Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 461
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EP.461 Episode 461 – Room 206, The Cursed Room – ‘The Demon King Resurrects After 100 Days’ Re (23)
Episode 461 – Room 206, The Cursed Room – ‘The Demon King Resurrects After 100 Days’ Re (23)
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: Day 538
Current Location: Room 206, The Cursed Room – ‘The Demon King Resurrects After 100 Days’
Wise man’s advice: 0
[Awakening the Labyrinth. Securing the City Control Device.]
– Han Ga-in
The table where Grandpa Mukseong, I, and Sanghyeon hyung sat.
I spoke honestly and openly, as the advice advised.
“I wrote some advice.”
“Is that so? What was the question?”
He still doesn’t understand the situation.
“I asked if Sang-Hyeon was in normal condition.”
“…”
Even for someone who has been through a lot, it must have been a bit shocking to hear those words, so he was silent for a moment before asking again.
“… What was the answer?”
I wrote it down exactly as it was on paper so that everyone could see it.
Question 1: Is Kim Sang-hyun’s current condition normal?
Answer 1: Dialogue is more important than doubt.
My brother nodded after reading the contents.
“So you came here to talk. Since it says question 1, I guess there are questions 2 and 3 as well.”
“I wrote two pieces of advice in total.”
Question 2: Does this mean that there was no change in the sanctuary of the Demon King’s cult?
Answer 2: A change in mindset doesn’t necessarily require magic or superpowers.
“This is….”
“My grandfather and I interpreted this answer this way. It’s not that the Demon King’s cult used supernatural means to twist my brother. However, it seems that my brother’s mindset has changed.”
“…”
“Originally, people’s thoughts can be changed through persuasion and conversation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be mind control or brainwashing.”
The following words were received by the grandfather.
“So, sir, tell me exactly what happened in the sanctuary and how your thoughts changed.”
“…”
The silent brother soon began to explain in detail what he had experienced in the sanctuary and the changes he had experienced.
I met an incomprehensible being in the sanctuary and obtained various information from him.
But he was hoping that someone other than Kim Sang-hyun would come.
“Perhaps the Ultimate would like to meet the Cain Army.”
“me?”
“It’s just a guess, so it’s not certain.”
Realizing the true nature of the Demon King, who is influenced by the impulses or beliefs of his followers.
I think the answer is to turn the Demon King into a kind god-like being for humans.
Up to this point, I had already heard or guessed the story, but the next part was something I had not thought of.
In this round, we cannot go through the previously discovered solution route.
“Time is running out. The remaining time is at most a month. How can we convert most of the city’s population to the Demon King’s followers in this short time?”
“…”
“It’s difficult even with the superpower of Gain-kun. Above all, don’t forget that the city is not a paradise.”
I understand.
There’s only one month left, and the city has at least ten more paradises, not just one.
Converting more than half of the survivors in this short period of time is impossible even with the supernatural charisma of the Holy Sun.
However, I had this thought.
Converting NPCs in dozens of cities, not just one paradise?
Wouldn’t this be difficult even if you spent 100 days, let alone a month?
Should I fly around various cities for 100 days, pretending to be an apostle of the Demon King and preaching the gospel?
This part was a bit strange.
If the hotel really intended this solution, there should have been a ‘means for easy conversion’ within Room 206.
“That’s why I said let’s get out quickly. Since this is a turn that can’t be solved anyway, I’m saying it’s better to not waste any more energy and just recharge the sacred sun before escaping.”
It’s logical.
It was so logical that neither I nor my grandfather could really refute it.
As I have felt many times while running the hotel, human physical and mental strength are not infinite.
If it was infinite, the comrades who fell into the primitive era in Room 203 wouldn’t have suffered mentally.
We must quickly close the loop that cannot be resolved for our own sake.
“…”
My grandfather looked at me for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Teacher, your opinion is simple. You’ve figured out a solution, but it’s not feasible in this round, so let’s just close it and move on, right?”
“Agent, that’s correct.”
“There is one premise to that opinion: confidence in the solution.”
“…”
“If the people of Room 206 worship the Demon King, the Demon King will act more like a god than he does now, and the believers will also be guaranteed survival.”
“Am I wrong?”
Am I wrong?
At least based on the information we have so far from #206, it’s convincing.
Grandfather continued talking.
“The evidence we found actually points in that direction. And it doesn’t seem like all of this evidence is a hoax. Surely we can solve it that way.”
“…”
“But in an unpleasant way.”
“…What does it mean?”
“Sir, this may sound strange, but I am an atheist.”
