Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 89

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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 89.

Let me rewind time for a moment.

“….”
“….”
“…?”

It was when Lee Yeon-woo activated the ‘Maintenance Function’ and checked the interface once more.

[Maintenance in progress…]

The function itself was operating properly.

‘Why does it feel like nothing has changed?’

He tapped his lips lightly and then surveyed his surroundings.

Then he nodded with an “ah.” There were indeed changes—just not immediately obvious at first glance.

“When it was a game, the distinctions were much clearer.”
“Yes.”
“Indeed, now that it’s become reality, many things have changed.”

In the game, an ominous blueprint appeared on the interface. The entire Hotel unfolded transparently like a 3D isometric projection, and adjustable spaces in each room flickered with red boxes.

‘But now….’

Lee Yeon-woo rolled his eyes.

“…It’s synchronized with my own senses.”
“Huh? Yes.”
“If you’re reacting like that, what am I supposed to do?”
“Uh.”

The entire blueprint of the Hotel flooded into my vision. It wasn’t so much transparent like during the Game, but rather like gazing at a pop-up book crafted from paper.

“I’ve sensed this kind of perception before. The cutscene I witnessed when dragged into Room 14, or the full view of the room I saw when hiding in the Cabinet on the 14th Floor.”

Now that I mentioned it, all of these were related to the Central Control Room.

“It must be because the ‘User’ aspect of me coexists with the ‘Character’ aspect.”
“Yes.”
“At this level, it’s certainly worthwhile to have endured that hardship to gain this authority.”
“Yes… Nio?”
“Your reaction has been peculiar since earlier. If you have any complaints, please express them in Korean within 1,000 characters.”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”

The sensation of synapses firing in my brain. The reality before my eyes folded and flipped, and the texture of ‘reality’ peeled away as if the wallpaper were tearing.

It was an experience of the very foundation upon which I had lived transforming.

“The blueprint itself enters my mind…”

There was no significant sense of incongruity.

Rather, it was so natural that I would overlook it if I didn’t concentrate. Now I understood why I hadn’t noticed the anomaly the moment I activated the maintenance function.

“It’s not entirely unfamiliar, but it’s quite a useful function. The advantage of being able to survey the entire Hotel without having to examine the interface is considerable.”
“Yes!”
“This function would be worthwhile to bring along with the physical enhancement research. Since the plan was to preserve the circuits of body and mind anyway, we could certainly include sensory enhancement in that.”
“…?”

Had Lee Yeon-woo been in a state without penalties, he would have stopped me, asking how far I intended to transcend human limits. But now, I had no brakes.

Coco said nothing about this either.

“…Yes!”

After all, it’s good to develop further than we are now!

“But I have a question.”

As Lee Yeon-woo walked,
the scenery before his eyes transformed in an instant.

Like a pop-up book folding shut or peering through a kaleidoscope….

“…Indeed.”
“Pardon?”
“Yes, this is wonderful. It’s been so long since I felt this thrill.”

For the first time in ages, Lee Yeon-woo smiled with genuine sincerity. Though this emotion would soon dissipate anyway, that very transience made him want to savor the present moment all the more.

“So this is what it feels like.”

Lee Yeon-woo had arrived at the Lobby without taking the Elevator.

‘When I was Ho-won, this was naturally a standard function.’

Activating the maintenance function granted access to two distinct perspectives.

One was an interface that displayed the Hotel’s complete blueprints and allowed access to shops and storage areas. The other was the viewpoint of the Hotel General Manager character, capable of navigating through the frozen space.

‘The developer’s consideration—to have me directly inspect the Hotel and verify what I’d designed actually conveyed the atmosphere I intended. After all, decoration could only be done through blueprints.’

Lee Yeon-woo surveyed the empty Lobby.

“As expected, no one is here.”
“That’s correct.”

When the maintenance function was activated, all Guests became invisible.

….

Though Staff Members remained visible.

