Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 391
Only Krnovel
EP.391 Episode 391 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (7)
Episode 391 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (7)
– Han Ga-in
The SUV, which had been moving until it started to get dark, finally came to a stop.
There were no buildings of any real significance in the vicinity, and the population density seemed low, with only single-family homes scattered here and there.
It seems like a completely rural town, but is there a place like this near Seoul?
Of course, ‘this Seoul’ is a very different city from ‘that Seoul’ that I know.
Ichthus and his five followers got out of the car and walked into the village.
I naturally climbed onto the shoulders of one of my followers.
It wasn’t my intention, but when I got on, I saw a familiar face.
This is the researcher who made me burst out in tears just this morning, taking notes and memos.
“hey!”
“Why are you doing that?”
After the ‘agreement’ between me and Ichthus was concluded, my followers also called me highly.
“Didn’t you say that I could kill you as much as I wanted and that you would let me go?”
“…”
“Does that still sound like bluff to you?”
“… I’m sorry about earlier – oh my!”
— Foodduck!
“…”
The researcher bowed his head in embarrassment and apologized, but since I was on the guy’s shoulder, his head and my body collided.
I was able to avoid the embarrassment of falling to the dirt because I reacted quickly and flew up, but I was overcome with a strange sense of doubt.
Ichthus, who was watching this funny scene, laughed lightly.
“You seem to be close with Minseok?”
“…”
“Still, I guess I’ll have to do what I need to do.”
What do you mean? What do you need?
While I was confused, unable to understand Ichthus’ intentions, his followers from the village approached from the other side.
Eyes full of respect.
A joy that cannot be hidden.
An attitude that makes you want to bow down and prostrate yourself at any moment.
They seem quite happy that their leader has returned after overcoming ‘persecution’.
and….
Ichthus smiled generously and nodded.
The village’s followers took out their rifles with determined expressions.
— Bang! Bang!
With the sound of gunfire erupting in an instant, the management staff who had been carrying out Ichthus up until then died one after another, screaming.
A purge out of nowhere?
I never imagined something like this would happen all of a sudden!
As he belatedly exerted his strength, the person who had been pulling the trigger opened his eyes and aimed the gun at Ichthus.
Then the village followers were very surprised and did not know what to do.
“Ugh! Do, Dojun! Where are you putting the gun!”
“You guy! What the hell are you doing all of a sudden -”
At that moment, a voice was heard that pretended to be calm but could not hide its agitation.
“It’s nothing, just calm down.”
Ichthus’ gaze turned to me.
“Cain, why are you suddenly acting like this? If you have any complaints, tell me in detail. I am ready to listen to my friend.”
“Aren’t these people your followers? Why did you kill them?”
“They are all former employees of the Administration. The Administration has various ‘security measures’ in place for its employees.”
“…”
“Of course, the staff said they would follow me with all their hearts. However, it is clear that some strange action was taken on their bodies without their knowledge.”
“Speaking of the tracking sensor, I think it was removed from the car earlier.”
“That’s only a small part.”
“…”
“The Bureau treats the world like a giant machine. Every human being is a cog in the wheel, no exceptions. The staff inside are also no more or less than ‘slightly larger’ cogs.”
I understand the situation.
Although Ichthus possessed the staff of the Administration Bureau with some kind of magical power, the Administration Bureau took all sorts of measures against the staff member’s body.
So, in Ichthus’ eyes, these are untrustworthy followers.
It was just a tool or a discarded card used to escape from the management office.
Ichthus’ words were logical and could not be refuted.
However, that doesn’t mean I have any obligation to take revenge on the already dead management staff.
— Foodie!
It flew up lightly and landed on Ichthus’ shoulder.
He looked a little embarrassed, but he didn’t shake me off.
“Thank you for understanding me. We have a good relationship – kekeke!”
“Let’s go. I need to see your father today.”
“Ka, Cain, your claws are too strong -”
“Okay! Aren’t you all leaving?”
“… move to the sanctuary.”
*
The sanctuary that Ichthus spoke of was located deep in the mountains near the village.
Since when?
The surrounding scenery began to distort in an indescribably horrific way.
The sky turned blood red, and the trees all squirmed in strange ways.
If there was a single sane Administration agent here, they would have reported for napalm to be dropped immediately.
— Gooooo!
An ominous cry is heard from somewhere.
The followers of Ichthus began to sink to the ground, as if they could no longer bear it.
A man who looked like Jesus looked at me with a sly smile.
“Cain, wait here for a moment. It will be difficult to handle if you suddenly meet your father without preparation.”
“…”
Ichthus stepped forward alone, wearing his red robes over his head.
and….
An incomprehensible demon larger than any building rose up.
The head of a red goat.
Two large, curving horns and two relatively smaller horns.
A hideous body made of writhing wood.
Suddenly, an eerie voice flashed through my mind.
*
As always, the day at the Administration was peaceful.
…at least on the surface.
Internally, it was like a sheet of thin ice that could shatter at any moment, because the two chaos entities escaped three days ago.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time Chaos had escaped.
Although the Administration is said to be a group that rules the world in secret, it is ultimately an organization centered around humans.
How can there be no flaws in what a person does?
Rather, as the entire world was being managed, there was bound to be a gap somewhere in the vast workload.
However, these words did not provide much comfort to the head of the Korean branch, Park Hyeon-min.
— Click!
“Sir! The strike force dispatched to Incheon has returned.”
“Already? The search can’t be over.”
“that is….”
“What now?”
“The team leader’s condition is strange.”
“…”
“I feel like I’m trembling as if I’m possessed by something….”
“What a blessing.”
“yes?”
