Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 177
Only Krnovel
Episode 177 – Party Time – Concerns about Room 104, Exploration of the 2nd Floor (4)
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: Day 89
Current location: Tier 1, hallway
Sage Advice: 0]
– Han Ga-in
I was taken aback by the advice I seemed to know. People around her started asking about the details.
“What answer did you get?”
“…”
“It seems like this is another owl-specific Zen question.”
“They say, ‘The wisest person plans a plan that benefits everyone.’?”
The area around the table became quiet for a moment. My older sister broke the silence first.
“It feels subtly like something I’ve heard before. I’ll explain it as briefly as I know. It is said that when a businessman decides the situation, it is a waste to create a structure that only benefits himself. In a structure in which I alone benefit, of course the other party will strongly oppose it, so the structure itself will soon be broken.”
“You’re saying that stability can only be achieved if you create a structure that benefits everyone, right?”
“yes. That way, everyone will be satisfied, the structure will not be broken, and we will all become rich together. This is a bit similar to game theory. Have you heard of it? Nash equilibrium?”
Nash equilibrium, in game theory, refers to a state in which there is no need to change responses anymore when all players have made the best choice. Roughly speaking, it can be seen as having a similar meaning to ‘no one wants to break a situation in which everyone benefits.’
“I understood the meaning itself similarly, but there were too many confusing parts. First of all, who is the ‘wisest person’? “If you think simply, considering the word ‘wisdom,’ it seems like he was advising me to plan wisely.”
“‘The wisest one’, I thought of an owl? “He is the patron of wisdom.”
Ari immediately shook his head.
“I think owl is not a subject. You should also think about the phrase behind it. Is ‘the being who sets the table’ the subject of the sentence? Patrons cannot be the ones making decisions in a hotel. I think it’s more of an expression to refer to ‘Lord’, doesn’t it? “He is a being who transcends mortals and is close to a god, so he deserves to be called the wisest.”
Ari’s point is valid. Certainly, in this place and hotel, the sponsors are just one step away and cannot be ‘the ones who set the tone’.
However, if the subject is ‘Lord’, why did they bother to use the word ‘wisdom’ this time? At the hotel, ‘wisdom’ is the name of my blessing. An owl who puts all kinds of meaning into each word could not have written that word without meaning.
I remembered what the chief said in room 201. The reason why owls enjoy answering Zen questions is never for the purpose of teasing or harassing me. Using expressions that can be interpreted ambiguously to convey as much meaning as possible in a short sentence.
The riddle that tormented us throughout issue 201, ‘Gyeonjimangwol’. What was the finger and what was the essence?
At first, I wondered if the cube was the finger and the headquarters was the essence. Next, I wondered if it was an explanation about Beatrix, who sent a double body in front of me and whose brain, the main body, was located somewhere else. In the end, ‘Beatrix’ itself is a finger, and it seems that it was meant to focus on the essence of being a ‘prisoner’.
Maybe all these interpretations were expressed in four letters?
In that context, one should not try to find a single correct interpretation for the owl’s words. Because the purpose in the first place is to convey multiple interpretations at once.
“I think both are correct. The subject could be Han Ga-in or ‘Joo.’ “Isn’t this what the owl’s advice meant?”
I wrote my own interpretation on the whiteboard.
1. ‘State’ has already made a plan that everyone can benefit from.
2. To break that game, you must also create another game that everyone can benefit from.
Ari tilted his head for a moment and muttered.
“I think it’s hard to come to a conclusion based on this alone… .”
right. Although it has changed into two sentences with a clearer meaning than the original advice, it is still abstract. It’s not easy to know. I think I will be able to come to a further conclusion only after writing a bit more advice. The problem is the cold in the hotel. Starting tomorrow, I will no longer be able to write advice aimed at resolving curiosity about room 104.
Suddenly, Ari looked a bit tired.
“We talked about room 104 before, right?”
“It did.”
“Aren’t you too obsessed with the idea of breaking Room 104? I don’t know why I feel the need to go. “In the first place, hotels are not structured so that every room has to be covered.”
“…”
“Is it a shame to miss out on the legacy of Room 104? “But you already received compensation separate from the legacy in Room 104.”
right. I already got a powerful reward called ‘Advent’ in issue 104. Eunsol noona slightly took my side.
“I understand what Ga-in is thinking. Basically, the first floor will be easier than the second floor. “It can be unsettling if you proceed to a more difficult floor while leaving aside the rewards of the easier floor.”
“That context makes sense, but there’s something strange about room 104. “There are so many strange things about it that it feels like a ‘rotten room’ somewhere.”
“that… . Definitely yes. It’s a bit of a strange room. “It has a creepy side.”
I think I know what it means. Because I think about it often too.
All the rooms on the first floor, even the most difficult gateway room, have been cleared, but room 104 remains unknown until the end.
Strangely, in issue 104, the problem was not even solved, but a reward called ‘Advent’ was given.
