Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 110

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 109: Party Time (11) - Final Preparations, Entering the Gate Room

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* Party Time, Day 4, Lunch

- Han Ga-in

When morning came, Seung-yeop came out, and everyone was relieved. He was even thinner than usual, but he seemed recovered enough to move around normally.

Grandpa Mook-seong casually sat beside him and began piling meat onto Seung-yeop's plate.

What Seung-yeop told us as he ate was quite interesting.

He said his Sponsor had appeared in his dream and taught him how to use his Blessing.

It was a little confusing, but the message itself was clear.

Don't doubt or calculate too much. Just do it.

Basically, if he believed things would work out and simply acted, they would. It was a difficult Blessing to understand.

I understood why the Sponsor had said it had “chosen Seung-yeop.”

If it really was that kind of Blessing, someone who thought too much couldn't use it at all.

Honestly, I didn't think I could jump into the ocean while sincerely believing a sea turtle would save me.

Still, even a ridiculous Blessing that said, “Believe, and everything will work out,” had to have limits.

Didn't the very existence of an active skill mean it had limits under normal circumstances?

“Seung-yeop. Listening to this made me curious. Have you tried testing Luck's limits under normal circumstances-”

The moment I said that much, A-ri immediately covered my mouth.

... Did I do something wrong?

After we ate, I was taking a walk near the front desk when A-ri came over.

“What was that earlier? You suddenly covered my mouth. You startled me.”

“From now on, never go on about Luck in front of Seung-yeop.”

“Huh?”

“You were obviously about to analyze it, talking about limits and principles. Of course, it must have its own principles, and naturally it must have limits. But the very act of you analyzing it and telling Seung-yeop about it weakens that Blessing.”

“...”

“I think I understand. I've had a similar experience. Some Blessings grow stronger when their owner goes a little crazy. Luck seems like a Blessing that gets stronger when its owner is mentally unhinged.”

“... Don't say that sort of thing in front of Seung-yeop either.”

Still, I understood what she meant. I had almost made a mistake.

I told the others what A-ri had said as well.

From now on, no analytical talk about Luck in front of Seung-yeop.

Even telling him what we thought we'd figured out might fill his head with complicated thoughts and weaken Luck.

With Seung-yeop's “awakening,” we had completed every preparation needed to enter the Gate Room.

* * *

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 37

Current Location: Level 1, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 3]

- Han Ga-in

Gulp.

I swallowed without realizing it. As we stood before Room 107, the Gate Room, tension filled the air.

Eun-sol spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

“One last equipment check! I've got the brooch and badge, Grandfather has the gloves and pistol, and Ga-in has the pen. Everyone has their Inheritance, right? Song-i, make sure you've got Pero too. We ordered sturdy clothes, and everyone's wearing them properly-”

“Eun-sol, we've checked several times already. Let's go in.”

“Yeah. Let's go. Waiting out here won't change anything.”

The moment Grandpa Mook-seong stepped forward and grabbed Room 107's doorknob, a notification appeared before everyone.

/Warning!

The Gate Room is extremely difficult. You must pass through multiple trials without rest.

Minimum requirements: Escape from every Curse Room, and obtain at least one Inheritance.

Recommended requirements: Obtain at least two Inheritances.

...

The participants meet the recommended requirements.

Would you like to attempt the challenge?/

“Just in case, it says there won't be any rest. Does that mean no rest at all?”

A-ri answered uncertainly.

“This Gate Room might have no rest at all. Or it could mean we'll have time to catch our breath, but not extended rest like the days of Party Time we used to get.”

---Click!

We entered the Gate Room.

Inside was a brightly lit space that glowed strangely.

As everyone looked at one another in confusion, another notification appeared.

/Welcome, participants who have chosen to challenge the Gate Room.

From this point onward, you must pass through a total of five trials.

The theme of the trials is ‘Restriction.’

Do you believe Blessings and Inheritances are everything you have?

Remember. Blessings and Inheritances are ultimately only external forces.

Please demonstrate your true abilities under restriction.

The first trial will begin in 30 seconds./

“... It looks like we won't be able to use Blessings or Inheritances. Was it like this before?”

A-ri replied helplessly.

“I've never heard anything like this! This is why the hotel is so damn awful. It changes every time, so preparing is pointless!”

