### Chapter 143 – Room 107, The Gate Room – ‘Perfect Life’ (34) Fin
—
Elena
I was dragged through the burning theater by Kain’s hand, feeling completely lost.
Surrounded by people screaming and fleeing in terror, I looked around in disbelief.
Why is this happening? Why today?
As I suppressed my boiling anger and continued to run, I suddenly realized something.
Where are we going right now?
Shouldn’t we be heading to the theater entrance and out into the street?
But Kain was pulling me into an alley connected to the theater’s back door.
“Uh… Kain?”
“Yeah?”
“Where are we? Shouldn’t we go toward the street?”
“Huh? I guess I got a bit lost while running in a panic. But we can’t go back to the theater, so we should keep going this way, right?”
I understood. Kain was probably just as scared and disoriented as I was.
But this alley felt strange and unsafe, somewhere we wouldn’t normally be.
— Clop.
It was still early evening. There was just enough sunlight left to keep things from being completely dark.
— Clop.
Not even finishing the performance, and we suddenly had to flee because of a fire! Talk about bad luck!
— Clop.
“Elena.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you having fun?”
“You ask me that now? Are you an idiot? The theater is on fire, we’re running for our lives!”
“What a shame.”
“… But still, it’s not that bad right now.”
“Really? But I think Elena’s shoe size is a bit off. Those footsteps are kind of loud.”
“Huh? My shoes are customized, there shouldn’t be a problem—”
Suddenly, I felt a chill and turned around.
At the end of the alley stood a strange figure dressed unusually against the setting sun.
Suddenly, a glinting blade appeared in their hand.
“W-What the?!”
Before I could finish, Kain grabbed my hand and started running again!
What’s going on? What the heck is today?!
We ran haphazardly, completely unsure of where we were headed. I just followed Kain, who was tugging me along.
Kain didn’t seem to know where we were either. What do we do? Is there anyone who can help us?
— Thwip!
Once more, something sharp flew past and grazed us.
Kain’s clothes ripped slightly, and blood started to trickle from his body.
In that moment, curses erupted from Kain’s lips.
“Ugh! Getting hit in this street? Seriously, are these people insane?”
“Kain! Are you okay?”
“Just run faster! More quickly!”
— Wump!
Suddenly, a line hidden on the floor tightened and tripped me!
“Ah!”
I startled and tried to get up, but a sharp blade brushed past me.
In an instant, I felt warm blood seep from my leg and thigh. The burning pain and suffocating fear overwhelmed me.
Strangely, Kain ducked under the wire and quickly tore his clothes to wrap my wound.
“I’m sorry…” Kain murmured with a gloomy expression.
What does he have to be sorry for? Because he couldn’t protect me? Isn’t that a bit too melodramatic?
…
I felt weak. Really, it felt too hard. It was strange. Today was supposed to be a happy day…
A fire in the theater, and now we’re being chased by a crazed person throwing knives in this alley, all while I felt like I was about to die from exhaustion.
Eventually, I couldn’t move anymore and leaned against the wall.
Maybe the chaser was also tired? The person who had been after us disappeared, no longer in sight.
“Ha… Ha… Are you okay? I have no idea what’s going on today.”
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about Ahri.”
“What do you mean? Did Ahri also come to the theater?”
“Yeah, she did. I actually saw her earlier.”
“Earlier, you say?”
“Yeah. Some high-ranking official called the police and suddenly dragged Ahri away.”
“Eh? High-ranking official? What do you mean?”
Kain just chuckled and changed the subject.
“We’re almost at school. Just a bit further.”
“School? This path leads to school?”
“Yeah, it’s an alley that students usually don’t use often.”
We walked slowly down the path in silence.
Before long, the sun set completely, and a crescent moon hung in the night sky.
Noise filled the air. Loud, violent noise.
The screams of countless people tickled my ears.
I couldn’t take another step. I didn’t want to see what was happening at school.
Unconsciously, I stopped. If I went left from here, I would reach home –
— Thud.
