Chapter 799
Chapter 799 – The Sorcerer’s Research (1)
「User: Han Gain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 9,325
Current Location: Underground Level, Hotel Bar
Sage’s Advice: 3」
— Han Gain
— Laaaaaah…!
Soft melodies begin to play.
The Pipe of Rest started to purify the madness nestled within Older Sister Eunsol’s heart.
About five minutes passed, perhaps?
Sister placed the pipe down with a faint smile.
The beginning of mental illness treatment is recognizing that I am sick, a concept known as disease awareness (병식).
From this perspective, it seemed Older Sister Eunsol’s mania had subsided.
“I see why you told me to summon the pipe.”
She had realized she wasn’t in her right mind just moments ago.
The idea of shifting the cost of the Hand of Greed onto civilians was not a judgment that Older Sister Eunsol would make.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine now. Earlier, it felt like I was being left behind.”
I understand the anxiety of feeling left behind.
Since Song Yi, who is also from Room 301, woke up Humpty Dumpty, she must have wanted to achieve something too.
From what I’ve observed, Older Sister Eunsol has a style that’s quite ambitious and competitive.
However, digesting the fragments of the Great Being isn’t something that can merely be accomplished with eagerness.
“Do you recall anything about that time?”
“As I mentioned earlier, I really don’t know.”
“If you just say you don’t know, you’ll end up not knowing for real. There must be some abstract feeling, so try expressing that in words.”
“Wow… Gain, you sound like some self-development instructor.”
“Isn’t that just me being humanity’s greatest self-development expert? I’m leagues above those noisy folks who just want to earn a few bucks.”
Over here, my goal is literally a god, you know?
“Ha! That’s a fair point. Hmm…”
Sister pondered for a moment, musing in a vaguely thoughtful tone.
“The black stone my mother left is eroding me. It’s like, like…”
“Like what?”
“… resonance?”
“Resonance?”
“…”
“What does resonance mean?”
“Sorry. I told you I don’t really know. I can’t express it.”
I am also a master of enigmas, but right now it feels like Older Sister Eunsol is taking it to another level.
Of course, it’s an enigma that she can’t help but express because she also doesn’t know.
It’d be best to write some advice.
It’s about another participant, but since it’s unrelated to blessings, it shouldn’t affect her contributions.
「Advice: 3 -> 2」
‘The realization seems so vague that it feels like she doesn’t understand it herself, but why did the word resonate come up?’
「Think about what and what is resonating. What would the fragment left by the King of Is resonate with?」
Upon confirming the advice, one hypothesis popped up.
Deep in Sister’s heart, within her soul, there lies a “malicious program” laid down by the prisoner in Room 301, the King of Is.
The essence of the malicious program is none other than the spirit of the Great Being.
Even with the power of Room 105, that spirit cannot be deleted.
Could the black stone be resonating with that spirit?
Thinking this way, perhaps the King of Is left behind the black stone as a sort of arrangement when he perished.
Once I realized this, naturally, the next thought came up.
“Gain, don’t you have any advice to give?”
“… Don’t think too hastily; it would be wise to view the world from a step back.”
“Sorry, but I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“I didn’t say it for you to understand now.”
“What?”
“I’ll be going. You get some rest.”
“No, Gain! You have to explain before you go!”
*
As soon as I arrived on Level 3, Jin-cheol and Ari came into view.
Older Brother was holding what looked like a statue weighing at least several hundred kilograms, while Ari was giving instructions beside him.
“Move it to the left by 30cm.”
— Clatter!
“Is this enough?”
“Hmm… Can you slightly angle its face toward me?”
— Creak!
“Is it done? Can you feel something now?”
“I feel like I might… but I’m getting a bit tired.”
“Ugh! Ari, I’m the one doing all the moving, so why are you tired?”
“Because your muscles are less valuable than my brain.”
It seems they’re exploring hidden elements on Level 3, and the two of them are quite chummier than before.
Just like how Song Yi and Elena, along with Doctor Teacher and Grandpa Mook-seong, spent a long time in Room 302.
“Oh, Gain’s here?”
“I had something I was curious about to ask you, Older Brother.”
Before I could finish, Jin-cheol started laughing.
“Ha! Ari was probing me too, and you were curious as well?”
