Chapter 276
### Chapter 276 – Meeting Concluded, Choosing the Next Room
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 131
Current Location: Floor 1, Corridor
Sage’s Advice: 1]
— Han Kain
—
As we pondered over the next room, I asked Eunsol.
“What do you think? I’m thinking… no matter what, there’s no comfy path to take. But knowing that substantial pain awaits us in a room doesn’t mean we have to stubbornly stick to it. Honestly, whether we switch or not doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just a matter of order, and we’ll end up entering every room anyway.”
In all likelihood, we were bound to explore every single room. So from that perspective, changing rooms wasn’t a significant issue. It was purely a matter of order.
The discussion of the final topic didn’t stretch long. That didn’t mean everyone’s opinions were in sync; rather, it felt more like the loudest voice won the day. A small faction vehemently hated Room 203, while the majority thought changing might also be risky, but their stance leaned more toward being indifferent than anything else.
Take me, for example. Even if we switched to Room 204, it was hard to believe something simple and easy was waiting for us, but I didn’t think we had to go to Room 203 either.
Feeling the meeting nearing its end, I used my last advice for the day.
[Advice: 1 -> 0]
“What do you think about changing rooms?”
While asking, I didn’t really expect a profound answer. Patrons don’t just share information about other rooms.
[There’s no right answer in progress.]
As expected, I got a response that didn’t really mean much but was somewhat comforting. Changing rooms wasn’t a mistake, nor a correct choice; it was literally just a matter of choice.
At least, I could be satisfied that it wasn’t wrong. Tomorrow, we decided to check out Room 204.
—
“So, should I open it?”
At the door of Room 204, Jinchul held the doorknob and turned back to us.
“Open it. We decided yesterday already.”
Click!
The door swung open, and my consciousness faded momentarily.
—
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 132
Current Location: Floor 2, Room 204 – Mission Room, ‘Hotel Cinema’
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
Surrounded by movie posters, the sound of popcorn popping filled the air, alongside a rich caramel scent. Everyone looked dazed in the chaotic yet familiar atmosphere.
“Are we… in the cursed room right now? Kain hyung! Did a script pop up?”
We awoke as we had entered, without any changes in our outfits. There was clearly a difference compared to when we entered the cursed room.
“Seems like the supposed not-cursed room is really Room 204. It’s identified as the Mission Room, and here we are in ‘Hotel Cinema’.”
“Hotel Cinema? Oh! So that’s why there’s popcorn here!”
A gigantic machine that was popping popcorn in real-time was clearly visible, equipped with a button that screamed, “Press for popcorn!” Jinchul pressed it curiously, and out popped some sweet-smelling caramel popcorn.
“This feels just like a movie theater. I had no idea it would be like this!”
“Ha ha! How’s it going, everyone? If you’ve grabbed some popcorn over there, feel free to grab your drinks from that machine beside it!”
Suddenly, a cheerful voice caught our attention, and we turned to see someone who appeared to be an NPC from the hotel appear from behind.
“Are you the guide for this room?”
“Precisely! To all of you party guests, I was quite moved by the discussions you had last night. How harsh and painful the cursed room treated you! Fear not! In Room 204, such pain is absent. Only enjoyment awaits!”
“… So you were eavesdropping on our conversation. I must say, that’s quite amusing.”
“Especially Seungyub’s heartfelt lament! ‘Do you know how it feels to become a skewered electric chicken?’—I felt like crying along with you on that line!”
“W-Wait a second! I didn’t say anything like that!”
At least, I didn’t actually mention anything about becoming an electric chicken.
“Ha! Aren’t primitive people just brutal? If you intend to turn someone into chicken, at least skewer them and rotate them, right?”
“W-What does that even mean for me? It sounds more painful.”
“Seungyub, don’t answer that; he’s just pulling your leg! Right, guide? Could you start explaining what this room is about?”
“Ari, of course!”
With a beaming smile, the guide waved their hand, and the scenery around us transformed into the interior of a cinema. At the same time, each of us received a small brochure.
“Feel free to read it, but let me summarize quickly. Welcome to Hotel Cinema! It’s a movie theater powered by the hotel’s latest technology. Kain!”
“… What is it?”
“Do you know what technology the latest theaters have?”
“Isn’t it IMAX or 3D?”
“Right on the money! But let’s not forget to mention that the older participants might benefit from knowing this too.”
“What are you saying?! I’ve heard of IMAX too, you know!”
“I was referring to contestant Kim Ahri.”
“Cough!”
“IMAX, 3D! Great choices! High-quality visuals and immersive 3D images. It’s a clear victory for humanity’s tech. But our hotel, the Pioneer, isn’t satisfied with just that!”
“Just spill it already… no need for all this buildup!”
“Behold, the audience participation movie! That’s the essence of Hotel Cinema!”
In front of the massive display, the guide spun around dramatically as if to deliver an emotional monologue. But no one in our group seemed to show any keen reaction.
“Cough. It seems like you don’t fully grasp what audience participation movies mean. It’s simple. Hotel Cinema has three films prepared. The quality of these films is top-notch as the hotel boasts, but there’s a certain… discomfort concerning the ‘script’.”
A chilling feeling began to creep in as he mentioned the scripts.
“You will each possess a character from the movie one by one. What’s the best way to enjoy a film? IMAX? 3D? Forget that! The best way is to jump right into the movie! There’s no more immersive experience than that!”
Afterward, the guide kept explaining for a while. They didn’t seem intent to confuse us with rules; instead, they welcomed our questions and the given brochures explained in detail.
