Convenience Store 24: The Tower of the End 1st - Chapter 83



Only Krnovel

Episode 83 41st floor, securing the 4th fixed moving floor

41st floor, the land of turrets.

In fact, this was not an unfamiliar place to them.

No, rather, it was a familiar place since it was a place I used to go to go downstairs.

But I can confidently say that I have never seen a turret that can strike down lightning before.

“Did anything change among the halflings while we were gone?”

“Well… … Anyway, I don’t think I really need any help.”

Even if they don’t necessarily come forward.

Because the turrets were taking care of eliminating the monsters.

“I’m still curious. Should I wait a moment?”

“What are you going to do?”

Lee Ji-soo laughs quietly at Sylvia’s question.

After a while.

[Power off complete. Situation ended.]

[Hahahahaha! These guys are nothing special!]

[Anthony, if you have time, go and help with the release.]

[yep!]

Among the turrets, some of them began to flash with light.

Halflings walk out of it.

“There it is.”

Among them, Lee Ji-soo spots Gus and approaches him.

“Gus!”

“… … Hmm? Oh, I was wondering who it was. It was you?”

Could it be because I became acquainted with Gus while conquering the 41st floor when I was working as an advance team in the past?

Gus greeted her with a smile.

“If you came here to help, you probably didn’t need to.”

“Okay. What happened?”

“Hehehe, that would be surprising.”

Gus smiles with satisfaction.

“Would you believe me if I told you that a new possibility has opened up for us?”

“… … A new possibility?”

“Yes. Your colleague left us a great gift.”

‘Colleague? A gift? Ah.’

Lee Ji-soo, who had a rough idea of ​​the situation, opened her mouth.

“It looks like he came and went.”

“Yes. I thought Eldrago was a thief, but he really was a great benefactor to us.”

“What does that mean?”

“It seems like the story will be quite long, so let’s talk inside.”

Gus gestures towards the turret.

Lee Ji-soo followed him and asked her colleagues.

“What do you guys want to do?”

“If it’s going to take a long time, I’ll just stay at the inn and rest. I’m not particularly curious.”

“me too.”

Let’s leave as the other colleagues appear to be uninterested.

Lee Ji-soo entered the turret with Gus.

“Here, drink this. It’s a blend of freshly picked leaves.”

“thank you.”

She took a sip of her tea and asked him.

“What happened?”

“It’s urgent.”

“Honestly, I’m curious. It’s the first time I’ve seen you guys, who always grit your teeth and guard the Grand Line, looking so relaxed.”

“That’s not a wrong statement. Anyway, this is how it started.”

Let Gus tell you in detail what has happened so far.

Lee Ji-soo’s eyes also gradually widened.

“So, you’re saying that you were able to combine with the turret thanks to the junk food you bought at the fantasy shop?”

“I don’t know what junk food is, but I wish you would call me partner. Junk food has a bad connotation. Anyway, I understand exactly.”

He smiled a truly contented and peaceful smile.

“I owe him so much that I can’t thank him enough. When I think about it, I still get dizzy. Anyway, I think we’re pretty lucky. After the owner of the fantasy shop, I met you.”

“What does that mean?”

“I also know that you created a clan to conquer other worlds, and that the shop owner is there.”

Lee Ji-soo looked at him as if she was surprised.

“This floor is rarely visited by raiders. Where did you get the information?”

“I had a few conversations with the shop owner. Anyway, if you meet him, please be sure to express your thanks on my behalf.”

“Can’t you do it yourself?”

Gus shook his head.

“I would like to. But I heard he is a wanderer. I don’t know when he will be here, so I am letting you know in advance.”

That’s not wrong.

Of course, she didn’t know when or where her broken heart would appear.

‘I don’t know if it would be okay if we could contact each other, but that’s not the case.’

“Okay, I’ll tell him. And congratulations.”

“……congrats?”

“You got his choice, right?”

Lee Ji-soo smiled brightly.

“The number of people he chose is not as large as you might think.”

“Choice? … Can you explain?”

“Just think about it. Why would he sell such a great item to you halflings?”

“… … I’ve always wondered why he helped us like this. Do you know the answer?”

Looking at him, he even forgot to drink tea.

Lee Ji-soo speaks softly.

“It’s because he literally liked this 41st floor. It seems like he only allows such special effects on floors he likes.”

Lee Ji-soo continued to bring out what she was thinking.

“The class he chooses will experience great change and possibilities. You can believe it because I have seen it so far.”

“Then those who were not chosen… … .”

“I didn’t even get that chance.”

Gus’ expression becomes serious.

“… … We were really lucky. But we didn’t do anything to please him?”

Rather, I think his subordinate tried to steal from his store.

It wouldn’t have been strange if a disaster had fallen on this floor…

“ah!”

I wonder if there was something that he had guessed.

Gus clapped his hands.

“Come to think of it, I gave him a flute and an eldragora!”

To be exact, he didn’t give it to me, but rather he put it out there to cover up his subordinate’s theft.

“Yeah, that might be the reason.”

Lee Ji-soo nods as if telling us to look at it.

“Indeed! So that’s why you asked about the origin of Eldragora… … It all makes sense!”

