chapter 2
chapter 2
First Day at the Hotel, Meeting the Group
Day 1
The moment I woke up, I was completely stunned.
I was on a trip where I had spent quite a bit of money, so the hotel was decent—and the room I had booked was also fairly nice.
In other words, it was the kind of room where a man could relax, watch a movie on a wall-mounted TV, and fall asleep comfortably.
But then—
Where the hell was this place?
The room I woke up in was absurdly massive and luxurious, like something straight out of a movie.
It definitely wasn’t a single-person room.
The walls were covered in antique paintings.
The bed was so lavishly made that I felt guilty even disturbing it.
Was this what a European tycoon’s mansion looked like?
I turned on my phone to check the time—
And froze again.
No signal.
Confusion started to creep in as I quickly washed up and stepped out of the bedroom—
Only to see the display in the living room flashing brightly.
“/Congratulations on the start of your adventure!
You have received the Blessing of Wisdom.
You can know what others cannot know and understand what others cannot understand.
As you progress in your adventure, new possibilities will arise for your blessing.
The blessing is now activated.
Today’s surprise event: There are no bad animals in the world./”
…What the hell is this?
My mind felt like it was about to break.
As I grabbed the back of my neck and looked up—
Part of my vision flickered.
[User: Han Gain (Wisdom)
Day: 1
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 105 (Rest Room)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
Was this some kind of game status window?
Only then did I finally accept—
Something completely insane had happened to me.
＊
When I moved toward the living room, I saw an enormous dining table straight out of a movie—
And a button labeled “Meal” on top of it.
Would food come out if I pressed it?
As I hesitated—
A sharp scream echoed.
I rushed out, desperate to leave this absurdly huge “room,” and flung the door open.
The moment I reached the front area—
My jaw dropped.
A giant monkey?
No—
Something was off.
It walked on two legs.
Held a cold weapon.
And its mouth—
Instead of teeth, it was filled with something like saw blades.
This wasn’t a monkey.
It was a monster.
Four? Five people were being threatened.
To the left, near the front desk, two women—one Western, one Asian—were screaming in panic.
To the right, near a bonsai, one person lay collapsed, completely out of it.
And yet—
No one had died yet.
The reason was obvious.
“Terminator?”
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
A massive man, built like a superhero, was fighting the monsters with what looked like a broken chair leg.
He was even bigger than them.
Every swing sent the creatures flying.
Even they couldn’t match his strength.
I stood there, stunned—
When one of the monsters suddenly turned toward me.
…What the hell is happening?
I didn’t understand anything.
Angel, demon—anything—
Just tell me what to do!
The moment I desperately wished for guidance—
A message appeared.
[Return to Room 105 immediately.]
105—
My room.
The moment I confirmed it, the number next to “Sage’s Advice” dropped from 3 to 2.
Luckily, it wasn’t far.
I ran.
Behind me—
Unfamiliar screeches.
Heavy footsteps.
I resisted the urge to look back and kept running.
Finally—
I reached 105.
The moment I opened the door—
Silence.
I turned around.
The monster that had been chasing me—
Just stood there, glaring—
Before turning back.
…It couldn’t approach this room.
I returned inside, breathing heavily.
Only then did I remember the others.
That man was strong—
But he couldn’t fight forever.
I had to help.
I clenched my teeth and grabbed a silver candlestick.
Expensive—
But right now, it was a weapon.
No one would care if it broke.
Terrified—
But ready to run back if needed—
I rushed out again.
The situation was worse.
The “Terminator” man was bleeding badly.
The two women were desperately swinging debris.
The unconscious person was still alive.
And two others were running around in panic.
At least—
One monster had already been taken down.
“Monsters can’t come near Room 105! Come here now!”
I shouted again and again.
Finally—
They heard me.
One by one—
They ran toward me.
The big man blocked the monsters—
Buying time.
The creatures hesitated.
He had already taken one down.
How many had he saved?
Honestly—
He might have killed both monsters eventually.
Or died first.
Finally—
Everyone made it to 105.
I followed.
Closed the door.
Turned around—
No one.
…What?
I clearly saw them enter.
Now—
Gone.
Just as I started getting used to the madness—
The display flickered again.
“/Welcome to Hotel Pioneer.
Please take note of the following:
The hotel always loves its guests.
Some elevator functions are disabled.
The hotel respects your privacy. However, wouldn’t it be nice to dine together?/”
Nothing made sense.
But this was the only information available.
So I focused.
Privacy.
Was that why everyone disappeared?
Thinking beyond logic—
Six people in one room wouldn’t allow privacy.
So—
Normally, everyone is separated—
And only gathers during meals.
[You have gained a slight understanding of the hotel.]
A message appeared instantly.
So that absurd logic was correct.
I laughed weakly.
Then walked to the dining area.
A clock showed 10:20 AM.
A schedule nearby:
Meals at 7 AM, 12 PM, 7 PM. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
So—
At noon—
Something would happen.
Exhaustion hit me.
I lay down—
Just for a moment—
Tap. Tap.
“Could you wake up for a moment?”
I had fallen asleep.
I opened my eyes—
A woman stood before me.
Mid-30s.
Tall.
Stylish.
The kind of person who screamed “successful city woman.”
But—
Cold.
Hard to approach.
“Th-thanks for waking me. What about the others?”
“Well… just like we thought. At exactly 12, they all appeared like they teleported. Everyone’s gathered in the dining area except two. Jincheol is injured and resting… and you were asleep, so I came to wake you. Don’t you think we should talk?”
“Yeah… nothing makes sense, but we should.”
“Follow me.”
As we walked—
She turned.
“Oh, and… thanks earlier. I thought I’d become monster food. I’m Lee Eun-sol.”
“No, it wasn’t me. That Terminator—uh, Jincheol. He did everything. I’m Han Gain.”
“Han Gain? Cute name.”
“…Yeah, I get that a lot.”
She smiled slightly—
Then turned forward again.