24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 142

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 142

 

Episode 142. When Facing a Problem You Don’t Want to Solve (2)

 

“That’s a lie.”

 

I started by denying reality, but Park Ji-woon’s expression was serious.

 

His eyes were resolute, as if telling me not to deny reality since this wasn’t a joke and to fully believe his words.

 

“You did say you sent a reconnaissance team to gather information about the 54th floor, right?”

 

“Of course, persuasion didn’t work.”

 

What kind of “of course” nonsense is he spouting?

 

As I stared blankly with my mouth agape in bewilderment, Park Ji-woon looked at his wristwatch and casually added.

 

“It’s been about 6 hours since they went in.”

 

There was no need to deliver the finishing blow like that.

 

According to Alessandro, while I spent two days in Aetheria, ten days passed in reality.

 

Since reality and scenarios have different time flows.

 

Then only about an hour would have passed in Aetheria right now.

 

Unlike me who was dropped onto bare ground, they would receive scenarios, so in about an hour they might have quickly grasped something and be doing well.

 

Think positively, Lee Hae-won.

 

Positively…

 

“Then why did I go on reconnaissance in the first place?”

 

I stopped trying to understand this situation and asked.

 

There’s only one reason I’m so confused right now.

 

Worry about the attack team?

 

There’s no need for someone weak like me to worry about those amazing hunters.

 

The higher-ups who pushed hunters into scenarios without any preparation because they didn’t want other countries to overtake us?

 

I’m used to higher-ups who make thoughtless decisions blinded by greed.

 

Park Ji-woon who couldn’t stop them until the end?

 

He’s a civil servant anyway, so what could he do?

 

Asmodeus probably couldn’t help much more either.

 

Though I couldn’t accept this entire situation, there was exactly one emotion that struck me most strongly.

 

‘How deflating!’

 

My mood right now is like a raccoon that washed cotton candy, completely!

 

The information I struggled to obtain became worthless scraps of paper.

 

This wasn’t anger from my reconnaissance becoming meaningless.

 

Going on reconnaissance was bothersome from the start, and I was immersed in various complaints throughout, but I still faithfully fulfilled my reconnaissance duties.

 

Expectations and sense of mission?

 

It might be because of that.

 

I thought I could play my role through reconnaissance in my own way.

 

To be precise, I thought it was something only I could do, and it actually is something only I can do.

 

But that felt like being ignored.

 

Having lived a life of being constantly ignored, thinking I was being ignored again brought up a familiar irritation.

 

‘No, I worked so hard!’

 

I even went on reconnaissance, so now I have to worry about everything in the world going wrong?

 

Do I have to care and worry about everything in the world going however they please?

 

In the first place, I said I went on reconnaissance, but I don’t understand what they were thinking sending people in recklessly without even considering waiting.

 

“I guess the higher-ups think hunters have multiple lives or something?”

 

Park Ji-woon, an ordinary civil servant who didn’t know my boiling insides, asked casually.

 

“Are you worried?”

 

“About who?”

 

“I understand Lee Hae-won’s feelings. Aeteria seems to be quite a complex dimension.”

 

Park Ji-woon, who arbitrarily understood my heart that I’d never shown, nodded calmly.

 

He was interpreting me as a caring and warm person on his own, and it would be awkward to refute that.

 

“Who went in?”

 

Let me address what needs to be addressed first.

 

I’m not worried about the hunters, but maybe my mind would settle a bit if I at least knew who went inside.

 

Of course, I was concerned about the fragmentary future I saw when I used Kienum’s watch in Glimmerstona.

 

But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the near future.

 

Seo Jae-hyuk and Lee Hwa-yeon participating in a scenario together might be in the very distant future…

 

“Seo Jae-hyuk, Lee Hwa-yeon, Chae Geun-dam, and Lee Ja-gyeom – a total of 4 people.”

 

“Ha.”

 

I let out a hollow laugh.

 

Right, of course not.

 

My life never flowed the way I wanted it to from the beginning.

 

“Was that raid composition also the higher-ups’ decision?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

What do you mean “something like that” – it obviously was.

 

Park Ji-woon, being a civil servant accustomed to cushioned language, had this habit of speaking indirectly like that.

 

If they were making normal judgments, they wouldn’t have sent in South Korea’s top 1st and 2nd ranked hunters together.

 

Well, if I were to analyze it positively, the combination isn’t bad.

 

Seo Jae-hyuk, our country’s strongest and a ranged attack specialist, Lee Hwa-yeon who specializes in defense, Chae Geun-dam who steadily handles his role in close combat, and Lee Ja-gyeom who was the best healer before Han Ro-mi appeared.

 

Even if it’s a combination that includes ranged DPS, melee DPS, tank, and healer, so it’s not the worst composition…

 

“How could they send the 1st and 2nd ranked hunters in together?”

 

I really don’t understand.

 

Those people who say national power is so important sent out the two top-tier rankers supporting the country?

 

And they even added Chae Geun-dam, whose value skyrocketed after clearing the 49th Floor?

 

“Why exactly did those people go in?”

 

There must have been some ulterior motive, but Park Ji-woon smiled bitterly as if it was difficult to answer.

 

Instead, he subtly changed the subject and muttered with a troubled expression.

 

“It’s already happened.”

 

That’s true.

 

…Now that they’ve already gone in, what can I do at this point?

 

There’s nothing I can do, coming back so late.

 

“I went for nothing.”

 

Nothing except muttering bitterly.

 

My expression must have looked quite sour, as Park Ji-woon awkwardly tried to smooth things over.

