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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 17: Dongdaemun Labor Market (2)
["You talk big for someone who's only 2-star ranked."]
"Well, I'll be a 3-star soon, you know?"
I pouted, feeling a bit unfairly judged. My experience points were at 99.9%. Just one more monster, and I'd reach the next level.
["I'll be waiting."]
Hearing my master’s response, I smirked. He spoke like he wasn’t impressed, but I knew he must have seen something in me.
"Sure, I might have barged into your world uninvited, but that doesn’t mean you know everything about me, Master."
I hadn’t been with Kim Do-Jin every step of the way, after all. And my master had no knowledge of who I was before I returned to this life.
Just as I didn’t know much about him yet, there was still a lot of potential for us to grow together.
"So, how does one enter the Otherworld?"
The idea of people in another world fascinated me. It felt like planning a trip to a parallel dimension. But my master quickly shattered my fantasy.
["You can’t go there yet, kid."]
"Just a moment ago, you said we could cross over."
["What you can enter is a space connected to the Otherworld."]
"A space?"
["The Quantum Tower."]
It was clear that being the world’s top-ranked had its perks—his knowledge was both vast and incredibly specific. He often brought up things I hadn’t even heard of, which was sometimes a bit shocking.
["In the Otherworld, the Quantum Tower opens at set intervals. Just like we enter the Otherworld Gates, they, too, climb the Quantum Tower."]
"Why?"
["Why else? To survive."]
"You're telling me they climb the Quantum Tower just to survive?"
["Yes, for the same reason we enter Otherworld Gates. Su-Hyuk, what do you think would happen if mana stones vanished from our world?"]
All the world’s energy had become reliant on mana stones. Natural resources were practically just tourist attractions now, and what remained could no longer sustain humanity’s massive energy demands.
A world without mana stones? I’d thought about it before. Some doomsayers predicted such a crisis. But I’d never truly felt threatened by the idea.
Then again, we’d never actually experienced a shortage of mana stones, had we?
Regardless, if we ended up with a mana stone-less Earth, there was only one outcome.
"We’d collapse, wouldn’t we?"
["It’s similar on their side. And things there are worse than here."]
My master’s expression grew complicated. He seemed to have a lot to say but wasn’t sure where to start.
Scratching my cheek, I asked him, "Have any of your previous disciples learned about the Quantum Tower?"
["No."]
"Then why are you telling only me?"
["Because I promised to give you everything. I wasn’t just saying that lightly."]
"Not bad. That makes me your true disciple, right?"
["Let’s go with that."]
"For now, I’ll follow orders. Looks like I have a lot on my plate, including helping you, Master."
I didn’t know why my master was entangled with the Otherworld, but I had a hunch.
Maybe the Otherworld was linked to his endless cycle of reincarnation.
Together, my master and I crafted a detailed plan to cross into the Quantum Tower through a D-rank Otherworld Gate.
The process itself wasn’t too complex. However, my master shared a few things to keep in mind once inside.
["In the Otherworld, remember this: the evil spirit is you."]
My master strictly warned me never to reveal my identity. Thankfully, the Quantum Tower only appeared at specific intervals before vanishing again.
As long as I kept my identity hidden from the moment I entered until the moment I exited, no one would suspect a thing.
“How often does it open?”
["Once every two months."]
In the Otherworld, this period was referred to as the "resting phase"—a two-month break, after which anyone who entered the tower was stuck there for three months without any chance of exiting on their own.
“I’m confident I can hide my identity, but disappearing for that long might raise some eyebrows back here.”
Besides, I couldn’t imagine a D-rank dungeon staying open for three whole months.
["That’s why I gave you the clock."]
Startled, I pulled out the cause-and-effect clock. Other than the fact that Kim Do-Jin was its original owner and that it enabled access to the shop, I hadn’t figured out much else about it.
Apparently, I had overlooked its full purpose.
According to my master, having this clock would prevent time in the Quantum Tower from diverging too drastically from the flow of time here in reality.
Time in the Quantum Tower moved differently from time in the Otherworld and the world I lived in.
["Don’t ascend too high in the tower. The higher you go, the closer the time axis compresses."]
“What do you mean by that?”
["Time on higher floors aligns more closely with real time."]
“Have you been disappearing into the Quantum Tower all those times?”
["Yes."]
