Chapter 81

After receiving the card key from the clown staff, I immediately boarded the elevator and pressed the button for the 10th floor.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Damn, that staff member is so annoying. LOL.

【Handsome Licker】─For real. LOL. *lick*.

【Yoho】─Please don’t swear at civilians…

【Maehwa Tree】─Se-hoon, I searched for Hell Escape Hotel online, but nothing came up.

【Jujijoa】─It’s not online? Then how did you find it?

“Ah, I booked it after seeing an ad text. It’s probably not registered online yet since it’s newly opened.”

【Qkrnfl892】─Hmm.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Super suspicious.

【Min Ji】─Right! So suspicious!

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Is this a human trafficking hotel?

【Big Girl】─There’s no human trafficking organization in Shinsa-dong.

“Why are you all so worried? Human trafficking? Seriously…”

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. It’s not bad to be cautious about safety.

【Min Ji】─Right!

【Yoho】─You keep saying “right!” Are you a Pokémon or something?

“Even if this place is a human trafficking den, it doesn’t matter. I’ll win anyway.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─“I’ll win.” What a joke.

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, what’s with the confidence?

【Maehwa Tree】─But his confidence is kinda justified.

【Jujijoa】─No worries, I gave him self-defense items. He’ll be fine.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Not worried. I saw him fight earlier.

【Handsome Licker】─But thinking about fighting first is kinda ridiculous. *lick*.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─If someone hears this, they’ll think we’re here to raid the place. LOL.

While chatting with the viewers, the elevator had already reached the 10th floor.

<The door opens.>

A long, straight hallway with rooms on both sides came into view. My room for tonight was 1020, at the very end of the hallway.

After entering the room, I inserted the room key card into the holder to turn on the electricity. The viewers immediately raised questions.

【Maehwa Tree】─What? You’re so natural with the key card?

【Handsome Licker】─Seems like you’ve done this before. *lick*.

【Yoho】─Whoa.

【Qkrnfl892】─As expected.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─So that’s how you turn on the lights.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Who did you come with before?

“What, are there people who don’t know how to turn on the lights with a key card? Picking on such trivial things.”

【Big Girl】─Maybe it’s because you’re acting too naturally?

【Jujijoa】─It’s a bit suspicious.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Explain, damn it!

【Min Ji】─Explain, please!

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! Explain!

【Maid】─Wow! Explain!

“What’s there to explain? And Maid, don’t you join in too.”

【Maid】─Wow…

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Explain, damn it!

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Explain, damn it!

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Explain, damn it!

【Handsome Licker】─LOL, Guburi’s going wild. *lick*.

“Maid, mute them all.”

【Maid】─Wow!

The riot was quickly silenced with mutes. These viewers wouldn’t listen to words anyway.

After that, I threw the camera on the bed and headed straight to the shower.

***

The shower ended quickly. I wanted to take my time, but I couldn’t. No matter how long I waited, hot water just wouldn’t come out.

‘Even if it’s a concept hotel… this is too much.’

The wallpaper was yellowed, the floor covered in dust, and there wasn’t even a TV, let alone a computer. The more I looked, the more problems I found with the facilities.

‘…Whatever. As long as the bed’s fine.’

But that thought was quickly proven wrong. The moment I sat on the bed, I realized something was terribly wrong.

“……”

It wasn’t soft at all. It was hard and cold, like a rock. I frowned and lifted the thin blanket, only to see unprocessed gray stone.

‘This is insane.’

If I ever come back to Shinsa-dong, I’m never booking this hotel again.

‘Oh right, is the camera okay?’

Suddenly, I remembered throwing the camera before heading to the shower. I checked it carefully, worried it might be broken.

‘Seems fine.’

Luckily, there wasn’t a single scratch. I checked the broadcast on my phone, and the transmission was working perfectly.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Gyesekkihoon’s back! Hi hi!

【Handsome Licker】─Wet hair looks sexy. *lick*. *kiss*.

【Yoho】─Hah.

【Big Girl】─Hehe.

【Min Ji】─?

【Qkrnfl892】─You came back fast.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! These guys got quiet after being muted!

【Maid】─Wow! So quiet!

The viewers’ mutes were lifted, and the heated chat atmosphere had calmed down. Muting really is the best way to stop a riot. If anyone still demanded an explanation, I was ready to ban them without warning, but they were quick to catch on. These viewers really know how to toe the line.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─So, what now?

“What else? I showered, so I’m going to sleep.”

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─?

【Maehwa Tree】─?

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─You bastard! It’s too early to sleep! ──

【Jujijoa】─Isn’t it too early to sleep?

“I need to wake up early tomorrow. If I wake up late, I’ll be automatically disqualified.”

It’s good to sleep early. The escape event starts early in the morning. Probably around 5? The clown staff mentioned it would start around then.

“Anyway, see you tomorrow morning around 5. I’m going to sleep.”

I said that and moved the camera to the corner of the bed. Oh, and I decided to keep the broadcast on. It’s annoying to turn it on right after waking up.

Just as I turned off the lights and lay down…

『‘Gyeongsaeng Guburi’ has donated 1,000 won.』

└Not turning off the broadcast? Sleep stream, nice. LOL.

