Request
“How about one night at our motel?”
“Stay here? But we don’t have that kind of money.”
“Money can be earned outside, can’t it? I’ll give you a request. The job is to clear out the monsters around the motel. The payment is one night here for the two of you, and you can keep any byproducts from the hunt. Sounds like a fair offer, doesn’t it?”
I didn’t know whether they were low-grade or lower than that, but there were a few monsters around the motel.
So in truth, I could have just told them to go earn money outside and come back with it.
Even so, I deliberately made the request and told them they could keep the byproducts because they looked desperate.
I might be a merchant who thinks in numbers, but I’m not a machine with a frozen heart.
“There are definitely... a few low-grade monsters around the motel, yes...”
“If you think that isn’t enough, you can pay in information instead. I’ve been stuck inside the motel, so I don’t really know what’s going on outside.”
“...Understood. Thank you for the offer. We’ll go hunt the monsters first.”
With a resolute expression, Tae-ho stood up from his seat.
***
Kang Tae-ho wondered if this was really all right.
He had heard that large settlements had special zones that could ease the symptoms of Erosion.
But they were expensive, and more importantly, not just anyone could use them.
Unless you were a person of high standing or a famous Awakened, they wouldn’t take you in.
And even then, he had heard the effect was often subtle at best. He had never once heard of a case like Seo-yun’s, where the erosion stopped completely.
Was it really okay to receive this level of service for nothing more than a few Mana Stones and a single request like this?
Whatever we don’t have, we can pay back later.
After deciding he’d cover any additional cost if needed, Kang Tae-ho tightened his grip on his primary weapon, a fire axe, and opened the motel door.
Seo-yun, who was in the Dimensional Stabilization Room, had been left with Gi-jun, the least capable fighter in the group.
For now, he had come outside the motel with Yu-ra, the strongest member of the group.
His nose wrinkled before he even realized it.
The smell of detergent and coffee that lingered inside the motel vanished the moment he stepped through the door.
In their place came the stench of rotten rainwater, dried blood, and something burning to ash.
The world changed with nothing more than a single door between them.
“Oppa, can you feel anything around here?”
“Yeah. About fourteen targets. Most of them are low-grade, with a few lower-level ones mixed in.”
Kang Tae-ho was a detection-type Awakened, and Baek Yu-ra was a physical enhancement-type Awakened.
Together, they erased the monsters scattered around the motel one by one.
The axe split open the head of an insect-like creature, and the sword pierced the maw of a dog-shaped monster.
When one hunt ended, they extracted the Mana Stones from the corpses.
After that same task repeated itself several times, the area around the motel had become utterly quiet.
“Haa... I’m out of practice. This is harder than I remembered.”
“Let’s push a little longer. If you don’t help out, Seo-yun’s the one who’ll be in danger.”
“I know. I was just talking. Besides, it looks like it’s going to rain.”
When Kang Tae-ho and Baek Yu-ra looked up, the sky had already gone dark beneath a blanket of heavy clouds.
“Doesn’t it feel a little different from usual?”
“Maybe a little darker. I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
“Yeah. Let’s hurry back to the motel.”
***
Tae-ho and Yu-ra came back covered in blood.
“Welcome back. Nothing happened out there, did it?”
“Fortunately, we handled everything without trouble. We dealt with ten low-grade monsters and four lower-grade monsters, fourteen in total.”
“Yes. I’ll count the request as completed. Then shall we check you in? This way, please.”
I went behind the front desk and took out the ledger.
“Room 202, standard room for two. Check-out is at eleven tomorrow morning. You said you’d pay through the request, and here, just write your name.”
I handed the ledger to them,
and Kang Tae-ho’s name was entered into it.
“Who will be staying with you, Tae-ho-nim?”
“I’ll stay with Seo-yun. Tae-ho oppa should sleep with Gi-jun ajusshi.”
Yu-ra volunteered to stay in the Dimensional Stabilization Room.
“Are you sure? You worked hard today. If you stay here, you can wash up and rest properly.”
