Chapter 20: Chapter 34-35
No answer.
The female receptionist still didn't respond, but silence was more telling than words at that moment, confirming Lin Ye's suspicions.
Why did she want to die?
Lin Ye wouldn't have thought of this at first, but based on what Taisuke had said just before his death, he formed a rough guess about the identity of the female receptionist.
Like him,
The female receptionist was originally a participant in this "strange game," but she failed. Faced with failure, she chose to accept the invitation to become a staff member of the "Love Heart Hotel," thus avoiding death.
He didn't know how many times she had repeated and cycled through this job.
Eventually, over time, her spirit and soul were severely damaged, leaving her wanting to find relief through death.
It was no wonder that Taisuke had mentioned that "she has problems." Her current state no longer fit the needs of the "strange game."
The thing was, the 'strange game' had either not been dealt with or couldn't be dealt with directly, and she wasn't qualified to die. She couldn't commit suicide to seek relief either.
So,
Now they found themselves in this situation.
Lin Ye observed the receptionist in front of him, her face reflecting the solemnity of the moment. A trace of regret and sympathy flashed across his face.
Although they were on opposite sides, the receptionist had helped him. She might have even let him go without his knowledge.
She had done her job seriously and completely as a female receptionist. Lin Ye feared it wouldn't be easy to pass the game this time.
"I'll help."
"I will set you free."
At that moment, a flash of relief appeared in the receptionist's eyes.
Lin Ye saw it.
Hoshino Ai and Kuroda Hikari, who had been watching from the side, also noticed it.
They hadn't expected Lin Ye to have guessed everything correctly! He even figured out that the receptionist was already dead.
The two women couldn't help but feel sad.
In any case, the female receptionist had provided them with help, and just now, she had even beaten up Taisuke to vent her anger.
If possible, they really didn't want the kind-hearted receptionist to die. But this was her wish, and Lin Ye agreed. The words to persuade him got stuck in their throats and could no longer be spoken.
And so,
Under the gaze of the two women, Lin Ye bent down, picked up the lubricant, and walked in front of the female receptionist.
Hoshino Ai couldn't help but glance away, and Kuroda Hikari wanted to close her eyes, unable to bear watching what would happen next.
The female receptionist remained calm. Facing the impending death, she didn't show fear. Instead, she felt a sense of relief.
How long had it been?
It could all finally be over.
It was a pity that she couldn't match her brother. She could only chase after his back. But soon, she would let go of everything and face the end.
"Pah..."
Lin Ye grabbed the receptionist's wrist with one hand and lifted it. She allowed him to do whatever he wished without resistance.
"For you..."
Suddenly, there was a box of something in her hand. The receptionist lowered her head, surprised to see what it was.
A box of condom!
Hoshino Ai was confused by what she saw.
She remembered this was the condom Lin Ye had taken from Kamimura Mihui's bag!
"This love hotel didn't even have condoms. This hotel is too shabby. They didn't even provide the most basic sex toys. This isn't up to standard."
Whether it was Room 306, 304, or 307, there were no condoms.
You have to understand, this was a love hotel! Most hotels provide condoms, let alone a love hotel.
Was this really an oversight by the strange game? Or was it hinting at something else?
"This is for you. If there are guests who need it in the future, give it to them. A love hotel can't be considered a love hotel without this."
He smiled.
"I will set you free. This is my promise. But I'm not going to kill you here. I'm going to help you leave. The strange game may have made you a staff member here, so there must be a way to let you leave."
Taisuke had just said it.
There was a method, but it was very difficult—or maybe she was unwilling to do it.
Lin Ye turned around and called Hoshino Ai and Kuroda Hikari to walk toward the self-service machine.
"Kuroda, you go first!"
"Then I will... do it first."
Kuroda inserted the room card for Room 307 and pressed the checkout button.
With a beep, the checkout procedure continued.
Next, Lin Ye inserted the room card for Room 306 and completed the checkout procedure.
Everything was working fine—no problems at all.
But when Hoshino Ai subconsciously wanted to leave, she suddenly saw Lin Ye take out another room card—the one for Room 304.
"Lin Ye, do you still want to return the room card for Room 304?"
"It's already in my hand, so I might as well return it."
