Chapter 828
Chapter 828 – First Escape, Meeting (1)
「User: Han Gain (Wisdom)」
Date: Day 0
Current Location: Level 3, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 3」
— Han Gain
The first attempt from Room 303 ended in escape.
Since it’s happened only once that the first attempt directly led to a solution, I had no particular complaints about the result of the escape.
It’s just that I feel a bit regretful for not achieving the goal I set at the start.
Ari and Grandfather both failed to realize their First Wish.
By the way, the Benefactor reset the Status Window date to day 0.
It seems to be due to the time distortion caused by the Parinirvana Train.
“… A slightly disappointing result.”
Everyone was seated around the tea table.
Ari, who had a similar thought, murmured in a low voice.
“I didn’t realize my First Wish either, nor did Mook-seong.”
Grandfather sighed and responded.
“Haah… it’s not just that we didn’t realize it. We couldn’t even recall anything akin to a memory.”
Confirmed through Lee Eun-sol, Yusong, Park Seung-yeop, and Kim Sang-hyun.
It’s rare for participants to suddenly recall their First Wish in an instant.
Most often, they gradually remember it like an illusion of past memories.
“They couldn’t even recall anything resembling a memory. Sang-hyun, you saw illusions here and there while recalling your memories, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I had none of that…”
“Mook-seong, don’t be too disheartened. I’m the same.”
“Ari, is that your way of comforting me now?”
“…”
“In the first place, why did I die? It ended so suddenly that I don’t even know what happened?”
Grandfather, who doesn’t even know why he died.
Ari shrugged her shoulders and answered.
“I got off the train.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It’s not incorrect.
Just that a lot of the mid-content is incredibly omitted.
— Thud!
Older Sister Eunsol knocked on the table and said.
“Gain, could you organize the situation for us?”
This kind of role is usually handled by Older Sister Eunsol, but this time it seems it’s up to me.
I was the one who observed the most, and I was also the one who experienced the core of the post-apocalyptic world.
“Yes. First, let’s divide the story by topic.”
The severe issue with Room 303.
The information is excessive, and the scenario structure is convoluted.
“By topic?”
“Let’s start by organizing the information related to Grandfather.”
When Grandfather, who had been staring blankly, heard his name, he sat up.
“Me first? Sounds good.”
“I’ll skip over things we all know. Let’s summarize focusing on special information.”
“Sounds good.”
“First, Kim Mook-seong’s father-in-law, Ha Jin-seong, is not a person from the 21st century. He is a pre-modern person who arrived in the 1950s via the Parinirvana Train. Also, Ha Jin-seong was murdered.”
I deliberately used the name instead of saying ‘Grandfather’ because it contains the provocative detail of family murder, and I hoped everyone would approach it analytically without their emotions.
“Secondly, Kim Mook-seong’s wife, Ha Su-yeon, also boarded the Parinirvana Train to survive. According to her claim, the person who killed Ha Jin-seong targeted Ha Su-yeon as well.”
A story of both the father-in-law and wife having experienced time travel through the Parinirvana Train.
“Thirdly, Kim Mook-seong’s son, Kim Su-ho, was consumed by madness. He claims that Kim Mook-seong murdered Ha Jin-seong and Ha Su-yeon and is even trying to kill him.”
Perhaps recalling Kim Su-ho’s mad words?
Grandfather’s expression turned exceedingly dark.
Sang-hyun, seeing that expression, cautiously added a remark.
“Let’s append a note after the third point. According to Branch Manager Park Hyun-min, who cross-verified, Kim Su-ho’s claims do not make sense within common reasoning.”
“Let’s do that.”
I acknowledged the response, but secretly thought.
Is there anything in this world as meaningless as the word ‘common sense’?
Once you start questioning common sense, even the time-traveling train doesn’t make sense.
“Finally, the fourth point.”
“Is there more?”
Looking at Grandfather, who sighed, I mentioned the ‘most critical point’ that I had recently learned.
“It seems that Kim Mook-seong has also boarded the Parinirvana Train.”
“….”
“Eldist knew Kim Mook-seong’s voice and manner of speaking.”
When I explained this far, a glimmer caught the corner of my eye.
————————————
[Kim Mook-seong]
1. Both the father-in-law and wife were passengers of the Parinirvana Train.
2. According to his son’s claim, the person who killed the father-in-law and wife was Kim Mook-seong.
– Of course, it’s a claim that deviates from common sense.
