There was only one way to escape this place: to kill the boss monster, Hell, in the dungeon.
The problem was that it was difficult to find the main body of the monster Hell in this vast dungeon.
It seemed like we were on the right path as the slope gradually became steeper, but all we could see were the stems spewing digestive fluid and bugs.
While climbing up a thick root, Chae Se-dric tapped me.
“Hey.”
“...What?”
“Let’s take a break here for a moment.”
It was a welcome suggestion.
Fortunately, there was an empty space nearby without any bugs or sticky liquids.
When Chae Se-dric used a skill, a translucent barrier enveloped us. Inside the barrier, the humidity and the musty smell were significantly reduced, making it easier to breathe.
I plopped down on the ground and caught my breath. Using a wet wipe from my inventory to clean my sticky hands, I felt a bit more alive. The unique damp air made walking in the dungeon more tiring than expected.
After catching my breath, a thought came to mind.
‘I want to drink coffee...’
If I could just have a cup of iced Americano right now, I’d be content.
Although I didn’t expect to find an Americano made by a skill, I wondered if there might be a can of coffee in my inventory. While searching, I spoke to Chae Se-dric.
“Is it chaos outside now? With the sudden appearance of the dungeon.”
“...”
But he didn’t respond.
“Still, it shouldn’t be a full-blown emergency since we came in with the second-ranked player. Where did that plant otaku get this from?”
“...”
Why isn’t he answering?
No matter how much I searched my inventory, there was no can of coffee.
Instead, I found a golden lottery ticket from the previous quest.
[Current number of golden lottery tickets: 1]
[Please pull the lever.]
I originally planned to save it, but maybe I should use it now. Who knows, I might get something better inside the dungeon.
After taking a deep breath and calming my mind, but still feeling excited, I was about to pull the lever.
“...Um, over here.”
Chae Se-dric, who had been silent for a while, called me.
“Huh? What?”
“...”
But he didn’t answer again.
Chae Se-dric ran his fingers through his hair, combed it back, sighed, mumbled something to himself, and finally spoke again.
“...Sorry.”
“For what?”
“For, for grabbing your collar earlier.”
He glanced at me, then quickly bowed his head. His expression showed that he was genuinely sorry.
I smiled and replied.
“It’s fine. You already apologized earlier. You must have been surprised when I suddenly burned the flowers.”
“Yeah, those flowers...! I’m really grateful. I’ll repay the value of saving those flowers as soon as we get out of here. Just tell me what you want.”
I had already thought about what I would ask for, but out of curiosity, I asked.
“What can you offer?”
“Money, as much as you want...! No, that would be too insincere.”
Thump, thump...!
“Then, how about joining our guild?”
“...What?”
Chae Se-dric’s guild is <C&L Corporation>.
One of the Big Three guilds, the largest in scale, and a three-star hunter guild. It’s known for being systematic but also for the intense pressure and strict atmosphere.
Of course, I had no intention of joining such a place. Would they even accept an F-rank?
I looked at Chae Se-dric quietly. His face had a slightly rough aura, but his eyes were sincere.
He clearly believed his guild was the best and that I would want to join.
“I’m F-rank, though?”
He’s surprisingly unbiased.
“What does rank matter? You saved the blue Serano flower, which even the plant otaku couldn’t. You’re more impressive than the plant otaku... Yeah, Mr. Plant Master!”
“...”
I’m not that kind of person...
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why? Have some confidence. Not just anyone can do that. Mr. Plant Master!”
“...”
After pleading with him not to use such a creepy expression, Chae Se-dric finally stopped.
“Anyway, I don’t want to join a guild.”
“Why? With my recommendation, you’d skip the document review, practical test, and interview.”
Your guild is too intense. After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“I’m a free spirit...”
“Huh?”
“I don’t plan to stay in one place. So, I won’t join a guild.”
“Alright, then. I guess there’s nothing I can do. That’s not a bad choice.”
I was half-joking, but to my surprise, Chae Se-dric nodded readily.
“...I envy you.”
His words were filled with genuine admiration.
“What I want is this. I run a cafe.”
“Ah! You want to open a chain? That’s a bit difficult with my authority, but I can get you a spot in a branch right away.”
Do all top players think like this? Suddenly bringing up such a large-scale idea left me flustered.
