WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 384: Party Time, Sanctuary of Blessings

──────

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 223

Current Location: Level 1, Room 105 - ‘Rest Room’

Sage’s Advice: 3]

- Han Ga-in

“Hyung, shouldn’t we first consider whether it’s even possible?”

“Right. It might not be possible with the Lord.”

To begin with, we knew nothing about the principles behind the Soul Box or the Sacred Sun.

The idea that the Lord could be placed inside the box was no more than my guess.

“What about Arima?”

“What?”

Was there any reason Arima would be impossible?

No one had expected that, so they all looked at Seung-yeop.

Seung-yeop immediately stood and walked over to Jin-cheol.

“Uh, uh!”

“Jin-cheol, please stay still for a moment.”

“O-okay.”

After summoning the box from thin air, Seung-yeop paced around Jin-cheol.

“As expected, it’s impossible.”

“What?”

“I gained a strange sense after obtaining the Soul Box... According to it, there isn’t a separate soul called Arima inside Jin-cheol’s body.”

That made something click.

Looking back, Arima was similar to the Lord in a way.

Her original body hadn’t escaped. Instead, Arima had attempted to escape by copying and pasting her personality into Cha Jin-cheol’s brain.

I had even destroyed most of that copied personality, and now only a trace remained, with barely any continuity with the original.

“It seems there isn’t a separate Witch’s soul inside me. We should think more about who to put in the box later. We can’t put the Lord in it yet either.”

“That’s true.”

With that, my idea fizzled out, and the day’s conversation ended.

It was a little disappointing.

[Advice: 3 -> 2]

‘Is there no way to put the Witch in the Soul Box?’

[Ordinarily, it is impossible.]

?

“Ordinarily?”

“Ga-in?”

‘Tell me a special way to put the Witch in the Soul Box.’

This time, Advice didn’t respond.

Was it something it couldn’t answer directly?

Or could we make a wish in the Mirror Room?

That would be impossible. We didn’t even have one completed Ticket.

“Wait, wait. I’ll ask again.”

“Looks like Ga-in is using Advice.”

‘Does a special means of putting the Witch in the Soul Box exist? Exclude the Mirror Room from your answer.’

[Advice: 2 -> 1]

[It exists.]

“Ah...”

“What’s wrong?”

I had burned through two uses of Advice and gotten only a frustrating answer.

There was a way to put the Witch in the Soul Box.

A way besides the Mirror Room.

... I just had no idea what it was.

After hearing my explanation, my companions could only tilt their heads.

I used my remaining Advice to satisfy a personal curiosity.

* * *

Early the next morning, we headed for the Sanctuary of Blessings.

「Kim Mook-seong and Yoo Song-i can be enhanced. Would you like to proceed?」

It had been a very long time since Grandpa’s name appeared.

“It sure took its sweet time!”

Grandpa grumbled, but he couldn’t hide his anticipation.

* * *

- Yoo Song-i

The place where the Sponsor resided looked like an Indian temple again.

Animal statues stood everywhere, with an enormous elephant at the center.

“Hello!”

The Sponsor stared at me and asked in my mind, ‘Are you ready?’

“... Of course!”

I had told my companions that I didn’t know what power I would gain.

That was a lie.

I knew what power I would gain this time.

I just hadn’t been able to say it out loud.

I was so embarrassed that my thoughts slipped out before I knew it.

“S-Sponsor, what were you thinking when you made an ability like this?”

The Sponsor asked, ‘Isn’t this the power you desire?’

“...”

I couldn’t deny it.

If I had to make an excuse, the power I was about to gain wasn’t something only I desired anymore.

I was certain it was something ninety-nine percent of humanity would want.

“Just give it to me.”

Then an unexpected reply came back.

“You want me to wait a little? It might be dangerous if I leave now?”

What did that mean?

Had something happened outside?

After enough time passed to drink three or four cups of tea, the elephant’s trunk lightly tapped my head.

* * *

[Yoo Song-i (Affinity) has obtained ‘Beloved One’.]

* * *

- Kim Mook-seong

“It’s been a hell of a long time.”

Even I thought those words sounded incredibly arrogant.

