Lee Yeon-woo had been playing this game for twenty-six years. Even for someone like him, it was rare to see a Human Guest who'd been abducted to the 23rd floor be this active.
And this hadn't been accomplished by an NPC, but by a film director who specialized in horror thrillers.
"Usually, at most, people only attempt about two of those."
"And there were actually people who tried two?"
"Quite a few."
It couldn't be helped when dealing with NPCs whose behavioral patterns were predetermined.
If nobody used the features you'd painstakingly built, wouldn't that be a real disappointment for the developer? This game's developer had mapped out routes for every conceivable scenario, one by one.
'And that's why I'm the only player.'
A game needed appropriate difficulty to retain players. No matter how well the subject matter suited your taste, what good was it if you couldn't even clear the entry threshold? For Yeon-woo, who had endured those long years alone, it was a bitter truth.
"What is certain is that you covered an impressively wide range of ground, Director. Do you happen to remember where you first woke up? Of course, there's no need to answer if it's uncomfortable."
"It's not that... oh, some kind of swimming pool? I woke up half-draped over the edge of a pool that had colorful structures, like a water park or a playground. The pool water here was all sparkly, which was kind of fascinating."
"A swimming pool."
This was yet another point of admiration.
"Did you happen to see any eyes?"
"Eyes...? Does it snow here?"
"No, I mean biological visual organs."
When Yeon-woo tapped beside his own eye, the director nodded as if something had just come back to her.
"Oh, I saw one. An insanely huge eye. It was deep at the very bottom."
...She looked directly at it and survived unscathed?
"......"
"...Did I do something wrong?"
"Not at all. I was simply admiring your remarkable mental fortitude."
"Do you die if you see it?"
"It won't kill you, but most people's minds can't withstand it."
"You too...?"
"If I lacked that level of resistance, I wouldn't have been able to work as this hotel's General Manager."
"Not sure if that counts as a selling point."
"How unfortunate."
It seemed Director Lee Seon-hae had been assessed as a guest with exceptionally strong mental fortitude. A guest with lower sanity stats would have almost certainly suffered a mental breakdown on sight.
'Either extremely lucky, or naturally gifted in willpower.'
Perhaps both.
'Without an interface, there's no way to check a guest's stats. This is really inconvenient....'
In any case, it was a miracle she was alive. Had Yeon-woo arrived even three minutes later, she would have lost her life.
"...First, let me give you a brief overview of the current situation. You were abducted around 2 AM and brought here to the Aqua Park on the 23rd floor."
Considering she'd been on the verge of death when found, the timing was certain. The abduction had been carried out at 2 AM, the moment both of them fell asleep. These Monster Guests were truly outrageous.
"Mr. Hong Gyeong-yeon, who was staying with you, was quite shaken, so the hotel took certain measures. At present, he likely believes that you were called away on urgent business and left for Seoul ahead of him."
"......?"
Director Lee Seon-hae looked skeptical.
"Brainwashing?"
"It's closer to hypnosis."
"Illegal?"
Yeon-woo couldn't deny it. It wasn't his field of expertise, but even a rough assessment confirmed it was clearly illegal.
'Article 155 of the Criminal Code, destruction of evidence. Article 136, obstruction of official duties. Article 324, coercion. Article 283, intimidation. Forced hypnosis... the Personal Information Protection Act... the Mental Health Act....'
Overlapping criminal charges against the perpetrator—a serious felony situation by anyone's standards. A single lawyer wouldn't even scratch the surface. You'd need to retain an entire law firm, and even then it would be a headache.
What was the point of belaboring it? Yeon-woo decided not to overthink it and simply conceded.
"I have no excuse."
"Oh... no, it's a hundred times better than having brain cells die from worrying about some hopeless senior."
"As I've said before, I am deeply ashamed. Our hotel has caused tremendous trouble for your companion."
"No, that guy and I are the ones who... we're the ones who aren't much to speak of...."
