### Chapter 191 – Prayer for the Maze (10) Fin
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[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 94
Current Location: Ice Hell – Room of Revival
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
When I came to my senses, I found myself standing in the bone-chilling snowfield—something I’ve experienced multiple times but still can’t get used to. The hell of all participants is said to be different from the Curse Room, but the part where the space collapses and sends us outside is just the same.
As soon as we got out, the first thing we spotted was Jinchul-hyung kneeling in the field.
“Hyung! You were waiting—no, what happened to you?”
I’ve never seen Jinchul-hyung looking so ‘thin’ since entering the hotel!
I knew people praying outside were having a tough time, but Jinchul’s appearance was like he lost more than 10 kg! At this point, it’s hard to imagine what he went through.
“Finally! You made it out! I swear, if you were even a minute later, I would’ve fainted!”
“What on earth happened here? Where did everyone else go?”
“They all headed to Room 105 to rest.”
“Really? Room 105? Didn’t that place go to hell on the first floor when we set off for Ice Hell?”
Jinchul-hyung managed a wry smile, and Grandpa chimed in.
“Used the reward from Room 106, the Rest Ticket.”
“I had no choice. Everyone was extremely tired from the harsh cold after being exposed for so long. I was seriously worried they’d end up freezing to death.”
“Good use of it. It’s just a disposable item anyway. It was made for moments like this when a crisis strikes.”
After listening to Jinchul-hyung’s explanation, everyone understood the situation.
“I didn’t know the Scented Candle of Rest was so dangerous.”
“What’s wrong with this hotel that even a simple candle can be so deadly?”
“Did you bring everyone over after using the Rest Ticket?”
Jinchul-hyung chuckled lightly.
“I transported Seungyub, Songee, and Elena. No idea about your sister. She probably went on her own. And… honestly, I’m really struggling now.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Grandpa replied.
“I was wondering what was going on with your body. Maybe you should head to Room 105 now? Looks like you’ve done everything you needed to here. Guide! Do we have more to do?”
The guide, who had been floating around, answered immediately.
“No, you just need to hear the announcements.”
“Just go rest already. We can listen to the announcements and relay them to you.”
“Then I’ll take my leave. Oh, and Kain?”
“Yes?”
“What’s that on your waist? I don’t remember it being there when you entered. Just thought I’d mention it.”
With those words, Jinchul-hyung trudged off.
“Waist? What on earth…?”
Ahri snickered.
“Merry Christmas~! Seems like the chain-sawing Santa really liked you, Kain. Even at the last moment, he gave you a present!”
Grandpa sighed deeply.
“Just throw it away. You look like a deranged monster.”
What was attached to my waist was a stuffed doll that looked just like me. Honestly, it was creepy to see right away. I couldn’t tell if the doll itself was creepy or if the one who gave it was even creepier.
After Jinchul-hyung disappeared, only those still confronting the Ice Hell remained amidst the biting cold and the cutting winds.
“Didn’t we hear in the scenario upon entering that ‘the suffering of the dead in hell accounts for the cold’?”
“Exactly.”
“Then why is it still so cold? Shouldn’t the cold have vanished?”
“Good question! Let me explain! Participants! Great job! You have successfully halted the suffering of one of the spirits in hell!”
Once I heard that confirmation, everyone’s gaze shifted back to the statue that had been trapped in the maze. Although the maze still slept encased in ice, it no longer emitted the distressed moans of the other statues. It simply… wore a peaceful expression as if it were enjoying a pleasant dream.
Ahri didn’t show much reaction, but her expression revealed a huge sigh of relief. I felt a spark of joy, realizing we had achieved something substantial.
“The spirits gained hope thanks to your good deeds, and the chill of hell can no longer threaten the hotel. The first floor is already free from the freezing cold. The second floor will be repaired tomorrow.”
“Seems like this Ice Hell, or rather, the Room of Revival, is still going to be cold? I suppose it’s not something we’ll visit regularly anyway.”
“Exactly. The chill on the first and second floors was because the cold from hell crashed into the hotel, not due to the place being inherently cold. On the other hand, Ice Hell is a location that’s normal to be cold regardless of the hotel repairs.”
The fact that the Room of Revival would remain cold isn’t a big issue. It’s not like we’ll casually be visiting this place. Finally, the prolonged freezing crisis of the hotel had come to an end! Feeling proud, we smiled at each other.
“Remember I explained about prayer and revival a few days ago? Just to clarify, prayer and revival are separate. Prayer is merely a procedure to end all participants’ suffering and restore warmth to the hotel. If you want revival, you need to use the ticket. Will you use it?”
A brief silence lingered. Grandpa and I awkwardly glanced at Ahri, who simply laughed.
