SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The Dungeon — Chapter 8
11-13 minutes 21.07.2022
Mieum also sighed when she saw the system error window.
“I can’t seem to tell you right now. Anyway, if a monster suddenly popped out of the gate, it’s very likely that it was afraid of something and ran away.”
“What something?”
“That is something I don’t know for sure. It could be a higher-grade monster.”
Hearing Mieum’s words, I became more confident.
“Mieum, let’s run away.”
“Miaong?”
But trying to run away alone hurts my conscience.
I can go to a sauna for one night to avoid monsters, but what if Jina gets caught up in the accident? I, who have personally died, know very well how powerless ordinary people are in front of monsters.
However, I doubt that other people will believe me if I say, ‘A monster will appear in three days!‘. I can’t even answer if they asked how I found out.
Is there any other way?
***
“You look more suspicious in that outfit.”
Meeum sighed when she saw me.
“But this is the only way.”
I headed out valiantly.
I wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, a mask, and a jumper that did not reveal my body shape.
It’s the perfect bank robbery fashion. It seems like If I go to the bank, I will be taken to the police station before I can pass through the entrance.
It looked very suspicious to me, but in order not to reveal my identity, it is only safe to wear a disguise like this.
Dressed as a bank robber, I headed to a nearby public phone booth. My intention was to make an anonymous report.
It was hard to see, but after wandering for a long time, I finally found a payphone booth. After checking once more to make sure there was no one around, I dialed the Dungeon Management Office’s emergency call number.
— Yes, it’s Dungeon Management Office. How may I help you?
“I, I would like to make a report.”
— Yes, what is your name?
“My name is Kwon Ri….”
Huk, I almost answered with my real name casually.
This is because of my habit of answering automatically when someone asks for my name. Since I was a child, I lived a life of raising my hand and answering when they called my attendance number.
No way. In my effort to cover up the fact that I regressed, I am even wearing bank robbery fashion and trying to report it anonymously right now. I hurriedly changed my words.
“Kim … My name is Kim Kwonri.”
The name is a little weird, but it can’t be helped.
— Yes, Kim Kwonri, what brings you to call us?
“There … there’s a magnetic field response near the Abyss, Dungeon Gate 3.”
— Magnetic field response?
A magnetic field response refers to a phenomenon in which the magnetic field becomes abnormal near the dungeon.
Why the compass does not spin or the magnet doesn’t work properly? There was a theory that when the compass became strange, rifts or monsters would pop out there.
Predicting the occurrence of dungeons was the aspiration of many people. That’s why this theory of magnetic field anomaly has received quite a lot of support.
Of course, a few years later, it turns out that it is just a myth and pseudo-science without any basis.
I feel like a delusional person who says that they will die if they sleep with the fan on, but let’s insist.
“I hear strange noises … Ah, anyway, every time I pass by, there is a gloomy vibe.”
I repeatedly insisted that the area around the Abyss Dungeon Gate is suspicious.
After insisting, the agent said that they would strengthen the patrol around the area.
In the past, there were many casualties due to A-class rifts that occurred when they ignored the report because they thought it was a false report. Since then, dungeon-related reports had to be dealt with unconditionally.
In other words, I’m relieved now.
Even before the regression, it was originally said that it was not a high-risk monster that could harm people, so if the Hunters patrol in time, it would not be such a big damage if a monster appeared.
I was relieved at last.
Yes, leave the monsters to the hunter and I will stick to the role of a civilian who safely evacuates in advance.
***
The next day, I was drinking my daily coffee mix while looking for a place to sleep on my phone.
The scheduled date for the monster to appear is tomorrow. I decided to leave the store overnight and sleep somewhere else safely.
When I left the company, I terminated the contract for the house I lived in before, and I couldn’t go to the sauna with a cat. When looking for a hotel that allows animals, the price is slightly higher.
‘Now….’
Reserve it? Or not?
Wow, the bed looks fluffy and there is a bathtub with bubbles. The food looks delicious too.
Still, this price is a bit expensive for one night’s sleep….
[ Brew 100 cups of Coffee Mix: 90/100 ]
I checked the quest screen.
There was not much left until the number of quests were all filled. I’m going to have 5 million won soon, so this should be fine.
Eh, I don’t know, let’s just pay.
Just as I was about to press the payment button on the cell phone screen, the door opened with a click.
Uh, who is it? It’s not time for Jina to come yet.
A foreign man was standing at the entrance of the store. His bright red curly hair and piercings were very colorful. What stood out the most was the large embroidered mark on his chest.
“What is that?”
“Meow (You don’t even know that! It’s the American Hunter Association logo).”
How am I supposed to know that?
But what about America? Why is an American Hunter here?
What should I do? I haven’t even thought about English since I took the TOEIC test a few years ago.
Hello, how are you, may I help you? The advanced English was long gone in my head.
The man opened his mouth. Contrary to my concerns, what I heard was Korean.
