### Chapter 394 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (10)
—
– Han Kain
As I flew back to the hotel, the first thing waiting to greet me wasn’t my comrades.
A dark, gooey blob shot through the air from afar.
“What in the world is that?” I muttered to myself, and when I took a look around the hotel, words escaped me.
“This can’t be happening!”
The monstrous sight before me was clearly not a ‘hotel.’
I had seen similar structures back in Room 203, way after humanity’s civilization crumbled into dust.
Concrete blocks half in ruin were thickly coated in some unidentified plant life, and a giant flower on top was ‘looking’ at me, bombarding me with blobs of goo like artillery.
“Ugh…”
Luckily, Apollyon wasn’t too strong, so I still had a bit of power left from my descent.
I intercepted the flower’s attack from a distance before kicking open the hotel’s main entrance—
“What the hell is this?!”
As soon as I opened the door, a mass of red flesh rolled right toward me.
Not wanting to destroy the hotel even further, I had to restrain my strength to flick the flesh aside.
The chaos inside was beyond description.
There was a giant black humanoid tearing off the ceiling, roots from vine monsters flailing everywhere, and a mass of flesh trying to roll back into position.
Ghosts were flying about like their chill party had just begun.
“…”
At this point, I was completely speechless.
*
After wandering around the first floor, I figured out the source of the problem.
There were fissures in space endlessly spewing forth monsters.
These cracks were some sort of non-physical entity, so I had no means to destroy them.
Fortunately, according to the status window’s ‘comrade location info,’ there were no casualties, and everyone was on the second floor.
Ultimately, what was left of my power was all used up moving to the elevator.
Once I entered the elevator and found a moment of calm, Pero, who had been wedged in my clothes since my descent, peered out with a curious expression.
He’d taken quite a dislike to me over time, and I couldn’t blame him; I had plenty of reasons for him to dislike me.
But in situations as dangerous as now, he clung to me without making a sound.
“Surely, our Pero is pretty clever.”
Pero didn’t seem to hear my compliment, and as soon as the elevator hit the second floor, he darted out like a bolt of lightning.
“Did you really hate me that much…?”
I understood.
— Flap!
In a flash, the parrot darted back to me before taking a breath.
“…”
It wasn’t suddenly warming up to me, right? I took a look at the chaos on the second floor; it was just as bad.
“Window! Block the windows!”
“Something’s coming in through the main entrance!”
“G-Grandpa! Up there!”
“Whoa! Where are these bastards coming from?!”
My long-lost comrades didn’t even spare me a glance when I walked out of the elevator; they all had their hands full with the flood of ghosts and monsters.
Ultimately, instead of a warm welcome, I had to silently report my return with a glare before jumping into the fray.
*
After about 30 minutes of solid fighting, we finally managed to clear things up enough to talk.
“The second floor is relatively okay?” I asked.
“That’s right! You came through the front, didn’t you, Kain? How was it down there?”
“… It was practically a wasteland. Like a breeding ground for monsters?”
“Yeah, that place isn’t even a hotel anymore; it’s barely a building now. The basement isn’t much better; the second floor is all we’ve got left.”
“The elevator was still functional— wouldn’t it have been safer to hold up there?”
“I wanted to at first, but the elevator suddenly tried to take us to some ‘strange place.’”
“…”
On the second floor, the cracks where monsters appeared didn’t exist inside the hotel, only in the external snowy regions.
Also, there was a long enough gap between monster appearances that we all had some breathing space.
“We should be at peace for a good three or four hours. Everyone take a breather!”
Unprompted, both Miro and Elena were already leaning against the wall, eyes closed.
There was a clear reason the second floor was manageable.
“I made a wish on the second floor.”
The disappointed look on Eunsol’s face provided my answer.
In a trance, I had made a super powerful wish while she was on the second floor.
Grandpa and Ari, who still had some energy left, filled me in on the details.
For starters, I learned the name of the bizarre event happening at the hotel.
“‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ huh?”
“That’s what the display on the second floor said. Though it was blown to bits now.”
“And the event ends with the party time….”
