Chapter 40
Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Access Level 0: Truly Grateful for Advancing to the Finals!
Click-clack.
The March Hare approached, her signature high heels echoing through the space.
A pitch-black void, utterly devoid of anything.
She glanced around and shouted.
"Mad Hatter! You here?"
She was the president whom everyone at the Doom Hotel looked up to. But here, she was just another NPC. Hearing her, the Mad Hatter, who had been sitting in the corner, waved his hand.
"Oh, March Hare! What's up, coming all the way here?"
"Call me that again, and I'll rip your mouth off."
"Oh, sorry. My bad, really."
His speech still grated on her nerves. The March Hare let out a deep sigh before getting to the point.
"More importantly, *** showed up at our hotel."
"What?"
"*** came to our hotel! Damn, what's with this filtering?"
"Proof the story hasn't progressed enough yet. Well, they've only just finished the first main quest, after all."
Hasn't it progressed beyond that? Things were moving slower than expected. Well, that wasn't her problem to worry about.
"Anyway, why'd you give a player a VVIP ticket?"
A VVIP ticket was an incredibly special item. No, truthfully, something like that shouldn't even exist. 'Doom' existed to bring hardship to people. More precisely, to provide 'entertainment' through overcoming that hardship... Or in the process of sacrifice. In that sense, the Doom Hotel's VVIP ticket was a balance-breaking item. This world existed to satisfy the **s. If the characters lived too comfortably, it meant preparing even greater fan service—or trials.
"You know that's an insanely expensive item, right? Even just in coins..."
"Of course I know. Though thanks to that, I never had a reason to use it until now."
It was something the Mad Hatter had won in a bet long ago. He'd practically forgotten it existed. In any case, whoever held it was entitled to the Doom Hotel's utmost service. That's why it was surprising he'd handed it to a player.
"You're not the type to do random favors out of the goodness of your heart."
"I owed him a personal debt."
The Mad Hatter shrugged lightly.
"Ho, the great Mad Hatter owing a player? What for?"
"I confirmed through him whether this world's true *** really is ***."
"Are you insane?!"
The March Hare cried out in shock, slamming her fist on the desk. There was filtering everywhere. But ironically, that let her piece together what the Mad Hatter meant.
"That's digging into the world's secrets for no reason! Screw up, and you could get deleted!"
"I know. But curiosity got the better of me."
"If you really knew, you wouldn't do it! Imagine if the **s got upset and *** dropped! Your entire history could vanish!"
"That's why I'm writing this apology letter right here."
The Mad Hatter sighed deeply. He should have been raking in coins at his shop. But ever since the ** incident, he'd been stuck here scribbling away.
"An apology letter? Since when did we have those? What'd you even do?"
"[Content deleted.]"
"Huh."
"Thanks to that, I didn't die and even got this chance to appear."
"Lucky you. Normally, you'd be punished until the hotel episode ended."
The Mad Hatter gave a wry smile. There were plenty of ways to punish him, for sure. Side characters like him—no one would care if they never appeared. Punishment, on the other hand, was all too easy. Just write, 'The Mad Hatter spent months in prison, or days burning in hellfire.' A single sentence could dictate a person's past and actions in this world. Unfair, but the **s had breathed life into him too. He couldn't complain.
"So, what're you even writing in this apology?"
"No idea."
"What do you mean? You're the one writing it."
"Unfortunately, even I don't have access to read it."
The March Hare blinked and tilted her head.
"Even you, with Access Level 1, can't see it?"
The Mad Hatter held up the densely written pages.
"......What the hell is this? I can't read a single word."
"Right? Same here."
Honestly, he was curious what it said. It was bound to hold the secrets of the world he lived in, after all. But he'd never learn its contents in his lifetime. That thought bred a bit of resentment. If he were *** too, maybe he'd have some hope. 'No, seeing extras die makes even this side character's spot feel lucky.' Even having such thoughts was thanks to the **s' will. Complaining wouldn't change a thing. The March Hare shrugged off the pointless musings.
"Anyway, because of that, our hotel's in a real bind. A VVIP popped up out of nowhere, and the whole place is buzzing."
"Ah, yeah, the hotel's full of all sorts of ability users."
It'd be a mistake to think the Doom Hotel was just for resting. In a way, it was where the strongest ability users gathered most.
"Don't worry, though. With them, they'll rise to the top there in no time."
"Oh? You just said it's early story yourself, and now you're taking their side?"
"That too, but I got a little hint. Info I got sacrificing this body's fabulous hat."
The March Hare's face lit up with curiosity.
"What is it?"
"The author ordered new illustrations."
"Ah."
With those words, the Mad Hatter vanished. ........Where'd they send him this time? Hell? Prison? Torture chamber? Surely not actually dead and gone. Still, nothing to be done. Unless you're ***, the price for meta talk was steep. The **s hated anything that spoiled the world's charm or shortened its lifespan.
"That guy's mouth always gets him in trouble."
The March Hare muttered and hurried off. At any rate, this confirmed it. They had to provide top-tier service to this VVIP.