He spoke as if he were picking up money for free!
But Hoshino Ai had no reason to stop him. She knew Lin Ye must have thought of something and wanted to test it.
'Drop...'
All three room cards had been returned, and the checkout procedure was complete.
But the three of them were still in the lobby of the love hotel.
Lin Ye looked toward the entrance and walked toward it.
Hoshino Ai followed, holding Lin Ye's hand, and Kuroda Hikari followed closely, grabbing Lin Ye's other hand.
The entrance and exit doors slowly opened.
"You are welcome to come again next time."
Who would come again?
That mechanical voice was unpleasant.
Lin Ye glanced at the female receptionist.
"Thanks..."
His voice was soft, but compared to the words from earlier, these were the true words from his heart.
"By the way, I still don't know your name. You can't really be called that, can you?"
Lin Ye looked at the name tag on her suit.
"Horikita... Suzune."
"It's a nice name."
There was always a familiar feeling.
Lin Ye continued.
"I will keep my promise. Wait for me."
The glass door closed, separating the inside from the outside world.
He said goodbye with a smile, leaving only his departing back.
Inside, the female receptionist stared at Lin Ye's back, holding a box of condoms in her hand. A gleam appeared in her bright eyes.
"You haven't... said... your... name yet."
Even though she knew his name from the way the other two had called him.
When the figure completely disappeared, she withdrew her gaze and returned to the front desk after a while.
She entered new sex toys.
The most difficult task was completed this way.
She felt like she was in a dream.
But at least, there was hope.
She can go back.
…
Lin Ye and the others re-entered the fog.
According to the time, it should have been daytime, but as they walked forward, it became darker and darker.
Lin Ye suddenly remembered where he had heard the name 'Horikita Suzune'.
"Could this be the heroine from the 'Classroom of the Elite'?!"
It was very possible!
At this moment,
A mechanical sound came to his ears, followed by a feeling of weightlessness. Lin Ye found himself in an unfamiliar space.
It was a vast expanse of white, stretching as far as the eye could see.
And here, he was the only one.
[Congratulations on successfully completing the game 'Love Heart Hotel']
You have the following options:
Accept the invitation to become a official player of future games
-You will receive relevant game props, points, skills, and other items. You will begin a new life and face fun and colorful challenges.
Note: Once you become an official player, you will be challenged by a scheduled game dungeon at least once a month. The difficulty will increase as your level rises.
Refuse the invitation
-You will return to your original life, but you will lose all memories of your experience in the 'Love Heart Hotel.'
Note: As a reward for clearing the level, your physical fitness will be slightly improved.
You can choose between the two options, or you can refuse to become a player and attempt to escape from the "strange game."
The weird game still offers this option to participants completing it for the first time, but many would choose to give up.
After all, anyone who has experienced a weird game, confronted the dangers and terrors within, would instinctively want to stay away from it.
"That's not right,"
"Those who have experienced it once and choose to stay and become players must be at least brave,"
The weird game opens up a whole new world. In this world, participants—regardless of their identity or status—must rely solely on their own wisdom and abilities to survive. Through repeated games, they can obtain props, skills, and become stronger.
Compared to the real world, where class divisions are rigid, there are more opportunities here.
Many cannot resist this temptation.
What's more, because the weird game undoubtedly impacts reality, Lin Ye guessed it was possible that the game and reality were not completely separate.
The attack on Hoshino Ai by a male fan alone showed the impact the "strange game" had on the real world.
In the future, such impacts might become more frequent.
"What am I afraid of?"
"I have superpowers,"
"With this ability, I can rise above in real life."
"Why suffer here?"
This experience had also made Lin Ye realize the limitations of his time-stop superpower.
The time-stop ability is not invincible after all.
[Your outstanding performance in the Love Heart Hotel has attracted 'His' attention. If you accept the invitation to become a player of the 'strange game']
[You will receive 5 points of free disposal]
Is that all?
[You will receive the following blessings]
[Points Split: Each time you pass a dungeon, the game points you receive will increase by 50%]
Naked temptation!
"I want that female receptionist Horikita Suzune to be removed from her staff status and return to normal."
No response, the other party does not reply.
"Is there a chance for this to happen?"
