Escaping the Mystery Hotel

Chapter 131: Room 107 - The Gate Room, The Fourth Trial (22)

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 46

Current Location: Floor 1, Room 107 (Gate Room)

Sage's Advice: 1

- Han Kain

Despite the reappearance of his legs, Harrison still couldn’t stand up straight.

We supported his body as we ascended to the first floor.

I had anticipated a potential fight upon exiting the "Restricted Access" door, but there was no one around.

As I looked around warily, Harrison chuckled.

“No need to tense at this hour. Can’t you hear the music? The party has started. Those who made a contract with Marcas must always offer both a feast and sacrifice.”

“I was just being cautious…”

We brought him back to our room and let him rest while we stepped out.

As soon as we exited, Ahri spoke, “Do you trust him?”

“Harrison himself? Or his plan to sink the ship?”

“Both.”

“I don’t trust him at all, but I do trust his plan a bit.”

“A bit? The moment I heard it, it sounded strange. Besides, if the ship sinks, we’ll die too.”

“Let me explain my reasoning. Ultimately, I think the solution for the Esper Ho is to turn the clock hand in the colosseum to 3. The reactions of the enemies when the hand moved to 1 and the consistent mention of the ‘Clock of Contracts’ in the Scenario suggests its importance.”

“I agree that the clock played a significant role in all of this.”

“According to the notes in the Status Window, the clock hand moved to 1 when the enemies were annihilated and time reversed. I guessed that the meaning of the clock hand might be the ‘number of time reversals’.”

“So you think the clock hand will move again if the ship faces a sinking crisis?”

“Yes. If the ship just sinks and we all drown at sea, that’s a serious problem. But if the ship is about to sink, there’s a high chance time will reverse again, and the hand will move one step further.”

My current solution is simple.

Try to turn the colosseum clock to 3.

When the enemies were annihilated, the hand moved from 0 to 1, and time reversed.

If we sink the ship, the hand might move again, and time will reverse.

Therefore, we don’t need to worry about drowning after the ship sinks.

After hearing my explanation, Ahri thought for a moment and then spoke.

“I’ve been thinking of another possible solution…”

I immediately responded.

“Let’s leave that as a last resort.”

“You know what I’m talking about?”

“I do. I also thought of it when the Vice Captain explained his story to us. It’s obvious.”

I pointed at Ahri and then mimicked the neck slicing with my hand.

Ahri smiled wryly at the gesture.

“Alright. It’s plan Z, our last resort. If it fails, I’ll surely die.”

Finally, Songee, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“What are you two talking about? What’s the last resort?”

We laughed lightly and moved towards the party hall where Elena would be.

When we arrived at the party hall, I realized I had been wrong.

Elena was in serious danger.

***- Han Kain

As we entered the party hall, a man in a strange outfit at the center of the room spoke gleefully.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The other stars of the party have arrived! Please welcome them with a round of applause.”

- Clap Clap Clap!

Thunderous applause and menacing gazes pierced us.

There was a strange pillar at the center of the party hall, and Elena was tied to it.

She hung there with her head bowed.

“Unni!”

As Songee screamed in shock, Ahri pulled her back.

“Calm down. She’s still alive. I thought they wouldn’t harm her during the party, but tying her to a pillar seems acceptable.”

“There was also a note saying they’d pull out guns if we tried to crash the party. It seems they can respond if we cross the line. Elena definitely crossed the line by setting the party hall on fire.”

We got caught.

The “make a noise in the East, then strike in the West” tactic had its limits.

It was too difficult to avoid detection while setting the party hall on fire and infiltrating the ship’s prison.

Paradoxically, this made one thing clear.

Despite them knowing our course of action, they couldn’t immediately attack us. They only glared at us as some of them started to play music or dance.

The party was not just for fun but a crucial part of their ritual!

Soon, people in the party hall gathered around us.

With gentle classical orchestra music playing, the party attendees danced around us.

In this situation where everyone knew everything, Ahri smiled and spoke.

“Once the party ends, they’ll come at us. They look like they want to tear us limb from limb.”

One of the enemies grinned widely and responded.

“Oh my, we’re not barbarians. People taste better when cooked.”

I looked up at the ceiling.

Elena had set the place on fire quite well; the party hall was not in normal condition.

There were burn marks everywhere.

Is Elena okay?

From a distance, she didn’t seem to have suffered too much.

I saw Ahri gripping her gun tensely.

A meaningless gesture.

There were dozens of people in this hall with guns at their waists; we wouldn’t stand a chance in a shootout.

Of course, we didn’t just come in here solely relying on a single gun.

Perro, who was posing as a docile parrot on Songee’s shoulder, hopped off.

In an instant, a Grotesque figure appeared before everything in the hall.

