NoveLight ™
Attempt 3
Upon meeting Mookseong on the first floor of the broadcasting station, I immediately wondered: how had he made it here? Without a filter or something like the bracelet, how was it possible?
He said it was a "much simpler method anyone could use."
...
Wait.
"Sir, by any chance, does this method involve... taking a part of your family member's body—"
"Stop right there! What kind of gruesome idea is that? Didn’t I just say it’s a method anyone can follow? Eunseol or Ahri couldn’t possibly manage to take something from a bodyguard or a 'suspiciously strong mother,' right? Besides, even if you killed them and took a piece, there’s no guarantee they’d stop being 'family.'"
"The fact that you’re explaining it in such detail makes it sound like you considered it."
"..."
"So, what did you do?"
"I teleported."
...
I was speechless. Teleported? How? Ahri, maybe, but Mookseong? He didn’t have any supernatural abilities.
"You seem confused. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m the only one who thought of it. Perhaps my experience with the supernatural at the Administration Bureau made it more obvious to me."
"Please explain."
"This is my first time in Room 101, but didn’t you and the others explain it to me before? For example, during your first attempt, didn’t you travel with your family to places like arboretums, restaurants, and resorts?
How did you move between those places? Did you take a train? A car?"
!
It clicked.
During my first attempt, how did I move around Room 101?
I didn’t use any vehicles like cars or trains. When my family decided to go somewhere, the location just changed immediately, along with the time of day!
"Room 101 has already twisted reality so much that the usual rules of the world don’t apply. Plus, we know the hotel can manipulate time and space within the rooms as it pleases.
In Room 101, you can teleport to new locations without needing transportation. However, given that things like taxis and subways exist here, there must be specific conditions for teleportation.
It probably only works when participants, like us, are infected by the curse."
There was no need to overthink it. The important thing was that teleportation was possible—and I’d already done it before.
"I didn’t think of that. Judging by the fact that only you and I made it here, I guess the others didn’t either. Teleportation is possible; I did it during my first time in Room 101.
Come to think of it, this would make it possible for Ahri to escape as well. She can’t physically leave the hotel, but with teleportation, it’s feasible.
But… how do you teleport? I’ve never consciously done it before."
"I don’t know."
"Pardon? Didn’t you say you teleported here?"
"I simply declared to my fake family that I was heading to the broadcasting station while keeping my distance from them. Then I let the curse overwhelm me. Before I knew it, I was here."
"So, you used the fact that being cursed enables teleportation. But even if you got here that way, wouldn’t you still be infected when you arrived? How did you recover?"
Mookseong gestured around us.
"Do you see anyone nearby?"
"There are guards over there, but no one close to us."
"I’ve been to ABS multiple times before. This part of the first floor is always deserted unless there’s a special event.
I planned ahead, deciding to come to this location while I was still in control. After arriving, I simply sat here until I naturally recovered."
I understood.
Mookseong’s method of reaching the broadcasting station:
It was a bizarre yet ingenious use of the room’s mechanics.
Only someone like Mookseong, with extensive experience handling supernatural phenomena, could have thought of it.
This method could work for others. Even Ahri or those unable to endure prolonged contact with their family could use it to reach the broadcasting station.
"One last question: why hasn’t the escape notification appeared? There are no family members or cursed people nearby, and this place is mostly empty."
"That’s proof we’re in the right place."
!
The first-floor corner of the broadcasting station was deserted enough that an escape notification should have appeared.
But it hadn’t.
I checked my status window.
[Current Location: Floor 1, Room 101 (Room of Curses – The Bizarre Family)]
[**Room of Curses – ◼◼ ◼◼ ◼◼◼◼◼]
[Room of Curses – Media of Distorted Logic]
...
The Bizarre Family was no longer the main focus. Instead, it was Media of Distorted Logic.
We had arrived at the true target. The next stage had begun.
The absence of the escape notification made sense.
