Chapter: 52
Chapter 52: A Day at the Camping Grounds, Meeting a Strange Merchant (2)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 20
Current Location: Basement, Camping Grounds
Advisor’s Advice: 3]
A trade to obtain a weapon in exchange for two limbs. Is Ahri really considering such a crazy deal?
I opened my mouth.
“You! I don’t know what you’re thinking, but remember we have over 10 hours left before we can get out of here. If you rip off your limbs and stick around for that long, you’ll die before we can even call the doctor in Room 105!”
“…”
“Ahri, I haven’t stopped you from doing what you want since we got here, but this time I’m actually worried. Do you really need to go through that much pain just to get a weapon?”
Something feels off. Grandpa Mooksung’s tone sounds different from mine. ‘It feels like it’ll end with hardship rather than death.’
“We’ve never had proper weapons since we got here. Songee may have gotten a powerful inheritance, but it’s not suitable for straightforward brawls. I think it’s about time we get a real weapon.”
Everyone was left speechless. They all stared at Ahri with wide eyes.
“Still, the thought of pain is a bit frightening. Songee, you’ll help me, right?”
“Uh, um. But I can’t completely block the pain of another person. It’ll come back in about 10 minutes.”
It had been a while since I’d heard Songee stutter like that. Ever since we left the ‘Farm,’ she transformed into a cold and sharp lady, but now she reverted back to the shy high school girl from day one.
“That’s enough for me.”
With a casual demeanor, Ahri used some mysterious strength to ‘rip off’ her left arm and leg. Not a single drop of blood fell, as if she were tearing the limbs off a doll.
Everyone was left speechless at the spine-chilling sight when a cheerful laugh erupted.
“Hahahaha! Today isn’t all that bad, is it? I’m glad to serve a customer! Well then, here you go. The ‘Supply Weapon Box’! I don’t know what’s inside either! Just a friendly tip, I recommend you open it in Room 105. Sometimes you might find a ‘wild weapon’ in there.”
Songee rushed over, used the power of her bracelet, and with Grandpa Mooksung’s support, Ahri took the box and sat down again. Not long after, she started sweating heavily and fainted. Everyone was left in limbo, unsure of what to do. Even in this moment, the mad merchant’s proposals didn’t stop.
“Next item! Since everyone is only looking for ‘cheap goods,’ it’s a shame, but this is the last cheap one! The second item is: ‘Secrets of the Hotel.’ What kind of secrets? I don’t know! But I assure you, they’ll help a lot with your survival and escape! The price? A mere five fingers!”
Five fingers?! Such a cheap price! Dumbfounded, but considering that ‘expensive items’ cost lives or two limbs, five fingers seem like a bargain.
I heard Jinchul-hyung’s trembling voice.
“N-no! Just go away, leave us!”
“Hmm… Does anyone want to buy it?”
“Do all the fingers have to come from one person?” Eunsol-noona asked.
“Hey! Why are you acting like this?”
“Be quiet. Do they have to come from a single person?”
“Haha! Sorry, but yes. Of course, from your perspective, it would reduce risk if five people each cut off a finger, but think of it from my standpoint. That means I’d have to let all five of you in on the secrets, right? Secrets lose their value when shared.”
“Does that even matter? We’re going to share all the secrets about the Hotel anyway!”
“Whether you want to share or not is up to you after hearing the secrets. Sadly, my offer stands firm. All five fingers must come from one individual.”
“I’ll do it.”
“E-unsol!”
“Miss should sit down. It’s better for an old man like me to handle ugly tasks like this.”
“What’s up with you now, sir?”
“Just listen. Cutting fingers? Pain is the only concern. And anyway, if we go to Room 105, they’ll put your fingers back together. Now about ‘Secrets of the Hotel’— don’t you think we know way too little? If we’re too scared to make sacrifices, we won’t gain anything. Lives aren’t something we can just pay for, but fingers? They’ll grow back anyway, so what’s really the issue?”
“You’ve got a point! Even if I take your fingers, you’ll just regrow them after a night’s sleep, right? That’s why it’s a loss for me to do this!”
“Would you shut up for once?”
“I actually agree with Eunsol. Enduring pain for that secret is worth it. But is it really necessary for a young lady like you to suffer? As I said, it’s right for an old man like me to take on such a task.”
“Don’t act on misplaced righteousness. Cutting off my finger isn’t a grand sacrifice. Let’s be rational. Once this ‘deal’ concludes, who knows if danger will still lurk? What if those monsters come back? Only Ahri could withstand after cutting her limbs, so she’s in charge, but cutting fingers is something anyone can do. The least ‘valuable’ person should do it. Jinchul and the old man, you’re the strongest fighters. Songee has her bracelet, Ahri’s already lying down, Elena can fight with Justice’s blessing, and Kain, you are our last card. My fingers are the least valuable here.”
“Um, in that case, noona, I can’t do anything either, so how about me—”
“Sorry, but kids should stay out of this. Seungyub, you just sit there.”
A heavy silence fell over the area. I realized again that this noona had a steely resolve unlike ordinary people. Even if she wasn’t born into wealth, I felt like she must have lived a life dramatically different from the rest.
“You’ll help me with the bleeding, right?”
“I’ve been through countless battlefields in my life…”
“Hey! How will you tell me this secret? Are you going to whisper it?”
