Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 188
Only Krnovel
Episode 188 – Prayer for the maze (7)
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: Day 93
Current Location: Maze of Hell
Sage Advice: 3]
– Han Ga-in
I explained what I realized to my grandfather, who wondered why he blocked it.
“The Santa who appeared a little while ago was unreal. “It was just an illusion.”
When I pointed to a clean snow field without footprints, my grandfather immediately understood.
“There isn’t a single footprint. “Is Santa even an expert at answering questions?”
“yes?”
“… I just tried it. “It felt very real, but it’s hard to believe it was an illusion.”
“It’s not just a story about footprints. There was no ‘presence’? “When a person moves, there should naturally be sounds like clothes rubbing together or limbs bending, etc., but I couldn’t feel any of that.”
Ari, who returned from the maze, responded with wonder.
“The sound made when clothes are rubbed…” . Have you got that good of an ear? It was amazing just now. Not only is the surroundings quiet, but Christmas carols can be heard from all directions. How on earth did you hear the deer breathing from 10 meters away? “Are you a rabbit?”
I have nothing to say. I also found it difficult to understand how I sensed the sound of deer breathing amidst the sound of carols. Ari simply expressed, ‘Did you have good ears?’, but the sense at the time was not simply that he had excellent hearing.
As soon as I caught a subtle sound that felt uncomfortable, I had a strange memory where all my attention was focused on the subtle sound, as if I were feeling the sound of my heart in a quiet room.
I think I’ve had a similar experience a few times… .
As I was thinking for a long time, the group I returned to school with took me to the back of the school where I discovered consciousness.
“Recently, or yesterday? Anyway, it’s the same as when I saw it yesterday. To me, it just looks like a pile of trash.”
“Actually, it’s trash right now. “It’s a ritual that I don’t know when it took place.”
“Why did you come back? Break it?”
“That’s one purpose, and I was wondering if there was anything I could figure out before that.”
“Would you like to write some advice? as you know -”
“You mean when you don’t have enough information, you get the wrong answer? “I know, but try it anyway.”
After thinking for a while, I chose an appropriate question.
[Advice: 3 -> 2]
‘Is there any information to be gleaned from this ritual?’
[It’s already been done. Take 6 steps forward.]
“…”
“What is that expression? Strange answer?”
“It’s already over. Now, I don’t think it means much whether I destroy it or not. And they tell you to walk six steps forward?”
“Then walk.”
“…If I walk, I will destroy all this rubble?”
“The owl says the ceremony is already over? “It won’t matter if I break it.”
I walked as I was told.
One step, two steps, and six steps-
— Tuk!
“What is this again?”
As soon as my shoes touched, my foot caught something with a distinct shape among the crumbling piles of trash, as if sand was collapsing. It was a small iron plate with a strange emblem engraved on it.
‘A reward for a good boy and a punishment for a bad boy’
“Seeing as it is written in English, does this seem to be some kind of magical sentence?”
Ari looked like he didn’t know what was going on.
“Reward good children and punish bad children. It’s a phrase that a subtly crazy Santa would like. So what?”
“I guess I’ll have to use your advice one more time.”
The grandfather behind him gave advice.
“Don’t ask about the ritual, ask about Santa himself. From the looks of it, the ceremony itself ended a long time ago and doesn’t seem to have much meaning anymore, so it’s a waste to ask more about a meaningless ceremony.”
“I’m nervous about writing advice before a fight, but you won’t be fighting before midnight, right?”
“I guess so. As expected, Santa will come out again at midnight, and your advice will be useful again then, so I think I can use it without worrying.”
Ari had a different opinion.
“Leave one behind, just in case. Other questions may arise later, and you cannot be sure that all risks have been identified on the first attempt. “What if a man-eating reindeer suddenly yowls on the way back?”
“Kyaung?”
“Kyaung!”
Let’s save one just in case. The next moment of need may come.
[Advice: 2 -> 1]
‘Give me some hints on the appropriate response regarding Santa.’
[This is not the cursed room. Those who fall into hell must save themselves.]
…I was momentarily speechless. Ari and her grandfather also had their mouths half-open as she relayed her message.
If you think about it, it’s obvious, but I’ve been unconsciously missing it. This place is not the cursed room! The solution method is also likely to be different from the cursed room.
Ari muttered as if embarrassed.
“No, I know what you mean. Since it is not a cursed room, a different approach will be needed.”
“The story about that ‘different approach’ seems to be the following sentence. ‘He who falls into hell must save himself.’ “For an owl, this feels like a very detailed information.”
“I understand that. Because, as you said, Ga-in gave clear sentences that were unusual for an owl. The story is that the person who fell into hell is Miro, and Miro must save himself. Of course, you can’t do the maze alone, we have to help… .”
