SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The Dungeon

“Meooong! What are you talking about?”

I opened the skill window. The skills I’ve acquired so far have appeared all over the place. All of them are small skills, but there were some that could help now.

[The Barista’s Extraction (D)

Details: (Lv.1) Extract espresso from ground coffee beans.]

Sugarcane is not ground coffee, but extracting the sap from the stem is also extraction.

Don’t I have nothing to lose, anyway? Let’s try it. I used the skill while holding the dungeon sugarcane stalk in my hand.

‘The Barista’s Extraction.’

[Unable to extract due to low skill level]

[Extraction may fail. Do you still want to extract it?

Yes / No ]

Instead of the skill being used immediately, a warning window appeared. I chose ‘yes‘ without hesitation.

[The level is too low, three times the energy is used.]

[Use energy. 85/100]

The skill was used with a feeling of a slight loss of strength.

[The extraction is complete.]

The dungeon sugarcane stalk disappeared, but what was left in my hands was not sugar. It was just a black, gooey mass that smelled musty.

The cat and slime ran away from me quickly, saying it smelled bad. On top of that, this squishy and sticky feeling was very uncomfortable. Ugh, I think the smell will remain even if I wash my hands.

[Item: Failed Dungeon Sugarcane Sap (☆☆☆☆☆)

The sap of dungeon sugarcane that failed to extract.

It’s useless for anything.

Please separate and dispose food waste in food waste bags.]

Is it just me who feels the subtle sneer in the system message?

But it’s too early to be disappointed. When I used the skill, it clearly said, ‘the skill level is low, so it cannot be extracted‘. It does not mean ‘the item is not subject to skill application’ or ‘there is no effect’.

In other words, it means that I can extract sugar by raising the skill level. But until now, my skill level has not risen even when I complete the quest.

“Mieum-ah, how to raise my skill level?”

“You don’t even know that? If you have a skill point, invest it … kyaaang! Go away!”

Mieum, who ran away quickly because of the bad smell, straightened her hair up.

Skill point. I think I heard it somewhere recently.

Oh, there it is. This is it. I thought it would be cumbersome before, but now there was something I was looking for in the quest window that had been neglected.

[Sub Quest: The Ultimate Coffee

Make a deep connection with your true friend with the ultimate coffee.

Delivering the Ultimate Coffee: 0/1

Reward: Skill Point 1]

However, the explanation of the quest window was quite vague.

What is the ultimate coffee? Can’t I do it with my labor-intensive Americano? What is a deep connection with a true friend?

Please write a clear words for the system. If you use this kind of vague expression in the game system, you’ll get a lot of complaints. These complaints were poured out, but the system didn’t even listen.

Tiling!

Oh, there’s a new notification. You’re trying to give me a hint.….

[The Ultimate Coffee … because that’s the ‘ultimate’.]

… Are you kidding me?

***

I decided to find a way to finish the quest later, and I returned to the store after packing some dungeon sugarcane for practice.

While looking for a suitable box to store the sugarcane in, Mieum suddenly ran towards it.

Pabk!

“Huh?!”

While supporting her body by standing on her back foot, she quickly swung her front foot. The leaves of the sugarcane fluttered and shook after being punched.

“Mieum, why are you doing this?”

“Eheum, it’s nothing.”

How suspicious….

I grabbed the stem of the sugarcane and gently shook the leaves in front of Mieum.

Mieum, who was pretending to be decent and refused to look at this side, swung her front paws again. She jumps up and down, aiming for leaves that are likely to be caught but still cannot be caught.

The cat, who was absorbed in playing for a long time and belatedly came to her senses, made an excuse.

“That … it’s shaking in front of my eyes, so I can’t help it.”

I felt betrayed. You didn’t even look at the toys I bought you, but this … did you like this? How great is that….

I sympathized with the heart of a cat owner who raised a cat who plays with only a small piece of tissue, leaving behind expensive toys.

Eh, I don’t know. Anyway, as long as it’s fun.

I gently waved the sugarcane stalk in front of Mieum. Pakpak!

Then, as soon as the front paws were about to touch it, I quickly removed the stem. After repeating it a few times, Mieum got angry.

“Kyaooo! This great agent wouldn’t catch a thing like that! Do it again!”

“My arm is starting to hurt….”

“Do it again!”

Pakpak!

“What is an agent in the first place?”

Pakpak!

“What! You don’t know that too? On behalf of the system’s will, the great….”

“But Mieum doesn’t do anything for me.”

“Waeoong?!”

