Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual Chapter 34

Lee Seonhae, who had been standing dazed, moved her feet.

 

“….”

 

Phew—… 

 

Steadying her breath.

 

She opened the door.

 

“….”

 

The locker room and shower room came into view.

 

‘…If I go out through here…’

 

She opened another door, and a hallway appeared.

 

After checking the signs written in both Korean and English, she turned her body. I was right that I was in the Aqua Park, Lee Seonhae thought as she followed the path. It wasn’t a complicated way. The signboards were well-placed.

 

She pressed the elevator button. Soon after, the doors opened.

 

“….”

 

Ding—

 

Arriving at the first floor took but a moment.

 

Was it just her imagination? There seemed to be more people in the lobby than before. Even if “more” meant a number she could count on one hand, the increase itself was certain.

 

‘…Are those people monsters too?’

 

Whether they were born human and became monsters, or were monsters from the start.

 

She didn’t purposely try to make eye contact. She didn’t purposely try to make eye contact, but nonetheless, she could feel gazes reaching her. She felt an impression that it was similar to what she had experienced in the aqua park. 

 

Lee Seonhae looked toward the counter.

 

“….”

 

There, only employees with identical expressions were stationed.

 

The neat face she remembered was not there. Neither was the young face that was clearly a student’s, nor the bloodless pale skin, nor the eyes that would narrow into thin curves when their gazes met.

 

The fatigue behind that look and even the dry, expressionless face she had grown accustomed to over the past few days were not there.

 

“…Right.”

 

Lee Seonhae muttered reflexively.

 

‘Because he said he wouldn’t die.’ 

 

As if convincing herself, she turned her head, opened the main lobby doors, and stepped outside. The sound of raindrops was the first thing to reach her.

 

“….” 

 

“…Oh.”

 

A black sedan entered her vision belatedly.

 

“This is surprising.” 

 

“….” 

 

“I didn’t expect you to make it out so completely alive. Then again, ever since you were young, you’ve had good luck with these sorts of things. You have talent, too.”

 

An old man with a healthy body. His hair was stark white and his skin was wrinkled, but his physique was robust.

 

“…Elder Uncle…”

 

“I was planning to inquire if I could buy back at least some of your belongings as keepsakes, but it seems there’s no need.” 

 

“Why are you here?”

 

As if for a cherished niece, the old man personally opened the back door of the sedan.

 

“Get in.” 

 

“It seems you know quite a lot?” 

 

“I believe the age at which one feels joy while getting rained on passed a long time ago.” 

 

“I’ve seen a child die a few times.”

 

 Lee Seonhae muttered.

 

“I’ve even seen one die because of me…” 

 

“….” 

 

“But it’s the first time I’ve killed someone just so I could live.” 

 

“….” 

 

“…A bit…” 

 

“Are you exhausted?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“You are indulging in an uncharacteristic luxury.” 

 

“Your words are truly…”

 

Unpleasantly. 

 

Swallowing the rest of her sentence, she gave a weak laugh and said.

 

“This is why I dislike you.” 

 

“That, too, is a meaningless thing.” 

 

“Haha.”

 

Lee Seonhae stood still for a moment, then got into the car a few minutes later. 

 

* * *

 

Congratulations, General Manager.

 

You have successfully completed the Beginner Manager course.

 

Part of this hotel’s authority has been transferred to you.

 

[Tutorial Performance] 

Customer Service: ★★★★★ 

Room Management & Cleaning: ★★★★★ 

Staff Management: ★★★★★ 

Security & Safety Management: ★★★★☆ 

Facility Management & Operation: ★★★★★ 

Overall Grade: S

 

[New Feature Unlock Notice] 

Full Interface Activation 

Management System Module Opening 

Sensory Expansion 

Presence Detection Allowed

 

[Area Opening Notice (Open Version Exclusive)] 

25F: Rooftop Garden 

23F: Aqua Park 

22F: Skyline Lounge & Dining 

3F, 5F–6F: Life Style Zone 

2F: Grand Ballroom & Buffet 

B1: Staff Breakroom 

B5–??: Hunting Grounds

 

[Status Change Summary] 

Manager Grade: Lv.1 → Lv.763 

External Observation Level: 0 → 3 

Resource Accumulation: ■■,■■■,■■■ 

Play Elapsed Time: Total 1,770 days

 

[Tutorial Reward Receipt] 

Nightmare Assets ×300 

Random Box ×1 

Staff Recruitment Ticket × 10

 

Explore the hidden floors and reach the dark truth of this hotel.