 

“I’m grateful for your efforts in the reconnaissance.”

 

“Well, forget it.”

 

“Still, don’t worry too much.”

 

Park Ji-woon spoke up calmly.

 

“It’s unfortunate that they went in without any preparation, but that’s how it always was before Lee Hae-won’s cooperation.”

 

I closed my mouth at his unexpectedly firm attitude.

 

Park Ji-woon continued with clearer eyes.

 

“They always jumped into every scenario without information, and that time wasn’t so long ago. So they’ll manage this time too. Just like they always have.”

 

It was a statement that showed his belief that they could do it again, but honestly, I’m skeptical.

 

Park Ji-woon added one more line as if summarizing.

 

“Let’s trust the hunters.”

 

‘Those same hunters were stuck on the 49th Floor for so long.’

 

I held back my desire to retort and nodded my head.

 

When Park Ji-woon, who’s unrivaled in his cold rationality, says something like that.

 

Setting aside all the circumstances and looking at just the conclusion, three of the strongest people in our country went in.

 

‘They’ll manage somehow.’

 

I shrugged my shoulders lightly and answered.

 

“I trust them, of course.”

 

* * *

 

Two weeks passed like that.

 

“This just won’t do.”

 

“What won’t, unnie?”

 

Kang Yeon-hee, who was sitting in the Workshop hammering, asked with a puzzled tone.

 

“I’m going crazy from frustration.”

 

“So what exactly?”

 

I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

 

“It’s nothing important.”

 

“Unnie, there are two ways to make people angry. One is not finishing what you’re saying.”

 

“Yeah, I know I used the first method.”

 

At my indifferent reply, Kang Yeon-hee put down her hammer with an expression full of question marks.

 

Whether Kang Yeon-hee was bewildered or not, I rested my chin on my hand and let out another deep sigh.

 

That’s right.

 

It’s been 2 weeks since the raid team entered.

 

The situation is complete radio silence!

 

They say no news is good news, but that saying became outdated long ago.

 

But considering that contact sent from outside the Tower of Babel doesn’t reach inside, there’s no answer other than waiting blindly.

 

I know that, but I’m going crazy with frustration.

 

If 2 weeks have passed here, it’s only been 3 days in Aeteria.

 

This is Aeteria, where I could immediately tell that countless conspiracies were lurking after just seeing two days.

 

What could the scenario given to such a dimension be?

 

‘Wait, since when have I been so interested in scenarios?’

 

I burst into a hollow laugh, bewildered by my own change.

 

“Ah, I’m curious but…”

 

“Sister, if you’re not going to tell me, could you please worry about it quietly by yourself?”

 

Kang Yeon-hee’s grumbling voice poked at the back of my head.

 

It was my fault for stirring up Kang Yeon-hee who had been sitting quietly.

 

I wiped my expression clean as if I hadn’t been worrying about anything and casually changed the subject.

 

“What are you making now?”

 

“This?”

 

Where the hammering sound had stopped, a round, thin metal plate lay.

 

The pendant was light platinum colored, about half the size of a palm, and so thin it was barely visible at a glance.

 

Perhaps pleased that I was showing interest in what she was making, Kang Yeon-hee’s expression quickly softened.

 

“Among the manufacturing method books you brought me, there was one called ‘How to Convert Light into Energy.'”

 

“Oh.”

 

There was something like that…?

 

“So I devised an item that can convert light into growth energy when it receives light. I thought it would be good to use when growing herbs, so I tried making it. It took less effort than I thought to make, so if done well, it might be good to sell at the market!”

 

An employee who created new products on her own without even buying them from the Dimensional Market.

 

‘Is this what they call a lucky charm…?’

 

Forget Aeteria and everything else, this was a moment where I couldn’t help but admire Kang Yeon-hee’s abilities.

 

To extract useful information from books I had just swept up without properly looking at them and create an item.

 

Indeed, the brilliant title of Guardian of Matter isn’t something just anyone can have.

 

Just as I was examining the metal plate closely, Kang Yeon-hee picked it up.

 

“But there’s a reason why this is really something special.”

 

With a confident face, Kang Yeon-hee pressed the metal plate against the wall.

 

Where she removed her hand, the metal plate was stuck firmly in place.

 

“It’s a sticker.”

 

…Wait, a sticker with growth energy?

 

As soon as I saw Kang Yeon-hee’s new item, one thing came to mind.

 

Glimmerstona and Floraban, who were on the verge of breaking their agreement after materials for making growth acceleration items were stolen!

 

Whatever situation the two cities were in now, this was nothing short of a key that could change the flow of the theft incident.

 

Not even a few days would have passed there, so it definitely wouldn’t be too late.

 

‘How many days did Floraban say they would wait?’

 

As I hastily searched my memory, the deadline the Elf had shouted with a stern face came to mind.

 

5 days!

 

Floraban had said she would wait exactly 5 days.

 

Based on the flow of time, it was just the timing when 3 days had passed in Aetheria.

 

I wasn’t late.

 

Whatever impact this might have, it could help with the scenario.

 

I peeled the sticker off the wall and spoke rapidly like a machine gun.

 

“I’m going somewhere for a bit. I’ll be late again this time. And can I borrow this?”

 

“Huh?! It’s still incomplete!”

 

“I’ll give you an incentive.”

 

“Have a safe trip, unnie!”

 

I rushed out of Bamanjang Store, leaving behind Kang Yeon-hee’s brightly smiling face.

 

Right, sitting still and just waiting for results isn’t something I can do given my personality.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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