Chapter 744 – Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’ (18)
—
– Elena
The endless legion of angels keeping popping up from who knows where.
Just as I felt there was a limit to how much Jinchul and I could handle, I sensed a presence from behind.
Finally, Kain has finished his meditation and completed his overwhelming grand spell!
Then, I saw a vision of a swirling vortex, beyond my understanding.
An indescribable sense of pressure began to weigh down on my entire body!
“Ugh!”
“Whoa! Is Kain finally getting it together? Elena, are you okay?”
“Ugh… Oh, I’m sorry for earlier—”
“Let’s get the heck out of here immediately!”
Kain had warned us before.
He said that once the power of the third sentence is released, it doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe, and we need to vacate the area instantaneously.
— Ssss…
From the far-off skies, a distant sound echoed.
At that moment, he stood at the center of the singularity, and no matter how I looked at it, he didn’t feel human at all.
Could it be that he’s a mighty magician, just one step away from the realm of the great?
Of course, that one step might be one that he can never take.
“Huh…”
Jinchul turned back with a dazed expression on his face.
A mix of fear, anticipation, and a dash of envy filled his gaze.
“This feels even more than when I used ‘Descend.’”
It had been a while since I heard the term ‘Descend.’
Back when Kain unleashed it, he really radiated an energy that made you doubt he was human.
The holy sun’s output couldn’t hold a candle to that.
Now was the moment that could compare to that.
When he used ‘Descend,’ was he stronger then?
Or is he stronger now, having manifested the third sentence?
I can’t really tell.
It seems to be beyond my judgment.
Screams began to echo down from the skies.
“Father of Dawn!”
“Aah… Aah…”
“Father, Father…! Please save me!”
The angels screamed in panic.
Just moments ago, they were nonchalantly watching their comrades get devoured alive by bugs, but now their eyes were full of fear.
No one told them, but they probably felt it in their bones.
Once caught in the singularity, there’s no resurrection, and the angels don’t have a next life.
Their souls would disappear without a trace, becoming part of the singularity.
Or perhaps, they might just be kindling for the holy sun.
— Raaaa…
An impending storm, clearly existing yet nowhere to be found, pulled the angels toward it.
“Ahhh!”
The beautiful angels just screamed like little kids, unable to fight back.
Caught in a gravitational pull they couldn’t resist, they were dragged away like insignificant creatures buffeted by a hurricane.
Jinchul, who had been frantically trying to keep his distance from me, suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong? We need to pull back further for safety—”
“…”
Jinchul pointed, shocked, at a few angels.
Only then did I realize too.
The fact that they are screaming with fear means they at least have the intelligence left to know what’s happening to them.
Those were the angels with four wings.
What about the others with two wings?
They seemed utterly devoid of any shred of intelligence.
I saw ‘Han Kain’ beyond the angels.
They were no longer independent entities.
Just pitiful puppets grasped in the hands of the great magician who reached that divine realm, nothing more.
“Ugh!”
Without realizing it, I took a step back, overwhelmed by a thought.
I thought I liked Kain, but in times like this, I felt he was so utterly different from me.
Different sexes.
A powerful magician.
Beyond that, it felt like he wasn’t even of the same kind.
It was hard to believe that he and I belonged to the same Homo sapiens.
…
On another note, it also crossed my mind.
If one day I could ascend to the next level myself…
Would I then be able to be of the same kind as Kain again?
“We should distance ourselves more! This place seems dangerous too.”
“Let’s do that.”
*
「User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 40
Current Location: Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’
Sage’s Advice: 0」
—
– Han Kain
…
…
…
My consciousness gradually grew fuzzy.
Reality began to feel vague, as if I had slipped into an endless dream.
It had been ages since I’d heard someone say this.
In dreams, we are like gods.
In other words, reality is like a dream to divine beings.
Reality feels like a dream.
Is a great one floating in this sort of suspended state of awareness?
I felt my consciousness spreading thinner and wider.
It was as if my body was swelling hundreds or thousands of times larger.
Thoughts brushed against my awareness from the depths of the void.
「When the heavens and the earth were first formed, gases gathered and the first star was born.
As they led their lives to completion, they scattered elements far and wide, becoming the parents of all things through death.
These are the progenitors of the universe.
…
This principle applies to the smaller scales too.
When a whale dies, its carcass scatters throughout the vast ocean, nourishing a million lives.
How can humans be the exception in the face of the universe’s principles?
…
What about the opposite?
Within the empty history of the universe, isn’t there a being that provides the foundation for all beings?
One that became the parent of all by dying.