Room 204, the Mission Room – the operation of Hotel Cinema is straightforward:
1. Check out the films prepared by the hotel. There are three films to be shown sequentially.
2. One of us will step into that movie. You can take either a blessing or a legacy, but not both.
3. If you manage to create a decent ending by the time the credits roll, you succeed!
4. If you fail, the opportunity for the one who entered is gone, but others can still attempt that film again.
5. Since there are nine of us in the hotel party, that makes for a total of nine chances. If we can create decent endings for all three movies before all the opportunities are spent, we win. In that case, we’ll be rewarded appropriately.
Listening intently, I noticed Eunsol showing a slightly tired expression.
“Isn’t this… kind of like the vibes from Room 203? It feels like another solo mission!”
“What do you mean? This is entirely different! This is a Mission Room. You haven’t forgotten what that implies, right? If you feel it’s not fun, you can just leave!”
The biggest difference between the Mission Room and the Cursed Room: in the Mission Room, you can stop at any moment. But—
“I already went through it on the first floor. Obviously, the one who fails isn’t able to leave until all missions are solved.”
“That alone makes it different from the Cursed Room. In the Cursed Room, if you fail, you all die, while in Hotel Cinema, only the one who fails gets trapped. Plus, you don’t have to pass all the movies. For instance, if Eunsol gets a bad ending in the first movie, she’ll get trapped, but we won’t have to pass all three movies just to rescue her.”
“So I only need to pass the movie I’m trapped in?”
“Exactly! Now that you’re slowly grasping the rules, should we find out what movies are waiting for us?”
I hurriedly raised my hand.
“Wait! You haven’t explained the most important part! What defines a ‘decent ending’?”
“That’s what I’m about to explain right now.”
A colossal display in the cinema glowed, presenting the three movies in front of everyone’s eyes.
1. Taming the Crown Prince
2. Guardians of the Barrier
3. Scary Stories
These titles felt somewhat familiar, especially the first one.
“Is number one a romance movie? What about number two?”
“You could call it a war movie. Now, seeing the titles, what are your thoughts? The title ‘Taming the Crown Prince’ suggests a fitting ending, right? The prince should certainly fall for you! Of course, survival is a must. Whoever participates must stay alive until the credits roll.”
“… What if I enter number one? What if the title shifts from crown prince to princess?”
“Hahaha! You could definitely enter, Kain, but do you really think you can charm the prince? Overcoming gender identity isn’t easy—”
It seems that number one definitely requires a woman to participate. At the very least, I had no way I could charm a prince. No matter what, the criteria for a ‘decent ending’ seemed straightforward. It meant crafting a suitable conclusion based on the title and genre while ensuring survival until the credits rolled.
There was one word that sparked my imagination upon hearing it: ‘survival,’ which made Ahri sigh.
“Number three looks the hardest. ‘Scary Stories’ just screams horror film.”
Eunsol seemed to be holding her jaw open in shock upon seeing the movie titles.
“No, no! I find number one ridiculous! Taming the Crown Prince? What kind of childish premise is that? Who’s confident enough to tame that guy? I’d rather take my chances with the horror movie!”
Honestly, the moment I saw the title of the first movie, someone popped into my head. Everyone’s gaze naturally shifted towards Elena. Aspiring actress and a beauty—who could be the perfect fit for a romance movie but her! Elena looked awkward, glancing at the guide.
“Is it a go when you say we’re starting?”
“Before that, you need to choose what ‘ability’ to take. You’ve been told that you can carry either a blessing or a legacy, right?”
“I’ll go with a blessing. Since most characters are human, something like lie detection might be useful.”
“Excellent! Shall we begin?”
The guide lightly waved their hand, and the cinema display became opaque. Elena wore a somewhat amused expression as she walked toward the display.
Just before crossing over, Elena looked back at us.
“I’ll go first~!”
— Whoosh~!
As the display vibrated, a glamorous scene began to fill the air.
“W-So we’re about to watch a movie with Elena in it now?”
“Of course! This is a movie theater, isn’t it? Everyone better focus and watch closely. If Elena fails, you should be able to understand ‘why she failed’ so that the next person can sort it out!”
Amidst foreboding words, the first movie, ‘Taming the Crown Prince,’ commenced.
—
– Elena
—
Fuzzy consciousness gradually returns to me. Where is this? So—
“Miss! Miss!”
Someone shook me roughly. An older woman in a maid outfit entered my vision.
“You must wake up! Today is the day of the party at the Berlen Duchy! Have you forgotten? A party is akin to war. You barely have half a day to prepare!”
So, I’m supposed to go to this party at the Berlen Duchy and charm that ‘crown prince,’ right?
“Ugh.”
“Miss?”
“Really, I have to do ridiculous things! I’m terrified just thinking about what might happen.”
“Pardon?”
Deciding to abandon my thoughts, I chose to just go with the flow. I’ll just give the prince a wink or something. If sweet-talking doesn’t work, maybe I’ll just slap him? When situations feel awkward, a good slap usually does the trick!
—
“If sweet-talking doesn’t work, maybe I’ll just slap him?”
As Elena’s voice rang out, everybody fell into silence. Grandpa cautiously cleared his throat.
“I’m feeling a bit anxious already.”
“E-Elsol! Are you really going to slap the crown prince out of nowhere?”
“No, but does Elena realize that her thoughts are being narrated?”
Seems like everyone’s going to have a rather ‘embarrassing’ experience in this room…