“What are you looking at? Reviving via a ticket should be agreed upon by everyone. Remember how we once tried to revive a doctor?”
“We did say we’d talk again after finding the Room of Revival. Didn’t expect to locate it so quickly, though.”
“Anyway, I don’t plan on using it right now. We still haven’t found a way to bring Maze back to her senses, right? I have a hunch about the place where we might find a method.”
Phew. The thought of deciding to use the ticket amongst just the three of us seemed too precious. There’s no way we could make such a significant choice without discussing it with those resting in Room 105.
So, to restore Maze’s mind… Based on the meaningful conversations earlier, the answer relating to Maze’s issues likely lies in the ‘Room of Mirrors.’ Of course, visiting it would confirm that.
The guide continued to speak.
“Also, the Room of Revival is one of the ‘secret rooms’ in the hotel. In other words, it’s not a room you can just stroll into at any time; it’ll only open during Party Time.”
Ahri replied with ease.
“Well, we already used the 3-day Rest Ticket. Given that this includes today, we’ll have 2 days for Party Time tomorrow and the day after.”
“If you plan to use the ticket, consult others and let’s come back tomorrow or the day after.”
In the end, it looks like the 3-day Rest Ticket was used wisely. It gave us time to rest and discuss whom to ultimately revive.
And so, the business in Ice Hell came to a close.
—
Feeling relieved that it’s all over and since we used the Rest Ticket, I suggested we take a long, leisurely break as we began to exit Ice Hell.
But then, an anomaly occurred.
[Advice: 3 -> 0]
[What could be the reason for the different repair timings of the first and second floors?]
?
“Uh? Hey, everyone, hold on a second!”
“What? Kain, did something strange happen?”
“The advice just activated.”
“What did you ask about?”
“I didn’t ask! Just like back in the Gate Room, suddenly all the remaining chances disappeared while a question popped up!”
Grandpa sighed heavily.
“Seems like something’s happening again. So, what’s the content?”
“It’s asking, ‘What could be the reason for the different repair timings of the first and second floors?’”
“What’s that supposed to mean—”
— Woooooo!
The moment I explained the advice to my companions, a strange sound came from the drone hovering across from us. The propellers keeping the drone afloat started vibrating intensely, and I heard a voice speaking in a different tone than before.
“Ha ha! ‘Wisdom’. This isn’t quite right. The participants hadn’t noticed at all, and you just directly revealed it; isn’t that crossing the line?”
If we hadn’t realized that something was off at this point, it would mean all the time spent in the hotel was for nothing. It’s high time we started acting with awareness.
Amidst the information delivered from the drone, there was indeed a ‘hint’, and as we were about to leave without noticing it, the Owl went ahead and provided a piece of advice!
So, we all immediately halted to ponder the meaning contained in the advice, “the repair timing of the first and second floors.”
Ahri muttered, seemingly sensing something.
“It sounds peculiar when you think about it. Is it really necessary for the two floors to have different repair times?”
Grandpa responded.
“I didn’t think it was odd. The source of the cold is the Ice Hell, and isn’t Ice Hell on the second floor? Given it’s closer to the source of the cold, it seemed totally natural for it to take longer to repair…”
Hearing that made me realize the unease.
“This isn’t a place where ‘common sense’ like a real building applies, is it? It’s not a place where workers come and hammer away to fix things. A being like some invisible fairy could fix everything with just a snap of its fingers in one second!”
“No need for repair timing to be different?”
“Exactly! Come to think of it, although we’ve wrecked things in the hotel multiple times, it’s never been the case that one place got repaired while another stayed broken.”
Pioneer Hotel. If the so-called ‘special event’ in this bizarre place has ended, then it wouldn’t be strange for the damaged facilities to be repaired on the spot. So what reason would there be for only the first floor to get fixed while the second is left untouched? My mind was racing, trying to find an answer when—
The drone intervened.
“You guys might take quite a while to realize this for yourselves.”
“… I’ve noticed that your manner of speaking has changed since before.”
If the guide until now sounded just like a simple AI drone, right now, it felt like it was relaying the voice of ‘someone’ directly.
“Let’s say I’m the administrator of this place. In fact, I was just pondering whether to erase the memories of your previous encounters with the Owl until just a moment ago.”
“…”
“But… well. It seems like the Owl crossing the line to directly inform you, given you hadn’t realized at all, means I’ve valued investing in you. Proving your worth to the patron and earning their favor is part of your talent, no?”
The Owl likes me? That’s hard to believe!
… Oddly enough, memories of resenting the Owl began to surface. I was suddenly struck by the idea that I might need to kneel and apologize.
“Rather than getting lost in thought, head to the second floor. Look around and think about what it means for the second floor to be repaired later.”
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