Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 79

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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 79.

“….”
“…Hello?”

Lee Yeon-woo’s body, which had been leaning against the iron door, began to tremble slightly.

“…Ah….”

He lifted his head, scanning the countless monitors before him. And between them, he glimpsed something—a mass covered in mechanical wiring and biological matter with pulsating veins.

His vision was blurred, making it difficult to see clearly, but something like that surely existed beyond his sight.

“…Ugh,”

Thud—
Blood spilled forth in a torrent.

“Cough, gag.”

The terrible pain that now rushed through me bent my broad shoulders in defeat. My large hands pressed against the floor to support my collapsing frame, veins bulging across their backs as if they might burst.

It was a sensation I had endured countless times before, but today it was far worse.

‘Then again, my body gets dizzy just standing up from sitting.’

In this condition, I had engaged in multiple pursuits that the Game itself had never defined. Half character, half human—I was beginning to understand how deeply this hybrid nature affected me. Once everything was over, I might come down with a terrible illness.

For a moment, I entertained such trivial thoughts.

“Ah….”

I was utterly sick of it.

‘In this pathetic state, I have to face that cutscene in the Central Control Room with a clear mind.’

My body refuses to obey my will. My emotions won’t settle as I command them. My clothes are disheveled, and my health is far from intact. Pain clouds my mind, and my vision blurs as much as my reason falters.

The mere fact that I’m being swayed by crude physiological reflexes grates mercilessly against his nerves. There are no positive defense mechanisms—no courage, no hope—only the horrifying realization that everything has spiraled into chaos.

“Ugh, hck….”
“Hello, hello….”
“Gah,”

Blood rises like a hiccup.

Mounting stress and self-loathing for my incompetence intertwine, escaping through ragged breaths between clenched teeth. Bony, protruding knuckles scrape desperately across the blood-slicked floor.

“…Hah….”

Shhh,
I drew in a breath.

‘Calm down.’

Room 14, which I’d been gripping tightly to keep from losing myself, had to expel its contents again. I felt their panic as they were thrown to the floor, but I didn’t have the luxury to respond with any kindness.

‘Calm down. You can do this.’

My mind was issuing warnings of its limits.

‘I have to do this anyway. What have I been running around for all this time? After all that suffering.’

Perhaps because I’d entered a safe place, my mind grew sluggish only now.

‘To come this far and harbor such pathetic thoughts….’

I had to become blood once more to shake off the Watchers. But now blood was running scarce.

“….”

…A terrible thirst consumed me.

‘…I finally understand what vampires in movies must have felt like.’

Perhaps I could even understand the Tasteless Guest. Of course, even with someone right in front of me, I hadn’t lost my mind enough to harm them.

I bit down hard on my lips.

“….”

My head throbbed as if it might burst or melt away. My throat burned as though scraped raw with sandpaper. The places where the Watcher had torn and seized me no longer regenerated.

It was only natural. All of my regeneration was the result of my own calculations and formations.

“To be honest, it does hurt. Quite… unbearable, really.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think I should do this twice.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have the capacity to calculate anymore—how am I supposed to handle this?”

In this state, merely maintaining my brain and heart felt overwhelming.

Cracks were forming in the calculations that had to be flawless. If I relaxed my vigilance even slightly, this mass of blood and flesh would transform into an uncontrollable monster. That fact was what I found most unbearable.

“I don’t want to become someone like the Tasteless Guest—someone who can’t even live up to their own worth….”
“Hello?”

Coco asked, and I answered a beat too late.

“…Yes, of course….”

I wiped the blood from my lips roughly with my sleeve and pushed myself up with labored breathing.

“I’m fine.”

No, I wasn’t fine.

‘Everything’s a mess.’
‘I’m exhausted and suffering. I want to rest.’
‘It’s horrible.’

But truly, I was fine.

‘I know it will be fine soon.’

I had done well so far.

“We’re almost there.”
“Yes.”

The finish line was within sight.

* * *

The 14th Floor—Ho-won’s Non-Existent Floors. When I gathered all the necessary items and entered the Central Control Room there, the first thing that came into view was an innumerable array of monitors.

And before the largest panel, there was a single mass mounted like a specimen.

“….”

