Chapter 173

Chapter 173.

Do-heon couldn't even blink as he stared at the 'void.'

'What in the....'

It wasn't an ordinary trajectory. When Seung-jae's first bullet ricocheted off a curved iron wall, the second bullet he'd fired in sequence struck the tail of the first dead-center in midair.

Would it be insane to think this was 'beautiful'?

'This is possible with marksmanship alone, not magic?'

The revolver bullets split like buckshot, simultaneously punching through the seven o'clock vine core and the three o'clock valve joint hidden in the blind spot.

BANG! BA-BANG--! CLANG--!

"KYAAAAHH--!!"

"!!"

The jet-black vines screamed and tore apart. An outlandish stunt of bullets colliding midair to alter trajectories. Do-heon belatedly gasped.

"U-Uncle!!"

But the valve pressure was already spiraling beyond control.

> [SYSTEM] The Lover of Dawn's resentment has pushed pipe pressure past the critical threshold.

"That's going to blow!"

"Sure looks like it."

"So what do we do now?!"

"I only bought time, it won't last~"

"Then we just die nicely?!"

"No, you brat."

Seung-jae grinned and holstered the gun.

"When a maestro's support is backing you, nobody dies."

> [SYSTEM] Resentment could not be resolved.
> [SYSTEM] Unavoidable party-wide ann...

The system text glitched and began erasing itself.

> [SYSTEM ERROR] External script forced insertion detected outside administrator authority.

"Hooeng."

"Oh, oh."

"Hoo."

"Oh!!"

FLUTTER--!!!

A stiff black paper bird swooped in with desperate wingbeats through the dark corridor. The white owl snatched it and dropped it into Do-heon's hands.

The instant it landed, the paper bird burst into flame and ash--and burned into the 'actors'' brains.

'[S#12. Corridor Explosion Scene (Addendum: Physics Law Revision)]

Do-hyeon: (clicking his tongue) This isn't going to work. Need to push harder.
Gyeong-yeon: (baffled) How do you push harder from here??
Seon-hae: Shouldn't we lower the temperature first?
Do-hyeon: That's good. How far down is best?
Gyeong-yeon: (flustered) Asking me won't help in a fantasy world.
Do-hyeon: Way down. Way.

Do-hyeon taps Gyeong-yeon's shoulder. Startled, Gyeong-yeon fixes his slipping glasses and asks.

Gyeong-yeon: A-at least give me a benchmark.
Do-hyeon: The exact opposite concept makes revisions easier.
Gyeong-yeon: Then, minus 20 Celsius...?
Do-hyeon: Love it!

*[Ultra-high temperature] => revised to [minus 20 degrees Celsius]. Please take note.'

"Wh--?!"

Dropping the temperature that sharply on something that hot--

"We need to run--!!"

"No, they didn't 'lower the temperature.'"

Seung-jae scanned the area.

"They revised the 'laws of thermodynamics' for this labyrinth."

"That sounds even more insane!"

And in an instant, the hundreds-of-degrees blood-red steam froze solid into white hoarfrost and cascaded to the floor as harmless ice dust.

Do-heon shrank back from the white powder dusting his feet.

"In-insane...."

"Even so, I wonder if it's okay to mess with a labyrinth this casually~?"

"Wh-what happens if it's not okay?"

"At minimum, the homeowner won't be happy?"

Seung-jae eyed the frozen zone with interest.

"But man, Total System Artists really are something else."

Homeowner's mood aside, rewriting someone else's labyrinth in real time to this degree, even with permission, was no small feat. And live, no less.

"...Ah, ahhh. Ahh."

"What, what now? Where's the next breach?"

"No no, plug his ears first."

Do-heon dug through his pockets, pulled out wax plugs, and jammed them into Seung-jae's ears.

"God, nearly had a heart attack."

"What, shoving wax lumps in uncle's ears doesn't faze you?"

"If you hear something weird again after I just saved your life, what am I supposed to do?"

"Fair point."

> [SYSTEM] Party member 'Kwon Seung-jae's' auditory hallucinations temporarily blocked.

"Ah, definitely... feels calmer."

"Says the hallucinations are temporarily blocked."

"Was that always a thing?"

"I don't know, I'm not staring at the guide window 24/7...."

"Fair, no time for that."

"If we're alive, let's move."

Do-heon wiped his cold sweat and looked up at the circling owl.

"Sunbae, let's move!!"

Seung-jae asked.

"Sunbae?"

"Huh? Uh, isn't... that right?"

