Escaping the Mystery Hotel

- Han Kain

As soon as the Hand of Greed was activated, the surrounding space trembled, and the now familiar merchant appeared.

The first time we used the Hand of Greed, it triggered a monster elimination event, so I thought we’d be facing another combat event, but I was wrong.

This time, it was an entirely different type of event.

A trading event, perhaps?

Everyone was slightly taken aback as they focused on the merchant.

The merchant, with his bandages fluttering, began a long-winded speech, “Greetings, dear customers! I have come at the request of our dear customer, Ms. Lee Eunsol. This Hotel is a harsh and grueling place! It’s not easy to survive without powerful treasures or supernatural abilities, is it? The desire to grow stronger—I completely understand. I can deeply empathize with the sentiment. But of course, there’s no such thing as a free lunch! You understand, right?”

Eunsol-noona spoke up with a somewhat tired tone, “Just get to the point. What are you selling this time, and what’s the price?”

“What am I selling? Oh no, no! It’s a misunderstanding. I’m not here to sell anything this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m afraid the items I’ve brought this time are too valuable for me to sell. Unfortunately, they cannot be taken outside the Hotel.”

“Can’t be taken outside the Hotel? So, you’re renting them out?”

“You’re quick-witted. That’s right. The items I’m about to show you cannot be taken outside the Hotel. They will be reclaimed as soon as you leave. However, the rental fee is non-refundable.”

The items were “body parts”.

I had a bad feeling about the rental fee.

“By rental fee… you mean, our original body parts?” I asked to confirm.

Instead of answering, the merchant’s mouth stretched into a grin that threatened to rip it open.

That was all I needed for an answer.

The merchant, as if growing more amused, began to explain in detail, “All the items are specific body parts! If you wish, you can exchange your real body parts for borrowed ones. When you leave the Hotel, they will all be reclaimed. In other words, your real body parts are the rental fee, and the borrowed body parts will be reclaimed when you leave. Need I explain further?”

I understood clearly.

In short, it meant you’d be left with a disability once you left the Hotel.

Everyone began to react with shock.

Grandpa Mooksung asked a question, “Can it be treated?”

“Not within the Hotel! The real body parts you use as the rental fee cannot be restored, even in Room 105. In fact, it would be strange if they could be. If the borrowed body parts remain, and your real body parts are restored, you’d end up with three arms, wouldn’t you? However, outside the Hotel, you can do as you please. With wealth and medical advances, you might be able to restore them.”

A sort of loan transaction where one sacrificed their real body parts as payment to borrow special body parts, which were then reclaimed when they left the Hotel.

As I listened, I began to think that if this was the only price, it might be manageable.

For example, if someone gave up an arm to gain a powerful one.

In the Hotel, having a powerful arm would be beneficial.

And when they leave the Hotel, wouldn’t there be a way to restore it somehow?

If we could leverage the power of the Administration, it might be possible to recover a lost arm.

Following a similar thought process, Ahri asked, “The conditions seem too good coming from someone like you. Is there any other price?”

The merchant answered with amusement, “Haha! The price I take is all there is. Are you suggesting that I—”

“...?”

The merchant suddenly paused.

“...”

Then, his mouth suddenly split open in four directions, revealing countless serrated teeth inside!

The merchant, who had always maintained a smile, even when we attacked him, now wore a ghastly expression, like a demon from the underworld, sending chills down our spines.

The merchant, glaring at Eunsol-noona, spoke, “Haha, it seems your Patron has requested a ‘more thorough explanation’.”

Did Eunsol-noona’s Patron intervene?

“Tell him I said thanks,” Noona responded simply.

The merchant forced his smile back, and, perhaps due to the pressure from the Patron, he began a much more detailed explanation.

“I find such explanations quite dull, but I have no choice. Strictly speaking, since I’m not the one receiving it, it’s not accurate to call it a price. However, from your perspective, there’s another thing to consider. It’s the strain that the newly acquired body parts will place on your body.

“The human body is a finely tuned machine. Just because a part of it is imbued with abnormal power doesn’t mean the strain is limited to that part. A mutated arm can negatively impact the entire upper body, and a mutated eye can affect the brain. And this strain cannot be treated within the Hotel.”

The second price: the strain on the entire body.

In a way, this seemed like the real price.

The first price, the loss of one’s real body parts, was something they didn’t need to worry about within the Hotel, and outside the Hotel, it could be dealt with somehow.

But the second price, the strain on the whole body, couldn’t be treated within the Hotel, so the person has to endure it.

As everyone mulled it over, the merchant began to show the items.

The first item was an arm covered in dark, murky scales.

“This item is the arm belonging to a powerful warrior of the Abras clan. It can exert strength more than three times that of an average adult male and is durable enough to deflect blades. It also boasts a regenerative power that would make a lizard jealous. With this arm alone, anyone could become a seasoned warrior.”

The second item was a reverse-jointed leg covered in white fur.

“This item is the right leg of the master of the Essede Mountains. Its strength and durability are incomparable to a human leg. Using its spring-like muscles, it’s possible to leap 20 to 30 meters in a single bound. Most impressively, this leg can stretch or contract depending on the situation.”

