Chapter 531 – Room 207, Gate Room – Fourth Trial ‘Fallen King’ (17)
– Han Kain
If there’s one groundbreaking revelation I’ve gained from the bizarre trials at the hotel, it’s that plans exist solely to be derailed.
For instance, after retrieving the sandglass and joining my comrades in the ‘Dream Kingdom,’ I had it all laid out: Sofia and I would fly to Spain while the others joined us there later, just like our trip to Texas.
But, alas, that plan was doomed because poor Sofia was struggling to keep it together.
I couldn’t just leave her behind, especially when we had a legendary magician like her who had bravely brought Fortuna down with a flick of a wand. That would be too much to waste.
In terms of timing, it wasn’t a huge loss. Either way, whether I was flying while cradling Sofia or traveling in a plane, I’d have to keep the speed down to make sure she was okay.
*
A brief meeting took place aboard the plane heading to Spain.
Sofia was half-passed out, so naturally, she became the main topic of conversation.
“Can the law king really fight like this?”
“If it’s magic, she has plenty; it’s just her physical state that’s the issue. They say she can set her remaining life on fire to fight.”
“Setting your life on fire?”
Ari calmly responded to Grandpa, who flinched.
“After all, Room 207 is in its final stages. What does Sophia’s remaining life mean once this all ends?”
That’s harsh, but not exactly wrong.
I recalled a conversation I had with Sofia just hours ago.
“Earlier, Sofia asked me to send her to heaven.”
Ari, Grandpa, and even Miro looked at me with bewildered expressions.
“Wait, she wants to become one of us?”
“Close enough.”
“But Kain, there’s no soul jar, right?”
“Good point.”
“Even if Seungyub is somewhere alive, the soul jar belongs to Yumi—oh, wait, she’s gone now.”
The topic was already gloomy, but mentioning Yumi made the atmosphere turn stifling.
Maybe that’s why Miro wiped her tears while petting Sofia, who had drifted into a deep sleep.
“Sofia… Ari! Isn’t there a way to, uh, save Sofia?”
Ari, taken aback by the sudden question, hesitated a bit before finally recalling something from the past.
“Well, if it’s NPC salvaging, there are two methods. Use a revival ticket or—”
“Wait, can it be used for NPCs too?”
“Not sure. The second option would be to pray to the Buddha.”
Pray to the Buddha.
I vaguely remembered hearing this from my older brother Sanghyun way back when he was still an NPC.
Strangely, we still had no idea what that meant.
We had never actually met the “Buddha” face-to-face.
“Is the Buddha on the third floor?”
Since we hadn’t encountered him before finishing the second floor, our only option left was the third floor.
Ari nodded.
“Probably.”
“Didn’t I hear that some people who escaped the hotel ended up at the Administration Bureau?”
“…”
Let’s think about our current specs.
Most participants get wiped out at the first floor, but those who endure the trials earn the status of demigods.
They wouldn’t be hanging out there at the lower ranks of the Administration Bureau, right?
Definitely high-ranking officials, I bet.
Wasn’t there an escapee among the Silent Ones Ari mentioned before?
Since the discussion about the Administration Bureau seemed a bit awkward, Ari cleared her throat.
“Ahem! Anyway, have you guys thought about Aedia’s real motives?”
Grandpa answered immediately.
“To save the world, right?”
Correct, but that wasn’t what Ari was looking for.
“That’s too broad. Let me rephrase: What’s Aedia’s plan for saving the world?”
As the surroundings fell silent, Ari continued her thought.
“To answer that, we need to understand what issues this world is facing and what concerns Aedia is troubled by.”
Looking at Grandpa’s wry smile, it seemed like the people at the Administration Bureau already knew this.
I’d figured some of it out at one point.
“Now, I get it. The entities called ‘Chaos Beasts’ are really just a mixed bag of strange beings. Think about the connection, if any, between extraterrestrials from outside the solar system and ghosts born on Earth.”
Chaos Beasts aren’t a specific group; they encapsulate the concept of ‘something wielding supernatural powers that isn’t human.’
To humans, they’re all “monsters,” but to a yeti, a human might feel closer than an alien, you know?
“But at least 90% of those Chaos Beasts have one common trait: they’re generally harmful to humans and are not particularly interested in us.”
There’s no need to misinterpret Ari’s statement; it’s not like the entirety of the universe’s Chaos Beasts are fixated on humans.
Of course, there are many aliens and deities who have never even heard of our solar system and are getting along just peachy.
Such Chaos Beasts have no reason to visit Earth.
So, when we talk about ‘Chaos Beasts appearing on Earth,’ they’re the ones who have a keen interest in humans!
“Let’s compare Earth to a petri dish overflowing with bacteria. In this case, humans represent sugar. Everything about us—body, soul, advanced civilization—draws in Chaos Beasts and sometimes even creates monsters.”
That’s the crux of the problem.
This is why the Holy See and the Administration Bureau are constantly battling devils and monsters every single day and never seem to get anywhere.
With over 8 billion sugar cubes clustered in a petri dish, solving this is no easy feat.
Even if civilization advances dramatically, the count only increases. More people mean more sugar for invaders to munch on.
It’s no wonder Aedia feels endlessly sorrowful over this structure.
Miro, who had been listening all this time, sighed.