“If the taste is gone and you come back, that means there’s something near the dispatch location. This time, we’ve added an agent to the 2nd class special handling unit -”
“Manager, that team leader really needs to meet you at least once.”
“what?”
“I heard a strange voice.”
“A strange voice? Are you possessed by a demon?”
Park Hyun-min was a little embarrassed.
It is not uncommon for a strike force deployed to a scene to become possessed by monsters or demons.
Why would we grant a request to meet with the higher-ups at the Administration if such a being asked to do so?
Of course, it is basic to ignore such unreasonable requests.
The employee in front of you will probably know this fact as well.
“I knew that and was about to proceed with the Level 2 mental cleansing procedure, but out of nowhere, they brought up the agent’s name… .”
“It’s frustrating, so stop talking. Agent’s name?”
“Do you remember the names of the two agents who went missing before? Agents Kim Ari and Kim Muk-seong.”
“…”
“According to the team leader, the mysterious voice said it was Kim Ari and Kim Muk-seong’s colleagues.”
“…”
“I asked you to just say one word to the manager.”
“Tell me.”
“I came from the hotel.”
The employee tilted his head as he relayed the message.
Because I couldn’t understand the word ‘hotel’ at all.
However, there were people who could understand the word.
“… bring her.”
“yes?”
*
A few moments later, the staff members brought a haggard-looking soldier into Director Park’s office.
“Let the team leader go and the rest of you leave.”
“Boss, being left alone is -”
“It’s okay, just go out. Hurry up!”
Eventually, the employees left the office with anxious expressions on their faces.
“…”
“…”
After a moment of silence, the manager opened his mouth.
“Yes, Team Leader. Do you have something to tell me?”
The soldier’s mouth opened in fear.
“Mom, I heard a voice! It was a strange, strange voice, and I had a strange revelation in my head -”
The manager, who had been listening to the ramblings, sighed lightly.
“We’re both busy people, so let’s stop joking around.”
“Yes, uh, what are you saying -”
“What kind of revelation is this? It seems like you’re controlling it nearby, so I won’t track you, so speak properly.”
“…”
“…”
After a while, the soldier laughed in disbelief.
“This is a bit of a blow to my pride. I was quite confident in my acting skills. How can I get caught so easily?”
“I’ve spent my whole life figuring out that smoke.”
“That’s true, but how did you know that I was controlling this body myself?”
It was a question I didn’t expect an answer to, but Manager Park answered it willingly.
“A few days ago, I received a report about a strange parrot. It said it was human, and it escaped with Ichthus when he escaped.”
“…”
“I didn’t expect you to be a real person. Parrot, I apologize for locking you up. By the way, how old are you?”
While Ga-in was speechless for a moment, Park Hyun-min held out a small piece of paper.
“less.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Hotel name.”
Gain scribbled on a piece of paper with a mysterious expression on her face.
「Hotel Pioneer」
“Pioneer? That’s the name you’re using this time.”
“…What name are you using this time?”
The manager’s sharp eyes scanned Ga-in.
“A colleague of Ari and Agent Mukseong?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I see you’re a hotel participant and you’ve escaped. Do you have something to ask of me?”
“you’re right.”
“Tell me.”
“These past few days, there have been a lot of management bureau strike teams roaming around Incheon. I wish they would just give them three days.”
The manager tilted his head for a moment and then asked.
“Does this mean you want me not to disturb Ichthus?”
“To be precise, it means not to interfere with Ichthus and his ‘father’ finding my body.”
“Please explain in more detail.”
Cain thought for a moment.
Should I tell this man my purpose?
There was no other way.
The administration won’t let the strike force go unless you explain.
Gain’s body is fixed somewhere in the sky over South Korea and will fall after 3 or 4 days.
It was Ichthus’ ‘father’ who decided to find the falling body.
When told of this, Manager Park looked somewhat surprised.
“So… you’re saying that you escaped from the hotel and are thinking of going back?”
When Ga-in nodded, the manager looked surprised.
“May I ask why? Hotel escapees are occasionally found, but it’s rare for them to return unless they’re agents with a specific purpose.”
“I couldn’t escape.”
“what?”
“This is not my world. It’s just another room of curses.”
The manager looked surprised for a moment.
After a while, he nodded slightly as if he understood something.
“If you think so, then there’s nothing you can do. I’ll defeat the strike force.”
“thank you.”
Just when they felt like their conversation was over, the manager suddenly touched a button hidden under the table a couple of times.
“— Beep! Do you want to initialize the Seoul branch?”
“Yes.”
“Director Park Hyun-min. Your voice has been confirmed. How far would you like to initialize it?”
“All employees with security clearance level 2 or lower, 2 hours’ worth of memories.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Korean branch began to blink with a strange noise.
Gain asked with a blank expression.
“What is this…?”
“If you ever come again, come secretly if possible.”
“yes?”
“Don’t bring up the word ‘hotel’ so casually so that all the regular employees can hear it. It’s a pretty tedious process like this.”
“…”
Suddenly, what Ictus had said a few days ago flashed through Gain’s mind.
“The Bureau treats the world like a giant machine. All humans are cogs in the machine, no exceptions. The staff inside are also ‘slightly larger’ cogs, no more or less.”
The moment when Gain sighs and tries to escape from the team leader’s body –
Manager Park’s mouth opened.
“What are you going to do with Ichthus and the god he serves?”
Instead of answering, the team leader fell to the ground with drool dripping from his mouth.
“…What a polite friend you are.”
The manager leaned back in his comfortable chair and thought back to the conversation from earlier.
He said that ‘this place’ is not his reality.
This answer made the manager uneasy.