### Chapter 327 – Room 203, The Cursed Room – ‘A New Beginning’ (7)
—
– Yu Songee
I woke up feeling something firm yet somewhat sharp tapping my cheek, alongside the pungent odor of animal hide filling my nostrils.
— Squeak!
“Good morning!”
As I stroked the beak of the parrot, Fero, I heard primitive cave dwellers pushing aside the leather entrance and entering.
“Oooh! You’re awake, Songyee!”
“Yeah.”
Before long, a familiar scene unfolded for the third time.
The primitive folks were in awe, tearing up at the sight of me awake, and soon, a colorful array of gift bundles started flooding into the cave. I had to feign exhaustion to calm them down and send them away.
I stared blankly at all the “gifts” laid out on the dirt floor of the cave.
“Fero.”
— Squeak!
“Look at this. Isn’t this caterpillar massive? I’ve never seen one this big before.”
…
“I guess they brought it as a gift to honor their precious newcomer. Probably the biggest caterpillar they could find nearby, right?”
I thought it was their way of showing love towards me, even though at first, I thought they were just messing with me.
I definitely didn’t need to eat this.
Fortunately, there was a creature nearby that would appreciate the caterpillar much more.
As the parrot enjoyed its moment of bliss, I began to recall my hazy memories.
Because I had woken up in the spaceship earlier, I couldn’t remember the meeting very well.
So I had no choice but to pace around the tent, rummaging through my thoughts.
The big picture of the plan seemed to be just as Seungyub had initially suggested.
After we find the item known as “the core,” which turned out to be the spaceship’s power source, we plan to head towards the mountains, right?
According to the information provided by Adravita, the quest to find the core is crucial since the spaceship AI would refrain from attacking us if we brought it.
But why on earth is my role significant in this plan? Let me think step by step.
To locate the core, we first need to find out where it is.
What we know about the core’s location is merely that it’s near the maze, and Adravita is guiding us there.
Thus, we need to track Adravita’s traces or make our way to the maze. How on this vast primitive continent would we find either?
Adravita can see through the sky since Eunsol unnie is around. The maze’s location can be found by Kain oppa, who can view the status window for crew positions.
Sure, he might give complicated directions like “284 kilometers southeast,” but having that information is far better than having none.
Once we know the location, will it be the end?
Not at all. According to Kain oppa, the maze’s location is said to be a whopping 284 kilometers away.
We wouldn’t be able to reach there easily. That 284 kilometers might take a few hours by car on a well-maintained road, but on foot? No way, José!
Given the primitive era’s context, considering the time wasted searching for water and food, it could take us months to even reach the maze.
At this realization, I finally understood why my role was so pivotal.
I needed to find a means of transport to get us to the maze’s location.
“Fero! I’ve figured it out! We’re planning to ride you for 284 km, so you need to eat a lot now.”
— Squeak?
“Eat until your belly’s about to burst! Starting tomorrow, we won’t get to eat or drink during this journey, and if you want to avoid dying of exhaustion, you better bulk up!”
When Fero’s little head filled with question marks, I called out to the villagers outside the cave.
Of course, Fero couldn’t haul us hundreds of kilometers. As grotesque as Fero had become, that was pushing it.
*
“Are you really going to punish ‘The Cutter’ right now?”
“Yeah.”
“O divine one! Please calm yourself. You’re still not fully recovered!”
“I’m completely healthy!”
As I stretched my arms and hopped around like an idiot, the old man in front of me panicked and bowed his head.
“Still—”
“I’ve made my decision; gather the warriors. We’ll depart within 30 minutes. If no one shows up, I’ll go alone.”
“Just one more—”
“Oh right, prepare the nets! We need to capture it.”
“C-capture?”
“Ohhh!”
I had no intention of arguing anymore, especially since I heard someone crying from somewhere, so I returned to the cave. This tribe’s reaction seemed different from that of others.
At a glance, it seemed rational for them to fear my potential defeat against a monster without fully recovering.
In a cruel world filled with bizarre creatures, the primitive villagers could survive because of the powerful divine being that is me. My death would be theirs too.
But….
What was strange was their attitude, crying like children as they rushed to bring gifts the moment I woke up.
What on earth was this emotional reaction?
It must be because of the influence of my blessings, making them feel way too familiar with me.
Therefore, I was even more convinced. At the point where they react to my affinity, they’re definitely not typical humans.
*
I left the cave where the villagers were staying and moved towards the lush green plains.
What thoughts would arise upon reaching soft grass and sweet-smelling fruits after being in a damp, dark cave?
Even someone who grew up in the city would feel a sense of underlying calm washing over them, relaxing their mind and body.
However, the warriors accompanying me were so tense that even I could feel their fear, which hardly matched their burly physiques.
“Big Rock Face. Are you that scared?”
“S-songer! You have to be quiet!”
“Why?”
“Because—”
“Are you an idiot? The reason we stayed quiet was to avoid being detected by ‘The Cutter.’ But now we’re here to hunt it down, so we should be making noise! It should know we’ve arrived!”
“…Oh, right.”
Well, this guy isn’t usually this dumb. He holds considerable respect among the warriors. Fear must be clouding his judgment.
“You all know the plan, right? When it shows up, scatter immediately and throw the nets!”
“Yes!”
— Creak!
