The Wandering Merchant's First Sale
“Who are you?”
Seo Ian, having spotted me from a distance, was the first to speak. Underneath her silver helmet, her fiercely glowing red eyes radiated an overwhelming sense of intimidation. At a glance, one might have mistaken our relationship for that of a predator and its prey, but the reality was quite the opposite.
“Hello! I’m the NPC Rabbit. A Wandering Merchant, at your service.”
I introduced myself with the utmost natural ease. This was exactly why I’d bought this rabbit mask at the store. A hidden party member? I might be treated like a contribution-stealing parasite and end up in trouble. But an NPC? The moment someone even attempts to attack one, they get a one-month ban from entering the Tower. Heh. Even I have to admit, I’m a genius for thinking of this.
Anyway.
“A Wandering Merchant?”
I could see the eyes peeking through the slits of her helmet narrowing into thin lines. “Tower Merchants only appear after you clear a floor, don’t they?”
She stealthily closed the distance between us. To prepare for any potential hostility, I took a step back, maintaining the exact same distance between us. Wow. Is this what a top-tier ranker feels like? Our physical builds didn’t seem that different, yet standing before her, she felt as massive as a mountain. It was no wonder she was a top-tier ranker in Korea; the sheer presence she exuded was no joke. The intimidation flowing from her body made anyone standing in front of her instinctively shrink back.
But that was that, and this was this! Setting aside my impressions of Seo Ian, I continued with the answer I had prepared.
“The regular ‘Tower Merchant’ appears after the floor is cleared, but a ‘Wandering Merchant’ appears in the middle of the run.”
“Hmm….”
Her gaze, filled with wariness and suspicion, bore into me, but what could I do? I was the one saying it. A silence descended for a moment. It was Seo Ian who broke it first.
“So. What are you selling?”
“For starters, Low-Grade Recovery Potions.”
Right before coming in, I had read a post where Seo Ian was absolutely furious about running out of low-grade recovery potions. I had scrambled to the Awakened Association to buy some. It was meant to be a precaution against any unforeseen trouble with the floor’s boss—a subtle, gift-like gesture—but… handing over a million-won item as a housewarming, or rather, a 'Tower-warming' gift, felt wrong. No, not just wrong—it would be a huge waste of money.
Just as I was thinking I should try to sell it if the reaction was good, she reacted.
“Oh?”
The sharp look in her eyes instantly softened. Her gaze was still fierce, but it was better than before. It felt like a tiger staring at its prey had suddenly turned into a large cat looking at a catnip plant. It was a significant improvement. The atmosphere had definitely loosened up.
“Give it here.”
Seo Ian held out her hand toward me. She acted as if it were already hers. No way, no way. This cost me a fortune! I calmly held out my palm.
“What?”
Her look clearly said, What are you doing? I ignored it and shamelessly continued.
“Prepayment.”
“How much?”
“200 T.C.”
I actually wanted to ask for cash. But a merchant in the Tower accepting cash? In Korean Won? That would look suspicious, wouldn’t it? So, I called for 200 T.C. My basis was the Association enchanter. When I stopped by the Association today to buy the potions, the enchanter had mentioned they could be bought with Ticks (T.C.) instead of cash—for 100 T.C. So, I decided to take a 200% profit margin based on that. Delivery fees are always expensive, after all!
“Here.”
Without hesitation, 200 T.C. popped out of her inventory. Did I call for too little…? There was no way a top-tier ranker like her didn’t know the market price for low-grade recovery potions. She must have frequented the Association shop as often as she walked through her own front door. She definitely knew I was charging double. Yet, Seo Ian handed over the Ticks as if she were buying gum at a convenience store. Seeing that, I felt more regret than joy at the successful trade.
Ah. I should have asked for 300 T.C. She would have needed to buy it anyway.
The regret was short-lived. I bowed my head slightly and offered a formal greeting.
“Thank you, customer.”
“Ugh, just give it to me already.”
