Escaping the Mystery Hotel

Chapter 266: Room ???, Cursed Room - ???? (4)

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Dxme : Zot 119

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Azxd’e Dpvlewꏠ : X

-Han Kain

“K-Kain, did I perhaps offend you—“

“No, no, it’s fine. Just... step outside for a bit. I have something to think about.”

“...Understood.”

Phew! Managed to send her away.

A small celebration had taken place after we defeated the Writhing Fangs, and late at night, that girl had come to my tent.

Given the situation, I could only assume that she was my lover or something along those lines, at least according to this world’s setting.

No one else in the tribe dared to say my name.

They all used honorifics like “Divine One” or “Young Master.” But she?

She called me by name.

That alone marked her as special.

Of course—I’d never seen her before in my life!

Seriously, what was the hotel thinking when they set me up with a scripted lover?

Maybe she had some hidden significance, but for now, she was just an awkward problem.

I needed to calm down and focus on escaping.

The paradise beyond the mountain range mentioned in the song... something about it felt important.

Maybe that was where I needed to go.

But if the countless monsters lurking in the Crimson Mountains were as deadly as described, then leading an entire tribe there would be impossible.

The details were vague—passed down from fathers and grandfathers—but even if only half of the legends were true, it was too dangerous.

That meant my first priority was to reunite with my comrades.

The broad outline of my plan was starting to take shape.

Find my allies, gather strength, and then push through the mountains.

But how?

Without the Status Window, I couldn’t even see my comrades’ locations.

And even if I could see their locations—

For example.

Park Seungyub: 240 km northwest, near an oak grove

How was I supposed to cross 240 kilometers of uncharted wilderness to find him?

Still, looking on the bright side—there were eight of us in this world—excluding the one person sealed.

That meant at least eight different tribes existed out here.

One of them had to be nearby.

Then a thought struck me.

If my situation was any indication, then the others had also become a tribe’s “Divine One”.

Which meant—if I could find another tribe, my comrades would likely be there.

***I summoned Old Wolf Fang to my tent.

He must have been enjoying the feast, as his nose was red from drinking.

“Young Master, I was told you called for me?”

“Old Wolf Fang, are there any other tribes nearby?”

A heavy silence fell over the tent.

Old Wolf Fang’s eyes snapped wide open as if his drunkenness had vanished instantly.

Around us, the warriors who had been listening tensed up, their expressions darkening.

...What the hell?

Why is everyone so on edge all of a sudden?

“Young Master... so you have finally made your decision. I will follow your will.”

Huh? What decision?

What was this flow I wasn’t following?

“Of course, Young Master, you are wise beyond compare. However, given your recent memory loss, allow me to explain. Since tribes are always on the move, it is difficult to track them down directly.”

“Then how do we find them?”

“We must ambush them in places they must go to survive. In this region...”

Old Wolf Fang paused, recalling the local terrain.

...Wait a second.

Ambush?

Ambush?!

Why the hell were we talking about an ambush all of a sudden?!

“If you head west from the tents, then turn right near the Blackwood Forest, you will find a small grove filled with aromatic fruit trees. Beyond that, you will reach a riverbank that seems rugged at first glance but is abundant with fish and game.”

A river with clean water, fruits, and animals—a treasure trove of resources in this primitive era.

“So if we go there, we’ll find another tribe?”

“Indeed... That land has long belonged to our tribe, passed down since my father’s time. However, due to our decline from the Writhing Fangs’ attacks, a band of raiders stole our ancestral land.”

Then Old Wolf Fang clenched his fists.

“But now, with the Divine One’s divine power, we can reclaim the land of our ancestors!”

The tension in the tent shifted.

I could feel it—this wasn’t just my plan anymore.

I had only been trying to find my comrades, but these people?

They thought I was preparing for war.

Honestly, it was a little ridiculous, but at the same time—it worked to my advantage.

At least I wouldn’t have to justify why we were going to this place.

“At dawn, we march to the river.”

“I shall deliver your command!”

“Good. And one more thing—until I say otherwise, no one is to attack the other tribe. I want to speak with their Divine One first.”

“...Please reconsider, Young Master. The Divine One of that tribe is barbaric and ruthless. He is a boar in human form—an unreasonable beast who—“

“Enough. I’ve already decided.”

Hearing the description, I was pretty sure I knew exactly who this boar in human form was.

***The next morning, we sent the elderly, women, and children to a safe location while the warriors marched to the river.

The battle with Writhing Fangs had left many injured, but I still needed as many able fighters as possible.

As I looked around, Young Wolf Fang approached.

“Do not worry, Young Master! We are warriors! When the time comes to wield our spears, we will not hesitate!”

I appreciated his confidence, but I wasn’t reassured.

Because if my hunch was right, then the so-called “boar in human form” was exactly who I thought it was.

And these wooden spears?

