WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 436: Room 206, Curse Room - The Demon King Who Revives After 100 Days Re (1)

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A peaceful afternoon in Paradise, bathed in warm sunlight.

Second-Class Citizen Director Lee Eun-sol was wrestling with a stack of documents piled high enough to hide her upper body.

Knock, knock!

“Director, tonight’s meeting agenda is-”

“Get out.”

“It won’t take long- Aaagh!”

“I said I’m busy!”

“I-I’m sorry.”

For the crime of daring to interrupt the Director’s work, Secretary James had the rare experience of being struck in the head by a stiff document flying like a paper airplane.

The people who witnessed it decided that Director Lee Eun-sol was in a particularly foul mood today and that it would be best not to provoke her.

Of course, Eun-sol had her reasons.

The work she was handling was far more important than pointless Paradise paperwork, and it needed to be carried out in complete secrecy.

If her companions were chess pieces in the plan about to begin, Eun-sol was the one arranging them on the board.

That was why she had to keep people away, even if it meant pretending to be an irritable superior.

‘Adjusting Sang-hyeon’s schedule is trickier than I expected...’

Leaning back in her chair, Eun-sol considered the plan.

How should they approach their second attempt at Room 206, Curse Room - ‘The Demon King Who Revives After 100 Days’?

Room 206’s setting was a dystopian city-state called Paradise.

Every citizen was classified from First-Class Citizens, who were nearly royalty, to Fourth-Class Citizens, who were no different from slaves.

Beneath the city, a dreadful being called the Demon King was sealed, suppressed by something believed to be Room 206’s Inheritance, Indomitable Reason.

Indomitable Reason was a horrifying object that functioned only if humans were sacrificed at regular intervals. The one who managed it was the city’s dictator, Mayor Leon Kadyrov.

‘That’s the basic setting.’

What had the Hotel Party learned during their first attempt?

Various pieces of information passed through Eun-sol’s mind.

The member affected by Sealing was Mi-ro, though they had failed to learn her identity within the scenario.

If the human sacrifices needed to operate Indomitable Reason stopped, the Demon King would revive.

‘That matters too, but the following information is what’s truly valuable.’

The world outside Paradise was intact, and another city existed.

‘Should we visit the other city too?’

Once the Demon King fully revived, it was impossible to stop.

Still, if they could suppress the Demon King even briefly during the early stages of its resurrection, they could escape by using Indomitable Reason and One More Chance at the same time.

The hardest requirement was securing the power needed to suppress the awakened Demon King, even for a moment. With Descent gone, that would not be easy.

Another baffling fact came to mind.

No one knew where Pero was in Room 206.

Even Pero could not explain to Song-i where it was.

‘Could Pero’s location itself be a clue, like in Room 201?’

As she organized the information, Eun-sol let out a long sigh.

They had clearly done their best during the first attempt, yet there was still too much they did not know, and the path to solving it remained shrouded in darkness.

They needed more information.

Fortunately, they had learned the identities and locations of the beings holding Room 206’s secrets.

Mayor Leon Kadyrov lived between the Floating Mansion and his office in the city.

Progenitor May was hiding her identity and staying at the orphanage where Seung-yeop began.

Knock, knock!

“D-Director!”

“...”

“You remember tonight’s meeting, right? This time, the Mayor- Aagh! I-I’m leaving!”

After driving away another interruption, Eun-sol carefully refined the plan.

Progenitor May freely used supernatural powers in Paradise, where everyone else lived as ordinary humans.

Compared to dealing with her, targeting the Mayor was at least somewhat easier.

The problem was that dealing with Leon Kadyrov would not be easy either.

That was why Eun-sol and the others had spent the previous night coming up with plan after plan until their minds were numb.

“Done!”

Knock, knock!

“Director, tonight’s-”

“Mm-hm! Get out now!”

“Th-thank you! I thought I was going to get hit again...”

“...”

* * *

During dinner at the Floating Mansion, First-Class Citizen Song-i Kadyrov stared at her tender sirloin steak before cautiously speaking.

“Dad.”

“Hm? Do you have something to say?”

Song-i’s chest ached slightly when she saw Leon Kadyrov smile warmly.

That fatherly love was nothing more than a false emotion created by Beloved One.

“Have you been feeling sick lately?”

“What? Hahaha! Is the princess worrying about me again-”

“Dad, I’m serious. You don’t look well, and it seems like you get dizzy sometimes...”

Leon could not hide his surprise at his daughter’s unexpected words.

“I did? Hmm, maybe you saw wrong, Song-i?”

