24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 91

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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 91

Episode 91. Player Entry (4)

In the end, Kim Seol decided to form a temporary alliance with me.

Kim Seol was curious about the whereabouts of Park Ji-woon, who had disappeared while they were together, and I was equally concerned about Park Ji-woon, who still hadn’t replied to my messages.

‘How am I supposed to live if my backing dies?’

Since I came straight here after leaving the Gate without even receiving an investigation, I needed Park Ji-woon to handle the aftermath.

So we made escaping from here and returning to Laoko our top priority.

To think I’d end up traveling with an S-rank Hunter I was trying to avoid at all costs – if the me from a few days ago had heard this, I would have scoffed and told myself to stop talking nonsense.

“First, find a way to break through this barrier.”

Kim Seol commanded in a voice dripping with cold air.

Though we formed an alliance, it seemed unreasonable to expect her to lower her guard.

“…Kim Seol.”

“What?”

Kim Seol replied in an unfriendly tone.

Naturally, humans tend to change their attitude when they get what they want.

It’s like an instinct.

I had been intoxicated by the thrill of meeting Kim Seol, whom I admired, but her sharp reaction was strangely bothering me.

I stepped boldly toward the air bubble.

“Before we find a method, I have a proposal.”

“Speak.”

“I want to drop the formal speech too.”

“What?”

Kim Seol scowled and glared at me.

Well, there probably hadn’t been any E-rank nobody bold enough to speak casually to ‘the’ Kim Seol until now.

But I don’t want to become Kim Seol’s lackey.

We’re temporary colleagues on equal footing, looking for a way to escape this place.

And I have the record of being 1st in raid contribution, so there’s no need for me to grovel before Kim Seol.

Most importantly, I can’t let Kim Seol say ‘Lee Hae, that guy was nothing special’ after leaving the 53rd floor.

I don’t have the grand goal of building a close friendship, but it’s natural to want to leave a good impression.

Because my desire to live like Kim Seol was genuine.

Though it feels more like wanting to live antisocially without caring about others’ opinions…

‘That’s also a kind of fan sentiment, I guess.’

I swallowed my saliva and continued nonchalantly.

“No, it’s basic courtesy, isn’t it? Is there a law saying you can speak rudely just because you’re an S-rank Hunter? It’s not like I said I’d become Kim Seol’s slave or lick your shoes.”

“I never told you to do that either.”

“That’s why I want to drop the formal speech.”

“Ha, go ahead then.”

Kim Seol said with a hollow laugh.

It was clearly a menacing tone that suggested she wouldn’t let it slide if I actually did it, but it’s useless when the opponent is Lee Hae-won.

I’m not the type of person to miss such an opportunity.

“Alright.”

When I dropped the formal speech in less than a second, cracks appeared on Kim Seol’s picture-perfect face.

I shrugged and asked.

“What?”

Kim Seol scolded me as if dumbfounded.

“You’re really speaking casually?”

“Of course. Now, let’s have our meeting.”

Oh, for reference, I’m someone who doesn’t get intimidated by most scolding or ordinary criticism.

I blinked my pure, clear eyes and stared at Kim Seol.

Originally, when dealing with aggressive people, an empty-headed person is the perfect counter.

Kim Seol seemed flustered and could only open and close her mouth without saying anything.

But soon, probably thinking this argument was a meaningless waste of time, she took a calm deep breath.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

Indeed, quickly regaining composure seems to be a virtue of S-rank Hunters.

Anyway, the biggest problem right now is that Kim Seol needs to get out of that air bubble before we can do anything.

Putting the air bubble whole inside Kalashi’s tent was just emergency first aid.

We can’t attempt anything without breaking that thing.

I can’t leave Kim Seol here and go outside, and besides, Kalashi’s tent only lasts 12 hours anyway.

“Can you use all your skills?”

“It’s useless. It won’t break.”

Kim Seol answered firmly.

Since she would have immediately assessed her condition upon waking up earlier, that statement must be true.

A very solid barrier that even Kim Seol’s abilities can’t break.

“Hmm.”

There’s no direct means to burst the air bubble.

Of course, I have the ability to solve problems in a different way.

I gently placed my hand on the round barrier.

‘…Let me try appraising it.’

When even something like Agemor’s erosion can be appraised, there’s no way this wouldn’t work.

The answer probably starts from here.

Seeing the appraisal window that immediately appeared, I gaped and exclaimed.

“Whoa.”

“What?”

“Have you ever seen a mermaid around here?”

“Ha, what kind of mermaid nonsense are you talking about? More gibberish…”

I couldn’t even see Kim Seol’s expression as she muttered in bewilderment.

[Mermaid’s Protection (C)

A transparent air bubble created by deep-sea mermaids to protect precious things.

A round barrier made by compressing water that blocks all impacts from both outside and inside.

It only disappears when a mermaid directly bursts it or declares ‘safe’ in the mermaid language.

It’s maintained semi-permanently as long as the mermaid who created it is nearby, and automatically disappears when the mermaid moves away.

Usually used to protect young mermaids or weak companions in dangerous seas.]

This isn’t the start of problem-solving, it’s basically an answer sheet!

‘There was a mermaid here!’

Right, something felt strange!

With Merchant’s Mark activated, I randomly fall to ‘places where performers capable of trading are nearby.’

I’ve fallen into the sea three whole times, and I never thought of this!

‘I’m such an idiot!’

I was definitely with mermaids.

Even if I didn’t see them, they surely saw me.

The mermaids hiding nearby must have rescued me when I fell on the shipwreck and saved Kim Seol when she fell into the sea!

