Escaping the Mystery Hotel

User: Han Kain (Wisdom)

Date: Day 92

Current Location: Floor 2, Frozen Hell – Room of Resurrection

Sage’s Advice: 2

The term “Prayer of Rest” marked the emergence of a new possibility beyond merely reviving someone with the ticket.

“Guide, what exactly is this ‘Prayer of Rest’?”

“A Prayer of Rest is a process in which you pray to Buddha, asking for peace and rest for the former participant. However, know that prayers alone are not enough to accomplish things in this world. Ultimately, you must rescue the former participant from this hell yourselves.”

“Rescue them from hell? Isn’t this place hell already?”

“You’ll have to experience it for yourselves.”

It seemed it wouldn’t answer any more questions we had regarding this matter.

After a long time of observing the frozen figure of Miro, Ahri spoke, “Her body is here, but it feels like her mind is trapped elsewhere. It seems like we’re supposed to rescue her spirit.”

With that, I looked closer, understanding what she meant.

The bodies of those trapped in the ice were right before us, but they appeared to be suffering, groaning as if they were trapped in a nightmare.

Are their spirits trapped in some terrible place?

“It seems like they’re caught in a nightmare… what do you all think?”

“It looks that way to me too,” Noona replied.

This time, she asked the Guide another question, “Is this something that only some of us need to do? Can you explain more clearly? Our Patrons already hinted at it.”

“Hell is a place where the living cannot tread. However, Buddha’s mercy knows no bounds. Incense of Salvation has been prepared for those who seek salvation. As long as the flame of the Incense burns, even the living may enter hell. But the flame will only last as long as the others pray for you.”

In simpler terms, it meant we had to split the party. Some of us would have to pray to maintain the flame while others ventured into hell to rescue Miro.

Ahri asked a crucial question, “If we succeed in the Prayer of Rest, what happens to the former participant? Do they escape the Hotel? Can they still be revived afterward?”

“Rest and escape are separate matters. The former participant will be freed from their suffering but will not leave the Hotel. Likewise, rest and revival are also separate. The participant can still be revived whether or not the prayer is completed.”

The meaning behind the Guide’s words was clear: Miro’s suffering could be ended with the prayer, but her fate in the Hotel would remain unchanged.

The very fact that Miro’s “suffering” would end was enough to bring life back into Ahri’s expression.

She turned to face us, her voice quieter than usual, “We all agreed before. We need to find a way to restore Miro’s mind before considering revival. I still agree with that. It’s too dangerous to work with someone who isn’t mentally stable in this environment. However…”

Unlike revival, a Prayer of Rest didn’t require a ticket or the danger of bringing an unstable Miro back into the party, making it a perfect option for Ahri.

Before she could finish her sentence, Noona cut in, “We should do the Prayer of Rest.”

“…”

“We have to. As you said, we’ll only consider revival once we’ve found a way to restore her mind. But we need to at least end her suffering. Besides, we came to the second floor to fix things, didn’t we? Whether through prayer or revival, we need to resolve this for the Hotel to return to normal.”

I quickly chimed in, agreeing, “I think so too. According to my understanding of ‘Scenario Comprehension’, the reason the Hotel is frozen is because of ‘the resentment and pain of those who died here’, right? Whether through prayer or revival, we must soothe their spirits for the Hotel to return to normal.”

“Right. And…”

“And?”

Instead of answering, Noona paused, staring at Miro’s frozen figure, then turned to look at Ahri.

I understood her meaning.

Can Ahri, knowing her mother was trapped in eternal damnation, continue in the Hotel with a clear mind?

What if, in her desperation, she steals the ticket and tries to revive Miro impulsively?

And if Ahri starts to act out, how would Grandpa react?

He has worked with Ahri for so long; will he turn a blind eye to her when she’s blatantly suffering?

For Ahri, the Prayer of Rest is a way to relieve her mother’s pain.

But for the rest of us, it’s a way to prevent Ahri and Grandpa from going rogue.

Soon after, we began preparing for the prayer.

***“Kain!”

“Noona?”

“Let’s split the party. From what the Patrons have said, and based on the Advice you’ve received, I think it’s clear that we need to split up.”

“You’re right. Some of us will have to go into hell, while others will stay behind to pray.”

“It seems like the ones going into hell will be…”

Noona trailed off.

It was obvious who needed to go.

Ahri, Grandpa, and I were the ones most likely to be chosen for the task.

“I think I should go. Elena and Seungyub were both told this wasn’t their mission, but I was told to cooperate with experienced people. When we lack information, it’s best to follow the advice of our Patrons, right?”

“Good thinking. There’s something else I need to tell you.”

She glanced over at Ahri and Grandpa, who were examining the incense, asking the Guide questions.

“What is it?”

“This is about Miro. I don’t know what you’ll do or where you’ll go, but you’ll likely encounter her.”

“Probably.”

“When you meet her, try to understand who she really is. This prayer is just to end her suffering, right? It won’t free her from the Hotel or restore her mind. Ahri will still want to free her entirely.”

“…I’ll do my best.”

“It’s not just about trying, you need to be sure of your assessment. I can’t trust anyone’s word but yours. Do you think her daughter or her old colleagues can look at her objectively?”

