Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Getting Caught
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Korea, Seoul
Lucian stared mesmerized, at the grand Hotel De Luna ,He was the only member of his team who could see it.
He'd readily accepted Takeshi's mission briefing in Korea the details seemingly straightforward.Him leading a team to assassinate someone.
As Takeshi didn't mention the other mission assassinating Mika Coretti who will be involved with Raizo.
Now look at the Big imposing hotel he thought to himself 'is this a trap'
Remembering the information of The mission target Jang Man Wol was described as an awakened human yet Lucian knew with absolute certainty.
That the hotel's owner was not human.
"Maybe she's changed, Lucian." Cortana's voice broke through his thoughts. She continued.
"This world's different. The plot. it doesn't apply anymore."
He sighed the weight of their altered reality pressing down.
His team silent and still, waited for his command.
he thought 'I need to get them inside' He started to consider tying them up and carrying them.
a ludicrous idea even as he formulated it.
"Wait." Cortana interrupted, her voice sharp.
"Remember? The hotel is only visible to ghosts. That's why they can't see it."
"God damnit" curse slipped from Lucian's lips. He thought His own brush with death granted him a ability to see it.
he thought of another way 'That woman… wasn't she a foodie? Perhaps they could simply wait for her to emerge.'
Cortana offered a silence while she wish for his success. Can he even kill her?
she wondered as Jang Man Wol might be a ghost too.
"We shou—" Lucian began,
his order was cut short by a voice of a woman,ethereal and close appearing seemingly from nowhere behind his back.
His body prickled. 'Why didn't I sense her approach?' He thought as He glanced at his ninjas their faces were blank like they didn't hear a thing.
He was sure he wasn't imagining things.
"Can you help me find Hotel De Luna? I can't see it" the voice said.
when the voice didn't hear him answering it continued.
"Are you still there?"
Slowly, he turned. The woman who stood before him was a woman pure white, without any eyes.
Lucian almost jumped, but he force himself to calm down as he took a step back.
'Ghost, of course. I forgot.' He forced a calm facade masking his surprise.
Cortana's lips curled into a sneer.
He ignored her. As he thought of something This was better this was his way in.
Lucian smoothly, push a bewildered ninja forward first as he talk.
"Of course, I'll help you, but you will help me too"
He said ignoring the doubtful eyes of the ninjas who didn't see anyone he was talking too.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Hotel De Luna: Reception
Ji Hyun-joong, using a phone a perk of his employment that allowed his soul body to materialize like a normal body as he waited for guests.
He heard the door open.
"Welcome to Hotel De Luna," he said without looking up. He sensed it was a ghost the energy from it's was sending and he pressed a button opening the elevator.
"Take the elevator up someone will welcome you" Ji Hyun-joong instructed. Ghosts didn't need to pay.
"Thank you." the blind ghost woman replied, entering the elevator.
As the elevator doors began to close,
the hotel doors violently reopened.
The lights flickered the elevator shuddered to a halt, and the place plunged into darkness.
Ji Hyun-joong frowned, recognizing it was the ghost's handiwork.
"You can't do that here." he shouted
trying to convince her to stop.
"If the boss finds out you're destroying her property, neither of us will survive."
The lights returned to normal the doors slowly closed.
"Sorry." the ghost mumbled.
Ji Hyun-joong nodded relieved.
He'd bear the brunt of Jang Man Wol's wrath if anything was damaged.
The atmosphere calmed. He sensed the ghost's chilling power with the human's unique energy as the elevator resumed its descent.
Then Ji Hyun-joong's eyes widened.
'Wait, a human!' He frantically tried to stop the elevator.
"Wait, you can't—" The doors closed, sealing his panic.
In the past, the hotel occasionally received human guests lost souls who'd wandered in unknowingly.
But things had changed Hotel De Luna was now exclusively for ghosts and supernatural beings.
Ji Hyun-joong hurried to the desk, grabbing an old telephone to call Noh Joon Suk's office.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Hotel De Luna: Lobby 2nd Floor
Jang Man Wol surveyed the hotel guests from the second floor, a relaxed air about her now that Areum had departed, taking the troublesome Lee Rang and Kim Yoo-ri with her.
She enjoyed the peace, touching her face thoughtfully.
'Did I get wrinkles? They shouldn't return for a year' she mused dramatically. Sighing, she addressed the man beside her.
"Get me a wine. I want to savor this view."
Her gaze drifted to the happy guests below. Nothing beats a steady influx of money, she thought.
Beside her stood a blonde man, Kevin the Garuda who had a fight with Lee Rang.
He'd been hired as security guard, as he can't leave the hotel. If he left the hotel without Jang Man Wol's protection, he would die.
As the other supernatural creatures wouldn't let him grow being a Garuda.
