24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 169

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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 169

 

Episode 169. How to Protect the Nest (5)

 

When I stepped out of the basement, it was still pitch black outside.

 

It seemed like all the streetlights had been smashed because someone had caused a ruckus.

 

Cutting through the dark dawn before daybreak, Chae Geun-dam, who had stepped outside first, furrowed his brow.

 

His troubled expression, as if he had noticed something, made even me tense up.

 

I lowered my voice and asked cautiously.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Mana is pressing down heavily on the air. The owner of this mana seems extremely angry. It’s such fierce mana that it makes my skin tingle.”

 

Chae Geun-dam answered while gripping his guardian’s great sword, ‘Moonlight’, with a tense expression.

 

White aura was gently emanating from Moonlight, as if he had infused it with mana.

 

Of course, having no mana at all, I couldn’t sense anything and could only match Chae Geun-dam’s stance.

 

I hardened my expression and followed behind Chae Geun-dam.

 

‘Quentin must be really furious.’

 

All the forces he had persuaded to offer other cities to the Tower of Babel had disappeared, leaving him alone.

 

On top of that, with Green, who was his right-hand man, also gone, it was natural for Quentin to be enraged.

 

Though I still couldn’t feel the mana, the thunderous roar that shook the entire city was deafening.

 

Chae Geun-dam naturally began walking toward City Hall, where the roaring sound was coming from.

 

Then he suddenly turned to look at me and asked.

 

“But where are you going, Lee Hae?”

 

“Me? I’m providing rear support for you, Chae Geun-dam.”

 

Chae Geun-dam stopped in his tracks and muttered in his straightforward voice.

 

“…That won’t do. It’s dangerous.”

 

That’s a fact I already know.

 

Well, would someone like me who’d collapse at a touch really come out for rear support?

 

But I couldn’t exactly confess, ‘While everyone’s busy, I have no role, so I’m thinking of going to peek at the Tower of Babel.’

 

I shrugged my shoulders and answered nonchalantly.

 

“Actually, I’m going to watch. If you can’t stop him, at least I need to escape and warn others, right?”

 

“I know very well that’s not the real reason.”

 

How does he know when I didn’t say anything?

 

No, wait, isn’t it strange to answer ‘I know that’s not it’ to my comment about running away if he gets hurt?

 

‘How exactly does this guy see me?’

 

Just as I was about to retort, bewildered by how he viewed me.

 

“When I first saw you, you appeared in a completely unexpected place in a completely unexpected manner. Do you remember?”

 

In the dim night, though his expression was hidden in shadow, Chae Geun-dam’s voice was serious.

 

At the suddenly serious atmosphere, I answered blankly.

 

“I remember. It was in Falkon.”

 

I vividly remember him standing there covered in dust like some hero of the century, trying to stop a stat-stealing monster alone.

 

Come to think of it, if I hadn’t helped Chae Geun-dam back then, I could have lived a comfortable rich life without anyone knowing me…

 

Chae Geun-dam slowly nodded.

 

“It was a desperate situation. Then you appeared in the wasteland after the monster wave had passed, proposing to get scenario items for us. It was a completely unexpected proposal.”

 

“It would have been stranger to expect something like that.”

 

Even I hadn’t expected to take on such a massive mission.

 

Plus telling them about the Dark Mages’ true names, helping with the royal palace infiltration.

 

I was like a rope dropped from heaven for Wolpae that day.

 

Though shameless, it was definitely something to feel proud and satisfied about.

 

Just as my shoulders were puffing up with pride, Chae Geun-dam smiled slightly.

 

“So I don’t think Lee Hae would do something predictable.”

 

“Ah.”

 

It was a reasonably logical conclusion.

 

So he’s thinking that I’m going to do something unpredictable again, that’s what he means…

 

‘What should I say if he asks where I’m going.’

 

Just as I was rolling my eyes, feeling guilty before he even asked, Chae Geun-dam spoke calmly.

 

“I won’t ask. I’m confident it won’t be anything harmful to us.”

 

“You’re a good judge of character.”

