Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 276

270. They won’t be waiting.

 

I listened to Han Woohyun’s confession in the darkness for a long time, alongside him as he tirelessly searched for ‘Dad’ within the ring. 

 

Each time he heard it and listened again, it seemed like Han Woohyun was slowly calming his heart. 

 

Even though he was just a child, or even if the adult Han Woohyun resembled his father so much, he should have been able to realize that he wasn’t his dad. But seeing that he couldn’t, it seemed like a certain degree of the child’s longing for his father was reflected in his perception. 

 

Thinking like that, the guilt of allowing the child’s misunderstanding to persist faded a little. 

 

– I will give you my heart, so vast that even if you search for it your entire life, you could never fully find it. 

 

I thought as I skipped over the video that the small head was nodding off while watching. 

 

You’ll become someone like that. 

 

No matter how big the wounds are today, no matter how much pain you go through, you’ll become a courageous person who will love someone again. 

 

Because that’s you, the one I like… Han Woohyun. 

 

I caught the small head that was slowly tilting over. 

 

It was when I gently placed the child’s head on the pillow, pulled the blanket up, and stepped outside. 

 

System

 

You really have the talent to be a hotel owner, you know? 

 

This person… no, this reptile only sends messages like this when there’s something to say, but never answers when I ask.

 

Administrator

 

Is there anything wrong at the hotel?

 

System

 

That’s not important right now…

 

Changing the subject, huh?

 

It was just as I was about to add something. 

 

System

 

I think I can help with that. 

 

Forced reservation of the corrupted human king. 

 

Alex blurted out something incredible.

 

* * *

 

“So… does this mean you can control the power of the Corrupted Human King? This… um… unknown being?” 

 

Kang Miyeon pointed to the air with a bewildered expression. 

 

She heard that there was an ‘entity’ that helped during the Christmas event, but Kang Miyeon naturally thought it was a ‘spirit’—an entity capable of performing illusion magic, like Toto. 

 

Who knew it was a dragon?

 

She had seen Alex at the Grey Hotel, but she never thought he was a dragon. She just assumed he was a small puppy or a cat spirit.

 

Since she got a job at the Yeongchun Hotel, truly unexplainable things have unfolded in front of her. So, she felt both excited and happy. 

 

“Yes. So the plan is for Alex to control the Corrupted Human King while the manager forcibly reserves the Queen… Do you think it will be difficult?” 

 

Seeing Kang Miyeon’s hesitant expression, Junghyo’s face stiffened. 

 

It was because she thought it was a risky task.

 

Kang Miyeon’s skill ‘Forced Reservation’ is absolutely necessary for this job.

 

Because as soon as the Corrupted Human King appears, we need to bring him to the hotel. 

 

If Alex and Junghyo are at this hotel, where they can exert their strongest powers, they will have the opportunity to check the locations and statuses of Lee Semyung while facing the Corrupted Human King. 

 

But here’s the problem.

 

Forced reservation is a skill that, when used on someone with enough power to repel it, can cause a strong backlash, putting strain on the caster. 

 

So the plan was to use it after Alex had controlled the Human King’s power, but— 

 

‘I haven’t mentioned anything about the world’s destruction to the manager, so it might be hard for her to trust Alex’s power.’

 

Junghyo understood Kang Miyeon’s hesitation.

 

Kang Miyeon hadn’t felt the power of the dragon clan, but she had definitely felt the power of the Corrupted Human King. 

 

Moreover, right now, Alex is not physically here, but is only visible through a message window that Junghyo can see. 

 

What could Kang Miyeon believe in and help?

 

‘At this point, the only option left is to go directly and capture the Human King.’

 

Junghyo couldn’t force Kang Miyeon to do anything else after she had come all the way to this dangerous place. 

 

While lost in such thoughts, Kang Miyeon opened her mouth. 

 

“Yes. You want me to reserve Queen Victoria here, right?” 

 

“Is that okay?”

 

“Well… I guess it should work?” 

 

Kang Miyeon said awkwardly.  

 

“I’m a bit worried that I might fail.”

 

“That’s alright. If it seems too much—” 

 

“There’s a reason you’re asking me even though you think it’ll be too much.”

 

Kang Miyeon stared at Junghyo.

 

Junghyo was the owner of the Yeongchun Hotel, who would never make unreasonable requests, especially not to her employees. 

 

While working at a so-called large corporation, Kang Miyeon often felt as if she was being pushed out. 

 

But it was different when she was with Junghyo. 

 

The busier the hotel got, the stronger the feeling of growing ‘together’.

 

It wasn’t just because Junghyo was the first to jump into dangerous situations and cared the most about the staff’s well-being.