It was probably because I couldn’t hide my dissatisfaction.

“...”

Rather than answer, the giant stared at me.

He wore a pure white lab coat, the kind one might wear in a laboratory.

“Didn’t you call me here to give me a new ability?”

“Your disposition differs from what I expected.”

“What?”

“Do you remember what I said when we first met?”

“Something like, don’t keep trying to hide things, it’s a bad habit from spending too long in a secret organization, become one with everyone. Wasn’t it like that?”

“I warned you that way because I thought you would run wild otherwise.”

Run wild. My breath caught in my throat.

Only then did I realize that the giant’s words and actions were completely different from before.

He no longer rambled or said unnecessary things.

Had his previous appearance been an act, and this was the real one?

Or was it the opposite?

Or was there no meaning in separating the real from the fake?

“You’re a Management Bureau agent, so it isn’t as if you don’t understand what I mean.”

“...”

I understood. There was no way I couldn’t.

I had known from the beginning about the dark possibilities contained in Communication.

“If you wish, you can block your companions’ vision or disturb their five senses at any time. You can manipulate messages during communication, or draw only some people into a conversation.”

“...”

“Depending on how you use it, you can control your companions as you please. That is also an essential trait of communication between people.”

Flooding people with provocative information, changing one or two words at a time to manipulate public opinion.

Didn’t that happen constantly in reality?

The Management Bureau was the foremost group of experts in that field.

“Didn’t you tell me not to do that?”

“I never thought you’d actually listen.”

“...”

“Pfft! Why are you making such a serious face?”

The giant’s attitude changed in an instant.

“Huh?”

“Hey, young man! Why do you look like that just because I made a joke?”

“Y-Young man, my ass...”

“You’re incredibly young compared to me. Did you forget what I told you? You might live another five hundred years. Compared to that time, you’re not just young, you’re practically a child!”

“Haha, seriously... So what’s my next ability?”

“It’s a power you’ll like. This time, I mean it. And...”

“And?”

“Mook-seong, don’t lose sight of why you started.”

The atmosphere changed again.

From a researcher to a playful old man, and now he felt like some great sage.

The constant shifts in his demeanor carried a strange pressure.

“Why did you enter the Hotel?”

“...”

“To save the world.”

“That’s right.”

“You heard it from the owner of Wisdom, didn’t you? The answer is in Room 206.”

It was the information Ga-in had learned in Room 204, Hotel Cinema.

“C-Could I ask one more thing? That room will have two Inheritances too...”

Which should I choose?

“You’ll find out once you enter. But...”

A solemn look filled the giant’s eyes.

“It won’t be easy.”

“...”

What wouldn’t be easy?

Would overcoming Room 206 be difficult for us?

Would it be difficult for me to obtain an Inheritance?

I instinctively knew.

Even if I asked about this, he wouldn’t answer.

...

Even after the conversation ended, the giant didn’t send me back.

When I lifted my head with a puzzled look, the giant gave a small laugh.

“Wait a little longer.”

“What?”

“You people really are...”

“Pardon?”

“At crucial moments, you’re strangely lucky. This too is part of your good fortune.”

“What do you mean?”

“You may leave now. Have a fun time.”

A fun time?

* * *

[Kim Mook-seong (Communication) has obtained ‘Crowd Psychology’.]

* * *

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 224

Current Location: Basement Level, ‘Hotel Bar’

Sage’s Advice: 3]

- Han Ga-in

After Grandpa and Song-i fell asleep in the Sanctuary of Blessings, the rest of us made a decision.

Let’s have fun today!

We had literally suffered while dying in the Curse Room. We deserved at least one day to relax.

In that respect, the Hotel was an amazing place.

Once we decided to have fun, it had no end of facilities for it.

We swam in the pool that morning, then took a light hike up a hill at lunchtime.

That evening, we gathered at a decent bar and watched Eun-sol make cocktails.

“Here, one drink each!”

Seung-yeop pouted.

“Why am I the only one getting cola?”

“A middle schooler can’t drink cocktails! I’ll make you a non-alcoholic one later.”

“Ga-in is in high school too.”

