24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 246

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. 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 246

Episode 246. Curtain Call (1)

I pressed my lips together with an inexplicably bitter expression.
Yes, it’s like catching a dragon while backing away from a mouse, but regardless, things are moving in the direction I wanted.
“…Let me finish reading this first.”
I carefully turned the page again.
Only a few pages of the Observation Record of Ruin remained.
The content that followed the third method and its cases—specifically, what happened after the strongest being in a dimension was eliminated.
That’s what I needed to know now.
In a situation where combat power was absolutely essential for climbing the Tower of Babel, if the strongest being in a dimension disappeared, the entire dimension’s offensive capability would decline as well.
So I needed to understand in advance what would happen afterward…
As I naturally continued my thoughts, I suddenly paused.
‘Wait, am I really assuming Seo Jae-hyuk dies?’
The battle hasn’t even ended yet, and here I was treating Seo Jae-hyuk’s death as an established fact.
“I’m not usually this cold-hearted, am I?”
I grumbled to myself, but it only made my heart feel more complicated.
Not just a feeling—my heart was genuinely growing complicated.
Then.

Boom—

A heavy roar from above jolted me back to reality.
I reflexively turned the page and buried my head in the text.
Regardless of how the battle above concluded, I might as well read whatever information was available.

[After the cause of ruin is eliminated, the corresponding dimension’s access to the Tower of Babel is restricted. Ascending the Tower of Babel is forbidden by Babel itself.
However, already-opened floors and everything occurring within them remain unchanged.
Exactly one day after elimination, Babel guarantees a grace period. Those remaining in the Tower may become lost and wander even after this grace period expires.
The Tower does not disappear, but all floors are emptied.
However, the restriction does not apply to the Director and Creator belonging to that dimension, and they appear to have free access to unopened floors. While not directly verified, this has been confirmed through multiple testimonies.]

“I can’t climb the Tower anymore?”
I muttered in shock, blinking my eyes.
Of course, climbing the Tower isn’t my role anyway, so there’s nothing particularly shocking about it.
Besides, I’m the Creator, so I can use the same authority I’ve been using all along, right?
‘Though I don’t have the Merchant’s Mark, of course.’
If I entered another unopened floor right now, I’d probably die the moment I said “Hello?”
For someone like me, whose nature and creed is self-preservation, that’s rather terrifying.
“If I don’t go, then I don’t go.”
Originally, if you don’t do anything, there’s nothing to worry about.
Anyway, what matters here is that the people currently inside the Tower might lose their way.
Losing one’s way might simply mean getting lost, but I interpreted it as “a direct trip to the Lost World.”
Alessandro entered the Tower the moment his own dimension was destroyed and fell into a Dimensional Rift, so naturally a similar situation would occur.
I organized my thoughts calmly and read the next sentence.

[The Sudden Gate does not disappear. In fact, it increases in difficulty beyond before, and its frequency of occurrence multiplies several times over.
It appears to be bringing the unopened floors’ stages as they are.]

“Oh…?”
I nodded my head, offering a calm murmur of acknowledgment.
It seems they call our Sudden Gate a “Sudden Dungeon” over there.
Currently, Sudden Gates occur about one per week, or two at most.
According to the Babel Management Bureau’s guidelines, the nearest Guild mobilizes, so no one puts off handling them.
I’m not sure if the “several times” mentioned here means two times or ten times.
‘If there’s no more climbing the Tower, there will be plenty of idle Hunters.’
This doesn’t seem like something to worry about, actually.
Anyway, having read this far, the picture is becoming clear.
From now on, Babel will no longer bring destruction to our dimension.
The one-year grace period, the grueling expeditions, the unbreakable dream of the 100th Floor—all of it will be something only I experience and endure alone.
However.
‘The premise is that Seo Jae-hyuk dies.’
I closed the book and sighed.
He’s someone who owes me a debt, but I don’t have any personal connection with Seo Jae-hyuk.
Yet somehow, now that I know all the facts, I feel deeply uncomfortable.
The reputation they lauded—the strongest in the dimension, ranked first in the world—all seems like a position Babel was willing to grant for its own use.
A role designed by the Tower’s blueprint: destined as the cause of destruction, trained through hardship, ultimately meeting his end as the villain.
And all while Jang So-min, whom I saved through such grueling effort, can’t even properly enjoy a moment of peace with him.
‘Is this just bad luck?’
I thought only to myself.
But separate from pitying Seo Jae-hyuk, I know well that there’s no other way besides his death.
Unless, of course, I were to resurrect the dead.
…I do know of one such item, though.
A Potion that resurrects the dead.
But even the person searching for it couldn’t find it, and seeing how Sam-i, who would normally take the initiative to hunt it down, has remained silent suggests it’s not available through the Market.
In the first place, it doesn’t make sense to bring back someone who’s crossed the river of death.
“No, but what makes sense in Babel society anyway?”
I grumbled irritably and lowered my head.
I know there are things that don’t make sense.
I can’t kill Seo Jae-hyuk and then simply copy him to create a clone….

