Chapter 213

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 213

Chapter Title: Stone Wall Road Vegetable Shop

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"Stone Wall Road Vegetable Shop? What's this place even fer? Lotsa folks usin' it."

"It's a veggie shop."

"Huh?"

Even though she could kinda guess from the words, growin' up in such rough conditions meant Lee Eun-jung's face lit up with curiosity.

"Sellin' vegetables all fancy-like, laid out in a buildin' like this?"

Looked like her neck of the woods didn't have any proper veggie shops. Folks probably just hawked 'em roadside on market days, countryside-style.

It hit me fresh how different our upbringings were. We stepped inside the shop.

"Whoa, it's huge."

Shelves stretched out like in a supermarket, packed with all sorts of vegetables. Grass scents mingled with fresh aromas, but the best was that rich, earthy smell filling the air.

'Definitely lives up to bein' the top veggie shop in this Rest Area.'

No fridges in sight, and the wooden shelves were rough as hell, but maybe that's why—bein' the best spot around. Every single one looked insanely fresh. Not a subpar veggie anywhere.

We strolled along the shelves like we were doin' our grocery run.

"Arnos Black Radish? Looks just like a real radish."

Some reminded me of Earth greens, others were total strangers.

"Way more varieties here than the last Rest Area."

"Not just that—they're graded special, top, medium by quality. Goin' by freshness and size, I guess."

Previous grocery stops topped out at maybe fifteen kinds. Now? Thirty. It straight-up felt like a pro veggie joint.

Of course, pretty displays didn't mean you could grab and buy.

This was all just for show.

To eyeball the new additions—what they looked like, quality diffs by price. All intuitive-like.

"Dickhead, so how do we trigger the challenge quest?"

"Figurin' that out now."

I headed for the shop owner—a married woman lookin' early thirties.

Hm? Somethin' about her rang a bell the second I laid eyes.

-Ha, still, that bitch tops the NPCs.

-You mean the veggie shop owner?

Ah, right. Now I remembered. She'd been infamous among guy players.

"Welcome. What can I help ya with? Hehe."

One side pure and fresh-faced, the other... mysteriously hot.

Tits full like she'd popped out two, three kids. Hips spread wide like a platter.

Plenty of shops with lady owners on the way here, but none rocked a face this pretty.

-Beauty in the top 1%, right?

-Tell me about it. Slap different clothes on her and fuck—you're hooked.

-Shit, don't care 'bout the rest, but that ass? Pure gold. Innocent look, but grips like a vice.

Guys flocked here just to bang her.

Why the crowds jammed the veggie shop from dawn.

'Kinda got that black noblewoman vibe, downgraded.'

Nah, closer look—she didn't measure up. Probably 'cause I'd just missed the real black noblewoman. Lingering salt.

-Veggie shop owner? Who they talkin' 'bout? You know her?

-Beats me.

She only popped up right at this timing. No Koreans had actually seen her. Japanese trade district, I figured. All I knew was rumors.

"Dickhead? Why you starin' the owner down like that. Don't tell me..."

Shin Seo-yeon nudged my ribs with a sly look. I snorted.

"Quit the dirty thoughts and hold still. Notification pops up next to the owner."

"Oh yeah?"

"Favorability?"

"How the heck do ya raise that...?"

Might be all the tumbling we'd done. Saintess and Lee Eun-jung flushed red. Still innocent as hell, those two. Meanwhile the brats grinned wicked, plottin' mischief.

"Dickhead!"

"Oppa!"

"Yeah, no need for that stuff you're picturin'."

Shin Seo-yeon tsked, tail swishin'. Yi Sera stashed the dildo she'd whipped out.

Shop owners ain't like the smart critters in the Trials zones.

They're tools—pure and simple—to help players through the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Selection Process. No chit-chat between 'em possible.

Favorability? Fat chance.

So how to boost it?

'Buy a shit-ton of goods.'

But first... I whipped around, scoutin' the shop.

"Buyin' stuff raises the favorability?"

"Yep."

"So you're mullin' what to snag."

"Bingo."

"Huh? Dickhead, we got cash to burn. Why sweat it? Grab random crap, dump the extras."

True enough, but...

