Chapter 739 – Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’ (13)
—
— Kim Sanghyun
—
It’s been about an hour since the chase began.
“Huff… huff…!”
A blue droplet flies toward me, twisting its trajectory like a guided missile.
— Bang!
I could easily burst each one with my gun, but they’re not just one or two.
No matter how you slice it, my bullets just aren’t enough to keep up!
“Phew…”
The supernatural attacks are piling up.
This only means one thing: the number of agents summoned by the Bureau is increasing.
As I predicted earlier, it seems I won’t make it through today.
But looking at it from another angle, haven’t I lasted longer than expected?
Holding off the Bureau’s encirclement for almost an hour with just one blessing is no small feat.
It’s pretty simple why I can do this.
— Zziiing!
Gas bombs keep falling at my position, periodically.
“Ugh!”
If this had been lethal toxic gas, I would’ve been a barbecue by now.
Fortunately, it’s just a non-lethal anesthetic gas, and thanks to my special forces training, I’ve managed to cope somewhat.
Exactly.
They aren’t trying to kill me; they want to keep me alive, one way or another.
On the other hand, I can shoot the soldiers and staff approaching without hesitation, which is why this fight is lasting longer than anticipated.
At some point, I began to grasp the Bureau’s intention.
“Ah… Johnny, you’re recalling yet another unnecessary memory.”
Astear had expressed disappointment over the ‘unnecessary memories’ I recalled.
And the Bureau’s determined effort to keep me alive and secure.
It looks like they want to draw me back to their side.
Now that I’ve realized this, the reasons behind it also make sense.
Could it be to complete the “Ritual unsealing the Son of Dawn,” which I botched in my previous life?
If they hadn’t started the ritual, it might have stayed that way. But since they did, it seems like I have no choice but to rejoin the ritual again, especially since I messed it up.
“…”
Several thoughts flitted through my mind.
First, why do they need my voluntary cooperation?
Let’s reflect on my first wish.
When I pushed back, the Son of Dawn ordered me to be used as a sacrifice as if it were nothing.
Plus, the person who subdued me, Cerilda, just restrained me; she didn’t manipulate me into participating in the magic.
Back then, it seems like my voluntary cooperation wasn’t necessary.
But now they need my voluntary cooperation?
There must be a reason. I just don’t know it yet.
Secondly, can’t I just kill myself?
As soon as that thought popped into my head, I knew it was a bad one.
But looking at the situation rationally…
If “Kim Sanghyun’s voluntary cooperation” is a condition for unsealing the Son of Dawn, then putting him to sleep would be incredibly easy.
I could just die here.
The only reason I haven’t opted for that yet is pretty simple.
No grand logic here, just a hunch as a hotel participant.
It seems like a too-simple solution won’t be the actual pathway.
“… Those are the two thoughts I just had. First, why does the Bureau need my voluntary cooperation when it wasn’t necessary in my previous life? Second, if I die, then—”
Calmly conveying the situation to my comrades…
— Swoosh!
It sounded like a gentle wave sweeping over the area.
Accompanied by a mystical vibration that made my whole body tingle.
It felt like a heavy droplet falling onto the calm surface.
In that moment, I sensed everything in the world changing around me.
If the world were a painting, it felt like a great artist had swept their brush over it, repainting everything!
Soon, Astear appeared, transformed into a completely different being.
— Flutter…!
Six wings slowly flapping.
Her presence was overwhelmingly grand compared to just an hour ago.
The resplendent atmosphere surrounding this angelic figure wore a somewhat bitter expression.
“Johnny, you clearly couldn’t repent until the last moment, could you?”
At this point, I realized.
It’s over. The game is up.
The Son of Dawn has begun to transform the world, and devoted followers are reborn as angels!
“…”
In this final moment, the feeling I held onto wasn’t anger or despair, but curiosity.
What on earth is happening?
I feel like I’ve gathered quite a bit of information, yet there’s still so much missing.
I think it’s fair to say that the significant gaps in my understanding relate to events that occurred in other domains where I wasn’t present.
Despite being the main cast in Room 302, there was one comrade I had never met even once – Seungyub.
“Johnny.”
The angel with six wings whispered to me.
“I’m saying this for your sake. Pray. The Son of Dawn is merciful; he might grant you an opportunity to repent.”
“…”
I calmly gazed at the sky, putting my hands together.
From a distance, it might seem like a sinner trying to confess before he dies.
“I am now death, the destroyer of worlds.”
“Hmm? What do you—”
— Boom!
A flash that shook the very earth pierced through the angel flaunting six wings.
…
This was my last memory.
—
“You have failed!
Terrible skills, a lazy attitude, with no thoughts but foolish progress!
… Did you think I would say that?
Haha, don’t forget that the hotel’s evaluation is objective.
We don’t always just criticize everyone.
Participant Kim Sanghyun, you’ve done your part.
So the cause of the failure must lie elsewhere.
A crazy boy who falls in love twelve times a year.
You have failed to resolve the source of the curse.
Yet, there is still a chance.
Wait for your comrades.
Soon, the ‘post-apocalyptic world’ will begin.”
—
A boy who falls in love twelve times a year?
—
*
「User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 40
Current Location: Third Floor, Observation Station
Sage’s Advice: 3」
—
— Han Kain
—
— Crackle!
The observation has stopped.