3. Kim Mook-seong has met the Eldist.
————————————
“Next is the Parinirvana Train. First, the Parinirvana Train originally allows for both time travel and loop movement. However, it seems that loop movement is currently impossible.”
Older Sister Eunsol nodded in agreement.
“You mentioned it was broken. While coming here, I heard from Ari about the Eldist; that guy might be the cause, right?”
“Perhaps… But I’m not sure enough to be certain.”
“That’s true.”
“Secondly, the train makes passengers do strange things to repair itself.”
Ha Jin-seong’s tale he shared with Ha Su-yeon.
In his youth, he boarded the train and had a bizarre experience.
Getting off at various stations, doing strange actions, and repeatedly boarding again—a bizarre adventure.
Toward the end of his journey, an employee said to Ha Jin-seong.
‘Thanks to you, the train repairs have progressed to some extent. You’ve worked hard, so I should repay you. We’ll drop you off at the station you desire. Also, I’ll give you a ticket to board again whenever you wish.’
Ari supplemented with an explanation.
“According to Aleph’s explanation.”
At this point, some of the colleagues flinched and looked at me.
“The bizarre acts that Ha Jin-seong claimed involve using the butterfly effect.”
“The butterfly effect?”
“Let me give an example. Ha Jin-seong threw a banana peel on the road. It caused a traffic accident, and the motorcycle driver died. The motorcycle driver had a son who was academically gifted and could get into college. But after his father’s death, he couldn’t afford tuition. However, it turned out the son’s original fate was to meet a priest of the Evil God at college and become a church leader in the future.”
At this point, Older Sister Eunsol had a blank expression.
“So… Ha Jin-seong threw a banana peel which caused the church that serves the Death God to cease to exist?”
“Something like that.”
“Does this even make sense?”
“The Management Bureau could never pull off such a stunt. It’s a task only a Great Being could handle. Hence, I believe the Parinirvana Train is a prisoner of Room 303.”
The Parinirvana Train is the prisoner of Room 303.
This part is Ari’s claim, and it is not confirmed information.
However, it sounded quite persuasive.
“Third, the Parinirvana Train is deeply related to the first civilization.”
As if waiting for this, Ari moved towards the whiteboard.
The Parinirvana Train is the first hope.
It is the dream of ancestors longing for liberation from endless pain.
Though the outcome was a catastrophic failure, the meaning was truly sublime.
Those who brought destruction by ruining the train headed for Paradise.
Cursed be the sinners with eternal damnation.
Ah… Great and Compassionate One, why were we born so early?
May the next life begin in Paradise.
“Everyone, read this once. It’s a fascinating story in many ways.”
After a bit of time passed, Jin-cheol murmured with a look of disbelief.
“First hope? It seems vaguely familiar yet unclear.”
Ari nodded and replied.
“It’s a tale that came from the reality outside the hotel. All arks are degraded replicas of the original created first.”
“Hmm…”
“Well, I don’t know more than that.”
Hearing Ari’s words, who also admitted to not knowing more, I involuntarily flinched.
I, after all, know far more than Ari.
Due to the story concerning the first Ark.
I gained various knowledge through amalgamation with Aleph in reality, but I kept most of it hidden from my companions.
It’s quite amusing, as the only person among them who knows about the first Ark is Aedia from outside the hotel.
“Gain.”
Why did I hide it?
Confessing to myself, there was no malice intended.
I merely thought that issues related to the Ark wouldn’t arise again.
Now it’s a settled problem.
There’s nothing helpful to learn, just information that evokes ominous and horrific imaginations.
Since I thought like this, I didn’t bother to inform anyone.
What if issues regarding the first Ark resurface?
“Gain? Is there nothing more?”
————————————
[Han Gain]
1. Sometimes gets lost in her own world, creating discomfort among her companions.
2. Seems to have received a blessing wrongly. Secrets fit her better.
————————————
“Ugh!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
While escaping, the Unfathomable Liberation notebook was restored, and now there’s this uproar.
“Cough! Fourth, staying in the train for too long distorts memory and ego. That’s why most gardeners were mentally shattered.”
————————————
[Parinirvana Train]
1. The train currently needs repairs and loop movements are impossible.
2. Uses passengers for repairs.
– Considering the looping capability and the way it processes events using passengers, the train must be a Great Being or at least comparable to one.
3. The train is related to the first civilization.
4. Prolonged stay in the train leads to mental degradation.
————————————
“Next, gardeners. First, confirmed information suggests that gardeners are the most direct cause of the apocalypse.”
