### Chapter 178 – Party Time – Exploration of the Second Floor (5)
—
– Cha Jinchul
“Ugh, what the heck is this?”
A tiny shard of ice, no bigger than my finger, came flying out of the blizzard and smacked right into my face. Is this really still Earth? It’s hard to take a step without feeling like I’m frozen solid.
Lee Eunsol: What?
Cha Jinchul: Just talking to myself.
Kim Mooksung: Hurry up; I think I’m about to die!
… Usually, I’d tell him to stop with the theatrics, but not this time. Grandpa isn’t suited for this kind of weather, wearing a protective suit like his sister, nor does he have the blessing of strength like I do. Being in this space for too long could literally freeze him to death. The clingy grotesque was grumbling but managed to keep up, somehow.
The state of the second floor had deteriorated even more. If the last time we visited Room 201 felt like a winter day in the Northern Hemisphere, now it’s hitting Arctic-levels of cold. Even with ‘Courage’ lending me strength, I can’t help but feel like this cold is way beyond your average winter.
Each step was a battle against the wind; oddly, though, my sister, who weighs more than I do, was handling it better in her protective suit.
I felt like a blind man in a snowstorm. The blizzard was so fierce that as soon as I moved beyond 5 meters, all I could see was white—no landmarks in sight. The only one moving smoothly in this white hell was my sister.
Lee Eunsol: This way.
Following her lead, I saw a massive block of ice blocking our path.
“Whoa! What the—”
The grotesque pecked at the ice, and I shoved the pieces aside. I thought we were making progress until the snow started piling up again. Looks like we’ll have to deal with this mess again next time.
Cha Jinchul: See anything?
Lee Eunsol: Nothing important.
Looks like another dead end. At least one of us is spotting something as we explore.
Kim Mooksung: I’m dying over here.
Cha Jinchul: Just hang in there a bit longer.
Lee Eunsol: Grandpa, just one more place to check.
Just one more place? Is she seriously thinking there’s something to find in this frostbitten horror?
And indeed, without turning, she signaled for us to move straight ahead with determination.
Lee Eunsol: Here.
As I trudged through the snow, I finally spotted what looked like a room. Unfortunately, due to the incomplete work-up here on the second floor, instead of a proper door or wall, it was just a wall of ice.
Cha Jinchul: Is this the room of curses once it’s finished?
Lee Eunsol: I don’t know.
Trying to move the whole thing was impossible. We had to chip it away into tiny pieces first.
“Hey, Pero! Come over and peck at this!”
…
“Come on! You heard me, right?!”
Unlike my sister, that bird clearly has super-hearing but would rather slack off the moment Songi leaves the vicinity. But still, it dutifully followed us, so that counts for something, right?
I finally understood the expression of annoyance on the grotesque as it waddled over.
— Bang! Bang!
With its sharp beak, the grotesque broke the ice while I shifted the pieces again. As we finally cleared a path, I noticed something unclear on the floor inside the room.
“What’s that?”
Lee Eunsol: Can’t hear you.
Cha Jinchul: What’s that on the floor?
She tilted her head at my question and stepped inside, approaching what seemed like a translucent puddle.
“Eww! Why is this here?”
I rushed over and yanked my sister back by her protective suit!
“Ah! Is that an ice pit?”
“Yep! Be careful. If you fall in with that heavy suit, it’ll be tough to pull you out!”
“Why is there suddenly a pit here? Is it a trap?”
“Watch your step—oh? I can hear you clearly now?”
Not a single sound had passed between us until now, what’s going on?
“The blizzard noise stopped.”
“… This must be an interesting spot.”
Something inexplicable happened. Outside, the storm was howling like the end of days, yet inside, it felt eerily calm—almost serene. We’d finally found our first ‘quiet space’ since reaching the second floor.
“What the heck is this?”
“Who knows… But let’s leave Grandpa here next time while we explore. It seems less cold.”
“Sure! By the way, what’s that?”
At first, I thought it was just another ice block, but then I remembered the temperature here shouldn’t be generating such large ice formations—and as I looked closer, I realized it was something else. A gigantic door.
“…”
“Does it look like it’s asking us to enter?”
“Doesn’t that freak you out?”
“Well, if it’s a door, we might as well check it…”
As I reached for the doorknob, a notification popped up.
“/Would you like to open the door to the Ice Hell? Opening the door will immediately end Party Time./”
I quickly let go of the doorknob. Turning my head, I saw my sister with wide eyes, equally excited. Looks like the alert appeared for both of us. After half a day of exploring the frozen second floor, we finally stumbled upon something.
—
As soon as we returned to the first floor, our mates greeted us.
“Great job!”
“Hyung, you’ve had a rough time!”
“Alright, everyone, clear the way a bit.”
I went straight to the refreshment table with Grandpa. Thankfully, warm drinks were waiting for us this time without any tricks involved. While Grandpa thawed his blue-tinged lips with hot tea, my sister and I started discussing what we had discovered.
