Chapter 32
For twenty-six years, Lee Yeonwoo had played this game. Even for him, it was rare to see a human guest who had been kidnapped to the twenty-third floor and moved around this actively.
And this had been accomplished not by an NPC, but by a horror thriller film director.
“Usually people try at most two things.”
“There were people who tried even two things?”
“There were quite a lot.”
It was unavoidable. They were NPCs whose behavior patterns were predetermined.
If no one used the features that had been painstakingly created, it would be disappointing from the developer’s perspective. The developer of this game had carefully prepared routes for every possible situation that could occur.
“Which is why I’m probably the only user of this game.”
Difficulty had to be balanced for people to stick around. No matter how much the theme suited someone’s taste, what was the point if they were cut off right at the entrance. For Lee Yeonwoo, who had endured the long years alone, it was a rather bitter thought.
“What is certain is that Director Lee Seonhae’s range of activity was quite wide. Do you happen to remember where you first woke up? Of course, you don’t have to answer if it’s uncomfortable.”
“It’s not that… ah, somewhere like a pool? I woke up half lying over a swimming pool with colorful structures like a water park or playground. The water in the pool here was sparkling, which was kind of fascinating.”
“The pool.”
This was another point worthy of admiration.
“Did you happen to see something like an eye?”
“An eye? Does it snow here too?”
“No, I mean the visual organ of a living creature.”
Lee Yeonwoo lightly tapped near his own eye. Only then did the director nod as if she remembered something.
“Ah, I saw it. A ridiculously huge eye. It was way down at the bottom.”
…She saw it directly and still survived?
“….”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. I was simply admiring your strong mental fortitude.”
“Do you die if you see it?”
“You do not die, but most people’s sanity cannot endure it.”
“You too, Mr. Yeonwoo…?”
“If I did not possess at least that level of resistance, I would not be able to work as the General Manager of this hotel.”
“I’m not sure if that’s really an advantage.”
“That is unfortunate.”
Director Lee Seonhae seemed to have been judged as a guest with very strong mental resilience. If she had been a guest with low sanity stats, there was a high chance her mind would have collapsed the moment she saw it.
“Either she is extremely lucky, or she was born with strong mental resilience.”
Perhaps both.
“Without an interface, there’s no way to check a guest’s stats. It’s quite inconvenient.”
In any case, the fact that she was alive was already a miracle. If Lee Yeonwoo had arrived just three minutes later, she would have lost her life.
“First, I will briefly explain the current situation. Director, you were kidnapped around two in the morning and brought here to the Aqua Park on the twenty-third floor.”
Considering how close to death she had been when he found her, it was obvious. As soon as the two of them fell asleep, the abduction had been carried out immediately at two o’clock. Truly, those monster guests had no sense of restraint.
“Writer Hong Gyeongyeon, who was with you, was extremely startled. The hotel has taken some measures regarding that. At the moment, the writer likely believes that you were urgently called away and left for Seoul first.”
“…?”
Director Lee Seonhae looked suspicious.
“Brainwashing?”
“It is closer to hypnosis.”
“Illegal?”
Lee Yeonwoo could not deny it. It was not his field of expertise, but even roughly considering it, it was clearly illegal.
“Destruction of evidence under Article 155 of the Criminal Act, obstruction of official duty under Article 136, coercion under Article 324, intimidation under Article 283, forced hypnosis, violation of personal information protection laws, mental health laws…”
Multiple criminal liabilities for the perpetrator. Anyone could see that this was a serious criminal situation. At this level, one lawyer would not even begin to handle it. Even an entire law firm would find it troublesome.
What was the point of denying it. Lee Yeonwoo admitted it calmly without further thought.
“I have nothing to say in my defense.”
“Well… honestly, it’s a hundred times better than having my brain cells die worrying about that useless senior.”
“I truly apologize again. Our hotel has caused a great inconvenience to your companion.”
“No, if anything, that guy and I… we’re the ones who are rather useless people.”
“Then let us both apologize and move on.”
Even though he said that, the incident had occurred within the system he managed. After something like this happened, there was no point in arguing over who the culprit was.
So his apology was sincere.
“….”
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes. It just feels like our conversation is strangely fitting together.”
“I see.”
“Yes… well, that’s how it is.”
The director’s expression became even stranger. Though he did not show it, Lee Yeonwoo felt something similar. It felt like becoming the owner of a dog that had caused trouble. Of course, this was closer to an incident than a mere accident.
“To think I would end up becoming a criminal despite having no fate for it.”
If he were arrested like this, he could not even guess how long his sentence would be.
“I suppose I should print new business cards. If the people at my company saw this, they would collapse laughing.”
There would probably be a lot to talk about at the next company dinner.
“….”
“….”
“So, I am thinking of heading out soon.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Before we move, I will explain the situation ahead.”
“I will listen carefully.”
