Chapter 10 

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

Blackie, You Like It, Right?

“Oh my, Blackie. You like it that much?”

“Woof! Woof!”

Blackie was sprawled out flat on the café floor, wagging his tail like a propeller.

After devouring an Energy-Packed Nutritional Ball in an instant, he kept licking my palm as if asking for another one. I couldn’t help but smile like a proud father.

“Hehehe, paw. Paw.”

I had decided to adopt him.

Lots of strays came looking for food in front of the café every day, but I had never seen one that was this affectionate and followed me around so faithfully.

Yesterday, I had finally made up my mind and taken him to a veterinary clinic in Jeju City.

Since he was originally a stray, I wanted to check first for any infectious diseases or serious health problems before treating him.

He got his vaccinations and a full health checkup.

There was only one thing that was a little unusual.

—“This guy is incredibly healthy. More than just healthy, actually. His bone density and muscle mass are several times greater than those of an ordinary dog. Goodness…”

According to the veterinarian, Blackie was much, much healthier than a normal dog.

Well, we were going to be family from now on, so being healthy was a good thing.

Of course…

Not everyone was particularly fond of Blackie.

“Oh dear, what are you thinking, bringing a dog into a place where you run a business? You’re practically asking for the place to go under.”

At a corner of one of the tables, Grandma Bu-gyejang clicked her tongue while sipping her coffee.

Despite what she was saying, the plate of complimentary dessert I had given her was already completely empty.

“Aw, Grandma. Look at him. Isn’t he adorable? The customers will love him too.”

“Adorable, my foot… An animal is an animal.”

“Kiiing?”

The moment Grandma finished scolding him, Blackie waddled over to her, gently swaying his rear.

Then he began rubbing his head against the top of her rubber boot, his large eyes sparkling.

“Hey, you little rascal. What kind of tricks are you trying to pull?”

But I didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Oh, Blackie. Do you want to make Grandma like you? You’re showing Grandma the same cute side you usually show Hunter Ra-yoon.”

“Woof! Woof!”

He wagged his tail, encouraging Grandma to pet him.

“Oh, you sly little thing.”

Pretending she had no choice, Grandma extended her rough hand and stroked his head.

When Blackie let out a happy little huff-huff and rested his chin on Grandma’s knee, the fierce look in her eyes instantly melted away.

“Geez… Well, I suppose he is kind of cute.”

“See?”

Just as Grandma finally melted—

Blackie suddenly began sniffing and barking at the black plastic bag sitting beside her.

“Blackie, no. That’s Grandma’s fish. You already had a snack.”

I had just reached out to stop him when—

Crunch! Crunch-crunch!

Blackie instantly snatched the fish head sticking out through the gap in the bag and swallowed it whole, bones and all.

It was as if his adorable behavior from moments ago had been a complete lie. He looked like a wild predator.

“W-Well, at least he’s got an appetite worthy of a general.”

“I-I suppose…”

Grandma and I both blinked in slight bewilderment.

……

A little while later, after Grandma left, I cleaned the café.

“Rrrr… Fwoooo…”

“Aw, you’re cute. So cute.”

Blackie was dozing by the sunny window, apparently with his stomach sufficiently full.

I couldn’t help grinning.

My bank account was comfortable, and I had even gained an adorable pet.

Grandma Bu-gyejang, Hunter Song Ra-yoon, and even Seung-hee, who had finally found her own path, all stopped by from time to time, so there was hardly ever a dull moment.

It was a peaceful, comfortable life beyond anything I had ever dreamed of—nothing like the knife-edge corporate life where an ashtray could come flying at me every morning.

And I especially liked the fact that everyone seemed to be gradually recognizing the quality of my coffee.

See? I told you specialty coffee works.

After finishing the cleanup, I went back into the kitchen.

Then…

I checked my stock of coffee beans and dessert ingredients.

I’m starting to run low.

I should develop some new menu items while I was organizing the ingredients.

For the first time in a while, I opened the Status Window so I could purchase some supplies.

And then—

“Huh? What’s this…?”

At the bottom of the translucent window floating before my eyes, a new tab that hadn’t been there before was sparkling.

───────

【Coffee Master】

— Current Level: 5

(1) Access Coffee Master Shop

You can purchase items necessary for operating a café and special seeds.

(2) Cultivate Garden (NEW)

You can cultivate your own special garden in the courtyard of Café Essence.

───────

“Cultivate Garden?”

Why had this function appeared?

Rumble… Rumble…

The moment I touched the function out of curiosity, I felt a faint vibration beneath my feet.

“D-Did we just have an earthquake?”

