24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 201

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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 201

Episode 201. Open for Business (1)

“8 days…?”

“What’s 8 days?”

Letting Kang Yeon-hee’s question go in one ear and out the other, I began calmly organizing everything I had learned so far.

First, I saw Brother’s worn-out t-shirt inside the dimensional rift.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean Brother is drifting around inside the dimensional rift, it’s certain that he dropped that item somewhere.

Second, through Alessandro’s story, I secured a precedent for escaping from a dimensional rift.

Third, there’s a broker with the ability to help people escape from dimensional rifts, and that broker operates an office across the river from the Irregular Dimensional Market.

The sound of Alessandro casually taking a spoonful of soup could be heard.

I stared blankly at the dining table before slowly picking up my spoon.

8 days until the Irregular Dimensional Market.

This isn’t the time to be despairing about my life’s difficulty being on hard mode or higher.

8 days is more time than I thought, but also a shorter period than I thought.

‘Let me do everything one step at a time.’

First, I need to put Ba-man-jang and Babel Square’s long-term inventory items on clearance sale, and since automatic purchasing is impossible, I also need to procure popular items from the market.

On top of that, I need to replenish the materials for the items Kang Yeon-hee makes.

Although Kang Yeon-hee and Alessandro are each dedicated to managing Ba-man-jang and Babel Square respectively, as middle managers, there are limitations to their management.

Despite having the Market Manager title, I’ve been leaving too much to just the employees…

I looked back and forth between the two people who were once again eating heartily, then pressed my lips together.

When I come back from the market, I’ll have to give them both huge bonuses and very long vacations.

‘And I should do some advance scouting too.’

When the assault team that has now entered the 65th Floor clears the scenario, they’ll immediately visit Seiporamonium.

But surprisingly, the conquest of Seiporamonium might end in an instant.

If I complete at least one or two scouting trips beyond the 67th Floor in advance, I’ll be able to focus my attention elsewhere for a while.

No, while I’m at it, let me go three times.

‘Since I don’t know what might happen at the market.’

One of the truths I’ve painfully realized through various experiences is that things in the world don’t go as planned.

And since the person I’m trying to meet seems extraordinary, I’m preparing in advance.

They sent an invitation into the dimensional rift where Alessandro was trapped for so long he lost track of time, and then casually pulled him out.

‘Taking memories as payment is also unusual.’

…It’s not something that can be simply summarized as unusual.

“Alessandro.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“The Irregular Dimensional Market opens in 8 days.”

“…Hmm.”

Alessandro put down his spoon and looked up as if he understood what I was trying to say.

Alessandro’s expression, who had grown five times larger than Kang Yeon-hee from eating and sleeping well, showed an indescribable solemnity.

“Are you suggesting we go find the broker?”

“While we’re at it, we can also look around the market.”

“To call it just looking around the market, your eyes look far from ordinary.”

I picked up a chopstick full of seasoned vegetables without giving any answer.

Alessandro’s gaze seemed to waver slightly, but I pretended not to notice and looked down.

“Sister, can’t I go too?”

Before I knew it, Kang Yeon-hee was looking at me with passionate eyes.

That’s right, when I took her to the market last time, she was completely absorbed by all kinds of rare items.

For Kang Yeon-hee, the Irregular Dimensional Market would probably be like a playground.

However.

“No.”

“…Why not!”

I want to come along too!

Though she didn’t say it out loud, her disappointed and hurt expression pierced right through my brow.

“If both Alessandro and I leave, there won’t be anyone to manage the market.”

“That’s unfair…!”

But you’re a South Korean citizen who grew up not knowing about brokers…

Perhaps thinking I would naturally take her along, Kang Yeon-hee hung her head with a dejected face.

It can’t be helped.

“I’ll give you a month’s vacation.”

“…Can’t I really come along?”

“Paid vacation.”

“Just leave it to me.”

The best treatment is financial treatment.

Kang Yeon-hee smiled brightly as if she had never been disappointed and moved her spoon.

I feel somewhat like I’ve been tricked, but anyway, if I leave it to Kang Yeon-hee, I can feel at ease about stepping away briefly.

Then Nam Pu-reum, who had been quietly listening, suddenly poked my forearm.

“I want to go too.”

“You can’t either.”

“Why?”

…Why? Because you’re not even a market employee and you can’t come to the 75th Floor either.

But even if I kindly explain that, it would only increase the facts I’d have to reveal to Nam Pu-reum.

‘Just hearing the conversation with Alessandro is already a lot.’

Thanks to the contract I signed with the Babel Management Bureau before, she won’t be able to talk about it anywhere, but there’s no need to mention that I’m going to the 75th Floor.

I immediately gave up on explaining everything in detail and decided to just brush it off.

“You need to receive counseling.”

Nam Pu-reum stared at me intently as if asking what I was talking about.

* * *

[69th Floor Scouting Notes]

Setting: Underground city ‘Lumenka’

• A city where dwarves live. Though underground, the city itself operates on the heat from a giant furnace, with an enormous furnace in the middle.

• For 6 hours each day, the entire city enters complete darkness > No one? knows the reason

• There are tunnels. But security is too tight to approach – the guards managing the tunnels are crazy about sweets

• Key figures

– Gupta (dwarf responsible for furnace management): Hereditary position, haven’t seen him directly.

– Victoria: Skilled blacksmith, missing. > Disappeared while refining a magic sword. High possibility of scenario clue ☆☆☆

• Notable points

– The magic sword Victoria was making is presumed to be the cause of destruction. Before Victoria’s disappearance, she kept losing her mind. (Dwarf who tried to stop her got injured)

– Possibility that she’s hiding while making the magic sword, or has already completed and hidden it.

