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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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items 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 nearby glanced at the cheerful voice of the reporter who had tied her light green hair in a ponytail.

Their gazes weren’t particularly welcoming.

Rather, most of them looked at the reporter who talked about “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 here 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 visible behind her was neither lively nor energetic.

In fact, none of the people at this location could 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 bonuses.

But today’s gathering consisted only of media personnel.

Journalists and broadcasting stations 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; no support or expectations could 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’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 during 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 previous attempts?”

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

Not interfering with guilds preparing for raids is an unwritten rule that must be observed.

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 that wasn’t 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 accomplish just by trying hard….”

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 death trap.

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?”

“When they come out, can’t you tell someone else besides me to come film it?”

Insulting words poured out carelessly.

One ordinary citizen watching this scene pulled her robe tightly around herself and muttered.

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

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

Naturally, I’m 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 how much his insides must be burning up was obvious without even looking.

Unless he was someone with the mindset of just going in half-heartedly and coming back out, but Chae Geun-dam didn’t enter 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 been doing could be found just by searching Babel Wiki.

He was someone who fit the description “steadfast” so 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 silently helped the Management Bureau without stepping forward publicly.

He’s 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 underestimated.’

To put it simply, he’s a stable hexagonal talent who isn’t outstanding in any one area but is reliable overall.

Thinking about it this way, as a citizen living in the well-organized 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 owes their lives to this person.

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

Isn’t this treatment too terrible?

To think that the person I selected as the hero to clear the 49th Floor is being treated with such contempt.

I quietly headed toward the Tower of Babel with determination.

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 covered with paintings that looked expensive at first glance.

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

This is 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 is completely different from what I imagined.

Don’t tell me they fight with words?

Or are they in a ceasefire?

(

[⁕ Administrator’s current location is confirmed to be the 49th Floor :)]

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

‘Right, let’s find Wolpae first.’

I straightened my knees that had been sinking down 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 Falcon’s side, must be somewhere nearby by now.

My plan was simple.

Approach Wolpae while pretending to be a Falcon 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 Falcon, please believe me…’ and such.

Finding Wolpae comes first.

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

Tap tap tap-

Urgent, quite fast footsteps.

I instinctively hid behind a pillar.

Even though I was wearing the Veil so they wouldn’t be able to perceive my existence, it was some kind of irrepressible survival instinct.

Through the slightly open door gap, I could faintly see someone’s silhouette.

‘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 down far enough 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 Falcon 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 recapturing the capital.’

Min-seong, your friend seems a bit stupid.

Wolpae is probably preparing to attack from outside the royal palace right now…

While I was frantically searching my memory, Black Robe entered the hall.

‘If I get caught, forget Wolpae’s world class, it’s the end of Earth.’

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

However.

‘…Huh?’

Like a real lie.

“Whoa?”

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

“Who’s there!”

Black Robe whipped his head toward me and shouted.

The moment I froze, unable to move while awkwardly maintaining my balance and holding my breath.

‘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.

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

However, whether because he already knew someone was there, or because of the ominous black mist.

“Kuk-“

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.

“…Mm?”

A sigh different from the expected pain burst out 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, Black Robe had already stepped back.

Moreover, far from killing me, he was just stroking his chin and tilting his head curiously.

The murderous aura that seemed like it would extract my soul was nowhere to be found, and instead he seemed to be examining me with puzzlement.

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

At the words Black Robe spoke after 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.

[⁕ Administrator has ‘Merchant’s Mark’ applied, so you are not a target that can be attacked within the scenario :)]

You should have told me beforehand before I got scared, you bastard!

I swallowed my saliva and stared straight ahead.

How many minutes did this uncomfortable standoff, separated by just one step, continue?

Unlike me, who had barely caught my breath, Black Robe kept tilting his head under the edge of his hood, examining me.

His attitude was like looking at a stuffed exotic animal.

“Hmm…?”

Black Robe sighed once more while removing his hood.

What was revealed was surprisingly the face of a young man.

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 up a subtle unpleasantness, but I tried to look at him with feigned composure.

A suspicious expression that seemed incomprehensible swept over me.

“You don’t seem to be Falcon remnants, nor the resistance. You’re not one of ‘us’ either, so what are you?”

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

The man raised one corner of his mouth and stroked 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 shone brightly, as if he would turn me into an ice sculpture right away 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 lowered voice.

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

I hope I didn’t misspeak.

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

‘…?’

This… is an unexpected reaction.

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

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

“What, 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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