I was mopping spilled soup off the floor, glaring at a broken ramen bowl that somehow managed to wedge itself into the ceiling.
Mirae was sweeping glass.
Spicy was eating half-burned snacks like a raccoon.
And the goblins were proudly wearing helmets made from empty chip bags, declaring themselves the "Emergency Response Unit."
Everything smelled like poison gas, fried chicken, and despair.
That's when the door creaked open.
A man walked in like he owned the place.
Tall. Expensive black coat. Gray streak in his hair that made him look more "evil CEO" than adventurer. His eyes scanned the wreckage, the coughing customers still recovering in the corner, the duct-taped bandit groaning in the freezer aisle.
And then, he smiled.
"Well, well. Quite a mess, isn't it?"
Mirae stiffened, grip tightening on her broom. Dungeon appeared at my side like a shadow.
I straightened up, mop in hand.
"Sorry, we're closed. Come back after business hours."
He ignored me, strolling in like he was checking out real estate.
"My name is Jang Hyun." he said smoothly.
"I run the dungeon store on the southern gate."
I froze.
Rival shopkeeper.
Dungeon tensed, whispering only one word in my head: dangerous.
Hyun leaned against a shelf like he wasn't standing in the middle of carnage.
"Impressive, really. A little convenience store, making so much noise. Customers talk about you. Even my dungeon talks about you."
He tilted his head. "That... annoys me."
I tightened my grip on the mop.
"Not my problem."
"Oh, but it is" he said. His voice dropped, sharp as a blade.
"You're eating into my profits. Taking my customers. Growing too fast."
Dungeon growled, shadows twitching.
"Competition is natural. But sabotage crosses a line."
Hyun smirked.
"Sabotage? Please. If a few weaklings tried to rough you up, that's on you. But I'll be clear..."
He leaned closer, eyes cold.
"If you don't close down, things will get much, much worse."
The goblins hissed in unison. Mirae stepped forward, frying pan in hand like a knight ready for battle. Spicy spat a spark and squeaked.
"BAD MAN!"
I swallowed, heart hammering, but somehow found my voice.
"Sorry. This store isn't going anywhere. Customers need it. Adventurers rely on it. Even monsters rely on it. So..." raised the mop like a sword. "You'll just have to deal with it."
Hyun chuckled. Slowly.
"Then you've chosen your side. Fine. But remember..." His eyes glowed faintly, like his dungeon itself was peering through him.
"...Dungeons are jealous creatures. They don't like rivals. They don't forgive. And neither do I."
He turned and left, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving silence in his wake.
Dungeon finally exhaled, muttering darkly.
"This isn't just rivalry anymore. It's open war."
I dropped the mop.
"Great. As if today wasn't stressful enough."
Spicy fluttered up onto my shoulder, patted my cheek, and said softly:
"Don't worry... we strong."
Mirae nodded, her voice steady.
"He won't scare us off. We'll fight back."
The goblins saluted.
"LOYALTY POINTS ARE STRONGER THAN FEAR!"
And me? I was just thinking about how much ramen stock we'd lost in the chaos.