【A garden has been created in the backyard of the café!】

A Status Window suddenly appeared right in front of me.

I immediately ran out to the backyard.

It had been an empty patch of land covered in weeds that I had never bothered to maintain.

But now…

“What the…?”

The weeds were gone.

There wasn’t even a single stone.

Instead, there was a fertile field that had been perfectly tilled.

It was almost as if the land itself were telling me—

Grow something here.

“Hmm, a field… A field.”

I stroked my chin as I thought.

Right now, the Coffee Master Shop doesn’t sell things like spices, fresh vegetables, or fruit.

I immediately opened the shop.

And there—

───────

(1) Watermelon Seeds

(2) Korean Melon Seeds

(3) Melon Seeds

……

……

(16) Apple Mint Seeds

(17) Rosemary Seeds

(And so on)

───────

There were seeds for all kinds of crops and herbs.

It was obvious what this meant.

Plant these seeds here and grow them.

Not bad.

The café was in such a remote location that I had always had trouble getting ingredients like these.

Even if I went to a nearby supermarket, the number of customers I received was so small that the stores often didn’t carry whatever ingredient I happened to need.

But I could grow all kinds of plants right here and use them myself?

That would expand my dessert selection, and I could create all sorts of coffee pairings too. It would also open up a whole new range of possibilities for tea.

Since these were created through a skill, there was no doubt their freshness and flavor would be top-tier.

And more than anything…

This was something I’d wanted to try from the beginning.

I had always liked growing things.

—“Get rid of that green stuff over there! What the hell is it?”

—“B-But… Chairman Kang of GW Group gave it to you as a gift…”

—“I don’t care! If I see anything green in my sight, I’ll tear the whole place apart.”

Maybe the chairman I had served had some kind of phobia of flowers and plants.

Even having a single potted plant nearby would make him throw a fit.

Because of that, my longing for green plants had only grown stronger.

There was another reason listed in the Status Window for why this garden had been created.

【Using these ingredients, you can create ‘flavored coffee’ during the roasting process.】

Flavored coffee, huh.

As the name suggested, it referred to coffee beans that had been infused with additional aromas through artificial methods.

You could add things like vanilla or hazelnut essence directly to roasted beans…

But it wasn’t usually the preferred method among coffee enthusiasts.

The unusual aroma might feel refreshing for a cup or two.

But coffee wasn’t something people drank only once or twice. It was an everyday beverage.

If the artificial flavoring was too strong, there was a high chance people would quickly grow tired of it.

Besides…

If I handled the fermentation process myself, it would take way too much work. I don’t have any specialized knowledge in that field yet, either.

For now, I decided to keep that possibility tucked away in the back of my mind.

For the time being, simply using the ingredients I purchased to make the most of the coffee beans I already had was enough.

Fruit would be used as fruit, and vegetables as vegetables—each for their natural purpose.

For now… Let’s grow a little bit of everything.

I immediately entered the shop and purchased a Premium Herb Seed Set and High-Sugar Cherry Tomato Seeds.

I put on gloves, carefully dug holes, planted the seeds, then bought some fertilizer from the shop and generously spread it over the soil.

The whole thing took less than thirty minutes.

“Grow quickly. Hehe. I’m going to make lots of delicious things with you.”

I smiled as I dusted the dirt off my hands.

Just imagining making food with ingredients I had grown myself made my heart swell.

---

Near Hallasan on Jeju Island stood a massive volcanic cone.

A cold tension hung over the fog-shrouded cliff.

There, a swirling vortex of red energy—

A Gate—

was present.

Police officers had surrounded the area to prevent civilians from approaching, while five members of Cheongra Team 7, including Song Ra-yoon, stood waiting in front of the Gate.

“Everyone, check your equipment one last time.”

“No problems.”

“Do what we always do, and don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

The team members nodded seriously.

But there was something about their expressions…

They all seemed slightly excited.

“We’re going in.”

Woooooong!

The moment they threw themselves into the Gate, a massive dungeon filled with damp air and the stench of decay appeared before them.

Strange cries echoed from the maze-like passages beyond.

A short while later—

“Kyieeeeeeek!”

A horde of Demon Orcs with glowing red eyes surged toward them like a wave.

“Defensive line in front! Damage dealers, focus fire from the left!”

The instant the order was given, blue lightning exploded from Song Ra-yoon’s fingertips.

KRA-KABOOM!

This wasn’t ordinary electricity.

Lightning far more precise and densely concentrated than before pierced directly through the chests of the Demon Orcs.

Five or six Orcs at the front collapsed to the ground without even having time to scream.

Holy crap. Is the team leader seriously this insane today?

