Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 502
Only Krnovel
EP.502 Episode 502 – Room 207, The Gate Room – The Third Trial ‘Miskatonic University’ (4)
Episode 502 – Room 207, The Gate Room – The Third Trial ‘Miskatonic University’ (4)
– Kim Ari
The place that Mukseong discovered was a kind of relic storage facility.
It is said to be a place full of mysterious items that the powers centered around the dean have been collecting since before the establishment of Miskatonic University.
It was a place that made you exclaim, “Wow! I have to go there!” just by hearing about it, but there was one problem.
“Can I take a look inside for a moment?”
“No.”
“Just a moment, just a moment would be enough -”
“I told you not to?”
“…I’ll just look with my eyes.”
“Oh, really! Why are students these days so ill-mannered? Student Kim Ari. Didn’t you hear that you can’t? This is a restricted area for students!”
Only faculty members are allowed to enter the relic storage area.
To my ears and Mukseong’s, the phrase ‘No students allowed’ sounded like ‘Go in on your own, sneak in’, but sneaking in wasn’t easy.
This is because Mukseong, who tried to sneak in, was caught by the relic storage manager.
“Excuse me, can I take Mr. Mukseong with me?”
“Oh my, do you know that bald boy from earlier?”
“yes.”
“I’m sorry, but that student deserves a severe reprimand! So you should go back to your dorm too!”
“… yes.”
*
Towards evening, Mukseong appeared, soaking wet.
“Manager, that bitch -”
“Aren’t you an old man who has just come from a tough life? Speak politely!”
“… What does that mean? If someone heard it, they would think it was the end of their life.”
“What did you do to get so wet?”
“What should I do with that janitor who uses some strange magic to spray water on us? He said if we try to sneak in one more time, we’ll be expelled.”
“…”
“Ah! One more time at night -”
“You and I are agents of the Administration.”
“…”
“In this day and age, there is no such thing as electronic security. And yet, you were caught in 10 seconds?”
Mukseong is a veteran management agent.
A guy like that starts trying to infiltrate and gets caught in 10 seconds?
There must be a supernatural force protecting that place.
“That old woman, the caretaker, did she use some kind of detection spell on the entire relic storage room?”
“Well, I don’t think it’s quite the level of manager.”
“You’re not the manager?”
“The dean might have done it.”
“… Then it seems like it would be difficult to break through.”
“I think so too.”
Do you think you can easily break the security spell of a demigod who has been fighting the Vatican for hundreds of years on his own?
If you do something weird and get expelled, things will get complicated.
“How about trying it once and using One More Chance if it fails?”
Perhaps because he was angry at being hit by lightning, Mukseong couldn’t give up easily.
“Have you forgotten the price of the reverse course? I don’t know what it is, but if the hotel is warning you, it must be a serious price. One More Chance is a last resort. You should use it when you’re fighting the boss and both of you are about to die.”
“Whew… You’re right. Well, I guess I’m a bit emotional now that my body’s gotten younger.”
“No. You’ve always been emotional, whether you were young or old.”
“You always get old, so you don’t have any emotions?”
“Are you picking a fight now? Show me your anger?”
“Hey, Ari, you always tease first -”
“Foot!”
I found myself laughing.
I know, I know this isn’t the time.
But when I see ‘Young Mukseong’ after such a long time, I can’t help but think of the old days.
“Ah~ It reminds me of the old days. There was a time when you would tremble at the sight of a ghost and shout, ‘Hey, senior!’”
“…”
“Senior! If I die, to my parents in my hometown -”
“Please stop….”
“Agent Kim Muk-seong, tell them you did your best for the world -”
“Ah! Senior, when did that happen? Do you still remember?”
“It’s your will. How can you forget it?”
“You’re not dead!”
“Yeah. It would have been cool if I had died then.”
Mukseong eventually covered his face with both hands and bowed deeply.
I guess this is really what I should do.
“Ahem, let’s get back to the serious topic. I’ve just had an experience that has given me more confidence. I think we absolutely must visit the relic storage. Do you agree, Mukseong?”
