Escaping the Mystery Hotel

Chapter 171: Moment of Choice, Choosing the Reward

I was initially surprised by the fact that I could choose a reward, but the following details were equally shocking.

The people eligible to receive the Inheritance were those who were still alive when the room was resolved and had accumulated significant contributions.

Contribution is important, but survival is crucial.

Despite the Eye of Zero Dimension covering the entire world, there was someone else still alive.

Soon, a notification appeared to clear up my confusion.

Congratulations!

Congratulations once again to all participants for resolving Room 201!

The participants who survived until the end and contributed to the final battle are eligible to receive the Inheritance.

The eligible participants are as follows:

2. Han Kain (Wisdom)

However, only one person can receive the Inheritance!

The “Moment of Choice” will begin shortly!

Elena’s alive!

While it was surprising that she survived, it made sense from a contribution standpoint.

In both the second and third attempts, the biggest obstacle was Beatrix’s overwhelming power.

Each time, the person who fought Beatrix the fiercest was Elena.

However, it was disappointing that Eunsol-noona, who gathered all the information during the second attempt, wasn’t chosen.

She must have died the moment the Eye of Zero Dimension was unleashed.

…It’s unfortunate, I’ve also experienced something similar before.

The Moment of Choice—didn’t Jinchul-hyung say something about this before?

Something about waking up in an arena-like space and being forced to fight?

But I have no intention of fighting, and the decision about who should receive the reward is already made—

A sudden dizzying sensation hit me, and I momentarily lost consciousness.

***When I came to, the place I woke up in wasn’t an arena.

It looked like an ordinary hotel room.

There was a table, a bed, and even a display.

I turned my head toward the bed.

“Ahhh!”

Elena was lying on the bed, seemingly unconscious.

Her clothes were a mess, leaving her half-naked. However, she was completely covered in blood, making it impossible to think of anything inappropriate.

“…”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be hers.

As I gently wiped her off with a blanket, I realized that, apart from her torn clothes, she wasn’t seriously injured.

Her breathing was steady.

Perhaps she passed out from exhaustion?

A little while later, Elena woke up.

She seemed a bit flustered at her situation but took a drink of water from the glass beside her and calmly began explaining what had happened.

During her battle with Beatrix, the power of Justice was nearly depleted and she was already on the verge of death, so she had given up.

But at that moment, Beatrix suddenly flew off somewhere.

She must have sensed my liberation and rushed to stop it.

As she pursued Beatrix, the power of Justice was completely drained, and she passed out when she hit the ground, only to wake up now.

“Good thing you passed out. If you’d stayed conscious, you’d have been dead for sure.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

I summarized what I had experienced, focusing on the part where the Chief Researcher awakened within me, which made Elena’s eyes widen.

…This is probably the first time we’ve had a conversation alone since we left the Gate Room.

As we talked, I felt a bit awkward, hoping the hotel would quickly move things along.

As if sensing we were ready, the display in the room began to flicker with a message.

Please choose what reward you will receive, and decide which of the two of you will receive it.

Who should receive the reward was already a settled matter.

I directly spoke to the seemingly flustered Elena, “This Inheritance should go to you, Elena.”

“…You really don’t have to give it up—”

“I’ve already been sealed once. If I receive another Inheritance, I’ll just keep getting sealed throughout the second floor. Besides, I heard some explanations about the sealing system. There’s no rule that says someone can’t be sealed twice. It could happen to me again.”

“I see…”

“But it’s interesting that we can choose the reward itself. One of them is probably the ‘Irregular Polyhedron’, but what could the other one be?”

As if on cue, the display flickered again.

Please choose your reward!

1. Inheritance, “Shining Irregular Polyhedron”

2. Ability, “Ominous Imagination”

One item was something I had already guessed.

The strange tool the Chief Researcher used to create the Cube, the “Shining Irregular Polyhedron”.

The other option was unexpected.

It wasn’t called an Inheritance, but an ability, and it wasn’t even a tangible object.

It was none other than Beatrix’s superpower, “Ominous Imagination”.

This was the second option offered by the hotel.

“Um, Kain?”

“Yes?”

“You mentioned that you briefly became one with the Chief Researcher, right?”

“Yes, but we’re separated now, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Do you still have the Chief Researcher’s memories?”

“When we merged, it wasn’t like I received all the knowledge he had accumulated over a lifetime. It was more like the information necessary to solve the room was transferred to me, similar to how it works when I use the possession ability. I still have that much left.”

“Could you explain the rewards a little?”

She had a point.

Unlike Elena, who knew nothing about the Polyhedron and Ominous Imagination, I had some knowledge about both.

Neither the Inheritance nor the ability was something that could be conveniently used.

I began to explain what I knew, “Ominous Imagination—I found out while reviewing the information—isn’t just about creating monsters. Making monsters is a rather ‘high-level application’. At its core, it’s literally what it sounds like, it makes ominous imaginations a reality.”

“Making ominous imaginations a reality?”

“There isn’t a clear example left, so it’s hard to explain further.”

“I see.”

“But… in the process of using it, it seems—”

“Seems?”