“What are you doing here?”
“Yes?”
“Oh, this is a very unusual place.”
Every time the man spoke, the shape of his mouth and the sound were slightly off. It was as if the voice was coming from somewhere else.
“Waaeng, Meoong (Author, he’s using an interpreter artifact).”
Mieum whispered beside me.
“Isn’t it a little awkward?”
“Meong (He uses the cheap ones).”
“Ah….”
I heard that the interpreter artifact with good performance can even communicate easily with monsters. Of course it’s expensive.
This man must have used a cheap one, judging from the tone of speech translated.
“But who are you….”
I don’t remember ever knowing someone like this in the past.
Then Jina opened the door and appeared.
“Sir Hunter, you have to go that way, not this way!”
Jina looked very tired saying that.
“Oh, Jina, what brings you here?”
“Hello, I was showing Sir Hunter around this area. The tutorial dungeon is tomorrow, but he wants to take a look at it in advance. This is James Jack Smith, a Hunter from America.”
“I am called Kwon Rieul.”
Wait a minute, so this is the American hunter who died before my regression?
I was surprised for a moment, but I calmed down as I remembered that tomorrow was the day when the monster popped out. Yeah, I’m sure nothing will happen today.
“And a report came in, so today and tomorrow, the hunters are going to patrol this area.”
“Really?”
I’m relieved that the report went in properly. It was embarrassing to babble about magnetic field response, but it was worth it.
Then, this American hunter won’t die.
Reassured, I took out a new bag of coffee mix.
“Since you’re here, take a break. I was about to make coffee.”
“Ah, should I?”
Jina sat across from the table. I quickly poured the coffee mix into a paper cup and poured water into it.
[Item: Coffee Mix (★★★☆☆)
Status: Very Good (Time Remaining: 00:10:00)
Effect: Recovery speed is increased by 100%.]
Now it’s possible to brew it without looking at the window anymore.
I also gave James a cup of coffee, but he did not accept it and frowned.
“What is this?”
“Try it. It’s coffee.”
“This is not coffee.”
What? This guy?
“I don’t drink instant coffee like this.”
I recommended it again, but James still refused.
Ignoring coffee mix … I have seen an American full of such prejudice today.
‘Smile.’
Gradually, his obstinacy made it difficult to maintain a sociable smile. Instead of forcing myself to smile, I just used my skill.
The tip of the lips drew a soft arc line, creating a perfect business smile.
[Activating the ‘Smile‘ skill.]
[Lv. 1. Effect: Smiling makes you feel better. This improves the mood of the subject.]
[The cast subject’s favorability increases.]
What? Didn’t it make me feel better?
The seemingly useless ‘Smile‘ had an unexpected effect. Perhaps thanks to ‘Smile‘, James’ frowned expression has softened a little.
“Hmm, come to think of it, it smells good….”
“Right?”
“But this is not a real coffee.”
‘Hold on …. Smile.’
“Try it at least once.”
[Skill: Running Smile.]
“Hmm, if you say so, I’ll drink it just once.”
Gulp.
After taking a sip of the coffee mix, James widened his eyes.
“This taste….!”
Another sip.
“This coffee is really great. Oh, it’s fantastic. I’ve never had this kind of coffee before.”
“Right?”
Jina said proudly and emptied her coffee mix. James also looked disappointed after drinking all the coffee in the paper cup at once.
I quickly got fresh water in the electric pot.
“Would you like another cup?”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
James, who quickly emptied the second cup, said.
“I never expected to meet such an outstanding barista in a place like this.”
“Ahahaha..…”
I’m not that kind of person.
And why is Jina nodding her head along?
“I’d like to invite you to America.”
Pardon?
“If you come, I’d like to show you the Grand Canyon. No, that’s not enough. Let me show you the dungeons of the United States.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s really okay, really.”
The dungeons in Korea are terrible enough, but now you’re asking me to visit the dungeons in the US?
James went on about inviting me to America. It’s an unbelievable affinity since we just met.
Hopefully this … is it the effect of Smile?
It seems like I would be stepping on American soil without realizing it if I used it three times. It’s a more dangerous skill than I thought, so I should be careful.
Instead of going to the Grand Canyon, I decided to do pen pals instead, and that finally calmed down James.
“I, I, there….”
“Miss Rieul, what’s wrong? …. Ugh!”
A monster ran into the store.
It resembled a raccoon, but it was much bigger. It red eyes and horns were extremely hideous, it almost seemed like it would run over here and tear me apart at any moment.
[The Flame Raccoon (C) has appeared.]
“Meoooong (It’s a C-class animal-type monster. It’s a nasty bastard that shoots fire when you get close)!”
Mieum, who was sitting on my lap, whispered.
Why?
I’m sure it’s supposed to be tomorrow for the monster appears!
It’s a day early!
[Next]
Translator’s Corner:
Finally after the boring introduction chapters … here comes the cliffhanger.
