NOVEL NEXT WORLD Welcome to Dungeon Hotel
Chapter 31
My bedroom was exactly the same.
From my bedding to the desk I used to the workbooks I left when I moved out. I felt strange, as if I was back in high school. I can’t believe it’s the same. It seemed that the key holder wasn’t the only thing Uncle had put the storage magic on. A large shopping bag on the desk caught my eye at that time. It had the name of a women’s clothing brand on it. I inadvertently reached into the shopping bag and picked up my clothes. It was a two-piece. It was also new clothes. “…What is this?” “Oh, the guild leader bought it yesterday when he heard Miss Junghyo was coming. I have to throw away the clothes you used to wear here because moths eat them.” …? I’m sure the clothes I left in the closet six years ago were short padding or fleece at best, but aren’t these clothes luxury goods? While I was a little flustered, Toto poked her head out of the pocket. “Kyu! (Can I raise my head now?!).” And at that moment, the Housekeeper Auntie’s eyes widened, and she hugged Toto. “Oh, how cute! Where did you get such an animal!” “Yes? No wait…” She’s not just an animal…! By the time I tried to stop Aunt, it was already too late. Toto kicked Aunt’s nose with her back foot and landed on the bed blanket beautifully. “Kyukyu! (How dare a mere human touch the body of a spirit!).” Toto shouted with dignity. However, it was impossible for Aunt to hear Toto. Aunt patted her nose while looking at Toto, who cutely landed on the bed. “Oh my! The fur on the rabbit’s paws touched my nose! You are so cute! Come here. This Aunt will bring you lots of carrots!” “Kyu…? Kkyukyu! (…I don’t eat raw vegetables! Let go, you witch!).” Toto was caught in Aunt’s hands and placed in Aunt’s arms. Toto kept throwing back kicks to refuse Aunt’s touch, but every time, Aunt only made an ecstatic expression. “Miss Junghyo, are you leaving soon? So, am I going to take a good care of this rabbit?” “Yes? Ah… no. I want to take it out.” Seeing Toto’s desperate eyes, I quickly took Toto from Auntie’s arms and held it in my arms. “It must be difficult to walk around with a pet these days…!” Looking at Aunt’s sad face, I said. “B, but Aunt Misoon loves rabbits.” At my excuse, Aunt withdrew as if she had no choice. * * * I changed into the two-piece that Uncle gave me and left the house. I was a bit hesitant because it seemed expensive, but the simple two-piece made of tweed was much prettier than I thought, and this outfit was not just a simple outfit. It was a gift from my Uncle. When I put on the two-piece and went out, a small smile spread across Uncle’s lips. “So it’s pretty.” “Thank you. I really like it.” Uncle’s smile deepened at my answer. “Yeah. So, are you going to Itaewon right away? Tell the driver. In the car—” “No. I’m going to meet Aunt Misoon in Jongno before I go. I have to go through the city, so I think a taxi will be faster.” I pointed to the shopping bag containing Misoon’s presents. At the same time, I raised a topic that would naturally lead to the word ‘Hunter’. “It was difficult to choose a gift. The three people I want to give present are all S-Class Hunters….” “No matter what you present, everyone will like it. Hunter or not, it doesn’t matter.” “But you three are special.” At the word special, Uncle was silent for a moment. ‘Junghyo. Why don’t you take the awakening test?’ When I was in my first year of high school, Junsoo visited this Dogok-dong house and recommended an awakening test for the first time. I still remember Uncle Minhyuk’s expression when he heard those words. ‘Are you crazy?’ It was the first time seeing Uncle Minhyuk’s face as if he had lost reason. He sent me up to the second floor and shouted at Uncle Junsoo from the living room without me. ‘That brat became like that in the dungeon. That damn guy couldn’t come back, and now looking at Junghyo….’ ‘I know. I know what you mean. I know. Whether she enters the dungeon or not that’s Junghyo’s choice. Not all awakeners go into dungeons… I’m just asking the association to take the test, and if Junghyo can be given a choice, it’s right for her to choose.’ Uncle Junsoo said the right thing. It was a statement that even a rational man, Uncle Minhyuk, would have easily agreed to, but he couldn’t hide his anger for long. Uncle Minhyuk doesn’t want me to be an awakener, and he doesn’t want me to do anything dangerous. If that feeling is still the same, talking to Uncle Minhyuk about the hotel will have to be delayed for a while longer. If the hotel’s existence were exposed right away and I had to find a powerful helper, of course, I was thinking of getting help from my fan club member. One of them was Uncle Minhyuk. In fact, this is a plan I’ve been thinking about ever since I heard Shim Jiyoon’s proposal to join the Baekho Guild. If the hotel’s identity is revealed someday, choosing the Hanwoon Guild as a strong supporter would be better. If it was Hanwoon with Uncle Minhyuk, he would definitely not sacrifice the hotel just for the sake of one guild. “It’s not special, it’s unusual. It’s a dangerous place too.” However, Uncle’s answer somehow didn’t seem very different from then. I said straight to Uncle. “Do you still hate me getting entangled with Hunter?” At my words, Uncle’s face hardened. I remembered the angry face my Uncle had when I was young. If he feels the same way, Uncle won’t be a good helper if I tell him about the hotel. Instead, he can immediately break down the ‘revolving door to the dungeon’—. “I was going to ask you over the phone the other day. Are you close with Han Woohyun?” …Han Woohyun? I tilted my head in the direction of the conversation, which was completely unknown. But it was a little difficult to answer no. When Uncle Myunghan asked me the same question a few days ago, I could answer no. But now Han Woohyun is our hotel VIP. In