Walking through the stone corridor between magical dungeon doors reminded me of when Dave had first brought me to the cafe, except this time, Fiona was actually with me. She''d get to see the garden full of dirt slimes, the new tea garden, and even the sorry excuse for a shack-cafe. That part was about to change though. I''d gotten all the stone, clay, and wood the quest required and I couldn''t wait to see how the upgrade worked.


    I paused by the door leading out. "You ready for this?"


    "Hell yeah, show me this cafe of yours." Fiona grinned, nodding for me to go forward.


    The door opened when I stepped closer, revealing a dark room ahead. Dave had said the key would bring me back to the cafe, right? I assumed that meant in the front yard like when he brought me here, but based on that cramped looking room, I had a feeling it opened the cafe''s front door...


    How were we all supposed to fit inside? I couldn''t just leave the slimes or Fiona in the corridor, but I''d barely fit with the slimes, let alone with another person carrying a giant hammer. This was so not good.


    "Ummm..." I clasped the back of my neck, wincing. "It''s the first time I''ve used the key, and well..."


    Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Well?"


    "We''re about to get up close and personal, sorry." I stepped into the shack cafe''s dark embrace. The new upgrade better come with windows. "I hope you''re not claustrophobic!"


    Jellybean bounced on my shoulder as Fiona made her way inside, shifting to stand in the corner next to me. Then came Boss, squeezing into the shack and filling every available space with his doughy slime body. Jellybean chirped, moving from my shoulder to the top of my head. If Boss filled up any more of the space, we wouldn''t be able to breathe!


    The click of the dungeon door shutting behind us echoed in the room, loud and final. There was no going back.


    "Haaazellll..." Fiona dragged my name out in one of those you''re-in-trouble tones. "This is way more than up close and personal. Get us out of here."


    "We''re fine," I mumbled, sucking in my stomach as Boss pressed up against me. This shack really was too small for four. "Just gotta find the door."


    I scooted around the edges of the wall until my hand brushed over the door handle. I turned it, throwing the door open for Boss to slide out of. Fiona and I took deep breaths, leaning over as we finally had room to move.


    "See? All good." I stepped outside just in time for the little fire-breathing chicken to attack me. It pecked at my ankles, making me hop in place. "Hey! What''s wrong?"


    The chicken puffed out its feathers, glaring at me. I glanced around the cafe, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Maybe it didn''t like being left home by itself?


    I leaned down to run my hands over its fluffy feathers. "You did a great job, thanks for protecting the cafe for me."


    The chicken tried to keep glaring at me, but its eyes closed tight as it purred, leaning into my hand. I scratched its side, assuming that must be the good spot, as Fiona burst out laughing.


    "Is that one of the chickens who treed you?" Her smile was wide and bright as she shook her head, turning to take in the cafe. "And what''s with that sign? Cafe Name Here? You didn''t even name the cafe yet?"


    Huh, I''d kind of forgotten about that sign. I''d been so busy working on quests that it completely slipped my mind. The cafe was supposed to be a place for me to level up fast and get out of the dungeon, so naming it hadn''t seemed all that important. But it did feel a bit odd now that I was staring at the to be determined sign.


    "I''m terrible at naming things." I shrugged. "If you can think of something good, I''ll use it."


    "Ohh, what about Dungeon Delights?" Fiona''s eyes lit up as she tapped her cheek. "Or Slime and Dine? Maybe Hazel''s Hideaway?" She held up a finger. "I''ve got it: Monsters and Mochas! You know, since you''re apparently gathering a monster horde."


    She nodded at the chicken and the slimes and I couldn''t help but laugh.


    "Honestly, between them and the trees I just befriended, I probably could make a monster horde if I wanted to." I held up my hands. "Not that I''d want to, of course, but it''s nice to have options."


    Fiona chuckled. "You keep getting stranger and it''s awesome. Back to the names though, Hazel''s Hideaway is pretty good, right?"


    "I don''t know, I don''t really want to name something after myself since I''ll have to leave eventually. Since this is just a way to level up, maybe the Level Up Cafe? Or the Get-Me-Outta-Here Cafe?"