There were several methods for rescue. One was the management route, the other was the contract route. Both were possible, but the most moderate method was the management route.
“All the conditions are satisfied. If the tutorial bug we attempted through Writer Hong was successfully applied, then the management route alone should be sufficient.”
The problem was that it might not work.
“….”
“Mr. Yeonwoo?”
“My apologies. I had something to think about for a moment.”
“Are your eyes and ears still like that?”
“No, they are fine now.”
“I heard those things don’t heal that quickly.”
“This hotel has its own methods, so it is truly fine. Thank you for waiting. I have organized my thoughts. Now I would like to ask you something again.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Would you be alright staying here alone?”
“Oh.”
Director Lee Seonhae recoiled immediately. Her face clearly showed that she hated the idea.
“In horror movies, the person left alone usually dies.”
“It is a bit different. Rather than a movie, it is better to think of it as a game. As long as you do not break the rules or use them properly, there is no reason to die.”
“Have you ever considered changing jobs? This hotel really doesn’t seem like a place where humans should live.”
“That is not something I can decide on my own. But please do not worry. The guest in Room 703 will target me first.”
That was why he had endured all those events until now. Lee Yeonwoo even felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
And then she immediately refuted him.
“That makes it even more worrying.”
“That is unfortunate.”
But what could be done. This was the only method available right now.
“I cannot explain everything. The more confused you become, Director, the greater the threat this hotel will pose. So I will briefly explain the precautions going forward.”
“….”
“If I suddenly get stabbed with a knife or fall into the pool, I hope you will not be too surprised.”
“….”
Director Lee Seonhae’s eyes clearly said, “How can you say something like that?” To be honest, Lee Yeonwoo agreed.
“That is an entirely normal reaction. Your physical and mental condition is so healthy that it makes my earlier concern seem embarrassing. Congratulations.”
“…You’re acting like you’re the one who’s not normal…”
“I am not such an unreasonable person that I would make absurd claims.”
He understood. If he were in Director Lee Seonhae’s position, he would probably think the same. After all, what he was asking for was essentially complicity in murder.
“But what can I do.”
I intend to do exactly that.
“….”
“Will you allow it?”
It was a request, but at the same time a notification.
Lee Yeonwoo had always been like this. If he judged that something must be done, then it had to be done. If necessary, he would explain and ask for understanding. But beyond that, there was nothing more.
If he judged it to be right and there was no problem with it, then it was simply something that had to be done.
“….”
“…Explain…”
“Yes.”
“Explain a little more… at least give me something so I can pretend to understand…”
“Yes, I understand your request, Director.”
“Do you really?”
“Of course.”
Rescue Route: Wet Entity
Rescue Method 1
Return Home Route
Condition 1: Maintain continuous selection of “return home action” until checkout
Condition 2: Ensure the guest does not cross paths with the hotel’s “Wet Man”
Rescue Method 2
Management Route
Condition 1: Enter the twenty-third floor within eleven hours after abduction
Condition 2: Secure the rescue target within the Aqua Park
Condition 3: Statement directed at the Wet Man: “You are not my guest.” Nightmare resource consumed once
Condition 4: Tutorial must be completed. Bug application confirmed possible
Condition 5: Wet Man must be in a non-agitated state
Rescue Method 3
Contract Route
This is a rescue contract, not a standard contract. Additional conditions required
Exceptionally possible to contract with water-bound monsters
Condition 1: Perform self-harm events at least twice
Condition 2: Select structural ignition at least twice
Condition 3: Enter the twenty-third floor Aqua Park within twelve hours
Condition 4: Die in the main pool regardless of cause. Must be submerged in water
Condition 5: Wet Man must be in a non-agitated state
“….”
He is truly dangerous.
“In many different ways.”
After hearing the rough explanation, Lee Seonhae’s mind went blank.
“So basically…”
The director forced herself to gather her thoughts. It was true she wanted to leave this hotel quickly, but there was something she needed to confirm first.
“First, Mr. Yeonwoo will try persuading the guest in Room 703 with a few materials.”
“Yes.”
“And if that doesn’t work, you plan to half kill yourself to calm the guest down? Like giving travel money to a drowning ghost before it leaves? Yourself?”
“Yes. That method is the most effective. Because it is a water ghost.”
Lee Yeonwoo’s voice remained calm. It was polite and kind, yet showed no emotional agitation. It sounded like a news announcer calmly delivering tomorrow’s weather forecast.
“The Wet Man wants that. That guest suffers from great loneliness.”
“That’s not what I asked. Are you insane?”
“I cannot assert that I am perfectly sane, but under the current circumstances I believe this to be the most rational judgment available.”
“If you were rational you wouldn’t say something like…”
“….”
Lee Yeonwoo tilted his head slightly. Then he spoke again in a quiet, smooth voice.
“I appreciate your concern for me, but you do not need to worry so deeply.”
“That’s not something you can just say and make true.”
