Chapter 800
Chapter 800 – The Wizard’s Research (2)
— Kim Sang-hyun
When I regained my senses after finishing my conversation with the Benefactor, I was already in the hotel.
After a quick wash, I went outside, and my colleagues had already gathered in the dining room.
From a distance, I heard Eunsol’s voice.
“Grandpa has obtained the ability called ‘True Heart,’ right?”
“That’s true, but I’m not quite sure what that ability does.”
It seems Mook-seong’s newly acquired power is ‘True Heart,’ but he doesn’t seem to know its effects yet.
“Oh, Sang-hyun is here.”
“Oh~! You’re awake. It’s been a while.”
“Eunsol, wasn’t it just one day that I slept?”
At that, Songyi smiled brightly and responded.
“Oh my! Did everyone miss the Teacher in just one day?”
While I responded with laughter, Mook-seong tapped the table and spoke.
“Sang-hyun, did you get a decent ability?”
“Limit Break.”
“Limit Break? What’s that?”
I don’t have a clear understanding of this new ability yet.
However, considering the conversation I had with the Benefactor, I could vaguely guess.
“Maybe it’s an ability that helps in utilizing inheritance.”
Limit Break is a blessing enhancement for the Last Flash.
How exactly it will be utilized, I guess I’ll find out gradually.
“Wow, I’m envious. I feel like I got a useless ability.”
How can one say it’s useless without even knowing what it is?
The Benefactor would be quite hurt to hear that.
“It seems you didn’t learn patience after lying in the hospital for several years. Just wait.”
“Hey, hey! Stop bringing up that hospital stuff!”
As light-hearted banter continued, Gain spoke up while drinking.
“Hyung, are you planning to descend right away today?”
Hearing the word ‘descent’ made me flinch involuntarily.
It reminded me of the request I made to Gain the night before we went to the Sanctuary.
I had asked him not to observe this descent.
“Yes. I should check on Room 302 as well and gather what I need.”
Gain nodded and gestured toward Seung-yeop.
“I think you need to talk to Seung-yeop.”
“Is something going on?”
Feeling puzzled, I looked toward Seung-yeop, who had a somewhat complicated expression.
“Seung-yeop?”
“I heard from Gain-hyung that the Teacher has a specific goal to accomplish after the descent.”
“That’s right.”
I hadn’t explained to anyone, including Gain, what I would do after the descent.
However, I figured everyone can guess that ‘Kim Sang-hyun has a specific goal.’
Seung-yeop’s situation was a bit different.
“What should I do?”
“Hmm?”
“Meet people? But my parents aren’t in Room 302…”
“…”
“On the contrary, my parents are in reality.”
Thinking about it, that’s true.
Seung-yeop’s parents in Room 302 were originally indistinct beings, and it’s difficult to consider them as existing now.
The parents depicted in Seung-yeop’s dreams are outside in the real world of the hotel.
“There’s also Soyoun. Among those in Room 302, is there anyone I’d know…?”
Among those in Room 302, someone Seung-yeop was close to.
At best, it would be David, but it’s unclear if he’s even alive.
Even if he is, it doesn’t seem like they would miss each other.
“Aren’t you supposed to aim for rewards rather than people?”
“About that reward, no matter how I look at it, it seems like the power of the feather.”
Feather of Twilight.
In the latter part of Room 302, Soyoun used the Feather of Twilight to its extreme to evaporate it.
As a result, Room 302 was resolved, but whether the feather completely disappeared is a murky issue.
The hotel can also restore the dead and extinct souls.
If it’s a hotel, the feather could surely be restored too.
“Seung-yeop, do you still have the feather or traces of the feather left on you?”
“Since I’m still alive, it seems like something remains.”
If the feather completely disappeared, Seung-yeop would also die.
Therefore, the fact that Seung-yeop is alive means that at least traces of the feather remain.
“Can you use its power? It seemed to have caused pretty specific phenomena in Room 302…”
“…”
“Seems like it’s not working well.”
I had an inkling as to why.
