Chapter 748 – Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’ (22)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 40
Current Location: Room 302, The Cursed Room – ‘Brave New World’
Sage’s Advice: 0
—
– Han Kain
“I saw the serpent of all serpents fall from the sky like a lightning bolt.”
My body wouldn’t budge.
“Behold, He has given us the power to trample on serpents and scorpions and to overcome all the enemy’s power.”
Not even my legacy was functioning properly.
“Now, nothing will harm us.”
Seriously, this is hopeless. If I were completely clueless about this power, I could at least flail around in vain. But knowing just enough makes it worse.
It’s frustrating because I’ve used this power before.
If the person in my dream is like a god, then truly, to the great ones, even reality must feel like a dream!
The ultimate power that reaches the principles of existence.
A force that manipulates fate.
The power to impose logic through words.
The ability to narrow down boiling possibilities.
The strength to regulate a quaking reality.
…
Wait, are the avatars resisting each other? The one who created the Book of Incarnations—the unborn one—fell victim to that power from the start!
Recalling the dilemma I just thought of brings clarity.
The third sentence of the avatars’ book is the answer to the question: “How can I become a god?”
The part about “how to use that power once you’ve become a god” is something I’ll need to discover on my own.
That power is a prime example.
Not a method for becoming a god, but the power wielded by one.
This isn’t a mere fledgling’s magic.
It’s a power only granted to the great.
Without a doubt, the eight-winged angel before me wouldn’t be able to use it on its own. Just like how I could only impose my will on the world after receiving assistance from the nebula dragon, the opponent can only wield it because of the Son of Dawn.
So, is this the end?
Can I really do nothing and just call it quits? Hope that Ahri escapes on her own?
This isn’t my style.
There has to be something else I can do—
“…?”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
When I first encountered the opponent, I did feel a slight familiarity. Not multiple times, but just once, vaguely.
In sheer agony, I forced my head up and scrutinized the features of the eight-winged angel.
Soon, I realized who this opponent was.
The girl I saw in Seungyub’s dream.
Once I grasped one, the second naturally followed.
Upon recognizing the second, the third became evident.
This is the essence of insight!
Thanks to that, I realized I still have one chance left.
First, I need to endure somehow.
No matter how strong an angel is, unless they’re a great one, there must be limits to the power they can wield.
If I succeed in enduring…
Seungyub, I’ll ask for your help just this once.
*
– Kim Ahri
This was a school where no one existed except me.
At least that’s what I thought…
— Crack!
An eerie atmosphere permeated the air.
The sound of footsteps echoed, which was oddly disconcerting.
Moreover, I kept sensing a gaze on me.
Someone was watching me with hungry eyes.
“…”
Who is it? Who’s looking at me?
It felt like multiple eyes were upon me.
With my spirit rising, I started to witness an intuitive surge of something akin to sixth sense mixed with the long-buried power of blood.
Thanks to that, I could feel the gaze, but that was all.
I couldn’t tell who or where they were watching from.
I arrived at the first-floor corridor.
“Yap!”
— Rattle!
I dashed forward with a “flash!” and threw open the office door.
But inside, it was empty.
Just typical office furniture, turned-off computers, and scattered documents—nothing unusual for a school.
I skimmed through a few papers, but they were just ordinary administrative documents.
The most peculiar thing was how the school, without any maintenance for decades, was still in such pristine condition.
And so, my exploration continued.
I rummaged through the teacher’s office, opened various classrooms, even checked the bathrooms.
Nothing.
Only I and the chilling gaze watching me.
What did they see here before the end?
No, Gaine!
If you have time to jot down various thoughts in your status window, you could’ve detailed what the Brave New World holds, making it easier for us both!
Well, I guess I can make educated guesses.
Before the apocalypse, the Administration Bureau’s staff were probably responsible for maintaining this facility, so staff would’ve been roaming around.
Unlike me, who’s aimlessly wandering the school, the Gaine’s of the past likely didn’t have to waste time doing so.
They probably caught a staff member and interrogated them, gathering intel before the world went to hell.
“Hah…”
Letting out a light sigh, I leaned against the wall.
For the first time, I felt something.
An intense gaze, one that felt like it could freeze my soul, was coming from behind me.
Feeling a knot of tension rising to my throat, I turned around to see a concrete wall.
“… A wall.”
Is this really just a wall? Or could it be something else that looks like a wall?
As I cautiously touched the wall, chills ran down my spine.
I sensed an unimaginable malice lurking beyond that wall.
What should I do now?
At such times, I envy Kain’s blessing.
I wish I could consult someone whenever I had questions, too.
“…”
Don’t let myself weaken.
When was it I ever asked anyone for advice?
I am the silent one.
The head of the administration that supports the world, not a person who seeks advice, but one who gives it.
I’ll do as I judge fit!
