Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 84

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

Chapter 84.

A Valley where dark, translucent water flows downward.

The scale itself wasn’t particularly large. Yet a modest stream of water trickled down, and beyond it, a pitch-black opening was faintly visible.

It was a passage that could only be opened by possessing a map.

“Is this the entrance to that infamous Golden Cave?”
“Not entirely wrong, but to be precise, we’re moving to a designated area on a designated floor….”

Seme paused briefly before answering Rawi’s question.

“We won’t be stopping by the 1st Floor I mentioned earlier.”

There were two methods to reach the Golden Cave. The orthodox way was to descend from the 1st Floor, or alternatively, to move to a designated floor through some sort of specially processed device.

Occasionally, unconventional methods would skip several floors entirely. But this time, it was the latter. That’s precisely why we had to bring the map and examine it carefully.

“Huh?”

Rawi asked.

“So we can’t visit the 1st Floor Marketplace either?”
“I’ll show you around after the mission—if you’re still alive.”
“Why do you always say things like that, senior?”
“You’re really annoying and soft.”
“That’s my charm, isn’t it?”

Seme spoke while stepping into the valley’s depths, wading into the dark waters.

“Come on, I’ll lead the way. Follow me.”
“Am I allowed to cry?”
“That’s what I’d like to do, but… after the mission.”
“How cold.”

And then, the black waters grew still.

Thus the two of them entered the designated floor of the Golden Cave—the Mist Flower Cathedral.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Central Control Room of the Hotel’s 14th Floor.

“…It’s something I considered even when I’d just finished the synchronization….”

Lee Yeon-woo, who had been examining countless panels, tilted his head.

“If all goes well, I might be able to resolve one of the troublesome issues.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Yes, I believe the risk I would need to bear would not be considerable.”

Lee Yeon-woo, seated at the console, examined each panel one by one.

As his gaze moved, the various panels shifted or changed their contents. Synchronized with the interface, this made remote operation of the Hotel considerably more convenient.

But that wasn’t what this was about.

“My current state is influenced by quite complex problems.”

Extreme fragility outside the conditions where Game System rules apply. Without fixing or circulating my body, I become nothing but blood. Random errors occurring in my body due to high-level bugs. All manner of inconveniences and identity confusion caused by water affinity penalties, and so on.

“Just counting the major problems, there are already four.”

Quite the collection.

“And in such circumstances, the influence of the Tasteless Guest has caused abnormalities in the organs responsible for emotion.”
“Yes.”
“It’s not that I fail to feel emotions in arbitrary situations, so perhaps this case should be called a problem with emotional continuity. Again, it’s difficult to define within the knowledge I possess.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I still don’t understand it well.”

How should I fix this?

“I do acutely feel emotions appropriate to the situation, but the moment I turn away, they evaporate quickly and don’t accumulate as memories….”

It was likely because I’d dumped all the emotional big data I’d accumulated over time onto the Tasteless Guest. My emotional storage had shattered, and somewhere in my neural circuits, a connection had simply snapped.

“To put it bluntly, I feel rather stupid.”
“No, no.”
“Ultimately, factoring in this penalty as well, there are five interconnected problems at play.”
“Yes….”

Coco’s expression turned bitter, as if to say, “That’s enough.”

“….”

Lee Yeon-woo felt a moment of indignation, then let it go. He’d started to feel angry, but in that brief span, the emotion scattered, leaving him without the motivation to sustain the anger. This too was an effect of the Tasteless Guest’s penalty.

“…In any case, the process became somewhat complicated. But acquiring Central Control Room authority first was still a sound choice.”
“Mm.”
“Managing Hotel Management is one thing, but more importantly, I should be able to recover from the physical abnormalities caused by the Red Heart Experiment ritual. It’s still only speculation, and complete recovery is far off, but….”

Lee Yeon-woo stared at the panel where the Hotel’s system was coded.

“Since I’m already synchronized, I’ll embed this body’s circuitry into the Hotel.”

I would anchor my circuitry to this Hotel.

“In that case, it would be far more stable than maintaining it through my own mental effort, and moreover, as long as this Hotel endures, I could achieve an almost permanent circuit imprint.”
“Yes!”
“It’s reassuring to hear you say that.”

In truth, I wasn’t reassured at all. There was simply no strong emotional resonance. I’d felt brief moments of anxiety or excitement, but such emotions didn’t linger.

“…I wish I could repair my brain as well, if possible.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“Stop.”

But I understood Coco’s reaction.

At this rate, my social functioning would deteriorate significantly. Moreover, unable to properly sense danger, I wouldn’t even look after my own wellbeing.

‘I’m not sure if the Game system allows removing a Monster Guest’s penalty arbitrarily without other items or skills, but I should avoid such situations as much as possible.’