"Then let's exchange apologies and move on."
He said it that way, but ultimately this had occurred within a system he managed. Now that things had come to this, there was no point in debating "who was the perpetrator."
So his words of shame were sincere.
"......"
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes, it just feels like the conversation is aligning in a strangely fitting way...."
"I see."
"Yeah, well... I guess so."
The director's expression grew more peculiar. Though he didn't show it, Yeon-woo felt much the same. It was a bit like being the owner of a dog that had caused an accident. Except this was less an accident and more an incident.
'So this is how I end up as a criminal, something that was never in my cards.'
If he were arrested right now, he couldn't even begin to estimate the sentencing.
'I'll need new business cards. My coworkers would have a fit if they saw.'
He'd have a lot to talk about at the next company dinner....
"......"
"......"
"...So, I'd like to start heading out soon."
"Oh, yes."
"Before we move, let me explain the situation going forward."
"I'm all ears."
There were several rescue methods. One was the Management Route, another was the Contract Route. Both were possible, but the most moderate approach was the Management Route.
'All the conditions are in place. If the Tutorial Bug I attempted through Mr. Hong was successfully applied, the Management Route alone should be enough to resolve this.'
The problem was... it might not work.
"......"
"Yeon-woo?"
"...I apologize, I had something to think through for a moment."
"Are... your eyes and ears still like that?"
"No, they're fine now."
"I know that sort of thing doesn't heal that quickly."
"This hotel has its own methods, so it really is fine. Thanks to your patience, I've finished organizing my thoughts. Now, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Oh, sure."
"Would you be alright staying here alone?"
"Ugh."
Director Lee Seon-hae recoiled. Her face said she genuinely despised the idea.
"In most horror movies, the person left behind alone is the one who dies."
"This is a bit different. You'd be better off thinking of it as a game rather than a movie. As long as you don't break the rules—or better yet, use them to your advantage—there's no reason to die."
"Ever thought about switching jobs? This hotel really doesn't seem like a place for people to live."
"That's not exactly up to me. But you needn't worry. The guest in Room 703 will be targeting me as a priority."
Wasn't that the entire reason he'd endured all those events until now? Yeon-woo felt a strange sense of purpose.
And was promptly refuted.
"That makes me worry more."
"How unfortunate."
But what could he do? This was the only available method.
"I can't explain everything. The more confused you become, Director, the greater the threats of this hotel grow. So let me at least give you some precautionary notes for what lies ahead...."
"......"
"If I suddenly get stabbed or fall into the pool, I'd appreciate it if you tried not to be too startled."
"......"
Director Lee Seon-hae's expression was transparent. The look that said, 'How can you say that with a straight face?' Yeon-woo honestly sympathized.
"That's an entirely normal reaction. You're so healthy it's almost embarrassing that I was worried about your mental and physical state. Congratulations."
"...But you're the one who's acting like... it's not... normal...."
"I'm not so lacking in common sense as to make such an unreasonable demand."
He understood. If he'd been in Director Lee Seon-hae's position, he would have assumed something was wrong upstairs, too. In essence, he was asking her to be complicit in something like assisted suicide.
'But what can I do about it?'
I've decided that's what I'm going to do.
"......"
"Would you grant me your understanding?"
A request—but also a notification.
That was how Yeon-woo had always been. If he judged that something needed to be done, it needed to be done. He would explain and ask for understanding if necessary. But beyond that, there was nothing more.
If he'd judged it right, and there was no issue with it, then it was simply something that had to be done.
"......"
"...An explanation...."
"Yes."
"Just... a little more explanation... give me something so I can at least pretend to be convinced...."
"Yes, I understand your request, Director."
"Do you really?"
"Of course."