The brief exhilaration evaporated in an instant, replaced by a hollow melancholy.

“When do these people ever get a break?”
“Pardon?”
“This wretched cat.”
“Hehe.”

Coco seemed delighted by Lee Yeon-woo’s candid display of emotion, rolling across his shoulder. Even as I patted the cat, I took in the neatly arranged staff members in the Lobby.

And I thought to myself.

‘I will absolutely overhaul this place.’

The current me is powerless and foolish, so I’m of no help right now.

But someday, I will absolutely ensure they receive benefits equivalent to the four major insurances, pay them at least the minimum wage, draft proper employment contracts, grant them annual leave, observe legal working hours, and guarantee break times.

“….”
“….”

Coco, who had been pondering, asked.

“Yes?”
“Do you have a complaint?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t listen.”

I ignored the wretched cat’s words. There was no greater embodiment of a black company than this.

“During maintenance hours, the staff have nothing to do anyway, so I don’t understand why they must stand there. When it was a Game, I let it slide, but now I’m starting to suspect this is employee harassment. What do you think?”
“Pardon?”
“I wasn’t actually asking what you think—I meant for you to reflect on it.”
“Pardon?”
“Indeed, perhaps I was the one who didn’t understand after all.”

I stroked my chin and murmured.

“…Or perhaps they truly had no choice.”

They were part of this Hotel. Simultaneously, they were also subjects encompassed by the maintenance function. Even transfers and contract terminations fell under that purview.

But that was something entirely possible without even using the maintenance function. Lee Yeon-woo concluded it was simply workplace harassment.

“…In any case, it’s only now that the fact of my synchronization with the Hotel feels so starkly real. It’s remarkable to think that within this single body exists two perspectives of the Game’s maintenance function.”
“Is it not?”
“No. To be honest, I haven’t been particularly surprised since about three minutes ago.”

Even when discomfort arose, it scattered just as quickly. At this point it bordered on unpleasantness, yet it didn’t truly weigh on my mind.

Lee Yeon-woo thought I really should do something about my brain.

“But now that things have come to this, there’s certainly something I need to verify.”
“Yes?”
“What’s happened outside?”

I was curious.

“In the Game, since there was only the Hotel in that world, the maintenance function or anything else didn’t matter. But this is reality. If the Hotel’s time has stopped….”

Lee Yeon-woo gazed through the massive windows of the Lobby, beyond them.

“What becomes of the world outside the Hotel?”

Raindrops hung suspended in the air.

* * *

To stop the world’s time.

It was naturally a matter for concern. Even more so if it were actually possible.

Lee Yeon-woo didn’t consider himself a remarkable person. Even after becoming the owner of this Hotel, that remained true. I was merely a Researcher. There was no way there didn’t exist someone somewhere in the world more intelligent and capable than me.

And so.

‘If an anomaly occurred in the world itself, there would surely be someone who could detect it.’

I thought, but….

“….”
“Hello?”
“…Yes.”

Operator’s Quarters Research Room.

“It doesn’t seem like it will spread as catastrophically as I feared.”

This conclusion came after thoroughly observing and analyzing the Hotel and everything beyond its windows.

“Most things up until now have been like that. I’ve witnessed phenomena that arose as byproducts of attempting to materialize Game functions into reality. In other words….”
“Yes.”
“Yes, this is a phenomenon confined to the Hotel.”

If I were to form a hypothesis, it would be this.

“In other words, we’re trapped between moments in time.”

The Hotel never escapes from within the realm called an instant. Based on my assessment—synchronized with the Hotel and possessing an unusually heightened intuition—that was the case.

“Of course, questions still remain. If everything truly stopped and we’re trapped between moments in time, then even mundane resource-consuming activities like breathing should be impossible.”
“No.”
“Right, I can’t understand why this is possible either.”

Even cooking was possible. Fire could be kindled—combustion itself was possible.

“It’s far too convenient.”
“No!”
“I understand that this Hotel is showing consideration for me.”
“Yes!”
“You’re usually good at this.”
“Yes?”