 

The skill called ‘Forced Reservation’ itself was a skill that had emerged as the hotel grew. 

 

The fact that she awakened and began to use the skill was all made possible by the growth of the hotel. 

 

The more the guests are satisfied and happy, the bigger the hotel grows, and as the hotel grows, the staff members become stronger.

 

It was the sentence Kang Miyeon had been feeling the most recently. 

 

If she didn’t use the skill she received for Junghyo and Gyeongseong Hotel, then where else would she use it? 

 

Moreover, seeing that she couldn’t respond to her words, it was clear that a problem had arisen, and it was definitely something that required making such a request to Kang Miyeon.

 

She wanted to ask what the problem was—

 

‘Strangely, whenever I look into those pitch-black eyes, I can’t bring myself to ask.’

 

Those eyes, calm and composed like a black cat.

 

And yet, they always seemed a little sorrowful and pitiable. 

 

Until Lee Semyung returned, Kang Miyeon could tell every time Junghyo’s eyes looked out the window. 

 

She could tell that she was waiting for something. 

 

Perhaps Junghyo is waiting for something that may never return.

 

That’s why someone who just graduated from college or a young man at the beginning of her career can have such a calm expression. 

 

Junghyo sees all her daily life as just meaningless time, waiting for a single moment.

 

That would often make Kang Miyeon feel a deep, paralyzing fear every time she looked at the side profile of the boss. 

 

When the head of Yeongchun Village drank coffee and felt happy, and when the Hunter guests laughed over a bowl of ramen, Junghyo would surely smile with them, but she knew that those moments wouldn’t heal the deep sense of loss within her. 

 

The moment Junghyo realized that what she was waiting for would never return, she seemed like someone who could leave at any time. 

 

‘I thought that at least that kind of behavior had decreased a little lately.’

 

She thought that with Lee Semyung’s return and Han Woohyun giving Junghyo a sense of stability, things had improved. 

 

But the moment Kang Miyeon saw Junghyo’s face after she had just laid the young Han Woohyun to sleep in room 204, she was once again engulfed by that fear. 

 

It was because Junghyo’s face was once again filled with the loneliness of waiting for something.  

 

“I’ll try.”

 

Kang Miyeon spoke to Junghyo, looking directly into her black eyes, and held back the rest of her words. 

 

In other words, the words she wanted to say were, “So, don’t wait for anything anymore.” 

 

Let’s be happy together here.

 

Anyway, since Kang Miyeon showed strong determination, Junghyo’s expression softened with relief. 

 

“Thank you. Then, once Moon Heeyoung locates their positions tomorrow, please forcibly reserve the two.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

System

 

Good, good.

 

Alex also answered happily.

 

She told him to check if there are any issues with the hotel, but he’s not doing what she asked.

 

It was strange that he kept avoiding the hotel.

 

Of course, for now, she had to take care of Gyeongseong Hotel first. 

 

“Oh, but—”

 

Junghyo pointed to the two guest rooms with open doors and spoke. 

 

“Where did Kim Junsoo and Hwang Misoon go?”

 

“Oh, Hwang Misoon said she was going to test-fly the glider earlier…”

 

Boom, boom, boom!

 

Before Kang Miyeon could finish her words, a loud noise rang out above the two people’s heads.

 

There was no reason for any noise to come from the attic, so it was definitely coming from the building’s roof.

 

Is it a monster?

 

Junghyo left alone, leaving behind Kang Miyeon, whose eyes were filled with fear. 

 

On the upper floor of the old building, the silhouette of a large crow-like glider came into view. 

 

“Hwang Misoon-ssi!” 

 

“Hey~!”

 

Under the glider’s wings, Hwang Misoon and Kim Junsoo popped out. 

 

“Where on earth have you been—”

 

“We went for a test flight and rescued someone who had collapsed on the road!” 

 

At that moment, the glider hopped back into the air and landed right in front of Junghyo. 

 

Not only was it capable of flying, but it could now perform fine adjustments as well. 

 

Junghyo swallowed her admiration and turned her gaze to the person they had brought.

 

A guest.

 

She had been wondering if bringing in new guests might help increase satisfaction. 

 

Junghyo hid her intentions as she looked at the woman emerging from the large wings. 

 

The woman in her thirties was trembling and her hair was almost untied. 

 

The moment Junghyo met the woman’s jet-black eyes, Junghyo flinched without realizing it. 

 

“Do you have any spare rooms?”

 

As Junghyo momentarily lost her words, Kim Junsoo lightly nudged her from the side. 

 

Junghyo finally came to her senses and spoke to the woman. 

 

“Yes, there should be a room available.”