So impatient. She looked perfectly fine on the outside, so why was she in such a rush?
“Hurry up, hurry up. Is your inventory lagging or something?”
“Here you go.”
I hurriedly pulled the potion from my inventory, fearing my ears would start bleeding if I delayed any longer. Seo Ian snatched the item from my hand as if she had been waiting for it, then downed it in one shot.
Are those vertical slits by the mouth of her helmet designed for drinking?
She tossed the empty bottle to the floor and suddenly let out a hearty laugh.
“Whew. I feel like I can live again.”
At least she seemed satisfied, which was a relief. Perhaps because her guard had lowered, Seo Ian asked me in a light tone.
“Anything else?”
“Pardon? Like what?”
“Don’t you have anything else to sell? Usually, Tower Merchants carry a variety of items. Or are you just selling junk because you’re a ‘Wandering Merchant’?”
It was a genuinely innocent question, which made it sting even more. Junk?!
“I do have a Boss Damage 20% Increase Elixir, 5-minute duration, but…”
“Holy crap! Hey! If you had something like that, you should have said so first!!”
Suddenly, a lion’s roar erupted in front of me. Wasn’t she in a good mood just a second ago?!
“Ah! Don’t just scream like that! Rabbits are sensitive—if they get startled, they can die!”
I was genuinely startled. The part about dying was just something I made up, but the request not to scream was sincere.
“Oh, did I scare you? Sorry. But, so, how much?”
How much should I ask for? I didn’t know the market price for a Boss Damage Increase Elixir. But considering the effort I put into making it, I couldn’t ask for a low price. Countless failed harvests. Countless failed syntheses. It was the only successful elixir I had managed to craft after an agonizing amount of time—so much so that I felt like doing manual labor outside would have been less stressful.
I glanced at Seo Ian. She seemed sorry for yelling at me earlier, her expression suggesting she was trying hard not to rush me. But I felt like if I dragged it out any longer, she’d get angry again.
Seo Ian must have plenty of money, right? She’s a top-tier ranker, and she paid double for that potion without a second thought. In that case…
“Hey. Are you really lagging? Is it because you’re an NPC? Computers listen when you hit them.”
Unable to wait any longer, Seo Ian started to approach me. Before she could close the distance any further, I hurriedly opened my mouth.
“1,000 T.C.!”
My brain, struggling to think, had simplified the process. Before I could even stop myself, the number—now with a different unit—had slipped out. Oh… is that too high…? Well, nothing I can do now. If it comes to this, I’ll go with the Southeast Asian night market bargaining meta! I steeled my resolve. The other party was a wealthy ranker anyway. Plus, considering the trouble I went through, this starting price was reasonable.
“1,000 T.C.?”
Seo Ian narrowed her eyes as she repeated the price. But then, she nodded.
“Sure. That’s fine. So, how many do you have?”
“Just one.”
As I mentioned before, my level and skill rank didn’t match the floor of the Tower. Countless failed harvests. Countless failed syntheses. It was the only successful product I had managed to create, even after my fingertips had cracked from constant gathering.
“Give me that too.”
“Thank you, customer.”
“And what else?”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t you have anything else?”
Is this person a shopping addict? She turned her head to look at me. It felt like she was demanding an answer. This person… she was a true Korean, through and through. So impatient.
“That’s all for today.”
“Fine. Anyway, thanks to you, I might be able to clear the 40th floor today.”
Seo Ian said, her expression fully relaxed.
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course!”
Then, Seo Ian’s explanation flowed out. She said she had been clearing the 50 Wyverns with ease, but the boss, the ‘Big-Horned Wyvern,’ was always the problem. Especially the boss’s final phase. When its HP dropped below 10%, its hide would start to shimmer, and its defense would skyrocket—a change that was visually apparent—and she just couldn’t break through it. It felt like hitting a rock with an egg. It felt like trying to split a boulder with raindrops.
