we did our utmost.
“Something feels off! Don’t you think so?”
As I stroked Pero’s head, that cheeky parrot bit my finger without hesitation.
“Ow!”
Look at that little rascal pretending to sleep, eyes closed!
Is he telling me not to disturb his nap?
“You didn’t help at all in Room 301 but you’re acting all high and mighty – don’t bite!”
Playing around with Pero chased away whatever sleepiness I had.
Maybe a little walk would help clear my head?
*
Stepping into the hotel corridor, I heard a tapping sound.
Someone seemed to be messing with a whiteboard by the snack table.
Soon, I spotted a familiar face.
“Hyung Kain?”
“It’s late; why aren’t you resting?”
“You’re awake too, you know.”
“True that.”
While he casually exchanged words, his gaze never left the whiteboard.
Looks like he’s deep in thought.
As I got closer, I could see a list of issues that had been bothering everyone throughout the meeting.
*
Member Distribution
Solution Party – Entry List
1. Fixed Members: Yu Songee, Lee Eunsol
2. Additional Members: Kim Ahri, Kim Mooksung, Elena
Escape Party – Post-Apocalyptic World
1. Miro, Seungyub
*
Seven names listed there.
This part had already been settled during the dinner meeting.
The last-minute debate was about where to place three people – Kim Sanghyun, Cha Jinchul, and Han Kain.
“I thought of something during yesterday’s meeting.”
“…”
“I thought we’d struggle a lot with member distribution in the third-floor challenge.”
“Right? Distribution for the third floor comes after the sealing of the second floor…”
“It was actually easier with the sealing, wasn’t it? The hotel decided who would be sealed for us?”
Who gets sealed was totally up to the hotel, so it wasn’t something we had to worry about.
“Distribution is tougher because we have to make the choice ourselves.”
To solve things, we need to throw in plenty of strong members in the Solution Party.
But the problem is – if we fail here, it’s all downhill from there!
If the Escape Party is underpowered, we might get wiped out the moment the Duke appears!
Hyung Kain muttered.
“This time, the problem is where to lean more: the solution or the escape?”
“Exactly.”
Looking at the ‘Additional Members’ section… Kim Ahri, Kim Mooksung, and Elena.
Thinking of the discussions from dinner, Hyung Kain seemed to have a similar thought and started explaining smoothly.
“For the next attempt, we need to move more stealthily.”
“The lower ranks of the Administration Bureau have likely been corrupted, and there are too many spies planted within the Daeyang Group.”
“Right. If Songee wanders around with that cat of yours like you did during the first attempt, we’re dead meat.”
“Hey! Are you blaming me? I failed the first attempt because I was being careless!”
Hyung Kain looked momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
“That was a joke.”
“… You and Ahri are sometimes too clueless with your jokes.”
That remark made me laugh.
“Do you know why?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s because I want to act in unpredictable ways so you don’t see it coming!”
“What?”
“After gaining insight, you sometimes look down at us like you can read the whole universe, don’t you?”
“That’s—”
“I get it’s necessary. But going through stuff like this can stress us out!”
“…”
“Not so much stress, but a little pride? Hey! Are you really that great? Do you know everything I’m gonna do? How about this? Did you predict that too? What about this? Can you see that?”
Hyung Kain gaped, mouth half-open like a fish, before finally speaking.
“I’ll tell you this: If that’s your goal, you’ve succeeded. Songee, you win.”
“Pfft! Jokes aside, let’s get back to the real issues.”
“Sure. Second, there’s a lot of information the Daeyang Group chairman probably knows.”
“Definitely.”
“Eunsol, you and the assistants need to gather information from the Daeyang Group chairman.”
Thoughts of what we need to uncover sprang to mind.
“Is he really a reincarnator? Is he connected to the Administration Bureau? When did he join forces with the Is nobility? And when did he decide to betray humanity?”
“… Maybe phrase that last one more delicately.”
“That’s just me tossing ideas. After all, questioning the chairman will fall to Eunsol.”
“Third, we should contact the Administration Bureau too. However, it’s very likely the lower ranks are corrupted, so we need to find solid people.”
“That means I have to do it, right?”
“Yup. Eunsol’s the daughter of the Daeyang Group chairman, and there are already loads of Is spies around her.”
This was the trap we fell into during our first attempt.
Eunsol can’t contact the Administration Bureau.
There are just too many spies lurking around.
I’m the one who needs to act.
Since I’m just a regular person in Room 301, I have much more freedom to move.
Summarizing this easily gives us a framework for the second attempt.
