Convenience Store 24: The Tower of the End 1st - Chapter 109



Only Krnovel

Episode 109: A Lucky Punch in the New Year!

A faint smile appeared on the lips of my great-uncle, who had been licking his lips.

“Inseong, you should be moderate when teasing adults. Excessive lying is nothing but a laughing stock… … .”

“Would you believe me if I said this?”

I enlarged the photo of the document I had taken earlier and showed it to him.

“This is… … .”

“This is ridiculous… …. Honey, does this make sense?”

While my aunt and uncle were shocked by the unbelievable reality.

My uncle gives me a pleased smile.

“This is truly a cause for celebration! But In-seong, I’m a little surprised. Why didn’t you at least give me a heads up? If you had, I could have sent you a wreath or something.”

“I’m sorry. I should have told you in advance, but I’ve been so busy.”

“Haha, are you sorry? You should be congratulating me instead!”

Daebeom, who was standing next to me, also spoke to me quietly.

“Hey, Inseong. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, bro.”

“Thank you, you achieved everything through your own efforts. You should be thankful to yourself for your hard work.”

Daebeom hyung, smiling and tapping my shoulder.

I looked at him like that and thought.

‘I wonder how parents and children can be so different… … .’

“But Inseong, what does it feel like to become a building owner? Does it feel like you’re flying in the sky?”

“Well, at first it was like that, but now it’s like… …it’s like a big building was built on my land?”

“Poo-ha-ha! What does that feel like!”

Daebeom, let’s laugh.

My aunt glares at my brother with sharp eyes.

“Great man.”

“Oh, yes… … .”

“Ahem!”

My great-uncle coughs a few times and then gestures to me.

“Inseong, I understand that you have no intention of opening a chain store. Then how about this? It wouldn’t be bad if I went in as a tenant… … .”

I guess you still haven’t gotten over your foolishness.

I said bluntly as I watched my uncle struggling until the end.

“No. We plan to use the entire building, from the first to the fifth floor, as a cafe. We are almost done negotiating contracts with the existing tenants.”

“……okay?”

My great-uncle, who had been licking his lips, glanced at my uncle and then got up from his seat.

“You must have finished eating, let’s get up and go.”

“Is that so?”

My great-uncle and aunt leave the room without looking back.

Daebeom also quickly says goodbye and leaves the room.

My uncle glared at their backs and muttered quietly.

“Nothing has changed for my age, really… … Oh, and Inseong, before you go, come over to our car for a moment. There’s some pickled garlic that your grandmother made. I’d like you to take that.”

“Wow, really? It must have been heavy… … Thank you, Uncle!”

* * *

In the afternoon of the same day.

[Thank you, boss! I will enjoy the meal!]

[Happy New Year to you too, boss!]

[Thank you so much, boss!]

I returned home, looking through the messages piled up in the group chat.

‘Oh my… … .’

I sent a set of Korean beef to my employees as a New Year’s gift.

It’s an atmosphere that everyone likes.

[Everyone eat well and stay healthy this year! ^^]

[Yes, sir!]

[thank you for this food!]

‘I’m glad everyone seems to like it.’

I don’t know if it’s because I carefully selected and chose them.

They are all kind and hard-working friends.

‘I wish my uncle and aunt were half as good as these kids. Tsk tsk… ‘

How can relatives be worse than others?

‘Ugh, what’s the point of thinking about it any further? Rather, what should I prepare for them during the Lunar New Year holidays?’

I took off my shoes with a happy smile and entered the living room.

“Oh, master! You’re here?”

The clone, perfectly prepared to go out, looks at me and smiles brightly.

“Can I go out now?!”

“Okay. Take a rest and come back. But… … .”

I glanced down at the pack of cards in my clone’s hand and continued speaking.

“Is Dual Center doing it today?”

“Then! It’s open 365 days a year, with no days off!”

“Okay, have fun. But what about Baekgu?”

“He already went out. He said he had to go see his neighborhood girlfriends or something.”

“……also?”

