Chapter 29: Room 103, Cursed Room – ‘Animal Farm’ (3)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)]
Date: Day 12
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 103 (Cursed Room – Animal Farm)
Sage’s Advice: 3
That morning, as usual, I was munching on grass and casually going moo while getting scolded for wasting characters. Suddenly, an emergency was declared.
Wolf Boy (Park Seungyub): Emergency! Wolves are risky!
Rat King (Kim Mooksung): What do you mean? Explain it in detail.
Wolf Boy (Park Seungyub): Other wolves are focusing on the farm. The whole pack has started observing the outskirts!
It seemed yesterday’s ruckus had piqued the curiosity of the wolf pack. Honestly, if I were a wolf and spotted a farm full of fat geese and cows next door, I’d be drooling all over the place too.
Wouldn’t the farmer handle it himself?
As I pondered like a genuine cow, it struck me just how dire things really were.
When you think about it, what kind of crisis does the farmer even have? It’s merely a matter of losing some of his property!
The ones in danger are the cows and geese, not the farmer.
The more I thought about it, the worse the situation seemed. I had no place to hide my massive bulk, and moving around was a hassle.
Essentially, I could only sit here, hoping that the farmer would miraculously do a great job defending the place!
Clever Snake (Lee Eunsol): How many wolves?
Wolf Boy (Park Seungyub): Three groups, over 40 in total.
Things were escalating seriously. Over 40 wolves on one side, while on the other, a family of four on the farm. And out of those, two were his wife and daughter, leaving the farmer and his son to fend off 40 wolves by themselves.
Could they protect the cows and geese during that chaos?
For the first time since entering Room 103, I felt a deep anxiety wash over me.
While I mindlessly chewed on hay, my sluggish cow brain struggled to spin some ideas.
Was there truly no other way?
Pig (Cha Jinchul): Is there anything I can do?
Rat King (Kim Mooksung): Unless you want to become pork, just run away!
Clever Snake (Lee Eunsol): If I go, I’ll die too!
Everyone’s responses were almost pitiful, but that was understandable. The wolf pack was gearing up for a showdown with the farmer—what could a pig, snake, or rat even do in such a scenario?
Honestly, we’d just end up turning into a pork buffet. I took a deep breath and boldly conveyed my thoughts.
Black Cow (Han Kain): Don’t go risking everything. If someone’s dying, let it be just one person.
One death at a time.
That principle had become our unspoken rule at the Hotel. Sure, it might be touching to rush in and save someone at the cost of one’s life, but at the Hotel, that was an exceptionally stupid thing to do.
There’s no need to do that; if just one teammate escapes and survives in the end, everyone else can carry on living!
Thus, if the situation took a turn, discarding a teammate is actually the best support you can offer them.
The Hotel always encourages sacrifice.
This time, I might be the first offering. I mentally accepted my seemingly unavoidable fate.
The day trudged on with a heavy atmosphere.
None of us were making headway, and Elena was monitoring the farmer’s family for updates, but there wasn’t any sign of reinforcements coming to help.
The only relief was that the farm family was also gearing up for a wolf attack after yesterday’s incident with the wolves, and now there were over ten wolves casually loitering around.
The whole family scrambled to set traps around the farm, preparing hunting rifles and ammunition, which gave me a flicker of reassurance.
Can you believe a cow like me is relying on the farmer who might butcher me one day?
It’s utterly ridiculous, but truth be told, the only one to depend on in this scenario was the farmer.
Time raced by like an arrow.
The tension in the air felt worlds apart from the several days I’d spent blissfully grazing hay.
Just this morning, we had a chat about the emerging threats of the wolves, and yet everyone was buzzing around, desperately trying to figure out a way to rescue me.
While I diligently scrutinized the family of farmers, the sun began its descent toward the west.
Then came the bone-chilling howl.
The wolf pack was launching its attack.
*
– Park Seungyub
I spent the whole day running around like a madman.
A pack of about 40 wolves was circling the giant farm. They weren’t all huddling together but were split into roughly three groups, which only added to the fatigue.
I had to keep darting between the three packs and watch when they might decide to attack.
The group I belonged to—well, more accurately, the group the leader thought I was in—watched me with bemusement as I dashed around like a headless chicken, but they never bothered to stop me.
I often found it puzzling to grasp Kain-hyung’s mentality.
I understood Songie-noona’s silence; the area where the geese were kept was structured in a way that made it tough for wolves to get in. But the cows were out in the open!
So really, it was the cows, including Kain-hyung, who were in grave danger.
In a situation where he might lose his life, telling us to refrain from reckless actions and consider escape paths seemed strange…
Of course, I understood that the worst-case scenario would be everyone perishing while attempting to spare one life, and yes, there’s resurrections, but — what about the pain that comes with it?
Would the wolves sedate the cows before devouring them or what?! Just picturing that agony sent chills down my spine.
I simply couldn’t let him endure that kind of torment.
If things became hopeless, then I would rather run away, yet I was resolved to try my hardest to save him.
Suddenly, a thought struck me—what if I had been this diligent before arriving at the Hotel? Maybe I’d have had a better relationship with my parents. That’s how I wanted things to be when I went back.
