Chapter 35
Chapter 35
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: 11. Alien (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Alien.
An intelligent life form believed to exist on celestial bodies other than Earth.
Therefore, the being visible right in front of him now was undoubtedly an alien.
He had clearly seen it descend from somewhere in the sky above, accompanied by a pillar of black light.
And that 'somewhere' was most likely a pitch-black corner of outer space.
So Yeongwoo couldn't help but doubt his own eyes.
'Something like that lives in space...?'
What on earth was the universe like?
Yeongwoo felt as if the concept of the universe he knew had shattered in an instant.
Because the actual appearance of the alien was far too different from what he had always imagined.
If the merchant that appeared was some high-tech armed entity, or even a mass of light, he might have accepted it somehow.
But the alien that actually appeared was.
-Kwaaaaa...!
Gigantic rocks emitting chilling cries.
They occupied the city intersection without rest, bellowing nonstop.
Was it because of the eerie sound, or the intense vibration of the surrounding air?
Yeongwoo saw his sword tip trembling.
"......"
These rocks, reaching 4 meters in height, were chaotically etched with spiral patterns like clam shells, standing in a line spaced about the width of a human arm apart.
-Kwaaaaa...!
The bizarre cries continued.
Yeongwoo, sword tip shaking with the 'rocks' about twenty meters ahead, suddenly realized something.
The rocks each had slightly different appearances, and even unique tones to their voices.
In other words.
'It's not a single merchant here right now... it's a merchant caravan.'
Each of those massive rocks was an alien merchant.
Thus, Yeongwoo was facing an alien merchant caravan.
'One, two... four, five.'
The number of rocks that had entered Earth as merchants totaled five.
'Anyway, didn't they come here to trade? What do I need to do?'
Amid the unrelenting cries, Yeongwoo felt his sword tip gradually steadying.
He had adapted to this bizarre scene in the meantime.
But the method of trading with these rocks from outer space remained unknown.
Unlike the exchange counter he had seen on the first day of the reset, they hadn't implanted any rules in his head, nor did they seem to use human language.
They merely emitted those heart-gripping monstrosities of sound.
"......"
Thus, Yeongwoo had no choice but to step toward the rocks.
'If I try to make contact, they'll react somehow. Even if they look like rocks, they're actually intelligent beings.'
It was pure human reasoning, but surprisingly valid.
-Gooooh...!
As the distance to Yeongwoo shortened, the sounds from the rocks began to change.
Then, when the gap between them reached 5 meters.
-Swoooosh...!
The cries filling the area stopped as if by magic.
And then.
Ssslrut.
The space between Yeongwoo and the rocks tore vertically from top to bottom.
Craaaack!
"......?"
By the time Yeongwoo noticed that this 'torn space' resembled an eye socket, a white pupil was already emerging from within the pitch-black socket.
So this was... truly an eye. Just not a human one, using empty air as eyelids.
'What... what do they want.'
Suppressing his instinct to step back, Yeongwoo stood rigidly in place.
The white pupil, which had been staring straight ahead for a while, then shifted slightly sideways to look at Yeongwoo.
'...Ugh.'
It was at that moment a system message appeared in Yeongwoo's gritted-teeth vision.
「The mediator requests data access permissions for Jeong Yeongwoo07. Do you approve?」
[Requested Data]
|Unique Code
|Language Used
'Unique code and language used...? Is this necessary for mediating the trade with those rocks?'
Through this 'request,' Yeongwoo vaguely realized something.
That the alien entities appearing after the reset had their own hierarchy or operational structure.
For example, that 'eye' introducing itself as the mediator—wasn't it obviously a more powerful existence than humans?
Yet it was asking. Whether it could peek into some of his data.
'And it didn't even ask me directly. The system just notified me that they want access.'
In other words, Yeongwoo was under the system's protection, knowingly or not.
Of course, he didn't know exactly what was providing that protection. It could be the Board of Directors that first announced the reset, or perhaps some security program embedded in Earth itself.
Anyway, the important thing was.
'At the very least, these guys can't harm me.'
With his thoughts reaching that point, his mind eased a bit.
The ominous chill creeping up his nape slowly subsided.
'But to trade.'
He would need to grant access to the two pieces of data requested by the mediator.
Yeongwoo stared fixedly at the eerily white mediator's pupil, then approved the request.
'Grant data access.'
The white mediator's pupil flickered, then instantly turned blue.
Saaat.
What happened next was an unexpected 'introduction.'
―It is an honor to meet Jeong Yeongwoo07, the strongest in Gyeongbuk, human of Earth.
'Huh......?'
The content was extremely polite, unlike the bizarre voice.
But did it know what that meant?
As Yeongwoo tilted his head at the alien's introduction on its behalf, the other continued.
―I am Kubu, owner of the Tenta Clan mediating this transaction, and guardian of Daro.
'Ah, so buttering each other up is universal etiquette.'
After hearing the mediator 'Kubu's' self-introduction, Yeongwoo silently nodded.
―The mediation fee for this transaction is 20%, included in the item prices. The trading partner is the representative caravan of Charg'o.
―Do you agree to the transaction?
Since Yeongwoo couldn't properly understand anything beyond the 20% mediation fee, he nodded once more.
'Charg'o? The name of the planet where those rocks live.'
