Welcome to Dungeon Hotel

“….?” 

I felt that the speed of my hand, which was cutting down the cucumber, had increased significantly.

The thickness of the cucumber, which has always been a problem, was even and appropriate.

Even the onion, which was the most difficult, was sliced instantly.

“Whoa… it’s brilliant.” 

I was impressed by the thickness of the onion and cucumber. Geumdong from the side also clapped in admiration.

“Applause for the sacrificial onions and cucumbers…!” 

“…Will you be quiet?”

I glared slightly at Geumdong.

First, let’s focus on cooking…

I made a sauce with sesame oil, minced garlic, vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise. Then I took out the shredded onion and crab meat that I had stored well in the fridge.

‘Well-cooked King Crab Tongs (D)’

I tore the crab meat into small pieces and mixed them.

It was sweet and sour when I seasoned it, so the perfect appetizer dish was completed.

When Geumdong and Toto also tasted it, they opened their eyes wide.

“It tastes even better than before! The texture is definitely better than before!”

Even I feel the same way.

The original texture of the onion, which was crunchy but lost its spiciness, was revived as the cutting quality improved, unlike before when some onions were mushy.

Wouldn’t this be enough to achieve 80% satisfaction?

I pointed to the table right next to the cafeteria’s window overlooking the sea and said to Geumdong.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to set up a table here?”

It was calculated that eating while looking at the sea would increase his satisfaction even more.

Satisfaction when eating doesn’t necessarily come from taste alone. 

When eaten with uncomfortable people, expensive and delicious meals are like chewing stones, and cheap junk food can be more delicious than steak worth 50,000 or 60,000 won if eaten in a pleasant atmosphere with beautiful scenery.

“But, Han Woohyun… does he like the sea?” 

After I hesitated for a moment, Toto replied brightly.

“Some people like mountains a little more! But if you look at the mountains and sea statistics, surprisingly many people like the sea….” 

I thought while listening to Toto’s explanation enthusiastically, including the statistics.

Hmm.

Then let’s go to a place where I can show what Han Woohyun likes. 

* * *

Han Woohyun’s head was a little complicated. 

He pretended like nothing was wrong in front of Junghyo, but the fact that Han Woohyun was suddenly in the presence of an S-class monster is surprising.

He somehow felt that it was drawn badly from the beginning. 

The frequency of appearances of A-Class monsters was too high.

The feeling was completely different from the ‘Castle of the Demons’ dungeon that Han Woohyun entered when he was a member of the Baekho Guild. 

At the time, the pre-exploration team that Shim Jihyeok belonged to was seriously attacked, and one A-Class hunter died, and Shim Jihyeok was injured and treated by Yoojun. 

‘Shim Jihyeok Hyung-nim, you’re completely out of your mind. If it were easy to deal with such a final boss, Hyung-nim would like it again.’ 

Yujun giggled as he looked up at Han Woohyun, who stepped on the corpse of the Fairy King. 

It meant that Shim Jihyeok, who usually had a strong inferiority complex, would check Han Woohyun, who was a star hunter of the Baekho Guild at the time. 

In addition, Shim Jihyeok attacked the A-Class hunter due to his weak mental barrier, and the A-Class hunter, who couldn’t overcome the attack of the fairy king running from behind, died.

‘No matter what it is… you beat it in an instant?’

Han Woohyun looked around at the corpse of the Fairy King, who had been cut down with a single knife and felt curious. 

At the time, there were two A-Class members assigned to the pre-exploration team.

There was a lot of speculation about whether an A-Class hunter could defeat an A-Class monster, but the established theory was that if there were two A-Class hunters, the A-Class monster could of course be defeated.

However, one A-Class hunter died and the other was seriously injured because the C-Class hunter ran out of control.

And Shim Jihyeok, who was a C-Class hunter, was injured and came back to life—.

‘His rank had gone up.’

Han Woohyun terrifyingly remembered that fact.

‘The fairy king asked. Your choice is sacrifice or salvation?’ 

Sacrifice. Salvation.

Han Woohyun recalled the face of Junghyo, who muttered that word with a creepy face.

Then, did Shim Jihyeok grow stronger because he chose salvation?

It was a terrible family.

To be strong in exchange for another’s life.

How many people will try to realize such a terrible thing if it leaks out that this is possible?

It was a chilling story.

Just in case, he didn’t tell the Hunter Association the story of salvation or sacrifice.

Anyway, if the association learns of the appearance of an S-class monster, they will officially call in themselves.

At that time, he planned to meet and talk with the association’s president.

Of course, except that the information comes from Junghyo. 

The association’s president will doubt who the source of the information is, but if he takes it away, he will not be able to question it anymore.

As for Junghyo…

Even without Junghyo’s request, he could never talk outside. 