 

Thanks to the recent upgrade to a four-star hotel, she had just confirmed that an extra room had become available. 

 

Junghyo clenched her fist for a moment as she looked at the exhausted woman, but when she noticed that the woman was also clenching her fist in the same way, she slowly relaxed her hand. 

 

Then, she smiled as warmly as possible and said, 

 

“Welcome to Gyeongseong Hotel, guest.” 

 

* * * 

 

The woman, guided to the first floor of Gyeongseong Hotel by Kim Junsoo and Hwang Misoon, kept trembling as if she were cold, clutching her shoulders tightly. 

 

Junghyo went upstairs and began cleaning the room where the woman would be staying, while the woman, holding the coffee that Geumdong had given her, started asking various questions. 

 

“W, where is this?” 

 

“Gyeongseong Hotel, guest. Our boss prepared this place for people like you who have lost their way.” 

 

“…A good… person.”

 

The woman answered with unfocused eyes. Kang Miyeon brought out a blanket and asked,

 

“Are you very cold?”

 

“Yes? Yes…a little.”

 

The woman was strangely shivering, but it seemed like her attention was elsewhere. 

 

There were no visible signs that she had been attacked by a monster, even though Kim Junsoo had said he found her collapsed on the road nearby. 

 

That was fortunate.

 

Kang Miyeon placed a blanket over the woman’s shoulders, who was now wearing the outer garment that Junghyo had taken off for her. 

 

“If you wait a little, we’ll warm up the room for you.”

 

“No. I don’t think I can stay here. Please take me back to where I was.”

 

“Yes?” 

 

Hwang Misoon and Kim Junsoo were visibly flustered.

 

“I clearly just stepped out to do some grocery shopping from home, but suddenly, I felt the ground sink beneath me. When I woke up, I was on the road. And then, strange monsters were roaming all over the neighborhood… Anyway, I have to go back home. I have a daughter, a husband… My child is waiting for me.” 

 

As the woman began to speak desperately in a trembling voice, everyone fell silent. 

 

Going back might not even mean she could save her child—

 

“They won’t be waiting.” 

 

At that moment, a voice was heard from the stairs.

 

Everyone turned to look at Junghyo, who was looking down at the woman with an unusually cold expression. 

 

The woman looked at Junghyo with a bewildered expression, but Junghyo remained unwavering as she repeated her words. 

 

“Neither your husband nor your child will be waiting for you.”

 

“What are you…” 

 

“Communication works on this side. We’ve received information that most of the villas near the road where you were found have collapsed due to an attack.”

 

Junghyo took out her phone from her pocket. 

 

“….?”

 

Kim Junsoo and Hwang Misoon looked at each other. 

 

That kind of information is being relayed in real-time? 

 

‘This is an obvious lie…’

 

Just as Kim Junsoo was about to step forward. 

 

“The survivors have been handed over to the military and police, so I’ll check on that. Manager, please take care of this.”

 

Junghyo handed the phone over to Kang Miyeon. 

 

The woman’s expression hardened as she watched the phone pass into Kang Miyeon’s hands.

 

Miyeon, after hearing the names of the woman’s child and husband, tapped on the phone several times with a troubled expression before finally looking up. 

 

The woman asked anxiously.

 

“What… what does it say? Does the name appear?”

 

“….”

 

Miyeon glanced at Junghyo before speaking to the woman.

 

“Yes. It’s coming out. In the… list of survivors.” 

 

“Is that true?!” 

 

“Yes. It seems like it would be best for you to stay here tonight and join them tomorrow.”

 

The woman’s body swayed at Miyeon’s answer.

 

The woman seemed like she was about to fall forward, but just in time, she was caught by Junghyo’s hand, preventing her from collapsing. 

 

“…I’m so glad… really, so glad…” 

 

“Please go up first.” 

 

Junghyo helped the woman and guided her to the stairs.

 

Seeing Junghyo’s back, Hwang Misoon and Kim Junsoo quickly rushed toward Kang Miyeon. 

 

“Is it true? Show me.”

 

“…Are you lying…?”

 

No matter what the two asked, Kang Miyeon kept a stern expression and simply watched as they went upstairs. 

 

Then she slowly turned around and spoke firmly to the two people.

 

“They’re alive. The guest’s husband and the child.”

 

It was obvious.

 

The husband’s name that the guest in room 301 had just mentioned was Lee Semyung.

 

And the child’s name was Lee Junghyo. 

 

Kang Miyeon looked up at Junghyo, who was helping the guest up the stairs, with a bewildered look in her eyes. 

 

Kang Miyeon couldn’t forget the large hole that appeared in her eyes once again when she was looking at herself.