While Yeongwoo thought this, mediator Kubu blinked its eye three times rapidly, and in response, the previously silent rocks began to make sounds.
But now, much lower and calmer in tone.
-Eooo....
-Uuuuuum....
-Gaaaa...!
If there was a notable feature, it was that the five rocks' tones were now more distinctly differentiated.
"......"
As Yeongwoo quietly listened to the rocks' chorus, Kubu soon spoke.
―The item list is complete.
Paaat!
No sooner had Kubu's line ended than countless blue blotches appeared before Yeongwoo's eyes, rapidly shifting into form.
Into human letters, that is.
Sssit, ssusssit.
'Ah, this is.'
It didn't take long for Yeongwoo to grasp the meaning of the blue letters.
It was quite an intuitive price list.
1 ― 「Extractor」 - Ancient One-Handed Hammer
【Converts equipment into slot gems.】
◇ 40,000 Karma
2 ― 「Black Raincoat」 - Heroic Cloak
【Nullifies obsidian rain.】
◇ 100,000 Karma
3 ― 「Void」 - Relic One-Handed Sword
【--Empty Slot--】
【--Empty Slot--】
◇ 300,000 Karma
4 ― 「Blank Check」 - Unique Currency
【Transforms into touched currency once.】
◇ 1,100,000 Karma
5 ― 「Serpent of Greed」 - Epic Compass
【Always points to rarities.】
◇ 1 Legendary Achievement
'My god.'
Not a single ordinary item among them.
And the prices started at 40,000 Karma.
'Basic welfare, they said... Trading with merchants was never meant for the general public to begin with.'
Currently, the vast majority struggled even to earn the 1,000 Karma tax due every night.
In short, trading with alien merchants was practically reserved for regional powerhouses who succeeded in monster hunts.
Of course, even Yeongwoo, the Gyeongbuk's Greatest Swordsman, couldn't buy all the offered items.
'My current total assets...'
104,000.
A silver lining in misfortune, perhaps. If he had invested in stats every time money came in, he wouldn't have even this much left.
'Can only afford one of the Extractor or Black Raincoat. To properly utilize merchants, I need to manage cash holdings too.'
But it wasn't without gains.
He had indirectly learned how to fill the 'empty slots' on his current equipment.
'Extract the effects with the Extractor and transfer them to empty slots, I suppose.'
A common game mechanic, easy to understand, but right now, there was something more important than the Extractor.
That was.
2 ― 「Black Raincoat」 - Heroic Cloak
【Nullifies obsidian rain.】
◇ 100,000 Karma
'Obsidian rain. Gotta be that anomalous weather at night.'
And Yeongwoo had an achievement that required avoiding anomalous weather.
[Nightwalker]
|Spend one night outside your residence.
'With the raincoat, I can clear the achievement on a night with obsidian rain. I have to buy that now.'
Especially since there was no guarantee the next merchant would sell the same item.
'Number 3 is useless without the Extractor, and I don't have the money anyway. Same for 4...'
Smacking his lips as he scanned down the list, Yeongwoo's gaze halted abruptly at the final item.
5 ― 「Serpent of Greed」 - Epic Compass
【Always points to rarities.】
◇ 1 Legendary Achievement
It was the highest-grade equipment, but coincidentally, Yeongwoo could purchase it immediately.
'Trade a legendary achievement for it? What exactly does that mean.'
As Yeongwoo wondered internally, mediator Kubu understood and explained.
―One achieved Legendary-grade achievement will be completely deleted from your data. Subsequent related achievements may become impossible, and your completed achievement count will decrease accordingly.
'Ah... then what happens to the rewards from achieving it?'
―Already granted achievement rewards will not be reclaimed.
In essence, he could pull a high-grade item now by sacrificing one 'completed achievement count' of unknown future value and any follow-ups.
'It's mortgaging the future. If it lets me gear up now for bigger gains, it's worth it; otherwise, it could be a loss...'
Paat!
Opening his achievement window, Yeongwoo's vision displayed his achievement profile at the top.
〔Your achievement tendency is “Hothead.”〕
||Completed Achievements: 4
|Golden Rain Caller [Legendary]-First
|Forgive Your Four Enemies [Heroic]-#46
|Express Social Welfare Worker [Legendary]-First
|Golden Altar [Legendary]-First
Out of 4 completed achievements, 3 were Legendary.
But strictly speaking, only 'Express Social Welfare Worker' was sellable.
Golden Rain Caller and Golden Altar were linked to the golden flood achievement.
[Golden Flood]
|Call golden rain in 5+ regions. (3/5)
'Touch the golden rain series, and I might lose the golden flood too.'
On the other hand, 'Express Social Welfare Worker'—saving mutants—had no follow-up after completion.
Perhaps it was a standalone?
'If so, better sell it while I can. Completed count or whatever means nothing if I die tomorrow.'
Yeongwoo, who had lower stats than other top swordsmen due to constantly spreading golden rain.
Thus, it was natural for the greed compass, seeming helpful for item farming, to catch his eye.
'No point overthinking—it’s a waste of time. I’ll buy the Black Raincoat and Serpent of Greed.'
Once Yeongwoo decided, Kubu blinked and reconfirmed the purchase intent.
Yeongwoo approved without hesitation, and soon two of the five rocks responded with high-pitched cries.
-Kweeeee...!
-Paaaa!
'Looks like the deal went through.'