Convenience Store 24: The Tower of the End 1st - Chapter 75



Only Krnovel

Episode 75: The Raccoon of the Twilight Desert (1)

“This is… … ?”

“Is it like tea? But this one, the layers of color are so pretty.”

“It looks good, but it tastes good too. Try it.”

At my suggestion, they take a cautious sip of their drink.

“ah…….”

“oh my god…….”

* * *

“How much do you think is left?”

“I think it will take about two hours at most?”

“Oh no… … . I still have to wait two more hours?”

‘Two hours… … .’

The woman, who was watching the two men talking in front of her, lowered her head.

The line at Inseong Cafe gets longer day by day.

It is the complete opposite of his own cafe, where the number of customers is not decreasing any more.

‘What’s the difference between you and me?’

I thought I could win if I pushed with money.

But there were things that money couldn’t win.

Even though my grandmother pushed the gourmet guide for me.

Even that ended up being a good thing for Inseong Cafe.

Honestly, I don’t understand.

What is the difference between her cafe and Insung cafe.

So here we come.

‘You’ll know the difference when you try it.’

So I came anyway… … .

There is an uneasy rumbling up ahead.

“Waffles are sold out!”

“Fuck! Already?”

“You crazy guys in the front row, how much have you eaten!”

The commotion spreads like waves to the back row.

“Tteokbokki is sold out too!”

“Crazy! Then what’s left?”

“Coffee, sandwiches, and new aid.”

She realizes.

‘Ah, waiting itself is a thriller here.’

If you wait, things will die one by one.

Waffles are dead, tteokbokki is dead, dead… … .

Meanwhile, the two men in front were talking with anxious faces.

“Oh, what should I do? I have to eat today.”

“What kind of drugs did you come to buy?”

“It’s drugs. At this level, it’s a drug that the country permits. In fact, someone reported it before, saying that they were selling it with drugs in it.”

“Wow, f*ck, really?”

‘Wow, really?’

Women also prick up their ears to unexpected stories.

Oh my god, they’re reporting this as a drug deal.

“So, what happened?”

“Well, of course it didn’t come out. I found out that the guy who made the false report was the owner of another cafe who sold sandwiches to the owner of this cafe. When selling sandwiches, you have to clearly state that they are Insung Cafe sandwiches, right?”

“That’s right. You didn’t make it. The manufacturer should have put it in.”

“Yeah. But they put their own cafe logo on it and advertised it as if it was their own creation.”

“Wow, you’re a fucking bastard. So what?”

“The owner of the cafe here found out and cut it off right away. Then he got angry and filed a false report.”

“Wow, you piece of shit. What happened?”

“Of course, they got hit hard with fines and civil lawsuits, and rumors spread through the community, so now that store has a 1.1 star rating. They recently closed the store under the pretense of remodeling, but you all know that it’s basically closed down, right? Justice has been served, right?”

“The ending is so refreshing. I think I’m going to poop really well today.”

“Oh, stop talking nonsense before we eat something delicious.”

I overhear the conversation, feeling nervous that they might talk about my store.

Before she knew it, it was her turn.

I was worried that I might be rejected because I had visited this store before.

Is it because she didn’t flinch this time?

Fortunately, he doesn’t refuse and quietly gives me the item.

She took the items on trembling legs from standing for so long.

‘Inseong coffee, sandwiches, and turret ade.’

These are precious menus that survived until her turn.

She went to a quiet place where she could enjoy it.

First of all, I took out the coffee beans.

The face of the cafe, coffee.

She quietly looks down at the cup and takes a sip of coffee.

And then he looks down at the cup again with a face that looks like it’s been hit by a hammer.

‘Is this coffee?’

This is not coffee.

I can’t admit it.

If this was coffee, then the coffee she sold at her cafe was no different from muddy water.

‘I can’t admit it… … . I can’t admit it… … .’

I have to admit it.