The grandfather sorted out everyone’s concerns at once.
“So what are you asking me to do? Watch the maze and try to beat Santa?”
“Unless Miro has about 10 more hidden superpowers, I don’t think it will work that way.”
“This is becoming more and more troublesome. First off, should we catch Santa before Christmas? I tried, but it failed because it was just an illusion before Christmas. Should we break down the ritual next time? I tried, but the ritual was already over and only the remains were left, so it was a failure. “After all, isn’t it a sure thing that Santa will show up and go on a rampage on Christmas?”
If you just gather the information up to now, this is not wrong. They haven’t found a way to stop Santa from appearing on Christmas. The story goes that she eventually has to stop Santa after he appears.
In the confused atmosphere, I looked at the clock and realized that it was already past 7 o’clock.
“Now there are less than 5 hours left until Santa shows up.”
“…”
“Rather than thinking and worrying, let’s act based on the information we have learned.”
“What are you talking about? “We haven’t figured out anything, so what should we do?”
“Why not? I realized something important. “What I’m saying is get the maze to participate.”
“ah?”
“this.”
“huh?”
“Take this too. Miro might recognize you.”
A strange piece of metal found in the center of the ritual and an inscription that Santa might like.
‘A reward for a good boy and a punishment for a bad boy’
It wasn’t long until midnight. Her mind slowly became anxious. I was at a loss as to what and how to explain to Miro.
…an idea occurred to me. Why does Santa Claus come to school?
To give a gift.
*
Soon it will be time for Santa to appear. The atmosphere on the first floor was quite different from yesterday. The children, who had been full of anticipation for Santa coming with gifts just yesterday, were all showing excited expressions today at the thought of a ‘fun prank’.
Will everything work out as planned?
It occurred to me that ‘this direction’ was definitely the answer. There is no way to stop Santa from appearing. Santa is a difficult being who is extremely difficult to deal with through force. Finally, in this hell, Miro must save himself.
After combining all these elements, I concluded that I had to somehow ingeniously break the strange situation of ‘the appearance of the evil Santa of Christmas’ in a way that did not involve fighting Santa.
“Cain, Cain, Cain, Cain!”
“maze? what’s the matter?”
“… Will it work out? “I’m a little scared.”
Most of the boys and girls on the first floor understand the current situation as simply a fun prank. If children start to be afraid of Santa, it will be difficult to proceed with the plan properly, so they have no choice but to lie. They were able to control it to this extent because they persuaded Miro, who had absolute influence among the children.
And, among the children on the first floor, Miro, the only girl who vaguely understood the current situation, could not hide her anxiety.
“It’ll turn out okay.”
If it doesn’t work out, try again.
“too… . So strange! “Santa is suddenly going to kill us all?”
When I wrote the last advice of the day to persuade Miro, the owl informed me.
[Seeing is worth hearing about]
The surest way to persuade someone about the existence of supernatural phenomena is to demonstrate supernatural abilities in person rather than a 1,000-word sentence. Even if I talk for 30 minutes, they ask, ‘Are you crazy?’ Miro, who showed a moderate response, was persuaded right away with a single ‘teleportation’.
I gently waved the pen again and wrote ‘Don’t worry’ in Miro’s field of vision, and Miro became calm.
[Date: Day 93] -> [Date: Day 94]
…
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
A carol is heard.
A moment ago, when I told you not to worry about the maze, an unbearable fear surged deep inside me.
— Boom!
Santa came in. At the same time, the children shouted.
“Merry Christmas!”
Santa’s eyes widened and he immediately shouted with a big smile.
“Merry Christmas! Thank you all so much! I guess there are a lot of good kids here. I’m really happy. but.”
Santa’s mouth was torn ‘lengthwise’. The children in the back didn’t react much, thinking they had seen something wrong, but the surprised look of the children in the front row was felt even from here.
“But only good children can receive Christmas presents. Isn’t it possible to know whether you will all be good? therefore -”
At that moment, Miro stood up.
“Santa Claus! We already received all the gifts! Guys~!”
At the same time as he said that, the children took out the boxes they had hidden behind their backs. Inside the box, a bunch of different gifts popped out that the school’s teachers had been searching for over the past few hours!
For the first time since entering the hell of the maze, Santa’s expression was filled with confusion. Now is the time for the final blow.
“Hey~! Who’s there? “I already gave my kids all their gifts, but isn’t it too late for you to come?”
An old man with a warm red attire, a huge bag of gifts held in one hand, and a much warmer look than the Santa monster with its mouth torn vertically.
A silent Santa appeared.
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