Escaping the Mystery Hotel

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 98th

Current Location: Floor 1, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 3

- Han Kain

After dinner, I wandered around the second floor to check for any changes.

Unfortunately, there was no change with the “package” or the “Mysterious Craftsman” that I discovered outside the second floor. Fortunately, my ability to address these questions had recovered.

Do I need a specific quest to activate the package and the craftsman?

Advice: 3 → 2

The response to the advice I used for the first time in a while was just three words, but it was sufficient.

The answer indicated there was no need to do anything but wait. It made sense when I thought about it. Both the package and the craftsman were elements discovered during the exploration of the second floor, so they were probably aspects that would be unlocked as our explorations of the second floor progressed.

Since we entered Room 104, which was unrelated to the second floor, there hadn’t been any change.

Next, I asked about the issues I felt when possessing Perro for an extended period.

I couldn’t figure out how to fly or using the grotesque transformations was nearly incomprehensible.

It’s too difficult to use the special abilities of the possessed target. Any tips?

Advice: 2 → 1

Long training is needed. There is no shortcut.

“So… long practice is necessary, and there’s no easy way out?”

While I was mulling it over, the doctor nearby asked what was going on, so I explained.

“Hmm. I think I know why. Would you like me to explain?”

“Please keep it simple.”

“It’s straightforward. Most movements that living beings make aren’t done with an understanding of the mechanics behind them. Humans usually start walking around the age of one, but replicating that movement in a robot is so difficult that it requires multiple PhDs in robotics working together for years.”

“Oh, I saw that on TV when I was young! It was about a Japanese research team developing a robot that could walk on two legs.”

“If walking on two legs is that hard, imagine how difficult flying must be. And neither of these actions are done by humans or birds with an understanding of how they do it. People don’t really know how they walk on two legs, and birds don’t know how they fly. They’re just born with the instructions of walking or flying imprinted in their heads.”

“So the reason I can’t fly in Perro’s body is because I don’t have the instruction manual that birds are born with.”

“Exactly. The same logic applies to not being able to use the grotesque transformation. You don’t have that manual in your mind either.”

“Hmm…”

I understood the principle. Whether it was flying, transforming, or using other supernatural powers, without the manual, even if I borrowed the body of a being with such abilities, it would only be half as effective.

So, was there no difficult way to overcome this, if not an easy one?

This didn’t seem like a problem that could be solved quickly. I used my remaining Advice to ask a question related to operating the Grimoire, but it didn’t yield much.

***

- Lee Eunsol

After escaping from Room 104, I enjoyed a day of sweet rest.

The next morning, everyone emerged from their rooms for breakfast.

Since it was an escape and not a resolution of the room, there was no Party Time.

Everyone knew that, so they looked understandably weary and quiet.

Then, an unexpected gift awaited us.

Today is the hotel’s day off. Meals will be provided.

We shouted with joy!

Did they not announce it yesterday just to create this moment of happiness?

It felt like receiving a surprise gift.

Songee and Kain spoke beside me, “It looks like it’s just a rest day rather than Party Time.”

“I guess Party Time is a reward for resolving a Cursed Room. We also got a rest day before when we escaped from Room 101 and 102 in succession.”

Ahri added a comment, “If it’s not Party Time, we can’t visit the Sanctum of Blessings or explore, right?”

At the end of the announcements for each Party Time, the Hotel displayed the following message.

There are secrets in the hotel that only reveal themselves during Party Time.

In other words, the Hotel’s hidden secrets wouldn’t show themselves outside of Party Time.

So today, there wasn’t much we could do. We didn’t need to enter the Cursed Room on a rest day, we couldn’t access the Sanctum of Blessings, and exploration wouldn’t yield anything new.

It was the perfect opportunity to do something I’d been waiting for!

I immediately pulled a whiteboard in front of everyone.

“Attention, everyone! I have good news.”

Everyone looked at me curiously.

“My Hand of Greed is ready to be activated!”

“Oh! It’s about time.”

“The Hand of Greed is a kind of farming skill. It needs to be used regularly whenever the cooldown resets.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

“Everyone, give me some ideas. What should I wish for?”

“It’s your wish, so you should make it your own, Noona.”

“I like your answer, Kain. Honestly, I already have a rough idea. However, I want to just wish for a moderately useful item this time.”

“Moderately?”

“When I wish too earnestly, the results come out a bit scary.”

With those words, I pointed to my eye.

“I realized this after gaining this eye. The Hotel’s concept of ‘risk’ is narrower than I thought. For example, when I got this eye, I lost my real eye in exchange, and the new eye looks… well—to put it bluntly—grotesque.”

“I guess that kind of thing doesn’t count as a risk by the Hotel’s standards.”