“…”

“Look with your own eyes. Find out who Miro really is and whether she’s someone we should revive. Focus on her mental state.”

“…Understood.”

Before long, a mysterious incense appeared in the middle of the Frozen Hell, surrounded by a small mat and a prayer chamber.

“Do we go into that chamber to pray?” Jinchul-hyung asked.

The Guide confirmed this.

Noona muttered under her breath, sounding worried, “Do we need to start the prayer immediately?”

“Noona, let’s eat first. It’s important to fill our stomachs before doing something dangerous.”

“The food’s gotten cold, but you’re right. Let’s eat.”

As we chewed through the cold meal, Ahri, Grandpa, and I had a separate discussion.

“Ahri, we’re not sure what ‘rescuing Miro from hell’ means, but we’ll probably meet your mother.”

“That seems likely. We’re going to the place where her mind is trapped, after all.”

“Tell me everything you know about Miro. What kind of powers did she have?”

“…It’s hard to explain.”

“Hard to explain?”

Ahri hesitated before answering, “Don’t take my explanation too seriously. I never met Miro when she was in her right mind. As for her powers… physical strength, for starters. She was definitely stronger than the average person. Kind of like this?”

Ahri reached out and gripped my arm tightly.

…She gripped it tightly enough that I could barely move.

I had suspected it before, but now it was clear—Ahri was stronger than me.

“How does it compare to your full strength?”

“Well, we draw our strength from the same Inheritance, so it’s somewhat similar. But she’s much weaker than Jinchul and even weaker than Mooksung. Of course, her physical strength isn’t the most important thing. It’s her supernatural ability that really mattered. But it isn’t as straightforward as something like telekinesis or teleportation. It’s more like… charisma?”

“Charisma?”

This time, Grandpa chimed in, “She could easily persuade people, always leading like a natural-born protagonist.”

“Is that really a superpower? There are plenty of politicians and celebrities who can do that. Or was it more like mind control?”

“Mind control? In a way, yes, but not quite. Think of it as her charisma or leadership being amplified by a supernatural degree. It’s hard to describe. You could say she had the ability to become the leader in any group, no matter how new or unfamiliar the environment may be.”

Grandpa’s words painted a picture of a person perfectly suited for the Hotel—a natural leader who could thrive in any situation.

But, clearly, something had gone terribly wrong.

Ahri spoke up again, “I didn’t even know about her ability until after I escaped the Hotel. I knew about her Inheritance and Blessing, but not the rest.”

“If her powers are based on charisma or leadership, they must have been hard to use once she regressed to a child-like mental state.”

“Now that I think about it, my mother had a nickname”

“What is it?”

“The Princess from a Fairy Tale.”

“That sounds kind of cute…”

Grandpa chuckled bitterly, “Half of it was because she was beautiful, and the other half was because she was self-centered and willful, like someone from a royal family.”

“That’s not reassuring… didn’t she have other powers?”

“There were… additional abilities, yes. But the problem is that they all seemed interconnected. It was like everything stemmed from the same core power. Some even speculated that all of her abilities were just different aspects of one larger ability.”

“Despite being a high-ranking agent of the Administration, there’s only vague information about her powers?”

“To study her abilities more closely, we would have needed to experiment, but Miro had so many ‘followers’ within the Administration that it became impossible to research her properly. Besides, she was loyal to the Administration, so the higher-ups didn’t want to push her too hard.”

The word “loyal” caught Ahri’s attention, and she interjected, “Despite all the negative stories, no one ever doubted her loyalty to the Administration. Most of the bad things you’ve heard are about her personality. But in terms of her actions, she saved countless lives.”

That was at least a positive note.

Despite her flaws, Miro had been a hero, loyal and dedicated to the Administration.

As I listened, I realized most of the things we learned about her were vague—her personality was problematic, and her abilities were unclear.

Suddenly, with a soft thunk, a door appeared, much like the incense and prayer chamber had.

We didn’t need to ask; we all knew what it was.

With a silent exchange of glances, Ahri, Grandpa, and I stepped toward it.

It was time to enter Miro’s hell.

***<we wish="" you="" a="" merry=""></we>

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

And a happy New Year!>

The cheerful sound of Christmas carols woke me from my daze.

The scene around me felt oddly familiar—a neat bed, a bookshelf filled with books, a luxurious wooden desk.

It was a small, cozy space, maybe around 15 pyeong ¹, large enough for one person.

As the carols played, I realized that outside the window, snow was gently falling.

Not a raging blizzard-like on the second floor—just a peaceful snowfall, with children playing happily in the street below.

I quickly assessed my surroundings and then myself.

“…”

The reflection in the mirror showed a younger version of myself, maybe two or three years younger.

At best, I looked around 15 years old, wearing what appeared to be a school uniform.

From the surroundings and my appearance, I felt like I was back in some kind of boarding school, similar to my time at Hotel High School.

But why is this place considered hell?

Where are Ahri and Grandpa?

And where is Miro?

As these questions swirled in my mind, the Chat Window appeared.

1. A pyeong is a Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square kan or 36 square feet.