Chapter 7
Hunter Marketplace.
This was a place where Hunters sold the rewards they obtained from the Tower.
Many rewards from the Tower were strange resources that did not exist on Earth.
For example, there were Magic Stones, one of the most common resources.
They were ores containing powerful energy comparable to nuclear fusion.
Beyond the First Floor Realm, there were floors dedicated entirely to mining these Magic Stones.
High-quality Magic Stones produced there were traded for enormous prices.
That was why floors containing Magic Stone mines were constantly challenged.
Simply being able to mine Magic Stones could support an entire country.
So naturally, everyone wanted them.
Of course, if Magic Stones were the only resources Hunters obtained, there would be no need for a specialized Hunter Marketplace.
There was something even more important than Magic Stones.
The rewards Hunters received for setting records.
The rewards were always random.
No one knew what kind of item a Hunter might receive.
Because of that, Hunters needed a way to determine the value of their rewards.
That was why the government had created Hunter Marketplaces.
Every Hunter Marketplace was a public institution managed by the government.
The government directly handled transactions so Hunters wouldn't get cheated out of money and lose their motivation to climb the Tower.
It was a good idea in theory.
But because the government managed the place,
government departments naturally had influence over it.
Like today.
Record every Hunter who comes here to sell something for the first time? Seriously.
Oh Na-ri had arrived at the Hunter Marketplace early that morning.
As expected of a professional, she greeted customers with a polite business smile.
Hunter Marketplaces didn't only buy items.
They also handled trading.
Because of that, Hunters constantly came and went.
New Hunters poured in every single day.
So the new order given to Oh Na-ri only meant more work for her.
What kind of mess happened this time?
They had even warned that anyone who failed to keep proper records might have their salary reduced.
With no other choice, she had been recording every new Hunter who came in today.
"Next person, please."
The line was long.
She wanted to finish quickly and go eat lunch, so she called the next customer over.
Step.
Someone walked toward her.
A moment later,
Oh Na-ri's eyes slowly widened.
"...Wow."
The word escaped her mouth without thinking.
Standing before her was the very peak of good looks.
Glossy, jet-black hair tied behind his head.
Ruby-red eyes that looked like gemstones.
A tall body with perfect proportions, the kind that would look good in anything.
He possessed the kind of beauty that could make anyone stare.
Oh Na-ri looked up at him with dazed eyes.
It was the first time in her life she had ever been this impressed just by seeing someone's face.
"I wish to sell something."
Oh Na-ri flinched.
Even his deep voice made her heart tremble.
"Ah, y, yes. C, could you show me your Hunter ID?"
"Hunter ID?"
The man raised one eyebrow.
Then his eyes moved slightly to the side.
There was a short pause, almost as if he were waiting for someone's instructions.
But Oh Na-ri was too distracted to notice anything.
"I don't have one."
"Ah, y, you're a newly Awakened Hunter!"
So this person was also someone she had to record.
That was fine.
The Marketplace could also help issue Hunter IDs.
"Y, yes. Then after we check your item, we'll help you register and issue your Hunter ID! Could you show me what you want to sell?"
The man immediately pulled something from his bag.
A single piece of an herb rested in his hand.
It didn't look especially valuable.
I've never seen this species before, though.
Still, it didn't seem like anything special.
Even so, Oh Na-ri smiled brightly.
Normally, her smile would have been purely professional.
Today, however, it was genuine.
He probably thought he had received some special Tower reward and rushed here to have it appraised.
Cute.
His actions were strangely cute compared to his appearance.
Even if it turned out to be worthless, she would explain it as kindly as possible!
He hadn't even done anything, yet...
"Yes, I'll appraise it right away."
Everyone working at a Hunter Marketplace was a Hunter.
More specifically, they were Hunters who possessed appraisal-related skills.
Collectively, they were called Non-Combat Hunters.
Because they lacked combat ability, most had to give up on climbing the Tower.
Instead, they could use their skills to earn high salaries.
Oh Na-ri immediately activated her Appraisal skill.
[Due to insufficient skill level, parts of the appraisal are restricted.]
Name: ■light ■■ (■光■■)
Classification: Elixir / Mystical Plant
Rank: ■ Rank (Rare)
Attributes: ■(■) · ■■(■■) · ■life(■命)
Description:
A flower that ■■■ beneath the moon■■.
■■■■ during ■■ nights,
■■■■■ spirit ■, ■■■ plant, and ■■ strengthening ■■■ ■■■■■.
Effects:
• Removes ■■■ impurities and ■■■ toxins.
• Greatly increases the ■■■ of ma■ ■■ (■■) and can ■■■■■■■ when consumed ■■.
• Reduces mental ■■ and ■■ fatigue.
Oh Na-ri's expression slowly froze.
"H, huh?"
Why couldn't she appraise it?
The result was so incomplete that it was practically unreadable.
Her Appraisal skill was insufficient.
What did that mean?
It meant one thing.
This single piece of herb sitting in front of her
was an item of such a high level that she couldn't properly appraise it.
Oh Na-ri's lips pressed together.
No sound came out.
What the hell was this?
"Is there a problem?"
The man asked.
Oh Na-ri flinched and looked up.
A moment ago, she had thought he looked cute.
Now,
he felt completely different.
A big shot.
