Escaping the Mystery Hotel

『Translator: RainTL』

༺ Party Time (8), Honest Talk, How to use the Pen, Strategy Meeting (1) ༻

– Elena

My brain stopped working after listening to Songee’s lecture about Room 103 throughout lunch. Others must have had the same experience – they all disappeared after the lecture.

This was therefore the best time to have an honest talk with Ahri.

I went to the front desk and found Ahri roaming around the table of snacks.

“Ahri!”

“Elena-unni?”

After calling her name and while walking towards her, I pondered to myself. How was I supposed to ask her? Should I be straight-forward and ask, ‘Is there something you are hiding from me?’

“Is there something you need to talk about?”

Hearing that, I decided to tell her everything honestly.

“On the first day, when empowering our blessings, I met the mysterious ‘sponsor’ like what Kain-ssi said.”

“What kind of person were they?”

“She was unfathomable and very mysterious, and was sitting by herself in a garden. It sounded like she knew you.”

Ahri turned her body fully towards me with intrigue.

“What did she say about me?”

“…”

“Did she say something bad?”

“She did say something strange. Something a little odd.”

“…”

“She said that Ahri, you were trying to guide me down the wrong path.”

“And that’s what you want to confirm with me?”

“Yes.”

Ahri deeply thought to herself before throwing another question.

“Was that everything she said?”

“Apart from that, it sounded like she didn’t like you. I can tell you everything I remember.

‘Like a blind man touching an elephant, that girl is under a severe misunderstanding that she is knowledgeable about the Hotel despite only experiencing parts of it and being lucky to leave.’

She also said the way I was using my blessing was the correct one.”

Ahri had to think for a long time. She looked like she was in need of some time to organize her thoughts, so I sat down on the table next to her and waited while drinking a coffee.

Only after around 20 minutes or so did Ahri speak up again.

“You said you could sense lies now after empowering your blessing, right?”

“I wasn’t trying to say that I was doubting you or anything.”

“Please use the ability now, because there’s no need to leave any misunderstandings untouched. I will be honest with everything.”

Truth be told, I indeed was a bit skeptical of Ahri.

The ‘lie detecting’ ability that I acquired this time was a very useful ability in this Hotel that was full of deception and lies, but there was one problem.

My eyes would turn gold the moment I used it, and I couldn’t conceal the fact that I was using my ability.

Therefore, Ahri telling me that I could use it on her was a lifesaver. My eyes started to turn bright as Ahri began explaining herself.

“In short, what your sponsor was saying is that I had a wrong understanding of the blessing, and that I was trying to change your mind while believing that was correct. Let me explain that one first.

During my first time in the Hotel, I saw another user of ‘Justice’. Unlike you, Elena, she was able to use her abilities freely without any restrictions.

There was no such thing as how the opponent had to be evil, or that you had to be aware of their evil actions.

The only reason that was possible is because she was mentally very immature.

In other words, her perception was, ‘I am justice’, and anyone that puts me in a bad mood is evil.

Next, I saw you, Elena, having the same blessing yet having restrictions like the human law system.

And that’s why I tried to persuade you in several ways during the 5th attempt at Room 101. You probably remember what it was about too. Have I told you any lies so far?”

“I couldn’t feel anything. Thanks for being honest.”

Although there weren’t any lies, what I felt was that her way of referring to me went back and forth between ‘Elena’ and ‘unni*’. I heard it from other people several times already, but it was really strange how Ahri’s polite language tended to change drastically sometimes.

It was as if she wasn’t sure about her age.

“What do you think after hearing that?”

“I’m a bit surprised. But even if I knew that, I don’t think I would have been able to copy what the previous person did. Choosing what’s right and wrong at will and giving punishment is what I detest the most. Other than that…”

“Are you curious about the reason I had been hiding the truth?”

“…Why did you not tell me the truth about my blessing from the start?”

“I was worried you might become like that person. I was worried that you might end up persuading yourself by telling yourself that you are justice.”