Let’s skip background and focus on the core.
Which forces threaten the humanity of Room 303 most directly?
It’s the gardeners.
Older Sister sighed and murmured.
“In a sense, they are quite remarkable beings. To bring about an apocalypse with ordinary human bodies… It’s not something just anyone can do.”
“Second, gardeners are more like a coalition of representatives sent by the Management Bureau to the train.”
Grandfather asked for confirmation.
“Did Ari interpret the code they used?”
“Yes. That’s information gleaned from that process.”
“Hmm…”
“Third, gardeners judge humanity to be polluted. This is why they borrowed the power of the Parinirvana Train to annihilate humanity.”
“Oh dear! What powerful beings they are.”
“The gardeners’ force isn’t particularly formidable. In other words, they probably believed they couldn’t purify the world by their own power.”
“So, they had no choice but to borrow the train’s power… is that it?”
“That’s how they see it.”
————————————
[Gardener]
1. The gardeners are the direct cause of the apocalypse.
2. They are a coalition of representatives dispatched from a similar Management Bureau across various loops.
3. They believe humanity has been polluted and attempt purification through the Parinirvana Train.
————————————
“So, what does pollution mean?”
“I still don’t know. However, I have encountered an entity that is suspected to be the cause of pollution.”
The gardeners claim humanity is polluted.
Then what entity has corrupted humanity?
“The Eldist…”
“Surely that guy. First, according to the gardeners’ assertion, the Eldist is the source of pollution.”
“…”
“Secondly, the Eldist was beyond the Veil. Here, the Veil refers to the wall between loops.”
“In other words, the Eldist belongs to a loop preceding Room 303.”
“Indeed. And third…”
At this point, my speech was momentarily halted.
It felt difficult to articulate specifics about the Eldist.
“… the Eldist is perfect.”
“What?”
Incredibly, some of the companions wore expressions questioning what I meant.
“He is perfect. There’s no stain, no flaw, and there are no gaps from cradle to grave.”
The Maze muttered with a dazed expression.
“What does that even mean?”
“Let’s just say he’s incredibly strong.”
Further explanations are tough.
The ‘perfection’ of the Eldist is a concept hard for anyone except myself, who experienced it temporarily, to understand.
“Lastly, the fourth. The royal descendants of the first civilization can defeat the Eldist. The gardeners say that only the oldest voice can stop the Eldist.”
————————————
[Eldist]
1. The being that corrupted the humanity of Room 303 is the Eldist.
2. The Eldist is a being from a previous loop.
3. The Eldist is a flawless being.
— Specifically, what does this mean? This expression doesn’t resonate with me either.
4. The royal descendants of the first civilization can defeat the Eldist.
————————————
“At this point, it seems that most of the information gained from the first attempt has been sorted out. Does everyone feel something?”
By the time the explanation finished, I naturally realized something.
All that reflected in my companions’ eyes were merely question marks.
Yusong muttered in a half-dazed voice.
“… It feels incredibly difficult.”
The Maze had started looking at the ceiling, seemingly having given up on understanding.
Older Sister Eunsol cautiously murmured.
“Well, we didn’t uncover little.”
“…”
“We gathered an immense amount of information. However, it feels like there are connections missing.”
“Exactly.”
At that moment, Sang-hyun cautiously spoke.
“Tomorrow, don’t we need to go to the Cursed Room?”
“That’s right.”
“Let’s consider what Ari and Mook-seong should do.”
Ari immediately replied.
“There’s one thing that’s clear on my side. We must not get off.”
“I’m relieved to at least have that certainty.”
“The issue is what comes next. To recall the First Wish, we need to reenact the past, right? When I and Gain went to the train’s front car, the environment felt worse than hell.”
“…”
“First, once we cross a certain section, the protective barrier disappears. From then on, the load of time travel overwhelms mortals, leading to instant death.”
“Oh dear!”
“Second, going even further would reveal a primordial Earth. The entire surface is covered by volcanoes. The temperature must be several thousand degrees Celsius.”
Yusong said with a blank expression.
“… You were able to break through that section before coming to the hotel?”
“Good point. Gain has mentioned this part many times.”
It’s best to just use this part as advice.
「Advice: 3 -> 2」
‘How did Ari, before coming to the hotel, pass through that infernal terrain?’
「Can an employee endure an environment you cannot?」