A genuine big shot had appeared.
"H, Hunter, I'm terribly sorry, but my Appraisal skill isn't high enough to properly appraise this item."
"I see."
His reaction was far too calm.
Oh Na-ri immediately realized something.
It's him.
The person Headquarters had warned them about.
It had to be him.
This was an era where a Hunter's strength was directly connected to power.
Oh Na-ri lowered her head, unsure what else to do.
"I, I'll escort you to the VIP room immediately!"
"...VIP room?"
The man looked as though he didn't understand.
But Oh Na-ri misunderstood his reaction.
"N, no! I'll take you to the VVIP room!"
Headquarters had clearly ordered them to provide the highest possible treatment if they found the person they were searching for.
That meant this was a Hunter they absolutely could not afford to lose.
When Oh Na-ri hurriedly corrected herself, the man made a strange expression.
[...Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong, didn't you say the herb you were selling was low grade?]
I did.
The man standing there
was Baek Cheon-myeong, who had come to sell the item in Kang Ha-min's place.
Ha-min had sent him to the Marketplace in order to keep his own identity hidden.
...Ahem, still, since Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong and I share our souls, registering him is probably better than registering me.
While Kang Ha-min tried to justify it to himself,
Baek Cheon-myeong sent a message through Soul Synchronization.
[The Appraiser simply lacks skill.]
I'm starting to think the item itself might be the problem.
Baek Cheon-myeong had said it was one of the lowest-grade herbs they possessed.
How was Ha-min supposed to know that even a Marketplace employee wouldn't be able to appraise it?
What do I do?
They were suddenly being escorted to a VVIP room.
The situation was clearly getting bigger.
Ha-min had always hated things becoming complicated.
Even though he was only watching through Baek Cheon-myeong's eyes, he already wanted to pull out and run away.
If we go all the way to the VVIP room, they'll definitely ask where the herb came from.
They might also start asking about Baek Cheon-myeong's identity.
Baek Cheon-myeong was Kang Ha-min's summon.
Naturally, he had no way to prove his identity.
If things went badly, people might begin questioning his very existence.
Ughhh.
His stomach started aching again.
The chronic disease of modern people, stress, was returning.
Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong, should we run?
[Did you not say you were short on money?]
Right.
That's trueee.
He still needed to eat.
Fine.
Besides, the employee's face had been pale for a while now.
Typical Estrogen Man trait, weak against people who look desperate.
And after hearing Oh Na-ri's voice, nearby Hunters had begun glancing in their direction.
If someone was receiving VVIP treatment, they had to be a high-ranking Hunter.
High-ranking Hunters were celebrities, so everyone seemed curious about who he was.
More and more eyes gathered on them.
Naturally, Kang Ha-min, who couldn't handle attention at all, immediately decided to flee from the situation by moving forward instead.
Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong, just tell her to lead the way!
The employee was one problem, but refusing now might look even more suspicious.
That was the last thing he wanted.
"Lead the way."
"Y, yes! This way, please!"
The moment Baek Cheon-myeong spoke, Oh Na-ri hurriedly guided him inside.
They passed through the public area of the Marketplace and entered a hallway restricted to selected personnel.
Kang Ha-min looked around through Baek Cheon-myeong's eyes and was surprised.
Unlike the outside, the hallway was obviously decorated with luxurious items.
There were expensive-looking pottery pieces and decorative swords.
At first glance, it looked more like the hallway of a royal palace.
[They merely arranged things to look impressive.]
Baek Cheon-myeong, however, sounded completely uninterested.
Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong, you must've lived pretty well.
Ha-min could vaguely imagine how wealthy Baek Cheon-myeong had been in his past life.
They followed Oh Na-ri for some time.
Eventually, she stopped in front of a room.
A sign on the door read:
[VVIP Room]
Ha-min suddenly became nervous.
He had agreed to come because the employee looked so distressed and everyone had been staring.
But...
How did we somehow end up in the VVIP room?
Kang Ha-min's expression grew complicated.
And I still have a huge amount of herbs besides Moonlight White Flower.
How much chaos would happen when they tried to sell those too?
He was already worried.
Click.
Meanwhile, Oh Na-ri opened the door to the VVIP room.
Baek Cheon-myeong followed her inside.
The moment Kang Ha-min saw the room through his eyes, his own eyes widened.
The room was filled with all kinds of items.
They were on a completely different level from the decorations in the hallway.
There were accessories crafted by the fairy artisans who worshiped Juella, God of Jewels, on the 65th Floor.
Weapons made by dwarves who lived only in the Forge of Fire, ruled by Feratos, God of Blacksmiths, on the 71st Floor.
There were even clothes woven by elves who served Sylvia, Goddess of the Forest, on the 84th Floor.
Expensive items were lined up everywhere.
How much is all of this worth?
Kang Ha-min had worked in a Hunter-related department.
He didn't have to think very hard to know that a single one of those items could cost as much as a building.
Only now did he realize what kind of situation he had gotten himself into.
Selling the herbs had made this unavoidable, but
things were becoming much bigger than he had expected.
I wanted to make money as a Hunter, I never wanted to become famous!
Should they turn around and leave right now?
Just as Ha-min seriously began considering it,
"Hello, hello?"
A voice suddenly came from inside the room.
