Upon hearing the story, it went something like this:
The top-ranked Korean hunter, Muwon, has been missing for a long time.
His overwhelming power, contrasted with his quiet actions. He occasionally fixes serious cracks and then disappears without a trace.
No matter how much they dig, his past remains unknown, and he never shows off. The hunter behind the curtain is a mystery.
Muwon's influence on the Korean hunter community has been immense.
The problem is that the number of hunters who admire him and try to mimic his actions has increased.
Some even boast about becoming dark heroes, operating in the shadows of the Abyss instead of registering with the <Dungeon Management Office> once they reach A-rank.
There are no shortage of hunters on YouTube who pretend to be Muwon to gain views, leading to the creation of a so-called "power-sleeper prevention law."
Even this brief explanation gives an idea of the kind of trouble they've been dealing with.
However, the newly S-ranked hunter, Choi E-chan, who made headlines by clearing the Suwon dungeon, neither measured his ranking nor renewed his hunter registration and disappeared.
On paper, he is E-ranked, but in reality, he is S-ranked.
Given the numerous power-sleepers causing trouble, it was natural for Kang Hyun-woo's power-sleeper radar to activate.
He was immediately designated as a first-class management target, and Kang Hyun-woo, the team leader, took action himself.
Using the formidable administrative power of the <Dungeon Management Office>, they managed to track down Choi E-chan, but they didn't come immediately to avoid the risk of him fleeing if approached too hastily. Finding an S-ranked hunter who intentionally went into hiding would be difficult.
Instead, they prepared a perfect compensation plan for renewing his S-ranked hunter registration to persuade him smoothly.
Finally, today, they came to catch Choi E-chan, or rather, to encourage him to register.
"When did you leave?"
Instead of the frozen Kang Hyun-woo, Jina asked cautiously.
"About an hour ago...?"
"Unbelievable..."
Thud.
If only they had come a day, or even a few hours earlier... The officials were disheartened.
They left their direct contact information, asking him to call if he returned, and the two officials went back.
After seeing them off with a heavy heart and clearing the empty cups, I noticed Mimi and Lime playing with some paper.
"Meow!"
"Meow (Give that back, slime creature)!"
"Meow, meow!"
Paw, paw. Mimi's front paws flew, and Lime dodged, resulting in a perfect evasion by Lime.
"What is that?"
I approached the two animals and snatched the paper.
"Meow (The humans who came earlier dropped it)!"
"If you found it, you should return it immediately. ...Hmm?"
The paper was a missing person flyer. It featured a photo of a young man with a plain appearance, the kind you might forget after seeing on the street. His name was Kim Ji-hoon.
I've never heard of such a name. But...
"Doesn't he look familiar?"
"Meow!"
"How would I know! You didn't even take me with you! Meow!"
Mimi turned her head, clearly upset. Lime also made a sympathetic sound from the side.
These animals are still upset because I went to the farm to save the blue Serano flower without them. They think it's unfair that I went alone to do something so interesting.
Is it really that interesting? Especially since I almost died there...
"I wanted to see the flower that holds the light of the stars, why!"
"Mimi, you said you didn't want to go in the carrier."
"Can't you ask the owner to show it to you?"
"No."
"Meow!"
Mimi leaped up and threw a few punches. She really wants to see the flower, but it's not possible.
'I have Choi Cedric's contact, but I'll keep it a secret...'
"Apparently, it's a medicine to treat his sick brother, how can you ask to see it?"
"..."
But Mimi didn't respond.
I thought she was upset again, but she suddenly continued.
"That's a strange story."
"Huh?"
"The blue Serano flower blooms with the light of Serano's star. It's not a medicine."
"But the monster hell was revived after swallowing the flower?"
"That's due to the □□□ Serano □□! That □□□ has the magical power to regenerate monsters..."
[Warning: Abnormal access.]
[System Error: —. —.—]
Mimi's voice started to crack and fade, and as usual, a red warning window appeared.
What a frustrating system window!
"Meow! Hurry up and level up!"
"Suddenly?!"
But now my level is 11, and my current status is as follows:
I've become a little stronger, but it doesn't seem to satisfy Mimi.
"It's because you're weak that you can't do it! To draw out the power of the seventh agent, you need to become stronger, human, meow!"
Paw, paw.
I dodged her flying front paws and looked at Mimi. Serial crumbs were stuck to the corner of her mouth.
This morning, she monopolized the TV to watch dramas, and until five minutes ago, she was tearing up paper. Arguing with Lime was just an added bonus.
'You're having a great time...'
She was completely enjoying her life as a cat, pretending to be serious about being the seventh agent.
"Meow! Don't look at me with those eyes, as if I'm just playing around!"
"Ah, you're caught."