The family, in the end, were secondary victims of the curse.
We were now closer to the primary source—the curse’s origin. There was no way the system would let us escape now.
"I think I understand the situation. It’s time to start investigating.
I’ve already been here for a while, waiting to see if anyone else would arrive. I’ve made a plan: from now on, we’ll act as Administration Bureau agents conducting an inspection. You’ll stay ahead of me and block anyone from approaching while we search every corner. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
"Let’s move."
I naturally took the lead.
Unlike me, Mookseong didn’t have a filter. He’d been fine so far because we hadn’t left the deserted first-floor corner, but as we moved deeper into the station, we’d inevitably encounter cursed individuals.
I needed to act as a tank, shielding him from their influence.
Mookseong handed me something.
"What’s this?"
"A bureau badge. Security guards here will recognize it."
It was a strange badge with a carved wooden emblem and the word "Agent" written underneath.
Pretending to be an Administration Bureau agent... how surreal.
The Inspection
The process was surprisingly simple.
Step 1: Flash the badge and act mysterious.
"Excuse me! This area is off-limits unless you’re authorized—"
—Flash!
"Wait, is that…? You’re with the Bureau? May I ask what brings you here?"
"..."
"I’m sorry, but you’ll need to provide some explanation—"
"..."
"If this is a secret mission, could you at least give me a general idea?"
Step 2: Shift responsibility back to them.
"Are you in a position to take responsibility for delaying us?"
"No, I didn’t mean that. But at least provide a minimal explanation so we can—"
"If you continue obstructing us, I’ll have to report you later."
"This isn’t obstruction. It’s just that we need a reason to log for our records—"
Step 3: Directly intimidate them.
"You’ve already wasted over a minute of my time. Show me your ID. Let’s see who I’ll be filing this report on."
"What? My ID? Why would you—"
"Ah, your nameplate. You’re Cha Seungmuk from the Security Team? Got it. I’ll make sure this goes to my superiors."
"Just, just go through. I must have made a mistake. My apologies."
We were in.
So this is how far intimidation could get you.
As we moved through the building, Mookseong chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.
"That was excellent. The perfect display of a veteran agent flexing their authority. Do you have a knack for this? I might’ve learned a thing or two just watching you. Even just knowing someone’s name sent chills down my spine. It inspires endless imagination, doesn’t it?"
"..."
"When we leave the hotel, consider a career in the Bureau."
When I leave this hotel, I never want to deal with anything like this again.
After about ten minutes of searching the first floor, Mookseong suddenly messaged me through the dialogue window.
[Kim Mookseong]: Restroom.
A restroom break? And why use the dialogue window for this?
I followed him to the restroom, and the reason became clear the moment we arrived.
"Uweeeeek! Aghhhhh!"
The instant we entered, Mookseong doubled over and vomited into a toilet.
It wasn’t just food; blood mixed with the bile, making it clear how dire his condition was.
"Are you all right?"
"Do I look all right?"
"Is this because of the curse?"
"Watching you converse and move forward like it’s nothing is incredible. That filter of yours... I’m envious. Even standing behind you, forcing myself to endure, feels like my brain is melting and my organs are flipping inside out. How’s your condition?"
"I have a headache."
"How lucky. I wish my dialogue window could help like that..."
I spent some time patting his back.
This wasn’t easy. My own headache had worsened, but Mookseong’s condition was far more severe.
Should I continue alone?
Suddenly, I felt something cold slip into my pocket.
"Sir?"
"It’s a gun. You know how to use it, right? From here on, you’re going on alone."
"..."
"Sorry. I can’t push myself any further. If I stay with you and lose control, I might attack you. I’ll wait here in the restroom."
"It sounds like even in the next attempt, only Songyi, Ahri, and I can progress. Everyone else would struggle too much."
"There might be another solution. Let’s discuss it after you return."
I left the restroom.
From this point onward, I’d have to continue alone.
Where should I go? Probably to the upper floors.