Chapter 8 

He’s Way Too Powerful for Someone Who Only Makes Coffee

How a Legend Tames a Beast

As always, Seung-gyun hummed to himself as he tied his sneakers.

“Heheh~ Heheh~ What a good day, what a good tomorrow~”

Humming cheerfully, he went for a light jog along the coastal walking trail.

On his way back, the weight of the water container he’d filled at the natural spring pressed pleasantly against his shoulder.

Afterward, he opened the café door and watched the sun rise beyond the enormous windows.

This time of day, when he carefully ground the beans and brewed coffee against the backdrop of the sea painted red by the sunrise…

Lately, it had become incredibly precious to him.

‘Coming to Jeju really was the right choice.’

Life in Seoul.

More precisely, life at his company.

He had always felt like he was being chased by something.

But things were different now.

‘Seung-hee got a job, Hunter Song Ra-yoon recognized my coffee, and… the seafood Grandma from the substation brings me is delicious, too.’

He had found some breathing room in his life.

His relationship and distance with his younger sister had improved tremendously.

And above all…

He was happy that someone had finally recognized the value of his coffee.

If every day could continue like this, he felt like he could close his eyes and die peacefully right here.

He continued practicing while checking the flavor profile of his coffee.

Rattle! Rattle!

A strange noise caught his attention, and he looked outside through the window.

As usual, the stray cats Nureongi and Cheese were enjoying their breakfast in the corner of the yard.

They had shown up in front of the café so often that they no longer seemed wary of him.

The two of them eating side by side without a care in the world was rather cute.

Click! Click!

He pulled out his phone and took a few pictures.

Then—

“Hmm? Who’s that…?”

He noticed an unfamiliar silhouette among the group.

It had a thin, emaciated body covered in fur as black as the night sky.

Its ears were too pointed for it to be a dog, while its tail was too blunt for it to be a cat.

It was some strangely adorable creature somewhere in between.

It was being pushed aside by the other animals and couldn’t get any food at all.

Seung-gyun immediately grabbed a bowl, filled it with food, and went outside.

“Here. You eat, too.”

“Grrrrr!”

But the creature quickly backed away and raised its fur.

Whenever he approached, it moved farther away, its eyes becoming increasingly sharp.

“Come here, come here.”

He tried coaxing it several times, but it showed no intention of coming closer.

In the end, he simply placed the bowl on the ground and returned to the café.

A little while later, the black puppy disappeared from sight.

As Seung-gyun immersed himself in his coffee practice again…

‘I wonder if that little guy is okay…’

The creature kept lingering in his mind.

He remembered its ribs, which looked as though they might burst through its skin, along with the matted fur and wounds covering its body.

It was obvious at a glance that it had lived a rough life.

‘It must be a stray.’

Thinking about it reminded him of his own past.

‘I couldn’t even eat properly when I was working at that company.’

Back then, he’d been struck across the face by the chairman’s ashtray, leaving him with a scar.

There had even been a period when he’d lost ten kilograms because he couldn’t afford to eat properly.

Remembering how miserable he’d been during those days made him regret not feeding that creature something more substantial.

“Maybe I’ll do something different today.”

He immediately went upstairs, searched through the refrigerator, and used his skill to purchase some ingredients.

First, he finely chopped dried pollock and removed the salt before mixing it with sweet, savory sweet potatoes to make a dough.

Then, to add some protein, he coated the mixture with powdered chicken breast and baked it in the oven.

‘Hmm. The smell passes.’

When he opened the oven, a delicious, nutty aroma filled the room.

Then—

【The flavor profile is too simple. It is 2% short of stimulating an animal’s instincts.】

A message appeared on his status window.

“What? It gives me feedback on this kind of thing, too?”

Apparently, his skill was going to interfere even when he was making dog treats.

A little competitive spirit welled up inside him.

He accepted the feedback and began modifying his creation.

After several rounds of trial and error, he finally sprinkled in a little finely ground, well-dried anchovy powder.

At last, the status window appeared with a cheerful chime.

【‘Energy-Packed Nutritional Balls’ for Stray Animals have been completed!】

【Recommended Pairing: Chilled Lactose-Free Milk】

The status window even recommended a drink to pair with the food.

