24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 64

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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 64

Episode 64. Who is ‘Lee Hae’? (3)

[What’s Lee Hae’s identity?]

Dominated Seo Jaehyuk and ranked 1st in raid contribution ㄷㄷ

It took about 2 weeks to clear Floor 51, so what was Seo Jae-hyuk doing during that time?

What the hell did he do to push aside Seo Jae-hyuk + Romnu + Jung Min-gu and get 1st place in contribution?

Babel Management Bureau should lift the interview restrictions now;; I’m super curious about the scenario clearing process

Conclusion: The nickname is fucking weird

-Lee Hae probably isn’t his real name, doesn’t anyone have a guess who it is?

⌞All the top rankers’ nicknames have already been revealed, so this is definitely a new awakened person, right?

-What can you do, once you set a nickname you can’t change it lol Even Anyeonseo’s nickname is EgisRealPower, it’s so embarrassing but she has to use it forever

My friend’s nickname is “ThreeGenFiveHundredFail” but being a power player is better than failing lol

-I didn’t like it from when Seo Jae-hyuk said not to exercise but did it anyway

-Lee Hae’s identity? That’s my dad, he goes to the Tower after work

⌞For real, that’s my mom. She’s been coming home strangely late these days

⌞Aren’t your parents dating in the Tower?

-Can’t you tell from the nickname? “Lee Hae”=”E.A.”=”Extra Account”. It’s a sub-account

⌞What are you talking about, you bastard

“Sigh.”

I put my phone in my pocket and shook my head.

Everywhere I go, it’s only talk about the Floor 51 strategy, making me feel like I’m on pins and needles.

No, to be precise, it’s only talk about me.

I could bet Alessandro that I’m currently the most famous and suspicious person in the entire world.

Of course, seeing how the internet detectives are spouting fantastic bullshit today as well, it doesn’t seem like I need to worry particularly.

‘What I need to be concerned about would be the Babel Management Bureau or people like Chae Geun-dam who already know my name…’

It feels like betting my life on the conscience of an upright human being.

It’s not like I easily trust people, but still, the other party is Chae Geun-dam.

I had a vague belief that if it’s Chae Geun-dam, he wouldn’t give up until the end.

I also have my own belief that even if he reveals my identity, he’d tell me beforehand.

I leisurely passed through the plaza in front of the Tower of Babel.

Even if confusing situations were continuing, I didn’t want my precious holiday after several days to be disturbed.

Of course, contrary to what I expected, hell’s gates were already open.

It’s usually a bustling place with countless people coming and going, but today was particularly severe.

At first I thought there might be construction work, but I was mistaken.

“Crazy, what the…”

I muttered with a sour expression.

Countless people crowded together, almost covering the plaza.

People wearing matching black uniforms that looked like both priest robes and training clothes had a subtle madness flowing in their eyes.

Around their necks hung crude necklaces shaped like the Tower of Babel, and incomprehensible letters were written on their foreheads.

The letters, with bright red paint smeared carelessly, made viewers feel a vivid sense of displeasure.

Someone shouted, filled with madness.

“The Sacred Covenant has received a revelation!”

“God’s Kingdom has revealed itself! Let this be Babel’s true revelation!”

Their identity was none other than the Sacred Covenant.

The reason it was noisy in front of the Tower of Babel was all because of those crazy pseudo-religious fanatics.

Loud bullshit pierced through my hands protecting my eardrums.

“Babel’s true apostle! Lee Hae is the savior!”

“Savior, savior!”

Some people repeated like a refrain while banging their foreheads on the stone floor of the plaza in prostration.

“The chosen one has appeared! Lee Hae is Babel’s messenger!”

Even with hoarse voices crackling like phlegm, they raised both hands toward the sky and shouted madly.

“Messenger! Messenger!”

They also enthusiastically headbanged back and forth with their heads buried low.

It was a chilling sight.

Several police officers and Babel Management Bureau staff were trying to stop them, but it didn’t seem particularly effective.

In the midst of this, the fact that I’m the starting point of this illegal demonstration is truly mind-breaking.

What’s even more absurd is that they’re not even claiming they need to do something.

They’re just… arbitrarily deciding my identity and doing missionary work asking other people to believe with them.

The Sacred Covenant members’ pupils were all unfocused and vacant.

They looked as if they were under hypnosis.

But to call it hypnosis was inadequate, as they were clearly performing such actions with too clear a will.

It was a disgusting sight just to look at.

Even when I met a Sacred Covenant member to sell a strange horn sculpture piece, it wasn’t this unpleasant.

‘Ugh, I need to escape.’

I quickly moved my steps.

My destination was the largest franchise cafe near the Tower of Babel.

‘Ah, I’m craving it.’

Since everything visible was strange, I desperately needed a cool and bitter americano.

“Finally came, finally came!”

Pretending not to hear the metallic voice that rang out once more, I walked with my back to them.

It’s just a pseudo-religion that stakes their lives on the Tower of Babel.

With my goal of living an ordinary life, I knew well that ignoring them was the answer at times like this.

* * *

In a corner seat of the cafe, an office worker who seemed to carry all the world’s worries was constantly yawning with a tired face.

As I trudged over there, the living corpse raised his head and looked up at me with a grumpy expression.

I casually raised one hand and greeted him dryly.

“Long time no see.”

The only connection I could meet outside the Tower of Babel and my oldest friend.

Guk Min-seong clicked his tongue with an annoyed face.

I immediately scrunched up my face and reacted.

“What’s with that attitude?”

“You’re late and being shameless about it?”

“Sorry.”

I quickly apologized and sat across from him.

Even though we both engage in behavior that could cause character controversies, we’re comfortable enough to deal extreme damage without getting hurt.