“Ahahaha.... I never thought I'd hear you curse like that.”

The first trial began amid everyone's hollow laughter.

* First Trial

---Clank! Clank!

My consciousness blurred, then returned.

I was on a train. As I tried to stand and look around, I felt an indescribable discomfort.

Looking around, I saw my companions wearing puzzled expressions.

There was no one else in the train car besides us.

An announcement came from the ceiling.

/Blessings cannot be used aboard the train. Please be advised./

... Sure enough, the Status Window didn't appear.

Everyone naturally stood up and began talking.

“How are we supposed to clear this?”

Eun-sol answered.

“Thinking simply, wouldn't it be getting out of the train car?”

Hearing that, Jin-cheol immediately tried the train door.

“The door won't budge.”

“Then getting out really must be the way to escape. Since leaving means escaping, they locked the doors, right?”

The others began testing things here and there as well.

The strangest place was the passage leading to the other train cars.

“There's nothing there, but I can't pass through?”

Just as Eun-sol said, the passage was visibly open, yet we couldn't go through it.

It was as though an invisible wall stood in the way.

Another car was faintly visible beyond the passage.

A beach was visible outside the train windows, but the windows wouldn't open or break.

“Boar, try punching it.”

“Grandpa, I don't have that kind of strength anymore. I've hit it several times, but it doesn't even move.”

Having our Blessings sealed brought many changes.

I couldn't see the Status Window. Jin-cheol had returned to the physical abilities of an ordinary athlete. The Chat Window had vanished too.

Song-i cried out in alarm.

“Where's Pero?”

Just as she said, Pero had disappeared without a trace.

What was this? It seemed like we had to get out of this place, but there was no way to leave.

Everyone searched every corner of the train car, but we couldn't find any way out.

As we searched, I again felt that indescribable discomfort.

A-ri offered her opinion.

“I don't think we're supposed to physically break our way out. The passage is open, but an invisible barrier blocks it, right? Since a supernatural force is preventing our escape, don't we need to meet some kind of condition?”

“What condition?”

Everyone fell silent.

Eventually, we grew tired and each found a place to rest.

I sat blankly and looked out the window.

What the hell is this? Couldn't they at least give us a hint?

Now that things had come to this, I realized I'd relied quite a bit on the Status Window.

Normally, I would've immediately started asking Sage’s Advice.

---Clank! Clank!

... The train moved, and time passed.

It felt like thirty minutes had gone by. Everyone seemed to be trying things here and there, but there was no progress.

Then a familiar sound rang out.

---Peeeo!

Pero's cry came from behind us!

Everyone stood and turned around. Pero flew in through the passage behind the train car!

Was Pero unaffected by the barrier?

Song-i was the first to react.

“Pero!”

Song-i spread her arms wide, ready to embrace Pero as though reuniting with a long-lost family member.

Pero flew right past her.

???

What? Where was Pero going?

“Ow! What are you doing?”

Pero swept a glance over us, pecked Seung-yeop once with its beak as if teasing him, then flew into the car ahead.

What was Pero doing? Was that it? Did Pero just come all this way to peck Seung-yeop once?

Eun-sol spoke in disbelief.

“What was that? Song-i, why is Pero acting like that?”

“I don't know.... I guess Affinity is gone.”

Ah! Affinity, the power Song-i used to communicate with Pero, was gone, so she couldn't communicate with Pero anymore.

It was a little disappointing.

Even if Affinity was gone, Pero usually clung to Song-i's side and rubbed its beak against her. Now that the Blessing was gone, Pero coldly flew right past her!

Song-i looked visibly dejected.

“Hah! That damn parrot! I was wrong to expect anything from a birdbrain.”

As if to comfort Song-i, Grandpa Mook-seong cursed Pero.

Still, why had Pero gone to the car ahead? Was there bird feed up there or something?

In the end, we were once again left without answers.

---Clank! Clank!

The train continued along tracks stretching endlessly ahead. Time flowed on like waves.

I leaned against the window and looked outside.

It had been a while since I'd just sat on a train and traveled like this.

When I was very young, I used to travel by train like this.

Back then, the reforestation project was in full swing in the countryside where my grandfather lived, and it really had worked.

Every mountain outside the window was full of trees, wasn't it?