Lately the dracos kept yankin' and munchin' Earth plants. Rang crunchin' seeds too.

Rang was one thing, but Earth veggies seemed to hit the spot for dracos.

'Carnivores still graze veggies sometimes.'

Figured I'd buy some to plant. Eat these, not those.

"Ah, those guys. Every time Innope eats, they bitch like dyin'. Supposed to farm, but chasin' dracos nonstop."

Such was life. Killin' two birds, scoutin' veggies.

I eyed each one—soil-clinged or clean-trimmed. Yi Sera sidled up, grabbed a veggie, asked.

"Oppa."

"?"

"But if you're sellin', why not trim 'em all? Why split like this?"

"Prices tell ya. Trimmed ones cost 30% more than raw. Know how to trim? Score the deal."

"Ah."

Otherworld veggies pack attribute mana on top of taste. Trimmin' matters big-time.

Screw it up, kiss flavor, nutrients, bonuses goodbye.

Selection Process lets players scrape every edge, even tiny shit like this.

'Big guilds hired trim albs for it.'

"Get it?"

Yi Sera and Lee Eun-jung nodded.

Same height, skinny as rails, cute aura pourin' off 'em. Like twin kittens bobbin' heads.

"Comrade Min-jun's somethin' else. Knows it all just watchin'."

"Yeah, our oppas pretty badass."

Yi Sera coughed, puffed up proud.

"But why zero in on the dirty soil ones since earlier? Checkin' goods means trimmed, right?"

Han So-hee stepped up, curiosity lingerin'.

I pointed at the [Arnos Black Radish]'s root.

"Checkin' soil state. If it'll grow at our place."

Truth? Plants ain't my jam. Can't know everything as a regressor—ain't got a hundred bodies.

Basics, though? Solid. Lets me guess grow conditions.

"I see..."

Anyway, picks made.

I hit buy.

Monster-magnet veggie. Tasty. Pricey.

Rumble.

Piles of radish-lookin' roots stacked next to the owner instant.

"Holy crap, mountain of 'em. Oppa, how much?"

"Ten thousand points."

"???"

"Wait, didn't say it was pricey?"

Pricey or not, fifth Rest Area. Hundred points each—ten grand for a hundred.

"Dirt cheap."

Still, priciest shop here.

We were the weirdos haulin' twenties mil. I checked her favor.

Ten thousand purchases to max it. Simple math.

'Easy.'

Extras? Flip 'em. No hesitation—kept buyin'.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

"Wack! O-Oppa! Slow it down! Gonna get veggie-buried!"

"E-Everyone, bolt that way!"

Shop brimmin' with otherworld radish—bam, condition hit.

"Wow, been ages since someone bought this much from our shop."

Half-buried ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠owner grinned, sidlin' up.

"Big veggie fan, huh?"

"Hate veggies."

"Me too."

Brats shot it straight, but she ignored 'em, smilin' only at me.

"Yeah, love 'em."

"Great! Ever thought 'bout enterin' a match?"

Match?

"Prizes based on score!"

Notification blinked in my face.

Pulled the right one from countless quests. Told the crew.

"Memorize veggie names and specs now!"

"Huh?"

"Hurry!"

Party scrambled, dashin' round shop, burnin' veggie deets into brains. Short-term cram? Good luck.

"No head-memorizin'! Notebook it—features, names!"

Tradin' yesterday meant memo pads all around. Han So-hee's quick thinkin'—crew scribblin' fast.

Countdown kicked off.

Hesitation hit. Cancel and re-accept? Favor drops to zero? Money's pilin' up anyway.

'Nah.'

Shook it off.

'This quest ramps difficulty the more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠related knowledge ya got.'

Past quests? Slammed ya no-prep. This one? Nice think-time gift. Prep window.

Trap.

If it's the quest I think... more intel made it harder. Bare-minimum veggie IDs best bet.

'Yeah.'

"All jotted?"

"OK!"

Time ticked. Down to three secs.

3, 2, 1...

Vision went black.

Back in biz—me, smack in a massive colosseum.

Veggie shelves ringed me protective-like. Beyond? Thousands—no, tens of thousands of spectators peerin' down.

Woooooo!

Raw roars shakin' the air.