Chapter 770
Chapter 770 – Three Interpretations
「User: Han Gain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 45
Current Location: Level 1, Lobby
Sage’s Advice: 2」
– Han Gain
As the evening meeting came to a close, we finalized a rough guideline regarding the direction of our third attempt.
“Alright, let me summarize the meeting briefly. Everyone, pay attention!”
Three items were written on the whiteboard:
*
Room 302 Resolution Conditions
1. Prevent the Descent of the Son of Dawn
2. Remove the Twists Spread by the Son of Dawn
3. Destroy the Brave New World and Escape
*
These are speculations, so the actual conditions might differ.
However, considering all the information we’ve gathered up to now, there shouldn’t be significant discrepancies.
“The framework for achieving these three objectives is simple.”
Eunsol’s words sounded slightly ominous.
“After Sang-hyun-san moves away from the starting point, he should contact the Pure Faction at the Texas TT Building. They have been working to stop the Son of Dawn for many years now.”
Sang-hyun nodded and replied.
“At the center of the Pure Faction is David. He was a high-ranking agent who once served the Son of Dawn. In other words, he knows the prisoner’s intimate details.”
The Management Bureau’s Pure Faction has been opposing the Son of Dawn for a long time.
Moreover, David, who is speculated to be the leader of the Pure Faction, was once a candidate for a six-winged angel.
Thus, he should have methodologies or hints on how to prevent the prisoner’s descent and remove the twists the prisoner has spread throughout the world.
Admittedly, they may not be able to do it alone, but we can assist with the deficiencies.
“Seung-yeop should find out more about Soyoun’s secret. In the process, he must also realize his own wish. Above all, the most important thing is to secure the ‘Feather of Twilight.’”
“Hmm… I’ll do my best.”
“Make sure to actively seek help from Ari and Yusong.”
“Sure. But, they’re not really that helpful…”
“Hey!”
Seung-yeop’s role is to secure the Feather of Twilight.
I don’t exactly know what kind of item the feather is, but context suggests it’s some divine item created by the Son of Dawn projecting a lot of power.
Therefore, we must at the very least prevent the feather from falling into the hands of the Son of Dawn.
“Is this enough?”
“I think so.”
It felt like a very logical and clear direction had emerged.
If we do this, then that will happen, and ultimately, we’ll resolve it! That’s the plan.
So everyone fell silent for a moment.
No one spoke, but we could all clearly see what was on each other’s minds.
This is ominous?
“…”
The snack table was as quiet as a mouse.
Older Brother Jin-cheol carefully broke the silence.
“I dabbled in stocks when I was younger.”
Ari responded in a bright voice.
“That’s interesting. I did quite a bit of stock trading too.”
“Hmm!”
With a somewhat uncomfortable cough from Grandfather, Older Brother Jin-cheol continued.
“People say stocks are driven by madness, but often they’re manipulated by big investors or institutions behind the scenes.”
Grandfather murmured with a slightly awkward expression.
“Usually, that’s us.”
“Thanks to that, we lost a lot of money.”
“…”
“Anyway, what I’ve realized every time is that when average folks all predict 1 and get all excited, it’s guaranteed to be wrong. Why? Because the institution watching from behind enforces a 2. It was a plot from the Management Bureau.”
Ari shrugged as if she didn’t understand.
“I lost money all the time though?”
“… a member losing money in stocks? Is that even possible?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re saying you know the answer but still get it wrong?”
“I only bought stocks that I didn’t know about.”
“No matter how you put it, there’s such a thing as life experience…”
At this point, Grandfather let out a big sigh.
“You should buy when stocks are cheap and sell when they’re expensive. But this guy buys when they’re expensive and panics to sell when they’re cheap. Buying high and selling low is how you lose money.”
“…”
“Plus, he doesn’t mind losing his principal at all. He just goes to the headquarters and says, ‘Refill my account.’ and it’s done. No wonder this issue never gets fixed.”