“… Yes. The fact that it is being completely hidden is solid evidence that there is something sinister inside.”
“I guess I’ll have to find a way to get in. Let’s go back to the dormitory for now. By the way, did you see the notice posted this morning?”
“Opening party?”
“huh.”
Like many colleges, Miskatonic University also holds a back-to-back party when the new semester begins.
“It’s tomorrow evening. Ariya, are you going?”
“What kind of party is this? I just plan on exploring the school more. I think it’s a good opportunity to wander around without being bothered by other people.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. Then let’s split up the roles. Ari, you explore the school, and I’ll go to the party and get to know the other people.”
That’s a good idea.
Information may be in a library, but it can also be with people.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for one person to go to a party and make friends.
“okay.”
*
Time passed quickly.
After our failed attempt to enter the relic warehouse last night, we spent the whole day without getting any meaningful information.
To begin with, I was busy attending class today as I had promised Emily.
As the sun was setting, Mukseong nodded that he would go to the party.
As expected, the area around the Department of Mystery became deserted yesterday as the students left for the opening party.
Thanks to this, I was able to look at the stuffed animals scattered everywhere without worrying about what other people thought, and I was also able to visit the library.
…
This is the story from 30 minutes ago.
Because now there’s a pesky watchman right next to you.
“Ariaang~! Is this book that interesting?”
“…”
Emily is the girl who has been subtly wandering around me since yesterday.
“Emily, aren’t you in the middle of the opening party right now?”
“that’s right!”
“Then how about going back to the party? I heard you got a dance request.”
“Oh my, that’s what I wanted to say. If Ari had gone to the party, she could have gotten all the boys’ attention and become the queen!”
What are you going to do as queen in the hotel?
“I don’t like parties and stuff.”
“I like parties.”
“Then go.”
“Is Ari here?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“We’re friends!”
“…”
It feels like I’m talking to a maze.
Of course, I could feel the difference thanks to my long career as an agent.
Miro’s childish behavior is not a joke, but rather comes from a childish state of mind.
On the other hand, this girl’s childish ‘seeming’ behavior felt somewhat unnatural.
At this point, it’s normal for even an idiot to feel a sense of alienation, and of course I’m not an idiot.
What is this kid?
Is there really some kind of hidden agenda?
“Emily, if you have something to say, say it.”
As I continued to look at Emily with sharp eyes, Emily’s attitude also slowly changed.
The image of a playful, childish, or cute girl disappeared as if it were a lie.
Instead, a doll-like figure appeared, whose emotions could not be read.
“…”
“…”
A quiet silence.
I observe Emily, and Emily observes me.
Emily suddenly reached into her bosom and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper.
“what?”
“Take a look.”
It is a black and white drawing of a girl and an old man.
Was this drawn with a pencil?
To be honest, I wasn’t very good at drawing so it wasn’t easy to see, but when I looked closely, there was writing in the corner.
“She’s actually really pretty! With black hair and red eyes, her appearance is so unrealistic that you can’t take your eyes off her at first sight!”
Is this really my story?
“He looks like he’s in his fifties? He looks like he’s in great shape because he takes good care of himself. He looks like he would have been handsome when he was younger. His eyes are sharp and his nose is really straight.”
The moment I saw the picture and text depicting silence, my breath was taken away.
A description of myself could be drawn by observing me here and now.
But older silence is a different story.
The third trial of silence is a young man in his 20s!
How would the characters in Trials know and describe the aged silence?
So this picture is a trace left by a colleague from the past!
“Emily, where did you get this picture?”
He probably didn’t know that the mute man who would appear in the future would be in his 20s, so he drew him as an old man.
“…”
Instead of answering my question, the beautiful girl just observed me with a blank expression.
“Emily, where did you get it?”
“really….”
“what?”
“It was real.”
“What are you talking about -”
The next moment, her eyes became moist.
“What, what is it? Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
“Mom…. You could really see the future?”
“The future -”
“I, no matter how much time passes, still have no idea… How… How!”
