When I woke up, I was half-convinced everything that happened last night was just the result of breathing in too much paint.
That would've been nice.
Unfortunately, I was very much awake. In my very dusty bed. Inside the very old room. On top of the very cursed building I bought.
Below this building still existed a glowing cave. "This can't be real." I groaned, clutching my head and staring at the sunny day outside.
When I saw the blue screen in front of me, I froze. I was in shock for five minutes before completely ignoring it. Yet...
"Argggghh! No! This isn't real!"
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
『 You are now an awakened. May the stars of the universe be with you. 』
I looked away and chose to brush my teeth first, then proceeded to washing my face. Maybe if I ignored it enough, it'll go away.
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
『 Thank you for waiting! 』
As if some kind of higher entity read my thoughts, the system kept repeating itself and showing itself to me, as if prompting me to acknowledge everything.
"Okay! Stop! I'll check my status, will you be happy then?"
Right. Status. Everyone knows what an Awakened is. You learn about it in highschool where they tell you what to do when you awakened. Apparently, the system will tell you that you've awakened and you'll be congratulated by it, just like now, then you're going to check your status first. It's a basic description about you.
If your profile says that you're a C-rank or higher, then by law, you're required to go to the Hunter Association and register yourself as an awakened, as soon as possible. But if you awakened with a rank lower than C, then it's hopeless. Don't even bother trying to register as a hunter or to get into guilds. They won't take you in unless you have a unique skill.
Anyway, the ranking system was similar to a game. It was fairly easy to understand. We have F as the bottom and you go up to A alphabetically and then you have S.
"Status window." I said.
『 Name: Seo Elena
Rank: F
Title: Owner of ██ (U)
Abilities: Gentle Heart (U)
Constellation: N/A 』
"Excuse me," I said aloud to no one in particular, "What the hell is this?"
Owner of what? Of what?? Why are there boxes? Why can't I read it?
U-rank typically means one of the rarest ability. More precisely, it means that no one else possesses the same ability as you. It's like an exclusive skill. But so what? So what if I awakened with a unique skill?
I'm an F-class! What even is healing hand? Is it gonna give some kind of healing ability that closes minor cuts, at most?
『 Gentle Heart (Passive) 』
『 Your presence alone brings comfort.
Allies within a small radius recover +1% HP per minute outside of combat. Mental fatigue and minor status effects (fear, dizziness, confusion) fade faster. Scales with Focus and Affection. 』
I closed the panel with a sigh and rolled back into bed. "Maybe if I sleep a little longer, this thing will uninstall itself."
The bed didn't answer, but the walls did, with a soft hum vibrating from below. The same kind of hum that echoed through the cave when the grinder lit up.
Yeah. There was no going back.
I stared up at the ceiling and muttered, "I should've saved more money to buy a better building. Maybe then this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Sigh...."
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
Ignoring the fact that I'd awakened, I decided to keep it a secret.
Sure, my skills might be unique, one of a kind in the entire world, even, but so what?
I'm still an F-rank.
It's not like I'm required to go to the Hunter Association and register as a hunter. That only applies if you're C-rank or above.
Nope.
I'm absolutely not doing that. If I do, I'll lose this peaceful life before it even begins.
Instead, I made a list.
✓ Coffee beans
✓ Sugar
✓ Whipping cream
✓ Milk
✓ Cocoa powder
✓ Cinnamon
✓ Vanilla syrup
✓ Espresso tamper
✓ Milk frother
✓ Measuring spoons
✓ Pastry ingredients
It was grocery day. And if I was going to run a café, I'd need actual ingredients to test out the menu.
Americano was non-negotiable. But I figured I'd add cappuccino, matcha latte, and mocha latte too. Maybe some seasonal drinks when the seasons change. For sweets... Cinnamon toast felt like a good starter. Something warm and simple.
Maybe chocolate tarts later... eventually.
The nearest grocery store was about a thirty-minute walk, or a ten-minute bus ride, depending on whether I wanted to risk sore feet or standing in front of a stranger awkwardly.
I chose the bus.
It was packed when I got there, which made sense, considering it was the weekend. I had to squeeze past at least three granny's in floral visors just to make it into the produce section.
Still, stores always smelled so good. A strange but comforting mix of raw fish, fresh strawberries, and steamed dumplings.
Vendors shouted like their lives depended on it.
"₩3000 for two packs!"
"Sweet potatoes! Sweet and soft like first love!"
"Today only—buy one, get one tofu!"
I even saw someone arguing with a cashier over expired coupons. It was less like a customer dispute and more like a grandma trying to scam the worker by raising their voice and using their age as a leverage.
Scary...
I made my way to the coffee aisle, humming to myself. The shelves were lined with glossy imported beans, instant mixes, and strange off-brand syrups that looked suspicious like they'd land you in the ER the more you use it.
Yup. Gotta trust the right brand.
As a former marketer, I knew which labels lied and which ones were just pretending not to.
"Alright... dark roast, medium roast, hazelnut, and—oh, caramel. Yes." I carefully placed each bag in my cart.
And then I reached for the sugar.
The moment my hand touched the bag, I realized something was wrong.
I must've been way too focused on my cart because, when did everyone disappear to?
The store was suddenly dead silent. No shouting vendors, no clattering carts, not even the sound of that annoying automated jingle from the bakery section. Just... silence.
Even the workers were gone.
A few items were scattered across the floor, abandoned baskets, a spilled bag of rice, a lone onion rolling across the aisle like it had survived a war. It looked like I'd missed some kind of chaos while I was happily browsing for caramel syrup.
"What the..." I muttered.
『 Dungeon breach detected. 』
...Ah.
So that's why.
"No, no, no, why now?" I groaned. "Isn't this city supposed to be one of the safest in Korea? Why am I this unlucky?!"
Panicked, I ran toward the exit, only to freeze at the sight of a swirling blue portal outside the store, pulling people in like a giant vacuum.
Some tried to run, others clung to whatever they could.
My legs moved instinctively, I turned and bolted in the opposite direction, desperate to get away.
But I saw a little boy that looked no older than eight, crying and clutching a lamp post with both arms.
"Mommy!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face as his feet slowly lifted off the ground.
My heart dropped.
"Damn it—" I lunged forward without thinking.
"What—wait, no—!" I yelled.
The moment I wrapped my arms around the kid, the portal pulled me in.
"No!"
『 Welcome to the Dungeon. 』
Mirang was supposed to be the safest place in Yeonwha. Even the Bukwha District hadn't seen a dungeon breach in years.
And yet here I was, getting sucked in after trying to buy groceries. Great.