Eunsol and her assistance will go interrogate the Daeyang Group chairman, while I and my assistance will reach out to the uncorrupted forces in the Administration Bureau.
The member distribution likewise aligns with this plan.
“Ahri and Mooksung will be helping you out. It isn’t just about reporting to the Administration Bureau; you need to identify which parts are corrupted and which are still intact.”
“Realistically, I can’t handle that.”
“Exactly. Ahri and the old man have to do it. And…”
“And?”
“… The old man mentioned privately in chat.”
“Well, wouldn’t that be something you should keep to yourself?”
“I figured you should hear it too; the old man will be keeping a close watch on your parents.”
“….”
Eunsol’s father – the Daeyang Group chairman has a boatload of suspicious aspects.
What about my parents, who appear to hold equal status to Eunsol?
Are they truly just clueless regular folks?
Do they have no secrets aside from the fact they are now divorcing veterinarians?
“Don’t be shocked if the old man is surveilling your parents.”
“I won’t be surprised.”
“Elena will be helping Eunsol. With her combat ability and ‘lie detection’ skill, she should be a huge asset in interrogating the Daeyang Group chairman. Plus, I considered appearance too.”
“Appearance, huh….”
I said this with a slightly enigmatic tone, knowing what would come next.
“Elena’s looks are way too flashy. It’ll be hard to keep a low profile. Put her with Eunsol, and she’ll blend right in.”
Given Elena’s ability to draw attention just by standing still, being stealthy is out of the question.
So, I positioned her as a helper for Eunsol.
Being the youngest daughter of a conglomerate, it wouldn’t be strange if she had some connections to one or two aspiring stars.
But!
“Hm… Hyung! About that…”
“What’s up?”
“If Elena is next to me, wouldn’t that be a problem? Because she stands out too much compared to me?”
Only then did Hyung Kain realize my intentions, visibly flinching.
“Uh, no—”
“Gosh… That’s a bit harsh. I’ll have to bring it up tomorrow in front of everyone.”
Hyung Kain sighed deeply and began to ignore my words.
“Alright, it’s settled for the Solution Party. Ahri and Mooksung will help you out, and it’s confirmed that Elena will assist Eunsol.”
Next up is the Escape Party.
“Miro and Seungyub will be part of the Escape Party, right?”
There’s a reason those two are included in the escape party.
“Miro will be part of the Escape Party this time.”
“Because she’s the only one who can replicate Eunsol?”
“Exactly – no, ‘replicate’ sounds weird.”
The Is nobility, both high and low-tier entities, all possess possession abilities.
Effectively, they are equivalent to hotel participants themselves.
Is this why they’re called ‘Great Race’?
Experience from intense battles concluded this: the most effective response against the enemy’s possession ability is the “Piper of Rest,” period.
Other countermeasures – the Book of Avatars, the Ancient Blood Induction, the Primordial Human, the Tranquil Mirror, and so forth – can’t hold a candle to the Piper of Rest.
They either only save themselves, decrease defensive power, create mental instability or allow a brief moment of clarity, among other issues.
The next best solution is simply summoning that Piper of Rest for an hour.
Given that Eunsol is fixed in the Solution Party, Miro must be in the Escape Party, as she can summon that Eunsol.
Just then, Hyung Kain spoke with a meaningful air.
“Truth be told, I’ve been mulling over a completely different list.”
“A different list?”
“Not for this time. If we fail again, I’ll discuss it then. I don’t want to complicate everyone’s thoughts unnecessarily.”
Hearing that made me even more curious.
“Miro, that’s understandable, but I didn’t expect Seungyub to end up in the Escape Party too.”
The idea to include Seungyub in the Escape Party came from Hyung Kain himself, but what followed felt odd.
Of course, Seungyub asked why, but Hyung Kain casually dodged the question.
What was even weirder was the eager agreement from Ahri and Eunsol, who jotted down his name right away.
“What was the reason? I felt like there was an atmosphere that said not to ask. Wasn’t luck supposed to be incredibly useful for the Solution Party?”
“Anyway, we can’t use heavenly luck.”
I had already used “Heavenly Luck” to determine the member list at the start of the first attempt.
Heavenly Luck has the longest cooldown alongside the Hand of Greed, meaning I still can’t use it.
“Still, even without Heavenly Luck, Seungyub is generally lucky—”
“Luck is always useful, whether in the Solution Party or the Escape Party. But…”
“But?”
Hyung Kain kept sidestepping the question, only making me more curious.
“Just tell me. Seungyub isn’t around anyway.”
“… Songee. This is something I’ve realized through multiple experiences, so don’t misunderstand.”
What in the world is this about?