    "Seriously?" Fiona shook her head with a sigh. "You got something amazing and you''re already thinking about leaving it behind? I''ve seen you bake, tasted how delicious it was, so there''s no way I believe it''s just a means to an end. You lit up when you were making those cookies. Maybe this is where you belong."


    Where I belonged? Wasn''t that back home, in my real life? I might not remember it, but it was mine more than this cafe was. I deserved to know where I came from and how I got here. I wanted to remember.


    "Let''s just get this place upgraded first," I said, opening my item box to remove all the stone, clay, and wood the quest required.


    [Cafe Upgrade Quest Completed]


    [Would you like to upgrade now?]


    "Yes," I said softly, surprisingly anxious about this moment. "Upgrade the cafe."


    [As you wish]


    Fiona and I stepped back as the shack fell apart, the wooden pieces floating and spinning in the air like a puzzle that was deconstructing itself. Then the new materials joined in, spinning and reshaping themselves into solid planks of wood that would be great for flooring or walls. The stones and planks started setting themselves back up, forming a building that was four times larger than the shack with beautiful windows that would bring in so much light.


    As the door settled back into place, a smile stretched across my face. This was my cafe. I''d made it grow through hard work and determination in just a few days. With the help of the slimes and the system, of course, but I''d still had a lot to do with it. If I could do this, what else could I do here? Could it grow into a full fledged cafe with enough room for dozens of guests with a giant kitchen for me?


    I could bake every day, meet new adventurers as they passed by, and befriend all the adorable monsters as we shared this cozy little cafe. It could be like a safe haven from the rest of the dungeon where monsters and adventurers could commingle and just enjoy delicious food. Hmmm....what kind of name would be good for that? Something with sanctuary or haven maybe?


    "So, are we going in?" Fiona asked, grinning. "You look like you want to. Even if it''s just a level-up cafe."


    I opened my mouth to answer, but snapped it closed. What was I doing dreaming of all that nonsense? This was just a stepping stone, a way to level up. I had to remember that otherwise I''d be stuck here forever, forgetting about my goals entirely. Sure, I might be happy baking away with the slimes, but this wasn''t my life. If I was going to stay here, I at least wanted to remember what I was giving up.


    I deserved that much, so I''d have to keep working hard to level up.


    "Sure, let''s go inside." I stepped forward, putting the warm black key into the door. The lock clicked open, revealing the new cafe inside.


    Soft light glowed warmly against the new wood flooring with a single table and two chairs in the first room. Wooden beams criss-crossed the ceiling, with small hooks that I could hang herbs from so they could dry. There was a back room too, which I hoped was a kitchen, but a blue message box appeared before I could explore more.


    [Welcome to your new cafe, Hazel. When you''re ready to name it, let me know]


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Thank you, sweet potato," I said, grinning at the shocked look on Fiona''s face. "I''m going to save that for later though."


    [No problem. Maybe you''ll like this quest better then]


    [New Quest: Serve 5 Cups of Tea]


    "Serve tea? But there''s no way my tea grew enough to use yet..."


    Fiona tilted her head. "If it''s tea you want, I''ve got plenty in my inventory. I don''t mind sharing, especially if you make it taste good."


    "Sounds good to me," I said, exploring the cafe a bit more first.


    The room in the back was in fact a kitchen, but it was a lot smaller than I''d hoped for with just a sink and some shelves, but no counters. I forced my disappointment down as I turned to stare at the most important part of this cafe: the stove!


    It was an old-style stove made of clay, with two openings to build a fire underneath each pot. I''d never worked with something like that before, but it still brought a smile to my face. I had an actual stove again. Excitement filled me as I ran my fingers over the solid clay stove, remembering how soft the clay had been when I collected it from the stream yesterday.


    Seeing my efforts put to use like this was awesome. I wasn''t just working mindlessly with no end in sight. I was making progress, using my skills to build nicer things. Things I wanted, like this stove.


    Fiona handed me a container of tea leaves. "Whenever you''re ready. I''ll leave you to it."


