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Chapter 25




Chapter 25
Kwon Ji-Woon, who I only had a lukewarm relationship with, suddenly sent me such a text. Could it be for that reason?
I tried not to think about that possibility, but there was only one conclusion that came to mind.
Did he find out that I had awakened?
I had thought that Ji-Woon might notice, considering I had registered as an Awakened in the <Dungeon Management Office>, visited the <Hunter Market>, and even went to the Tutorial Dungeon.
"Don't draw attention from hunters and live a normal life."
Those cold words came to mind.
I hoped he wouldn't find out that I had awakened, but how would he react if he did?
Ugh...
The pressure made my heart feel constricted.
"Lee Eul?"
"It's nothing."
I'll think about it tomorrow; for now, I'll focus on making coffee.
'My café in the palm of my hand.'
After extracting the espresso, I used a skill to make a warm Americano. As soon as I poured the hot water over the espresso, a rich aroma softly enveloped the surroundings.
However, after making the coffee, I realized that the beans were almost gone.
It seems the roaster is small, so they run out quickly.
I took some green beans from the box, put them in the roaster, and used the ring to light a fire.
The red flames began to heat the roaster.
"Um... What did you just do?"
Ki Yu-Hyun, who had been watching, asked.
"Huh? Oh, you were right, Yu-Hyun. This ring is really a great item."
"Ah, yes..."
He looked dubious even though I said he was right.
"The ring's ability to light a fire is great for giving the coffee a smoky flavor."
Moreover, it could automatically adjust the roasting level when lighting the fire.
The beans made from the fruit of Yggdrasil had a floral aroma and a strong acidity when lightly roasted, and a nutty smell and a rich flavor when heavily roasted.
The taste changed subtly, and if it weren't for the risk of caffeine addiction, I could drink several cups a day.
I got a great item at a good price.
"Using Cthulhu's ring as a gas burner..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. It's good to see you using it well."
How unimpressed.
I handed the finished hot Americano to Ki Yu-Hyun.
"Anyway, try it."
Ki Yu-Hyun took a sip from the coffee cup.
I watched with a pounding heart. This was the first time I was showing someone else the taste of my Americano.
This Americano was a labor-intensive coffee, crafted by my own hands.
I was very curious about how others would perceive its taste.
...Swallow.
Ki Yu-Hyun's expression relaxed after drinking the Americano.
Suddenly, a long bar appeared above his head. As he drank more coffee, a golden gauge filled up, reaching almost 100%.
It even had a sparkling effect.
What is this?
"Yaaooong (It's a satisfaction meter. It goes up the more you enjoy the coffee)."
'But there was no such thing when I made a mixed coffee?'
"Why (It's a new feature because your level has increased)."
Oh, I'm level 5. That's why I can see this now.
"Whyooong (The more you level up, the more abilities you'll get)... "
I pretended not to hear the rest.
You're trying to subtly put me back into the dungeon. No way.
After finishing the coffee, Ki Yu-Hyun put down the cup.
"How is it?"
The golden gauge above his head had already given the answer, but I asked with anticipation.
"It's very delicious."
"Really?"
"It's bitter, but not too bitter, and it's strong, yet it goes down smoothly. I've tried many coffees, but this is the first time I've tasted something like this. Moreover, I feel lighter after drinking it."
I thought the Americano was delicious, but his praise exceeded my expectations.
The almost full golden bar confirmed it wasn't just flattery.
Ki Yu-Hyun finished the remaining Americano and asked,
"How much does this Americano cost?"
"Um... the price?"
"Since this is a café, aren't you planning to sell it? I'd be happy to order it if it tastes this good."
"Well, that's..."
Actually, I haven't decided yet.
Until now, I've been making mixed coffee to complete quests, so I haven't charged for it.
Today, I invited Ki Yu-Hyun to taste the coffee, not to sell it.
But I plan to charge when I open the café.
However, setting a price was more difficult than I thought.
Charging the price of a regular Americano seemed too cheap, but setting it too high might make it unsellable.
Moreover, my only consultants were two animals.
'You should charge a million won, Kya!'
'Kya, nya.'
Neither was very helpful.
Ding.
At that moment, a familiar notification sound rang. I looked at the semi-transparent window that appeared in front of me.
[You are ready to sell the menu.]
[Please set the price.]
[Americano: 0 Ruby]
A cursor was blinking above the number 0, allowing me to set a price.
However, the unit was in Ruby.
Huh, why didn't I think of this?
Right, since the café will mainly serve hunters, it's better to charge in Ruby. Hunters always carry Ruby, and they are less likely to feel the price is too high.
100,000 won might seem expensive, but 1 Ruby doesn't feel that way.
In games, premium item prices are often shown in 'Diamonds' or 'Jewels' instead of cash for the same reason.
If you say you drew a card for 100,000 won, it feels expensive, but if you say you drew it for 100 Jewels, it feels like a great deal.
When I selected the number 0, the text 'Recommended price: 1 Ruby' appeared. I decided to follow the system's recommendation and entered 1.
[The price has been set.]