 

I grinned cheekily and patted Chae Geun-dam’s forearm.

 

He’s a bit textbook-like, but he’s someone who keeps secrets and has good sense.

 

It was probably words of concern too.

 

I smiled lightly and added.

 

“I absolutely won’t do anything dangerous, so don’t worry and…”

 

Just as I was saying that, Chae Geun-dam suddenly hardened his expression and looked up.

 

As I stared at the same spot, startled by his sudden gaze at the pitch-black sky, Chae Geun-dam muttered quietly.

 

“Quentin is… floating in the sky. It looks like he’s trying to properly utilize his mana.”

 

“It’s your turn to step up, Chae Geun-dam.”

 

That’s what we came out here for anyway.

 

Chae Geun-dam nodded as if it were natural and re-gripped Moonlight’s handle.

 

As soon as I saw his serious expression like ‘I shall once again sacrifice this body to protect,’ I hastily added.

 

“Don’t die.”

 

“Don’t worry. Don’t I have Moonlight’s hidden ability that you appraised for me?”

 

Ah, that thing from back then.

 

The first time I properly used my Appraisal skill was on the weapon Chae Geun-dam is holding now, the guardian’s great sword ‘Moonlight’.

 

Chae Geun-dam, gripping the handle with both hands, smiled faintly with a somewhat tickled expression.

 

“No matter how exhausted I get, I can endure a bit longer when I activate the protection field.”

 

Right, when it comes to persistence, he’d be the best in all of South Korea.

 

Chae Geun-dam stepped out from the building’s shadow and muttered.

 

“I pray for good fortune in battle.”

 

After leaving behind that famous saying that gave me chills again after so long, Chae Geun-dam disappeared in a flash.

 

He seemed to have run off, but he was too fast for my ordinary dynamic vision to follow.

 

No matter how strong Quentin is, Engine needs to be completed as quickly as possible.

 

I started walking, unusually praying for Chae Geun-dam’s good fortune.

 

“…Well then, shall I go too.”

 

My destination was City Hall.

 

To be precise, the entrance to the Tower of Babel that Quentin had hidden deep underground beneath City Hall.

 

While everyone is struggling toward the scenario’s ending, my idea of suddenly going to the Tower of Babel at this point might seem strange, but.

 

‘We need to solve the Tower of Babel’s secrets to save our dimension too.’

 

And since I, who’s not even a scenario participant, have spoon-fed them this much, the people who received it should at least digest it well.

 

I started running slowly toward City Hall.

 

Strong winds blowing from somewhere and thunderous roars heard from far away.

 

It seems Chae Geun-dam has faced Quentin.

 

Though I trust Chae Geun-dam, a bad situation might arise, so I need to quickly check the Tower of Babel and come out.

 

Of course, unlike my heart, my lung capacity is stuck to the ground…

 

“Ah, shit- huff, huff. So far, wheeze.”

 

The plaza in front of City Hall that I reached while panting pathetically was eerily quiet.

 

Just as it was after Seo Jae-hyuk and Lee Hwa-yeon had torn it up yesterday.

 

Since it wasn’t even morning yet, there wasn’t a single person coming and going in the plaza.

 

With Quentin’s mana rampaging like that, there wouldn’t be any brave soul thinking of coming outside anyway.

 

‘What would you do barging into your boss’s rebellion.’

 

I’d avoid it too.

 

At that moment, warm energy seeped out from the necklace and Silvester quietly murmured.

 

“The smell of magic is quite terrible. It’s filled with countless malice for something that belongs to a mere human.”

 

“Quentin’s magic? You saw it up close, didn’t you?”

 

“I felt it was unpleasant then too, but the degree is severe. Right now, this entire area is gloomily sunken as if crushed by intense malice.”

 

It was a sunken voice as if he truly detested it.

 

Of course, I got a hint from that.

 

I moved my steps into City Hall while casually throwing out a question.

 

“By any chance, isn’t there a smell around here that’s more terrible and disgusting than that magic smell, something you wouldn’t even want to get close to?”