A harsh metallic sound echoed through the air as Fero morphed grotesquely.
“Prepare the nets!”
Suddenly, a peculiar creature resembling a giant beetle mixed with a praying mantis dove towards us.
*
It didn’t take long to bring ‘The Cutter’ to the ground.
The first attempt was simply a repeat of our earlier clash, and honestly, ‘The Cutter’ had no resistance against my bracelet.
As it swooped down from above, once its sight was blocked, it crashed to the ground. Immediately afterward, the nets that had been thrown from all sides coiled around it, causing it to scream and start glowing.
Of course, the Cutter’s flailing pincers, glowing in panic, were terrifying to a mere human.
How did we deal with it in the past?
We all ran away to dodge until the Cutter grew weary and stopped flailing.
Once it was tired enough to barely move, Fero would approach, still grotesque, and crush its head in one blow.
This time, since we had to capture this one, the plan was different.
“Pull!”
“Ugh! Everyone, put your strength into it!”
“N-no! It’s tearing the net!”
The net made from a mix of roots and bark looked shabby in appearance, but surprisingly, it was quite strong and durable. It wouldn’t be easy to cut through.
However, it seemed ‘The Cutter’ was determined to live up to its name, thrashing around wildly and tearing at the net without seeing what it was actually doing.
Thankfully, the net ensnaring its body held strong, preventing it from charging at anyone and causing chaos.
“Do something! The bracelet has a usage timer!”
I smacked Fero’s head, causing it to look at me, confused.
“Quickly! What will we do if it breaks free?”
— Grrr!
‘The Cutter’s’ massive roar echoed across the plains.
Its sheer force instilled dread and despair on the warriors pulling the net. In that moment, the grotesque creature didn’t charge, but instead, it approached the warrior holding onto the net and shoved him away, taking his place to pull on the net instead.
With the strength of what felt like ten men combined being injected into the net, the monster’s body flipped backward, and the long tug-of-war finally came to an end.
*
Perched atop Fero, I inched closer to the struggling Cutter.
The people around me started to groan, overwhelmed by this situation, all eyes darting towards me in fear.
…Honestly, I was scared too. Is this really gonna work?
Then, a conversation I had with Kain oppa flickered in my mind.
“The ‘Cutter’ you encountered can fly, right? How about you try taming that monster before I get to you?”
“…How am I supposed to tame it? You haven’t seen how it looks; it’s a total horror movie creature.”
“Exactly! That’s why your abilities ought to work!”
“No—”
“Hey, when would you even get a chance to utilize your blessings if not now? Just do it. If you fail, it’s the sponsor’s responsibility.”
Honestly, that was true. When else would I get to use my blessings if not now?
The real issue was what would happen if I didn’t tame it. I’m not sure who’d be responsible for failing, but I’d be the dead one.
“Please… please behave nicely.”
— Grrrrr!
“Look at me! Isn’t there something lovely about me? How does seeing the world’s number one, or rather, the top monster beauty, Yu Songee, feel? Aren’t I completely beautiful and noble?”
In an odd twist, Fero turned to me, looking as if it couldn’t endure the nonsense I was spouting.
“Look ahead!”
We were right in front of it now. No matter how tired ‘The Cutter’ was, ripping apart a high school girl shouldn’t be a problem for it.
Having come this far, it was either success or death.
As the power of the bracelet began to wane and the creature regained its sight, my form was reflected in its compound eyes. I stared into its eyes and thought, “If I fail, I’m coming back to bury Kain oppa!”
*
– Yu Songee
I snapped back to my senses in the freezing air. Although I had heard about it beforehand, the stench hitting my nose was almost unbearable.
“… This is truly a horrific place.”
“Shh!”
A heavy, solid hand gripped me and pulled me along. We dressed the maze in protective gear for the riskiest place to start.
— Whoooosh!
The ground covered with squirming flesh resembled a giant cocoon seen in a horror film. This was the starting point of the maze.
“Why does the maze have to begin in a place like this?”
“Y-you! Quiet down!”
“Why?”
“Uh?”
“Do you really think the hornets wouldn’t know that you’re here with me?”
“W-well still!”
“‘Well still’ what? No matter how reckless this hotel is, it wouldn’t throw us into a place where we’re guaranteed to die right from the get-go—oh wait, scratch that. It absolutely could.”
As I surveyed the surroundings, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“Pfft!”
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s just amusing.”
“How can you find laughter in a place like this?”
“Well… you wouldn’t understand, Maze.”
“Hmm?”
“It might sound weird, but my blessing was pretty useless before. Honestly, after coming out of Room 103, when was the last time I used it properly?”
“Really?”
“Now, it looks like I need not just one but two of ‘The Greatest Yu Songee’!”
“…”
“Haha! I guess I can try taming a hornet.”
“Y-yeah. You really do have a unique personality, Songyee.”
Hearing this from no one else but the maze? That felt oddly unpleasant, did it not?
“… If it doesn’t go well, just rely on the protective suit’s power to manage it somehow.”
“Sure.”
As I approached the hornet, I silently prayed.
“Oh, dear sponsor, the elephant I’ve nearly forgotten.”
Honestly, you haven’t given me much help until now, have you? What? The power that the chaos entity feels towards me?
Well, that chaos entity is right in front of me now. Please lend me your power just this once! I promise I’ll place a dried persimmon on the altar!
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