I don’t even have any girlfriends, and I have several of them, no, several of them!

‘Should I really throw that damn peanut away?’

“Anyway, have a nice trip.”

“I’ll go and come back!”

The excited clone quickly goes outside.

I quietly approached Balina’s room.

“No! Why can’t you annoying kids avoid it! I told you not to fight! F**k!”

As Balina’s curse echoed through the room.

I quietly opened the door.

Knock, knock-

Fingers moving busily across the keyboard.

Her eyes were staring intently at the monitor.

Round-

Strangely enough, a tiny eyeball was floating in the air, staring at the mini map in the game.

Since I gave you the computer as a gift.

Balina became so absorbed in the game that she practically lived there.

As soon as the coffee beans are roasted, I sit down in front of the monitor.

[defeat]

[Demotion from Silver to Bronze.]

“ah!”

Balina takes off her headset and screams.

‘No, he’s playing with 3 eyes and how is he still in silver? What the heck? He even got demoted?’

Her desperate game sense was truly astonishing.

“Bronze?”

“Um… … ! Ah! Master, you’re here… … .”

Just a moment ago, he was hurling all sorts of curses at the monitor.

Balina, who quickly regained control of her anger after seeing me.

“… … I heard today is a day off. They don’t roast coffee beans.”

“Oh, okay. Take a break. But you’re definitely keeping your guard up, right?”

“Of course.”

When Balina waved her hand.

Sasa-sak-

Dozens of eyeballs appeared in the room, seemingly out of nowhere.

“As the master said, I was secretly watching so as not to be noticed by other humans.”

“… … You’re doing well.”

I find that multitasking ability to monitor while playing a game really amazing.

‘But, since it is called primordial chaos, is that something like that natural?’

“But why bronze?”

“… … What does that mean?”

Balina begins to sweat profusely.

“Why did you downgrade my Silver ID to Bronze?”

“That, that, it’s not my fault! I did my best! But I can’t win because the jungle guy won’t come to the top! I’ll restore it somehow!”

“Poohahaha! No, that’s okay. I’m just joking. I don’t care if you drop to bronze or not.”

If I were my old self who was serious about games, I might have been a little upset.

But it really didn’t matter now.

‘Because there is a world bigger than games.’

“Anyway, playing games is good, but enjoy them in moderation. Take good care of your home.”

“Don’t worry. Not a single little bug will be able to climb over the fence of this house.”

This is a truly credible statement.

‘Thanks to Balina and Baekgu, I can leave the house with peace of mind.’

Of course, it’s not that I’ve never recommended that she enter the tower.

but.

[My life has always been a continuation of battle. And now, more than ever, I am more angry.]

It seemed like she was more into the game than the tower.

“Okay, then take good care of the house, I have to go to the tower for a bit.”

“Isn’t the master resting?”

I answered, shoving the items I had previously purchased into my subspace pocket and subspace cloak.

“Making money is easy.”

“… … ?”

Looking at Balina, who was staring at me as if she found it difficult to understand.

I smiled brightly.

‘You don’t know the taste of having a full pocket.’

“Anyway, I’ll be back soon, so take good care of the house.”

“i get it.”

* * *

35th floor, Demon King’s Castle.

A large number of raiders are gathered in one place and chatting as if they had made an appointment.

“Ugh, today is no joke.”

“That’s right. There’s no guarantee that the fantasy shopkeeper will come today.”

Two men are whispering quietly as they look at the waiting people.

“I heard that there are some crazy guys who have settled down in inns.”

“… … It doesn’t seem so bad, does it? If you exclude the occasional nasty demon or warrior bastard that invades, the 35th floor isn’t so bad, right? If you become friendly with the demons, you can enjoy various conveniences.”

“But those guys are funny too. The Demon King is just sitting there, so why can’t he be eaten?”

“Well, isn’t that a good thing since we can get quests thanks to that?”

While the two men continued their conversation.

“Did you hear? It seems like the pioneers cleared the 53rd floor as well?”