“Kain?”
“I think something’s going on at school.”
“That strange noise! Shouldn’t we find a safe place?”
“There are teachers at school, right? It should be safe to go there.”
With that, Kain grabbed my hand and led me toward the school.
Since when did he become this proactive? Kain seems really strange today.
*
It’s almost over. A look of sadness began to cloud Elena’s expression.
Though it was a carefully crafted plan, there were many moments of crisis.
While we were trying to keep our identities hidden and screw up Elena’s dream, unexpected variables kept popping up.
Hunters suddenly appeared in the theater, forcing Perro to flee in haste.
In the alley, the police inexplicably showed up and took Ahri away.
Ahri, our best ‘arson expert,’ leaving like that was quite a blow.
If it hadn’t been for her training at the Administration Bureau, we would have had a hard time setting buildings ablaze consecutively like that.
But that’s okay. This was all just buildup in the end.
I’d deliver the final blow myself.
*
We arrived at school.
The flames leaping from the entirety of the campus were massive enough to leave me dumbfounded.
The noise was deafening, piercing my ears everywhere.
The heat felt like it was burning my skin.
The smoke was thick enough to give me a headache.
What in the world was going on today? I just wanted to have a happy day.
Spending a joyful time at school with my beloved friends, going to the theater, performing together with the person I liked!
Just hoping for a day of happiness that would last forever.
In my daze, Kain asked another strange question.
“Elena.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you having fun?”
“… Are you kidding me? I’m starting to get a bit angry now.”
“Sorry. I’m sorry for everything. But it’s going to end soon.”
End? What on earth is going to come to an end? And what exactly are you apologizing for?
It’s hard to understand. Kain looked as if he had made up his mind, moving toward me.
What is he trying to do?
— WHOOOOSH!
An incredible shockwave shook the very world around me.
It felt like my skin was vibrating with the massive sound that tore down the walls, revealing the monstrous bird.
In the moment of being overwhelmed by this pressure, Kain pushed me aside.
Kain calmly stared at the bird.
The bird tilted its head oddly, gazing directly at Kain.
“K-Kain, run! Run!”
*
The end of the plan was nearing. I gestured to the grotesque.
Didn’t this guy hate me in the first place?
But now that the opportunity to finally get back at me has come, Perro hesitated.
In this overly important moment, it’s getting weak-kneed.
Staring straight into Perro’s eyes, I gestured once more.
Ultimately, Perro made his decision.
A huge foot, with claws as big as a child’s fist, came crashing down on my stomach.
…
Ah.
Ahhh.
Aaaaahhhhhhh!
The pain shot through me like lightning, paralyzing every inch of my body.
In this terrifying shock, I trembled as I looked at Elena.
Elena crawled toward me, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing her cry made me smile wryly without even realizing it.
At one point, I thought how nice it would be to end this entire puppet show with Elena’s death.
But it was meaningless. She, who had sunk deeper into the dream than anyone, had acquired power stronger than any other.
Even if she were to die, she would escape into another dream, just with a different theme.
That’s why we needed to bring her the ‘inescapable sorrow.’
A girl who had gained near-omnipotent power on this stage must experience an irreversible tragedy despite that power.
“Kain! Kain! Please, just hang in there a little longer. The doctors will be coming soon.”
Right? If it’s Elena, she could probably summon a doctor from somewhere else and save me from these wounds.
So I inadvertently clicked, with the power of the divine girl who’d become a goddess.
—
/Do you want to escape? (Y/N)/
Y
My body began to fade slowly.
Watching Elena lose her composure, I said my last farewell.
“Elena, I’m sorry for today. Let’s go out and see.”
My consciousness became hazy.
*
Elena
Slowly, Kain disappeared.
Slowly, Perro faded away.
Ahri and Songi, who should’ve been somewhere, probably vanished too.
…
My drifting spirit began to awaken.
I propped up my sluggish body and looked around.
A burning school, a burning theater, countless casualties.
