WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Escaping the Mystery Hotel ◈

Episode 79: What A-ri Went Through (3), Party Time (1)

──────

The sky above the sky, the world beyond the world.

A pillar extending from beyond all things pressed gently down on the hotel.

Only then did I realize it.

The “pillar” was a “finger.”

The Director had said that the hotel within the hotel had formed much like another universe being conceived inside a black hole formed in space.

How had I failed to realize it? If a universe could be conceived within a universe, then an even vaster universe could exist beyond it!

A single “finger” pressed gently down on every evil god.

Like a person crushing a fly.

Amid that surreal sight, even the Director and I were left dumbfounded.

“Khahahahaha! Is that you? Were you the one who imprisoned us? Who are you? Are you the parent of all things or something? Just what are you supposed to be-”

- Crack!

Just one press.

A single press of a finger was enough to crush that wicked being, which had fashioned part of its power into a star fragment and handed it to mortals, bringing the world to ruin.

...

My instincts told me. That was the being.

The being that held the answers to my countless questions and the wishes I had longed for.

I rushed forward frantically. When the floor collapsed, I grabbed the crumbling wall with both hands. When the wall collapsed, I bit down on a strip of cloth and hung from it. When the cloth tore, I used my blood to hold on in midair.

I rushed forward and knelt in the air before the “finger.”

... Too many questions came to mind at once. I had no idea what I should ask.

Please, please! Answer me.

Anything at all! I don't know who you are, but if you can look down at the world with just one hand, you must know “everything,” don't you?

Within that time and space where all things had stopped-

I heard a “voice.”

“You will face your beginning on the second floor. When that time comes, choose for yourself.”

My beginning. Could that be...

“The □□ Room!”

But what was I supposed to do once I got there?

---Beeeeep!

A strange signal sounded, and my mind cleared.

It felt as though a giant eraser were wiping away the sentences in my head.

... I had seen too much. I had crossed the line permitted to a participant. I would not remember what I experienced during the fifth attempt.

My consciousness grew hazy. Just before I blacked out, one final thought crossed my mind.

If you were going to erase my memories anyway, at least tell me properly!

* * *

[User: Han Ga-in (Wisdom)

Date: Day 24

Current Location: Level 1, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 2]

- Han Ga-in

I came to my senses.

Since I had woken up, my companions must have resolved it somehow. That was a relief.

... And it was certain that I hadn't obtained an Inheritance. I hadn't seen any notification.

When I turned around, the people I had missed quite a bit in that short time appeared before me. As they laughed and chatted happily, I soon learned who had obtained the Inheritance.

The Otherworldly Star Fragment.

Now that I knew about the Inheritance, I was actually glad I hadn't gotten it. It sounded a little like sour grapes, but even if I had obtained it, it was an Inheritance I couldn't have used properly. Unlike the bracelet, its penalty was incredibly severe.

When we first entered the hotel, Jin-cheol had been confident and proud. Then, as he repeatedly suffered bizarre deaths, I could feel him gradually shrinking in on himself.

For the first time in a while, he was back to his confident self.

It was about time I got one too, wasn't it?

* * *

When everyone returned to Room 105, enormous fireworks and applause filled the room despite no one making those sounds, just as they had before.

---Bang! ---Bang! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Hey, hey, hey! It's loud! Too loud!”

A notification appeared alongside Jin-cheol's embarrassed shout.

/Dear valued guests! Congratulations!

All executives and employees of the hotel sincerely congratulate you on finding the second treasure.

A Source of the Curse whose whereabouts are unknown! Companions collapsing one by one! The pain of body and mind breaking down!

You, who have overcome every one of those trials, are surely the heroes we have awaited.

This treasure is especially difficult to use. Even those with strong bodies will find it no easier.

Even brief use weakens both body and mind, so it is difficult to practice with, even if time is given.

For such guests, our hotel has prepared a special place!

Why not visit the underground ‘Safari of All Ages’?

It is the perfect place to learn how to use your treasure. Five days of rest, beginning tomorrow! It would be best to grow accustomed to your treasure.

Today’s surprise event: Party Time! begins.

# Party Time will last for five days, and nothing dangerous will occur during that time. It is said that the hotel also has secrets that reveal themselves only during Party Time?/

Everyone gathered before the display and read the message closely.

Some details were subtly different from when Song-i obtained the bracelet before.

For one thing, Party Time had increased from three days to five. Was it because the Inheritance was harder to handle, so they had given us more time to practice?

Compared to the bracelet, whose only penalty had been a slight headache, the Otherworldly Star Fragment clearly seemed to have far more complications. Wouldn't Jin-cheol need a long time to become proficient with it too?

Then there was the unfamiliar place called the Safari of All Ages. From the way it was described, it seemed to be suited to learning how to use an Inheritance.

I didn't know much about it. I looked toward someone who would know better than I did.

A-ri, who was on her second trip through the hotel.

?

Something was wrong with A-ri. She wasn't even looking at the notification. She was sitting there, clutching her head.

“A-ri? What are you doing?”

“...”

“Do you know what this ‘Safari of All Ages’ is?”

“...”

By then, the others had begun gathering around A-ri too.

“A-ri, are you okay?”

