NoveLight ™
Episode 63 – Room 101, Room of Curses – "Corrupted Family" Re (1)
Second Attempt
- Kim Ahri
I needed to say something—if I didn’t, she’d break down the door.
Approaching the door where my "mother" stood, I could feel my blood draining slowly as I shielded my mind.
So, that’s how Room 101’s curse works. Just hearing the voice of a "family member" starts to affect you.
I couldn’t help but envy Kain’s mental shield filter.
"Mom! I’ll be out soon. Go ahead and eat without me."
Bang! Bang!
"I’m hungry! I don’t want to eat alone!"
What could I say to get her away from the door? What was her personality like again?
Ah, I remembered. I needed to speak to her like I would a child.
"I have a present for you. Could you wait just a little further away?"
"A present? A present! Okay! I’m super excited!"
I heard the sound of her running away. It was absurd how easily such a childish lie worked.
My "mother" was simple-minded, like a child. She wouldn’t stay away long.
Now I had to think. How was I supposed to escape?
Others ran out of their houses to escape, but my "home" was set as the hotel itself.
There was no way out.
If this were the second cycle, I might try jumping from the front door and slowing my descent. That could work—but only if I didn’t bleed out mid-air.
But in the first cycle’s hotel, stepping outside meant entering the deep sea. I’d be crushed by the water pressure. My only escape tool back then was a "bubble," not winged boots.
There was no escape through the front door.
If I couldn’t leave, I’d have to neutralize the imitation of my mother so she couldn’t reach me.
But there was one major concern:
How much of my real mother had the hotel replicated?
If it hadn’t given her the same blessing, I could take her down easily in my current state.
If she had the blessing... well, I’d have to try.
I opened the door to reveal a familiar dining room.
My "mother" sat at a distance, covering her eyes with her hands.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She really did look adorable.
If only her mind had been intact, she might have been a great mother.
I took a deep breath.
The blood I’d burn during the fight, the blood I’d lose resisting mental contamination—it wouldn’t last long.
Closing my eyes, I focused inward, feeling my blood surge through my veins.
I activated the ancient power within my blood.
Cold energy surged to my fingertips, slicing through the air like lightning.
The first strike was a surprise attack. The imitation, "Miro," couldn’t even react.
"Ahhh! Ahri, why—"
Sorry.
Actually, I wasn’t sorry. You’re not even my real mother. I’ll just call you by name from now on.
Two more bursts of freezing wind struck Miro, sending her sprawling. Two bright red lines slashed across her body. Blood sprayed out, freezing almost immediately.
But it wasn’t enough.
Fighting at a distance wasn’t working. I needed to end this up close.
I infused more power into my hand as I leapt forward—
Bang!
Something sharp pierced my shoulder.
I rolled to the side, releasing spirals of freezing wind as I searched for Miro.
The situation wasn’t terrible.
Her wounds weren’t healing quickly—my cold attacks had slowed her blood flow, disrupting her powers.
I lunged again, this time channeling my full strength into my attack.
Clang!
A metallic sound rang out as our hands collided. Both of us had hardened our limbs with ancient blood, turning them into weapons.
"Ahri, why are you doing this? Mommy’s going to punish you!"
"Sorry, but I’m stronger now. I’ve had more time to grow stronger than you ever did, Miro."
"What are you talking about? Mommy’s not dead! You’re just dreaming something weird!"
For ten seconds, maybe more, our metal-like hands clashed over thirty times.
It became clear—I was overwhelmingly stronger.
My mastery of ancient blood, my combat skills, everything was on a different level. Even while losing more than half my blood to resist her mental contamination, I was still winning.
"What? This doesn’t make sense! Why are you so strong all of a sudden, Ahri?"
"I told you—I’ve had more time than you to get stronger. Sorry, Miro. Time for you to take a nap."
Even though she wasn’t my real mother, seeing her suffer hurt me. But this was almost over.
If I could implant a final "suggestion," she’d fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Our eyes met. My power reached into her mind—
And then, the "scales" appeared.
Ah, I was doomed. This cursed hotel had replicated even Miro’s "blessing."
I backed away immediately. There was no winning now.
Boom! Crash!
An explosion tore through the dining room. Furniture shattered, and a monstrous force filled the air, strong enough to pulverize a human in an instant.
I dove for cover, slipping out of the room and into the hallway of Room 103.
When had it been?
I remembered when we learned about Elena’s blessing, "Justice," back in the Sanctuary of Blessings.
Seungyub had guessed that its many restrictions were for "balance."
Seungyub, I’m sorry, but you were wrong.
This hotel doesn’t care about balance at all.
Blessings here have no limitations. They offer infinite potential, restrained only by the wielder’s mind.
Elena’s blessing, for example, had these restrictions:
Those restrictions reflected Elena’s sense of justice, not the hotel’s.
But what if someone with a twisted sense of justice received the same blessing?
Miro had lost her sanity long ago, creating a childlike persona when she gave up her intelligence to create me.
Her childlike mind had erased all restrictions from the blessing, making it absurdly powerful.
Now, that result—the unstoppable manifestation of "justice"—was chasing me, destroying everything in its path.
Beeeeeeep.
A piercing noise filled my ears.
My hearing was failing.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion reverberated through the ceiling.
Screech!
The force tore through the marble floor like paper, shaking the hotel like an earthquake.
Even as chaos unfolded, I managed to escape.
The weak suggestion I had planted earlier confused Miro, making her unable to perceive me.
But that didn’t make it any less terrifying. She couldn’t see me, yet she was still destroying everything around her.
For ten minutes, I ran, flew, and stumbled through the hotel.
Miro was destroying the hotel with a force comparable to what Kain unleashed when he gained his descent powers.
I finally gave up.
Standing near the front door, I looked out into the deep sea beyond the hotel. Strange fish with grotesque shapes swam by.
This hotel was located deep underwater during the first cycle.
Clack. Clack.
As I watched the fish, Miro appeared. The suggestion had worn off.
"You’re here."
"...Ahri, why are you acting so strange today? Mommy doesn’t understand."
"...I’m sorry, Mom."
"Mommy’s sorry too. Let’s not fight anymore, okay? Mommy got scared and broke everything because I thought you hated me."
Ah, even this imitation loved me, just as I had loved my real mother.
But that love was the very thing corrupting me now.
"And Ahri, Mommy has to punish you, okay? For a whole week, Mommy’s going to carry your severed head around so you can reflect on your behavior!"
I shouldn’t have listened to that last part.
The saddest truth was:
My mother didn’t turn out like this because of the curse. She’d been this way since I was born.
I felt my consciousness fading.
/You have failed!/
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 22
Current Location: Level 1, Hallway
Sage's Advice: 3]
As I exited Room 101, I thought:
That was way too easy!
It was ridiculous how much we had struggled before. This was so simple—how could anyone fail? You just had to run!
But as I turned to see the others, I realized something was wrong.