Chapter: 644 – Ascension (昇天)
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User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 386
Current Location: 50, 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Sage’s Advice: 3
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– Han Kain
It’s been a few weeks since my predecessor left for the Third Floor.
“Stop spilling the sunflower seeds everywhere! Why do birds always drop more than they eat?”
— Squeak!
“The amount you drop is more than what you actually eat! Are you thinking of starting a sunflower farm in Yeouido? – Ouch!”
— Squeak!
“Ha! You’re too slow! At that speed, you can’t even peck my finger!”
Sitting on a bench in Yeouido Park, I played around with Pero, passing the time.
“… It’s been a while since we played together.”
As the battles in reality began to heat up, Pero had been chilling in Delight, doing nothing for quite a while. The game had become too tough for a parrot that transformed into a big bird.
“Do you think you’d have anything to do on the Third Floor? What do you think?”
Ignoring me, Pero just kept munching on my hair. At times like this, it felt like a normal parrot.
Sitting on the bench, a chill I couldn’t describe filled both my body and soul.
There’s really nothing here. In this city, in this country, I have no family or close friends. The only thing I hold dear is, strangely, the city of Seoul itself.
Oh, and there’s the Sunrise Company I built to gather faith.
I wonder if Ictus is still alive? I could’ve found them, but I didn’t want any lingering attachments to reality.
Even if they were alive, it wouldn’t matter much. Pero might not know, but they’ve probably completely forgotten about me.
“…”
This is the outcome of the ‘dream’ I crafted. Other than the companions at the hotel, no one remembers me, so meaningful relationships couldn’t have possibly formed.
Why did I even use the dream like this in the first place?
Was it because I wanted to evade the Administration Bureau’s eyes? That may have been part of it, but…
When using the dream, I was oblivious to my turbulent past.
“Pero, wasn’t I subconsciously planning to leave reality from the start?”
— Crack!
At that moment, I sensed the presence of someone I’d been waiting for.
“Lord Horus, it’s been a while.”
“Sophia, I told you to just call me by my name, didn’t I?”
“Well, I find Horus more familiar and comfortable.”
“You’ve got a point…”
After a brief silence, I spoke first.
“How are you?”
“Huh?”
“You once asked me to send you to heaven.”
“…”
The girl born in Room 207 told me, “For many years, I’ve served you as a god, so please send me to heaven.”
“… The world seems to be similar everywhere.”
“I guess so.”
Room 207 was also Earth in the early 21st century, so it’s not much different from reality.
“What’s particularly surprising is all of you.”
“Really?”
“Especially Fortuna.”
I was momentarily at a loss for words. When considering the discrepancy between Fortuna and Seungyub, everyone often goes silent, and I was no exception.
“But it was nice. I learned a lot about what kind of people you are.”
“… I’m relieved to hear that.”
After another brief silence, I cautiously continued.
“You probably heard from Eunsol, but we’ll be leaving soon.”
“I heard from ‘sister’.”
The term ‘sister’ instead of ‘mother’ sounded strange yet plausible.
“If you want -”
“Can I go with you? Inside the soul vessel?”
“- Yeah.”
Seungyub’s legacy, the soul vessel.
Elena’s soul has since exited, leaving it empty. If I put Sophia in the soul vessel, we could head to the Third Floor together.
The reply came quickly.
“I’m sorry.”
Sophia will not go to the Third Floor.
“… I figured as much.”
Once she returned to reality and gained a physical form, Sophia hadn’t particularly stuck with us. She sometimes traveled, at other times dedicated herself to being a researcher for the Administration Bureau.
Her attitude was less about being a member of the Hotel Party and more about trying to adapt to reality.
From then on, we all discerned vaguely.
Sophia intended to stay in reality.
“You guessed correctly?”
“I thought she was trying to adapt to reality.”
Not a strange choice at all. If we really think about it, with all the knowledge of the hotel’s glory and danger, we’re the odd ones wanting to head to the Third Floor.
What is the root of the compelling impulse I feel towards the Third Floor?
Do I want to see the Buddha? Do I want to know the essence of heaven? Do I want to grasp the profound secrets of the world?
