24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 99

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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 99

Episode 99. Lost Puzzle Piece (5)

Above the calm water surface, a massive tentacle stood still, completely out of place.

The tentacle that had stopped moving as if someone had pressed a pause button stood upright like a statue erected in the middle of the sea.

It had clearly understood my words and stopped, but I felt like it would attack again if I moved carelessly.

Since I was barely floating on the water while clinging to a broken piece of ship plank, my heart was pounding like crazy.

“Get off.”

Kim Seol, who had regained consciousness, roughly swatted my hand away.

Though her attitude was firm enough to make her rescuer feel hurt, this wasn’t the time to deal with Kim Seol’s irritation.

Because something huge was rising through the moonlit ripples on the water.

“…”

Very slowly and quietly, without even creating foam.

What filled my vision was a bright yellow eye.

I gulped at the presence that was on a completely different level from what I’d seen in the air bubble.

But I hadn’t called out its name just to have a silent staring contest with my mouth shut.

I opened my mouth very carefully.

“Hello.”

When I gave an ordinary greeting, Kim Seol whipped her head around.

Her expression was irritated as if asking whether I was in my right mind.

She probably thought I’d lost my mind right before dying.

However, contrary to Kim Seol’s expectations, the kraken began slowly swaying the tentacle it had kept still from side to side.

The sight made my spine tingle.

This wasn’t meaningless swaying.

It was a very clear intention to greet, just like waving one’s hand in a friendly greeting to someone.

‘It must have learned from someone before.’

I became strangely convinced that what the kraken had been looking for on the pirate ship was likely a human.

When I first met it at the shipwreck, and now.

Unbelievable as it might be, the kraken had really just failed to control its strength!

When I waved my hand in response, the tentacle moved at a slightly faster pace.

That movement created waves, and Kim Seol’s eyes were filled with confusion at the incomprehensible situation before her.

“Explain what’s going on here. Lee Hae, can’t you hear me?”

Though the incompetent S-rank hunter was chattering behind me, I didn’t have the luxury to kindly explain everything to someone who had completely ignored me earlier.

You can feel frustrated for once too.

What was important now was the kraken.

Above the moonlit sea, the kraken’s yellow eyes quietly gazed at me.

“We didn’t come to harm you. Would you like to talk for a moment?”

The kraken showed no reaction.

But the curiosity and friendliness reflected in those bright yellow eyes couldn’t be hidden.

‘As expected, it understands language.’

Lucky Hae-won.

If it weren’t for the Dark Mages who had disappeared into the depths of memory, if it weren’t for the feather’s memories, I wouldn’t have known.

Well, who would think that communication with a kraken was possible?

This kraken had probably met a being it could communicate with for the first time since some incident.

That’s why it wasn’t swinging its tentacles to smash me like before, but just quietly staring at me like this.

If I could just handle the kraken well here, I might be able to easily obtain the information needed to clear the scenario.

However, there was a big problem.

A very big problem!

“What are you looking for? Why are you attacking ships?”

Even when I asked questions, the kraken just quietly stared at me without saying anything else.

I thought it might be keeping its mouth shut out of suspicion, but I soon realized.

‘It can’t speak!’

When I met Kus’arich in the snowfield, Kus’arich’s cries were properly translated.

Though it couldn’t speak in complete sentences, I could interpret by giving meaning to individual words.

But this one… doesn’t say anything at all!

‘You need to say something for me to piece things together!’

I had been so happy that I could even converse with the kraken, but now I was so frustrated I felt like I might burst.

“Say something!”

I tried coaxing and scolding, but the kraken just stared at me intently without showing any particular reaction.

It could understand what others said but couldn’t speak directly, and instead expressed its intentions by waving its tentacles?

That wasn’t enough to get answers about what had happened to Laoko.

‘Lee Hae-won, think of another method.’

Getting frustrated just because Plan A was blocked would be inefficient.

I felt my whole body growing cold from the seawater as I quickly racked my brain.

‘What could help me understand the kraken’s thoughts?’

Something that could reveal what connection there was between Atari and Laoko…

“Ah-!!”

“Why are you suddenly shouting!”

A lightning-like realization struck me.

Kim Seol’s sharp reaction could be pushed aside because of the easy and certain method that came to mind.

‘There was the shipwreck!’

Not a single thing in scenarios is useless.

Since that shipwreck was where I first fell, there must be clues there.

And I have the Appraisal skill that can read the memories of items!

As expected, Babel kids always find a way somehow.

‘Should I use the temporary gills to get to the shipwreck?’

Just as I was about to shout “Eureka!” in joy at finding a breakthrough.

“Explain.”

My throat was suddenly blocked, and I grimaced unsightly.

Kim Seol, who had shown hypersensitive reactions every time I touched her, was now grabbing my collar and shaking me.

Though her strength wasn’t that great due to her sealed mana, my breathing was being constricted quite strongly, probably because of the unique aura and stamina stats that S-rank hunters possessed.

Kim Seol’s expression as she held me with pure physical force after I’d lost grip of the plank was terrifyingly fierce.

“Lee Hae, answer me.”

