24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 16

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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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Dimensional Item Specialty 24-Hour Friendly Market Episode 16

Episode 16. I’m Just an Ordinary Merchant, but in Babel?! (1)

“Hello, everyone! I’m Yeon-du, a reporter from Hunter Everyday! The weather is really nice today, but can you guess where I am right now~?!”

People around glanced at the cheerful voice of the reporter with light green hair tied in a ponytail.

Their gazes weren’t particularly welcoming.

Rather, most of them looked at the reporter who mentioned “nice weather” in this sweltering heat as if she were crazy.

But the reporter didn’t care and raised her voice even higher.

“I’m currently at the Tower of Babel! Today is finally the day when the 26th raid team for the 49th Floor departs. Will they finally break through the wall of the 49th Floor and reach the 50th Floor this time?! Everyone is here together to cheer them on!”

The reporter shouted with sparkling eyes in a lively and energetic voice, but the scene behind her was neither lively nor energetic.

In fact, none of the people here could really be said to have come to cheer them on.

About six months ago, when the first raid team first departed to break through the 49th Floor, there were crowds of supporters so thick you couldn’t even find a place to step.

Banners with messages of support, cheers, and flashy camera flashes were just bonuses.

But today, only media personnel had gathered.

Journalists and broadcasters who had to write formulaic articles and produce news about today’s raid team departure.

Moreover, their expressions all looked uniformly dry and indifferent.

Expressions that didn’t doubt for a moment that this attempt would also fail.

They were only attending out of obligation for work, with no trace of support or expectations to be found.

“The guild taking on this 26th raid is ‘Wolpae’. Oh, look there! Chae Geun-dam, the leader of Wolpae, seems to be having a meeting with his guild members! Let me go ask if they have any plans for this raid!”

In the direction the reporter pointed, fifteen hunters with serious faces were gathered together.

According to Babel Kingdom’s management, one team departs for raids each week, and this time it was Wolpae’s turn for the 49th Floor.

According to the Babel Management Bureau’s rules, the guild taking on the 49th Floor raid this time was Wolpae.

They were a guild treated as just filling time until the turn of Aegis, the top guild, came around.

The reporter approached them without hesitation, despite their rather solemn appearance, and thrust her microphone forward.

“Hello, Mr. Chae Geun-dam! What aspects will you focus on for this raid?”

“…”

Chae Geun-dam, the leader of Wolpae, and the guild members gathered there turned to look at the reporter.

Since they seemed to be in the middle of an internal briefing before the raid, their faces clearly showed displeasure.

The intimidating aura characteristic of high-grade hunters poured out, but the reporter waited for an answer with sparkling eyes as if she didn’t care at all.

Only after a long, tense silence did Chae Geun-dam open his mouth with a voice suppressing anger.

“We plan to proceed with the goal of conquering the 49th Floor.”

“Ah, of course! I have high expectations too! What will be different from before?”

The guild members made menacing expressions at the reporter’s shameless question, far from being intimidated.

Not bothering guilds preparing for raids is an unwritten rule that must absolutely be followed.

But for a reporter from a morning current affairs program to act up like this meant that the perception of Wolpae had hit rock bottom.

However, Chae Geun-dam let out a light breath with an unreadable expression and answered quietly.

“We aim to go one step further than where we failed before.”

A humble answer, not boastful.

But at Chae Geun-dam’s response, sneering sounds poured out from beyond the press line.

“He’s laying groundwork because he’s not confident…”

“What could Wolpae possibly accomplish with effort…”

He thought he heard someone quietly shouting “Fighting!” from somewhere, but Chae Geun-dam dismissed it as his imagination and turned his head.

‘It must be an auditory hallucination.’

Because no one would cheer for Wolpae.

Instead, Chae Geun-dam quietly signaled to his comrades who would fight alongside him.

“Let’s go.”

Chae Geun-dam strode forward with large steps.

The guild members followed behind him without hesitation.

These people taking courageous steps toward the blue portal that could become a deathtrap.

But it was a quiet departure ceremony with no reactions whatsoever.

As soon as Wolpae’s guild members disappeared beyond the portal, the journalists who had set up camp in front of the barricade began preparing to withdraw.

“It’s hot, let’s go inside quickly.”

“When is Aegis going again?”

“Can’t someone else come film when they come out instead of me?”

Insulting words poured out carelessly.

