24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 23

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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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Dimensional Item Specialty 24-Hour Friendly Market Episode 23

Episode 23. Word of Mouth (2)

At that very moment when Chae Geun-dam was promoting my market name on a national scale.

“Huh?”

Sitting on a chair in front of the convenience store eating ice cream, I couldn’t even think of swallowing my ice cream and made a dumbfounded expression at Chae Geun-dam’s nationally broadcasted promotion.

Since it felt awkward to share the touching moment of breaking through the 49th Floor while pretending to be a wandering merchant, I had come outside the Tower entirely.

‘But for such an absurd thing to happen.’

Questions were still continuing on my phone screen.

-What is this ‘Friendly Market’ you just mentioned?

-They sold items needed to clear the 49th Floor scenario in bundles. Everything from lacking potions to items necessary for scenario clearing. Thanks to that, we saved a lot of time.

-Are you referring to an Awakener market?

-No. It’s different from the Awakener markets we commonly use. ‘Friendly Market’ is a kind of… personal trading platform. It seemed you could even purchase items from other dimensions.

I stared blankly at the screen with my mouth agape.

The Chae Geun-dam I had met in the Tower was definitely someone who carefully chose each word before speaking.

Now his mouth was so loose it seemed like it might fly up to the sky.

No, what wind suddenly blew to make him act like someone who can’t help but explain everything!

Since I was watching through a screen and couldn’t stop him, I just blinked my eyes.

-Did you know about such a market even before the strategy?

-I cannot tell you that much.

At Chae Geun-dam’s words as he firmly shook his head while touching his eyes, the reporters shut their mouths tight again.

His attitude seemed to say not to bring up any more words.

I licked my ice cream again and muttered.

“Phew, at least he seems to have some sense.”

If he stops at this level, I’ll have somewhere to hide.

However.

-I’ll add just one more thing

“What more are you adding, stop talking…”

Just as I was muttering at the ominous beginning.

-Wolpae was able to conquer the 49th Floor thanks to ‘Friendly Market’. I’d like to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to ‘Friendly Market’.

-Is ‘Friendly Market’ by any chance a market operated by a Hunter?

-I will not take any more questions.

“……”

Are you kidding me, really.

He didn’t give a definitive answer, but isn’t he just openly telling everyone it’s a market operated by a Hunter?

My connection with this person called Chae Geun-dam was just a transaction from a few hours ago.

Right now that human is publicly putting a bounty on me.

Only then did I realize my mistake.

While it was important to keep secret that the person ‘Lee Hae’ was a Hunter, I should have definitely asked him not to mention Friendly Market.

Regardless, Chae Geun-dam on screen had the face of a swallow repaying a favor.

At his somewhat proud expression, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Since it has the name ‘Market’, that’s probably what he thought.

He seems to think that promoting it so I could become famous and build up results would be repayment…

‘That’s not what I wanted!’

Of course, the possibility of finding someone named Lee Hae-won is zero, but still my spine felt chilly.

If I, living as an ordinary citizen, were to fall into the grasp of a major guild.

‘Wouldn’t they confine me saying they’ll use me as a guild-exclusive market?’

The problem is I’ve had an unusually good imagination since childhood.

I was now imagining a future where I’m trapped in a torture chamber made by a guild, eating only frozen dumplings three meals a day.

“That absolutely cannot happen.”

I shook my head vigorously and put the half-melted ice cream back in my mouth.

It’s dangerous to even enter the Tower without a single stat.

Besides, I’m satisfied with my current life.

Living in Ba-man-jang’s cozy if somewhat noisy house, completing small side quests.

Just following traces of my brother is already overwhelming enough.

I absolutely refuse situations where I become famous and my actions become restricted.

“Right, let’s not worry. They won’t be able to find me anyway.”

Having said that out loud, I hesitated.

“…Or not? Did I just raise too big a flag?”

I jumped up and started walking toward the Tower of Babel.

Since being in an open place keeps making me imagine anxious things, I should hurry home.

Fortunately, nothing happened until I entered Babel.

It was the moment I entered Ba-man-jang with relief, taking quick steps.

Suddenly a blue window appeared before my eyes.

[You have a new notification. Would you like to check it?]

[Awakener Lee Hae-won – Open Market Manager (EX)

> New Notification

– As the 50th Floor of the Tower of Babel in user ‘Lee Hae-won’s’ affiliated region ‘South Korea’ has been opened, some authorities of Open Market Manager ‘Lee Hae’ for that region are being unlocked.

– You can establish an offline market on the 50th Floor of ‘Region-South Korea’ Tower of Babel.

– You can expand the ‘Dimension-Earth’ Open Market.

– You can additionally designate middle managers for the ‘Dimension-Earth’ Offline Market.]

The countless windows that appeared before my eyes were telling me.

This wasn’t the time to just stand there with my mouth open, shocked by Chae Geun-dam’s bombshell statement.

“…There’s a lot of work to do.”

I let out a deep sigh.

Right. Whether Chae Geun-dam makes me sad, or whether I end up eating frozen dumplings.

“I should just work.”

Because going to work even when disaster strikes is the Korean way of life.

In the distance, I could see the Friendly Market building standing firmly in Ba-man-jang.

There were still suspicious people loitering around as if keeping watch, but I’m someone who can easily break through that level of barricade with the Fifth Shadow’s Veil and ‘Anonymity’ skill.

Pulling the now-familiar robe down low, I hurried my steps.

That’s when it happened.

[ Title Side Quest (6)

Establish Market Branch 2 on the 50th Floor of the Tower of Babel and complete the following:

1) Put up a sign for the offline market.

2) Have a repair specialist business move in.

3) Establish a specialized item appraisal business.

4) Designate a middle manager for the offline market store.

5) Establish businesses in all stores of the shopping complex.

