Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 514
Only Krnovel
EP.514 Episode 514 – Room 207, The Gate Room – The Third Trial ‘Miskatonic University’ (16) Fin
Episode 514 – Room 207, The Gate Room – The Third Trial ‘Miskatonic University’ (16) Fin
– ???
As you go through the hotel ordeal, you realize how great the conveniences of modern society are.
Computers, the Internet, cell phones, washing machines – if I were to mention them all one by one, I wouldn’t have enough time.
Differences in transportation are also a good example.
In the 21st century, you could easily fly from the US to Europe in one day.
Unfortunately, it is now 1897, before the Wright brothers built the first powered airplane.
Thanks to that, Fortuna and I have been on the passenger ship for ten days.
…
Although it was a little boring, I still got some benefit from it.
Because I got answers to some of my questions while talking to Fortuna.
Can you give me an example?
I think it was a great coincidence that Seungyeop survived for a long time after the end of the first ordeal and was able to reunite with Aidia, who had returned to Egypt.
That means Fortuna’s very existence is a product of coincidence, so how did she end up becoming the boss of the second trial?
“Aidia exposed many people to the mirror besides you?”
“Yeah. But, people kept committing suicide, so I stopped at some point.”
“…Suicide?”
“I guess people who had families had a hard time enduring it. Also, they usually didn’t gain any special powers or anything.”
“…”
The mirror can distort not only special beings like Aidyana, Na, and Seungyeop, but also ordinary humans.
Additionally, mirrors have been underground near the border between Spain and Portugal since ancient times.
Finally, it is said that the stage for the second ordeal was Spain.
In short, the story is like this.
Perhaps the boss of the second trial was not ‘Fortuna’, but ‘someone’ distorted by the mirror?
It must be an incredible twist of fate that ‘someone’ became ‘Park Seung-yeop’.
“I had a dream last night.”
“…”
“A huge, big brother, a very pretty, shiny, blonde sister, and a sarcastic girl who walks around with a parrot on her shoulder…”
“No more?”
“I had an older sister, and a white girl who looked a lot like my older sister. Oh, and I also had a strange older brother who would always say riddles.”
“What a strange brother… Well, Ga-in is a bit strange.”
Because I was also a ‘twisted one’, I was able to gain Fortuna’s trust, and as I touched Fortuna’s heart every day with the power of old blood, he gradually began to think of ‘us’.
Of course, it wasn’t us who came to mind the most.
“… Sister, maybe I had a girlfriend.”
“Wow~ I guess I should congratulate you. I’m serious about this.”
“She was really, really pretty and smart. I don’t think she was the type to enjoy playing pranks like her older sisters or brothers. If I had to be specific, she was a bit cynical and cold?”
“I guess so.”
“…”
“what’s the matter?”
“Will I see you again?”
Will Seungyeop be able to meet Yumi again?
Yumi is not considered a ‘participant’ by the hotel standards, but rather a part of the legacy contained in the soul box.
Currently, the one in the soul box is not Yumi, but Seungyeop himself.
“…”
I held back from saying anything because no matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem easy.
I just hope the hotel will be merciful to us.
…
As time passed, Fortuna gradually changed.
Because if you put him in a trance state, Seungyeop will wake up again.
The boy in that state vaguely recognized reality and despaired at the fact that he had attacked not only his comrades but also Yumi.
How about this part? I’m not sure.
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s because a transcendent being close to Buddha twisted you. Many people have had the experience of attacking their colleagues in this way.”
“But, sister.”
“I also killed Elena by clicking the laser in room 203, and I killed many other people as well.”
“I bet you felt guilty too. Thank you for telling me -”
“Guilt? I didn’t feel that way.”
“yes?”
“Why should I feel sorry when it wasn’t my will? This is not a crime even under the law. If you feel wronged, you should dodge the lasers better.”
Seungyeop, who had been lying there blankly, looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I just hope a little shock therapy will help him.
Of course, it is also my true heart!
Guys, next time, be sure to dodge the lasers and space bombs. Got it?
…
We arrived in Spain on a day with pouring rain.
*
The Vatican in Room 207 is completely different from the real Vatican, and is more like an administrative office.
Even the core facilities were in Spain, not Italy.
Perhaps it’s because there’s a mirror underground in Spain that could be the root of all the problems?
“If there is something similar to a mirror in reality, is it in Spain?”
“huh?”
“no.”
Fortuna was the undisputed second-in-command of the Vatican, and thanks to her, her arrival in Spain went smoothly.
There were also Vatican priests who questioned the identity of the unidentified being called ‘I’, but it couldn’t be more comfortable since everyone backed down with just one wink from Fortuna.
Towards evening, I finally met the Virgin Mary.
My first impression was something like, ‘It’s pretty, but what’s with all this flashy fashion?’
Let’s say it’s a style of clothing that would have been popular during the Roman Empire.
Since the Virgin Mary has lived for thousands of years, fashions from the Roman Empire may be the latest fashion trend by her standards.
But isn’t covering yourself with jewelry from head to toe a bit too much?
My head must be heavy, heavy!
“…”
Fashion aside, the moment we saw each other, she and I realized at the same time.
We are all twisted.
“Oh my. Fortuna has brought an honored guest.”
“Yes, Aidya, she is human like us.”
“…”
“Hoo… What is this? The ‘mirror’ on this side was thoroughly controlled.”
The girl, who had been spinning around for a while, soon smiled brightly.
“Aha! There are pieces left in America? That’s amazing. I didn’t know there were still pieces left until now.”
