Fortunately, James managed to drink the mixed coffee without spitting it out, despite being somewhat conscious.
As soon as the paper cup was empty, I nodded to Kwon Jiwoon.
Kwon Jiwoon quickly used a healing skill.
I watched anxiously as the light of healing was absorbed into James's body.
Please.
Just as I was muttering to myself a few times,
“Cough, cough!”
James coughed and opened his eyes. His dark complexion gradually returned to normal.
Thank goodness. He's going to be fine.
“Ugh… Where…?”
“Are you feeling better?”
Although he couldn't fully sit up yet, he was regaining consciousness, so I told him he would be fine.
“What did you give him?”
After James was moved to the hospital, Hunter Han Isung asked me. He must have been curious about what made James regain consciousness.
“That….”
I didn't intend to keep it a secret forever, but I hesitated to reveal that I had awakened and that the coffee had such an effect.
Even I, who knew little about hunters, understood that 'Cafe in My Hand' was a pretty good skill.
According to Miim, only I could give coffee such effects.
However, my body was F-class.
I felt burdened by the attention I might receive if I revealed my skills now.
My goal was to be a leisurely café owner in a quiet place.
I knew how much attention Kwon Jiwoon received after awakening as a healer. Reporters even came to my school. I didn't want to go through that.
I would have to reveal my awakening and skills to Kwon Jiwoon eventually, but not now. I'll think about it later.
“Ah, over there… It's the potion James gave me.”
I felt a bit guilty about lying.
Fortunately, Hunter Han Isung believed me without much suspicion. It was more plausible that James had a curse-removal potion than that he drank mixed coffee.
After my wounds were also healed, I finally realized what had happened. I had never seen someone almost die right in front of me. I tried to calm down, but the trembling wouldn't stop.
“Ha… Hoo…”
I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
At least he's alive.
He didn't die. Neither did I, nor did James, who had died to a monster in the past before the regression.
Did I somehow change one possible future?
Just as I was feeling relieved, a notification window appeared in front of me.
[Achievement: 'Avoided the First Death Crisis' has been achieved. Please claim your reward.]
Huh?
What's this? Achieved an achievement?
“Kwon Jiwoon, why are you like that?”
Kwon Jiwoon asked when I stared blankly at the air after being treated.
“It's nothing, just… I'm a bit tired, I guess.”
“Do you need to be hospitalized?”
“I'm fine. I just got treated, remember?”
After saying I was fine, not in pain, and fully recovered about five more times, Kwon Jiwoon finally backed off. I moved to a corner where no one could see me and opened the detailed screen.
[Achievement: Avoided the First Death Crisis
Congratulations.
You have successfully avoided a death crisis.
Cherish life.
Reward: Branch of Yggdrasil x1]
The content felt a bit unsettling.
First, the phrase 'First Death Crisis' was irritating.
First? Does that mean there will be a second, third, and so on? I don't even want to think about it. What a ominous word.
Moreover, the reward item was something I had never heard of.
Yggdrasil? I searched it on my phone, but only unrelated game items came up.
I couldn't find Miim to ask what it was.
Since I couldn't reveal the reward in front of others, I decided to look into it later.
I closed the notification window, stood up, and looked around.
I wanted to thank the hunter who had come to help.
However, no matter how much I looked, I couldn't find him. I thought he would be easy to spot since he was taller than most people.
Maybe I should ask Hunter Han Isung.
Just then, Jina saw me and ran over.
“Leeul, are you okay? I'm sorry, I left and this happened.”
“It's okay. I'm glad you're safe, Jina.”
Really. If Jina had been attacked by the cave bear, she could have been seriously injured.
“I tried to come earlier, but…”
Jina's expression darkened as she looked down.
As soon as the C-class Flame Mole appeared, Jina requested support from the Dungeon Management Office.
However, the hunters from the Dungeon Management Office made various excuses and delayed. A C-class Flame Mole wasn't a strong monster for hunters, and the reward was low, so they kept pushing it off, saying things like, "You go," or "I went last time."
I was speechless. They weren't the ones who would die, after all.
Fortunately, the Blue Sky Guild provided support. The mystery was solved, but the feeling was complicated.
It reminded me of when I was caught between people who always pushed off their work as a company employee before the regression.
They would say, "Take it there," and then, "Bring it back here."
Eventually, grown adults would fight over who should refill the printer paper.
Why can't they just do their job?
There were such people among hunters too.
In any case, the Dungeon Management Office said they would repair the damaged shop and provide compensation.
Since this happened often, the process was simple. I just signed some documents.
“Let's talk about the details later. Rest well today.”
Moreover, Jina booked a fairly expensive hotel for me as a temporary residence.