Thinking that maybe she could just drain its HP all at once before the hide hardened, she had even tried saving her skills and dumping them right before the phase transition.
“But if that had worked, would I be here doing this right now?”
She let out a self-deprecating laugh. She seemed so convinced that I was an NPC that she was spilling all her secrets. “Ugh. Why do bosses with high defense always have to be timed attacks where you have to catch them within a limit?”
Perhaps she was getting heated as she spoke; she suddenly stomped her feet. The floor shook. My body trembled slightly from the impact. But how would I know that?
She looked at me with eyes that seemed to be begging for an answer. “I’m just a lowly Wandering Merchant, so I don’t know about that. Wandering Merchants only get ‘junk’ information, you see.”
It felt refreshing. It was as if the red knot of frustration that had been sitting in the center of my chest had suddenly turned a cool blue. It was a relief.
“Wow. You’re surprisingly petty, aren’t you?”
Seo Ian grinned openly. “Anyway, I’ve been doing all sorts of things today, you know? Farming items, strengthening skills, leveling up, and maxing out stats? I was actually a bit anxious, but this elixir you gave me feels like the finishing touch!”
She said, clutching the elixir bottle in her hand.
“Oh, is that so?”
If I had known that, I should have started at 2,000 T.C. and gone with the Southeast Asian night market bargaining meta…! It was a shame. I’d use today as a lesson and start by calling out absurd prices that even I thought were ridiculous.
“Anyway, thanks, Rabbit!”
Despite her rough talk, she had some manners. Seo Ian, having offered her thanks, took off her helmet and tucked it under her arm, as if preparing to enter battle in earnest.
But wait.
She’s a ‘she’?!
Usually, before fighting monsters in earnest, Awakened perform ‘doping.’ It refers to the state of putting capsule recovery potions inside both cheeks in advance, ready to chew them at a moment’s notice. She must have taken off her helmet briefly to do that…
Seo Ian’s face was fully revealed as she tucked the helmet under her arm. She had black ponytail hair and a sharp, cat-like face that gave off a cool vibe. She was definitely a beauty, a ‘cold beauty’ if you will. Her voice was one thing—it was androgynous, so it was hard to tell—but her height…?
I’m 180cm, which is tall even for a man. She was right on the edge of that height.
But…
Ah.
I looked down and realized why. Those armor lifts are no joke.
I was lost in thought for a moment when I suddenly made eye contact with Seo Ian.
“Is this your first time seeing doping? Or did you fall for me?”
Heh.
Seo Ian, with capsule recovery potions tucked into both cheeks, smiled coolly. But seeing that, I couldn’t just smile back. It was because I could clearly see that Seo Ian’s eyes were completely out of it.
—*Pop!*
Then, with a crisp sound, the cap of the elixir bottle was popped off. The red liquid vanished at a rapid pace. Seo Ian tossed the empty bottle to the floor and looked up at the sky. She seemed to be checking her stat window to see if the stat increase had been applied properly.
“Yeah! This is definitely good!”
Only then did she look at me and smile.
“Can you clear it?”
“Clearing it is a given. I think I’m going to have to play around with the time attack!”
Then—*Clack!*—Seo Ian put her helmet back on and fired two streaks of sword energy into the sky.
—*Whoosh!!*
Along with the sound of the air being torn apart, red sword energy soared high into the sky. Wow. What is that? Just looking at it gave me goosebumps all over my body. If one were to visually express the word ‘intimidation,’ wouldn’t it look like this?
But it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. A particularly large Wyvern floating in the sky must have felt it too, as it started flapping its wings violently toward the ground, screeching, “*Kaaak!*”
The resulting fierce wind whipped around! My hair fluttered! I wanted to leave because I was terrified, but I couldn’t. Because Seo Ian said, ‘Clearing it is a given.’
I want to see a Tower Merchant too!
Seeing is believing. There is a stark difference between learning through text and learning by watching in person. Especially if it involves ‘imitating’ someone else.