Hotel Jeontu: The Five Survivors

Chapter 5 - Playing With Fire Pt. 2

Jenna Kim

One moment you're fighting a four-armed monster with a single eye, the next you're knocked out on the ground. Definitely not very ideal.

I have no idea what happened throughout the entire fight. From my position on the ground, the only part of the fight I was exposed to was the sound of clashing weapons and the nice gentleman that situated me even further from the battle.

When the hooded figure slinked out of a shadowy cloud of smoke (which was in the endless cloud of mist), it seemed like he had come to specifically escort me away. Without hesitation he bent over to pick my limp body up, and whisked me away next to the mysterious fountain Yujin and I passed. The fact that he immediately decided to help me probably meant that he knew I was already there, which means two things: the person has met Yujin, and she's told them about my status, or he's been spying on me this whole time to kill me later.

The first one is a lot more assuring.

But what isn't assured is the fact that I can't tell who he is. If I could see his face and identify him I could have even a slight idea of whether he's the type to kill me or save me, but his hidden identity prevents me from making an educated guess.

In terms of Yujin, I'm sure she's having no problem fighting the one-eyed monster. The way she handled the alpha wolf back in the hallway, and the fact that her powers have most likely developed even further makes me confident that the cyclops will be a piece of cake.

Speaking of her powers, I can't even fully express my deepest desire for abilities as cool as hers. The phoenix, the fire, the long spear spinning around...They're all not only incredibly impressive aesthetically but also seemingly powerful. Add the fact that the spear allows for longer ranged, rapid attacks, and you have an unbeatable warrior.

Meanwhile, my powers are nothing in comparison.

Flowers? What am I supposed to do with flowers?

Right when I first discovered my powers, I remember thinking harnessing the power of flowers was quite pretty and unique. But the more I fight, the more I realize how useless the ability is. The more I realize that I got the shorter end of the stick.

Look at me now, lying on the ground for the second time in the whole competition. And who to blame but my powers. Yujin carrying me through every single battle is probably the only reason I'm still alive at this point.

How ironic. If it weren't for me, Yujin wouldn't have left the Lobby. She would have been immediately killed after being kicked out of the time limit and breaking down in the hallway. But if it weren't for Yujin, I'd be a limbless body lying in the middle of a pack of wolves. What a discouraging thought.

A welcoming voice calls out to me through the mist.

"Jenna!" I spot Yujin's silhouette running towards me from afar, followed by another figure. As they come into clear view, my first intuition is confirmed. The hooded guy did, in fact, learn my location from Yujin. He must have aided Yujin in slaying the cyclops (whom I couldn't defeat alone) after placing me here.

My limp body is suddenly overwhelmed with a rush of fresh energy, and my broken ribs and arms (from being chucked away by the monster) are immediately healed. The one slash I got into the cyclop's face with my flowers must have counted as a contribution, fortunately. Yujin sticks out her hand and helps me up. She asks me how I feel. My body feels good as new, exactly how I felt after being remedied to health after the wolf fight.

Before she can ask any more questions, I ask my own.

Pointing at the guy, who's currently examining the dark fountain, I ask, "And who's this?"