Only then did A-ri stand and answer.

“I don't remember.”

“What don't you remember?”

“The fifth attempt. I don't remember anything after Room 101's door opened. It feels like I stepped outside the moment it opened.”

Eun-sol reacted with interest.

“That’s strange. Has anything similar happened to you before?”

“This is the first time something like this has happened in the hotel. There have been times when I died shortly after entering, but I've never had no memories at all like this.”

“Could your mother have killed you as soon as you entered?”

“... My relationship with Mom isn't that horrible.”

It felt like talking further wouldn't reveal anything. Eun-sol must have felt the same way, because she ended the conversation.

“Let's talk about it if your memories ever come back. For now, let's all eat!”

* * *

The hotel food was always delicious, but perhaps because we had achieved so much, it tasted even better than usual. As the meal came to an end, Eun-sol spoke as she always did.

“Let's all rest today. Still, let's sort out what we need to do during the remaining time. The first thing that comes to mind is the ‘Safari’ the hotel directly told us to visit. At the very least, we should also make future plans on the final day, right? We'll have to choose between Room 102, ‘House of Horror,’ Room 104, ‘Hotel High,’ and Room 107, the ‘Gate Room.’”

I brought up an essential part of our schedule first.

“Since it's Party Time, let's not forget to visit the Sanctuary of Blessings. Quite a few people will probably be able to enhance their blessings this time.”

Grandfather Mook-seong followed up.

“It seems we have some time to spare for once, so why don't all the men spend some time training?”

Training?

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said! Time for training. That boar bastard is strong enough to handle himself, and he'll be busy learning to use his Inheritance this time. But Ga-in, Seung-yeop, shouldn't you improve your stamina if you're going to overcome this harsh hotel?”

I had a bad feeling about this.

“Um... Thank you. But it isn't fifty days, it's only five days. What kind of serious training could we possibly-”

“Only five days? Oooonly five days? Do you think this hotel will often give you as much as five whole days of free time? You two lack far too much stamina.”

... This wasn't an atmosphere where I could possibly argue.

It seemed Grandfather was going to torment me during this Party Time. Let's think positively. Maybe he would teach us some special Management Bureau techniques.

I remembered Grandfather racing through the mountains as though he had mastered some kind of lightness skill in House of Horror.

Elena suddenly joined in.

“Grandfather, I can join too, right?”

Grandfather Mook-seong answered with a delighted expression.

“Huh? Of course you can. Song-i, you should join us too.”

Song-i, who had been trying not to look our way at all, answered with a gloomy expression.

“Yes...”

As Grandfather's gaze slowly turned toward Eun-sol, she hurriedly changed the subject.

“Good! I'll add physical training to the schedule. And since it's Party Time, we should explore as well. There might be other interesting things besides the Sanctuary of Blessings, right? So far, this is what we need to do.

1. Visit the ‘Safari of All Ages.’

2. Enhance our blessings at the Sanctuary of Blessings.

3. Physical training.

4. Explore the hotel.

5. Decide which room to enter.

That's five things for now. If you think of anything else, tell me tomorrow! Let's rest for today.”

Eun-sol quickly ended the conversation and stood up. The conclusion had felt more hurried than usual.

... She was definitely rushing because she was afraid Grandfather would add her to the “physical training team” too.

* * *

- Kim A-ri

The meal was over, and everyone had gone their separate ways. Alone near the front desk, I sank into thought.

Why had all my memories of the fifth attempt disappeared?

I really didn't know.

Even if I had been contaminated by the curse the moment it began, it should have only twisted my sense of self, not made it disappear. I should have retained at least some strange memories. It wasn't as if Mom had some power that could erase people's memories either.

Had I used Suggestion on myself? But even Suggestion couldn't erase memories this cleanly.

As I sat alone, lost in thought, Mook-seong approached from a distance.

“What are you thinking about all by yourself?”

“I'm wondering why I lost my memories.”

“Hmm. That is strange. You didn't erase them yourself, did you?”

“I thought of that too, but this is definitely different from when I erase them.”

“Hmmm... Nothing comes to mind.”

“Well, I'm about ready to give up on it. More importantly, what's this sudden talk about ‘physical training’?”

“What do you mean, what's it about? Didn't you mention it a while ago?”

Me? Physical training?

“What are you talking about? When did I ever say we should make them do physical training?”

“Weren't you worried that Ga-in had adapted too much to the hotel's abnormal atmosphere? I recall you telling me to return that boy to a more human path.”

“What does that have to do with physical training?”

“You truly don't understand people, do you? Is it because you were born a superhuman?”

“No, no matter how I think about it, the strange one here is you, Mook-seong.”

“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. The trials of the hotel are harsh, but his body is frail, so he keeps trying to solve matters through cruel schemes. After repeating that, his disposition becomes cruel as well.”

“Ah! So if you train his body hard enough that he can overcome every trial with his fists, a ‘healthy mind’ will reside within him?”

“Exactly.”

“... I don't know. Do whatever you want.”

Mook-seong left with an incredibly proud expression.

I didn't care about anything else, but I hoped that, at the very least, he wouldn't say something like, “A-ri made you do this,” while putting Ga-in through brutal physical training.

Footnotes:

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