SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The Dungeon

Eight years ago. It was an interesting opening line. I munched on my fried onions and focused on Ju Noeul’s story.

“It wasn’t a ranch back then, it was a valley … I was in that valley and suddenly a rift popped open … I awakened at that moment, just in time to close it before it did too much damage……”

Wow, so it was Ju Noeul who stopped the rift eight years ago. It was impressive that she awakened in a moment of crisis and stopped a rift. I was intrigued and asked, “If it was a valley, did you go to a MT?”

“It’s similar… at that time, it was a meetup of the ‘You Stop Playing Could Cause Server Termination’ guild … we all gathered and promised to beat ‘R’, the first place of the server ranking…..”

“Aha…..”

Oops. The conversation turned back to that game story again.

Ju Noeul looked at me with a gaze as if she had met an old enemy on a single-log bridge¹. I silently picked up an onion ring and ate it.

“I always wanted to beat ‘R’ someday … but I never imagined that the first rank player on the server would be a F2P² player … the entire guild lost to a F2P player…..”

Ju Noeul clenched her fists tightly and trembled. I rolled my eyes for a moment, contemplating, then opened my mouth.

“Ahaha …. well, back then I was just a student with no money and a lot of time on my hands.”

“There’s no need to be humble ….It’s all a matter of Rieul-ssi’s skill … it’s so shocking, but it’s not your fault, Rieul-ssi…..”

For a moment, an atmosphere of a sort of reconciliation, or rather, a truce was created.

“However, before I could pull out my own Platinum Royal Gorgeous Teacup Set, ‘R’ disappeared and I wondered about their whereabouts …. I can’t believe it was because of hacking. I could have played the game with Rieul-ssi, what a shame….” Ju Noeul slightly bowed her head with a sorrowful expression.

There was no way to revive a game that had already been closed. Still, I wanted to cheer her up, especially since we were finally on a summer vacation. As I pondered what else I could do, I remembered the link the system had shown me.

Yes, that was the solution.

“That’s right. Rieul-ssi, have you seen this?”

I opened the link on my phone screen and showed it to Ju Noeul.

“What is this……”

“The game we talked about earlier, it looks like a sequel is coming out.”

“……!”

It seemed like it was news to her. Ju Noeul was taken aback and opened her eyes wide.

“It’s still in beta testing, but it’s scheduled to open soon. I’ll send you the link.”

“Okay…..”

Ju Noeul received the link from me via KakaoTalk and logged in immediately. Although we couldn’t play the game yet, we were able to pre-register.

“Oh, you can add friends. Noeul-ssi, do you want to play with me?”

“…..! I’d love to…..!”

It was the moment I entered Ju Noeul’s ID and pressed ‘Add Friend‘.

Tiling!

[Congratulations! You have completed ‘5. ♨HOT♨NEW♨Finally/New/Grand/O/pening’.]

…….

Was this the condition for completing the quest? Why couldn’t they write a normal description?

Ju Noeul has recovered her liveliness, so that’s good.….

At that moment, Kim Jina, who had been chatting with someone on her phone for a while, let out a small sigh and explained, “It’s going to take some time to check the condition of the ether ore. I’ll let you guys know when we find out what’s causing it.”

“Heuk, my tool … I’m worried about the companion Dungeon Golden Pothos tools, which even beginner hunters can easily raise. I hope it gets fixed soon.” Lee Chorok sighed as she put her head in her hands.

Anyway, it seemed that the Hunter Channel was inaccessible for now. I hope they find the cause soon.

I took a moment to eat the food I’d ordered and chat with the three of them. The atmosphere was relaxing and fun.

“By any chance, have you seen my brother?”

Kim Jina thought for a moment, then said, “If it’s Hunter Kwon Jiwoon … I think he was heading somewhere earlier. Was it the downtown?”

“Hunter Choi Yichan was with him…….”

Feeling full and tired, I decided to go back to the remaining mission. I exchanged goodbyes with the three and got to my feet.

***

[6. Show Me Your Skills

You have finally reached the final stage of this quest.

Your cousin and your friend are wandering around.

Find them, and help them out of their difficulties.

You must demonstrate your true Cafe Owner’s skills to get through this gate.

Check the location ☞ Click]

This stage felt a bit like a graduation exam.

You want me to show my skills? The only skills I have are making coffee? Or dodging Mieum’s cat punches quickly? Or carrying six cups at once?

And what did it mean to be a true Cafe Owner? If I’ve reached S-Class, wasn’t that true enough? Did I have to come all this way to test my authenticity?

Despite all this grumbling, I decided to move on to the quest location.

I was curious as to what kind of gate I was supposed to go through, and since it was the last stage of the quest, I might as well finish it so I could rest quickly.

If the reward sucks, just you wait and see, seriously.

“Hmm, I think it’s around here……”

According to the system, Kwon Jiwoon and Choi Yichan were in the market area of the downtown. I looked around after arriving at the destination.

The market was quite large and crowded, frequented by locals as well as tourists. Shops lined both sides of the narrow pathways, mostly selling groceries. There were also stalls selling delicious-looking snacks. Maybe I should buy some later.

I was distracted by the market for a while, but I soon spotted Kwon Jiwoon and Choi Yichan.

“Oppa, Choi Yichan!”

“Oh, Rieul-ah.”

Choi Yichan spotted me first and greeted me. I pushed through the crowd and approached them.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well. I was just looking around the market and saw you, Oppa.”

