Chapter: 37
Chapter 37 – Room 103, The Room of Curses – ‘The Human Farm of Athanasia’ (6) FIN
[User: ㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁ
Date: ㅁㅁ Day
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 103 (The Room of Curses – The Human Farm of Athanasia)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
Elena sniffled and clung to my arm.
“Elena-unni. Did you wake up in the facility?”
“Ugh… I was definitely in a bad state, then suddenly, like zap, I regained my senses. Four others woke up too.”
“Four others… Since Seungyub and Eunsol-noona died before waking up, that means it’s Kain-oppa, Jinchul-oppa, Grandpa Mooksung, and Ahri, right?”
“Yeah. Everyone’s so confused. This place is really scary. I seriously have no idea what’s happening… Was Songee the only one exploring this weird place alone?”
“I’ve been up for quite a while. Long enough that I can’t really remember.”
“Alright… Let’s hurry and find everyone else.”
—Stab!
In the middle of our conversation, Elena swiftly drew a knife from her clothes and stabbed Songee right through!
But there was no other choice. Songee was being mind-controlled by an alien!
Frankly, ending it like this was the kindest thing to do.
Her consciousness was growing fuzzy.
Meanwhile…
Before my eyes, Elena stabbed herself with the knife and collapsed.
Well, this was the only option.
Honestly, this was way too predictable. Teammates suddenly waking up in a hotel like this? That was super sketchy. Plus, this totally wasn’t Elena at all. I didn’t get how the Athanasia controlling her interpreted her actions this way.
At least the Elena I knew wouldn’t behave like a child crying while clutching my arm.
Still, I couldn’t lift the command that said, ‘Kill Songee.’ The moment I touched my bracelet, I realized the being controlling Elena was far superior to me in mind control.
That had to be Athanasia for sure.
I couldn’t lift the mind control itself. All I could do was twist her five senses, coaxing her into self-harm.
So… Is this my second time effectively killing Elena-unni? I was getting used to it!
The first time was when I possessed her, and the second was while sober. Could there be a third time?
I grew up with people saying I was too timid to swat a fly…
Even though I hated hearing that, I never imagined I’d end up killing a close friend twice in a row!
I couldn’t lift the mind control over Elena, but she probably wasn’t lying about the four others awakening, excluding the deceased Seungyub and Eunsol-noona.
But what perplexed me was, the Teacher should’ve ‘paused’ the Athanasias in the ‘engine room.’ How on earth were they controlling people to attack me?
Was there a particularly strong Athanasia among them?
It didn’t matter. I pressed forward to face the final trial set by the Hotel.
—Crash!
How does a punch from a person sound like a hammer? Would I even survive a hit from those fists?
—Bang!
For nearly three minutes, I was rolling around like crazy.
Jinchul-oppa’s strength was insane.
—Boom!
Ah, I took a hit from Kain-oppa. I’ll definitely get my revenge when I get out!
But the bigger problem was that there was one more person.
Despite not reaching superhuman levels, Kain-oppa still had the strength of a normal adult, which is why I was still able to endure their combined assault for a few minutes.
The simple reason? I instinctively distorted their vision, altering their focal points the moment I saw them!
I had no time for fancy tricks. Unlike Elena, they rushed at me like they just saw a buffet!
Thanks to their distorted vision, they ended up hitting each other at least two times. After that, they started attacking me one after another instead of charging at me together, so I could somewhat dodge…
But how long can I keep this up?
Once I get too tired to escape, Jinchul-oppa’s ridiculous punch would fly toward me.
Even just grazing me could kill me. Plus, stalling would be pointless since they clearly had better stamina!
All I needed was that one moment. If I could hold one of them back for exactly three seconds…
In the end, the moment of choice had arrived.
—Thunk!
My left arm shattered instantly. It hung limply like a piece of rubber.
Usually, someone would faint from the shock of an arm breaking, but luckily, thanks to the bracelet, I was already used to mental manipulation through ‘Diverse Perspectives’ and had long since blocked out pain!
It’s just that… seeing my arm dangle like spaghetti was quite the peculiar sight.
The moment I got smacked in my left arm, I bought myself three seconds. Using my intact right arm, I grabbed Jinchul-oppa’s body and stared straight into his eyes.
It didn’t take long. Just three seconds to erase ‘me’ from his perception.
Then, I overlaid Kain-oppa’s image onto Jinchul-oppa’s mind.
If Jinchul-oppa had any intellectual capacity left, he’d definitely see through such an obvious trick.
But both of them wasted no time with conversation. They charged like mindless zombies once they laid eyes on me!
Miraculously, with their focus distorted, they managed to attack each other a couple of times.
After that, instead of charging together, they lunged at me one after the other, which made evasion possible, but…
How long until I can’t dodge anymore?
The moment I am exhausted, Jinchul-oppa’s absurd punch would come crashing down on me.
It’d probably feel like a life-ending blow even just grazing me.
Stalling wouldn’t help. My stamina couldn’t match theirs.