 

Silvester, who had been silent until we entered the quiet lobby, muttered as if somehow displeased.

 

“I’m not an animal with a good sense of smell.”

 

“But I can’t even smell anything like magic scent. I have no choice but to rely on a great spirit.”

 

I patted the necklace and asked once more.

 

“Don’t you smell something nauseating anywhere?”

 

The question was a bit crude, but Silvester was the best detection dog… detection bird I knew.

 

When coming from Florabon to Berylsha, Silvester had detected the ominous aura of the Tower of Babel even from that distant sky.

 

No matter how much Quentin had hidden it with magic circles, the ugliness emanating from the entrance leading to the Tower of Babel would be flowing out subtly.

 

Sure enough, Silvester, who had been silent for a while, suddenly revealed himself in mid-air.

 

Silvester’s handsome face, glowing softly in the dark lobby, was deeply furrowed.

 

A face crumpled as if he clearly didn’t want to do this.

 

I gently scratched Silvester’s wing joint while coaxing him.

 

“Green said there’s an entrance to the Tower of Babel in the City Hall basement. But it wouldn’t be placed openly in the basement, so please look for it once. This is to save Aetheria, and right now only Silvester can do it here.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Silvester, who sighed as if displeased, soon began flying toward the right corridor.

 

It was a pitch-black corridor where you couldn’t see an inch ahead because all the windows were covered with curtains.

 

“It’s this way.”

 

Though it was guidance befitting the opening of a horror movie, Silvester wasn’t a spirit who would betray me.

 

I stepped forward boldly.

 

Silvester, who led the way, flew for quite a while.

 

We passed through the corridor, entered through a small side door, went down the stairs there, came up half a floor, and passed through an iron door.

 

Surely Quentin doesn’t travel this route every day?

 

It wouldn’t be that much, right?

 

If so, his memory would be worth studying.

 

Around the time when the cycle of roaring sounds from outside was getting shorter.

 

“It’s down here. The source of that disgusting smell I caught under the brilliant sky seems to be here.”

 

A shabby room appeared, contrasting with the luxury of City Hall.

 

Inside the shabby room with walls finished with wooden boards, there wasn’t even furniture, let alone any notable decorations.

 

Just one dim light illuminating the room.

 

Just as I was about to enter inside, Silvester urgently flew up in front of me.

 

“There’s illusion magic on the floor.”

 

“Welcome magic?”

 

“…”

 

“I know, illusion magic.”

 

Silvester, who had straightened his face at the nonsense that came out as naturally as breathing, immediately explained.

 

“It seems to be structured to drop you straight down. However, there are other magic circles densely installed inside besides that. If you go in without knowing anything, there are only lethal magic spells that would kill you immediately.”

 

In other words, it meant it was a perfect trap that would instantly kill even a hero who had broken through that complex path to arrive here.

 

“But if I break through those magic circles and go down, I can confirm the source of that smell, right?”

 

“That’s right, I too would be forcibly reverse-summoned if I went down there. Unless one wants to end their own life, going inside there is… You, what are you doing!”

 

Silvester was startled and wrapped me with his wings.

 

I had merely taken off the spirit’s necklace.

 

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly and answered.

 

“I’m going to enter.”

 

“…You, did you properly listen to what I said? If you go in there, you’ll surely lose your life.”

 

“Ah, it’s fine.”

 

When I waved my hand dismissively, Silvester lost his words and moved his beak.

 

It seemed like he was trying to stop me somehow, which was touching.

 

“Wait inside for me.”

 

I quickly put the necklace into my inventory.

 

As someone who’s a complete third wheel inside the Tower of Babel, I prefer a quick path over a way back for now.

 

Quentin, the performer of the scenario, can never kill me.

 

‘It’s going to hurt like hell.’

 

Still, I’m not someone who would give up with the entrance to the Tower of Babel, which I’d been so curious about, right in front of me.

 

I took a light deep breath in the room where I was now alone and stepped toward the illusion magic.

 

At that moment.

 

“Ugh-”

 

My foot sank right through the solid floor.

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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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