Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 124
Only Krnovel
Episode 124 – No. 107, Gate Room – ‘The Secret of the Esper’ (15)
– Han Ga-in
Ari was holding a strange-looking music box.
A style that was popular before World War II? There seems to be a trend in music boxes too.
“How do you know what music boxes were popular in the past? Have you ever seen it?”
“While working, I happened to meet an evil spirit-like entity that took the form of a music box. “It looks like Pero is still doing something. Go and check it out.”
The issue of Ari’s age was something that was lightly joked about in the past. A strange contradiction that I realized too late.
I quickly checked the status window again.
Ari’s age is still displayed as ???.
…
Let’s leave it at this. Unfounded suspicion only creates unnecessary conflict.
Even if I ask Ari later, I don’t think it’s the right time to ask now that the ordeal is in progress.
I approached Pero. As expected, Pero was poking the wall hard with his beak.
If it were in a grotesque state, how would it be possible to break through by just stabbing the wall with its beak as a parrot? Of course, the wall didn’t move at all.
This action must have some meaning… .
It’s hard to understand right now. I just walked around and looked in drawers and under the bed.
Everyone searched the room for a while, but couldn’t find anything particularly suspicious, unknown documents, strange safes, or secret passages.
Eventually, Grandpa Mukseong called us.
“Everyone, put your clothes back on. “Now it’s time to go to a dinner party or something.”
Finally, with no apparent results, we left the room for the dinner party.
As soon as I left the room, a notification popped up.
/I will seal the participant’s legacy from now until the end of the fourth trial./
Now is the real start.
*
– Elena
A gentleman I had never seen before approached me and handed me a drink.
“Miss Elena, my name is Stevenson.”
Before I could answer, someone else came up from behind.
“oh! The star of today’s party has come, right? Miss Elena! “Would you please come to our table?”
“thank you. I am -”
Before I could finish speaking, someone next to me spoke.
“Looking at Miss Elena’s noble appearance, it matches her appearance -”
…
OMG! It’s crazy!
As soon as we entered the party, we were all spellbound.
The room I first started in was very luxurious and large, but the ship outside the room was so incredibly extravagant that I wondered if a ship like this existed in the world.
And the party venue showed the height of its splendor.
On one side, a small orchestra played classical music, and employees walked all around handing out luxurious champagne and snacks.
The walls were filled with famous paintings and beautiful decorations that I had never seen before.
Light flickering like flames from the chandelier on the ceiling brightly illuminated the entire banquet hall.
The most surprising thing was the golden thread shimmering from the ceiling.
Every time the light passed by, the twinkling in the air looked like a small Milky Way unfolding, so I stared at the threads on the ceiling for a long time without realizing it.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
When I turned my head, a young man who looked like something out of a classic movie was looking at me.
“Threads sparkling on the ceiling. Isn’t it amazing? “How on earth did they make it?”
“iced coffee! “You mean spider web.”
“Spider web?”
“I put up a spider web and sprinkled some gold dust on it. It’s enough to create an atmosphere. Of course, it’s just a spider web that belongs to Miss Elena-”
After hearing that, I turned around. I’m sorry, but I’ve heard this story 300 times since the party started, and now I’m not impressed.
I turned and looked at my colleagues.
The situation of my colleagues is not much different. There was an uproar as at least five people approached each of my colleagues, introducing themselves and offering gifts.
What I heard earlier. ‘The star of today’s party’
I think this applies not only to me, but to the entire group.
It’s amazing, it’s gorgeous, the food is delicious, everything is good… .
No matter what I say, this place is ultimately the ‘Gateway Room’. A place of trial.
This is not the time to party and have fun.
In the end, Grandpa Mukseong, who was the most determined and strong among us, started to gather us, pushing away the people who were clinging to us.
Almost 30 minutes after joining the party, we were able to gather again.
*
– Han Ga-in
This is my first time experiencing such a crazy experience.
Even though I am not a celebrity, people around me, both men and women, flock to me.
Not only that, but they suddenly gave me gifts here and there, asking me who I was and where did I come from, so much so that I almost lost my soul.
I think I developed enough determination to fight without hesitation if there was an enemy charging at me with a sword, but it was harder to deal with people who flocked towards me purely out of favor.
Fortunately, Grandpa Mukseong came and forcibly dragged me and the rest of the group out and grabbed a table, which finally brought us peace.
Songi, who had been drinking water absentmindedly, opened her mouth.
“This is my first time doing something like this. I feel like I have become a popular singer. “Have you ever experienced something like this, Elena?”
“It can’t be. “I have never been this popular.”
Grandfather Mukseong fanned his hands and sighed.
“This is crazy! I’m crazy. “Have you found out anything?”
Songi immediately opened her mouth.
“I am -”
“for a moment.”
Songi was interrupted.
“Let me speak first for a moment.”
Han Ga-in: For real conversations, use the chat window.
“The food is very delicious. “Isn’t every single item worthy of a fine dining restaurant?”
Han Ga-in: Every time we open our mouths, look at the reactions of those around us.
“Hey, if anyone hears it, they’ll think you’ve been to a fine dining restaurant. “I think I must have worked hard to go to kimbap heaven.”
Ari Kim: Every time we say a word, the surroundings become quiet. Everyone is eavesdropping on us.
