### Chapter 166 – Room 201, The Cursed Room – ‘The Cube’ (15)
—
– Han Kain
“… There’s something I haven’t told you all.”
“What is it?”
“I mentioned there were Bureau troops outside the door, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Actually, it wasn’t all sunshine and daisies when I stepped out. I saw the Bureau troops fighting Beatrix too.”
“Wait, what?!”
Everyone stared at Eunsol in shock!
“No, seriously. The moment I saw the Bureau troops, I thought to myself, ‘If they kill Beatrix while I’m cozying up in my little hidey-hole, wouldn’t that solve everything?’”
“Of course, that would be possible. I mean, we don’t have to be the ones to take down the main antagonist, right? The one who dealt with Athanasia in Room 103 was ‘the Devourer,’ after all.”
“So, as soon as I got out, I slipped away using a badge. The Bureau didn’t recognize me or attack.”
Grandpa, looking increasingly frustrated, asked, “Why’s the preface so long? Who the heck won?”
“If the Bureau had won, I’d have waltzed out with the treasures, right?”
“…”
“When the Bureau first blasted Beatrix to smithereens with their firepower, I thought they had it in the bag. But then, she just kinda reformed her body like it was nothing, let out a scream, and an undead monster horde poured out of the ground.”
We were left speechless.
“The Bureau fought pretty well too. They took down almost all of those monsters somehow. That’s how I managed to escape. But in the end, the tides turned in Beatrix’s favor, and I ran faster than a startled rabbit.”
I hardly managed to collect my thoughts and said, “So Beatrix’s successes aren’t limited to the Cube?”
“It seems the ones left in the Cube were the iffy ones. The real deal is down in the basement.”
“… But do you really think unsealing me will solve this?”
After sipping her coffee slowly, Eunsol surprisingly replied in a relaxed manner, “Actually, witnessing that battle really solidified my confidence.”
“What are you so confident of?”
“I mean, Room 201 isn’t a place meant for knocking Beatrix out with brute force.”
“Not a place for brute force…”
“It’s just too strong to win by force. Even if the organization dedicated to protecting Earth brings its troops, they lost, right? Sorry for your past efforts against Beatrix in the second attempt, but she…”
Eunsol paused momentarily, but Elena chimed in.
“What we faced was just a warm-up for her. Her real power is monster creation, and she buried her successes deep within the Bureau’s basement without using them.”
“Exactly. It was merely a warm-up. Beatrix has never truly felt threatened by us. Given her strength, it’s all but certain—she’s not created to be beaten by力. And the hotel doesn’t offer impossible missions. If it’s something we can’t beat by force, it’s gotta be doable another way. Simple, right? There’s definitely a way to win without fighting.”
I recalled the cursed Room 201 – the fetal Nebula Dragon of the Haunted Mansion. A creature that could never be defeated under normal circumstances.
The script had twisted several times until I had to pull a cheat move called ‘Descent’ to get through, but under normal progression, a fight wasn’t even on the table.
Beatrix is similar. If even the Bureau’s military crumbled against her, she’s effectively uncontestable given our party’s current strength.
“Looking back, the Owl’s repeated advice of ‘Holding the Moon’ also hints at that. If this isn’t a room meant for fighting Beatrix, why fixate on her finger and think brute force can work? Sure sounds plausible, but what should we do instead?”
Eunsol calmly pointed at me.
“Am I really the answer? Or do you think it can be neatly handled by ‘Possession’?”
“Maybe, but it’s not likely a problem that can be solved through possession, is it? That’s still a form of ‘winning by force,’ which feels wrong. Kain, can you possess a copycat of your original?”
Sounds tricky. This was basically like asking if I could possess a person appearing on TV while watching them on-screen—it’s impossible.
“I think I could possess just Beatrix’s avatar or monster right in front of me.”
“So it seems your possession wouldn’t give us any answers. Each of her monsters is a crowd; would possessing just one mean anything? If you wreck what’s left of Beatrix’s, she’s bound to win.”
Ahri, sipping her drink next to us, replied, “I understand what Eunsol is saying. We can’t win by force against Beatrix and must find another way.”
Grandpa seemed to finally grasp why Eunsol had come out all confident.
“The one who raised Beatrix to such monstrous levels is the chief researcher. If he’s not a total fool, he’s most likely got a contingency for controlling Beatrix. Sure, that means it wasn’t perfect, but he definitely prepared something.”
Listening to that, I began to understand why Eunsol thought, “If I just get my seal broken, things might sort themselves out.”
Beatrix can’t be defeated by force, and the hotel wouldn’t give us impossible missions.
If I likened it to a game, it’d be like facing a boss monster with 99999 health and a ‘permanent invulnerability cheat’!
At first, I charged in, clueless, only to realize the opponent wasn’t meant to be taken down by brute strength, leading me to this conclusion.
There definitely is a way to overtake without fighting.
And the one who must have prepared that means is, more or less, the chief researcher. The person who conducted experiments with a girl capable of effortlessly crafting monsters would be absurd to not have a means of control.
“Was there any material concerning that means in Patrick’s chamber?”
Eunsol let out a light sigh.
“If I had found it, I’d have brought it up first. But there’s circumstantial evidence.”
“Circumstantial evidence?”
“It was more of a journal, but there were many records indicating Beatrix feared the chief researcher.”
I understood. If Beatrix, an overwhelmingly powerful monster, felt terror, there must have been a good reason for it.
…
Feeling tired from the late hour, Songee chimed in.
“It seems we’ve got everything we needed to say. How about Kain bro bro gives us some advice now?”
I agreed. We had pretty much covered everything, and it was late.