The people who had been mocking us as they danced stopped in shock at the sight.

- Screech!

A horrifying scream filled the area!

***-Han Kain

A howl that drove people to madness erupted, plunging the party hall into chaos.

This was the power Perro used on the first night he was born at the hotel.

We, who had anticipated this and prepared in advance, quickly regained our senses by blocking our ears or using the filter, but the people exposed to Perro’s howl without any preparation went berserk and started biting each other.

The power seems to have grown stronger.

Has he gotten stronger?

“Everyone, get out! I’ll join you with Perro and Elena,” Songee shouted urgently.

Ahri and I ran out of the party hall.

Where should we go now?

Should we regroup with Harrison?

As we ran frantically towards the cabin, Elena and Songee caught up with us by riding Perro.

Elena was still unconscious.

“What’s this? Is he carrying people now?” Ahri said in disbelief.

“Just run! They’re coming after us!”

- Bang! Bang!

After the words left her mouth, shots rang out from behind us!

The party seemed to have ended, and they could now attack.

We ducked behind walls and obstacles, and Ahri returned fire a few times.

Then something strange happened on the ship.

- Clang!

A tremendous sound echoed throughout the ship!

What is this sound?

What’s happening?

Amid the confusion, the staff and passengers who were shooting at us started screaming.

“Ahhh!”

“You bastards! I’ll carve you up alive—”

I realized it as I heard the wonderful screams of both the staff and the passengers.

The clock hand moved again!

Ahri spoke immediately, “What’s going on? It’s not like the enemies were wiped out, but the clock suddenly—”

“…”

With a flash of insight, a realization struck me.

The meaning of the clock.

The reason the hand moved.

At the same time, Ahri’s eyes widened from the same realization.

Plan Z is possible!

The ship began to shake again.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the people chasing us stuck to the ship as if they were magnetized.

As we stood there in shock, an announcement echoed throughout the ship.

[Ahem. I’m thrilled to use this again. Everyone, come to me.]

Although Harrison’s message didn’t specify where to go, we already had an idea.

Perro carried Elena on his back, and the rest of us ran.

The staff and passengers stuck to the ship cursed us with voices full of hatred.

***- Han Kain

- Click!

We opened the door to the captain’s cabin.

...I expected something ominous, but the sight in the captain’s cabin exceeded my expectations.

Harrison had long lost any semblance of humanity.

While Songee and I struggled to stifle our nausea, Ahri calmly walked forward.

“Wow~ This is amazing. Your head’s stuck to the ceiling, your hands are steering the ship, but your legs seem to be missing? Did you become one with the ship?”

“I’m glad you find it impressive. You have an eye for aesthetics, Miss.”

“I have a knack for modern art. The more bizarre, the more artistic the art is. So why did you call us, ‘Captain’ Harrison?”

Harrison let out a scratchy laugh before replying, “You figured out I’m the captain?”

“I figured it out from this mess. You’re the demon-worshiping captain. How did you end up in the prison?”

“These fools lacked courage. Becoming one with this immortal ship is the true path to immortality.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing the grotesque form of the demon-worshiping captain who had fused with the ship, I understood why the staff mutinied and imprisoned him.

“Is sinking the ship just nonsense then?”

“Sinking? Are you mad? This 120,000-ton Esper Ho is the finest vessel. What an absurd thing to say!”

“That’s unfortunate. We still think sinking the ship is a good idea. In fact, we still plan to try it.”

“I understand your intentions. Let’s discuss that part later, shall we?”

The nausea was starting to subside.

My tolerance must have improved.

“So, why did you call us here?”

“Nothing much. I propose that we join forces for the big picture.”

“...”

“I’ve temporarily subdued the staff and passengers, but it won’t last long. Those bastards have also learned some of the ship’s arcane secrets over the decades. Soon, they’ll come to kill you and imprison me again. Frankly, I can’t handle them alone.”

Songee spoke up.

“Honestly, you don’t look like you’re in any position to propose an alliance, do you?”

“What’s wrong with how I look?”

“...I’d bet my entire fortune that the moment we subdue the staff and passengers, you’ll try to kill us.”

“Haha! As if you people didn’t plan to kill me after you dealt with them?”

That made me laugh.

I couldn’t help but respond.

“Of course, we’re going to kill you! You bastard.”

“Oh, young man, such harsh words. My point is simple. Let’s set our conflict aside for now and join forces against the ones about to attack us. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’? Listen… I can hear their footsteps approaching.”

Now we could feel the vibrations.

The sound of a huge number of people running toward us.

Behind us was a demon-worshiper guaranteed to betray us, and in front were fiends eager to devour us alive.

Tonight’s going to be quite the ordeal.

The final night on the Esper Ho had begun.