Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 611
Only Krnovel
EP.611 Episode 611 – The Stolen World (26)
Episode 611 – The Stolen World (26)
“User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: 240th day
You are currently: Searching… .
Wise Man’s Advice: 2”
– Han Ga-in
“3. Growth
The growth of a soul cluster occurs in three major stages.
I took a deep breath and read the following content carefully.
“The specific figures are not exact, so use them for reference only.
A complex mix of factors, including the degree of cohesion, average mass, speed, and event, have an impact.
* Step 1
When at least 1.5 million souls gather together, a kind of self-consciousness is formed and the entire group of souls transforms into one gigantic being.
From this stage, normal communication with the soul cluster is possible, so it is defined as stage 1.
According to R. Stephan’s study in AS 4723:
…
When too many souls are gathered into a Stage 1 soul cluster, multiple self-consciousnesses are formed.
The first instance of this phenomenon was TX-135 (AS 4694, Atlantis), where two consciousnesses were observed in approximately 7.23 million people.
Subsequently, the same phenomenon was observed in AT-447 (AS 4701, Asteria) and PPA-724 (AS 4711, Luoyang).
The larger the number, the higher the probability of occurrence, and when it exceeds 40 million, it approaches 100%.
When multiple self-consciousnesses arise, controlling the soul cluster becomes extremely difficult.
…
* Step 2
The soul aggregate in which multiple self-consciousness occurs is defined as the second stage.
The biggest feature of this stage is the difficulty of control.
Since there is more than one consciousness, it is unclear which consciousness one should communicate with.
Additionally, in the process of individual consciousnesses being aware of each other and colliding with each other at every moment, the survival instinct becomes excessively strong.
Because of these characteristics, some argue that the second-stage soul aggregate should not be defined as a separate stage.
It is a view that at the point where it has turned into an uncontrollable beast, it no longer has any production value.
They define the second stage soul cluster very simply.
A god with a mental illness.
There is some truth to the above view, but I would answer this way.
The power of Stage 2, which is incomparably stronger than Stage 1, is worth all these ‘costs’.
“Hmm….”
Let’s put the book down for a moment and summarize what we’ve read so far.
When you gather at least 1 million human souls, your ego will awaken and you will be able to communicate.
The ancients defined this from here on as ‘Stage 1’.
If you gather 10 million human souls, there is a certain probability that multiple selves will appear.
As the number gets larger, the probability increases, and once it exceeds 40 million, it is almost 100%.
The ancients defined this soul complex in which multiple selves were formed as ‘Stage 2’.
“Step 1… .”
The arks, including the Management Bureau ark, are in stage 1.
The reason there is a limit to the number of souls they can swallow.
As you swallow more souls, your consciousness will split and your survival instinct will become stronger.
I thought back to the conversation I had with Ari in the past.
*
“Some pseudo-deities refused complete disintegration.”
“At the point when you became a quasi-god, did you awaken a feeble self-consciousness? Did your survival instinct overwhelm your destiny to preserve humanity?”
“Usually, it’s a case where an accident happens during disassembly, so I’m not in my right mind.”
*
To the ark managers, the above phenomenon is no different from the ark breaking down.
The more souls the Ark swallows, the more likely it is to exhibit strange behavior.
This is why there is a limit to the growth of the ark.
“…”
Considering the number of souls it has swallowed, the moon has long since passed stage 1 and reached stage 2.
As a result, the consciousness of the moon is not one.
The reason why multiple voices are heard every time a conversation is because consciousness itself is multiple.
So what is step 3?
“* Step 3
The Soul Coalition is the greatest creation in the history of artificial chaos research – and, by extension, chaos physics.
We created an imperfect god, and in doing so we changed history forever.
…
He gathered people together and created a god.
God is God, but he is an imperfect God who suffers from mental illness.
Surely there is a way to overcome imperfection.
There is no specific theory about the third stage yet.
Step 3 was more of an ultimate goal than a concrete concept.
It feels like the ‘Theory of Everything’ in modern physics.
If I were to summarize all this content in the status window, it would be a lot.
At that moment, I was lost in thought as I thought about this.
“How do you feel?”
I heard someone’s voice from behind!
I turned around in surprise and saw a boy staring at me.
Oh, it’s the moon!