Ari shook her head vigorously.
“Well, it’s because Jin-cheol became a meat lump like a fool a long time ago. I’ve been curious for over ten years about what caused him to turn into this wriggling flesh jelly.”
“Wriggling flesh jelly, huh…”
Honestly, he did look like that.
Older Brother sighed and replied.
“… Let’s just say I’m beginning to see the hazy realms of the sublime. Implementing it using the power of dreams was of great help.”
When he talks about the sublime realm, it seems to refer to the results of using dreams in reality.
“Do you think you can use the power you once used to confront contradictions again?”
“Ha! That’s a tall order… That realm might take a lifetime to master, don’t you think?”
At this point, Jin-cheol began to subtly back away.
“Okay, I’ve spent all morning moving statues according to Ari’s orders, so why don’t you help Gain out? I’m off now.”
Naturally, it left just Ari and me alone.
“… Jin-cheol really is something. He gets all fidgety when you show up.”
We had spent a long time together at the Observatory, so I expected it to feel comfortable and natural, but…
Once it was just the two of us, it felt somewhat awkward.
Maybe it’s because other colleagues were around now compared to before?
I felt like I had to say something.
“What did you talk about with the benefactor?”
“We talked about wishes.”
“Give me specifics.”
Ari made a thoughtful expression before opening her mouth.
“Do you remember the Galaxy Train running through the Milky Way?”
“When we first arrived on Level 3, it was the chaotic disaster from your dream.”
“I think I made my first wish on the Galaxy Train. I can’t remember it at all…”
“Not remembering is the same for others too.”
“Do you recall anything about the Missing Link?”
“The note that was on the observatory bed?”
“That note seems to be related to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“… What has the Seer realized? What does the silent one keep silent about?”
“…”
“The contents of realization and silence have been forgotten, but only the terms Seer and Silent One remain. That’s how it was.”
It seems to relate to the titles from the upper management of the Management Bureau.
After a brief silence, Ari whispered softly.
“The person who knows the most about Kim Ari, aside from myself, is probably you, Gain.”
This expression felt a bit burdensome.
“And you’ve recovered Aleph’s memories, uncovering quite a bit of information we didn’t know.”
“Hmm… I can’t deny that.”
“Your understanding of me, the information only you possess. Combine those two; don’t you recall something?”
“…”
“Use your insight and advice too. I…”
Suddenly, I realized Ari’s voice was trembling slightly.
“… I’m a little scared.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know why. Just the act of digging through memories related to the Galaxy Train… that itself is frightening.”
“…”
“I’ve forgotten the specific memories, but the emotions from that time seem to linger faintly. It feels like… I was really afraid of something.”
The fear felt by the past Ari…
Since she didn’t even know the cause, I found it hard to empathize with the emotion of fear itself.
However, I was curious what pushed the past Ari to her extremes both mentally and physically.
While it can’t be compared to what I’ve experienced with the Great Beings at the hotel, Ari was a veteran agent in the past too.
It’s hard to give concrete advice.
The Owl provided me spiritual wisdom that transcended human limits, but even with that power, I could not uncover what was inside the rooms I hadn’t entered yet.
However, I could say this much.
“Don’t worry too much. There’s a huge difference between the past you and the present you, isn’t there?”
“Phew… Of course, I have experiences piled up, and with the irregular polyhedron, I’m different from before, but if the opponent is an incomprehensible being, the limits of experience or inheritance—”
“You’re not alone anymore. We’re here, right?”
Ari turned to me with a slightly dazed expression.
“How about it? Are you feeling better?”
“That was way too childish. Is this the limit of wisdom or what?”
“…”
Suddenly, I thought.
Older Sister Eunsol, Song Yi, Older Brother Sang-hyun, and Seungyeop.
Among the four colleagues who solved their rooms, many experienced a phenomenon.
That is, the vague memories and emotions related to the First Wish resurfacing.
Ari mentioned she felt ‘fear’ when thinking about the Galaxy Train.
That means memories of the past emotions are returning.
…
Ari’s room is not far off now.
It might even be right next.
“By the way, this is really strange.”
“Hmm? What is?”
“As you know, the secret blessing is a power to find hidden elements of the hotel.”
“That’s right.”
“You’ve mentioned several times about something that looks like a status window showing to me, right?”
