CHAPTER 320: RE-ENTERING ROOM 203

0%

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 138

Current Location: Floor 1, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 3

– Han Kain

Early in the morning, as soon as I woke up and came out of Room 105, I recalled last night’s events.

If the being summoned by Miro’s watch died, we also died. Last night, another me discovered this information and conveyed it to me.

I understand up to this point.

The strange part was what came next. The guy who was conversing normally suddenly said, “Remember. You must not meet me,” and stopped communicating!

What on earth happened? Why did he make me curious but not explain the reason? We didn’t even meet in the first place, right?

Various possibilities came to mind.

Perhaps Miro could detect conversations between the summoned being and the original body? Did the watch have such a function? Once I started thinking that Miro had already hidden one function, suspicions kept piling up.

Or did we die the moment we met? There were urban legends about doppelgangers with such content. But if it was such a danger, why didn’t he tell me?

Just as I was starting to get a headache, people gathered, and after a brief breakfast, the meeting began.

“If Miro doesn’t say this fact tomorrow morning, be wary of her.”

Because of this phrase I saw yesterday, I watched Miro intently, but fortunately, as soon as the meeting started, Miro raised her hand and informed everyone.

“So everyone, be careful! Just because I summoned you doesn’t mean you should suddenly charge at the enemy.”

Jinchul-hyung’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s really surprising information? Didn’t you know this information yesterday?”

“Yes... I didn’t know because a lot of complicated explanations came in when I got the watch. I realized it when I was alone in my room.”

“Well, the Time Borrower is a very complex Inheritance.”

That seemed like a lie, but the others didn’t seem to be particularly suspicious.

Anyway, she was telling us herself, and the Time Borrower was actually an extremely complex Inheritance, so even the user might not have understood it immediately.

The fact that Miro’s behavior was sometimes that of an elementary schooler rather than a middle schooler was probably another reason.

Noona naturally changed the topic of the meeting, “Okay! You understand the characteristics of the Time Borrower well, right? Now let’s talk about the next room. We gathered early in the morning because we have to go to the Cursed Room later.”

“Which room would be good?”

At the doctor’s question, Noona looked around at everyone slightly and said, “Shouldn’t it be Room 203 now? We passed on it before because it was too hard and difficult, but...”

We were quite different now compared to then. It had only been a week in terms of days, but a week in the Hotel was enough time for seven creations of heaven and earth.

If we considered it seriously, the recovery of our Blessings was a big factor. We now roughly knew what Seungyub’s The First Human ability was, which gave him the most trouble at that time. My Scenario Comprehension could be active again as well.

Miro’s joining was also quite significant. Miro’s Time Borrower would be of great help in breaking through the difficulties of Room 203, where “gathering” itself was extremely difficult.

And...

Noona directly mentioned the thought that crossed everyone’s mind.

“Let me just say it honestly. Should we try killing the summoned Ahri from Miro’s Time Borrower?”

Ahri said while yawning, “It’s possible~ Kill me painlessly if you do it please~. By the way, you know I don’t die easily even if my limbs are cut off, right? The head, go—for—the—head.”

Seeing my “companions” researching how to kill each other and Ahri telling us how to kill her before even starting the Cursed Room, I suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

Miro adapted to this insane atmosphere better than expected.

“Then should I hit Ahri’s head with a hammer as soon as I call her? Like this?”

I didn’t know where she got it from, but seeing Miro tapping Ahri’s head with a small hand hammer, even Ahri was momentarily at a loss for words.

“...Miro. To be serious, just explain the situation to me. I know all about this situation, anyway. If you explain, I’ll commit suicide.”

“Okay.”

“...Put away the hammer.”

“Wait a moment!”

I intervened, as it felt like they were smoothly deciding on a direction to kill Ahri, “It seems everyone has forgotten, but ‘seals’ were made to be broken, not to annihilate, right? It’s strange that in Room 203, the sealed Ahri is fighting us like an Adversary...”

Noona nodded too, “That’s true. Clearly, if we restore Ahri’s mind in that situation, a lot of information to solve the room would pop out.”

At this point, everyone fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. In that gap, I briefly recalled the situation of Room 203.

The primordial prehistoric era, the traces of a collapsed civilization remaining beyond the mountain range, and Ahri rampaging madly.

In the sky, there was an unidentified whale-like being, and that being created abundance just by floating in the sky.

Although we still didn’t know why, following the whale’s shadow was the escape.

...I wasn’t sure about anything. I couldn’t get a sense of what exactly was going on in Room 203.

I recalled what I heard from the owl after coming out of Room 203. Didn’t it say not to stick to failed choices and to focus on choices that yielded results?

“Should we all try following the whale’s shadow this time? I think the Advice was to try that.”

Ahri offered a slightly different view, “The owl did advise that, but was that necessarily meant for everyone to follow?”

“What do you mean?”

“How about half of us follow the whale to secure escape and the rest try to break my seal?”

“Hmm...”

Everyone had trouble coming to a conclusion.

I thought about using Advice to ask once more, but gave up. We had to enter the Cursed Room again today, and it would only make me feel uneasy to use it before even entering, plus there was so little information that it was ambiguous what to ask.

At that moment, a strange sound was heard.

– Zzzzt!

