Welcome to the Goblin Hotel - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 8
The Automatic Maintenance activated on its own.
‘Does it turn on when a guest arrives?’
I tilted my head and looked around the Lobby.
The soiled floor was gradually becoming clean.
The spot where the fox had been.
Something glimmered between the scattered first-aid kit and blankets.
Drawing closer, I saw it was a smooth, lustrous bead.
“So this is the Fox Bead.”
The instant I picked up the bead.
【 Lodging Payment Settlement: Fox Bead 】
【 Estimated Value: Fox Bead – Conversion Impossible. Soul Insight 】
Soul Insight?
‘How do I use it?’
As I wondered how to use the Fox Bead, it melted away smoothly.
A liquid cold as ice seeped into my skin.
【 You possess Spirit Eyes. 】
【 Soul Insight responds with Spirit Eyes. 】
【 Soul Insight ability is unlocked. 】
A chill suddenly crystallized across my eyes.
A sharp pain as if my eyes were being squeezed.
“Ungh…!”
The pain was brief and intense.
Tears streamed down my face.
“Hah… I thought my eyeballs were going to burst.”
I wiped the tears away with my sleeve.
The pain faded, but a coolness lingered around my eyes.
That’s when Min Jae came rushing down the stairs, startled.
“Boss! What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
I pushed him away with my hand as I spoke.
“It’s nothing. Something just got in my eye.”
But Min Jae only drew closer.
“You shouldn’t rub it then. Let me take a look.”
“No, it’s fine now, really.”
Still, he leaned in with his face.
Why does he keep pushing his face at me like that?
The moment our eyes met.
“……!”
【 Soul Insight 】
The ability activated on its own.
My vision flickered white, and then a strange space appeared before my eyes.
‘What is this, a funeral hall?’
# In front of the memorial portraits of a young man and woman.
Young Min Joo and Min Jae were crying.
Then a woman appeared and took the children’s hands.
“Come with your aunt.”
Soon the scene twisted, and the location changed.
# The siblings were no longer small children.
The woman called aunt shouted at them.
“How much do you think your parents’ insurance money is worth?”
“You said you’d give that to us.”
“I spent it all raising you two. There’s nothing left!”
The scene changed once more.
# This time it was a hospital room.
‘How long ago was this?’
A doctor approached and unwrapped the bandage around Min Jae’s eye.
Min Jae spoke in a trembling voice.
“Doctor. I can’t see well…!”
The scene cut off abruptly there.
My vision darkened and then brightened, and I returned to reality.
‘Is this what Soul Insight is?’
In that instant, Min Jae leaned his face close to mine.
“Boss, I’m telling you, let me take a look.”
I pushed Min Jae away and asked him a question.
“Min Jae, didn’t you sense anything strange from me just now?”
“The tears in your eyes—that’s the strangest part, sir.”
The scene that had flashed before my eyes must have lasted more than thirty seconds.
Min Jae hadn’t noticed a thing.
I recalled the scene I’d just witnessed and asked him again.
“Min Jae, that surgery you had a while back—was it on your eye?”
“You heard about it from Min Joo? One of my eyes is blurry; I can only see light and shadow.”
Min Jae added with an awkward smile.
“After getting hurt, I realize how important eyesight really is. Boss, if your eyes keep hurting, please make sure to see a doctor.”
“I’m fine now.”
So that’s why Min Jae had reacted so sensitively.
I’d thought he was overreacting for nothing.
‘Tch, I feel a little sorry now.’
Does Soul Insight activate whenever eyes meet?
If it went off every time our eyes locked, that would be inconvenient.
I’d need to practice controlling it.
***
I tried activating Soul Insight while looking in the mirror.
“It won’t work.”
I needed to practice.
It seemed the mirror wouldn’t do.
Just then, Song I entered the room with Hwang Geum I.
Song I ran over and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Dad, Dad! Hwang Geum I is all clean now!”
I bent my knees and hoisted Hwang Geum I into my arms.
“Is that so? Should we see just how clean she got?”
I locked eyes with Hwang Geum I.
I relaxed the tension in my eyes and murmured inwardly.
Just a little.
Just a tiny bit.
【 Soul Insight 】
The ability activated.
This time, scenes swept past my vision like a panorama.
# Hwang Geum I wandering through the forest.
# Hwang Geum I digging at the ground.
# A blue flame fluttering around Hwang Geum I?
Unlike with Min Jae, the scenes appeared for a shorter duration this time.
Some degree of control was possible.
‘But what was that blue flame?’
I locked eyes with Hwang Geum I once more.
The blue flame.
Show me that.
【 Soul Insight 】
The ability activated again.
# In front of the fireplace, the blue flame drifts and bobs.
The flame flickered out, and smoke began to rise.
The smoke gathered and thickened, forming a shape.
Unfortunately, the vision Soul Insight showed ended there.