The moment I was about to kneel reflexively, an invisible force pulled me back up.
The boy said, waving his hand lightly.
“Teacher, I told you there’s no need for that between us~!”
An attitude that makes no secret of the fact that he likes me.
But this is not the true face of the moon.
I’m hearing a voice, but I don’t know what it is.
We’re making eye contact, but I can’t tell what their faces look like.
I don’t even know if he’s taller or shorter than me.
To begin with, it’s unclear why I think of ‘this’ as a boy.
This is not normal communication.
“Meet the prince.”
“Haha! I’m also very happy to see you again, teacher. How long has it really been? It feels like tens of thousands of years.”
“I don’t know. As you know, my memory is hazy.”
“It’s okay. My memories of when I’m asleep are also blurry!”
After the apocalypse, it seems like consciousness only becomes clear when you wake up.
“Okay, that’s enough of the introduction. Let me ask you again. How did you feel after reading the research materials?”
“According to the contents of this book, the prince seems to be in the second stage of soul fusion.”
“that’s right.”
“Thanks to you, you are incomparably stronger than the arks of the management bureau or the raiders -”
“I have a mental illness.”
“…”
“You know that too, teacher, right?”
“… I think there is that kind of perspective too.”
“Teacher, how can I cure my illness?”
How can the moon grow?
How can the moon overcome its split self?
“I used to think that all I had to do was swallow more souls.”
“Wasn’t it?”
“Look at me now. I have gathered souls that cannot be compared to the ark or something.”
Whether it’s the Management Bureau’s Ark or the Plunderer’s Ark, the total number of souls is at most 40 million.
On the other hand, the total number of souls on the moon is not ‘just’ 40 million.
Just one loop would have swallowed up billions of souls.
Of course, like the divine sun, the moon also consumes souls every time it uses its power.
Maybe every moment you spend underground on Earth is draining your soul.
So, you won’t have the exact number you swallowed.
Even taking these points into account, it is likely to easily exceed several hundred billion to several trillion.
When you think about it this way, it’s even more surprising that the ark was able to control the moon with ‘only’ about 10 units.
…
The self is not one.
He is a god with a mental illness.
Multiple egos are in conflict with each other.
The moon is wasting a lot of energy trying to prevent ‘internal division’!
“Do you know how to get to step 3?”
It would be even stranger if I could easily find knowledge that even the ancient administration that first designed the soul cluster did not know.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure yet -”
“Advice: 2 -> 1”
“Summon the sacred sun immediately.”
Suddenly a crisis alert?!
I was momentarily flustered, but thanks to my experience at hotels, I reacted immediately.
— Hwarurur!
I focused all my mind on the divine sun shining pure white.
thought!
Why did the crisis alert appear?
It’s a life-threatening crisis!
Who can kill me in this place?
Of course it’s the moon!
The moment I realized this, insight followed the advice.
My body is instantly shattered into millions of pieces of flesh.
There is no physical body, only the brain is removed and locked in a glass case.
A gloomy future passes by, where only the soul remains and we are caught up in an eternal dream.
A possibility that we all fear even in our dreams!
Why is the moon trying to kill me so horribly?
“Huh? Sir, is this the treasure you got from the hotel?”
thought!
The reason I asked you to summon the sacred sun!
It is absolutely not my intention to fight the moon with my heritage.
Because even if I die and wake up, I still can’t win.
thought!
Nothing special has happened yet.
The very summoning of the sun is preventing the moon from harming me.
First, let’s answer the moon’s question with the most realistic feeling possible.
All you need is a few seconds to think deeply.
“Your Majesty, what do you think when you look at the sun?”
The reply came back immediately.
“It’s an imitation of me.”
“…”
“To be exact, it feels like a miniature version of the ‘soul ensemble’ itself?”
“You are indeed wise.”
“It’s stupid not to know. Hmm… .”
In terms of time, only about 10 seconds?
It was enough time for the mind to regain full insight and reach the higher realms to find the answer.
Why the moon tried to kill me.
The moon also knows the contents of the book I just read.
It’s not just that I know, I’ve been researching for eons, and still haven’t found an answer.
Can I, a mere human, easily find an answer to this question?
The moon thinks it’s hard for me to figure out something in a short period of time.