Suddenly, a sinister crimson polyhedron glimmered ominously.
— Zzzzzzt!
In an instant, a gap large enough for me to enter was created in the thick concrete wall.
From the outside, the space beyond the wall shouldn’t be accessible for a child to walk through.
But there was a ‘vast’ area beyond.
As always, the laws of physics in this world are one of the most absurd things.
“….”
Carefully stepping beyond the wall.
And…
I discovered the realities of the strange sights I’d observed while watching Seungyub from the observatory.
It was a dark space without a single light.
Shapes squirmed in the darkness.
Sinister beings were hovering around without doing much.
Each of them, shackled to a chair, stared at me with abyssal gazes.
…
I understood many things.
This place was not a school.
It wasn’t a school, but a movie theater.
The Brave New World was a world inside a movie.
Not for people, but for the devils born from chaos.
…
The reason the great one couldn’t destroy this Brave New World was surprisingly simple.
Destroying the theater would mean the end of the film.
When the movie ends, the audience returns to the outside world.
The Son of Dawn simply didn’t wish for this.
…
It felt like an endless stretch of time.
Or maybe for the audience, it only lasted around two hours.
The length of a movie is roughly that much, after all.
I became the only actor in a film meant for the devils.
Fortunately, a film has an ending.
*
– Yu Soyeon
Silence fell over the desolate plains.
All around, the corpses of angels lay scattered, and strangely enough, instead of a foul stench, a fragrant aroma wafted.
My father’s crafted angels don’t lose their beauty even in death.
Honestly, is that a bit of an odd taste?
Anyway, the fight is over. It’s done, right?
I definitely pulverized my opponent without leaving any trace…
As I pondered this with a slight frown, I noticed something.
‘…’
“Huh? Is that really the case?”
A command was issued.
The girl I sent into the school earlier, with a glimmer of hope, was now ordered to go and kill.
“What the! Father, you just let her go earlier, why do you want her dead now—”
Realizing halfway through, I understood the truth.
In fact, Father had ordered to kill her from the start.
Check the first life of the angel’s soul, and if it’s an unblessed serpent, dispose of it immediately.
This was the destiny given to every angel with the dawn of paradise.
Father didn’t give a contradictory order.
He had always commanded to kill the serpent; I just ignored it earlier.
Man, I really can be a disobedient child, huh?
No wonder Astaire is always nagging me!
Ugh, I know that too!
“… I’m sorry!”
I often think this.
The fact that an angel like me, who doesn’t listen to orders, exists is proof that Father loves us, right?
If He had made up His mind, I wouldn’t be able to act as I do now.
So I think in a way, I’m following Father’s will.
During the moment of creation, Father declared to the world.
“Do what you desire.”
I’m just doing what I desire.
Anyway, it’d be best to follow Father’s command this time.
Let’s go to the school.
Let’s kill that girl who was honestly stunningly beautiful.
While I was about to move my body after thinking this—
— Flap!
I heard the sound of wings flapping from somewhere.
Were there a few angels still alive among the corpses? I turned my head thinking that—
A beautifully grinning boy, a young angel who had just sprouted his wings.
No, that’s not it!
He isn’t an angel; he’s a serpent of all serpents who has taken on an angel’s body.
“You, you’re still alive?”
I felt a twinge of unease even as I killed him earlier, but I never imagined he would possess such skills!
To be smashed to pieces and still survive? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?
Hmph! He’s strong, but I’m stronger.
I did win while I was intact, after all!
Though I couldn’t use the god’s power anymore, I was confident I could subdue him regardless.
So the moment I raised my hand confidently—
– Weird words reached my ears.
“Um, um, Soyeon!”
“…!”
He looked completely different, yet his tone was too familiar.
Even his slightly timid gestures and demeanor reminded me of him.
I was so shocked that my whole body froze.
“I’ve liked you for a long time! So, um—”
His lines were completely identical.
Just like watching the moment he confessed to me.
Unnameable rage began to engulf my heart.
How dare this wicked serpent belittle the precious memories I had hidden deep inside!
“You!”
In an instant, I aimed a lightning bolt powerful enough to topple mountains at him.
But the boy grinned and said.
It was dizzying how closely his current smile and actions mirrored the boy I knew.
“Why are you so angry?”
“…”
An intense warning blared.
I shouldn’t converse with him any longer.
He is the serpent of all serpents and is nothing short of a crafty devil.
Even saying a single word to him is dangerous.
Without a moment’s thought, I must strike him down with lightning and leave no trace behind!
But fifty years is a long time.
“Ah, did my manner remind you of someone?”
“W-What…?”
“How? Oh, wondering how I know ‘Seungyub’?”
“…”
“Haha! Of course! He’s my precious comrade!”
“Don’t lie.”
“Lying? Do you really think so?”