 

From now on, every judgment you make will determine the fate of this hotel.

 

* * *

 

“….”

 

A system window filled his vision.

 

Frowning, Lee Yeonwoo, lying on the bed, muttered.

 

“…Things I already know all about….” 

 

He had played this game for 26 years; it would be stranger if he didn’t know.

 

He narrowed his stiff eyes and blinked. The sensation of sleep deprivation. It was a familiar unpleasantness. He pushed his upper body up and stared dryly at the translucent window before his eyes.  

 

“…Hmm.”

 

To be honest, technical wonder came first.

 

‘I wondered how the interface would be applied, and indeed. It was implemented in this way.’

 

Within the knowledge he possessed, it was most similar to Augmented Reality (AR) technology. It wasn’t his area of expertise, but the level of completion was so overwhelming that it would shock any industry professional.

 

‘What is the principle? If a separate device was attached to my eyeballs or brain—no, there are parts that are difficult to explain with that alone. It’s not a HUD method either. If the medium is air, it’s almost impossible to secure this kind of resolution and implementation stability physically…’

 

At that point, Lee Yeonwoo closed his eyes and cut off his train of thought.

 

“….”

 

He wiped his face.

 

“…Seeing as my thoughts are spinning, is it sleep deprivation?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“I thought this body was designed not to be affected by sleep time.” 

 

“Yes-no.” 

 

“Right, there will be time to research it gradually.” 

 

It was right after he had come back to life. Even if resurrection was a familiar procedure, this time, the life of another had been on the line. To think he was contemplating the output principles of the system as soon as he broke through that ordeal.

 

‘It would be best to pull myself together first.’

 

As he lifted his head with a deep breath, a sense of reason worthy of the name finally returned.

 

“Did Director Lee Seonhae leave the hotel safely?”

 

If the bug had worked properly, she should have exited without any separate procedures. However, the state of the ‘wet man’ in the aqua park had been somewhat ambiguous, so he had been secretly worried. 

 

If worst came to worst, he had even been considering personally sending out the director who might still be trapped in the hotel. Coco, who had been staring up at Lee Yeonwoo intently, raised its head high and mimicked his words.

 

“Safely leave.” 

 

“…Ah, right.”

 

Lee Yeonwoo gave a faint smile.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

It was a good thing. Because no one died. Regardless of the process, it was the result he had wanted.

 

“How many days have passed since I died in the event?” 

 

“How many days.”

 

Coco bounced hop-hop-hop, three times on the bed. 

 

“Aha, three days.” 

 

“Three days.” 

 

“I believe I taught you how to count numbers and dates.”

 

“And dates.” 

 

“Are you pretending not to know on purpose, or did you forget already?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“I really don’t know what you mean by no….” 

 

Lee Yeonwoo hugged Coco. He was squishy, lukewarm, and soft. It had an excellent texture and volume.

 

“….”

 

It was over.

 

‘And my career along with it.’

 

A hollow laugh escaped at the absurdity of the situation. Given the circumstances, how many years would he have to serve? He had prided himself on living a relatively honest life, but now he couldn’t show his face to the world.

 

“It would be useless to excuse myself by saying it was a matter unrelated to my will.” 

 

“No?” 

 

“No.”

 

Regardless, he was the one who led the situation, and it was an undeniable fact that he hadn’t sent the people out immediately. Lee Yeonwoo closed his eyes for a moment and organized the situation.

 

‘I was a kidnap victim, but consequently, I cooperated with the management.’

 

He had essentially neglected someone’s danger while knowing full well about it.

 

“Article 32… Article 33… If I’m lucky, maybe Article 30….”

 

“…??” 

 

“Even just participating in a criminal organization makes a prison sentence likely… if I emphasize the point that I was kidnapped, perhaps I can settle it with probation or a short prison term.”

 

Coco tilted his head. Seeing his busy movements, it was a signal that he was flustered in his own way. It seemed he had even learned quite human-like gestures.

 

“….”

 

How chilling.

