Swish—
A dagger flew, slicing through the air.
Thwack—!
The sharply flown dagger pierced straight through the goblin's forehead. It wasn't just a simple piercing. The dagger penetrated the goblin's forehead and embedded itself directly into the dungeon wall behind it. To exaggerate a bit, it had enough destructive power to bring down the dungeon wall.
On the smartphone screen, Kang Guk-yeong leisurely fiddled with his hand. As if the goblin from just a moment ago was nothing at all.
[Massacre broadcast is freaking honey jam!] [With that level of destructive power, it looks like it could pierce ten goblins.] [Oppa, you're so cool!] ['ISawYouAtTheFanMeetingLastTime' has donated 100,000 won.] ['HandsomeIsTheBest!Thrilling!' has donated 100,000 won.] .... .... ....
Among the donors, there were people who casually threw out not just 100,000 won, but over 1,000,000 won.
"Ha... Making money is truly easy, so easy."
Watching the broadcast, a sigh came out naturally. It was the hottest broadcast these days. A broadcast where a high-level hunter slaughters monsters in a low-grade dungeon. It wasn't simple slaughter, but a broadcast with content where he toyed with monsters as if performing tricks.
Should I call it a broadcast that fulfills the vicarious satisfaction of those who couldn't become hunters?
The name of the person pulling out the next dagger on the smartphone screen is Kang Guk-yeong.
He was one of the famous hunters in South Korea, and a hunter registered in the 'First Generation Awakened' group who awakened for the first time when gates opened for unknown reasons.
Among the First Generation Awakened, he possessed the most female fans due to his superior looks, and was also the first among the awakened to establish a fan club.
Also, he was the hunter who cleared an S-rank dungeon for the first time and acquired the unique grade item 'Gloves of Stealth' for the first time.
There was nothing to which the modifier 'first' wasn't attached. A hunter for whom the title of South Korea's best was no longer a waste.
Furthermore, he was the pride of South Korea, ranked in the top tier even globally, and was indeed a core asset.
Above all, he was the one and only hunter who held the title 'Dragon Slayer', which all hunters coveted.
"He grew up well, grew up well."
Again, a sigh escaped me without my realizing it.
Kang Guk-yeong on the screen was someone I knew well too. Rather than knowing him well, I had met him once. 10 years ago, before things called gates suddenly appeared in the world.
I had faced him long before he gained fame by clearing dungeons one by one.
"He came to our store for an interview."
Back then, he was just an unremarkable student. No, come to think of it, his face was handsome even then.
"If I knew he would turn out like this, I should have just hired him as a part-timer back then."
Because just the fact that an S-class hunter was a part-timer at our shop would have been something to brag about.
Recalling his resume at the time, he had dropped out of high school. The reason was 'because I didn't know why I had to attend'. He seemed like a guy who didn't particularly have an interest in a place called school.
Consequently, neither the interview content nor the first impression was good.
'Above all, hiring an adult rather than a minor was more comfortable for me in many ways.'
Anyway, as of now, it was certain that he was a hunter for whom the title of South Korea's best was not a waste.
'He's an S-class hunter, what does academic background matter...'
It might have been different 10 years ago, but now, the job called hunter was a profession at the center of everything in the entire world.
And unfortunately, I was the owner of a small cafe who hadn't awakened, looking enviously at his exploits through the broadcast on the smartphone.
Jingle—!
The sound of a customer entering the shop, where only flies were buzzing, could be heard.
"Welcome."
I put the smartphone down next to me and stood in front of the counter. A middle-aged woman with sunglasses perched slightly on her hair and a middle-aged man who looked fierce stood facing me.
"Do you happen to have shaved ice?"
The sunglasses lady asked.
Shaved ice doesn't sell well in our store even in summer, but now it was the dead of winter in January. And there probably aren't any stores operating shaved ice in the dead of winter.
"I'm sorry, customer. Shaved ice is a summer season product, so we don't serve it in winter."
"Ah... I came to eat shaved ice."
Then, this time the middle-aged man next to her asks.
"Then what do you have that's cold?"
"Most of the beverages in our store can be made iced, and if you look in front, the menu is right here."
The middle-aged man examined the menu with squinted eyes. I opened my mouth first to lead the order a little more smoothly.
"Are you looking for a coffee type? Or are you looking for a tea type or other beverage types?"
"Just anything cold."
"How about iced tea?"
"Is that cold?"
Suddenly informal speech? It's one of the things I never get used to while working in a cafe for a long time. Sudden informal speech. But I have no choice but to endure. Because I have to do business.
"Yes, it is cold."
I said with a smile.
"Then give me two cups of that."
The middle-aged man took out his wallet. He took out one bill from a wallet thick with 50,000 won cash notes and handed it to me.
"Customer, I'll give you the vibration bell and change..."
The middle-aged man was already holding the sunglasses lady's waist and heading towards a table.
Well, this was familiar too. It's just that I get annoyed at every moment.
I thought while making the drinks.
My age thirty-eight, how did it turn out like this?
