Escaping the Mystery Hotel

- Han Kain

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 37

Current Location: Floor 1, Room 107 (Gate Room)

Sage's Advice: 3

With the sudden change in atmosphere came an unexpected statement.

"You are a mage, aren't you?"

The curious part was that the Grimoire was sealed by the hotel.

I quickly asked through the chat window.

Han Kain: It seems to be because of the Grimoire? It's sealed, so how does she know?

Kim Ahri: There might be traces of possession left in your body or soul.

Han Kain: I'll play along for now.

Think.

I'm not some movie star, and this witch isn’t a fool who'd suddenly fall for me at first sight.

Moreover, isn’t she supposed to be an extremely vile entity?

She must want something from me to act this way.

Recalling the journal entries I saw in the basement and the powers of my Grimoire, a hazy picture started to form.

The witch wielded an evil power, and as a result, her body was turned into a monster.

Is she seeking to use my Possession ability to transfer her soul to another body?

I straightened my posture, smiled, and stepped toward the witch.

"Although I wasn't particularly hiding my identity, I didn't expect the Lady to recognize it at first glance."

Kim Mooksung: Lady? LADY??? Are you drunk?

"Oh my! I may be a humble mountain witch, but I'm not blind. The traces of a mage's spirit leaving its body are so obvious; how could I not notice?"

"Haha! It seems I have much to learn from you. May I ask the Lady’s name"

"I am called Arima Nitra. And you, Lord Mage?"

"My name is Han Kain, Lady Arima."

Kim Mooksung: What do you intend to learn? How to make human sausages?

Lee Eunsol: Please be quiet. Let's focus on the conversation. This is important.

Han Kain: Please stop the chat.

"Mage Han, we could make excellent partners. I am well-versed in the mystique of the human body, and you have mastered the secrets of the mind and spirit. Together, we can reach the pinnacle of magic."

Kim Ahri: The mood is quite good! They might as well get married. The "Lady" part was funny.

"That sounds promising, but I am deeply concerned about the deteriorating condition of my companion."

"Of course, I can fully treat him. However... you will show your sincerity in return, won't you?"

Yu Songee: Can we trust her?

Elena: We'll have to keep monitoring her.

After negotiating with the witch, she left the cabin.

Firstly, the witch will periodically treat Cha Jinchul.

Secondly, I will teach the witch how to use possession magic.

And lastly, the treatment and teaching will happen simultaneously.

There were other details, but the core points were those three.

Even to an amateur, the agreement had obvious issues.

Eunsol-noona pointed out in astonishment.

"This is a ridiculous agreement. If anyone brought such an agreement to a company, it would immediately be turned into a paper airplane and thrown back at them."

"Why throw a paper airplane? This is why Daeyang Group gets a bad reputation."

"Grandpa, why bring that up now? Anyway, this agreement lacks any clauses about repercussions for breaking it. It's perfect for betrayal."

Ahri responded dismissively.

"Is there a need for anti-betrayal clauses? Both sides plan to deal with betrayal through force. The witch likely thinks we're not a significant threat after the first encounter, and we believe we can kill the witch now that Elena can fight. Both sides are ready to kill each other, so the agreement is simple."

"I still don't know if letting the witch go was the right decision. She didn't seem very strong in her human form. I'm afraid our desire to save Jinchul clouded our judgment," Grandpa replied, still uneasy.

"I also thought about it a lot, but we can't assume she's weak just because she's in human form. Would she have appeared alone if she were weak? Moreover, there are many trials left in the Gate Room. Losing Jinchul and the Star would make future progress difficult. Elena?"

"Yes?"

"Can you use Justice?"

"Anytime. It's hard to explain, but every time I see the witch, I feel my Blessing surging. It's like suppressing an urge to crush the witch. It's difficult to restrain, but I'm confident I can use it anytime."

That's reassuring.

"It seems we can kill the witch,” Ahri chimed in, “So let's think about how to conduct this 'lecture.' The witch will come with the necessary materials for treatment in a few hours. We need to prepare to at least pretend to teach her, so she provides the treatment."

A lecture...

I realized that the witch wanted possession magic and promised to teach her, but what exactly should I teach?

I didn’t even fully understand how I used the Grimoire.

"Can you summon the Grimoire? I thought it was sealed, so I assumed it was taken away," Eunsol-noona asked.

Songee and Ahri immediately responded.

"No, the bracelet is still on my arm."

"The Ancient Blood is completely fused with my blood. If it were taken, I would die instantly."

I also got curious.

I summoned the Grimoire, and it appeared immediately.

A quick glance inside revealed its unique evil aura.

The sensation of possession, the indescribable feeling of my spirit being lifted, was gone.

"It seems the supernatural aspect of the Inheritance is sealed. The physical book remains and the function that prevents others from reading it is still intact."

