Chapter 121 |
Yeon-woo nodded at Rawi's words.
"So you sensed the possibility of a connection from that resemblance."
"I didn't think it was the case, but if the similarity went that far, I figured maybe some kind of permission was needed... I really wasn't trying to insult you."
"I'm not angry, so please calm down. I was merely caught off guard."
Seome said, half-joking.
"So you do get caught off guard."
"I apologize for showing an unsightly side."
"No, I was just joking...."
"I see. But I am a person, after all, so being asked whether I'm friends with a cannibalistic serial killer does put me in an awkward position."
"Yes."
"You apologize too, one more time."
"Urk."
Seome forcibly bowed Rawi's head, then ran a hand down his own face.
"Are you... alright?"
"I'm not so thin-skinned as to be bothered by a hypothesis check or a simple joke."
"No. Well, that too, but."
Seome continued.
"From what I could see, The Guest Without Taste seemed very interested in you, Yeon-woo."
"Ah, I understand."
"Is that... okay? Given that you called it cannibalism, it doesn't seem like a simple matter of drinking blood. And if he's gone so far as to mimic your appearance...."
"Thank you for your concern."
Perhaps 'today's Yeon-woo' was on the kinder side, because he answered with an obliging demeanor.
"First, let me clarify — he isn't imitating me as a person. If his intent were to intrude upon 'Lee Yeon-woo's' identity, he would have taken on an appearance completely identical to mine."
"Then what exactly is...."
"Yes, it's true that he has a degree of interest in me."
Yeon-woo's face was dry as he said this, but he looked tired. A little more than usual.
"However, that's due to a personal characteristic of mine. He would never feel the same kind of interest in you or Rawi, so please rest assured."
"I was expressing concern."
"Oh dear, my apologies. It seems it's become a habit."
"......"
Seome understood what he meant.
'...Being trapped in this labyrinth, he must have grown more accustomed to worrying about others than himself. If my guess is right, in this hotel influenced by the Clock, Yeon-woo probably can't die....'
After hesitating, Seome looked at Yeon-woo. A face that seemed cold one way and gentle another.
"...That guest from earlier said something to us."
"What might that have been?"
"It sounded like he was saying you're favored by this hotel's General Manager."
"Oh."
Yeon-woo stared at Seome.
For some reason, it overlapped slightly with The Guest Without Taste's gaze from earlier. The intimidation within it was entirely different, but.... Seome asked awkwardly.
"Was that topic too forward?"
"No, it was something I'd need to tell you at some point if you're to get out of here safely."
He seemed to react as if 'the time had come.'
"If you've finished your meal, shall we relocate and continue the conversation? What do you say?"
"Oh...."
"As you can see."
Yeon-woo pointed to a distant table.
"This isn't the kind of conversation best had in the open."
Unsettling gazes were all turned in their direction.
***
The three relocated to Seome and Rawi's guest room.
"Has anything frightening happened in this room?"
At Yeon-woo's question, Rawi, perching on the edge of a bed, quipped.
"Just the blood disaster last night~?"
"That was certainly an imposition. You must have been very startled, Rawi."
He continued, facing the two seated side by side on the bed.
"In fact, I'd come looking for you to apologize for that, but The Guest Without Taste delayed me. Belatedly, I'd like to apologize for the commotion at dawn."
"I don't think that's anything to apologize for."
"It was my promise to help you, so I'd prefer you didn't feel burdened about it. As I keep saying, focus on getting out alive."
"About that."
A beat late, Rawi asked.
"...You really have no intention of leaving, Yeon-woo?"
"......"
Yeon-woo answered slowly.
"Not at present."
Rawi's smile went crooked.
"To be frank, every time I see you, it's a bit stifling."
"I have that tendency. Adapt."
"I'm not sure I should be adapting to something like this...."
Following Rawi, who seemed to be suppressing a sigh, Seome asked.
"Then may we return to the earlier topic? The, um, General Manager."
"It would certainly be good to address that in advance."
Yeon-woo's gaze rolled sideways.
"I should have told you sooner, but I delayed because the subject made me uncomfortable. It was a topic you, as indefinite guests of this hotel, needed to know about...."
Seome thought.
'Of course it would be an uncomfortable topic.'
It was, in a manner of speaking, the entity holding him captive. At a glance, Yeon-woo was the polar opposite of this hotel in disposition. He wouldn't relish discussing its personnel.
But Yeon-woo returned to a calm tone and began his explanation.
"This hotel is operated by two co-owners. One tends not to show himself before the hotel's guests, and the other is... the General Manager you've heard about."
"For such a large hotel, the owner personally serves as General Manager?"
At Seome's question, Yeon-woo gave a small nod.
"I'm not entirely sure why it's structured that way. Perhaps it was for the convenience of hotel operations. Guests would also prefer being greeted personally by the owner."
"Then he must be quite well-received by the other guests."
"They'd at least observe courtesy. No matter how ill-tempered a Monster Guest might be, within this hotel they'd probably show some deference. That's the power of this hotel."
"Then the General Manager here is... hmm."
As Seome hesitated, Rawi asked.
"What kind of being is he?"
"Is it even okay to ask that?"
"At this point?"
"Fair."
Seome likewise turned to Yeon-woo, who considered for a moment before answering Rawi's question.
"He's specialized in service."
"Service?"
"More precisely, one could say he exists solely for the purpose of hotel operations."
What Yeon-woo was describing now was the Playable Character known as the 'General Manager.'
