24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 204

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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 204

Episode 204. We’re Open for Business (4)

Contrary to my attempt to speak skillfully with a plausible attitude, I ended up falling flat on my face.

I felt like I had buttoned things up wrong from the start, but the Broker didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Tell me what you want.”

The Broker answered with a rather gentle voice.

Right, this person has tremendous abilities beyond what I could ever imagine anyway.

They’re not someone I can deal with on equal footing from the beginning.

Let me take advantage of this moment when they’re maintaining a favorable attitude toward me and find out as much as possible.

“If I tell you what I want, can you trade for everything?”

“Anything, as long as it’s interesting.”

Why do all these beings with great power have such vague and ambiguous standards?

I swallowed the sigh that was about to escape reflexively.

Let me return the question to square one, to what I’m most curious about right now.

“Then, is it possible to find a person?”

“It’s possible.”

“Even if I don’t know where they are?”

“That’s also possible.”

“Then is it also possible to bring someone here whose location I don’t know?”

After throwing out this question, I think I unconsciously held my breath.

The veil trembled slightly before the Broker answered.

“It’s possible.”

Their tone was very light, as if asking why I was confirming such a thing.

It was a question I threw out because someone with enough power to peer into dimensional rifts and know about the Lost World would naturally be capable of such things.

And as expected, the answer came back that it was possible, but.

‘I think I’m going to throw up.’

I was so nervous that I wondered if I’d ever been this tense recently.

How embarrassing.

But being able to find Brother, whose exact whereabouts I haven’t been able to locate until now, and even bring him back – this is a naturally physiological reaction, isn’t it?

I forcibly suppressed the queasy feeling as if my heart was sinking.

Instead, I calmly caught my breath and opened my mouth.

Just because I learned the method doesn’t mean this conversation is over.

The important part is what comes next.

“What’s the price?”

If I can bring Brother back, what would I have to offer to the Broker?

“Is it memories of someone you love?”

I added with a slight sense of relief.

Since that’s what they wanted from Alessandro, they’d probably demand something similar.

Actually, is there anyone I could say I love?

…If it doesn’t have to be a living being, then my bed or potato chips might be possibilities.

Forgetting the fluffy texture of my bed and the crispy, salty taste of potato chips would be a bit sad.

Still, paying that level of memory to bring Brother back would be very cost-effective.

‘I hope it’s not some other price, please.’

But the Broker cut me off immediately.

“No.”

“No?”

“That kind of thing isn’t very interesting.”

I couldn’t tell where the gaze from behind the veil was directed, but right now I felt like they were looking straight at me.

Moreover, the way they shrugged their shoulders as if it was ridiculous nearly doubled my anxiety.

“What I want is something else. Something much more interesting.”

Oh, this is very unsettling.

I was already nervous because Asmodeus was also a demon obsessed with fun, but this one is scarier.

“…I’m a boring person.”

“Don’t worry, you have it.”

“What is it?”

The tattooed hands clasped together on the table.

The veil seemed to flutter a bit more strongly than before.

“Title.”

The short word echoed through the space.

The moment I heard that word, I blinked my eyes, doubting my ears.

What did the Broker just say?

“Ti…”

I stupidly started to repeat it and stopped.

It was because of the vain hope that if I didn’t ask back, they’d soon say it was a joke and tell me the real price.

But the Broker completely crushed my small, fragile hope and said again.

“I want your title.”

…Thank you for kindly repeating it, but this is a very shocking proposal.

“You can… take away a title?”

“It’s not taking away. It’s a trade.”

“But that’s the same…”

Instead of responding, the Broker quietly laughed out loud.

The laughter spreading through the air felt somehow cruel and cold.

The Broker spoke as if it was really nothing, but this was a shock on the level of being hit by a dump truck.

I asked urgently.

“Isn’t there any other, other condition?”

“No. The trade condition is that, just that one thing.”

At the firm answer that showed not even a speck of room for negotiation, I couldn’t say anything and just moved my lips.

‘My title.’

Open Market Manager, and Creator.

If I give up my title, I can bring Brother back.

The trade the Broker proposed is simple and clear.

But why does that trade feel so heavy?

“You don’t have to decide right now.”

The Broker’s words just now were excessively kind.

“Come find me later if you change your mind.”

“…”

“The door is always open.”

Once again, the veil fluttered gently.

I heard the auditory hallucination of three silver bells ringing lightly, ding-a-ling.

* * *

“I’ll be at my house, so call me if you need anything.”

Alessandro quietly closed the front door and left.

He’s always only at my house and never thinks about going to his own, but at times like this he’s perceptive enough to step away.

Alessandro didn’t ask anything the entire way back to Babel Square.

Well, seeing as I can’t even remember how I got back, I must have been completely out of it.

Standing alone in the quiet house, a sigh escaped me naturally.

“Hah…”

It’s closer to a sigh than a lament, I suppose.

