NOVEL NEXT WORLD Welcome to Dungeon Hotel
Chapter 183
What do you mean by skill upgrade?
The fact that the rewards were so great only made me angrier. While I struggled to control my emotions. The brown eyes I thought I had become quite familiar with over the past year were staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite understand. Even though he thinks he should tell me to break up with him, he doesn’t want to break up with her. I don’t know what kind of interpretation there is in that mind. That’s just a contradiction. If I had to guess, the cause of the problem between us was probably Han Woohyun’s uncle’s incident. If it were Han Woohyun, he would certainly feel guilty about the fact that his uncle tried to commit fraud using the Dungeon Hotel, and as a result, I was almost harmed. That’s why he’s looking at me with that cold, hard face. Even though we were in the same space, it felt like there was an ocean between us, creating a sense of distance. “All the guests have gone.” It was only then that I realized that the last customer had left while Han Woohyun was finishing washing the dishes. When I tried to pick up the dish towel, Han Woohyun snatched it away. Our fingers brushed against each other in the process, but neither of us flinched or pulled away. I was a little dumbfounded and asked Han Woohyun, who was diligently wiping the table with his large back. “Aren’t you here because you have something to tell me?” He looked back. I thought there would be some hesitation on his face, but there was no such sign at all. He nodded his head with a rather calm face. “That’s right.” He neatly washed the dishcloth in the sink, hung it to dry, and then carefully washed and dried his hands before sitting at the table in an orderly manner. Why does he look so composed? ‘VIP guests’ are suffering. He’s not really feeling well. “You can read my mind now, right?” He can even see right through the fact that his mind is being read. I’m the one reading his mind, yet he, the one being read, looks more brazen, leaving me at a loss for words. “I don’t know how much you’ve read… but I have something to say.” He continued speaking without taking a breath. “Let’s stop.” Stop what? The ‘VIP guest’ has terrible regrets. He regrets it immediately after saying it. “Are you saying that to me? …To me?” I checked just to be sure. You never know. Either he’s high on some strange drug, or I am. Because it could be so. That guy sitting over there might be a fantasy like a dream I saw before. If that’s the case, maybe the real Han Woohyun will appear while I’m sitting here talking to this impostor and save me from this situation. Therefore, I asked. “Mhm.” The answer is quick. As if it wasn’t worth the effort. Han Woohyun seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before pulling out the chair opposite me and speaking. “Sit down first. Your leg hurts, doesn’t it?” ‘VIP guests’ are worried about the other person. I can’t believe he’s truly worried during this time. “You found out about your uncle’s case, right? That’s all sorted out. I spoke with the association’s lawyer, and he said he would receive the maximum sentence, and your aunt and cousin would also be involved.” “…Yeah. I thought that would be the case.” Han Woohyun’s brow furrowed. Seeing that, I hesitated and stopped talking. “Is it because you have become weak-hearted? Perhaps I came on too strong, and that’s…” “What happens to those people is none of my business now.” Han Woohyun said firmly. “Then it’s all settled. I’ve removed people who have nothing to do with you from your life, so now they will never have anything to do with you again.” I spoke nervously and looked at Han Woohyun’s face. Han Woohyun swept his face with his large hand with a subtle expression on his face. “Resolved…” In Han Woohyun’s eyes, as he lowered his large hand, there was a glimmer of despair. Despair. It was a word that really did not fit Han Woohyun. “So, you wanted to solve my problems, right?” Han Woohyun stood up from his seat and walked confidently towards me. Our distance suddenly became closer. But at the same time, it felt like we were further away. “Why?” A face that looks like it’s going to cry. It was because of his face. “That… That…” Because I love you. ‘Love me, Junghyo.’ Because I wanted to answer that question. To see you live in a better world and be happier because of me— Because that’s the love I learned. Just like Dad said he would save the world for me. Just like Uncle promised to protect you for me. But now, it seemed like these words wouldn’t fit into Han Woohyun’s stern expression. “I must have looked pitiful, didn’t I? Always being pushed around by those people, always seeming like I’m at their mercy. I must have looked pitiful, saying I’ve never had a full meal of what I wanted to eat, saying I don’t have any favorite foods… How pitiful must I have seemed.” It was a simple voice without any sarcasm. “You’re just someone who can’t pass by a wet cat in the rain. You’re the person who works tirelessly for the lost souls in the dungeon. You can’t pass me by. Because you’re softer than you think.” It was an exaggeration. Cats and guests, these things were different from Han Woohyun. The reason I wanted to get Han Woohyun away from those people was because of my more selfish feelings. I hope he no longer feels afraid of love. “I find that… really scary.” “What do you mean?” As I watched Han Woohyun wash his face dry, I reached out my hand to Han Woohyun once again. This time, he seemed to accept my touch for a moment, but then he took my hand and lowered it with his own. But he didn’t shake off the hand and held on to it. “My problem is not one that can be solved, Junghyo.” Is there a problem that can’t be solved? There is no problem without a solution. It’s not a problem that there is no solution. It’s just… “I grew up getting beaten every day when I was young. I couldn’t sleep properly, fearing when that person would come to hit me again while lying in the darkness. Even when eating peacefully, I couldn’t focus on my food for fear of a spoon or a knife flying towards me.” Han Woohyun muttered in a tired voice. He occasionally paused as if to catch his breath. Like a person out of breath. “I didn’t avoid driving just because of my parents’ accident. It’s because my uncle turned into a tyrant whenever he drove. He even threatened to drive our family into the sea once. It was so terrifying… Also, I felt really sorry for the aunt who cried out in front of him… But still…” Han Woohyun held my hand and sobbed briefly. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of my hand, instead using the back of his other hand to cover his mouth. I could see him biting into the flesh of his hand, suppressing a sob. “But at that moment, I wished the car had driven us off the cliff instead. Jinsoo, my aunt… me… even my uncle… I wished we had all died. It just felt so pitiful, dirty, and tiresome. In this world of utterly useless lives… it felt like there was no worth in being alive.” Han Woohyun’s eyes were red and filled with venom. It was the first time I saw Han Woohyun’s angry face. “I even tried to execute it once. My uncle, who was drinking and beating his family members like dogs, was drugged with alcohol, put to sleep, and then set fire to him. I’m trying to do what my uncle keeps failing at. I even put medicine in the water that Jinsoo and aunt drink…” There was something like madness in Han Woohyun’s eyes. As if he had gone back to that time. His heart sank. It wasn’t just because a boy at such a young age had such a mind. That’s nothing at all. I was proud to have gone through those times. But I had a feeling that if I listened to what he said from now on, this person in front of me would never want to see me again. Because people reveal secrets to people they will never see again. “Once I had everyone drugged and laid out, it started raining outside. Our house was in the basement at the time, so whenever it rained, water would seep in. So, as I listened to the rain and watched it fall, I just stopped there. If it hadn’t rained that day, I would have done it. I would have ended up just like my uncle. But I couldn’t. It’s not that I chose not to do it, I couldn’t. And that day… what I had done was so terrible that I ran away to school. And there…” You saw me. I remembered the boy who was looking at me covered in blood on a rainy day. A boy who stayed still while staring at a dead cat. He gave strength to the hand that held my hand with a painful face. “I envied you. I envied how you were grieving so deeply in front of a dead kitten. You’re someone who doesn’t want to kill just because someone seems pitiful. You’re someone who doesn’t have anything behind that pitiful heart… Someone like that.” Han Woohyun looked at me quietly. The trembling in his voice disappeared, and his gaze softened incongruously, given the circumstances. “But you have too much sympathy. So much that… you won’t be able to run away even after seeing me like this. You’ll be stuck with me for a while.” In a situation like this, he looked at me as if he were looking at the most precious thing in the world. “I’ll try to resolve things again because of my situation. While I hang onto you, pretending to be pitiful, you won’t be able to push me away, but gradually, you’ll grow colder beside me. Like that…” Han Woohyun hugged me. His wet lips brushed against my ear. “Like that, you’ll be broken because of me.” “….” “Don’t do this to me. Don’t bring back those memories… Please.” That was the last word. I just watched him leave the coffee shop without any hesitation. It seemed like he was already suffering enough, so I decided not to torment him further. As I saw him through the window, he was moving away from me and further away. But at the same time I knew. No matter how far you run, you’ll eventually come back. Because this system doesn’t give me quests that are impossible for me to