Escaping the Mystery Hotel-Chapter 216: Room 104, Cursed Room - Preparatory Selective, Hotel High School Re (10)

Chapter 216: Room 104, Cursed Room - Preparatory Selective, Hotel High School Re (10)

- Elena

It feels like a slow-motion scene from a movie.

A comrade came to rescue me from the cage, only to be shot through the chest by the enemy.

It’s quite the classic sequence, but the difference here is how incredibly real it feels.

When the doctor collapsed, I felt something snap inside me, a surge of intense anger rising within me.

I sensed that the “Targets of the Judgment” had expanded.

Now, the scales of Justice lifted a new group onto its balance.

- Raaaaah!

A blinding light burst from my entire body as the scales spun in a spiral, tearing the cage apart.

Amid the chaos, I was free once more.

My heightened senses detected something approaching from above, possibly a new combat helicopter.

Then, I was suddenly engulfed by an overwhelming flash of light.

This must be what it’s like to be exposed to a flashbang.

It was so blinding that I could see nothing at all, and the whole world was filled with nothing but light.

Soon, along with the light came an intense wave of noise.

I couldn’t see or hear a thing.

Then, I realized the Administration’s plan in those few moments of confrontation: immobilize me with an intense flashbang to buy time.

Why would they need to buy time?

That question seemed foolish.

Surely, a group that defended the world for ages against forces such as Beings of Chaos must have suspected that the immense power I wield came at a cost.

Perhaps they assumed I had a time limit on my abilities.

As my vision and hearing faded, paradoxically, I found a sense of calm.

In that blank, white space, I began to think.

Who, exactly, should be subjected to judgment?

It seemed absurd to contemplate this in the midst of such chaos, but it felt inevitable.

Can we just execute someone without a trial simply because the world is chaotic?

When a heinous criminal was caught, people often cried out, “Kill him now!” or, “Chop off his head, burn him alive, or take away his freedom.”

Such anger fuels humanity’s pursuit of “Justice”, too.

But that’s not how it works.

Even when someone is caught in the act of murder, it takes years and three trials to ensure there’s no doubt before justice is served.

Such frustrating steps are the essence of justice and, likewise, the essence of my Blessing.

It was indeed unjust to harm an innocent comrade like the doctor, but the Administration was an organization that protected the world.

They can’t be judged as a whole.

The previous encounter could be considered a “misunderstanding due to lack of information”.

So, there’s no need to punish the Administration agents by taking their lives.

I’m sorry for the doctor, but maybe we can settle this with monetary compensation.

After all, he’s not entirely gone; he’ll be back once we’re out.

No, I’m not going to take their money and give it to the doctor’s family.

Let’s just keep this simple.

I decided to settle things by smashing their equipment.

Once I’d come to this conclusion, I waited until I could see and hear again.

It might seem like I was just thinking strange thoughts while immobilized by the flashbang, but I wasn’t too worried.

The Administration’s strategy had a critical flaw from the start.

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Sorry to say, when my Blessing is active, I’m not the one who fights—it’s the scales.

My role is merely to provide “criteria” for the scales!

***- Lee Eunsol

Three of those strange multi-legged robots closed in on us in a triangular formation, leaving Grandpa no choice but to stop.

Though I couldn’t see any human traces in the robots, the instant the turret mounted on top aimed at us, their intent was clear.

Take one more step, and we’d be killed.

“At least they’re not shooting outright.”

Grandpa sighed.

“We must not seem particularly powerful, so they likely intend to capture us for questioning. They’re probably frustrated by the situation, not knowing what’s going on, and we’re the ones who could answer their questions. Getting captured doesn’t mean it’s over, but if the Lord recovers while we’re held... things could get difficult.”

As Grandpa and I began to contemplate our options, a sudden explosion of light and noise erupted!

“”...””

Time seemed to freeze.

I learned what happened when someone was exposed to intense light—it filled the world entirely, leaving me unable to see or hear anything.

How much time had passed?

It felt like ten minutes, but time felt skewed in the daze of the flashbang.

When I regained my senses, I realized Grandpa was carrying me again.

He must have recovered before me, being an experienced agent.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re back. I have no idea either. When I came to, the robots were gone.”

“Elena!”

“What?”