“Honestly, Ga-in isn’t really a minor. We need to count the time he spent in Curse Rooms.”

That was true. I couldn’t speak for Song-i, who wasn’t here, but I didn’t think I was a minor anymore.

“What about Mi-ro?”

Mi-ro replied with a proud expression.

“I only lost my memories! I’m totally an adult!”

A-ri looked tired.

“Let’s just start drinking already. If Seung-yeop wants to drink alcohol too, let him.”

That was how we spent our time, casually having one or two cocktails each.

Just as I started to feel tipsy, Mi-ro nudged me.

“Gaa-in... Use Advice. Use Advice.”

“What? Is there something you want to know?”

“Ask what would be fun to do.”

I turned around in disbelief, only to find Mi-ro giggling.

“Don’t you often use Advice for weird things too?”

I flinched.

“W-What do you mean, weird things...”

“For example! What will Elena be doing at night? Is A-ri in the bathtub right now?”

Elena, sitting across from us, flinched hard. A-ri just watched as if she found it amusing.

“You get three every day... Even with a rough count, you’ve asked more than five hundred questions so far, right? Maybe way more?”

“...”

“You couldn’t have used all of them meaningfully. It must’ve been hard to come up with a list of a thousand meaningful questions.”

“...”

“So ask it once. Ask what would be fun to do! Or ask what Mi-ro is thinking right now.”

Normally, I would have dismissed words like that from Mi-ro as a joke.

It didn’t seem like Mi-ro was being serious either.

For some reason, I felt unusually excited today.

I had only had two and a half cocktails at most. I didn’t understand why I felt this way either.

So I asked.

‘Tell me what we should do for fun.’

Even as I asked, I was about to laugh at how ridiculous it was when...

Something strange happened.

[Advice: 3 -> 0]

What? Why did it suddenly cost all three? Wasn’t this just a joke?

[I recommend a drinking game. Knock everyone here out.]

“What is that supposed to mean? Why did it suddenly use all three?”

“What’s wrong?”

The bar was a chaotic mess, with everyone tumbling about here and there.

Mi-ro, who had told me to use Advice, was now clinging to Elena and teasing her.

Only A-ri sensed that something was off and came over.

“It says we should play a drinking game. It says to knock everyone here out.”

I was flustered because I couldn’t understand it.

“A drinking game? I haven’t even had my entrance ceremony! I don’t know anything about drinking games...”

“I’ll help you.”

“What do you know?”

A-ri’s lips curled into a grin.

“I’ll teach you a thing or two.”

* * *

Exactly three hours later, the Hotel Bar was devastated.

“Cute and~ adorably~ thirty-one!”

“I-I’m really too tired now...”

“How long are you going to make me do the shoulder dance~!”

“Argh!”

Eun-sol, who had been making cocktails, had already thrown up twice and was rolling around on the floor.

Thanks to that, it had stopped being a cocktail bar at some point.

There was just beer and vodka now.

Beer was one thing, but why had vodka appeared?

Was this Elena’s preference?

Come to think of it, Elena had said something extraordinary from the very start of the drinking session.

“Actually, in Russia, we don’t consider beer alcohol.”

“...”

I should have known something was off from then.

“Twenty-two, twenty-three!”

Seung-yeop was having the time of his life.

“Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six!”

A-ri shouted cheerfully.

“Twenty-seven!”

Jin-cheol was laughing along too.

And then...

Elena looked at me with a slightly apologetic expression.

Unlike her expression, her actions didn’t seem apologetic at all.

“Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!”

My glass was full again, and my consciousness began to grow hazy.

Four people were still perfectly fine.

Elena came from a country where anything weaker than vodka wasn’t alcohol.

Jin-cheol could drink even better than Elena.

A-ri had hardly ever lost a drinking game.

Seung-yeop was drinking soft drinks instead of alcohol.

What was this?

“Thiiis... Seung-yeop is such a cheaaater...”

“Ga-in, I’ve had so many soft drinks that my stomach hurts too.”

“Bullshiiit...”

My consciousness was fading.

A-ri whispered in my ear.

“I’ll make sure to knock out the rest too.”

...

* * *

[Today’s special event: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ begins!]

Footnotes:

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