Guests Without ID Cards

[Hotel Notice]

1. Upon check-in, individual ID cards are issued to guests who meet the required conditions.
   ID cards are issued to all qualifying guests, regardless of the number of rooms.

1-1. The ID card must record the guest’s preferred human age range and gender.
For strict quality control, please provide accurate information.

2. ID cards may only be carried by the person to whom they were issued.
   Transfer is strictly prohibited.
3. The hotel bears no responsibility for any incidents arising from the use of an ID card that does not belong to the user.
4. Pets may be entrusted free of charge for the duration of the stay at the management center located outside the hotel.
   – Adoption services are also available. Guests wishing to adopt must visit with their ID card.
5. From 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., a variety of complimentary refreshments are provided at the bar located on Basement Level 3 for guests carrying ID cards.
   Please bring your ID card to use this service.
   – Guests without an ID card are not eligible to use guest services.
6. For one male and one female guest sharing the same room, a complimentary beverage service may be requested to the room once per day.
   This service is available from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
   (This service is provided exclusively to guests without ID cards.)
7. The top-floor suite is to be provided only to one male and one female guest whose quality rating is ‘High’ or above.
   The quality of such guests is determined by the administrator.
8. If a guest of ‘Highest’ grade is discovered, all services are to be handled by the administrator.
   General staff should provide the utmost courteous service possible to guests of this grade.

This document is a notice written by the hotel.
It is intended for the convenience of hotel staff, not guests.

Your organization makes every effort to provide hotel employees with the best possible working environment.

The contents of this notice may be expanded or revised at any time upon staff request.

***

It was a hotel notice filled with bizarre content.

As I wrote the text down line by line, Won-gyeong’s expression, reading along, gradually darkened.

By the time he reached item seven, his face had turned chillingly cold.

After reading the final sentence, we both realized we had arrived at the same conclusion.

I turned the notice back toward him and spoke first.

“According to this notice, guests are divided into two types.
Those who carry ID cards, and those who don’t.
We’re the latter.”

“The latter aren’t proper guests.”

Won-gyeong said in a cold voice.

I agreed and added to his words.

“Yeah. Only guests with ID cards seem to be considered real.
People like us are classified by ‘quality’ or ‘grade.’”

As soon as I finished speaking, Won-gyeong’s cold voice cut between us again.

“Like livestock.”

He was right.

Here, we were being treated like animals locked in a breeding facility.

The way Won-gyeong spat out the word “livestock” was sharp with irritation.

Everyone here was our enemy.

They all shared the same consciousness.

The hotel staff and the guests with ID cards—they were monsters wearing human skin.

Even the worst nightmare wouldn’t feel this suffocating.

We were in a top-floor suite.

The only door leading outside opened into the hallway.

Facing staff and guests who moved freely throughout the hotel, escaping from here seemed impossible.

If this hotel truly was the final destination for those swallowed by the rift, then reuniting with Jeong Iheon, Ju Noeul, and Jaeyul might be possible.

But that was far too optimistic.

The system had labeled this a low-risk route.

Which meant other routes existed.

‘…Wait.’

My thoughts halted.

A “low-risk” route.

That was how the system evaluated this place.

Why would it describe a route where you have to slaughter every monster and escape as low-risk?

If the system’s standard was me, the player, that made no sense.

No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t low-risk for me.

‘Then how did Won-gyeong find this notice?’

That was the first question that surfaced.

Even if it was written in a language monsters used and couldn’t be read, it was strange that Won-gyeong had found a staff-only notice.

It didn’t seem like something he found in this room.

I raised my head and asked him.

“Where did you find this notice?
The contents don’t make sense for it to be from this room.”

“I picked it up where we checked in.”

I narrowed my eyes at Won-gyeong, suspicion clear in my gaze.

Why bring it out only now?

He avoided my look slightly and muttered.

“I was going to show you later.”

“That’s a lie.”

Before his favorability toward me increased, he hadn’t intended to share this.

When I shot him a look, he smiled awkwardly.

It should have annoyed me, but with his favorability so high, even that smile didn’t feel unpleasant.

“From now on, don’t hide things. Show me.”

“I will.”

I snapped at him curtly and let the matter go.

Seeing that my anger wasn’t severe, Won-gyeong spoke again in a serious tone.

“If the monsters here really are acting under the command of a single entity, then our objective is clear.”

“To find that entity?”

“Exactly.

The others won’t be able to think for themselves, but their combat ability will be extremely high.

That one—the queen bee—will be the opposite.”

“Then is the queen bee weak enough for me to handle?”

“I don’t know how strong you are, but… ah, Doya.

Can you hold my hand for a moment?”

Tilting his head as if to gauge my strength, Won-gyeong extended his hand with a bright expression.

When I took it like a handshake, he smiled faintly.

“Squeeze as hard as you can.”

I was confident my current strength was at least five times stronger than in reality.

Still, I worried that if I squeezed too hard, his hand might hurt.

I voiced that concern honestly.

“I don’t want to. You might get hurt.”

“I don’t think you need to worry, but thanks for thinking of me.”

Won-gyeong replied with a teasing smile.

After holding my hand for a moment, he suddenly pulled it free and drew me into his arms.

In an instant, I was trapped against his chest, blinking in confusion.

From so close, I could hear the heavy pounding of his heartbeat.

In fact, I’d been hearing it ever since we touched hands.

When I tilted my head and rested my forehead against his chest, Won-gyeong spoke in a calm voice, completely at odds with his racing heart.

“Then let’s do this. I’ll hold you, and you try to break free.”

“I don’t think I can…”

“That’s fine. I just need to gauge your strength. Trying is enough.”

Glancing at the solid arms wrapped around my waist, I wriggled slightly in his embrace.

First, I slipped both arms between our bodies.

As if allowing it, Won-gyeong loosened his hold just a little.

I placed my hands against his firm chest and shoved hard, trying to push him away.

I strained and grunted, but his body didn’t budge an inch.

The only thing moving was his chest, pulsing steadily beneath my palms.

When I failed to push him back, Won-gyeong spoke with concern.

“You’re weaker than I expected.”

That was his assessment of me, even with my strength multiplied fivefold.

“Are you sure you’re actually using your strength, Doya?”

I couldn’t even spare the breath to answer.

I was holding my breath, completely focused on pushing him away.

At that moment, one of the hands loosely holding my waist slid upward.

Now he was resisting my push with just one hand.

I’d already known from watching him crush monsters with one hand, but his strength was overwhelming.

This wasn’t just a difference in build.

It felt like the gap between a newborn and a grown man.

Why the difference between two ability users was this vast was baffling.

As he idly rubbed my flushed cheek with one hand, Won-gyeong said,

“Are you putting strength into your face too?”

“Don’t… talk.”

Seeing him fondly teasing my cheek ignited my competitiveness.

I pouted.

“How are you not moving at all?”

“Because you’re too weak.”

“But I’m in better condition than usual right now.”

“This?”

I gave up and buried my head against his chest.

“Enough. I’m done.
You’ve figured out my strength by now, right?”

“Yeah. Roughly.”

Won-gyeong removed his hand from my cheek and laughed as he accepted my sulking in his arms.

One hand was still wrapped around my waist.

At this point, it was just time for him to indulge himself.

Fiddling with the hair tie holding my hair low, he asked,

“Doya, can I take this off?”

“If you want.”

“…I want to.”

“Then do whatever you want.
I don’t mind.”

Tilting my head slightly, I glanced at his face and replied softly.

Won-gyeong met my eyes as his hand moved.

I felt the hair tie slide downward.

My hair spilled free, cascading softly over my shoulders.

He lifted the hair tie he’d removed upward.