Forge Market Frenzy and a Bone Broth Gesture
The Hero Association Forge Market was a site run by the Hero Association, a sort of online shopping hub used by countless heroes. They sold or bought everything from potions and elixirs to accessories, gear, weapons, sub-weapons, and all sorts of items. There were professional merchants, but plenty of individual sellers too.
After logging into the homepage, I browsed the listings. Sure enough, there was a ton of stuff. I searched for what I wanted.
> Items related to spatial utilization
I'd given my old subspace pouch to Shin Jae-eun, so I needed something to replace it. Typing in the search brought up a bunch of related items right away.
[Unique Valtas's Subspace Pouch – 600,000,000 won]
[Subspace Bag Infused with a Unique Dragon's Breath – 503,000,000 won]
[Radiant Natasha Subspace Pocket – 500,001,000 won]
[Radiant Devouring Subspace Handbag – 500,000,000 won]
...and more
They'd priced these high, so the results started at 600 million won. I sorted by lowest price first. Now unrelated crap popped up.
[(Book) Become a Spatial Utilization Master – 15,000 won]
[(Book) Spatial Tips for a 10-Pyeong Studio – 14,600 won]
[(Book) Surviving in a 2-Pyeong Seoul Monthly Rental for 500,000 Won – 13,500 won]
What a shitty search system. Patience paid off, though—I found something usable.
[Multi-Purpose Storage Bracelet for Apprentice Heroes – 1,300,000 won]
Checking the product page, it wasn't some relic from a tower or dungeon reward. It was mass-produced using human magitech. The description said it could store up to 20 items within a 1.5kg limit.
Come to think of it...
Back then, people said a few years from now, subspace tech would revolutionize logistics...
The memory hit me. With advances in magitech, mass-produced subspace pouches rivaling tower relics would upend distribution. No need for transport—just hop through a portal with a bag holding truckloads. But 15 years later, it never happened. Development stalled; the tech was the same.
"Hm."
Searching related articles, guilds and companies in logistics had tanked—probably due to those hype claims. Once tower raids became government-led, delivery and distribution stocks would skyrocket.
"...Should I buy some stocks?"
But profiting from stocks meant waiting years. And butterfly effects were a risk. Better not.
I turned away from stocks and got back to shopping. Bought the multi-purpose storage bracelet, some healing potions, vitality potions, and mana potions for emergencies. Then I got a craving for elixirs.
Elixirs came from mystical plants or minerals—basically growth-boosting pills. Absorption varied by constitution, type, and person, but the consensus was they sped up stat growth from a minimum 2% to a max 200%.
Curious, I searched elixirs. Every listing was pricey. A dubious wild ginseng root went for 50 million won. Insanely expensive. Most started at 50 million; 100 or 200 million was common, up to 10, 20, 100, 300 billion—even over a trillion.
Elixirs must be way more effective than I thought.
In my past life, I'd never tried one. Never cared. Maybe grab one now?
I thought it over and passed. I could exchange Contribution Points for cash, but the cost-performance sucked. Effects were a gamble anyway. Fine if I were loaded, but not now. Point-to-cash conversion had limits too.
I wrapped up by buying a few defensive items.
[Ring of Vitality Recharge]
[Ring of Durable Defense]
[Standard Suit for Apprentice Heroes]
[Standard Gloves for Apprentice Heroes]
[Standard Shoes for Apprentice Heroes]
The defensive gear except the rings was mass-produced. No point wasting cash on mid-tier sets now.
Oh Chun-hwa from the Reading Circle would attack using a dummy, not her real body. This prep should cover it.
"Wait. Come to think of it..."
Suddenly uneasy, I checked the Reading Circle's chat room. The OT participant list included Choi Ji-seong. Figures. Butterfly effect had me worried he'd skip. But Mo Ye-ji was on it too. She planned to join OT?
Why was she popping up everywhere, throwing variables into the mix?
"......"
No use dwelling. Checking my balance, about 15 million won left from the reward. Plenty. Withdrawing was a hassle anyway.
"...Hm."
Having extra cash made me want to splurge. Then I remembered Mo Ye-ji getting the same reward. She looked awful at the ceremony. Today too—unstable, uncomfortable expression. During Gu Yun-hwan's class, our eyes met, and she gave this awkwardly strained smile.
"Uh, hold on."
It hit me late.
"Uh, uh."
What that meant. Protagonists isekai'd into novels often bonded with the original leads. Most did. But I'd rated this novel 0.5 stars—no attachment. If the old world hadn't ended, I'd have ignored them forever. That's why it took so long to realize.
How valuable an event it was when the heroine got sick.
Tap! Tap tap!
I immediately searched for gift certificates. Snagged one quick. Sent it.
A reply came right away, like she'd been waiting.
What’s this?
Hard to tell she was sick from text alone. Makes sense—the reward was yesterday; she was probably better. But I had to play it up.
Had a bone broth gift cert left over. You’ve looked off since a few days ago, so it just hit me...
Uh...
Did I mess up?
Thanks, appreciate you looking out. I’ll enjoy it.
A few emoticons followed, but I didn't reply and turned off my smartwatch. What a hassle. Still, checking points, I'd earned a whopping 5,000. Good thing I didn't miss the event window. Close call.
Mo Ye-ji practiced expressions in the mirror.
"Hm."
She pulled her mouth corners down long like the Joker.
"......"
Her face was pretty, but the blank look wouldn't budge. When was the last time she smiled naturally?
"Even when I smile, it looks like I'm just uncomfortable. Tsk..."
Did she look that way to him today too? She sighed shortly and bowed her head.
Drawing others' attention was harder than she'd thought. Exhausting. Tormenting.
...Should she just drop it?
> Message received.
Her smartwatch buzzed. Checking, it was an OT schedule alert from the Reading Circle. In the group chat, Imir was on the participant list. That damn Ha Yeon-si too.
"...Choi Ji-seong's here too."
Entranced, Mo Ye-ji sat at her computer. OT was Saturday, so she needed casual clothes to wear. Since her parents died, she'd matured fast—better with money than most cadets. She conserved everything, clothes included.
One new outfit would be fine. After ages shopping, she picked two. Budget allowed only one. As she agonized—
Her smartwatch buzzed again. What now? Absentmindedly checking, a bone broth gift cert popped up out of nowhere.
"...Huh."
From Imir.
What’s this?
His unexpected reply:
Had a bone broth gift cert left over. You’ve looked off since a few days ago, so it just hit me...
Uh...
He's interested in me, right? My signals are landing.
Thanks, appreciate you looking out. I’ll enjoy it.
Feeling good, Mo Ye-ji sent a few more emoticons. No further reply. But the mood lingered.
Of course.
A faint smile crept onto her lips.