Chapter: 104
Chapter 104 – Party Time (6) – A Night Full of Lies
Party Time, Day 2 Evening
– Han Kain
A change occurred right after the blessing was enhanced.
[[Companion Status Information]]
Kim Ahri (???) – ???. Level 1 Agent of the Calamity Administration Bureau
First, I compared it to my own information.
*[[Han Kain (20) – Wisdom. Freshman at K University]]
The first “???” was age, while the second “???” represented the blessing.
In other words, Ahri’s age and blessing were unknown.
To be honest, I wasn’t surprised about her age. I had long suspected that her actual age would differ from her appearance.
Inside the hotel, the passage of time was all twisted and jumbled. If someone had been in a place like this for a long time, it would be difficult to deduce their age definitively.
However, two surprising points stood out.
First, the blessing was not just an “Impression.”
She had demonstrated abilities similar to hypnosis several times; could this not be the power of her blessing after all?
Is it her very own superpower? I don’t know.
So, what is the real blessing?
Second, one could deceive the status window.
In a way, this was an even more crucial issue than the first. The status window is a power created by the hotel, and yet… could it really be deceived?
Previously, it displayed blatantly incorrect information and even now, it hides the real truth.
I had no solid proof, but a vague hypothesis popped into my head. I thought that probably superpowers obtained outside the hotel wouldn’t be able to fool the status window. The experiences we had inside the hotel were just too transcendent for that to be possible.
Perhaps this was related to Ahri’s “real blessing.”
What should I do now?
Should I just go and ask? That would be pointless; if Ahri lies, there’s nothing I could do.
Should I take Elena and grill her? That would be tantamount to picking a fight.
After once having a conflict, we made an unspoken agreement not to pressure the Administration Team anymore.
Right now, we were facing a significant challenge called the “Gate Room.”
Given such a challenge, was there a need to start a fight?
Yet, there was the possibility that what they were hiding could cause us harm.
In the midst of confusion, I finally decided to use some Advice.
“Is there a way to resolve my doubts while avoiding conflict?”
[[Advice Level: 3 -> 2]]
[[Why enter a psychological losing battle? Make the opponent worry.]]
What on earth does this even mean? I pondered for quite a while.
At first, I was baffled, but as I thought deeper, I realized this might actually be pretty useful advice.
I wasn’t the only one wanting to avoid conflict.
Maybe it was true before, but now my abilities are no less than Ahri’s.
Facing upcoming trials, Ahri surely wanted to avoid any potential conflicts as well.
In a balanced situation, was there any need for me to be so anxious by myself?
I decided to pass the burden onto Ahri.
The more I contemplated this, the more I felt I had really utilized “the Sage’s Advice.”
With a light heart, I opened the door and headed toward the dining room.
– Han Kain
As soon as I stepped out, I was greeted with a lively welcome and we started our meal.
Naturally, the subject of our discussion was the newly acquired effects of our enhanced blessings.
Grandpa Mooksung, sipping beer, kept posting videos on the conversation tab.
Seriously, why does he keep uploading videos of twitching worms?
Frankly, the heavy and mysterious image he initially had is completely shattered by now!
This felt like watching some grotesque internet meme attack unfold.
There was no escaping those videos or images on the conversation tab.
In retaliation, Songee tirelessly posted images of Perro.
After nearly 10 minutes spent staring blankly at images of worms and parrots, I could barely take a bite before the conversation tab reached its capacity limit.
In the midst of all this, Ahri was eating just fine.
“…It feels like we can send out a lot more than before.”
“I think so too. I didn’t know we could keep this prank going for so long.”
“Please, Grandfather. I beg you, no more of this nonsense…” Eunsol-noona sighed before starting to talk about her own acquired power.
“Honestly, I’m not really sure about mine.”
“Why’s that?”
“It doesn’t have a straightforward name like ‘Lie Detection’; it’s called ‘Hand of Greed,’ which is quite ambiguous, don’t you think?”
“Maybe you could figure it out by using it?”
“That’s the problem. After gaining this power, for the first time like Kain, a hologram similar to the ‘status window’ appeared just for me. It says [Hand of Greed: 1]. Yet when I try to use it, I get [You will obtain what you wish for].”
“Obtain whatever you wish for? How does that work?”
Seungyub, who had been listening intently, piped in immediately.
“Try saying you want an inheritance! Or an escape! See what it says!”
“I’ve obviously tried, but it just returns [Impossible].”
“Hmm… Of course, there must be limits to the power. Let’s think a bit more before using it.”
“Alright then. Kain, what about you?”
The conversation naturally turned towards me and my blessing.
This was the perfect opportunity.
“I don’t think I can use mine, but I’ll give it a shot.”
I raised my hand, pretending to fiddle with something in the air.
Since the status window was only visible to me, no one else would catch on.
“It seems like the content about it has slightly changed.”
“Changed how?”
Having said that, I widened my eyes dramatically and momentarily glanced at Ahri before turning my gaze away nonchalantly.
I caught a glimpse of her expression stiffening for an instant.
“What’s going on? Did something change?”
“Uh… No. Nothing in particular. I think it might only be usable within Cursed Rooms.”
“In Cursed Rooms… Just to confirm, do you think it won’t work in the Gate Room?”
“I don’t think so. Isn’t the Gate Room just a tougher version of the Cursed Rooms? I believe it should work there.”
