Chapter 41
After the tutorial ended, a notice like this had once appeared.
“New Feature Unlock Notice”
Interface fully activated
Management System Module opened
Sense Expansion
Existence Detection Allowed
Among them, if you opened the Sense Expansion tab, there was an entry called Five Senses Stats. It was the basic stat system of a character, similar to health, agility, or strength in a typical game.
“…Thank you for visiting.”
And there was one fact Lee Yeon-woo had briefly forgotten.
“Nice to meet you.”
“How may I assist you?”
Those stats applied to human guests as well, without any filtering.
Sight
Your eyes capture an elderly man with white hair and a beard.
On the old man’s face you see a sharp impression and deep-set eyes.
Within the gaze directed at you is a strange shade of investigation.
He fixes his stare persistently, as if trying to find some clue beyond your appearance.
Within that gaze you discover dangerous curiosity and deep suspicion.
The guidance from the translucent window poured into his mind as if being engraved into it.
“I would like to stay for one night.”
“One night stay, confirmed.”
Hearing
When the old man opens his mouth, a low and calm voice resonates.
The old man’s voice maintains a precise tone, and each time you speak he gathers vocal data.
The old man maintains silence as if searching for a faint sense of incongruity in your speech.
The density of his probing toward you increases.
Within the silence, interest is detected as he analyzes your speaking style and compares it with certain information.
Stop.
“….”
It might have been data in the game, but reality was different. Every time the script swept directly through his mind, the back of his neck stiffened. Being forced to read someone else’s information was… undeniably burdensome.
“My body is already weakened. If this is technology connected directly to the brain, overload is a real concern. I must avoid another incident like before where my blood pressure shot up and I nearly died.”
That was why he had stayed inside the operator’s residence ever since the tutorial ended. He had been extremely cautious about personal safety, but once a human guest stepped into the hotel, he could not simply refuse to greet them.
In the first place, why had human guests started appearing one after another?
“I will assist you with check-in.”
“…Please do.”
Lee Yeon-woo opened the Management System Module.
“Let’s make sure nothing is missing from the list.”
The process of collecting information through the Guest Management Policy within the module was important. Only then could he establish a checklist according to the Response Guidelines.
A prewritten list increased efficiency in handling situations. When a new guest arrived, the system automatically categorized which rooms were available.
“Hello?”
“…?”
Sight
You capture the old man gazing into empty air beyond your shoulder.
There should be nothing there, yet his gaze is fixed precisely on a point.
Remarkable insight.
Remarkable insight, was it.
“Can he see Coco?”
The man was certainly no ordinary person.
“He definitely seems to know something.”
Lee Yeon-woo took a room key from the board.
“I will escort you to Room 9 on the 17th floor.”
“The 17th floor. Good.”
“Then before you enter the room, I will inform you of a few matters.”
“This is still a trial operation, so some services may be lacking. Certain shared facilities cannot be used. And meals might be difficult to prepare, correct?”
He had guessed as much.
“My niece received help here.”
Ah. I see.
“I came to offer my thanks and apology for causing inconvenience.”
“….”
“May we talk for a moment?”
“…Of course.”
The name Baek Mu-jin.
The chairman of Baeksan Group, one of the most powerful corporate conglomerates in Korea, and a major patron of the arts.
So the rumors that Director Lee Seon-hae belonged to a royal family were not just gossip.
He had assumed the man was not ordinary.
But he had not expected this.
“May I ask about that gift?”
“I brought a death row inmate.”
“…I see.”
He had not expected someone this far outside common sense.
“May I ask why?”
“The reason for bringing a gift is always simple.”
“You thought I would like it.”
“I am disappointed. It does not seem so.”
Would anyone like that under normal circumstances?
“It was not intended as a gift for that one.”
That was unfortunate. It actually would have been a gift Coco liked.
Still, Lee Yeon-woo had no idea what the man had seen that made him bring a death row inmate. As far as Baek Mu-jin had seen, it should have been nothing more than a hotel building. Was it because of Director Lee Seon-hae’s story, or something else?
“Our hotel is not particularly well known. May I ask if you heard any rumors?”
The answer came immediately.
“Not rumors. In fact, I did not even know a hotel existed here. Do not worry. I have heard nothing about this place. I only know it was built upon corpses.”
But Lee Yeon-woo felt a strange discomfort within that sentence.
“I smelled the stench of corpses in this hotel. Thick blood. Layer upon layer of screams. Prayers offered to a god that should not exist. Dressing it up beautifully like this does not hide such things.”
Baek Mu-jin spoke as if he possessed supernatural ability.
“To be honest, it is difficult to know as precisely as I do. But anyone with even a little sensitivity would feel something wrong. A sense of distortion. Even Seon-hae, who knew nothing, felt the twist in this place.”
“….”
“Seon-hae is doing well.”
“…That is a relief.”
That… was reassuring.
Even if he did not know the details, Baek Mu-jin clearly seemed like an expert in this field. If someone like him was beside Director Lee Seon-hae, she would likely suffer fewer aftereffects.
Judging from the familiar way he spoke of her, she seemed to be family he cared about.
