### Chapter 196 – Party Time – The Secret of the Second Floor (5) Fin
—
– Han Kain
“A Mysterious Craftsman”
Given the circumstances, it’s hard to believe that the title on this Lego and the name of the hidden NPC from the first-floor merchant, who also happens to be ‘A Mysterious Craftsman,’ is just a coincidence. Just as I was putting the pieces together, the Lego suddenly began to glow softly! At this point, there was no doubt that this Lego was the hidden NPC on the second floor.
But what do I do now? The Lego wasn’t exactly chatting me up, making it hard to gauge my next move.
I reached a simple conclusion. If we can’t go to the Lego, then we should just bring the Lego to us. Luckily, I noticed the top cover of the snow globe could be opened.
“Kim Minyoung, right? Sorry dude, but you’ve got so many Legos; you surely wouldn’t mind if I borrowed one?”
As I gently opened the top lid of the snow globe and dropped the Lego inside, it vanished as if it were being sucked into another dimension! The glow it emitted disappeared along with it! Witnessing such a supernatural event felt exhilarating. Yes! I hit the jackpot!
Finally, I felt a little relieved. Taking advantage of the open lid, I decided to make a little pathway to scale the mountains inside the snow globe using a small piece of paper folded like a bridge.
In a brief moment, I completed three tasks: the blizzard had stopped, a path was created for smooth mountain trekking, and I found the Mysterious Craftsman! I was pretty sure that was enough for now; it seemed like I could go back in.
I sealed the snow globe lid to keep Minyoung from questioning anything, then returned to my original body exactly as I left it.
—
“Ha ha! Did everyone see? Wow! I even found the hidden NPC Lego—”
“Get back out!”
“Huh?”
“Get out now! No time for chit-chat!”
Before I could even boast, my team erupted with commands to head back out! Looking at where they were pointing, I noticed a notification appeared in front of everyone, including myself.
—
Today’s Special Event: Han Kain’s Travels – Exploration of the Giant Country!
Will Han Kain be able to find all the hidden elements as he starts exploring the mysterious locales of the second floor?
1. Stop the blizzard with the snow globe! (O)
2. Find the Mysterious Craftsman! (O)
3. ? (In progress)
—
What the heck is this event about? It’s absurd enough that an event triggered out of the blue, but what’s even funnier is that I, the main character of “Han Kain’s Travels,” didn’t even know this notification popped up!
Could it be because the outside of the snow globe was away from the hotel? If that’s the case, what’s the point of hiding something in a place where no notification appears? Seriously?
With only 20 minutes until the day switched over, I couldn’t afford to waste time whining. I hurried back outside, repeating the earlier process while possessing Minyoung’s body, who was still looking confused.
There was still something hidden in this room.
I frantically tore apart the room, rummaging to find and check everything. I flipped every Lego out, tossed around the learning sheets, and shook the bag, but nothing that glowed like ‘the Mysterious Craftsman’ was found.
Next, I decided to try putting various small objects into the snow globe, hoping that the right one would disappear once inside. Even trying with a Yu-Gi-Oh card and Legos didn’t yield any special reactions. Plus, considering what I was doing could pose great danger to my teammates, I found myself pausing before every action.
There was still one hidden element remaining. Now I had only 10 minutes left.
After kicking aside Legos, learning sheets, and checking under the bed and backpack, there was nothing special around. What am I missing? Is there really a hidden safe in an ordinary child’s room? Where could it be?
I realized I was overlooking one place.
The snow globe housed the hotel and my companions. If I so much as nudged it, it could trigger a disaster akin to an earthquake! That fear made me hesitant to approach the snow globe.
In other words, the only space I hadn’t properly searched in this room was right next to the snow globe.
“If you can hear me, everyone, be careful!”
I carefully lifted the snow globe, scanning it with precision, but once again, nothing caught my eye. Wait a minute…
Maybe the hidden object is much smaller than I think. For us, it could seem tiny, but to the eyes of the kid’s body I’m possessing, it might not even register!
Should I return to my original body to look? No, there’s no time to sift through things when I’m the size of a pea!
An idea popped into my head.
Remember that phenomenon with the Lego from earlier? Didn’t it glow when I glanced at it? That’s gotta be a ‘hint’!
— Clack!
I turned off the light. Beneath the snow globe, a tiny shimmering light began to float in the air. Something so small it couldn’t be identified, drifting as weightlessly as a feather.
