Chapter 26: Elevator Exploration, Entering Room 103. (Revised)
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye) Date: Day 9
Current Location: Layer 1, Room 105
Sage's Advice: 3]
As always at 7 AM, the display turned on just as everyone gathered in the hotel room for breakfast.
/Today is the hotel's day off. Meals will be provided./
"What is this suddenly supposed to mean?"
"A day off today? They say we rest but still give meals? What does this even mean?"
"Um... I think I can probably explain that."
At the clear voice, everyone's gaze turned to Ari.
"Do you... know something about it?"
"According to the information we've gathered, the hotel periodically provides these 'safe days.' Simply put, today is a day where there's no penalty event even if you don't enter a cursed room."
"In other words, rest comfortably today?"
"That's right. You catch on quick. After barely passing through two rooms, you've worked hard. Rest today. That's what it means."
Truly, at this rare piece of good news from the hotel, everyone's expressions brightened.
A full day off without any terrible events!
After that, everything proceeded smoothly.
Everyone, filled with anticipation, finished their meals in no time and scattered to the B1 facilities, just like the day the incident occurred at the swimming pool.
The women left as a group, saying they'd go to the bar and then swim, while my brother and grandfather, who had been engaged in a war of nerves until yesterday, headed to the gym saying they were working out for the first time in a while.
Seung-yeop, who seemed intent on following Ari no matter what, became visibly disappointed when it turned into a girls' outing and disappeared somewhere.
As for me...
When everyone else got off the elevator and headed somewhere on B1,
I remained alone in the elevator.
I didn't have any clear idea of what I wanted to do while resting anyway, and there was the elevator that had been said to be broken since the first day.
I strongly felt that something must be hidden.
'Broken.'
Exactly what function was broken? I already knew that it couldn't go to the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Could there be something more?
I carefully examined everything from top to bottom, meticulously.
At first glance, it didn't look much different from an ordinary elevator. A small display at the top showing the floor number,
the right panel showed floors from B1 to 3, but the 2nd and 3rd floors weren't lit.
And... a red button labeled 'Escape' at the bottom of the panel.
Escape button?
Normally, a button attached to the bottom of an elevator panel would be something like an intercom for people inside to notify others that they're trapped when the elevator stops due to an accident, right?
Seeing the word 'Escape,' my interest surged dramatically.
Should I press it? With a just-in-case mindset, I watched the status window and slowly brought my hand closer.
If there's any danger, it would give a warning.
When no notification appeared even right before pressing, I finally pressed the button.
Click!
The next moment, the bottom of the red button suddenly flipped open, revealing a display!
A window for entering a 'number.' Next to it, a warning was written in tiny text.
/Enter the password while wearing protective clothing/
Protective clothing? What could that be? And what password should I enter?
Still watching the status window, I first brought my finger to the number pad—
[If the escape password is incorrect, you will be incinerated.]
Seeing this horrifically lethal message, I immediately pulled my hand away. 'Incinerated.'
This damn hotel really has devices to kill people everywhere.
I was dumbfounded, but at the same time, I gained a realization.
This is 'real.' If I somehow obtain and wear this thing called 'protective clothing,' and know the 'password,' this is a device that allows escape!
With this, I discovered another route to escape the hotel.
[Understanding of the hotel has slightly increased.]
Just as I was thinking, with a joyful heart for the first time in a while, that I should discuss this with my colleagues, I noticed something engraved next to the newly appeared small panel.
Instantly, my breath stopped. My heart began to race violently without me realizing.
What does this mean? Who wrote this? And why shouldn't I tell others?
While standing blankly, lost in various thoughts, the panel disappeared again, perhaps because a certain amount of time had passed without any interaction.
What should I do?
Strictly speaking, we've only known each other for about a week.
Nevertheless, because we endured life-and-death hardships together in such a short time, we've built considerable camaraderie.
Trusting those people and sharing all the facts I've learned would be natural.
But... a thought suddenly occurs to me.
What if that escape route can only be used by exactly one person?
And that's why there's a warning not to tell others?
Wouldn't revealing that itself become the seed of division?
For now, I decided to bury it in a corner of my heart and exited the elevator.
Walking through the B1 corridor with a troubled mind, someone approached from the opposite direction.
"You said you were looking for something—did you find out anything?"
