NOVEL NEXT 74. Continue? (3)
-W-what brings you here…….
Hwang Maru’s voice trembled. The most surprised by this was Park Minsu.
‘W-why is Hwang Maru-nim so startled?’
Hwang Maru had always shown the image of an imposing leader. Even when contracting with Minsu, Hwang Maru had been confident.
‘There’s a line of people waiting to join besides you.’
‘What? Profit sharing? We take that much because we’ve done so much for you.’
To see him now, sweating and trembling in fear.
There was another person surprised by this.
‘How do Hwang Maru and Hyun Habin know each other? And Hwang Maru is flustered.’
Chae Jiseok, who had been quietly observing the situation, also wore a puzzled expression.
At that moment, Habin opened her mouth. She still wore an awkward expression, as if reluctant.
“Ah, hello. It’s nothing much. Just that Minsu connected the call……”
-I-is that so? Ah, haha. So you know Minsu.
“Yes. Just shopping today!”
-…….
Silence fell again after Habin’s brief reply.
‘Ah, this is awkward. What is this.’
Habin made a troubled expression. Since the events of the 26th floor were confidential, they had nothing to say to each other in such a public call. With eyes watching, she had to treat Hwang Maru respectfully too.
Moreover, they weren’t exactly on good terms.
Hwang Maru had tried to kill Kang Taeseo and Hyun Habin, while Hyun Habin had beaten, tied up, and even cursed Hwang Maru.
“…….”
-…….
Silence.
Unable to bear the awkward silence flowing between them, Hwang Maru continued speaking incoherently.
-Well…… If it’s shopping, it must be Continue. I guess you met because that Minsu went on an errand for me……
“Hm? An errand?”
-I sent him on an errand to buy custom-made items…….
“…….”
At those words, Minsu’s expression instantly hardened.
‘I-I’m doomed!’
“Hmm?”
As if she had noticed something, Habin turned her head. She adjusted the screen to show the items clearly.
The items Minsu had just been boasting about. The potions, protective gear, and weapons he had just ordered. Habin asked:
“By any chance, did you send Minsu on an errand to buy these?”
-Yes. Is there a problem? I entrusted it to him because I didn’t have time to go get them myself……
“Ah! There’s no problem. Come to think of it, you must have been surprised to suddenly receive a call. My business is done, so you can hang up comfortably!”
-R-really, I can hang up? That’s really all your business……?
“Yes, yes. Live kindly from now on. I’ll be watching you.”
-Of course! P-please take care!
Click.
After stumbling over his words as if caught, the call ended abruptly.
After confirming the call had completely ended, Habin turned back to Minsu. She opened her mouth brightly.
“Minsu!”
“…….”
“I’m glad it wasn’t embezzlement! It was just an errand!”
“……Ugh.”
“I was worried without even realizing it.”
“……Uugh!”
Minsu, now caught in his lie with no way out. He hung his head low in shame.
“W-well, anyway, what you said was right, Hyun Habin……. You…… knew our guild master.”
Minsu forced out the words. But his pride still stung too much to apologize properly.
‘This is all because I got caught up in Hyun Habin’s pace, saying such nonsense!’
Well, as for Hwang Maru, let’s say they met in passing since Hyun Habin knows Kang Taeseo.
But to be close with the Chae siblings of Solaris too?
‘Huh, how many such people could there be in Korea? Even the president couldn’t do that!’
The two wings of Korea.
To say she’s close with the leaders of both Caligo and Solaris, how could that make sense?
‘Anyone would think she’s full of hot air, so it makes all her other words unbelievable too!’
Minsu explained with a voice full of resentment.
“But no matter what, I can’t believe you’re close with the Chae siblings, can I? Yeah. So as I listened to you, I felt your credibility dropping…… I made a mistake.”
“……My credibility dropped?”
“……?”
Minsu raised his head. This time, it wasn’t Hyun Habin who spoke.
