24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 42

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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 42

Episode 42. The Arrow That Left the Bowstring (1)

“Jackpot.”

As soon as I arrived on the 51st floor, I muttered in a daze.

A village lined with wooden buildings bearing old signs – inns, restaurants, taverns, and the like.

This place where armored knights and weary-faced residents came and went was unmistakably human territory.

Gacha success in one shot without a single reroll!

But before that, let me make one thing clear – I’m absolutely not a narrow-minded racist.

However, I never knew it would be this moving to see people without ears and tails.

Since I’m human and those people are human too, it would be much easier to gather information about the Tower of Babel.

Thinking that I’d be proceeding on easy difficulty from now on made my mood brighten.

I fiddled with the surface of my mask while looking for someone suitable to strike up a conversation with.

For reference, the mask I was wearing now wasn’t my usual veiled mask, but a half-mask that covered half my face.

Wearing a veiled mask even in a place like this would be like openly advertising that I’m a suspicious person.

At just the right timing, a young woman in medieval clothing passed by me.

I hastily pulled back the hood attached to my robe and asked.

“Excuse me, sorry to bother you. Where is this place?”

“…You don’t know where this is? It’s ‘Casabl.'”

“Casabl?”

The woman frowned and tilted her head as if finding it strange.

Oops, did I ask in a way that would make her suspicious because I was too excited?

I quickly scanned the surrounding scenery.

This place, quite different from the beastkin territory ‘Kona,’ was actually a more familiar setting to me, but the people seemed more exhausted.

Beastkin definitely seem to have better recovery than humans.

I smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of my head.

“I was brought here half-dead and haven’t been recovered for long, haha…”

The woman nodded as if she finally understood.

“You’re a woman but you went to the front lines. But you recovered quickly?”

“Oh, yes. I was in supply so I wasn’t badly hurt. Plus everyone took good care of me.”

“Well, this place is relatively inland so the treatment for the wounded is pretty good.”

It seems my tactful guessing was correct.

The woman’s wariness seemed to ease a bit, and she was even patting my shoulder.

‘Okay, I’ll go with the concept of a supply soldier brought to the rear.’

I smiled with gratitude and asked casually.

“Right, that’s why I was brought here. Is there anywhere good to eat nearby?”

First, I planned to go to a restaurant to eavesdrop as part of information gathering.

Social talk heard among middle-aged men drinking soju at old establishments tends to be the most candid.

And in fantasy worldviews, the saying “birds hear daytime words and mice hear nighttime words” doesn’t apply.

All secrets are distributed in back alleys.

Unaware of my dark intentions, the woman readily pointed in one direction and said.

“‘The Traveler’s Footsteps’ over there makes good stew. Since you haven’t been out of the hospital long, something warm for your stomach would be good.”

In the direction the woman pointed was a small restaurant with a sign that looked ready to fall apart at any moment.

It was exactly the image I had in mind.

“Sounds delicious. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. May Oerisa’s blessing be with you.”

The woman muttered an unknown greeting with a warm smile and resumed walking.

“Oerisa…?”

A god of this world?

A god who created a sanctuary called Prorovel or something but didn’t protect anything while Black Mist covered the continent?

It’s a name worth knowing, so I nodded.

Well, anyway, not a bad start!

Ding!

[Title Side Job Quest (7)

Do not interfere with the scenario.

Reward: ???]

…At least until something suspicious appeared before my eyes.

“What’s this now?”

I narrowed my eyes and read the content carefully.

Side Job Quests always demand strange things at unexpected timing, but this one was particularly odd.

It was called a ‘Title Side Job Quest’ but had nothing to do with the market.

‘What does it mean not to interfere with the scenario?’

I shook my head and summoned Sam-i, the helper I’d forgotten about.

“Sam-i, this is strange. Is this really a Side Job Quest?”

[⁕ That’s correct. Side Job Quests are distributed under Babel’s judgment system.]

The response was so businesslike that I felt even more bewildered.

I decided to channel my inner delinquent.

“Hey, smile.”

[⁕ :)]

This is ridiculous, really.

‘Is it going through a rebellious phase?’

I clicked my tongue while standing with one leg cocked.

It definitely used to answer cleanly without any fuss before, but maybe it’s my personality problem that I’m getting annoyed.

By “before” I mean the past when I cleared scenarios while selling 49th Floor Speedrun Packages.

Well, from the perspective of people worldwide, it would be an achievement worthy of praise.

‘But from Babel’s perspective, I’d be no different from a cheater who used bugs to break through blocked routes.’

Wait, isn’t it fine as long as you clear it somehow?

This is saying the process matters so they’re blocking me now.

The Tower of Babel is definitely old-fashioned.

A quest that requires me to just stay still, no less.

Should I call it like a nasty boss who excludes you from work because they don’t like you…

And having the reward as question marks is also very unsettling.

“…Fine, let’s ask first and go double.”

I adjusted my mask and slowly walked toward ‘The Traveler’s Footsteps.’

In my experience, nothing is more useless than getting fixated on something and wasting time.

Getting distracted by a suspicious quest and forgetting the purpose wouldn’t be mature.

Since I have a clear purpose for coming to the 51st floor, there’s no reason to hesitate.

‘Should I try using Merchant’s Mark first?’

Since I’m in human territory, I won’t be attacked, and knowing the scenario would make it easier to handle emergency situations.

Of course, curiosity was the bigger factor.

What on earth was the content of this alternative scenario that made even Seo Jae-hyuk raise both hands in surrender?

‘Sam-i, I’m turning off Merchant’s Mark.’

[⁕ Deactivating the ‘Merchant’s Mark’ skill at your current location is not recommended. Do you really want to proceed?]

