Golden Carriage (2)
“What...? Pardon?”
The visual I'd been expecting was, of course, a fantasy world's general store. But the scene unfolding before me was...
“No way, seriously? A PX shows up...?”
Cup ramen, snacks, frozen foods, drinks... and all sorts of daily necessities. It was basically a Korean mart.
Something felt off. It seemed tailored to my background, like they knew where I came from.
“...”
I shook my head, refusing to dwell on how the Demon Army had gotten their hands on all this.
I stepped past the shelves into the depths of the Golden Carriage, properly browsing the goods.
“How much are the prices...”
I reached for a cup of ramen.
◈ Price:1G
A single cup of ramen for 1 gold. Not a bad price at all.
For folks on the 300s floors, where the population seemed densest, they'd probably pull in over 300 gold a month in salary—enough to live comfortably.
'They really were just bored out of their minds, huh.'
◈ Price:23G
There was booze in the lineup too, but it was pricey. Classified as a luxury good, probably.
Makes sense for the military—gotta consider the hit to soldiers' combat effectiveness.
As I browsed more, I spotted a familiar machine at the end of the shelves. A kiosk.
'Guess this is for checkout...'
As I approached, my current info popped up on the screen.
Below the kiosk screen was another tab.
Soldier-Tailored PX
[Switch to Military Supplies Mode]
I tapped [Switch to Military Supplies Mode].
Bzzz—
“Oh.”
The PX items vanished, and new display racks rose up.
“Yeah. This is it...”
The air shifted. The Golden Carriage had transformed into the classic fantasy shop I'd imagined. Medieval cold weapons hung prominently in the center, drawing the eye. Armor and shoes lined the sides, with stacks of parchment on the shelves.
Seemed like it could switch between two shop types.
“Nice.”
Now, what to buy? I pulled up the gallery hologram.
The board was buzzing—not just with posts about me, but with Golden Carriage hype.
Author: ㅇㅇ(411F)
{Indistinguishable purple something}
Zero stock on Altang lolololol
Who the hell is the Demon Army PX clerk? How'd they know to stock this? Now I have to buy it... But I need to save for gear fml fml fml
I was shocked by the pic.
“That thing... is an oshi figure...? What world's monster is that from...?”
And why save for gear if they're not even doing promotion battles?
The post made no sense on multiple levels. Still, my theory seemed right—they stocked items from everyone's pre-possession worlds.
I checked other posts. The top one by views was a comprehensive guide.
Author: SSS Item Puller
Rating: 8.3
Overall: Solid across the board. Armor is decent, accessories party-level. Top item this month is the accessory—great for mages lacking mobility. Feels like a gem after the early-year drought? But beastkin gear and consumables are total trash, so no 9+.
Detailed Review:
1. [Ishtar's Key Sword (Epic)] This bad boy dropped like 53 years ago in June? Stats are low but active effect is busted...
………
…
…
.
Amazing. Such high-quality info.
This fixed-nick broke down every item's stat efficiency and value.
Even more impressive since I'd never gotten solid intel before. No one knew about heroes, and sub-100 floor mob data was zilch.
I dropped a comment.
Refreshed, and boom—a reply.
“Dimensions? What kinda armory is that...”
This fixed-nick had some wild backstory vibes.
“Oh.”
And super friendly to me. Nice tone, unlike others.
Someone picked a fight, and a wall of text came back.
Tone flipped hard.
Ah, context. That figure guy said the same—buying gear without battles.
Made sense now. Bored NEET + collector mentality.
The fixed-nick was fed up with the gallery's safety-first vibe. But that's how survivors stayed alive.
Then directly at me.
Waiting for the fixed-nick's post, I shopped the soldier PX. Essentials first—stock up a month's food and water, plus sundries.
'Feels like the genre suddenly switched to apocalypse farming...'
Grabbing stuff like a looter... then I froze at certain items. Dilemma hit.
'Should I buy these...?'
Feminine hygiene products. No way to know if this reaper body needed 'em. Hesitated, then grabbed the most basic-looking pack, eyes squeezed shut.
Total: 68G
Purchase?
[Y/N]
[Y]
Paid up, poured water in a pot, fired up the portable gas stove, and boiled it. Five minutes later.
“Slurp!”
Hot, salty noodles slid down my throat.
“...!”
Bliss.
“Huh...? Why's it this good?”
Ramen exceeded expectations.
Hardly been in the tower long, yet this tasty? Like tasting it for the first time...
“Ah. It is my first time.”
This reaper's tongue was newbie to MSG. Drained the broth, refreshed the hologram. The post was up.
Author: SSS Item Puller
Newbie budget: 30,025 G
Your sitch: Black magic means INT/MPR focus, but scythe means melee too pre-Instant Death Skill. Total clusterfuck hybrid right?
Perfect gear for all that...
Built for late-game but helps early, low swap cost later.
1. Magic-Eng Ear of Wall-Blue (Epic) - 21,850 G
Permanent tiny MPR stack per kill. Stack item! Best efficiency for lowest floor.
2. Magic Path Strength Ring (Rare) - 6,120 G
Buffs STR by 10% of MPR. Trash normally, honey for you! Lets you dump STR, covers low-floor needs.
3. Obsidian Insight Ring (Common) - 810 G
4. Adventurer's Ring (Common) - 720 G
Basic stat rings. Top value picks. Adventurer's is national staple. You luckily have base stats for it!
Fatigue Recovery Potions x3 - 360G
Only 3 available. Buy all.
Total: 29,860 G!
Rest for food/sundries!
No other pots this time sadly. Scrolls trash.
PS: This month's top Golden Carriage item was Jet-Black Knot Sash (Unique). +20% dark magic affinity, flat 90 MPR, 30s CD short-range blink... but unique prices suck. 120k gold.
Wow.
Growth items + early needs, nailed my path perfectly. And budgeted to the gold.
“Didn't expect it this tight.”
165G left after my spends—97G spare. “Good I didn't overspend. Close call.”
But.
“Hmm...”
Perfect spend, yet unsatisfying. That Jet-Black Knot Sash at the end.
Too tempting.
“Top item this month? Let's peek...”
Checked in the Golden Carriage.
“Living in a penthouse, huh.”
Jet-black knot sash folded primly in the top glass case, screaming 'I'm the priciest here.'
Pulled up Item Puller's review.
7. [Jet-Black Knot Sash (Unique)] - 120,000 G. Top item. Flat 90 MPR +20% dark affinity—rare high-end accessory. Active skill essential sans mobility. Think it was Black Shift or something... 30s CD short blink IIRC.
'...Busted no matter how I slice it.'
Gamer DNA screaming.
Short blink = priceless for a walking melee mage. Tried to walk away...
Couldn't.
Hand to hologram keys.
Cautiously:
Posted. Gallery went quiet.
Then 574F chimed in.
'It works.'
Fist clenched. My consultant fixed-nick exploded.
Holo felt like excited breaths blasting through.
SSS Item Puller didn't sweat promotion risks. Item obsession, probably.
With the fixed-nick's hype cheers, I stood.
Carriage timer: 2 hours 30 min. Plenty of time.
16 floors took under an hour before.
Plus fatigue pots now—no collapsing.
“120k gold... how many floors...”
Quick math.
But.
“Nah... optimize better.”
A smarter way hit me.