“Seungyub seems to become exponentially stronger when manipulated by others.”
“…”
“It’s like he only becomes smart and eerily powerful when controlled by someone else.”
“…”
“If Seungyub enters the Solution Party, I get the vibe he might be controlled by the Duke.”
“Controlled by the Duke and take me and Eunsol’s heads? He just happens to become the strongest when he’s manipulated?”
“…”
“Did you see that in your insight? Did you see Seungyub cutting off my head and Eunsol’s?”
“Not exactly, but I just get that feeling. Ahri seemed to agree too.”
I felt like Seungyub would genuinely be hurt if he heard this discussion.
The problem is, I also found myself understanding the reasoning behind this.
What now?
Everyone’s experienced Fortuna!
Hyung Kain chuckled and muttered.
“It’s not just a simple gut feeling. It’s due to the characteristics of Seungyub’s abilities.”
“…”
“Thanks to mastering Aksha’s spirit to the max, his combat power is considerable, and with luck on top, his peak is extraordinarily high.”
“Yet, his childish mental state obstructs him from reaching that peak.”
“When the enemy controls him, all that mental obstruction disappears. Just the peak remains. The only one who can counter this would be the Primordial Human, but we used that extensively during the first attempt.”
“Wow… what on earth!”
As I grappled with disbelief, I found myself cocking my head.
“But does entering the Escape Party resolve that issue?”
“…”
“The Escape Party also has Dukes. If Seungyub suddenly goes off and kills Miro, it’ll cause a riot.”
“In the Escape Party, everyone starts from the same area. There’s no chance for solo actions.”
“Oh, so if Seungyub’s not wandering alone, he won’t get controlled?”
“Precisely. When we’re together, we can summon the Piper of Rest at any moment, so the chance of being controlled drops.”
At this point, I sighed slightly.
“As you remember, I wanted you to be in the Solution Party too.”
“Where I end up is still under deliberation.”
“That’s why I’m saying this. I saw it from the outside! It was way too hard to make decisions without you.”
“You seemed to look that way.”
It’s been a while since I realized the stark absence of wisdom, advice, and understanding scenarios.
“Ultimately, the Solution Party is more important, right?”
“Right.”
“The Solution Party is the only way to finish Room 301.”
“Key areas need strong forces.”
“…”
Though I said that, I could also understand Hyung Kain’s struggles.
What if he isn’t part of the Escape Party?
The instant the Duke shows up, bam! Total devastation.
Everyone would be slaughtered before they could even take a breath.
We’d all end up trapped in Ice Hell, just like our past experiences with Miro and the doctor.
“This is tricky.”
“True that.”
As I pondered it again, an observation struck me.
The hotel is a truly paradoxical place.
Sometimes it leads participants to scrutinize and fight against each other, but when one person overgrows, progressing through the Curse Room becomes impossible.
The second floor had sealing; the third floor was divided into progress.
In the end, it seems our party’s issue boils down to growth imbalance.
There’s no one to substitute for Hyung Kain.
If I place ‘Han Kain’ at 1, that leaves 2 empty. If I place it at 2, then 1 goes vacant.
This is a problem with no solution, so I tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
“Ah! In the end, this is all Ari’s fault.”
“What?”
“The only two people who received two inheritances are you and Ari! Why are you both so weak?!”
“…”
Hyung Kain, who had been awkwardly laughing, suddenly seemed to realize something, looking at me intently.
“Most of what we just discussed was what we talked about at the meeting.”
“…”
“I think you have something else you really want to say, Songee.”
I’ve felt this way for some time now.
Hyung Kain’s intuition is so sharp it gives me chills.
He always had this side to him, but now it feels like he’s constantly reading minds after gaining insight.
Even the way he uses the perception seems to have changed.
Initially, he couldn’t control its output and saw too much, leading him to wear a blindfold to cope.
Also, he often felt like he was getting swept up by the scenes he viewed.
“Just tell me. It seems like something you can’t share with anyone else.”
He even got that right.
Seriously, it’s over my head to beat him.
“Hyung. The moment we entered Room 301, I noticed something.”
“Yeah.”
“Mom and Dad… they were all ‘real.’”
“Huh?”
“They were real. Not a fake created from a dream—”
I hesitated mid-sentence.
Using the term “fake created from a dream” is something many of my comrades would not accept at all.
This is why I couldn’t say it in front of others.
On the other hand, Hyung Kain didn’t seem to care and asked back with a calm expression.
“What do you mean, ‘all real’? Did your parents from reality appear directly in Room 301?”
“…”
“Or is the entire world of Room 301 actually the one you’ve lived in?”
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