“Don’t you see Elena up there? She’s throwing down lightning all over the place!”

I grasped the situation.

Elena, who had been helpless before the Administration’s forces, had somehow regained tremendous power!

Grandpa chuckled.

“I guess it looks like Elena to you, Eunsol, but all I see is a yellow dot.”

I slipped out of Grandpa’s grip and started running.

Until a moment ago, Elena hadn’t been able to use her Blessing of Justice on the Administration.

What changed?

I didn’t know.

I could ask questions once we got out of here.

Sprinting like mad toward the old school building, I rushed through the entrance, pulled aside the curtain disguising the entrance to the underground city, and took the pathway leading down.

Aurelia was there.

“...I thought you’d gone on ahead, but were you waiting for us?”

“I planned to wait ten minutes. Given the confusion, I assumed you’d manage to find your way here if you’re truly apostles of the Newly Risen One.”

Her arrogant tone grated on my nerves.

She’s technically not even an ally!

“We need not wear ourselves down on minor issues. Thou were waiting because thou did not wish to confront the Lord alone, correct?”

Perro Kain’s snarky remark silenced Aurelia.

She just turned and led the way without retort.

“...”

After a long walk through the underground city, I felt confident that bringing Aurelia had been the right decision.

We had no other way to navigate this place.

I knew nothing about the city’s layout, and though the underground city had been well-lit and ventilated before, it was now in total ruin after the collapse caused by Elena’s earlier escape from the Lord.

With only the headlamp from the Protective Suit that Grandpa wore to guide us, I couldn’t find my way in the debris-strewn darkness.

Only Aurelia, who knew the city’s geography, moved ahead without hesitation.

“...”

“Where are we going? Do you have a guess as to where the Lord might be?”

“I thought about it last night. According to you, Father descended into the body of a boy in your group, but that body is in critical condition, correct?”

“It’s more like body-snatching than anything, but yes, that’s the situation.”

“Where would one go to recover a body in critical condition? It would have to be the safest place in this collapsed area. It would also need to be a place where Father’s power is strongest.”

“Is there some kind of sacred place in the underground city?”

“Something like that. Technically, the entire city is Father’s sanctuary, but there’s a particular sacred place within it.”

A sacred place within a sanctuary, a sanctuary within a sanctuary.

For us, who had to confront that “holy” being, it felt like we were heading straight into the lion’s den.

Is this really okay?

Although I had an idea of the plan from Kain, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

After nearly thirty minutes of walking, we entered an unusual passage that hinted we were near our destination.

Unlike the collapsed underground city, this corridor was illuminated.

Before long, we encountered a young girl who radiated an unknown light.

“You truly made it here. Ah... everything in this world is in His hands, and His predictions never fail.”

She looked no older than twelve or thirteen, yet beams of light streamed from her.

Aurelia stepped forward.

“Sungah, has Father bestowed His power upon you?”

“Aurelia. Mind your tone. The Father of All has given me His command. I am now the new pillar of the cult.”

The young girl’s face shone with pride.

It was only now that Aurelia realized her Father had abandoned her and appointed a new Saintess, Her face twisted in anguish.

Beside me, Perro Kain spoke, incredulously, “Wow, the Lord truly is something else. Appointing a ‘juvenile Saintess’—doth thou get what that means?”

Grandpa chuckled wryly.

“Maybe he thought Elena would actually make it here. Kid, you’re probably still in elementary school, aren’t you?”

The young girl bristled at being called “Kid,” her body radiating with light.

Aurelia stepped forward.

“Wait, Sungah. I didn’t come here to fight you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I... I just want to ask Father a question.”

The new Saintess sneered openly.

“It’s because of that attitude that Father deemed you unworthy! How dare you claim to have questions for the Father of All? The mere fact that you harbor doubts reveals your flaws.”

Oh, the Lord’s really something.

He deemed Aurelia too unruly and chose an even more fanatical child as his new Saintess.

What a piece of work.

Despite the situation, Aurelia kept her composure.

“Yes, Saintess Sungah, your words are true. But I simply wish for the chance to resolve my queries, even if what follows is death. Saintess, or Father! I believe you’re watching me through this child’s eyes. I have devoted my entire life to you. Won’t you grant me even a moment for an audience?”