I Activated Cheat Mode in a Bizarre Game

The air in the temporary operations room monitoring the underground hotel was heavy and stagnant.
Although they called it monitoring, the only thing the CCTV actually showed was the entrance to the underground hotel.
They had tried installing cameras deeper inside the hotel, but whether it was due to the influence of monster phenomena or something else, the footage never worked properly.

"The people at the entrance?"
"No change. They're just huddled together, waiting for the stairs to reappear."
"And Kim Hyunsoo?"

"...Still nothing."
Even though the agreed-upon time had already passed by ten minutes, there was no word from Assistant Manager Kim Hyunsoo—no contact, no return signal, nothing.
One of the team members, nervously staring at the monitor next to me, finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

"Team leader, according to the plan, he should’ve retrieved the register and returned using the one-time escape device over thirty minutes ago. Did something go wrong?"
Unease was clear in the team member’s voice.
I frowned slightly.

That bastard Kim Hyunsoo must’ve screwed up again.
He had always been clumsy and cowardly, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he messed up this time too.
"He probably provoked one of the guest entities. Likely got himself into trouble poking at something he shouldn’t have."

I clicked my tongue and muttered.
Sure, we were conducting trades with those entities down there—but not all of them were reasonable.
The only one capable of correctly identifying humans and acting with discernment was the intelligent mannequin monster in the dress.

The rest were nothing more than instinct-driven beasts. If someone like Kim Hyunsoo messed with them, who knew what could happen?
We’d warned him repeatedly to be careful.
"Tch, so it ends up like this after all."
Even if Kim Hyunsoo was lost, the register had to be recovered.

It was almost certainly holding the full payment from the last delivery.
There was no way we could let that go.
And if Kim Hyunsoo really did botch the job, we had to clean that up properly too.

That meant it might be time to “deliver” the rest of the Exploration Team and the Transport Team on CCTV.
"We already failed a delivery once. The trade conditions got stricter afterward..."
Thinking back to that incident still left me with a lot of unanswered questions.

20,000 points.
Back when we first investigated that monster, it had taken over a full day just to scrape together that amount—yet someone had collected it in less than twelve hours and escaped?
And then there were the entities torn apart as if mauled by beasts—one with its neck twisted 180 degrees, another with its skull smashed to pulp.

I stood up from my seat.
"Get the necessary items. We’re going down ourselves to assess the situation and recover the register."
"W-We’re going ourselves?"

"Shouldn’t we wait just a bit longer for the assistant manager...?"
Despite the team’s concerns, my decision was already made.
"Don’t worry. I’m coming too."

"If you’re with us, team leader..."
At that, the members of Exploration Team 5 let out relieved sighs.
Dongto primarily invested in Teams 1 through 5. We were the elites.

I’d received many such investments simply because I was the team leader of Team 5.
One of them was a potion that drastically enhanced physical ability.
Right now, I possessed the strength and stamina of thirty average adult men.

At the very least, I wouldn’t fall to any mannequin entities—unless they all went berserk and swarmed me at once.
Wearing a twisted smile, I quickly prepared to descend underground.
I already knew the original staircase to the hotel had vanished.

But a missing staircase wasn’t enough to stop Exploration Team 5.
"Proceed. Ready the passage opener."
At my command, one of the team members moved swiftly and pulled out an item.

It was a device that normally stayed buried in some storage crate and rarely saw use, but we always kept one or two around for situations just like this.
Anyway, the top-tier teams like 1 through 5 were practically flooded with items.
The team member activated the item at the coordinates. With a mechanical zzzing noise, space in front of us distorted, and a black hole—leading straight into the underground—opened up.

It had to connect somewhere near the underground «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» hotel entrance.
"Alright. We're going in. Keep your surroundings secured. The register is our top priority."
Without hesitation, we each stepped into the swirling darkness.

There was a brief sensation of spatial distortion, then the familiar damp, cold air of the underground hotel hit my skin.
"Hoo..."
No matter how many times I experienced it, this sensation was something I could never get used to. I let out a sigh and looked around.