 

Lee Yeonwoo kneaded both of Coco’s cheeks as if to cut off his train of thought. A squishy sensation pushed between his fingers. He had no idea what the principle behind this texture was.

 

“Of course, these are worries that are only possible if I can return to society completely.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

A sudden feeling of anxiety washed over him. 

 

It was the feeling that a great many things had changed.

 

* * *

 

“—Cough.”

 

Ah, seriously.

 

A bad hunch never misses, not even once. 

 

“Cough, hack! Ugh…!”

 

Blood dripped not only from his mouth and nose but also from his ears and eyes. He tried to block it with his hands, then stopped. It didn’t take long to realize it was a meaningless act.

 

‘I might actually die at this rate.’

 

Only after several rough breaths and prolonged, vomit-like coughing up of blood was he finally able to lift his head. His hunched back slowly straightened.

 

“Haa…”

 

Beneath his panting breath, Coco circled him restlessly.

 

“…It’s alright.” 

 

“No, no, no.” 

 

“To be precise, it seems I’m in a situation that isn’t alright at all, but my mind is strangely peaceful. Have I finally gone mad?” 

 

“No…” 

 

“Why are my brain and heart acting separately?”

 

It was clearly a serious situation. He was used to dying and getting hurt as a game character, but he was far more composed now than he had been then. No, at this point, he even felt like it was no big deal.

 

‘How should I explain this?’

 

Ah, right. It’s exactly that feeling.

 

‘When I had a nosebleed after researching until 7 AM because of consecutive overtime, then went straight back to work…’

 

…Wait, then it’s not alright at all, is it?

 

“…Anyway, it’s certain that a major change has occurred in my body.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Yes, my durability was already beyond comparison poor, but now even the system that guaranteed minimum survival seems to be failing its duty. Otherwise, there’s no reason I’d feel my life shortening just by breathing.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“I must be insane. What exactly was the problem? There are too many things I can think of, so it’s hard to recall the exact cause. If this continues, regardless of anything else, basic survival itself will become difficult…”

 

His body was continuously falling into disarray. His mind also grew unclearly blurred. Lee Yeonwoo looked down at the fingertips of his hand, from which he had cast off the glove.

 

“…Has the color changed already?”

 

One of the penalties that follows when contracting with ‘The Wet Man.’ In game terms, it was a phenomenon called ‘Peripheral Cyanosis.’ It meant his hands and feet turned pale blue, signifying he had become extremely vulnerable to impact.

 

“At this rate, I won’t even be able to dream of walking around with bare hands.”

 

Wouldn’t it be too noticeable?

 

“This is very regrettable.” 

 

“….” 

 

“…Cough, hack!” 

 

“No! No! No!”

 

The coughing fit burst out again. Since it was a semi-permanent penalty, there was no way to avoid it.

 

‘Peripheral cyanosis. Continuous hypothermia. Drowning-induced cough paroxysm. Automatic respiratory suppression in front of large bodies of water. Dysesthesia of water-sound. Re-experiencing drowning syndrome. Waterfront obsessive-compulsive impulse….’ 

 

Isn’t it amazing? There are seven penalties in total. Such was the terrifying dignity of a monster guest common to the Both versions. Even while coughing as if he would spill his guts, the future looked pitch-black.

 

‘Not overcoming it, but enduring it.’

 

That was the way to play this game.

 

“Haa, haa…”

 

Only after vomiting for much longer did Lee Yeonwoo lean back in his chair.

 

“…Sigh…”

 

His mind and body were tattered. He was no better than a rag.

 

“…Instinctively, I feel that the fact I’m alive right now is nothing short of a miracle. It’s a bizarre sensation. Blood Magic, the system, bugs, and contract penalties are all tangled together, barely allowing me to maintain a human form, yet also failing to…” 

 

“….” 

 

“I feel like… hmm… a Jenga tower full of holes.”

 

A Jenga tower that would collapse with one wrong breath.

 

‘If there is any consolation, perhaps it’s the fact that the materials are so heavily entangled that it won’t collapse easily?’

 

While he wouldn’t really die just from breathing, it was clear he was now in a position where he had to be extremely careful with his body.

 

“Unless there is an error in my memory, there is no coughing or vomiting of blood in ‘The Wet Man’ penalties.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“It must be the influence of the Annotations of the Crimson Core ritual.” 

