Chapter 607 – The Stolen World (22)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 229
Current Location: Searching…
Sage’s Advice: 0
—
– Han Kain
Is the Delight Hotel turning into ‘Hotel Pioneer’?
Eunsol muttered, looking flabbergasted.
“What does that even mean?”
“It seems like Mironi and Mooksung are just as confused. They were rambling on about how chaotic everything was and just hung up.”
“If it’s the Pioneer Hotel, it’s only natural that things are chaotic every minute and second.”
After a moment of silence, Jinchul scratched his head and asked,
“What are we going to do?”
“…”
“We got the mirror, and we’ve restrained the Virgin for now… And we’ve got a potential answer.”
“That’s right.”
“Got any plans moving forward?”
“…”
It had felt like everything would unravel quickly when it first started.
I thought that after contacting the awakened Moon and learning its weaknesses and strategies, we would just need to reverse time.
Taking down the Moon with the help of the Raiders?
That would barely earn a 30-point score.
The world has one reality, yet the Arks are overwhelming.
Eunsol cautiously asked,
“Are you going to return to the original time after gathering more information?”
“…”
I felt a sense of frustration.
The familiar feeling I’d encountered multiple times now loomed over me as I proceeded through the Cursed Room.
There’s a wealth of fragmented information, but I can’t find a thread to weave it all together.
“Let’s head back to Delight for now.”
*
The journey back was free from interference from the Raiders.
It’s likely because no one knows whose side is whose since we had already managed to suppress the Virgin.
Another reaction was entirely different.
“Ugh…! What the heck—”
“Stick close to me! I’m gonna blow my flute from now on!”
“Eunsol, huddle up near me!”
As the sun set and a crimson light filled the night sky, an unbearable sinister pressure began to weigh down on us.
I can feel it.
Voices drifted from the distant realm where reality and unreality collide, where the Moon’s throne is situated!
“Traitor
Foolish and naïve one
Corrupted saint
Have you been enchanted by the voice of the rebel?”
I felt the weight of a will condemning, insulting, and denouncing me.
“Get over here, Eunsol!”
“Yeah, you! What are you listening to?”
“It’s okay!”
“What?!”
And it was actually okay.
Thanks to my first use of ‘Serena’s Enlightenment’ since getting it in Room 207.
“I felt it before, and hearing it again confirms it.”
“What is?”
“There’s more than one voice.”
“What do you mean?”
“…”
It sounded like multiple voices were coming together.
It seems important, but I’m not quite sure how.
Ari changed the subject suddenly.
“Is the Moon coming to take the mirror?”
“Didn’t Adia say? If they could intervene that easily, they wouldn’t have sent us in the first place.”
“That’s true.”
“They’ll need some time to prepare.”
“That’s code for ‘They will eventually come.’”
“Before that, we need to make our moves.”
If things get dire, I’ll have to reverse time before then.
“Hey! Look, I see the Delight Hotel!”
As I shifted my gaze under the oppressive pressure that felt like a boulder on my shoulders, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Wow…! It’s incredible. Congratulations, Eunsol!”
The aftermath of the clash between transcendents had turned Seoul into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
In the middle of that hellish landscape sat one building, utterly untouched.
It wasn’t like the skeletal structure survived the wreckage; it looked so new it could’ve been mistaken as a newly built building during the restoration!
“Wow~! At this rate, it’s not just the number one hotel in Korea; it could be the number one hotel on Earth! Congrats, Eunsol.”
She chuckled awkwardly.
As the evening descended, we returned to the Delight Hotel.
*
Current Location: Corridor 3 Connection, Under Construction…
The moment I opened the door to the Delight, the chaotic thoughts in my head immediately calmed down.
It wasn’t a moment for ponderings or worries!
“What in the world?!”
“What’s this? Is this why the kids couldn’t answer their phones?!”
“Ahhhh! What have the hotel folks done to my hotel?!”
Externally, it looked like a significantly intact building. Still, the moment we stepped inside, we were met with chaos!
Concrete blocks floated around like living blocks, in the midst of a reconstruction happening in real-time?
Every room was engaged in a cycle of disassembly and reassembly, morphing into entirely different entities?
No wonder the folks left in Delight couldn’t get in touch!
“Hah, haha!”
“I can’t help but laugh!”
— Crash! Bang!
“Eek!”
“Ha! Jinchul, take care of Eunsol!”
Who would’ve thought I’d experience something this absurd?
I remembered a famous movie involving dreams, and the direction from that film was unfolding before my eyes.
