WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 398: A Midsummer Night's Dream (14) (Final)

──────

- Kim Sang-hyeon

I didn’t return to Sherry Mama’s house until the next morning.

Had Mama waited by the window all night for the two of us to return?

She ran out to greet me before I could even ring the doorbell.

“Mama, why didn’t you stay inside-”

“Johnny! What on earth happened?”

Mama fussed over me so much that it was hard to collect my thoughts.

“Why are you so badly hurt?”

“Sherry, I can take care of myself. Please look after Timothy. He’ll probably need a bath and something to eat.”

Mama gave me a worried look, but still took Timothy into the bathroom.

“Phew...”

Just as Mama said, I wasn’t in great shape either.

I’d boldly shouted, “THIS IS AMERICA!” but the fight had lasted longer than expected.

What kind of weapon was a double-barreled shotgun?

It needed no lengthy explanation.

Wasn’t it the embodiment of every man’s dream, speaking through the single click of its action?

...

Men weren’t supposed to overthink things and calculate every possibility.

In other words, a man’s dream usually wasn’t very efficient.

Because of that, I thought about it over a thousand times that night.

I should’ve found a way to bring an AR-15!

Well, whatever.

I’d managed to take down that skull-faced bastard, so wasn’t that enough?

Around noon, Sherry and I had a serious talk about Timothy.

Mama said she would take care of Timothy, but taking responsibility for a child could never be decided by a moment of pity.

So I carefully explained Timothy’s illness and the problems that could arise in the future.

Mama’s resolve didn’t waver.

It struck me again that she was one of the kindest people I knew.

She was also wealthy.

Money was a very important factor when raising a child with an incurable disease.

My part was over.

The people who would remain in this world had to decide what to do from here on.

Time was running short, so I said goodbye to Sherry.

How should I spend my last few hours?

... A good idea came to mind.

* * *

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 231

Current Location: Level 2, Central Hall

Sage’s Advice: 0]

- Han Ga-in

The hotel’s endlessly long day was slowly coming to an end.

We’d fought fiercely to make it this far!

The fact that my Advice count was at zero proved it.

Leaning against a wall riddled with holes, A-ri muttered, “This damn event will be over soon, right?”

“Probably. It’s been quiet for about twenty minutes now.”

“Ahhh... That was seriously exhausting!”

Song-i complained from beside us.

“I thought we’d get to rest since Party Time lasted a whole week.”

I felt the same.

What kind of party was that supposed to be?

All I remembered was putting on a ridiculous show with some absurd cultists outside, then killing a demon.

A more exhausting fight awaited us when we returned to the hotel.

“...”

Before long, the area fell silent.

Even at that moment, time kept passing without pause.

There were only about ten minutes left until Party Time ended.

And...

The doctor still hadn’t returned.

One by one, my companions began to speak.

“To be honest, I thought something like this might happen someday. He’s already fallen into hell once.”

Elena responded to A-ri’s resigned words.

“I understand him. Every moment in the hotel must have been so painful for him...”

Song-i sounded a little disappointed.

“B-but still! Leaving like this... Pero, don’t you think this is a little too much?”

--- Beep!

Grandpa looked like he’d given up completely.

“It was bound to happen someday. I mean, one of us could’ve left somehow.”

A-ri spoke up.

“Mook-seong, didn’t you say Sang-hyeon would definitely come back?”

“That was just wishful thinking! Do you think things like this go the way I want?”

Just as everyone began letting go and accepting reality one by one...

--- Ding!

We heard the elevator arrive.

--- Clatter!

Everyone jumped up and ran toward the elevator in a panic!

Beyond the slowly opening doors stood a man dressed like he belonged at a tropical resort.

“It’s been a while, everyone. Did you all get plenty of rest during Party Time?”

Everyone’s mouths fell half open.

“I took a little vacation at a California beach for the first time in a while. I strolled along the shore with a cold cocktail, and all that built-up stress just melted away.”

There was only one thing I could say.

“Doctor!”

“Ga-in?”

“Everyone believed in you!”

“Pardon?”

And so, our happy A Midsummer Night’s Dream came to an end.

... It was happy, right?

[‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ has ended!]

* * *

The moment the date changed, something truly magical happened.

In the time it took to blink, the building, which had looked more like ruins after the fall of humanity than a hotel, returned to its usual splendid appearance!

Even my companions, who barely reacted to anything short of the extraordinary, looked around with wide eyes.

Many other things returned to normal as well.

Mi-ro cheered as she looked at her pocket watch.

“It’s true! Midnight Mi-ro has filled up again!”

--- Clunk!

The doctor caught the pure white Protective Suit that fell from midair.

“Oh! What a relief. I was worried it might’ve disappeared when the Protective Suit turned into an Entrance Ticket.”

Naturally, my power had returned as well.

[Descent: 1]

“All right! Looks like everything’s finished. But we have something we need to do right away, so gather at the central table!”

It was surprisingly nice to hear Eun-sol’s confident voice again.

The moment we sat down, A-ri began speaking.

“You’re all tired, so let’s only say what we need to. First, tell us what each of you gained. Everything was so chaotic that we don’t even know what happened to everyone else.”

It was simple when organized.