"...Huh?"
But the sight before me was strange.
The last time we checked through CCTV, the Transport Team applicants had been crowded near the entrance in a panic.

But now—there was no one.
Only a deafening silence remained.
"...Did they vanish into thin air?"

"Stop saying stupid things and check the area."
One team member muttered under their breath.
The most likely possibility was, of course, an monster attack.

But if that were the case, something was off—everything was too clean.
If entities had attacked, there would at least be bloodstains, signs of a struggle, or even dropped belongings from the applicants.
But here, it looked as if no one had ever been here to begin with.

"...Maybe they came to their senses late and started searching the hotel separately?"
That couldn’t be ruled out either.
They were nobodies, but desperation could lead to unexpected behavior.

Either way, it would interfere with locating the register or traces left by Assistant Manager Kim.
"Check your weapon-type items. Split into pairs and begin interior sweep. Priority target is the register. If anything gets in the way… eliminate it."
I drew the item at my waist—a machete-shaped weapon—and gave the order.

The plan had gone off-course, but it wasn’t over yet.
We began carefully moving into the eerie halls of the underground hotel.
We split into pairs. I and one team member headed toward the right wing of guest rooms.

The moment we entered the hallway, something was clearly off.
Two monster corpses, dressed like janitorial staff, lay wrecked on the floor.
"Team leader, look at that..."

"I see it."
Tension was obvious in the team member’s voice.
Up close, the condition of the entities was grotesque.

One’s abdomen was mangled beyond recognition—so damaged it was impossible to guess what had caused it.
It was like an explosion had gone off inside its gut.
What kind of item could even cause that?

The other had no head at all.
"O-Over there..."
The team member pointed toward the far end of the hall—and there we saw it.

The head had flown all the way down the corridor.
What the hell was going on here?
It was too one-sided to be a fight between entities.

It was like someone—or something—with overwhelming power had toyed with them.
It sure as hell wasn’t Kim Hyunsoo.
As I sank into a haze of confusion—

Click, click.
The sharp, steady sound of heels echoed from behind.
It made my heart drop.

That entity.
The mannequin monster in the lavish dress, always flaunting her high heels, practically the true owner of this underground hotel.
"...!"

The team member nervously swallowed dryly, but I felt oddly relieved.
That dress-wearing monster could at least distinguish the humans who came and went here.
She had to know who I was—who Exploration Team 5 was.

She might even offer a clue about Kim Hyunsoo or the register’s whereabouts.
From the far end of the hallway, she raised a hand in a graceful beckon.
There was no mistaking the gesture—it meant “follow me.”

"...Let’s go."
"Yes, sir..."
We carefully followed her.

Her steps were confident, leading us straight toward the hotel’s center—toward the restaurant.
When we arrived in front of it, I was surprised.
"Huh? Team leader?"

"Team leader!"
"...."
All of our scattered team members were already assembled in front of the restaurant door.

Apparently, she had guided them here as well.
Everyone looked around in confusion.
The dress-wearing monster gestured toward the heavy restaurant doors—and they slowly parted.

Then, click-clack, she entered the dark interior first.
"It’s too dark..."
"Team leader... should we go in?"

All eyes turned to me, waiting for a decision.
I calmly nodded.
It meant: it’s safe.

Maybe not with other entities, but this one—we could trust.
We slowly stepped into the restaurant.
Then—

Click.
The lights came on.
And the moment the interior became visible, I couldn’t help but hold my breath.

"Ugh...!"
Inside the restaurant, every table was packed with seated guest entities.
That part was fine.

They always filled the restaurant like that.
But this time, none of them were eating.
Dozens—maybe more—had frozen in place, staring straight at us at the doorway with cold, unsettling eyes.

They weren’t dining.
Their plates were empty—and they were staring at us.
Like predators waiting to be fed.

Boom!
Click!
The door behind us shut and locked.

"Don’t tell me... these damn entities—!"
Things were no longer under control.