Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 34. Find the Hidden Picture
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Unlike the changes I'd seen, Park Hoseong—the lodge owner—simply handed us six keys to the rooms upstairs and left with the same hearty laugh as before.
"Nothing feels off to you at all?"
"No, I told you it doesn't."
I kept grilling the Team Leader as we walked down the creaky hallway.
"Doesn't something feel wrong? What kind of great lodge is this? He drags us to Ghost Valley Lodge, and it doesn't feel right at all. You really don't sense anything?"
"Hey, if I felt something, I'd say so. Since when have you relied on my gut so much that you're asking nonstop?"
The Team Leader thumped his chest like he was wronged.
I was frustrated to death.
Staring at the Team Leader, still protesting his innocence, I recalled the phrase I'd seen earlier.
[The Lord prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies and anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows.]
The first weakness I'd seen wasn't that.
What was the weakness before that?
I racked my brain, thinking back to when I'd first met that man.
[Shoot the head to kill.]
The weakness had changed.
But I had no idea why.
Had some anomaly happened while we were driving down that road, without us realizing?
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
Song Arin stood next to me and held out her hand.
"What."
"Hand over the key. How else are we gonna get into the rooms."
"Oh."
The key, right.
As I ducked my head to hand it over, Song Arin bent at the waist to meet my eyes.
"Something up?"
"Hmm."
Should I tell her?
"Got a bad feeling."
"You're jinxing again."
Song Arin clicked her tongue and took four keys.
"...I'll keep an eye out too and tell the others to be careful, so don't stress. It's a workshop. Eat meat, drink, have fun."
"You're actually worried about me right now?"
"If you're the only one dying, it kills the vibe. Don't read into it."
Song Arin pocketed the keys, brushed past me, and started handing them out to the others.
Right. With Song Arin watching too, we'd at least catch early signs before anything big happens.
Should I tell the others?
After a moment's thought, I beckoned only to Yoo Daon, who quickly trotted over when she noticed.
"Yeah?"
"If you smell anything weird like before, let me know."
"Okay, sure..."
Yoo Daon closed her eyes and sniffed.
"Not now. But if you're saying it, there's a reason. Got it. I'll tell you."
With that, Yoo Daon headed into her room.
"Team Leader, call if you feel anything off."
"A grown-ass man like me, why so worried?"
The Team Leader clicked his tongue and went into his room.
"..."
"..."
"...What about me?"
"Huh?"
"Nothing for me?"
"Uh... no, not really."
Jang Chaeyeon made a super disappointed face and shuffled into her room.
I'd set up alarms with three people now, so we should be fine.
Holding the two remaining keys, I headed to my room.
Compared to the outside that screamed Ghost Valley Lodge, the room inside was at least somewhat livable.
A rickety bed, a chairless nightstand, a radio so old I doubted it worked, and finally, an unusually large window with curtains.
Just in case, I tried the radio, but as expected, not even static came out.
I set the key on the nightstand, perched on the bed, and gazed out the window. For now, the lodge itself showed nothing visible, unlike the basement incident.
Maybe I'd been through too much lately and was just overreacting. Honestly, if it was just that, I'd be thrilled.
*Knock knock.*
As I tried forcing my thoughts elsewhere, someone knocked.
"Yes."
Who? Song Arin or Yoo Daon? Or Jang Chaeyeon sulking? Not the Team Leader, surely.
Holding the key, I opened the door.
A stranger stood there.
Her back was hunched unnaturally, and her neck—while not grotesquely so—was noticeably longer than a normal person's.
Her hair draped over her face like overgrown weeds, and through the sparse, swaying strands, bloodshot eyes gave off a creepy vibe.
"Guest."
A raspy woman's voice leaked out.
"...Yes."
Tense, I glanced above her head.
[Name: Park Joomi]
[Age: 50]
[Trait: Long Neck]
[Talent: None]
[Background: For over 40 years, she has been with the village. Only this village knows her.]
[Weakness: Shoot the head to kill.]
"Dinner time soon. We've prepared the first floor so you can grill meat. Head down whenever."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
"Then..."
She rasped a reply, backed away, and closed the door.
Only after the eerie *creeeak* did I realize what had been bugging me.
'Only this village knows her.'
Not the person knowing the village, but the village knowing the person.
So the village was the problem?
Jang Chaeyeon's words from the train came back.
'A mountain spirit slumbers nearby.'
I'd need to talk to Jang Chaeyeon.
Grabbing the key, I opened the door to find her.
"Guest."
The woman was still standing right there, eyes meeting mine.
"Where to?"
"...A teammate's room."
She looked up at me in a bizarre pose.
Her spine twitched, and as her bloodshot eyes fixed on me—
"Jaeheon?"
Yoo Daon's voice came from behind the woman.
Her back suddenly straightened like nothing happened, and Yoo Daon poked her head out from behind, meeting my eyes.
"Everything okay?"
"So—"
"...I'll go."
The woman rasped and walked past us down the hall.
"She's kinda weird."
Yoo Daon frowned, watching her back.
"Daon."
"Yeah?"
"Know which room Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin are in?"
"Yeah! I mean..."
Yoo Daon confidently opened her mouth, then shut it.