['He' makes an exception and answers your question]
[Yes]
"Okay, I accept the invitation to become an official player."
[You have chosen the first option. Congratulations on becoming a official player of Strange games. We will settle this instance of the game for you]
['Love Heart Hotel' strategy exploration level 93%]
[Difficulty: 1 star]
[Basic reward: 1000 points, 2 points for free use]
[You have completed the following hidden tasks, triggering rewards]
[You have successfully stayed in the same room with two women for more than 4 hours. Game points +500]
[You successfully used a sex toy to kill a hotel staff member. Game points +500]
[You gave the hotel staff a box of condom that did not exist inside the hotel, gaining their trust and gratitude. Game points +500]
[In this game, all door cards are returned. Game points +500]
[In this game, the number of participants who survived reached 50%. Game points +500.]
[Due to your outstanding performance in this game, and due to the 'Point Split' effect of your blessing, your game points will be increased by 300%, and you will ultimately earn 10,500 points]
[You have achieved the following achievements]
[Restrain your desires: When facing women and temptations, you are steadfast in your consciousness]
[Mental strength +1]
[Far-reaching eroticism: You used a variety of erotic props on a person of the same sex, causing them to die suddenly]
[Agility +1]
[Unconventional: You gave a box of condoms to the receptionist, igniting her hope]
[Charm +1]
[Language Charm: You persuaded and gained the trust of the female receptionist]
[Unlocked skill: Persuasion Lv1.]
[Distribution of rewards completed]
Lin Ye looked at his personal panel.
Strength, agility, physique, mental strength, charm, etc.
My level is LV1, and the only active skill is the newly unlocked Persuasion Lv1.
"My superpowers aren't listed in the panel?"
Was it because the character panel cannot detect and display them? Or is it that his superpowers are too mysterious?
Lin Ye thought for a while but couldn't determine the exact answer, so he decided to stop thinking about it for now.
Regardless of the answer, his superpowers remain his greatest confidence and trump card.
Now, with the help of the 'strange game,' he plans to compensate for the weaknesses of his time-stop ability and reduce his deficiencies as much as possible.
[The distribution has been completed. You will be exited from this space in three seconds]
[You can use the panel to check your own situation at any time]
[Three]
[Two]
[One]
Lin Ye once again felt the sensation of weightlessness.
His vision returned, and he focused on what was ahead.
Under the night sky, there were street lamps lining both sides of the street. He was standing quietly on the left side of the road.
The night breeze brought a slight chill.
"A-choo…"
Suddenly, the cute sound of a girl sneezing came from beside him.
Lin Ye glanced sideways and saw the delicate-looking girl, slightly curled up beside him. She was a bit cold, her body trembling slightly.
"It's a bit cold tonight, we have to get to the hotel soon."
"Student Lin, we'll be there soon. It's just ahead."
Lin Ye immediately understood the reason.
That's right.
It was the right choice for Hoshino Ai, an ordinary girl, to quit the game.
Unlike him, Hoshino Ai didn't have superpowers. If she participated in the strange games again, she would inevitably face death.
In that case, it was better to quit the game.
Compared to life, losing the memory of the game was nothing.
"Tatta..."
The two walked side by side, quietly along the path. Neither of them said a word.
Finally, the hotel came into view.
But then, Hoshino Ai spoke up.
"I'm going to the convenience store over there to buy something. Please wait for me for a moment."
After that, Hoshino Ai quickly entered the convenience store. A few minutes later, she came out carrying something.
Lin Ye glanced at it—bread and milk.
Probably breakfast for tomorrow morning.
At the front desk, checking in...
Lin Ye couldn't help but think of the female receptionist at Love Heart Hotel.
The two took the elevator to the eighth floor.
"Thank you so much today. Please allow me to treat you to a meal tomorrow to express my gratitude."
"Okay."
[Ding…]
The door of the elevator opened.
Hoshino Ai took the initiative to say good night and returned to her room.
She turned on the light, went to the bed, and took out the stockings that had been pressed under the milk and bread.
"Later... should I wear black stockings... or white stockings?"
t/l: Black stockings all the time!
This was a difficult choice.
Hoshino Ai's face turned slightly red.
She wanted to give Lin Ye a big surprise.