[⁕ Would you like me to search for Chimera Manufacturing Methods? :)]

“Are you insane, seriously.”
This thing doesn’t understand its troubled master’s state of mind and keeps spouting nonsense?
I’m thinking about how to save Seo Jae-hyuk, and it comes out with something ridiculous about Chimeras.
Just as I was about to dismiss this useless free AI in frustration for missing the point today, something struck me.
‘…Wait, Chimera?’
I paused.
Yaern, the strongest being in the Liagul Dimension, came to mind.
Of course, that was a one-hundred-percent artificial existence created by the Archmage and the Alchemist.
But later, it even developed its own flawed reasoning and made independent judgments—so in a way, it was no different from artificially creating a living being.
Even if it’s impossible with Earth’s scientific technology, if the magic and alchemy of the Liagul Dimension level were combined….
‘Wouldn’t it be possible?’
Of course, the thought of Seo Jae-hyuk becoming an android felt a bit unsettling…,
No, quite… it might look strange… I’m not sure?
But still, it’s unfair for him to simply end in death when his usefulness runs out like this.
After spending so much money and effort to resurrect my Lover, I should definitely be invited to their wedding, shouldn’t I?
The problem, however, was whether it was even possible.
I could only deliberate if such a method existed in the first place.
‘Surely he wouldn’t have brought it up without reason.’
Sam-i always let me down, yet somehow always gave me reason to hope once more. I asked him a question.
“Search for items that can realize what I’m thinking right now.”
It would be better to have him search through my thoughts directly rather than explaining it in words.
Not long after, a notification window appeared.

[⁕ Search complete. Related manufacturing methods have been confirmed in the Dimensional Market’s list of sellers from Other Dimensions :)]

“It exists!”
I couldn’t help but cry out loudly.

[⁕ This is an Alchemy-based crafting method using the original heart as a medium :)]
[Cardiac Reforging – Crafting Guide
A technique for casting an artificial heart with the same function, using a heart that has lost its function due to overload or similar causes as the medium.
Since it is based on the residual mana of the heart, the compatibility of the transplant target is preserved to the maximum extent.
However, complete recovery of Awakening grade is not guaranteed after heart transplantation, and the success of transplantation varies from person to person.
The transplant success rate is approximately 30%, and sufficient recovery time must be given immediately after transplantation.]

“I’ve lost my mind.”
Truly lost it.
Of course, I couldn’t guarantee Seo Jae-hyuk’s S-rank title, but still—if he dies, I can bring him back.
He’s not the type to cry and wail about why I saved him after going through all the trouble of keeping him alive.
‘And he’s not someone who would die while leaving Jang So-min behind.’
I placed my hand over my strangely unsettled heart and checked the price.

[⁕ The price for this crafting method is 8,420 Gold :)]

Eight thousand four hundred twenty Gold.
No matter how many times I read it, there are only four digits.
I’m not sure when this price started feeling like pocket change, but compared to everything I’ve bought so far, it’s absurdly cheap for Seo Jae-hyuk’s life.
I purchased it without hesitation.
And I made a request to Park Ji-woon to secure Seo Jae-hyuk’s heart… first.
‘Does he think I’m a strange person?’
I quickly dismissed the entirely plausible concern and opened a new message window.
Now I just need to ask my all-purpose Creator to handle this.

[Yeon-hee, let me ask you to craft something.]

Kang Yeon-hee, our household’s middle manager who can make just about anything if given a crafting method.
It’s bound to be an impossibly difficult task, but if this succeeds, I save Seo Jae-hyuk and add one more person to those he owes a debt to.

[> Middle Manager Message
– Suddenly a craft, sister? What’s the situation right now? Is it Baek Dan? I’ll head over there. Ι Kang Yeon-hee (Bamanjang Store)]

The reply that came back was cold.
‘Right, that’s true.’
I’d left her at the Karma Guild and just came here.
Coming over here would be a bit… but.
Thunderous bursting sounds were still echoing from above.
That was the moment.

Ding!

[⁕ Your ‘Dimensional Door’ skill has leveled up to 5 🙂 Would you like to check it?]

“Huh…?”
Now? Of all times?
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment, blinking rapidly.
Though the timing was unexpected, each new function added whenever Dimensional Door leveled up had always been extraordinary.
Perhaps there was a second way to open the Dimensional Door and evacuate everyone without having to kill Seo Jae-hyuk.
‘…But then would I have to evacuate billions of people?’
I doubted the door would be grand enough for that.
While entertaining these absurd thoughts, the skill window for Dimensional Door—now equipped with its new function—materialized before my eyes.

[Dimensional Door Lv.5]
You can open a door leading to Other Dimensions. You can use more functions within the Babel System. You can only trade inanimate objects.
+ Lv.2 You can exclusively resell items from other Creators and receive commissions. Usable outside the Tower of Babel.
+ Lv.3 You can access unopened floors. You can view the trading prohibition list.
+ Lv.4 You can limitedly purchase items from the trading prohibition list.
+ Lv.5 You can trade living beings.

My eyes froze on the last line.
A single sentence that overturned the first restriction about trading only inanimate objects.
The ability to trade living beings meant…
“…Can I trade Brother too?”
I muttered thoughtlessly before clamping my mouth shut.
My mind went blank at the possibility I’d never considered.
In that instant, the surroundings fell silent.
I understood immediately.
Seo Jae-hyuk had just died.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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