“I’m fine. It’s not like this is the first or second time.”
Hold on a second, there was room to step in here.
“The rooms can be rented by the hour, too. A single room for one person is three low-grade Mana Stones for four hours.”
I wasn’t about to tell them to blow the money they’d just earned on a room, but I could at least make the offer.
“Is that so? Then maybe we should at least do a short stay.”
“Hmm...”
Yu-ra looked like she was thinking it over.
“If you rest well, you can work well again. You used up a lot of what you had, but that’s exactly why you need to rest even more. We’re going to have to keep grinding ourselves down out there.”
“...Fine.”
Yu-ra placed three bloodstained Mana Stones on the counter.
“Yes, that’s Room 201, a single. Take the elevator on the left and go up.”
Without a word, Yu-ra picked up the key.
Then she and Tae-ho took the elevator up to the second floor.
“I hope you both have a comfortable stay.”
***
About four hours later, when their short stay was over, Tae-ho and Yu-ra came down to the lobby. They looked completely renewed, as if they’d become different people.
Yu-ra came to the front desk and returned the key.
“Did you rest well?”
“...”
She glared at me without saying a word.
“Just how... how is this even possible?”
“What are you referring to?”
“Everything. Hot water comes out, electricity works, everything’s clean. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s a trade secret.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to tell me.”
With a huff, Yu-ra took the elevator down to the basement.
Tae-ho came up to the desk, looking a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. Yu-ra’s been getting more sensitive because Seo-yun’s condition has worsened. I’d appreciate it if you could forgive her a little.”
“It’s fine. This is the kind of situation that would make anyone suspicious.”
I’d dealt with far worse troublemakers than this. By comparison, this was nothing.
“Thank you for understanding. And, if it’s not too much trouble...”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Is food available as well?”
“Yes, of course.”
Right now the motel only had instant ramen and a few simple items that could be cooked, but they could also purchase food from the shop.
“Then could I ask for a meal for Seo-yun? One serving should be enough.”
He really did care for her. Their bond was obvious at a glance. It was a good relationship.
“Something like rice porridge would probably be best. Would that be all right?”
“Yes, anything is fine. As long as she can eat and regain some strength.”
“Please wait a moment.”
I stepped behind the front desk, turned on the shop, and bought some abalone porridge in a retort pouch. Then I microwaved it.
The price was 10,000 points. Given that the canned fruit with much more volume was also 10,000 points, that was pretty expensive.
Since I was already buying it, I also purchased a set of dishes and plated the porridge properly so it would look decent.
Then I carried the tray over to Tae-ho, who was waiting at the front desk.
His gaze never left the steaming porridge.
I could see him swallowing hard, working up saliva.
“The price is 20,000 poin... no, two low-grade Mana Stones.”
“Yes. Here you go.”
Tae-ho’s hand paused briefly near the pouch at his waist.
Considering what he’d already paid today, even two low-grade Mana Stones were by no means cheap.
But he still took them out at once.
There was a little blood on them, and Tae-ho noticed it. He wiped them off several times with the end of his sleeve before handing them over.
That tiny gesture said plenty about his character.
“Ah, and about the price, could you keep it quiet? I made this decision on my own.”
“Yes. I’ll consider it a kindness.”
“Thank you.”
“Shall I come down with you? You’ll need one more set of bedding, so I’ll prepare it and bring it over.”
“Yes. Understood.”
I gathered the bedding for Seo-yun, since she’d be sharing a room, and went down to the Dimensional Stabilization Room with Tae-ho.
“Ah, Tae-ho oppa.”
When I entered the room, Seo-yun was already awake.
Gi-jun and Yu-ra were sitting beside her.
Seo-yun looked at Tae-ho and smiled, clearly glad to see him.
“You’re awake? Hungry, right? Let’s eat.”
Tae-ho held the tray with the porridge out to Seo-yun.
“W-What is this?”
“Porridge. The owner gave it to us specially. Go on and try it.”
“M-Me? Alone?”
