24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 181

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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 181

 

Episode 181. What the Hell Is This (1)

 

A giant snake looking down at me from a height that easily exceeds the 3rd floor of an apartment, its mouth gaping wide open.

 

Looking into those eyes, only one thought came to mind.

 

‘I’m going to die.’

 

I thought my life would flash before my eyes, but unfortunately, it was too short a moment for that.

 

An intense fear of death invaded my mind.

 

I reflexively curled up and squeezed my eyes shut.

 

However, the expected pain never came.

 

Instead.

 

Haaaam-

 

A very leisurely yawning sound echoed through the air.

 

Wait, a yawn?

 

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

 

I lifted my head and slightly opened my eyes to peek, and the snake in front of me was still looking down at me threateningly.

 

No.

 

Looking more carefully, it wasn’t threatening but definitely curious.

 

I was dumbfounded by those innocent eyes that showed no intention of attacking whatsoever.

 

“…Did you just yawn?”

 

Hisss-

 

The snake answered by flicking its forked tongue.

 

Then it very slowly wrapped its tail around my body.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut at the cold touch of its tail and muttered.

 

“Ah, I forgot again. Am I really an idiot?”

 

Every time I get startled, my body and mind freeze up together, making me keep forgetting that I’m invincible number one inside the Tower.

 

The snake circled around me once, then gently lifted my body with its tail.

 

My feet left the ground slightly in an instant.

 

“Oh!”

 

‘This is fun.’

 

Like it’s an amusement ride.

 

I don’t know the giant snake’s name… wait, no, I can find out names now, can’t I?

 

‘This guy is also a component of the Tower in our dimension, so strictly speaking, it’s a component of the dimension.’

 

I opened my eyes wide and cast my upgraded Appraisal skill.

 

[Sisrik (??)

 

Attribute: Basilisk

 

Affiliation: Dimension-Earth Ι Zone-South Korea Ι 67th Floor Performer]

 

“Sisrik?”

 

When I recited the name, the giant snake—no, the basilisk—gently tapped my cheek with the tip of its tail.

 

Even though it was a light touch, it had enough force to make my neck snap back, but anyone could tell it was excited that I knew its name.

 

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

Sisrik raised its massive body and slowly stuck out its tongue.

 

I tensed up for a moment, but the forked tongue slowly licked my cheek.

 

‘Ugh, the smell…’

 

I can tell it’s being friendly, but if you’re going to do this, at least brush your teeth, Sisrik.

 

‘It has intelligence too.’

 

Could this be the boss monster of this unknown dimension?

 

But isn’t it too docile to be a boss monster?

 

Anyway, I gladly accepted the fact that the giant snake was friendly toward me and decided to gather information.

 

I gently stroked Sisrik’s cold skin and whispered.

 

“Where is this place?”

 

As soon as it heard my question, Sisrik stirred and raised its body.

 

Then it pointed here and there with its tail, busily explaining something…

 

“Haha.”

 

‘What are you saying, you bastard.’

 

I just pretended to understand and smiled while continuing to stroke its tail.

 

Right, I was an idiot for expecting things to work out all at once.

 

It has intelligence but can’t speak—what a tragedy.

 

‘But at least it can point things out.’

 

I looked at Sisrik’s face, which seemed somehow proud after finishing its explanation, and asked another question.

 

“Do you happen to know where a Griffin is around here?”

 

If I could just find that out, my destination would become clear.

 

Brother and the Griffin are connected, so if I find it, I can have a conversation.

 

Sisrik raised its body high as if it knew that too and pointed to the right side of the sky.

 

For the first time, I got an answer from this gentle basilisk, so I looked in the same direction with a brightened expression, but.

 

‘Are you kidding me, really…’

 

There appeared to be at least 100 floating islands.

 

Some islands had things visible to the naked eye, but many islands showed no signs of movement at all.

 

I let out a hollow laugh and muttered.

 

“Haha, nothing ever goes my way.”