Creak—
Lee Yeon-woo approached ‘it’.

“….”
“Hello?”
“…You’re alive, certainly.”

It was a horrifying sight in a different way from the Guest on 14th Floor.

“….”
“…?”

The blood-red Slime tilted its head. I had no idea how that was possible without a head, but that’s what it felt like. I turned my gaze away from that small droplet.

‘…Is this someone I know?’

Yes, it had been a person.

‘Once, anyway.’

I no longer held any expectations. That emotion had faded, but even thinking objectively, it was the same. Every story in this Game had become real history.

So the ‘thing’ standing before Lee Yeon-woo’s eyes right now would be no different.

“The Codex said… one of the Researchers.”
“Yes.”

At the mention of a Researcher, Guest on 14th Floor startled violently. Trembling and leaping, it clung desperately to Lee Yeon-woo’s ankle—attempting to hide, in its own way.

“It’s alright.”

Lee Yeon-woo wiped away the blood trickling from the corner of his eye. He felt a peculiar emptiness without his unused glasses.

“It’s fine. This is….”
“Yes.”
“I can’t do anything about you all anymore.”

In some sense, I was enduring suffering comparable to what Guest on 14th Floor had experienced.

Wires crawling across the entire body like serpents or earthworms. A face visible between them. Eyes that saw only the panels. Motionless, it had already become part of this Central Control Room.

“If I hadn’t collected sixteen records, this would have been my fate.”

And perhaps.

“Perhaps, with bad luck… I would have become like this too.”

Ah.

“I really don’t want to do this.”
“Ugh….”
“But I know I have to.”

From a Game perspective, there were no problems. I’d reached the Central Control Room and gathered all the essential items. But whether my own body could endure that cruel cutscene was the question.

‘Pain still registers as information.’

It hurts—that’s true, but it’s only true in the literal sense.

‘But there’s nothing I can do about the revulsion.’

When reading cruel novels or watching horror films, some people cry or scream. They themselves aren’t in pain, yet they empathize with the suffering—or the information alone is horrifying enough.

My condition was worse. I only received it as information, yet the pain wasn’t absent. Because, as I mentioned before, it was ‘reality’.

“….”

Pain was pain.

‘It wasn’t good for my mental health either.’

I wiped my face and looked at the ‘mass’ once more.

“…Who was this person?”
“I don’t know?”
“You don’t know either?”
“No.”

Room 14 clung to my ankle without pretending to know. I understood. I looked down at the small droplet and carefully picked it up, placing it atop Coco’s head.

“Yes?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”

Coco objected, but I spoke.

“I’m counting on you.”
“….”

I set Coco down on the floor as well, then approached the mass.

“….”

The taxidermied thing’s face bore no expression whatsoever.

‘But they explained that inside, it was suffering terrible agony.’

It wasn’t something that appeared in Ho-won’s records, but the face was Western. I couldn’t tell which country they were from. Whether my vision was clouded or not, the details didn’t register clearly.

‘If they were a Researcher, they would have needed to be of considerable rank to enter here… How high a position had they held?’

How many people had I killed?

‘How many had I tormented and caused to suffer?’

But there was one thing I knew for certain.

‘I’m not sure if this is information I can only know because I’m Belmarés….’

Just as when I had seen the Monster in Room 14, this being felt like a living creature that truly existed. Even if it was a demon wearing human skin, that’s how I saw it.

“…sigh….”

I was so utterly tired of this.

‘I don’t know.’

I was neither a prosecutor nor a lawyer. Much less a police officer. I was far from being a hero or a good person, but there was one thing I knew.

That I must not change who I am.

“That must be it.”

Hadn’t I decided to remain Lee Yeon-woo until the very end?

“I don’t know everything either.”
“Hello?”
“I’ve decided.”

Lee Yeon-woo glanced at Guest on 14th Floor, then answered Coco.

“I’m not going to destroy it.”

In other words, this ‘mass’ was the authority holder of the Central Control Room.

An entity that had obtained the authority of this Central Control Room before me. But because it wasn’t as prepared as I was, it had instead been consumed and taxidermied.

In this cutscene, the user could make a choice.

‘Either completely destroy and dispose of this Predecessor.’

Or perhaps I should simply release him from this taxidermied state.