Strangely, the prisoner in room 104 even distorted the hotel’s notice and said, ‘You did not fail.’
Strangely, asking a question related to room 104 requires three advices.
In a hotel, strangeness means ominousness and fear. All these strange changes are making colleagues fear Room 104.
…I had a strange feeling.
We have the illusion of a cunning spider looking down at us from a very high place. People caught in a sticky spider web cannot escape easily even if they want to.
What on earth is ‘Ju’ planning?
As the surroundings became quiet for a moment, someone walked from afar.
“I’m here!”
“hmm? Seungyeop?”
Only about 30 minutes have passed since we left the Sanctuary of Blessing?
The reason was quickly revealed. It is said that, like me in the past, I chose to save my contributions and then get strong reinforcements all at once.
“Oh, and the sponsor also mentioned the cold.”
The old man, who had been struggling with the green tea ice block, opened his eyes wide and shouted.
“what? “Did he give you any good hints?”
“… work hard to prepare for the cold?”
Did you give me those words as advice? Are you an owl? Everyone was dumbfounded for a moment. As Seungyeop returned, the topic of conversation naturally shifted from room 104 to preparing for the cold. My older sister opened her mouth first.
“Let’s start with the obvious first. You need to prepare for the cold weather. I already ordered everything from the market. “I also ordered a tent, just in case.”
Grandpa also answered right away.
“Starting today, start collecting hotel supplies. Can’t I bring in the supplies inside the underground facility? “The ‘hiking room’ had a lot of high-performance winter gear.”
“It’s going to be difficult. “If you leave the room, those items disappear.”
“Then transform that parrot and pull its hair out.”
— Beep!
“Damn the beeping! “If you collect as many feathers as my hair that you ripped off, I will make a hat!”
Are you Pero? Did you tear out that much of your grandfather’s hair?
“Now~ Now~ Be quiet. Now, if everyone pretends, they pretend, right? “Let’s all go around the hotel on our own and gather everything we can to prepare for the cold.”
What is there to bring?
Unfortunately, you cannot take your belongings out of the room in the basement facility where everything is located, so you have to find it on the first floor. Fabrics around me, such as curtains and tablecloths that were used to make similar winter clothing, caught my eye.
Ari asked.
“Speaking of getting things, can you use ‘Hand of Greed’? “Can’t we get something suitable to prepare for the cold weather?”
“I thought that too, but I haven’t been able to use it since I got the eye last time. “It seems like a skill with a really long cooldown.”
“It’s worth it because it’s a skill that allows you to obtain equipment with supernatural performance every time you use it. “It’s a shame now.”
While everyone was talking about how to survive in the cold hotel, I was concerned about one thing.
There is no end to simply enduring the cold. Ultimately, the hotel’s untimely ice age must end, and the answer to this problem must ultimately lie on the second floor.
I need to go to the second floor and see what the hell is going on.
“Shouldn’t we go to the second floor before the cold gets any worse?”
Everyone nodded as if that was what they were thinking. Jincheol showed an active reaction.
“Good idea. Even if not, that’s what I was trying to say. Let’s go to the second floor. Who else would you like to go with me?”
It seemed like he was suggesting it to everyone, but in fact, his eyes were focused on one person. From what I can see, the number of people appropriate for the search and the appropriate people are set.
Except for Jincheol, who can resist the cold with the power of ‘courage’, the only equipment that can withstand the extreme cold of the second floor and even enable exploration is a protective suit. Therefore, except for his brother, there is only one person who can participate in the search.
Among us, only one of us can see through the blizzard and see the surroundings.
My sister let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh, I didn’t mention the second floor because I thought it would be like this. Well, you have to do what you have to do. “Jincheol and I will go together.”
“great. “If I break the ice and open the way, and you watch with your eyes, whatever comes out will come out.”
The two people seemed to overlook one fact.
“I’m sorry, but I need one more person to go.”
“what? “I must have forgotten, but there is only one protective suit -”
“Also, please don’t participate in the search, but just hang out in a corner wrapped in a blanket. Anyway, one more person has to go. grandfather?”
Normal communication is impossible on the second floor due to a snowstorm. Support for chat windows is essential.
Grandfather grabbed the back of his neck.
“Oh my! “Now that I’m old, I thought I’d be able to get away from all the hard work, but this young guy sends me to my death.”
“…”
“Go, go! Didn’t they say to remove the ox’s horn as quickly as possible? “Let’s go right away.”
“yes? “And the chef?”
“…”
“…”
“Seungyeop, you must be tired. Get some rest.”
Seungyeop’s expression immediately brightened at Ari’s kind words.
“Take Pero too! “As I’ve been going back and forth to room 201, it seems like Perot can tolerate the cold well.”
— Beep! Beep!
“Aaaah! “Don’t bite! It hurts!”
For a moment, an affectionate time passed with a very angry parrot biting Songi’s hair.
See next episode