Chapter 696 – The Second Escape, The Hotel’s Telepath (3)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 17
Current Location: Floor 1, Lobby
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
– Han Kain
Thanks to the hotel claiming that repairs were needed on the 3rd floor, we got a day off.
Aside from the meeting time, my comrades are scattered, enjoying their free time here and there.
While I was sitting alone at the snack table, mulling over various thoughts, someone plopped down in front of me.
— Thump!
“Good morning!”
It was Eunsol.
Without wasting any time, she jumped straight into the main topic.
“Yesterday, after hearing you, I couldn’t stop thinking all night.”
“Thinking?”
“About Mother.”
Eunsol’s “Mother,” the King of Is.
The one who caused a unique incident by breaking into the hotel—
And the one who is also indirectly responsible for today’s break.
Is it weird to say I’m somewhat thankful?
“I’ve mulled over your explanation multiple times, but I can’t understand how Mother acted.”
Right off the bat, this is a tough question.
When it comes to the King of Is and the secrets tied to the Celestial Floor or Heaven, I know far less than I’d like.
“Well, I’m not sure either…”
“I know. I came to share opinions. So, Mother’s goal was to save the Is race, right?”
“Something like that.”
“The Buddha—well, I should add that ‘Lord’ to it—the Great Buddha claims to save all beings but has excluded the Is race from salvation.”
“That’s what the King said.”
“This part is easy to understand. Imagine if suddenly a Christian angel named Michael appeared and declared, ‘Your kids are going to Hell!’ You’d be shocked, right?”
“Yeah, that’s a fair point.”
Seriously, if an angel popped up and said, “Your kids are bound for Hell,” I’d be totally freaked out…
“But after visiting the Celestial Floor, it turned out that was just Mother’s misunderstanding, right?”
“Probably…”
“What do you mean probably? Didn’t Mother say it clearly? That all were saved, past, present, and future.”
“That’s true.”
“Kain, what exactly was Mother mistaken about?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure—”
I’m deliberately avoiding conclusive statements about that event.
If I define things when we’re both uncertain, it could narrow our thought process.
But it looks like Eunsol didn’t feel that way.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re wrong; just say whatever you think. You were there and know more, right?”
Is it right for me to relay information I’m unsure about?
That alone raised doubts, but seeing Eunsol’s sincere expression left me with no alternative.
I took a pen that writes anywhere and made a small line on the table.
“This is the area the King understood. He read destiny and laid out a plan within this line. Inside this category, he’s aware that the Is race couldn’t be saved, which plunged him into despair.”
Next, I drew a long line connecting to the previous small one.
“At the very last moment, I think he grasped a much larger flow. Within that truly massive current…”
Eunsol’s eyes widened as she murmured.
“In that much larger flow, does the Is race get saved too?”
“I perceive it that way. But Eunsol, let me emphasize—”
“Don’t believe half-heartedly just because you’re unsure?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm… I get that, but I still don’t know about the next step.”
“The next step?”
“According to you, shouldn’t Mother feel the utmost joy at that last moment?”
“….”
“After all that time mourning for why her kids were abandoned, it turns out they weren’t!”
“That’s right.”
“So shouldn’t she be happy?”
The King’s demeanor back then didn’t exhibit any happiness whatsoever.
There may have been a slight hint of joy or relief, but overall, a much heavier mix of despair, lament, and emptiness felt far more pronounced.
“Honestly, that part baffles me.”
“Hmm… So, I think after seeing Heaven, Mother felt two major revelations.”
Then Eunsol hurriedly scrawled her thoughts on the whiteboard.
1. Hope: Realization that the Is race will eventually be saved.
2. Despair: Still uncertain about this one.
“She understood these two facts, and it seems the second one weighed even heavier, right?”
“… Eunsol.”
“Yeah?”
I felt the necessity to cut this flow of conversation.
My insight has been showing me a ‘horrifying possibility’ regarding Eunsol for a while now.
“You don’t need to humanize the King’s intentions.”
“….”
“Did the King treat you like a beloved daughter? If you feel that way, it’s trickery and deception.”
“….”
“The King of Is isn’t something to empathize with. He isn’t weak enough to receive human sympathy. The King is…”
“A target for conquest, not a being to empathize with.”
“….”
“Do you think I keep trying to understand Mother?”
“A little, yeah.”
“… You’re right. I’ve been thinking there must be some profound and incredible reason behind all this.”
“There definitely was a profound reason. But we don’t have to agree with it.”
As Eunsol sighed and attempted to stand, I gently spoke up.
“You might have a faint idea already, but the King’s grand design is—”
“Me.”
“I believe you should hate the King of Is.”
“….”
“Sometimes, the only thing that can stop evil is even greater evil. So—”
Then, all at once, Eunsol’s eyes widened as she brought up something strange.
“… That’s why a being who weeps for all creation must also harbor greed in Heaven.”
“What?”
“It gives me goosebumps…”
“Huh?”
“There are times when talking to you can really give me chills, but this time it’s real…”
Eunsol left with her mouth half-open as if she was thinking, ‘This guy is really kind of scary…’
I couldn’t grasp why she reacted that way.
*
“Hyung!”
The next person who appeared was Seungyub.
“Hmm? Got something to say?”
“Haha! Hyung, we’re not those types who only talk when we have something significant to say!”
“Your face is practically screaming, ‘I’m in a huge dilemma!’”
“I-I am?”
Unlike Ahri or Elena, Seungyub isn’t one to hide his feelings or act.
Even with enough experience at the hotel, his nature seems innate.