“and! Ari, are you ignoring me? Are we living well at home? “Did you go there when your dad was promoted?”
Han Ga-in: There is a lot of interest in us. They ask for your personal information while distracting you with a barrage of gifts, flashy party scenes, and loud music.
“I’ve probably been there at least once in my life. Okay, I’ll just say I’ve been there. Actually, the food here was pretty delicious. “What was even better was the alcohol.”
Ari Kim: Actually, they don’t do any social activities among themselves at all. It means that we already know each other well.
“It’s alcohol… . Now that I think about it, this Irish whiskey is also a good product. “You must not drink!”
Kim Muk-seong: Don’t you think there are a few people compared to the size of the boat?
“yes? People -”
Songi spoke in a voice, but then covered her mouth in surprise.
Yoosongi: Sorry. Aren’t there a lot of people?
Kim Muk-seong: It is clearly small compared to the size of the ship. The reason it looks like so many is because the ship itself is ridiculously large.
Even though we haven’t even looked around the entire ship, the grandfather already seems to have a rough idea of the size of the ship.
At times like this, it makes me wonder if the management bureau’s experience wasn’t built in vain.
“I don’t know much about alcohol. “But this champagne is delicious.”
Elena: I looked around on the way there, and it seems like there are a lot of empty rooms.
“I don’t know what champagne tastes like. “It just feels like a dizzying soda.”
Han Ga-in: Everyone, be careful what you do. You can see several employees with revolvers on their waists. Probably not an empty revolver.
After this conversation, there was silence at the table.
Having a ‘real conversation’ through the chat window while having a normal conversation took a lot more concentration than expected.
If I summarized the information I gathered, it was like this.
1. The passengers on the ship seem to already know each other well. There is a lot of interest in us.
2. The number of people is small compared to the size of the ship. There are also many empty rooms.
3. Quite a few employees are armed with handguns.
iffy. At this level, nothing really clicked.
I started to get a little goosebumps. Once I started to become aware of it, I continued to feel it.
Every time we say a word, even if it is meaningless, the surrounding area becomes quiet, and if one of us does something slightly loud, the attention of those around us is immediately focused on us.
What on earth is the purpose of these people?
In the end, we couldn’t bear the reluctance and returned to the room before 10 p.m.
Not long after leaving the party, the orchestra’s music, which had been softly echoing throughout the ship, stopped.
As if the purpose of the party has disappeared and there is no reason to play music anymore.
*
After that, we searched the rooms and walked around the ship, but without much success.
Some facts were confirmed.
As Elena said, there were many empty rooms, and the ship was ridiculously large.
Are all luxury liners this size?
According to Ari and Grandpa Mukseong’s opinion, passenger ships of this size are rare in the world.
The facilities on the ferry were literally endless.
The swimming pool was basic, and I was impressed by the impressive botanical garden and casino.
The number of rooms assigned to us on the Esper was two.
Perhaps the intention was for men and women to grow up separately.
But I had no intention of being shared on this ominous ship.
Anyway, each room was large, so everyone decided to sleep together in one slightly larger room.
And then midnight came.
We waited for the next ‘scenario’ to appear in my status window, with no one asleep.
…
— Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
It was midnight with the sound of the cuckoo clock. The moment I was about to check the scenario, something strange happened.
[Advice: 3 -> 2]
[Immediately turn your back to the wall and cover the front with a filter.]
Before I could even think about it, I instinctively acted on the advice.
I immediately attached it to the wall and enlarged the status window filter to cover the front.
For a moment my colleagues looked at me with puzzled eyes –
— Ding di ding di ding~! Ding di ding di ding~!
The sound of a music box that seemed to tickle my ears filled the room.
Under the bed, behind the pillow, across the wall, on the side of the clock, under the table.
The sound of the music box can literally be heard from all directions.
When I turned my attention to my colleagues in confusion, I realized why the ‘advice’ had sent me a crisis notification for the first time in a long time.
In an instant, all my colleagues fell asleep as if they had fainted.
The fact that I was the only one who covered the filter meant that the sound of the music box contained some kind of magical power.
?
I feel a twitching sensation in my back. Feeling something squishy –
[Advice: 2 -> 1]
[Pretend to be asleep.]
I immediately relaxed my body and narrowed my eyes.
…
I’m out of breath. ‘Faces’ sprouted from the walls throughout the room.
I held back and held back, suppressing the feeling that I was going to vomit.
Ominous voices began to come from the faces.
“Is anyone awake? “I felt movement.”
“Is that possible? George, please check.”
“There is no need for that. It’s obvious he’s a parrot. “I wanted to pound its beak against the wall all day and twist its hair several times.”
“Did the bird feel anything?”
“You never know. “Everyone seems to be asleep.”
A loud male voice is heard.
“hmm. Did you all find someone you like? If not -”
A slightly high-pitched voice was heard.
“I found one.”
“That blonde girl? “I’m sure this is my first time seeing such a beautiful young lady.”
—Squeak.
A noise as if something were pressing down on the floor with a heavy weight.
At the same time, all the voices in the room stopped.
Even though there were five people, the room that was not small at all suddenly became narrower.
Each one has claws the size of a child’s fist, a beak so large that my head can fit in its mouth, and a monster that resembles an ostrich at first glance, but with ugly tentacles and scales growing all over its body.
A grotesque appeared.
See next episode