Perhaps there's some hidden effect in the skill. I held onto the hope and tried using the skill.
"The floor sparkles."
Shh-shh.
With just a light gesture, the dust on the floor was swept away. In just a few minutes, the floor was spotlessly clean, not a speck of dust remained. My dazed face was reflected in the smooth floor.
"Why...?!"
The floor was so clean that Miim, who stepped on it, slipped.
It is convenient, but when you think of a Hunter skill, don't you usually imagine something more impressive?
"Haah..."
While checking the sign and the skill window, it was already noon, and Choi Eichan arrived at the store.
Today, I called Choi Eichan to the store. I had a reasonable excuse to give him the pendant as a gift.
"Kwon Ri, hello!"
Choi Eichan was wearing light sportswear as usual. He came in and was surprised by the sparkling clean floor.
"Hey, this place is really clean."
"Thanks... Ah, do you want something to drink?"
"Sure. How about that one from before?"
"Got it."
However, after drinking two cups of iced coffee in a row, Choi Eichan noticed the sign that had been shoved into a corner.
"Hey! Is this the store sign? Shall I put it up for you?"
"No, it's fine. I don't need to."
It was a 100% genuine refusal, but Choi Eichan took it as a polite refusal.
"Come on, is it too heavy? Don't worry. I'm an Awakened, so this is nothing! Just trust me."
"No, really, it's fine..."
"It will look good over there, won't it?"
"Uh, yeah..."
"Wait here. I'll put it up right away."
In the end, Choi Eichan went to the warehouse to find nails and a hammer and started hanging the sign in a suitable spot.
Choi Eichan was like this even before the regression. He liked helping others and would finish a task he had committed to without showing any signs of annoyance. Seeing Choi Eich act the same as before the regression made me feel a bit strange.
But now that I have the pendant, the same thing that happened before the regression won't happen again.
While Choi Eichan was hanging the sign, I had something to do.
I needed to create a menu that would cause caffeine addiction in one go.
'A cup of coffee, a bond.'
In the list of Choi Eichan's skills I checked last time, one caught my eye.
[Coffee is My Power (S) /Not Acquired/
(Lv.1) Attack power increases by 800% when in a caffeine addiction state.
* This is a skill you have not yet acquired.
Acquisition Method: Attempt an attack while in a caffeine addiction state.]
The effect is quite good. With an 800% increase in attack power, it would be very helpful if I could acquire it.
The problem is that I need to be in a caffeine addiction state.
Based on my experience so far, I need to drink at least four cups of coffee to become addicted to caffeine.
It would be difficult to drink four cups of coffee in a dungeon during a tense situation. What if a monster attacks while I'm drinking the coffee?
So, I decided to find a way to become addicted to caffeine in one go.
"Like this... will it work?"
"What are you doing?!"
"Meow?"
When I adjusted the settings of the espresso machine, Miim and Lime looked over.
"I'm trying to extract a ristretto."
"What's that?!"
After separating the curious animals, I adjusted the grinder settings and used the skill.
'Barista's Extraction.'
Soon, a rich ristretto began to be extracted from the machine.
"...Done."
About 15 ml of a more concentrated and heavier coffee was made. Extracted in half the volume of an espresso, it was even more concentrated.
But this alone is not enough.
I repeated the same process a few more times to fill the cup with four shots of ristretto. Then, I used 'Barista's Extraction' on the extracted coffee again to further concentrate the ristretto.
A thick, black liquid dripped into the cup. Due to the skill's effect, the volume decreased, filling only half the cup.
The moment the concentrate was fully in the cup, a new status window appeared.
Due to its intensity, it causes immediate caffeine addiction upon consumption.
Be cautious when consuming.]
Success!
But... Can Choi Eichan, who only likes coffee, drink this?
A very strong and bitter smell came from the concentrate in the cup. I tasted it with just the tip of a spoon, and the intense flavor overwhelmed my mouth.
"Miim, Lime, take a look at this."
"What is it? Do you need my help?!"
"Meow...?"
I held out the cup of concentrate to the animals.
Miim, who sniffed it slightly, bristled and flailed her front paws.
"Kyaa! What is this? Are you trying to kill me?!"
"Meow!"
Lime didn't even come close, finding the smell too unpleasant.
This won't do. Even if it's for the skill, I don't want to make them eat something that tastes bad. Choi Eichan would spit it out as soon as it touches his mouth. I need to find a way.
"I need to use this."
I first took out a lot of sugar I had prepared.
I needed one more ingredient.
'Dimensional Shop.'
