WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈
Episode 176: Party Time - Sanctuary of Blessings (3)
──────
[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)
Date: Day 89
Current Location: Level 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 3]
- Han Ga-in
Worrying was one thing, but now it was time to claim our rewards! In a hotel full of hardships, this might be one of the happiest times.
As we approached the Sanctuary of Blessings at the first-floor main entrance, everyone's expressions brightened. We entered the Sanctuary of Blessings.
Park Seung-yeop/Elena Ivanova can receive enhancements. Would you like to proceed? (Y/N)
“What? Why are there so few?”
Everyone was taken aback. Why were so few people eligible for enhancement?
I expected my name not to be there. After I obtained Scenario Understanding, the Owl had personally told me it would be a long time before we met again.
But why were the others' names missing too? Hadn't many people played their own roles in the Gate Room? A-ri had even been the final survivor.
... One disappointing answer came to mind.
“It seems the Gate Room isn't included in Contribution calculations.”
A-ri sighed.
“No wonder Party Time didn't happen after the Gate Room. There was no need to visit the Sanctuary of Blessings anyway.”
Seung-yeop spoke hopefully.
“I guess I got credit for escaping Room 201 alone.”
Eun-sol looked a little indignant.
“I escaped alone on the second attempt too, though?”
“You were enhanced relatively recently and got Greedy Hand, didn't you? I guess it isn't time yet.”
Jin-cheol said something ridiculous.
“They could've just shown the damn Contribution as numbers and saved us the confusion! In my experience, when someone hides something like this, it's definitely because some bastard in the middle wants to skim off the top!”
“Who would benefit from skimming our Contribution...?”
“...”
What was the point of arguing further? In the end, the two of them received their blessing enhancements.
* * *
- Park Seung-yeop
My mind grew hazy as I felt my body being sucked somewhere. When I barely managed to steady myself, a line that was far too familiar reached my ears.
‘Welcome to Summoner's Rift!’
...
This place felt familiar. The dark, slightly stuffy air, computers filling every direction. If there'd been an employee at the front, it would've been exactly like a PC café. There wasn't one, though.
Only one computer was on, playing music I'd heard tens of thousands of times. A boy around my age sat in front of it, completely focused.
“Excuse me...”
“Wait a second! I just need to push this!”
...
“... You're just backdooring as a five-death Tryndamere. It looks like your team is getting pushed.”
“It’s fine! I’m telling you, they just need to hold on!”
A moment later, the outcome became clear.
“...”
“...”
“Are you okay?”
“... How did you play this game every day? I'm exhausted after just a few rounds. Why is my luck with teammates so bad?”
I nearly choked at those words coming from the Sponsor of Luck.
Of course you can't win when you've died five times and only backdoor.... It's not that you have bad team luck. Your teammates are the unlucky ones for getting matched with you!
I swallowed the words. The Sponsor was still my Sponsor, so I had to hold back. The boy noticed my disdainful expression and smirked.
“I played exactly the way you did every day before you came to the hotel.”
“I didn't.”
“What was different?”
“Wow! You son of a, no, Sponsor, you really don't know League, do you?”
“You didn't just call me a son of a bitch, did you?”
“You think mindless backdooring and split pushing are the same thing? Wow! I never thought I'd hear this from someone who doesn't even know the basics of wave management. Do you know the difference between leaving six ranged minions and three? Do you know how to make a big wave? Why did you level your skills like that? At 21 minutes, at red buff-”
“No, no. I lost. Sorry. Let's talk about your blessing.”
“...”
“Your parents must've had a hard time raising you.”
“What does that mean? I was really trying to hold it in, but-”
“No, no, let's really talk about your blessing now. I've had plenty of strange experiences since meeting you too, but I don't want to become the first Sponsor in hotel history to get beaten up by a participant.”
“... Okay.”
The boy waved a hand. The PC café disappeared, replaced by an office-like room with a neat table and chairs.
“What enhancement am I getting this time?”
“Good question. My answer is, ‘There's nothing for you to take this time.’”
“...”
The Sponsor watched me for a moment, then exclaimed in admiration.
“You really are amazing! You went through all that hell in the hotel, but even after hearing there was no reward, your expression barely changed. Your patience seems pretty impressive when I see things like this...”
“What are you trying to say now?”
“I feel like you become a different person whenever a certain subject comes up. Anyway, that doesn't mean there's really no reward. You've already heard it from your companion, Han Ga-in, haven't you? If you gather enough Contribution, you can receive a powerful enhancement.”
“Oh! Then I just need to clear the next room and get a powerful enhancement?”
“That's right. But...”
“But?”
“You need to do well in the next room. You're still rather short on Contribution.”
“Then couldn't I at least get a weak enhancement that matches the Contribution I've already built up-”
“No. You need to get a powerful enhancement.”
“...”
“You've already heard a hint about it once, haven't you? Room 203?”
“Yes.”
“The enhancement I intend to give you will be very useful there. Compared to your companions, you're already falling a little behind. You know that, right?”
“... Yes.”
“You still don't have an Inheritance. Room 203 will be both a crisis and an opportunity for you.”
“So Room 202 is obviously hopeless, then....”