“But you are not hiding them anymore.”

“Fortunately, I figured out that my understanding of the blessing wasn’t correct, and you were aware of that too, so I didn’t see a need to hide it anymore.

I’m sure you wouldn’t be shaken even if you were to know about the ‘evil potential’ of your blessing.

Also, let me tell you about my thoughts on the ‘right way to use it’ that your sponsor was talking about.”

The ‘correct way’ to use my blessing.

“It didn’t strike me before but I thought about it after hearing what your sponsor said.

Your strong conviction of ‘justice’ has not only made restrictions, Elena, but it has also made powerful strengths.”

“Powerful strengths?” I asked.

“For example, the fact that you are immune to mental interruptions during the enforcement. The previous ‘Justice’ did not have such powers. My Allusion worked on her easily but unni, you become nigh invincible during your enforcement.

Why’s that the case, I asked myself, and I found the answer in your conviction, that ‘Justice cannot be shaken by one person’s belief or thoughts.’ You can’t control the activation of your blessing at will, but others can’t either.

Also, the fact that you can attack ‘enemies that you can’t see’ is also something that wasn’t possible for the previous ‘Justice’.

As for the reason, well, it’s probably because of something like how the ‘Law has to find criminals even if they hide themselves,’ right?

I’m sure there are more strengths to it compared to the past.”

I pondered deeply after hearing Ahri’s words.

Certainly, it was true that I was immune to curses, brainwash and hypnosis during the activation of Justice, and I could sit still inside the car and carry out enforcement on ones that were out of my vision.

According to Ahri, these powers were ones that the previous user of Justice did not have access to. Were these strengths the ‘right potential’ that my sponsor was talking about?

The sponsor was critical and negative about Ahri, but she was definitely more knowledgeable than me when it came to blessings.

“What do you think are the other strengths?” I asked.

“Think about the commonality between the two strengths that I mentioned. They all stem from one belief that you have.”

“One belief?”

“Elena, it feels like you don’t consider yourself as the ‘main enforcer of Justice’. A metaphysical and absolute concept and an ideal law – that’s what your belief of the ‘correct Justice’ is.

If your blessing becomes more powerful, you might be able to manifest that ‘metaphysical avatar of Justice,’ or something, right?

It would probably be invincible then. Who would possibly defeat a metaphysical and conceptual being?

But of course, these are nothing but my assumptions.”

Summoning an invincible avatar… that sounded like something in a fantasy novel. I didn’t think my blessing could become strong enough to do that, but I was starting to understand what she was saying.

I was thinking to myself when Ahri continued off of her words.

“Up to that point is what I have agreed with from your sponsor’s arguments, but can I now tell you something from a different perspective?”

A different perspective – was she trying to refute the sponsor’s words?

“Please. Tell me.”

“My understanding of the blessings and the Hotel. Your sponsor’s probably right in that sense, because like they said, I was lucky to escape while experiencing only a small portion of the Hotel.

But Elena, keep in mind. There is an old saying in the Administration Bureau, that humans are the only allies to humans.

Do you think your sponsor really wants you to ‘escape’?”

She closed her mouth after that, and that was around when my ‘lie detector’ also ended.

On the way back to my room, I thought about her last words.

Did the sponsor really want us to ‘escape’? If not, then what did they want from us?

*

Party Time 4th Afternoon

– Han Kain

Finally, it was almost done!

What, you might ask? This one heck of a tiring Party Time!

The senile old man chasing after me ever since the start of the Party Time blabbered about training and whatnot, making me hike on the first day. That much was okay. One day of hiking wasn’t bad, and we got something out of it so I was happy with that.

However, obtaining the unexpected ‘souvenir’ on the first day ended up putting this senile old man on a high horse!

I suffered from muscle pain throughout the morning of the second day, and got smacked to death by a dinosaur in the afternoon. That much was depressing already, and yet Grandpa made me run around the park on the third day all morning, and took me to the gym in the afternoon.

