WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈
Episode 224: Room 202, Curse Room - ‘The Little Mermaid’ (2)
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[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)
Date: Day 100
Current Location: Level 2, Room 202 - Curse Room ‘The Little Mermaid’
Sage’s Advice: 3]
- Han Ga-in
The moment Grandfather mentioned escaping, everyone's eyes naturally turned to Seung-yeop. In another ten minutes or so, we'd reach the Sea Highway leading to Haesin Island off the coast of Busan, the scenario's key location. If one person was going to leave, now was the time.
Unlike usual, Seung-yeop spoke carefully.
“Actually, my Sponsor advised me recently to do my best in Room 202.”
He'd said he was preparing a powerful enhancement for Room 203, but his Contribution was still lacking, so he needed to make a meaningful contribution in Room 202.
“Wouldn't it be better if I participated a little longer instead of escaping right away?”
Grandfather answered as though it were nothing.
“You worry too much. We won't solve this on the first try anyway. Some unimaginable disaster will happen, most of us will die, and only one or two will barely escape. There'll be plenty of time to build up Contribution on the second or third attempt.”
Wasn't that far too terrifying to say so casually?
“That’s true. You’ll all be dead soon anyway!”
“...”
“Then should I wait in Busan?”
As Grandfather was momentarily left speechless, A-ri suddenly looked my way.
“I think we should check the scenario before deciding. Ga-in?”
The first scenario message hadn't contained much. Talk to the chairman of Cheongseong Group. Head to Haesin Island, where secrets were hidden. That was about it.
“The first scenario said to meet with the chairman, and it hasn't changed yet. I think we'll get the next scenario once we enter the Sea Highway or reach the island itself.”
“It looks like something will start once we enter the island. Seung-yeop should stay in Busan after all.”
“Listen to the explanation before you go. I've finished organizing everything.”
Eun-sol had been reading the documents sent by Cheongseong Group and the Management Bureau while we drove to save time. At her words, Seung-yeop got back into the car.
“The facts are simple. The chairman's deceased son was named Lee Su-ho, and he visited the island several times to settle a dispute concerning Haesin Island's port. Each time, the island's atmosphere grew more hostile, and threats against Su-ho and his bodyguards increased. Then, forty days ago, Su-ho died by supernatural means while crossing the bridge. The Management Bureau confirmed that much.”
A-ri asked, “Supernatural means? That covers a lot.”
“Even the Management Bureau isn't sure exactly what method was used.”
“Isn't that a little strange? I mean, what would killing one of the chairman's sons mean to the Merfolk? Su-ho's death doesn't mean ownership of the port goes to them. Killing the chairman himself wouldn't solve anything, either. Instead, it could hurt their position by turning this into a violation of the Nonaggression Treaty.”
“Cheongseong Group included a note about that. For one thing, this reckless act has made more people within the group afraid of the Merfolk. Some board members have openly suggested giving up the port.”
They were in a dispute with a different race that could simply curse and kill people whenever things didn't go their way. Ordinary people couldn't help but be intimidated in that situation.
And the organization meant to prevent that was the Management Bureau.
“But this is the result of doing something like that. The Management Bureau has started actively intervening, hasn't it?”
“I don't know. I'm only explaining what was in the documents.”
Let's say the Merfolk really had killed the chairman's son, as Cheongseong Group claimed. What could it possibly mean for them? A threat against a private company? Threatening them would only bring in the Management Bureau, and with the Management Bureau as such a powerful backer, Cheongseong Group would never give up the port.
There didn't seem to be any point in discussing it further while sitting here. We still had far too little information. After A-ri briefly taught Seung-yeop how to use the Management Bureau Secure Smartphone, we left him in Busan and set off again.
As we passed the midpoint of the Sea Highway, Scenario Understanding finally changed.
/Scenario: Curse Room - ‘The Little Mermaid’
The Hotel party heads for Haesin Island. As everyone senses an ominous atmosphere and offers various opinions, the limousine speeds onto the island like the wind. Only after discovering ominous markings and hostile traces does the group realize that the situation is unusual. Enter Haesin Island. It seems you should first meet the Saintess of the Deep and assess the island's situation.
Please check the following content after meeting with the Saintess of the Deep./
The Saintess of the Deep was someone we'd already learned about through the documents. The island had three sisters called the Daughter of the Sea God, who were revered as sacred religious figures. One of the three held the position of Saintess of the Deep and served as the island's leader.
One phrase caught my attention: “Ominous markings and hostile traces.”
“Look around! It says there are some kind of markings and traces!”
The limousine slowed, and everyone leaned out the windows to inspect the surroundings. It didn't take long to find them. Blood-chilling characters had been carved haphazardly all over the Sea Highway. We couldn't read them because they weren't human writing, but we could tell they were insults.
Someone could read them.
“Pretty vicious. ‘May the sea's curse fall upon the thief from land. Skin yourself alive and kill yourself. You will die before crossing the bridge.’”
“Oh! How did you learn to read alien writing like that?”
“From a Merfolk.”
So there had been Merfolk in the world I lived in too. They probably hadn't claimed an island off the coast of Busan, though.