By now, everyone’s gaze turned to Ari, who confidently responded with no sense of shame.
“It’s the trickle-down effect.”
“… What?”
“I just distributed the Management Bureau’s money to the world. As an agent, I was giving money to the poor and starving people.”
As the conversation seemed to be straying off course, Older Brother Jin-cheol sighed deeply and redirected the flow of the discussion.
“Both of you, stop interrupting and speak according to your train of thoughts. What I’m saying is this: When a group of uninformed people all believe in 1, that faith is bound to be wrong. Why? Because the one plotting behind the scenes will make it 2.”
Gradually, my colleagues began to show anxious expressions.
I too started hearing Kim Ju-ho’s warning to be cautious of the prisoner’s deceptions echoing in my mind.
Insignificant yet incorrect information.
The traps hidden by the Son of Dawn.
In moments of crisis, illusions that could topple us.
What is it?
It’s not that I know nothing, but rather that there are too many possible candidates, which is the problem.
Moreover, if I start to suspect everything, it will shake all the plans I’ve established.
I had already used the advice, but the response I received wasn’t that enlightening.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.
“… Insight.”
“Gain?”
“Shall we utilize Insight to its fullest?”
My coworkers looked at me as if to say what I was talking about.
Soyoun tilted her head and asked.
“What do you mean by utilizing it to the fullest?”
“I’ve felt a few times that I could enhance Insight with the power of Inheritance.”
“Huh? Is that even possible?”
“It turns out it is.”
When I used the Divine Sun, I recalled a memory where I saw more than usual, and as I drew the soul with the third sentence of the Book of the Avatar, a memory of reaching a profound spiritual realm came back to me.
From my experience, the two inheritances didn’t directly enhance Insight.
Instead, the two inheritances elevated the stature of the being that is ‘Han Gain’ to a higher realm.
When one’s stature rises, the realm of Insight naturally expands too.
Until now, I hadn’t specifically used the inheritance to enhance Insight.
I used my full power for battles, and since I used the inheritance, Insight had strengthened naturally as well.
So, this time, shall I use the inheritance for Insight from the start?
“I’ll give it a try.”
“Y-Yeah, that seems like a decent idea.”
While saying it’s okay, Soyoun showed a slightly anxious expression.
It’s understandable since my colleagues tend to find Insight burdensome.
Lastly, I sought advice from the Owl.
「Sage’s Advice: 2 -> 1」
‘Does it seem like a worthwhile attempt?’
「If it’s to acquire an answer, it’s a dangerous choice; if for growth, it’s worth trying.」
I understood it to mean that I should give it a shot.
*
Level 2, Snow Globe Field.
The other colleagues were considerably far away, leaving only Sang-hyun and Seung-yeop in front of me.
I sat cross-legged with my eyes closed gently.
“I’m starting.”
— Whoosh!
A pure white divine flame appeared on my right side, and a jet-black book manifested on my left side.
Though these two inheritances could be regarded as my right and left arms, right now, they were literally just ‘tools.’
In a world where the distinction between the Evil God and the Good God is unclear, even the boundary between divinity and corruption is meaningless…
Indeed, a truly wise person can surpass the distinction of good and evil!
One step, two steps, three steps.
My mind and soul gradually felt the approach of the upper realm.
As I ascended higher, it was natural that more things became visible.
— Swoosh!
A realm that transcended the five senses, or intuition, a domain even beyond that.
A whirlpool of information that couldn’t be defined by human language.
While gazing at the constantly swirling illusions, I contemplated the difference between premonition and insight.
My colleagues don’t bother separating premonition and insight, but I understand now.
In a certain sense, the two abilities are fundamentally opposing.
Premonition and insight were born from two entirely different interpretative theories regarding destiny.
…
Some believe that the universe’s destiny is predetermined from the beginning to the end.
That everything that will occur was decided at the moment of the Big Bang, from the primordial beginnings to the final ending.
Thus, if there were a Laplace’s Demon who knows all the knowledge of the universe, he would perfectly see a single future.