Because this coffee felt like a work of art, rather than a mere food.

Take a sip of your coffee and take a bite of your sandwich.

4 hours worth of work gone in 5 minutes.

She licked her lips again with a regretful look on her face.

He reached for the turret aid.

The moment I took a sip of the aid… … .

“Ugh, haa, haa.”

Dense, creamy carbonation runs down your throat with the essence of a fruity flavor you’ve never tasted before.

She felt a slight chill, not the sensation she had expected.

He took a little more of the aid and smiled faintly.

She muttered.

“I should have come and tried it sooner.”

It’s a complete defeat.

At this point, it’s a complete defeat with no room for hesitation.

‘This is the level of thing you need to do to run a business… … .’

It feels a little refreshing.

I feel like my mind is much clearer than before.

‘Rather, I think I can close the store without any regrets.’

* * *

After finishing my business in the afternoon, I returned straight home.

“Oh, the owner is here?”

The clone, who was sitting crumpled on a small sofa with a can, a ballina, and a swan, raised his hand to me.

“What were you doing?”

“I prepared all the materials for tomorrow and was resting.”

“Oh? You guys worked hard. And you all know that moving day is the day after tomorrow, right? I’ll do a final check, but don’t forget any of your stuff and make sure you gather everything in one place. That way, we can load it onto the truck in advance.”

The clone patted his chest as if to tell me not to worry.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already organized everything except for the ingredients for tomorrow.”

“Well done.”

I praised my clone’s hard work and glanced at the TV the guys were watching.

[Cult leader, Lee Moon-joo. How did he get into the tower?]

Look at the sentences listed at the top left of the screen.

It seemed clear that perhaps Daspatchi had done something wrong.

I asked my clone.

“What is it about?”

“Well, to summarize, about a year ago? A crazy guy named Lee Moon-joo and his followers entered the tower, and no one knew about it? And that crazy guy is causing a ruckus in the tower right now, and you’re telling me where it all started.”

“Oh… … .”

The clone looked at me and asked.

“Do you know that person?”

“To what extent?”

I remember seeing it on YouTube.

He has sand-related abilities and runs a suspicious religious group.

‘But I didn’t really pay attention to it since I heard it only operates on the 36th floor.’

[But I don’t quite understand. To enter the tower, you have to go through various tests and check your identity, right? Let me clarify the situation. So, you’re saying that there was an internal force that helped Lee Moon-joo enter the tower?]

[Yes, that’s right. I’m 100% sure. Among the internal staff, someone must have taken money from him and falsified his information.]

On TV, a man who appeared to be an employee of Daspatch was having a conversation with a mosaic-covered figure.

[Isn’t it possible that this was a mistake by the top management?]

[That would have been possible back in the very early days, about 4 or 5 years ago. But the Lee Moon-joo incident was different. Even though it was only a year ago, I think the Tower Management Bureau’s control system was almost perfect even back then. They had a complete grasp of the personal information of those trying to enter the Tower based on information sent from all over the world, and the World Peace and Security Forces were also deployed in case of an emergency. As you know, in the early days, there were vicious criminals who struggled to enter the Tower… … .]

[I think that part is a little off topic.]

The reporter interrupts the person who appears to be the whistleblower.

Let’s continue the conversation again.

[This time, the incident that Lee Moon-joo committed gave us quite a sense of alarm. When we see what happened at the top because of our small mistakes and small desires. Have you seen the video?]

[Oh, yes, I saw it… … . It was the worst. I’ve seen many raiders who tried to dominate the floor using their abilities, but Lee Moon-joo… … seemed evil in a different way. When I saw him using his abilities to intimidate the natives and bring them into his congregation… … I felt guilty.]

The reporter nods as he looks at the mosaic-processed figure.

[Wouldn’t it have been impossible for the Tower Management Office to review and block the believers who became his servants in advance?]