“… … You’ve already cleared the 53rd floor? Don’t be kidding. It hasn’t even been that long since you cleared the 52nd floor. Are you sure about this?”

“I’m not a party to the case, so I don’t know for sure. I heard that the younger sibling of a clan member I know who lives on the 45th floor did that?”

The group next to me are talking in small voices.

“Oh, really… … Regardless of whether you clear it or not, you really did have a hard time. Aren’t you afraid of dying? How can you risk your life like that every time?”

“Well, there may be various reasons, but I think the buff food sold at the fantasy shop plays a big role.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know that many clans and raiders who have attempted to conquer the area have died, right? Not to mention that even the ‘vanguard’ of the past had many deaths. But what about the current pioneers? Has anyone said that they have died?”

Surprisingly, there wasn’t any.

Not even a single one.

“Oh, no… … .”

“It’s not just the pioneers. The death rate of the raid party that bought buff food has decreased significantly. And that’s not all. Recently, with the release of special stamps, the supply of supplies has also become much easier.”

“Huh… … It seems like there are a lot of people trying to climb again these days. Could it be because of that… … ?”

“The increased survival rate and smoother distribution have played a part, but that’s more important.”

The crowd’s attention was focused on the attackers gathered on one side.

chuck-

As if to tell people to look at themselves.

Those who proudly hold the Wood-Pad and Bronze-Pad.

“Ugh, it would be nice if I could just get a Wood-Pad. I could get first-come-first-served, and I could even get ice cream and frozen food, and special stamps… … Honestly, the benefits are a bit overwhelming.”

“Life or benefit… … . It’s difficult, it’s difficult.”

At that time, the crowd was each chattering with their colleagues.

Ss …

Light shines through the empty space.

“Oh! It’s coming! It’s coming!”

Soon, above the place where the light disappeared.

A store with a sign that says [Convenience Store 24 Tower of the End No. 1] appears.

“Here it comes! It’s a fantasy store!”

Then, all the attackers cheered without exception.

“Ugh, I wish you’d open it sooner… … . This time, if I buy soap, I’m really going to use it sparingly.”

“When does it open?”

At some point, those who were cheering with joy…

I just stood there blankly, staring at the store, like a puppy waiting for its mealtime.

and.

Daughter-

Finally, the fantasy shopkeeper opens his door and reveals himself.

The shop owner, as usual, is wearing a fox mask and has a mischievous smile on his face.

“We would like to express our gratitude to all of you who visited the fantasy store today.”

As soon as his speech, which was already no different from that of an idol in the tower, ended,

chuck-

The fans wave their cards like cheering sticks.

“A heart that is always broken! A heart that is always broken!”

In a heat that was reminiscent of a concert hall.

A man in a robe clicks his tongue in the crowd.

‘This is fucking crazy.’

The knight glared at the raiders who were calling his name with cold eyes.

‘You little bastards. What the hell is that outside thing making such a fuss?’

It’s unpleasant.

The ruler who rules over the 22nd floor.

Even he, a key figure in the ‘Balance of Balance’ clan that seeks to control logistics up to the 35th floor, and now even up to the 36th floor, has never received such cheers.

“… … .”

The knight clenched his fist.

The man next to him whispers softly to him.

“Jade, you seem to be more popular than we thought?”

“… …Do you think I’m a blind person?”

“Oh, no… … I just… … .”

Suha breaks out in a cold sweat at Jade’s blunt answer.

“Okay, let’s start opening up! First, customers on this side, please come in!”

“Hahahahaha! Look at this, boss! Over here! Wood-pa! Are you sure?!”

“Wood-pad? What are you doing, not getting out of the way?”

“Haha, today we’re having a simple fortune cookie sharing event to celebrate the new year, so please take note!”

Looking at the raiders proudly showing off their skills and the shop owners who deal with them.

The knight’s eyes shine sharply.

“Hmm, raiding him now doesn’t seem like a bad idea… … .”

“Huh?! That won’t do. The clan leader said to just wait and see and not create a fight with the fantasy shop owner… .”