Still, this situation was definitely uncomfortable.
“The energy here is so vicious that I thought a gift like that might satisfy it. I do not know how you would use it, but if one brings a death row inmate to a place like this… most things tend to be pleased.”
“…Do I look like a strange person now?”
He felt a little wronged. Where else could you find a citizen this clean and upright?
That feeling of injustice continued while he guided the man around the hotel.
“May I ask what surprised you?”
“I expected perhaps a water ghost or two… Ah.”
“…?”
“Never mind.”
After that conversation, the gaze directed at him became extremely burdensome.
“What is it?”
He could not sense any particularly intense emotion. Yet the gaze was complex. If he tried to read it, there was faint curiosity. Perhaps even greed.
“That is excessive for someone you just met.”
It was the sort of gaze used to appraise antiques or jewels.
“No, wait. Does that mean he is not even seeing me as a person?”
From between the lines, it was clear Baek Mu-jin belonged to the sort who treated people like objects. But this felt different. Stranger. More distant.
“….”
Sixth Sense
During your conversation with Baek Mu-jin, you feel as though an intangible gaze continues to observe you.
“…?”
Would you like to allow Existence Detection?
Yes
No
“….”
No.
“Next, I will guide you to the Lifestyle Zone. Although it is not yet fully operational, it should give you a general sense of the atmosphere our hotel aims for.”
“Then please continue.”
While explaining the grand banquet hall, the buffet, the dining area, and the rooftop garden in succession, the probing continued. He considered acknowledging it, then decided against it.
“Where would you like your meal prepared?”
“I heard the buffet and dining areas are operating.”
“An excellent choice. To avoid overlapping paths with other guests, we will assign a dedicated staff member in a quiet section.”
“Please do.”
By the time the tour ended, Lee Yeon-woo was already mentally exhausted.
“This is pressure of a different kind.”
What was the reason?
“There is too little information.”
The strange gaze had clearly begun at the Aqua Park.
But why? What had the man inferred from him? What conclusion had he reached? What kind of conclusion led him to look at him like that?
As though inspecting an old facility.
“….”
Even after returning to the operator’s residence and thinking it over repeatedly, nothing changed.
“That is unfortunate.”
“Yes.”
“Dealing with people is always the most difficult task.”
Lee Yeon-woo shook off his wandering thoughts and opened the management module. Regardless, the man was still a human guest. He had to prevent any possible incidents.
“…? He is moving?”
He had expected the man to head toward the buffet or dining hall for a meal.
Instead, the guest stopped at the rooftop garden.
A single blue dot floated alone on the map. Lee Yeon-woo stared at it and muttered.
“Fortunately, there are no other guests using the rooftop garden today. Since paths will not overlap, there is no need to restrict movement. Still, to be safe, we should station a dedicated staff member nearby.”
“Ing.”
“What kind of reaction is that?”
The Sixth Sense Lee Yeon-woo used was not merely a skill to track guest locations.
As it developed, it could uncover nearly all information about the target. Though currently still at the basic stat stage, he could at least check minimal conversation scripts.
That was how he ended up seeing an unexpected conversation.
What kind of lunatic do you suppose created a dokkaebi in modern times?
A dokkaebi?
Who could have imagined a young dokkaebi being born in this era?
A young dokkaebi?
To summarize, a young dokkaebi who was captured by a maze systematically built with blood and pain. Perhaps once a young artist.
“….”
Material so precious that it had to be erased from the world entirely. It would be harder to imagine such material not being an artist.
“…What is this?”
Bad temperament? Are you saying that kind and diligent youth could not possibly be an artist, those famous for being temperamentally ruined?
“What does that even mean?”
It was Korean, yet he could not interpret it.
Do not pity it so easily. Do not judge it carelessly. It became a dokkaebi beneath the gaze of the maze, trapped in this hellish disaster, suffering and dying endlessly.
“No.”
Even so, it saved people. It lived as a human and continues to show goodwill. To me, that seems like it ultimately protected me. If it were such an easy being to pity and judge, could it have done that?
“No, not that far.”
“Yes or no?”
Something had clearly gone wrong, but he had no idea exactly what or where.
You do not worry about being devoured in a single bite before that existence.
“I do not eat people.”
Who knows. It appears to be involved with blood magic.
“Ah. That part is true.”
Apparently when one learns blood magic, people usually start eating others.
Thinking back, every record within the Red Heart Scripture mentioned side effects like cannibalistic or vampiric urges.
Baek Mu-jin seemed to assume Lee Yeon-woo was the same.
Even if the desire exists, it can be restrained.
It did not exist.
Do you understand why that is dangerous?
Thus Lee Yeon-woo became a dangerous element.
To pity such a monster is remarkable.
“….”
He had even become a monster.
“….”
“Hello?”
It was more than enough information to cause an identity crisis.
“Let us organize this.”
Lee Yeon-woo dragged a whiteboard from the corner of the laboratory. Coco was curled on a chair like a loaf of bread.
Adjusting his glasses, Lee Yeon-woo pointed to the first phrase he had written with a marker.
First. Dokkaebi.
