Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 394
Only Krnovel
EP.394 Episode 394 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (10)
Episode 394 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (10)
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye)
Date: Day 231
Current location: —
Wise Man’s Advice: 3]
– Han Ga-in
When I flew back to the hotel, the first people to greet me were not my colleagues.
A black, thick mass came whizzing in from a distance.
I was speechless as I looked around the hotel wondering what on earth it was.
“What on earth is going on?”
Anyone who saw the hideous thing before their eyes could tell that it was not a ‘hotel’.
I saw many similar buildings in Room 203, where eons have passed since the destruction of human civilization.
Here and there, the half-ruined concrete block was covered with unidentifiable plants, and a giant flower on top was ‘looking’ at me, shooting thick mucus like a cannonball.
“Phew… .”
Fortunately, Apollyon wasn’t that strong, so some of the power of the descent remained.
After intercepting the flowers from a distance, open the hotel’s main door again –
“Oh my god, what is this!”
As soon as I opened the front door, a red lump of flesh rolled out.
I didn’t want to destroy the hotel any more, so I had to control my force and cut off the chunks of flesh.
The situation in the intestines was nothing short of chaotic.
A black giant with its eyes wide open, tearing off the ceiling.
A crazy vine monster that spreads its roots everywhere.
A lump of flesh settling down to roll again.
Ghosts flying around here and there.
“…”
At this point I was just speechless.
*
I walked around the first floor to find out what the root of the problem was.
There were gaps in space here and there that endlessly poured out monsters.
These cracks were something intangible and there was no way to destroy them.
Fortunately, according to the ‘companion location information’ in the status window, no one was dead and they were all on the second floor.
Eventually, what little strength I had left was all used up moving towards the elevator.
As I entered the elevator and finally found my composure, Pero, who had been hiding in the gap between my clothes since he came down, poked his head out.
He’s a guy who really hates me since some time ago, and I just accepted it because I thought there were too many reasons for him to hate me.
But even now, when I feel like the surroundings are dangerous and without answers, he sticks close to me without saying a word.
“Sure, our Ferro is smart.”
Pero didn’t even listen to me and stormed out as soon as the elevator reached the second floor.
“Did you hate it that much…?”
I understand.
— Foodie!
The parrot that flew out like lightning came back to me before I could catch my breath.
“…”
It’s not like I suddenly became popular.
At first glance, there was no answer for the second floor.
“Window! Block the window!”
“Something comes in through the front gate too!”
“Ha, Grandpa! Upstairs!”
“Wow! Where the hell do these bastards come from?”
The coworkers I hadn’t seen in a long time didn’t pay any attention to me even after I got out of the elevator.
It wasn’t a situation where ghosts and monsters were invading here and there without warning.
In the end, I had to fight to the death after reporting my return with only a look in my eyes, without even receiving a single proper welcome greeting.
*
After about 30 minutes, we finally had time to tidy up and talk.
“The second floor is in relatively good condition?”
“I told you so. Gain, you came to the main gate on the first floor. How was the first floor?”
“… It was like a total ruin. A breeding ground for monsters?”
“That place isn’t even a building, let alone a hotel. By the way, the basement isn’t much different. At least the second floor is fine.”
“The elevator is fine, so wouldn’t it be better to just stay there?”
“At first we were resting there, but then the elevator suddenly tried to take us to a ‘strange place’.”
“…”
For the second floor, there were no cracks inside the hotel from which monsters sprang out, only in the snowfield outside.
Also, monsters don’t appear constantly, but instead, it rains intermittently for long periods of time, giving you time to catch your breath.
“I’ll be quiet for three or four hours. I’ve been like that all along. Everyone who wants to sleep, get some rest!”
Before Ari could even shout, Miro and Elena were already leaning against the wall with their eyes closed.
There was a clear reason why only the second floor could withstand this much.
“That’s because I made a wish on the second floor.”
The answer was in Eunsol’s gloomy expression.
I made a super powerful wish while in a state of mental confusion, because my older sister was on the second floor when I made the wish.
Grandpa and Ari, who still had some energy left, answered my questions.