‘It looked like a spirit flame.’
If I could see just a bit more, I felt I might glimpse the spirit’s form.
I tried again several times despite my regret, but the spirit’s shape remained hidden from me.
“Dad, doesn’t Hwang Geum I feel so soft and fluffy?”
Song I smiled with a proud expression.
‘Oh right, Song I was here too.’
I’d have to be more careful not to lose track of my surroundings when using Soul Insight.
If I focused only on the scenes before my eyes, I’d easily lose sight of reality.
“Yeah. It’s all soft and fluffy now.”
I met Song I’s eyes and thought for a moment.
I won’t look.
I won’t use Soul Insight right now.
…….
My will held. The Soul Insight didn’t activate.
‘Good.’
So I could control it after all.
It took concentration, but it wasn’t difficult.
Part of me was curious about the Song I I didn’t know, but I felt relieved that I couldn’t see it.
“Dad, when will it be a special day?”
“Hmm? A special day?”
“I want to eat the marshmallows you roast for me.”
“So you’ve been waiting for a special day for that?”
“Yes.”
“Well… today is a special day because we have a fox guest at the hotel. Should I roast some for you?”
“Really?”
And so, for the first time, I lit the fireplace.
The rain that had fallen all day was gradually coming to an end.
“It’s warm.”
Song I hugged Hwang Geum I on the soft rug spread before the fireplace and laughed.
The cool mountain air grew warm.
I roasted marshmallows to the gentle crackling of firewood burning.
Song I hummed after devouring five marshmallows.
“Marshmallows~ so yummy~ marshmallows dad roasted for me~!”
“Woof! Woof!”
Hwang Geum I sat beside the fireplace, adding her own chorus to Song I’s song.
I felt the cold that had settled in my eyes since gaining Soul Insight begin to thaw.
‘But how do I clean up the fireplace?’
Do I just need to dispose of the ash?
If I could turn Automatic Maintenance on and off as I pleased, the fireplace would be managed automatically too.
Was it a status window? Or some kind of system?
“Management Window?”
Whoosh—!
At that very moment, as if responding to my words, text appeared before my eyes.
【 Accessing Dokkaebi Hotel Management Window. 】
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. It was really a management window?’
So I just hadn’t found the right name all this time.
I’d been shouting “status window” over and over….
Was this my fault?
Yeah. My lack of imagination did me in.
I should’ve thought harder about this.
Of course a hotel manager would have a management window.
Understanding the system felt like a weight had lifted.
Yes. I’m ready to accept anything now.
The Management Window displayed four categories.
【 Hotel Facilities Management 】
【 Guest Status 】
【 Staff Management 】
【 Spiritual Energy Points 】
I opened the Hotel Facilities Management section first to check.
“There it is.”
The Automatic Maintenance settings I’d been looking for all this time were right there.
【 Automatic Maintenance – Activates automatically when contamination reaches 50% 】
【 Consumes 100 Spiritual Energy Points 】
【 Automatic Maintenance currently active. 】
【 Lobby purification 94% complete… 】
【 Room tidying 97% complete… 】
【 Landscaping management 88% complete… 】
【 Deactivate Maintenance manually? 】
I’m not sure what Spiritual Energy Points are.
But it seemed they were necessary for Automatic Maintenance to function.
Before contamination reached fifty percent, I could toggle it on and off manually.
Since I had no idea how to accumulate Spiritual Energy Points, I’d have to be frugal for now.
【 Guest Status: Room 201. Checked In 】
The ‘Guest Status’ section displayed information about the current state of guests.
【 Guest Details 】
*Room 201:
Baek Yeo-u
Hind leg injury
Recovering
The Management Window even showed guests’ current conditions.
This would be useful going forward.
【 Staff Management: Kim Min Joo, Kim Min Jae 】
Next, I checked the staff management section.
【 Staff Details 】
*Kim Min Joo:
Health: Good
Trust: 92/100
Spiritual Energy: 0p
*Kim Min Jae:
Right eye vision loss
Frail constitution
Trust: 94/100
Spiritual Energy: 0p
Min Jae’s condition caught my eye.
‘Frail constitution?’
I’d need to improve Min Jae’s health first.
Maybe I should brew him some medicinal tonic…?
But wait—this trust rating is toward me, right?
I’ve always been someone people trust, admittedly.
Still, such high trust ratings feel gratifying.
I would never have known without the Management Window.
To think the system could manage not just hotel facilities, but guests and staff as well.
“This is completely insane.”
At the very bottom of the Management Window,
I noticed an unfamiliar term combination.
【 Spiritual Energy Points: 4,320p 】
“So the Spiritual Energy Points were here.”
But where had these 4,320 points come from in the first place?
Was this ‘Spiritual Energy’ the same spiritual force I understood it to be?
It seemed to be represented as a point value.
To learn more, I tapped on the ‘Spiritual Energy Points’ option.