***
【Rescue Routes: The Drenched One】 WET ENTITY RESCUE ROUTES
■ Rescue Method 1
: Discharge Route
* Condition 1: Maintain continuous 'Discharge' selection until checkout
* Condition 2: Control guest's path to prevent overlap with hotel's 'Drenched One'
■ Rescue Method 2
: Management Route
* Condition 1: Enter 23rd floor within 11 hours after abduction
* Condition 2: Secure rescue target within Aqua Park (※Location confirmation required)
* Condition 3: Statement directed at 'the Drenched One': "You are not my guest." (※Consumes 1 Nightmare resource)
* Condition 4: Tutorial completion required (※Confirm bug applicability)
* Condition 5: 'Drenched One' in non-agitated state
■ Rescue Method 3
: Contract Route
※ This is a rescue contract, not a standard contract; additional conditions required
※ Exceptionally permits contract with water-affiliated monster
* Condition 1: Perform 2 or more self-harm events
* Condition 2: Select 2 or more structural utterances
* Condition 3: Enter 23rd floor Aqua Park within 12 hours
* Condition 4: Death in the main pool (※Cause irrelevant; must be fully submerged)
* Condition 5: 'Drenched One' in non-agitated state
***
"......"
This kid was truly dangerous.
'In so many different ways.'
Having heard the rough explanation, Seon-hae's mind went blank.
"...So."
The director forced herself to focus. She did want to get out of this hotel as quickly as possible, but there was something she needed to confirm first.
"First, you're going to approach the guest in Room 703 and try to persuade them with a few offerings."
"Yes."
"And if that doesn't work, since you'll need to soothe their mood, you're willing to half-die? Like pressing coins for the afterlife into a Water Ghost's hand? Yourself?"
"Yes, that's the most effective approach. Because it is a Water Ghost."
Yeon-woo's voice was calm. Courteous and kind, but showing no emotional disturbance. Like a newscaster delivering tomorrow's weather forecast—plain and precisely measured in tone.
"The Drenched One wants that. A very lonely guest."
"That's not what I asked. Are you out of your mind?"
"I can't claim to be perfectly sane, but I am confident that this is the most rational decision I can make given the current situation."
"If you were being rational, you wouldn't say something like—"
"......"
Yeon-woo tilted his head. Then quietly and smoothly added:
"I appreciate your concern for me, but there's really no need to agonize over it so deeply."
"This isn't the kind of thing that goes away just because you say so."
"My death and suffering do not hold the same value as yours, Director Lee."
Wait, hold on.
"......"
What did he just say?
"...Come again?"
"The weight is different."
It took less than a second to realize that statement was wrong. But more bewildering than that bizarre remark was his demeanor—the expression on his face as he said it.
How to put it? Yes—a face as composed as a wax figure.
'What? He wasn't like this before.'
He was definitely the Yeon-woo I knew, wasn't he?
But looking at that face, she lost her certainty. The worry and fatigue and concern she'd seen when he was saving her—all of it suddenly seemed like a lie.
Could even that human concern directed at her have been meaningless performance? She posed the question.
"...Do you weigh lives?"
"Do you think a murderer's life and a volunteer's life carry the same weight?"
"Are you a murderer, by any chance?"
"I apologize. That was an inappropriate analogy."
And yet he was still being considerate of her. She could see it in the way his eyes deliberated, however briefly. The care he showed in worrying she might be offended.
Even so, he said it anyway.
"Do you believe the life of a human and the life of a machine are equal?"
"......"
Only then did Seon-hae understand.
'Right now, this person....'
Lee Yeon-woo did not regard himself as a 'living being.'
Deja vu pricked at her brain. Things she'd overlooked came rushing back. Perhaps Yeon-woo thought of himself as a consumable. Like a floral foam block that's expected to be punctured when flowers are inserted.
A chill of dissonance crawled up her spine.
'That can't be.'
You?
'You, who showed me that wondrous sight?'
She realized it. All of that abnormal, unconscionable stubbornness and discourtesy had been directed entirely at himself. An indifference born from not classifying himself as a living thing.