“You, are you close with Alter? I know, so keep your mouth shut.”

“… … .”

The subordinate’s eyebrows trembled.

Jade said bluntly, not caring.

“No matter how strong a strategist is, he is not invincible. Even abilities that seem strong are bound to have weaknesses.”

‘Of course, there are gaps in people. Today, I’m going to dig up everything about you.’

Basically, the strategist cannot check the information of the opposing strategist.

But he was different.

“ray.”

As Jade muttered softly.

Krrrrrr-

The hatchling’s cries leaked out from under his hood, which was covered with a heavy robe.

“Explore his information.”

“Krrrrrr!”

Tiring-

[Hatchling Ray activates the ‘Dragon Roar’ ability]

[Check the other party’s information.]

A sinister smile appeared on Jade’s lips as the message surfaced.

‘If we know the bastard’s information and abilities, we can prepare a countermeasure.’

Of course, this ‘Dragon Roar’ does not work for all strategy players.

Because I couldn’t confirm information about an opponent stronger than him, the Knight.

But Jade was sure.

‘There’s no way his level is higher than mine.’

Even though he had given up on the conquest, it wasn’t like he was slacking off on the hunt.

[Checking the other party’s information.]

Soon the bastard’s information will be vividly presented before his eyes.

At that moment, the corners of Jade’s mouth gradually rose.

Tiring-

[Warning! ‘Dragon Roar’ has been destroyed.]

‘……what?’

An unexpected message appeared before his eyes.

‘No, what’s going on? Dragon Lore has been destroyed? That guy’s level is higher than mine?!’

This is ridiculous.

How much time did he invest in hunting to evolve his hatchlings?

‘This is ridiculous…! This is ridiculous!’

Jade was in shock and was just staring blankly into space.

The servant pulls hard at his robe.

“Jade! Jade! The shopkeeper is coming this way! Wake up! Jade!”

“ah…….”

Jade quickly came to her senses.

however.

“Hello, sir.”

The store owner, who had come up to him without him noticing, smiled at him.

Suddenly, he hands me a basket full of fortune cookies.

“We’re having a small event at our store to celebrate the New Year, so this is a good time. Would you like to choose one?”

“… … .”

“Take a look. This event is free.”

However, I was concerned that the store owner’s voice was cold.

Jade tried to keep her composure.

‘Yeah, yeah. He won’t know I used my power.’

It was just a coincidence that the shop owner came to him.

“… … Okay.”

Fortune cookies are cookies that are said to tell your fortune.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this in person.

“Is this okay?”

“Let’s open it. Isn’t the fun of fortune cookies in seeing what’s inside?”

“… … .”

For a moment, Jade felt a strange sense of foreboding.

‘… … I don’t think I should wake up.’

Why is that?

Whenever I break this fortune cookie, I feel like something is irreversible.

“I’ll take care of this later… … .”

“Hey, you’re wasting time with just one cookie! Hurry up and open it. Can’t you see that everyone is waiting because of you?!”

“Okay! Just do it in moderation!”

As the raiders hurled criticism at him.

Jade bit her lip hard.

‘Those bastards who wouldn’t dare talk to me if they knew my true identity… ‘

But in the end, he was unable to overcome the temptation of the raiders.

I put strength into the hand holding the cookie.

Bba-gak-

A small piece of paper slips out between the halved cookies.

[Daegil: This year will be your year.]

‘What the heck? This year is going to be my year?’

The current situation is extremely strange, but it is a great blessing.

In this situation where I can’t like it, but I can’t hate it either.

Jade was lost in thought about what expression to make.

At that time.

“Oh, congratulations. You picked Daegil?!”

The fantasy shopkeeper looks at him and smiles brightly.

Jade looked down at the paper and replied indifferently.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I’m lucky. Is that okay now?”

“No. You have to take the goods. Now, raise your head.”

“Product? Raise your head?”

Jade raises her head in wonder and sees the shop owner waving his arms.

“What now… … .”

“The grand prize goes to Daegil Punch. Congratulations!”