Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 297

291. The One Who Rules Over Space

 

The more you learned about wombats, the more mysterious they seemed. 

 

That chubby body that looked like a bear but had short legs, giving off hamster-like vibes… the fact that its scientific classification placed it under the marsupial order, along with kangaroos—that was strange enough. And lastly— 

 

“It poops in cubes…”

 

“Do we really… have to look up stuff like that?”

 

The general manager looked at me with a bewildered expression.

 

We were searching on the tablet at the front desk while keeping our eyes on the wombat.

 

How could we possibly be searching for wombats on a tablet inside the Dungeon Hotel, where there’s no internet access?

 

There’s one huge reason for that.

 

Wombat

 

—Lv.10

 

—Talent

 

Through the ability to ‘control space,’ the defense of the area increases. Wherever the wombat sets up, Wi-Fi is available anywhere! (NEW!)

 

The greatest power of the ‘ability to control space.’

 

It’s thanks to the ability to provide Wi-Fi anywhere.

 

‘Investing in reputation really paid off….’

 

With a proud smile, I looked at the refreshing Wi-Fi signal icon on the tablet.

 

Moreover, true to being the one who controls space, the wombat possessed an ability that dominated the atmosphere throughout the hotel.

 

It was capable of ‘assisting’ every kind of hotel staff—from servers and chefs to front desk clerks, doormen, housekeepers, and more.

 

Over the past few days, whenever there was a shortage of hands, the wombat would always show up and take care of the work.

 

It felt like a kind of all-purpose problem solver.

 

I heard that real wombats sometimes dig burrows and let rabbits or mice take shelter in them—maybe this is part of that kind of ability… 

 

As I thought that, I looked at the wombat, who had transformed from a plump, bear-like hamster into a sturdy, short-statured auntie.

 

Thanks to that, even Merlin Grey—who had once suggested blocking off the revolving door—seemed noticeably more at ease.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me there was a spirit like that? I mean, this hotel is your hotel to begin with, isn’t it?”

 

When I pressed him, Merlin answered indifferently.

 

“I didn’t know either.”

 

“What?”

 

“I didn’t know a spirit like that existed either. They said you’re the first one to make a spirit contract from now on, remember? Tch, if I had a wombat spirit, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard all that time.” 

 

Merlin frowned.

 

I felt a strange mix of emotions as I looked at Merlin’s profile—somehow seeming even less dignified than when he was stuck in that weird status window.

 

To begin with… why on earth is a dragon… wearing our hotel’s general manager uniform…? 

 

It was a sudden question that popped into my mind once things had finally settled down.

 

“Excuse me, but… how long exactly are you planning to keep working at our hotel?”

 

“…Uh, guest!” 

 

Merlin, as if dodging my question, quickly rushed over to a guest who had just stepped out of the elevator. 

 

Did you just avoid my words?

 

“What’s Merlin Grey doing these days?”

 

I let Merlin go on his way in the distance and turned to ask the general manager instead. And the general manager replied.

 

“Well, he just spends his time welcoming guests. Working, and working some more.”

 

Kang Miyeon said with force in her eyes.

 

“No matter how you look at it, it’s obvious he still has lingering feelings for our hotel.”

 

“Lingering feelings?” 

 

“Right? I mean, the Grey Hotel originally belonged to the Grey family, so maybe he wants to take back what was his to begin with… or something…?!”

 

The general manager clenched her fist tightly and looked at me with determination.

 

This hotel originally belonged to the Grey family. So, do you want it back now?

 

I had definitely asked Alex that question once before. And while he had clearly denied it—

 

‘Merlin might be a little different.’

 

It might be unpleasant for him to think that some random person suddenly showed up and ended up owning what was once his hotel. 

 

All this time, he had held back only because we shared a common goal—defeating the Demon King.

 

Thinking that way made my mood sink a little.

 

“Boss…?”

 

“If that’s the case…”

 

Just as I was about to say something after reaching a conclusion…

 

Someone was walking toward the front desk. It was the guest Merlin had been assisting earlier. 

 

The guest, who appeared to be a foreigner, was an older middle-aged woman. Her upright posture gave off an air of strictness that was hard to ignore.

 

“Hello. I’m here to check in. I’ve already made a reservation.”

 

Her tone was crisp and to the point, containing only the necessary information—delivered in perfectly standard French intonation. 

 

I could tell right away who she was.

 

“You must be Ms. Louisa Villani. We’ve been expecting you.”

 

She was someone I had already checked through the reservation system in advance.

 

Louisa Villani.

 

She was a guest who had made her reservation through the Association—a world-renowned hunter in the crafting specialization.

 

The Association had told me she was an important guest invited to evaluate my skill, and they had requested to book her accommodations at the Dungeon Hotel.

 

“…You recognized me right away.”

 

Louisa said, looking quite surprised.

 

Louisa was fairly well-known, but mostly because of the program she co-developed with her husband—so there probably weren’t many people who could recognize her by face alone.

 

But this was a hotel.

 

The reason I recognized her wasn’t because she was famous—but because she was my guest.

 

“I try to make sure I’m familiar with the names and faces of guests who have made reservations at the hotel in advance.”

 

“….”

 

The number above Louisa’s head went up a little at my answer. 

 

5

 

Although it is very small.

 

In fact, when I greet guests by name right away, their satisfaction level responds instantly on the spot.

 

That’s how much meaning there is in simply knowing someone’s name and calling them by it.

 

‘Judging by how little her satisfaction increased, she must be pretty particular too.’

 

Based on my past experience, I figured out the guest’s tendencies. I must provide them with the best service possible.