‘If I do that, he’ll become a phantom and wander the 14th Floor.’

Either way, there could be no complete salvation.

‘I never wanted to go that far anyway.’

The reason I made this choice was because of Room 14’s reaction. Room 14 had only reacted to the word “Researcher,” and seemed completely unaware of this figure whose face was fully exposed.

‘In other words, there isn’t even a witness.’

So I don’t know anything about this person either. In the Game, he was merely described as a Researcher. I don’t know how much he sinned or in what way.

‘And I’m nothing but a nobody.’

What possible reason could there be for me to stain my hands with something I don’t even know about?

“…I’m a very selfish person, you see…”
“No?”
“I’d rather live as cleanly as possible.”

It’s easier to get through life by taking on as little responsibility as possible.

“This Hotel alone is enough to drive me mad.”

Lee Yeon-woo approached the console. His body moved of its own accord, manipulating it. With my dazed mind, it seemed like a cutscene was finally beginning.

[Will you share authority?]
[Yes/No.]

“…”

[Yes.]

A metallic click echoed from behind. I knew what scene this was. It had to be the moment when the mass in the Central Control Room—the Predecessor—was being released from his taxidermied state. I didn’t bother to look.

Just thinking about what was about to unfold was already horrifying.

[SESSION #14-ROOT]
[OPERATOR: N/A]
[CONNECTED ENTITY: LEE, YEON-WOO]
[AUTHORIZATION INITIATION CONDITIONS MET]

A sharp crack followed by the dull thud of something collapsing. Only then did I turn to look behind me. The figure that had been entangled in all manner of mechanical apparatus until moments ago now lay crumpled on the floor.

‘…Like a corpse.’

Though calling it a corpse seemed premature—there was still a glimmer of life in those eyes.

‘Soon enough, it will become a Monster wandering the 14th Floor….’

But that was a story for after all the cutscenes had ended.

I stepped past the collapsed stranger and leaned against the chair-shaped console that had been left vacant as he fell away.

A faint breath escaped…

“….”

I exhaled slowly, as if passing through a narrow corridor, and closed my eyes firmly before opening them again with deliberate slowness.

“….”
“…Hello?”
“If this fails, what happens then?”

I had prepared as best I could, but now that positive emotion had been stripped away, only the worst possible variables circled through my mind. The compulsion regarding the unknown was something I couldn’t suppress.

“Do I get preserved too, or… do I die?”

Either way, it’s an unpleasant ending.

“I don’t even have objective data on whether I can endure this.”
“….”
“Right, no. Even without data, it’s certain these aren’t favorable conditions.”
“….”
“I admit I’ve overreached.”

The device moved smoothly without a single extraneous sound.

As my spine pressed against the backrest, cold metal seeped through my back, chilling me to the bone. A thick, pristine belt that reflected blue light slowly wound around my neck, wrists, and waist, securing me in place.

“But, as I mentioned before… I didn’t want to repeat this insane ordeal a second time.”

As the cool pressure tightened, my hand instinctively reached to scratch it away, but the restraining belt held firm, leaving me helpless. Whether from the strangling sensation or from sheer dread, my voice trembled.

“…If I didn’t do it now, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to do it at all….”

This wasn’t a chair. In my mind, it was no different from a surgical table.

“I’m going insane.”
“….”
“Let me ask again—what happens if I die or get taxidermied?”

If I died, at least it would be over. But if I got taxidermied, that was simply the end. I could still operate the Hotel remotely, but I couldn’t control a playable character. Eventually, I’d have to start a new file.

If that happened.

“….”
“Is that acceptable?”

Not for me.

“Or for you all….”
“No.”
“Damn.”

A bitter, nervous laugh escaped me.

“I regret this.”

* * *

Every panel illuminated simultaneously.

From the console, ultra-fine electrodes and hypodermic needles emerged like a chain. The needle tips vibrated microscopically, and conductive gel—viscous as biological secretion—dripped steadily across their surfaces to facilitate electrical conductivity.

“….”

Sharp, piercing pain radiates outward. Slow, dull agony follows, wringing screams from my throat. As the needle punctures my jugular vein and slides into the great vessel beneath my collarbone, my brain burns as if flooded with adrenaline.

“….”