“Hahaha! There may be some people here with abnormal hearing, so of course, I can’t do that!”
“I don’t intend to hide it either,” Eunsol-noona chimed in, but the merchant just grinned.
“Well, whether to share or not is up to you after hearing the secrets. Just rest easy; I’ll deliver them in a manner only you can understand.”
“Kain, you still have your dagger, right? Hand it over.”
What do I do? Do I really have to give her the dagger?
While I was puzzled, she stepped forward and snatched the dagger from my grasp.
“I’m not sure if I can do it myself. Can you support me, sir?”
“And Songee, I’ll need your help too. I think even 10 minutes of pain relief will be beneficial.”
…
I’d rather not think about the scene that followed. Forgetting it would be better for everyone.
*
After concluding the trade, the unpleasant merchant rambled on about wishing for good deals in the future until Jinchul-hyung chucked him away, and he vanished just like that. Left in the campsite were a girl missing an arm and a leg, along with a lady without a finger.
The air was thick with a horrible tension, one rarely seen even on a battlefield. None dared to touch the meat and instead hovered around the two moaning women, nervously waiting while wiping off their sweat as much as possible.
We hoped fervently that the Hotel’s ‘major repairs’ would conclude soon so we could return to Room 105. Thankfully, the dreadful day came to an end, and no further dangers appeared until the door manifested again.
*
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 21
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 105 (Room of Rest)
Advisor’s Advice: 3]
As soon as breakfast time came, I hurried to the dining room. Was everyone thinking the same thing as me? Within a mere 10 seconds, we all gathered in the dining room. Once there, we scanned each other’s faces. Eunsol-noona? Ahri?
Surprisingly, they were both fine!
“Noona! Are you okay?”
“Haha~ Were you all worried? Look at this!”
She extended her hands as if nothing happened. Naturally, all ten of her fingers were perfectly intact. Everyone then turned their gaze toward Ahri, who also had all four limbs attached as if yesterday had never happened.
“I don’t need to check mine, right?”
Ahri’s joke eased the tension in the air. Seriously, even though those weren’t my fingers or limbs, the fact that they hadn’t fallen off still troubled me last night, and it seemed everyone shared similar worry.
Elena grabbed Eunsol-noona’s hand, her eyes glistening with emotion, while Songee silently fiddled with Ahri’s arm before suddenly throwing her into a hug.
“Ah! Unni, isn’t that going to hurt my arm?”
“Don’t joke about that!”
The men also felt a similar tension as we just stood back and watched, feeling it would be a bit awkward to join in hugging. As I relaxed and rejoiced to see them whole again, it was evident from everyone’s expressions that they felt the same.
A slight query lingered. How could one tear off limbs without even a drop of blood?
But no one dared to voice such thoughts at this moment. In front of the one who traded limbs for a weapon, who would seriously go, “Do you still have hidden abilities?”
Once everyone managed to shrug off the mental and physical burden from yesterday, we joyfully dug into breakfast and began discussing the ‘products’ we obtained.
*
“By the way, it’s surprising both of you recovered in just one day. When I got injured, I skipped an entire day, so I thought I wouldn’t see you today, especially you, Ahri.”
“I mean, it was just fingers after all.” Eunsol-noona replied. “Someone who could heal crushed organs in a day should have no trouble reattaching fingers in 10 minutes, right? I honestly don’t know though. I didn’t speak to the doctor at all.”
“My limbs are a bit different from regular people. It was probably easier to reattach them. Of course, I also didn’t have a conversation with the doctor like Kain did.”
Things shifted in just one day. Ahri casually remarked on how her body was different from a normal person, and no one felt the need to pry further, including Songee, who used to be the most inquisitive.
Let’s leave it at that.
After all, we can’t uncover every little detail lurking inside this Hotel. We only need to know what’s necessary. It’s the same for our teammates.
“So, what’s the secret? Ah, of course, if you’d rather not share—”
“Please! What are you doing, pretending to be that merchant? I brought the actual letter so you can’t get funny ideas!”
“Letter?”
“Strangely enough, when I woke up, a letter just dropped down and woke me up. The secrets were written there. Just read it.”
She tossed the letter as if it were of no consequence. Instead of a letter, it resembled a small piece of paper containing only two sentences.
1. Escape Route 2 is to jump out of the Main Entrance while wearing Wing Boots.
2. You can acquire Wing Boots by resolving the request of a mysterious craftsman hidden somewhere on the 2nd Floor.
“Escape route. So the main entrance we saw is indeed a way to escape, huh?”
“Honestly, the first sentence has no meaning, but the second one is rather significant. It implies that if the mysterious craftsman on the 2nd floor makes us some shoes called Wing Boots, we can use them to get out.”
“Wing Boots. Just hearing the name gives the vibe that they’ll let us fly, right?”
“Probably, yeah.”
“Hmmm. Noona, while this may be useful intel, it doesn’t seem immediately practical.”
“That’s true. It doesn’t hold much relevance to us as we’re struggling on the 1st floor of the Hotel right now. But let’s remember this. One day, we’ll be going to the 2nd floor. We’ll search for that mysterious craftsman. Now! That’s all for me!”
With that, Noona slapped the table and collected the letter. Then Ahri brought over a box.
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