Look at the inheritances and blessings we obtained due to the destiny guided by the first wish we made before entering the hotel.
Every journey we will tread might have been determined the moment we arrived at the hotel.
Perhaps, the future was already confirmed as participants the moment we began our first life.
If we go farther back, isn’t it the destiny arranged since the moment of creation itself!
The ultimate understanding of this principle is premonition.
…
Another interpretation regarding destiny.
Some believe that a fixed future does not exist.
What exists is merely a collection of countless possibilities bubbling up like foam.
As such, no matter how wise a person may be, they can not see a single future.
After all, a single fixed future does not exist.
The wise gather and interpret information from the past and present to speculate on the future that might arise.
Was it from the moment we entered the hotel that all destinies were decided?
Just looking at Kim Sang-hyun and Kim Ju-ho, that’s nonsensical.
Though the hotel chose the two of them as participants to confront the Son of Dawn, didn’t the maze ruin the hotel’s plans!
The ultimate understanding of this principle is insight.
…
My head was spinning with intense pain.
The lightning of knowledge descending from the celestial realm felt like it would melt my brain.
As I amplified the output of insight, the required processing power felt endlessly soaring.
Ah, there are limits to the human brain.
Extreme insight couldn’t be properly implemented within the shell of a mortal.
However, that doesn’t mean it bore no fruit.
Where is the dagger hidden by the Son of Dawn?
Which pieces of information do we know that are falsehoods?
I couldn’t determine exactly what it was, but I successfully narrowed down the possibilities.
And…
“Gain! Are you okay?”
“Hyung! B-blood – Aah!”
I see it.
I feel it.
I comprehend it.
As insight transcending limits gazes upon my two colleagues, I saw sadness and pain.
My heart felt like it was being ripped apart.
It was suffocatingly painful.
There seemed to be a harsh thorny path ahead for the success of the two.
Ah…
“Gain, let’s stop this here.”
“Let’s move to Room 105!”
I raised my hand and pointed to Seung-yeop.
“Hyung? Is it okay -”
“I hope you don’t hold onto past events too much.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is for your sake. There are irreversible things in this world.”
“What on earth do you mean -”
Next was Older Brother Sang-hyun.
“Gain.”
“Please keep your beliefs until the end.”
“…”
“The faith that you can overcome will truly make you victorious.”
“L-let’s just head to Room 105 for now.”
As my thoughts flickered like a lantern.
My consciousness faded into oblivion.
In that fleeting moment, my spirit clutched at the distant ends of the celestial realm.
It was then that I realized there was a principle that surpassed the two ahead of me.
The third interpretation regarding destiny.
…
The perspective of the artist.
In the endlessly high celestial realm, a domain where the present, past, and future cannot be distinguished.
There sits someone who constantly draws.
Has the future been decided?
Or is it merely a chaotic collection of possibilities?
From the artist’s perspective, the answer to this question is quite simple.
Inside the painting the artist created is determinism, while the outside is indeterminism.
Thus, the distinction between premonition and insight is only meaningful to the characters within the painting.
…
Within the swirling illusions reminiscent of a flickering lantern, I saw someone.
I saw the being seated at the center of the celestial realm, eternally painting.
He was the one who cried for the tragedies of the three thousand worlds, the Maitreya who loves all the lambs of the universe.
However, to love everyone is akin to loving nothing at all…
He was also the harshest among celestial beings.
…
Blood flows from my eyes.
My whole soul was numb, yet I couldn’t even comprehend what pain a soul without sensory organs could feel.
Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, I felt the agonizing pain of all my being melting away.
— Flap!
At that moment, I saw a bird that felt so tiny it seemed to dissolve into dust.
So small that it was hard to distinguish its form, yet it was an incredibly familiar bird.
The Owl sat on the shoulder of the artist and slowly bowed its head, I understood it was a request for mercy towards the bold young demigod.
I heard a voice.
Live.
And confront your sins.
This was my last memory.