    Then she walked back outside, giving me time to appreciate all the new upgrades. I knelt down to examine the stove closer, finding a charcoal bin in the corner and a few pans that fit into the openings on top perfectly. I could cook multiple things at once now and there was even a covered pan that looked like I could bake bread in!


    After exploring every inch of the cafe, the only thing left to do was try that stove out.


    I filled a pot with water, my hands shaking slightly with excitement. Not only did I have a sink, but I had a sink with running water! I hadn''t expected that, but was extremely grateful. I hauled the pot of water over to the stove, placing it carefully inside one of the openings on top, and added charcoal underneath for the fire.


    And then I stared at it.


    I hadn''t seen a lighter and I had no idea how to start a fire without one. I rummaged around the shelves, thankfully spotting a box of matches that I somehow hadn''t noticed before. I struck the match against the stove. The fire glowed softly as I bent down to light the charcoal.


    Warmth emanated from the stove as the water slowly started to heat up. I sadly didn''t have any mugs though.


    "Hey Fiona?" I called out. "Do you have any mugs?"


    A few moments later, she poked her head inside with two mugs. "We should probably go shopping for you sometime."


    "Agreed. My list is growing longer and longer every day," I said with a laugh as I mentally added teapot and strainer to the list. "The water''s almost boiling, so it won''t be much longer."


    The slimes watched with eager eyes as I spooned tea leaves into our mugs. Guilt gnawed at me, knowing they''d want to try the tea too.


    "Mind if they have some too?" I asked. "I can pay you back with tea from my garden once it grows."


    Fiona shook her head. "It''s fine. Call it my gift to you for upgrading your cafe so quickly."


    I smiled, still determined to pay her back somehow for all these ingredients she kept giving me. Once my garden took off, I could bake so many more things for her and then we’d be even. For now, a good cup of tea sounded really nice after a long day.


    Once the water was boiling, I carefully ladled it into our mugs and some pots for the slimes. Boss was too big for a mug anyway, so it worked out fine. Steam curled around me, teasing my nose with the fresh scent of the tea as I carefully set a pot in front of each slime. I felt bad that it had leaves in it, but there wasn''t really any other choice at the moment.


    [Green Tea Level 4 Acquired]


    [+5 XP]


    I took a sip, nearly choking as Jellybean jumped into the pot of tea!


    "Hey, that''s hot!" I handed my mug to Fiona so I could check on Jellybean. He barely fit inside the pot, but he was spinning and trilling with excitement as he gulped the liquid down. I shook my head at him. "You are too cute for your own good, you know. I hope you like it."


    All too soon, the pot was empty and Jellybean was staring at me with big puppy-dog eyes again. He was getting too good at that look.


    "I think the slime wants more," Fiona said with a laugh, sipping on her own tea as she watched the show play out.


    Jellybean jumped out of the pot, landing in my lap without a single drop of tea flying anywhere. He had drained that pot dry, which had to mean he really liked it. I''d have to start keeping track of which food and drinks the slimes liked best and which they were kind of meh about.


    I put the pot back on the stove and refilled it with water as Boss nudged his own pot of tea closer to Jellybean.


    The little slime''s eyes widened as he hopped inside, basking in the warmth of the tea like he was at a hot spring. His blue body started turning green from drinking so much tea, making him a beautiful turquoise.


    I patted the boss slime. "That was nice of you."


    He nodded, rubbing against my hand like he wanted more pets. I laughed and hugged the slime close. Meeting these two slimes really was the best thing that had happened to me in this dungeon. Taking care of them was just so satisfying, warming my heart even more than the tea warmed my body.


    Once the water was boiling again, I split it between the two pots, making sure Boss would actually get some this time.


    "Do you need a refill?" I asked Fiona, but she just shook her head, watching as Jellybean jumped into the pot of hot tea again.


    I sighed, glad he wasn''t hurt, but I wished he''d wait for it to cool down a bit. He sank into the hot liquid with a little sigh of contentment. He didn''t even drink the tea this time, just seemed to enjoy sitting in it. His body turned even greener until he matched the tea so perfectly it would have been hard to tell where one started and the other began if not for the slime''s jelly-like body.


