Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual Chapter 38

After completing the tutorial, Lee Yeonwoo had an inkling. He had become an existence straddling the line between a ‘game character,’ a ‘mass of blood,’ and a ‘human.’

 

Once the situation reached this point, it was only natural for any human to become curious. 

 

What happens if I step foot outside this hotel?

 

“….”

 

Lee Yeonwoo, who had attempted to satisfy that curiosity, nearly crossed the threshold of death in a mere thirty seconds.

 

“Before becoming miserable due to a durability that is worse than a cellular unit, I find it absurd. Just how must the tissue structure be twisted to ignore biological limitations so lightly like this. I ought to publish this in a thesis immediately.” 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“I didn’t intend to go all the way out either.”

 

That much was obvious. With a body that was nothing more than a bundle of penalties, social life itself was an impossibility.

 

However, since the tutorial was over, he had simply wanted to get some fresh air while resolving his doubts about his physical form. Had he not just been released from a long period of confinement?

 

‘I just didn’t know that I would try to die as soon as I went out like that.’ 

 

1. This body. My weakened soul and biological tissue structure.

 

“I must truly be insane.”

 

He should have realized it long ago. The fact that the current him cannot step outside the hotel territory. 

 

To an ordinary human body, a flesh without any defense mechanism whatsoever was added. A structure that receives external blows entirely as they are. He set up a hypothesis like that. 

 

‘In other words, the rules of the system are forcibly sustaining a body that is incapable of survival.’

 

Ultimately, it meant that the moment he stepped outside the game territory, he would break away from the protection rules and become ‘human soft tofu.’ 

 

‘And if I die like that….’

 

Good grief.

 

“…Can I resurrect even when I die outside the hotel territory?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“That is a pity.”

 

At this rate, he would become a hotel ghost in every sense of the word.

 

‘No.’

 

He couldn’t accept that.

 

‘If there is a reason my body is in this state, there must be a way to improve it. If there isn’t one, I can just create it. Biology is my specialty. If I just put in the time, I can improve it to a level where daily life is possible….’

 

How fast?

 

“….”

 

How safely?

 

“….” 

 

“….”

 

He lamented. Nothing in life was ever easy.

 

“…Shall we eat?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Let’s just have some sliced meat.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

* * *

 

“Listen to this.”

 

He hadn’t intended to go out originally anyway, but the situation was more serious than he had conjectured. 

 

“I might die soon.” 

 

“…? No?” 

 

“At this point, it’s like running through a minefield and vaguely praying for survival. It feels like only yesterday I was scoffing that I wouldn’t die as long as I kept breathing, but now it feels like I might actually die just from choking on my own spit.” 

 

“N-No, no. No….” 

 

“Why can’t you give me a definitive ‘no’?” 

 

“Yes….” 

 

“Yes?”

 

What am I supposed to do if you agree with me?

 

“…Anyway, the recovery of this body seems like it will be a longer-term war than planned.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“You sound as if you’re actually hoping for that, but for the sake of our friendship—seeing as we have to look at each other for a long time—I’ll just assume I’m imagining things.” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Bad cat.” 

 

“No.” 

 

“What do you mean no.” 

 

The only silver lining was that the tutorial was over.

 

‘Though my body has become incredibly frail, if I combine the tutorial rewards with the bugs, I should be able to create at least a minimum amount of breathing room for the hotel’s operation.’

 

Since the interface was open, he wouldn’t have to leave his room for the time being.

 

Hotel One provides various convenience benefits immediately following the tutorial. It was a method of allowing the player to catch their breath with rewards after making them experience hellish difficulty in the very beginning.

 

‘Even so, nothing is easy.’

 

Lee Yeonwoo looked at the system window while sipping buckwheat tea.

 

[Tutorial Performance] 

Customer Service: ★★★★★ 

Room Management & Cleaning: ★★★★★ 

Staff Management: ★★★★★ 

Security & Safety Management: ★★★★☆ 

Facilities Management & Operation: ★★★★★ 

Overall Rating: S

 

Just as he had been notified when he received the platinum random box, the comprehensive rating was S. 

 

“….”

 

While there isn’t a massive difference in reward grades, it wasn’t the highest possible score in the game.

 

‘…The fact that I failed a rescue route once during the Aqua Park event was reflected. Since it was due to a bug, it’s hard to blame anyone, but it’s still disappointing that I didn’t get an S+.’

 

He scrolled down.

 

[New Functions Unlocked] 

Full Interface Activation 

Management System Module Opened 

Sensory Expansion Existence Detection Permitted

 

“…First of all, since the interface has opened….” 

 

Lee Yeonwoo looked at Coco on the dining table opposite him.

 

“It will be a great help in operating the hotel.” 

 

“Management system module. Sensory expansion. Existence detection.” 

 

“Yes, including those as well.” 

 

As expected, Coco seemed to be synchronized with this system window.

