Chapter 50. The Legend of Soju
“Help me?”
[Aren: What happened?]
[Reckless: Our guild is doing this quest… but we can’t solve it 😭]
[Aren: What kind of quest?]
[Reckless: Can we talk in person? I swear it won’t be a waste of your time. If you don’t like it, you can just say no!]
Aren paused for a moment.
He was… intrigued.
If he could simply listen first and decline afterward, there was no reason not to hear him out.
[Reckless: There’s a time limit on this one… not much time left! Please~!!]
[Aren: Okay. When?]
[Reckless: I’m finishing something right now, maybe three hours tops.]
[Aren: Alright. See you then.]
[Reckless: Great!]
“What’s gotten him so desperate…?”
He’d know once they met.
Until then, Aren decided to finish up his current work and opened the message log.
[You have successfully completed the construction of the Ink-Scented Tavern.]
[You followed the guideline perfectly and built the structure successfully.]
[Skill experience increased: Hand of the Stars, Architecture of the Stars, Design of the Stars, Understanding of the Stars.]
[Skill level up!]
[Hand of the Stars LV.6 → LV.7]
[You can now perform more precise work.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Level up!]
[STR +1, VIT +1, Dexterity +5]
“Nice boost.”
Aren nodded and opened his Status Window.
[Status Window]
Name: Aren
Level: 50 (EXP 1.47%)
Class: Carpenter of the Stars
HP: 5,400 / 5,400
MP: 1,400 / 1,400
Stats
Strength: 53 + 8
Vitality: 48 + 6
Agility: 11 + 15
Wisdom: 10 + 4
Special Stat
Dexterity: 250 + 72
Remaining Points: 1
He had reached Level 50 — not particularly high, considering he’d been playing for two months.
But his strength, vitality, and especially dexterity were far beyond the average for his level.
“Let’s dump this point into dexterity.”
After allocating his stat, Aren checked on the newly completed tavern.
[Ink-Scented Tavern LV.1]
Grade: B
Description: A tavern built by a master craftsman who wished to create a place of rest for weary souls.
A building that carries the breath of craftsmanship.
Staff: [None] <Hiring Available>
Maintenance Cost: 63 Gold
Durability: 3,550,000 / 3,550,000
Options:
+10% to sales profit
+10% to food effect
+15% to food and drink quality
Durability loss rate -50%
[Strange Rumors]: Increases customer visit rate by 12%
<Hidden Option>
[Soul Drink]: When certain drinks are mixed in a specific combination, they gain special effects.
“Not bad at all. But… Soul Drink?”
A specific combination?
Interesting. He made a mental note to explore that later.
Then—
[You have successfully constructed a Special Tavern.]
[Word of your tavern has spread across the continent. Those who love alcohol may now come seeking it.]
“What the…? My tavern’s becoming famous?”
If rumors spread, that meant more customers — nothing to complain about.
He closed the message window and got to work on the next step.
“Alright, first things first…”
He hired new staff — a chef, a bartender, a few servers, and general helpers, totaling seven employees.
“Thank you for hiring us! We’ll do our best!”
“We’ll make this place thrive, sir!”
The new workers bowed deeply, then bustled inside to begin preparing for business.
“Phew… finally finished, huh?”
Alfredo wiped the sweat from his brow, gazing proudly at the tavern.
The wooden sign [Ink-Scented], carefully carved by Aren himself, hung elegantly above the entrance.
“He really is incredible.”
A D-grade blueprint would normally yield a plain, ordinary tavern.
But in Aren’s hands, its structure transformed completely.
What others wouldn’t even attempt, he executed flawlessly — and with ease.
“But there’s something I don’t get,” Alfredo said.
“What’s that?”
“That section over there — why did you build a separate room? Even put up a wall and everything…”
Alfredo tilted his head.
He could follow most of the structure’s design, but this part didn’t make sense.
“If you removed that partition, you could fit more guests. Why?”
Aren chuckled softly.
Explaining wouldn’t do it justice.
There was only one way to understand.
“You’ll see when you experience it.”