“No, that’s not it! I was going to invite you as a customer...”
Just as I waved my hand to convey my meaning, an alert sounded.
“...!”
Ding! An alert sounded.
[You have obtained an item. Check your inventory.]
Oh, I must have accidentally pressed the lottery button while we were talking.
I was about to pull the lever with great excitement. The thrill of the pull! That’s the charm of the lottery!
My lottery!
[Item: Simple Coffee Making Kit (★★★☆☆)]
A portable coffee tool set that allows you to enjoy coffee anytime, anywhere.
Now, enjoy coffee even in the dungeon.
Note: New user special! Includes one portion of coffee ingredients.
For a moment, I regretted using the lottery.
But in my inventory was a coffee making kit. It included a portable burner, a moka pot, a cup, and enough coffee beans and other ingredients for one serving.
After complaining about wanting coffee, I got something useful.
“Se-dric, do you want coffee?”
“Eh, now? Here? A coffee instead of a buff potion?”
“Just try it.”
Ignoring Chae Se-dric’s bewildered expression, I took out the coffee making kit from my inventory. As soon as I did, an alert appeared.
[Condition met.]
[Skill: A Cup of Coffee After Dungeon Exploration (B) obtained.]
[A Cup of Coffee After Dungeon Exploration (B)
Details: (Lv.1) Increases the completion of beverages made in the dungeon.]
Using the new skill, I extracted espresso with the moka pot and made an iced Americano. The refreshing aroma helped reduce my fatigue, and the effect of conserving stamina was immediately applied.
I handed an iced Americano to Chae Se-dric. As he took the cup, his eyes showed a hint of unease.
“Why? Can’t you drink bitter coffee?”
“No! Who said I can’t?”
Chae Se-dric snatched the cup and took a sip.
...Swallow.
He tried to maintain a calm expression, but it didn’t last long.
Unable to hide his bitter expression, I searched my inventory while trying not to laugh.
“Do you want sugar?”
“Hey, you should have said that earlier!”
As Chae Se-dric added plenty of sugar to his cup, I also enjoyed my iced Americano.
The buzzing insect-type monsters, the stems spewing secretions, and the shaking ground...
The scenery was far from comfortable, but the coffee was delicious.
Drinking coffee in the dungeon had its own charm...
Squish!
Whir, squish!
An insect-type monster flying in the air was hit by a secretion. Its leaves opened wide, and it caught and swallowed the melting insect. The only things left after the unpleasant sound were the two wings of the insect-type monster.
“...”
What charm?
The live show of the monster Hell’s meal killed my appetite.
I wanted to leave this place quickly. After finishing my cup, I called to Chae Se-dric.
“Let’s go. I want to get out of here quickly. ...Huh?”
In the meantime, Chae Se-dric was looking at his phone screen. Despite the lack of connection in the dungeon, he had a serious expression.
To be fair, I didn’t mean to look. The photo on the screen naturally caught my eye.
“Who is it?”
“...! W-What are you doing? You scared me. Don’t look without permission.”
It felt unreasonable for an S-rank hunter to be startled by an F-rank hunter.
“Sorry. I won’t look.”
“Hmm, well, if you really want to see, I can show you.”
Suddenly, his phone was thrust in front of my face.
“Be careful, it might wear out if you look too much.”
Was he telling me to look or not to look?
The photo on the phone showed a girl.
With rosy cheeks, large eyes, and plump lips, she was quite cute. A family member, perhaps. On closer inspection, her eyes resembled Chae Se-dric’s.
“Your sister?”
“Yeah. If I say this, it might sound...”
“...?”
“The cutest person in the world, right? Honestly, she’s like an angel. How can my sister be so beautiful? Ah! She should have been a calendar model! Should I make a calendar now? But I can’t show Lona’s photo to just anyone.”
He started rambling without even blinking. Was it a joke? It seemed a bit excessive for a joke about his sister.
“Yeah, a premium limited edition would be good!”
No, this was 100% genuine. Look at his eyes. He was that kind of person.
Chae Se-dric wasn’t lying. The girl in the photo was indeed cute. Definitely cute, but...
Chae Se-dric is 22, but the girl in the photo looked much younger. She looked like an elementary school student at best. A much younger sister?