"...Huh?"
"You don't remember?"
"Uh... yeah. ...You?"
"Same here."
Not that I forgot—it was like info on their rooms never registered.
"What about the Team Leader's room?"
"No clue..."
"How'd you know mine?"
"Uh, well. Wasn't aiming for yours, but ended up here somehow?"
Yoo Daon scratched her cheek sheepishly, smiled, then looked around and started stretching.
"An incident?"
"Dunno. But doesn't feel normal."
Yoo Daon nodded and pulled black gloves from her pocket, slipping them on.
"From the research team?"
"Nah, just anti-cut gloves."
Anti-cut gloves were that easy to get?
Ignoring my doubt, Yoo Daon clenched her fist confidently.
"Ready! Let's go?"
"Sure."
As always, Yoo Daon led, I followed, moving slowly.
"Jaeheon, you got a gun?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Who'd predict needing a gun at a workshop?
At this rate, I'd end up with neurosis, carrying one everywhere.
"Check nearby rooms first."
No sooner said, Yoo Daon knocked on the adjacent door.
*Knock knock.*
No answer.
"Bust it?"
"Not just us two—too noisy, and not like we're Jang Chaeyeon."
And so, we knocked room by room down the hall.
We circled it all, but unsurprisingly—or predictably—no one answered.
"Let's head down."
"I'll lead."
After a few rounds of this, we were starting to sync.
Yoo Daon nodded grimly and descended the stairs.
The wooden steps creaked loudly with each footfall, reinforcing my Ghost Valley Lodge assessment.
As we descended slowly, a smell hit sharp and strong.
This is...
"Grilling meat."
"Yeah."
Uneasy, we hurried down.
The Team Leader, Jang Chaeyeon, and Song Arin stood by the grill.
"...What're you three doing there."
Calling out tensely, Jang Chaeyeon turned, face flushed from the fire, holding out a plate.
"Grilling your share."
Were only me and Yoo Daon taking it seriously?
"Why didn't you call us?"
"Knocked, no answer."
"You knew which was mine?"
"Yeah."
She knew?
"Which one?"
"Second on the right after leaving my room."
"...Really?"
Why couldn't I remember at all.
"Drink up!"
The Team Leader cracked a beer and tossed it to me with a bellow.
"Ah, yes. Cheers."
"Me too!"
"Daon, cola."
Yoo Daon drunk would be a hassle.
She obediently sipped cola at my words, and Song Arin sidled up to whisper.
"Nothing yet."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. If something, I'll hit your room."
With that, Song Arin returned to her spot, focusing on her food.
I'd told Song Arin too, but Yoo Daon couldn't drink with her regenerating body.
Jang Chaeyeon, on the other hand, was an alcohol tank.
Song Arin... average. About my level.
As the mood warmed up, the Team Leader's phone rang. He fumbled to answer.
"Yeah, honey. Yeah~ Haven't had much! Don't worry!"
Wife, probably.
The Team Leader panicked through the call, winked at us, and bolted upstairs.
No sound as he climbed.
"Gonna check."
Song Arin, who'd been eating quietly, stood and silently ascended.
No sound from her either.
Jang Chaeyeon watched, glanced at me, then Yoo Daon, drained her glass, and spoke.
"Something's up."
"..."
"..."
Yoo Daon and I eyed Jang Chaeyeon.
"I'm the suspect, huh."
She nodded like it made sense and stood.
"I'll be in my room. Ready when you need me. Call if so. Waiting."
With that, Jang Chaeyeon climbed the stairs.
*Creak, creak!*
Her steps echoed loudly.
"...Smell."
Yoo Daon pinched her nose, frowning.
"Again?"
"...Yeah. What is it."
"What kind?"
"Kinda... sweet and cloying, a bit off..."
"Guests! Done eating?"
We jumped.
The lodge owner was there grinning at us, arrival unknown.
"All done? We'll clean up! Come on, you must be tired from the trip. Up to your rooms!"
"Uh..."
"And the night forest view is stunning! Feel the poetry under moonlight through the trees, tune in the radio for song—that's the romance!"
"Yes. Got it."
"Enjoy your time, you two!"
He waved brightly, forcing us up the stairs.
Creaking loudly as we climbed, Yoo Daon looked at me.
"Separate rooms?"
"Come to mine."
Sticking together's best now.
Yoo Daon nodded. I led her in, drew the curtains.
"Curtains?"
"Shh."
I hushed her, drew them, then watched quietly.
How long we stared in the dark room, her face puzzled—
*Knock knock.*
Someone knocked.
"It's me, open up."
Song Arin's voice.
I grabbed Yoo Daon's shoulder as she rose, forcing her down, shook my head.
No noise.
*Knock knock.*
"You're there. Open. Joking?"
*Knock knock knock.*
"Hey. You ignoring me?"
*Knock knock knock knock.*
"This prank sucks."
*Bang!*
"Open the damn door!"
Song Arin's furious voice faded, then footsteps receded.
"...What was that?"
"Probably too late already."
Maybe since arriving, we'd been in the belly of a containment object.
"Find Chaeyeon."
Standing, I eyed the broken radio.
No weapons, it'll be tough.