* * *
“Haah… another day done.”
Randol, a villager of Small, trudged home on tired legs.
His steps wavered with exhaustion.
“So tired… How much longer do I have to keep this up…”
But he straightened himself.
He was the head of the household — he couldn’t stop now.
A loving wife.
Children who looked up to him with shining eyes.
Thinking of his family kept him walking, though sometimes,
the weight of it all made him want to collapse.
“Heavy… my body feels so heavy…”
Then—
“Huh? What’s this?”
He stopped in front of a newly built structure.
“Ink-Scented Tavern?”
So this was the building the village chief and his butler had been working on.
The inside was bustling with chatter and laughter.
“Urgh… a cold beer would be nice, but…”
Randol hesitated. He wasn’t fond of crowds.
He preferred drinking alone — quietly, peacefully.
That used to be how he unwound after long days.
“But that won’t work here…”
He sighed and turned to leave — until a small sign caught his eye.
[Solo Drinking Available]
“‘Solo drinking?’”
“Wait… does that mean I can drink alone here?”
That couldn’t be right… could it?
Still, with his craving for a drink gnawing at him, Randol decided to take the chance.
“Welcome~! Welcome to Ink-Scented! How many are in your party?”
The staff greeted him with a bright smile.
“Ah, I’m alone.”
“Oh! Of course!”
Her eyes sparkled — she knew exactly what kind of customer this was.
“Right this way, please~”
“Where are we going?”
“This section’s for solo drinkers. Our master designed it himself. It’s not just a drinking space… it’s a place that tells you it’s okay to be alone.”
“Huh…”
Randol’s eyes widened as he stepped inside.
Warm yellow lights swayed gently from the lanterns,
soft voices murmured just out of earshot,
and every table was separated by wooden lattice and thin cloth —
enough to sense others’ presence but not their gaze.
And the chairs — each one was slightly different.
Some leaned back low, others let you rest your legs up,
all meticulously crafted by Aren to match the perfect posture for solo drinking.
“A place like this actually exists…”
He sat down.
The chair fit him perfectly.
The partitions gave him quiet, personal space — peaceful, comforting.
“How would you like your drink, sir?”
Unlike the bubbly greeter, this server spoke with calm professionalism.
“A cold beer… and one skewer, please.”
“Of course. That’ll be 200 silver for the beer, 120 for the skewer.”
The price wasn’t even that high.
It wasn’t something you could afford every day, but once or twice a week wouldn’t hurt.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Randolph looked at the beer the employee brought.
A thin layer of frost clung to the glass — it looked perfectly cold and refreshing.
‘Alright then…’
Gulp.
“Ahhh…”
The moment he took a sip, Randall couldn’t help but let out a loud exclamation.
Startled, he quickly covered his mouth — his voice had echoed across the quiet tavern.
But no one said anything.
They simply nodded in understanding.
“Aha… sorry about that.”
He gave an awkward laugh and took another sip.
Delicious.
The carbonation burned down his throat — but instead of pain, it was a cool, liberating pleasure.
And with skewers on the side—
“Mmm… this is amazing.”
The combination of cold beer and grilled skewers was heavenly.
Unlike the noisy taverns outside, this place allowed him to drink quietly, alone.
It was comfortable.
The weight on his shoulders seemed to lighten, just a little.
‘I’m really glad a place like this exists…’
After finishing his beer and skewers, Randolph called for the employee to pay.
“Did you enjoy everything?”
“Yes. It was perfect.”
“That’s great to hear. Oh — and would you like this?”
“This is…?”
“It’s a coupon! Ten stamps, and your next drink’s free~”
“Huh…”
Randolph accepted the coupon and stepped out of the tavern.
Without realizing it, a faint smile spread across his face.
His steps on the way home were light — as if he had shaken off a set of shackles.
* * *
The appearance of Mukhyang Tavern caused an uproar in the community.
[Anyone tried the new tavern in Small Village? The beer there is INSANE. Every drink in Illusion felt bland till now — this place? Pure art.
And get this — it’s run by a PLAYER. They even have coupons, lol. I’ve already filled five.]