Kwon Jiwoon offered to let me stay at his place if I had nowhere to go, but I chose the hotel. I wanted to be alone to properly check the system notification reward.
There was no need to see Kwon Jiwoon's face again.
Kwon Jiwoon probably didn't mean it seriously when he offered.
The real reason I wanted to stay at the hotel was a secret: I wanted to experience the breakfast buffet.
They said they would provide a breakfast buffet, the luxurious one I used to see in blog posts before the regression.
Excited, I searched for breakfast buffet posts on my phone.
Wow, there are so many types of cereal. Miim would love it.
“Miim!”
But Miim was nowhere to be found.
Come to think of it, she had been missing since she said something strange when she saw the monster. She usually sat at my feet, scratching the floor for food.
Where did she go?
Surely she didn't run away because she was scared? I don't believe Miim is that cowardly.
Since the monster is gone, she should be fine on her own, but…
Miim, you didn't come with me. I called you. Don't make excuses later.
* * *
[Tutorial Quest: Coffee is My Dream
Let's practice using the skill starting with the simplest coffee.
Mix 100 cups of mixed coffee: 99/100
Reward: Experience (100exp), 50 rubies, Americano recipe, ???]
I held the mixed coffee in a paper cup and checked the quest screen. The number '99' stood out clearly.
Finally, the last one.
The last cup of the long tutorial quest is in my hand. Just one more cup, and I will have completed 100 cups of mixed coffee.
If this system were a modern game, it would have failed long ago. Modern gamers would leave if they didn't get a lot of rewards from the start.
So, I hope the '???' in the reward section is something good.
Holding the last cup of mixed coffee, I reflected on the past few days.
I just wanted to make 100 cups of mixed coffee, but so much happened. Looking back, it feels like a new experience.
First, the hotel where I stayed while the shop was being repaired was comfortable, as expected of an expensive place.
It was very comfortable, but… the problem was that they didn't have a breakfast buffet. The hotel restaurant was damaged a few days ago due to a nearby crack.
My buffet!
Nothing goes right. They did provide other food, but I wanted the buffet.
I cursed the dungeon and the monsters in my mind.
If I were as strong as Muwon, I would have entered every dungeon and wiped them all out. As the top S-class hunter in the country, I wouldn't be afraid of anything.
I would wear a shirt with my name on it and subtly ask everyone I met on the street,
"Why? Do I look like the top-ranked hunter and guild leader of the Blue Sky Guild, Muwon?"
I would even pretend to take out my hunter ID while buying a triangle rice cake at a convenience store. Just thinking about it makes me feel good.
What would it be like to be a hunter whose identity everyone is curious about?
This means I was bored at the hotel.
I took out the 'Branch of Yggdrasil' I received as an achievement reward, but it was just a stick with leaves. I couldn't figure out its purpose, though it looked quite fresh.
[Item: Branch of Yggdrasil (★★★★☆)
A branch cut from the World Tree Yggdrasil. Ideal for natural interior decoration.
Type: Branch.
Note: Water once a week.]
The detailed screen only had useless information. Are they suggesting I hang this branch in my house?
In the end, I put the branch back in my inventory.
The internet was buzzing about the monster incident, but there was no special content since the damage wasn't severe.
[HunterSCOPE] Hunter James Jack Smith, discharged and safely returned home… Heavy-handed return
└ ydh***: What's in that yellow box? It's huge.
└ DungeonChun: Is it a MacMogol?
└ CyberCook: Why would James buy a MacMogol? It's ridiculous.
└ ilIii1lI: It looks like this (picture)
└ Jja***: It's a MacMogol, lol. [Link]
[HunterTALK★] Top 30 US Hunter James: "The more I drink, the better it tastes… Like a drug" Showcases love for mixed coffee
└ GoldenFish: Look at his expression, he's really into it, lol.
└ MinchoToothpaste: If an American says it's like a drug, it must be true, lol.
└ fft***: Have you tried it?
└ KimSungHyun: What do you do for a living? Want to do an ad?
└ StretchBack: Advanced hunter class, huh? A top 30 US hunter is doing a coffee ad?
rho***: If he's top 30 in the US, what would that be in the domestic ranking? Close to Muwon?
└ HingHeng: What are you talking about? Muwon is in a different league. I don't know about the Blue Sky achievements.
└ rho***: Why are you so defensive? ㄷㄷ
└ HingHeng: You're just being a nationalist. I think the achievements are clear.
└ MarketRecommendrtj: HingHeng is just upset because he left the Blue Sky Guild.
└ BubbleBubble: Do they recruit hunters?
└ HealerWanted: Is the Blue Sky Guild just riding on Muwon's fame?
└ ddd***: No, Muwon is in a different league. Han Isung is also a well-known support hunter. You're all overreacting.