WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 66: Room 101, Curse Room - ‘Strange Family’ Re (4)

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* * *

Third Attempt

* * *

The moment I met Elder Mook-seong in a corner of the broadcasting station's first floor, a question came to mind.

How had he gotten here?

Without a Filter or even something like a bracelet, how?

The Elder had said it was "a much easier method that everyone can use."

...

No way?

"Elder. Could that method perhaps involve taking only a family member's body part-"

"Hey! What kind of cruel thought is that? Didn't I clearly say it was a method everyone could use?

"How would Eun-sol or A-ri take a body part from a security guard or that 'suspiciously strong mother'? Besides, even if you killed them and took a body part, there was still the question of whether they'd continue to count as 'family.'"

"The way you're explaining it so thoroughly makes me think you considered it too."

"..."

"So how did you get here?"

"I teleported."

...

For a moment, I was speechless.

What was he talking about? Teleportation, all of a sudden?

A-ri aside, the Elder didn't have any psychic powers.

"You look like you don't understand. I'm more surprised that I was the only one who thought of this. Perhaps it's because I worked for the Management Bureau and am used to supernatural matters."

"Please explain."

"This is my first time entering Room 101. But didn’t those of you who entered before give us a rough explanation? For example, you said you went traveling with your family, moving from place to place like an arboretum, a restaurant, and a resort.

"How did you travel then? Did you take a train? A car?"

!

It hit me.

How had I moved around Room 101 during the first attempt?

I hadn't used any transportation like cars or trains. We'd just say, "Let's go somewhere with the family!" and the place and time would immediately change!

"Room 101's common sense has already been wildly warped by something we can't identify. And we already know that the hotel can manipulate space and time inside its rooms like a creator.

"In Room 101, you can change locations by Teleportation without transportation. Of course, judging by how taxis and subways are still part of the setting, there must be some condition for Teleportation.

"Perhaps it only works when participants like us have been infected by the curse?

"There's no need to think too deeply about the principle. What's important is that it's possible, and all of you have already done it."

"... I never thought of that. Since only you and I made it here, it seems the others didn't either. Teleportation. I understand that it's possible. I did it myself when I first entered Room 101.

"Now that I think about it, A-ri could only escape through such an absurd method. She's in a state where physical movement makes escape impossible.

"But how do you teleport? I've never teleported in my life, so I don't know how."

"I don't know either."

"What? Didn't you say you came here by Teleportation?"

"I simply declared to the fake family that I would soon go to the broadcasting station while keeping my distance from them. Then I approached them and was swept up by the curse. After remaining infected for a while, I found myself at the broadcasting station before I knew it."

"I understand that you used the fact that Teleportation is possible while infected by the curse. But even if you arrived that way, weren't you still infected? How did you wake up?"

The Elder lightly gestured around us.

"Do you see anyone else nearby?"

"I can see security guards over there. No one is near us."

"I've visited ABS several times before. Unless there's a special event, people don't come to this outer corner of the first floor. So before I was infected, I made a plan. I would go to this location.

"That way, even while infected, I came here and sat down. Then I woke up on my own."

...

I understood.

How Grandfather Mook-seong had come to the broadcasting station:

1. While still sane, make a plan to go to the broadcasting station.

2. Deliberately become infected by the curse.

3. Teleport to an empty area of the broadcasting station according to the plan made in advance.

4. Wake up once the curse wears off in that empty area.

It was an unusual, creative method born from piecing together this room's characteristics.

As he'd said, perhaps it was something only a Management Bureau agent who had dealt with countless supernatural phenomena could think of.

Certainly...

With this method, A-ri, who couldn't physically leave the hotel, and the others, who couldn't stay sane after prolonged contact with family, could also reach the broadcasting station.

"I understand. One last question. There are no more 'family' members around us, and the broadcasting station employees are quite far away. Why isn't 'Escape' appearing?"

"That's proof that we came to the right place."

!

A deserted corner of the broadcasting station's first floor, with no one around who could infect us with the curse.

In a place like this, it would normally end with an 'Escape' notification.

Yet 'Escape' hadn't appeared despite there being no one around.

I checked my Status Window.

[Current Location: Level 1, Room 101 (Curse Room - Strange Family)]

[Curse Room - □□ □□ □□□]

[Curse Room - Common Sense-Altering Media]

...

Strange Family.

No, 'Common Sense-Altering Media.'

We had arrived at the right place. The next stage had begun.

It was only natural that 'Escape' hadn't appeared.

When you thought about it, weren't the family members nothing more than secondary infected?

We had drawn closer to the primary infected. To the Source of the Curse. Of course there was no way something like 'Escape' would appear.

"It seems you've roughly grasped the situation. We should begin searching soon.

"I've been here for a while, waiting to see if anyone else would arrive and making a plan, so follow my lead for now. From this point on, we're Management Bureau agents here to inspect the broadcasting station. Stand in front of me and stop anyone from approaching. Then we'll search every corner we can. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Let's go."

Naturally, I took the lead.