One ordinary citizen watching this scene pulled his robe tightly around himself and muttered.

“…Am I the only one cheering for them?”

Of course, that person was me, Lee Hae-won.

Naturally, I was also the one who quietly shouted “Fighting.”

I glanced around at the cold atmosphere and frowned.

Due to his sharp features and cold appearance, Chae Geun-dam seemed unaffected, but it was obvious how much he must be burning up inside.

Unless he was someone with the mindset of just going through the motions once and coming out, but Chae Geun-dam hadn’t entered with that kind of resolve.

After deciding to quit being an Aegis fan and become a Wolpae fan instead, I looked into Wolpae.

What kind of work Chae Geun-dam had done could be found just by searching Babel Wiki.

He was someone the expression “steadfast” suited perfectly.

Although he hadn’t achieved results that all citizens would know about, he had silently walked the path of a hunter despite any criticism.

When society was chaotic right after the Tower of Babel was established, he was someone who quietly helped the Management Bureau without stepping into the spotlight.

He was the person who single-handedly blocked a monster wave that poured out from an A-grade Sudden Gate for over two whole days.

‘That means his abilities were undervalued.’

To put it simply, he wasn’t outstanding in any particular area, but he was a stable, well-rounded talent.

Thinking about it that way, as a citizen living in the orderly Babel society and Wolpae’s number one fan, I felt slightly displeased.

‘I’m starting to feel a bit defiant.’

Everyone who experienced early Babel society owed their lives to this person.

Wolpae was a guild recognized enough to challenge the 49th Floor, and someone might die and come out from this raid.

Isn’t this treatment too terrible?

The person I selected as the hero to clear the 49th Floor was being treated with such contempt.

I quietly headed toward the Tower of Babel and made a resolution.

‘I’ll make them humbly say, “Our Wolpae? They’re not world-class.”‘

* * *

Having the ‘Merchant’s Mark’ skill, I’m not restricted by the 49th Floor’s maximum limit of 15 people.

That said, I couldn’t just brazenly ask to accompany them either.

Since I entered with a time difference from the start, I naturally thought I’d land somewhere else.

“…Where is this place.”

I stood there dumbfounded, looking around.

Gorgeous marble columns and red carpet laid on the floor, a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The golden decorations carved on each column were shapes I’d never seen before, and the walls were densely hung with paintings that looked expensive at first glance.

I stood alone in a massive hall so luxurious it was burdensome, making me feel like I should crawl on my knees.

This was almost the size of a sports field.

“My goodness.”

I thought I’d be dropped into some desolate battlefield since they said it was a scenario about reclaiming a failing kingdom.

“Is this really the 49th Floor?”

This scenery is completely different from what I imagined.

Don’t tell me they fight with words?

Or are they in a ceasefire?

[⁕ Your current location has been confirmed as the 49th Floor :)]

My foolish thoughts were perfectly swept away by Sam-i’s cold notification window.

‘Right, let’s find Wolpae first.’

I straightened my knees that had been naturally lowering and tightly wrapped the robe that concealed my presence once more.

Since this clearly looked like a royal palace, Wolpae, who had received the mission to recapture the Kingdom for Falkon’s side, must be somewhere nearby by now.

My plan was simple.

Approach Wolpae while pretending to be a Falkon resident NPC that appears during specific events, quietly sell my goods, and escape.

‘Of course, I’ll need some appropriate role-playing to avoid suspicion.’

I had prepared all of that.

I had naturally prepared lines like ‘My loyalty is directed only toward Falkon, please believe me…’

Finding Wolpae came first.

Just as I was thinking this and taking a step to leave the hall.

Tap tap tap-

Urgent-sounding, quite fast footsteps.

I instinctively hid behind a pillar.

Since I was wearing the Veil, they wouldn’t be able to perceive my existence, but it was an unavoidable survival instinct.

Through the slightly open door gap, someone’s silhouette was faintly visible.

‘Black robe…’

That thing is screaming ‘dark mage’ with its whole body, isn’t it?

A long, thick robe with brilliant decorations and a hood pulled up to completely cover the face.

It was clearly giving off a suspicious aura.

‘Don’t tell me I landed in a completely different place from Wolpae?’

Wolpae should be with the Falkon faction!

As I silently screamed about why a dark mage was in the royal palace, I belatedly recalled Guk Min-seong’s words.

‘The 49th Floor scenario is capital recapture.’