The third item was a large eye, about the size of a fist.

“This item is the eye of a one-eyed bird from the island of Philote. It can spot a gnat from 100 meters away and read the writing on a flying arrow. But that’s just the beginning. This eye can capture the entire scene in its field of view like a camera. Even more astonishing, it can vaguely perceive beings that are invisible to the human eye.”

The last item was a spine.

“This item is the spine of a Phloxian. It—”

Ahri cut him off immediately.

“Wait. Does this mean our spine will be removed for this?”

“That’s correct.”

Ahri turned to us and said, “This one’s a no-go. Even with the Administration’s technology, there’s no way to fully regenerate a spine. If your spine is removed, you’ll probably die as soon as we return to Earth. No one wants to die the moment we get out, right?”

I asked Ahri, “You’re only reacting this strongly to the spine. The arms, legs, and eyes can be recovered?”

Ahri nodded.

“The eyes can be replaced with prosthetics, but the rest can be mostly recovered.”

It seems we need to consider the items excluding the spine.

Eunsol-noona, who had activated the Hand of Greed, was now pressing the merchant for more detailed answers, clearly intrigued by the items.

As I looked around, it was clear who was interested and who wasn’t.

Generally, those who already had reliable power, like Inheritance holders—me, Jinchul-hyung, Songee, and Ahri—seemed indifferent.

To be honest, compared to an Inheritance, these items didn’t seem all that impressive, and I worried that the strain these items would place on the body might interfere with the free use of our Inheritances.

Seungyub, on the other hand, seemed quite interested, so I pulled him aside. I had already discussed this with Jinchul-hyung and Grandpa Mooksung—considering his Blessing, Seungyub seemed like the most suitable candidate to wear the Protective Suit during the Cursed Room encounters.

If he’s going to wear the Protective Suit anyway, these mutated body parts wouldn’t matter much.

In the end, Eunsol-noona, Grandpa Mooksung, and Elena began discussing the matter intensely.

Grandpa Mooksung was passionately arguing, “The eye is the only one that’s worth it! The arms and legs are nothing. Can’t you see? The arms and legs give nothing but strength. We already have Jinchul, Perro, and the Protective Suit for brute strength. There are plenty of alternatives. But overwhelming visual abilities? There’s no substitute for that.”

Eunsol-noona partially agreed but had her own thoughts.

“I agree that the eye is the best, but the arms and legs aren’t bad either. Since there are only three of us interested, wouldn’t it be better if one takes the eye, and the other two take an arm and a leg?”

Elena joined in.

“I think the leg is a trap. It’s meaningful if one arm gets stronger, but what’s the point if only one leg gets stronger? Whether it’s running, jumping, or any leg-related activity, it requires balance between both legs. Can you really jump properly if only one leg is strong?”

“Hmm… The leg does seem like a trap. So should we just take the eye and the arm?”

I shared my thoughts.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the people who are going to acquire them, but Elena, I think you shouldn’t get any of them.”

Elena looked at me curiously.

Or rather, she looked at my feet.

It was still awkward for us to make eye contact.

“These body parts seem useful, but they’re not comparable to an Inheritance or Blessing. Therefore, if these items interfere with your use of an Inheritance or Blessing, that would be counterproductive. It’s a case of losing the big picture for small gains.

“From that perspective, Eunsol-noona’s Blessing of ‘Wealth’ and Grandpa Mooksung’s Blessing of ‘Communication’ are not tied to the body, so they should be fine. Even if these body parts put a strain on their bodies, it won’t affect Wealth or Communication much.

“But Elena, remember what happened before? Injuries sustained before Justice activates couldn’t be healed, even after it was going at full force. We confirmed that those injuries could cause you to faint or be incapacitated even after using Justice, right?”

Elena understood my point.

“If the accumulated strain from using these new body parts builds up, it could cause me to collapse while using Justice. I’ll pass on them, then.”

In the end, it was decided that Eunsol-noona would take the eye, and Grandpa Mooksung would take the arm.

The two of them approached the merchant.

Eunsol-noona, standing before the merchant, asked with some trepidation.

“I’m taking the eye, and Grandpa is taking the arm…

“But how are you going to give them to us? You’re not planning to rip out our eye and arm yourself, are you?” Noona asked with some trepidation.”

“My goodness! Who would do something so barbaric? Am I a savage? Tearing out eyes and arms without anesthesia? That would kill you. You’d die from shock, you know?”

“…”

Didn’t this guy suggest cutting off fingers and limbs the last time we met?

“Don’t worry. While you sleep, we’ll attach them painlessly. Just so you know, don’t try to stay awake through the night. It will only make things harder for everyone.”

The transaction was completed.

The merchant put away the other rejected body parts and displayed the arm and eye once more before disappearing.

“...”

It’s a price to pay for gaining powerful abilities, but both of those body parts look so different from a human’s arm and eye.

Especially the eye—it’s so large that it’s hard to believe it could fit into a human skull.

Elena likely gave up on the leg quickly due to its grotesque appearance.

But despite the need to endure such hideousness, the determination of those who were willing to acquire the eye and arm must be extraordinary.

I found myself looking at Noona and Grandpa with renewed respect.