The current situation must have been something past Seung-yeop had barely anticipated as well.
“Destroying the feather is a denial of everything, all our roles.”
“It was scary. Once I destroyed the feather with my will, it felt like I’d never be able to use its power again.”
Seung-yeop’s situation stands as follows.
1. The reward granted to him seems to be the feather itself.
2. For now, he cannot harness the feather’s power. He denied the essence of the feather during the process of resolving Room 302.
3. To solve this issue, what must he do after descending?
“So, you’re saying you don’t know what to do after descending.”
“Yes.”
“That’s a simple matter.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s go down first. Once we’re down and start wandering around, the answer will come out.”
“U-uh…”
“There’s no need to hesitate. Isn’t the hotel’s policy to obtain rewards after descending? While I don’t know what the answer is, I can at least tell you the location of it.”
“Y-yeah, that’s true.”
Just as the conversation was wrapping up, Gain lightly raised his hand.
“This is strange.”
“Gain?”
“Gain, what is it?”
“What’s going on?”
Instead, Ari answered.
“Why hasn’t the Maze come out yet?”
“Oh? That’s true. Grandpa, who enhanced the blessing, and the Doctor Teacher have both come out…”
“Is she oversleeping? Gain, check the colleague’s location information.”
“… She’s already in Room 105.”
“What?”
“Actually, she’s been there since a while ago. I thought she was just going to take a shower, but she’s unusually late.”
Around lunchtime, Seung-yeop and I set off for Room 302.
Even until we descended, the Maze hadn’t come out of Room 105.
*
— Thud!
— Ding Dong!
We took the elevator down to Room 302 and stepped out of the gray building labeled ‘Pioneer Building.’
Noticing that it was almost the same process as what Eunsol and Songyi had experienced, it seems that the descent process is generally like this.
Inside, I was somewhat worried that the state of Room 302 might be too horrific.
While Seung-yeop appeared to have little affection for the world of Room 302, to me, it was no different from home.
Was that why?
By the time I vaguely understood the state of Room 302, a slight smile began to break out.
“It’s in better shape than I expected?”
“Indeed.”
“I’ve been continuously searching on my phone… It feels like history itself has changed a lot?”
The events that transpired in Room 302.
The public knows that the Management Bureau waged a massive war against the Evil God.
“People think the Management Bureau saved the world.”
“After waging a horrifying war against the Evil God for decades, the victorious Management Bureau is restoring the world. That’s how people perceive it.”
“Did Soyoun use the power of the feather to create this? Really impressive application—”
“Not all of it, I believe.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t witness the situation back then directly, but Soyoun using the feather was in a desperate situation, wasn’t it?”
“Right. Her body was collapsing in real-time.”
“The current situation is essentially like crafting an alternate history scenario and distributing it across the globe. I don’t think it was something Soyoun could just think of on the spot at the time.”
“In that case?”
“Fortunately, it seems like we have someone who can provide detailed explanations. Let’s go. This place is Texas after all.”
In the capital of Texas, near Austin, there’s the TT Building, the stronghold of the Pure Faction.
As soon as we arrived, something astonishing occurred.
David literally burst out in tears.
“Ah… Johnny! You’ve saved the world twice now!”
*
The additional explanation I received from David was not much different from what I had guessed.
About two and a half years have passed since the end of Room 302.
During the process of restoring the world with the power of the feather, many destroyed buildings have reemerged, and countless deceased have resurrected.
Unfortunately, not all damage has been restored.
It seems that the power of the feather had limits as well.
The group spreading the alternate history is, as expected, the Management Bureau.
Civilians are unaware of the truth, believing that the Management Bureau dispelled the Evil God and saved the world.
“It was hard to report the events as they happened. That…”
The harsh truth.
Most of the members of the Management Bureau have fallen, intending to serve the Great Being and sacrifice humanity’s future.
Would the world accept the Management Bureau’s control if such facts were to be revealed?
Currently, the Management Bureau is at odds with the Son of Dawn, but to outsiders, both these fellows look the same.