“The current location has changed to ‘Under Construction’— Aah!”
In an instant, a concrete block larger than my torso flew towards me!
At first, I thought it was aimed at me, but no.
It was simply blundering around, engrossed in its incomprehensible, chaotic work!
As everyone was lost in confusion and just screaming around, the conversation window blinked furiously.
Kim Mooksung: “To the elevator! Now!”
*
Current Location: 1st Floor, Hallway
— Ding!
“…”
The all-too-familiar scenery of the Pioneer Hotel’s 1st floor.
“Kain! Ari!”
“Don’t be loud.”
Even as she grumbles, Ari affectionately embraced Miro.
— Beep!
Even Perro was here.
Had he snuck in here with Iktus before Seoul got destroyed?
Watching the peaceful scene unfolding on the 1st floor, I found myself unconsciously sinking down, my legs going weak beneath me.
“Oh my! Kain!”
Hearing Elena’s voice felt like a blast from the past.
Soon, Eunsol, Ari, and Jinchul, too, dropped down, looking just as drained.
The grandpa watching that scene cautiously said,
“Er… kids. I think we should eat dinner first.”
*
“On sesame bun, two juicy beef patties, special sauce, and lettuce!”
“What song is that?”
Jinchul answered instead.
“Cheese, pickles, onions too~!”
“Wait, do you actually remember the whole chorus?”
“Dude! Back when I was broke, my stock was all about Big Macs.”
It was quite the absurd scene, with two dark-skinned men happily munching on hotel hamburgers while belting out “Big Mac Song.”
Isn’t this a bit ridiculous rather than funny?
As a result, Miro leaned against the wall with a ‘yuck’ face, and Ari laughed incredulously.
“Ah, this situation is so unbelievable.”
“Why?”
“Outside reality is filled with talk about the Moon devouring humanity or the Arks waiting to seize a safe world…”
“…”
“But when we walk into the hotel, it’s like stepping into a whole different world. This burger tastes out of this world!”
“It’s oozing with juices.”
The grandpa reluctantly chuckled.
“Weren’t we originally trying to escape this hellish hotel back to reality?”
“…”
“Now, it seems the hotel is actually better than reality.”
It’s black comedy at its finest, but it’s true.
“At least the hotel has five chances.”
“Exactly.”
Eunsol sighed and mumbled.
“I never imagined that as a result of my wish, Delight would turn into Pioneer.”
“Well, it is indeed the number 1 hotel in the world.”
“Is Delight transitioning to Pioneer’s 3rd floor?”
It’s a bizarre story, but based on hotel standards, it’s entirely feasible.
The 1st floor is sky-high, and the 2nd floor is inside a family home’s snow globe, right?
Having the 3rd floor inside another hotel is no big deal.
The grandpa shook his head.
“No, they say it’s a slightly different situation.”
“Excuse me?”
“They say it’ll act as a sort of middle ground or passageway. Reflecting that the 3rd floor might take a while to manifest.”
It’s not like Delight itself is becoming the 3rd floor of Pioneer.
It’s transforming into a middle ground or passageway connecting the 3rd and 2nd floors?
“Grandpa, what does that even mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who even shared that explanation?”
Elena answered instead.
“Hey, there’s a brochure.”
— Thud!
The brochure contained instructions about what the grandpa had just mentioned.
“If you enter the construction area, the hotel isn’t responsible? When have they ever taken responsibility?”
“It’s a warning to be careful when going into Delight territory.”
“What the heck is this? Instead of rice cakes? What does that even mean? This is a calendar— Aha! Kain, look at this!”
I was stunned the moment I saw the calendar.
“When did this start being drawn?”
Elena seemed flustered.
“Huh? When I looked yesterday, there was no calendar at all…”
Miro asked with a blank look,
“What does ‘instead of rice cakes’ mean?”
“Usually, when moving in and under construction, you give rice cakes to your neighbors.”
“Because it’s noisy?”
“Yep.”
Today has a checkmark, and on the 10th day, there’s a drawing of a ‘red moon.’
It couldn’t be clearer with other interpretations.
“… So the Moon’s coming to reality in ten days. Is that what it means?”
“The Moon will come to reality? What does that even mean?”
Seeing Miro tilting her head while Ari explained the current situation slowly made the grandpa summarize.
“Oh! So, Kain, you’ve come to find a 30-point answer at the end of this merry mess?”
“Yeah.”
“You got the Management Bureau Ark’s mirror, and you sealed the dangerous individual who was spying on you, the Virgin or whatever.”