“We already ate. So don’t hold back.”
“Really...?”
Seo-yun glanced back and forth between Gi-jun and Yu-ra, but they, too, gave her warm looks and motioned for her to eat.
“Then...”
Carefully, she lifted the spoon.
She took a small spoonful and sniffed at it lightly.
As though steamed food itself was unfamiliar to her.
Then she put just a little of the porridge from the tip of the spoon into her mouth.
And almost immediately, she began shoveling it in like someone who hadn’t eaten in three days.
“Kh, kuh...”
“Eat slowly. You’re safe here.”
“Th-Thank you... because of me...”
Tears welled at the corners of Seo-yun’s eyes.
“No. We’re still alive because of you. Don’t put that on yourself.”
“Even so...”
“I said don’t.”
“It’s... warm...”
“I’m glad. Eat more.”
“Okay...”
Seo-yun emptied the bowl of porridge with trembling hands.
“Th-Thank you for the meal...”
She quietly set the spoon down.
I took the tray, put it on the cart, and laid out the bedding I’d brought beside Seo-yun.
“Um, sir...?”
Seo-yun called out to me.
“Yes?”
“Thank you... for lending us this place, too, sir...”
“I only rented it to you for an appropriate price. There’s nothing to thank me for.”
“Even so...”
“For now, please get some proper rest. Tomorrow I’ll move you somewhere better than here.”
“Somewhere... better?”
“There is such a place.”
I finished setting up the bedding and stepped away so the four of them could have some time together.
***
Late at night.
With the two women left in the Dimensional Stabilization Room and Tae-ho and Gi-jun having gone up to their room, I was sitting on the rooftop bench drinking an iced Americano and checking guest satisfaction.
Guest Satisfaction
Kang Tae-ho and 3 others: 4 / 5
“That’s not easy.”
Compared to Yu Ha-rin’s case, I was one point lower.
My guess was that Baek Yu-ra was probably the reason.
Kang Tae-ho seemed to feel indebted to me, and Gi-jun and Seo-yun looked satisfied with the service.
That left Baek Yu-ra, who didn’t trust the motel, as the most likely culprit.
How could I fill that missing point?
If I leveled up with guest satisfaction at its maximum, I’d get a bonus.
If I could, I wanted to squeeze out every possible bonus I could get, especially this early when leveling was easier.
While I was racking my brains over how to provide even more service, I heard the small sound of the elevator starting up.
It was Noh Ki-jun.
“Would it be all right if I bothered you for a moment? I’d like to smoke.”
“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”
He’d been forced to quit smoking when the apocalypse hit, but I didn’t mind someone else smoking nearby, so I offered him the seat beside me.
“I’ve only got one pack left. I spent the rest on the room fee.”
“If you need to, you can exchange them for something else. I’ll accept information, too, so I can trade back a few packs of cigarettes.”
“Can’t do that. I’m older, my body’s weaker, and I’m the least useful one here, so I ought to be frugal.”
Noh Ki-jun said it with a faintly lonely smile.
“It’s going to rain soon.”
He lit his cigarette as he spoke.
“Looks that way. The sky’s ugly.”
The clouds had packed together all the way to the horizon, looking ready to burst at any moment.
“This rain’s going to be a nasty one. Like Seo-yun said, it’ll be worse than the Gray Rain.”
“The black rain?”
When Seo-yun had been in and out of it, she’d said that black rain was definitely coming.
“That’s right. Black rain is an ill omen. Wherever black rain passes, something is always different afterward. Whether it’s a person or an object.”
“I see...”
“Yeah. This place seems safe, but you should be careful too, boss. These damned rainfalls never know what kind of bizarre things they’ll bring into the world.”
“I’ll keep that in mind... ah.”
“Looks like it’s starting.”
Raindrops slid down over the motel rooftop as if a transparent umbrella had been opened above it.
The inn skill seemed to block rain as well.
“It really is black.”
“It is.”
It was truly black rain.
Drip. Drip.
The world outside the motel began to spread like ink.