Escaping the Mystery Hotel

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 91

Current Location: Floor 1, Room 105 – Room of Rest

Sage’s Advice: 3

- Han Kain

On the third and final day of Party Time, we began our final preparations before entering the Frozen Hell.

Across the room, Noona was meticulously checking her notes, ensuring nothing was forgotten.

“Jinchul! Have you ever set up a tent before?”

“I did. It’s actually easier to set up than the ones we used back in the military, so no problem here.”

“Songee! Make sure the sleeves on the insulated blankets are sewn tightly. They looked like they were coming apart earlier.”

“Yeees…”

“Elena, why don’t you practice your ability some more? Kain and Ahri said your powers are pretty scary right now. Sometimes, solo training is the best way to contribute to the team.”

“I-is that so?”

“Grandpa! It looks like you’re packing too much fatty meat.”

“I know what I’m doing. Fatty meat is the best for cold places.”

“Alright, I’ll leave that to you. Kain!”

Ah, my turn.

I was already next to Grandpa, packing food into my backpack.

“I’m packing this carefully—”

“No, stop packing and use your Advice. It’s already late afternoon. You’ve got an idea of what you’re going to ask by now, right?”

At her words, Ahri, who was sewing with Songee, came over.

“They should let us relax a bit during Party Time, but yeah, what are you going to ask?”

“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday, but it’s hard to decide. We don’t know anything about the Frozen Hell, so it’s tough to figure out what to ask. The best I’ve come up with is ‘What is the Frozen Hell like?’ but that’s too vague.”

“The Owl’s probably dying to give you some cryptic nonsense in return.”

“…Exactly. I was worried it’d give me something like, ‘It’s very cold.’ So I’ve come up with something else. It’s not perfect, but it’s better.”

“Why do these questions need to use all three counts anyway? It makes it a lot harder to decide what to ask.”

“I actually asked that yesterday.”

“Oh? What did it say?”

“‘Questions exceeding the authority of Wisdom consume all three counts.’”

“…That sounds like a vague way of saying nothing at all. No explanation about why a question is outside Wisdom’s authority. So far, the only times we’ve needed all three counts were with Room 104 and the Frozen Hell, right? Both are within the Hotel. So why are they considered outside Wisdom’s authority?” 𝖗

“There’s probably no point in asking why. We might be expected to figure it out on our own. Anyway, this time I’m going to ask, ‘How should I handle the Frozen Hell?’”

“So, instead of asking what kind of place it is, you’re asking what you should do? Makes sense.”

“Exactly. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. Go ahead and ask. It’s already getting late.”

How should I handle the Frozen Hell?

Sage’s Advice: 3 → 0

It is the beginning and the end of all things, and perhaps a place where wishes can be granted. Work with experienced people.

…

Maybe the Owl seemed to sense my frustration from all the cryptic answers in the past because for once, the response was surprisingly straightforward.

“What did it say? Tell us!”

Everyone was listening now, so I spoke loudly enough for all to hear, “The Frozen Hell is the beginning and end of all things, and maybe a place where wishes can come true. I’m also supposed to work with experienced people.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment, thinking over the meaning.

I spoke up first, “The first part, about the beginning and end and wishes, seems to describe the Frozen Hell itself. I’m not sure what it means.”

Noona chimed in, “But the second part is clear enough. ‘Experienced people’… we know who that refers to, right?”

The second part made sense to me as well.

Dealing with the supernatural required experience, and in our group, only a few people had that. Grandpa confirmed it, “It’s basically pointing at me and Ahri. That Advice is quite different from what Elena’s Patron told her.”

“Elena was told not to get herself involved, right?”

At that, Seungyub spoke up, “I think I was told something similar, actually.”

“What did he say?”

Seungyub scratched his head, thinking.

“Not everyone needs to participate, and you don’t need to push yourself too hard, or something like that. I was kind of mad at my Patron at the time, so I might be remembering it wrong.”

He’s only telling us this now?!

Though, since it was Seungyub, I just sighed and let it go.

I wasn’t even going to ask why he was angry with his Patron—after all, I got mad at mine five times a day.

“So, this doesn’t seem like a team mission like the Cursed Rooms?”

“Yeah, putting all the pieces together, it sounds like only some of us are supposed to go in. Elena and Seungyub were told not to get involved, and it seems like Kain, Grandpa, and I are the ones who should handle this.”

“There’s probably a reason we were chosen specifically.”

While I wasn’t sure what we would face, I was starting to get an idea of the situation.

It wasn’t a full team mission like the Cursed Rooms, and it wasn’t something suited for Elena or Seungyub.

Instead, it required people like Grandpa, Ahri, and me—people with experience dealing with the supernatural.

