Escaping the Mystery Hotel

Chapter 112: Room 107 - The Gate Room, The First Trial End, The Second Trial Entry (3)

- Han Kain

Stay calm.

The structure of this car shouldn’t be different from the one I was in.

One person is real, and the rest are fakes.

There were two options as to why the real person wasn’t discernible.

Either the “Ahri” I possessed was real, or the real one was pretending to be a fake.

I rummaged through the mind of the Ahri I possessed.

My proficiency with the Grimoire was far inferior to that of the original owner, the Apostle from the Mansion of Fear.

Therefore, unlike the Apostle, I couldn’t completely read the target’s mind upon possession.

Some of these memories didn’t belong to Ahri.

Furthermore, if this Ahri were the real one, she would have been able to resist my possession, which she didn’t.

This Ahri was definitely a fake.

Thus, the real one in this room was pretending to be a fake.

I thought deeply about each person.

First, the Han Kain and Kim Ahri in this room were definitely fakes.

Next, Cha Jinchul and Park Seungyub were also fakes.

I didn’t mean to offend them, but I couldn’t imagine either of them being skilled enough to react and start acting so convincingly in such a short time.

If Jinchul-hyung was here, he would have thought of fighting using the Star rather than acting in such a situation.

Similar to Jinchul-hyung, Songee also seemed fake.

Those with an Inheritance gave off a certain vibe that others with an Inheritance could sense. Moreover, those people tended to rely heavily on their Inheritance in times of crisis, rather than opt for something like acting.

Grandpa Mooksung was also a fake.

If he were the only real one, there’d be no need for him to act, especially since he had the gun.

The fakes didn’t have Inheritance or Blessing.

In such a situation, Grandpa Mooksung could kill everyone alone.

So, Han Kain, Kim Ahri, Park Seungyub, Cha Jinchul, Yu Songee, and Kim Mooksung were judged to be fakes.

The remaining two, Elena and Lee Eunsol, left me puzzled.

Considering Perro’s reaction, Elena might be the real one, but it was ambiguous just because Perro looked at her.

Moreover, the actions of the woman leaning against the window showed the revolting arrogance and viciousness of a racist.

“…”

I observed the surroundings.

As time passed, the fakes started recalling their own memories more clearly, and the Hotel’s implanted memories quickly faded.

It wasn’t long before the fakes concluded that they should reveal their Inheritance to determine who was real.

Cha Jinchul revealed the Star first.

He was a fake.

Han Kain opened the Grimoire.

Of course, he was a fake.

Songee was rather ambiguous.

Even if her bracelet was real, there was no way to distinguish it if she didn’t use it.

Then, as everyone’s attention turned to me, or rather, the Kim Ahri I possessed, I got an idea.

***

- Elena

What should I do?

I was avoiding suspicion with my acting, but that was it.

I had no way to subdue these people on my own.

Should I just wait for the others to come from another car?

While I was pondering, the fakes in this car started revealing their Inheritance.

When everyone’s attention turned to Ahri after Kain, Jinchul, and Songee–

Ahri started acting strangely.

She took out a syringe and drew her own blood and then kept touching her chest oddly.

She kept adjusting the angles, touching here and there.

Is the syringe supposed to be there?

From my memory, it should be in a pocket at her waist.

Watching this, I remembered a joke Ahri had made during a meal.

She had joked about how Kain tried to touch her chest as soon as he possessed her body, so she immediately chased him out, calling him a pervert.

Kain was flustered and stammered, asking what she meant, while we all laughed uncontrollably.

“...”

“???”

Could it be?! That Ahri!

I was so startled that I failed to hide my surprise!

Ahri, no, Kain possessing Ahri, smiled at me.

Suddenly, a thick book appeared in Ahri’s hand.

I instinctively closed my eyes.

-Flap!

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Ughhhh!"

"Eeeek!"

In an instant, the train car was filled with screams as the fakes collapsed to the floor.

It was the effect of the Grimoire’s magic, which no one but the owner could dare look at!

While everyone in the car was focused on Ahri, she suddenly summoned the Grimoire and opened it wide, rendering the fakes powerless while I, who had anticipated the abnormality and closed my eyes, remained unaffected.

The fakes were all bleeding from their eyes and vomiting uncontrollably.

Kain, who had possessed Ahri, calmly took the gun from the fake Mooksung’s waist and shot the remaining fakes.

“...When did you possess Ahri?”

“Not too long ago. This body will commit suicide soon. Elena, could you go to the back? I need support since my body is in pretty bad shape.”

“Are you badly hurt?”

“Somewhat.”

I watched Kain aim the gun at the possessed Ahri’s head before heading to the back of the train car.

-Bang!

With the sound of gunfire, all the fakes in my car were dead.

The barrier soon disappeared.

As Kain said, his condition wasn’t good.

Supporting him for a brief moment made me think his bones might be broken in several places, and blood flowed from his eyes.

“Are you really okay?”

“Isn’t this considered a minor injury in this hotel?”

“You can still joke even in a situation like this!?”