Was she always this overwhelmingly powerful? I can barely even see an afterimage.

The team members’ mouths fell open.

Song Ra-yoon had always been an S-Rank.

But recently…

Everyone had noticed that her movements had become even lighter and more agile than before.

Ra-yoon herself knew it well.

There’s almost no strain on my mana circuits.

In the past, she had to carefully control the intensity of her lightning abilities because she risked suffering mana burn.

But now, using several light attacks didn’t put any strain on her at all.

This was probably…

Thanks to the effects of the coffee and desserts Senior gave me.

Song Ra-yoon advanced without hesitation.

The hideous Demon Orcs—

Monsters that had taken the lives of countless Hunters and caused damage to civilians—

were nothing more than fallen leaves before the Empress of Thunder.

Looks like there’s no need for us to do anything.

Heh… She really is incredible.

How long had her subordinates followed Ra-yoon as she charged forward like an unstoppable force?

Deep within the dungeon, the massive door to the boss room finally opened.

The Demon Orc King revealed its enormous body.

“Groooooar!”

A crown upon its head.

Lavish armor.

And an intense aura radiating from its entire body.

The earth shook beneath its furious roar, but Song Ra-yoon didn’t even blink.

“I’ll finish it in one shot. Just buy me a little time.”

“Yes!”

Clang! Clang!

While the other team members exchanged blows with the monster at the front—

Song Ra-yoon gathered a bolt of white lightning in one hand.

About ten seconds passed.

KZZZZZZZZZT!

A blinding white flash erupted from Song Ra-yoon’s entire body.

A massive bolt of lightning that covered the entire area crashed down directly onto the Orc King’s crown.

“GRAAAAAAAAGH!”

Its massive body was hurled across the room.

Its entire body was burned pitch-black.

It had died…

In a single attack.

“Heh heh, this is ridiculous… A monster this strong went down in one hit.”

“Team Leader, are you secretly taking some kind of miracle tonic? Seriously, why are you in such incredible condition?”

The tension finally left the team members as they put away their weapons and joked around.

But Song Ra-yoon, breathing heavily as she surveyed the surroundings, frowned.

“Don’t let your guard down. Not until we’ve confirmed everything is completely cleared.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. The boss is dead. What else could there possibly be?”

That was when—

From among the collapsed rubble—

“Keiiiieeet!”

A Demon Orc that had been lying in ambush suddenly leaped out with a scream.

Its body was already swollen with thick black demonic energy.

“Self-destruct! Get away!”

Song Ra-yoon instinctively released electricity and formed a barrier, but it was too close.

BOOOOM!

Black demonic energy scattered in every direction, engulfing the team members.

Ra-yoon was unharmed, but three nearby team members were covered in a sticky, black liquid-like demonic energy.

“KyAAAAAAAH!”

“I can’t move my body! I can’t breathe…! Cough! Guaaaargh!”

The black demonic energy began entering through their skin and eating away at their blood vessels.

Their complexions instantly turned purple as they collapsed, frothing at the mouth.

Song Ra-yoon went pale and rushed to support them.

“Move! Get them to the hospital immediately!”

“Yes!”

They were rushed to the nearest Hunter-specialized hospital, but the chief healer waiting in the emergency room gave them a desperate answer.

“Demonic energy of this concentration can’t be handled with ordinary purification magic. It’s corroding their mana and cells at a microscopic level. With the healing techniques available at the Jeju Branch… there’s nothing we can do.”

“What do you mean, nothing?! We have to save them somehow!”

“I’m sorry. This is the limit of what we can do… You need to transfer them to Seoul as quickly as possible.”

“If we send them to Seoul, they’ll die on the way!”

Song Ra-yoon grabbed the healer by the collar and shouted, but the medical staff could only shake their heads.

Song Ra-yoon’s fist trembled as she stared at the team members groaning on the hospital beds.

Mana corrosion.

If left untreated, it was a curse close to an incurable disease that could not only result in the amputation of limbs, but also threaten their lives.

Then, one person came to mind.

…Senior.

The legendary Hunter, Unknown.

If it was him…

Maybe there was a way.

“L-Leader, where are you going?”

“Wait! There’s somewhere I need to go!”

Ra-yoon quickly ran out of the hospital.

---

Meanwhile, in the backyard of Café Essence—

“Oh my goodness… Why did these grow so fast?”

Seung-gyun’s mouth fell open as he looked at the crops that had grown abundantly in the garden only a few days after he planted the seeds.

The problem was…

“These are really supposed to be right? Why are they so huge and glossy?”

The appearance of the crops was…

Completely different from what he had originally imagined.