The being that scattered the essence of souls from a single point to give birth to countless humans!
…
The fact that a massive mass can disperse and give rise to numerous small lives is a universal principle.
Thus, if there are humans scattered, it’s evident that there was something gathered before.」
Long ago, I had given this speech before the believers in Room 206.
At that time, I didn’t fully understand the meaning behind my speech.
After some time, I merely thought, “Oh, I was recalling the principle of soul gathering.”
But now, I can’t help but wonder why those memories from back then are resurfacing?
Just pure coincidence?
No way; absolutely not.
After gaining insight, there can be no such thing as coincidence in my thought process.
Sucking in the souls of angels has peaked my clarity to a manic degree.
Usually impossible—I can only reach this dimension during such moments.
“…”
There exists one who became the parent of many through death.
Whose scattering of soul and flesh became the seed of many.
So—
“…”
I felt a tickle.
My insight was knocking at the door of a higher realm, trying to realize something, but I couldn’t quite grasp what it was yet.
It was then that someone’s voice broke my concentration, leaving me feeling great regret.
‘… With a twisted heart, you have plunged your kin’s future into turmoil, and now you feast upon their souls…’
“Is that you, Son of Dawn?”
I could truly sense how bizarre the prisoner of Room 302 was.
The Son of Dawn genuinely believes he’s saving the poor mortals.
He harbors no malice toward humans and truly desires to create Eden and save humanity.
This was precisely how Sanghyun-hyung described the first wish, and the words being uttered now are of a similar nature.
To the Son of Dawn, I must seem like a devil!
A despicable demon trying to drag the very humanity he painstakingly saved back into despair.
‘… Do you truly have a human heart, after all?…’
Hearing that made me a bit angry.
I wanted to retort, but what could I say?
Look at the state of the angels that have been turned into pets!
Is turning people into dogs really salvation?
… No, I doubt any argument of mine would make sense.
He’d probably ask me what’s wrong after fulfilling all of humanity’s desires.
Fortunately, I’m a skilled debater.
Thanks to that, an easy comeback floated into my mind.
I’d just throw back the logic he himself devised!
“Ha! Let’s be frank. Who follows you better than I do?”
‘…’
“Isn’t it true that you said you’d establish only one rule in Eden? That I should do as I please? Well, it seems I’m doing just that, now, isn’t it?”
‘… Is this truly what you want? The act of consuming the souls of your own kin? …’
“Absolutely doing as I please. What’s the issue?”
In that moment, I felt a sense of seriousness emanating from the Son of Dawn.
It was as if he genuinely had something he wanted to ask me, rather than indulge in a verbal spar.
‘… Given your current level of power, it seems you’ve definitely regained your earliest memories…’
He understands the theme surrounding the first wish from the hotel’s third floor.
‘… Let me ask you one thing. This is a query I have sought the answer to for a long time…’
The great being, the Son of Dawn, posed a single question to me.
‘… Why were you so cruel to your kin in the ancient times? …’
As I fell silent, another sentence was tacked on.
‘… Couldn’t you, even once, love humanity? …’
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Wait, what is this atmosphere?
Am I the villain here? Isn’t he the savior trying to rescue humanity?
“…”
There was no need to respond, but hearing the question naturally revived ancient memories.
Thoughts from my past self, Aleph.
The ambitions, greed, and endless thirst that Aleph harbored flashed through my mind.
「My beginning was meager, but my end will be glorious.
I swore I wouldn’t end my life as mere vermin.
Why is it only those chosen to attain Nirvana that receive your favor?
If I cannot attain Nirvana myself…
Grant me the power to seize the destiny of someone who can!」
‘… You cannot answer. Are you saying you do not even possess the capacity to respond? …’
The Son of Dawn demands an answer.
Surely, I don’t have to respond.
But I don’t need to avoid this inquiry either.
So I answered him.
Summarizing all the thoughts of my former self into a single line.
“I wanted to be a god at least once!”
Honestly, that seems to be the gist of it?
A fleeting silence enveloped us.
I felt the Son of Dawn go speechless.
— Rumble!
*
– Elena
— Rumble!
Suddenly, an enormous sound echoed from above!
What is that? I turned back, only to see the sky literally split open and a bright light beginning to shine down on the ground.
Then, from beyond the torn sky, the guardians of Eden began to emerge.
Finally, the exalted angels boasting six wings joined the battlefield!
— Rumble!
The unending sound of thunder rumbled.
The earth shook as though someone were gripping and shaking it.
It felt like the whole world was expressing its anger!
—
Aleph’s First Wish: Chapter 632
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.