“Exactly.”
“Thanks to that, you’ve become adversaries with the Moon, which will appear in reality to grab your mirror ten days from now?”
“That seems about right.”
Now, the surroundings fell back into silence once more.
In a murmuring voice, Ari said,
“Ten days gives us some leeway. Let’s take a bit of a break and think about what to do starting tomorrow.”
*
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 230
Current Location: Room 105 in Rest Room
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
Late at night.
As the date changes, the number of allowed advice resets.
I lay on the bed, deep in thought.
What should I do from tomorrow morning?
Collect more information again?
I’ve gathered all the common-sense information available.
And the result was a 30-point level of solution.
Owl said, “Create a game where everyone benefits,” right?
“Stepping outside the essence of a chair-dodging game?”
“Force many to sit on one chair? Or extend the chairs?”
“Everything feels stifling.”
Isn’t there something that can freshen up this confusing game?
It feels just like having 200 sweet potatoes stuffed in my mouth.
Where’s that cola that clears everything in one shot?
Sage’s Advice: 3 -> 2
‘What do you think of this situation?’
I asked politely.
Even I realize this is a nebulous question, but it seemed necessary for a solid response.
“Do you know the reason why we give you regular breaks?”
“… Yes.”
Creating Room 105 in the hotel and granting breaks between attempts of the Cursed Room with parties and such.
It’s because you can’t make good judgments when you’re running around in chaos.
From that perspective, the Owl’s advice sounds like ‘Rest and think,’ doesn’t it?
*
Early morning.
As soon as I met up with my comrades, I shared the advice I heard in the wee hours.
Ari tilted her head and asked,
“Do you think the Owl meant to say to rest and think?”
“I think if we return to reality now, bizarre things will undoubtedly happen.”
“That’s true.”
“So let’s just hang around in the hotel for a few days.”
“… Until when?”
“Well, we should at least leave before the Moon descends on us. It’s been a day, so nine days left.”
Naturally, a decision was made to linger in the hotel for a few days.
Around lunchtime, while sitting at the snack table, I met Eunsol.
“Isn’t this strange?”
“What?”
“Why in this exact timing did Delight get transformed into Pioneer?”
“Because you made a wish—”
“No, no! The timing, I’m talking about the timing.”
“Timing?”
As the one wielding the hand of greed, it seems she’s realized a difference others haven’t noticed.
“The Hand of Greed isn’t a power that grants wishes months later.”
“Now that you mention it?”
Just as she pointed out, the Hand of Greed changes things immediately upon wishing.
Either it grants instantly or at the very least opens events to acquire what you desire.
“Can I ask you a question with your advice? It might be a meaningless question, but… it could have significance.”
Other participants’ questions regarding blessings consume ‘contribution points.’
However, since I’d already gained the 4-stage enhancements, why care about contribution points?
Sage’s Advice: 2 -> 1
‘The participant Lee Eunsol used the Hand of Greed several months ago. Why is Delight changing only now?’
“The 3rd floor connection passageway forms when conditions are met. The Hand of Greed merely designated the location.”
“What’s that?”
“The 3rd-floor connection passageway appears when conditions are fulfilled, and the Hand of Greed just pointed to its location.”
While nearby Ari heard and chimed in,
“Meaning that because conditions were satisfied, the 3rd-floor connection passageway is coming into being regardless of the Hand of Greed.”
Eunsol asked,
“So my wish set the location of the 3rd floor connection passageway to Delight?”
“Seems like it.”
I found myself wondering about a different aspect.
“So now that Delight is changing, is it saying that conditions were just satisfied recently?”
“Seems likely.”
“What were those conditions?”
“… You should ask that too.”
“Hmmm….”
“Effectively, this question was a two-in-one.”
I hoped it was worth it.
Sage’s Advice: 1 -> 0
‘What are the conditions for forming the 3rd floor?’
“When you appear to have the qualifications to challenge the 3rd floor.”
“…”
That was a significant remark.
It strikingly revealed the difference between levels 1, 2, and 3.
If levels 1 and 2 are places where one must overcome to live,
The 3rd floor is a place where only willing participants can challenge after proving they have what it takes.
“What did it just say?”
“… Formed when you appear to have qualifications.”
“Whoa~! So we’re doing quite well, aren’t we?”
“Looks like it.”
I thought while watching Eunsol laugh incredulously.
It seems odd to bring this up now, but,
Why is there even a 3rd floor?
*
Date: Day 231
I spent the whole morning lying on the snowy landscape, admiring the scenery.
