Chapter: 22
Chapter 22: Room 102, Cursed Room – ‘Mansion of Fear’ (8)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 8
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 102 (Cursed Room – Mansion of Fear)
Sages Advice: 3]
It’s much harder than I expected.
Climbing in the rain was obviously going to be tough, but this is no joke. Although the rain has weakened compared to before, it’s still storm-level fierce.
Thick drops of rain continue to blur my vision, and the ground is so soggy that it feels like my feet are sinking with every step, making it absolutely exhausting just to move forward.
To make matters worse, when I stepped on a solid rock to avoid sinking, I slipped on the drenched surface and took a tumble. Thud!
But that butler up ahead—what is he, some sort of magical mountain climber? Sure, he has more hiking experience and knows the terrain better than me, but is it even possible to be this different? He marches forward without a hint of wobble, cutting through the downpour like it’s a sunny day.
He even had the gall to stop and help me up when I started flailing around like a fish out of water, brushing off the mud like it was nothing.
By the time we reached the halfway point, my stamina was running on empty, and I began gasping for air.
“I suppose we should take a short break,” I wheezed.
“Ah, my apologies. I’m just not cut out for this,” I added, slightly ashamed.
“It’s perfectly understandable. Climbing a mountain in the rain is bound to be tough. Let’s take shelter under that tree over there. Its leaves and branches will shield us from some of the rain.”
With a face totally devoid of fatigue, he explained how tiring it is to climb in the rain while leading me to the tree.
“You took Ahri to the cathedral yesterday, didn’t you?” he asked casually.
“Yes, I had some things to look for and confirm while I was there,” I replied.
“Did you manage to find and check everything?”
“I got what I needed and confirmed what was required,” I said, sensing a weird tension creeping in.
“Did you hear any interesting stories from Ahri?” he pressed.
I was stumped thinking about whether to share how Ahri changed after hearing the bell and then there was that hymn… Should I admit all that?
Caught in hesitation, I struggled to respond as the butler resumed walking without pressing for more answers.
“That child was kind from a young age. Losing her parents at such an early age could have led her down the wrong path… yet, she always kept to the right.”
“She’s incredibly cheerful and nice. I never expected a backstory like that.”
“Thank you. I’m not saying this just because she’s my granddaughter, but she’s truly a wonderful child, isn’t she? Beyond her looks, her heart is even more beautiful. She was a pure soul who believed that everyone would listen if she showed her sincerity.”
“Showing sincerity? That’s the best way to persuade someone.”
“But, some people in this world remain unmoved, no matter the sincerity they face.”
“Oh, so you’ve seen someone like that, have you?”
The butler fell silent.
We walked on, and after about half an hour of trudging, the peak was approaching, but the relentless rain was slowing us down. How long it would truly take was anyone’s guess.
However… I was curious. It seemed like the butler wanted to discuss something more about Ahri.
How could I tease it out of him? Should I poke around a bit?
“Just a tad more effort, okay? We’re nearing the peak. Once we make it, we can take a look at the paths below and find a sturdy way down.”
“Well, that’s somewhat reassuring. Truth be told, my legs are about to give out.”
“Did you manage to find the bell at the cathedral?”
It felt like a continuation of the earlier conversation. Time to dig a little deeper this time.
“Yes, it was at the bell tower, looking just fine. I noticed something: even though no one lives at the cathedral, it’s surprisingly well-maintained. The bell itself is in good condition too—”
“Well, there may not be anyone living there, but the building still serves a purpose. Our boat is docked there, after all.”
Ah, I see, so that’s why you’ve been keeping an eye on the cathedral all along, Mr. Priest?
Another brief silence fell.
“It’s been a long time since that name crossed my lips. Did Ahri mention it?”
“Ahri didn’t really touch on that, but it crossed my mind. Considering that the cathedral has been empty for a long time, it’s surprisingly tidy. Surely someone has to be taking care of it, right? Only you come to mind, but why bother managing this place along with the mansion?”
“Did you deduce all that from just this?”
“Honestly, I used to go to church as a kid. It might not compare exactly to a cathedral, but as a child, I can’t say I found it all that entertaining. The only good part was meeting other kids.
So when I thought about how Ahri diligently went to the cathedral all alone in a place without friends, I wondered: was she really going to services, or was she just spending time with her grandfather instead?”
“That sounds more like a guess without strong evidence than a legitimate deduction. In the end, you were just fishing for an answer.”
“Fair enough, but I seem to have hit the mark.”
The rain began to thicken once more. My speed was further reduced, and my legs were truly shaking, making movement a challenge.
Then, a clear voice rang through the downpour.
“Sir was a cruel person.
It all began with an outrageous request.
‘Give me your land. If you ring that bell one more time, I will raze the tower to the ground.’
But I refused to care. Even after realizing that Sir had succumbed to a corrupt faith, I turned a blind eye.
“For the Lord is in heaven, what should I fear?”
As time passed, the area turned desolate.
People nearby began to leave or vanish one by one.
Ahri couldn’t stand it.”
“A person who cannot be swayed by sincerity, was that—”
“Ahri went to the mansion alone. With true sincerity, she wished for Sir to welcome kindness into his heart.
Alas, she was but a child. Truly too young.
It was my fault for not teaching her that some people can’t be swayed at all, no matter how genuine the heart.”
She suffered from fever from the next day onward. Lost in a daze, she couldn’t even articulate her thoughts.
All she could do was shiver, claiming that Sir kindly showed her something.
