Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Uno Shopping Center
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"Good work. I put a little extra in there."
Kang Yu-jin handed over envelopes with bonuses to the non-awakened hunters. They'd gathered byproducts from the mid-level corrupted being, so she had to show some appreciation.
"Oh, thank you! Team leader!"
The non-awakened hunters bowed and took the envelopes.
Kang Yu-jin glanced at her unusually quiet younger brother.
He had a bit of a dumbstruck look on his face.
He'd been spaced out ever since they returned earlier.
Kang Yu-jin wondered what was up with him.
'Was that giant spider monster that scary?'
"Hey, what's wrong with you?"
"S-Sis..."
"What? Did that monster hit you somewhere?"
"No! I'm in love! With her!! How can I meet her again?"
"You're insane."
Kang Yu-jin shook her head.
She had a pretty good idea who her brother was talking about.
It was definitely a beauty that could make any guy fall head over heels.
Her figure too...
'But was she even human to begin with?'
No one comes out of a smartphone.
But the world already had magic, superpowers, and bizarre monsters. There was no rule saying someone couldn't come out of a smartphone.
Even if that beauty was human, Kang Yu-jin didn't think her brother's love had a chance.
Ignoring her brother lost in an impossible love, she kept walking.
In the distance, she saw a building with "Uno Shopping Center" written on it.
The commercial building was covered in all sorts of signs.
〚Uno Bank〛 〚Uno Telecom〛
〚Uno Auto Shop〛
〚Uno Gear Shop〛 〚Uno Mystic Bookstore〛
〚Uno Grocery〛
These were shops occupying spaces inside the building.
Any survivor living here would know who the mall and shops were named after and who ran them.
Park Un-ho.
If you lived here, it was a name everyone knew.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he created this residential area.
In a word, he was doing it all by himself.
But no one complained about it.
They knew this comfortable life was thanks to him... but more than that, he wielded power so overwhelming that no one wanted to challenge him.
Not just personal strength—he was the leader of all survivors except those from Cheonbu Gate.
Rumors said the previous survivor camp leader had picked a fight with Park Un-ho and ended up dead, letting him take over.
Fortunately, he'd saved Cheonbu Gate from monster wolves in a crisis, so he probably wasn't some irredeemable villain.
Kang Yu-jin had met him once before.
On the way from Cheongju to here, her family had been chased by giant zombies, and he'd helped them.
'Should I have made a better impression back then?'
But she hadn't done anything to get on his bad side.
She'd joined the Cheonbu Gate survivors at his invitation and made it here.
It had been a tough decision at the time, but looking back, it was the right call.
Now they lived in a much nicer and more comfortable home than before.
Luckily, Kang Yu-jin felt her situation was incomparable to other survivors.
She and her brother both had superpowers.
It was sad losing touch with acquaintances, but her family was all safe...
Entering the Uno Shopping Center, she saw the neatly arranged shops.
Kang Yu-jin headed to the bank first.
The bank door was already closed.
She'd expected as much.
It was evening now, sunset time. The bank staff would be off work.
But that was fine.
She went next door, where lights blazed brightly, revealing a room lined with machines.
The machines resembled ATMs.
Almost identical, except for a slot to insert mana stones.
『Please select your transaction.』
Kang Yu-jin familiarly touched 〚Sell Mana Stone〛 on the screen. The insertion slot opened.
She took a mana stone from her bag and put it in.
『Measuring mana stone value.』
A small mechanical whir sounded as it gauged the stone's output.
『Mana stone value: 112 coins.』
Luckily, the quality was good—over 100 coins. She knew it could drop to the 80s if unlucky.
『Sell mana stone?』
She touched 〚Yes〛 on the screen.
-Drurrk!
Money dispensing sounds followed, and the cash slot opened.
112 bills were neatly stacked inside.
『Please take your cash. Thank you.』
Kang Yu-jin picked up the bills.
'They call it coins, but it's bills...'
She had no way of knowing the creator's intent without asking directly.
The bills featured a beautiful, strong-looking woman's face. Rumors among hunters said she'd been spotted in Cheongju.
Kang Yu-jin stared at the bill thoughtfully, then pulled out her Uno Bank debit card and deposited 70 coins worth of bills.
She didn't deposit it all because Uno shops accepted cards, but outside merchants didn't. Some cash was necessary.
Outside, her brother was peeking into the neighboring shop.
The display window showed a stylish combat suit.
〚Uno Gear Shop〛
That's where her brother got his axe.
The cheapest one.
Cheap in the shop, but hard to find anything that sturdy outside.
'Come to think of it, the suit that girl from the phone wore looked similar to these.'
Kang Yu-jin looked at her and her brother's outfits.
Both wore armor made from spider monster shells. The most common and cheap hunter gear.
Handmade by skilled non-awakened folk; not sold at Uno Gear Shop.
They couldn't afford one of those suits yet.
'What to buy this time? Spellbook? No, haven't mastered the last one I bought. No rush. Want a magic staff, but the price is too steep...'
As she pondered, her brother spotted her and spoke.
"Sis, if I wear this, we'd look like a perfect matching pair with her, right?"
Kang Yu-jin gave her still-delusional brother a pitiful look.
"Ahem. Anyway, how much did you get?"
Changing the subject with a cough under her sharp gaze.
"112."
"Nice!"
"Then sis! Chicken and beer tonight!!"
"Chicken and beer? Do you know how much that costs? Enough to buy food for our family for ten days!"
"So what! We're awakener hunters. Can't be stingy about that! Today's haul was good~ Sis~"
"You're nuts. Don't go acting cute and making me nauseous!"
After some bickering, the siblings gave in to the brother's nagging and bought chicken and beer from Uno Grocery before heading home.
Pure honey...
That was the only way to put it.
Skill points rolling in without lifting a finger.
This was the perfect auto-hunt I'd always dreamed of.
Truly, a man needs a good woman.
I was doing proper pillar husband duties.
In the meantime, life for the residential area survivors had transformed amazingly.
Honestly, it was more thanks to Suni than me.
Suni hired civilians to clean up the apartment mall building and set up shops.
Strange shops started popping up one by one in the apartment mall.
Shops prefixed with "Uno," a mangled version of my name, Un-ho.
I didn't name them.
I found out later.
I'd left Suni to her own devices, and that's what happened.
She staffed the shops with women I'd rescued and hired civilians.
Suni created a bank and issued currency usable at Uno shops for necessities.
Low-grade mana stones varied from ten million won equivalent depending on output. Using them directly as currency was impractical.
Suni thought they needed to be subdivided.
Thus, coins were born.
Inspired by the dimensional shop's coins, perhaps?
Coins were below low-grade mana stones.
Roughly 100 coins per low-grade mana stone.
One bill equaled 1 coin.
Only one denomination for now.
One was enough.
I could make more later if needed.
The bills were printed in the original world, stamped with Ignis's face.
That was my order.
A token of appreciation for her devotion.
1 coin = 100,000 won.
Of course, survivors had no idea a coin held that value.
Items at Uno shops had huge markups compared to the original world.
I, who always cursed the dimensional shop, was doing the exact same thing.
Hypocrite through and through.
Whatever.
Survivors wouldn't know, so no complaints like mine.
Once Suni spread the currency, people naturally started economic activity. Awakeners hunted diligently to buy high-quality goods from Uno shops.
Now this was mutual aid.