That wasn’t enough for him; he harassed me all morning even on the 4th day!

For some reason, Seungyub and Songee were off the radar at one point and the senile grandpa kept on chasing me down. The rest didn’t even attempt to help me in fear that they might attract his attention.

Jinchul-hyung, the only person that could stop Grandpa, became weird after going to Safari.

He asked noona for a high-quality camera and took crazy amounts of photos of dinosaurs and random animals from ages ago, refusing to leave Safari for most of the day.

In the end, around noon of the 4th day of the Party Time,

I made up my mind.

“Oi! Oi! Han Kain, you crazy brat!”

Blah blah blah. I can’t hear a thing~

“Oi! Brat! Get rid of this right now!”

Is anything happening around me?

“…Oppa?”

Songee, who had been walking towards us from the other side of the corridor, looked at me and asked.

“Yes. Songee. How’s your day?”

“Did you do something to Grandpa’s eyes? He’s been rubbing his eyes the whole time.”

“The pen I got at the souvenir shop is very good! I colored in his eyes for him!”

“…”

“It’s alright. I will get rid of it before we head into the Cursed Room.”

Songee was speechless, but she walked past without saying much.

Damn! What a pen that I got at the souvenir shop!

I was wondering where I would use this at the start, and definitely wasn’t expecting this to be so useful.

– Slam!

But that was when a ‘hand’ flew towards my hair and clung onto my hair. He must have guessed my location from my voice.

“Uahk! Ahk! Grandpa! Let go of me right now!”

“You get rid of this thing in front of my eyes first!”

Why was this old man so damn strong? I tried to remove the ‘floating hand’ with both of my hands but he was so strong that I just couldn’t.

Grandpa was bumping into walls, while I was rolling across the floor from Grandpa’s flying hand.

After seeing that on her way somewhere, Eunsol-noona made herself invisible and disappeared.

*

– Han Kain

Party Time 4th Night

It was the strategy meeting time that we had discussed, and we gathered at the dining room of Room 105.

Jinchul-hyung, who had been staying holed up inside Safari finally came back, and looked at my head the moment he arrived.

“… Kain?”

“…”

“I’m sure you weren’t old enough to go bald on the crown of your head so why…”

“…”

“Apparently Grandpa ripped his hair out.”

“Wait why? And where is he in the first place?”

“Grandpa couldn’t see all afternoon and kept on bumping into walls so he’s taking a rest.”

“What in the world happened while I was in Safari?”

Eunsol-noona heaved a sigh before starting the conference.

“Now! Let’s end it there and start our conference. I’ve said this already to most of you, but we have decided to take tomorrow off without interfering with each other ‘at all’. So, we have to discuss which room to go in today.”

Grandpa and I, as well as everyone, had come to an agreement that we would take a rest on the last day.

It was because of that agreement that we had to start the meeting today.

Eunsol-noona kicked it off.

“There are three places we could go to. Room 102 – ‘Mansion of Fear’, Room 104 – ‘Hotel High School’, and Room 107 – the ‘Gate Room’. I think we all know where we want to go next. Room 102 sounds like the best option here.

It feels like we shouldn’t go into the Hotel High until we can explain the strange phenomenon that happened to Kain, and the Gate Room will be the most difficult one, so Room 102 looks like the way to go. Any other thoughts?”

There were none. I feel like the discussion would have been much longer if Room 104 and Room 107 were the only options left, but Room 102 looked much easier in comparison so there was no need for us to consider that ‘yet’.

That was when Grandpa came into the dining room from the bedroom.

…

Everyone was struck speechless. There were lines all of his face and not just his eyes.

“Oi! Han Kain you damn brat! Get rid of these lines!”

Not happening.

My hair was still the same after all! My hair got ripped out so much that I almost bled from my crown! I had no plans of getting rid of those lines until we went into the Cursed Room.

It seemed that I had obtained a very useful tool.

***

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