24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 174

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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 174

 

Episode 174. Somehow a New Phase (1)

 

The strongest 8 people in our country, not just any ordinary people, are staring at me intently.

 

Let’s say it’s understandable for Seo Jae-hyuk, Lee Hwa-yeon, and Chae Geun-dam, who recently saved Aetheria with me.

 

Kim Seol, who saw my real face in Laocoön, is just glancing at me continuously.

 

Han Ro-mi’s gaze, who scrubbed turtle shells with me in Gilliard, was empty, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

 

But the eyes of the remaining two were quite murderous.

 

Specifically Nam Pu-reum and Jeong Min-gu, who were seeing ‘Lee Hae’ for the first time.

 

Even though I was covered by one layer with my brother’s face, the two seemed to have no intention of controlling the killing intent in their eyes.

 

Even swallowing saliva felt conspicuous, and it seemed like they would just kill me if I said one wrong word.

 

‘This is so heartbreaking, really.’

 

I swallowed the grievance I couldn’t voice and calmly just blinked my eyes.

 

If I hadn’t accumulated quite a bit of experience meeting S-rank Hunters, I would have been intimidated by those fierce glares and burst into tears.

 

“Lee Hae.”

 

Only after hearing Park Ji-woon’s calm voice did I regain my sense of reality.

 

Park Ji-woon, who was already in a close alliance with me, was looking at me with eyes full of clear meaning.

 

Telling me to reveal the facts I wanted to share.

 

Right, I felt like I might be crushed by this serious atmosphere at any moment, but still, speaking to 7 people instead of 8 was a different story.

 

I took a light deep breath and opened my mouth.

 

“Before introducing myself, I’ll need you to sign some contracts for my safety.”

 

“Contracts?”

 

The one who asked back was Jeong Min-gu, the head of Takeinn.

 

Perhaps because he was famous for his terrifying mouth, his tone was thick with irritation.

 

I nodded as if it were natural and opened my inventory.

 

Eight contracts that appeared in mid-air glowed softly.

 

If I had magic power, I would have stylishly sent the contracts flying to land neatly in front of each person.

 

“Please pass them along.”

 

Unfortunately, it was lamentable that I lacked the talent to create such a scene.

 

Han Ro-mi, who was sitting right next to me, muttered in a strangely excited voice.

 

“S+ rank contracts, how fascinating…”

 

Hearing that, Jeong Min-gu hastily grabbed a contract, and the other S-rank Hunters also picked up their contracts.

 

The gold expenditure wasn’t trivial, but since I had decided to step forward, it was a necessary expense.

 

[1. Keep all facts learned about ‘Lee Hae’ secret and protect ‘Lee Hae’s’ safety inside and outside the Tower of Babel.

 

2. Do not reveal facts learned through ‘Lee Hae’ to third parties who are completely unaware of the current situation.

 

3. Do not question what ‘Lee Hae’ does and cooperate fully.]

 

Nam Pu-reum, who had been in a listening position, quietly muttered.

 

“It’s one-sided…”

 

I could feel the assassin’s characteristic coldness in her cool voice, but I deliberately ignored it, pretending not to notice.

 

Since this was a meeting that started with me revealing that I was ‘Lee Hae’, I needed minimum safety measures for myself.

 

Even if those minimum safety measures were one-sided conditions for them, I had to brazenly push forward.

 

‘I even set magic power as the penalty.’

 

Since everyone here was a Hunter who used magic power, it was a perfect penalty.

 

So naturally they would dislike it.

 

Just as Nam Pu-reum was moving her lips with an expression full of suspicion toward me.

 

“I’ll sign it, whatever.”

 

Surprisingly, the first to pick up a pen was Lee Hwa-yeon.

 

Nam Pu-reum frowned as if asking if she was serious, but Lee Hwa-yeon just shrugged her shoulders.

 

“I’ve heard things. And sometimes you have to trust your instincts and go with it.”

 

I hadn’t expected Lee Hwa-yeon to be my first supporter, but well.