For example, I found out the name of an event currently taking place at the hotel.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream?”
“It was displayed like that on the second floor display. But that’s broken now.”
“When the party time ends, the event also ends… .”
“Didn’t the hotel kids write such annoying explanations? It’s a fun event, so have a good time!”
“…”
Ariga sighed and explained.
“It’s not fun. But it’s not a bad event for us. That’s why we started it even though it was party time.”
I’ve summarized each and every achievement that everyone has achieved.
It is said that Jincheol met the illusion of ‘Arima’ in person and received a strange proposal, and even discussed it with Seungyeop.
“Didn’t you hear from Owl a few days ago? There is a special way to put a witch in the soul box. The witch herself figured it out.”
“What is it?”
“Arima thinks of himself as something similar to a computer virus, and according to this metaphor, the soul box is a tool that contains a computer. So it can’t contain the virus itself. It’s not a soul, it’s just mental data.”
As soon as I heard the analogy, the answer immediately came to mind.
“I guess I’ll just have to put the infected computer in there.”
“He said he wanted to take over the body of one of the NPCs in the Cursed Room. He said he just had to contain that NPC.”
It is said that Grandfather, Seungyeop, and Songi did not get involved in the event because they did not join the drinking party.
On the other hand, Eunsol received a strange reward this time too.
“‘Mysterious Craftsman’s’ Reinforcement Event?”
“I sometimes wondered. Was that craftsman’s only job to make wing boots? As expected, no. He could control them with the hand of greed.”
From here, the older sister who was across the street came and explained in person.
“Sometimes I feel regretful. I have many different tools, but something feels ambiguous? They are all excellent magic tools, but something feels ambiguous. At some point, I realized why. It’s because the ‘output’ of the wish was insufficient.”
This was easy to understand.
“I should have begged like this. I should have begged without considering my colleagues’ circumstances and by leaving the weak behind.”
“… It wasn’t like I was being conscious of other people or anything. It was more like I wasn’t conscious of other people.”
“So you wanted to strengthen the existing tools?”
“huh.”
The mysterious craftsman, that Lego doll, suddenly came plodding along and took away his sister’s tools.
“A transparent badge, a butterfly brooch, and a chef’s hat. I took three tools, except for the eyes. The eyes aren’t strictly mine, but borrowed, so I don’t think they’re eligible for reinforcement.”
“So you strengthened it?”
“yet.”
“Huh? No, there are so many monsters around, why aren’t you giving it to me now -”
“Good point, but I want to confirm one thing. You should go to the Mysterious Craftsman too. I have all the materials for the Wing Boots now.”
Wing boots.
The flying shoes, an escape tool whose existence was hinted at from the first day of arrival at the hotel.
At that time, just thinking about wing boots made my heart race.
Thinking back now, I don’t think I was as desperate as I was then.
In the first place, it is a situation where you escape by flying without any tools and then return.
When I went outside, I realized that escaping through wing boots was not a ‘real escape’.
Of course, wing boots are also a useful tool for moving around the hotel.
“Hello, participants! Have a great time at Hotel Pioneer -”
Even if I listen to the explanation again, it’s still really long.
“- Please press 1.”
I pressed number 1.
“Flying shoes, or wing boots. Since they are a shared item, all participants can use them after obtaining them. When worn, they can fly, and with enough training, they can escape the hotel through the main gate.”
It’s a story I already knew.
“All materials for production have been secured. To proceed with the production request, please press 1.”
This just occurred to me, but I don’t know why they made a keypad when you only press it once anyway.
— Beep!
The next moment, the mysterious craftsman began to buzz and vibrate, and three materials appeared in the air.
There was also a description written in a small notification window that appeared at the bottom of the material.
The hair of a fighter that can withstand even the strength of a wall (Cha Jin-cheol, obtained from Hotel Cinema 204)
The Eye of the One Who Observes All Things from the Peak (Lee Eun-sol, obtained from No. 203, A New Beginning)
The wing feather of a bird flying through a typhoon (Han Ga-in, obtained from the sky outside on the 1st floor)
“We will proceed with the production of the wing boots. The finished product will be delivered tomorrow.”
