24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 203

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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 203

Episode 203. We’re Open for Business (3)

My expression crumpled without me realizing it.

“What are you talking about?”

If a dimension is destroyed, doesn’t everyone die?

That’s obvious.

When the place where they lived disappears, are you saying they cleanly separate just the living beings and take them somewhere?

The very name ‘Lost World’ was something I was hearing for the first time, so only confusion arose.

Broker chuckled lightly as if understanding my reaction.

“That Alessandro kid you mentioned was originally a resident of the Lost World too. It’s fortunate I sent him an invitation as soon as I discovered him.”

“Does that mean all stragglers normally go to the Lost World?”

“As if.”

Broker firmly retorted and explained in a monotone voice without inflection.

“Beings who can receive admission tickets to the Lost World are extremely rare. One or two? There might be times when no one receives them at all. How could all stragglers survive? They failed to show the scenario that Babel wanted.”

It was a kind explanation, but when you think about it carefully, the content was terrifying.

The dimensions I had experienced so far had at least dozens, or at most tens of thousands or more living beings.

But only one or two people at most could receive admission tickets from there.

For just one reason – failing to complete the scenario on stage.

“Then how is it decided who receives admission tickets?”

“Luck.”

“…Luck?”

“And the whims of the Observers?”

Watching Broker’s veil gently sway, I calmly caught my breath.

I thought Babel was the only great evil, but it sounded like there were beings watching all of this unfold.

Not just casually coming to watch like Asmodeus, but truly looking down on everything.

Do they watch and then reach an agreement to send someone to the Lost World if they seem useful?

Somehow the back of my neck felt stiff.

But I was getting closer to truths I didn’t know.

Stopping at a time like this would be a loss.

“Where is the Lost World?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Does it really exist?”

“Of course. Stragglers have the duty to abandon their homeland, names, and everything they held dear to live new lives in unfamiliar places.”

What kind of duty is that?

I blinked, unable to properly understand.

“Why do they give such opportunities?”

“Because Babel isn’t that heartless.”

‘It seems extremely heartless though.’

Without revealing my cynical thoughts, I calmly asked the next question.

“Is there a way to go there?”

“It would be difficult for you.”

“You mean I can’t?”

“There are too many conditions you can’t fulfill. That’s why you can’t.”

Though saying I can’t, it ultimately meant ‘extremely difficult’.

That it’s difficult for me is probably related to my current state.

Well, hypothetically speaking, it could be because I’m currently in a dimension faithfully clearing a scenario.

‘It might be because I’m the Creator.’

Or it could be that I don’t meet the ability requirements the Lost World demands.

Just as I was about to confirm if my guess was correct, Broker leaned forward slightly.

“Was that what you wanted to ask?”

At the tone that seemed bored as if interest had disappeared, I immediately shook my head.

What I’m curious about is something else.

Whether Brother is in the dimensional rift.

But after hearing Broker’s story, it seemed I needed to change my question.

If Brother had fallen into a dimensional rift, Broker would have already sent an invitation to propose a deal.

Since earlier saying ‘sent an invitation as soon as I discovered Alessandro’, Broker seems to immediately rescue those trapped in dimensional rifts.

Then either they haven’t discovered Brother who fell into the dimensional rift, or…

“Can someone who didn’t fall behind in the scenario also go there?”

“They can.”

Brother might be in the ‘Lost World’ rather than a dimensional rift.

My heart started pounding at the short but clear answer.

Without realizing it, I asked in an urgent tone.

“There’s someone missing from the dimension I live in. Is it possible they’re in the Lost World?”

“It’s possible.”

Making all my earnest efforts to find Brother’s whereabouts seem pointless, Broker readily gave an answer.

The answers I get here are clearer than those from Asmodeus or Sam-i.

‘Does this person not receive restrictions from Babel?’

Just what kind of being are they?

Setting aside the question that reflexively arose, my mind went blank at the fact that Brother might be in the Lost World.

The possibility actually seems higher than the dimensional rift.

‘Right, this is why I couldn’t find him.’

I was looking for answers in the wrong places when only such mysterious beings could provide them.

Still, Lee Hae-won, don’t get excited.

What I gained now is just one possibility, not certainty.

I’ve only narrowed down the possibilities, and can’t conclude anything until I confirm it directly.

“Then please tell me how I can go to that world. It’s difficult, but not impossible, right?”

“I already told you I can’t tell you. You’ll know when the time comes.”

Every single thing is just meaningful words.

But when you know nothing, you can’t digest information even when it’s abundant, so I chose to ask back.

“What time?”

“When you gain qualification.”

“What qualification are you talking about? Is it related to titles?”

“Look, such direct questions aren’t fun to answer. I’m not a being who gives precise answers.”

It’s not fun for me when I don’t know the answers.

But seeing how they turned their gaze from me to look at the wall, Broker really had no intention of telling me.

“You could at least give me a hint.”

I tried the subtle gaze that had somewhat worked on Asmodeus, but it was useless.

Broker shrugged with a firm attitude and threw words that sounded like scolding to anyone.

“Don’t waste time and focus on climbing the Tower.”

“Will I gain qualification if I climb the entire Tower?”

“What, you think it’s all about that? I mean focus on the scenario.”

“What’s there if I climb the entire Tower?”

“You don’t know when to give up. Fine, to answer you, there would be something there. Because Babel isn’t heartless.”

Broker shook their head as if finding me pathetic.

‘I’d give up if you told me properly.’

Of course, Broker’s words aren’t wrong.

Earnestly searching for Brother is important too.

