Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 42.

Just as Baek Mu-jin finished his call and reached for the Elevator.

“….”

The lights of the Rooftop Garden dimmed slowly.

The illuminations that had studded the space like stars sank uniformly into darkness.

Baek Mu-jin’s gaze, sweeping across the surroundings, fixed upon a single point. The elegantly adorned Outdoor Staircase—there alone, small lights still flickered and danced. From those gentle glimmers, he sensed something calling to him.

“….”

Baek Mu-jin did not refuse. He set foot upon the stairs, grasping the railing, descending one translucent glass step at a time.

Following the spiral descent, unhurried and deliberate.

‘…The scent of flowers.’

It was no mere fancy. Baek Mu-jin caught the unmistakable fragrance of blossoms. Neither the aroma drifting from the distant Rooftop Garden nor the artificial scent of the decorative flowers adorning the stairwell.

And….

‘Small footsteps.’

The laughter of young children.

“How innocent.”

A bright, tinkling laugh answers his murmur—guileless and hollow as a passing breeze.

At that, Baek Mu-jin paused midway down the staircase and gazed upon the Hotel’s wall.

“….”

That was as far as it went.
The scent and sound both vanished.

Baek Mu-jin, who had been gazing at the empty exterior wall for a moment, moved forward again.

The lights along the staircase I had passed simply flickered out. The small presences huddled together like sparrows, crouching in the darkness, extinguished along with those lights. The spirits that had been playing returned home.

“….”

Soon, a different scent and sound met Baek Mu-jin.

‘This staircase connects to the Aqua Park as well.’

The fishy smell of water brushed against my nostrils.
A deep, mournful cry.

‘It seems each section of the Hotel has its own distinct domain.’

The entrance to the Aqua Park on the 23rd Floor came into view.

I hesitated briefly about entering, but the staircase lights continued downward. This luminous path’s destination was not here. Baek Mu-jin descended further.

And when I reached the 22nd Floor, the Outdoor Staircase ended, and as I stepped into the Hotel’s interior….

“….”

All light ceased.

“Where….”

Who had called me?

Baek Mu-jin’s eyes moved indifferently as he surveyed the Guest Room Floor Corridor.

An Elevator appeared nearby. Though the button lights were extinguished, only a faint indicator showing the current floor remained distinctly illuminated.

’14th Floor.’

Baek Mu-jin stared at that number.

‘This Hotel has no floor with the number 4.’

It had been avoided since the design phase—or so the Young Goblin had explained.

‘It didn’t seem like a lie, but there was something being hidden… and indeed.’

The Elevator stubbornly insisted that I was on the 14th Floor.

‘The Dokkaebi and the Hotel have different opinions, it seems.’

The adjacent Elevator was the same.

’14th Floor.’

The one next to it, and the one after that—all of them displayed 14th Floor. A space that shouldn’t exist was shamelessly radiating light, as if to prove its own existence.

“….”

Baek Mu-jin stared at the sequence of numbers without any emotion.

“…This place deserves some praise.”

I was staying in quite an interesting place, wasn’t I?

There were few entities that responded to him with such blatant directness. Whether this was malice or a welcome remained unclear. Baek Mu-jin closed his eyes and focused on the sounds of reality flowing into his ears.

Beyond the glass panels, the sound of rain poured down as if consuming the view.

‘It’s not just the rain.’

Amid the rainfall, a faint friction sound—like wet cloth being dragged—mixed in. Baek Mu-jin pressed the Elevator button. A momentary noise brushed past, but he deliberately didn’t register it.

“…Hmm.”

The doors opened.

‘It’s operating.’

The air flowing from inside was unusually frigid. A damp humidity, as if soaked in rainwater, brushed against the tip of my nose. A smell both familiar and strange—briny and musty.

Baek Mu-jin gazed quietly into the Elevator’s dark interior.

‘For a young one’s prank, this air feels rather heavy.’

I had encountered this scent before in a mortuary. It was the odor of a corpse freshly pulled from water. As that thought reached me, I turned my body around.

‘Then this must be the Hotel’s greeting.’

I withdrew a silver Zippo lighter from my inner jacket pocket. With a crisp clink, the wavering flame straightened itself at once.