I don’t have high expectations, especially since I’ve lost most of my memories from my days as a researcher.
It might be quicker for the moon to rip out my soul and brain and scrape it all the way to the bottom.
The favor the moon has for me?
The kindness that a great man can have toward man is no less than the kindness that a man can have toward his beloved pet.
Besides, at this point, the battle with the looters is imminent.
The odds of winning on the moon are much higher, but there’s no such thing as 100% in war.
Even people who are starving are willing to eat their beloved dogs.
Even as a moon, if I can become even a little stronger before the war, I can do anything.
…
The reason why the crisis was overcome by summoning the sacred sun.
The moon gained knowledge about hotels through Aidia and others.
Legacy is usually a sacred object containing the power or knowledge of a great one!
The meaning of the sacred sun being a miniature of the ‘soul ensemble’.
The ‘original being’ of the sacred sun is a very high level of soul concentration.
The moon must have thought this.
Research materials alone were insufficient, but if we study the ‘real thing’ called the sacred sun, we might be able to gain something.
The legacy operates under complete participant control.
Ruining ‘Han Ga-in’ hastily makes the study of the sacred sun difficult.
Now that I’ve come to this realization, I know how to respond.
“Your Majesty, the name of this heritage is the Sacred Sun.”
“I heard.”
“The prisoner I met at the hotel – he was imbued with the power of the being called ‘Lord.’ It wasn’t just power.”
“What does that mean?”
“The transcendent spirit of the Lord itself! A fragment of greatness also sleeps in this heritage.”
“…”
I felt an indescribable thirst for the moon.
“I think there will be good news soon.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, the boy smiled broadly.
I can’t be sure since I can’t see the face though.
“As expected, the teacher is amazing!”
“no.”
“You know, the looters these days are acting like they’re about to have a final showdown?”
“Is that so?”
“I’ll take care of the outside work, so you can focus on your research.”
“I will follow your orders.”
Immediately after, the being in front of my eyes disappeared somewhere.
As it appeared without warning, so it disappeared without warning.
The crisis has passed.
The reason I was able to fool the moon, which is no different from a god, is simple.
Because I didn’t lie.
Everything I said a moment ago is true.
The sacred sun is truly imbued with divine power and transcendent spirit.
The moon was convinced because it recognized that I was telling the truth.
“…”
It was only at this point that I realized for sure.
A Stage 3 soul ensemble is a being that has overcome the growth restrictions of Stage 1 and even the ego division of Stage 2.
It refers to the Lord.
It is actually a problem that can be overcome, and there are those who have overcome it.
“…”
Take a deep breath and think.
The problems that the moon and I study are similar, but our purposes are different.
What I want is not the growth of the moon, but ‘finding weaknesses’.
However, the moon will also know all the information here.
He’s not stupid, so he wouldn’t have left behind any information about his weaknesses.
“…”
No.
Insight is not the power to read only what is visible.
All the images or videos I’ve seen so far were very old information.
Once again, I picked up the books scattered all over the place and concentrated my mind.
This time, I looked not at the words, but at the unnatural blank spaces, blurred letters, and torn pages.
You have to think about the basis.
Insight is not the power to get something from nothing, but the power to get specific information from a few hints.
How about this idea?
The one who created the soul conglomerate was the Primordial Administration.
If we look at the records from that time, words like mirror or ark are not even mentioned.
That is, the first soul cluster was created for a completely different purpose than today’s ark.
It might have been a powerful weapon.
It would be strange if the Administration did not research the procedures for controlling, destroying, and containing weapons that have a sense of self!
At that moment.
A hazy vision of a non-existent document appeared.
“4. Control and Management”
“…”
Yeah, this is it!
Only the title is visible for now.
As you read more of the material in this place, more specific details will emerge.
So, when I gathered the documents scattered everywhere with a smile of conversion –
“what?”
A slightly different sentence appeared.
I knew it the moment I saw it.
This is a sentence I wrote a long time ago.
*
It was on a stormy day, while examining ancient research materials in the basement of Quarantine Area C-213, that I realized:
I am a bug.
Humans are insects.
They are nothing more than infinitely insignificant and weak creatures.
Though my beginning was small, my latter days will be great.
I swore that my life, which started as a bug, would not end as a bug.
*
“…”