The Horror Hotel

@tylee

"Big brother, wake up!"

A crisp, soft voice, tinged with a faint sense of tsundere, echoed in his ear.

Lin Ze slowly opened his eyes. The warm morning light streamed in from the window, making it hard for him to keep them open.

Through the hazy sunlight, he saw a girl with twin ponytails and dressed in a sailor suit standing by the bed, looking at him with a face full of disdain.

The girl was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with fair skin, bright and clear eyes, a delicate nose, and full lips. Her cute sailor suit made her look like a naturally beautiful picture.

Lin Ze had traveled to this world a year ago, and the girl before him was his sister, though not a biological one. It was said that his parents adopted her when she was very young.

"Lin Ya, didn't I tell you not to enter my room without permission?" Lin Ze squinted at her and then closed his eyes again, trying to sleep a bit more.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ya stomped on his face.

"Get up now! Breakfast is ready," Lin Ya said, standing over him with her hands on her hips, her delicate and cute face showing a faint anger. "I'm not cooking for you for free. After breakfast, wash the dishes!"

Lin Ze instantly woke up: "Lin Ya, are you itching for a beating?"

Lin Ya frowned slightly and angrily questioned, "You're up so late again today. Were you staying up late watching something unhealthy last night?"

"Nonsense," Lin Ze said righteously, "I, Lin Ze, will never associate with gambling or drugs!"

"Breakfast is on the table downstairs. You can't keep being unemployed, or we won't have any money to eat!" Lin Ya's jade-like foot stepped on Lin Ze's cheek before she grabbed her bag and left the room.

Lin Ze slowly got up and dressed. Looking at the sunlight outside the window, he felt relieved to have survived another night.

This world was called the Mysterious Land. Its level of technology and modernization was not much different from Earth, appearing like a parallel world. However, ghosts, evil spirits, succubi, and elves were everywhere, making the nights very dangerous.

In this world, Lin Ze was just an ordinary person. He had a sister and a house, and his parents were deceased. According to the usual storyline, he might rise to the top of his life like a protagonist in a Japanese anime. But this wasn't a safe and peaceful world. Since arriving in this dangerous Mysterious Land, Lin Ze had no system or cheat abilities, so he had to live cautiously.

For some reason, since his arrival, he had become very sleepy, always appearing lethargic. His parents in this world had left behind an old hotel and some money, which he and Lin Ya barely managed to live on. But now, their financial situation was dire.

After getting dressed, Lin Ze went downstairs and, as usual, ate a youtiao while scrolling through the news on his phone.

"Serial murders solved on Ghost Street, surveillance captures eerie scene of several men taken away by a death god in black fishnet stockings..."

"News: Master Ma live-streamed challenging a bloodthirsty butcher and was KO'd in one move. Later interview reveals the opponent was dishonorable..."

"News: Elf woman rescued from Goblin Cave in Sakura City still in a coma..."

"Entertainment news: Popular idol singer Akun tops the Mysterious Land music charts with his song 'Princess Nita'..."

"This world is crazy."

Lin Ze put away his phone and looked at the bustling streets outside, thinking he should find a proper job. Even if he wanted to continue being unemployed, without an income, it would be hard to live in this world.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Ze found a rusty key in a drawer and decided to check out the hotel his parents left behind. His parents had run a hotel called the Mysterious Spirit Hotel. Since their death, the hotel had been abandoned for a long time. If Lin Ze could reopen it, it might be a good source of income.

Opening the door, Lin Ze took a deep breath of fresh air and headed toward the hotel. He hadn't left home for a long time.

On the bustling commercial street, people and vehicles moved endlessly. Among them were graceful female ghosts, large mutants, golden-haired blue-eyed elves, and alluring succubi. Shops lined both sides of the street, but the air was filled with misty white fog. Tall buildings loomed, and the crowd moved like waves, blending reality and illusion.

Following the map, Lin Ze needed to cross the commercial street and turn left at the intersection to reach the abandoned hotel.

Walking through the street filled with humans and monsters, the shops on both sides were dazzling and strange. Ghost barber shops, spirit clinics, succubi cafes, elf massage parlors... All sorts of shops were present, making it the most prosperous area of the Mysterious Spirit City. However, the customers were all strange creatures. These creatures were not friendly, seeing humans as nothing more than walking meat.

Ahead was a dark alley where three or four ghostly women in black stockings stood seductively at the entrance.

"Young man, come play with us~"

Their seductive voices and bold gestures were tantalizing, but Lin Ze snorted coldly, unaffected.

"Hmph, four female ghosts aren't even worth one decent piece of armor."

After this righteous remark, Lin Ze pulled up his collar and quickened his pace. Actually, if he had 200 Mysterious Coins in his pocket, he might have considered "walking alone in the dark alley," but unfortunately, his pockets were empty.

After a ten-minute walk, Lin Ze arrived at the long-abandoned Mysterious Spirit Hotel. Standing at the hotel's entrance, Lin Ze frowned.

It was a classical European-style vacation hotel with four floors. The paint on the walls had faded, and the roof tiles were broken, letting rain seep in. The walls were stained with water marks.

Inserting the key into the lock, Lin Ze forcefully pushed open the hotel's door.

Creak—

The old wooden door, already wobbly, reluctantly moved aside from its long-held position.

Black mist seeped out from the door crack, seemingly releasing something terrifying.

"Ding!"

[Congratulations on successfully unlocking the Mysterious Spirit Hotel!]

"What was that sound?" Lin Ze looked puzzled, not understanding what had happened.

As the mechanical voice sounded, a prominent notification appeared in front of him:

[Mysterious Spirit Hotel system is installing...]

[System installation progress 10%...]

[System installation progress 90%...]

[System installing...]

[Warning: This system poses security risks. Deletion recommended!]

Lin Ze frowned, his expression becoming serious.

A man should either wear a school uniform and aim for greatness,

Or wear a medical gown to save lives,

Or wear a suit to strategize,

Or wear a JK uniform to cause trouble.

"Ignore the risks and continue installation!"

"Ding!"

"Installation successful."

[Note: The Mysterious Spirit Hotel will open at midnight, but the guests may not all be human. You might face life-threatening dangers but also receive extraordinary rewards...]

[Currently unlocked floor: 2nd floor]

"This hotel seems unusual..."

Reading the information on the screen, Lin Ze braced himself and pushed open the door.

Creak—

Dust fell as the hotel's interior came into view.

The hotel was clearly old, with faded paint on the walls. Dust and cobwebs covered the entire lobby. The door frame was rotting, and the locks were rusted. Lin Ze looked around and stepped inside.

The hotel's wooden furniture was infested with worms, and the chairs and tables showed signs of wear. The sofa cushions were deformed.

The dim walls cast shadows on the soft carpet, creating an inexplicable fear.

Lin Ze wandered around the hotel, observing the environment. The interior had everything necessary, but the walls were covered with claw marks and bloodstains, emitting an ominous aura.

"Ding!"

With a mechanical prompt, a prominent notification appeared in front of Lin Ze.

[Task prompt!]

[Collect room fees: In the Mysterious Spirit Hotel, rooms 201, 202, and 203 have three eerie guests who have been staying for a long time without paying. As the hotel owner, you need to collect the room fees.]

[Task rewards: Succubus maid service (unclaimed)]

[Beast-eared loli employee (unclaimed)]

[Succubus horn (unclaimed)]