I think this every time I hear it, but no matter what, I'm twenty and she's sixteen, yet whenever it's just the two of us, she speaks so casually...
Still, I don't want to fight over something like that in this grueling hotel.
"I'm not really sure. Just confirmed what we already knew? The 2nd and 3rd floors still didn't light up."
"That's probably because you need to pass through a specific room on the 1st floor to access them."
"A specific room?"
"We used to call it a 'Gate Room.' If you achieve certain results in all the other rooms except that one, you can enter it, and when you pass through it, it's a room that lets you go up to the next floor."
"What do you mean by certain results?"
"It varies every time. Sometimes just escaping from all the other rooms is enough, but other times it required the complete resolution of 1 to 3 rooms."
"Complete resolution..."
"We've only just passed through two rooms, but this party has only aimed to survive and escape so far.
But... if you want to leave the hotel, you'll eventually need at least a few rooms where you reach the 'annihilation of the curse's source.'
Only then does the 'treasure' that the hotel keeps emphasizing start appearing, and you have to use that treasure to progress to later stages."
"One mountain beyond another. But if we compare it to the Horror Mansion, does annihilation of the curse's source mean we have to catch and kill that monster?
From what I saw and felt of the memory you showed yesterday, I couldn't imagine that 'mere humans' could do anything about it."
"I don't know either. It could really demand that much, or we could think about it a bit more easily."
"Think easily?"
"Strictly speaking, was our main enemy in the Horror Mansion that Grand Evil Demon of the Abyss?
Scenario-wise, the Grand Evil Demon was just buried in the ground, and the main enemy was the old man, right?
Maybe just annihilating the old man could be enough..."
"That would be a bit better, but ultimately it's something we'll have to try to find out."
As we discussed our future plans in our own way, I realized we'd been having a conversation with just the two of us for quite a long time.
"Come to think of it, didn't the women say they were going to the bar and then the pool? Why did you come out alone?"
"How can a minor drink? And I don't really like swimming either."
"Seung-yeop must be looking for you like crazy."
"And I've been avoiding him well since earlier."
I was at a loss for words. To say so calmly that she's been avoiding him well.
It seems there's a boy who wants to be Romeo, but the Juliet side has no interest at all.
We parted naturally, and only then did I do the things I wanted to try.
I went to the zoo Song-i mentioned and appreciated a few bizarre animals, went to the bar and tried some exotic cocktails,
and during mealtime, we all had a fun time laughing and chatting in Room 105.
And so, today's day off ended.
By the time dinner was over, everyone couldn't hide their somewhat gloomy expressions.
Everyone knows.
Starting tomorrow, the grueling march begins again.
[User: Han Ga-in (Jihye) Date: Day 10
Current Location: Layer 1, Room 103 (Cursed Room - Animal Farm)
Sage's Advice: 3]
Moooooo~~~~
What is this. Is this really the sound coming from my mouth.
The day after the day off, as we all entered Room 103 in a now somewhat familiar atmosphere, and I briefly lost consciousness and woke up,
I had become a black cow.
I thought I'd experienced all sorts of bizarre things, but when something unimaginable happened again, I was truly on the verge of losing my mind.
Thankfully, a message flew in.
Muk-seong: Wow! This hotel is really bullshit, right? Check your statuses and report, quickly!
Eun-sol: A snake... I think
Song-i: A goose...
Elena: I think I'm a Golden Retriever.
Ari: Cat. Probably a Norwegian Forest?
Seung-yeop: A wolf! It's really cool!
Han Ga-in: Moooooo
Jin-cheol: I'm a pig... A wild boar.
Muk-seong: You're just the same as always.
Pig Bastard: Hey, don't start picking fights. Ah, you changed your name already, really you senile old man
Smart Snake: First, let's grasp each of our locations and situations, then discuss later. You said the message limit is low too.
Rat King: Right, we've already used over half. Let's figure out our situations and talk again in about two hours.
Pig Bastard: Talking like some Rat King, seriously crazy
Ah... What kind of ordeal have they prepared this time.
I already feel like I'm losing my mind. In this dizzy feeling, I completely lost consciousness.
Author's Note:
While uploading, it was temporarily registered by mistake. I uploaded the rest immediately, so if anyone saw it right after it went up, please read the additional parts that were added. Thank you always.