"Meow!"
Despite the system's interference, Mimi said that the flower is not harmful.
Now that I think about it, it wasn't a medicine but something that "reduces pain."
'Anyway, it would be nice if it doesn't hurt...'
Anyway.
I looked at the flyer again.
"Hmm."
Maybe it's just a feeling. It must be a common appearance, so I probably just thought I saw him.
I was about to put the flyer in the drawer when the shop door opened with a bang.
Jina, who had just left, was standing there. Her face was red, and she was breathing heavily, as if she had run.
"Jina, why are you here?"
"Did I leave anything here by any chance?"
"Is this it?"
"Ah!"
Jina quickly approached and took the flyer.
"Yes, that's it. Thank you."
"But who is this person?"
"That's... "
Jina bit her lip. I thought I saw a hint of moisture in her downcast eyes. At that moment, Kang Hyun-woo, who was waiting outside, called her.
"It's not certain yet... I'll tell you next time."
She bowed and left.
What's going on? Jina's face was pale.
* * *
Choi E-chan left with a note that made it seem like he was going to train under a waterfall.
I decided to support him.
It's a bit disappointing that the temporary part-time worker and the animal playmate are gone.
I'm worried, but after becoming S-ranked, he must have had many inconveniences. There must be a reason for his sudden departure, whatever he's planning to do.
But...
"What's going on..."
It didn't go as planned. For some reason, the number of customers has suddenly increased in the past few days.
[Skill: Cafe in My Hands (C) activated.
Recipe: Caffè Latte]
I filled a take-out cup with a caffè latte and handed it to the customer. The next order came in before I could catch my breath.
"Two vanilla lattes, please."
"Sure, coming right up!"
"Can I place a group order?"
I was swamped with making drinks, calculating, and cleaning.
'I-chan, please come back...'
I desperately felt the need for a part-time worker.
[You have obtained a Golden Draw Ticket.]
[You have obtained a Golden Draw Ticket.]
[You have obtained a Golden Draw Ticket.]
With the sudden increase in business, the system window kept showing notifications.
[Quest: A Dream of Reviving the Cafe
The first step towards an SSS-grade cafe.
Sell menu items to earn money.
Rubies: 100/100
Reward: ???]
[The Dimensional Shop has been upgraded. You can now purchase a wider variety of items.]
[Achievement: 'Where are you looking? That's just my afterimage' achieved. Please claim your reward.]
[Achievement: 'I am the Ruby Tycoon of this area' achieved. Please claim your reward.]
[Achievement: 'Where are you looking? That's just my afterimage'
Unbelievable speed!
You processed orders at a dazzling speed.
Reward: +10 Agility]
[Achievement: 'I am the Ruby Tycoon of this area'
You accumulated 300 rubies through cafe operations.
Become even richer.
Reward: Comfortable Cafe Table (★★☆☆☆)]
[You have obtained a Golden Draw Ticket.]
[You have obtained a Golden Draw Ticket.]
[You have obtained a new recipe: Eiskaffee.]
[You have obtained a new recipe: Cafe Romano.]
And so on...
The quest was completed as soon as it appeared, and new recipes and Golden Draw Tickets piled up in my inventory.
But I didn't have time to check the details. Customers kept coming in, ordering coffee.
[Caution: Stamina is depleted. (0/110) Using skills may cause abnormal status.]
After making coffee with skills for a while, my stamina was drained. I drank an iced Americano to restore my stamina and continued with the remaining orders.
I want to go home.
The problem is that this is my home.
It's good that there are more customers, considering there were almost none before.
"Wow, I never knew coffee could taste like this...!"
"Can I have another cup of this?"
It was also satisfying to see the customers enjoying the taste.
But why did the number of customers suddenly increase so much?
"Meow (You're so fickle. You complain when there are few customers and when there are many)."
'Shut up.'
I glared at Mimi while filling a take-out cup with coffee.
That's just how people are. It's sad when business is bad, but it's also annoying when it's too busy.
"Meow (Humans...)..."
'You shouldn't be talking while using my Netflix ID.'
You're the one who has perfectly adapted to the human world here.
At that moment, I overheard a customer's conversation.
"Is this the place that sells coffee with special effects?"
"Come to think of it, I feel a bit stronger...!"
"And it tastes great!"
...What?
How did the rumor about the coffee having special effects spread? I want to run away...
Ding.
The system notification rang again.
[Quest: A Walk in the Dungeon
Stressed out? Go for a walk.
Take a walk in the dungeon to stay healthy and refresh your mood.
Enter any dungeon: 0/1
Reward: 500 EXP, 100 Rubies, Random Recipe]
I can't believe it.
The quest that appeared felt like it was reading my mind, giving me goosebumps.