“Even after we arrive on the island, we should be careful-”
[Sage’s Advice: 3 -> 2]
[Push Cha Jin-cheol’s left shoulder hard, immediately!]
I acted faster than I thought. Before I could even wonder what it meant, I reflexively shoved Jin-cheol's left shoulder as he drove the limousine.
“Argh! What the hell are you doing?!”
Jin-cheol's arm, which had been holding the steering wheel, was shoved aside. The wheel jerked sharply, and the limousine suddenly veered hard to the right in the middle of the Sea Highway, crashing into the road barrier. Jin-cheol, who had been driving, and I, who had shoved his arm, both cried out at the sudden accident.
Then I heard it.
“Ru-da-ba-heu-ri!”
An unknown, ominous voice rang out. Black, murky fog slowly filled the road. It reached only as far as the point directly ahead of where the limousine had swerved. Was that the spell's range?
“G-Ga-in. Did a Danger Alert just appear?”
“... Yes. That was incredible.”
“We haven't even reached the island, and they're already trying to kill us?”
“It's fortunate there aren't any other cars on this road.”
What should we do?
If we had been ordinary Management Bureau agents, we would have turned the car around and returned to Busan at this point. The Management Bureau might have lodged a strong protest or staged a show of force. But before we were Management Bureau agents, we were Hotel participants. The guidance of Scenario Understanding, the most reliable signpost in this place, said otherwise.
Eun-sol, apparently having the same thought, asked me, “What did the scenario say?”
“After saying they realized the situation was unusual, it says, ‘Enter Haesin Island.’”
“... Then we should go in, right?”
“Perhaps making us fear this phenomenon and flee is exactly what they want. I think we should enter now.”
Jin-cheol spoke uneasily.
“Through that fog?”
“I don't think it'll last long.”
Fortunately, the fog vanished before five minutes had passed, as though swept away by the wind. A-ri, who had the relevant knowledge, put on the Protective Suit and went ahead first to confirm it was safe. Then we set off again for the hostile island.
* * *
The moment we entered the island, anger toward the “human race from the land” could be felt everywhere. The Merfolk, who looked like an awkward mix of people and fish, already had grotesque appearances. When they approached in a threatening manner, the atmosphere became quite menacing.
Still, we were effectively diplomats sent by the Management Bureau. The Merfolk only glared at us and took no further action. That made it even stranger. What had that spell attack earlier been?
...
A Merfolk dressed in splendid clothes appeared and guided us to our lodging. Was this guide sent by the Saintess of the Deep? This newly appeared Merfolk seemed like a rather mystical and beautiful creature.
The moment we arrived in the room, Eun-sol began speaking rapidly.
“This is strange. They tried to kill us before we even entered, so I thought there'd be an army waiting for us when we arrived.”
Jin-cheol seemed to feel the same way.
“I was ready to summon the Star at any moment, but now that we're here, they're being quiet. They're just glaring at us. It's not like lasers are going to shoot out of their eyes.”
“It feels like the way you'd treat diplomats from a hostile country. You can feel their anger, but they won't lay a hand on us directly. What was that curse earlier? Did we overreact to a simple tactic meant to intimidate us?”
That wasn't it. I pointed it out immediately.
“If that were all, the Danger Alert wouldn't have reacted. It was definitely a curse meant to kill us.”
A-ri offered a vague hypothesis.
“Maybe that curse doesn't reflect this island's official position.”
“Doesn't reflect their official position?”
“It's just my guess. I thought that curse was really strange too. We're envoys sent by the Management Bureau. Would they really curse us to death without warning? Does that make any sense? If they do something like that, the Management Bureau will have no choice but to go to war.”
“Let's confront the Saintess of the Deep about this when we meet her. And perhaps...”
Everyone looked at me. I offered my cautious opinion.
“There may be further attempts on our lives. Let's all be as careful as possible. I'll conserve Sage’s Advice as much as I can.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
* * *
- Park Seung-yeop
“Yaaawn!”
This was boring. The others had all taken the limousine across the Sea Highway to the island. I had been left alone in Busan, with absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do now.
Should I head toward Seoul and put some distance between us?
I'd considered that, but then I remembered what A-ri had said. In this room, I was also a Management Bureau agent, and they were tracking my location in real time. If one agent suddenly left for another region, the Management Bureau might think I'd been kidnapped and come to rescue me.
...
Come to think of it, wasn't that an escape method too? In Room 104, deliberately causing an incident and getting arrested by the police had been an “escape method,” hadn't it?
By the same logic, if I deliberately went somewhere ridiculous without contacting anyone, wouldn't the Management Bureau “rescuing” me be another way to escape?
Damn! That's genius! As expected, I was the best escape specialist in the party. A-ri told me to stay in Busan, but she clearly hadn't thought this far ahead. Still, I should at least contact the others.
...
The call wouldn't go through. It didn't seem like even an hour had passed since they left for the island. Had something already happened? Or was there no signal?
I started to panic. As the Hotel party's greatest escape specialist, I should trust my own judgment and act immediately!
Footnotes:
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