 

‘Then again, it’s an existence safe to view as the hotel itself. It might be natural for an existence that was a part of the game to perceive system rewards or guides in real-time.’ 

 

Lee Yeonwoo turned his gaze back to the window. 

 

“…Hmm….”

 

There were quite a few items. They were all familiar functions, but their weight was different than before.

 

Tools that allowed him to secure operational control, bridge information gaps, and make prophetic judgments. As it became easier to intervene with targets that were previously difficult to detect, more diverse options than before had opened up.

 

‘And all sectors have been opened as well.’

 

[Open Sector Information (Open Version Exclusive)] 

25F: Rooftop Garden 

23F: Aqua Park 

22F: Sky Lounge & Dining 

3, 5–6F: Lifestyle Zones 

2F: Grand Ballroom & Buffet 

B1: Employee Lounge 

B5–??: Hunting Grounds

 

Aside from the fact that it was floating in mid-air, it was a carbon copy of the layout in the game.

 

‘So it was implemented in this way.’

 

Yeonwoo slowly scanned the list.

 

“…Right, these were the sectors where I chose facility automation.”

 

The Aqua Park on the 23rd floor. The Dining on the 22nd floor. And the Buffet on the 2nd floor.

 

‘They are the facilities that require the most hands and are used most frequently in the early stages of hotel operation.’ 

 

It was a natural step to pour the automation tickets received as tutorial rewards into these sectors first.

 

‘After that, if I conquer the non-existent floors where the necessary facilities are located, and complete the strategy up to the closed version by satisfying the conditions, the most stable operation will be—’ 

 

Operation….

 

“….” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“No, it’s just that my future looks bleak.”

 

He felt as if a mountain of massive tasks had just been dropped on him.

 

‘…Though it is interesting.’

 

The unknown is always an object of research. More than anything, was this not the hotel within the game he had cherished for over twenty years?

 

His curiosity as a user and researcher reared its head regarding what kind of texture the sectors he had only seen in dot graphics would be implemented with in reality. 

 

‘I’ll check that out gradually.’

 

Since he had set the difficulty to ‘Open Version’ anyway, the operation itself would be much easier. Thanks to the interface being activated, he could now manage guests remotely from his quarters.

 

‘With this physical condition, the best policy is to avoid dying if possible. I should restructure the operational method to handle as much business as possible from within my quarters.’

 

However, just because the method changed didn’t mean the accumulated tasks would decrease.

 

“….”

 

Lee Yeonwoo swallowed a shallow sigh.

 

[Status Change Summary] 

Manager Level: Lv.1 → Lv.763 

External Attention: 0 → 3 

Accumulated Resources: ■■,■■■,■■■ 

Play Time Elapsed: Total 1,770 Days

 

“…My level has exceeded 700.”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“That isn’t particularly welcome news.”

 

An abnormal level-up caused by a bug. Because an excessive amount of resources that could not exist in the tutorial stage had accumulated, the system had ultimately converted all those values into levels.

 

‘There will be benefits, but there will be corresponding risks as well.’

 

The biggest advantage was that it had become easier to elicit cooperation from the hotel.

 

In this game, level signifies the ‘status’ of the manager. The higher the manager’s level, the more sensitively the hotel system reacts to the user’s inclinations.

 

‘The monster guests will also show goodwill if possible. The fact that the guest who was craving blood earlier backed away submissively at a single word of my refusal was ultimately due to this level difference too. It would have been out of the question in the past.’ 

 

He was a rather persistent guest, after all.

 

‘And….’

 

Besides that, there were many practical benefits like skills or store unlocks. Thanks to this bug, he could check all the functions that should have originally opened sequentially according to level all at once.

 

However, the disadvantages were also clear.

 

“….” 

 

“….”

 

Lee Yeonwoo quietly set down his cup.

 

“…I have no appetite.” 

 

“No.” 

 

“At times like this, you should just say ‘that won’t do.’” 

 

“That won’t do.” 

 

“I didn’t expect you to look after my meals as well, Coco. You’re quite kind.”

 

Yeonwoo’s gaze lingered once more on the phrase [External Attention: 0 → 3].

 

“…Really now, I didn’t wish for even this, though.” 

 

This game is full of meta elements. 

 

The most troublesome among them was that even if you restarted the game with a new file, some guests remembered the player. Of course, these were events that only occurred if specific, difficult conditions were met.

 

And Lee Yeonwoo.

 

‘I.’

 

Had played this game for twenty-six years.

 

“Sigh….”

 

This was precisely the side effect of the tutorial bug that Lee Yeonwoo found most bothersome. Guests who met certain conditions recalling past ‘records.’

 

‘Which means,’

 

The records of all those game files accumulated over twenty-six years.

 

‘I wonder how many people’s conditions I satisfied.’

 

The ‘Wet Man’ he had just contracted with was one of them. Seeing as the game had become reality and the External Attention had risen, it meant quite a few guests had actually remembered him.