Of course, Junghyo is strong.

Junghyo made it clear that she was an E-Class, but the mana she used wasn’t something an E-Class hunter could control. 

That wasn’t all. Even the skills Junghyo possessed were difficult to call E-Class skills.

In particular, the mental barrier Junghyo showed at the end was amazing. 

Junghyo said she was no match for Han Woohyun, who was an S-class, so she called the hotel without stabbing him.

It would have been the same for Shim Jihyeok, who was in C-Class.

However, Shim Jihyeok borrowed the power of an A-Class monster to defeat the A-Class hunter and raise his rank.

Even in the midst of that, Junghyo thought realistically and made way for both of them to return alive. 

It wasn’t because of her intelligence, which she said was about E-Class, or because of the protection from her bracelet.

It was because of a certain ‘power’ that Junghyo had. 

Junghyo herself, as expected, didn’t know how far the possibility of that ‘power’ would go, and Han Woohyun didn’t know either.

Finding out Junghyo’s identity, whether it was an association or a specific guild, was dangerous in such a situation. 

Because Junghyo could have been used. 

“…Uh, I’m sorry to disturb you…” 

It was then. In front of the terrace where Han Woohyun stood, Junghyo stuck her head out and called to him. 

“I came up because I was worried you didn’t come down for a long time.”

Junghyo bit her lips slightly with a troubled face.

The moment Han Woohyun saw that, he thought that perhaps all the reasons he thought of might be excuses.

It’s not that he wants to protect Junghyo—.

‘You’re the only one who knows my secret.’

Doesn’t he want to be the only one who knows Junghyo’s secret?

One side of his chest ached. 

How can he… easily become a terrible person like this? 

When Junghyo was involved, it felt like he was being sucked into a deep pit.

Han Woohyun turned his gaze to the sea as if he turned his head away from such a poor self.

And he replied as if nothing was wrong.

“I was just about to go down.”

“You like the sea too? I like it too.”

Junghyo suddenly came and leaned on the handrail Han Woohyun was holding onto. 

I like it, too.

He was used to floating for a while and then sinking in a sentence that was spitting out without an object.

“But well… it doesn’t matter. The sea you see from there is closer and prettier.”

Junghyo said something mysterious.

Well.

Most of what Junghyo said was hard for him to understand. 

* * *

“Isn’t it pretty?”

He froze in front of the banquet hall where he arrived with Junnghyo, unable to move forward.

The moment he saw Junghyo’s face reflected on the large cloth.

Even Junghyo was smiling brightly in front of him and asking.

Isn’t it pretty?

Was Junghyo really like that?

Like a man caught in a trap, he shut his mouth tightly and began to move his steps, calming his bewilderment. 

He answered, trying not to look too long at the deep well-like eyes or straight lips reflected on the screen.

“This… what is this?” 

“A screen that shows you what you want to see.”

Junghyo looked up at the large white cloth and said.

Only then did he realize the identity of that evil cloth.

That’s why Junghyo doesn’t know what he’s looking at right now.

She murmured with a smile.

“The sea in Yeongchun-myeon is beautiful after all….” 

And now she’s looking at the sea through that cloth.

He resisted the urge to laugh bitterly.

He felt like he had been taken prisoner whenever he couldn’t help but look at Junghyo’s face floating on the cloth. 

“I know. It’s pretty.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The “thing” he was looking at was incomparably pretty.

“….Enough to be submerged to death.”

Thanks to Junghyo’s ability to keep his eyes off the screen, he could see her side face for quite some time. 

The saying that it would be as good as being locked to death was absolutely not a lie.

Then Junghyo opened her eyes round and stared at him.

She didn’t even give him a chance to avoid her gaze.

“In the mudflats… Wouldn’t it be hard to die locked up? Your feet would drown.” 

When he heard Junghyo’s uselessly realistic words, he laughed out loud.

“Why are you laughing again?”

“Just because.” 

He glossed over his words.

It’s the same for a dying man, anyway. To drown in the foot or to die in the water.

“Ah, right. This jacket. Thank you for lending me the other day.”

Then she held out a well-folded jacket.

He couldn’t hide his regret when he accepted the jacket.

“You can give it to me later.”

He and Junghyo sat down with a long table between them.

However, because Junghyo’s face reflected on the screen, Han Woohyun couldn’t even properly touch the food in front of his eyes that Junghyo was pointing at.

Until Junghyo said this.

“Oh, right. I did all this myself. I hope you like it.”

Not knowing that those words were actually Junghyo’s strategy to lower his opponent’s expectations, he chewed the crab meat with the cucumber on it without even raising his head. 

It was that moment.

Satisfaction exceeds 300%. The effect of ‘Well-cooked King Crab (E)’ is increased.

Increases stamina by 200%.

…?