The familiar, cozy warmth of home that demands nothing from me.

I thought the tension would ease, but my mind became increasingly clear, making me want to scream.

I immediately opened the master bedroom door and dove onto the bed.

Normally, this would be the sensation that would make me fall asleep right away, but not now.

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

I buried my face in the bed and sighed again.

Since Babel’s arrival, an awakener’s title had never disappeared even once.

So a title was like a tag that, once acquired, would stay with an awakener forever until death.

‘But I’m supposed to give that up?’

If that’s the only condition for bringing Brother back, there’s no other way.

Of course I want Brother to come back.

It’s only natural that I want that.

He’s my only blood relative that I’ve been searching for all this time, and how long have I been unable to even get a clue about where Brother is.

My family, closest friend, protector, and pillar of support.

Since Brother’s whereabouts are at stake, it’s a deal I shouldn’t hesitate about.

But.

‘Lee Hae-won without a title…?’

I tried to picture what would happen after that in my head.

Me without a title.

Unable to contribute to scenario clearing, unable to manage the market, with Ba-man-jang and Babel Square all gone.

Not even an E-rank Hunter, just ordinary citizen Lee Hae-won.

It’s not about money troubles.

After Brother disappeared, I literally lived like a dropout.

A life of living day to day in a world full of awakeners who were afraid to enter the Tower.

I somehow managed to get by, but I barely survived without even having time to properly take care of myself.

What gave me the driving force to live like a human being was the title that suddenly came to me.

Because I was able to find my role in this world.

As a result, I now had something like pride in becoming a cog that prevents dimensions from collapsing.

‘But I haven’t finished my role yet.’

Getting Brother back doesn’t make the Tower disappear.

Scenarios don’t solve themselves either.

And can I continue living in Babel Square without a title?

I have dependents like Alessandro and Kang Yeon-hee to take care of.

“Can’t I have both…?”

I mumbled with my face buried in the blanket.

Right now, this is a structure where I must give up one thing no matter what I choose.

Even if Brother returns safely and pats my head, can I really be satisfied with just the fact that Brother came back?

I’ve become happier and developed the greed to live a more satisfying life than before.

My head is so complicated that my temples feel stiff.

That’s when it happened.

[> New Message

– Ms. Lee Hae-won, after reviewing the 72nd Floor reconnaissance report, we’ve concluded that there’s insufficient information to form an assault team. | Manager Park Ji-woon (Dimension-Earth)

– Please confirm if a re-reconnaissance would be possible. | Manager Park Ji-woon (Dimension-Earth)]

“Ugh.”

A sigh escaped at the work that appeared before my eyes.

‘What timing.’

Should I say it feels like reality suddenly barged in while I was seriously contemplating?

“Wow…”

A hollow laugh burst out.

When people get too overwhelmed, they tend to go slightly crazy.

Still, thanks to Park Ji-woon’s intrusion, my head was actually becoming clearer.

Priorities… Sorry to Brother, but I immediately realized what the priorities were.

When South Korea’s Babel Tower clearing depends on me, I can’t give up my title based on an impulsive decision.

I need to give myself enough grace period.

I’ll focus on leveling up the Dimensional Door skill for now.

It would be good to buy the ‘Success Case Studies’ and get hints to speed up Babel Tower clearing.

If I scout the entire interior of Babel Tower in advance, the necessity of the title would also greatly decrease.

I muttered in a grumbling tone.

“Fine, let’s just do what I was doing, Lee Hae-won.”

I don’t have time to just lie here contemplating.

I slowly got up and sat properly while organizing my thoughts.

That’s when it happened.

At a completely unexpected moment, a completely unexpected notification window blocked my view.

[Title Job Quest (9)

Complete the following to successfully operate and expand your market.

1) Designate a middle manager for the Irregular Dimensional Market stall.

2) Remodel the offline branch of the market you’re operating.

3) Register over 1,000 types of items for sale in the Open Market.

Reward: [Dimensional Door] skill experience increase

Penalty: Title disappearance]

How long has it been since I’ve seen a Quest?

After being flustered for a moment, I quickly read through the Quest contents.

Numbers 2 and 3 are manageable.

They seem like items I could solve quickly if I just don’t sleep much.

But the third content is something that would make me frown.

‘Designate a middle manager on the 75th Floor?’

This is telling me to quickly climb to the 75th Floor.

It seems like it’s urging me not to waste time with a broken mentality and just work hard.

Moreover, the reward is the ‘Dimensional Door’ level up that I was just thinking about.

Isn’t this timing too good?

As if it’s been watching me.

“Fine, I’ll do it, do it! I said I’ll do it!”

I got annoyed and kicked off from the bed to stand up.

Getting angry about the Quest list given to me again is one thing.

Since Park Ji-woon requested a re-reconnaissance of the 72nd Floor that I never want to go to again, I have to go.

First…

“Ah, damn it-!!”

Let me yell first.

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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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