Her voice, raised an octave, was trembling as if she’d lost her composure.

Was the fact that I’d exchanged secretive glances with the kraken that shocking?

‘Her reaction seems a bit excessive…?’

Even while my throat was being choked and I couldn’t breathe, I dutifully harbored doubts.

Kim Seol’s eyes looked slightly crazed.

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

“You never trusted me in the first place!”

Even when I gasped and retorted, Kim Seol showed no signs of letting go of my collar.

Instead, she just glared at me with darkly sunken eyes.

It felt like she was venting the anger she’d barely suppressed on me.

From my perspective, this was completely absurd.

‘What did I do to make her this angry?!’

Was talking to a kraken some kind of serious crime against South Korean law or something?!

Meanwhile, the kraken was slowly moving its thick tentacles, trying to get my attention.

I watched the slowly swaying tentacles of the kraken and barely managed to hold onto my sanity.

‘Let me think calmly.’

Right, no matter how S-rank she is, Kim Seol without magic is just about this level.

Even though she’s choking me, she can’t completely subdue me.

Besides, I need to go read the shipwreck’s memories right now, but there are no air bubbles or mermaids.

All I can use is the simple gills.

To use the simple gills, I’d have to take off the Omnipotent Mask, but I can’t do that in front of Kim Seol.

Also, Kim Seol is currently hostile with zero possibility of cooperation, so she won’t be helpful regardless of circumstances.

If she could at least use magic, she’d be in a calmer state than now.

In that case.

‘Let’s put Kim Seol to sleep.’

I took out Kang Yeon-hee’s special sleeping potion from my inventory.

The sleeping potion that Kang Yeon-hee confidently said would knock out even an S-rank Hunter instantly.

Carefully hiding the small bottle behind my back, I spoke seriously.

“Kim Seol.”

“Answer me.”

Judging by how she glared at me with a domineering attitude, she had no idea I was hiding a potion.

Even an S-rank with keen senses doesn’t have the capacity to notice anything suspicious in such an emotional situation.

“Sorry.”

Before Kim Seol could notice, I quickly shoved the potion into her mouth.

Startled, Kim Seol let go of my collar and tried to spit it out hastily, but I was faster in covering her nose and mouth.

Kim Seol pushed me away with incomparably superior strength, but I held on until the end.

Within seconds, Kim Seol’s eyes filled with venom began to blur.

The moment her eyes closed.

I caught a glimpse of it.

The vivid shock in Kim Seol’s pupils, and the fear seeping out from behind it.

‘…Why?’

Feeling unsettled by such raw emotion to just brush off, but only briefly.

I barely managed to lift Kim Seol’s limp body onto the plank and turned toward the kraken that had been waiting patiently.

Then I immediately took off the Omnipotent Mask.

Just removing one mask made the sea breeze on my skin feel a bit colder.

Fortunately, the Merchant’s Mark didn’t go on strike just because my appearance changed, so the kraken remained quiet.

“Kraken.”

At my voice, the kraken lightly swayed its tentacles once more.

That means it understands, right?

“Take me to the shipwreck.”

The kraken stared at me quietly with yellow eyes, its thoughts unreadable.

I could clearly read its hesitation.

Since I couldn’t ask why it was hesitating, the only answer was to convey my sincerity.

Having never earnestly appealed to anyone before, it probably wouldn’t be very persuasive.

I added with emphasis once more.

“I’m curious about what happened in this sea.”

I’m probably the only one curious about your story in this sea, aren’t I?

Fortunately, speaking seriously while hiding my conceited thoughts seemed to work.

The kraken’s tentacles moved differently from before, with very slow and careful movements as they grasped the plank.

Then it began to move slowly.

Toward the deeper sea.

* * *

The method for sinking underwater is simple.

Summon the Verdant Stream in the vast ocean and hold onto the handle.

I don’t know if Nocturne anticipated this situation, but adding complete waterproof functionality makes him a real genius!

After asking the kraken to keep Kim Seol from sinking, I descended deep into the sea.

In the crevices of the reef where broken wreckage that couldn’t maintain the ship’s shape had tangled and sunk.

When I saw it before, I thought it was a complete mess, but surprisingly the ship’s stern maintained its original form.

What I discovered next was clear evidence.

Attached to the bow was a single flag, rotted beyond recognition.

‘This was a pirate ship!’

I rejoiced at the menacing pattern that clearly looked like pirates’ insignia from every angle.

The pirate ship that was the only one in Laoco not attacked by the kraken.

The reason for that is probably sleeping somewhere around here.

I placed my hand on the half-erased pirate flag and immediately used the Appraisal skill.

[■■ Merry(??)

The ■■ base of pirates who ■■■■ed Lao■’s waters for 1■ years.

– Condition: Damaged]

…Those two hidden letters couldn’t possibly be ‘Go’, could they?

Though it’s hidden due to damage, I don’t need to repair it this time.

I came here to read memories anyway!

[Would you like to read the memories of ‘■■ Merry(??)’?]

The moment I nodded vigorously.

My vision flipped and before I could even perceive the scenery.

‘It’s a monster-!!’

A stranger woman’s resounding warning pierced my eardrums.

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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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