WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈
Episode 422: Party Time (2) - Dream of Eternity
──────
- Han Ga-in
In a cold world where everything had frozen, I became a stone drifting through space.
...
Did you know?
Time is truly relative.
Just as a mayfly's lifespan differs from a human's, a human lifetime may be no more than an instant to someone else.
To some, it is eternity. To others, it lasts only as long as a single blink.
I couldn't tell whether I was a person or a stone.
...
After endlessly swimming through time and space, I saw a light. He was the most arrogant being in heaven and earth.
「My loyal son, I once bestowed upon you the light of Ascension. Why have you wandered for so long?」
I answered that I had never wandered. I had merely returned to gain the strength to overcome the trial.
He laughed and laughed again, then seized me with a burning hand.
「You are small and weak. Nothing more than a grain of sand on the shore, a drop of water in the sea. How could someone like you overcome the trial imposed by One Who Weeps for the Three Thousand Worlds?」
A burning hammer struck me.
--- Boom! Boom! Boom!
Did you know?
Most of the volume occupied by matter is empty space.
Therefore, with enough force, it can be compressed to an absurd degree.
They say one cubic centimeter of neutron star matter has a mass of one hundred million tons.
After a hammer powerful enough to crush even the North Star struck three times, I soon became a point rather than a person.
An inconceivable number of points surrounded me. Every one of them was a pitiful refugee that had fallen out of the cycle of the universe.
...
For the first hundred years, I did nothing but scream in pain.
It was like a baby bird crying with its beak open whenever it saw its mother.
「Be reborn! Be reborn! Thought is nothing but an illusion. Learn that pain can become sweetness.」
For the next hundred years, I demanded to know how he could do this to a human.
It was like blaming the stars when an earthquake struck.
「Be reborn! Be reborn! Do not look at the process. Look at the purpose. Accept the principle of evolution.」
At last, at last, when the third heaven dawned, I realized there was a demon within me.
The demon tore itself out of the point and sprayed black, tar-like liquid in every direction. He laughed as he spoke.
「My son, your true nature has finally revealed itself. What is that childish trick? Is the wisdom created by an ignorant worm that cannot even be born all you possess?」
I answered that I had cast aside such troublesome attachments, that the Book was merely a tool, and that I desired only expansion.
At that moment, a miracle occurred.
The one seated upon the lofty throne descended in person to examine me, his face truly resembling that of a merciful father.
「You have finally begun to understand. I have no regrets now. Expand, and expand again. Understand that life evolved from single-celled organisms into multicellular ones.」
I said I had no need to seek the path of expansion far away. I would expand by tearing off and devouring my father's flesh and blood.
He smiled and smiled again with delight.
「Do so. I shall offer you not only my flesh and blood, but even my marrow and intestines. Swallow them gladly.」
Just as my mouth, now like that of a caterpillar, opened wide enough to swallow the Pacific Ocean, a feather fell from the sky.
I had meant to simply watch, but your trickery has gone too far.
Did you think you were the Creator just because you stood before a tiny child?
「Oh! You should say that to yourself. How dare a sparrow that cannot even wipe the dust clouding its own eyes call itself Wisdom?」
Be humble, and humble yourself again.
This board was designed by One Who Weeps for the Three Thousand Worlds.
Know that you are nothing but a pawn on the board.
「Everyone watching, pay attention. The one in question remains silent, yet this sparrow acts as though it were a messenger.」
Everyone has their own role.
Accept that the only role left for you is to be a tool.
I will not permit such tricks again after today.
Before long, the wise bird spread wings vast enough to cover the sky.
With one flap, my limbs emerged and I gained freedom.
With two flaps, eyes, nose, and mouth formed, and my senses awakened.
With three flaps, the point became a caterpillar, then finally a person.
Clinging to consciousness, I grabbed the Owl's feet.
The pain and terror of body and soul felt ready to devour me, and I begged it to show me the way.
The Owl told me that what happened today was a Nightmare that would never happen again, so I should forget all of it.
It also told me that that crafty bastard had taught me the path of shedding my shell and transcending.
Should I forget?
Or should I remember?
The confusing answer shook my mind, but I soon realized all such worries were pointless.
Because dawn had come.
* * *
[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)
Date: Day 376
Current Location: Level 1, Room 105 - ‘Rest Room’
Sage’s Advice: 0]
- Han Ga-in
Today was the morning of Party Time's second day.
“...”
My head hurt like hell.
I felt like I'd had some incredible dream last night, but I could barely remember it.
I'm pretty sure the Owl appeared around the end of that bizarre dream.
“...”
I'd just woken up, so I hadn't used any Advice, yet the number was zero.
That meant the Owl had used its power in some form.
I washed up absentmindedly, changed clothes, and headed out for breakfast.
* * *
“Jin-cheol, you're having pork belly for breakfast?”
“Sis, don't you know Americans eat bacon for breakfast?”
“Even so...”
“Ha ha! Jin-cheol has a healthy stomach, so it isn't a problem. An English breakfast is Britain's most...”
While the others chatted cheerfully, Song-i asked A-ri, “Mi-ro isn't awake yet?”
“Twenty-four hours haven't passed yet.”
“Is that so?”
Yesterday, on the morning of Party Time's first day, we went to the Sanctuary of Blessings.
A-ri had expected that, since most of the companions had enhanced their blessings two or three times, further enhancements would no longer come easily.
Just as predicted, Mi-ro was the only one who could enhance a blessing this time.
She had never enhanced one even once, and she'd built up a decent amount of Contribution by taking on the role of the fake Saintess in Room 104.