Unlike me, the Elder had no Filter. Until now, he had been able to endure because he hadn't left this deserted corner of the first floor. Once we entered the broadcasting station, though, we'd have no choice but to constantly encounter people infected by the curse.

I needed to act as a tank, using my Filter to keep them from casually approaching.

The Elder held something out to me.

"What's this?"

"An agent badge. The security guards who work in places like this should recognize it."

It was a badge engraved with a strange tree. In small letters beneath it was written: Agent.

So I was even pretending to be a Management Bureau agent now.

It felt strangely novel.

We began searching the broadcasting station.

* * *

The crash course in 'pretending to be a Management Bureau agent' was very simple.

Step 1: Flash the badge and act mysterious.

"Student! This area is restricted to authorized personnel-"

---Tap!

"What is this? Ah, you're with the Management Bureau? May I ask what brings you here?"

"..."

"I'm sorry, but you must at least explain your reason."

"..."

"If it's a confidential mission, you can give us a general explanation."

Step 2: Insist that they'll be held responsible.

"Are you in a position to take responsibility?"

"No, that's not what I mean. We just need a reason so that we can-"

"If you keep interfering like this, we'll have no choice but to determine who is responsible later."

"We aren't interfering. We just need a reason to record whenever we let someone through."

Step 3: Openly threaten them.

"You've already wasted over a minute of my time. Show me your business card. Let's see what kind of important person you are."

"W-What? Why are you suddenly asking for my business card? Why would you-"

"Ah, there's your nameplate. Cha Seung-muk from the broadcasting station security team? I'll remember that. Once I return to headquarters, I'll make sure to-"

"Just, just go through. I believe I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

We got through.

...

So you could get away with pushing people around like this.

As we entered the broadcasting station, the Elder tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excellent work. You were the perfect image of a ten-year veteran agent throwing their weight around. Do you have a talent for this? I learned something from you too. It's the first time I've gotten chills just from hearing someone say a person's full name.

"Wasn't that wonderfully ominous? What would they even do with an ordinary person's real name? It really stirs up all kinds of possibilities."

"..."

"When you leave the hotel, make sure to consider getting a job at the Management Bureau."

I swore that once I left the hotel, I'd never get involved in anything strange like this again.

* * *

While we were walking, a Chat Window appeared in my head for the first time in a while.

Kim Mook-seong: Can you hear me?

Han Ga-in: It's been a while.

Kim Mook-seong: Save characters. Good that you can hear me.

Han Ga-in: Maybe because we're closer now?

"Let's just talk normally. We're right next to each other, and we need to conserve characters."

"That's true."

"Actually, I tried calling all of you through the Chat Window earlier too."

"No Chat Window appeared at all."

"I think it was because you were too far away from me. I suspected there might be a distance limit. As expected, we can't get too far apart."

Someone approached.

I immediately pushed the Elder behind me.

"Who are you? This area isn't open to just anyone-"

I tapped the badge and glared fiercely.

The employee saw the badge, looked flustered, and stepped back.

"Move."

"S-Sorry. You're from the Management Bureau? What brings you here?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"..."

When I widened my eyes even further, the three or four employees who had seemed to be observing us all stepped back with frightened expressions, clearing a path.

Even in this bizarre world, a Management Bureau badge carried its own authority, like a modern-day magistrate's token.

Even a brief conversation while using the Filter gave me a headache. Was the Elder all right?

After searching around the first floor for about ten minutes, a Chat Window appeared.

Kim Mook-seong: Restroom.

At a time like this, he needed the restroom...?

And why use the Chat Window when he could just say it?

I was puzzled, but I headed for the restroom. The moment we arrived, I understood why he'd used the Chat Window.

"Bleeegh! Uurgh!"

The instant we entered, the Elder began vomiting into a toilet.

He looked ready to empty every bit of food from his stomach. There was clearly blood mixed in too. It didn't look good at all.

"Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?"

"Is it because of the curse?"

"I'm amazed that you can keep going while talking right in front of me like that. I'm truly envious of that Filter's effect. Even while standing behind you, forcing myself to endure makes it feel like my brain is melting and my insides are being twisted. How are you holding up?"

"I have a bit of a headache."

"I'm jealous. I really am. It's a shame my Chat Window can't give me that kind of help..."

I patted the Elder's back for a long time.

This wasn't easy. My head had been throbbing for a while, but the Elder, without even a Filter, was in terrible condition.

Should I continue alone?

Something cold was slipped into my pocket.

"Elder?"

"This pistol. You carry it. You learned roughly how to use one, right? From now on, go on alone."

"..."

"I'm sorry. I can't push myself any further. If we keep going together and I reach my limit and become infected by the curse, I might try to harm you. I'll stay in this restroom."

"It would be a problem even if we came with several people on the next attempt. It seems only Song-i, A-ri, and I can proceed."

"There may be another way. We'll have to discuss it after we get out."

I left the restroom.

From this point on, I had to continue alone.

Where should I go?

Should I head upstairs after all?

Footnotes:

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