Or, do I just want to step outside the aquarium?
“A little while ago, Eunsol sister held onto me for a while. She asked me to tell her about the conversation from ages ago, since she didn’t recall it as accurately.”
“I heard.”
“If I recount what I remember, it would be the story of ‘the teacup in the bowl’.”
“…”
“If the teacup is Room 207, then the bowl is reality. To the residents of reality, Room 207 may look like a false illusion….”
“There’s a table outside the bowl, and beyond the table is a room.”
“Exactly.”
“…”
“To put it differently, if the ‘Curse Room’ is a painting, then reality is the gallery where the painting hangs.”
“…”
“But, to a higher existence, the gallery itself is also a painting. The hotel is a painting within a painting.”
“I suppose.”
“When I realized this, I started thinking—worrying whether it’s the real world or a phony one is meaningless. Unless I plan to wander eternally as a drifter in space and time…”
“I should choose a suitable world and settle down?”
“… Yes. Was my answer helpful?”
“Of course.”
“I’m glad to finally offer assistance.”
By the time the conversation was wrapping up, Sophia looked at me with a somewhat regretful expression.
She had once followed me, but this time she chose to remain in reality.
This was proof that Sophia from Room 207 and Sophia now had changed in many ways.
Probably because she had gained some form of enlightenment.
I don’t think it’s a complete farewell. Even if Sophia is unaware, we could still influence reality.
“Horus, I pray for glory in your future.”
“Thanks.”
After the blonde girl departed, it was just me and one parrot left.
— Squeak!
“Why? You don’t want to go to the Third Floor either?”
— Squeeeeak!
“You can choose where you want to go, but you have to follow us no matter what!”
— Squeak! Beep!
“Are you a hero too? Because you are a hero parrot, do you get to choose?”
— Squeak!
“Yeah, yeah. Alright, Hero Parrot Pero, let’s go together!”
As I shook off the dust and got up, I pondered.
What did Pero really say? Did all the sunflower seeds drop?
Or maybe…
*
Current Location: Delight Hotel, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul
I arrived at the Delight Hotel lobby, only to find my companions already gathered.
As I waved my hand lightly, I noticed banners hanging up all around the lobby.
“What’s this?”
Miro and Seungyub giggled at the banners, and upon reading them, I couldn’t help but snicker too.
“Thank you for the long contributions of the glorious Silent One, Agent Kim Ahri.”
That seemed like the Administration Bureau’s version of a farewell.
“It’s a great sorrow that you’re heading down a long path from which you can never return.”
“… Never return?”
“The eternal farewell is indeed regrettable, but because of Agent Kim Ahri’s decision, the lands will suffer greatly.”
“‘Never return’ is said twice. What the heck’s this ‘great suffering’?!”
Songee answered with a laugh.
“What else could it be? It’s us! Especially you, bro!”
“Wow, they’re treating me like a complete disaster.”
“Agent Kim Ahri’s name is forever recorded in the ‘Hall of Fame’.”
“Hall of Fame?”
Grandpa Mooksung chuckled and explained.
“It refers to the place where the names of those who accomplished significant feats and died in the Administration Bureau are recorded.”
“So, they’re treating Ahri as if she’s already dead.”
The Administration Bureau’s willingness to send us off to the Third Floor with no chance of return felt painfully obvious now, and it made me chuckle.
“By the way, when I first came here, the staff even set off fireworks.”
“…”
“Ahri chased them all away.”
I too started to laugh as I looked at Ahri, who was slightly annoyed as she took down the banners.
“When we reach the Third Floor!”
“Hmm?”
“I’m positive we can impact reality. There’s no doubt about it.”
“I guess it is.”
That was indirectly conveyed information from the Floor Manager at the Third Floor. Everyone agreed with this interpretation, which is why even the comrades with families in reality were able to make their decisions.
“I’m really upset! After lifelong service, this is how I’m treated!”
“Haha! Well, they’re offering to put you in the Hall of Fame! Better be grateful—”
“When we get to the Third Floor, we’ll all really pay for it!”
“You’re getting kicked out because you’re saying that, aren’t you?”