“Didn’t those hotel jerks take ages to explain? They said it’s a fun event, enjoy this happy time!”
“…”
Ari sighed dramatically as he explained.
“It’s not really fun. But it’s not a harmful event for us. That’s why they started it even during party time.”
We began to list our individual gains one by one.
Jinchul had met the apparition of ‘Arima’ and received a peculiar offer, while Seungyub had ended up consulting with him.
“You heard from the Owl a few days ago that there’s a special way to trap witches in a soul-bound jar? Turns out, the witch figured it out herself.”
“What’s that about?”
“Arima sees herself as a sort of computer virus, and according to that analogy, the soul jar is a tool for housing computers. So, it couldn’t contain the virus itself; it’s more like storing mental data instead of the soul.”
Upon hearing the analogy, the answer sprang to my mind.
“Then we just need to store a virus-infected computer!”
“She said she’d take the body of one of the NPCs from the Curse Room for herself. We can just trap that NPC.”
Since Grandpa, Seungyub, and Songyi hadn’t been drinking, they hadn’t been caught up in the event.
On the flip side, Eunsol had snagged an intriguing reward this time too.
“The ‘Mystic Artisan’s’ enhancement event?”
“I was curious about that. Is that artisan of his role only making Wing Boots? I figured that didn’t cover it. Turns out he could control with greedy hands.”
From there, Eunsol stepped in for clarification.
“I always felt a bit let down. I had tons of various tools, but they always felt somewhat vague? They’re all exceptional magical tools, but something seemed off. I realized at some point it was because the wish’s ‘output’ was lacking.”
This was easy to understand.
“So I should be wishing like I did just now. Not caring about my comrades’ troubles and wishing away that weakling or whatever.”
“… not quite wishing anyone dead; let’s say it was closer to being self-centered.”
“So, you wished to enhance existing tools?”
“Yup!”
Then, the Mystic Artisan suddenly walked over and snatched Eunsol’s tools.
“He took the Transparent Badge, Butterfly Brooch, and Chef’s Hat. He didn’t take the eyes because technically they weren’t mine; they were borrowed and deemed unenhanceable.”
“So, he didn’t enhance them?”
“Not yet.”
“What? Why not give them to you now when there are so many monsters around—”
“Good point, but I wanna check one thing first. You should go visit the Mystic Artisan too. You’ve gathered all the Wing Boots materials now.”
Wing Boots.
The escape tool that had been hinted at since the first day in the hotel— magical shoes that let you fly.
Back then, just thinking about the Wing Boots made my heart race.
Looking back now, the urgency has faded.
After all, I had flown out without any tool that got me into such a situation to begin with.
When I took a look outside, I realized the escape through the Wing Boots was not the ‘true escape.’
Of course, the Wing Boots were still useful for navigating within the hotel.
“Hello, participants! Hope you’re having a good time at Hotel Pioneer—”
No matter how many times I heard it, the explanation was still lengthy.
“— press 1.”
I pressed 1.
“The shoes that let you fly, or the Wing Boots! A communal item that can be used by all participants once acquired. Wear them and you’ll be able to fly, and with enough training, you can escape the hotel through the main entrance.”
I already knew this.
“All materials required for production are now secured. If you wish to proceed with the crafting request, please press 1.”
Suddenly, I thought, why shouldn’t they just stick to pressing 1? Why bother with a keypad?
— Beep!
In an instant, the Mystic Artisan buzzed and vibrated, manifesting three materials in the air.
A small notice appeared beneath the materials with descriptions.
A warrior fur that can withstand the power of thunder (Cha Jinchul, obtained from Hotel Cinema, Room 204).
The eye of one who gazes over all things from a peak (Lee Eunsol, obtained from New Beginning, Room 203).
The feathers of a bird soaring through a tempest (Han Kain, obtained from the external sky of the first floor).
“I’ll proceed with crafting the Wing Boots. The finished product will be delivered tomorrow.”
With this, the Mystic Artisan fell silent.
“Tomorrow?”
Was there really a need for it to be tomorrow?