Seung-gyun immediately accessed the shop, bought some lactose-free milk, and prepared it.

Then he went outside and handed some of the treats to the other neighborhood dogs nearby.

“Woof! Woof!”

“…Is it really that good?”

They devoured the treats in an instant.

Their eyes practically rolled back as they wagged their tails and showered him with affection.

Was it because of the help from the status window?

Even though it was his first attempt, the quality seemed quite good.

‘Maybe… I have a talent for this, too.’

He smiled proudly and contentedly.

Then—

“Hello.”

“Huh? Hunter?”

Hunter Song Ra-yoon was standing in front of him.

“Here. Today’s special menu. Colombian El Paraiso Lychee beans that have undergone anaerobic fermentation… paired with a fig cream cheese financier. It’s a set called ‘Comfort on an Autumn Night.’”

“I’ll enjoy it, Boss!”

A little while later, when Seung-gyun served her the coffee, Ra-yoon’s eyes sparkled.

Until now, she had drunk the coffee here primarily to replenish her mana or strengthen her body.

But things were different now.

Ever since she began eating the café’s set menus, she had started enjoying the actual taste of Café Essence.

She carefully lifted the coffee and took a small sip.

‘First, the financier.’

She took a bite of the fig financier.

Its distinctive dense, moist texture mixed with the flavors of cheese and butter, creating a whirlpool of flavor in her mouth.

Just when it might have become too rich—

‘Now, coffee.’

She took a sip of the lychee beans.

The acidic tropical-fruit aroma immediately cleansed the richness of the financier while simultaneously amplifying the coffee’s own fragrance.

Two completely contrasting flavors came together in perfect harmony.

At that moment, the flow of mana throughout her entire body began to churn, letting out a joyful cry.

It was the perfect food—good for both the body and the palate.

After she mindlessly finished the coffee and dessert, Ra-yoon smiled.

“You really are incredible, Boss. How do you manage to find such perfect combinations every single time…?”

“I just eat and drink a lot and keep researching. Haha.”

Seung-gyun scratched the back of his head bashfully.

Then—

Bzzzzzzzzzz!

Song Ra-yoon’s phone began ringing loudly.

“Sorry. I need to take this.”

Her expression quickly became serious as she answered the call.

“Yes, understood. I’ll immediately pass the information on to the Jeju branch. Yes. Yes, understood.”

After hanging up, Song Ra-yoon let out a long sigh.

“Did something urgent happen?”

“No, it’s nothing like that… There was an S-rank monster called the ‘Ultra Beast’ that was recently hunted in Seoul.”

“Oh, I think I heard about it on the news.”

“We thought it had been completely eliminated. But apparently, during the on-site investigation, it seems a fragment or possibly a young specimen escaped. We’ve received instructions to report immediately if any suspicious creature is discovered.”

“Oh dear. That’s serious. I hope they catch it quickly…”

“Well, the chances of that thing making it all the way to Jeju are pretty slim.”

“True. Crossing the sea isn’t exactly easy.”

The mood didn’t become particularly serious.

Considering the distance between Seoul and Jeju, it was little more than a distant concern.

Naturally, the conversation moved on to something else.

“By the way, is Seung-hee adapting well? I’m worried she might get herself into trouble.”

“Trouble? She’s doing too well. I actually have to tell her to relax a little.”

“She can be like that. Ever since she was young, whenever she became interested in something, she couldn’t rest until she’d seen it through to the end.”

Seung-gyun chuckled.

Song Ra-yoon then spoke with a solemn expression.

“Don’t worry too much about your sister. I’ll make sure to support her properly, Senior.”

“…Senior?”

Seung-gyun tilted his head at the sudden form of address.

Ra-yoon was startled and quickly waved her hands.

“Ah! Ahaha! Boss! I misspoke. I’m sorry!”

“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize…”

Song Ra-yoon smiled awkwardly.

‘…It slipped out. Senior… doesn’t want his identity revealed to the outside world.’

The legendary hunter, Unknown.

Calling him “Senior” so openly would make it obvious that she knew his true identity.

And then—

“Yiiing… Yiing.”

A whining sound came from outside.

Seung-gyun turned his head.

The black puppy was crouching in front of the glass door.

“Oh, that little guy is back again. Just a moment, Hunter. I’ll get him some food.”