So this air bubble I thought the Kraken made was actually a safe house created by a mermaid.

“I don’t know the mermaid language, so that won’t work.”

“What are you talking about?”

Then there’s only one method I can use.

I strode boldly toward the entrance of Kalashi’s tent.

“Hey, what are you doing? Where are you going!”

Since I was leaving her behind and heading toward the entrance, Kim Seol called out to me as if bewildered.

I let Kim Seol’s words go in one ear and out the other as I pushed aside the tent flap.

After briefly hesitating at the disorienting gap between the tent’s interior, separated like a barrier, and the deep sea, I shouted loudly toward the surroundings.

“Recruiting one mermaid to become a savior – first come, first served!!”

The only response was aggro.

I don’t know why they’re being so cautious, but the fact that this air bubble is being maintained means a mermaid is watching us from nearby.

Kim Seol, who had no idea what I was doing, burst out in irritation.

“Could you at least explain?”

“There’s a mermaid nearby. That mermaid created this air bubble to protect you.”

“Don’t lie so outrageously.”

“I’m serious. Look, the canary is singing.”

As if proving my words were true, the sculpture on my shoulder was making clear, crystalline sounds.

Kim Seol’s expression, which had been staring at me with disbelief the whole time, strangely hardened.

I asked seriously.

“What should I say to draw the mermaids’ aggro?”

“…I, I don’t know.”

Oh, she stuttered.

I suppressed my laughter at the bewilderment that appeared on Kim Seol’s cold face and racked my brain.

Honestly, I don’t understand why the mermaids aren’t showing themselves after going through the trouble of saving us.

But as long as Kim Seol is trapped in there, I need to somehow draw out the hiding mermaids.

“Recruiting kraken subjugation team!”

“Are you crazy?”

“Come out while I’m asking nicely! Before I dump oil in the ocean!”

“Be quiet!”

What was the most annoying thing I’d ever heard in my life…

“Hey, whoever’s in charge of this ocean, come out!!”

“Lee Hae!”

Kim Seol shouted in an irritated tone.

She doesn’t seem to understand the importance of aggro.

‘I could tell from when she was just sitting still.’

S-rank Hunters draw aggro even when they’re doing nothing, so she wouldn’t understand the life of a commoner who has to actively draw aggro to get attention.

I grumbled back in response.

“Well then, think of something else to say. The only way to get out of there is with a mermaid’s help.”

We need to draw aggro and call them out so the mermaids will meet with us.

“There’s also the method of asking to leave.”

“They’re hiding to avoid us, do you think they’ll come if we say that?”

I almost became dumbfounded in reverse at such a naive idea.

That’s when it happened.

“Wait a minute.”

“What? Are you going to suggest we ask politely again?”

“Over there…”

Kim Seol pointed toward the gap in the tent with a hardened expression.

“What is that?”

Beyond the tent, something whitish was swaying in the distant depths of the ocean.

At first I thought it was just seaweed swaying in the current.

However, after a moment, I realized it was the approach of an unfamiliar life form.

A being with a lower body that had a fish-like tail and a human upper body.

A mermaid was swimming toward us.

Kim Seol muttered blankly.

“…It really is a mermaid.”

This is exactly the positive function of aggro.

“I told you we should ask.”

“No? I drew the aggro to make them come.”

While refuting Kim Seol’s opinion in the midst of all this, I stared intently into the darkness.

The mermaid who had been swimming slowly became close enough that her appearance was clearly visible.

Long silver hair with sky-blue eyes, a tail covered in pearl-colored scales that glowed even in the darkness.

It was a female-type mermaid with Western features that could have come from a fantasy novel.

I had thought that the common imagination of mermaids being beautiful was just prejudice, but apparently it wasn’t prejudice but fact.

It was an overwhelming beauty that unconsciously left me speechless.

Just as I was about to swallow my admiration and try to give a friendly smile.

I could see the expression of the mermaid who had stopped at a distance close enough to clearly see her features.

‘Huh, she seems angry…?’

What appeared on the mermaid’s face was wariness, irritation, and anger.

I closed my mouth at the hostile expression that showed not a single trace of positive favor.

Had I gotten off on the wrong foot from our first meeting?

While I was pondering how to start in order to persuade her in a direction favorable to us, the mermaid struck first.

“Human.”

“…Mermaid.”

“You should greet her, you idiot.”

Kim Seol punched the air bubble and shouted in an irritated tone.

No, she said my species so I thought she wanted me to say her species.

I may not be the smartest, but I’m not stupid enough to be called an idiot!

I felt unfairly wronged and glared at Kim Seol, but the eyes that met mine were full of murderous intent.

I could read exactly what she wanted to say.

‘Get your act together and choose your words carefully, idiot.’

The idiot turned back toward the mermaid.

I trusted Brother’s face and gave a somewhat gentler smile.

“Hello, my name is Lee Hae. Are you the one who saved us?”

I thought it was a reasonably good choice for breaking the ice in conversation, but the mermaid didn’t respond.

She just continued to stare at me quietly with angry eyes.

‘It’s not like she wants to play a staring game…’

From the perspective of a Korean who grew up in a hurry-hurry society, this kind of meaningless staring contest was just frustrating.

But it seemed like I had somehow gotten on her bad side, so I really should be careful with my words.

‘Though I have no idea why she dislikes me.’

While we were exchanging glances like that for a while.

The mermaid blinked once.

Then she muttered in a voice so small it was barely audible.

“You can’t shout so loudly. That’s the rule of this ocean.”

“Why?”

The mermaid recited in a voice that revealed her complicated feelings.

“Because the kraken comes.”

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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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