addition, he alone knows the fact of my awakening that Uncle doesn’t know. Won’t he be disappointed if he finds out I said I wasn’t close to Han Woohyun? “Yes, we’re friend. We got a little closer because we had something to contact recently.” At my answer, Uncle’s eyes were cool. “Uncle…?” But when I sensed it, Uncle spoke again with a friendly face. “Have a good day.” While I hesitated, Uncle added. “That guy… If he bothers you even a little, tell me right away.” What bother? Why would Han Woohyun do that to me? And why should I tell Uncle that…? I was puzzled, but I said thank you anyway and left the house. I thought the chills I felt in the back would be a mistake. I put on the boots that Uncle Minhyuk gave me as a gift for entering college, took Toto in a large bag and took a taxi. Right before getting into the taxi, I whispered to Toto in a small whisper. “Can you please listen to the request I said?” “Kkyu! (Yes! Leave it to me! My life—).” “Don’t risk your life. Please.” “The Baemyung Hospital.” I told Uncle I would stop by Aunt Misoon first, but my first destination was not Jongno. The taxi soon stopped in front of Baemyung Hospital. As soon as I got out of the taxi, I heard the voice of a security guard guarding the lobby of Baemyeong Hospital. “You can’t do this here. All the patients here need absolute rest.” “Ey, don’t do that. We are here to cover for a real public interest purpose. And so does the child. Hong Sungoh, the porter’s son, gathered 1 billion won, and that child might have something to say, right? Now he’s a semi-celebrity—” Interest in the F-Class porter news seemed to have not cooled down yet. It’s only a few days before the interest is cooled. However, Hong Sungoh was hiding after the news, and there was no follow-up position from the Hunter Association. However, people’s interest did not diminish, so reporters seemed to have flocked to the hospital to get something new before the documentary filming began. “If this continues, I will report it.” Seeing the security guard take a firm stand against the reporters, I canceled my plan to ask the information desk where the children’s ward was. Instead, I called Uncle Junsoo. —Oh, Junghyo~~ Our Junghyo~ When you come tomorrow, the twins and I will have a surprise party for you…! —D, Dad! What if you announce a surprise party! —Huh? No, that’s not it… it’s not like that! Don’t be angry! Dad is sorry! I’m sorry! —I hate you, Dad! I was going to surprise Junghyo Noona! —Huh… Guys~ Don’t hate Dad! I was wrong…! But what is this? After 30 seconds of talking on the phone, Uncle Junsoo announced a surprise party, causing an uproar. “Uncle. Please comfort the twins well. I’m already surprised. By the way, I’d like to send a small gift to porter Hong Sungoh’s son’s hospital room. Where did you say the hospital room was?” Since I had already said that porter Hong Sungoh reminded me of my Dad, Uncle Junsoo gave me the location of the hospital room without much doubt. I stood in front of Hong Doyoon’s hospital room, Hong Sungoh’s son, who had been managed in the intensive care room after a major operation and was now moved to a general ward. He became a hot topic in the news, so he said he was using a single room. Then I could hear Hong Sungoh and his wife talking outside the door. “So starting this afternoon, the PD came and decided to shoot for a few hours.” “Good. You can help children like Doyoon. Right?” “Of course. That’s great. I barely stopped him from asking me to film two days and nights without a break….” After confirming that their son was asleep while the two of them were speaking, I entered the hospital room and removed the transparent helmet. ‘I’m glad I brought a teleport ring and a transparent helmet.’ I was grateful that I could enter the ward, thanks to Aunt Misoon. “Hng…” At that time, Doyoon frowned slightly. He had a somewhat uncomfortable face. Is it the hand that has the needle in it? Or is it because the place where he did the surgery hurts? When I looked closely, it seemed that there was also a urine web. Then is this side uncomfortable? There were so many places that looked sick that I felt a little depressed. “Kyu…(This child. He must be very sick.).” As if Toto thought so, she lifted her head above the bag and looked slightly sad. “I know. I wish I could cure this disease with a potion.” However, what can be treated with a potion is wounds or abnormal conditions caused by monsters. This means Doyoon can’t be treated even with a bubbling bath bomb. Still, the surgery went well. It was a rare disease, so they had to prepare for reoperation. I said as I lifted Toto. “Do you remember what I said earlier? Don’t scare the kid. Please change it a bit so that it’s not a scary. Got it?” “Kkyu! (I understand!)” Now, let’s start by doing what brought me here. * * * After a while- As soon as Doyoon woke up, he saw an unbelievable sight. Doyoon’s bed was in the desert. The desert his father used to fight off bugs. “As expected, what I saw was real!” It was when Doyoon was panting to find his mother. His mother didn’t seem to believe Doyoon saw his father fighting in the dungeon, and his father—. ‘Doyoon-ah. That’s real. But seeing that is a secret between us, okay?’ Cheatingly put up a ‘secret’. He knows he can’t break that promise. Doyoon was still a child whose heart beat at the word secret. “Mom! Mom!” It was when Doyoon looked for his mother and shouted anxiously. A Paladin in pure white armor appeared in front of him. The Paladin, whose helmet was white, picked up a nice sword and said sternly. “You… Are you Doyoon?” Then he heard a little beast whispering. “Kkyu…! (Boss. That’s not a Paladin, but a guardian spirit of a mountain, right?).” Of course, it was something Doyoon couldn’t understand. 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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