The small light illuminated what lay ahead. Wherever the glow touched, the doors lining both sides of the Corridor stood in perfect intervals. It was an obvious, utterly ordinary structure.

“….”

I took a single step forward.

The flame remained perfectly still, yet the shadows on the floor danced irregularly.

The Corridor was meticulously adorned for guests. Framed paintings that hinted at the manager’s refined taste, vases upon tables, elegant lighting. All of it revealed itself as shadow in the darkness.

‘How restless it all seems.’

As if everything were calling out that it was alive.

‘Are they all landscape paintings?’

The framed pictures hanging on the walls all depicted the same scenery. Each time the light grazed them, the trees within trembled faintly. As if caught by a spring breeze, they swayed and shed their leaves.

Such a Corridor,
caught my eye.

‘Yes.’

It was orderly.

“….”

Baek Mu-jin soon turned toward the Central Guest Staircase.

He peered over the railing into the darkness below. The staircase descended into an absolute blackness so complete that its bottom remained invisible. That endless abyss stirred a faint sense of unease within him.

‘A throat.’

A colossal throat masquerading as a staircase.

‘It’s consumed light and space itself, which means that must be….’

Several floors below, something pressed against the railing at an unnatural angle. The faint flicker of Baek Mu-jin’s lighter swept across it.

In that instant, the shape revealed itself.

‘A foot?’

What gleamed pale was a human foot.

‘Or rather, something that merely resembles one.’

Quite impressive. Its talent for mimicry was exceptional.

‘Is that all of it, or is the rest hidden from view?’

Pallid and smooth-textured, it gleamed distinctly under the firelight—like something that had been submerged in water for an eternity and swollen grotesquely. The sound of water he’d heard from within the Young Goblin’s lungs on the 23rd Floor echoed in his mind once more.

“A water spirit trapped in its obsession.”

A pitiable existence of its own choosing. Or perhaps merely a matter of taste. His curiosity about why it clung so stubbornly to the position of Hotel General Manager only deepened.

‘Impossible to fathom what goes through its mind.’

Baek Mu-jin heard the sound of water dripping like pearls. The stench of waterlogged decay was nauseating.

“….”

…Yes.

Perhaps that was it.

“Something profane.”

The small flame in his hand continued to emit its light.

As if it held no further value, he withdrew his gaze and moved forward with deliberate steps.

This time, his destination was the Emergency Stairwell. Here too, the lights remained on—the only illuminated path in this place. Baek Mu-jin extinguished the lighter’s flame and pushed his body through the doorway. The heavy iron door closed with a dull, weighty sound.

The acoustics became muffled.

“….”

Thud,
thud.

The sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

“….”

The lights in the corridor flickered intermittently.

Baek Mu-jin descended with an expressionless face, following the path downward. It would take some time to reach the 17th Floor. Perhaps more time than he had anticipated.

Above him, one floor up at the corner of the stairwell, a pale foot stood motionless in silence. The bloodless ankle simply remained there, without taking a single step.

Baek Mu-jin was aware of it.
But he did not look.

There was no reason to.

“….”

When he reached the 17th Floor, the corridor door opened silently.

A graceful movement.
Impeccably composed appearance, without a trace of disorder.
An unwavering smile.

“…Are you a Staff Member?”
“….”

It bowed silently, then guided the way with a fluid, elegant gesture. The movement was seamless and polished, yet utterly devoid of any human warmth.

“I’m having quite the entertaining experience today.”

A portion of the Labyrinth could only ever be a labyrinth. A Labyrinth that knew how to “interact” with humans held considerable value. A Labyrinth serving guests, a Hotel operated by a Dokkaebi—how fascinating.

“Truly entertaining.”

The gesture pointed toward Room 9, where I would be staying. It stood rigid as a mannequin, awaiting Baek Mu-jin’s command.

“….”
“Go.”

The Staff Member bowed respectfully as if offering thanks, then led the way. Its footsteps made no sound.

“Your sense of self appears remarkably faint.”

Baek Mu-jin spoke into the quiet corridor.

“Yet it’s far too refined to be called a mere malevolent spirit. If its identity were this unclear, it should have long since corrupted and crumbled. Is this too the influence of your second master?”
“….”
“Unexpectedly sentimental, aren’t you? Though I suppose all Dokkaebi are like that. Do you cherish even these faint traces simply because they resemble humans? Treating them as people, as your own staff, no less.”