Suddenly, I couldn’t help but wonder how it’s going outside the snow globe.
In the evening, I decided to scout the construction site at Delight and spotted something peculiar.
“A sculpture?”
Jinchul, concentrating hard, responded,
“What are you talking about?”
“Can’t you see that?”
“Is it just a rock?”
As I was about to poke fun at him for having deteriorating eyesight, the sculpture shifted right back into a rock.
“…”
Only then did I realize it was still a rock.
An instinctive insight had revealed that the rock would later transform into a sculpture.
Strangely, the sculpture resembled ‘someone.’
And I recognized that the ‘someone’ was still undecided.
“It’s still up to us.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Seriously, if that’s the case, you should keep it to yourself.”
*
Date: Day 232
In the evening, Eunsol approached with a slightly anxious expression.
“Kain, have you found a clue? I’m at a loss…”
“Think positively. If those recycled returnees, rotting away for thousands of years, couldn’t figure it out, it’d be more bizarre if we do it right off the bat.”
“… You’re using your advice, right?”
“Every day.”
“Do you really not know anything?”
“I learned one thing.”
“Seriously, Kain! What is it?”
“The true purpose of the old participant.”
“The old participant? Oh, the former Wisdom? Their goal is the Raiders’ victory—”
“Even that is just a means.”
The true purpose of former Wisdom was, in some ways, quite straightforward.
“But now, is there any point in knowing their true aim?”
“We need to make it meaningful.”
*
Date: Day 233
While sipping cola at the snack table, Ari’s lively voice rang out.
“I don’t care anymore~!”
“Huh?”
Much to the flustered Miro, Ari answered lightly as though it was nothing significant.
“The worst that could happen is the world ends once, right? What’s the big deal?”
“…”
“Yeah! Even if the world messes up, the hotel will still be fine!”
“… Will we all just be chilling in the hotel after time travels back?”
I don’t want them to throw us out of the hotel!
More pressing is the fact that while saying to relax and think, everyone looks incredibly stressed.
*
Date: Day 234
Time flowed like the wind, and it’s already the evening of Day 5.
While eating jajangmyeon, I glanced up to see everyone looking like zombies.
Despite all the pondering and meetings across five days, I guess they couldn’t find a single answer.
An ominous rumor floated that we might need to settle for a mere 30-point answer.
Ari sulked deeply before asking me,
“… What do you think?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you really have no clue at all?”
“Well, I’ve come to my own conclusion.”
“Conclusion?”
“I mentioned this to Eunsol the other day; think for a sec. Monsters that have undergone dozens of loops, if not more, haven’t found answers.”
“… True.”
“Does it make sense to expect to solve such a difficult problem instantly?”
“…”
“Human brains can’t figure that out. It’s impossible.”
The grandpa sighed deeply.
“Oh boy! Did you seriously space out just because I suggested we take a break on the first day? I meant to propose we think comfortably in a peaceful environment—”
“Tomorrow.”
“What?”
“I checked the Owl for a date. Tomorrow, we’re heading out.”
A shocked Elena chimed in.
“Huh? The day the Moon appears in reality isn’t tomorrow, right? It’s ten days later, so there are still five days—”
“We’re not going out to meet the Moon.”
“Eh?”
With a smile, I replied to everyone,
“Didn’t I say? This problem seems like something we can’t solve with mere human intellect?”
“What are you implying?”
“You need wisdom exceeding human capabilities. Wisdom so profound that even the smartest person on Earth would need a thousand years and still find no answer!”
Jinchul blurted out, looking stunned,
“Does such wisdom exist?”
An area that goes beyond wisdom, touching the edge of madness!
I once caught hold of that realm’s fringe.
But it was simply a matter of returning to reality from that domain.
*
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 235
Current Location: 1, Eui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
Having returned to reality from a hotel that felt like paradise,
As I walked through the fog of smoke-choked National Assembly area, the reality of destruction hit hard.
Returning to the past means destroyed buildings revert to their original state.
But the millions of souls that might have already been claimed by the Moon? What can be done about that?
“…”
Was filled with an overwhelming guilt that made me struggle to breathe…
but truthfully, that’s not it at all.
It’s not like I killed people for fun; after all, it’s just a process of saving many more, right?
My ‘foresight’ assessment of myself seems rather accurate.
Thus, I breathed in the murky air, glancing up at the sky for thirty minutes.
— Dudududududu…!
The familiar vibrating sound came audible.
Today.
The former Wisdom died, and I will reclaim complete insight!
—
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