"Peculiar kid."

"I'm so tired of hearing that at every holiday."

Seung-jae laughed heartily.

"I was the same at your age. If it bugs you, run away from home."

"I already did, didn't you say?"

The two recovered and followed the owl as fast as they could.

"By the way...."

Seung-jae glanced at the bottomless chasm and smirked.

"No end to this space."

"Without Sunbae, I'd definitely get lost."

"Better be careful~"

Machine-like sounds from corpses seemed to echo from below.

***

"......"

"Did you enjoy the show?"

The vampire approached from behind the General Manager and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You seemed quite engrossed."

"My failing for not noticing your arrival."

"Also my fault for not announcing it."

As the General Manager rose, the Guest Without Taste stepped back. He eyed the monitors over the General Manager's shoulder and curved his eyes.

"Ah, the colors have returned."

"My vision was briefly veiled, which startled me, but I corrected it immediately."

"You seem displeased despite getting what you wanted."

"What operator would welcome an external cheat?"

"A foul, so to speak."

The vampire shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be happier if it went as intended?"

"Variables remain unwelcome."

"Even though your Human Guests survived?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Still unpleasant."

"That is indeed surprising."

The world's oldest vampire was capricious.

What he valued most was himself. He must always be the most noble, the most honored. And for that, he could bow his head as needed.

Shifts in manner and posture toward others were part of that.

"......"

But only when the other had proven their worth.

"General Manager."

"Yes, go ahead."

"I'm preparing an amusing prank."

"Is that so?"

The General Manager looked at him with golden eyes.

"What kind of prank?"

"You're not angry."

"Pranks are pranks, and you avoid wasteful amusement."

"But you don't know what kind of profit it yields."

"Even so, I know you won't ruin this hotel."

Those inhuman eyes met the vampire's red ones.

"You're about to become my employee, are you not?"

"A wise answer to a foolish question."

"See, even now you cater to my whims."

"Then you permit it?"

"I'll need to hear it first."

"What if it's swindlery?"

"Not ruining the hotel means not ruining me."

"How convenient."

Yes, too convenient.

"Of course, my Velmareth."

"A revolting title."

"You are the progenitor of all vampires."

He pressed his lips to that hand in reverence.

"Even in a human body."

Yes--one who had reached the divine tier of Velmareth despite wearing a wretched human shell. That arrogant, beautiful pride that maintained reason and restraint through terrible agony.

The vampire gladly bent his knee beneath that nobility.

'And yet,'

you'd volunteer to be an empty tin can just to save a handful of rats?

'Unbelievable.'

The vampire smiled and released the General Manager's hand.

"Sometimes I miss the old you."

"May I ask why?"

"You were so fun to tease."

"I hated it."

"Oh dear, that's sad."

A spring that never ran dry no matter how he destroyed and devoured it alive. To surrender all that brilliant emotion to the system. This was an insult to one who had bowed to learn 'the perfect human.'

The vampire's lips drew an elegant arc.

"But, yes, you are right."

He whispered.

"I will not damage this small, lovely castle. How could I? Before I so much as lift a finger, that ill-tempered spirit of yours would pounce."

"Didn't I tell you to speak plainly?"

"You understood and still scold."

This, too, was change. The old him would have chosen words for mutual dignity; now he was blunt. She'd be lying to say she didn't miss the old razor-edge banter.

"You mean the Drenched One."

"She's participating in this prank as well."

"With great enthusiasm."

The 'General Manager,' who pursued only calculation and efficiency, was somewhat distant from 'Yeon-woo.' The old vampire couldn't help but recall a certain mechanical puppet said to be dead.

"So...."

That was, unexpectedly, an unpleasant thing.

'If left alone, that will be this one's future.'

But he had the option to change that future, and after long deliberation, he'd made a careful choice. For the vampire, it was neither more nor less.

"Please look forward to it."

"Do you think this is something I should look forward to?"

"Even now, so cutting. You're right--I'd actually prefer no expectations at all."

Only then could he evade the General Manager's blind spots for his 'amusing prank.'

"Won't you turn a blind eye, General Manager?"

"Planning to send the guests out?"

"Oh."

"You don't like me?"

"......"

He hadn't expected to be caught, but he hadn't expected such directness either.

"...Yes, that's correct."

"That is indeed an amusing thing."

The General Manager smiled with rare amusement.

"That you consume my emotions and act human."

"That's precisely what I dislike."

The vampire's smile twisted.

"The old you called me 'a person.'"