What I needed was a fleeting moment. If I could just hold onto one of them for three whole seconds…
So, here I am, faced with a critical decision.
—Thud!
My left arm shattered again. My limb dangled helplessly like limp noodles.
Typically, that wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, right? But thankfully, I had grown accustomed to blocking my pain with the bracelet and had mentally overridden the shock.
Maybe it’s good luck?
As I stared at my noodle-like arm, I felt a strange sense of resignation.
In that moment of distraction, I managed to hold onto Jinchul-oppa’s torso with my functioning right arm—I locked eyes with him.
No time needed. Just three seconds to wipe ‘me’ from his perception.
Then I donned his view of Kain-oppa over him.
If Jinchul-oppa had any semblance of intelligence, he likely wouldn’t fall for such blatant sleight-of-hand.
But since both rushed at me without exchanging a word, clearly, they were operating under suppressed intelligence, which gave me hope that such a silly trick might just work.
My calculations hit the mark.
Wow, I watched as Jinchul-oppa beat Kain-oppa to a pulp in under ten seconds.
Now, Jinchul-oppa would dive from what appeared to be a five-story building just to catch me floating in the air!
I simply couldn’t process what I was doing.
My sanity, which felt drained long ago, still had a bit of moisture left, and somehow, tears began to well up.
I just wanted to escape. Being here was—way too painful.
But…
My body wouldn’t cooperate.
Jinchul-oppa and Kain-oppa had knocked me around a few too many times.
I should’ve planned a serious vengeance for after getting hit, but…
I had killed both with my own hands, and honestly, vengeance didn’t seem necessary anymore.
While the bracelet blocked the pain, it was actually designed to deceive the mind, not heal, so I couldn’t force my broken body to do what I wanted.
In this state, could I really beat Grandpa Mooksung or Ahri?
With my half-collapsed body dragging along, I nearly reached the central area where ‘the Teacher’ was held captive.
And then—Flash!
Ahri suddenly flew in like a bolt of lightning and grabbed my neck!
What the heck was happening?
I was honestly lost at sea trying to figure this out! The bracelet only controlled minds, not grant superpowers! How could I tell Ahri to “Fly!” and have her actually fly? What was going on?!
Unless Ahri was capable of flying independent of the bracelet—
Suddenly, my throat tightened, and breathing became a chore. Even the bracelet seemed ineffective against her grasp.
What on earth is this girl?
Is this seriously how it ends? After enduring weeks, possibly months of torment, was it going to conclude like this?
Ah—…
“Oh, my bad.”
?!
“I woke up a bit late. It’s hard for me to control properly. But hey, at least I woke up before killing you, unni!”
“Y-you, what on earth…”
“But really, what is up with this facility? I woke up but I’m completely clueless. Not a single thing. But one thing is clear — while the rest of us were playing around like animals, you advanced the story all by yourself, right?”
“From the look of it, you seem to have reached the climax nearly on your own…”
“…”
“Seems like you have quite the number of questions. I’m in the same boat! I have a ton of questions for you, unni. However, this isn’t the right time for that. Normally, I wouldn’t like this, but this time, I’ll trust your judgement since you’ve made it here mostly alone. Unni, what do you think I should do?”
Doubt. Doubt. Doubt. Countless question marks sprouted in my mind.
What on earth is this girl?
However, Ahri was right. Now was not the time for curiosity.
“I’m sorry, but please—just end it. If you get mind-controlled again, there’ll be no solution.”
“Seriously, just woke up and you’re telling me to die? You’re one scary person, unni. Is Grandpa Mooksung the same?”
“Pretty much. The Athana—wow, don’t seem to know their name at all. Anyway, the ‘enemy’ possesses the ability to control your mind, and if you can’t maintain your sanity, you should just die.”
“…It was a brief talk, but I feel like you’re completely different now. You’ve turned into someone who can make such harsh judgments quickly.”
“…”
Ahri tilted her head slightly and looked at me.
By the way, Kain-oppa’s comment earlier was spot on.
Her tone was weirdly inconsistent.
She started with ‘unni’ but now casually switched to ‘you.’
Right before she turned away,
Ahri left behind her farewell in this room.
“Great job! I’ll trust you to reach the resolution and go first. At the very least, neither I nor Grandpa Mooksung will be in your way.”
*
“Finally, you’re here.”
“…”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Have you freed yourself already?”
“Well, that’s a possibility.”
“I thought you needed to disable all three control devices?”
“When you took down all your teammates, it realized it had no cards left to play and crumbled mentally. Thus, I personally took down the last one… So, if you consider the cause and effect, it’s no different from you taking down all three.”
A few days ago, I laid eyes on a peculiar Athanasia.
The one with no legs and an enormous body filled entirely with tentacles, like a giant starfish magnified a million times, lay lifeless before the ‘Teacher’s’ container.
“Is this Athanasia… the one controlling my teammates’ minds?”
“Correct. This being was recently ‘developed’, so I only figured out its powers lately. It’s a type of enhanced entity that could even resist my ‘suspension.’”