『‘Gyeongsaeng Guburi’ has donated 1,000 won.』

└First time sleeping with Gyesekkihoon.

『‘Gyeongsaeng Guburi’ has donated 1,000 won.』

└Baby, sleep? Hehe!

『‘Gyeongsaeng Guburi’ has donated 1,000 won.』

└Want me to sing a lullaby? Sexy sexy.

That crazy Guburi kept sending voice messages.

“Guburi, if you send one more, I’ll ban you.”

I warned with a slightly irritated voice. I hate having my sleep disturbed. If they broke the warning, I was seriously going to blacklist and ban them.

‘…They listened well.’

Luckily, no more voice donations came.

And soon after, I fell asleep.

***

Early in the morning, a creepy modulated voice came from the ceiling speaker.

<Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.>

“…Damn.”

The voice was quite unsettling. Just listening to it made me feel uncomfortable.

<Wake up. Wake up. Time remaining: 1 minute.>

<Time remaining: 30 seconds.>

<Time remaining: 10 seconds.>

I got up from the bed and grabbed the camera first. As I yawned and looked around…

<Time remaining: 5 seconds.>

Boom-!

Suddenly, the floor collapsed, and the bed fell through.

‘What the hell…? What’s this now?’

It was ridiculous. Even if it’s for realism, this is a bit too much.

‘What if there’s an accident?’

Well, it’s probably unnecessary worry. If the hotel has any sense, they’d have safety measures in place.

Did they put a mattress on the lower floor? I thought as I looked down the hole.

‘It’s too dark to see anything.’

I turned on my phone’s flashlight, but strangely, the light couldn’t penetrate the darkness and was instead swallowed by it.

‘Is the flashlight weak…?’

As I pondered the situation, the modulated voice came from the speaker again.

<One eliminated. Nineteen survivors.>

<One sinner who failed the trial has fallen into the abyss of hell.>

<Congratulations to the nineteen guests who passed the first trial.>

There are twenty rooms on the 10th floor. One person per room, so twenty participants in total. And one of them has already been eliminated.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─What’s this? The production is insane.

【Maehwa Tree】─Is it part of the show?

【Min Ji】─It must be part of the show.

【Handsome Licker】─Whoa, the scale is huge. *lick*.

【Yoho】─Wow, they put a lot of effort into the production.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! Exceeding expectations!

【Qkrnfl892】─For real, I didn’t expect much after seeing the hotel’s poor facilities. LOL.

The viewers also witnessed the scene since the broadcast was still on.

“You all woke up early?”

【Handsome Licker】─Set an alarm. *lick*.

【Min Ji】─Me too.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─I didn’t sleep.

【Yoho】─But you’re so calm.

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, the floor collapsed, and you’re so chill.

“I was surprised at first. But now that I know it’s part of the show, I’m calm.”

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I was chatting with the viewers when the speaker sounded again.

<The second trial begins.>

<Escape the room within the time limit. The method of escape is free.>

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Damn, that voice is so creepy.

【Handsome Licker】─Right? Creepy. *lick*.

【Yoho】─It’s terrifying.

【Min Ji】─It’s more annoying than scary.

【Maehwa Tree】─Se-hoon, escape quickly. The time limit is only 10 minutes.

【Qkrnfl892】─How do you know the time limit is 10 minutes?

【Jujijoa】─There’s a timer on the wall behind Se-hoon.

【Qkrnfl892】─Oh, sharp eyes.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! But how do we escape?

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Just open the door and leave, right?

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! It’s an escape game, do you think the door will just open? Dumbass!

【Maid】─Dumbass!

“There’s probably a manual near the door on how to escape.”

I said that and moved to the door.

As expected, there was a door lock in the center of the iron door, and above it was a hint to guess the password.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Whoa, it’s really there. Se-hoon seems really smart.

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. Reverse Rape Mania, you’re the dumb one.

【Maehwa Tree】─The hint isn’t clear. Bring the camera closer.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! The hint is hard!

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Gyesekkihoon, brain at full power!

【Yoho】─Should we help solve it?

【Min Ji】─Yoho, staying quiet is more helpful. LOL.

I glanced at the hint once. It was clear my brain couldn’t solve it.

But I didn’t need the hint anyway.

“…Guys, didn’t they say the method of escape is free?”

There’s an old saying: if your body is weak, your brain suffers.

My body isn’t weak, so I don’t need to make my brain suffer.

“Then doesn’t that mean I can just break the door and leave?”

As I asked that, the hotel staff answered through the speaker instead of the viewers. They must have been listening.

<The method of escape is free.>

“So it’s allowed.”

<However, human strength alone cannot break the door...>

Ignoring the rest, I took a step back and prepared my stance.

After taking a deep breath, I focused all my strength into my legs and charged at the iron door, kicking it with full force.

Boom-!

The iron door shattered with a loud noise, sending fragments flying and creating a dust cloud.

<...Huh?>

<...>

<Ah. Room 1020 escape successful. Second trial passed.>

<Guest of room 1020, please proceed to the third trial location.>

I escaped easily.