• Clue speculation?

– Victoria apparently worked only 6 hours a day when refining the magic sword. The 6 hours of darkness might be that time. Just a hunch though

• Recommended personnel

– Someone with fire attribute skills is definitely advantageous. (They have infinite trust in people who handle fire;)

– Light-related skills would also be good since movement in darkness is required

– If there’s a hunter with blacksmith or metal-related titles, building rapport with the dwarves would be easier > Nice to have but not essential.

[71st Floor Scouting Notes]

Setting: ‘Demiro Orphanage’

• Key figures

– Gallia: Director. Obviously disgusting at first glance. Searched the director’s office and wondered if a person could be this much trash. Sells children as slaves and embezzles; went to the cafeteria and they only serve potatoes and spinach (all the kids are skin and bones) just absolute trash among trash so it’d be fine to kill her please

– Iina: Says she’s 9 but looks so small, maybe 5 or 6? The starting point of mana contamination.

– Previous Caretaker: Don’t know the name. But from what the kids said, she was suspicious. Likely the scenario starting point

• There are no caretakers, but immediately asked ‘Are you a newly applied caretaker?’ upon seeing me. When entering the scenario, there’s a possibility a caretaker-related scenario will proceed.

• It looks like an ordinary orphanage, but the structure is strange. Nothing looks odd at first glance, but places we passed earlier reappear ahead > Seems to be due to mana contamination. The interior space is twisted like a maze. It gets worse over time, so we scouted twice.

• We tried to go outside but couldn’t. It’s impossible to leave the building at all, so give up on that

• Key point: The director seemed to be the problem, but he’s just an ordinary human. The children being tainted by mana seems closely related to the scenario.

• Recommended personnel

– Han Ro-mi ☆☆☆

– Should have a healer.

– If possible, someone good at cooking.

[72nd Floor Scouting Notes]

Setting: Name unconfirmed. No village. A bizarre space with furniture randomly scattered across an empty field. A floor where the concept of a city doesn’t exist.

• Always dark. No natural light, no artificial light × Can’t see anything.

• Residents’ appearance: No eyes, no nose. Only mouth and ears. About 1 meter tall, no neck. Looks like a circle with arms and legs attached, fingernails about 30cm long > There’s a drawing on the last page

– They can’t perceive light but are extremely sensitive to sound and vibration. Usually they just quietly wander between furniture, but react immediately to loud sounds. Be careful not to drop anything.

– Their fingernails are “really sharp.” Sharp enough to cleanly cut a door in half. (Didn’t see it directly, but there are tons of cut objects everywhere)

– They seem docile normally but completely change when stimulated.

• Couldn’t find any key points.

• The furniture types and placement are random but arranged in perfectly straight lines.

• Recommended personnel

– Tank. Someone who can take hits.

– Seo Jae-hyuk ☆☆☆ Must have at least one person who can handle light. Seo Jae-hyuk seems like the safe choice

– Recommend Guk Min-seong (Aegis office worker with sound control skill / Warning: not Se-jin)

* * *

8 days pass faster than Alessandro seasons beef soup.

For the past 8 days, I worked while cutting my sleep to 5 hours at most, 3 hours at least.

I think I cried out a hundred times that I wanted to sleep more than 5 hours.

Of course, I succeeded in handling all the work I had resolved to do.

First, I finished scouting the three floors and delivered the hastily written notes to Park Ji-woon.

I was in a hurry so I couldn’t look closely, but I conveyed all the basic information in my own way.

…That was the best I could do.

And I finished the handover to Kang Yeon-hee, and put up closure signs at the information desk, repair shop, and appraisal office at the Babel Square branch.

Oh, and during that time, the assault team that had entered the 65th floor cleared the scenario.

Based on the Seiporamonium information I provided, they entered the 67th floor assault.

There were also changes in overseas assault situations.

Through trade with our country, other countries were also gradually climbing the Tower, conquering Aetheria in sequence.

I think we can say the preliminary preparations were completed fairly smoothly.

So where am I, having finished all the preparations?

“Wow, the market noise.”

I’m at the ear-splitting Irregular Dimensional Market.

“It’s been a while since I came, but it’s still the same.”

Together with Alessandro.

Alessandro, who had neatly trimmed his beard after a long time, looked particularly imposing today.

He looked even more so because he was wearing the armor he used to wear before, not the SPA brand training suit set I had bought him.

Whether he had polished it with midnight cloth, it gleamed so brightly it looked newly acquired.

That was probably his way of showing his mindset.

Alessandro, who had been gazing toward the river somewhere at the end of the long market alley, finally let out a sigh.

“Well, I’m ready.”

Then he showed a spirited expression as if he had never sighed.

Watching Alessandro’s confident back as he naturally stepped forward, I casually threw out,

“Are we walking?”

“Then… are you planning to run?”

“Of course not.”

I’m confident I’d rank last in this neighborhood when it comes to lung capacity.

I even tried walking there once with Manti, and it wasn’t a distance you could stroll casually.

I shook my head and opened my inventory.

Of course I was planning to travel using transportation.

Taking out my favorite item after a long time, riding the Emerald Skywalk!

“Get on.”

The moment I confidently pointed to the Emerald Skywalk, Alessandro’s expression subtly stiffened.

…Ah, I didn’t think about that guy’s build.

I realized now that the Emerald Skywalk’s saddle was the same size as Alessandro’s hand.

Alessandro blinked and muttered reluctantly.

“…On this?”

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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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