— Certified good place. The beer’s so crisp it’s like drinking the real thing. Absolute refreshment.
└ Facts. I’m older now — one drink IRL and I’m dead next morning, but drinking in-game? No hangover. Heaven.
└ Beer’s beer, what’s so different?
└ You must be a beer noob. Illusion beers all taste flat — you drink and go, ‘eh, whatever.’ Small beer makes you go, “THIS is real beer.”
└ Agreed. Try it. It’s next level.
— You can even drink alone here.
└ Perfect for introverts like me. There are partitions — peaceful solo drinking vibes.
└ The village chief’s a godsend, lol.
└ Good price, good taste. Certified.
— Any buffs from drinking here?
└ Nah, not from the alcohol itself… just boosts snack effects a bit.
└ Then why drink?
└ Because it tastes amazing!
Mukhyang Tavern wasn’t just popular among the townsfolk — it became a hit among players too.
Some even set up camp and basically lived there.
“Damn! This is so good! I feel alive again!”
“Ahhh~ Nice! Hey, they’ve got soju here too — mix it up!”
One player, recalling his college days, proudly poured soju into his beer.
The perfect golden ratio.
It was the optimal blend he’d discovered during freshman orientation — through sheer, chaotic experience.
The moment that golden glow formed—
Ding!
[You have discovered the Soul Drink recipe.]
[A special effect has been added to ‘Golden Soju.’]
“Huh?”
“Dude, why’d you stop pouring?”
“It says I discovered some ‘Soul Drink’ recipe?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hang on — let me check.”
The player opened the info window.
[Golden Soju]
Grade: C
Description: A perfect mix of Mukhyang Tavern’s cold beer and soju in a golden ratio — a divine drink found only by those who pour their soul into it.
Usage Requirement: [Adults only — per Republic of Korea law]
Options:
• +20% Item Drop Rate for 60 minutes
• +20% Gold Drop Rate for 60 minutes
“Wha—!”
“No way!”
“Twenty percent boost to BOTH item and gold drops!? That’s broken!”
It was absurd.
There were consumables with similar effects — but none gave more than 5–10%.
This was double that.
And not only that…
“Holy crap, this tastes amazing too!”
“How did you make this? Give me the recipe! It’s incredible!”
“I’ve had my share of drinks IRL… but this? This is real.”
“Uh, well…”
Their reactions made the man grin awkwardly.
But deep down, he felt oddly proud.
“Hahaha! Alright! Bring it all — I’ll mix them for everyone!”
From that day onward, people called him—
“The Master of Soju — Tavern God.”
* * *
And as for Aren…
Ding!
[Quest ‘The Stressed-Out Villagers’ completed.]
[The tavern has given residents a place to unwind, greatly boosting happiness.]
[Rumors about Mukhyang Tavern spread — migration rates increase significantly.]
[Rewards have been enhanced.]
[Village Fame +440]
[A special being is now more likely to visit the village.]
[Village production rate +10%]
[For the next week, satisfaction is fixed at 90%.]
Quest complete.
The people loved the tavern so much that the quest rewards skyrocketed.
‘And satisfaction locked at 90% for a week… not bad at all.’
Just as Aren was feeling content, he saw Reckless waving from afar.
“Aren! I’m here!”
“You made it. But… who’s that behind you?”
Behind Reckless stood a striking woman — long jet-black hair, eyes to match, and a calm, beautiful expression.
When she saw Aren, she smiled gently and extended her hand.
“Hello? I’m Yeonhwa, Master of the Black Rose Guild. Reckless told me a lot about you.”
She didn’t seem like the type to dance around a subject; she went straight to the point.
“I’ve heard from Reckless — you’re quite the craftsman.”
“Ah… yes.”
“I actually came because I have a request for you.”
Ding!
[Yeonhwa has sent you a Quest Share request.]
[Accept?]
Aren blinked in surprise, then accepted.
[Shared Quest: ‘Please Take Care of the Wizard’s Spine!’]
“…Huh?”
What kind of quest title is that?