Unless I abandon being ‘Lee Yeon-woo’ myself.

“Designing the circuit will take some time.”
“Yes.”
“However, that can be resolved by utilizing the maintenance functions that were the original purpose of this expedition. From the beginning, I wanted to improve this body and obtain Central Control Room authority, but I’ve obtained an unexpected harvest.”
“Pardon?”
“Yes, as you mentioned, the water affiliation penalty will remain… but if the bodily abnormalities caused by the Red Heart Experiment are somewhat compensated for through this opportunity, the damage won’t be as severe as before. At the very least, I won’t be spitting out flesh along with thick blood.”
“No.”
“Of course, that’s also true. Vomiting water mixed with blood is unavoidable in itself. That cannot be avoided unless I obtain an item corresponding to the contract penalty with The Wet Person.”
“Yes?”
“…Ah.”

Lee Yeon-woo nodded.

“Indeed, if an error occurs due to a high-level bug, I would inevitably take the same damage as before.”

An error from a bug meant the collapse of the body. In such cases, I would inevitably take damage, but I wasn’t particularly troubled by it.

“Even if such a situation comes, I’ll recover immediately. As I’m currently planning, if I successfully fix the circuit to this Hotel.”

Pain and fatigue would no longer accumulate as they had before.

“If that’s resolved, then what remains is….”
“Mm.”
“Regrettable.”

The problems were overflowing in abundance.

“…But still, at this level….”

Even in such a weakened state that a slight squeeze would cause bruising, I could at least recover to a point where I could barely be called ‘human’.

‘Then above all… I can use the resurrection function without bearing risk, just like before the tutorial. At least within this Hotel, I won’t die or lose my human form.’

That alone brought considerable reassurance.

“….”

…Wait, then haven’t I just returned to the tutorial period again?

“…No, that’s not it. In fact, there are even more problems than before….”
“Pardon?”
“…When exactly will I be able to return to my original state?”

He was referring to Lee Yeon-woo, who had been a robust adult male.

A lingering dissatisfaction remained, but he decided to accept it regardless. Simply escaping the danger of death and dissolution with every breath was achievement enough.

‘The remaining problems can be solved gradually.’

Every problem has an answer. If it feels like there’s no answer, it’s only because you haven’t searched thoroughly enough. Lee Yeon-woo repeated this fact to himself like a mantra, then examined the panel once more.

“Before we activate the maintenance function, then.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something….”

Lee Yeon-woo voiced a question that had been nagging at him for some time.

“…Where exactly is The Wet Person?”
“Huh?”

The monster friend who should have been in the Aqua Park had vanished.

* * *

“….”
“….”

Rawi, who had been silent, asked with an expression of resignation.

“…Are we going to die, Senior?”
“Uh… can I think about it for a moment before answering?”
“Of course you can, but I already feel like I’ve heard the answer.”
“Don’t give up on life.”

Seme pressed the oxygen mask more firmly against his junior’s face, trying to comfort him. He had no idea exactly what had happened, but the two of them had fallen into an unfamiliar Labyrinth.

“I’ve never heard that the Mist Flower Cathedral was connected to another Labyrinth….”

Seme put his sword back into its sheath with a bewildered expression. Sheathing his weapon while his vision was obscured by mist might have been reckless, but he needed to examine the map once more.

“Since you’re a newcomer, I wouldn’t have assigned you anything too difficult, even with me accompanying you. In reality, this request was supposed to be simple—just collecting a few flowers from the Mist Flower Cathedral.”
“I’m truly sorry to ask, but could it be….”
“The Guild Master is quite famous in this region for being rigid about rules. If it were a dangerous request, he would have warned us beforehand. His reputation is on the line too…. If we really were deceived, then we’ve ended up in a situation where we absolutely must die.”
“Should I assume there was some kind of error, then?”
“Isn’t it better for your mental health than confirming this place as our grave for today?”
“You truly are a senior, sir.”
“I feel bad about it, actually. I came all this way while being called a senior.”

Seme folded the map awkwardly, laughing. I checked just in case, but there was still no response. It meant we had been transported to a completely different area from the Mist Flower Cathedral.

Even though all we were doing was wandering through the mist.

“I did collect the flowers as specified in the request, but it looks like I won’t be able to receive payment by today.”
“Is it really just today that we won’t receive it?”
“Well, if we’re considering the worst case, I’d have to imagine a truly bottomless abyss….”
“Let’s stay positive.”

Rawi adjusted his oxygen respirator and surveyed the surroundings filled with water mist.

