Chapter: 643 – The Path to Ascension (5)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 362
Current Location: Taebaeksan, Taebaek City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
– Han Kain
The tale that followed was related to the information conveyed by the manager.
“The first question was about the number of people involved. Given the nature of the Third Floor, it often has a shortage of participants, so how do we proceed in these cases?”
“… It’s quite relevant to me.”
“Have you thought about it?”
The moment I heard from my predecessor that the Third Floor of the hotel had formed an entirely new “school” floor, my intuition kicked in.
It seemed both I and the previous Wisdom were set to tackle different Third Floors.
If that’s the case, does that mean the predecessor would be navigating the Third Floor alone?
“Well, not really worried about it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I don’t expect the hotel to issue impossible tasks. I figured it would sort itself out eventually. Perhaps new companions will appear, or maybe…”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe I’ll team up with another participant in a similar situation to create a new party. Or maybe not.”
“Maybe not?”
“Who knows? The hotel might as well be saying: ‘You’re destined to die alone, so go ahead!’”
“…”
Looking at my predecessor’s demeanor, it felt as if they could care less, even if the hotel pushes them into a death trap, they’d just shrug it off with a “Guess that’s my fate!”
I was slightly taken aback, but I vaguely understood their mindset.
For them, reality seemed like a hollow space devoid of meaning, while only the hotel was truly real.
Thus, one must accept wherever the hotel guides them, even if it leads to death.
If I flipped my perspective, it would make sense that my desire to head to the Third Floor, along with a few comrades, would seem baffling to others.
The Virgin Mary had also asked why I wanted to go to the Third Floor.
The yearning for greatness?
Pursuing the path of a hero?
The salvation of all things?
All plausible reasons, but they might just be conclusions dressed up with additional reasons.
Maybe we secretly think like my predecessor too?
That the world is an empty illusion, and the hotel is the only one truth.
I don’t know. They say you can know ten lengths of water but not one length of a person’s heart; feelings are always the greatest mystery.
“… They say fewer people have their own advantages, and if there are more, there’s a different advantage. It seems we should choose the right number of participants.”
“Hmm?”
“It seems we can proceed even if we have fewer people. Or, maybe new comrades are waiting for you.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Hmmm… The first thought that crossed my mind was that we get to choose who enters?”
“Exactly.”
Unlike the first and second floors, where everyone would enter at the moment the ‘Curse Room’ door opened, it seems the Third Floor is different.
“The second thought I had was what advantages come with the number of participants.”
“Hmm…”
“Isn’t the advantage of having more people pretty obvious?”
“Correct. It strengthens our power and increases diversity.”
“The important part lies in the ‘advantages of having fewer people’. We should exploit this well.”
— Tap!
I lightly slapped the table, stifling a laugh.
“What’s up?”
“That’s the conclusion I arrived at after discussing with my comrades.”
“You concluded the insights your comrades had while sitting here with me?”
“Indeed.”
“Right, does that make me look a bit smarter than your comrades?”
“Haha!”
“Ha! In terms of age, I’m older than all of you combined, so I have to pull my weight.”
“That’s true.”
“Now let me ask you. It looks like you came here wanting to hear my interpretation.”
“What do you mean? I just came to check in on you.”
“Stop with the pleasantries.”
“I heard on the news a lot about solitary elderly deaths being a societal issue…”
“Don’t tease me.”
I took another sip of whiskey and continued.
“The second question was about the relationship between the Third Floor and reality. Several of my comrades have families in reality.”
“Ah, was it whether they could see their families while progressing through the Third Floor?”
“Similar, but it was a question aimed at obtaining more information.”
“What did you ask?”
“What is the relationship between the upper realm and the lower realm? Water flows down from above; it doesn’t flow up from below. Given this relationship between above and below, your worries are truly futile.”
“…”
My predecessor quieted down for a moment and took a good swig of whiskey.
It looked like there was a lot more to think about this time.
“I’m not sure if what I’m about to say is related to what you just said, but…”
“I’m listening.”
“I believe the reason for the school’s existence is to nurture heroes.”
“Nurturing heroes?”
“Think about the name ‘school.’ Doesn’t it sound exactly like a place where heroes are made?”
“Hmm…”
“I know. It can also be a hotel, tower, or an apartment. Back then, I didn’t realize the school changed its name periodically.”
“I understand now. I’ve never heard of the apartment though.”
“But there’s definitely meaning behind names. School, hotel, tower, apartment… they all reveal the various characteristics of those places.”
“Is there meaning even behind the word ‘school’?”
“Absolutely. I believe both the school and hotel are places that nurture heroes.”
“…”
That was an interesting thought.
It felt like I had pondered something similar at times.
“I also think that the nurturing of heroes ended on the first and second floors.”
“…”
“When we broke through the second floor and escaped, we were all already superhumans—heroes whose might eclipses heaven itself.”
“So, what about the Third Floor?”
“Since we forged our holy sword on the first and second floors, shouldn’t we wield it properly now?”
“…”
“That’s exactly what the Third Floor is. It’s a place to properly swing who we’ve become!”
“…”
“Therefore, I wanted to go to the Third Floor. As a human born into greatness, I’ve become a holy sword meant for the battlefield.”
“The holy sword should face the battlefield… So the reason we choose to go to the Third Floor?”
“A holy sword that steps onto the battlefield of its own will is the true holy sword. You know this, right? An unwavering heart is the best weapon.”
“…”
“There’s a stark difference between someone who is pushed into a fate and someone who chooses to confront it. To the school, the latter is the true hero—the holy sword. So only those who choose the Third Floor receive another chance. It’s simply the way of things.”
