Chapter: 106
### 106 – Party Time (8) – Confession
—
Second Evening of Party Time
– Han Kain
When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a spotless conference room. Ahri’s clear voice floated in the air.
“The target is a ‘Dream Eater.’ According to records, it was discovered near London in 1924. It burrows into the host’s mind, triggering traumas and gnawing away at their body and spirit. Its preferred host characteristics are young, creative, and sensitive humans. To avoid interruption during ‘mealtime,’ it manifests the host’s traumas into a physical form to spread around. While people around them fight this manifested trauma, the Dream Eater feasts on the host’s body and mind.”
…
“The primary procedure is destruction. The method involves putting an agent, one more desirable than the host, near them to sleep. The Dream Eater will then exit the host’s body to feast on this more appetizing individual. After that, when the famished Dream Eater is out of the agent’s mind, we handle it.”
“…”
“How was that? Feeling agent-level yet?”
“Is this a briefing straight out of the Bureau’s manual?”
“Right.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’m the ‘more appetizing person’ than Seungyub?”
“Actually, it didn’t have to be you. Seungyub was practically half-dead. To the Dream Eater—or should I say, Nightmare Butterfly—it was practically a buffet. Whoever was nearby would have been a target. I picked you just because I had things to say.”
“Things to say. I can guess what they are. But do we have time for that? Seungyub is probably still dying, right?”
“Worrying about Seungyub isn’t necessary. The butterfly has already moved into your body. In fact, the very fact that you and I are talking here is part of the butterfly’s handling process.”
“This is the handling process?”
“Do you see anything around?”
“Just you and me.”
“Very technical stuff, hard to explain, but let’s say I’ve isolated our minds in this space using the power of ancient blood. The butterfly is still searching for us. It’s spending energy every second and will soon be too tired to leave your body.”
“Ancient blood?”
“Did my info in the status window change?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah~ so this phase has indeed arrived.”
Ahri sighed and plopped down beside me.
“So, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Ask away.”
“What’s your real blessing? It says ‘???’.”
“Open your status window.”
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 34
Current Location: Basement Floor, Hiking Room
Sage’s Advice: 1]
Ahri waved her hand lightly.
[How does it look?
This is my blessing’s power.
The ability to uncover the hotel’s secrets while concealing my own.
The blessing is ‘Secret.’]
I was honestly surprised. I had no idea such an overtly distorting power existed in the status menu!
“A secret?”
“Yeah.”
“Such a weird blessing exists… so it’s a blessing meant to deceive ‘Wisdom?’ The fact that it can deceive participants instead of just being a curse is—”
“The very fact that you think that’s weird shows the greatness of this party.”
“What?”
“The power of a blessing significantly influences the participant themselves. The absence of a power to restrain other participants in your blessing reflects that you had no intention of doing so from the start. If someone among you had acquired ‘Secret,’ the ability to deceive ‘Wisdom’ would not have manifested at all.”
“…”
“I’ll tell you an old tale. My first party experience. Those participants were objectively outstanding human resources. Half were Bureau agents, and the other half were former special forces, doctors, and university professors. They could easily rank in the top 0.01% of humanity in both body and mind. With such excellent individuals gathered, did they escape the hotel?”
“…”
“They didn’t even get past the first floor before two died, and the progress halted on the second floor. I eventually escaped through sheer luck, but no one returned to Earth for a long time after that. They all died. What went wrong?”
“…”
“Those individuals were prodigies from a young age. They had a much stronger competitive spirit and desire for achievement than ordinary people. I’m not saying their personalities were trash. When they were on Earth, they were all law-abiding citizens who contributed greatly to society. However, in the chaotic hotel, their true natures became apparent. No need to elaborate on what happened, right? The two who died on the first floor were killed by their own party members.”
“Is your mother, I mean…”
“I get what you’re thinking. Considering I was born in such a place, it does evoke all sorts of imagination. But no. My mom was an elite Bureau agent, an incredible force. She was more of a menace than a victim. And she didn’t ‘give birth’ to me.”
“She didn’t give birth? What do you mean?”
“That’s one of the points I’m trying to figure out. By the time I was born, my mom was already in a state where normal communication was impossible. Anyway, that first party went that way. It was a horrific experience for me, but it must have also been quite unpleasant for those running the hotel. At least the operators of the hotel aren’t aiming to bring humans in just to kill them needlessly. After that, they picked you guys. It’s as if the party has turned the first party’s strengths and weaknesses upside down.”
“Turned the strengths and weaknesses upside down…”
“Individually, honestly, you all fall short. Just middle school kids, high school girls, and Jinchul, who’s somewhat similar. Sorry, but you’re just a college freshman with no clear direction.”
“…”
“But everyone gets along really well. If you realized that the conditions for inheriting your legacy fundamentally depend on how much you contributed in the later stages, you’d probably be trying to check and take each other down before claiming the inheritance, but nobody thinks that way.”
“Are we, perhaps, picked for being nice?”
“Being simply nice isn’t a merit. The important point is whether you’re engaging in ‘group thinking.’ This party is incredibly strong in that aspect. When someone feels they need to sacrifice themselves for the team, even a middle schooler wouldn’t hesitate, and the overwhelming strong ones would usually try to dominate. Yet, nobody is doing that; they willingly yield to those who are more rational. I don’t think such people are common in the world.”
Ahri’s evaluation after experiencing two parties. The strengths of the current party. A moment of silence fell.