 

Following Lee Hwa-yeon, Park Ji-woon and Chae Geun-dam signed in order.

 

Seo Jae-hyuk, who had been calmly watching the three who signed without saying anything, also picked up his pen.

 

After finishing his signature, Seo Jae-hyuk provided an assist with a dry tone.

 

“This person is not someone who would harm us.”

 

It wasn’t a detailed explanation, but since it was a statement from the 1st ranked Hunter, it couldn’t help but be trustworthy.

 

Then Kim Seol, who looked complicated, and Han Ro-mi, who had been staring at me blankly, also obediently signed the contracts.

 

What remained last were Nam Pu-reum and Jeong Min-gu.

 

I had naturally expected these two to be obstacles, but it hurt more when it actually happened.

 

If I threw some persuasive words here…

 

‘Just trust me once and sign. I promise you won’t regret it?’

 

…Sounds like a scammer?

 

Well, isn’t there some more plausible, persuasive, trustworthy comment?

 

I maintained a calm expression while seriously pondering.

 

Then, Park Ji-woon, who had been observing the situation, quietly spoke up.

 

“As Park Ji-woon, Director of the Hunter Management Office of the Babel Management Bureau and 3rd ranked Hunter, I must tell you that the story you will hear from Lee Hae will be a truth too heavy to handle even with this contract.”

 

“Park Ji-woon…”

 

Nam Pu-reum, who seemed about 15 years younger than Park Ji-woon, responded without honorifics.

 

“Damn, when you put it like that… there’s nothing to say. Shit.”

 

Jeong Min-gu muttered grumpily while ruffling his hair.

 

Eventually, the two slowly finished signing after a long while.

 

Bright light flowed from the signed contracts and then flowed into everyone’s bodies.

 

I let out a small sigh at the familiar feeling of Babel’s binding power settling in my body.

 

Then I immediately collected the contracts and put them in my inventory, feeling somewhat relieved.

 

‘No, cancel that.’

 

I was extremely nervous and trembling, but since I had already set up the situation, I was just saying that.

 

I took a deep breath and slowly opened my mouth.

 

“Let me start with self-introductions.”

 

When speaking, be confident.

 

Opening my eyes straight as if I had never trembled, I looked at each person one by one.

 

“You probably know me as ‘Lee Hae’ who suddenly took 1st place in conquest contribution on the Ganaesia Continent. Nice to meet you, I am the Friendly Market administrator, ‘Lee Hae’.”

 

Since I had done this in Aetheria before, it was fortunate that I could copy-paste the comment.

 

Kim Seol and Han Ro-mi, who only knew I was ‘Lee Hae’ but never thought I would be the Friendly Market administrator, opened their eyes wide in surprise.

 

Nam Pu-reum seemed quite shocked, crouching like a cat and glaring at me.

 

So Jeong Min-gu’s reaction was predictable without even looking.

 

“…Lee Hae? That Lee Hae? You were that bastard who intruded into scenarios without qualification?”

 

“Yes, that’s me.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Jeong Min-gu let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded, then immediately slammed the table with a murderous expression.

 

“You bastard! After toying with us all this time, you brazenly show your face?”

 

The meeting room turned cold at his explosive reaction.

 

But surprisingly, standing before that passionate anger, I felt incredibly calm.

 

It was a reaction within my expected range, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

 

“It wasn’t toying, it was helping. Without me, you’d still be unable to break through the 49th Floor.”

 

Perhaps because I answered too confidently, Jeong Min-gu looked flustered and moved his lips.

 

I casually shrugged my shoulders and added.

 

“And if I had done nothing and just sat idle in Ganasia, the floor Seo Jae-hyuk entered last week would have been the 51st floor, not the 54th floor.”

 

Jeong Min-gu’s face showed he instinctively wanted to lash out in anger.

 

But since I was only saying things that were correct, he had nothing to retort with, and only his face turned bright red.

 

Well then, I’ll ignore him for now and get to today’s main point.

 

I raised my hand and fumbled at my face.

 

To remove the Mask of All Things that had been protecting me all this time, and show them my real face.