I started a part-time job at a large franchise cafe right after being discharged from the military. Starting as a staff member, I went through various tests from the head office and became a direct management store manager. After that, I became a store owner and operated stores while going around branches all over South Korea. I don't know what wind blew for me to fall into the charm of coffee, but I thought it was fun in its own way and rewarding work. Time continued to pass, and during that time my career was recognized, so an opportunity arose to enter the head office opening support team.
I had to take a test, and I had to have an interview too. It was that good of an opportunity.
People around me recommended it to me, saying it wasn't an opportunity given to just anyone, and I also thought it would be good to enter the head office. If I entered the head office, I would be doing the same field work in the beginning, but later there might be a path to switch directions to the education team and do office work.
'Damn it, I should have entered the head office back then.'
But I kicked that opportunity away myself. I boldly resigned, and combined the money I had saved up and my severance pay to prepare my own shop. If I entered the head office opening support team, the intern period was a whopping 2 years. Furthermore, during that period, the pay was incredibly low. The income I earned working as a store owner was rather better. As a result of agonizing over this and that, I decided to give up on becoming a salaryman and set up my own shop.
Because I was full of desire for money at the time. Above all, because I thought that with my experience and knowledge, I could succeed even if I ran my own shop.
My choice wasn't wrong. My first shop that I prepared did business reasonably well. It wasn't a jackpot, but the income was better than when I was living the store owner life going around various branches. The sales were decent enough to hire two or three part-timers for each opening and closing shift.
'Damn it, just until 10 years ago!'
10 years ago. Winter of 2019, just before things called gates were first created.
The reason for the creation of gates is still a subject of research for numerous scientists. Although now even that was the share of hunters awakened as exploration classes.
The important thing is that the gate appeared smack in front of my shop of all places. A national disaster level 1 situation occurred due to the appearance of monsters. The nearby area including my shop became a restricted access zone. Of course, I had to close the shop. It's a national disaster situation, so what could I do.
What was fortunate at least was that the government provided reasonable compensation, and unfortunately, the fact was that the next shop failed.
I should have realized it then. That business wasn't something just anyone did, and that the world would change due to monsters and hunters.
"Damn monster bastards!"
I put the shop on the market without even recovering half of the premium I gave when entering. And this time, I even pulled a loan and set up a shop again. The thought was to try until I couldn't anymore.
I obtained a shop through a real estate agent Hyung I knew. It was an area that was said to be developed as a 3rd phase new city. I trusted the Hyung, and I failed. The 3rd phase new city development was selected not in this area the Hyung spoke of, but in a different area.
Truly, the fortunate thing was the fact that this area was a safety zone designated by the National Dungeon Research Institute. The trap is that there are no customers.
"Two cups of iced tea you ordered are ready."
My voice rang out in the shop where there were only two customers. The sunglasses lady and the middle-aged man seemed not to have heard my voice as they were busy laughing and chatting with each other.
In the end, I have no choice but to bring it to them.
"Thank you, please enjoy."
Returning to the counter, I grabbed the smartphone again. I intend to stop watching the broadcast now. Watching hunter broadcasts only makes my stomach ache. Since I'm just a mere human who hasn't awakened as a hunter anyway.
I launched the Dungeon Encyclopedia application recorded by the National Dungeon Research Institute. It was an encyclopedia that recorded strategy guides for various dungeons, dungeon occurrence times, locations, items, information on the first clear rankers, etc. Memorizing this thoroughly was my only hobby. It was because of the expectation that there might be a time to use it someday.
Because there is no law saying I won't become a hunter.
2.
10 PM. Today's business has ended. Washing the coffee machine, washing the rags, wiping the floor. One by one, it was when I was closing up.
Jingle—!
The shop door opened.
"Business has ended for today."
A strange customer entered. A customer covered in a dirty black blanket. Judging by the staggering, it was clearly a nuisance drunk on alcohol. Through my experience, I judged it so.
"I'm sorry, but business has ended for today...?"
"...."
The customer ignored my words and walked into the shop.
But something was strange. No, it wasn't just strange.
"...!"
I saw something grasped in the customer's hand.
It was a sword. A greatsword wrapped in dark black smoke!
Items are usually divided into three grades.
Red light for Unique, purple light for Rare, green light for Magic. Those with no light are just Normal grade. However, that greatsword in front of my eyes was covered in black smoke. It was an item I was seeing for the first time in my life, one that wasn't even in the encyclopedia.
But the important thing wasn't that weapon or whatever. The customer approaching the counter where I stood, dragging the greatsword.
"Ex, excuse me, customer? Business has ended...?"
Creak, creak—
The customer ignored my words and came closer and closer to me.
"Cu, customer?"
In that instant, his eyes hidden inside the blanket flashed red.
'It, it's a monster!'
You said this was a safety zone!
I could realize it instinctively. Because I had seen various monsters through numerous broadcasts. Although the monster in front of my eyes was a guy I was seeing for the first time in my life.
But that wasn't the important thing.
Swish—!
The guy's greatsword was falling towards my head. At the sudden attack, there was nothing I could do except shut my two eyes tight.
Crash!
It was so instantaneous that there was no time to feel pain.
Is it not? Am I still alive?
I slowly opened my two eyes that had been closed.
[You have awakened as a 'Barista'.]
I looked around with a blank expression.
This place was my first cafe that I set up 10 years ago.
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