It was the man wearing sunglasses who had been quiet all this time. Hyun Habin’s friend, who had his face tightly covered with a mask and hat, wearing a shabby tourist t-shirt.
Swoosh.
He extended his finger and slightly pulled down the sunglasses perched on his face.
“……!”
Gasp.
The sound of two or three nearby sellers quietly drawing in sharp breaths was heard. Minsu watched the scene with his mouth agape, unable to say anything.
Beneath the sunglasses, clear golden eyes were revealed.
The trademark of the Chae siblings who contracted with the constellation ‘Nearest Light’, the effect of golden light swirling around their hair and eyes, ‘The Radiance of the Sun’.
Anyone could see it was the real Chae Jiseok.
He continued speaking slowly.
“I’m sorry, but Habin and I are really close, you know.”
“…….”
Chae Jiseok added to Minsu, who still couldn’t close his mouth.
“So I’d appreciate it if you refrained from unnecessary comments.”
“Th-that, uh, yes, I mean, uh…….”
Minsu, unable to string words together, just kept opening and closing his mouth.
“…….”
Thud, flop.
“Huh? Minsu! Did you faint again this time? Minsu! Wake up!”
And so, Minsu ended up fainting once again.
◆◇◆◇◆
“……How sad. The path to rehabilitation is indeed long. I thought he had become Reformed Minsu, but he went through Embezzling Minsu to become Boastful Minsu.”
After handing over the collapsed Minsu to the sellers, Habin nodded with a regretful expression.
“Plus, why is Minsu so weak? He collapsed last time too…… This kid really faints well.”
“Maybe he has low blood pressure?”
“That could be it?”
Even with high stats, you have to be careful of low blood pressure. Remembering this sad truth, Habin walked forward.
Thud thud.
Past the various facilities of the workshop they had just passed. Beyond them, completed items were on display.
“Hmm, where should we start looking?”
Just then, a nearby seller quickly answered.
“If you have some time before purchasing items, it might be quite interesting to look around the herb greenhouse or the gem hall!”
“Oh, the gem hall?”
“It’s where we keep unrefined ores, and it’s really beautiful. The herb greenhouse over there also has rare plants from dungeons that are hard to see elsewhere. There are even rare items that are difficult to cultivate!”
The seller’s excited explanation. His words conveyed pride in the gem hall and greenhouse.
“Then of course we should take a look!”
Habin’s eyes sparkled as she followed the seller’s guidance deeper into the building.
The first place they visited was the gem hall.
“Wow, look at the interior.”
The gem hall was filled with glittering gems densely packed on the walls, like the amethyst cave she had once seen in a museum. Thanks to the gems emitting transparent light, far from feeling stuffy, it had a cool and even sacred atmosphere.
“Some people buy finished items, but others come here to purchase materials. As you know, we only deal in top-quality materials here.”
“Oh, I see.”
Habin looked around. The items for sale were encased in glass walls and handled separately, all exuding an extraordinary aura. Habin looked at a rainbow-colored gem placed nearby. There was an explanation next to it.
[Opal of Azure Hue]
Material Item
A very precious opal that can only be found in the habitat of the rare monster ‘Azure Hue’ on the 17th floor of Kill Screen. When used in item crafting, it has a high chance of granting hallucination and confusion effects.]
“……This place is amazing.”
Chae Jiseok, who had been looking around at the gems, muttered quietly. He pointed to a few minerals being stored.
“These are really hard to obtain.”
“Is this your first time here, Chae-ssi?”
Given Solaris Guild’s status, one would think they’d have many opportunities to purchase items from Continue.
Jiseok answered Habin’s question.
“I’ve been too busy to visit in person, so I’ve only consulted over the phone. Even if I did visit, I’d just place custom orders and never had the chance to look around every corner like this.”
He asked a nearby seller.
“Did Corny-nim collect all of these personally?”
“Some were collected personally, and many were purchased through friendly hunters.”
“Corny-nim probably has more interest in rare materials than any other ranker on Earth!”
