NOVEL ONLINE FREE Welcome to Dungeon Hotel
Chapter 230
After a while.
Monsters floating in the air without feet, eerie ghosts making unsettling noises, and creatures in animal form scurrying chaotically across the bridge all gathered there. They all had the same thought. ‘The goblin finally ran away, leaving us behind.’ In fact, everyone knew that Bihyeong wouldn’t run this tavern seriously. Bihyeong, half-human, half-ghost, the king of goblins. This guy enjoyed using ghosts to win the favor of humans. Bihyeong would never admit it, but he was born as the son of a human king. That’s why he lived without fully blending in, neither among humans nor among ghosts, due to being something in between. Of course, he wasn’t rejected just because of his birth. Bihyeong’s personality, which liked to tease humans, indulge in lust, gambling, and dangerous bets, was not welcomed even by other humans. For a long time, no one had seen Bihyeong seriously indulge in anything. Then one day, Bihyeong suddenly started talking about ‘tavern’ all day long. ‘I want to go back to that tavern. I want to own it! I almost had it, but that evil young master defeated me!’ That’s what he said. However, despite calling him an ‘evil young master,’ there was no sign of bitterness in his eyes. In fact, even the ghosts who had been by his side for thousands of years could only see an excited gleam in his eyes through his mask, a look they had never seen before. Maybe… he might actually take this tavern seriously this time? Of course, there was no doubt that he’d quit after a short while. So, what was unexpected was the extent of that “short while” in “quitting after a little while.” The flashy tavern that Bihyeong had started running quickly fell into ruin. Neither the ghosts, Bihyeong, nor Gildal knew how to please humans. They specialized in teasing and harassing humans, and had no interest in how to make their food, clothing, and shelter warm and peaceful. Furthermore, they were very weak at collaboration. At least constructing the buildings designed by a genius like Gildal was simple. It was just a matter of moving their bodies. But the tavern wasn’t like that. Someone had to stand at the tavern’s entrance to welcome guests, offer them bedding, wash the used linens, prepare meals, and serve those meals to the guests. That entire series of tasks required someone’s supervision. But Bihyeong was terrible at that. As a result, the ghosts ended up working without any system in place, often doing the same task twice or skipping essential services altogether. As the tavern continued to decline, Bihyeong focused solely on gambling and playing games with the guests who visited, completely neglecting the tavern’s management. “More humans to gamble with, how good it is! Look at this! All these property deeds—I didn’t take them from the humans, I earned them!” Just with a happy face. Well… as long as you’re happy. The ghosts clicked their tongues but just thought that way. As long as they can absorb human energy for a while and scatter when Bihyeong abandons the tavern, that’s all that matters. In reality, Bihyeong disappeared as expected. Into the painting. And on the day after Bihyeong disappeared, a familiar face appeared. The face that Bihyeong had occasionally shown, claiming to be ‘the owner of the tavern.’ Some of the ghosts who had seen that face from Bihyeong recognized Junghyo. ‘So you’re the handsome young master!’ Actually, the gumihos were still squealing, thinking Junghyo was a young master, but since these guys only recognize a man by wearing pants, it’s fine to ignore them— To other ghosts, Junghyo appeared not as a delicate young master but as a beautiful woman with a cold and noble demeanor. Even the ghosts avoided eye contact for some reason, the eyes were so indifferent and hard to read. And yet, her eyes were so intently observing that they seemed to see right through them. It was at that moment, when all the ghosts gathered on the bridge due to Gildal’s orders, were having such thoughts despite their dislike. Black cat. A woman who resembled a black cat opened her mouth. “You must have had a hard time working under that troublemaker boss all this time, right?” “…?” And as the corners of the woman’s mouth lifted slightly, the ghosts’ hearts melted away. Because of her warm and gentle smile. Perhaps… “Bihyeong is a bit of a picky boss, right?” Because of her ability to pinpoint their difficulties with