Chapter 243: Asagiri’s Fishing Operation

"Let’s sum it up."

Asagiri looked at Yuuki Asuna, Kato Megumi, and Iwanaga Kotoko, then spoke slowly.

"It’s been about two and a half hours since we entered this Dungeon. Since we had to turn off our phones to conserve power, we can only estimate the time roughly. At the moment, this Dungeon has several major suspicious points."

"First, the carpet in the corridor definitely contains some kind of clue. But until we figure out why only Phantom received a special prompt telling her to observe the carpet, we should avoid staring at it for too long. Plenty of horror stories work that way. The longer you stare at something strange, the easier it is to fall into a dangerous hallucination, or attract something even worse."

"Second, the time limit of this Dungeon is abnormally long, and there is no clear objective. The system only tells us to survive. So why are we being forced to remain here for a full seventy two hours? My preliminary judgment is that as time passes, the Players’ mental strength and stamina will continue to drain. Combined with the lack of food and drinking water, everyone’s overall combat ability will inevitably decline. As for whether the danger level of the Cursed phenomena will also rise over time, that depends on what we see next."

"Third, what exactly are the conditions for parasitism? Other than being alone, is it also possible to be parasitized if your mental strength is too low and you look through the peephole during the dangerous period when the carpet turns red? And why do we have to remain silent? What kind of effect does sound have?"

"Finally, there’s the point Necro mentioned earlier. The number of Players in this Dungeon is abnormally high. Is it because this Dungeon can only create enough pressure when there are a lot of Players inside it? Or... are the one hundred and thirty six Players we counted not all normal Players to begin with?"

When Asagiri finished his last sentence, Kato Megumi froze for a second. Then she pressed her lips together and asked hesitantly,

"You mean... some of those one hundred and thirty six Players were already parasitized? But they weren’t alone, and this Dungeon has only just started. It can’t be that even Players who already had teammates..."

"You’re stuck in a thinking trap."

Asagiri waved a hand and explained with a faint smile.

"The Dungeon only starts from the Players’ point of view. But before we entered, the Cursed existence in this Hotel was already here. It didn’t need to wait for the system to officially declare the Dungeon open before it started acting."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"And if that parasitic thing can disguise itself as a Player, then a parasitized Player can naturally lie and claim they only just entered the Dungeon as well. In reality, they might have already been infected long before we arrived and become part of the Hotel’s Curse. That possibility also exists."

After hearing that explanation, Kato Megumi nodded as though she understood, then spoke softly.

"Okay, I get it. I give up thinking. I’ll leave it to you."

Asagiri chuckled.

"Oh? You’re giving up just like that? Then let me check your KDA."

Kato Megumi raised a hand and tucked her long black hair behind her ear, her tone calm as ever.

"I shot an arrow and threw an axe. My KDA is at least third on the team."

"Then who’s fourth?"

"You are."

Kato Megumi rested her chin on one hand and smiled faintly.

"Leader, you haven’t made a move since entering the Dungeon, right? So your KDA is dead last."

"Ah, now that’s just unfair."

Asagiri shook a finger seriously.

"Leaving aside my invaluable contribution of setting rules for the Players, I am the stabilizing force of this team. Phantom member, you’re actually questioning the captain’s KDA? I think your loyalty needs to be tested."

"You two are way too relaxed."

Yuuki Asuna let out a helpless sigh. At this point, even Kato Megumi had clearly been infected by Asagiri and Iwanaga Kotoko’s nonsense. Or maybe Kato Megumi had always possessed that abstract side and simply kept it hidden.

In the end, she was the only normal one left.

"There’s no point worrying."

Asagiri lay down directly, resting his head on Yuuki Asuna’s soft lap as he looked up at her.

"I can’t see your face anymore."

Yuuki Asuna’s pretty face reddened at once.

"Seriously, we’re still inside the Dungeon. Be serious."

At that moment, Kato Megumi suddenly removed her jacket and set it aside on the sofa. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and frowned slightly.

"Doesn’t it feel like... it’s getting hotter?"

"Huh? You’re right."

