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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 219: Rest - Hell's Hotel Kitchen (1)

──────

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 98

Current Location: Level 1, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 3]

- Han Ga-in

After dinner, I went around the second floor to see if anything had changed. Unfortunately, there was no change in the ‘package’ or the Mysterious Craftsman I had found in the second floor's outside world.

Thankfully, my ability to resolve this question had recovered.

[Sage’s Advice: 3 -> 2]

‘Do I need to complete a separate quest to activate the package and the Mysterious Craftsman?’

It had been a while since I'd used Sage’s Advice. Its answer was only a short phrase, but that was enough.

[Time heals all wounds.]

The answer meant I didn't need to do anything. I just had to wait.

Thinking about it, I could guess why. Both the package and the Mysterious Craftsman were things I'd found while exploring the second floor, so they would probably unlock as I progressed through it. Since we'd tackled Room 104, which had nothing to do with the second floor, maybe that was why nothing had changed with them.

Next, I asked about the problem I'd noticed after a long-term Possession of Pero. I had no idea how to fly, let alone transform into Pero's Grotesque form.

[Sage’s Advice: 2 -> 1]

‘It's too difficult to use the special abilities of the target of my Possession. Is there a tip?’

[Long training is necessary. There are no shortcuts.]

“Long practice is necessary, and there's no easy way?”

As I considered it, the doctor nearby asked what was wrong, so I explained.

“Hmm. I understand why. Would you like to know the reason?”

“Could you explain it simply?”

“It is simple. Most movements living creatures make aren't done because the creature understands the principles behind them. People usually start walking around the age of one, but recreating bipedal walking in a robot is an extremely difficult task that requires several PhDs who have spent their lives studying robotics.”

“Ah, I saw that on TV when I was young! Something about Japanese researchers developing a robot that could walk on two legs.”

“Even walking on two legs is that difficult, so imagine how difficult it is to fly. And neither action is something humans or birds do because they understand the principles behind it. People don't really know how they walk on two legs, and birds don't really know how they fly. They simply have an instruction manual for walking or flying programmed into their heads from birth.”

“So I can't fly even when I'm in Pero's body because I don't have the instruction manual birds are born with.”

“That's right. The reason you can't transform into Pero's Grotesque form is similar. That manual isn't in your head.”

“Hmm...”

I understood the principle. Whether it was flight, transformation, or any other supernatural ability, if I didn't have the manual for using it, then even borrowing the body of a being with that power would only get me halfway there.

Then was there a difficult way, if not an easy one? It didn't seem like a problem I could solve quickly. I used my remaining Sage’s Advice on questions related to operating the Grimoire, but it didn't yield much either.

* * *

- Lee Eun-sol

We came out of Room 104 and enjoyed a blissful day of rest. The next morning, everyone left their bedrooms for breakfast.

Since we had escaped rather than resolved the room, there was no Party Time. Everyone knew that, so they looked tired and didn't say much.

Then an unexpected gift awaited us.

/Today is the Hotel's day off. Meals will be provided./

The companions who had assumed we'd have to enter a Curse Room starting today all cheered!

Did they deliberately avoid telling us yesterday just so we'd be happy now? It did feel like receiving a surprise gift.

Song-i and Ga-in spoke beside me.

“I guess it's not Party Time, just a rest day.”

“Party Time is a reward for resolving a Curse Room, so that's probably why. We got a rest day before too, when we escaped Rooms 101 and 102 one after another. It feels similar.”

A-ri added a comment.

“If it's not Party Time, we can't go to the Sanctuary of Blessings or explore anything.”

Every Party Time notification the Hotel displayed ended with these words.

‘They say the Hotel has secrets that reveal themselves only during Party Time too?’

In other words, the secrets the Hotel hid would not reveal themselves when it wasn't Party Time.

Then there was nothing for us to do today. It was a rest day, so we didn't need to enter a Curse Room. It wasn't Party Time, so we couldn't enter the Sanctuary of Blessings, and exploration wouldn't turn up anything either.

There was something perfect for a time like this!

I immediately pulled a whiteboard over and stood before everyone.

“Everyone, listen up! This is good news.”

Everyone looked at me in confusion.

“My Greedy Hand has activated!”

“Oh! So the time has come?”

“Greedy Hand is a kind of farming skill. I need to use it consistently whenever its cooldown ends.”

Everyone nodded.

“Give me some ideas. What should I wish for?”

“It's your wish, Sis, so you should decide.”

“I like the way you think, Ga-in. Actually, I already have a rough idea. This time, I want to wish for something reasonably useful.”

“Reasonably useful?”

“When I make wishes too desperately, the ending gets a little scary.”

I pointed at my eye.

“I realized it when I got this eye. The Hotel's definition of ‘risk’ must be narrower than I thought. For example, I got this eye, but my real eye disappeared, and this one is kind of... ugly, isn't it?”

“I suppose that doesn't count as a risk by the Hotel's standards.”