But I also need to perform the role of providing timely help so dimensions don’t perish.

For now, pondering Broker’s recent words, climbing the Tower seems important too…

Just as Asmodeus climbed the entire Tower and gained the opportunity to interfere with other dimensions, would such authority be granted to our dimension too?

Perhaps that might be connected to the authority to visit the Lost World.

But the problem is that our country has only climbed about half of the Tower so far.

It takes several days, or even months at most, just to clear one scenario, so I have to wait that long?

‘Isn’t there a way to climb faster?’

Just as I was accumulating complaints in my head bit by bit.

Something suddenly came to mind.

‘Success Case Collection!’

What came to mind at this unexpected timing was an item from the prohibited trading list that became available after leveling up my Dimensional Door skill – the ‘Success Case Collection’.

I only knew the name and hadn’t even seen its description, but I was strangely drawn to that name.

If it’s on the prohibited trading list, it must contain tremendous information.

And one more puzzling thing is why they made it possible to view the prohibited trading list in the first place.

Why would they make it possible to view a list when you can’t even buy or sell anything from it?

‘Doesn’t that mean I can buy them someday?’

Maybe because I’m so good at positive interpretation, I keep thinking of only hopeful scenarios.

But somehow I felt confident that if my skill level increased, I might be able to buy prohibited items someday.

‘I’m right, aren’t I?’

[⁕ Cannot confirm :)]

Unlike social consensus, I’ve now perfectly figured out that Sam-i’s ‘no’ means ‘yes’.

Then the conclusion converges to one thing.

‘I need to quickly level up my Dimensional Door.’

“What are you thinking about?”

I looked up in surprise to see Broker sitting upright, looking at me.

When I asked Alessandro, it was in a light tone, but when Broker asked, it somehow sounded like an incredibly heavy question.

I answered lightly, pretending it was nothing serious.

“I wasn’t really thinking about anything special.”

“What kind of thoughts?”

They asked back in quite an affectionate tone.

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu there.

Though I couldn’t see what expression they had, it was clearly an attitude of goodwill toward me.

I’m just a customer who suddenly visited.

I had been thinking about the Dimensional Door skill and the Lost World for a while, trying to get additional information about it.

But the question I blurted out at that moment was different in nature.

“I don’t understand why you’re telling me all this without demanding any compensation.”

They took precious memories from Alessandro, yet they’re not demanding anything from me.

It was something I belatedly realized after hearing all these shocking stories.

Before I could even form hypotheses about Broker’s identity, Broker spoke up.

“Well, originally these are all things worth telling in exchange for compensation.”

“….”

“But a child like you, with so many thoughts and so much curiosity, is fun to watch.”

It was a light and cheerful tone, yet filled with sincerity.

I slowly blinked my eyes and mulled over those words.

Fun to watch.

Broker said they liked watching, so they wanted to give Alessandro a chance.

And coincidentally, I know another being who likes to watch.

Asmodeus.

Asmodeus was a being who became free after climbing the entire Tower, and thus gained the right to spectate Park Ji-woon’s climb.

Since it’s the authority to leave one’s own dimension, Asmodeus is certainly a tremendous being.

But even such an Asmodeus wouldn’t have the ability to reach into dimensional rifts and pull someone out.

Asmodeus only enters and exits this dimension as a mental entity, unable to manifest physically.

Then the being sitting in front of me now has power beyond the authority that awakeners who’ve climbed the entire Tower possess.

The ability to open dimensional rifts and pull out people drifting inside them.

A position where they know about the Lost World, don’t mind Babel’s sanctions, and can pass information to others without filtering.

Broker wasn’t something within Babel.

‘They have authority beyond Babel.’

As soon as I realized that, goosebumps rose all over my body.

‘Just what level of position is this?’

Suspicious if you call it suspicious, mysterious if you call it mysterious.

Come to think of it, I haven’t gotten a single clue about Broker’s name or identity.

Even though quite some time has passed since entering the trading post.

Just in case, I immediately tried using my Appraisal skill.

[⁕ This skill cannot be used on this target :)]

I only got the conclusion that my skill was nowhere near sufficient.

I immediately changed course.

I can’t find out their name, but I have one useful skill that can determine value.

‘…What about Merchant’s Eye?’

Sam-i didn’t say all skills couldn’t be used on this target.

While this might not provide an accurate indicator in the current situation, it would at least give me some basis for judgment.

I quietly activated the skill so that Broker, who was observing me through the veil, wouldn’t notice.

But.

‘…There’s nothing.’

The sensation of golden light flowing from everything was absent.

As if refusing to give such a skill any opening, this entire space was dead black.

Clearly untradeable.

Merchant’s Eye judges even trivial objects, corpses, and even trash as having some commercial value and emits a faint golden light.

But I can’t see any color anywhere in this space, let alone from Broker.

So that means I’m now facing a higher-up of Babel with tremendous authority, or a higher-up of the higher-ups.

Someone who’s only dealing with me because there’s fun in watching.

Without realizing it, I swallowed dry saliva.

“Is the story over here?”

The words came cleanly without any lingering attachment.

It was no different from an order to leave if there was nothing more to discuss.

“No.”

But this colorlessness means I can’t know Broker’s commercial value, not that I can’t trade with this being.

‘Get it together, Lee Hae-won.’

Let me think like a merchant.

Since I’ve met a higher-up, I’ll find out everything I can and extract only what might be helpful to me.

I straightened my back like Broker and asked.

“I’d like to propose a different trade.”

Of course, the fact that my voice trembled as I asked was a mistake.

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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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