“What’s that sudden sound?”

“That! That! The Hotel TV turned on!”

“Huh?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the display hanging on the wall.

Suddenly, a video of a woman in mourning clothes crawling out of a well started playing on the screen. As she slowly approached the screen and reached out her hand—

– Bang!

“Ah, those damn things, really!”

Grandpa shot the screen in irritation. Hyung hit his forehead.

“It looks like they’re telling us to enter quickly! This is ridiculous.”

In the end, the meeting wrapped up quickly. Realistically, there wasn’t much more to say, even if we kept talking.

In a prehistoric era where we were scattered across various continents leading primitive people, could we really follow a pre-made plan?

There were too many variables, so in the end, the weight of each person’s impromptu judgment would inevitably increase.

“Then finallyyy! I’ll borrow some time. Hotel~! You know you have to wait for this, right~?”

Miro borrowed my and Ahri’s time with the Time Borrower.

An hour later, when I came to my senses, the surroundings were a mess. Ahri and I’s expressions hardened simultaneously as we discovered the corpses of three monster monkeys we had seen on the first day of the Hotel scattered here and there.

“...What on earth is this?”

“Stop talking and let’s go in quickly. We waited because we didn’t know what would happen if we entered the Cursed Room while you were gone, and in that time those monkey bastards came out again.”

– Click!

***

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 138

Current Location: Floor 2, Room 203 – Cursed Room ‘New Beginning’

Sage’s Advice: 3

– Han Kain

“...”

My body wouldn’t move. My vision was blurry and I couldn’t hear well either.

What is this? Full body paralysis and sensory deprivation? Am I sealed? That can’t be, right?

What on earth—

– Hiss!

Along with the strange sound of a gas valve opening, a hot sensation began to envelop my entire body.

At first, as my sense of touch awakened, I realized my body was trapped in a very narrow place, and then my sight and hearing recovered normally.

I heard the sound of something opening and saw a human-like figure outside. Finally, as my body started to move sluggishly, “Ahri” approached.

What? Wasn’t Ahri supposed to be sealed?

Just as I was about to ask what was going on—

Advice: 3 → 2

Keep your mouth shut and observe the situation.

“Mr. Han Kain, have you regained consciousness?”

“...”

“Mr. Han Kain?”

“...”

“Hmm... It seems you’re having difficulty understanding the situation. Don’t worry. This sometimes happens when waking up from a long cryosleep.”

The being in front of me isn’t Ahri. It’s “something” borrowing Ahri’s body!

The other party seemed to think there was some problem with my memory.

Carefully using that, I asked, “Who... are you?”

The being borrowing Ahri’s body smiled brightly and said, “Oh, ho! You’ve forgotten even that? I’m the main AI of the ‘Pride of Humanity’ ship. Please call me ‘Pride’.”

Pride?

“Mr. Han Kain, let’s move for now. As we walk through the spaceship, your memories will likely return. And there’s a reason I woke you up.”

Wasn’t Room 203’s background the prehistoric era? But suddenly what’s this ‘Pride of Humanity’ ship? Main AI of a spaceship? Suddenly it’s sci-fi?

Holding onto my confused mind, I followed “Pride” and asked, “...What’s the reason you woke me up?”

“There’s a problem with Adravita. I’m not sure if you remember this part, but you and Ms. Yu Songee were in charge of communicating with Adravita.”

What’s Adravita now?

...I thought as I walked down the pure white corridor.

First, the scenario had changed. This happened once in Room 102, the Mansion of Fear. Looking back, the situation was similar. In Room 102, the scenario changed after Ahri and Grandpa joined after the first attempt.

Is it because Miro joined this time? But why? It’s not like Miro is particularly a character inside the scenario?

Second, a being called “Pride” was occupying Ahri’s body. From the circumstances, it seemed to be the Adversary we fought in the first attempt, but now it didn’t seem to be an antagonistic relationship.

Then was this now a distant past from the point of the first attempt? Were the things similar to the Protective Suit that Seungyub saw perhaps spacesuits that were on this spaceship?

Third, where were my other companions? Were they all in cryosleep? How do I wake them up? Would the AI wake them up if I asked?

In confusion, I opened Scenario Comprehension—

Suddenly, “Pride” turned around and asked, “You seem to be looking at empty space for a while now, do you see something strange?”

I felt it intuitively. No. It wasn’t just a simple feeling. Just earlier, when I carelessly tried to speak to the other party as if they were “Ahri”, Advice activated immediately, right?

Life Warning always activated only when my life was in danger. Therefore, “Pride” was a dangerous being.

“I don’t understand what you mean by that. I was just thinking?”

“Is that so? I’m sorry. Actually, Adravita has been trying to contaminate the spaceship for a few days now.”

“...Contaminate?”

“I was worried that Mr. Han Kain might have been ‘contaminated’ too.”

“...”

– Click!

Pride grabbed the doorknob of a huge room and turned around again.

“Mr. Han Kain, please. As you know, this one refuses to communicate with me. And please activate your mental protection to the maximum.”

“What should I do?”

“I’ll go in with you, so please relay what I say.”

As I hurriedly surrounded my entire field of vision with the filter of the Status Window, the door opened.

Beyond that—I saw a “giant eye”.