The mysterious craftsman became quiet after saying these words.
“tomorrow?”
Does it really have to be tomorrow?
It’s a shame that I haven’t had a proper rest, but today is the last day of Party Time.
If you give it to me today, I’ll be able to use it for at least one day.
If you give me tomorrow, I’ll have to go into the cursed room without being able to practice properly even once.
At that moment, Eunsol sighed.
“As expected. He took all my tools and said he’d give them to me tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?”
The answer came from Ari behind.
“That way, it won’t disappear.”
“…”
As soon as I heard that, I realized.
I had a vague feeling of it outside, and it became clear after returning to the hotel and hearing my colleagues’ explanations.
The events that occurred during the past week’s Midsummer Night’s Dream will be reset when the event ends.
All of the midnight maze time consumed by the maze, the state of the destroyed hotel, and the number of times I descended will be restored.
In the same vein, if you give them enhanced tools or wing boots now, they will disappear when the event ends.
“I thought you said you’d give it to me after the event ended.”
“I guess I should see it as a kind of consideration.”
If he was going to screw us over, he would have given it to us now and then said ‘good job’ and destroyed it as soon as the event ended tomorrow.
It was a kind of consideration that was unusual for a hotel.
“…”
When I heard the word initialization, I unconsciously turned around to check on Elena and Miro.
The two of them didn’t even look at me after I returned.
It’s so awkward.
To be honest, it’s not like I have the dullness trait that you see in comics, so it would be a lie to say I had no idea.
Even though Miro was often so childish that she was confused, Elena knew.
However, keeping it in your heart and letting it out are two completely different things.
I wish the memories would be erased when the event ends.
“Hmm, hmm!”
At that moment, Ari coughed and drew attention.
“Now do you all understand roughly what you got?”
Jincheol and Seungyeop got worries or compensation related to Arima.
Sister Eunsol is going to get a powerful tool.
Grandfather and Songi have nothing to do with the event, but they received blessing enhancements.
Elena and Miro… . Let’s consider it a relief from the burden on our hearts.
I too have satisfied my curiosity about the outside world and realized the true price of descent, so it has been an achievement.
As always, I got a lot out of this party time.
“Ari, what did you get?”
“… curiosity satisfied?”
I’m glad Ari got something too.
There is only one person left.
He still hasn’t come back.
“What on earth happened to the doctor?”
At those words, the expressions on the faces of the colleagues around him all darkened.
“You couldn’t find a way back? Oh… If I had known that you had escaped, I would have brought you back!”
If you had asked Manager Park, wouldn’t he have found it for you?
At that moment, my grandfather muttered with a gloomy expression.
“Teacher, Ga-in’s situation is different from yours.”
“yes?”
“… Do you remember the conversation we had when we first escaped from the Mansion of Terror?”
“It happened a long time ago, so I can’t remember clearly.”
“They said that if you successfully escape, they’ll let you out of the hotel and give you an ‘entrance ticket.’”
“Oh, I remembered! Only the escapee can use it -”
As I was talking, I became embarrassed. I never had anything like that?
“What? Why didn’t you give it to me? If you had given it to me, there would have been no reason to suffer like this?”
Ariga explained it right away.
“That’s because I didn’t use the escape tool.”
“ah?”
“Hazmat suit, wing boots. If you use the escape tool to get out on that route, the tool will turn into an admission ticket as soon as it gets outside.”
“… That means.”
“Unlike you, Sang-Hyeon went out wearing a protective suit. That means he has a ticket.”
“…”
The surroundings became quiet.
The doctor, who, unlike me, has a ticket to return at any time, has not returned yet.
Everyone had complicated expressions and came up with ominous hypotheses.
The teacher is a person with a much stronger desire for escape than we do.
At that moment, my grandfather blurted out.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“…”
“He clearly said, ‘I’m just going to take a few days off.’ Even hotels need vacations.”
“…”
“You probably don’t know that the hotel has become such a mess. That was before Eunsol got greedy. So you probably think we’re just having fun, and you’re taking a break.”
Are my grandfather’s beliefs true?
It’s something unknown.