24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 210

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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 210

Episode 210. A Well-Set Flag (6)

“This way.”

I stopped Han Ro-mi, who was about to walk forward blindly, and pointed to the right.

Han Ro-mi naturally changed direction without a word.

I’ve felt this since we were cleaning the turtle’s shell, but Han Ro-mi is quite a peculiar person.

She’s an S-rank Hunter, the guild master of Sinrok, and has many other titles attached to her name.

But setting all that aside, just those bare feet stepping on the squishy ground without a care are extraordinary.

‘Doesn’t she find it gross?’

She seems to stick to bare feet anywhere and anytime, but stepping on mud puddles with water sloshing around without a care – should I call that brave?

Her hunter uniform made of Sinrok Guild’s characteristic green fabric and white pants were already thoroughly dirtied with mud.

Even in the darkness created by the collaboration of dense trees and rain, the only bright thing was Han Ro-mi’s hair.

Her long hair flowing inside the transparent raincoat was pristinely white, unlike the muddy scenery.

“Ugh.”

I almost tripped over a stone while walking and looking at her hair.

But whether she didn’t hear that sound or not, Han Ro-mi just keeps walking blindly.

‘That’s my fate.’

What did you expect from a colleague without camaraderie, Lee Hae-won?

After walking through the muddy path where my feet kept sinking for quite a while, my body was exhausted and my heart was starting to feel hurt too.

I grumbled and struggled to unfold the map that had become tattered from the humidity.

The dot showing my location was marked right in front of the temple.

When I quickly raised my head and looked ahead carefully, I could see stone walls between the tall trees.

“…It’s right there in the open.”

It was so close that I’d touch it with my nose if I fell, yet I hadn’t seen it.

The limits of vision – what on earth is going on?

I hurriedly moved and stuck close behind Han Ro-mi.

The stone wall took on the form of a building as we got closer.

A single building towering in the middle of a tropical jungle reminiscent of the Amazon.

Thick vines wrapping around the walls and pillars hung leaves as big as my body, and plants that had grown along the building’s exterior had grown all the way to the roof.

I had imagined something pristinely white and sacred when I heard it was a temple.

‘The localization is insane.’

It’s a building with an exterior that doesn’t stand out at all and blends perfectly with the surrounding scenery.

The continuous sound of rain falling like background music makes it feel even more magnificent.

If I were a resident here, I’d want to run this place as an Airbnb.

‘Is this blasphemy?’

I secretly swallowed a cough.

The stairs leading to the temple were uneven but slippery and wet due to moisture and moss.

Unlike me, who was carefully climbing to avoid slipping, barefoot Han Ro-mi climbed the stairs with big strides without a care.

The mud that fell from Han Ro-mi’s feet was washed away by the heavy rain as soon as it hit the stairs.

“It seems to be a temple…”

Han Ro-mi, standing under the eaves, finally opened her mouth.

Han Ro-mi looking at me blankly still had that vacant expression.

Though absurdity rose at her face that seemed to ask what to do now, I barely maintained my composure.

“Let’s go in, I guess.”

Isn’t this something Han Ro-mi should take the lead on?

Lamenting my fate of becoming an assault team companion just because I didn’t do reconnaissance once, I headed toward the door.

The massive door at the temple entrance was half open.

Whether someone had left it open and abandoned it like this, or whether it had been closed but rotted over time and was now stuck in this neither-here-nor-there state.

But one thing was certain – the inside was too quiet.

Somehow, a baseless conviction welled up that the inside couldn’t possibly be empty.

Just as Han Ro-mi was about to quietly enter, I quickly blocked her path with my arm.

“I’ll go in first.”

A look that said ‘I’m an S-rank Hunter, you know?’ pierced through her brow.

…Well, it would be funny for me to be protecting Han Ro-mi.

‘But this one is the devilish extra who absolutely won’t die.’

I ignored that look and carefully stepped inside.

The combination of the dark interior with no lights on and the heavy rain made the inside pitch black.

It was right when I was about to take out lighting from my inventory.

“…Ah.”

Along with Han Ro-mi’s languid sigh, a small light flew from the darkness.

Before I could make out its form, the light flew toward me as if to pierce my eyes, followed by something massive targeting me.

“Eek?!”

As I let out an unseemly scream and reflexively dodged, Han Ro-mi immediately stepped forward.

At the same time, the Book of Life she summoned glowed with a light green color.

Whoosh-

A transparently thin barrier rose up, blocking our view.

The very next moment, with a sharp bursting sound, the defensive barrier Han Ro-mi had hastily put up shattered completely.

Light green mana fragments exploded in all directions, passing by like slow motion.

‘Han Ro-mi’s barrier broke?’

Even if Han Ro-mi isn’t specialized in defense, she’s still an S-rank Hunter?

As soon as I realized the incoming attack wasn’t ordinary, I urgently grabbed Han Ro-mi’s arm and threw our bodies to one side.

It was fortunate that I could see a statue nearby in the light spilled by Han Ro-mi’s mana.

“Are you okay?”

Han Ro-mi looked down at her hand for a moment, then slowly nodded.

She doesn’t seem particularly surprised either.

‘…Was I the only one attacked just now?’

Isn’t this person being too calm?

That’s when it happened.

“Who are you?”

At the cold voice coming from the darkness, I quickly raised my head.

There’s someone here!

Well, since an attack came flying, someone must have been here in the first place.

I slightly poked my head out from behind the statue to observe the situation.

If this were an FPS game, I would have died from a headshot, but since they asked who we were, they probably won’t try to kill us outright.

The earlier attack was probably meant as a threat.