Ah, why are you being so stubborn today?

I nodded my head vigorously with an annoyed expression.

How many seconds did I wait?

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

> New Notification

– Deactivating skill ‘Merchant’s Mark’.]

Along with the long-awaited ‘Merchant’s Mark’ OFF notification.

[Main Scenario ‘Such Desperate Peace’ (Zone-Prorobel Ι Dimension-Ganashia)

+

The Beastkin and Human races of Ganashia have waged bloody war for a thousand years.

Through the ‘Kantana Peace Accord’ forged after countless sacrifices, the two races agreed to coexist for the next hundred years.

However, ten years ago, the suddenly spreading ‘Erosion of Agemor’ began slowly devouring the continent.

Green fields turned to gray wastelands, and clear rivers rotted black.

The lands blessed with life continue to shrink moment by moment even now.

Over the last sanctuary where survival is permitted, the sacred ground of Prorobel, the two races have drawn their swords once again.

Peace has become a luxury, and survival the only truth.

+

Scenario Objective: Seek reconciliation between the two races and stop the ‘Erosion of Agemor’.

+

Scenario Hints:

1) The ‘Erosion of Agemor’ is effective against Awakeners as well.

2) A gatekeeper is needed to revive the ancient oath.

3) There exists a sprout that never withers.]

The main scenario content I had been so curious about.

[■ Babel System > 49th Floor Notification

– Opening delayed due to insufficient scenario participants. (1/10)]

[■ Babel System > Scenario Notification

– The number of scenario participants assigned to scenario ‘Such Desperate Peace’ is ’10 people’.

– From the 51st floor onwards, scenarios do not reset even after clearing, and the number of floors cleared varies depending on the scenario’s progression.

– From the 51st floor onwards, mid-scenario withdrawal is impossible.

– We recommend deploying Awakeners with appropriate abilities for each floor to clear them.]

Other windows appeared like supplementary explanations, blocking my view.

Such Desperate Peace.

This was the name Chae Geun-dam mentioned when he came to recruit me, and seeing the actual content directly brings back memories.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I’m directly viewing a scenario window.

Previously, I just went around like a ninja selling items on this floor and that floor.

‘Those were good times when I was selling Vita100…’

As I read through the scenario with a beginner’s naive mood, I clicked my tongue and muttered.

“No wonder Seo Jae-hyuk was flustered.”

All the scenarios revealed in the media so far had been one-shot affairs.

The Falcon Kingdom scenario on the 49th floor that had held people back for so long was also high difficulty, but that was because there were so many complex sub-quests.

‘It wasn’t to this extent though.’

The fact that they’re explaining the scenario background knowledge in such detail means that background knowledge is important.

There had never been a scenario that required memorizing background knowledge before.

I don’t know how far Aegis, the first guild to set foot on the 51st floor, has gotten,

but how are you supposed to reconcile two races that are killing each other in the first place?

Moreover, there are no hints for stopping the black smoke that killed Echo’s parents.

‘The scenario hints must be the key clues, right?’

Could the ancient oath have been the catalyst that broke the harmony between the two races?

“What’s this sprout that never withers supposed to be?”

I shuddered at this parade of metaphors that seemed completely unsupportive of Awakeners clearing scenarios.

It already looks high difficulty, so what’s the harm in being more direct!

The possibilities are infinite, extending across entire dimensions.

‘Oerisa, if you’re still watching, please give me some help.’

That was the moment.

“You there.”

“Oh, yes?”

At the hand that suddenly grabbed my shoulder, I turned around in shock.

A knight, smaller than Alessandro but much larger than me, was looking at me with a menacing expression.

Could it be that Oerisa immediately extended a helping hand like this…

“You look like someone I haven’t seen around here before. Remove your mask and state your name and affiliation.”

…not a chance.

It was clear he had grabbed me because I looked suspicious.

When I glanced back, the woman who had just recommended the traveler’s footsteps was watching me with her arms crossed.

I squeezed my eyes shut in betrayal.

You smiled at me so warmly, lady…

Wasn’t that a blood pact to let me slide even if I looked suspicious?

“Hey.”

The soldier tightened his grip on my shoulder.

“Ah, well, I have burns on my face from spilling medicine while brewing it, and I’m currently receiving treatment so taking off the mask is a bit…”

“Are you a spy?”

“No?!”

Why are you turning the wheel so sharply?

‘The Beastkin weren’t even this hostile, so why is this happening?’

I hid my flustered feelings and quickly racked my brain.

The smell of dirt, blood, and medicine emanating from his rust-spotted armor tickled my nose.

I urgently opened my mouth.

“Ah, I’m a pharmacist who is the daughter of a merchant… who lived near the newly built Tower. I heard news that my father went to the front lines and couldn’t return, so I came looking for him.”

“Your father?”

“Yes, yes!”

Family stories are universal – they work well in other dimensions too!

I added in a sadder voice.

“I couldn’t reach him, so I came to find him myself. He’s already in poor health, and it’s about time he would have finished all the medicine I prepared for him. If he’s passed away… could I at least recover his body?”

“Which unit was your father in?”

“…Uh, I don’t think my father ever specifically told me.”

I answered hesitantly while sneaking a glance up at the knight’s face.

A deep smile had appeared on his menacing face.

Green light!

“The area near the Tower was destroyed by war, so how did you come from there?”

Damn, that wasn’t it.

I reflexively answered.

“Ah.”

“Ah?”

The knight smiled even more brightly.

Then he gave orders to his subordinates lined up beside him without hesitation.

“Take him down.”

Ah, I’m screwed again.

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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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