'Even though she hired me, it was as a security guard, not a butler' Kevin thought resentfully, glancing at Jang Man Wol.
She sensed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh is it something you'd prefer not to do?" she asked, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Seeing the smile on her face Kevin felt a chill on his back despite and quickly shook his head.
"No, of course not. I'll get it for you."
He hurried off to fetch the wine.
Jang Man Wol watched him go, a sneer playing on her lips, when the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted her.
Noh Joon Suk appeared, approaching with a report.
"Ma'am, there's a problem." he said.
Jang Man Wol's face clouded with worry.
"Is she back already?" she asked,
fearing the end of her hard-earned peace.
Noh Joon Suk offered a wry smile.
'Who would believe this powerful woman is so easily intimidated? he thought.'
"No, Lady Areum hasn't returned."
Jang Man Wol breathed a sigh of relief, nodding for him to continue.
"Humans have entered the hotel."
Jang Man Wol frowned, but dismissed it, turning to the guests below.
"Just send them away. We don't need more trouble." This was standard procedure when humans accidentally stumbled into the hotel.
Noh Joon Suk bowed slightly.
"We can't. They're already in the elevator."
"Oh." Jang Man Wol's brow arched in interest as she watched the elevator doors open.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Hotel De Luna :Elevator
Lucian thanked the ghost and then, along with his teammates, removed the ropes binding them.
"Prepare yourselves. Ghosts can't match our speed and strength."
Lucian instructed, his ninjas staring in astonishment at the bizarre hotel interior.
They nodded readying their weapons.
Lucian, the smallest of the group took the lead drawing his katana staying at the front of the elevator.
The elevator doors opened, and the Noisy guests of the hotel abruptly ceased movements as all eyes turned to them.
Lucian surveyed the scene of a troll, a gnome, a bipedal wolf in glasses and vampires, and other creatures.
'What in the Hotel Transylvania fck is this?'
He thought in suprise.
Cortana equally surprised, simply observed the supernatural creatures with fascination.
Realizing they were outmatched, Lucian sheathed his katana. offering an innocent smile while discreetly pressing the elevator button with his right hand and his left hand signaling his companions to conceal their weapons.
As the doors began to close, a vampire speed up while shouting, "Human!"
as one of his hands grabbed the doors, and the other was attempting to seize Lucian.
Lucian dodged but the vampire's speed was too great.
The vampire's claws raked Lucian's right cheek drawing blood.
Instinctively, Lucian grabbed the vampire's arms, then grabbed the vampire's throat, squeezing with all his might. He ripped at the vampire's throat, then delivered a powerful kick to the stomach, sending him sprawling from the elevator.
The hotel guests stared at the bleeding vampire, then back at the elevator.
Lucian looked at his hands, then at the crowd. 'Oops' he thought, concealing his bloody hands behind his back.
Panicked, he stammered,
"Is it too late to say we came in peace?" He frantically pressed the elevator button.
The hotel guests' eyes glowed some began to growl.
Lucian's companions, realizing their predicament, took out a smoke bomb not an ordinary one but laced with wolfsbane and other supernatural deterrents.
Inhalation would weaken or even slowly kill those affected.
Jang Man Wol, witnessing this from the second floor flushed with anger.
'This kid's already spilled blood on my floor, and now they'll make my lobby stink!'
she thought, descending the stairs, initially believing it was a simple smoke bomb.
Lucian noticed his companions' actions and didn't interfere they were in a desperate situation.
But Cortana caught his attention.
"Lucian!" she called, pointing to the children among the guests.
observing the kids that was younger than him and who was looking at them with innocent eyes.
Lucian knew he couldn't let them suffer slow poisoning.
Lucian and Cortana exchanged a look.
He sighed, raising his hands.
"We surrender."
His companions stared, bewildered. Some of the guests calmed, but others remained hostile until Jang Man Wol approached the elevator.
Her presence, was the hotel's strongest inside of the hotel making them respect her.
She walked slowly, addressing Lucian.
"I thought you'd make a bigger mess of my lobby. You still have some sense, kid," she said, reaching out to lift his chin.
pulling off his mask "You're interesting." she murmured, studying his face. Where have I seen this kid before? she wondered.
Lucian, his chin held captive gazed at Jang Man Wol's beautiful face, studying her in return until an irresistible impulse took hold. Before he could act.
Cortana hissed "Don't you dare say it!"
Ignoring her, Lucian grasped Jang Man Wol's hand, pulling it away.
Making Jang Man Wol raised an eyebrow.
Looking into her eyes, he declared seriously, "Woman, although you're beautiful, But I am still a minor."
Cortana buried her face in her hands, mortified.
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Next chapter 26: Fight?
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