Time to hear some tough love from our unhelpful benefactor.
[Advice: 3 -> 2]
“Does the chief researcher have a way to subdue Beatrix?”
I kinda felt like she probably does, but I needed to confirm that through advice.
[The dog owner doesn’t stray far from the dog leash.]
Perhaps because it was a question about a field where we already half-believed in our information?
A pretty kind answer came back!
Not only is there a method to subdue her, but it indicates that the means might be pretty close to the chief researcher!
Once I relayed the answer to my comrades, their expressions lit up.
Elena asked curiously, “That response seems awfully nice? No idiomatic expressions tossed in?”
I now understood that answer.
“It’s because we’ve gathered enough information to arrive at a solution and ask for a re-confirmation. When it’s unkind, it’s usually when we’re asking something we don’t have the information on yet.”
“Doesn’t that seem a bit absurd? We ask because we don’t know, yet you’re treated unkindly for asking because otherwise, they wouldn’t give a good answer.”
“Right?”
Before we head out of the hotel, I wished to at least slap the Owl once as a parting gesture.
Eunsol smiled joyfully, “See? I told you, right? It’s only natural that Kain’s seal and the solution are closely intertwined. You can’t overcome with power, but it can be resolved. That implies there’s a way to win without fighting! And isn’t it likely that the person who prepared this is none other than the chief researcher?”
With the group’s speculations and the advisor’s remarks aligning, I felt a bit more at ease.
We used the remaining two advices for essential questions regarding this room’s resolution.
…
The contents of the answers were pretty much within what I expected but also had unexpected elements.
I learned the location of Beatrix’s main body.
Moreover, I also realized why ‘I’ had to be the one to be sealed, not anyone else.
Cursed Room, 201 – ‘The Cube’.
With the information I have now, once I wake up, I should be able to resolve everything within an hour.
*
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 85
Current Location: Layer 1, Elevator
Sage Advice: 3]
– Han Kain
“Are we resolving this today?”
“Let’s hope so.”
Was it because I’d gained insight from yesterday’s discussion?
My comrades showed a mix of tension and anticipation.
“It’s morning, so our advice count has reset! Any burning questions?”
Songee answered decisively, “Oh, plenty! So hold back!”
Truth is, I was already planning to save them. I just asked for courtesy’s sake.
The plan laid out by my team inherently focused on “unsealing Han Kain,” and we gleaned almost all the information needed for that.
What remains unknown is what should be done once I wake up.
What I’m supposed to do after the great chief researcher Han Kain is unsealed is still largely a mystery.
The ‘me’ who awakens later must figure that out based on the memories of the chief researcher.
So it’s best if the me that wakes up later handles it.
— Ding! Dong!
With the elevator alarm, an icy chill swept over me.
No seriously, this icy business is a big problem!
I’m guessing once Room 201 is resolved and party time starts, we might trigger that ‘hotel repair event,’ but how will that play out?
I have no clue. What kind of dumb hotel makes customers do repairs?
“Everyone, let’s go all out!”
The moment Jinchul, who had run ahead, yelled “Let’s go!” and opened the door, I was pulled into it mid-sprint.
…
Bubbles rising from every direction.
The familiar test tube. People rushing around outside.
Before I knew it, my consciousness started to fade.
…
…
…
— Clang!
[Seal has been broken!]
Now, it’s the protagonist’s time to shine!
*
— Third Attempt, Kim Ahri
“Team Leader Elizaveta, this mansion is indeed the Hesbert Mansion.”
“Hmm. You’re telling me that over three digits’ worth of lives have already been lost here?”
“At this rate, we might hit four digits by next year.”
“Well, we’re here to stop that, aren’t we? Let’s head in.”
— Clank!
“What’s that sound?”
“Team Leader Elizaveta! The door has locked!”
“What do you mean by that? Get in touch with headquarters!”
“What’s going on? What’s happening? I lost contact!”
— BEEP!
The early stages of events are no different than the past.
The difference is that I had no intention of humorously toying with Elizaveta anymore.
Once they start going berserk, it’s best to take them down before they summon monsters from other rooms.
“Hey, team leader.”
“Cha Jinchul? Do you have any complaints against—”
— Snap!
“Extras should step out; it’s time to go.”
After immediately breaking Elizaveta’s neck in a 360-degree spin, I kept an eye out, just in case she might turn into a monster. Thankfully, once she was outright killed, nothing unusual happened.
Of course, Oliver was yelling in the background, but Kim Mooksung just socked him to keep him quiet. Sorry, but this guy is better off staying still.
Eunsol walked over.
“This time, let’s follow the first route. Didn’t we exit the TV room super fast before?”
“Right. First mansion goes down to the basement, and the second mansion reaches the front door. Then it’s straight to the TV room.”
Before long, we all arrived at the TV room.
As the oath began, we hit mute to open the path leading to headquarters.
We didn’t even take ten minutes to get this far.
Jinchul exclaimed, “This feels so refreshing!”
“Don’t let your guard down! After we enter headquarters, it’s gonna be a real showdown. There are plenty of special forces waiting behind the TV.”
As we stood in front of the TV, an air of tension surrounded us.
It’s time to get serious! If Kain breaks the seal, then through the memories of the chief researcher, we might find a way to overpower Beatrix and finally end this irritating Cube, right?
All their gazes turned towards me.
Aaaah~ I know, but there’s only one safe way into headquarters.
Letting out a deep sigh, I had to pull out the syringe.
“For the love of all that’s good, everyone chip in. Seriously, will you suck my blood dry like this? I got a treasure that gives me vampire powers, but why’s it always me who’s losing blood?”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.