“The second human guest of our hotel, Mr. Baek Mu-jin, referred to me as a traditional dokkaebi. He even used the specific modifier ‘a young dokkaebi newly born in modern times.’”
“Yes.”
“Since the possibility of someone artificially creating one was mentioned, it seems certain that dokkaebi truly exist as a species. However, the birth process and resulting cases must be extremely rare.”
“Yes.”
“Additionally, Mr. Baek Mu-jin evaluated me as possessing kindness and honesty that a self-aware maze could never display, and said that I alone preserved my humanity. I cannot hide my joy that my social skills have not rusted.”
“No.”
“I will not listen. Moving on.”
Second. Soul.
“According to Mr. Baek Mu-jin’s testimony, the soul of Lee Yeon-woo is deep and clear, belonging to a pure human. Truly magnificent praise. Now, applause please.”
“Ing.”
“I told you to choose between sulking and applauding.”
“Ing.”
Still, Coco obediently clapped. At least his soul had officially been acknowledged as human, and Lee Yeon-woo felt quite pleased. Even Coco’s half-hearted applause seemed generous enough.
“Good. Let us move on.”
“Yes.”
Third. Maze.
“Mr. Baek Mu-jin assumes I was trapped by the first owner of this maze. The first maze likely refers to this hotel. Coco, that means you kidnapped me, does it not? Now that a third-party witness has confirmed it, are you still planning to deny it?”
“Yes.”
“You are impressively steadfast. Very well. Continuing.”
Lee Yeon-woo spun the marker lightly.
“Mr. Baek Mu-jin seems to believe that by being trapped in this maze, I act as a kind of filter blocking various unpleasant entities, monster guests, and horror elements. In other words, the role my character performed in the game.”
The game could be played in many ways. Lee Yeon-woo’s favorite style was the step-on-me strategy. Until someone passed through him, he never allowed any human guest to die.
Surprisingly, Baek Mu-jin seemed to have seen through that play style. Considering he even used the expression dying repeatedly, perhaps he had read the records of the hotel.
“Reading between the lines, the term artist likely refers to a kind of supernatural ability user. The reason Mr. Baek Mu-jin could read the hotel’s records or my character’s physical data is probably because he himself possesses that kind of ability.”
“Yes.”
“Now we have an important piece of information.”
Lee Yeon-woo removed his glasses. With cold eyes, he stared at Coco.
“I was erased from the world?”
“….”
“Coco, please answer.”
“Hello?”
“I would prefer not to believe that is an appropriate answer. I may have been stuck in this hotel for about five years including resurrection time, but that is hardly enough to erase all traces of me from the world. Yet you say I was erased. What exactly does that mean?”
Baek Mu-jin was the chairman of one of Korea’s most powerful corporations. A man with immense global influence.
And yet such a figure could not find even one researcher named Lee Yeon-woo.
“It seems that during the process of my abduction into the hotel, some administrative or cognitive defect occurred. Is my assumption correct?”
“Yes….”
“Thank you for answering honestly.”
Knowing the cause was better than not knowing.
“At least my family and friends will not lose sleep worrying about me.”
If even one person still remembered him, a corporation of that scale would have easily found information about an ordinary citizen. To say he had been erased from the world meant he had been forgotten entirely.
He felt relieved that everyone else must be living well.
But at the same time…
“This is rather hurtful.”
His heart felt strangely bitter. It would be worrying if people could not live without him, but it was equally unfair that they could live perfectly well after forgetting him.
“I will address this matter once I leave the hotel in the future.”
“Yes….”
“As a courtesy toward a co-owner, I trust you will prepare a proper solution to this matter. Did you hear me? I trust you, Coco. I truly trust you.”
“Yes!”
Though Coco’s expression looked the same as usual, it seemed she had made some kind of determination. If Lee Yeon-woo had known what result that determination would lead to in the future, he would certainly have stopped it.
Of course, that was a story for much later.
“Coco, guarantee.”
“Understood.”
“Yes!”
“Not yes. Why do I have to assign project tasks to a team member here as well? And over a matter concerning my private life? This is ridiculous.”
Finally, the last topic.
Blood magic.
Lee Yeon-woo put his glasses back on and spoke.
“Blood magic. I expected it to be dangerous, but it seems… more dangerous than anticipated.”
“It is dangerous.”
“You are speaking now.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Blood magic was clearly regarded as an extremely dangerous field.
“Generalizing public opinion from the view of a single individual would be a statistical error. But considering the source of the information, it is difficult not to take it seriously.”
“Yes….”
“What sort of image does blood magic have exactly? According to Mr. Baek Mu-jin, it sounds close to cannibals or vampires. If this continues, I can already imagine how people will treat me when I interact with them later.”
“Yes.”
“Being discovered by Mr. Baek Mu-jin cannot be helped. But from now on, I should conceal the use of blood magic whenever possible. That way I can at least maintain minimal human relationships.”
“Yes or no.”
“….”
“Hello?”
He must be going insane. Lee Yeon-woo tightly shut his eyes.
“At this rate my dignity… my reputation… my social standing…”
“Hello?”
“No.”
My spotless career.