A strange song. A bizarre poem. After that, she no longer sought the Lord…
We were closing in on the summit.
The butler had completely dropped any semblance of respect towards me. He was no longer a mere servant; he was just a grandfather whose granddaughter was held hostage.
“I went to the mansion and prayed and begged until I gave up on lawsuits and the cathedral. Knelt down and laid prostrate, praying simply for Sir’s mercy. It was only after I surrendered everything that Ahri could rise from her bed…
I must protect my granddaughter…”
“Did you also relinquish your role as a priest at that moment?”
“What else could I do? My life has been dedicated to the Lord. When the devil struck at us, the Lord did not reach out for us at all.
Your heart is quite steadfast, but that’s also your downfall. You could’ve accepted your fate like the other kids in the mansion and cried it out, but instead, you’re here complicating everything.”
He continued to ramble, “I contemplated endlessly, whether to intervene personally or allow Sir to sacrifice you instead. But six is enough. Three have been sacrificed already, two remain in the mansion and this old neck of mine can suffice. There’s no need for Sir to bother handling you in person…”
At the mountain’s summit, the priest turned around.
Ahh, things really have taken arduous turns. When we started the hike, I thought there would be plenty of easy chances amidst this perilous mountain trek in the rain.
Yet, as I struggled to control myself, the priest moved effortlessly ahead, leaving me exhausted and at his mercy…
Grinding my teeth, I drew out my dagger.
“Well, looks like you were prepared from the start. Were you cautious of me? Or were you planning on doing me in? Either way, it matters not.”
In the next instant, the priest darted towards me as if soaring.
[Immediately take 3 steps to the left!]
Finally, the ‘Sages Advice,’ which hadn’t even twitched in response to the countless deaths since we entered the Mansion of Fear, activated for the first time.
Before I could even think about it, my body reflexively took three steps to the left upon seeing the alert. Crack!
The decaying log lying between the priest and me shattered into pieces.
The priest lost his balance and stumbled as the rotting wood collapsed underfoot.
“Is now my chance?” I thought, about to draw my dagger when suddenly—
[Step back immediately!]
A second alert popped up in one second, and I instinctively stepped back. At that very moment, something resembling a pick or a chisel shot from the priest’s grasp and narrowly grazed past my body.
“What on earth was that?”
“You brought a weapon too. Did you expect me to come here unarmed?”
It hadn’t even been five seconds since the fight began, and I’d already exhausted two pieces of my advice. It was painfully clear: this priest was significantly stronger than me.
But I had suspected from day one that his physical capabilities were superior. Naturally, I prepared something else in secret, but using it in this heavy rain was a different story. I had to switch positions.
Was I thinking too long? The priest quickly regained his balance and lunged for me again.
I could feel it—this old man had to be practicing some sort of martial arts. How else could he run so smoothly through this muddy mess of rotting logs, slippery rocks, and flowing dirt?
Swoosh!
In the end, my footing failed first. My body lost its balance, and I rolled across the ground. Thud!
As I hastily lifted up my upper body, I caught sight of the priest charging in, taking advantage of the opportunity.
[Pull the rock on your right!]
That was my third piece of advice. This time, it threw me for a loop for a split second.
Why was it suddenly asking me to pull a rock instead of dodging? But even as I wondered, my arms moved reflexively to yank the rock, leading to an unbelievable turn of events.
The rock I pulled was supporting a half-rotten tree nearby!
Once I tugged out the rock, the decaying tree tumbled down, crashing right at the priest. He quickly changed direction to dodge, but in an environment where it’s easy to slip just by walking, his vigorous movements forced him to lose his balance completely and tumble down. Thud!
Should I charge in? My ponderings didn’t take long.
Hadn’t I just experienced that? Getting too close was incredibly risky.
Even without delivering a critical hit, facing a priest armed with a weapon left me with no confidence to win in close combat.
Glancing around, I spotted a tree with dense branches and leaves shielding it from the rain.
In there, I could make use of my secret technique!
I bolted toward the tree, clutching the item I had hidden in my clothes.
The moment I arrived, I spun around.
In that fleeting moment, I saw the priest standing back up and charging towards me.
Whoosh!
“UAAAAAAAAHHHK!!!! What the hell, you bastard?!”
The priest, who seemed unshakeable against storms, high winds, and treacherous terrain, was rolling around on the ground like a child. Thud!
The sharp object he wielded clattered away, forgotten, as he thrashed about, rubbing his face in the dirt in utter confusion.
Two days prior to stepping into Room 102, when the monsters emerged from the pool to attack, Eunsol-noona displayed her ingenuity by procuring concentrated capsaicin from the HP Market to fend off those beasts.
In that moment, everyone recognized how spectacular a weapon it was. In a scenario devoid of guns, that liquid capsaicin was, in many ways, a far superior weapon than a knife.
Sadly, the remainder after dousing the monsters was just a tiny amount left at the bottom of the spray bottle.
It barely filled the bottom of the spritz bottle that had been spreading a gentle scent in the hotel.
After somehow conjuring up two of them, my sister handed one over to me without a second thought.
What drove her to fork it over to me? Reflecting back, it seemed she must have trusted me to some degree even then.
Whatever the case, her judgment turned out to be spot on.
At long last… it was time to conclude this bloody battle in the rain-drenched mountains.
Clutching my dagger tightly, I advanced towards the squirming priest.
Stab!
That was when I felt something jab into my thigh.
Ah, if only I had one more piece of advice, it’d have warned me to dodge. How unfortunate.
My body collapsed, pushing me to the brink.
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