“To be honest, it isn't a room where you'll perform well enough to obtain an Inheritance. Still, do your best. You need to build up some Contribution in Room 202 to receive your next enhancement too.”
Listening to him made me curious. Why would it be hard for me to obtain an Inheritance in Room 202, while Room 203 was both a crisis and an opportunity? The boy saw my expression and immediately answered.
“You weren't about to ask something childish, like what the next room is about, were you?”
“...”
“Of course I can't answer that.”
“Can I ask something else? For example, what is this ‘powerful enhancement’?”
The boy wore an ambiguous expression before answering.
“It will increase the ‘predictability’ of your ability.”
‘Predictability’? I had no idea what that meant. The boy looked off somewhere again and continued.
“You've been worrying a lot about the hotel getting colder, haven't you?”
“Oh! Are you going to give me a hint?”
“It's different from a Curse Room. Not everyone has to participate.”
“What?”
“You don't have to push yourself so hard.”
What did that mean? My consciousness cut off with those words.
* * *
- Elena
It was the beautiful garden I had experienced once before. Birds chirped somewhere, and the flower garden looked like a watercolor painting. The moment I arrived, I heard a worried voice.
“You've acquired a dangerous ability.”
“Hello.”
“I hoped you wouldn't gain a power that affected the mind if possible.”
“... I didn't think I'd be able to handle the Irregular Polyhedron.”
“That is true.”
They said it was an item that required high intelligence, so hearing, ‘It is true that you'd have trouble handling it,’ left me feeling oddly displeased. The Sponsor soon chuckled and continued.
“You don't have to be a genius of the century to handle the Irregular Polyhedron. Still, it requires decent calculation skills. Don't you have companions who are good at that sort of thing?”
“I do....”
“Actually, Ominous Imagination isn't a poor fit for you. There aren't many people who could use it as well as you can. It requires a rich imagination. It isn't a weak power by any means. Its aftereffects are severe, and it is difficult to handle. That is all.”
“Come to think of it, when I acquired the ability, Ga-in told me that using Ominous Imagination too much could easily cause mental illness. But I haven't felt anything like that yet. I do feel like I'm becoming more easily frightened because strange monsters keep appearing, though....”
“That is because you haven't truly used it yet. Right now, you're desperately trying not to use it, and the power has only been leaking out bit by bit while you let your guard down.”
“I see.”
That made me even more anxious. Didn't that mean I was liable to go mad the moment I started using it seriously?
“Do not worry too much. I had intended to give you a different ability, but after seeing that you obtained Ominous Imagination, I prepared a suitable blessing enhancement. Proper conviction resides in a clear, still mind.”
“Really? Th-thank you!”
“Still, the power I intend to give you will only lessen the aftereffects of Ominous Imagination. You must figure out how to use it yourself.”
“I'll do my best.”
“Discuss your ability with that worthless fellow you like.”
“What??? What are you suddenly talking about???”
“Why are you so surprised? From what I can see, you're the only one who doesn't know.”
“No, no, no, no,”
“Enough with the ‘no, no.’ Go back down now.”
With those words, my mind flowed downward as though swept away by waves. Right before my consciousness faded, I heard one more sentence.
“The matter related to the cold is not something you should step forward to handle.”
What did that mean this time?
* * *
[Elena Ivanova has obtained Justice -> ‘Clear Mirror, Still Water’.]
* * *
- Han Ga-in
After the two fainted while receiving their blessing enhancements, we moved them somewhere safe and headed to the refreshment table. The old man picked up a cup from the table and sighed.
“It's getting worse by the day. Look at this.”
“Since when did you like green tea ice cream?”
“At least ice cream tastes good.... The condition of the first floor is worsening by the moment.”
I couldn't help laughing at the sight of green tea that wasn't merely chilled with floating ice, but frozen into a solid block.
“What should we do?”
Everyone fell silent for a moment at Song-i's question. This was my time to break the silence. Whatever the others thought, there was something I wanted to say first.
“Wait a moment.”
Eun-sol answered immediately.
“Are you talking about Sage’s Advice?”
“Yes. As I said at dawn, I'm thinking of using today's allotment of Sage’s Advice on Room 104.”
A-ri looked uncertain.
“Isn't the hotel getting colder a more urgent problem than Room 104? I think it might be better to use the Advice on that.”
“That makes sense, but since coming here, there hasn't been a time when we didn't have urgent problems anyway. Also, Party Time lasts three days, right? Today is the first day.”
“We can ask on the second and third days?”
“That's right. And...”
There was an intuition I couldn't explain in words. I'd been feeling it for some time. The conviction I gained when I received Descent had probably grown stronger after using Descent once in Room 102.
I had to stand before the Lord again and settle this.
“Then ask. It's your blessing in the end, so it's your decision. Like you said, we can ask about the hotel getting colder starting tomorrow.”
Once I decided to use the Advice, I suddenly drew a blank on what I should ask.
What should I ask? What was the Lord's scheme? Would I really betray my companions in Room 104?
It was hard to choose when it was such an expensive question that would use all three charges-
[Sage’s Advice: 3 -> 0]
[The wisest person sets the board so that everyone benefits.]
Footnotes:
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