This sounded really strange, and my brother and I both opened our eyes wide and looked at our grandfather.
“Aha! You both are thinking like this? As I was going up to the hotel, I saw that God was in every room like some neighborhood uncle. How can you say you’re an atheist when you see that?”
That’s correct.
“It’s simple. I don’t think those ‘self-proclaimed gods’ are really gods. They’re just monsters with powers much stronger than humans. They’re so, so strong that only the weak-minded believe they’re gods.”
“…”
There are many so-called gods, and we often use the expression “god.”
My grandfather also used the word God often.
However, to my grandfather, such expressions were only metaphors for a very powerful being, and did not mean that he truly worshipped them.
My brother laughed awkwardly.
“Agent, just in case, I’m not a true worshipper of the Demon King either -”
“I know, I know. I never misunderstood. The hotel is a matter of survival for us too. What I said earlier is just my personal belief, and it is not more important than survival. I think you think the same, sir.”
“… Yes.”
“So don’t worry. If worshiping the Demon King is the only way to survive, I will be the first to build the altar.”
It’s not that I truly believe in the Demon King.
It’s just a matter of spreading the idea of worshipping the devil in a tool-like context to solve the Room of Curses.
At this point, my brother and grandfather’s opinions came together, and my grandfather and I soon apologized for having been suspicious.
Of course, my brother said with a smile that it could be done.
…
…
…
It seems like my brother and grandfather’s opinions are in agreement.
My thoughts are a little different though.
Suddenly, I remembered the contents of the ‘third piece of advice’ that had not been revealed.
‘I still find Kim Sang-hyun’s opinions difficult. What is the reason? Am I missing something?’
“Don’t ask Kim Sang-hyun for the answer, ask yourself.”
“…the answer lies with me.”
After ten days, the sacred sun’s charging was finished.
The next day, the end of the third attempt came.
*
– Kim Ari
It’s been quite some time since I’ve found out a lot of information from Miro’s memories.
Meanwhile, we analyzed the information and came to our own conclusion.
“The leader of the sect, the ultimate one, was already a person who had been influenced by the Demon King about 200 years ago. In fact, he may have been the first person to worship the Demon King.”
Jincheol made a dumbfounded expression.
“Oh, really? That guy was the protector of humanity? It was like putting a cat in charge of a fish shop.”
“Well, it seems that he believed that worshipping the Demon King was the way for humanity.”
Elena tilted her head.
“Then why has the Demon King’s cult been persecuted for almost 200 years?”
“…”
At first glance, this seems like a strange part.
If the leader of the organization was a demon lord worshipper, why didn’t he just fill the entire planet with demon lord worshippers a long time ago?
The reality is that, even before we descended into the depths, paradise threw ‘cults’ as unyielding food for the opposite sex.
“Because it wasn’t the right time.”
“When is the right time?”
Several possibilities vaguely come to mind.
“At that point, even the organization couldn’t control all of humanity as if it had complete control over them.”
There was no ‘paradise’ in those days.
Of course, there was no such thing as a ‘city control system’.
“Let’s move on to the control system.”
*
The second control system we saw was nothing more than a slightly larger computer in appearance.
Cain, who was soon summoned again, started messing around with the control system.
The director has regained his forgotten memories and has quite a bit of free time.
As we leisurely manipulated the control system, a hidden protocol different from the past appeared.
“Would you like to practice ‘True Faith’? (Y/N)”
Here everyone stopped.
“…”
“…”
I knew it the moment I saw it.
This is the ‘one-touch conversion system’ prepared by the ultimate leader of the group.
If pressed, a significant number of current human survivors will turn into Demon King worshippers.
I honestly don’t know the principle.
The Bureau has many means of brainwashing humans, but they are only capable of brainwashing a few hundred people at most.
Brainwashing over a billion people into worshipping the Devil King at once?
It’s on such a scale that even the heads of the Reality Management Bureau would be shocked and dumbfounded if they came and saw it.
Of course, if you look at it that way, the management bureau succeeded in deploying the failed ‘Soul Furnace’ in each city under the name of ‘Indomitable Reason’.
This means that the technical skills of the organization were far superior to those of the management office.
“…”
Does pressing this solve it?
Or is it a giant trap?
I don’t know.
I feel uneasy, something feels strange.
I don’t know why I’m so anxious.
Are you concerned about brainwashing billions of people?
Is it because it’s horrible that the surviving humans are living as followers of monsters like the Demon King?
… I don’t think I’m the type of person who’s this sentimental.
“Hey… Ariyaang! Shouldn’t we do something now?”