With only Grandpa Mooksung being able to properly utilize any abilities, our conversation on blessings came to a swift end.
Once mealtime concluded, Eunsol-noona naturally approached me holding a list of questions she noted down.
…
I would have answered earlier without hesitation, but after hearing the owl’s advice, my heart felt heavy.
I realized that questions unrelated to the progress of the Cursed Room consumed my contribution.
First, I made up a story, saying that I’d written the first question to learn more about my blessing. It was the truth, after all.
The moment I saw the list of questions Eunsol-noona had written, I was stunned.
The very first question—
“If Escape Route 2 is the main entrance, then there has to be a Route 1 somewhere. Can you give me a hint?”
While I stood there, momentarily at a loss for words, Jinchul-hyung intervened.
“I was kind of wondering about this too; doesn’t that sound like a request for ‘information about something unknown’? Can we even expect a sensible answer?”
“Not necessarily,” replied Eunsol-noona with a strange expression, “It’s possible we might have overlooked it altogether.”
What’s this? Did she realize I was hiding information about the elevator?
Feeling flustered, I scrutinized Eunsol-noona’s expression closely.
???
Instead of looking at me, Eunsol-noona was glancing over at the Administration duo slightly.
What does this mean?
I was completely lost, but it looked like everyone was hoping I would put in an advice request for that question.
…After a moment of contemplation, I came to a conclusion.
There was no way to hide information about the elevator forever.
The escape route through the elevator could easily be found just by focusing on what was beneath the control panel.
The sole reason I had discovered it was that I was the only one who thought to check the elevator.
Like before, I pretended to fidget with the status window again.
“A suggestion to explore overlooked spots came up.”
“Overlooked spots?”
“Did we miss checking anywhere?”
Everyone tilted their heads, puzzled. They’d realize soon enough since we had already cleared the basement and first floor.
After pondering the escape route from the elevator, I also began to consider a curious “genuine question.” Since Escape Route 1 involved using the protective suit and inputting a password in the elevator,
I was keenly aware we could purchase protective suits at the HP Market.
Additionally, I had recovered the password, “87439124,” while rifling through the front desk.
Did this indicate we’d satisfied all the requirements for escaping?
By wearing the protective suit bought from the HP Market and entering the passcode, could we actually escape?
[[Advice Level: 2 -> 1]]
[[If you value your life, give it a try.]]
This seemed to be the same reply I received when asking about parachutes.
…
Now I was starting to connect the dots.
Escape Route 1 is the elevator, and Escape Route 2 is the main entrance.
Both routes have their “designated escape tools.”
The escape tool for the main entrance is “Winged Boots”, while the elevator requires a “Protective Suit.”
Both items must be obtained within the hotel and are likely supernatural tools.
Attempting to escape with regular items acquired via the HP Market is feasible, but the success rate is likely to be low.
Perhaps only someone like Jinchul-hyung with extraordinary physical capabilities or Ahri with her own flying ability could achieve such an escape using common items.
Once I’d wrapped my thoughts up, I headed over to the front desk.
I wandered around the desk, grappling with a tinge of gloom.
I was turning into quite the little liar…
Not only had I hidden the elevator escape route, but now I was also concealing facts about Sage’s Advice. Exploiting the fact that my companions could not see the status window, I had even pretended to use Advice at times.
Like small rain, which can eventually lead to a flood, raindrops of deceit were gradually soaking my heart.
Once. Again and again. For all sorts of reasons, I would lie once more.
Am I even a genuine companion anymore?
It wasn’t merely an emotional dilemma at stake. As I grew stronger, my companions were also gaining various supernatural abilities.
Someday, if they were to discover my lies, what would unfold then?
With those tangled thoughts, I exhaled deeply.
“Is something troubling you?” a voice suddenly echoed in my ears.
“Wha— Ah! Who’s— Ahri? How come you’re creeping around without a sound?” I stammered.
“I just came over. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t even notice me,” she replied.
“Really? Anyway, do you have something to say?”
Ahri, looking a bit worn out, stood beside me, gazing up at the night sky outside the front entrance.
“You already know why I’m here,” she said softly.
“…”
“I thought we might share some stories from the past.”
Thank you, oh wise owl!
As expected! Ahri has come here to spill her guts!
Just when I began to feel a rush of admiration for the owl,
the lights in the hotel suddenly started flickering!
What on earth is going on? Of all times, why now!
– Lee Eunsol
After the meal, everyone began to disperse to take time for themselves.
I found myself rolling around on the bed, ruminating on what this “Hand of Greed” could possibly do!
The dragon assured me that it would be an incredibly powerful skill that wouldn’t disappoint—but if it’s so amazing, can’t it at least provide a little explanation?
It kept saying the same line, no matter how many times I poke at it.
What a bold claim! But when I was looking for something genuine, like Inheritance or Escape, it just replied with [Impossible].
What do I actually wish for…?
Suddenly, it struck me: A weapon, of course!
In a hazardous place like this hotel, personal combat capability is key.
I desperately would like to acquire a usable weapon! Something that’s relatively easy to wield.
[[Hand of Greed: 1 -> 0]]
???
[[It has been realized.]]
What does that even mean—
—WYAAAAAAAHHHH!
Suddenly, a deafening alarm blared throughout the hotel.
As I stood frozen, horrified, a notification lit up in the display inside Room 105.
…This isn’t my fault, right?
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