Min-seong, your friend seems a bit stupid.

Wolpae must be preparing to attack from outside the royal palace by now…

While I was frantically searching my memory, the black robe entered the hall.

‘If I get caught, forget Wolpae World Class or whatever, Earth is doomed.’

I held my breath and carefully stepped in the opposite direction from the dark mage.

However.

‘…Huh?’

Like a real lie.

“Whoops?”

The shoe sole that would have stuck perfectly with excellent grip on asphalt slipped beautifully, and I staggered while making an unseemly sound.

“Who’s there!”

The black robe whipped their head toward me and shouted.

The moment I froze in an awkward position trying to regain my balance, holding my breath without moving.

‘Ah shit, what’s that now.’

Black mist rose from within the robe and the surrounding temperature dropped rapidly.

The air in the hall became so cold that my breath froze white and hung in front of my mouth.

I held my breath with the desperation of grasping at straws, trusting only in the Veil’s effect that couldn’t be perceived without contact.

But perhaps because they already knew someone was there, or because of the ominous black mist.

“Kek-“

The black robe reached me in an instant and grabbed the collar of my robe.

The hand revealed from within the robe was pale, with dirt-colored nails grown long.

The thin hand with protruding joints looked like that of a dead person, completely bloodless.

I felt the Veil’s effect disappearing, and killing intent poured over my entire body without filter.

“Aaaaah!”

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed in terror that I might die here.

“…Hmm?”

A sigh different from the expected pain burst in front of me.

Even the hand that had firmly grabbed my collar slowly fell away.

When I slowly opened my eyes at this unexpected situation, the black robe had already stepped back.

Moreover, far from killing me, they were just stroking their chin and tilting their head.

The murderous aura that seemed ready to extract my soul was nowhere to be found, and instead they seemed to be examining me with curiosity.

“Interesting. I don’t hear the voice telling me to kill.”

At the words thrown by the black robe who had been staring at me for a while, I recalled that ‘Merchant’s Mark’ was currently active.

My foolish mistake of thinking I had entered as a Hunter because I came to help Wolpae was the source of my stupid scream.

[⁕ Since ‘Merchant’s Mark’ is applied to you, Manager, you are not a target that can be attacked within the scenario :)]

You should have told me this beforehand, you bastard!

I swallowed my saliva and stared straight ahead.

How many minutes did this uncomfortable standoff, with barely a step between us, continue?

Unlike me, who had barely caught my breath, the black robe kept tilting their head under the hood while examining me.

It was like looking at a stuffed exotic animal.

“Hmm…?”

The black robe sighed once more while removing their hood.

What was revealed was surprisingly a young man’s face.

The left side of his face had traces as if the flesh had rotted away, with that part corroded black.

The opposite right side was a smooth, ordinary face.

The extreme contrast brought a subtle sense of disgust, but I tried to look at him with composure.

A suspicious expression swept over me as if he couldn’t understand.

“You’re not Falkon remnants, and you don’t seem to be resistance either. You’re not one of ‘us’ either, so what are you?”

The ‘us’ he’s talking about must be dark mages.

The man pulled up one corner of his mouth while stroking his chin, then lightly nodded as if telling me to answer.

“I am…”

I momentarily wondered what I should say.

His dark blue eyes held interest but gleamed fiercely, as if he would turn me into an ice sculpture at any moment if things went wrong.

However, there was only one answer I could give.

“A merchant… I suppose?”

Perhaps because I answered in a somewhat hesitant tone, the man’s expression hardened seriously.

“…A merchant?”

I automatically swallowed at his seriously sunken voice.

‘Ah shit, these guys don’t kill merchants too, do they?’

I hope I didn’t make a slip of the tongue.

No matter how much my skill is treated like radish kimchi, how can I trust a dark mage?

And even if I don’t die, it hurts when I get hit!

Just as I was frantically racking my brain and planning my escape.

“Mm!”

The man suddenly smiled brightly.

The rotted face was distorted, but the expression showing on the contrasting right side of his face was clear.

‘…?’

This… was an unexpected reaction.

At the bright, cheerful smile blooming from his half-rotten face, I was so flustered that I failed to manage my expression.

The man paid no mind and suddenly grabbed my hand without permission.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

When I asked in confusion, the man shook my hand up and down vigorously and shouted very cheerfully and enthusiastically.

“Welcome, merchant!”

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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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