“It seems like it’s the kind of superpower that could easily drive its user insane.”

“…How about the Irregular Polyhedron?”

“The Irregular Polyhedron is the tool the Chief Researcher used to create the Cube. It’s a device that can warp space in various ways. It can create subspaces, set up invisible walls, and even create transparent boxes that no one can enter. It can also be used for something like teleportation. It’s an incredibly versatile and fascinating Inheritance.”

Elena’s eyes sparkled at that!

Honestly, she looked so beautiful at that moment that I found it hard to meet her gaze.

“That sounds much better! I’d rather have that than a superpower that could drive me insane!”

“Well… the Irregular Polyhedron has a serious problem, too.”

“What is it?”

“According to the Chief Researcher, you have to be someone who can do complex mathematical calculations constantly while using it. It requires an extremely high level of intelligence.”

“…”

“The Chief Researcher believed that most people wouldn’t even be able to create a single proper wall with it. For reference, he considered himself to be the most intelligent person on Earth.”

The hotel room fell silent.

After explaining all this, I didn’t know what else to say.

One ability was easy to use but could drive its user insane, while the other Inheritance required such incredible genius that it was practically useless unless its user was one of the smartest people on the planet.

What kind of rewards are these?

“…”

Elena looked at me.

“Why don’t you just choose, Kain?”

She was leaving this burdensome decision to me…

“I can only give you a recommendation. In my opinion, the drawbacks of ‘Ominous Imagination’ are manageable, given the hotel’s nature. The problem isn’t so much in using the ability but in the potential side effects of its use, right? And where would you be using this ability? Mostly in Cursed Rooms, right? Even if you lose your mind using the ability in a Cursed Room—”

“You’d come out cured.”

“Exactly. So, while it’s risky, it’s manageable. On the other hand, the Irregular Polyhedron…”

“If I don’t suddenly become a genius, there’s no way I can use it properly, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not exactly a genius like those at the top of the Administration. I never even did that well in school.”

Judging from her reaction, it seemed Elena had also realized what she should choose.

Elena should take Ominous Imagination.

At the very least, she should choose a power she could actually use.

Elena stood up and moved toward the display—

“Ahhh!”

She was half-covered with a blanket since her clothes were torn, yet she suddenly stood up!

Startled, I turned away, only to hear her giggling behind me.

When I looked back, I saw that during our conversation, Elena had wrapped the inner blanket like a robe and was now standing there.

Feeling like a fool, I just watched as Elena operated the display a few times.

“I’ve chosen.”

With that, the room we were in began to slowly crumble.

The long ordeal of Room 201 had finally come to an end.

***

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 87

Current Location: Floor 2, Corridor

Sage’s Advice: 0

- Han Kain

- Whiiing! Woooong!

“Achoo!”

The moment we stepped out of Room 201, the piercing cold wind hit my skin so hard it felt like it was being ripped apart!

In the distance, Jinchul-hyung shouted something at me, “ㅁㅁㅁ! ㅁㅁ?”

“Huh?”

Grandpa Mooksung also yelled something next to him, “ㅁㅁㅁ!”

“What?”

What are they saying?

The snowstorm was so intense I couldn’t understand a word.

The Chat Window blinked.

Kim Mooksung: You’re awake?

Han Kain: Yes. Elena acquired the Inheritance.

Lee Eunsol: Congrats congrats!

Kim Ahri: Congrats congrats!

Yu Songee: Congrats congrats congrats!

Elena: Thank you.

Cha Jinchul: Congratulations!

Park Seungyub: Congrats congrats! Let’s start running for now.

As soon as that message came through, we all started sprinting toward the elevator.

Although the room had already been cleared, everyone seemed to have a lot of questions about Room 201.

That’s understandable since, besides me, no one really grasped what had happened in Room 201.

The moment the Eye of Zero Dimension awakened, almost everyone either died or lost consciousness shortly after.

It looks like I’ll need to explain over dinner what kind of extraordinary events transpired in Room 201.

As we were running, Elena suddenly stopped.

“Elena? The snowstorm is too intense; if you fall behind—”

“So this is how it works.”

“Pardon?”

Elena looked at me, dazed.

“I understand now. They say when you obtain an Inheritance, you instinctively know how to use it. It’s the same with this power.”

“Let’s talk about it in the elevator. We can discuss it over dinner on the first floor—”

“Sorry, but I’ve already used it without even realizing it.”

“What?”

- Awooooo! Awooooo!

In a snowstorm so fierce that visibility was less than 10 meters, in a place so harsh that it was impossible to tell where anything was…

The howl of a wolf echoed from somewhere unseen.

Elena muttered as if in a trance, “It might sound strange, but when I was little, my mother always told me that when it snows on winter nights, there’s always a wolf outside—”

“Elena! Stop! Stop!”

I hurriedly covered Elena’s mouth with my hand.

Oh, great! Now I know exactly what this “Ominous Imagination” ability is.

Since I recommended she choose it, what can I say?

It looks like we’re going to have a lot of exhausting moments during our party time until Elena gets the hang of this ability.