Let me sort through what I’ve heard. Ahri’s blessing is ‘Secret.’ The ability to uncover the hotel’s secrets while keeping her own hidden. The reason it includes the ability to restrain other participants stems from Ahri’s experiences. Her first party was a hellish ordeal filled more with infighting than facing the hotel itself, and Ahri came in with the thought of restraining her party members.
“So, what’s your next question?”
“I understand your blessing. Then, what about all those superpowers you usually use? Was that taught to you by the Bureau?”
“If the Bureau could teach superpowers, Mooksung would have become Superman by now. That’s the power of inheritance. The shared legacy of my mom and I, the power of ‘ancient blood.’”
“Ancient blood?”
“I heard I got it from killing some vampire-like creature on the first floor. Inside the hotel, it’s referred to as the ‘Witch of Blood.’”
Vampire.
Thinking about it, many of the powers Ahri has shown resemble the typical abilities attributed to vampires—soaring through the sky, influencing the minds of those she locks eyes with, and employing various tricks through blood. These are certainly traits you’d find in some fictional vampire lore.
“For someone with all that, you bask in sunlight just fine.”
“That’s the greatness of the hotel. It means you can gain the power of a vampire without any of the restrictions. Vampires would be furious over this. But, compared to real vampires, there are still weaknesses. I can’t use the blood of others, only my own.”
… Forget everything else, the term ‘real vampires’ stuck in my mind. So there are ‘real vampires’ out there? I’ve really been living in a confusing world without even knowing.
“Do you have any more burning questions? Seems like I’ve told you everything.”
“Why did you re-enter the hotel?”
“Never lied about that. I already told you, personally, it’s about my mom’s resurrection. As an agent, it’s about seeking ‘the power to stabilize reality.’”
“Fine, I get the resurrection for your mom since you’re her daughter, but what does ‘the power to stabilize reality’ even mean?”
“I don’t know. Seriously. We only entered after hearing a ‘revelation.’”
“A revelation?”
“Let’s say there’s a prophet. You’ll meet them someday if you become an agent. They’re the beginning and the whole of the Bureau. More questions?”
“This isn’t essential, but…”
“Just ask. I’ll answer if I can.”
“How old are you? Your age keeps showing up as ???.”
She didn’t answer.
…
After discussing Ahri’s true blessing, past, legacy, and goals, my head was spinning. Maybe even now, at this very moment, there could be something more she’s hiding…
But I’d guess not. I had a vague realization. We sat dazed, lost in thought, as time passed.
“So, what’s your plan?”
“What plan?”
“Are you going to tell the others?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been quite tired lately too.”
An atmosphere tinged with exhaustion from the lies. Why did I even start lying in the first place?
Looking back, I can see a hunch. Given the horrific experience of the first party, I probably wanted to hide my abilities. Hiding the legacy required concealing the blessing too, and hiding the blessing meant lying about my status window. And while I was at it, I hid my age and identity, creating a chain of lies.
This isn’t someone else’s issue.
Isn’t it exactly the problem I’m beginning to experience? Hiding the elevator, keeping the advice conditions secret, and even lying about the content of the advice.
What should I do?
Glancing at the status window, I noticed it said [Advice: 1]. Just one left. If I ask, the Owl would surely give me some kind of answer. I can already guess what the response will be. He’s probably going to tell me how to deceive everyone.
I won’t ask.
When did I become this reliant on the words of an unknown bird? I began asking only about the progression of the Curse Room at first, but gradually, I started asking all kinds of questions. Eventually, I even sought advice on interpersonal matters.
The daily process of questioning and finding answers slowly led the Owl to seep into me.
Let’s think for ourselves. What’s the greatest strength of our party?
The fact that everyone can trust and cooperate with one another.
I made a decision.
Morning of Day 3 of Party Time
I realized that the date had moved on as I regained my senses. The possession time and advice counts were replenished. I must have been transported while asleep; I woke up on the couch near the hotel snack table.
“Did everything get resolved?”
“Huh? Kain, you’re awake. Great job.”
My companions, who were chatting around, turned towards me. The butterfly situation was less intense than I imagined. Once Ahri and I fell asleep, dozens of blue butterflies had emerged from Seungyub and flown over to me, and after about an hour, they slowly emerged from my body.
As soon as they came out, my sister sprayed the insecticide she had ordered in the meantime.
…
Incredibly, despite being supernatural beings, they were indeed real butterflies. The event was over, and a mysterious item had been produced.
“Is that accessory on your head the item?”
“Yep! Does it suit me?”
To be honest, that vintage butterfly brooch seemed more suited for a grandma.
“It suits you. Does it have any power?”
My sister brought the brooch in front of me and opened it like a clam. Inside, a tiny chrysalis wiggled.
“What’s this?”
“Don’t you have an inkling? This chrysalis will probably hatch into that butterfly. It’ll most likely fly to the target I desire and gnaw away at their body and spirit. For now, it’s still just a chrysalis.”
Speaking of gnawing at the body and spirit, Seungyub came to mind.
“Is Seungyub okay?”
My sister’s expression darkened.
“I left him in Room 105. I don’t know if he has any special injuries, but he looked shriveled, and he was talking nonsense due to exhaustion.”
“The doctor will fix him up. He should be fine by tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope so. Kain, you should rest a bit. While you were sleeping, we set the schedule. Starting today, Ahri will tell us everything she knows about the Gate Room and the second floor.”
“Ahri, really?”
“Yeah. Surprisingly, she said she’d explain! I was thinking of asking her anyway.”
The Gate Room. The second floor. Now it was time to analyze our significant challenges ahead for the ‘next stage.’
Of course, before that, I resolved to share my heartfelt thoughts with everyone.
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