A storm of intense emotions began to surge through Emily’s doll-like face.
“Ah, ah, ah… Mom, Mom, Mom… I’m scared. Why, how, how can I -”
Joy and sorrow, despair and hope, and unspeakable regret.
It’s amazing how many different emotions a person can feel at the same time.
Because of that, I also felt suffocated and had difficulty breathing.
I want to calm him down somehow and talk to him…!
The person called ‘Mom’ seems to be a colleague, but who is she?
Emily is very pretty and has blonde hair, so Elena?
or not –
huh?
Suddenly Emily’s expression changed and she looked outside.
“uh?”
“What’s wrong, Emily?”
“Huh? Huh? Aah!”
“If something happens outside -”
As we were talking, I started hearing it in my ears too.
“Whoa!”
“Save me!”
“What, what are you crazy kids!”
Students’ screams and the cold sound of metal can be heard from all directions!
— Bam!
Emily ran outside again, wearing her teenage girl mask.
I immediately got up and followed him.
this!
I get that something unusual is going on outside, I get that, but what the heck is the timing?
Emily was about to tell me something important!
— Ta-da-dak!
As I was running frantically out of the library, one eerie thought occurred to me.
Emily noticed the change outside much sooner than I did.
“…”
*
When I came outside, there was already chaos around the university.
There were students running around screaming everywhere, and the sound of “bang! bang!” could be heard incessantly here and there.
It was quite easy to understand the situation, as the enemies made no secret of their intentions.
“Purify everything! Christ is watching!”
“amen!”
Black-clad soldiers appearing from nowhere are shooting every student they see!
— Yes, yes! Yes, yes!
It was astonishing to see the firepower of automatic weapons that poured out bullets without stopping!
Are you surprised at the total number of guns that you have as agents of the management office?
Amazing!
It’s 1897 now!
There is some debate as to what the first personal automatic weapon was, but the earliest date it appears is World War I.
It is said that it began to spread throughout the world in earnest after the 1920s.
Even a proper assault rifle like the one they shoot would have to be from the 1940s, during World War II!
Thanks to this, the enemy’s identity could be easily identified.
There is only one organization on this stage that can use weapons that are 50 years ahead of their time: the Vatican.
— Clang!
Soldiers who recognize me and aim their guns at me.
There is absolutely no room for hiding your strength or anything like that, considering the future situation.
— Taat!
Draw on the power of old blood and strike the ground.
The soldiers looked around in confusion, as if this level of movement was too difficult to follow.
Of course, I have no intention of giving the Papal soldiers a chance.
“Yay!”
He held onto the ‘space’ with both hands, his body floating in the air.
The moment when distortions that occurred in areas that humans cannot perceive suddenly take over the entire area –
— Crunch!
Six? No, seven!
A group of soldiers were torn to pieces, their entrails scattered everywhere.
“Kwaaaaak!”
A young man who seems to have just reached his term of office.
Just moments ago, he was shouting ‘Amen’ and pulling the trigger without hesitation toward college students, but now, he is clutching his intestines flowing to the floor while shedding tears of blood.
I ignored it and ran while thinking about the situation.
So, from my perspective, Emily’s secret identity was about to be revealed?
Did something happen to Mukseong who went to the party at that time?
So, did Mukseong get shot and die without even being able to use his One More Chance?
What the heck is this –
— Kookung!
No, that’s not true.
I’ve been ignoring veteran agent Kim Muk-seong too much.
Everyone raised their heads at the thunderous sound coming from across the sky.
Maybe everyone felt it instinctively.
The fact that everything up until now will soon return to nothing!
“…”
Soon, a miracle that only a Creator could perform occurred before my eyes.
The dead rise and the killer disappears into the darkness again.
To me and Mukseong – a second chance was given.
— Flash!
At the last moment, there was only one thing I worried about.
“…the master of reversing the tide.”
*
“The Third Trial – Miskatonic University”
– Kim Ari
“…”
I woke up to the light streaming in through the window.