“…”
“Could it be? Am I imitating Seungyub quite well? As if I’ve met him personally.”
Even more reason to stop talking!
Gripping my trembling heart, I raised my hand.
If I use my power now, I could incinerate him at a mere gesture.
He displayed no hint of fear.
It’s as if he was assured I, too, would not refuse his words.
“I know something you don’t, too.”
“…?”
“Oh, you know? Maybe you had a hunch?”
“You—”
“At the moment of creation, the god you serve proclaimed, no serpents left alive.”
“…”
“Furthermore, perhaps He might have told you this too—there’s no such thing as goodbyes in the new world. Death is but a beginning, and severed bonds will reconnect when the time is right.”
I couldn’t deny it.
Both facts were true.
“But isn’t it strange? How much time has passed since creation? It’s been decades.”
“… 57 years.”
“Whoa! That’s quite a while. Why hasn’t Seungyub reincarnated even after 57 years?”
“…”
“What’s the reason? Don’t you have an inkling now?”
“…”
“He’s a serpent. Just like me, your father is an unclean adversary. That’s why the principles of paradise you know don’t apply normally.”
“That’s a lie—”
“Does it really seem like a lie? Don’t you have a truth-detecting ability? If not, think for yourself. Why is it Seungyub hasn’t reincarnated even after so many years? How do I know him so well?”
Sadly, I possess the ability to see the truth.
The power granted to me by my father, the last protector of paradise.
That power whispers to me.
Saying that the serpent among serpents tells the truth.
Sometimes, the truth can be the most horrifying law.
As I wavered in a dizzy spell, the serpent among serpents changed his tone and whispered.
“If you don’t believe me, Angel. Why not ask directly to your god?”
I prayed earnestly.
Hoping that the serpent’s words were false, that my father might easily disprove this cunning whisperer!
.
..
…
An answer did not come back.
I could do nothing but look up at the sky, feeling dizzy.
“W-What… What do I do…!”
In the heavens above, my father remained silent.
On the other hand, the devil crawling on the ground was far too kind.
“I don’t know what the Son of Dawn commanded you, but there’s one thing I can definitely tell you. If you follow his will, your love will never return.”
“W-What should I do! What am I supposed to—”
“Do you need to think about it? Isn’t there one rule your god always emphasized?”
The serpent among serpents spoke.
The very injunction that we all know too well.
“Do what you desire.”
I could barely grasp what to do.
So, I did nothing at all.
.
..
…
— Koooom!
A thunderous sound shook the heavens.
As if everything we had achieved until now was returning to nothing!
Feeling a nameless fear rise in me, I looked ahead—to find the serpent among serpents gazing at the sky.
In a sense, he looked rather impressed.
“Impressive! I thought you might forcibly seize the angel’s ego! Haha, couldn’t it have been that easy?”
“What… are you saying—”
I couldn’t comprehend his next words.
I could sense for the first time that something more than mere scorn mixed into the serpent’s voice was respect or awe.
“You should do what you desire.”
“What?”
“Your father has resolved to uphold his principles until the end. Instead of breaking his beliefs and ideals, he chose to play another round with us.”
“What does that mean—”
“That choice proves his greatness. Therefore, I gladly accept to play another round with you.”
— Koooom!
The sound of the world crumbling reached my ears.
In that final moment, I was neither the eight-winged angel nor the last guardian of paradise.
I was a foolish, weak angel who couldn’t protect paradise, swayed by personal emotion.
“Ah… Father… I’m sorry. I was wrong. I… I—”
‘… Wipe your tears…’
“Father?”
‘… I’ve given you freedom, so you have nothing to feel sorry for. Why would the innocent shed tears?…’
I felt Father’s love.
However, his next words were beyond my comprehension.
‘… Next time, you won’t even have the chance to make a mistake…’
— Koooom!
The world collapses.
All things return to emptiness, and the beginning starts anew.
*
“You have escaped!”
*
– Park Seungyub
.
..
…
“Ugh!”
Ding~ I woke up with a headache!
Shaking my head, I looked around to see the now-familiar landscape of the third floor.
“Success in escaping again!”
Ha-ha! This is it!
I believed in my bro and my sis, you know?
Well, I didn’t realize at first how my initial wish would turn against me…
But hey! To be honest, hasn’t it happened to me a few times that I died without accomplishing anything?
After all, I’m not the main dealer of our team.
And with that cheerful laughter rising, as I stood up—
“Haha, Kain bro. This time you—whoa?”
I realized that Kain was staring at me intensely.
“Bro?”
“…”
“Bro? What’s wrong?”
Kain’s next words took me by surprise.
“… You’re amazing.”
“Huh?”
“From now on until we re-enter, I’ll call you bro.”
“Huh? Huh?”
“Ah, is this really the legendary alpha male I’ve heard of? A charm irresistible even to winged angels!”
Huh???
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