### Chapter 193 – Party Time – The Secret of the Second Floor (2)
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 94
Current Location: Ice Hell – Room of Revival
Sage’s Advice: 0]
—
Despite taking a dramatic first step, it didn’t take long for us to head back to the first floor.
On the second floor of the hotel, where the ceiling had been blasted away by a fierce snowstorm, I realized that even with an open ceiling, we at least had walls. But the blizzard outside was a whole new level compared to the second floor.
The chill was similar, but the issue was with the harsh winds. Apparently, it was nearly impossible to move even a single step. That’s what I heard, anyway. I couldn’t genuinely feel it since I was in my protective suit.
There was also the idea of dragging Pepper outside, but he was always hanging out in Songyee’s room, and no matter how much I called, she didn’t respond. So it seemed the others, apart from Jinchul-hyung, were knocked out by the Scented Candle of Rest.
But putting off the exploration until tomorrow wasn’t an option, as who knew if we could even get outside after the hotel repairs? For all we knew, they might reinforce the outer walls after repairs and block us from breaking out. The Owl surely had its reasons for urging us to act “today.”
In the end, we ended up tearing down the hotel curtains again to make a sturdy rope and tied all four of us together.
Here’s how our exploration team looked:
In the front, there was me, weighing over 200kg in my protective suit; behind me were Ahri and Grandpa, bundled up in warm gear, and at the very back, the only one among us with the ability to endure the freezing cold was Jinchul-hyung.
And with that, we resumed our exploration.
—
— Whoosh!
The gusting wind would lift me slightly before settling me back down. Considering I weighed over 200kg, this was no normal wind.
One step. Another step. Thanks to the piles of snow, my legs would often sink up to my knees, making it a real chore to walk.
Han Kain: “You guys okay?”
Kim Ahri: “No strength to answer x”
Cha Jinchul: “Slowly.”
Right now, I was moving slower than a child’s walk, and the request to slow down further had me moving at a snail’s pace. The others were struggling to stand up, so it was a lost cause.
The more I observed my surroundings, the more I realized how bizarre this place was. Other than the ‘mountain,’ nothing else was in sight. It made sense that visibility was blocked by the blizzard, but no matter how limited your vision, you should at least see some shadowy shapes.
The shape of the mountain we were currently walking was distinctly visible outside the hotel’s second floor. However, there was not a single sight of other scenery. It was almost as if…
There was no terrain apart from the mountain.
This concept needed some consideration. Since we realized the second floor was different from the first, I should avoid clinging to biases. It might not even be Earth; it could be a special space like the hotel basement. For instance, the basement has a peculiar place called ‘the hiking room,’ which literally only has a mountain for hiking—nothing else.
…
After about 30 minutes, we finally realized we had hit a wall. Having exited the hotel’s second floor and moving in a circular manner, there were cliffs in every direction. It felt like the hotel was in between steep terrain.
In reality, building a hotel in such a place would make no sense. How could customers even locate a hotel with no roads? It sounded more like a hotel that was abducting customers at will.
Han Kain: “Every direction leads to a cliff, like a floating island in the air.”
Cha Jinchul: “There’s no way out of the mountain.”
The terrain became increasingly bizarre. Could such a terrain naturally form?
Eventually, after gathering our thoughts, we brainstormed a way out. I would use my over-200kg weight to anchor myself at the top of the steep terrain while everyone else would hold onto the fabric and descend.
From time to time, when we felt worn out, Jinchul-hyung would smash some ice from the wall to create a tiny ledge, allowing us all to rest for a moment before struggling to descend again.
Finally, I just barrelled down, colliding with the terrain. I’m not sure if I should say I descended or simply fell, but even with the protective suit on, it caused quite a shock to my body, leaving me unable to move properly for a while.
In this way, after multiple struggles in the extreme environment, we finally spotted a colossal tree so massive it barely registered in our eyes, and we all gathered beneath it.
“At least we can hear things a bit better here.”
“True. The branches are so thick and robust that they block out some of the wind.”
“What has everyone been thinking all this time? The scenery here is just too weird, right? Look over there.”
I pointed in one direction, revealing a pure white world. It was genuinely white—no matter how fierce the blizzard, you’d expect to see some dark shapes lurking there…
Ahri nodded.
“It seems like there’s nothing but mountains in this space. Beyond that, it gets stranger. Has anyone discovered any creatures besides us during our trek?”
Grandpa immediately responded.