They wouldn’t do a damn thing to him.

Even if the warriors knew that, they were trusting me to lead them.

As we walked, a thought crossed my mind.

“Has there been any talk of the other tribe’s Divine One falling gravely ill or anything like that?”

“I... I am unsure. We do not hear much of the other tribe’s affairs.”

Right, that was a stupid question.

Without phones or the internet, how the hell would they know what was happening in another tribe?

After passing through the aromatic fruit grove and walking for another twenty minutes, we finally reached the river.

And I immediately understood why this was such a coveted territory.

The river was massive—so wide that you couldn’t see the other shore clearly.

Gigantic fish, bigger than people, thrashed in its waters.

The water itself wasn’t crystal clear by modern standards, but for the Stone Age, it was probably drinkable.

As my warriors discussed hiding and sending scouts, I waved them off.

Then, after thirty minutes of waiting—

For the first time since entering this world, I saw humans from another tribe.

***“This bastard! How dare you steal our ancestors’ land—“

At the sight of three outsiders fishing by the river, my warriors immediately brandished their spears and charged forward.

Before I could take a single step, the outsiders were already face-down in the dirt.

Seems like the conflict between our tribes was far more intense than I had realized.

“Alright, alright, move aside!”

“We should flay them alive and—“

“Oi, are you not hearing me?!”

“S-sorry! He got excited and made a mistake...”

After shoving my warriors aside and approaching the captured outsiders, I witnessed something strange.

Just moments ago, they had been cursing and struggling against my warriors.

But the instant they saw me, they dropped to the ground, bowing deeply and speaking in the most polite manner possible.

It seemed that in this primitive era, even if they opposed another tribe, a Divine One was still considered a being beyond ordinary humans, and thus deserving of reverence.

Now that I thought about it, history on Earth had similar cases.

Even when captured as prisoners of war, high-status individuals were often treated with respect, due to a belief that nobility was inherently different from commoners.

“We pay respects to the Divine One.”

“Oh, mighty Divine One, this humble servant, Little Rock Hill—“

“Spare me the introductions.”

“Divine One... Though I cannot presume to understand your divine will, I must warn you: The Furious Boar God will never forgive today’s offense.”

“Furious Boar God? Is that the title of your Divine One? Now that I think about it—do I have a title?”

At that question, the outsiders fell completely silent.

Even my own warriors, who had been following me all this time, refused to answer.

After a tense moment, Old Wolf Fang cautiously spoke, “You need not concern yourself with the petty nicknames given by lesser beings.”

“...Alright. Listen up—you, take me to your Divine One. I have no intention of fighting, just lead the way.”

As soon as I said that, murmurs and whispers erupted around me.

The outsiders stared in shock, while my own warriors visibly stiffened.

Old Wolf Fang grabbed my arm and leaned in to whisper urgently.

“Young Master! You must think carefully! The Furious Boar possesses incredible strength, and his temper burns like wildfire! If you approach carelessly, your life will be in danger. Wouldn’t it be wiser to keep your distance and use your... abilities?”

The opposition was so strong that I relented, deciding instead to send the captured outsiders back to fetch their Divine One.

I worried they might simply run away, but my warriors had zero doubts.

They truly believed that no one would dare break a promise made in the presence of a Divine One.

...Seriously, what kind of existence is a Divine One in this world?

***By dusk, I was finally reunited with someone I had been missing dearly.

“Hey! Feels good to see you again, ‘Furious Boar God’.”

I grinned as I spoke, while Jinchul-hyung, missing his left arm from the elbow down, scoffed in disbelief.

“You’re still alive? Well, that’s a relief, ‘Malevolent Flesh Thief’.”

***In a vast, dusty plain.

Near a cave, two figures stood facing each other—an elderly man and a broad-shouldered warrior.

Though twenty men stood behind the elder, the warrior had come alone.

“Never thought we’d meet like this, ‘King of the Undying’.”

“...Senior, what kind of nickname is that?”

“I hear that just being near you, Sanghyun, heals the sick and makes the injured stand. Because of that, your tribe is called the Undying Ones.”

“Seriously...? And your nickname?”

“They call me ‘Demon’s Hand’.”

“Demon’s Hand, huh? You don’t look too great for someone with a name like that.”

“Ah, got this while fighting a giant worm monster the other day. Seems like it has some kind of regeneration. More importantly—where the hell is your tribe, Sanghyun? Everyone else seems to have been given one.”

“Senior, that’s actually why I’m here.”

“You got something to say?”

Kim Sanghyun’s expression darkened as he gazed across the plains.

“Have you heard the rumors? That in the west, one of the Divine has fallen into darkness?”

“...What?”

“They say a witch summoned a demon unlike any other in this world—one so monstrous that it massacred countless tribes.”

“The hell... Don’t tell me—“

“You need to prepare. Because in this place... we might all die at the hands of one of our own.”