“Who else would say that?!”
We spent a little time having fun like this. The blatant reaction of the Administration Bureau was amusing, yet strangely, it seemed to ease my companions’ tension a bit, so it wasn’t entirely bad.
Maybe the Administration Bureau intended this too—okay, that’s an overshot interpretation.
In the meantime, a few comrades were talking about how they explained to their families that they were going on a long business trip.
Then….
A heavy silence fell.
The pressure of ‘the Third Floor’ began to crush the hearts and souls of my companions.
— Gulp!
From all corners, I could hear people swallowing and hiccuping.
Even though they had overcome the trials of the hotel’s first two floors and reality, the unknown region called the Third Floor wasn’t easy for even these seasoned warriors.
“Let’s go.”
Jinchul was the first to get up.
“Right, we should.”
Grandpa stood up, stretching his chin, and Jinchul called the elevator.
— Ding!
Finally, the elevator arrived.
“Let’s enter.”
“… Everyone, this way.”
Eunsol’s face was slightly pale.
Now that I think about it, why does Eunsol want to go to the Third Floor?
Our previous conversation was abruptly halted by the sudden appearance of the Third Floor Manager.
Even after asking a few times, she just smiled awkwardly without giving a clear answer.
Well, everyone has their privacy, I guess. There’s no need to rush; we’ll know everything in time.
As everyone nervously stared at the elevator’s display panel, an unusual button caught our eyes.
〚3rd Floor: Heaven〛
“It’s amazing every time I see it. Heaven, huh?”
“That’s why the staff of the Administration Bureau referred to it as the ‘Heaven Floor’.”
After the renovations, an elevator button leading to the Heaven Floor had appeared. Only we could press it.
“Shall we press it?”
“Eunsol, stop dripping with cold sweat and press it. You’d think a lightning bolt would strike the moment you press it!”
“… A lightning strike would be nothing at this point.”
“Just press it, sis. It’s getting scarier by the second.”
“Sorry.”
— Click!
As the button was pushed, the moment arrived.
— Thud thud thud…
With an unbelievable tremor, the elevator shot up at insane speed!
“Ugh!”
“Ahhhhh!”
— Wheeeeeek!
— Boom!
“Hold my hand—”
“Kain~!”
“Miro, stay still!”
Before even a second passed, everyone was sprawled on the elevator floor, and immense pressure began to overwhelm us.
It felt as if we were about to lose consciousness at any moment, the pain excruciating!
Instinctively, my comrades summoned their legacies, but it was no use.
“Ugh…!”
I’d experienced something similar before! Where was it?
A sanctuary!
It felt the same pain I felt when moving to the ‘High Domain’ at the sanctuary!
The type of pain is alike, but its intensity is dozens, if not hundreds, of times stronger.
“…”
Don’t tell me we’re going to die together in this elevator?
Glancing at the crisis alert, there was at least no imminent threat of losing my life!
“Ugh…!”
Endlessly moving ‘upward’, we found ourselves beyond the elevator, an unfathomable force dragging us into an unknown realm.
The Earth had long vanished.
The Sun had shrunk smaller than a speck, and I couldn’t even tell if that tiny ‘dot’ was really the Sun.
In mere seconds, countless twinkling lights zipped past us.
Soon, I realized I was seeing innumerable planets, stars—and even ‘galaxies’.
It was dizzying!
Amidst the utmost painful sensation, I caught sight of a brilliant light shining brightly ahead.
“…?”
In the center of the white space, I could see a pale line or thread stretching across.
What on Earth is this—
Advice: 3 -> 2
“You’ve seen too much. Close your eyes and cover your ears.”
“…”
That’s when I realized my whole face was drenched in exhaustion.
Some might see me as a being half-dipped into the great domain, but for me, the current scenery felt exceptionally remote.
Yet, I couldn’t help but bear with the next question.
Advice: 2 -> 1
‘What exactly is that?’
“Everything.”
“…”
Advice: 1 -> 0
‘What should I do now?’
“Simply fall asleep. Once you awaken, help your comrades.”
Help them?
Only then did I become aware that there was no one around me.
This was my last memory.
—
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