Chapter 1. A Hundred Cups of Mix Coffee
After I died, a sense of injustice overwhelmed me.
If I had known I was going to die like this, I would have ordered chicken yesterday.
I should have tried the hotel buffet I only saw in blog posts.
I should have taken some annual leave and gone on a trip.
I should have cut down on the overtime.
I should have quit my job...!
It was truly an unjust fate to work from morning till night and die so pointlessly.
Hmm? After grumbling to myself for a while, I felt something strange.
Why am I still conscious if I'm dead?
The warm and soft feeling enveloping my body felt just like the blanket on my bed.
Could this be the life flashing before my eyes as I die? Is this how vivid the sensations can be?
Moreover, my phone alarm was ringing loudly, making it impossible to sleep. I waited for the life flash to end and for me to lose consciousness, but my mind became clearer instead.
I finally opened my eyes to the sound of the alarm. I saw the bed, the desk, and the messy room.
I must have returned to the time before I died.
It is said that this is the age of Hunters.
Hunters, who possess transcendent powers through 'Awakening,' first appeared in the world 23 years ago.
They defeated the monsters pouring out of dungeons that appeared all over the world and restored peace to humanity.
The world was ecstatic over these saviors.
Children admired Hunters more than celebrities or sports stars. The Big Three large Hunter guilds had market capitalizations surpassing major corporations, and the every move of top-ranked Hunters was featured in the news daily.
Becoming a Hunter meant making a lot of money and becoming famous.
Many people dreamed of becoming Hunters instead of winning the lottery, and the educational institutions established by the government to systematically train Hunters recorded competition rates of thousands to one.
However, this had nothing to do with me.
I hadn't Awakened, and I had no knowledge about Hunters or dungeons.
I didn't care about such articles. Who cares who clears the dungeon? I have to go to work!
The company I worked for paid me a meager salary and made me work from morning till night.
Overtime pay? Of course not. No meal allowance, no annual leave, no weekend work pay. I repeated the cycle of working late and barely catching the last train home.
That day, my luck was bad. I was on my way to catch the last train after working late.
"It's a dungeon! Someone report it to the <Dungeon Management Office>!"
A spatial rift, a hole connecting to a dungeon, suddenly appeared in front of the subway station.
When a dungeon appears, the <Dungeon Management Office> restricts access to civilians and collaborates with guilds to clear the dungeon. If the dungeon boss isn't defeated in time, a dungeon break occurs, and monsters pour out.
Dungeons appearing like this is a common occurrence, so people evacuated orderly and called to report it.
The problem was that the rift appeared right under my feet. By the time I noticed, the ground had already split open, and I was sucked into the dungeon.
I don't remember exactly what happened inside the dungeon. I might have erased the memory due to fear. I was definitely chased by monsters.
In any case, as a civilian, I died at the hands of a monster. I vividly remember the chilling sensation when the monster's front paw stabbed me.
Home, work, home, work, home, work, home, work, dungeon, death. How could there be a more unjust life? I grumbled that I couldn't die in peace with such resentment. 'Grumbled' is a softened expression; in reality, I spewed out a lot of curses.
But when I opened my eyes, I was on my bed in my room, three years in the past.
At first, I thought I was dreaming, then I was happy, and finally, I was puzzled.
Why did I come back to life? It's unheard of to return to the past after dying in a dungeon, especially three years back.
What does this mean? Is there something I need to do in this second life?
In any case, it's a huge gain, isn't it? Maybe the dungeon pitied my monotonous life and gave me another chance.
In any case, I decided to live my second life differently.
Goodbye, slave life of overtime!
Farewell. I will cast off all the shackles and restraints of this world and set out to find freedom!
It didn't take more than a few days to hand in my resignation and pack up my things.
The boss tried to stop me, perhaps regretting the loss of a slave, but I ignored him. I couldn't dedicate my youth to such a dark company just because I came back to life.
Next, I headed to the <Silver Guild>.
When I entered the guild leader's office, I saw Kwon Ji-won looking at some documents.
Only then did it hit me. I really did return to the past.
Overwhelmed with joy, I called out to him.
"Brother, it's been a while."
Kwon Ji-won looked at me as if he had seen a ghost.
"What's going on? Did you get into some trouble?"
What? Does he know I came back to the past? He seems the same as usual. Is there a mark on my face?
"Ah… no, nothing's wrong."
"Why did you suddenly call me 'brother'? You never call me that."
The warm feeling shattered instantly.
Right. That's it. Hearing his sarcastic tone made it feel real that I had come back to the past.
After my parents passed away when I was young, I was entrusted to my uncle's house and grew up with my cousin, Kwon Ji-won.
We lived in the same house until I was twenty. He's practically my only family.
It might sound like we're quite close, but we're not really. We're more like strangers.
Kwon Ji-won is the deputy guild leader and an A-rank healer of the <Silver Guild>. His nickname is Silver Wolf.
He's the 12th-ranked healer in the country and often appears on TV. His striking appearance also frequently graces Hunter magazines. The <Silver Guild>, smaller than the Big Three, is well-known thanks to Kwon Ji-won's fame. He also serves as the acting guild leader since my uncle, the guild leader, went missing a few years ago.