[That is… … Honestly, I think it’s difficult to catch all of that. We can act as a filter to filter out vicious criminals or people with a high probability of committing a crime. However, I think it’s difficult to purify the polluted water itself.]

[So you’re saying that there are limits to information gathering itself.]

[It is difficult to understand such secret details.]

The reporter nods.

[Okay. Let’s change the subject a little. This time, with the leader Lee Moon-joo controlling the stairs on the 36th floor, there is a possibility that various problems will arise. First, let’s watch the detailed video.]

Suddenly the screen changes.

The vast desert was captured on screen.

Saaaaah-

A huge desert whose end is unknown.

At first glance, it seemed no different from the desert outside.

however…….

[Huh? Hey, what’s that? Isn’t that where the stairs are supposed to be?]

[I think there’s something I haven’t seen before… … Wait, isn’t that a wall?]

[Crazy, look down… … .]

Starting with the voice that is thought to be that of the strategist flowing out of the video.

One scene was zoomed in on the screen.

Gooooooo-

A seemingly endless sand wall, reminiscent of the Great Wall of China, blocked the road.

Even in front of the barrier, a hole was dug the size of the barrier.

The darkness inside was so deep that I couldn’t even guess where it would end.

‘Could it be that… Lee Moon-joo did that?’

I knew you were using sand-related abilities.

I honestly didn’t know there was a strategist who could control such a large amount of sand.

‘This… … At that level, isn’t that area almost like a foreign territory?’

[I don’t think there was anything like this when I came here before… ]

[That’s what I mean… … Hey, Captain. Don’t you have any good ideas?]

[… … I’m thinking about it.]

‘Huh?’

At that moment, a familiar face and voice appeared in the video.

I rubbed my eyes and watched the video again.

‘No, why are Lee Ji-soo and the pioneers there? Weren’t they continuously attacking the top floor?’

I was keeping in touch with her appropriately.

Even just a few days ago, I heard that the top floor conquest was going smoothly.

‘Wait a minute, can we actually get over there?’

As if answering my question, Lee Ji-soo’s voice is heard in the video.

[The saint and I can get past this place. We gained the ability to fly thanks to the title we earned when we defeated Behemoth.]

[Oh, then… … .]

[But it’s difficult for me and the saintess alone to fight the desert raccoons.]

[What do you mean? The other person is just a cult leader leading a cult?]

Lee Ji-soo speaks in rebuttal to him.

[Yes. If it were any other place, I wouldn’t have said such a thing. But this is the Twilight Desert. In the place where he can best display his powers, I can’t guarantee that he will win. You know that too, right?]

[That’s right… … . Ah, this is why those with real natural abilities are annoying. They stay in their favorite places and don’t even think about coming out. Ugh, this is a headache… … . It’s just that this happened when I came down for a short while to resupply… … .]

[There’s no choice. Even if I could get something else, I need Ifrit’s spirit stone to continue breaking through that snowfield.]

At that moment, the voices of people who were thought to be part of the pioneers were heard in the video.

[Oh, oh, there are so many unbelievers who will suffer in the fires of hell.]

A figure appeared above the sand barrier.

The man wearing a golden crown, golden belt, and golden robe looked exactly like the cult leader Lee Moon-joo, who the reporter had introduced earlier.

[Foolish sheep, the hour of judgment is near! The hour is coming! But if you truly follow and serve me, you will be able to reach the gates of heaven!]

I clicked my tongue as I watched the pseudo-religious leader babbling so grandly.

‘He looks like a normal guy next door, but he’s full of money.’

[Heaven’s Gate and the Gate of Sleep, is this what you did?! Restore the road to its original state!]

[Ahahahaha! That path will never be open. Our Stairway to Heaven Clan will live a life of eternal happiness here without any interference from anyone.]

[……what?]

The raiders shouted in confusion.

Lee Moon-joo says with a big smile.

[This 36th floor is now mine. No one can enter. No one!]