If he was going to act like this, it would have been more economical to just swallow the rest in one gulp.

"What instinct called a monster, human kindness called a person."

"You know that's not true."

"I'm not unaware of your ruthlessness, but hearing it stated stings."

He knew Lee Yeon-woo's nature.

Sharp, cold, someone for whom sorting the world with the brain rather than the heart was more comfortable. He'd always known the Drenched One and the Guest Without Taste were monsters.

And knowing that--and wanting to know more--was precisely why he'd called them 'people.'

"You're right, it's absurd. I think so too. Before consuming your emotions, I wouldn't have done this. Because that dry relationship with 'the Devil' was quite convenient for 'me.'"

"I've told you I'm not that person."

"And you, who denied it, ultimately conceded when someone said 'more guests will come' and 'progress will be smoother.' That rigid mind of yours knew it was wrong and still chose it for your beloved 'game.'"

"I certainly did."

"You surely weren't unaware that was testing the waters?"

"A slightly different topic, but,"

the General Manager asked.

"Isn't it truly entertaining?"

With the smile of a child plucking a butterfly's wings.

"Look, you're angry right now."

"......"

"A cold vampire, running hot."

Before the hollow laugh came, his stomach turned.

"So it is."

Making him like this and then smiling so comfortably alone--it twisted his insides. Pulling him down to humanity and then fleeing into monstrosity. This young master's disposition was truly rotten.

Realizing that, the 'anger' seemed to settle.

"How frail I've become."

"How regrettable."

"I should have devoured you without waiting for an answer."

"Would you like to try now?"

"I'd fail. You're chained to this corpse-castle."

"Is that the only reason?"

"No."

Attachment. The obsession stirred by the meals this cunning creature had served.

"I was not wrong."

The one he'd chosen as master could not have been wrong.

"A hound too defective to eat is still too precious a body. When I know a little adjustment will shape you as I wish, why would I do something so stupid?"

"Aristocratic arrogance is hard to get used to."

"All the aristocrats I've known combined don't match the height of yours."

Said the once-aristocrat vampire.

"Give me your hand."

"Here."

"Both hands."

"Greedy."

"Bold words from the greediest of the century."

He removed a cross-shaped earring from his ear and, holding it, extended his hand.

"I will pray. Would you clasp your hands around mine?"

The General Manager said nothing. The vampire waited.

"......"
"......"

The young master obliged. The vampire spoke.

"I am your man."

The General Manager asked.

"Has no one told you you're anachronistic?"

"Who would say that to a vampire?"

"I suspect they said it when you were human, too."

"It wasn't unheard of even in my time."

Having said that, the vampire withdrew his hand.

"An exceedingly rare and conservative ceremony, even then."

"So you were a fossil even by your era's standards."

"Isn't that harsh for your first disciple?"

"I believe I've told you to refrain from revolting remarks several times."

The General Manager's rebuke was met with a shrug.

"At my age, breaking a habit is harder than plucking stars from the sky."

"Excuses upon excuses. I really must never grow old like that."

"You're about to."

The Guest Without Taste clicked his tongue in displeasure.

"In the end, you extracted my loyalty before permitting the 'prank.'"

"With that much safeguard, the hotel has nothing to lose."

"With respect, it was bad for 'Lee Yeon-woo.'"

"I've tabled consideration for my future feelings."

"Still disagreeable."

If the Velmareth he'd first met had been the current 'General Manager,' he would have gladly devoured him. Had he done so, he might have won the ego-battle and become a true Velmareth.

'But then, it wouldn't have been a Velmareth in a state I could devour.'

And so this 'paradise' wouldn't have existed either.

"......"

A contradiction.

"...You are whole even bearing both faces."

"Sometimes I do think I'd like to correct that absurd misconception."

"I know."

Deficiency and perfection are diametric opposites.

"I ruined everything by knowing."

And so now, wasn't he clinging to that 'deficiency'?

***

Immixtio Manuum

: One of the ceremonies of medieval European feudal society used from the 9th to 13th centuries, in which one places one's hands within another's to demonstrate trust and submission.

"......"

"Well well, our Tarot friend."

The Hanged Man, Hyeon Si-gyeong, rolled his eyes to regard the old woman who'd entered through the front door.

"I expected skin and bones."

Peeeep--...

"You look better than expected. Hotel service must be decent?"

Peep--

"So I'll just ask."

The Director grinned.

"Who exactly called me to this hotel?"

...That was a matter open to discussion.