—
My predecessor’s interpretation of the Third Floor was surprisingly meaningful yet somehow plausible.
If the hotel is indeed a place that births heroes, then it makes sense for us to choose our entry to the Third Floor.
How could someone pushed by another be a hero?
A hero must willingly step into the whirlpool of calamity.
The predecessor has craved the Third Floor longer than anyone.
Maybe that’s why their depth of thought was greater than anyone.
“I’m just going where I belong.”
“…”
“I’m not sure how this relates to the information you’ve gathered.”
“Regardless of its relevance, it was worth pondering.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Another long silence fell between us.
Now only one question remains.
“Don’t you have something else to say? You look like you do.”
As I prepared to bring up the final question, a twinge of reluctance washed over me.
I felt this might be our last conversation.
“… The last question was this: could you share the overarching theme of the Third Floor and suggest a topic worthy of contemplation?”
“You asked two questions, didn’t you?”
“I was hoping to pay for one serving that’s double-sized.”
“Hmph! So what did they say?”
“Reflect on the first wish you held.”
“…”
“With that, they vanished.”
—
The first wish.
“A wish… right, I’ve heard of that before.”
“Ari mentioned it. She told me to ask you about your knowledge of wishes.”
“Haha! Yeah, I remember. I did chat about wishes with that audacious girl, didn’t I?”
My predecessor took a big bite of the kebab skewer.
“However, what I know is what was already said then. Every participant wished for something at the very beginning.”
“…”
“We wished upon the hotel but ended up forgetting that we even made a wish. How pitiful, indeed.”
Once again, the memories of the hotel cinema floated back to my mind.
*
“Since a few years back, I’ve been having dreams. Dreams about my past self, where I endlessly pursued a goal that felt utterly unreachable.”
“I would do anything for that dream. No matter how painful or challenging it got. In reality, I don’t even remember what that dream was anymore.”
*
Back then, I couldn’t grasp what those words meant, but…
Now I understand what kind of wish my past self made.
“If I cannot reach Nirvana myself, grant me the power to snatch the destiny of those who can.”
“Is that your wish? Sounds pretty sinister.”
“I think my past self wanted to become a god.”
“Oh?”
“But, back then, I wasn’t worthy of becoming a great one.”
“An interesting tale. I’m hearing this detailed account for the first time—”
“So I broke out the prince of an ancient civilization from the isolated zone.”
“What, what, what did you just say?”
“And my past self slowly faded away in reality, and at some unknown time, I was taken to the hotel.”
“Wait—”
“I gained the power to snatch destinies and made my escape. When I came out, the prince was half-god.”
“So, you stole the prince’s destiny to topple him? Was that your secret to defeating the prince?”
“It seems you’ve pieced it all together now.”
“…”
My predecessor was stumped for a moment, mouth agape like a fish, before he finally managed a word.
“… So you caused this entire ruckus just to be a god?”
“To be precise, it was my past self who did.”
“…”
“… Any thoughts on this?”
“You’re the greatest piece of work in human history.”
“Is that all?”
“Go stew in the Abyss for ten thousand years as punishment.”
“Anything else?”
“Don’t you think you owe me an apology? Do you have any idea how long I suffered in reality because of that damned moon?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll make kebabs for you this time. And?”
“… That’s enough. You seem to have practically transformed your whole persona, what more can I do?”
“Haha…”
“It’s quite the mistake to have been born late.”
—
Another period of quietness passed.
My predecessor consumed skewers and whiskey, appearing to organize their jumbled feelings.
They didn’t reveal any open animosity toward me.
It seemed they regarded Aleph and me as different people; perhaps this way of thinking benefitted both sides.
“Now that I think of it, it’s likely others beside me also wished for something.”
“I’d probably wish too.”
“Do you remember what it was?”
“Long forgotten. Not a single trace remains… Perhaps this is also the reason the Third Floor of the school hasn’t shown up for such a long time for me.”
“…”
“Though not as much as you who borrowed the strength of many comrades, I too possess some means of my own.”
“That seems accurate.”
“Thanks to that, I’ve heard various tales… Care to listen?”
“Of course.”
“The world after the end.”
“Huh?”
“That’s all I’ve gathered regarding the Third Floor. I’m sorry for the lack of detail.”
“… No problem.”
Two pieces of information related to the theme of the Third Floor.
One is what we received; the other what the prior Wisdom gained.
First, reflect on your first wish.
Second, the world after the end.
“…”
“…”
The two men sat in thought for a long while, raising their drinks over the table.
Countless ideas flooded my mind, but ironically, too many overcomplicated the matter.
It was impossible to distinguish which assumptions were correct and which were wrong.
As the last of the kebabs and drinks dwindled on the table, my predecessor finally stood.
“Guess it’s time to go.”
“Already?”
“Already, you say? It’s far too late.”
“I thought it might take time to mull over your acquired knowledge…”
“I doubt any reasoning will yield anything new. It’ll simply give rise to more delusions. It’s best to confront it directly at times like this.”
“Wishing you luck in your future endeavors.”
“It was a good connection.”
—
A faint sense of regret and a hint of bitterness remained.
The time spent with my predecessor was short, and I never quite relaxed during that brief period…
Yet, I felt this person was akin to a comrade, and they likely felt the same.
What could be the cause of this intimacy?
Because we shared the same blessing? Or because we understood each other well?
I have no idea.
As I watched my predecessor walking toward the school, I spoke.
“Predecessor, do you think we’ll chance upon each other again?”
The old man turned slightly, grinning as he replied.
“Who knows? If there’s anything I’ve learned after living this long, it’s that anything could happen in a hotel.”
Soon, the old man’s figure blurred, and the entire school vanished into thin air.
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