Reward: Additional sales slot opening, ‘Open Market’ function opening]

“Whoa, what’s this?”

What… why are there so many conditions attached to this Quest?

I stared at the notification window in the air for a long time with a displeased expression.

Not that staring would change the Quest contents.

‘What’s this Open Market function again?’

[⁕ With the opening of the 50th Floor of the Tower of Babel in ‘Zone-South Korea’, some of the market manager’s permissions have been unlocked 🙂 You can now expand the dimensional market that was previously only available in your current zone ‘South Korea’ to access all Towers of Babel within that dimension :)]

“…Hey, Sam-i, feels like it’s been a while?”

You call yourself a guide but it’s been ages since you appeared, like roughly 3 episodes.

[⁕ I am ‘Sam-i’. Please be careful with the pronunciation :)]

“Do you get incentives for being stubborn about that?”

I frowned and shook my head.

Such stubbornness, whether it’s Sam-i or Saemi.

Anyway, right now I can only sell items to buyers with transaction history, Open Market managers from other dimensions, and awakeners I’m looking at face-to-face.

And if I had to add more, only items directly registered to the Bamanjang building.

It really couldn’t be more troublesome.

I cursed so much when doing the Quest to visit every floor and sell items.

“If I do this, I can sell without having to move around myself, right?”

[⁕ That’s correct. You’ll be able to operate the market much more conveniently :)]

It’s definitely a good update for me.

I grumbled and opened the back door of the Bamanjang Store.

“You should have done that sooner.”

“Done what?”

At the casual response, I looked up in surprise.

Kang Yeon-hee, who I felt like I hadn’t seen in a while, was staring at me with a pale face that looked like she hadn’t slept for a week.

Her appearance, as if her soul had been sucked out by a Dementor, left me speechless.

“…Didn’t you go home?”

“I just came to work.”

Her eyes looked tired as Kang Yeon-hee roughly rubbed them several times.

“You seem busy lately. Are you going out right away today too?”

I flinched without realizing it.

But to pretend I was busy when the other person looked busier, I guess I felt guilty.

I answered hesitantly.

“I, I have something to handle today so I’m planning to go out later. I’ll probably be away for a few days. How’s business lately?”

I’m not used to this kind of small talk, so I felt like I had to add a question.

But that seemed to be a good choice.

“Of course!”

Kang Yeon-hee suddenly brightened up and raised her voice.

The haggardness that seemed disconnected from life just moments ago disappeared, and seeing her even spitting as she talked, business wasn’t just going well—it was going extremely well.

“I’m making a thousand potions a day and they sell out completely every day. Actually, if I could get new recipes or use better ingredients, I think I could make better grades, which is frustrating. Sometimes when I analyze potions or byproducts distributed from the Tower, there seem to be many things I don’t know, and it’s also frustrating that I can’t find ways to process them.”

Receiving Kang Yeon-hee’s machine-gun praise of alchemy, I muttered stupidly.

“I, I see.”

Seeing that, Kang Yeon-hee smiled awkwardly and wiped the corner of her mouth.

“Anyway, business is fine. Good, actually.”

“That’s a relief.”

I could tell from Kang Yeon-hee’s skin that had become glossy from eating well.

Of course, looking at her sunken eyes, she didn’t seem to be sleeping well, but anyway, it was certain that potions were selling like hotcakes.

That was something I could tell just from my increasingly heavy bank balance.

To think that someone who took off like this as soon as I set up the foundation had been enthusiastic about stall applications every day—wasn’t that a waste of talent…

“Oh right, I heard Wolpae cleared the 49th Floor?”

“That’s right. I was wondering when they’d break through, and they finally did.”

“The overseas reaction seems incredible too. Since our country was first to break through… there were even suspicions of cheating.”

“Ahaha, no way.”

I didn’t cheat.

…Strictly speaking, it was more like strategic trading than cheating.

“I wonder if the 50th Floor will be a plaza like the 25th Floor when it opens?”

Kang Yeon-hee muttered while lifting a box of potion bottles stacked on one side.

“Probably.”

“We’ll know in 6 days. Lee Hae, you don’t happen to have a building there too, do you?”

At Kang Yeon-hee’s casual remark to the back of my head, I let out an awkward laugh.

‘She hit the nail on the head.’

The Quest really did include opening a market on the 50th Floor.

Kang Yeon-hee, unaware of my thoughts, added with a light laugh.

“It would be funny if there was a second branch, right?”

This time I couldn’t laugh.

Kang Yeon-hee, you’ll be opening that second branch with me…

I just laughed as if playing along and slowly moved toward the second floor.

“Oh, right.”

One of the many instructions from that Quest suddenly came to mind, so I stopped going upstairs and turned back to Kang Yeon-hee.

Since Kang Yeon-hee spent the most time in this building, there was something I needed to share.

“We’re going to put up a sign.”

The contents of the Quest that Babel suddenly gave today came to mind, so I stopped going upstairs and added.

“A building sign? Oh, come to think of it, there was no name. Customers just call it the blue building potion shop.”

Her tone was so casual that I was the one who got flustered.

To think I didn’t know there was no name after doing business for weeks.

‘I didn’t even decide on a name for my own store.’

Well, you’d have to be that obsessed with one thing to succeed.

“What will the sign say? Have you decided?”

“Oh, Friendly Market.”

“…That Friendly Market?”

“Huh?”

At the ominous voice, I quickly turned my head.

Kang Yeon-hee, whose eyes were so wide the whites were showing, drove the point home in a voice that sounded like she might faint.

“You’re not talking about the market that Chae Geun-dam just mentioned in his interview, are you?!”

Oh no.

“Don’t tell me Lee Hae, you were… the owner of that market?”

Ah, right.

Chae Geun-dam had made a public declaration…

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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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