Howls resounded from every direction. The wolves were finally commencing their assault.
Wolves were also howling crazily all over the farm, animals were screaming, and men were hollering out in anxiety.
And among all that chaos, the intermittent crack of gunshots sliced through the air.
Today was when I realized just how deafening gunshots could be.
Each sharp bang sent a wave of goosebumps down my spine as I crept cautiously toward the cow pen.
Upon arriving, I spotted several other wolves eyeing the cows, licking their lips.
My strategy was simple.
Realistically, I had no means to fend off that many wolves.
Stopping the wolves was the farmer’s job.
In other words, I needed to become a distracting wolf and lead the farmer over to the cow pen.
To achieve that…
It only makes sense I’d target the farmer’s most cherished asset.
*
– Lee Eunsol
What has he lost his mind?
As I quietly observed from a corner near the barbed wire, I couldn’t help but think.
Had I seen it wrong?
I distinctly remembered a couple of run-ins with the wolf while wandering the outskirts of the farm and recognized the small tuft of white fur atop his head— that was Seungyub!
Right before me, Seungyub started howling near the residence where the farmer’s daughter, Mei, was located!
Is he actually gone bonkers? Is he praying for the farmer to put him out of his misery?
Did he miss what Kain said yesterday?
We’ve repeatedly informed everyone that sacrificing themselves to save another isn’t a touching act of heroism at the Hotel; it’s a fool’s errand! So why on earth is he doing this?
Surely, there isn’t a father on this planet who would ignore such a scenario!
The farmer, who had been holding off the wolves in a position where he could effectively fight them, turned around upon hearing his daughter’s distraught scream and dashed back in a frenzy.
What should be done now? My mind felt like it was swimming in confusion.
Initially, I’d intended to simply watch from the side.
If Kain were to meet his demise, so be it. Just as I accepted my fate in the Mansion of Fear, Kain would likely do the same.
From what I’ve felt so far, there was a resonating understanding between us.
But what if something befalls Seungyub as well?
It’s about practicality. Our group consists of a dog, a cat, a cow, a goose, a boar, a snake, a rat, and a wolf.
Among them, isn’t the wolf arguably the most capable? With superior physical abilities and sitting atop the food chain, they have freedom of movement.
If they were to fall victim here…
My thoughts were becoming more and more tangled.
*
– Park Seungyub
I ran and ran and ran. It felt utterly refreshing.
I’d never had such an extraordinary ‘body’ in my life.
With a single kick from the ground, I leaped into the air as if I could fly! Is this what drives people to work out?
But most importantly, right now, I was a wolf! Honestly, even Usain Bolt would find himself left in my dust.
The fittest human on the planet would be weaker than an ordinary wolf!
And on top of that, I was racing to save my companions. I felt unstoppable.
Ahhh~! Was I just a little full of myself?
Bang!
A gunshot echoed. The exhilaration I’d felt moments before vanished in an instant.
Fortunately, I dodged it, but how long could I keep this up?
As predicted, chaos erupted as soon as I howled next to the area where that girl, Mei, was located, and the farmer began pursuing me.
But it was alright. Having a gun doesn’t mean the farmer is faster than me.
As I sprinted toward the barn, I quickly realized the situation had deteriorated significantly.
Several wolves had already crossed past the fences, and the cows were in a total panic, screaming.
Truth be told, cows are considerably larger than wolves, so in an actual fight, they wouldn’t have been pushed back this much…
But given that the cows had been domesticated, expecting them to stand their ground was out of the question.
Meanwhile, a massive black bull was threatening the wolves with its horns.
Aha! I recognized it right away. It was the Black Cow: Kain-hyung!
However, once I joined the fray, everything changed.
Did my presence bring solace? Perhaps. It seemed like the wolves detected my arrival and began launching attacks on the black cow with newfound confidence.
As the lead wolf grabbed Kain-hyung’s attention, the other two circled around, and I could see Kain-hyung was utterly bewildered. I had to rush in and lend a hand immediately!
I felt a bit guilty toward the pack of wolves, but hey, I couldn’t be too choosy since I wasn’t a wolf myself.
But it appeared my help was unnecessary.
Bang!
Bang!
Two gunshots echoed swiftly.
The farmer had pulled his trigger at lightning speed, causing the wolves to scatter in a panic.
And just like that, I was in real danger now.
I hurriedly darted around, utilizing the barn posts and stacks of hay as cover.
Bang!
Ah—
Suddenly, a boy emerged right in front of me.
Oh, this must be that Peter. The farmer’s son, right?
I hadn’t paid much heed to anyone besides the farmer, but apparently, he had a gun too.
A surge of heat—like the most intense flames—scorched my body.
In an instant, I felt my body give way. I was utterly drained of strength.
Ah… So this is how my time in Room 103 comes to an end?
Hyungs and noonas will sort things out. Knowing that this isn’t the end quelled much of the fear within me.
It was the pain that took center stage now.
?
My vision blurred.
Before my eyes lay a vast white expanse and an unfathomably enormous giant.
What is this? Am I in the wolf afterlife or something?
What the…
My consciousness began to fade…
“That’s a bit too early for the harvest. What an impatient one.”
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