“My death and pain do not hold the same value as Director Lee Seonhae’s.”
Wait a moment.
“….”
What did he just say?
“…What?”
“The weight is different.”
It took less than a second to realize that statement was strange. But more absurd than the words themselves was his attitude and the expression on his face.
How should it be described. Yes, a face as neat and expressionless as a wax statue.
“What is this. He wasn’t like this before.”
He had definitely been the Mr. Yeonwoo she knew.
But looking at that face now made her uncertain. The concern, fatigue, and worry he had shown when saving her all felt like lies.
Was even that human concern toward her just meaningless acting?
“…Do you weigh life?”
“Do you believe the life of a murderer and the life of a volunteer hold the same weight?”
“Are you a murderer?”
“My apologies. That was an inappropriate analogy.”
Yet he was still trying to be considerate toward her. She could feel it from the brief moment of thought in his eyes.
And yet he continued speaking.
“Do you believe the life of a human and the life of a machine are the same?”
“….”
Only then did Lee Seonhae realize something.
“Right now, this person…”
Lee Yeonwoo did not consider himself a life.
A strange sense of déjà vu stabbed at her mind. Pieces she had ignored earlier surfaced. Perhaps Lee Yeonwoo considered himself a consumable item. Like a block designed to have holes when flowers were inserted into it.
A chilling sense of discomfort crept up her spine.
“That’s impossible.”
You?
“You who showed that miraculous sight?”
She realized something. That abnormal stubbornness and rudeness were all directed toward Lee Yeonwoo himself. It came from the indifference of someone who did not categorize himself as a living being.
The fact that he was even trying not to say it rudely made it even more absurd.
“What do you mean…”
Lee Seonhae had to object.
She did not know why she felt this way, but she simply thought she had to. So she remembered the moment when that mass of blood had reconstructed itself into a person.
“Hey, Mr. Yeonwoo.”
That could not possibly have been painless.
“You are a person.”
“That is correct.”
“It hurts, doesn’t it?”
Even she herself was confused. In such an urgent situation, why was she speaking so aggressively?
“After all, he said he would save me.”
But she could not help it.
“So…”
Her lips trembled, unable even to form a forced smile.
“Why am I this confused?”
Lee Yeonwoo was a special being. In this hotel, perhaps even in the entire world. Not only a person, perhaps something beyond a person. She had already been overwhelmed by that fact.
“We only just met. Of course he would blame himself for failing to rescue someone in danger, but… was that really something to panic over like this?”
Yet she could not let it pass.
“Then why—”
“Director.”
She tried to speak, but Lee Yeonwoo was faster.
“As long as the conditions are met, I can always be restored. As you saw directly, damage to my body is only temporary.”
“You’re seriously saying that right now?”
“On the other hand, Director, you are a human who is vulnerable to pain.”
“Wow, are you bragging that pain means nothing to you?”
“Of course not. However, if you die or are injured, it would be difficult to restore you in the same unfriendly manner.”
“So?”
Lee Yeonwoo smiled neatly.
“That is why you are precious.”
“….”
“If one of us must be damaged in a dead end situation, is it not rational for the one with lesser value to step forward? That is common sense.”
“Who created that kind of common sense?”
“Is it not a simple calculation even a child could perform?”
Lee Yeonwoo smiled as he said that. Listening to him made it seem as though he understood the world only through numbers and functions.
Yet he did not treat Lee Seonhae that way.
Only himself.
“You seem very concerned, so I will only die halfway.”
“….”
“Would that be an acceptable compromise?”
“No.”
Did I just hear someone announce their suicide?
She did not even have the energy to respond. It felt as if her entire thought process had stopped.
Perhaps in his own way, it had been meant as reassurance.
But the strangeness of it filled her with irrational fear.
“Why is he so calm?”
How could someone say they would die so casually?
“…You say half dying like that, but even if you get shot lightly you still die.”
“That is an amusing expression.”
“….”
“As expected of Director Lee Seonhae.”
“Ah…”
Lee Seonhae finally lowered her head.
Normally, people speak under the assumption that conversation will work. But this person was talking about using death as a conversational tool.
“…Seriously…”
She honestly wanted to faint.
“…Seriously…”
“….”
An obviously negative reaction.
“….”
Hmm.
“What went wrong?”
Unaware of it himself, Lee Yeonwoo sank into thought alone, his social awareness worn down by continuous overwork.
“She seems upset. Which part of my explanation was unpleasant?”
Perhaps the analogy had been too direct.
“It seems my service was insufficient since this is my first time assisting a human guest during an event.”
If he had rested properly once, Lee Yeonwoo would have realized his mistake. He had that much awareness. But right now he was simply too tired to reach that conclusion.
Until the very end, he never considered that his words could sound like “I will die instead of you.”
“Once I safely send her home, her mood will probably improve.”
And so he ended up standing in front of the Wet Man.