Chapter 164

Chapter 164.

SHHHHH--....

Red-tinged water drained down the sink.

"......"

Do-hyeon twisted the faucet shut and roughly toweled off his hands.

The sweet corn-syrup smell of the fake blood from the set, and the metallic iron tang of the real blood that had flowed from his split fingertip on the Ouija board. The two clung together in a strange tangle at the tip of his nose.

"The Devil, huh...."

The information he'd gleaned from Seon-hae and Gyeong-yeon was fragmentary.

A hotel housing bizarre Monster Guests, a young General Manager who maintained a restrained demeanor while trying to protect Human Guests. Outwardly around twenty years old.

'What I felt on the Ouija board was definitely Blood Magic.'

The one who'd sent the invitations would be 'Count Dracula,' but the one who'd set the board behind the scenes was the 'Devil' side. Do-hyeon, setting down the towel, rolled his eyes like glass marbles.

"No wonder this Director fell head over heels."

The stage-setting is absolutely exquisite.

'I won't know if it's real until I go myself, but the unusually frequent Dokkaebi migrations and disappearances centered on Western nations lately are also worth considering....'

If 'Hotel One' truly was 'the Devil's' work, the paranormal phenomena could be explained.

'Maybe I should quit the surface and transfer my identity to The Gaps after all.'

Being outside meant news always arrived late.

"......"

But it didn't matter.

'It's not urgent.'

What mattered right now was that the unidentified 'General Manager' had willingly drawn them in.

'If this Director hadn't brought it up, I'd have missed it. Whatever reason that Baek Mu-jin bastard had for dropping my name, I'd hate to be left out of something like this.'

Wasn't this a rare chance to become a founding member of a typhoon's eye?

'First, I'll need to pin down the labyrinth's location based on what those two said....'

That was when.

"......?"

On the damp marble shelf in front of the mirror sat an object he'd never seen before. Do-hyeon distinctly recalled that nothing had been there when he'd washed his face moments ago.

"Cute little tricks."

Three matte black envelopes that seemed to absorb not just water but light itself.

'Classical.'

Stamped on them was the same red wax seal he'd seen on the Ouija board.

'So Count Dracula is the nominal host for our invitation.'

Names in fine gold leaf glinted.

[To Mr. Cha Do-hyeon]

"Oh."

He glanced at the other two envelopes beside it.

[To Ms. Lee Seon-hae]

[To Ms. Hong Gyeong-yeon]

The names of the three people still at the villa.

Do-hyeon smirked and tore open the wax on his envelope without hesitation. A smooth invitation card slid out.

[You are cordially invited to the Hotel One Grand Banquet Hall Opening Gala and Private Event.]
[We look forward to hosting you on the most perfect stage.]

"Haha...!"

Do-hyeon's delighted laughter echoed through the bathroom.

"Oh, this is the real deal."

He held the jet-black letter up to the bathroom chandelier and murmured.

"I was planning to wring a script out of Hong Gyeong-yeon if we couldn't get in, but at this rate."

The sheer courtesy of slipping VIP tickets with the party's names already printed. Not an illusion, not magic. This classically formatted 'hotel invitation' was unmistakably real.

'You're going to hand us the script?'

What a control freak.

"I like it."

He stretched his lips into a long grin and flicked the invitation with his fingertip.

"Very good business instincts, this friend. Now I see why our Director couldn't stop singing his praises."

Do-hyeon stacked the three invitations between his fingers and strode out of the bathroom with a light step.

***

"Mr. Cha."

Seon-hae, sitting on the sofa with a troubled expression and a cup of coffee, spotted Do-hyeon and asked.

"Is your hand okay?"

"A cut like that stops in no time~"

He showed the finger, which bore only a scratch and no blood.

"There was some bleeding, but as you can see."

"I remember quite a bit coming out."

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"I really don't understand these Artist people...."

"Sometimes I don't either."

