Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 632

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 631: The Oldest Wish (12)

──────

- Mi-ro

The change came without warning.

--- Whoosh!

As I followed Ga-in down the Sacred Domain's long, straight path, one side of my vision went dark.

When I turned to see what it was, I found a pitch-black door.

Before I could even say, “What is this?” Aedia grabbed me and ran through it!

“Huh?”

I cried out too late. We were already somewhere completely different from the Sacred Domain.

The first thing I did was grab my pocket watch!

I meant to send Aedia back immediately. She was clearly acting strangely.

But there was a problem.

I had no way to return to the Sacred Domain alone.

After all, the only person who could create an elevator leading there was the Holy Mother.

So as I stood there clutching the Time Lender, going, “Uh, uh, uh...!” Aedia took my hand and looked at me pleadingly.

“Mi-ro.”

“...”

“Just once. Trust me just this once.”

It was an absurd request.

If I were Ga-in, I might have ignored whatever the Holy Mother said and sent her back right away...

Still, my memories of Room 207 held me back.

Aedia from Ancient Egypt.

A kind, righteous girl who loved the people of Egypt.

That princess and the Holy Mother standing before me were different people who had lived entirely different lives.

Yet in some ways, they weren't so different.

Hadn't Ga-in said it several times?

That the two Aedias had incredibly similar personalities!

“... What are you trying to do?”

Aedia smiled faintly, gestured for me to follow, and started running.

It annoyed me that she ran without explaining anything, but she had less than three minutes left.

If she had something to do, she probably didn't have time to explain it to me.

Rather than press her further, I ran after Aedia in a panic.

--- Tap tap tap!

Had we been running for about a minute?

Before I knew it, we had arrived in a vast space.

There was no proper lighting, so I couldn't make out our surroundings.

“W-where are we?”

“...”

There was no answer.

Instead, I kept hearing “Krrrk! Clack!” from ahead.

It sounded like Aedia was operating some unknown machine.

I could also hear something hard breaking.

“Oh my.”

“Aedia?”

“My Moon Church self was already taken down?”

“R-really?”

“That boy, was his name Seung-yeop? And Miss Elena. They must have been stronger than I expected.”

Elena had always been one of our stronger companions, and Seung-yeop...

Had he used Awakening?

If not Seung-yeop, then Fortuna could have!

“Still, I've lived as long as I have, yet I was defeated by just two people... How embarrassing.”

“Aedia! Whatever you're trying to do, you really don't have much time left!”

“How much?”

“Now, uh, less than a minute! Forty seconds...”

“That's enough. I'm finished now.”

--- Click!

With the sound of a switch being flipped, the surroundings lit up.

“Ah!”

The first thing I saw was Aedia with half her head split open!

--- Thud!

I was so startled that I fell backward onto my butt.

At that moment, I couldn't tell which was more horrifying: Aedia's split-open head, or the fact that no blood came from it, only purple stone fragments.

“W-what is this...?”

With her head split open, the Holy Mother answered calmly as though nothing were wrong.

“Thank you. Things worked out because you trusted me.”

“Aedia!”

“Mi-ro... my dear friend. I'll tell you my greatest secret.”

“What?”

The Holy Mother smiled faintly and pointed ahead.

My gaze followed her hand in a daze.

“...”

The Holy Mother's greatest secret.

A massive shape emerged from the darkness!

Overwhelmed by its presence, I muttered blankly.

“W-what is your goal?”

The Holy Mother answered with only her lips curled into a smile.

“To reach an ending where everyone can smile at the final moment.”

This was her end.

And it was also a new beginning.

* * *

「User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 234

Current Location: Searching...

Sage’s Advice: 0」

- Han Ga-in

“Isn't there anyone? Someone to free me from this hell...”

The predecessor seemed trapped in a dream of the distant past.

If I had the time, I would have liked to wait until the predecessor woke up...

But considering the threat of the unfathomable being ahead, I had no such luxury.

“...”

It wasn't approaching me.

It was only watching, as if telling me to come.

Time was on its side.

So I had no choice but to take a deep breath and step forward.

--- Splash!

It sounded like a pebble falling into a still lake.

Then an unknown illusion swept over me.

* * *

...

“□□□.”

“...”

“□□□! Senior Researcher, can't you hear me?”

“... Ah.”

I woke up somewhere that looked like an unfamiliar office.