Baek Mu-jin’s eyes narrowed.

“If that kind master were to abandon this nest… what would become of you?”

That was the moment.

“….”
“….”

The Staff Member’s face turned toward Baek Mu-jin. Its body continued forward, facing ahead, yet its head had twisted around at a grotesque angle, looking directly backward.

With a perfect smile.
A pristine face.

It smiles.

“….”

Am I loved?

“Whether it’s anger or simply a malfunction….”

It began softly, pitifully.

A noise that rippled like faint waves seeped through the empty Guest Rooms. Joyful laughter, voices in conversation, the clink of champagne glasses… overflowing with abundance.

It was as though some grand party were unfolding, yet Baek Mu-jin knew the truth. The Hotel held no such multitude of guests, and beyond those doors lay nothing but emptiness.

‘Heavy and suffocating, as though submerged in water.’

The noise seeping from walls, floor, and ceiling whispered endlessly to Baek Mu-jin, yet there was no way to comprehend the words uttered by vocal cords burst and swollen in water.

Baek Mu-jin spoke with measured courtesy.

“Are you displeased?”
“….”
“But you lack the dignity to maintain such displeasure.”
“….”
“A peculiar place indeed….”

He soon stood before Room 9.

“….”

The Staff Member had already vanished.

“Petty creature.”

The moment I stepped into the Guest Room, that cacophony of phantom sounds ceased.

* * *

By the way.

The 22nd Floor of this Hotel is not a Guest Room Floor.

Was it the Sky Lounge…?

* * *

“How long have you been working at this Hotel?”
“….”

At Baek Mu-jin’s sudden question, Lee Yeon-woo maintained an unwavering smile. It was the quintessential face of a service professional—inscrutable, revealing nothing beneath.

Yet even as I presented this facade, I was struggling.

‘…How am I supposed to answer this?’

If I included the time spent on resurrection, it came to roughly five years. If I factored in the gameplay hours as well, it exceeded thirty years. Either way, the answer diverged sharply from any reasonable standard.

As I tidied the Dining Area, I opened my mouth to speak.

“I would say it has been a considerable amount of time.”
“I suspect it’s been quite a while, though….”
“Indeed.”
“You don’t seem to show it, though.”
“….”

This was troubling.

It was humbling to admit, but the reality was undeniable. My understanding of the world was at the level of a newborn infant—at least in that mysterious realm Baek Mu-jin inhabited.

Yet I couldn’t simply reveal the truth either. Aside from system constraints, the fact that I’d been kidnapped to operate a horror simulation game was far too peculiar.

‘I have no desire to be abducted again and treated as an experimental subject.’

But should I remain completely silent?

‘What are the odds that a Guest with this much information would ever return to this Hotel?’

I finished my calculation.

“When I came to my senses, I found myself working as the Hotel General Manager here.”
“You?”
“Yes, that’s what happened.”
“Was this where your memories began?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“A fascinating riddle.”
“I’m glad it struck you that way.”
“There’s simply too much accumulated in this Hotel.”
“I see.”

Lee Yeon-woo knew little about Baek Mu-jin. All I had was the information that he was a Major Corporation magnate and the uncle of Director Lee Sun-hae. Yet in less than a day, I’d formed a rough estimate of what sort of man this elderly gentleman was.

‘He certainly has a poetic way with words.’

Probably a humanities scholar.

I would have preferred to conduct our conversation with straightforward facts and figures, but as someone engaged in social dealings, I had no intention of pressing logic upon an elderly guest. Thus there are truths to be spoken plainly, and truths to be softened.

Fortunately, Lee Yeon-woo had always excelled in Korean language. Reading between the lines posed no difficulty.

“I’ve done my utmost to manage the establishment, but I’m mortified that it struck you as charmingly antiquated despite my efforts. Might there have been any discomforts among the services I provided?”
= How much did you manage to see in such a short time, sir?

“There was a strong smell of water.”
= You’re keeping a Water Ghost here.

“A water smell, you say…. I have no excuse to offer. Since we’re currently in a trial operation phase, there are areas where maintenance falls short. It seems my negligence caused you discomfort during your movements.”
= When did you encounter our Water Ghost? I haven’t seen it in quite some time.