Mieum looked at me in shock. The leaves of sugarcane ripped off on her claws fluttered to the floor.

Still, it’s true that all this cat has ever done was eat, sleep, watch television and roll around. Even Lime does a better job by peeling the coffee fruits.

Even when I almost became a monster’s snack, she went somewhere else by herself. She said she was scolded by the system, so I didn’t say anything.

“Waeuuung….”

With a sullen cry, Mieum lowered her head.

“Why don’t I want to help? As an agent who serves the great ██, I am trying to pass on the knowledge of ██.”

[System Error: —. —.—]

Another error window popped up, probably because of what Mieum just said.

“But there’s not much I can tell you yet. Due to the system limitations … to avoid ████’s gaze … I can’t even peel a single fruit, and I’m useless….”

Uh, what should I do … this response was unexpected. I was just trying to tease her a little bit….

I feel like I’ve become a vicious human being who asks cats to pay for their meals.

“Mi-Mieum. Come on, this.”

I waved the sugarcane stalk again, but Mieum just bowed her head and muttered melancholy.

“There’s nothing I can do … I’m just eating….”

“No, Mieum explained a lot in the beginning. You also taught me how to use skills.”

“It’s only the first time. Now, don’t you already know how to do it well? Waeung….”

I vigorously shook the sugarcane in front of her eyes, but Mieum continued shoveling without even realizing it.

She was good at shoveling….

Next to her, Lime comforted her by rubbed its body. However, the effect was insignificant.

“Right! Do you want a snack? Are you hungry?”

When you’re depressed, eating sweets is the best. I took out the box of chocolate checks I had saved and waved it in front of her.

What should I do? This doesn’t work either.

This time, I scratched Mieum’s chin.

“Meoong….”

Despite the sound of a drowsy cry, Mieum did not regain her liveliness at all.

As a last resort, I brought several of the store’s square tissue papers and ink pads for painting. I pressed Mieum’s front foot on the ink pad and stamped it on the tissue.

“Our Mieum’s footprints are pretty. Oh, should I put your foot stamp on the store tissue? It must be popular because it is cute. Right?”

“…”

Oh, it worked a little bit. She tried to hide it, but I could see Mieum’s mouth twitching. I stamped her foot on the tissue again.

Then, the phone in my pocket rang.

I entrusted Mieum to Lime and checked my phone. It was KakaoTalk from my friend, Mira.

[Shin Mira: Rieul, do you hear the talk?]

[Shin Mira: Did you hear that he became a hunter??]

[Me: Who is he?]

She still has a habit of forgetting the most important subject.

Who the hell is it? When I looked back on my past memories, I couldn’t immediately think of the Awakened people around me. Awakened isn’t that common….

Aside from the out of the blue content, Shin Mira dit not respond to my KakaoTalk for a long time. It seems that she has been called away while playing a game.

I was curious, but I put my phone back in my pocket. Time is running out. I really don’t want to go, but … I have a business today.

“I’m going out for a while.”

“Kkyu.”

“Waeong…….”

Two animals saw me off in a weak voice.

***

I filled the thermos that I obtained from the golden draw with hot Americano.

[Item: Americano (★★★☆☆)]

Status: Good (Time Remaining: 00:30:00)

Effect: Nullifies the debuff. (01:00:00)]

The time remaining in the status window does not decrease. After confirming that the thermal effect worked properly, I took the thermos and left the store.

The destination is the White Silver Guild.

Yes, today was the day I promised to meet Kwon Jiwoon.

The reason why I prepared the coffee is simple. If Kwon Jiwoon says he knows that I’ve awakened, I’ll try to show him that my skill is to make this kind of coffee.

If I say that I’m not going to be a Hunter … that I’m just going to run a cafe, at least … it won’t bother him. I felt my steps were heavy.

I took the subway and got off in front of Central Guild Station. I only need to walk a little to see the building of the White Silver Guild.

When I came before, I didn’t feel it because it was right after I returned, but the White Silver Guild also has an atmosphere that it was a difficult place to access. There’s not a single speck of dust in the entrance.

As the name suggests, I entered the entrance of the white and shiny building with a slightly restless feeling and headed towards the information desk.

“We will help you verify your identity … ah, Kwon Rieul-nim. He is waiting upstairs.”

It’s comfortable to pass it right away just with my face, but I can’t get used to this cold atmosphere.

I got on the elevator and got off the top floor and was about to head to the guild master’s office, but a person came out from the other side.

“….Ew.”

I checked who it was and frowned subconsciously. I can’t believe I’m meeting Park Heeyoung and not anyone else.