"I'll charge in Ruby. It's 1 Ruby."
At that moment, the notification sound rang again.
[A quest has been triggered.]
[Main Quest: The Barista's Path (2)
You are now a proud barista.
Complete the basic 5 café menus (Café Latte, Cappuccino, Café Mocha, Vanilla Latte, Caramel Macchiato) and expand your menu.
Complete the basic 5 café menus: 0/5]
Reward: Experience (200 exp), Random Recipe, ???]
[Sub Quest: The Ultimate Coffee
Make the ultimate coffee and form a true friendship and deep bond.
Deliver the ultimate coffee: 0/1]
Reward: Skill Point 1]
I skipped all the notifications that seemed like they would assign me annoying tasks.
Then, one more notification appeared.
[Achievement: 'First Key' has been achieved. Please claim your reward.]
[Achievement: First Key
Congratulations.
You have obtained the first key.]
However, the achievement name was strange.
The first person to drink the coffee I made was Kim Ji-Na. James drank it next, so Ki Yu-Hyun was the third.
Why is it called the 'first'?
What does 'key' mean?
The notification window only had a short message, and the lack of detailed explanation made me feel uneasy. However, there was no reason to refuse the reward...
'Claim reward.'
[Achievement reward: A new area has been unlocked in this space.]
What...
I received an unexpected reward.
Chapter 3. The Coffee and the Cookie
Korea No.1 Hunter Community - Hunter Channel
Free Board
- Ranking, guild chases, and public shaming are prohibited. Flame wars belong in dungeons.
*System: This post has been deleted.
[General Discussion] The Tutorial Dungeon boss hasn't been revealed yet??? (24)
Likes: 1 / Dislikes: 3
Author: ㅇㅇ
Is the Management Office involved?
Those iron rice bowl guys--;;
Godly: Still not revealed?
└TripleSet: Maybe they just didn't announce it?
　└ㅁㅁ: They announced all the top performers until last year, why not this time?
└ddd***: ㅁㅈ
 ă„čă„č It's weird.
GunsanILJANG: Why are the Management Office guys iron rice bowls? Their salaries are as small as mouse tails.
└A-ClassPotionFarm: That's only for regular employees. Hunters get a lot of money. If you're DE-class, being a civil servant is better than rolling in a guild.
　└ㅁㅁ: True.
rba***: Did anyone do the Tutorial Dungeon this time? I saw on the news that a mutation occurred. [Link]
└PonsGrade: Isn't it normal for there to be no boss in the Tutorial?
└WeakPower: It says it was Special Hard. Anyone know about this? I've never seen this before.
└ProGrade: The giant slime is really tough. No matter how much I hit it, it doesn't take any damage. T_T
　└ㅇㅇ: For a slime, it's pretty strong; lol
　　└ConsignmentShop3: No, don't underestimate slimes. lol
　└RedJellyHalf: I want to raise a pet slime. Any tamers out there selling them?
　　└LimeLove: Raising slimes is prohibited on the Hunter Channel. Please check the rules.
　　　└RedJellyHalf: WHY T_T
　　　└LimeLove: There was an incident where a slime was abandoned and left to die.
　　　└RedJellyHalf: Oh no T_T
　└wab***: Maybe you're just weak?
　　└ㅇㅇ: Hater--;;
cba***: I'm waiting for reports from those who participated in the Tutorial Dungeon this time or know about it.
Email: [email protected]
└GolemMaker: What is this?
　└ElixirDaSam: It's the C&L Law Team's email address.
　　└GolemMaker: Really? What's going on?
[Admin]: This post has been made private at the request of the rights holder.
Reason: False information spread
* * *
Ji-Joon raised his head.
The building in front of him was extremely grand and luxurious. If someone wanted to show off their wealth, this is what their building would look like.
The sculpture at the entrance, modeled after the Great Dungeon Abyss, was said to cost several billion.
1 C&L Avenue, Seocho-gu, Seoul. The headquarters of <C&L Corporation>.
A few days ago, Ji-Joon, a C-class hunter, had been expelled from his guild and had his Hunter Channel ID suspended. He now walked toward the entrance.
"What brings you here?"
As soon as he passed through the entrance, a security guard in a suit approached and asked sharply.
It wasn't wise to underestimate a mere security guard. The security team was composed of hunters at least D-class and above, and they were equipped with devices that could temporarily nullify skills.
Ji-Joon tried not to show his nervousness as he spoke.
"Ah, I... I have an appointment today."
"Your name?"
"Ji-Joon."
"......What?"
Five years ago, after awakening, Ji-Joon had abandoned his original name.
His real name was so common and ordinary that there could be three people with the same name in one school. It was too 'average.'
He chose the name Ji-Joon, meaning 'the supreme hunter,' and used it everywhere.
However, the security guard in front of him looked at him as if he was speaking nonsense. Feeling intimidated, Ji-Joon quickly gave his real name.
"......Kim Ji-Hoon."
"Confirmed. Please take the elevator at the end of the right corner. You need to scan this visitor pass to open the door."
Ji-Joon took the visitor pass and headed inside.
I never thought I'd be back here...