complete. So… this problem has a solution. I comforted myself like that. *** Hunter Kim Sunjoo Did you hear the news? Guild leader Han Minhyuk’s hidden son is Hunter Han Woohyun! So they were both S-Class and both had Han’s last name! Then, the future successor to the guild will be Hunter Han Woohyun! Looking at the messenger constantly ringing since earlier, Kang Sojin snorted. There are 15 messages similar to this. No one spread the news, yet so many people heard about it. ‘This is how rumors are born…’ Kang Sojin, who also knew the identity of Han Minhyuk’s hidden daughter, wasn’t impressed. It seems like Team Leader Han Woohyun is also aware of such rumors circulating within the company, but he doesn’t seem particularly concerned about it. Instead, he seemed to be calling team members for meetings more frequently than before and delving into dungeon-related research papers more often. Even right now. Kang Sojin checked the clock showing 4 o’clock and hesitantly approached Han Woohyun. Han Woohyun was wearing glasses and was deeply engrossed in examining the documents. What’s with this S-Class hunter studying so diligently? That’s why he’s ranked 10th in the world. Amidst all this, the fact that the domestic rankings have changed was incredibly surprising. ‘Our boss is the best!’ Kang Sojin shouted that in her mind and cleared her throat loudly. “Um… I need to go pick up the artifact we talked about earlier at the Misoon Workshop. Can I go now?” Of course, she said it because she wanted to stop by and be told to leave work right away. And as always, Han Woohyun told her what she wanted to hear. “Just leave the artifact with the Facilities Department on the first floor and then head home.” He also gave her the car keys. “Yes~” Hehe. So he’s driving an expensive car. She picked up the ringing phone again, this time with a happy expression on her face. Is it another company messenger? That’s what she thought, but not this time. It was the number of Misoon Workshop. Huh? Why are you calling me on the pickup day? Master Hwang Misoon wasn’t the type of person to pay attention to deadlines in advance. “Ah, Master! I was going to go right away.” – You don’t have to come. But for some reason, a cold voice was heard. Kang Sojin asked with a stern expression. “Did I hear… that wrong?” – Yeah. Don’t come. “Yeah? Why…? Wait, could it be that the production isn’t… ready yet?” – No. I made it. Then why! Next week is the raid, why are you saying not to come! Kang Sojin looked at Han Woohyun with despairing eyes. Only then did Han Woohyun raise his head as if he felt something was strange. Until now, she hadn’t noticed, but it seemed like their team leader had strangely lost weight in just a week. He looks like a starving animal. Even though he looked a little devastated, he still looked handsome. – I can’t give my weapon to a traitor. “T, traitor?” As Kang Sojin stuttered, the call abruptly ended. At the same time, Han Woohyun’s cell phone rang. As Han Woohyun picked up his phone, a notification popped up in the fan group chat that had been silent for the past week. Hunter Hwang Misoon From now on, no artifacts will be supplied into the Hanwoon Guild. Association President Kim Junsoo …? What does this mean? Hunter Moon Heeyoung ㅎㅎㅎ Hunter Hwang Misoon It’s for our Junghyo. Association President Kim Junsoo Is not giving supplies to the Hanwoon Guild for Junghyo’s sake? And why is it your Junghyo? Our Junghyoooo!? Hunter Hwang Misoon Oh, it’s noisy. Anyway, know that it is. Hunter Moon Heeyoung ㅎㅎㅎ Association President Kim Junsoo Why are you laughing…? You know something, right? Hunter Moon Heeyoung Mhm, I know, and I just told Han Minhyuk too. Association President Kim Junsoo But why am I the only one who doesn’t know! At the end of the three-person chat, which was growing rapidly, a message appeared. Hunter Lee Semyung Han Woohyun cheated and broke up with Junghyo. Junghyo asked me to kill Han Woohyun. …? It was the moment when Han Woohyun stood up from his seat. In the distance, a sound like the wind was heard, followed by Kang Sojin’s puzzled voice. “…Guild leader?” * * * After a while. I received a call from Yoojun. Yoojun I just came after seeing them tear our team leader apart. ㅎㅎ, watching a fire across the river is always the best, right? I put down my phone after looking at the message, it was difficult to tell whether it was spoken informally or politely. …Mind communication, what nonsense. First of all, Woohyun needs to come to his senses. Am I broken because of you? There is no one who can break me. “…Kyu… (Boss, you look scary.)” I smiled as I watched Toto tilt her head as she came out of my front pocket. “Just… I need to make him come to his senses.” Han Woohyun, don’t think about anything else. Hello! You can also buy the advanced chapter in Ko-fi now, just click the ko-fi button and look for the title of the novel in shop. Thank you for your support!
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