Eunsol-noona continued to ask questions.

"Can you teach the contents of the Grimoire?"

"I can't teach anyone. I don't even understand it myself. I've read it sometimes, but it's like an alien language. It's not just difficult; it's like quantum physics written in Arabic."

"Quantum physics in Arabic... that's daunting."

Ahri interrupted the conversation.

"Hold on! What are you thinking? Don’t tell me you’re seriously considering teaching her?"

"Of course not."

"Obviously not. Even if we could, we shouldn't. We need to think about how to deceive her."

"Can we deceive someone who has mastered magic?"

"I think we can. Approach it from a specialized field perspective. An astrophysicist wouldn't be any different from a layperson in a semiconductor factory, and an IT expert wouldn't be able to speak in a GMO development lab. Let's think similarly. The witch can't directly read the Grimoire, thus making it easier."

After spending a considerable amount of time planning how to deceive the witch, we established our roles.

As dawn broke, the witch, Arima, returned to the cabin with a large entourage.

***

- Han Kain

"You have arrived, Lady Arima. We have been expecting you."

"Oh my! Did I take too long? Besides preparing for the treatment, I thought we should offer you a bit of ‘hospitality’."

I looked behind Arima.

About nine sturdy men were armed with quality armor and weapons.

They seemed to be Arima's guards.

Behind them were about twenty slaves.

They were nearly naked, and their bodies were severely mutilated.

Some were missing arms, others legs.

Despite their condition, they still feared the witch to the point of being unable to lay their eyes on her.

...Once Jinchul-hyung wakes up, we'll definitely smash this witch's head.

But today, we had to be as ruthless as the witch.

"Lady Arima, may I make a request?"

"Yes?"

"We recently acquired a new 'pet’, and it seems to be quite hungry. One should suffice."

"What? Suddenly, what do you mean—"

Han Kain: Please proceed now.

Songee: Do we have to?

Kim Ahri: We can't show any weakness.

Songee's soft voice echoed.

"Luca!"

-Bang!

A two-headed wolf, as big as an ox, leaped among Arima's entourage from the back of the cabin.

Before Arima and her party could react, the wolf’s maw snapped shut, tearing off the upper body of one of the guards.

Silence enveloped the air before succumbing to terror-filled screams.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

That brief reaction was enough to gauge the group's level.

The witch's nine, now eight, guards were calm enough to draw their weapons and gather around the witch.

They were well-trained. They certainly weren’t amateurs.

In contrast, the slaves were terrified, rolling on the ground, unable to even think of escaping.

Even with an ox-sized two-headed wolf before them, their fear of the switch far exceeded that of the wolf.

I calmly observed Arima's expression.

The witch's eyes flared with anger.

"You insolent—"

I quickly grabbed her hand and spoke.

"I apologize. We recently tamed this creature we met in the forest, and it was very hungry. I didn't expect it to pounce immediately. I apologize for this."

"...I would have gladly given you a slave if you had asked."

"I'm sorry. I merely wanted to show you a small display of my abilities."

"A small display?"

Good.

She took the bait.

"There are many fierce creatures in the forest. The power to tame and control them! Isn't it far superior to these flimsy guards?"

The witch's expression softened instantly.

I got a sense of her personality.

When the witch desires something, she shows this kind of attitude.

“Oh my, so Lord Mage has mastered such mysterious arts? Would it be possible for you to teach me this as well?”

I smiled slightly and gestured toward Songee.

Songee approached me and bowed gracefully.

“She is my disciple. Though she is still learning, taming a dog is not a difficult task for her.”

The witch’s eyes curved into a crescent shape.

“Shall we start with treating Mage Han’s companion first?”

“Thank you. I hope our exchange will be mutually beneficial.”

The fact that one of her men had just been eaten by the wolf was already a non-issue between us.

Holding Arima’s hand, I led her inside the cabin.

With Songee’s initial intimidation, Seungyub and Ahri continued to maintain a polite demeanor, boosting morale.

Every time I read about scams in the news outside the hotel, I always wondered:

What makes people so foolish?

In many high-profile scam cases, it was rarely the case that the con artist set a trap so cunning that the victims had no choice but to fall for it.

Most scam victims fell for obvious tricks repeatedly, and despite countless warnings from newspapers, news broadcasts, and banks, they lost everything they’ve worked their entire lives to accumulate.

Why did they fall for such obvious schemes?

The answer is simple; greed.

When the prospect of an easy gain dangles before us, we lose our rationality and become entranced.

We forget that there’s a scammer behind it, casting an enticing lure to catch the greedy.

Here in the Second Trial;

I will become the most mysterious and enigmatic mage in the world.

Until the witch goes mad with greed for the secrets I possess!

***

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