I dismissed it.

‘The most plausible hypothesis at this point is that the Hotel is consuming its own resources.’

This Hotel possessed a resource called ‘nightmares.’

‘The Hotel extracts horror elements, monstrous Guests, and even something from me.’

It uses gas, electricity, and water from this mysterious resource, so even if I were trapped in an instant, there was no reason I couldn’t use them.

‘I felt it even during the Game, but this Hotel has a fairly distinct sense of self….’

Yes, a sense of self.

“….”

Lee Yeon-woo leaned back against the chair and spoke.

“…There was a time I wondered if you yourself might be the Hotel incarnate.”

I continued, feeling Coco’s round gaze fixed upon me.

“My thoughts have shifted somewhat now.”
“….”
“I understand you’re connected to the Hotel and hold stakes in many things, but ultimately you seem to be a separate entity from the Hotel itself.”
“….”
“Is it that you won’t answer, or that you truly don’t know?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”

I nodded lightly. Somewhat weary, but bearable.

“I did sense that something had changed.”

From that day on the 14th Floor, when Coco accepted Lee Yeon-woo’s request and directly aided him.

“There’s much I no longer understand.”
“Ung.”
“Don’t be too sorrowful about it.”

Lee Yeon-woo smiled faintly.

“Isn’t there a certain joy in beginning anew?”

That’s precisely the charm of starting a new file.

Neither Coco within the game nor the previous Coco had ever directly aided the player Lee Yeon-woo. After all, they were created with a role limited to that alone.

‘But that day, when our vampire friend and I clashed, Coco intervened to help us. That was the turning point—the restrictions vanished, and new ones took their place.’

In essence, Coco had relinquished much of the Hotel’s authority to stand at my side.

“I’m grateful to you. At the same time, I’m sorry. Back then, I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t consider the constraints this would create.”
“….”
“There must have been a reason you didn’t help me despite your goodwill toward me. But I was so accustomed to the game that I never questioned it… and now we’ve arrived at this.”
“….”

Coco, who had been gazing at Lee Yeon-woo intently, suddenly flopped across the desk and rolled about.

“No?”
“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.”
“Hehe….”
“Thank you.”

I gently stroked that soft, plump belly.

‘…the more I touch it, the less objectionable it seems.’

Before the penalty, I used to knead that belly like glutinous rice cake.

Even as I felt a pang of regret, I patted Coco’s belly. At this rate, Coco would soon look cute again.

“Now then, shall we run an experiment?”
“Ung.”
“Work must be done.”

Whoosh—

I inserted the blood collection device I had prepared beforehand. The bewildered Guest on 14th Floor was drawn straight into the syringe, which was larger than an ordinary needle.

Once I confirmed the Guest had been safely extracted, I scratched my ear slightly.

“…?”
“I’m about to use your home rather messily from this point forward.”
“…??”

Guest on 14th Floor looked up at Lee Yeon-woo with a bewildered expression.

Since I couldn’t keep him confined in the tube indefinitely, I opened the entrance for him. Guest on 14th Floor scrambled out while circling around me.

I stopped him as he whimpered and tried to retreat back into the ear.

“If you could wait just a moment, I’ll make your home much more comfortable for you.”
“…??”
“No, I’m not driving you out….”

Perhaps because I’d shared his body for so long, I could understand what he was trying to say even while standing outside. Those who had once been human were acting like abandoned dogs mourning the removal of their favorite cushion.

I managed to persuade Guest on 14th Floor with difficulty, but my words grew increasingly verbose.

“…Hasn’t the world you’ve inhabited until now been filled with endless inconveniences? Trust me, I promise to create for you an environment far superior to before—a peaceful sanctuary all your own….”

I’d exhausted every shred of eloquence I possessed. Somehow, I’d even uttered words that sounded like something a cult leader might say. In any case, I’ll take solace in the fact that the persuasion succeeded.