“Since my vision improved, it seems to think losing my real eye isn't a risk. Going blind would happen after escaping the Hotel. And it probably doesn't see an ugly-looking eye as a big deal either.”

Grandpa nodded in understanding after hearing that much.

“I get what you're saying. Because you made such a desperate wish, the price was also greater. And with the Hotel's usual disregard for human lives added in, it grants wishes with the attitude of, ‘Losing a hand isn't that big a loss, right?’”

“Yes.”

“I think that's a good idea. Try making a reasonably modest wish.”

Everyone nodded. When I focused my mind, a notification appeared in the air.

[Greedy Hand]

“Give me something reasonably useful!”

...

“If possible, I don't want any physical harm.”

...

“If possible, don't hurt my feelings either!”

...

“You know my feelings will be hurt if my companions suffer too much, right?”

“Sis, isn't that kind of a loophole-”

“Quiet!”

...

“This is really the last one!”

‘Make all your wishes at once!’

I thought I heard an irritated voice somewhere.

“Could you give me two things instead of one?”

‘You truly are a greedy being. You only think of getting something for nothing! But I like that greediness too. And getting something for nothing? Something to eat? I like the sound of that.’

What was that supposed to mean? Stop blurting out every thought that crosses your mind!

Somewhere, I heard a huge, heavy laugh that seemed to echo through an entire cave. Maybe my final request had pleased my Sponsor? The Hotel began to shake as though the Sponsor's laughter was rattling the space itself. Strange sounds rose up, like some unknown construction work was underway!

Tension appeared on everyone's faces.

Even amid all this, Ga-in nagged me.

“Sis! You said you'd make a reasonably modest wish!”

“It was reasonably modest.”

“If you ask for ‘a modest 100 billion won,’ does calling it modest make it a modest request?”

“Considering how much I've suffered because of my mostly useless blessing, it's reasonable.”

Ga-in fell silent at that.

A moment later, a notification appeared before everyone.

/A surprise event will occur at a participant's request.

.

.

.

Surprise Event: Hell's Hotel Kitchen/

???

“What is this supposed to be?”

“What did it say?”

“Hell's Hotel Kitchen.”

“What the-”

/Participants! Please come to the Level 2 hall!/

Everyone arrived at the second-floor hall as instructed, then fell silent for a moment. The second floor had become an entirely different space in that short time!

The Christmas tree had vanished somewhere, and a massive table stood in the center. In front of it was a literal kitchen, complete with gas stoves, ovens, knives, and everything else needed for cooking. The empty rooms on the second floor had all been filled with ingredients.

Then the Merchant appeared before us, dressed in a spotless white chef's uniform and smiling.

“...”

“...”

“Bwahaha! Today is truly a delightful day. Though there hasn't been a single day since you came to the Hotel that hasn't been delightful! Now, now! Chef Eun-sol, would you come this way?”

“... I'm not a chef.”

“Just come over here.”

Still dazed, I did as I was told and sat at the table. A white hat sat on top of it.

“As you can see, this place is filled with excellent ingredients and cooking tools that have been used to prepare your meals thus far. Participants, please make the finest dishes possible by putting all of this to good use!”

“... Am I judging those dishes?”

“Participant Lee Eun-sol, correct. Someone must rank the dishes. Please judge them fairly.”

While everyone looked around with lost expressions, the Merchant continued explaining.

“You must be wondering what other stupid crap this hopeless Hotel has pulled.”

“...”

“The Hotel never forces labor without rewards! The winner of today's cooking competition will certainly receive a reward. Of course, an appropriate punishment awaits whoever makes the worst food.”

“What about me?”

“Haha! Naturally, a satisfying reward also awaits Participant Lee Eun-sol, who will handle the judging.”

The Merchant explained how this absurd cooking competition would proceed.

In the first round, the eight people other than me would each complete one dish. The top two and bottom two would be selected. In the second round, the top two would compete again to determine the winner. Finally, in the third round, the bottom two would compete again to determine who came in last.

Everyone was still dumbfounded, but A-ri, who always came to her senses fastest when things became a mess, raised her hand.

“When does it start? How much time do we get to cook?”

“It will begin in ten minutes. One hour should be enough cooking time, shouldn't it?”

Just as the Merchant said, a ding sounded ten minutes later. The companions ran one by one to the rooms with ingredients, still looking like they had no idea what this was.

Soon, screams began to ring out from the ingredient rooms.

“Aah! The fish is alive! It's trying to bite me even though it's out of the water!”

“Why the hell does this sweet potato have hands?”

“Did I just see that wrong? That pig's trotter moved on its own?”

... The ingredients weren't normal.

And I had to eat dishes made from those ingredients.

“I don't have to eat those dishes, do I?”

The Merchant's lips curled upward.

“Chef Eun-sol, didn't I ask you for ‘fair judging’? You must eat one plate from each person.”

Footnotes:

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