I didn’t know it would still be around until now.
“It looks like you destroyed Yumi’s mirror when you killed her?”
“I thought so, but I guess not. Looks like there’s a small piece left.”
A strange atmosphere that cannot be explained.
Obviously, the conversation and the situation that unfolds are bound to be hostile to each other… .
It wasn’t easy.
Because I felt an indescribable affinity for her, and she felt the same.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Iced Americano, please.”
“Huh? What is that?”
Oops! Iced Americano first appeared after World War II, right?
“Just give it to me as you drink it.”
After a cup of hot coffee, the Virgin Mary spoke first.
“Since it’s the price of coffee, let me ask you the first question. Do you have the remaining mirror fragment?”
Before asking about my identity or the purpose of my visit, he first asks about the whereabouts of the mirror fragment.
This is where you can see what her biggest concern is.
“huh.”
“Can I get it back?”
“Get it back? That’s a strange expression.”
“The mirror was originally mine.”
“No way! The mirror was originally just underground in Spain.”
“How about that – okay. Anyway, I found it buried underground, so I own it.”
“If you find it, it’s yours? If you say so, I also found a piece of mirror on Lucas’ body.”
Fortuna, who was behind, intervened quietly.
“To be exact, I didn’t find it, I killed it and searched the body -”
“I found it after searching the body.”
The Virgin Mary laughed as if she found it ridiculous and asked again.
“Do you know what a mirror is and want to covet it? Is it just a sacred object that touches an unidentified god?”
“…”
“If you want a powerful magical tool, I will open the Vatican’s treasure trove, so take whatever you want. There are many items that are much safer and easier to use than a mirror.”
“Let me ask you one thing. What is your goal with the mirror?”
What did the Virgin Mary realize when she discovered a mirror underground in the Iberian Peninsula thousands of years ago?
The moment she heard my question, the Virgin Mary shouted firmly without any hesitation.
“Salvation of the world.”
“ah?”
Her eyes and tone of voice changed.
“Hey, you really don’t know anything.”
“…”
“You may think I am a madman, a murderer. But this world is a much more horrible place than you can imagine.”
“…”
“I fought a demon that emerged from the end of a nightmare.
I have seen the madness beyond hell manifesting in reality.
I gave rest to the victims who suffered eternally in a different world where even the flow of time was distorted.
I banished the being that made my brain melt just by looking at it.
“I burned the devil who spewed poison that rotted my lungs just by breathing.”
I was speechless.
At this moment, she was seen as a great hero who had supported human history for half a millennium, rather than an adversary of the 207 who threatened us.
“But all these efforts were not enough, because the situation we were given was so unreasonable!”
“It’s unreasonable….”
“The test itself is horrible, so what’s the point of studying hard? There’s only one answer. The only way is to change the test itself! At this point, I think I’ve told you all the reasons why I need to get a mirror. Let’s stop joking.”
Several objections came to mind.
I’m not some ‘magical girl who got lucky with a mirror’ like Our Lady thought, I’m a veteran agent of the Management Agency.
A fragile world that can shatter like glass in an instant.
People who support the fragile model garden in pain.
These are facts I know well.
But even though my career is long, can it be compared to today’s Aidia?
So instead of refuting, I showed a humble attitude.
“Virgin Mary. No, sir.”
“hmm?”
He got up from his chair and bowed his head.
“… What kind of joke is this -”
“Thank you. This is the least I can do as a junior to show my senior.”
These words are the truest truth.
“I think this is enough.”
The conversation just now, the Virgin Mary’s last words.
‘There is no choice but to change the test paper itself!’
I made a decision too.
“what?”
The moment I felt a heavy weight in the hand I was holding – I shouted the ‘signal’ that had been agreed upon beforehand.
“Seungyeop!”
The eyes of the boy who had been ‘acting’ as the loyal Fortuna until just a moment ago began to glow eerily, and a sharp sword energy pierced the air.
At the same time, the power of the isosceles polyhedron overwhelmed the Virgin Mary!
“Fortuna…!”
The black knight stretches out his sword, ignoring the Virgin Mary’s cries.
At this moment, even the Virgin Mary could not hide her bewildered expression.
But she is also a being who has endured countless hours and accumulated strength.
The ornaments covering the Virgin Mary’s body began to emit a flashing light!
—Whoosh!
…
…
…
At the end of a bloody battle where everything falls apart… .
I have lost much, and I have also gained something in return.
“Miskatonic University, Fin”
*
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: —day
Current location: Room 207, Gate Room
Wise Man’s Advice: 3]
– Han Ga-in
— Rattling! Rattling!
When was the last time you passed the third station?
I think it’s almost time to arrive at the next station.
— Rattling! Rattling!
Think. Think. Think.
My head is filled with so many thoughts that I’m starting to feel dizzy.
I tried to change the harsh future.
As if he were some kind of Zhuge Liang, he sat still and orchestrated the future.
Even if I think about it myself, my actions were inhuman, so some people might think I’m an incomprehensible being now.
One thing I know better than anyone else is this:
Omniscience, omnipotence – I am not this being at all.
As far as I know, even the most omnipotent hotels sometimes admit that things happen that they didn’t anticipate.
How could someone like me design all the infinite possibilities that can change in a thousand ways?
Probably, many of my predictions were wrong.
Plans will fall apart, and things will go bizarrely awry.
It’s okay.
It’s okay if you correct it from now on.
— Squeak!
“The fourth trial will begin! Contestant Han Ga-in, please prepare.”
It’s time to harvest the seeds.