chapter 1
chapter 1
Prologue – A Strange Dream
I had a strange dream.
It was an evening in February, with a cool breeze in the air.
The time was right after the college entrance exam—my final year of high school was over, and before university began, I had a brief period of rest.
Wasn’t this one of the rare golden moments in life?
I went on a solo backpacking trip.
Since my exam results weren’t bad, my parents gave me a generous travel budget.
Thanks to that, I was able to travel comfortably, and toward the end, I stayed at a hotel in Jeju Island.
After a full day of sightseeing, exhausted in both body and mind, I lay down in the hotel and fell asleep—and that’s when something strange happened.
When I came to my senses, I found myself standing in a space filled with pale fog.
Looking around, I saw several dark, shadowy figures standing nearby.
It was an incomprehensible situation, yet for some reason, I felt like I had to move forward.
In less than a minute, I found a table.
On it were dozens of strange fragments.
[Choose your destiny.]
Destiny?
From just one of these fragments?
Still, it felt like I had to pick one.
As I stared at them, they began disappearing one by one in an instant.
Panicking that the one I might choose would vanish, I quickly grabbed the piece that somehow caught my eye—a small owl statue.
At that moment, a message appeared before me.
“Welcome, guests, to Hotel Pioneer!
Since its grand opening in 1847, Pioneer has boasted a long history, earning praise from countless guests through its many mysteries and endless treasures.
Of course, every treasure comes with its own risks.
We sincerely hope that you will achieve your desired results here at Pioneer.
Now, set forth on your adventure.”
…What was this supposed to mean?
Nothing about it made sense.
For one, the hotel I was staying in wasn’t called something as grand as “Pioneer.”
And the opening date was even more absurd.
Even 1947 would be questionable—but 1847?
What kind of hotel existed in the Joseon era?
Mysteries? Treasures? Danger? Adventure?
Not a single word was understandable, and just as confusion overwhelmed me, a dizzying sensation hit—and everything collapsed.
Ah… so this is what they call a lucid dream.
Am I losing consciousness again?
Thinking it was a bizarre dream, I sank into darkness.