That’s the relationship between me and Guk Min-seong.

Guk Min-seong, who had been looking at me with a displeased expression as if he didn’t like something, said in a small voice.

“I already ordered drinks. Americano with pearl added.”

“Your character, really…”

Following the yuzu tea with whipped cream, another bizarre drink was waiting for me this time too.

‘I shouldn’t tell him to order anything from now on.’

As I was having belated regrets with a completely scrunched face, Guk Min-seong asked indifferently.

“What’s going on? Coming all the way to my company.”

“Just to grab a meal together, and I was worried I might forget your face if I didn’t see you for too long.”

“That’s not going to happen. You’re not the type to look for me without a purpose.”

‘Strictly speaking, I’m not a “guy” but a “girl.”‘

Well, he hasn’t made such distinctions for quite a while now.

Deep fatigue showed on Guk Min-seong’s face as he yawned lazily, completely uninterested in my caring concern.

Guk Min-seong, who worked in Aegis’s strategic planning office, was pulling all-nighters as routinely as eating meals.

Dark circles so deep they seemed ready to drip from his chin, and hollow eyes soaked in exhaustion.

Looking at his disheveled hair and carelessly tied necktie, it seemed he was still living the same miserable life.

He said he only had time during dinner, so I had to come all the way to the front of Aegis Guild.

It was fortunate that Aegis headquarters was close to the Tower of Babel, because if it had been by the seaside like Haebing or in the mountains like Shinrok, I wouldn’t have even considered meeting.

“So why did you come? I absolutely have to be back by 7. Hurry up and tell me.”

“You’re so cold, really.”

I deliberately grumbled.

But such bluffing wouldn’t work on Guk Min-seong.

Guk Min-seong looked even more displeased and leaned back.

‘Tsk, difficult bastard.’

I asked casually while hiding my real purpose.

“Are you busy these days?”

No matter how sensitive he had become, the Guk Min-seong I knew was the type to first show off how hard he was having it.

At my question disguised as concern, Guk Min-seong let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

“Fucking busy. It would be one thing if only Floor 51 had opened, but suddenly Floor 52 opened too. Everything’s going completely crazy right now. The guild leader is totally on edge too.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think? The whole nation was expecting us, but we lost first place in contribution points. It’s like walking on thin ice right now.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate…”

I had expected it to some degree, but hearing it directly stung more than I thought.

I didn’t need to ask in detail about the internal atmosphere at Aegis.

Guk Min-seong rubbed his face dry and let out a deep sigh.

“Clearing Floor 51 without casualties was already a great achievement, but now nobody cares about the clear. The number one ranking guild had their first place contribution stolen by some nobody. There are lots of rumors questioning Seo Jae-hyuk’s abilities too.”

I hadn’t thought that deeply about it, but it seemed there was a lot of talk within Aegis.

After pressing his temples for a while, Guk Min-seong straightened his posture.

“Whatever. What’s the point of talking about work? It’s just tiring.”

…But I called you here to hear about that.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Before I could subtly encourage him again, Guk Min-seong changed the subject.

“How’s life as an E-rank Hunter? Not easy, right?”

Oh, that’s right, when we met last time I told him I had awakened as an E-rank Hunter.

I didn’t expect him to remember that.

My expression must have given me away, because Guk Min-seong added in a tone that suggested I was pathetic.

“You’re not thinking something like ‘I didn’t expect him to remember that,’ are you?”

“Lay out the mat.”

As expected of someone working at a large corporation, his intuition was no joke.

“Anyway, E-rank treatment is rock bottom these days, are you okay? What are you doing to get by? Mining? Part-time work filling quotas?”

…No, I’m the one who got first place in contribution points for Floor 51?

Crazy, right?

I wanted to say that, but he was someone working in Aegis’s core areas – like their head, brain, and heart.

No matter how close a friend he was, I couldn’t tell him the truth.

Guk Min-seong’s expression, which had been bland throughout, turned coldly salty.

“Seeing how you’re not answering, I guess it’s as expected.”

I was wondering what kind of improvised response would make me sound successful when it happened.

“Oh, Min-seong?”

At someone’s voice, Guk Min-seong reflexively shot up.

The lazy expression he had been showing me was completely gone, and a strange Guk Min-seong with the face of an eager employee bowed 90 degrees.

‘Ugh.’

Witnessing a friend’s work life was strangely disgusting.

The excessive politeness made me feel burdened too, so I quietly looked away.

“Have you eaten?”

“I was just about to go. Have you eaten, Min-seong?”

Listening to the office workers’ conversation filled with cushioning words was starting to make me uncomfortable.

Wait, shouldn’t I be awkwardly greeting them too in this situation?

I had no sense of how to handle myself since I’d never worked in an office.

“Shall we go into the meeting at 9?”

“Of course. Um, is the person with you a friend?”

“Yes, yes. He’s my high school classmate.”

“Oh, hello?”

Just then Guk Min-seong pointed toward me while talking, so I thought this was my chance and looked up.

That greeting was definitely directed at me, and that hand was definitely extended for a handshake with me.

I was curious about who could make Guk Min-seong act so nice, and this would be a good way to naturally get through this uncomfortable situation – killing two birds with one stone.

I smiled brightly and grabbed the hand.

“Hello-“

And then I turned to stone.

The woman who had been looking embarrassed at my frozen state bowed her head lightly with an awkward air.

“Hello, friend. I work as a secretary to the Aegis Guild leader.”

The most dangerous person with the sharpest mind that I knew.

One of the people I most needed to avoid after making achievements on Floor 51.

“I’m Ahn Yeon-seo.”

A nuclear bomb was holding my hand with a kind smile.

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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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