I didn’t even dare to touch it with my fingers since it was practically invisible. After cautiously moving the snow globe back to its initial spot, I blew gently at the glowing speck in my palm to land it softly on my hand. Finally, I carefully reopened the top of the snow globe and let the glowing thing fall inside. Just like the Lego, as soon as it entered, it disappeared!
“Ugh… is that it? Is it really over?”
With 3 minutes left. Having just been outside for the first time since entering the hotel, I felt a strange reluctance to leave. I hesitated as I glanced around.
What’s that familiar yet serene sight out there?
There was a pigeon outside. But could you really call something that was the size of an eagle, with razor-sharp beak teeth, just a ‘pigeon’?
It took my breath away, and I realized something was off. While this room felt like a typical child’s play area, the outside was a different story. The window was barred like a jail cell to prevent escape, and when that creepy pigeon peeked into the room, a robot looking like a CCTV camera zapped it away with a laser!
…
This is really strange. The security system of this mansion seems more bizarre than that pigeon. While I’ve had my share of monster encounters in the Curse Room, seeing iron bars and laser turrets in a normal home totally throws me off.
It feels like a perfectly normal home has adjusted to a world overflowing with monsters.
A world that feels like a “different phase” from the one I grew up in.
With countless questions swirling in my mind, I returned to my original body.
—
When I awakened inside the snow globe, I realized the impact of my previous actions. The things I hurriedly shoved in were like seismic waves, leaving several craters as if dozens of people had entered! At least the blizzard had finally stopped.
Feeling a bit nervous, I checked the recovery status window for my companions and thankfully found everyone alive, letting out a sigh of relief.
While I was in my protective suit, I wandered around and found Ahri, Grandpa, and Jinchul-kun sprawled out on the floor.
“Is everyone okay?”
“…”
“…”
“What gives? Time was ticking, so I just tried tossing anything I could find!”
“You even lifted the snow globe?”
“Yeah.”
“That was seriously bad… I always wondered what would happen if a giant shook the whole of Korea, and now I’ve experienced something quite similar!”
“When exactly are you referring to as ‘when you were young’?”
“Ugh!”
Just as a punch flew my way, I figured I wasn’t in serious danger after all. As I took a moment to catch my breath, my older brother returned from checking the barriers.
“Hey, Kain, did the date change?”
“Yep.”
“Hmm. Looks like we can’t go back outside. The barrier is completely unmovable right now; it doesn’t budge even for celestial power.”
“Well, I didn’t expect it to remain connected to the outside forever. If it did, we would have had a bigger problem. What if Coco gets cranky and drops the snow globe? That would be the end!”
“That’s true. So, what was that last thing you found?”
“Couldn’t even see what it was; it was too small. Did a notification pop up?”
“No notifications or anything. When you started messing with the snow globe, we were just too busy flailing around and watching things fly by to catch anything.”
“…”
“I don’t even know what I threw in there. More importantly, where did the Lego NPC and the glowing object I tossed go?”
Grandpa casually responded, unfazed.
“As long as you put them in, it should be fine. The hotel wouldn’t just snatch away what you found, so it’s probably somewhere. Maybe it went inside the hotel itself.”
“That could be possible.”
“For now, let’s head back. We’ve had a rough day, and I’m exhausted.”
The journey back was much easier. The makeshift paper bridge I’d made was way better to traverse than the compact ice wall earlier. Once we returned to Room 105, everyone looked like they were on the verge of passing out, and they quickly dozed off as if they were conjured away.
Thus, our long and challenging exploration of the second floor’s outer world came to an end.
—
…
—
…
—
— Thump!
“Wake up.”
“Who? Where? Am I in Room 105?”
As I opened my eyes groggily, I felt the immense gaze of a giant owl upon me.
“… Wasn’t I told it would be a while before we meet again?”
“Situations are always changing. Good job.”
“Huh?”
“You did well. Really well.”
“Uh…thanks? This sudden praise is kinda hard to process.”
“You must have found the third item with great difficulty! Compared to a few months ago, your reflexes have really improved.”
There’s no doubt that finding the third item felt almost impossible. That hidden location beneath the snow globe was ridiculous, and the crazier part was that it was so small, it was invisible to the outside world. I couldn’t move the snow globe with my original body, nor could I find it while being too small in Minyoung’s body. I only recognized it after extinguishing the light and seeing a faint glow.
Even now, I still can’t comprehend how they expected me to find it, feeling some sinister undertone.
But I found it!
—
… Wait, something feels off. The owl I haven’t seen in ages was trapped in a cage.
“You must think I look ridiculous right now. It’s nothing serious. But recall every word I’m about to say, and don’t miss a single one.”
I’ll respond regularly.
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