“Since my vision was enhanced, the loss of my real eye isn’t considered a risk. Blindness would only come after escaping the Hotel. The change in appearance is probably insignificant by Hotel standards.”

Grandpa nodded in understanding.

“I get what you mean. The more earnest your wish, the greater the corresponding price, and with the Hotel’s disregard for human life added in, it’s like saying, ‘Losing a hand isn’t much, is it?’ and granting the wish.”

“Yes.”

“It sounds like a good idea. Wish for something moderate.”

Everyone nodded. When I focused, a notification appeared in the air.

Hand of Greed

“Give me a moderately useful item!”

“…”

“And preferably, no physical harm.”

“…”

“And if possible, don’t hurt my mental state either!”

“…”

“If my allies suffer too much, that would hurt my feelings, you know?”

“Noona, isn’t that a bit—”

“Quiet!”

“…”

“One last request!”

[Seriously, just make all your wishes at once!]

I thought I heard an annoyed voice echoing from somewhere.

“Is there any chance I could get two items instead of one?”

[Truly a greedy one. You only seek to gain without effort! But I do like that greed. And… gain without effort? Effortless gain? Hmm, that has a nice ring to it.]

What is it talking about?

Don’t speak in stream-of-consciousness like that!

A deep, resonant laughter filled the space as if coming from all around.

It seemed my last request had caught the Patron’s interest.

The entire Hotel started shaking as if responding to the laughter.

It sounded like mysterious construction work was going on!

A tense look spread across everyone’s face.

Kain nagged at me amid the chaos, “Noona! You said you’d wish for something moderate!”

“It was moderate.”

“Wishing for ‘just a moderate 100 billion’ is considered moderate?”

“Considering everything I’ve suffered through thanks to this useless Blessing, it’s fair.”

That shut Kain up. A moment later, a notification appeared in front of us all.

Due to the participant’s request, a surprise event is triggered.

.

.

.

Surprise Event: Hell’s Hotel Kitchen

“…???”

“What is this?”

“What did it say?”

“Hell’s Hotel Kitchen.”

“What on earth does that mean?”

Participants, please come to the second-floor hall!

Following the instructions, we reached the second-floor hall and fell silent.

In that short time, the space had completely transformed!

The Christmas tree had vanished, and in its place was a giant table.

In front of the table was a full kitchen setup with stoves, ovens, knives—essentially an entire kitchen.

The previously empty rooms on the second floor were now filled with ingredients.

And before all this stood the “Merchant” in a pristine white chef’s outfit, smiling.

“…”

“…”

“Ahahaha! What a joyous occasion! Although, to be fair, ever since you all arrived at the Hotel, there hasn’t been a day that wasn’t delightful! Now then! Chef Lee Eunsol, would you please step forward?”

“…I’m not a chef.”

“Please, just come forward.”

I followed the command blankly and sat at the table.

On the table was a white hat.

“As you can see, this area is now filled with the finest ingredients and cooking utensils used for your meals. Participants, you must use them to create the best dishes you can!”

“…Am I judging these dishes?”

“Correct, Participant Lee Eunsol. One person must judge the dishes. We ask for fair judgment.”

As everyone looked around in disbelief, the Merchant continued, “You must be thinking, ‘What kind of nonsense is this Hotel up to now?’”

“…”

“The Hotel never demands labor without reward! The winner of today’s cooking competition will

receive a prize. However, there will also be a suitable penalty for the one who makes the worst dish.”

“And for me?”

“Haha! Naturally, Participant Lee Eunsol will receive a reward that will satisfy you for serving as the judge.”

The Merchant explained the structure of this ridiculous cooking competition.

In the first round, the eight participants, excluding me, would each prepare a dish. The top two and bottom two would be selected. In the second round, the top two would compete to decide the winner, and in the third round, the bottom two would face off to decide the worst cook.

While everyone was still in shock, Ahri, who always recovered quickest in chaotic situations, raised her hand.

“When does it start? And how much time will we be given to prepare a dish?”

“It begins in 10 minutes. One hour should be enough time for cooking, don’t you think?”

As he said, 10 minutes later, a bell rang.

My comrades, still looking bewildered, started running one by one into the rooms filled with ingredients.

A short while later, shouts started echoing from those rooms.

“Aaagh! The fish is alive! It’s trying to bite me out of the water!”

“Why the hell does this sweet potato have hands?!”

“Did I just imagine it, or did that pig’s foot move on its own?”

“…”

So the ingredients weren’t normal. And I had to eat the dishes made from them.

“I don’t have to eat those dishes, do I?”

The Merchant’s lips curved upward.

“Now, now Chef Lee Eunsol, didn’t we ask for a ‘fair judgment’? You must taste every—single—dish.”

***

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