Escaping the Mystery Hotel

Chapter 167: Room 201, The Cursed Room - The Cube (16)

…What a strange space.

Beyond the TV was an enormous space of blindingly white.

According to the plan, the others began walking with their eyes closed.

Thanks to my blood, this place was safe.

Only I, who was under the protection of Songee’s bracelet, passed through the space while fully conscious

Why bother crossing while fully conscious when I already knew a method to do it safely?

The reason was simple: I wanted to see for myself what exactly the “Eye of Zero Dimension” was.

The Eye of Zero Dimension, presumably the Convict of Room 201.

What role did it play in this scenario?

It wasn’t like “The Devouring One”, who opposed the Adversary, or “The Doctor”, who empowered the Adversary, nor was it like “The Lord”, who was worshiped as a god by the Adversary.

If anything, it felt more like the “Nebula Dragon”, which didn’t have much of a presence until the final confrontation.

The role of the Eye of Zero Dimension was still a mystery.

Perhaps it was something that Kain would have to unravel once he was unsealed.

In the distance, I could see about 20 soldiers that had been stationed by the headquarters.

According to Eunsol, the entire facility had around 30 soldiers, with the rest being researchers, so more than half of them were here.

This space housed the Eye of Zero Dimension.

They didn’t dare approach us and waited for us to reach them.

“…”

Thanks to the protection of the bracelet, I managed to enter without losing consciousness.

Shall I take a look now?

The moment I raised my head, I collapsed on the spot.

An overwhelming gaze violently pierced through me!

Even though I wasn’t the owner of the bracelet, I instinctively knew—I couldn’t endure this for long.

This isn’t something I was ever supposed to lay my eyes on! It was a mistake driven by a foolish curiosity.

It’s a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake a, mistaKKKE… mIsTAKE iNSIDE MISTAKEN…

-RKKJ;L53NCV19K6O-1KAG8KRM56NJK3L23BJK543 NBJ-L4FZD908S1364184FA809SD85B5HJ4K25GLP31P5HJ2KJ4131755849371412JK42314J

*******[It’s going to get interesting soon. I shall let you live.]

*******The gaze that had been tearing me apart vanished.

My mind was half gone, my thoughts were crumbling, and just before I completely lost consciousness, I was released.

I don’t know. I have no idea what that entity is.

One thing is clear.

That being is on a level far beyond Beatrix.

How on earth did the Chief Researcher manage to seal such an entity?

What kind of person was he?

“Ahri?”

I was leading my comrades, who had their eyes closed, like the Pied Piper.

When I suddenly stopped, Songee, who had been waiting, looked puzzled.

We have to keep moving. If we delay any longer, the suggestion placed on them might wear off.

For some reason, the pressure from the Eye of Zero Dimension had disappeared.

The headquarters forces, unaware of this, continued to wait far away.

This might work out well.

Moving earlier than the enemy expects is always the right move!

Kim Ahri: Go!

All at once, my comrades opened their eyes.

Our ninth comrade, who had been quietly perched on Songee’s shoulder since the seal was lifted, soared into the sky.

“Go! Bio-flashbang!”

***- Lee Eunsol

“Go! Bio-flashbang!”

What kind of nonsense is that? Is that a joke from the ‘70s?

Well, I guess Perro is like a living flashbang.

Perro shot a glare at Ahri before flying forward and transforming.

- Screech! Screech!

A piercing scream filled the air, and all hell broke loose!

We had plugged our ears and were mentally prepared, but the enemies weren’t.

The ambushed soldiers started firing at each other like madmen.

At that moment, Jinchul, wielding the Star, crashed into the scene like a meteor.

With a loud crash, the soldiers began flying through the air.

Jinchul, donned in a superior bulletproof vest, looked like an invincible superhuman with the Star in hand.

Songee arrived, causing the soldiers to shoot each other with a flash of her bracelet, while Grandpa and Ahri repeatedly fired their guns.

“…”

Everyone fought well.

Only Elena, Seungyub, and I watched from the back.

After about 15 minutes, the fight was nearly over.

Most of the soldiers were either dead or had fled, and the headquarters was filled with the sound of chaos.

Jinchul came running toward me.

“Noona, is that all of them?”

“There should be about ten more inside the headquarters, but they shouldn’t be a problem for you. By the way, Jinchul, you looked like a superhero out there, especially when you were tossing the soldiers around as if they were nothing. You reminded me of a certain green monster.”

“Hahaha! The strength helps, but it’s mostly thanks to this vest.”

“The vest? It stops bullets from penetrating but doesn’t block the impact.”

Jinchul just smiled.

Well, I guess the impact isn’t much of a problem for someone like him, unlike someone with a more ordinary physique, like me or Songee.

“Is there any way to get this vest from the Hotel? If I could wear it in other Cursed Rooms, I’d be at least 1.5 times stronger.”

It’s not just any armor; it’s a special product from the Administration, so it won’t be easy to get.

Grandpa spoke up with a tense expression, “Beatrix hasn’t shown up.”

I glanced back slightly as I answered, “We’ve put some distance between us, but this place seems to be where the Eye of Zero Dimension is located. Maybe she doesn’t want to fight here.”

-Click!

Jinchul opened the door leading to the headquarters.

Now, onto the next phase.

****

***Honestly, I didn’t do much in the previous fight.

But now, my role is crucial. That’s why I’m the one wearing the Protective Suit!

After signaling to my comrades, I distanced myself slightly from the group, preparing to slip into the surroundings.

- Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire echoed from all directions.

- Fwoosh!

I could feel the waves from Jinchul’s Star piercing through the suit, nearly reaching my skin.