With his trademark grin, Do-hyeon approached and set three black envelopes on the table.

"Delivery for you, ladies."

"What... what is this?"

Gyeong-yeon picked up an envelope with a suspicious look, then saw her name in gold leaf and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"AAHH, goosebumps!"

"Well well, look at that reaction? Not bad. With talent like that, you could do variety shows, Ms. Hong."

"Where did you get something like this from a bathroom trip?!"

"I am guilty only of picking up what was prettily placed on the vanity."

"In a mountain villa where nobody else is around, where does a suspicious envelope like this even come from...!"

Seon-hae stroked her chin at that.

"Laid out like this, it's weirdly dopamine-inducing."

"Are you sane??"

"Would I be doing this if I were?"

Seon-hae held out her hand.

"Let me see."

"Our Director's share is this one."

"Oh my, thank you."

Seon-hae turned the envelope Do-hyeon cheekily offered, examining it from every angle.

"This is probably from the 'General Manager'?"

"It says Grand Banquet Hall Opening Gala plus a private event invitation."

"An invitation...."

"Business skills, right?"

He shrugged.

"From what I know, not just any hotel pulls off an event like this."

"Th-that's true...."

Gyeong-yeon, half-forcibly calmed by their composure, spoke.

"Being able to plan and execute this kind of event proves the hotel's... how should I put it... weight class. Especially for a large-scale hotel, the Grand Banquet Hall can be considered the hotel's pride."

Both pairs of eyes locked onto her.

"My personal Na○uWiki strikes again."

"Now that's a fresh perspective."

Following Seon-hae's expected look, Do-hyeon showed interest.

"How does this look through our Ms. Hong's eyes?"

"Huh? Well, as you know...."

Gyeong-yeon adjusted her glasses and rolled her eyes.

"First, it implies overwhelming spatial backing. These events are usually free, so they'd need to absorb astronomical costs. The guest list alone would determine the event's prestige."

She summarized.

"It could be interpreted as a statement of confidence: 'We have the capital, personnel, space, and connections to flawlessly execute an event of this scale.'"

"Then why invite us?"

"We're clearly the ones who knocked."

"Just because you knock doesn't mean they hand out invitations like this."

"Hmm, that's true."

Gyeong-yeon narrowed her brow.

"Location marketing, branding exercise, expecting entertainment value, or a demonstration of the General Manager's authority to the board...."

She trailed off, and Seon-hae murmured "indeed" with a nod.

"The last part is especially persuasive."

"I wouldn't know, but~ neither of you has built any reputation in The Gaps."

"No special resources or connections either. We're essentially civilians with no reason to be invited to an event of that caliber."

"And the fact that such civilians can be summoned to such an event at will tells you something about the 'General Manager's' authority within that labyrinth."

"He says he's merely been delegated operations, but he did call himself a co-owner. There's definitely a possibility."

"Then it's not just a show for the hotel staff."

"There's probably intent to show the 'guests' as well."

Gyeong-yeon, watching the two calmly speculate, spoke slowly.

"...You're both... really calm about this."

"Scared?"

"Do I look like I'm not...?"

He rubbed his face.

"I was just thinking about this as a normal hotel until a second ago."

"How long has it been since we closed the Ouija board and you're already thinking that comfortably?"

Do-hyeon joined in teasing Gyeong-yeon.

"Right? I even personally delivered the invitations. How ungrateful."

"Honestly, it still doesn't feel real."

"Oh, this is what you're like when it doesn't feel real? That's actually surprising."

Having said that, Do-hyeon waved the envelope and added.

"But since we've come this far, there's one piece of good news."

"Good news? At this point?"

"If Ms. Hong's 'common sense' deductions are correct, then the 'General Manager' who claims to co-own the labyrinth called 'Hotel One' genuinely intends to develop it into a proper hotel."

"That would mean...."

"Wouldn't 'the General Manager' be a fairly neutral entity?"