empathy. No, maybe— “Furthermore, I understand that until now, all the staff here have worked without pay, under the condition of absorbing human life force. However, from now on, the Goblin Tavern will provide fair wages.” Because of the large bundle of coins the woman held, shimmering as she lifted them. “….!” The ghosts all began to stir. “Wages… What are wages?” “She’s talking about a salary, you fool!” “Are you saying you’ll give us something too? Really? All the gold and silver originally belong to Bihyeong!” All the ghosts’ eyes were fixed on the woman. And the woman—no, Junghyo—saw it in their gazes. When she first started the hotel, it was something the system taught her. That was ‘a sense of purpose.’ The means that can most greatly instill that sense of purpose is money. ‘I did that too.’ Junghyo heard the sound of a sigh coming from Gildal, who was standing beside her. Even before, when Junghyo had shared the plan with Gildal, he had complained for quite a while. ‘No, why would we give wages to ghosts?’ ‘Don’t you think that’s why the tavern is in such a state, because of that kind of thinking?’ ‘…Why are you so much scarier than before?’ Wouldn’t that make it scary? ‘But what money will you use to pay wages? All the customers have left.’ ‘I heard they made many bets with Bihyeong. He won property deeds, land documents, and a lot of gold and treasures, didn’t you?’ ‘…Right?’ Junghyo smiled gently as she looked at Gildal’s innocent eyes. ‘We should use that. The money was earned because of the tavern, so it’s only natural to reinvest it in the tavern.’ ‘…!’ A subtle emotion appeared on Gildal’s face. Confusion. Fear. But the biggest emotion was definitely this. Amazement. What kind of boss was Bihyeong? Junghyo, seeing the ghosts’ eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the gold and silver, felt a bit curious. Of course, she had no intention of figuring out why. “How much are you going to give? Are you really going to give it?!” Among the ghosts who rushed to the front row was the chef who was known as Mr. To. Mr. To, who seemed the most indifferent, lit up his eyes the most when talking about money. “I’m in debt to a goblin for my liver, so I need to pay back the money quickly!” Junghyo, listening to the subsequent words of Jang Mito, Mr. To, thought to herself. ‘You… are you still selling liver even here?’ Not only Mr. To but many ghosts, upon seeing Junghyo holding up the jingling money pouch, tried to rush at her recklessly. It was as expected. These guys were all ghosts. In Korean folklore, ghosts or yōkai are characterized by their poor impulse control. That’s why they were blinded by greed as soon as they saw the money bag. It was at the moment when Han Woohyun, who instinctively sensed the energy emanating from the ghosts, was about to draw his sword. Junghyo stopped Han Woohyun’s hand. “Wait a minute.” She took out the fan-shaped goblin club she had tucked at her side, as if she had anticipated this, and immediately hung Mr. To, who had rushed in first, upside down in the air. And at the same time, she teleported to the bridge railing with the money bag she was holding. “….!” The ghosts who saw that were surprised. “What is this!” “That’s something only the Goblin King can use!” “Why is that woman using that…!” It was understandable that they were surprised. The goblin club was something that only the Goblin King, Bihyeong, could use. In reality, Junghyo had been reluctant to use it during her lower levels due to the significant mana consumption. However, now that she is at S-rank, this level of mana consumption is nothing. ‘And it’s definitely fast and easy.’ Junghyo, standing on the bridge railing, admired inwardly. In other places, she had to go through the trouble of selecting and moving the items to be moved, but here, she didn’t have to do that, and she could easily move not only items, but also other living beings and her own body. ‘This is the power of the goblin in the goblin world.’ She could immediately guess the reason. This is not the human world. This is a different world where goblins exist. That’s why the goblin club had regained the power it originally possessed when goblins used it freely. Goblins. No matter how annoying they are, they’re definitely strong. She thought that and smiled gently at the ghosts who were looking at her with eyes of admiration and fear. “For the time being, I will be receiving Bihyeong’s power. Everyone.” The disordered ghosts regained their composure at her gentle voice. Having paid this incentive through the money pouch, it was now time to impose a bit of regulation. “I will give you your wages for working at the tavern on the full moon of every month.” The ghosts made slightly disappointed noises at the mention that the staff’s wages would be fixed. “What? It’s not as much as I expected.” “Tsk… Serving humans and getting that amount of money?” Watching the ghosts murmur, Junghyo realized that he had actually measured the wages properly. The ghosts were complaining, but they were newbies…and newbies who didn’t even have a proper attitude. So this money was actually quite a lot. However, according to Gildal, ghosts typically steal or take money from humans without working, so they dislike earning money. So they are unwilling to work yet, due to feeling regretful over the money, are unable to leave their current position. This situation was perfect for Junghyo. “However, I will give double the amount to employees who work hard.” Because they were going to offer incentives. “…!” Everyone’s eyes widened at Junghyo’s words. The ghosts couldn’t even stir anymore and each seemed to be busy thinking about the words ‘double the amount’ again. “Then I can go back to my hometown and find liver…!” The voice of Mr. To, hanging upside down, was also heard. Junghyo thought as she looked at the ghosts’ expressions. It seemed that she had firmly instilled a sense of purpose in the employees. She smiled and gently lowered Mr. To back to the ground. Then she said to the employees. “If you don’t like it, you can cross the bridge and disperse. However, if you want to continue working—” Junghyo nodded to Gildal. At that moment, Gildal held up a red robe and skirt high. He himself was also wearing a red robe. Gildal’s face gradually turned a red color similar to the robe. “Please wear standardized clothing. This way, guests can recognize the staff inside the tavern and make their requests accordingly.” Junghyo smiled warmly as she watched the embarrassed Gildal. The ghosts looked at Junghyo with equally embarrassed expressions. However, despite clearing their throats and coughing, no ghosts attempted to cross back over the bridge to disperse as they had come; none of them moved toward the exit of the Goblin Tavern. * * * ‘Housekeeping.’ Having completed the detailed assignment of tasks such as the Food and Beverage Department, Room Management, Front Desk, and Door Desk, I came into the accommodation as it was already very late. I decided to give more detailed instructions by visiting each team tomorrow. Ugh, I’m tired. Did the ghosts suck my energy? After washing up, I put on the stiff undergarments and underpants from the tavern and sat on the bed with just my hair tied back tightly. The hanbok is surprisingly good as pajamas, huh? I should consider placing this in each guest room instead of a gown. I noted the idea in the back of my mind and, feeling much more exhausted than usual, was about to dive into the blankets… when I abruptly stopped. I lowered my head and sighed, then quickly kicked off the bedding. “Hey. Come out.” “…” Then, a gumiho poked its head out from under the blanket and spoke cutely. “Can’t I sleep here?” The corners of its lips and eyes were raised, and it was a truly fox-like expression. If I were an ordinary man, I might have let it pass, but I am not an ordinary S-rank, nor am I a man, and above all— “Do you know what number you are? Get out!” This gumiho wasn’t the first intruder. Before washing, after washing, while changing clothes, and even when resting, the gumiho had been intruding into my room. “Hmph. Just give me a pillow. I’ll just close my eyes and go.” Ah, this won’t work. “I’ll just go out.” Having dealt with the tantrum of the fifth gumiho, I rubbed my aching eyes and stepped outside. I thought I should find something like red beans in the kitchen and scatter them all over the room. But before I could do that, I heard a strange sound from the next room. “…Get out.” It was Han Woohyun’s angry voice. A similar situation was happening over there. I opened the door to the room where Han Woohyun was staying, thinking I could help him out a little. As soon as I opened the door, the gumiho’s delicate hands and Han Woohyun’s bare abs at the end of them caught my eye. “!” 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!
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.