During this time, Ga-in spoke subtly like a middle school girl, which annoyed me.
“What is that tone?”
“Ariaang~! Yaaang~! Aang~!”
Are you kidding me in the middle of all this?
When I looked at it with disbelief, Gain-Miro burst into laughter.
“Everyone is so serious. There’s still some time, so please listen to what I have to say.”
As expected, Cha Jin-cheol and Elena, who had serious expressions on their faces, turned their gazes to Ga-in and Miro.
“It’s just a feeling, but I think this might be the right solution.”
“…”
“Make the Demon King the god of humanity. How much evidence was there in the entirety of Issue 206 to lead to that conclusion? If you look closely, the ‘ghost story’ that came out in the latter half of Episode 1 was evidence. It’s proof that the Demon King reacted to humanity’s imagination.”
“…”
“Is all this evidence a lie? Is this a trap set by the hotel to deceive us? I don’t think so. Of course, if the hotel is a bunch of crazy people, then it could be so -”
Seungyeop carefully intervened.
“Aren’t they crazy?”
“… Anyway. It’s not a trap, and I think this is a solution. Above all, who told you this method?”
Who taught me this method?
“It’s a maze that has been awakened from its seal. We’ve already confirmed many times that the path to a solution opens up when the seal is released. Are you saying that this is all a lie?”
If all of this is a trap, if it’s all a lie, then the basic system of the second floor called ‘Seal’ is a trick.
Even if the hotel has no concept of ownership, this is not possible.
“This is the solution. It’s the solution that the leader of the sect found 200 years ago. However, it’s only a 30-point solution.”
“30 point solution.”
“So, we have 0.5 tickets left, right?”
Chapter 1 in the gateway room.
0.5 sheets each from No. 202, No. 203, and No. 204.
I didn’t get numbers 201 and 205.
I got a total of 2.5 chapters, 1 for Kim Sang-hyun and 1 for Miro.
“0.5 sheet is correct.”
Gain answered with a smile.
“I guess I’ll have to fill in the missing 0.5. Let’s try it again, in a different way. There’s bound to be a better answer. In fact, I hate this method, too.”
Everyone’s expressions brightened, including mine.
However, the last expression was a little questionable.
‘It’s so disgusting… .’
— Gulp!
This was my last memory from my third attempt.
*
– Han Ga-in
— Hwarurur!
At this point, the third attempt of No. 206 is coming to an end.
The world has become very hot.
As in the second attempt, the Deep Dive comrades chose to sacrifice all survivors to the Indomitable Reason.
Grandfather, Songi, and Sanghyun have long since entered the shelter prepared by Sijo.
“…”
I came out because I wanted to see the end of paradise with my own eyes.
– Gyaaaah!
– Ugh, ugh!
– It’s hot… It’s hot!
As I looked at the screaming citizens, complicated thoughts came to mind.
Maybe it’s because many of them were my followers, but I didn’t feel as indifferent to them as I used to.
“…”
Since that day, my grandfather, Sang-Hyeon, and I haven’t had any special meetings.
Do you think the answer ‘worship of the devil by all mankind’ is sufficient?
Or, it could be because you can’t think of another answer.
Sang-Hyeon thought that was a sufficient answer, and his grandfather said that he didn’t like it, but he would follow it if it was the only answer.
“…”
I think differently.
I have no intention of ever implementing such a plan.
“…”
That day, the owl asked me a question back.
“Don’t ask Kim Sang-hyun for the answer, ask yourself.”
Why did I doubt Kim Sang-hyun?
The cause was not my brother, but me.
Because I really hated the answer my brother found.
Because I had no intention of carrying out such a disgusting plan.
Because you kept saying things I didn’t like, I started to feel suspicious of myself as a person.
Why do I hate the devil worship plan so much?
“…”
under.
haha.
ha ha ha!
No, are you an idiot?
Why didn’t I know that damn easy answer?
It’s mine, right?
The soul of this room is mine?
I’ve been planning this since I first entered room 206!
What kind of retard fool would give my food to someone else?
“Heh, heh heh! Hahaha!”
Therefore, absurd plans such as worshipping the devil are rejected.
“This is all mine.”
From the moment I ‘woke up’, everything in Room 206 was mine.
Therefore, I will find another solution.
That’s why –
I spoke to the lambs in the midst of destruction.
(1:1) Little children, I gathered you long ago into my fold.
(1:2) You were, are, and always will be mine. Do not fear.
No one can take what is mine.
Even if he is the Demon King!
This was my last memory of the third attempt.