“Haha... Actually, it hurts.”

“I didn’t expect you to suddenly open the Grimoire. I didn’t know you could use it that way.”

“It’s the first time I intentionally opened it in front of others to attack. If I had thought of it a bit earlier in the previous car, it would have been easier for me.”

“You haven’t had it long. You’ll get better with practice. Just like how you learned how to filter your vision with the Status Window.”

I suddenly laughed as I supported Kain to the front of the train.

“Why did you touch your chest all of a sudden?”

“The fakes seemed to have forgotten most of the real’s memories. I thought only the real person would recognize the gesture…”

“Even so, was touching your chest the only gesture you could think of? Were you really pure in your intention?”

“Why did you specifically choose to act like a racist in your performance?”

“It just came to mind at that moment.”

“So did touching my chest.”

“I’ll definitely tell Ahri about this.”

With that, the atmosphere became somewhat lighter.

Despite supporting Kain, who could barely stand, we joked and laughed as we moved to the next car.

***

- Han Kain

Even while laughing with Elena, I was worried inside.

Could we get through the remaining train cars in this condition?

Fortunately, there was no need to worry.

As soon as we reached the passageway, we saw our comrades crossing over to our side.

The moment when the real Hotel Party members joined together after eliminating all the fakes in every room, an announcement echoed through the entire train.

Congratulations, participants! You have passed the First Trial, 'Doppelgänger Train'.

With the announcement, the surroundings collapsed, just like when a Cursed Room was resolved.

“…”

The surroundings brightened again.

And the Status Window returned.

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 37

Current Location: Floor 1, Room 107 (Gate Room)

Sage’s Advice: 3

We gathered in a place resembling Room 105, a hotel-like room with simple beds and some food.

An announcement appeared on the display in front.

The Second Trial will begin in 1 hour.

One hour.

We guessed there would be no rest, but still…

We barely have time to catch our breath!

And our bodies are in terrible condition!

The statement I made to Elena about this being a minor injury in the Hotel was, unfortunately, true.

Seeing Jinchul-hyung’s condition, it was a miracle he was even alive.

There was no time to rejoice in reuniting with comrades.

Grandpa Mooksung hurriedly approached me and began first aid.

“Hang in there!”

-Snap!

“Ahhhhh!”

“I need to set the bone, so don’t struggle! Someone hold Kain’s arm!”

“Yes~! Kain-oppa, bite down hard.”

I was shaking from the intense pain.

Despite the pain, my thoughts wandered to Jinchul-hyung’s condition.

I was injured enough for Grandpa to administer first aid, but there was no solution for Jinchul-hyung.

It was like when doctors opened a patient’s belly and sighed before closing it up again.

The cost of using the Star without his Blessing was severe.

His Blessing returned and his Regeneration had started to take effect but… could he recover from that state?

-Snap!

“Oh, is this the wrong angle?”

“Ahhhhh! What do you mean the wrong angle!”

“Hey! It’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

...This isn’t the time to worry about others.

One hour wasn’t enough for proper rest; it was barely enough to provide first aid to the injured.

In the end, Jinchul-hyung couldn’t regain consciousness, and I still couldn’t lift my arm properly when the next trial began.

***

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 37

Current Location: Floor 1, Room 107 (Gate Room)

Sage’s Advice: 3

When everyone came to their senses, we were in the middle of an unknown forest.

Scenario: Gate Room - ‘The Witch’s Forest’

The Hotel party woke up in an unknown forest.

An eerie atmosphere surrounds them, and unknown wails fill the air.

With a severely injured comrade, rest is essential.

Looking around, they find a suspicious wooden cabin.

Wouldn’t that cabin have warm beds and some snacks?

Check the suspicious cabin for the next clue.

As expected, it works in the Gate Room too!

-Aaaahhh~!

As I read through the scenario, a chilling cry akin to an infant’s echoed.

Everyone’s face hardened.

I shared the details with them.

Grandpa Mooksung sighed.

“Ha... Just from the name 'The Witch’s Forest', this is going to be a nightmare.”

“Let’s find the cabin first. It seems we need to go there to proceed.”

Ahri, who was supporting Jinchul-hyung, answered.

“We need rest too. Let’s get Jinchul to a warm, soft place first.”

Fortunately, finding the cabin wasn’t difficult.

-Creak!

The door opened with a rough sound.

As soon as we entered the cabin, everyone, except Jinchul-hyung and I, busily moved around.

Eunsol-noona lit the fireplace with a candle lighter, and Grandpa Mooksung found a soft blanket upstairs, creating a spot in front of the fireplace to lay Jinchul-hyung down.

Elena found a soft cushion and some clothes, making a spot for me to lie down as well.

As I sat and stared at the fireplace, Ahri approached me.

“So, how was it?”

“Huh?”

“How did they feel?”

“Ugh! Elena, why are you—”

“Wow! You really did touch it? Elena only said you possessed the fake’s body.”

“...”

Ahri looked at me with a somewhat pale expression.

I started thinking it might have been better to faint like /genesisforsaken