“right?”

no.

It was just a simple coincidence.

“If that’s true… … I made a huge mistake.”

“mistake?”

“When he asked where Eldragora came from, he flatly denied knowing.”

Lee Ji-soo’s expression turns cold.

“That’s not good. What if he stops selling stuff that has effects?”

When she pointed to her partner with her eyes.

Gus holds his head with both hands.

“Ugh… … I didn’t know it would be like this back then… … .”

“But I think it’s not too late. There’s a chance to make up for it.”

“……opportunity?”

Lee Ji-soo nodded.

“Yes. Even now, tell him where Eldragora came from.”

“But who knows when he’ll get here… … Ah!”

Suddenly, Gus pointed his finger at Lee Ji-soo in a very rude way.

“You are! Yes! That’s it! There was a very simple way! Can you wait a moment? I’ll be back from the palace in no time!”

With those words, Gus ran outside.

About 2 hours later.

“Ugh, ugh… … Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I was late because I had to ask the King for permission.”

Gus took out a small wooden box and placed it on the table.

“Can you give this to the fantasy shopkeeper?”

“I?”

“Yes. If the owner of the fantasy shop trusts him enough to entrust his organization to him, then I guess it’s okay to trust him.”

“It’s not difficult. But what’s inside?”

Squeak-

Inside the open chest was a ring and a small pouch.

First, Gus looked into his pocket.

“This is the seed of Grand Cid, the raw material for Eldragora. Originally, only the king could use it, but it was very difficult to obtain permission.”

“Gran Cid? Isn’t that Eldrago?”

“Only when you make Grand Cid in a special way can you become Eldragora.”

“I see. He’ll like it. But it’ll be hard for him to raise it.”

If you plant this seed somewhere else, it will be impossible for it to sprout.

“ah.”

Lee Ji-soo looked at him with a strange look as if she had realized something.

‘They gave me seeds on purpose to make me come to the 41st floor often.’

In order to germinate the seeds, we would have to use the 41st floor of soil, whether we liked it or not.

He certainly has a cunning side, perhaps because he’s an older halfling.

“Okay. I’ll make sure to tell you. And what about the ring?”

“Oh my! That’s really precious, so handle it carefully.”

Gus cuts it short and explains the ring.

“It is a ring that has the ability to come to the country of our turrets.”

“… … .”

For a moment, surprise appeared on Lee Ji-soo’s face.

“… … A fixed movement item?”

“Well, you climbers may call it that, but it is an extremely valuable item. It is said to have been passed down from generation to generation… … .”

Gus continues his explanation of Katabuta.

But such explanations did not reach her ears.

‘It’s so precious, yet you didn’t give it to me as a reward for conquering… … .’

In the past, the country of turrets was on the verge of collapse due to monsters within, not the gate.

It was the advance party that attacked the boss monster.

Of course, that boss monster was a clear condition for moving to the next floor.

At that time, I had never even seen a fixed moving item.

“I know it’s precious. But are you sure you can leave it to me?”

Her question was valid.

Because entrusting valuables to others was a risky undertaking.

But Gus scoffs.

“I don’t particularly trust you. I just trust the vision of the fantasy shopkeeper who trusts you. Just don’t think about intercepting me in the middle. Unless you want to silence the halfling.”

Lee Ji-soo also followed him and laughed.

“Although the fixed items are precious, I have no intention of turning the halflings into enemies. And above all, I have no intention of betraying him.”

In fact, it didn’t really matter to her to turn all halflings into enemies.

However, I had no intention or desire to turn him into an enemy.

“Okay then. Please take care of it.”

“Yeah. But don’t I have to pay for the shipping?”

“That’s right. Hmm, good! I’ll give you something special that I’ve been cherishing and caring for.”

Gus took out a whiskey chocolate and offered it to her.

“that…….”

“Try it. You will be able to taste the ultimate flavor.”

* * *

A week later.

Hwaaaaaaaah-

I went through the light and out the door as usual.

But today there was one thing different from usual.

‘Ehhhhh… … .’

I took out a ring and a small pouch from my subspace pocket.

‘I never thought I’d be this lucky.’

A few days ago, when Lee Ji-soo said she would deliver something she had left for me, I had no idea what she meant.

And luckily, the convenience store was located on the 45th floor of the Star Village, so I was able to easily meet her and receive the items.

‘Let’s see.’

I first opened the entrance of the leather pouch and inspected its contents.

Seeds of Grand Cid

Description: The seed of a drink that only the royalty of the Halflings drink. If you go through a special manufacturing process, you can create Eldragora.

Content: Because the seeds do not have much power, they require careful management.

‘Hoo… … .’

It is long and pointed, and at first glance resembles a sunflower seed.

The triangular pattern embedded in the seeds was somewhat different from that of sunflower seeds.

I let out a chuckle.

‘When will you make the flagship, Eldrago, without giving you the recipe?’

I remember Gus foaming at the mouth and shouting that he couldn’t tell me.

But isn’t the secret now in my hands?

‘I think Lee Ji-soo said something happened in the Land of Turrets, but I’ll check it out on YouTube later… … Anyway, I guess I can just plant this in the field?’