“Dad. Would I lie about something like this?”

“N-no, I’m not saying you lied...”

In the end, Song-i succeeded in canceling a large part of Leon Kadyrov’s packed schedule and arranging a comprehensive health examination.

Leon Kadyrov was a deeply suspicious man.

He distrusted those of lower rank because they would be dissatisfied with society, and those of higher rank because they would be greedy.

Even the High Enforcers responsible for the Mayor’s security were not wholly trustworthy. The only ones he trusted were One More Chance and Song-i Kadyrov.

That was why the Mayor never went to an ordinary hospital in Paradise.

Entrusting his life to untrustworthy doctors while under anesthesia was not to his taste, and his guards could not move freely in a crowded hospital.

More importantly, One More Chance could not be used within Paradise because of Indomitable Reason.

Even so, the Mayor was human. He still needed medical examinations and treatment.

So Leon Kadyrov preferred to bring doctors and much of the necessary equipment to the Floating Mansion.

It was a luxury possible only because he was the Mayor, the ruler of the city.

It was also the weakness the Hotel Party was aiming for.

Within the Floating Mansion, the Hotel Party would become superhuman once more.

* * *

The Mayor’s health examination continued for half a day.

As a result, Paradise’s finest doctors repeatedly entered and left the Floating Mansion with delicate medical equipment, while the guards remained on edge.

Near evening, another doctor appeared, pushing a medical device fitted with syringes and various hoses.

“Name!”

“Kim Sang-hyeon.”

“Hm? Kim Sang-hyeon? You’re not the doctor listed here.”

“Ah, Adrian hurt their back at work yesterday, so I came in their place. Here are my credentials.”

Kim Sang-hyeon confidently offered his credentials.

There was not a single lie anywhere in the documents.

The only issue was that Kim Sang-hyeon had secretly thumped Adrian’s back a few times. Since Adrian did not know who had done it, though, it was not a major problem.

The Enforcer looked over Sang-hyeon’s impressive record and let out an admiring sound.

Kim Sang-hyeon had seen that reaction countless times in his life.

“Quite an impressive career.”

“Things just worked out that way.”

“Fine. You’re clear. What about this person?”

The moment the guard’s gaze shifted to the person beside him, cold sweat formed on Kim Sang-hyeon’s cheek.

Getting here had been easy for Kim Sang-hyeon, even without Eun-sol’s help.

The Hotel had given him the role of a Second-Class Citizen and special agent from the start.

The Hotel wouldn’t assign just anyone as a special agent.

Kim Sang-hyeon’s identity had already been verified within Room 206.

The problem was the person beside him.

“My assistant, Miss Yumi. She is a Third-Class Citizen and-”

“I didn’t ask her name. I told you to show me her credentials.”

“What? The Enforcers on the first floor took Miss Yumi’s documents...”

“What are you talking about? Hey! That doesn’t make any sense!”

There was no way Yumi could have a legitimate identity in Room 206.

Director Lee Eun-sol had used every trick she could to get them this far, but their companions on the first floor still needed to finish the job.

“I-if you think I’m lying, why not contact the first floor?”

At those words, the guards frowned and contacted Cha Jin-cheol and Kim Mook-seong, Paradise Enforcers assigned to the initial inspection.

...

...

...

A moment later, the High Enforcers returned after ending the call, grumbling.

“Good grief. We confirmed it, but our side is supposed to give the credentials final approval.”

“Is that so?”

“Ha... That bastard Kim Mook-seong is old enough to know better, and he makes a mistake like this? Cha Jin-cheol was always an idiot, but still! This is why Third-Class Citizens are useless.”

At that moment, all Kim Sang-hyeon could do was smile awkwardly.

It seemed the companions Eun-sol had carefully placed on the first floor were quite good at pretending to be idiots.

“Should we go back to the first floor?”

“... Forget it. We shouldn’t waste too much of the Mayor’s time. Go in.”

Inside the Floating Mansion, which had been converted into a temporary clinic, the weary-looking Mayor was there with imposing guards.

Kim Sang-hyeon and Yumi carefully examined Leon Kadyrov’s health like an excellent doctor and nurse.

Both were genuine medical professionals in more ways than one, so the act was not difficult.

Now and then, Yumi watched Sang-hyeon for a signal.

... Sang-hyeon did not signal until the examination was over.

“We’re finished.”

When Sang-hyeon announced that the examination was complete, Yumi nearly lost control of her expression.

They had not done the job yet, so what was he doing?