 

When I took off the mask, long hair covered the back of my neck.

 

Most of the people who had no idea I was a woman gasped.

 

And Nam Pu-reum’s eyes, who had only seen ‘Lee Hae-won’ when he broke into our house, widened in surprise.

 

“…I thought so, but it was really true…”

 

Han Ro-mi, who was combing her white hair with her hand, muttered in a daze.

 

Since she had heard Echo call me sister before, she might have suspected my identity.

 

Well, that’s not what’s important in the current situation.

 

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Lee Hae-won, manager of Friendly Market.”

 

After speaking in a deep voice for weeks, speaking in my own voice after so long felt awkward beyond measure.

 

“You all know about Friendly Market, right? It’s Friendly Market that made Wolpae the main players of the 49th floor.”

 

“Yeah, how did you do that? Chae Geun-dam isn’t strong enough to do all that.”

 

“Hah.”

 

It was Kim Seol who let out a hollow laugh at Jeong Min-gu’s blatant insult.

 

She had been silent the whole time, and the first sound she made was a scornful laugh.

 

“I bought all the sub items required for the 49th floor scenario from the market and provided them as a package.”

 

“As expected, I figured it wasn’t Chae Geun-dam’s doing. Damn, if it was something like that, Takeinn should have handled it.”

 

At this point, ignoring Jeong Min-gu’s rude comments was the answer.

 

I naturally continued speaking.

 

“I can enter the Tower of Babel without being a scenario participant. I’ve met Kim Seol in Laocoön before, and this time I met Seo Jae-hyuk, Lee Hwa-yeon, and Chae Geun-dam in Aetheria.”

 

This time everyone murmured at once.

 

“Huh? Then what about Ganasia?”

 

“…That was due to unavoidable circumstances, an unexpected accident occurred.”

 

If only I hadn’t been kidnapped by the scenario, I wouldn’t have gotten first place in conquest contribution and attracted public attention…

 

I almost became wistful thinking about the past that suddenly came to mind.

 

“And inside the Tower of Babel, I absolutely cannot die or get hurt. This has already been proven on the 54th floor.”

 

Thinking about how I rolled around with stomach pain after eating that magic tangerine is a bit embarrassing, but anyway, I proved my immortality with my whole body.

 

‘I’m glad I ate it.’

 

…Of course, I don’t know if I could eat it again if the same situation came up.

 

It was the most tasteless, terrible, and disgusting tangerine in the world.

 

Then Park Ji-woon added.

 

“So Lee Hae-won decided to help the Babel Management Bureau by scouting floors that were opened in advance and providing information. That’s how the Laocoön conquest team was formed.”

 

“Scouting…?”

 

Nam Pu-reum muttered with a strange expression.

 

“So that’s why you left the house…”

 

I immediately understood why he reacted that way.

 

It seemed his past questions about why I kept disappearing and leaving the house for long periods had been resolved.

 

At that moment, Kim Seol frowned and spoke up.

 

“No, I understand that.”

 

Kim Seol glanced at my eyes for a moment and hesitated, then maintained her poker face as if nothing had happened.

 

Then she asked in a tone that showed she really couldn’t understand.

 

“Then what’s the reason you sold those packages to other countries?”

 

‘Kim Seol, you really hit the nail on the head.’

 

This was the point I’d been waiting for.

 

It was also the reason I had gathered them all here today.

 

Seo Jae-hyuk’s dryness, Lee Hwa-yeon’s curiosity, Chae Geun-dam’s straightforwardness, Park Ji-woon’s composure, Kim Seol’s coldness, Nam Pu-reum’s wariness, Jeong Min-gu’s irritation.

 

“…Yawn.”

 

And even Han Ro-mi’s yawn, who was so nonchalant that I wondered why she was even sitting here.

 

Their reactions were all different, but everyone was waiting for my answer.

 

I looked at the faces of the hunters who supported our country one by one, then slowly opened my mouth.

 

“The Tower of Babel destroys dimensions.”

 

The story I was about to tell from now on was truly important.

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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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