Kwon Jiwoon was dressed in a formal outfit and was holding a large Mandragora Dungeon Ginger gift set. I wondered if he had some business to attend to. He didn’t look like he was on vacation.

“What are you two doing here?”

“I have someone to visit.”

I glanced in Choi Yichan’s direction. He smiled coolly.

“I have nothing else to do, so I followed Jiwoon-hyung.”

The middle of the market was not a good place to talk. Kwon Jiwoon led the way to a less crowded corner and explained what was going on.

There was an active first-generation Hunter, but after going missing in a dungeon and making a miraculous return, he retired. Since then, he became a popular YouTuber and was still happily enjoying his second life.

In other words, Kwon Jiwoon came here at the request of his father, my uncle.

“Come to think of it, Uncle didn’t come with you today?”

“Yeah. He’s giving some special lectures at the Special Hunter School during the vacation.”

“He’s still doing well…….”

The person Kwon Jiwoon wanted to visit was an old acquaintance of his father.

That acquaintance was also a first-generation hunter and was once a member of the White Silver Guild. However, after having a fight with my uncle over something trivial, they left the guild, and when my uncle went missing, they completely lost contact. But thanks to my uncle becoming famous as a YouTuber, they somehow managed to get in touch again.

Coincidentally, that person was living in Gangneung. So, my uncle asked Kwon Jiwoon to visit the acquaintance on his behalf while he was on summer vacation.

“But why did you come to the market?”

I tilted my head as I looked at the large gift set in Kwon Jiwoon’s hand. Since he had already bought a gift, it couldn’t be for shopping, and there’s no way a Hunter Guild would be inside the market, right?

“…..Ah. That acquaintance also retired from being a Hunter.”

Time changed many things. My uncle’s acquaintance also retired from being a Hunter a few years ago. Then, they returned to their hometown, Gangneung, and opened a store, which happened to be inside this market.

“The store must be somewhere around here, judging by the address…..”

“Oh! Isn’t it over there?” Choi Yichan, who was looking around, raised his hand and pointed to one place.

There was a crowded store on one side of the market. It sold various kinds of souvenirs and local specialties, and the line stretched to the front of the neighboring store, showing off its popularity. I opened the map app on my phone and searched for the store. The reviews were all full of praise.

“Wow, that must be a popular place.”

But Kwon Jiwoon shook his head when he saw the store’s signboard, “No, the name is different. The store that person runs is called, let’s see … it’s ‘Soojin’s Bingsu’.”

“Really? Then where is it. Soojin’s Bingsu, Soojin Bingsu … ah, over there!”

“Where? I don’t see it…….”

“It’s over there, over there.”

I extended my hand and pointed to a spot. Kwon Jiwoon and Choi Yichan, who followed my hand gesture, let out a collective exclamation.

The destination was the store right next to the popular souvenir shop. It was no surprise that Kwon Jiwoon and Choi Yichan couldn’t spot it right away. The store was dark, as if it wasn’t open for business, and the entrance was blocked by people lined up in front of the neighboring store.

I pushed past the crowd and cautiously peered inside. I could see a large shaved ice machine, but it didn’t look like it was open for business.

“Are you sure this is the right place? Did you mistakenly hear the name?”

“I’m sure. That person’s name is Lee Soojin.”

Unless there’s another store with the same name in this market, this should be the right place.

“Hmm … is it open? Ah, Yichan-ah!”

“Excuse me! Is anyone here?”

Creak! On behalf of Kwon Jiwoon and me, who were hesitating, Choi Yichan opened the door to Soojin’s Bingsu.

There was silence for a moment, and then someone who looked like the owner came out with rough steps.

My uncle’s old acquaintance was a middle-aged woman with long hair tied back into a single knot. She was tall and had a strong build, with sharp gray eyes and a noticeable scar on her face.

“Is it Seokmin? Has Kwon Seokmin come?”

She was about to greet us with a bright smile, but stopped when she saw us. Then, with a nervous look, she asked.

“Who are you……?”

Kwon Jiwoon bowed politely and introduced himself first, “Hello. I’m Kwon Jiwoon, the son of Kwon Seokmin. My father couldn’t make it today, so I’ve come on his behalf to greet you.”

“Son? Son?!”

She was taken aback, looked Kwon Jiwoon up and down, then pressed her hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. Her reaction felt a bit strange for someone meeting the child of an old acquaintance for the first time

No way.

Unknowingly influenced by my house cat, a complicated drama almost unfolded in my head.

However, the real world was not the soap opera that my cat loved to watch, and there was another reason why she was surprised.

“That guy..…! He was bragging that if he promoted it as a popular YouTuber, even 10 billion in sales wouldn’t be a dream.”

What……?

It was not only me. It seemed like Kwon Jiwoon was hearing this for claim for the first time as well. Kwon Jiwoon pressed his fingers firmly to his forehead.

If you enjoy this translation, you can buy me cup of coffee through /cabinfour!

Translator’s Corner:

1. Meeting an old enemy on a single-log bridge (원수는 외나무다리에서 만난다): A metaphorical expression for encountering something you dislike or hate in a place where you cannot avoid it. Since the bridge is made of one log, you can’t avoid them. ↩︎
2. F2P: Free to play. Player who plays a game without spending any money. ↩︎

I just slept for more than 12 hours yesterday, I think I’m doomed again sakjhjsdhdhjd I’m going to pick up another healing series, but it’s not romance though