NoveLight ™
The Fourth Attempt
[User: Han Kain ("Wisdom")
Date: Day 23
Current Location: Tier 1, Room 101 (Room of Curses – Media of Distorted Logic)
Sage's Advice: 3]
Ding-dong!
The cheerful chime of a bell echoed.
As we opened the door to the rooftop, we found ourselves standing at the entrance of a completely different location.
The surroundings were filthy, clearly untouched by proper cleaning for years, and the air was stifling.
It didn’t take long to realize where we were.
A place every person has visited dozens, if not hundreds, of times in their life.
A hospital.
There was just one issue: the nurses.
The twisted nurses we had already seen numerous times stood at the front desk, as if pretending to be regular nurses.
“Grrraaghakrrak!”
What was that supposed to be? A greeting, perhaps? It felt like their version of “Hello, how may I help you?”
Oddly enough, there was no hostility. If anything, they bowed politely in greeting.
Seeing the distorted nurses, my hand reflexively moved toward the gun at my hip.
Songyi grabbed my arm.
“Oppa, I don’t think we should provoke them unnecessarily.”
She was right. I held back, piecing the situation together.
It seemed we had entered the "hospital entrance." Perhaps that’s why we were being treated like “guests.”
For now, we’d explore without provoking them.
Under the twisted gazes of the nurses, we cautiously wandered through the hospital.
What kind of hospital was this?
As we moved deeper inside, hospital rooms began appearing.
The scenes inside were all too familiar—just like the strange spaces we had glimpsed earlier in the broadcasting station’s basement through the car windows.
Those spaces were hospital rooms. Each room contained iron beds, with mentally deranged patients strapped to them.
The patients moaned ceaselessly. Occasionally, a nurse entered a room.
...I didn’t want to imagine what happened next.
As we wandered aimlessly, one of the nurses approached us.
We froze, but the nurse stopped a short distance away and made another incomprehensible sound.
Stay calm.
They’ve treated us like “guests” so far, so it’s unlikely they’d attack us now.
If this were a normal hospital, what would happen if guests wandered aimlessly?
The nurse would probably say something like, “Are you looking for someone?”
Taking a chance, I shouted, “Kim Sangmin! We’re looking for Kim Sangmin!”
Please understand me.
The twisted nurse tilted its head, as if processing the name, then turned and began walking.
Taking the hint, we followed. I took the lead, with Songyi and her bracelet close behind, while Elena stayed at the rear in a triangular formation.
With the nurse guiding us, the others left us alone. We followed at a cautious distance for about 15 minutes, observing the hospital as we moved.
During that time, I realized something.
The bizarre locations we encountered whenever we broke the broadcasting station’s “Warnings” were all parts of this hospital.
Finally, after a long walk down the fourth-floor corridor, the nurse stopped.
It gestured toward a massive hospital room.
…Was that it?
The place we had been searching for since yesterday.
Just before entering, I turned to the “Advice” one last time.
“What should I do?”
[Hand the gun to Songyi.]
I understood immediately. Without a word, I passed the gun to Songyi.
We steeled ourselves.
“Everyone ready? Songyi, the gun is fully loaded.”
“Checked. The bracelet is ready to go anytime.”
“If it’s a person… I hope it’s a person. Then I can use my blessing.”
We stepped into Kim Sangmin’s hospital room.
What is this place?
I’ve seen countless grotesque and horrifying scenes, but…
This place wasn’t like anything I’d encountered before.
It was an entirely different world. Not cruel or horrific, but fundamentally alien.
It looked like the interior of an otherworldly cavern, as if we had stepped onto another planet.
Massive, translucent crystal-like stones jutted out of the ground, their surfaces shimmering faintly.
There were no visible light sources, yet the entire space glowed softly, as if tiny bioluminescent microorganisms floated in the air.
And the curse…
The cursed energy here was overwhelming, suffocating.
Though no physical entity appeared, I felt as if my skull were being split open by an unbearable headache.
Strange, incomprehensible “logic” seeped into my mind.
I forced myself to look away. The only one seemingly unaffected was Songyi, who had immediately activated her bracelet upon entering.
Elena had already collapsed to the ground.
...
Songyi looked… delicious.
Her name even sounded delicious, didn’t it?
Songyi mushrooms. I’ve always liked Songyi mushrooms.
They’re expensive and hard to come by. If I managed to get some, how would I prepare them?
Good ingredients shouldn’t be smothered with excessive seasoning or spices.
The best way to enjoy high-quality Songyi mushrooms is to gently brush off the dirt, roast them lightly in an oven, and dip them in salt.
I once heard about a celebrity who got criticized for putting expensive Songyi mushrooms in instant ramen. Honestly, I envied them.
Imagine dumping such costly ingredients into ramen and savoring the ultimate bite. That’s the dream, isn’t it?
In Japan, they’re often steamed in a teapot dish called dobin-mushi. I’ve always wanted to try it after seeing it on TV.
Songyi would be similar, right? Her name alone suggests she’d taste amazing.
But she’s too big to fit in a teapot. Should I buy a larger pot? Or maybe cut her dow—
Bang!
My consciousness wavered.
Even the bracelet’s filter couldn’t protect me here.
The meaning of the advice became clear:
“You’re powerless here.”
- Yoo Songyi -
Bang! Bang!
...
It wasn’t by choice.