Though it’s a bit scary that a threatening attack was strong enough to break an S-rank Hunter’s barrier.

A dim lamp was casting light inside the temple interior where nothing had been visible before.

“Further entry is not permitted. Haven’t I warned you several times already?”

The owner of the lamp warned in a low but clear voice.

I narrowed my eyes and observed the opponent.

A man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties.

The man with distinct facial features and long hair roughly hanging down behind him was wearing dark navy priest robes.

Even under the dim lamplight, his rigidly hardened expression was clear.

One thing was certain – he was extremely wary of Han Ro-mi and me.

“Han Ro-mi, what was that attack that came flying earlier?”

“…It looked like a mana spear.”

As expected, since there was no fallen weapon, that person seems to be a mage who uses mana.

Though it’s puzzling that he’s wearing priest robes but using mana instead of divine power.

‘First, I need to ease his wariness.’

I stuck my head back behind the statue and shouted loudly.

“Excuse me, there seems to be some misunderstanding. We’re just lost refugees, you know?”

“….”

“We don’t know what warning you’re talking about, so could you please explain it to us first?”

“How can I believe that?”

“People need to live with trust!”

“You blocked my attack without a single scratch, isn’t that enough circumstantial evidence to suspect you’re a mage from Gontawa, assassin?”

Lee Hae-won felt wronged, as her physical abilities weren’t really that good to be called an assassin.

The village where Kim Seol and Lee Taek-ju headed, Gontawa, had sent an assassin to the temple.

‘Why?’

Sending an assassin to kill a priest, this dimension seems to be quite something indeed.

Still, I need to have a conversation with this person first.

Of course, for that to happen, I need to trust that he won’t attack us anymore….

I looked down at Han Ro-mi with hopeful eyes for help.

“…What are you doing?”

Han Ro-mi was carefully wiping the dust off the cover of the Book of Life.

‘This person is really not helpful.’

Even though I had just received help from her barrier, I instantly deducted points from Han Ro-mi and looked around.

The temple interior, dimly visible as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, had chairs arranged in rows for worship, and thick curtains hung over the windows.

Judging by how the sound of rain had diminished, all the windows must be closed too, naturally.

‘…Wait, windows?’

I urged Han Ro-mi and slowly stood up.

The man reflexively became alert seeing the two heads popping up above the statue.

If he suspects we’re assassins sent from Gontawa, I just need to make him not be on guard at all.

I dragged Han Ro-mi and stealthily walked toward the wall.

The man’s lantern swayed in the direction we were going.

Finally reaching the curtain, I very slowly pulled it back.

Is this a characteristic of all dimensional temples?

This temple also has incredibly large windows.

Beyond the window, I could see the massive jungle we had just fought through, and the rain was still coming down heavily.

‘This should be right…?’

I looked down at Han Ro-mi with an uncertain expression.

While offering a halfhearted apology to Han Ro-mi’s snow-white hair as she looked up at me with a face that didn’t understand what I was doing.

“Oh….”

I quickly opened the window.

Torrential rain rushed into the huge window, and Han Ro-mi and I instantly changed genres to jungle survival.

When we were somewhat protected by raincoats and umbrellas it was bearable, but getting hit with bare skin, this is really like bullets.

I endured the pain and groaned.

“There, ugh, now you can feel, ptui, reassured, right?”

See, now we can’t use magic!

I couldn’t use it originally, but Han Ro-mi, one of Korea’s strongest hunters, can’t use it either, you see!

“Now let’s talk, cough, shall we!”

Perhaps surprised by my decisiveness, the man had stepped forward.

In the dim light of the lantern, I caught a glimpse of the man’s expression, and he was clearly flustered.

If he attacks after seeing this state, then he’s not human.

Fortunately, the man spoke with some urgency while flustered.

“…Reveal your identity.”

As soon as I heard those words, I immediately closed the window.

In the temple that had become quiet again, the floor had become a sea of water, and Han Ro-mi and I looked like drowned rats.

The soaking wet Han Ro-mi quietly muttered.

“…Uncomfortable.”

* * *

Han Ro-mi, who was wiping between her fingers with purified water, seemed to have no interest in the man.

No, strictly speaking, Han Ro-mi is the assault team member, shouldn’t she be the one stepping forward?

But leaving it to Han Ro-mi is unsettling in its own way.

I had no choice but to become Han Ro-mi’s spokesperson.

Having settled in the prayer room inside the temple, we were in an awkward silence.

The man was devoutly kneeling and lighting candles on the candlestick inside.

The man’s name was Kaem.

He said he had been guarding the temple alone for a full 28 years.

‘He really looks young for his age.’

He explained that humans in Raquan have long lifespans and age slowly so it doesn’t show much, but anyway, I’m envious.

“Why are you here alone?”

“Because all those who shared my beliefs have returned to God’s side.”

“What do you mean by sharing beliefs?”

“Guarding the temple so as not to disturb God’s sleep.”

Kaem, who answered matter-of-factly, turned to look at us as if finding it strange.

“Do you really not know?”

“Yes, we really don’t know this area at all. Could you explain what kind of situation this place is in?”

Even though I roughly know from the scenario content, I don’t know the detailed circumstances, so it’s not a lie.

And rather, not knowing about God’s sleep seemed to work as evidence for Kaem to remove his suspicions.

Kaem carefully lit the last candlestick and then approached Han Ro-mi and me.

Three people sitting on the floor instead of chairs looked somewhat ridiculous, but Kaem’s expression was extremely serious.

It was several minutes later when Kaem, who had been silent as if mulling over memories, opened his mouth.

“The story begins with an oracle that has been passed down from very long ago.”

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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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