This means there are no more living subjects within Room 302.
Soon enough, the hotel will send us a message.
In that final moment, I saw the white light shooting from Sanghyun’s hand piercing the angel.
Did Astear, the angel with six wings, die from that attack?
Who knows?
In that last moment, Sanghyun found it hard to keep up with the situation.
Let’s think from his perspective.
Just three minutes ago, the Bureau was desperately trying to secure him alive.
As if saying that living Kim Sanghyun was essential to the resurrection of the Son of Dawn.
Yet, here I am, and he did nothing, and the Son of Dawn jolted back to life.
If that’s the case, why go through the trouble of securing him?
I can’t understand.
The source of my confusion lies in the missing pieces of information.
“…”
Even now, my comrades are exchanging various opinions at the table.
“I think the Bureau is—”
“There’s some truth to what Eunsol says. However—”
The discussions are quite plausible, but a massive gap in information remains.
Even to Sanghyun, it was tough to fathom the situation until the very end.
My comrades, spinning many theories like a hamster on a wheel, were also working through the gaps.
Both sides have a grand gap.
The name of that void is ‘Park Seungyub.’
Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, I know a fact that Sanghyun is unaware of.
—
「* Comrade Location Info
Park Seungyub: —」
—
The fact that Seungyub is dead.
Moreover, I also know that about five minutes after his death, destruction followed.
At the start of Room 302 was Kim Sanghyun.
… At its end was Park Seungyub.
I felt I had figured out a decent amount, so I decided to use one of my pieces of advice.
—
「Sage’s Advice: 3 -> 2」
—
“Why did the Son of Dawn suddenly resurrect?”
—
「Plan A failed, but Plan B succeeded.」
—
“… Thank you.”
It’s a very simple answer.
But, it also cuts through a lot of the questions I had until now.
Originally, there wasn’t just one process to unseal the Son of Dawn.
Plan A was to pull Sanghyun in and resume the interrupted ritual.
Plan B was… something that was happening from Seungyub’s side.
Plan B succeeded.
So, the Son of Dawn was unsealed independently of Sanghyun.
—
“You have failed. Therefore ‘the post-apocalyptic world’ begins!”
—
“AHHH! The message popped up!”
“Wasn’t Kain about to pop up? Everyone, don’t panic; focus!”
“Let’s get ready!”
“Will Perro make it in this time?”
— BEEP!
In the midst of this tense ambiance, I took a deep breath to lift my spirits.
“H-Han Kain!”
Ahri appeared flustered for some reason.
“What’s wrong?”
“Have you seen the Labyrinth while observing?”
“… No.”
“Is it still alive? What’s it doing right now?”
“I know it’s in Korea, but I have no idea what it’s up to.”
—
I don’t know.
The only thing I could say right now was one thing.
“Everyone, close your eyes!”
This time, Ahri didn’t forget and closed her eyes.
…?
What is happening?
Right before entering, I noticed a flurry of text scrolling through my status window!
—
「The Bureau has various factions.」
—
“What the—”
The darkness fell.
—
*
“Whaaaat! What’s this? A sudden termination message! Han Kain!
‘…’
How do we resolve this? What do we do? How—”
“What were you originally trying to do?”
“I was going to sneak into the school Seungyub attended, but the Bureau blocked access—”
“Then, let’s do it right now.”
—
…
—
“Ugh… Why has it been itching so much since earlier? What— Huh? Han Kain?”
—
— Crack!
—
「User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 40
Current Location: Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’
Sage’s Advice: 2」
—
— Han Kain
—
…
…
…
I woke up feeling a hard texture.
It was slightly uncomfortable, but only because of the hard wooden bed.
As I came to my senses and scratched my head, an intense feeling of unease washed over me.
I sensed that something about me had changed more than I realized.
There was no mirror nearby to confirm the details.
“Hmm…”
First, let’s check the scenario.
—
「Scenario: The Serpent of Eden
Ah…!
The Son of Dawn has finally resurrected.
The sandcastle built by man has crumbled immediately.
Now, the newly born leaders of the world are winged angels.
You have awakened at Eden No. 27.
Shouldn’t we take a look at this new world, a paradise where everyone is saved?」
—
The Son of Dawn has resurrected.
The sandcastle built by man has collapsed.
Winged angels, Eden.
Are these the keywords?
Just as I was about to check on the comrade locations, I recalled the events just before entering.
The phrases that had been frantically scrolling through the status window!
When I stretched the status window out fully, sure enough, I found phrases from ‘another timeline of Han Kain’ written there.
—
「The Bureau has several factions.
It seems that there are those who worship the Son of Dawn, as they’ve taken control of Room 302. However…
There were also skeptics.
They seem to have created the beautiful new world.
In other words, a place to keep pure humans who aren’t influenced by the Son of Dawn.
The beautiful new world cannot be destroyed from the outside.
However, by the time Miro and I discovered it, the beautiful new world had already collapsed.
According to the employees I interrogated, it seems that the beautiful new world collapsed from within.
…
During the interrogation, I witnessed humans transforming into grotesque beings.
An employee transformed in real time, and their skin peeled off.
Suddenly, I realized my back had begun to itch too.
It seemed that Miro, due to her stability, experienced a slower mutation, but she too was scratching her skin repeatedly.
Euthanasia.」
—
I promise to keep you updated sincerely.
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