 

Sisrik, understanding my words, tilted its head as if asking what was wrong.

 

“No, I’m grateful.”

 

Sisrik pressed its head against me like a cold retriever and rubbed against me.

 

Staggering from the tremendous force that made my legs wobble, I finally grasped reality.

 

Anyway, I had to search through all those islands to find the Griffin.

 

‘Wow, this is overwhelming.’

 

I’ve never felt the need before, but should I buy an item that lets me fly this time?

 

How on earth did Brother move back and forth through here while investigating?

 

At that moment, a fragment of memory flashed through my mind.

 

I hurriedly opened my inventory and started rummaging through it.

 

I thought I wouldn’t be able to find it since I’d stored it so long ago, but I grabbed it as soon as I reached for it.

 

What I pulled out was an ivory-colored horn shaped like a water buffalo’s bone.

 

[Gatekeeper’s Cry (??)

 

A horn flute used by the Guardians of Bifrost when they guarded the boundaries of the nine worlds.

 

When he blows this flute, heaven and earth resonate, and the boundaries of all dimensions shake.

 

That resonance reaches the souls of all living beings, awakening the darkness that lay dormant.

 

Each time it is blown, cracks in reality open slightly, and through those gaps, ancient energies and forgotten beings peer outside the world.

 

/Hidden Ability/ Good and evil are divided according to the will and depth of soul of the one who blows the flute.

 

– Optimization: Lee Hae-on]

 

This was the very item Brother used at the Gyeonghyeon-dong Sudden Gate.

 

Brother blew this inside the Gate back then and escaped riding a Wyvern, avoiding the Dimensional Rift.

 

‘To be precise, I snatched it, but it’s similar enough.’

 

The description of this horn flute is quite grand and magnificent, but it’s so threatening that I wonder if it’s even safe to use.

 

But Brother’s intended use was ‘summoning.’

 

Brother called a wyvern that would help him escape from danger.

 

‘So let’s trust Brother.’

 

He didn’t reveal a single grade or title to me and hid everything, but still, the only one I can trust right now is Brother.

 

I took the horn flute and headed to the edge of the island.

 

“Huuu…”

 

First, deep breaths, deep breaths.

 

This place clearly looks like somewhere at least a hundred monsters live.

 

So surely there must be wyverns here too… right?

 

Nothing to lose by trying.

 

I took a deep breath and put the horn flute to my lips.

 

Then I blew the horn flute with all my might.

 

Buuuu-

 

A low, magnificent sound echoed throughout the bright blue sky.

 

Sisrik flicked his tongue in surprise as if asking what that sound was, and I too looked up at the sky nervously.

 

I said I would trust Brother, but I really couldn’t know what would happen.

 

Ugh, being nervous keeps making my hands cold.

 

I subtly removed my hand from Sisrik and put it in my pocket.

 

After a moment of silence.

 

‘…Something’s coming.’

 

I could see something flying rapidly from the distant sky.

 

A wyvern that could communicate and would help me…!

 

…No, there are quite a lot of them?

 

What I thought was one small dot turned out to be hundreds of dots flying toward me.

 

They covered the entire clear blue sky that had been empty just moments before, flying fiercely in this direction.

 

“Huh?! This is way too many!”

 

I screamed in shock.

 

Before I could even react to this unexpected situation, the dots had gotten close enough to see with the naked eye.

 

‘Wait, was this horn flute just a monster summoning totem?’

 

I just wanted to get a sturdy rope to escape from here, but isn’t this like a monster assembly?

 

All sorts of monsters I’d encountered in various creative works were flying toward me.

 

Pegasus, gargoyles, mantids, harpies, sphinxes…

 

‘Since when do sphinxes fly?’

 

Every winged monster was flying in this direction.

 

I stood there with my mouth agape, watching the countless monsters flying toward me, then snapped back to my senses.

 

‘Griffin!’

 

Griffins have wings too.

 

Brother definitely scratched the griffin’s wing joint, so if it’s on the 67th Floor and can fly, it must be coming this way!