He set the letter back on the table.

"On a board built by 'the Devil,' 'Lee Yeon-woo' rewrote the rules. Therefore, regardless of which side's ratio has grown, 'the General Manager' sides with neither Human Guests nor Monster Guests."

"......"

"That's my read."

Do-hyeon looked at both of them.

"So then--shall we pack our bags?"

It was time to go to the hotel.

***

"FUCK!!"

Do-heon grabbed his cropped hair.

"Where the hell is this 'memento'?!"

"Easy, nephew. If you make a scene and another 'guest' finds us, we're all dead."

"If I can't find it, I can't go home!!"

"Why would you want to go back to a home you already ran away from?"

Seung-jae said, picking at his ear.

"Hold on, even your owl friend isn't flying around right now."

Hyeon Si-gyeong added.

"Mr. ■■ has a 'talent for pathfinding.' That she's not guiding despite this means either orders came from above, or the path hasn't been prepared yet."

"Wh-what? What did you just call the owl...?"

"......"

Hyeon Si-gyeong only blinked in response. Seung-jae looked at him.

"Oh my, losing it already?"

"I am not losing it."

"Even so, you've got to speak so people can understand."

"The effect is wearing off."

Hyeon Si-gyeong blinked slowly once more.

"...Mm...."

"Oh dear, his mind's really gone."

"It has not."

"About to, though."

"Now."

He rolled his eyes and said.

"It's moving."

"? What exactly is--"

FLUTTER!!

"GAAH, scared me!!"

The white owl on Do-heon's shoulder suddenly bristled its feathers and launched into the air. Do-heon reflexively grabbed the revolver's grip and scanned the area.

But there was no ominous red popup, no eerie metallic sound.

"What?! Why now?!"

> [SYSTEM] Owl staff member '■■' is guiding the way.

"The way? Huh? A path...?"

"Oh my, did a route open up?"

Seung-jae slung Hyeon Si-gyeong over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"Teacher."

"Then let's follow it."

"Master Nakdo."

"There it goes, there it goes."

"I can walk."

The owl circled the air twice, then headed toward the elevator.

"The elevator...?"

"Maybe orders came from above?"

"Orders, you mean from the General Manager?"

"If the labyrinth's master is opening a path, we'd better follow quietly. Especially with our Inspector friend in this state--wandering around much longer is risky."

To that, Hyeon Si-gyeong, draped over the shoulder, said again.

"I can walk."

"Shall we go then?"

Hyeon Si-gyeong eventually put the whistle back in his mouth. Do-heon thought it had been a while. The whistle's sigh-like peep was followed by the owl's cry.

"Hoo."

> [SYSTEM] Owl staff member '■■' is guiding the way.

"I'm already going, you don't have to emphasize it."

"Oh my, our nephew is so loved~"

"Is this really what being loved looks like? Something feels off."

It felt more like an annoying junior being shooed along.

"I genuinely don't get it...."

"Being adored is a good thing."

Leaving Seung-jae's shamelessness behind, the three followed the owl down the corridor. The somehow bustling flutter of feathers led them to the elevator.

> [SYSTEM] Taking the elevator to the 1st-floor lobby.

***

"Yes!"

"Calm down."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"No intention of calming down, I see."

The General Manager nodded.

"The simulation is successful."

"Coco! Guarantee!"

"If this continues, the balance adjustments are perfect...."

He extended his hand, and Coco, which had been bouncing in the basket, scurried up his arm and settled on his shoulder.

"Now then, let us go fulfill our roles."

"NPC!"

"Splendid."

"Heehee!"

A game's guide must, by all rights, maintain neutrality.

"Shall we?"

"Hello?"

Coco asked.

"GWT?"

"Shoved into the Banquet Hall."

"Water Wraith?"

"Lured with desserts."

"Perfect."

"Yes."

"Yes."

We love Hoone this much.
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