“I felt the same. Even in a snowy mountain environment, there should at least be a rabbit or fox, right? How is it possible that in this gigantic mountain, there isn’t even a single rat? There’s not even grass on the ground. We’re the only living beings here.”
“Technically, we do have this tree.”
Jinchul-hyung uttered incredulously.
“What’s up with this tree? Everyone, come look!”
As we huddled around the tree, trying to understand what he meant, he exclaimed, “This isn’t even a real tree, is it?”
Given how hard it was to see anything, it took a while to realize. To our surprise, the tree we had been sheltering under was not real. It might have looked like plastic or had a metallic blend—but one thing was for sure: it was a replica.
Things were getting more puzzling. This tree was not a living creature, and the only life here was us.
… It felt a bit eerie. The fact that such a vast nature should be teeming with life yet had none sent chills through us.
“Now that we’ve caught our breath, let’s move. By now, dinner time must be long gone.”
“Don’t worry. I jotted down that we were out exploring, so those heading to the table will understand. The real worry is something else.”
“How exactly do we get back?”
“Exactly what I’m saying. Time constraints are a factor, and while we rushed down this steep terrain near the hotel, how are we gonna get back up later?”
Ahri replied, as if questioning my concerns.
“If there’s no way, Kain could descend and carry us without a problem!”
Jinchul-hyung chuckled lightly.
“I was honestly thinking the same as I came down. Hope you can carry us!”
“…If we must, then I guess that’s how it’ll be.”
Suddenly, it dawned on me that ‘descending’ was always our last resort. No matter how tough and soul-crushing the problem got, once we decided to descend, everything would be alright. Actually, I have the power to solve nearly all our hotel-related issues.
What kind of being grants such ridiculous abilities as ‘the Lord’?
Jinchul-hyung added reassuringly.
“I didn’t come down just relying on the descent; I do have a plan. Let’s call it the ‘Create a Path’ operation.”
“Wait, are you saying we’re about to dig a mole tunnel up the cliff using ‘stars’? Really?”
“Why wouldn’t that work?”
Surprisingly, I felt a bit relieved thinking it could actually work.
“Let’s set off!”
After shaking off my thoughts of Room 104, I took my step forward again toward the pure white hell.
—
We walked, and walked, and walked some more. It felt like we wandered endlessly for what seemed like four to five hours. But in such situations, time often eludes reality, so I couldn’t be too sure. At least the status window confirmed that the date hadn’t changed yet.
Since arriving near the steep terrain below the hotel, there had been no significant changes to the landscape, just an endless plain stretching out before us, silent as we trudged along without exchanging a word.
Then something caught our attention.
— Thump!
“What is this? Ah, can you hear me now?”
“Yeah. The wind isn’t as strong here. Is this… a wall?”
I noticed Grandpa frowning and knocking on something.
“A wall? It seems more like some kind of crystal. Should we try to smash it?”
“Let’s think it over a bit more.”
Eventually, we arrived at the edge of the snowy expanse where the hotel’s second floor had once existed. At the end, there stood a translucent wall that soared into an unknown height, blocking our view.
It hit me—some of the unease I’d felt all this time had an explanation.
Wherever I looked, apart from the mountain, there was no shadowy shape that even resembled anything but the pure white scenery.
The reason?
Other than the mountain, there were genuinely no other terrains surrounded by this opaque wall that blocked off the entire space.
At that point, curiosity took over my mind, eclipsing any thoughts of what reward might await at the end of this exploration.
What on earth is this place? How can such an incomprehensible space exist?
Wondering about this outlandish situation, Ahri, who had been quiet for a long while, murmured.
“I think I know where this location is…”
All eyes turned toward her. Jinchul-hyung, curious, asked, “Where?”
“…”
“Come on, spill it. Where are we?”
“How can there be a hotel in a place like this? How is that even possible! Wait, am I hallucinating? Turn around and look at the scenery one more time, and then back at this wall. Doesn’t it seem oddly familiar? It’s something we all must have seen at least once in our lives!”
It was bizarre. Ahri’s reaction made it seem like this strange landscape felt familiar to us.
I turned around, scanning the surroundings, piecing together the characteristics we’d discovered so far.
First, the air was filled with snow and wind everywhere.
Second, besides the mountain at the center, the only other significant structure was the hotel halfway up.
Third, there was not a single creature in sight—not even a rat or a blade of grass. It was just one gigantic model of a tree.
Fourth, after leaving the mountain and walking across the flatlands, we encountered an opaque wall that seemed to reach the sky.
… And just like that, I figured out the truth.
We were inside a massive snow globe.
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