However, Coco offered this opinion.

“Hello?”
“No.”

Though my words came out a bit strangely—as if they’d make the news—there wasn’t a shred of dishonesty in what I said.

I placed the somewhat dejected Guest on 14th Floor atop Coco’s head once more. Coco looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask, “Are you serious?” but I ignored her.

It was petty retaliation for her insinuation that I was some kind of cult leader.

‘…And I suppose I should give this one a proper name soon.’

I’d refrained from doing so because I feared he’d start feeling like a pet.

‘If this continues, I really will end up thinking of “Guest on 14th Floor” as his actual name.’

Until now, we’ve been calling the “Monster in Room 14” simply “Room 14” for short.

But naming it “Room 14” after those who suffered in Room 14 seemed, to be honest, a bit… inhumane.

Nod.
“No.”
Nod.
“No.”
“….”

This was maddening.

‘Am I the only one taking this seriously?’

Even that sentiment scattered away quickly, but still.

Watching the mindless masses around me, Lee Yeon-woo felt a peculiar sense of melancholy. Everyone else seemed to navigate life with ease, yet I alone struggled through it. It felt slightly unfair, though there was little I could do about it.

‘At least complications are better than going astray.’

In that sense.

“….”

Lee Yeon-woo gazed at the towering stack of books.

“…Where should I even begin….”

True to form for a body riddled with problems, even deciding where to start proved headache-inducing.

Neither Lee Yeon-woo nor anyone else knew that this research would ultimately consume a total of 5,769 hours.

* * *

Su-gwi.

Explained plainly, it was a Water Ghost, though the term was far too small a word to describe the Wet Person.

Vengeful spirits bound to water, gathering like droplets to form a singular entity. Its essence was vast, closer to a concept than any distinct consciousness. In this Hotel operated by his Friend, only such beings predominantly gathered.

“….”

…A song echoing through the deep waters.

The reason he had descended all the way to Basement Level 7 was because one of ‘those beings’ had extended an invitation.

I found this place appealing. The air hung thick with moisture, uncharacteristic of dry land, and the sound of water echoed from every direction. Moreover, this place ensured that the Wet Person would never feel alone.

Indeed, it bore all the hallmarks of an aquarium that the Friend had introduced.

“….”

And caught within it—two innocent lambs.

‘Ah.’

That courteous song of invitation echoes in my memory.

Surely it meant for me to torment them. I understand, yet I don’t. ‘That one’ favors complications far more intricate than what Su-gwi could conceive.

‘How vexing.’

I felt sorrow.

Loneliness,
displeasure,

and irritation welled up within me.

‘Had I encountered them outside, I would have swallowed them whole.’

But this place was the Friend’s home.
The Friend’s aquarium.

The Wet Person had rules to uphold, my friend had grown furious at the lambs’ suffering, and besides—being manipulated by another’s schemes hardly brought satisfaction.

I was troubled.

“….”

What should I do?

The Wet Person deliberated.

‘What should I do?’

Should I just keep watching like this?
Or should I get a taste?

Since this place was nothing but water, I could see anywhere. The two sacrifices were too busy being swept up to even realize where they were.

The choices laid upon my tongue were endless.

‘I don’t want to follow that sinister song.’
‘If I tear them to shreds, my friend will be angry.’
‘But if I let them live instead, how sweet a reward might I receive this time?’

After deliberating for quite some time, the Wet Person reached a conclusion.

‘…Just one bite.’

Let me just taste one bite.

‘Yes, let’s do that.’

It was truly a solution that would satisfy everyone.

‘At that level, even my friend would forgive us!’

I had spent countless hours with my friend.

I had drowned countless people that I had lived with, yet in the end, didn’t he turn back time and stand by my side, the Wet Person?

Standing guard before the Elevator where my friend would one day descend, Su-gwi laughed at his own wisdom.

“….”
“…Ah,”

I simply… loved that twisted face.

“Damn….”

…That was all.

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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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