“Don’t worry about this old man—I found it personally quite intriguing.”
= You certainly live in a rather unsavory place yourself.

“….”
“….”

Lee Yeon-woo poured a pairing wine. Baek Mu-jin savored the aroma in his glass and gave a light nod of approval. Catching that fleeting moment with keen awareness, Lee Yeon-woo asked naturally.

“Does the aroma suit your taste?”
“Do you produce the wine here at the Hotel?”
“Yes, it’s our house wine—produced in small batches here to bring out flavors optimized for each dish.”
“Quite… excellent.”
“Would it be inappropriate to prepare a few bottles as souvenirs for your departure?”
“A welcome offer.”
“I’m delighted to hear you say so.”

Indeed, there was rarely an elderly gentleman with silver hair who couldn’t be swayed by a well-placed gift.

‘The older they are, the more susceptible they become to blatant flattery and deference.’

Fortunately, my social acumen hadn’t rusted away. Given how readily he played along, I suspected he wouldn’t make any particular trouble for the Hotel. At the very least, he wouldn’t press the matter.

‘For someone in my position—uncertain of my own identity—this is the best possible outcome.’

Uncertain of which world he truly inhabited, Baek Mu-jin had chosen benevolent indifference, using a few bottles of wine as his excuse. As Lee Yeon-woo, I couldn’t have asked for more.

“You there.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Won’t you join me for a meal?”
“If it wouldn’t inconvenience you, I’d be delighted to keep you company.”
“Good. The staff here are all rather taciturn.”
“They’re cold-hearted companions who show me no warmth either, I’m afraid.”
“My, that must be lonely.”
“But none listen to my words as attentively as they do.”

Lee Yeon-woo took a seat across from him. But I made no move to touch the food provided. Baek Mu-jin, as if he’d expected as much, tasted a single bite of his own meal before speaking.

“There’s quite a strong scent of blood in this place of rest.”
“I apologize, but it’s a trace I find difficult to completely erase within my capacity.”
“No, you’re doing quite well at concealing it.”

His gray gaze settled upon my face.

[Will you permit existence detection?]
[Yes/No]

“….”

[No.]

“I’ve been discourteous.”
“Discourteous? I don’t see it that way.”
“I should have apologized yesterday. This old man got so caught up admiring the Hotel that I ended up being rude. I apologize again.”
“Please think nothing of it. I regard it as a guest’s natural and justified curiosity.”
“I was simply curious about how things worked here.”

Baek Mu-jin took a sip of wine. Just like yesterday with the tea, he seemed to be someone who enjoyed drinking.

‘Does he not care for eating?’

If that were true, I thought, there might be a strange kinship between us.

“The scent of blood came from you as well.”
“I’m embarrassed that my poor condition was so apparent to you.”
“Tell me—do you truly believe this Hotel could be a place of rest for people? Did you long so earnestly for humans, hoping that someone would visit this place?”
“I’m not so arrogant or tactless as all that.”
“Then why go to such lengths?”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“How many times have you died here?”
“….”

How many times, he asked.

“…I’ve never counted.”

Given the nature of the game, I died as naturally as breathing.

Over the past five years, and even in the data from years of play before that, death was mundane. The man seemed to understand this Hotel through some form of record. This wasn’t territory I could answer carelessly.

Baek Mu-jin nodded as if he already knew the answer.

“The history accumulated in this place runs far deeper than what appears on the surface. It means the axis of time flowing within the Hotel differs from reality. Isn’t that so?”

Well, if in-game time matched real time exactly, I wondered what kind of game it would even be.

“But from what I can see, that body appears to be around nineteen years old….”

Thanks to his observation, I finally confirmed what I’d only vaguely suspected—my biological age. It seemed the starting age from when the game began had remained unchanged. Was there anything to be grateful for in this situation?

“This old man speaks with gratitude for having saved his worthless nephew. Whether you live as human, you shall be human; whether you live as beast, you shall be beast; whether you live as spirit, you shall be spirit.”
“….”
“So please, live as your heart desires.”
“…Thank you for the advice.”

And Lee Yeon-woo thought to himself.

‘If I say I’ll live as a person, will my lost humanity return?’

That was certainly the curious part. No matter how I looked at it, it seemed to have been gone for quite some time.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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