【 Spiritual Energy Point Enhancement Menu 】
-Manager
-Staff
-Hotel Facilities: Locked
-Barrier: Locked
Spiritual Energy Points could be used to enhance the hotel or staff.
In any case, it was clear they’d be useful for running the hotel.
Hotel Facilities and Barrier remained locked, preventing point expenditure.
No matter how many times I pressed, the same message appeared.
【 Locks will be released upon condition fulfillment. 】
When I selected Manager and Staff, a different message appeared.
【 Use Spiritual Energy Points to enhance? 】
I still didn’t know how to accumulate Spiritual Energy Points.
Without understanding how to earn them, spending recklessly could lead to regret.
‘I should think more before using them.’
I closed the Management Window.
As the text before my eyes vanished, I saw Song I and Hwang Geum I rolling around in front of the fireplace.
“Song I, your father’s going to check on the fox and be right back.”
Song I’s round eyes sparkled.
“Dad, can I come see the fox too?”
“Mm… the fox isn’t feeling well today, so let’s go tomorrow, alright? Dad will be back in no time.”
“Whine…”
“Go on inside and brush your teeth thoroughly while you wait.”
Song I bowed her head with a dejected expression.
“Okay…”
***
Guest in Room 201. Baek Yeo-u.
The rain-soaked, matted fur and the dull gleam in her eyes troubled me.
Knock, knock, knock.
No response.
“I’m coming in.”
I knocked and slowly pushed the door open.
The smell of wet fur mixed with a faint trace of blood drifted into my nostrils.
A soft lamplight illuminated the fox sprawled across the bed.
The fox lifted her head and looked at me.
“I came to see how your wounds are doing.”
“……”
I approached and knelt down beside the bed.
“How did you end up getting hurt?”
Our eyes met.
【 Soul Insight 】
# It was a rain-soaked mountain.
A white fox with three tails was running through the downpour.
‘Three tails.’
Behind the fox, hideous black masses studded with countless eyes were closing in.
‘What in the world are those grotesque things?’
The fox was being hunted.
The fox ran with all her might, but eventually the black mass engulfed her from behind.
She leaped and dodged.
But a black hand grazed her hind leg.
“Kyaaaah—!”
Blood streamed from the fox’s leg.
# A white-furred fox stained crimson with blood runs desperately through the rain.
The scene shifted.
# The fox, limping, drags herself toward a lit building.
‘Our hotel?’
Mercifully, those black shapes were nowhere to be seen.
As the fox tried to scale the wall, she finally collapsed before the entrance.
When the door opened, her tails retracted into her body.
The vision ended there.
After Soul Insight released me.
My eyes stung as if glazed with cold.
“Haah…”
As I exhaled deeply, the sting seemed to subside.
I took several more deep breaths.
— So you saw something.
A voice echoed in my mind.
I turned to the fox and asked.
“Are you speaking to me right now?”
— Yes.
“I already accepted the Fox Bead.”
— It’s payment for treating me and letting me stay here.
I recalled the scene I’d witnessed through Soul Insight moments ago.
She definitely had three tails.
“Are you a Sammiho?”
— Yes. Though I’d say I’m more of a two-and-a-half-tailed fox at this point.
A hidden tail rose from the Sammiho’s hindquarters.
Two long tails and one short tail.
When I looked with Soul Insight, all three were long…?
—I burned through my Spiritual Energy Points making the bead.
“Ah… I think I charged too much for the room.”
—My life is precious, so it ought to be paid for in precious things.
“How are your legs?”
—Still healing.
It matched what showed up in the Management Window.
If she wasn’t an ordinary fox but a Sammiho, her recovery speed might be faster than expected.
I asked the Sammiho the question I didn’t want to ask.
I didn’t really want to know, but I felt like I had to.
“What were those things chasing you…?”
—Spirit Entities. Weak spirits clustered together to gain power.
“Spirit Entities? Are they like malevolent ghosts?”
—Normally they’re weaker than malevolent ghosts. But they grouped together.
And they suddenly entered my territory.
“Your territory?”
The Sammiho stretched her neck forward and looked out the window.
—There. Over there. Samyoung Mountain.
In the direction the Sammiho pointed, all I could see was moonlight cutting through the darkness.
—Would it be all right if I stayed here until I’ve recovered my strength?
I’ll pay the additional room charges.
To hear a fox speak of room charges.
This really is a strange hotel.
Still, if she pays a reasonable rate….
“You’re always welcome, guest.”
And so the Sammiho became a long-term resident.
Inherited the Dokkaebi Hotel
Author
: WhyGraNola
Production Date
: August 25, 2026
Publisher
: Aces Media Co., Ltd.
Editor
: Aces Media Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work is published by Aces Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with the copyright holder’s contract,
and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without the permission of the company and author.
This e-book is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized republication or reproduction may result in legal liability.
UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260730113

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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