Although I was a little hesitant to say that it required careful management.

I think it would be okay if we spread fertilizer though.

‘Next is the ring… … .’

I looked at the ring with the turret-shaped logo in the center.

Gate Defender

Description: A ring that has been passed down to the guardians of the turrets that have protected the Grand Line for generations. However, the ring’s properties have been altered due to the influence of the gate over a long period of time.

Content: When using the ability, you can return to the turret country no matter where you are.

Special Note: Can only be used once a month.

‘Ooh! A fixed movement item! Ugh!’

I knew it, but it’s still so fascinating to see it again.

I looked at the ring and thought.

‘Honestly, it would be heartbreaking to see something like this in front of you.’

Still, I want to applaud Lee Ji-soo’s conscience for honestly bringing this treasure to me.

‘… … I think I can trust you a little more.’

At that time, I was mentally adjusting my evaluation of Lee Ji-soo a little upward.

Tiring-

[We have confirmed that the End of Play has caused an error in the target.]

[Forces errors into abilities appropriate for the target.]

[Some Gate Defender modifications have been made.]

As expected, there were changes to the Gate Defender.

Modified Gate Defender

Description: A ring that has been passed down to the guardians of the turrets that have protected the Grand Line for generations. However, the properties of the ring have been altered over a long period of time due to the influence of the Gate, and it seems that the properties have changed even further due to the intervention of the End Game.

Content: When the convenience store owner uses his ability, he can fix the floor where the convenience store appears to be on the 41st floor.

Special Note: Can only be used once a month.

‘Ugh! This is it!’

This gave me another layer that I could move to on a fixed basis.

‘If I could move to the 41st floor, it would be much easier to meet the pioneer members.’

Because the raiders haven’t yet discovered the floor that will become the new ‘village’.

Even now, the 45-story Star Village is still used as a base for pioneers.

‘It would be easier to go to the 41st floor than to go down from the 45th floor to the 35th or 28th floor.’

By obtaining this ring, the burden of going down to the lower levels can be reduced for the pioneers.

In addition, you will be able to gain new possibilities by making friends with the halflings in the land of turrets.

‘I should check to see if there’s anything else good besides Eldrago.’

I put the ring back in my subspace pocket.

I took my leather pouch and went down to the basement.

‘oh!’

Inside the basement converted into a field, there are already ripe red amaranths.

An iris was growing, showing off its lush green leaves.

‘It seems like it hasn’t been long since I harvested it, but it’s already grown a lot.’

Of course, the share of fertilizer is very large.

Anyway, it makes me feel good to see him growing up so well.

‘Should I plant the Grand Cid here for now?’

I planted the Grand Cid in an empty part of the field.

Water and fertilizer were evenly distributed.

‘I’ll get a response soon, right?’

If Grand Cid is affected by fertilizer.

Like other crops, it will show remarkable growth quickly.

Dddd …

‘come!’

The soil begins to shake gently.

Grand Cid also seems to be growing quickly!

At that time.

Bbok-

Tiny sprouts begin to emerge above the field.

‘Oh!’

5 minutes later.

The trunk of the Grand Cid stretched all the way to the ceiling.

Tiny purple berries hung from each green branch.

‘But didn’t you say that the fruit wasn’t the main thing?’

I snipped off the stems of the Grand Cid with the garden shears I had brought.

‘The key to making Eldragora is not the fruit, but the stem of the Grand Cid,’ was what Lee Ji-soo had conveyed.

‘Now put the upper part of this stem in cold water and wait for 3 hours.’

I filled a small bottle with water that I brought from the gold shop.

I put the top part of the stem inside it.

Of course, it doesn’t end there.

‘After 3 hours, I told you to take out the stems from the upper part that you put in and put in the stems from the middle part.’

After waiting for another 3 hours, insert the lower part of the stem.

It was said that Eldrago was completed after 9 hours of work.

‘Honestly, I doubt that Eldrago can be completed this way… … Anyway, I think it’s right to do it the way Gus told me.’

9 hours later.

‘Hmm, is this it?’

I opened the spout of the golden bottle and looked inside.

‘Oh!’

Golden, rippling waves were shining inside the bottle.

Plus, it has a refreshing scent that reminds you of this unique fermented fruit!

‘The scent is definitely there! Oh, it’s a bit disappointing. It would have been nice if I could make this in bulk in a water tank.’

“Oh, Gus also told me to tell you this. You can drink Eldrago diluted in water as you like, but he said that the original Eldrago must be stored in a gold container. He said that the taste will be diluted if it comes into contact with other minerals or something.”

Yes, that’s right.

I had to follow the advice, ‘Use a container made of gold at least for the original amount!’

The water tank was unusable.

‘Or, why don’t you pretend to be crazy and build a gold water tank? How much would that cost? A little bit, I guess?’

Even I think it’s a pointless thought.

I chuckled and carefully tilted the bottle, putting a drop of liquid on my finger.

I brought it to my mouth.

‘Ohhh!’

The intense sweetness that made my mouth tingle and the strong carbonation that made my throat burn thrilled my mouth.

Eldragoda! This is definitely Eldragoda!