Whether Yumi was flustered or not, Sang-hyeon gave the exhausted Mayor and Enforcers a brief nod before leaving the Floating Mansion.

...

“Y-you, what are you doing? Are you crazy? The plan-”

“Quiet.”

“What-”

“The Enforcers are still nearby.”

“...”

“Miss Yumi, I’ll explain everything this evening. I can see Seung-yeop over there. Go back.”

“... All right.”

* * *

Near evening, several people gathered in the spacious home of Elena, Paradise’s most popular actress.

Lee Eun-sol, Elena, and Kim Sang-hyeon were there when Cha Jin-cheol arrived with Park Seung-yeop, wearing a bitter smile.

Eun-sol tilted her head.

“Jin-cheol? Why are only you and Seung-yeop here? Where’s Grandfather?”

“He got disciplined and locked up for making a mistake related to security...”

Cha Jin-cheol and Kim Mook-seong had created an opening so that Yumi, whose identity was unclear, could reach the Mayor. Mook-seong had taken the blame in the process.

“Ugh... It can’t be helped. Good work, everyone! Sang-hyeon, how did it go?”

“The Mayor will receive word within three days. Carotid Artery Stenosis, Ischemic Heart Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, and so on-”

“Okay! So Leon is going to be told that he might die before long?”

“Something like that.”

Everyone’s expressions brightened when they realized things had gone well.

Soon, Eun-sol smiled brightly and briefed them on the objective of the plan and their current situation.

“We discussed this yesterday, but I’ll go over it once more. Our problem in Room 206 is a lack of information. What was Paradise created for? What exactly is that other city outside? How can we prevent the Demon King’s resurrection? We have a lot of questions.”

Her companions nodded.

“Mayor Leon Kadyrov and Progenitor May probably know the answers to many of those questions. We need to get answers out of at least one of them.”

Jin-cheol responded.

“Like we said yesterday, getting anything out of that woman May won’t be easy.”

“The Progenitor ignores Indomitable Reason and uses all kinds of supernatural powers. She’s difficult in many ways. That’s why we decided to start with the Mayor. The problem is that he won’t be easy to deal with either.”

Everyone recalled what had happened during the previous attempt.

When a large protest led by the mine workers broke out, the Mayor turned back time with One More Chance and viciously tried to kill Ga-in.

In the end, Ga-in, A-ri, and the others killed the Mayor to survive. But when they killed him, the maintenance of Indomitable Reason was disrupted, and the Demon King revived.

“When we corner the Mayor, he turns back time to resolve the situation.”

That was why the Hotel Party had used Yumi’s power to make the Mayor terminally ill.

As Song-i had confirmed during the previous attempt, One More Chance could turn back the user’s time if necessary.

But based on what Han Ga-in had learned during the previous attempt, One More Chance could turn back at most about a month.

Chronic illnesses did not appear overnight. They built up over years, so turning back time by a month would not solve them.

Normally, naturally occurring illnesses worked that way.

The Mayor would not think Yumi had created his disease.

“The Mayor will believe that even One More Chance can’t cure his chronic illness. Then what will he do?”

The Kadyrov Family had passed down special powers or objects for generations.

The Mayor had a daughter who, like him, was inheriting a special object.

Eun-sol smiled knowingly.

“Won’t he prepare to pass everything on to his heir?”

Naturally, that “everything” would include the secrets passed down by the Kadyrov Family.

* * *

As Eun-sol’s briefing came to an end, Yumi, who had somehow appeared beside Seung-yeop and taken a seat, spoke with a puzzled expression.

“Wait.”

“Hm?”

“Lee Eun-sol. There’s one serious problem with your plan.”

Eun-sol looked greatly alarmed at the mention of a serious problem.

“Huh? A problem? What is it?”

“I couldn’t lay a finger on the Mayor.”

“What? No, wait!”

According to the plan, Yumi was supposed to use her sinister power to make the Mayor terminally ill inside the Floating Mansion, where supernatural powers could be used.

“No, I told you to secretly do it when Sang-hyeon gave you the signal-”

“He didn’t give me one.”

“What?”

“Don’t forget. I was playing the assistant. If the doctor didn’t signal me, I had to stand beside machines I didn’t even understand.”

Everyone looked at Kim Sang-hyeon in alarm.

Then the only ‘Doctor’ present stood up.

“There was no need to take action.”

Kim Sang-hyeon calmly declared to his confused companions.

“Leon Kadyrov is genuinely terminally ill. There was no need for Miss Yumi to interfere.”

Footnotes:

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