I was disappointed because I hadn’t properly rested, and today marked the last day of party time.
If I got it today, I might have a chance to use it for even a day.
If it’s given tomorrow, I’d have to head straight into the Curse Room without even a chance to practice.
At that moment, Eunsol sighed.
“Just like before. He took my tools and is saying he’d give them back tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?”
Ari chimed in from behind with the answer.
“Because it won’t disappear that way.”
“…”
Hearing those words, I finally realized.
I had faintly felt it outside, and upon returning to the hotel and hearing my comrades’ explanations, I became sure of it.
Everything that had happened over the last week, all the chaos during A Midsummer Night’s Dream would reset when the event ended.
The time consumed in the Midnight Maze, the wrecked state of the hotel, and my count of descents would all recover.
Likewise, if the enhanced tools or the Wing Boots would be given now, they’d be gone when the event ended.
“So they’re saying they’ll give it after the event concludes, huh?”
“I guess it’s a form of consideration.”
If they were trying to mess with us, they’d just have given it now and then wiped them away right after the event ended.
Being considerate didn’t exactly seem like a hotel thing to do.
“…”
Upon hearing the word ‘reset,’ I involuntarily turned back to check on Elena and Miro.
The two hadn’t even looked my way after I returned.
It felt incredibly awkward.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be like some obliviously dull character from a comic; it’d be a lie to say they were completely oblivious.
Miro could be airheaded at times, but Elena certainly knew.
Yet, keeping things bottled up inside isn’t the same as expressing them aloud.
I’d really like for my memories to be wiped clean once the event’s over.
“Ahem!”
At that moment, Ari cleared her throat, drawing attention.
“Now that it seems everyone has an understanding of what they’ve gained, right?”
Jinchul and Seungyub had received considerations or rewards related to Arima.
Eunsol was set to get a powerful tool.
Grandpa and Songyi were unrelated to the event, but they’d received blessings for enhancements.
Elena and Miro could just be considered to have relieved their burdens.
I’d also settled my curiosity about the outside and figured out the true cost of my descent. So I definitely had gains, too.
As always, it felt like I walked away with a lot during this party time.
“Ari, what did you get?”
“… My curiosity is resolved?”
Well, it was good to know that she had gained something too.
Only one person remained.
He still hadn’t returned.
“Where the hell is the doctor?”
At my words, my colleagues’ faces all turned dark.
“Did he not find a way back? Aww… If I’d known he’d be stuck, I’d have gone back to get him!”
Would they have sent someone to retrieve him instead if I’d asked Manager Park?
Just then, Grandpa muttered gloomily.
“The doctor’s situation is different from yours, Kain.”
“Huh?”
“Remember our talk back when we first escaped the Mansion of Horror?”
“Not really, it was a long time ago.”
“He said they’d give you an ‘entry ticket’ when you successfully escape from the hotel.”
“Oh, I remember! It’s only usable by the escapee themselves—”
As I spoke, I faltered. I hadn’t gotten a thing like that.
“What!? Why didn’t I get one? If I did, it wouldn’t be hell for me!”
Ari explained immediately.
“It’s because you didn’t use an escape tool.”
“Huh?”
“The protective suit, the Wing Boots. If you used them to exit through that route, they transform into an entry ticket as soon as they leave.”
“… That means…”
“Unlike you, Sanghyun left while wearing the protective suit. So, he’s got an entry ticket.”
“…”
The surroundings fell silent.
The doctor, unlike me, had an entry ticket allowing him to return at any time, yet he still hadn’t returned.
Shadows of concern danced across everyone’s faces as they imagined grim scenarios.
The doctor was someone with an immense yearning for escape, likely way stronger than all of us.
Then, Grandpa abruptly declared.
“He’ll be back soon.”
“…”
“He outright said, ‘I’m just going to take a few days off.’ He said hotels should have a vacation too.”
“…”
“He probably doesn’t even know the hotel’s in utter chaos. It was before Eunsol used the hands of greed. So, he’s probably just enjoying himself, thinking we’re all having a ball.”
Was Grandpa’s faith correct?
It was hard to tell.
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