“This might have been a countermeasure the Athanasias prepped for me.”
“But it still ended up dead, didn’t it?”
“That’s mainly due to you.”
Raising my head, I gazed at the ‘Teacher’—or rather, the ‘Devouring One.’
How did I miss this until now?
Why had I considered that being to be an infinitely beautiful, mysterious, and benevolent organism? Now that I could guard my mind with the bracelet, I could finally perceive its true, horrendous nature.
What stood before me was the most ominous entity in the universe.
An endless torrent of darkness condensed into a single point, with the screams of myriad sentient beings swirling within.
I finally realized the reason Athanasias had been harvesting countless sentient beings for their minds.
It was all a sacrifice for the Absolute Evil before me!
My body trembled.
“It seems you fear me.”
“Now I finally see your terrifying true self.”
“True self, you say? Are you certain?”
“What do you… mean?”
“Let’s converse a bit longer, shall we? We still have time, and it should be fun to sightsee a little.”
All at once, my consciousness soared upwards.
A grand expanse of cosmic space unfolded before me.
Floating amidst the void were numerous small chambers revolving around the ‘Engine’ of the ‘Devouring One.’
In each chamber, scenes flashed through my mind.
Unidentifiable hands emerged from the walls, squeezing all Athanasias dry.
From babies to full adults—all were brutally captured without distinction, torn apart, and ground to pieces, like they were in hell.
“This…”
“Isn’t it a remarkable sight?”
“Why would you do this?”
“It’s a simple matter. This may seem dull to you, but indulge me in a bit of banter as your ‘Teacher.’ The puppet shows conjured by the ‘Tower of Trials’ aren’t entirely fabricated.”
“They reenact actual historical events from the ‘real universe,’ albeit with some modifications. Before I was locked away in the Tower, I spent eons imprisoned by the Athanasias.”
“Thus, I’m merely returning the favor.”
“Estavio mentioned you couldn’t leave this place and had a different agenda. Is ‘revenge’ your goal?”
“You could consider it that way. You seem quite displeased. Do you feel any sympathy for the Athanasias? Are you really unaware of how they’ve treated the countless sentient beings? You humans have also been victims.”
“Nevertheless, you personally slaughtered scores of Athanasian babies, didn’t you?”
“I mean… that’s because…”
“I’m not here to cast blame. I aim only to address human imperfection.”
“Human imperfection?”
“Humans are bound by the limitations of their senses and nature. Why does seeing something like this upset you? Do you genuinely believe their pain is unjust? You know that isn’t true deep down.”
“Your nature compels you to dread the horrific scene in front of you.”
“Are you saying it’s wrong to feel unsettled or afraid in the face of brutality?”
“Child, I’m not here to determine right or wrong. I’m here to suggest how one should mentally brace themselves to endure the trials of this Tower. You mentioned realizing my disturbing existence.”
“Take another look.”
Suddenly, my consciousness fell back down, and I found myself again before the Devouring One.
In front of me stood the Teacher I’d first encountered when I woke up on the farm.
He was the most breathtaking organism in existence. His body shimmered like starlight, adorned with small wings radiating a divine glow. It felt as if the very essence of Heaven resided within him.
“Do I still look like a repugnant being to you?”
“I can’t say. All I know is you’ve made my mind waver.”
“Child, do not fall prey to mere visuals. Beauty, ugliness. Divinity, wickedness.
All your judgments sway based on outward appearances!”
“Close your eyes and reflect. Have I ever harmed you? I remain unchanged, yet your evaluation of me flips like a pancake simply based on how I look.”
“That is humanity’s flaw, and it’s what I aimed to convey.”
“Break free from the shackles of your senses. Embrace rationality! For that reason, I’ve bestowed the bracelet.”
Once again, my consciousness elevated.
No—it wasn’t just consciousness; my entire body soared!
What’s happening?
At one moment, the spaceship collapsed, the space shattered, and even the stage crumbled.
And what resurfaced was the singular truth—the real nature of Room 103.
A door manifested.
With trembling hands, I grasped the doorknob.
Finally, my long nightmare was at an end.
As I lost consciousness, I pondered: what exactly was the Devouring One? A god? A devil?
Haha! Deep down, I’d known the answer all along.
He was my ‘Teacher’. There was no other label needed for him.
—
/Congratulations, you have succeeded!
A human breeding ground more brutal than hell itself! However, raising any inferior beings for one’s purposes is something humans also do.
Perhaps debating such matters between good and evil is meaningless?
No matter, of course! You have overcome every challenge of incapacitating your companions and facing up against endlessly powerful foes! At long last, you have reached the ultimate conclusion.
By liberating the Devouring One, you have successfully eliminated all Athanasias, thereby neutralizing the source of the curse. Congratulations.
…
…
…
…
The event of a conclusive resolution among your companions is complete! Congratulations! A final resolver has emerged, ensuring the safe return of all members.
…
…
You have acquired the legacy of ‘Diverse Perspectives.’/
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