 

“You requested a two-night stay and mentioned a preference for a high floor with an ocean view, so we’ve prepared Room 802 for you.”

 

In her minor requests, she had noted that her rhinitis tends to worsen in dry environments, so she had asked for a humidifier to be provided.

 

Refreshing Humidifier (E)

 

—Improves sleep quality by 120%.

 

So I made sure to have the humidifier ready.

 

Since the guest’s profession was closer to office work and her level of physical activity was notably low, I figured there was a higher chance she might experience sleep disturbances.

 

When I showed her the humidifier I had prepared and gave a brief explanation, Louisa smiled slightly.

 

“Thank you. As expected of an EX-rank Hunter.”

 

An EX-rank Hunter.

 

I flinched at those words in front of the door of room 802.

 

This person sees me more as an EX-rank Hunter than as a hotel owner.

 

“I wanted to meet you at least once before returning to France, but I was told you were constantly busy with hotel duties, Hunter Lee Junghyo.”

 

“Here, I’m just the hotel owner.”

 

There were no other guests in the 8th floor hallway, but for some reason, I felt slightly on edge and glanced around.

 

Louisa nodded as if she noticed me.

 

“Ah, right. Of course you must be busy. Then let’s get straight to the point.”

 

“….?”

 

What?

 

“The French Hunter Association would like to recruit you, Hunter Lee Junghyo. The conditions are simple: keep your current hotel in Korea as it is, and open a new Dungeon Hotel in Paris.”

 

A new dungeon hotel?

 

Her recruitment conditions, which were delivered before I could even answer, were enormous.

 

In terms of money.

 

No, money is good, but—

 

“I can’t create a hotel like this somewhere else to begin with. My power is linked to this hotel. I became the hotel owner simply because this hotel chose me.”

 

That was impossible in the first place.

 

I countered her proposal—brought up far too bluntly—by refuting it from the very foundation.

 

She narrowed her eyes at my words.

 

As if she thought I was making an excuse.

 

“Do you really think that?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you really believe you became the hotel owner just because this hotel ‘happened’ to choose you?”

 

It’s not a belief—it’s a fact.

 

But Louisa smiled gently as she spoke.

 

“As expected, it really was just a polite way of saying no.” 

 

It wasn’t just a polite way of saying no. What is she misunderstanding…?

 

“I’ve analyzed all of your skills and power signatures, Hunter Lee Junghyo. That’s my ability. Of course, I wouldn’t presume to say I can fully comprehend all of your talents… but based on my analysis, this hotel grew the way it did because of your abilities.”

 

The hotel grew because of me. 

 

I’d heard those same words before—from the spirits, and from Merlin. 

 

But I still don’t quite understand it.

 

I became strong because of the hotel.

 

If I hadn’t encountered this hotel, I would’ve still been a powerless person, trapped in my trauma and unable to do anything.

 

‘If this hotel were to disappear… what would become of someone like me…’

 

What should I do?

 

Suddenly, that thought occurred to me, and my head became confused. I clenched my fists and looked at the guest in room 802.

 

“What is my talent, anyway?”

 

“A desperate kind of waiting.”

 

“Yes?” 

 

What kind of literary nonsense is this?

 

If you’re a programmer, then speak like one—logically and clearly, like a proper scientist.

 

I looked at Louisa with that kind of gaze.

 

“When analyzing the skills of hunters, we occasionally come across awakened individuals like that—people whose inherent traits are exposed to objects or places with strong mana, and those traits then transform into their own stats. In your case, Hunter Lee Jeong-hyo, when I looked at you through the program, most of your abilities manifested not for yourself, but for the sake of others. That made me think. I compared your history… with the hotel’s.”

 

By “history,” she meant the story of me and my dad.

 

She must have looked into it—dug through the past. 

 

She’s a hunter backed by the French government, so it’s only natural she’d have access to that level of information.

 

“And then I started to wonder—maybe that desperate longing you hold toward hunters took shape as your ability once it met this place, the Dungeon Hotel. Otherwise, there would be no reason for this hotel to evolve into a sanctuary for people lost inside dungeons, or for it to grow stronger through that evolution. So, in the end, this hotel changed because of you, and it became stronger because of you.”

 

I let out a faint, involuntary laugh at Louisa’s explanation.

 

When I lowered my head, I noticed that my clenched fingers had turned white.

 

It was quite absurd, but—

 

“That makes sense.”

 

It made sense.

 

The place I was in was the Dungeon Hotel.

 

My earnest desire to wait for Dad created the current Dungeon Hotel.

 

It’s all possible.

 

The Grey Hotel was originally a place for wandering travelers—but after coming to me, it became a place for hunters seeking rest.

 

The hotel’s framework remained the same, but because of me, it had changed—just a little—from what it once was.

 

If that’s the case, then does it mean that even if I hadn’t become the owner of this hotel, this long period of waiting would still have changed me, helped me grow—and eventually, I might have become someone who could turn that waiting into kindness toward others, just like I do now?

 

‘Let’s go home.’

 

In fact, I always wanted to be an affectionate person.

 

Because I had an uncle who reached out his hand and told me to come home—and a father who gave his life to protect my world.

 

Someday, I wanted to give this same kind of kindness to someone else, no matter what.

 

I looked quietly into her blue eyes and said—

 

“The Dungeon Hotel in Paris… I’ll think about it.”

 

“…!”

 

Louisa’s eyes widened.

 

Well, it didn’t seem like an impossible suggestion.

 

I have a special revolving door.

 

Originally, I was planning to use it to open a fourth branch—but maybe starting a brand-new hotel of my own wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

 

What if Merlin wants this hotel…?