Chapter 182
In front of Changshin Villa, there was a street food stall that prided itself on being open every single day of the year.
On regular days, it operated from 9 AM to midnight, though it often opened earlier or closed later. During the day, it sold taiyaki filled with sweet red bean paste, and at night, it added various side dishes paired with soju or beer.
The stall was quite popular, but it wasn’t always packed with customers. During slow periods, especially between the odd hours of 3 and 6 PM, the stall often sat empty. During these times, both Hakase and Kiriel took breaks, although they had different ways of relaxing.
Hakase spent his time experimenting with recipes to create tastier side dishes for customers or drafting blueprints for machines he planned to build back in his nest. And Kiriel?
[Dwarf Goblins are causing trouble in the village. Please, esteemed Knight, eliminate the Dwarf Goblins.]
[Quest: Defeat 30 Dwarf Goblins.]
After receiving a smartphone as a gift from Hakase, Kiriel had recently become obsessed with an MMORPG game. It was said that this game, once a popular PC title on Earth, had been remade as a mobile game after smartphones gained widespread popularity.
“He’s completely hooked...” Hakase muttered as he approached Kiriel.
Holding the smartphone with both hands, Kiriel guided his character out of the village and hit the “Auto Hunt” button, letting the game take over to start killing the target Dwarf Goblins. To Hakase, the game didn’t seem all that interesting, but for Kiriel, who was playing a game for the first time, it seemed to be an extremely thrilling experience.
Well, I guess there’s no harm in some gaming, thought Hakase. Kiriel was enjoying his break in his own way, so he didn’t see the need to interfere.
***
While Kiriel’s character was hunting spider monsters in a field called the Forest of Mirrors, he was suddenly approached by another player’s character, who started attacking with a sword.