If it were the cursed inhabitants of the hotel, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But shooting my companions was something I never wanted to do.
Why was it always me who had to take on this kind of role?
But what choice did I have?
Kain oppa suddenly stepped closer and patted my head.
At first, I was startled—what’s with the sudden gesture? But then...
"If I just take off her head, I could fit it into a teapot."
I didn’t let him finish. Bang.
Elena unnie then grabbed my leg.
"This part would go well if I slow-cooked it with beef—"
I didn’t let her finish either. Bang.
...Why were both of them imagining eating me?
The power of the curse was staggering.
Even with the filter, Kain oppa couldn’t withstand this place, and unnie was utterly defenseless.
As for me, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t feel any noticeable changes.
Perhaps the bracelet’s power surpassed most mental attacks in the hotel.
But if everyone else collapsed at this level of intensity, how would we handle it next time?
...I didn’t know. I’d have to rely on the others to come up with smart ideas once we were outside.
For now, I’d go on alone.
It didn’t take long.
Three minutes, maybe? At the end of the cave, something massive loomed—a grotesque lump of flesh.
Was this the source of everything?
It looked like an enormous, pulsating heart, squirming with life.
If I brought Jincheol oppa next time and protected his mind, would his fist be enough to destroy it?
For now, I had the gun. Should I try shooting it?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After three shots, it reacted.
"Pain! Pain! Pain! You… you hurt me!"
The voice stabbed into my mind like a spike.
I heard something rushing toward me.
Turning, I saw nurses charging in my direction.
Ah, so this is the core. If we destroy it, everything will likely fall apart.
I’d done enough, hadn’t I?
Anything more would be too much for me.
Still, before leaving, I had something to say.
“You’re causing far more trouble for the world than I ever could.”
With one bullet left for myself, I emptied the rest of the magazine into the mass of flesh.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Aaaah! Teacher! Where are you? Someone’s hurting me again! Teacher!"
Teacher?
I know a teacher too, but Sangmin, who’s yours?
The nurses reached me.
...That’s enough.
Bang!
Everything went hazy.
[User: Han Kain ("Wisdom")
Date: Day 23
Current Location: Tier 1, Hallway
Sage's Advice: 2]
I woke up with a thud, hitting the ground harder than usual.
Clutching my head, I glanced around. Everyone was rising with exhausted expressions.
It was evening.
We’d spent almost an entire day since entering that room in the morning.
As everyone regained their senses, their eyes naturally turned toward one person.
The largest man among us hung his head, looking half-dead.
Sometimes, when working in a group, this happens.
If someone makes a minor mistake, everyone criticizes, jokes, or lectures them.
But when the mistake is too big, it’s hard to even bring it up.
Often, you’re too busy dealing with the aftermath to scold anyone, and unless the person is unusually thick-skinned, they’re already crushed under their own guilt.
Especially when you’ll continue working together, there’s no point in making things worse.
Why add to their burden when it won’t improve the situation? Comforting them and planning the next steps is far more productive.
That’s exactly where we were now.
“Hey! Hey! People will think we’re all dead if they see us like this. What are you doing? No one’s eating?”
“...”
“Why are you sulking, oppa? I had an easy time relaxing with Mom on the rest team. I’m feeling great!”
Ari, you could show a bit more tact.
“Seriously, I had to hold a fake funeral for my ‘father’ and got into a power struggle with my family before they tried to bury me alive. And you’re acting like this is the end of the world?”
Bury her alive? Noona, what kind of family do you have?
“Oppa, you still have the red vial, right? Then it’s fine. I stayed until the end in 101 and saw enough to know we can solve this if you drink the potion and destroy the flesh.
But oppa, what were you thinking at the end?”
Suddenly, the spotlight was on me.
Songyi had asked three times since we left Room 101, “What’s the deal with the teapot?”
...Explaining the Japanese teapot mushroom dish sounded exhausting. Pretending to have amnesia seemed easier.
“I really don’t remember. I lost my memory as soon as I opened the hospital room door.”
“Hmm...”
Songyi didn’t seem convinced. I’d have to keep my distance from her for now.
Thus, our chaotic dinner concluded.
“Now it’s time for the final strategy meeting. Of course, I can’t guarantee it’ll actually be the final one, but I think this will be the last.
We know who the target is, where they are, and roughly what kind of power they have. If we drag this out any longer, it’s just incompetence on our part.”
“Eunseol noona, this is our fifth attempt...”
“Yeah, and that’s the problem. If this were still the fourth attempt, I think we could clear it with no issues.
But now it’s the fifth. Ari, do you remember anything about what changes after the fifth attempt?”
“I’m sorry. Back in the first round of the hotel, I was mentally still a child. I barely remember anything.”
Ari, born in the hotel, would have been just a child during the first round. It made sense that her memories were vague.
“So, the first item on today’s agenda is this:
There’s a chance Room 101 will get even harder, so maybe it’s better to move to Room 102 or 104, then return to 101 after we’ve grown stronger.
But would switching rooms actually make things easier?
Our fundamental skills haven’t improved much. If we blindly challenge another room, won’t we just end up struggling and wasting all five rounds?
Maybe sticking with Room 101, where we’ve already gathered so much information, is the better choice.
Of course, we can’t be sure. We don’t even know exactly how things will change.
Everyone, share your thoughts.”