The sudden change left me deeply confused, but “I” handled it naturally regardless.

“I'm sorry. I suddenly felt dizzy...”

“Hmm! Work is important, but you need to rest as well. Especially someone as valuable as you.”

“You flatter me.”

“Haha! Flatter you? Not at all!”

This felt like watching a movie.

A movie where “I” was the protagonist.

“Gilbert, about the materials I requested earlier.”

“Hmm... As you know, a Senior Researcher's security clearance is Beta class.”

“...”

“The materials you requested are Alpha class.”

“...”

“I know, I know. You're no ordinary Senior Researcher. The higher-ups have taken notice of your accomplishments as well...”

“Please.”

“...”

“□□□, I intend to attend the evening meeting shortly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I trust you won't search through my drawers just because I'm away.”

“... Thank you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Soon, the superior speaking with “me” left.

I, no, □□□ searched the drawers and found several document envelopes.

...

A very old memory.

My position during this period had been Senior Researcher.

At the time, “I” had been trying to obtain materials that a Senior Researcher's security clearance did not permit access to.

Judging by the circumstances, after much effort, I must have succeeded in bringing one superior over to my side and obtained the materials.

But what was □□□?

It seemed to be my name from that time, but I couldn't hear it clearly.

* * *

I awoke beneath gleaming silver lights, sifting through various documents.

This was underground in Containment Zone C-213.

--- Rustle!

「A Study of Soul Convergence Entities」

“...”

「1. Origin

As T. Daymond once revealed, the essence of beings called gods is simple.

Within the cosmic unevenness that has existed since the creation of heaven and earth...

An endless amount of Chaos gathered at one point, and a god was born.

If we trace back that process, could we not create a Great One with our own hands?」

The principle of gathering human souls to create a god.

This was the essence of the mysteries attained by the first civilization.

“I” rummaged through the research materials for a long time before suddenly grabbing a pen and scribbling on a blank sheet of paper.

I am an insect.

Humanity is an insect.

We are utterly insignificant and weak creatures.

Though my beginning was small, my latter end shall greatly increase.

I swore that a life that began as an insect would not end as one.

“...”

I felt fierce emotions.

Jealousy toward the Great Ones who looked down upon the earth from the lofty Starry Heavens.

Grief over the fate of being born human.

A desire to rise and overcome weakness.

Soon, the page turned, revealing something crucial.

「4. Control and Management

According to T. Albert's research from AS 4731, even a Stage 2 Ark can be controlled through the ‘Crown.’」

--- Rustle!

As I turned through the research materials page after page, I found the following sentence.

「The Crown has been completed. Ah...! Be praised. Only those noble ones worthy of praise shall wield the Crown.」

The noble ones worthy of praise referred to the Royalty of the Primeval Civilization.

“...”

The supreme mystery discovered by the Primeval Civilization.

The principle of gathering human souls to create a god.

The principle of the Crown, which allowed its bearer to control that god and ultimately surpass it.

Combined, a member of the Royalty who obtained the Crown could be reborn as a Great One.

A supremely great technique.

Yet there was one gap in it.

That gap had to be filled by me.

--- Snap!

Just before closing the file, I felt an incomprehensible emotion.

“... What is this?”

A vastness that rendered all the glory humanity had built worthless!

It was an inescapable despair.

My past self had feared something deeply, and that fear was the beginning of everything.

But...

I didn't know.

I had no idea what I, no, □□□ had feared.

Like my name, only the part of my memories related to that fear would not surface.

* * *

--- Beep! Beep!

Warning alarms rang from every direction, while every warning light on the walls flashed wildly.

The words “XK-Class End-of-the-World Scenario” appeared on the display. I didn't know exactly what they meant, but I could tell the entire area was in chaos.

The walls were covered in blood and entrails, as if there had been a gunfight. Corpses lay scattered across the floor, and people gasped as they became corpses themselves.

I walked calmly through them.

“Director □□□! Th-this... What the hell have you done, cough!”

Only when I heard that resentful voice did I realize it.

The person responsible for this chaos seemed to be the “me” of the past.

“...”

- Kyaaaah! Grrrraah!

- S-save me!

Terrible monster cries rang out from every direction, mixed with the screams of people in pain.

- Bang! Bang!

- Suppression Team 3, move to Zone 13!

- The Fairy Circus has been released in Zone 8... Aaargh!

Gunshots rang out from every direction.