    [Quest Completed: Serve 5 Cups of Tea]


    [Your cooking brings so much joy. You''re on your way to becoming a wonderful cafe owner]


    I smiled against my mug, far too happy at the system''s compliment. The tea hadn''t been anything special, but somehow, it felt monumental.


    [Rewards: Teapot, Tea Cups, and a Tea Strainer]


    My eyes widened as a beautiful green teapot, four tea cups, and a strainer appeared before me. I brushed my fingers over the cast iron, grateful the system had given me exactly what I needed right now. Green tea leaves decorated the teapot, swirling around it like leaves on the wind. I couldn''t wait to use it.


    "Ohh, that''s a nice reward," Fiona said. "At this point, I think the system''s playing favorites here."


    Honestly, so did I, but that just made me feel even warmer inside. Somebody was looking after me.


    Jellybean hopped out of the pot to examine the new items, but something was different about the little slime. Even after he left the tea, his body was still green and full of tea leaves. Something was sprouting from the top of his head too, almost like the dirt slimes after I''d given them new seeds. My mouth dropped open as a tiny sprig of tea grew out of Jellybean''s head.


    "What''s going on? Is he okay?" I asked, rushing to check on him.


    Fiona was about to answer when a message box appeared right in front of her. She hmphed and let the system talk.


    [Blue Slime has evolved into a Tea Slime]


    "Slimes can evolve??"


    [Slimes evolve based on what they eat. If they end up loving a food and eating enough of it, an evolution is triggered]


    Fiona''s eyebrows raised. "I didn''t know the part about having to love the food. I just thought they evolved if they ate a lot of the same thing. Interesting."


    Did that mean the dirt slimes...loved dirt? Huh, I''d have to dig into that more later.


    "I''ll make you all the tea you want," I told Jellybean, hugging him close as Boss started bouncing. "You too, Boss. I''ll make you all kinds of treats in case you want to evolve like Jellybean." I frowned, holding the little slime out to study his new tea shape. "Hmm...do you still like the name Jellybean? Or do you want something more...tea themed now that you''ve evolved?"


    Jellybean''s eyes got all starry when I mentioned a new name.


    "Ohh, what about Steepie?" Fiona asked, eyes lighting up again. "Or Brewster?"


    The little slime swayed back and forth like he was undecided.


    "Okay," I said, patting the side of his body instead of his head to avoid the tea leaves. "Maybe something tea inspired then? Like Boba? Or Chai? Maybe Matcha?" He started bouncing so fast in my arms at that last name that I almost dropped him. I laughed. "Okay, Matcha it is! Congratulations on evolving into a tea slime, little Matcha."


    Fiona gave me back my tea mug, clinking her mug against mine. "And congratulations on your Get-Me-Outta-Here Cafe."


    "Okay, maybe it deserves a better name than that," I said with a laugh, setting Matcha down to play with Boss.


    My tea was going a bit cold at this point, but I finished the last few sips, enjoying the earthy taste. Drinking tea with friends was such a cozy experience, warm and homey.


    A name for the cafe tugged at my mind, inspired by Matcha''s new love of tea. I hovered over the menu as the weight of this decision loomed over me. If I picked a bad name, people might easily forget it, but if I picked something good, they''d be more likely to talk about my cafe.


    No matter what I chose, I wanted slimes to be part of it so everyone knew how important they were to me. I not only wanted to protect these slimes, but make a safe space for them to feel comfortable without worrying what the adventurers might do to them.


    This was a place for me and the slimes to feel at home. To feel safe and secure. The name should be something warm like tea...


    A smile tugged at my lips as I entered the name. The menu asked for a confirmation and I pressed "yes", then hurried outside to see if the sign had updated.


    The name "Slime Serenitea" swept across the sign with shimmering green letters that looked like they were mimicking the slime''s texture. The sign even had a little version of Matcha on it, relaxing in a big cup of tea.


    I pressed my hand to my chest, overcome with emotions at the sight of it. This was everything I''d wanted for so long and more.


    This was the Slime Serenitea Cafe.