Seung-gyun immediately arranged the nutritional balls and lactose-free milk he’d prepared earlier onto a tray and went outside.

Curious, Song Ra-yoon followed him.

“Come here, come here. You must be hungry, right? Try this.”

“Shhhhaaa!”

The moment he offered the treat, the creature backed away with its fur standing on end.

At that instant, Ra-yoon’s eyes became ice-cold.

‘This feeling… It’s extremely faint, but there’s no mistaking it. That thing isn’t an ordinary animal.’

She could sense a flow of mana and killing intent from the black puppy that no normal animal should possess.

“Come here, come here. You need to eat.”

But Unknown…

No, Boss Kang Seung-gyun…

seemed completely unconcerned about such things and simply continued calling the creature over.

Perhaps unable to resist the savory smell of anchovies, the wary creature cautiously approached and put one of the nutritional balls into its mouth.

“Woof?”

The moment it took a bite, its eyes lit up.

It immediately buried its head in the food and milk.

In less than three minutes, it had completely cleaned the tray.

Then…

It cautiously approached Seung-gyun and began slowly rubbing its head against the back of his hand.

“Good boy. Good boy. Ah, Hunter, would you like to pet him, too? He’s soft.”

…Could Senior have some kind of intention behind this?

After being invited to do so, Song Ra-yoon hesitated before reaching out her hand.

But the moment her hand touched the creature’s back, goosebumps spread across her entire body.

Hidden within that small, fragile-looking body was an overwhelming wave of savage mana.

And there were strange patterns visible between its fur.

The data about the ‘Ultra Beast’ she’d just been informed about flashed through Song Ra-yoon’s mind like lightning.

‘Th-this… Could it possibly be that thing?’

Ra-yoon immediately pulled her hand away and stepped backward.

Her lips trembled.

If that creature really was the Ultra Beast, she knew that she alone…

would never be able to handle it.

‘It’s dangerous. Somehow, I need to contact headquarters…’

That was what she was thinking when—

“Yiiiiiing! Yiiiiiing!”

“Ahaha! Don’t lick me. Come on, I told you not to lick me.”

The Ultra Beast rolled onto its back and began acting affectionately, licking Kang Seung-gyun’s face.

There wasn’t even the slightest trace of hostility or resistance.

It was showing complete submission.

Perhaps…

‘Is it trying to make Unknown lower his guard?’

Ra-yoon asked with a worried expression,

“Boss, don’t you think there’s something strange about that puppy…?”

“What?”

“I don’t know if I should call it its energy, or what kind of threat it might pose…”

Seung-gyun scratched his head and thought.

‘Does she dislike dogs?’

Well, he supposed that was possible.

It was a stray animal, after all.

It could be carrying all kinds of diseases, such as rabies or parasites.

“It’s okay. As for anything that might be concerning… I can take care of it myself.”

“Take care of it…?”

“Yes. I know some people.”

Seung-gyun was thinking of the kind veterinarians at the animal hospital he knew when—

Shock appeared on Ra-yoon’s face.

‘I… misjudged the situation.’

‘Senior Unknown knew from the beginning that this thing was the Ultra Beast.’

‘And if he’s saying he’ll take care of it himself, could it be…?’

Snap!

Suddenly, a memory from the distant past flashed through her mind.

News reports about the legendary hunter Unknown.

Stories about how he had used his skills to tame ferocious magical beasts…

and then used them to effortlessly clear high-level Gates that had previously been considered impossible to conquer.

‘I was thinking far too narrowly.’

Ra-yoon regretted having spoken nonsense without understanding the legendary hunter’s greater intentions.

“If that is your intention, Boss, then I will follow your lead. If it’s you… I’m sure you can control this creature.”

Seung-gyun tilted his head before answering.

“Ah, yes… Thank you. I’m glad you understand.”

Meanwhile…

At the very edge of Seung-gyun’s vision, a tiny status window quietly appeared.

【The Ultra Beast has had its soul stolen by your dessert and pairing!】

【Its favorability toward you has reached the maximum!】

【Special Status: ‘Obedient Houseguest’ has been activated.】

“Woof! Woof!”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Stop licking me!”

And so…

Café Essence officially gained a mascot.