I woke up that morning to the sound of my front shutters rattling. At first, I thought it was just wind. Then, the entire wall shook.
"...Please tell me that's not a customer." I muttered, rolling out of bed in my backroom.
Spoiler: it was not a customer.
When I shuffled out to the storefront in my slippers, the entire shop was surrounded. Adventurers in mismatched armor, summoned beasts snarling, and at the very front, my rival's smug storekeeper, leaning against a fancy-looking dungeon-branded vending machine.
He waved at me.
"Morning, Hanseok. I thought I'd drop by with some friends. You don't mind if we... repossess your little shop, do you?"
I blinked, holding my coffee. "Reposses, bro, this is a rental."
They came crashing in like a tidal wave. Spells flew. Blades gleamed. My poor display of instant noodles didn't stand a chance.
Mirae was already behind the counter, tying her hair up and brandishing the frying pan like a war banner.
"You deal with the summoners! I'll take the swordsmen!"
Spicy zipped around my head, screaming:
"BURN! BURN! HOT HOT HOT!" He lobbed tiny fireballs into the crowd, setting more hair on fire than enemies.
The Goblin Coupon Gang charged in wearing homemade knight armor made from cardboard boxes.
"For discounts and glory!" Globby cried before tripping over the wet floor sign.
The invaders laughed.
"This is your defense force? A girl, goblins, and a mop-wielding idiot?"
I gripped my mop tightly. "This isn't a mop. This is..."
I swung it, splashing soapy water across the floor.
"...a SLIP HAZARD!"
Half the enemy front line immediately went tumbling.
Just when it looked like the tide might overwhelm us, the shop doors slammed open again.
The rugged old archer strolled in, bow in hand.
"Figures. I skip lunch one day and you idiots nearly get flattened, move."
His arrows whistled through the store, pinning enemy summons to walls. The first-floor boss grunt (yes, the one from chapter one) appeared out of nowhere, carrying a club the size of my torso.
"Oi, shopkeep." he grumbled. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not helping you. I'm... protecting my favorite candy rack."
"Sure, buddy." I muttered, ducking as another fireball scorched the ceiling.
Together, chaos erupted into a full-blown dungeon war zone.
Through the mess, my rival storekeeper strolled in, sipping an energy drink like he was watching a baseball game. His dungeon floated behind him, a menacing shadow that radiated smugness.
"You're tough, Hanseok." he admitted. "But you're small-time. This shop of yours? It's just a pawn in something bigger."
I hurled a cup of boiling ramen broth at him. He dodged easily, smirking.
"...You didn't even flinch." I said, horrified. "That's boiling water!"
"I run a rival dungeon shop. You think I haven't been scalded before?"
Fair point.
The beast he unleashed this time wasn't small. It was a hydra. A freaking hydra. Heads smashing into the ceiling, tails knocking over shelves, one head literally ate my microwave.
I stood frozen as my store crumbled around me. For the first time, it felt like I couldn't hold the line.
Then, the Dungeon appeared, its shadow swelling in the corner of the room.
"Hanseok. You've done enough deliveries. You've fought long enough. You've earned this."
My points balance appeared in my vision:
1515 Points.
A new tab unlocked:
Dungeon Shop – Level 3.
And there it was, shining like divine salvation:
Legendary Coffee Machine – 1500 Points.
I didn't hesitate.
Points drained.
The machine materialized behind the counter in a radiant glow.
Stainless steel, humming with power, glowing runes etched into its frame.
The rival storekeeper froze.
"...No. You didn't..."
I pressed the brew button.
The smell hit first: a divine, overwhelming aroma that spread across the battlefield. The hydra froze, its multiple heads drooling. Adventurers faltered, eyes wide, weapons clattering to the floor. Even the rival's dungeon pulsed nervously.
I poured a cup. The liquid shimmered like liquid starlight.
"...What is that?" Mirae whispered.
I raised it high. "This is salvation."
I took a sip.
The caffeine hit like a meteor. My veins felt like lightning. My mop glowed. My eyes burned with energy.
And I yelled, at the top of my lungs:
"WELCOME TO HAN'S CONVENIENCE STORE!"
Then I charged the hydra and whacked it so hard with my mop that it exploded into light.
The invaders fled. The rival glared at me, defeated but smirking.
"This isn't over. Enjoy your little caffeine high while it lasts. The real game's only beginning."
He vanished with his dungeon.
Silence.
The store was wrecked, shelves toppled, ceiling half-burned. Goblin Coupon Gang cheered, Mirae collapsed onto a chair and Spicy passed out from overexcitement.
The Dungeon's voice echoed softly.
"The Legendary Coffee Machine… your true weapon, Hanseok. But the rival dungeon won't stop here. Prepare yourself."
I stared at the glowing machine.
Then at the broken mess around me. Then back at the machine.
"...Totally worth it."
Points Update
• Before: 1515
• Legendary Coffee Machine Purchase: -1500
• Balance: 15 Points
• Unlocked: Dungeon Shop Level 3