“If we think about it optimistically, what kind of situation are we in right now?”
“Even thinking optimistically, I’m not sure.”
“Ah, we’ve reached the point of not knowing.”
“I’ve heard there are rare cases like this—two Labyrinths connecting, or a hole opening that transports us to another space….”
“What kind of situation is that, exactly?”
“There might be some unknown chemical reaction happening to us.”

Seme stroked his chin and continued.

“Or it could be the Dokkaebi’s mischief.”
“….”

Rawi wiped his face.

“…A Dokkaebi appearing now? Is that even possible?”
“It’s not entirely out of the question. Whether it’s the influence of native spirits or something else, Korean Dokkaebi have a peculiar fondness for mischief.”
“Are foreign Dokkaebi any better?”
“Well, I can’t really argue with that either. Whether domestic or foreign, Dokkaebi as a species essentially exist to cause trouble.”
“Even when that trouble costs people their lives?”
“They’re not the type to concern themselves with such things in the first place….”

A thick water mist so dense I couldn’t see even a step ahead. Looking at the ground and immediate surroundings, it resembled a seaside scattered with protruding rocks.

“Hmm.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Well, if we’re fortunate….”
“What?”
“It might not be a Dokkaebi. It could be an Artist instead.”
“….”

Rawi asked with a troubled expression.

“…This is the Labyrinth, isn’t it?”
“From what I can tell, it’s definitely the Labyrinth.”

Seme gripped the hilt of his sword and watched the waves crash against the rocks.

“If it weren’t, humans wouldn’t find it this difficult just to breathe.”
“You’re fine though, right, senior?”
“My body structure differs from humans, and my very essence is water, so….”

Yet the humidity in this place was extraordinary. How long had we been here? My entire body was already drenched. Water dripped from my equipment, which was precisely why I’d given my only oxygen respirator to my junior.

“Above all, with spiritual energy this potent, it can’t be anything but the Labyrinth.”

An ordinary human couldn’t have endured this for even a moment.

“I know what you’re asking. Generally, the Labyrinth either manifests naturally under specific conditions, or it becomes a nest for Dokkaebi born within it—another society within the Gap-world.”
“I’ve heard as much, but….”
“However, some Labyrinths are created by humans. By Artists, that is.”
“Can those really be called human?”
“In the end, the Labyrinth forms whenever the conditions are met, to a certain degree.”

Seme gestured to him.

“Secure your oxygen mask as tightly as possible, and focus on observing your surroundings. If this Labyrinth truly is one created artificially by humans, then unless it’s been abandoned, there must be an owner who controls and maintains it.”

Rawi drew his gun with a weary expression.

“How is that any different from dealing with a Dokkaebi?”
“At the very least, there’s a possibility we could communicate?”
“So it’s not even guaranteed to work, just might work… Ah, so that was the ‘at least somewhat better scenario’?”
“Or it could genuinely be an abandoned Labyrinth.”

Artificial Labyrinths created by humans—by Scholars—divide further into several categories. Products of their art or experimentation, whether process or result. Masterworks, cradles, nests. And also Gaps intentionally crafted from beginning to end.

So there were quite a few Labyrinths that had been deliberately constructed, then abandoned.

“Scholars tend to be perfectionists, after all.”
“Uh….”
“The fact that you’re not denying it makes it seem pretty true.”
“Well, I mean, um.”
“I’m not trying to criticize—if you’ve dug that deep, then you’ve become a Scholar. I think it’s admirable. I just wanted to point out that as a result, many Labyrinths end up abandoned.”
“They created it themselves, but they’re not satisfied with it?”
“Exactly.”

The odds were fifty-fifty.

“You said marksmanship was your specialty, right?”
“I’m actually more confident with stone-throwing.”
“You throw stones outside too?”
“South Korea is a country that bans firearms.”
“So you beat things down with rocks instead?”
“It’s faster than grabbing and hitting them.”
“That’s why you’re a Scholar.”
“Why does that sound like an insult?”
“Don’t misunderstand me.”

Seme, shrugging slightly, peered into the surroundings—or rather, beyond the mist—and spoke.

“…There’s something that looks like a village.”
“A village ‘like’?”
“It’s quite large, but I don’t sense any human presence.”
“Human presence….”

Rawi, who had been pondering, asked.

“What about just… presence in general?”
“Quite a bit.”
“Quite?”
“Just a lot.”
“Oh dear.”

*Click.*
Rawi chambered a round and spoke.

“I trust only you, Senior.”
“Ah, I feel like crying….”

Seme drew his blade with a weary expression.

A wet, squelching sound of footsteps echoed toward them.

* * *

“…The Hunting Ground.”

Lee Yeon-woo reached his conclusion.

“We’re likely in the Hunting Ground.”
“Yes!”

The Wet Person spoke.

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