My heartbeat spasms. Peripheral vessels constrict. The taste of iron blooms across my tongue.

Chest electrodes tap against my sternum, and a faint mechanical hum emerges. A thoracic retractor—the instrument that spreads ribs to expose what lies beneath. It digs into the costal cartilage and wrenches my chest open.

Creaking sounds. Tearing sounds. Delicate in some grotesque places, crude in others.

“…Hgh….”

[BIO-IO LINK ONLINE]
[BLOOD: FLOW SECURED / ACID-BASE: NORMAL RANGE]
[SPINAL INTERFACE: CONNECTION ATTEMPT]

Sound sinks away as if drowning. The edges of my vision narrow to black, adapting to darkness. Consciousness tries to separate from my body.

I want to scream from the agony, but I cannot allow myself that indulgence. I bite down on my bloodless lips until they bleed. Blood slides across them. My vision flashes bright, then wavers in confusion.

“Ugh, ggh.”

Reality slips away. Within that dissolution, I relentlessly cast aside fear and assert judgment.

My head is locked rigidly in place. Bilateral spikes press against the bone above my ears. Fine electrode bundles burrow into my occipital lobe. How deep do they go? Reason is forcibly clouded. The revulsion is so intense I’d rather destroy everything.

In that moment, a powerful temptation surges—to surrender everything, to collapse into liquid, to cease being myself and surrender my consciousness to pure instinct. Then the sensations wouldn’t be so vivid.

I could escape this terrible agony immediately.

“Hgh… shut… up….”

But no—that was the ending Lee Yeon-woo despised most.

Surrendering my agency, my very existence, to another or to a system. Rather than that, I would endure this terrible pain. I seized my scattered self with reason as a rope.

And so I reminded myself who I was.

Over and over again.
Over and over again.

“….”
“….”
“….”

* * *

Step 1. STRUCTURAL BASELINE INITIALIZATION
– Securing target subject…
– Joint axis 6-point lock complete
– Biometric baseline recorded: Heart rate 92bpm / Alpha brain wave detected / Blood flow stable

Step 2. SOMATIC-ARCHITECTURAL INTERFACE
– Venous port connection in progress… Complete
– Spinal canal electrode insertion in progress… Signal acquired
– Cerebral cortex access: Occipital lobe / Insula / ACC
– Integration status: 74% → 100%

Step 3. BIO-STRUCTURAL DATA TRANSMISSION
– Organ function mapping initiated
– Liver enzyme / electrolyte / lactate levels extracted
– Cardiac output → transmitted to power module
– Electromyography signal → synchronized with Elevator motor

Step 4. NEURO-ARCHITECTURAL SYNCHRONIZATION
– Sensory fusion in progress:
· Visual signal ↔ CCTV network
· Auditory signal ↔ acoustic sensors
· Proprioception ↔ pressure / humidity / vibration sensors
– Result: unified perceptual system formed
– Warning: Target subject confusion rate 37%

Step 5. PSYCHIC CIRCUIT REWIRING
– Reward Circuit Blockade: Attempted → Failed
– Dopamine Response Suppression: Resistance Detected
– Fear Circuit Redirection: Resistance Detected
– Emotional Module Removal: Incomplete (Stored Data Conflict)
– Thought Pattern: Reconfiguration to Administrator-Exclusive Logic Structure… Error Occurred

[ERROR CODE: MIND-RESIST-001]
[Subject’s Self-Definition Takes Priority Over System Rewiring]

System Recommendation:
→ Delete/Preserve Administrator Candidate
→ Reinitiate Administrator Protocol

[Override Occurred: Self-Definition Maintained]
[Operator Authority Redirected]

– Hotel System Synchronized to Subject Pattern.
– The Watcher Protocol: Redesigned Based on Administrator Inclinations
– Authority Framework: Human-Based → Administrator-Based (LEE, YEON-WOO)

>>> UPDATE: HOTEL CORE REWRITTEN <<>> Administrator: LEE, YEON-WOO Profile-Based Operations <<>> ACCESS GRANTED <<>> NEW ADMINISTRATOR ONLINE <<<

* * *

[Your sixth noble choice has been confirmed.]
[“You are always the same!”]
[The Unknown Guest observes you.]

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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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