Kwon Ji-won is incredibly busy. No matter how close we were when we were young, there was bound to be a distance between us, given that I'm just a civilian.
"Focus on living a normal life and don't show interest in Hunters."
That's what Kwon Ji-won often said when we met. Did he think I would ask him for something?
So, to show him that I was doing well, I immediately got a job, not knowing it would be such a dark company.
'Now that I think about it, it was a futile effort...'
I quietly observed Kwon Ji-won, who was sitting across from me in the reception room.
Kwon Ji-won looked slightly younger than in my memory. Since I'm 23 now, he must be 25.
His silver hair, a result of his healer skills, was very noticeable. Despite his handsome appearance, his expression was cold, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look tired.
"I heard you quit your job."
He asked when I didn't say anything, just staring at him. Someone in the guild must have told him.
"If there's something, just say it."
Kwon Ji-won sighed, looking tired.
There was no need to exchange meaningless pleasantries. I got straight to the point.
"It's not that. I quit my job because I want to do something I like."
I thought Kwon Ji-won would naturally oppose it.
What is self-employment? They say out of 100 people who start, 99 fail. Especially in the cafe business, where the entry barrier is low, many fail without thorough preparation. Kwon Ji-won would definitely oppose it.
But I had my reasons for wanting to open a cafe.
How do I convince him? While I was pondering this, Kwon Ji-won unexpectedly said,
"Really? There's an empty space on the first floor of our guild building. You could open your cafe there."
"Why not? It can be vacated starting tomorrow."
The first floor of the <Silver Guild> headquarters is in the heart of a bustling area, one of the most expensive places in Seoul.
A bowl of soup costs an average of 50,000 won, and it's a place where you can't cover the rent even if you sell a lot of coffee. Usually, there are banks or high-end Hunter shops.
"Don't worry about the rent. I don't plan to charge you."
Thinking I was hesitant because of the money, Kwon Ji-won added.
I waved my hands frantically. I'm not advertising that I'm the deputy guild leader's cousin, and it's too much pressure to open a shop in such a location. I'm not that close to him, and I don't understand why he's making such an offer.
Besides, I already had a plan in mind.
"No, I've already decided on a location."
"Seoul, Jung-gu, Dungeon Gate 3-ga 16."
Kwon Ji-won frowned when he heard the address.
"In front of the major dungeon?"
"Yeah, I want to open a cafe in front of the major dungeon."
I declared, smiling widely.
Seoul, Jung-gu, Dungeon Gate 3-ga 16.
This address refers to the entrance of the major dungeon, *Abyss*, located in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Twenty years ago, a spatial rift appeared in the heart of Seoul, and a large dungeon emerged.
This tower-like dungeon extends endlessly upward, unlike the instance dungeons that appear from rifts. When one floor is cleared, a gate to the next floor appears.
This place in front of the dungeon was also where my late grandmother ran a cafe. Of course, back then, it was a normal commercial area, not the suspicious-sounding "Dungeon Gate 3-ga."
The surrounding area was mostly demolished, and a desolate silence hung over the place, even in the heart of Seoul.
Who would want to live in front of a dungeon, not knowing what might happen? Only someone like my grandmother would.
After the major dungeon *Abyss* appeared, the surrounding shops were demolished with government compensation, but my grandmother stayed. Despite her children's protests about the danger, she kept the shop until the day she passed away.
This is why I decided to open a cafe here.
In my childhood, after school, I would go to my grandmother's cafe, and she would always make me a warm cup of coffee. The sweet taste and cozy atmosphere were precious memories.
In my previous life, I was too busy with work to visit my grandmother's cafe, and it was left abandoned. I felt guilty and wanted to restore it to its former comfort.
There's also a practical reason: it doesn't cost much.
My grandmother's shop was still standing, albeit old. Since I plan to live on the second floor, I don't need to pay rent for a separate apartment. It's the perfect place to open a cafe with a small budget.
The last reason is that it's a quiet, secluded place.
Why would I want to open a cafe in a place with no people?
Well, since I came back to the past, I definitely don't want to work hard.
Most of all, I want to rest. In a cozy and comfortable cafe, just like when my grandmother was around.
It's fine if there aren't many customers. Selling coffee to Hunters going into the dungeon occasionally is enough.
A life of working less and resting more. My goal is a YOLO (You Only Live Once) lifestyle.
After tidying up my old apartment, I headed to my grandmother's cafe.
The long-abandoned building was very old. The sign was gone, and the door creaked when I opened it.
There was a lot to do before opening the cafe.
The first step was cleaning.
It took a whole day to sweep and wipe away the dust. It was tiring, but it felt much better than working at the company.
When I got tired, I naturally craved coffee, but I only had mix coffee. I made a cup in a paper cup and looked around.
In a small room at the back of the shop, there was a square TV. Did my grandmother use it?
Curious, I examined it. There was no company logo, and I couldn't find a power button.
Suddenly, the screen lit up, and text appeared.
I don't understand what it says, and it's too long. I pressed [Skip].