“Did you find anything?”
“Yeah, I found something. It was about a good distance to the right from the entrance, then straight ahead?”
“It’s actually more of a diagonal. I know the location.”
“Anyway, if you keep going that way, you’ll find this crazy door called ‘Ice Hell.’ As soon as I grabbed the doorknob, the Party Time would end immediately, so I dropped it.”
“The name ‘Ice Hell’ sounds seriously scary.”
“What do you think could be on the other side?”
Everyone fell silent. The name alone screams ‘door to hell,’ doesn’t it? Trying to imagine how horrific it could be beyond that door is a challenge.
It seemed like Grandpa was starting to warm up a bit.
“It’s obvious what it is. Clearly, there’s something we need to do beyond that door. Still, there’s no need to rush to end our Party Time. We need to prepare,” he said. “Starting tomorrow, Kain should also offer advice. Speaking of ‘hell’…”
“Any words coming to mind?”
“Come on, it’s common knowledge. That guy must have heard of that ‘Dragon of the Galaxy’ and I’m sure the Administration Bureau knows about it too.”
“Get to the point already.”
“Oh my, what a short fuse. You know, ‘Buddha.’ Everyone’s heard of it, right?”
… A long-forgotten word flashed across our minds.
The enigmatic being, ‘Buddha.’ Even the prisoner from Room 102, the ‘Dragon of the Galaxy,’ showed utmost reverence toward this unfathomable transcendent.
“When you say ‘Buddha,’ that’s Buddhism, and isn’t Buddhism famously associated with hell?”
“Famed for hell? That’s a bit of an overstatement.”
“Come on, Eunsol, just digest it. Anyway, in this hotel where ‘Buddha’ exists, mentioning hell doesn’t sound ordinary. It wouldn’t use the word casually due to danger and difficulty.”
“Then why do you think it was used?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s a place for punishing sinners?”
A heavy silence enveloped the group again.
“Cough! Cough!”
“Uh, Grandpa, why don’t you rest in the room first?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing—”
“Please! Don’t stubbornly stand on ceremony; just lie down. We’d better take a break too.”
That wrapped up Day 1 of Party Time. The next morning, Elena woke up.
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 90
Current Location: Layer 1, Room 105 – Room of Rest
Sage’s Advice: 3]
– Han Kain
—
On the morning of Day 2 of Party Time, as soon as I arrived in Room 105 for breakfast, I spotted Elena sitting alone at the table.
— Tap tap!
As she rushed toward me, her golden hair flowed like waves while her eyes sprang with life, reminiscent of a green meadow. For a moment, it felt like I was paralyzed.
“… Elena?”
“…”
“Is there something you want to say?”
She stared at me intensely and muttered.
“Is that you? Or maybe it’s not? Normally, I wouldn’t notice…”
“Pardon?”
“I’m sorry. I was just verifying something I heard from the patron.”
“What did you hear?”
Elena grinned, her expression lightening up.
“Oh, the patron suggested I consult you about the use of my new power, ‘Ominous Imagination.’”
“Ah! I just thought a talk was necessary. It seems the patron is all-knowing.”
Yesterday at dawn, while Elena was missing, I had shared knowledge about ‘Ominous Imagination’ with the party.
“… Did you catch on? To sum it up, first, don’t fear your power; have confidence. It’d be great if you could direct your consciousness towards the creature you conjured. Gaining strength can be an excellent way to bolster your confidence. Secondly, instead of conserving your strength, you could focus everything into one entity to create a very powerful monster and then try persuading it.”
“Hmmm… now I see why the patron suggested you discuss this with me. I feel like I’ve come to a clear understanding of why it’s difficult to control ‘Ominous Imagination’ at times.”
“Really?”
“The jar analogy. It fits perfectly. I’ve been desperately trying not to spill even a single drop of power, but a few drops inevitably splatter, and in their odd way, they create monsters.”
“That must be knowledge gained through the lead’s research sessions.”
“Directing consciousness towards the monster. Honestly, I have no clue about that. I’m not too keen on trying either.”
“Is that so….”
“But the second method really resonated with me the instant I heard it.”
“Oh! As long as it clicks with you, that’s what matters.”
“An entity that can absorb all the malice and ominous qualities yet can communicate and connect with people. Honestly, I can think of several clear entities fitting that description. I’ll head there right away!”
With that, Elena bolted off to the safari to test her abilities.
Did something click for her? Ultimately, it’s up to her to wield the power; all I can do is offer advice. Watching her leave with confidence made me feel somewhat relieved.
After Party Time wraps up, we need to face the inscrutable location called ‘Ice Hell.’ If Elena can control her power before that, we’ll knock out one major worry before the trials ahead.
But… what could it mean?
“Ominous and malevolent but simultaneously capable of communication.”
What kind of being was Elena envisioning to leave with such a confident expression toward the safari?
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