“Well, um, I talked with Songyi earlier.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She said she’s definitely going to save her parents in the next round. To ensure a happy ending, she needs to protect her parents…”
“Yeah, I caught that too.”
Songyi announced her determination to protect her parents during the third attempt.
Everyone readily agreed with her, but I felt a peculiar sense of fascination, separate from supporting her.
I never thought Songyi would develop such an attachment to a normal family.
Thinking back to the ‘Imperial Idol’ she previously was makes it even funnier.
In reality, she treated ordinary humans like NPCs, didn’t she?
It seems to boil down to the difference between ‘real family’ and ‘fake family’…
Just as I was trying to mentally flesh out philosophical questions about the real and the fake, Seungyub interrupted with his next words.
“Uh, so, can I see my parents too?”
“Somewhere on the 3rd floor, there should be a room related to your wish. They’ll likely be there—”
“No, not my parents from the previous rounds! I want to see my mom and dad who are currently in reality!”
Unlike Songyi, Seungyub regarded his dream-created parents as his true ones.
I felt the stark differences in perspectives among my comrades.
“You remember, right? When we first came to the third floor, the manager said we could see our family?”
“…You’re recalling that pretty conveniently, aren’t you?”
Before climbing to the 3rd floor, various comrades worried about the families they would be leaving behind.
Some mentioned parents, some spouses and children, and others spoke of children and grandchildren.
When I inquired about this matter, the 3rd floor’s manager had replied,
“It’s a good question. What is the relationship between the upper world and the lower world? Water flows down from above, not up. Since that’s how the relationship goes, your worries are indeed futile.”
We interpreted that to mean descendants affect reality, but reality can’t influence descendants.
Considering where we are now, that interpretation is somewhat correct.
“When the time comes, you’ll be able to see your family from a distance through a telescope.”
“Just watching from afar is inadequate—”
“More than that is likely possible. Perhaps…”
“Perhaps?”
Then, I realized that Seungyub’s face was brimming with hope.
I felt that he was waiting for me to give him a specific answer.
‘The telescope will send you to your family in reality.’
‘You’ll get to brag about how cool you’ve become to your parents and maybe even introduce your girlfriend.’
‘If your parents are going through difficulties, you could solve them in an instant.’
“….”
Words halted on my tongue.
I wasn’t sure if such things would ever be possible through a telescope.
There are profound principles in the world that can’t be simply described, and a telescope falls into that category.
In countless attempts, what I saw through the telescope were only hazy illusions beyond comprehension.
While in silence, Seungyub’s expression slowly darkened.
My heart twisted seeing that unfolding in front of me.
“I’ll tell you when I can speak more accurately.”
“Sure!”
The boy who missed his parents smiled brightly.
But Seungyub’s acting skills, as always, were subpar.
Naturally, the power of insight saw through his feeble performance in one glance.
Then the voice of truth rang in my ear like an echo.
‘No, no way! The manager couldn’t have lied, right? Nah… That can’t be the case. Kain hyung is probably hiding something!’
“….”
What was the right approach in a situation like this?
Should I have framed my words around positively accepted possibilities based on what Seungyub hoped to hear?
But what if I was wrong?
If he grew overly hopeful, the disappointment might hit twice as hard.
Alternatively, should I communicate the negative possibilities: that what he desires might be impossible?
But that could lead Seungyub into a disheartened spiral, causing him to act strangely in the next room.
It’s a tough call.
Sometimes, addressing the human heart proves more challenging than deciphering the hidden mysteries of a cursed room.
In this moment, I chose to stay mostly silent, and my comrades became gradually accustomed to my secretive demeanor.
Could that have been due to my own frustration?
Feeling somewhat lost, I resorted to using advice for a change, like confiding in someone after a long time.
“Advisory Level: 3 -> 2”
‘What kind of response would have been better in this situation?’
“Don’t contemplate the answers others desire; share what you wish to respond with and steer the situation.”
I thought that was quite an owl-like response.
If you asked me if it helped, I’d say it was just another perspective to ponder.
“Hyung, I’m going to head out now!”
Seungyub returned with a bright smile as if everything was fine.
Unlike earlier when he pretended to be serene, he genuinely seemed to have broken free from his negative mind state now.
As I watched him briskly walk away, I felt an old vision brush through my mind.
A boy, beaming with joy, holding hands and giggling with Yumi.
“…”
In the past, I struggled to distinguish between insight and prophecy.
I felt the visions I saw were rooted in Seungyub’s fate.
At some point, I naturally realized.
Insight isn’t prophecy, and I’m no prophet.
Thus, those illusions should not be interpreted as Seungyub’s fate.
It represents that Seungyub still loves Yumi and holds a steadfast desire to meet her again.
The fact he recalled her at least several times while chatting with me is telling.
From here, it’s possible to make conjectures.
Seungyub approached me with great hopes regarding the telescope.
Yet, I failed to provide him with an answer that matched those expectations.
As a result, it seemed he was momentarily engulfed by despair: ‘Why did I come to the hotel?’
However, he was already at the 3rd floor, so what significance does regretting hold?
Seungyub would soon find a logic to persuade himself.
He’d likely hope that through the mysterious miracles of the 3rd floor, he could realize a true love with Yumi!
Seungyub would repeat such thoughts, regaining his positive mindset about the ‘reason why he came to the 3rd floor.’
…
Insight revealed this entire journey before granting me Seungyub’s ‘vision of reuniting with Yumi.’
Such a challenging capability.
Moreover, it was an incredibly formidable one, almost too unbelievable.
*
Soon enough, the next visitor appeared at our table.
“Chilling Kain, hello!”
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