Currently, Ari says she sees something like that.
* Hidden Rooms on Level 3
1. Paradise
2. Room of Succession
* Hidden NPCs on Level 3
1. Unbreakable Liberation
2. ???
“When I get close to the hidden elements, I start to feel a subtle sensation.”
“What kind of sensation?”
“It’s like something gently tickling? It’s hard to describe in words. In any case, that feeling has started since earlier.”
So that’s why she was giving Jin-cheol all those varied instructions.
“There’s a feeling coming from here. But no response even after flipping everything around.”
*
While resting, lying in the Level 2 Snow Globe Field.
My vision starts to darken, when suddenly, a sound like rustling comes, and a blonde girl approaches.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just lost in thought.”
Elena sat beside me, lightly laughing.
“Earlier, I had coffee with other people at the Level 1 tea table. We briefly discussed you, Gain.”
“What did you say?”
“They said it seems you have developed some bad habits again?”
“….”
“It feels like you’re compiling information about us, whether it’s realization or wish.”
They’re not wrong.
“So far, that’s okay, but the next part’s kinda annoying.”
“What’s annoying?”
“You put on this expression like you realized something on your own. When I ask you to tell me, you suddenly start spouting strange things and leave.”
“…”
“What do you think?”
“Did Older Sister Eunsol gossip about me when I wasn’t around?”
“That’s not gossip. I’m relaying it just as it is, front chatter.”
“Even so, she’s going too far. I was trying to help.”
“She said you didn’t help at all?”
“Not now, but someday, I’ll have her remember my words.”
“There’s more to this story.”
“What is it?”
“You have a tendency of telling silly stories while trying to look cool.”
“…”
“You’re not alone anymore. We’re there for you. Saying such things with a serious expression—that’s the limit of wisdom.”
“… Ari, that’s too much.”
“There’s still more.”
“Still?”
“Well, yes. Gain, you apparently attacked Humpty a bit too aggressively, causing him to fall into depression.”
“No way, does that grotesque thing even have the brains to get depressed?”
To begin with, wasn’t Song Yi the one acting much more horrifically?
“Next.”
“No, still?”
“Well, you easily say to abandon your girlfriend as if it’s not your own.”
“…”
“You shouldn’t date someone who finds it easy to say they’d ditch another person’s girlfriend. They’d undoubtedly be fine abandoning their own.”
“…”
“What do you think?”
“Be sure to ask Seungyeop what’s going on with Yumi.”
I can’t believe they’re gossiping about me in my absence…
“Older Sister Eunsol, Ari, and Song Yi even had a word to say. What about Jin-cheol? Did he say anything?”
“Jin-cheol just laughed.”
That’s my brother for sure.
A man of loyalty couldn’t possibly stoop to gossip.
“How about it? Are you thinking you need to change your actions, Gain?”
“Absolutely.”
“How?”
“I can’t just keep taking it. I’ll have to get back at them with 500 more enigmatic exchanges.”
“…”
“While staring into the void, just looking like ‘I’m using advice right now’ and nodding as if I realized something. Next… that’s right!”
“…”
“Looking at Elena’s fate, I witnessed the sight of a greedy light swallowing chaos. Only when pure human hearts stand at the center will victory come. How does that sound?”
“I see now why Eunsol said something to you like that.”
“Ha-ha!”
I said this joyfully to Elena.
“Sounds like everyone had something to say about me. Do you have something to complain about?”
At that, Elena smiled brightly and replied.
“I was listening to what others said at the tea table and thought. Gain works hard to listen to and collect our stories…”
“Hmm?”
“But no one seems to go to hear Gain’s story.”
“…”
“I came to listen. Ari said you’ve been scribbling a lot at the observatory desk, conducting research, right?”
Jin-cheol transformed into a lump of flesh, and Ari periodically fell into hibernation.
For some time now, a peculiar thought has filled my mind.
“… People.”
“People?”
“Why do they die?”
“Excuse me?”
“The death of the body, the annihilation of the soul. Is it truly an unsolvable problem?”
The research kept moving forward, and I felt an oddly familiar sense of ‘familiarity.’
It felt as though I had reached some kind of conclusion long ago.
However, I think I struggled to bear that process and ended up forgetting it.
A very long time ago.