Meanwhile, I focused all my attention through the Eye of the One Eyed Bird, searching for Patrick.

…

…

Found him.

Lee Eunsol: Found Patrick. Make it loud.

My comrades followed the plan, creating as much noise and confusion as possible.

Jinchul suddenly charged toward me, while Perro let out a series of deafening screams.

I held my breath and approached Patrick while staying invisible.

Patrick was watching the situation unfold next to a peculiarly designed passageway.

He’d probably attempt to escape through this passage if things didn’t go his way. It would be a hassle if that happened.

When I opened the brooch, a butterfly started to flutter toward him—

No.

If you flutter over there at your slow pace, Patrick will surely notice you and escape in surprise.

Just trust your master this time.

I grabbed the butterfly and approached Patrick directly.

I held my breath for so long that I was beginning to struggle.

I overheard their conversation.

“What the hell is that guy? He’s taken at least ten shots!”

“He doesn’t seem to have a normal body!”

“Even I can tell that, you idiot! Where’s Beatrix? Is the escape route ready?”

“She’ll be here soon! It’s only been a few minutes since they started rampaging. The escape route will be ready in 10 minutes.”

“Throw a bomb or something!”

“Patrick, sir, that’s—“

“What other choice do we even have? If this keeps up, the facility will—“

“Hello~!”

I lightly reached out and implanted the butterfly into Patrick’s body.

My form immediately became visible, and just as one of the guards reached out to grab me, Patrick let out a rough groan and collapsed!

The guards panicked and tried to move Patrick somewhere, but I simply held onto him and resisted.

This suit is amazing! With this on, I’m super strong too!

The guards frantically tried to pry me off, but it was no use!

This suit made me feel like I was at least 0.3 of Cha Jinchul’s strength, so I enjoyed holding my ground until my comrades, who had finished clearing the area, joined me.

The end is in sight.

We’ve secured Patrick.

“Eunsol-unni! You did great.”

“This is just the beginning. Here, take this guy.”

As Jinchul held onto Patrick, I retrieved the Nightmare Butterfly.

It had only been about five minutes, but Patrick looked like he had aged ten years.

As the butterfly emerged, a painful groan escaped from Patrick’s lips.

“Urgh! Ahhh!”

“Now we just have to drag him to the third floor. Ahri?”

Ahri looked uneasy.

“Ahri?”

“I mentioned this during the planning, but I’m still uneasy.”

“You think hypnosis might not work well?”

“Yeah. He’s not an ordinary person after all.”

During this exchange, Patrick regained consciousness.

“Urgh… The third floor… That’s where the seal and that person are. You’re from the Administration, so you’re not here to mess with the seal. Are you here to rescue the Chief?”

“Not completely clueless, are you?”

“Heh… It’s almost laughable. Are you really here to rescue him of all people? Do you really think that man is some sort of hero who saved the world? Do you even know why I betrayed him? You mere pawn in the board have no idea—“

“Are we going to listen to this guy babble on endlessly? We’re running out of time. Let’s just get on with it. Ahri?”

Jinchul was right. We didn’t know when Beatrix might show up.

Ahri sighed and locked eyes with Patrick, just like she had with Elizabeth before.

After about three minutes, Patrick began drooling and moving according to Ahri’s commands.

“Did it work?”

“I think so.”

“That answer doesn’t inspire confidence.”

“I’ve said it many times, he’s not an ordinary person, so I can’t be sure. Everyone, keep a close eye on him.”

With most of the people at the headquarters either dead or having fled, we moved toward our target location with Patrick in tow. There were several doors that outsiders couldn’t enter, but with Patrick in tow, we passed through without much difficulty.

…As we walked, I suddenly thought of a question I hadn’t considered before.

“Ahri.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did Patrick betray the Administration in the first place?”

“…”

“When you think about it, he was already a high-ranking official in the Administration. He was in a top position in the Arizona branch. Would the Administration have treated him poorly? They must have given him a considerable amount of wealth and honor. That in and of itself is a strong deterrent against betrayal.”

“That’s true. With a position like that in the Administration, he would’ve amassed enough wealth to support his grandchildren and then some.”

“So why did he betray them? In exchange for betrayal, he ended up living among monsters in the shadows. He couldn’t even easily leave this stifling headquarters.”

Seungyub spoke up, “Maybe Beatrix threatened him?”

“That’s possible, but from the tone of the diary and the way he talks, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The relationship between Patrick and Beatrix felt more like a partnership or collaboration, rather than a one-sided relationship.”

Ahri chimed in, agreeing, “No matter how powerful Beatrix was, ultimately, she was just a test subject under the control of the Chief Researcher. Even if she was lucky enough to escape, would she have been able to manage this massive facility? From managing the Cube to the underground for the monsters, maintaining such a facility isn’t something a demon girl, who spent her life being experimented on, could do. It’s the domain of experts with decades of experience in the field.”

That was the point we kept pondering about when we planned outside.

Given our theories and the Advice we received from the Owl, it was clear that the Chief Researcher had a way to control Beatrix.

So why did he fail?

Was it simply due to complacency?

It was hard to accept that someone who could seal the Eye of Zero Dimension and save the world would be defeated by his own test subject due to his own carelessness.

“…”

Perhaps…

Patrick betrayed the Chief Researcher and, in the process, released Beatrix.

That would explain why the Chief Researcher was defeated.

He probably had a way to control Beatrix, but he wouldn’t have expected an internal coup.

Why did he betray him?

Why did he abandon the wealth and honor provided by the Administration, going so far as to rely on the power of a test subject, and betray his superior, who had saved the world?

I recalled Patrick’s words before he succumbed to Ahri’s suggestion.

Do you really think that man is a hero who saved the world?

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