***
Previously, during his Physical Improvement, Yeon-woo had split the versions into 'Lee Yeon-woo (the user)' and 'the General Manager (the character).'
'To escape the penalty.'
And that had been influenced by 'identity' far more than expected.
It seemed that Yeon-woo, simultaneously user and character, had unconsciously steered things in that direction. Perhaps it was the influence of his characteristically insolent 'blood.'
But.
"...I can't say he's entirely without emotion, but whether it's difficult to perceive or simply diluted below average, stress responses are suppressed, with virtually no reaction to fear or anger. Most emotions are converted into objects of analysis."
Even so, this was, honestly, an exaggeration.
'No matter how I split the versions, my situation isn't divided to that degree.'
It was impossible to create what amounted to a near-split personality in a mere eight months.
'I'm not that talented.'
Even so, Yeon-woo recalled the 'General Manager' he'd seen when he played the game. He was translating a mere game character into human terms.
And when you treat a game character like a person, this is what you get.
"Extremely cold, controlling, and insensitive to actual suffering. He's capable of empathy through situational analysis, but lacks emotional empathy."
"He sounds like a very frightening being."
"The distinction between good and evil is also subordinated to functional purpose. He absolutely internalizes any directive deemed rational, and treats pain as a controllable signal."
They needed to regard the 'General Manager' as a formidable entity.
"In a similar vein, he defines himself solely through his role and duties."
He'd put it off and put it off because the subject was uncomfortable.
'But dragging it out like this is absolutely unwise.'
Ultimately, before their relationship deepened any further, these two needed to accumulate 'Nightmares' and leave. And for that, a clear villain was needed.
That villain was simply going to be the 'General Manager.' The option that would cause the least harm to others in every respect.
Probably, for the time being.
"It would not be wrong to consider it an obsessive personality disorder. Perfectionism, fixation on rules and procedure, and no flexibility except in special circumstances."
Barring cheats or bugs, a character always follows its commands.
"The connection between emotion and memory appears severed, but systemic thinking is maintained with precision. He doesn't respond to others' suffering beyond what's necessary, but it's a form of indifference, not malice."
"......"
"He certainly couldn't be called a good 'person.'"
Because what Yeon-woo had just described was a game 'character.'
"His self-concept is function-centered. When I said earlier that he 'exists solely for hotel operations,' that was the context."
"Does he have no self-preservation instinct?"
"To him, pain and death are not things to avoid but mere data. His cognitive structure prioritizes system maintenance over safety and survival."
"He sounds colder than most Dokkaebi...."
"But that's precisely what makes him an ideal manager for this hotel."
After all, a Playable Character must faithfully reflect the user's tendencies and choices.
"Of course, explaining morality to him would be largely meaningless."
"He's even scarier now."
"The General Manager maintains ethics through logic, not emotion. That's closer to a highly refined rationality than cold-bloodedness."
"But that...."
Seome, who'd been rolling the scabbard in his hand, looked at Yeon-woo.
"You're saying that could actually be an opportunity for us."
"You understand well."
This was precisely why Yeon-woo had introduced this story's villain as a 'Playable Character.'
"As I said, he isn't entirely without emotion. But joy, sorrow, even pain — they're all short-lived... and he immediately resets his objectives."
"Less alive, and more a being digitized for efficiency."
"Correct. Therefore, he becomes an absolute mediator against anything that obstructs hotel operations, and affirms anything that assists or at least doesn't hinder them."
"Meaning."
Rawi rolled his eyes and said.
"As long as we follow this hotel's rules, we don't have to worry about being dealt with by the General Manager?"
"Precisely."
It wasn't difficult. They just needed to perceive this hotel as a 'game.' Perhaps Yeon-woo did as well.
"Seome, you asked in the Hunting Grounds whether this was a Game-Type Labyrinth. It is, and it's no different from one. You simply need to endure here until the hotel lets you leave."
"What do we have to do for it to let us leave?"
"Hard to say."
He didn't tell them exactly that it meant accumulating 'Nightmares.'
If he did, this villain simulation would lose its purpose. More importantly, they might venture into dangerous places for the sake of accumulating 'Nightmares.'
Yeon-woo looked at the two awkward faces and said.
"But it shouldn't be too difficult."
"And if we get killed by the Dokkaebi here before then...."
"That's what I'm here to prevent."
Yeon-woo added.
"I'm not telling you to let your guard down. I'm simply saying there's no need for trial and error when the most efficient path is right in front of you. Use me. The procedure with the highest success rate derivable from this situation goes through me."
He thought.
'There's a proven strategy guide right before their eyes. There's no reason to let these walking bundles of variables waste time headbutting bare ground.'
Seome and Rawi acting independently were uncontrollable variables. If they moved recklessly and an accident occurred, the mental energy and hotel-management resources he'd spend on cleanup would be pure sunk cost.
'Since leaving on my own would require procedures and isn't immediately feasible anyway, getting these two out safely first should be the priority.'
It was far less stressful to become a living strategy guide himself and perfectly design their movements. His brain was already mapping the smoothest optimized route.
Embarrassing as it was, it was a field he took some pride in.
"......"
"I can say with certainty — no one knows this game better than I do."
A twenty-six-year veteran user, after all.
***
"Use me. The procedure with the highest success rate derivable from this situation goes through me."
"......"
"I can say with certainty — no one knows this game better than I do."
At those words, Seome felt.
Very, very.
"......"
...unwell.