 

“Yes…” 

 

“If this is happening simply because of the softening of internal organs and not something like pneumonia or a gastric ulcer, then it’s a relief.”

 

No, I’ll correct myself. It’s not. It’s absolutely not a relief. Let’s not deceive myself.

 

‘Still, it’s relatively fortunate that I can guess the cause. There are few things worse than being completely unable to grasp the situation.’

 

There was a part he could guess.

 

One of the penalties: “Aspiration-like Coughing Fits.”

 

It’s a symptom that occurs when internal organs are filled with water. It was likely that contacting lungs that had become closer to bloody water resulted in what looked like vomiting blood.

 

So, in other words, I have vomited the blood that corresponds to my organs…

 

“….” 

 

“Hello…” 

 

“…I thought for a moment.” 

 

“Thought?” 

 

“About what kind of fatal impact the act of picking up and eating this vomit again would have on my dignity as a human being.” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

No. It’s out of the question. It’s something I can’t do.

 

‘The synergy is truly the worst.’

 

Due to the Annotations of the Crimson Core ritual, his entire body has become little different from bloody water, yet the Water Spirit contract penalty is autonomously pumping that bloody water out. At this rate, there is no way to avoid anemia.

 

‘No, it’s not a problem to be expressed with a refined word like anemia.’

 

This is no different from dying in real-time.

 

‘In an ordinary case, doesn’t it mean a part of my organs is falling away in chunks every time I cough.’ 

 

Annotations of the Crimson Core. A ritual that turns a human into eternal bloody water. In this body, every single drop of blood was not a simple liquid, but the only physical asset he possessed.

 

“….”

 

Whether it’s my blood, 

 

Or someone else’s.

 

“…And as long as I’m under contract with ‘The Wet Man,’ I have to constantly spit out this precious asset. Unless I switch to a new save file, I can’t undo the contract either.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“So this… isn’t a problem that will be solved simply by vomiting. It means that I must secure my survival by using separate means to solve the inevitable anemia problem.”

 

Suddenly, the contents of Annotations of the Crimson Core came to mind.

 

“According to the records, all the subjects of the ritual became monsters craving blood. Whether they drank blood, chewed raw flesh, or enjoyed cannibalism.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“I don’t feel… that kind of impulse. Is it thanks to successfully completing the ritual, unlike them? It’s a relief, but while I don’t have the impulse, doesn’t this mean… that I too have ended up in a position where I must harvest blood from the outside?” 

 

“Yes!”

 

Lee Yeonwoo looked down at Coco sitting on his lap. It wasn’t hard to read what Coco was thinking. This sly cat, really.

 

“You were just thinking of a way to take blood from a human guest, weren’t you?” 

 

“Yes-no?” 

 

“I cannot accept human guests.” 

 

“No?” 

 

“There is a limit to making a person into a criminal. Are you now planning to make me a cannibal beyond a simple murderer? Just how far do you intend to make me fall, cough… hack!” 

 

“…!! No! Hello! No! No!” 

 

“Stop, ugh, I’m okay… bleergh…” 

 

“Hello!!!”

 

Blood streaming down his mouth, and Coco circling around the fallen Lee Yeonwoo. It was only after two hours that this absurd mess and vomiting of blood finally subsided.

 

Yes, it took a full two hours.

 

“…Even in the game, there were specific sections where coughing fits were frequent.”

 

The timing of the contract penalties was usually random. Or even constant.

 

“It’s regrettable.” 

 

“Yes…” 

 

“Am I even human at this rate?”

 

Lee Yeonwoo stared at the bloodstains messily decorating the marble floor.

 

‘It’s a funny thing.’

 

A puddle of blood so deep and wide that it was embarrassing to call it a mere ‘trace.’ The blood that had fallen outside his body was exceedingly quiet, but Lee Yeonwoo felt that it was still alive.

 

The puddle was connected to him not as dead liquid but still as a part of himself. His palely blanched fingertips silently swept near his pit of the stomach. 

 

‘Something,’

 

…The inside felt empty.

 

“…At this rate…”

 

I might never be able to be a person.

 

“….” 

 

“….”

 

After a long silence, Lee Yeonwoo added in a low voice.

 

“…Let’s find a way.”

 

Whatever it takes, a way for me to remain as myself.