I’d gained information about the outside world and completed the Wing Boots, which would arrive tomorrow.

Eun-sol had obtained a powerful tool through a high-output Greedy Hand, and hers would also arrive tomorrow.

Elena, A-ri, and Mi-ro had all eased the burdens in their hearts.

Jin-cheol and Seung-yeop had been given new things to consider regarding Arima.

Grandpa and Song-i had gained new blessings.

The doctor seemed to have gotten plenty of rest.

Next, we discussed the next room.

“There’s only one room we can choose.”

Everyone nodded at the doctor’s words.

“Of Rooms 104, 206, and 207, we obviously have to rule out the Gate Room. Room 104 should also be excluded, since Ga-in’s Descent stack has returned.”

“Then it’s only Room 206.”

“That’s right.”

Room 206, the final Curse Room remaining on the second floor.

In the tense atmosphere, A-ri carefully muttered, “Everyone remembers, right? Room 206 is...”

“An especially difficult Curse Room.”

“Right. What did Revelation of Heavenly Secrets say again?”

I remembered it clearly.

“A three-way confrontation, a common theme in fiction, and check the date often.”

Grandpa quickly emphasized something else.

“Don’t forget something important. Remember the information Ga-in got from Hotel Cinema?”

The power to save the world that the Management Bureau was seeking.

The hotel had answered as follows.

There were two treasures, not one, and one of them was the Hourglass.

The other would be given in “the most difficult Curse Room.”

In other words, Room 206’s Inheritance.

We discussed two subjects until late at night: how to interpret Revelation of Heavenly Secrets, and what Room 206’s Inheritance might be.

* * *

Han Ga-in: A-ri, come out for a second.

Kim A-ri: ...

Han Ga-in: What’s with the ellipsis? Are you messing with me?

--- Creak!

“Yaaawn! Did you ask Mook-seong for the Personal Chat Window? We had a meeting until late. What is it this time?”

“Sorry. There was something I was so curious about that I couldn’t stand it.”

“What is it?”

“What happened outside. I thought I should tell you.”

“Hmm, I was curious. So, how did it feel to actually escape?”

“The outside wasn’t my reality.”

“...”

“My parents weren’t there, and neither were my friends. The middle school I graduated from didn’t exist. Even the high school had a different building.”

“...”

“But the Management Bureau recognized your name and Grandpa’s. I guess it was the world you and Grandpa came from.”

“I see.”

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“...”

“Well, it’s fine. I didn’t call you out to argue about that.”

“What did you call me out to say?”

“...”

I recalled what had happened yesterday, when I used Descent to execute Apollion and return to the hotel.

“I used Descent outside. Of course, the number recovered once I came back.”

“Sounds like you did something spectacular.”

“I told you before, but Descent isn’t just an ability that gives me greater physical strength. It’s much more... complicated than that.”

“Complicated?”

“If I told you I could distinguish every single snowflake among a million falling from the sky, would you believe me?”

“... That really is divine power.”

“Because of that, when I use Descent, I can sense things I’d never notice under normal circumstances.”

“...”

“I received a vague, truly vague realization. At the time, I didn’t even know what I had realized, but as time passed, I started wondering if this was what it meant.”

“...”

“This, right? Reality?”

I lightly waved my hand before A-ri.

∞

It meant infinity.

“... How in the world?”

“How?”

“How did you realize that through a feeling?”

“Because it was Descent.”

“What an absurd power.”

A-ri didn’t deny my answer.

Then unease entered her eyes.

“If you realized that, then you must know another truth too.”

“A truth? What truth?”

“In this universe, a world like ‘the world Han Ga-in lived in’...”

“It doesn’t exist? The reality I lived in has already disappeared, and there’s no way to bring back my parents or friends?”

Was it because I smiled as though this didn’t bother me at all?

A-ri’s eyes widened in alarm.

“A-are you okay?”

“Of course I am. I’m completely fine.”

“You’re fine? How can you be fine when your parents don’t exist? Are you some kind of fire-element filial son?”

“... Why did a fire-element filial son come up here?”

“I-I was startled.”

I truly was fine.

It wasn’t because I thought nothing of my reality being crushed within infinity.

“A-ri, is this why you hid it all this time?”

“...”

“Were you worried that if I learned this, I’d go crazy or something?”

“Even if you didn’t go crazy, you could still be deeply shocked.”

“It’s okay. I’m really okay.”

“Why?”

I smiled broadly enough to put A-ri at ease.

“Because I received a promise.”

“A promise?”

“I told you, didn’t I? When Hotel Cinema ended, the hotel promised me that if I overcame every trial...”

“It would give you a happy ending you could accept.”

“That’s it.”

“No, there is no happy ending or anything like that...”

“A-ri, do you really think you and the Management Bureau understand everything in this universe?”

She closed her mouth as if she had nothing to say.

“Of course, there’s a lot I don’t know either. But I know one thing.”

“...”

“As far as I know, there’s no place closer to omnipotence than this hotel. If this place says something can be done, then it can be done. Think about it. Why did you and Grandpa enter this place in the first place?”

“...”

“You tried to accomplish something impossible with the Management Bureau’s power by getting the hotel’s help.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m the same as you.”

The next day, we entered the final Curse Room.

Footnotes:

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