Only then did Iwanaga Kotoko belatedly realize the temperature had risen as well. She muttered to herself,

"I thought it was just because Leader and I were in a king size room together, and my heart was burning with desire, so I mistook it for heat. Turns out that wasn’t it at all..."

"You really do perform consistently."

Yuuki Asuna shook her head in exasperation, then removed her dark red cloak and started fanning Asagiri with her hand. At the same time, she said thoughtfully,

"The last time we came to this Hotel, the temperature rose too. But that time we cleared the Dungeon early, so the effect wasn’t obvious. This time, though, we have to stay for a full seventy two hours. It’s only been less than three hours, and the change is already this noticeable. If it keeps going like this... it might become unbearable later."

"Just like last time, does that mean the solution is to go lower?"

Iwanaga Kotoko seriously considered that possibility, her expression turning unusually grave.

"The Seventh Floor is already one of the lower guest room floors, but even here the temperature is rising. The public hint specifically says we must enter a guest room. That means the Fourth Floor, which only has meeting rooms and no guest rooms, is not a safe place to stay. Could it be... that the Dungeon is trying to drive all the Players toward the lowest safe guest room floor?"

She lifted her head and smiled sweetly at Asagiri.

"So, Leader, please."

"Alright."

Asagiri got up from the sofa.

When Yuuki Asuna saw that, her brows drew together.

"Where are you going? The carpet could turn red at any time. It’s better not to move around carelessly..."

"I’m going to be alone."

"Huh?"

Yuuki Asuna froze, and her expression immediately turned anxious. Before she could stop him, Asagiri waved a hand and smiled.

"Relax. I’m not going out of my way to get myself killed. I just need to test something. If I stay in a room with Meta, who is my Persona, will the system still judge me as being alone? Or will it count the same as staying in a room with another Player and keep the Curse from targeting me? We need to verify that before deciding what to do next."

"Oh... so that’s it."

Yuuki Asuna finally relaxed, but she still narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

"You wouldn’t... intentionally avoid summoning Meta and stay alone in the room while none of us are there to supervise you, would you?"

"I’m not an idiot."

After saying that, Asagiri noticed the slightly meaningful looks from Yuuki Asuna, Kato Megumi, and Iwanaga Kotoko. He rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Yes, I enjoy the thrill of being a game Player. But when the system has already clearly warned me that doing something will bring danger, and I still do it anyway, that’s not thrill seeking. That’s just insanity. This Dungeon has a time limit, so I can’t speedrun it, but I can still aim for a no damage clear and a high rating. My beloved consorts, please rest easy. I’ll be back soon."

Kato Megumi replied in her usual flat voice.

"Good. Leading from the front."

...

After searching the Seventh Floor once more, Asagiri confirmed that there were indeed only two teams here: his own and Mr. Ichikawa’s.

It was not because he had deliberately arranged it that way. It was simply that most ordinary Players preferred being on floors with more people rather than staying on the same floor as someone like him.

Which was only natural.

What kind of normal person would want to remain on the same floor as a mysterious masked Player who wore a long black coat, radiated oppressive pressure, usually spoke and acted strangely, yet during the meeting had also revealed an utterly cold and ruthless side?

Compared to that, the Player teams on the other floors looked a lot friendlier.

Meanwhile, Crazy Mita followed behind him with an impatient pout.

"How boring. Couldn’t something more interesting happen? Why did you have to call me out? I thought I’d at least get to have a good fight."

"Maybe later."

Asagiri answered with a smile. Then he looked at the carpet, which was gradually turning red once more, and opened the door to Room 7014.

The last time he, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko had come to this Hotel, they had already noticed that it did not avoid the numbers four and thirteen the way ordinary Hotels did. They just did not know whether the building had always been like that, or whether the Curse had twisted its layout after invading it.

...

Fifteen minutes later, Asagiri sat calmly on the sofa in Room 7014.

Then suddenly, he heard a sound from the front door.

Creak.

The door was being pushed open from the outside. The security chain pulled taut at once and rattled sharply.

"Is anyone there...?"

A fleshy tentacle slid through the gap in the door. It crept across the floor and stopped near the bathroom by the entrance. A mouth split open on its surface, and from it came the crying voice of a little girl.

"It hurts... it hurts so much... can anyone help me...?"

.....

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