Chapter 52.2

Chapter 52.2

Still, people aren’t fools. They began to sense something was off.

“So all these people just happened to lose their way in broad daylight and end up at this countryside lodge?”

“Maybe we’ve been bewitched or something.”

“Hey! Don’t say such unlucky things.”

The more people there are, the braver they get.

Even while bringing up ghosts, the group began glancing around the room like it was some kind of curiosity show.

“Come to think of it, this place...”

“Looks pretty fancy, doesn’t it? Like one of those mansions rich families had in every neighborhood back when we were kids.”

They weren’t wrong.

The wooden lodge, built in a style popular a few decades ago, was a mix of quaint charm, rustic wealth, and understated elegance.

“Oh, look over there! That’s a gold frame, isn’t it?”

On one side of the living room was a large framed picture, its frame seemingly made of real gold.

But what caught my attention wasn’t the frame—it was what was inside.

+++

Joyful Mealtime

The rabbit bakes in the kitchen

The deer is caught in the backyard

The pigeon is fattened in the bedroom

The lamb is sliced in the living room

Boing, boing, the sound of hopping with laughter

The wooden floors beneath go bam, bam

The table, full

Humming, in the air

The family gathers round

Bon appétit

+++

“......”

No way.

‘That’s blatant foreshadowing.’

– Hooh, could it be a metaphor for the upcoming murders?

It sure looks that way.

Yet no one here seemed to be particularly interested in horror or mystery genres.

The university students claiming to be part of a hiking club chuckled amongst themselves and even pocketed an ivory trinket from the side table near the sofa.

‘Oh.’

If one of them ends up being the first body tomorrow, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Just as I thought that—

Clunk.

The lodge caretaker responded smoothly and politely.

“Of course. However, you will only be able to take it with you after three days.”

“What?”

Hm. As expected.

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Entrants are promised significant monetary rewards if they stay within the Disaster for a designated period.

The ‘designated period’ can range from a maximum of one week to a minimum of 12 hours, tailored to the entrant’s capacity to endure for the promised reward.

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“We give you three days to deliberate so you won’t waste your one and only opportunity to exchange.”

“I don’t need time to think!”

“Then you may leave now. However, the exchange will no longer be possible.”

The married couple clamped their mouths shut. It seemed the thought of leaving behind free money was too bitter to swallow.

One of the student hikers in the group raised their hand from the back.

“Excuse me, so... can we ask for something outrageous? Like, ‘Give me all the inheritance’?”

“That is possible.”

“......!!”

The hiker’s playful tone vanished in an instant.

“Can I ask for ownership of the lodge itself?”

“Yes.”

“......”

The group’s expressions shifted.

‘Now they want to believe.’

The uneasy chill in the air was gone, replaced with a sense of fortune as if the kind of monetary windfall they’d only read about on the internet was suddenly within reach.

Once the caretaker produced documents, including the will, their skepticism transformed into certainty.

“This... this looks legit.”

“Unbelievable...”

Even the cursing married couple’s demeanor changed.

“Forget the weekend trip, let’s tough it out. Worst case, we can call the police, right?”

“Exactly! Wow, maybe this tape has some kind of charm on it, like from a shaman’s talisman. It’s crazy how everyone ended up here.”

The lodge caretaker even gave everyone time to make phone calls.

After finishing their calls, the group’s mood had turned lively, as if they were part of some grand event.

The caretaker, observing them, bowed deeply.

“When so many visitors arrive at once, the order of exchange becomes very important.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense!”

“Yeah, like if the first person demands all the inheritance, it’s game over for everyone else!”

“Therefore... priority will be given to those with the most cassette tapes.”

“......!”