“I understand.”
David made a complicated expression.
It seems he thinks they stole the glory of saving the world.
“… Civilians may not know the truth, but we do. Johnny, that you had a significant role in this.”
To be honest, I didn’t care at all.
Initially, Seung-yeop and I are people who would be heading back to the hotel once the matter is settled.
“David, you’re fine. It’s really okay. So, don’t feel sorry about it.”
“Have you truly transcended your desire for honor? How shameful.”
I’ve felt for a while now that this friend has a tendency to overly praise me.
“The first to break the plans of the Demon, Johnny has once again banished the Evil God… This will be an achievement remembered forever—”
“Please don’t say this in front of me. I feel like my face is going to turn red.”
Seeing even Seung-yeop next to me looking embarrassed, I decided to quickly change the subject.
“David, we came because I have business with you.”
“Business? Speak of anything. I won’t hold back in providing full support as much as I can.”
“About the note you gave me 25 years ago—”
“Johnny, hold on.”
The moment the note was mentioned, David turned with a serious expression and glanced at me.
“…”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
I could tell just by his gaze.
David was contemplating whether to reveal the contents of the note to Seung-yeop.
“David, didn’t you say it with your own mouth? That I am the hero who drove away the Son of Dawn.”
“… I did say that.”
“It wasn’t just me alone. Seung-yeop was with me.”
“If I recall correctly, this guy seemed to have been kidnapped.”
“There are parts you don’t know. At the last moment, Seung-yeop returned and untangled the threads tangled up. David, believe me.”
“… Who should I trust?”
“Trust Seung-yeop just as much as you trust me.”
While David and I were talking, Seung-yeop looked confused.
He seemed touched at my praise for him, yet at the same time, he had a look of not understanding what David and I were saying.
A moment of silence.
In the meantime, I handed the transcript of the note David had given me over to Seung-yeop.
“What is this?”
“Seung-yeop, read this first.”
Fortunately, David did not stop me.
「The one who corrupted the moon.
He was said to have been a member of the organization that governs the world like us.
It seems that a senior left an exceedingly heavy debt to his descendants.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WUd6VERlTytsZWdoNGpQTUM1ZjF6bThhUXFaLzBieWsyeE96aFlOaFI5eQ
We have struggled to repay that debt, repeating countless beginnings and endings, but even paying the interest has been a burden.
The one who was called to protect the world became a Demon King, so I can’t help but sigh.
…
The essence of Brave New World is the sealing facility of the devils we have sealed for eternity.
Recently, I heard something strange from one of those devils.
Apparently, the Demon King has been resurrected.
The celestial harmony granted him a second chance, but I couldn’t understand what that meant.
It was a frightening tale, but it was also an expected event.
He was foresighted to return to this land one day and reap everything.
…
The Demon King was an incomprehensible existence.
I have destroyed countless reincarnations of the Demon King, but he reincarnated again as if to mock all my attempts.
Even all means to obliterate the soul were in vain.
He must have been born as a human, but by what means has he changed so much?
It has been concluded that a very special weapon is needed to eliminate him.
…
There is a dagger that can slay the Demon King.
I believe that only you are qualified to wield that dagger in this world.」
“Have you read it all?”
“… Yes.”
Seung-yeop’s face had turned pale.
He was aware of the ancient events that unfolded between Aleph, the Prince of the Moon, and Emilio; everyone knows at least ‘rough details.’
Gain had roughly explained the outline.
Of course, there’s probably plenty of information Gain didn’t mention.
The identity of the ‘Demon King’ written in the note could be figured out with just a little thought.
“David, we’re ready now. I want to hear the specific location and precautions.”
“Alright.”
*
「User: Han Gain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 9,326
Current Location: Level 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 3」
— Han Gain
About eight hours have passed since Sang-hyun and Seung-yeop left for Room 302.
Since they left around lunchtime, it’s already evening now.
…
The Maze still hasn’t come out of Room 105.
“It seems like extraordinary measures are needed.”