[Dimensional Shop
Welcome! This shop connects the gaps between dimensions.
Eligible users can purchase the items they need.
Item refresh time: 12:00:00 remaining]
I opened the system window and called up the Dimensional Shop.
The items in the Dimensional Shop were refreshed once every 24 hours at midnight, but to refresh them earlier, I had to pay rubies.
I was worried that the item I needed wouldn't be on the list, but fortunately, I found it without refreshing.
"I found it."
As I paid the rubies and received the item, Miim's eyes widened.
"What are you going to use that for?!"
"Hehe, just wait and see. This is all I need."
"It looks like paper, meow!"
The item I bought was gelatin. I decided to use this gelatin to make coffee jelly.
Jelly would be tastier and easier to eat than the concentrate.
The process was simple. I first filled a bowl with cold water and let the gelatin soak for a while.
While waiting for the gelatin to soak, I mixed sugar into the coffee concentrate.
"Hmm... Should I add a bit more?"
I generously added sugar, as the concentrate's flavor was so strong that a little sugar wouldn't be enough to mask it. Sweetness is the measure of taste.
I stirred thoroughly with a spoon until the sugar dissolved and no gritty sound was heard.
"Are you trying to make poison?!"
"Meow...?"
Miim and Lime looked at me with distrust, but I ignored them.
"Trust me, okay?"
Just as the gelatin had soaked and softened in the water, I mixed it into the bowl of coffee concentrate.
Finally, I poured the liquid into a glass of appropriate size. Now, I just needed to put this glass in the refrigerator to set it.
"Kwon Ri, what are you doing?"
As I put the coffee jelly in the refrigerator, Choi Eichan came back.
"I was making a new menu item."
"Really? I want to try it."
"Sure, but it will take a while to finish... I'll let you try it later."
Later, after the dungeon incident.
"I've finished hanging the sign. Do you want to check if it's crooked?"
"Uh, yeah..."
A large sign was hung on the red brick wall. Choi Eichan had been so meticulous that it was perfectly straight, not even 1 mm off.
Fortunately, it didn't look bad.
The sign was simple yet elegant, familiar yet unique, and had a touch of both classic and modern. I couldn't help but keep looking at the sign and felt the urge to enter the store.
Could this be the effect of a sign that attracts customers?
If it's a matter of looks versus performance, K-gamers would naturally choose performance. I rationalized it that way.
Besides, Choi Eichan had put it up for me.
"Choi Eichan, it's not much of a thank you, but... I have something to give you."
"Huh? No, no! This is nothing! If you need help with anything else, just let me know. No need to thank me."
"Take this."
I handed the pendant to Choi Eichan.
It was an awkward situation to give a pendant as a gift. The simple design, with only a small black stone, looked suspicious at first glance.
But to acquire the skill, he needed to wear the pendant for at least 24 hours. I was thinking about how to explain it if he asked.
"..."
He took the pendant carefully. His cheeks were slightly red, and he looked shy.
Wait.
Only then did I realize that giving an accessory could be seen as a meaningful gesture. I had been so focused on saving Choi Eichan that I hadn't thought that far.
Moreover, the simple design could be seen as a safe and easy-to-gift design.
No, no, no. What with Choi Eichan! We were just study partners in school!
Choi Eichan must have thought the same. I stumbled over my words to explain.
"N-no, it's not like that! I just thought it would suit you! So, it's like a reunion gift, something like that?"
The more I explained, the more it felt like a failure...
"I get it. It's just a gift."
Choi Eichan immediately put the pendant around his neck.
"Thanks. I like it."
"It suits you. Try to keep it on for more than a day."
"Sure, I will."
He nodded without asking for a reason.
He's my friend, but how can he be so nice? I hope he doesn't end up buying some fake crystal necklace that claims to purify his aura.
I was a bit worried, but seeing the black stone dangling from his neck, I felt relieved.
* * *
While waiting for the coffee jelly to set, Choi Eichan played with the animals inside the store. Miim and Lime, who had been bored, were very happy to have someone new to play with.
The problem was that Choi Eichan's stamina was on a different level from mine.
"Here, catch this. Come on."
Choi Eichan held the stem of the dungeon sugarcane and shook it around.
The leaves fluttered in front of them, but Miim, who was already exhausted, couldn't even lift her front paws.
"Why, whyuung (I can't do it anymore)... "
"Meow..."
"Whyoo (How can this human not get tired at all)!"
With pitiful cries, Miim and Lime collapsed on the floor. Only then did Choi Eichan let them go and suddenly asked.