Even if this stage is crafted by my dream, everyone sure did a flamboyant job of messing things up.
I saw the doctors I had ‘summoned’ rushing in the distance.
It was meaningless. The people who needed healing had already gone outside.
Ahh…
I no longer wanted to stay in this dream.
This world, where all my beloved companions had vanished, was no longer ‘perfect.’
Before me, a hologram appeared.
With a single click, the world crumbled away.
*
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 72
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 107 (The Gate Room)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
Han Kain
The status window flickered before my eyes as I regained consciousness.
No! How long has it been?
Seeing the status window return, I was beyond delighted!
So many days had passed.
Wasn’t it only around the 47th or 48th day up to the fourth trial?
We spent more than three weeks just on the last trial.
I looked around late. It was a peculiarly white space.
There were four people in the room.
And it struck me as ridiculous.
Was this the true face of ‘Perfect Life’?
Some grand ancient, ultra-magic created by the hotel –
No, it wasn’t.
It was far more banal and insignificant than that.
On the nape of our necks was a hole like the ones you see in movies. Cables were plugged into it.
— Click!
Another person stood up, unplugging their cable.
Ahri looked around, her face stamped with confusion, then showed a reaction of disbelief.
“It was just virtual reality. I thought they’d actually crafted some real world.”
“If they unplug that hole, won’t we have a phone charger for it?”
“….”
Songi and Elena also started to stir on the other side.
Seeing this, Ahri looked a bit worried.
“I think we might have been a bit rough on Elena. I hope she doesn’t get mad.”
“If she gets mad, we’ll just have to listen to her.”
We leaned back against the wall, waiting in that space, dazed.
Before long, Songi and Elena came over, having awakened.
Instead of getting angry, Elena apologized.
“I’m sorry… I caused everyone trouble because I got too greedy in the end.”
“No, no! It’s not your fault, Elena! I wanted to stay too!”
“Let’s not get all cheesy with apologies. We’re bound to make mistakes countless times in this hotel, and someone will lend us a hand.”
I felt like it was actually me who should be apologizing, and it was awkward to do so, so I just ended up smiling nervously.
After going through the last trial, it felt so awkward to look at Elena’s face. She couldn’t even meet my gaze properly.
It would take some time before we could talk naturally again.
While we waited, a holographic window appeared in the air.
—
/Congratulations!
You have all successfully passed the five trials prepared by the Gate Room.
Truly the demeanor of the heroes we’ve been waiting for! The start of a great journey!
What’s not to marvel at!
The first trial, ‘Doppelgänger Train’ aimed to see if you could survive alone without any assistance.
The second trial, ‘Witch’s Forest’ aimed to check whether you could make a cold decision in front of an injured comrade.
The third trial, ‘Jekyll and Hyde Game’ aimed to assess your reflexes and judgment.
The fourth trial, ‘Secrets of Esper’ assessed whether you could uncover the hidden secrets inside you and respond correctly.
The fifth trial, ‘Perfect Life’ aimed to verify if you had the mindset to overcome false illusions and confront harsh realities.
Of course, all of you present here proved you have that ability.
Soon, the Gate Room will come to an end./
—
Reading the long notification window, it finally hit me.
It’s over.
The journey of this long, long Gate Room has finally come to an end.
I simply lay on the floor and started laughing like a madman.
Those who were looking at me in disbelief soon began to lie down around me and laugh too.
Room 107, the Gate Room.
We finally did it!
Slowly, the space began to collapse around us.
I thought of familiar faces I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Jinchul hyung, Mooksung grandpa, Seungyub, Eunsol unnie.
I had so much to say to them when I got outside.
Just before the space vanished, the final notification popped up.
—
/Those who have overcome trials require rewards.
You will be given one ticket, one set of clothing, and one opportunity. May it serve you well on your remaining journey.
Moreover, it seems only right to grant a special reward to the one who contributed the most in the Gate Room./
—
A prickly sensation tingled at my shoulder.
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