“So basically, humans are the source of disaster, huh?”
“Pretty much. That’s why our struggle goes on forever.”
“Such a cliché. The problem is people!”
“World problems are always cliché.”
“So, what’s Aedia planning to do about it?”
“…”
Miro still refers to Aedia, the Reptilian Princess, as a friend.
For her, a few thousand years ago feels like just yesterday.
“People are the problem~! I hate hearing that. It sounds like a resignation speech.”
“Not really.”
“Yeah?”
“Aedia hasn’t given up.”
“Right! But according to Ari, the reason monsters keep appearing is the people themselves!”
“That’s true.”
“And how do you plan to fix that? There are, what, 8 billion people? You aren’t thinking of getting rid of them all?”
A tense silence fell upon us.
Grandpa, Ari, and I all slipped into thought, leaving Miro bewildered.
“Uh? Uh? What’s wrong?”
“… Miro.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve occasionally thought of this, and you…”
“What?”
“You’re dumb yet smart.”
“Uh?! What?”
Just when we were about to hit the crux of Aedia’s plans,
“Wahhh!”
A terrifying scream erupted from the cockpit.
“What was that?”
I rushed toward the cockpit, where a pilot—one of Sofia’s loyal followers—pointed outside with a ghostly expression.
“Ho—Horus! Look over there!”
It was light.
“The light that summons doom!”
I thought maybe I was hallucinating, but judging by the looks on Ari and Grandpa’s faces, I clearly wasn’t.
It was rare to see two experienced agents from the Administration Bureau looking so petrified!
There it was—our ultimate trial to conclude Room 207.
And the mock test for battling the coming destruction in the real world!
“Kain! The sandglass!”
The sandglass and the legacy of Room 206, One More Chance.
Tools promised by the hotel to prevent the ‘end.’
So, the sandglass’s purpose is to hold off the descending light for one turn and see what comes next!
“I’m flipping it.”
Sofia won’t be safe under the sandglass’s protection, but we have no other option.
As I grasped the sandglass with a tinge of sadness, the sky suddenly paused the light descending from above.
“Is that your ultimate move, Horus?”
At the same moment, a familiar voice echoed.
All of us—me, Ari, Miro—recognized that voice.
It was the apparition of Virgin Aedia!
“Flying? Oh, I see you’re on your way to Spain?”
“… Yeah.”
“Aha! You thought I was still in Spain, didn’t you? That was a misunderstanding. My real self, along with the mirror, is long gone from Spain.”
“… ”
Could it be that, over time, Aedia and the mirror’s whereabouts had shifted?
That was a point Ari raised yesterday.
“Don’t worry. I came to give you my location.”
“What does that mean?”
Aedia appeared somewhat relaxed, indicating there might still be time to spare.
But then again, we had no idea why she decided to show up.
“Ah… I guess this moment has finally come. Truly, it’s been a long wait.”
In this strange atmosphere, my comrades remained silent.
It was clear that Aedia and we were enemies, yet no one was showing hostility here.
Instead, the Virgin looked utterly emotional as she spoke.
“Everyone, if I succeed, then peace will arrive—something humanity has never experienced before. So please, become all good citizens.”
Ari couldn’t hold back and interrupted.
“What are you trying to say? Is this a victory declaration?”
“If I succeed, it wouldn’t just be my victory; it would belong to all of us.”
She kept adding, “if I succeed.”
This tone hinted at Aedia’s lack of certainty.
So, I asked,
“What if you fail?”
“Fail? You mentioned that you saw destruction in my plans.”
“…”
“After much thought, I didn’t feel the need to adjust my plans. But…”
“But?”
“I think I need a backup plan for failure.”
“A backup plan?”
“My backup plan is you all. I have consideration for that.”
So, we’re her backup plan?
And she’s showing “consideration” for us?!
— Claps!
With a loud clap, the blinding light descended once again.
Clenching my teeth, I flipped the sandglass just in time, and Ari asked hastily,
“Virgin! If what you say is true, we’ll still be alive after the light descends?”
“Of course.”
“You! Where are you?”
“I’m on the moon!”
“What? The moon?”
As the incomprehensible rays began to penetrate the plane’s interior, I had no choice but to flip the sandglass.
— Flash!
As consciousness faded, one last thought crossed my mind.
That dumb yet smart girl, Miro, found the answer for herself in the end.
If humanity is the root of all problems, then surely the solution lies within humanity as well.
When I looked at the sky outside the airplane, I saw an enormous hand.
In that moment, I understood that whatever ‘that’ was, it existed beyond the reach of humanity, even ten million years into the future.
But…
That wasn’t the ultimate existence either.
— Thunder!
Thus began a seven-day rest period, impervious to any power in the universe.
*
– ???
“…”
— Twitch!
Awakening into consciousness from the abyss.
After a long time twisted in their suffering, soul and body warped by a witch, I had thought this was the eternal end.
But once again, an opportunity has returned to me.
Because the touch of a great being reached out to me.
The false creator granted another chance to its pitiful creation.
“…”
In a daze, I thought.
If I’m given another chance…
There’s something I must do.
“Yumi…”
I am Fortunada.
No,
I am Park Seungyub.
And thankfully, I’ve gathered my thoughts during a day of rest, so I’ll be able to continue without a hitch for a while.
Thank you always.
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