As we shared more thoughts, the final day of Party Time flowed smoothly.

The next day, we set out for the Frozen Hell.

***- Whoosh! Hooowwwl!

Even though we’d been to the second floor several times now, this wind still wasn’t something we could get used to.

But we were better prepared this time.

At the front was Eunsol Noona, wearing the Protective Suit, while Jinchul-hyung brought up the rear, making sure no one fell behind.

Everyone else clung to the white curtain we had ripped apart and fashioned into a rope.

Lee Eunsol: Over here! Follow me!

We marched in silence until suddenly, the howling wind stopped.

“Huh? Are we here?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow… how is this even possible?”

“Unni, you did it!”

“Thanks. Let’s catch our breath, and then we’ll decide how to open this creepy door.”

Just as expected, the area surrounding the door to the Frozen Hell was quiet and peaceful.

Despite the lack of a physical wall or door, it felt as if an invisible barrier was protecting this space.

“What do you think will happen when we open the door? Will we all get sucked inside like the Cursed Rooms?”

“I’m not sure… This doesn’t seem like a full-team mission.”

“Yeah, considering Elena and Seungyub were explicitly told not to get involved.”

“Let’s all have a drink first. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough cups for everyone.”

Ahri handed out hot coffee from a thermos, and we sipped in silence, gathering our resolve.

Noona gave us some final words before we proceeded, “We don’t know what’s waiting for us, and the Hotel is in bad shape, so we all came together. But… from what we’ve gathered, not everyone will be needed inside. So if anyone feels out of place once we’re in, step back. Whatever happens, be careful.”

It was time to enter.

Do you wish to enter the Frozen Hell?

***…

This place is filled with nothing but pain.

- Huuuk! Haaah!

All we could see were countless frozen statues, each one emitting moans of unbearable agony.

Every statue held some form of sentient being trapped within.

The surreal and horrifying scene of the Frozen Hell left us utterly speechless.

For the first time, the biting cold of the second floor felt insignificant in comparison to the sheer horror of what we were witnessing.

The first person to regain composure was Songee, who had encountered something similar before.

“It looks like something out of the Human Farm. There are a lot of people, but also creatures that aren’t human.”

Clutching the hem of her coat, Ahri glanced around.

“Is this some kind of alien specimen room? There are so many creatures we don’t even recognize by Administration standards. And it’s so damn cold… but at least we can see more clearly here than on the second floor. Not that these sights are any better for it.”

For a while, no one else spoke.

Then, something started flashing in my vision.

Scenario Comprehension(!)

“It’s been a while since this popped up.”

“Huh?”

“The Scenario Comprehension. It just appeared. Let’s check it.”

Scenario: The Echoes of the Frozen Hell

After opening the mysterious door on the second floor, the Hotel party enters the Frozen Hell. They are struck speechless by the horrific sight of the damned frozen in torment. A path appears as if beckoning them to follow.

Follow the path.

When I looked ahead, I could see a narrow path.

Though small, it stretched straight forward.

“There’s a path that way. It’s narrow, but let’s follow it.”

One by one, the others stood up and began walking down the path.

-  Aaaaaah!

A tortured scream came from right beside me.

I couldn’t help but glance over, and there, frozen in ice, was a person with black hair, writhing in agony.

What era is this person from?

Judging by their clothes, they weren’t from the 21st century.

Their eyes were closed as if asleep, but they twisted and squirmed as though caught in a terrible nightmare.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Kain, don’t look at it.”

“Oh.”

“If you stop to stare at everything here, you’ll never be able to move forward. Just keep walking.”

“…Got it.”

Following Ahri’s advice, I forced myself to look straight ahead and keep walking. After about 20 minutes, the Scenario blinked again.

Scenario: The Echoes of the Frozen Hell

As the group continued along the path, they stumbled upon an unbelievable statue. At that moment, they realized the true nature of this place. Why has the second floor of the Hotel frozen over? Could it be that the resentment and pain of those who died in the Hotel are the source of the cold?

Check the Status Window.

At the end of the path was a small statue.

It was only about the size of a teenage girl.

Inside, there was a girl who looked exactly like Ahri.

Ahri fell to her knees in front of the statue.

As the rest of us stood speechless, I checked the status screen to confirm the truth of this place.

Current Location: Floor 2, Frozen Hell

Current Location: Floor 2, Frozen Hell – ㅁㅁㅁㅁ ㅁㅁ ㅁㅁㅁㅁ

Current Location: Floor 2, Frozen Hell – Room of Resurrection

In Greek mythology, Orpheus ventured into the underworld to bring back his dead wife, Eurydice.

To resurrect the dead, one must venture to the realm where the dead reside.

At last, we had arrived at a place where the dead could be brought back to life.