“I'm curious! What kind of power do you think Mi-ro will get this time? Doesn't the Management Bureau know anything?”
“I don't know.”
“Why are you answering so carelessly? Hmph!”
“...”
Song-i suddenly reached out with a fork and plucked only the ham from A-ri's sandwich.
A-ri looked dumbfounded for a moment.
“Are you a kindergartener?”
“You could say it's similar to how your mother acts.”
“Wow! I can't deny that.”
--- Beep!
Pero, who had been quietly watching, climbed onto Grandfather's steak plate as though unwilling to be outdone.
“Argh! Hey! Why are you climbing onto the plate? You could've just asked for a piece of meat! You bird-brained little bastard...”
“Grandfather, don't swear.”
“Look at that beak. That's literally a bird's head, so why is that a swear word?”
Then Seung-yeop spoke cautiously.
“A-ri!”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Could I borrow your thermos? Now that...”
A-ri's brow creased slightly before he could finish, and as if Grandfather had been waiting for it, he flicked Seung-yeop on the forehead.
“Argh! Why did you hit me out of nowhere?”
A-ri sighed.
“You tried summoning Yumi last night, didn't you?”
“...”
“The reason you'd suddenly ask for the bottle is obvious. Does Yumi want to make a body now?”
A-ri's thermos was filled with Yumi's blood, bits of flesh, hair, and more.
Of course, regardless of what was inside, A-ri kept possession of the thermos itself.
“... Yes.”
“Ah! Mook-seong, hit him two more times.”
--- Smack! Smack!
“Argh! Argh!”
“I told you not to meet Yumi alone for a while. I said to be careful until we figured out what kind of disposition Yumi has... and you went ahead and summoned Yumi already.”
“...”
Listening to the companions' absurd conversation, I felt my heart, which had been floating somewhere above the ground, settle back down.
Then Elena reached back and gave me a light tap.
“What are you thinking about so deeply? You haven't said a word.”
“Oh. I had a really bizarre dream last night...”
“What kind of dream?”
“A dream where I became a tiny point and part of a painting?”
A few of them snickered at that.
They probably thought it was just a meaningless dream.
About an hour after breakfast ended, Mi-ro woke up.
The moment Mi-ro came out of the room, she made a huge fuss, running around and gathering everyone.
“Eeeeveryoooone, assemblllle!”
“Argh! You're so loud!”
“Assemblllle!”
“Ugh! What the hell is wrong with her? A-ri! Why is she like that?”
“... I don't know either.”
“Assemblllle!”
By the time A-ri finally lost patience and pulled Mi-ro's cheeks, everyone had gathered at the front desk with sighs.
Why was Mi-ro doing this? It was obvious!
Getting a new superpower must have made Mi-ro incredibly excited.
So I decided to humor her.
“Okay, what ability did the prettiest Mi-ro in the universe get?”
Mi-ro suddenly froze stiff as ice.
“... D-don't say weird things!”
“The prettiest Mi-ro in the universe...”
--- Wham!
Before I could finish, Mi-ro kicked my knee and nearly knocked me over.
Without even looking my way, Mi-ro turned to the others with a triumphant expression.
“Look!”
Mi-ro began pressing the edge of a sharp Dagger against her skin.
She probably wasn't suddenly trying to hurt herself. It looked like she wanted to show off her new power.
Even so, as the sharp blade drew closer to her skin, everyone fell silent with tension.
“Gulp!”
Even Mi-ro swallowed nervously, making A-ri look incredulous.
“Why are you the one getting nervous? Didn't you want to show us?”
“I-I did, but it's scary when I'm actually doing it... I just need to prepare myself a little, ahhh!”
Before Mi-ro could finish, A-ri lightly struck the hand holding the knife.
The instant the blade touched Mi-ro's body, a tremendous scream filled the Hotel!
“Aaaah!”
“... Quiet.”
“Aaaaaah!”
“Be quiet! You didn't get hurt!”
A-ri finally got fed up and covered Mi-ro's mouth again.
“Mmph!”
“Ah, ha ha ha!”
“Is this some kind of comedy routine?”
Putting aside how impressive the ability was, the situation itself was just funny.
No, if Mi-ro was pressing a knife against her skin, didn't she already know what the ability did?
Mi-ro herself knew she wouldn't be hurt, and she really hadn't been hurt.
Then why had she screamed like the world was ending?
“Ah, A-ri, I hate you so much!”
With her face flushed red, Mi-ro began wildly punching A-ri.
A-ri just took the hits with a somewhat hollow expression.
Funny as it was, the ability itself was quite fascinating.
It wasn't that Mi-ro's skin had hardened so the knife couldn't pierce it, nor had the wound simply regenerated quickly after being pierced.
The blade had clearly sunk in, yet the place it had entered filled in like smoke, leaving no change at all.
According to Mi-ro, after calming down, the ability's name was simply ‘Immutability Stage 2.’
When her body was attacked, an unknown force called the Power of Immutability took the attack in its place. As long as that force remained, Mi-ro could not be hurt.
After hearing the explanation, Jin-cheol summed it up.
“Got it. So, like, you got a shield like a Protoss?”
“What's a Protoss?”
At least I understood that explanation.
* * *
Around lunchtime, Eun-sol spoke with a solemn expression.
“Everyone remembers what we talked about the day before yesterday, right? That we'd use Greedy Hand to find the last remaining hidden NPC?”
After looking over the companions, who had all finished preparing themselves mentally, Eun-sol clasped her hands as if praying.
“I used it just now!”
Footnotes:
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