 

‘Is the fact that he hasn’t shown any particular behavior even after the contract also thanks to him recalling memories? But this isn’t a situation where I can be relieved just because he’s being quiet. If he remembers twenty-six years of my records….’

 

The interest and focus of a monster guest were basically akin to a penalty.

 

“…It’s also quite unsettling that the ‘Wet Man’ hasn’t been seen since the contract.” 

 

“Ing?” 

 

“If he’s signed a contract, he should at least show his face as an employee. Is he in the Aqua Park? Or is he wandering around the unopened sectors?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“I suppose you have no intention of telling me the details.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“If I may complain a little, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to survive.”

 

While dragging along a body as fragile as soft tofu, that is.

 

As he muttered so, Coco, who had its face buried in the plate and was engrossed in its meal, lifted its head. And then, it declared grandly just like it had done once before. 

 

“Guarantee.” 

 

“Aha, you will?” 

 

“Coco. Guarantee.” 

 

“Thank you for the comforting words.”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

The only thing to be thankful for was that the situation hadn’t reached its worst yet.

 

Even if numerous monster guests remembered him, it was still only at the ‘recalling’ stage. No matter how many variables he predicted, it likely wouldn’t be the ‘same state as before.’

 

‘Just because a contract was made in a past file doesn’t mean a contract is automatically established in this world.’

 

It was simply a matter of Lee Yeonwoo himself being a bit more careful.

 

‘But… besides that, bugs will likely occur quite often in the playable character itself. I have no idea how this will manifest in reality. Could my physical condition get even worse?’

 

If so, it would be a miracle in a bad way.

 

‘Or perhaps my current state is already the result of a bug. Nothing is certain, so a detailed investigation is necessary, but I don’t know if I’ll have the leisure for it.’

 

Even if he lacked the leisure, physical checkups and improvements were essential. No matter how much he benefited from rewards and bugs, if he remained in such a frail state, something was bound to go wrong sooner rather than later.

 

Lee Yeonwoo picked up his spoon with a dry expression.

 

“Yes.” 

 

“….” 

 

“Yes!” 

 

“Thank you for the enthusiastic response.”

 

To think he would get such a reaction just by resuming his meal.

 

‘The intention is transparent.’ 

 

She wanted him to eat a lot and get healthy.

 

‘Coco is very interested in my physical and mental health. I can feel her determination not to let me accept the hotel while in a broken state. At the very least, it means she doesn’t need a puppet manager.’

 

He sank into another thought.

 

‘Regular meals, a consistent sleep rhythm, an appropriate amount of activity, hydration, and even nutritional balance. It’s not like I don’t know that those are the standards of a healthy life.’

 

It was simply a part of his life he had let go, wondering if such universal common sense would even hold value for this body.

 

‘But certainly… I’ve confirmed that physical responses to management are more immediate than during the tutorial. If I don’t live like a normal person, some part of me might collapse soon.’

 

Even if it was a body placed on an ambiguous boundary, being neither living nor inanimate.

 

“….”

 

Once again, he suppressed a sigh.

 

“I must adjust.”

 

“Adjust?”

 

“Yes, adjust.”

 

This, too, would be part of the method to maintain ‘myself.’

 

‘Now I can use the kitchen freely as well.’

 

Clink.

 

Lee Yeonwoo looked down at the empty bowl that had finally revealed its bottom.

 

“…Should I start by planning a diet?”

 

Even during his incredibly busy days as a researcher, he had always kept his diet balanced. If anything, now that he had more leisure than then, he would be able to strictly manage even his sleep schedule.

 

He decided to start self-management in earnest.

 

“At this level, there should be quite a few recipes opened for free.” 

 

“…! Yes!”

 

 “I didn’t expect you to be this happy.” 

 

“Diet! Ingredients! Recipes!”

 

It didn’t look like it and had never been depicted as such in the game, but Coco surprisingly liked eating. 

 

‘Fat cat….’ 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Ah, so you admit it?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“That’s surprising.”

 

His thoughts had been read. It seemed his privacy did not exist.

 

“….”

 

Outside the window where rain was falling. 

 

‘…It’ll be difficult to see other people’s faces in the future.’

 

He could no longer go outside.

 

‘It’s a pity.’ 

 

Thinking thus, Lee Yeonwoo finished his meal.

 

* * *

 

“…Hmm….”

 

The old man raised his head and looked up at the hotel.

 

“…Looking at it again, it’s quite a plausible nest.”

 

A soaring building. A rooftop submerged in rain and fog, leaving only a silhouette. And even a lush forest surrounding it is like a barrier.

 

It was a composition that the curious Lee Seonhae would not be able to resist stepping into as if possessed.

 

‘And.’

 

He felt it.

 

“….”

 

The thick scent of blood wafting toward him.

 

‘Gold piled up with screams.’

 

He knew such places.

 

“…It is not an appropriate place for a young goblin to stay.”