Chapter 83: Omen (4)

"First of all, our hotel uses electronic locks on all room doors. While there's usually no problem, during a power outage, the electronic locks sometimes discharge. If you're not careful, guests might end up trapped in their rooms, so to prepare for this, please open your doors. However, please do not leave your rooms as there's a risk of injury when moving around in the dark."

『 During a power outage, theft or loss incidents can often occur. Therefore, please keep your valuables on your person, and do not open your room doors. Security guards are currently patrolling the hotel, and we've notified the police as a precaution. If you want to open your room door, please wait until after the police arrive. 』

"Also, some people might turn on gas stoves because they're afraid of the dark during a power outage, but this could risk fire or explosion. The power outage will be resolved soon, so please don't light any fires and wait patiently."

『 Each room is equipped with an emergency flashlight. The flashlight is located on the right wall of the room door and can operate for up to 15 hours. If it stops working before then, don't panic and insert the spare batteries to restart it. 』

"Also, please don't use flashlights. Human vision can quickly adapt to darkness, and if you create a light source, you'll become accustomed to light and vulnerable to darkness. In that state, you won't be able to perceive anything approaching in the dark, making you vulnerable to attacks."

The two's words were similar yet different.

They were words that truly confused people's minds and made it impossible to tell what was true and what was false.

"What's going on, what's real?"

Lee Arin muttered, tightening her arms around Ella as if confused.

"They both say not to leave the room, but the employee outside the door says to open it, while the broadcast says not to open it. What's really going on?"

She muttered as if confused.

"Moreover, the broadcast says to use flashlights, but the employee says not to create light. Looking at how they're trying to maintain darkness, the employee seems fake, but then saying it's to deal with attacks makes the employee seem real again..."

Lee Arin, who usually didn't like using her head, was even more vulnerable to this mesmerization.

She was wavering between the employee and the broadcast, and Lee Serin, seeing Lee Arin like this, slapped her cheek.

Slap!

"Ow!"

With the pain felt on her cheek and sparks flying before her eyes, Lee Arin glared at Lee Serin who had slapped her. Her eyes were enhanced with qi, allowing her to see Lee Serin as if using night vision goggles.

Lee Serin had an angry expression.

"Already! You're already mesmerized! You idiot!"

Lee Serin shouted at Lee Arin, who was rubbing her cheek.

"A strange fairy appeared, and then an employee and a broadcast come out simultaneously, how can you believe that! They're both fake!"

[ That's right. They're both fake. ]

Lee Arin had a blank expression for a moment at that shout.

"You're right. Why did I believe it...?"

"It's because it's a sound that mesmerizes weak-minded people. You really need to meditate and train your mind like br-brother said!"

A sound that mesmerized weak-minded people.

[ Both the sound and the content. As expected of someone who performs human sacrifices, their skill in mesmerizing people is impressive. Even though your sister is weak-minded, for a martial artist to be mesmerized so easily. It's a very dangerous one. Like a gumiho that lures and eats people. ]

The content seemed clever, but it was full of contradictions.

The broadcast said 'all electronic devices have stopped operating due to the power outage', but the equipment needed for broadcasting was also electronic. In other words, it didn't make sense.

The employee pretended to worry about attacks while trying to get guests to open their room doors wide. While claiming to prioritize guest safety, they were actually making it easy for 'something' to enter if it tried to attack.

But in an environment full of darkness and a tense situation due to the fairy, when such cleverly contradictory words were spoken from both sides, it was impossible not to be mesmerized. Even people with good heads would be governed by instinct in this situation, and if governed by instinct, they'd want to rely on those two's words rather than carefully analyzing them.

"If they're both fake, that means we should do something neither of them mentioned, right?"

Ella, sandwiched between Lee Arin and Lee Serin, spoke as if she had made a decision.

"The employee said not to use flashlights, and the broadcast recommended using flashlights. And the employee also said not to turn on gas stoves."

Ella took out Wisp, which she had put inside her clothes.

"But neither of them mentioned creating a light source through a familiar spirit like this!"

Wisp, which came out of her bosom, immediately illuminated the room brightly.

It was a light that brightened the room without stimulating the eyes.

The living room became bright as if a fluorescent light had been turned on, and color finally returned to the dark room.

"Dear guest. I told you that creating light makes you vulnerable to darkness. What you're doing now doesn't comply with the emergency action guidelines and is a very dangerous act that can't guarantee your safety. Please remove that light immediately."

『 Ah-ah, currently a guest on the top floor of the hotel has created a light source and brightened the area. Please use flashlights rather than abilities to create light sources. 』

"Dear guest. Please turn off the light now!"

『 Please stop using familiar spirits to create light and use emergency flashlights to wait until power is restored. 』

"Dear guest! You must turn off the light now!"

『 Dear guest. Creating light sources through supernatural abilities might seem good for now, but it can cause problems or interfere with recovery work. Unexpected problems can occur due to interference phenomena, so please send back the familiar spirit you've summoned or cover it to reduce the light it's emitting. 』

"Darkness is the best environment for hiding. While you might feel safe by creating a light source now, if that light source disappears due to some force, you'll be in a state not accustomed to darkness again and be defenseless until your eyes adapt to the dark. Generally, it takes about 15 minutes for dark adaptation to occur, and even for those who have received special training or have enhanced eyes, it takes at least 8 to 10 minutes, so you should gradually reduce the light to make the room dark again immediately."

『 Familiar spirits that emit light themselves consume specific energy to emit light, which can create dangerous variables in the process. Emergency generators and power system items can react sensitively to such dangerous variables, which can hinder recovery work and thus prolong the work time. Please reduce the light immediately. 』

"Dear guest. You must listen to me! You need to turn off the light!"

『 Ah-ah. I repeat once again. To the guest on the top floor who has created a light source through supernatural abilities, please remove the light source immediately and use flashlights. I repeat once again. To the guest who has summoned a familiar spirit to create light on the top floor, please remove the light or send back the familiar spirit. 』

Lee Arin muttered as if terrified by the voices shouting as if truly urgent and worried.

"I-it's scary. Rabbit, aren't you scared?"

"I'm not scared. They can't directly harm me, and they can only mesmerize with their voices, so why should I be scared?"

Ella, who had been trembling until just a moment ago, now looked out the window, puffing out her pitifully small chest as if nothing was wrong.

The window, which had shown the night view until a moment ago, had turned into a mirror reflecting Ella's figure when the room was lit up.

Ella’s reflection in the window was soaked in cold sweat, as if denying her past terrified state, and her hair, pickled in sweat, was sticking to her skin. Moreover, her lips were slightly injured, which had happened when she bit them in surprise when the fairy was causing a commotion.

No matter how much she pretended to be confident, such an appearance lacked credibility.

Ella hurriedly raised her hand to at least fix her hair.

"Huh?"

But the moment she raised her hand, she felt something strange.

She raised her hand.

She definitely raised her hand.

But Ella reflected in the window was just staring blankly at her.

No.

That wasn’t not all.

Their eyes didn't meet.

The eyes.

The eyes of Ella in the mirror, instead of meeting Ella's eyes, were looking over Ella's shoulder.

Ella in the mirror rolled her eyes to face Ella again.

Then slowly moved her mouth.

Got.

You.

"Eek!"

Ella in the mirror stretched out her arms and hugged Ella.