It was even more absurd that he was trying not to say it rudely.
"...What do you mean by—"
Seon-hae had to push back.
She didn't know why she felt so compelled, but she just did. She simply felt she had to. So she recalled it—the moment a mass of blood had been restored into a person.
"No, listen. Yeon-woo."
There was no way that hadn't been painful.
"You're a person."
"That's correct."
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
Seon-hae herself was taken aback. In a situation this urgent, she couldn't understand why she was speaking so insistently. This really wasn't the time for a debate like this.
'He's saying he'll save me regardless.'
But she couldn't help it.
"What I'm saying is...."
She couldn't even manage a strained smile; the muscles around her mouth ached.
'Is there any reason I should be this shaken?'
Lee Yeon-woo was an extraordinary being. Unique in this hotel—perhaps in the entire world. Not only a person of character, but possibly something beyond human. Seon-hae was already overwhelmed by that fact.
'We've barely known each other. Failing to rescue a kid caught up in danger is certainly worth blaming yourself for, but even so... was it worth being this flustered?'
Yet she couldn't just let it go.
"But why."
"Director."
She'd been about to say something, but Yeon-woo spoke faster.
"As long as certain conditions are met, I can be restored at any time. You saw it yourself, so you already know—my body deteriorating is only a temporary phenomenon."
"...How can you say that right now?"
"On the other hand, you are a 'person' who is vulnerable to pain, Director."
"Wow, so right now you're bragging that it's nothing to you?"
"Hardly. But it is a clear fact that if you were to die or be injured, Director, an ungracious restoration like mine would be impossible for you."
"And?"
Yeon-woo smiled neatly.
"That's what makes you precious."
"......"
"If we're forced into a corner where one of us must be hurt, isn't it rational for the less valuable one to step forward? That is simple common sense."
"...Whose common sense, exactly?"
"A calculation so simple even a child could manage it."
Yeon-woo smiled as he said this. Listening to him speak, it was as though he were a being who understood the world solely through numbers and functions.
While he didn't treat Seon-hae that way at all.
Just—and only—himself.
"You seem to be taking this too much to heart, so I'll settle for only half-dying."
"......"
"Would this serve as a compromise?"
"...No."
...Did I just hear a suicide announcement?
She didn't even have the energy to respond. It felt as though the entire circuit of thought in her head had shut down. Surely, in his own way, it was meant as reassurance—comfort offered to put her at ease.
But the sheer alienness of it filled her with irrational dread.
'Why is he so calm about it?'
How could someone talk about their own death as if it were nothing?
'However old he claims to be—how much could that really be—and yet in front of a great elder like me, he's spouting this... absurd....'
She couldn't understand.
"......"
The strength drained from her.
"...What does 'half-dying' even mean? You get grazed by a bullet and you're still dead."
"What a delightful expression."
"......"
"That's Director Lee Seon-hae for you."
"Ah...."
Seon-hae finally hung her head.
People normally hold conversations under the premise that words will get through. But this person was saying he'd use his death as a conversational tool. An abnormal way of thinking.
"...Seriously...."
She wanted to faint, sincerely.
***
"...Seriously...."
"......"
A decidedly negative reaction, by any measure.
"......"
Hmm.
'What went wrong?'
Unaware of it himself, Yeon-woo—whose social instincts had been ground down by consecutive stretches of grueling work—sank into solitary thought.
'She seems upset. Which part of my explanation was offensive?'
Perhaps the analogy had been too blunt.
'This is my first time handling a Human Guest during a live event, so my service must have been lacking.'
Had he gotten a good night's rest, Yeon-woo would have recognized his own misstep. He possessed that much awareness, at least. But right now, he was simply too exhausted to arrive at that conclusion.
To the very end, it never occurred to him that his words might have sounded like 'I'll die in your place.'
'Once I get her safely home, she'll probably feel a bit better.'
And so, he came to stand before the Drenched One.