“No matter what, she always manages to obtain the necessary materials somehow, and her inquisitiveness about crafting skills is second to none!”
Everyone’s expressions were flushed with pride and self-satisfaction.
“Oh…….”
‘Come to think of it, I’ve heard stories about Corny, the crafting hunter.’
It was a name she had often heard during her porter days. Despite her status, ‘Corny’ was someone who rarely appeared on broadcasts, so little was known about her personally.
However.
‘My dream is to get a job at Corny-nim’s workshop! Even as a seller would be fine. I heard that even if you’re hired as a seller at Continue, she sometimes teaches crafting methods directly to employees she likes!’
‘She’s someone every crafting hunter aspires to be.’
‘I want to shop there someday too.’
‘Get real, it’s difficult unless you order at the guild level. To order as an individual, you’d have to be quite rich, right? I heard even a small potion costs in the hundreds of millions.’
Habin had often heard hunters chattering like this.
That was the position of Corny’s ‘Continue’ shop.
It wasn’t a luxury brand known to everyone like Elemes or Azuel, launched in various places.
Operating the world’s only workshop.
Unrivaled in custom-made brands.
Famous for its small-quantity, high-quality production.
“Shall we look around the greenhouse now?”
Following the seller’s guidance, they moved to the greenhouse.
There, they could see all sorts of plants growing inside transparent glass domes.
“Wow, they grow this here?”
Chae Jiseok looked at a cluster of flowers planted on one side with an unbelievable expression.
The flower petals, mysteriously tinged with blue and purple hues, had a beautiful appearance reminiscent of the night sky. Moreover, the silver stamens in the center sparkled like stars.
[Midsummer Night’s Dream]
(Material Item)
A flower very rarely found on the 23rd floor of Kill Screen. It serves as an ingredient for crafting top-grade recovery and detoxification potions.
“Was this a plant that could be cultivated?”
“It’s the result of research conducted together with awakened hunters specialized in cultivation, whom we’ve been inviting for the past two years.”
“Chae-ssi, look at that! There are butterflies here too!”
Silver-winged butterflies were flying back and forth among the flowers, transferring pollen. It was a fantastical sight by anyone’s standards.
“Those butterflies…… They’re monsters, right?”
“That’s right! They’re ‘Silver Thread Butterflies’ brought in from dungeons. But they have almost no attack power and no toxicity, so they’re safe.”
“There’s no more efficient medium for transferring the pollen of ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ than the Silver Thread Butterfly!”
The seller reached out towards the flowers. However, he was blocked by an invisible, transparent wall.
“A defense item……”
“Yes. We’ve properly set up defense systems just in case, so there’s no need to worry. It also serves as a security measure. To prevent anyone from stealing or accidentally damaging them.”
Besides these, there were flowers larger than people, grass with leaves as big as houses, and strange fruits shaped like apples smaller than beans.
The greenhouse seemed like a miniature carefully transplanted with the most peaceful and fantastic parts from all the dungeons humanity had experienced so far.
“This place is really wonderful! Wow, look at these, is it okay to take them like this?”
Heave-ho.
Squeak squeak.
A line of frog monsters busily moving, carrying fruits. Seeing this, Libe, in lizard form, drooled.
-Piyaak! Slurp!
“Hey! Libe! That’s not allowed! Are you trying to eat such cute little ones?”
-Pii…….
Just as Habin was patting Libe, the cowed predator, a new voice was heard behind them.
“……I’m glad you like it.”
Flinch.
Chae Jiseok turned his head sharply towards the voice first.
‘This voice?’
Thud thud.
Footsteps approaching them at the same time. Habin turned to look too. An elderly woman with a kind expression, dressed in a beige suit, was walking towards them.
“Did you enjoy the tour?”
“……!”
‘Corny-nim?’
‘It’s Corny-nim!’
The sellers who recognized her wore welcoming expressions. Corny, who had already come close, extended her hand as if to shake hands.
“I’m Corny. It’s a pleasure to meet you like this.”