 

I turned my head frantically searching for the griffin.

 

Gray feathers, eagle beak, lion hind legs!

 

‘Where is it, where?!’

 

If you’re in one piece, you should be here!

 

Just as I was frantically searching for the griffin among hundreds of monsters.

 

Thud-

 

A heavy landing sound that shook the ground.

 

Suddenly it became dark before my eyes as a huge shadow fell over my head.

 

I couldn’t even swallow my saliva as I very slowly raised my head.

 

Bizarre bright red scales that were too strange to be called creature skin gleamed vividly.

 

Dark red blood vessels writhed over the sticky, viscous surface.

 

“…”

 

The wings spread wide enough to block all the monsters flying behind were the same color as the scales.

 

Behind the dark red hooks protruding from the wing tips, I could hear the roars of monsters.

 

Even though I was the one who called them, it sounded like a terrible noise as if I was about to receive a death sentence.

 

I barely managed to open my mouth and raised my gaze a little more.

 

“Th-that’s…”

 

But I couldn’t finish my words.

 

Sharp teeth protruded in layers between the snake-like elongated snout.

 

But what was most terrifying were the eyes.

 

The reptilian vertical pupils were emitting bright red light toward me.

 

With a completely hostile light, totally different from Sisrik.

 

I stiffened my entire body as I met those murderous eyes.

 

‘It’s a Bloody Wyvern.’

 

The final boss of Gyeonghyeon-dong Gate, that very Bloody Wyvern.

 

The very monster that had died and disappeared at Nam Pu-reum’s hands.

 

The Bloody Wyvern, which had been growling lowly, lowered its head close to my face.

 

This is real terror.

 

I stared at the wyvern, frozen and unable to breathe.

 

But at that moment.

 

“How do you have that?”

 

A low voice echoed in my ears.

 

At the clearly understandable sentence, I blinked blankly.

 

The wyvern pulled its head back slightly as if displeased and asked again.

 

“I asked why you have that.”

 

Despite its tremendous appearance and aura that seemed ready to kill me at any moment, it was a surprisingly calm question.

 

I answered hesitantly, creaking like someone who had just awakened from ice.

 

“…Uh, this. It’s Brother’s…”

 

“Brother…?”

 

The word ‘Brother’ coming from the wyvern’s mouth sounds really strange.

 

Pushing aside the stupid thought that flashed through my mind, I carefully took a step back.

 

The wyvern that had been glaring at me with hostile eyes now wore a puzzled expression.

 

It’s definitely more intelligent than Sisrik.

 

‘Communication might be possible.’

 

The fact that it looked at me hostilely but didn’t immediately try to kill me, asking questions first, means it has patience and the will to understand the situation.

 

If that’s the case, maybe if I explain my current situation and ask for help, it might listen.

 

I carefully opened my mouth.

 

“Hello, I’m Lee Hae-won. I have a favor to ask you.”

 

“…”

 

“I came here to meet a griffin. Do you happen to know where the griffin is? If you do, could you possibly take me there?”

 

The wyvern just quietly looked down at me without answering.

 

‘Ah, why isn’t it answering?’

 

I barely held back from saying something out of frustration and waited calmly.

 

I’ve said everything I wanted to ask, so I just need to hope this wyvern is a sympathetic and kind wyvern…

 

The wyvern seemed to think for a long while, then suddenly folded its large wings.

 

The scenery behind it, which had been hidden by the wings, came into view all at once.

 

‘Holy shit, this is insane.’

 

All the flying monsters that had been soaring toward us were now hovering right in front of our faces.

 

It was truly an overwhelming sight.

 

My body froze once again at the swarm of monsters packed so densely that I couldn’t even see the blue color of the sky.

 

Just as I was staring at them in shock with my eyes wide open,

 

a question I never expected to hear directly came back to me.

 

“Are you Lee Hae-on’s younger sibling?”

 

“Holy shit.”

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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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