Years ago, during a major gate crisis in Korea, the government and various guilds were all searching for my master.
However, the Cheongyeong Guild refused to disclose his whereabouts. There was public outrage and talk of his "disappearance"—people wondered why the number one awakener was nowhere to be found during a national crisis.
‘Han Jin-Woo and Jung Se-Rim really stepped up back then.’
Not all of my master’s disciples were still with the Cheongyeong Guild. In fact, most were not.
Han Jin-Woo, the vice master of Cheongyeong, took charge during the gate crisis. Though he was relatively unknown before that, only recognized as Kim Do-Jin’s disciple, he became a star overnight after handling the incident.
These days, since my master’s disappearance, Han Jin-Woo has been the de facto leader of Cheongyeong.
I remember watching the updates unfold live back then.
Luckily, my master returned as the crisis subsided, and the guild managed to cover up his disappearance reasonably well.
“We’d better work on an alibi too.”
["No need to worry about that just yet."]
“Anything else I should know?”
["Not much else… Ah."]
My master, floating in front of me with his arms crossed, seemed to remember something. He hesitated, looking as though he were debating whether or not to tell me.
["Ahem, well. It’s better if you know."]
“Why so much suspense?”
Whatever it was, it seemed important.
["You won’t encounter this… individual on the first floor, but if you do, run."]
“Is this related to a boss monster?”
Who could it be for my master to react like this? Was there some kind of creature that wasn’t supposed to appear on the first floor?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
["If it were a boss, that would be preferable. Either way, just run. You’re not capable of facing this one."]
“What does he look like?”
Curiosity and a sense of dread mixed within me. Who could be so dangerous that even my master spoke of him with such caution?
["An old man with silver hair."]
“…Is that all?”
["You'll know him when you see him. There’s only one silver-haired lunatic in the tower."]
I tried asking for more specifics, but all I got was confirmation that he was, in fact, a madman.
["Avoid the mad dog at all costs."]
“Did you avoid him too, Master?”
["Every time I climbed the Quantum Tower, my greatest stress came from Suramajon."]
Apparently, Suramajon was another name for the “mad dog.” But why not just tell me this outright instead of only mentioning his bad personality?
Master grumbled in frustration but explained that Suramajon was an elite climber in the upper floors of the tower.
These upper-floor climbers aimed to save as much time as possible, so they raced straight to the upper levels the moment the tower opened. As Master had said, the chances of me, a lower-floor climber, encountering him were low.
["Lastly, I'll share a hidden piece of information with you."]
After he finished sharing these hidden details, I realized why he’d been so thorough in his explanation.
Master would be in the Quantum Tower too, but once I entered, he wouldn’t be able to appear to me as he was now.
* * *
Long before dawn, I headed to Dongdaemun's labor market. A rough “labor market” had formed in one part of Dongdaemun, where people gathered to find day work.
The market was filled with all sorts of people. Some were awakened but too broke to find better work, others were self-sufficient but lacked a team and came seeking mercenary jobs, and still others, moving among the crowd, were private lenders who specialized in offering money and items to the awakened.
‘I never thought I’d be back here.’
Though I wasn’t actually here to work as a mana stone laborer, just being in this place was enough to make me dizzy.
The last time I’d come here, I swore I’d never return, shouting, “If I ever come back here, I’m not a person—I’m a dog!”
Familiar with the surroundings, I scanned the area and made my way toward a specific tent. It had an ominous look to it, and several middle-aged men were seated inside, clearly not there looking for work.
“If you’re here for a job, that way, kid.”
A middle-aged man in work clothes nodded toward a different part of the market, waving me off. Seriously, so fussy.
["What’s this? You’ve been to the labor market before?"]
‘Of course. I spent years living at rock bottom.’
Just imagine my frustration—finally living like a proper person, only to be stuck in the same loop as my regressor of a master, stuck in the same era.
“Ahem, sirs, is Mr. Park here?”
“What? You? Who are you, and how do you know Mr. Park?”
The men exchanged glances when I mentioned Mr. Park. There were plenty of people named Park, but only one man in the Dongdaemun labor market went by “Mr. Park.”
A rough-looking man stepped up to me.
“Go home, kid. You’ve probably just heard a name and thought you’d try your luck, but Mr. Park doesn’t have time for brats like you. Now get lost…”
Thud.
The drum they were using as a firepit was kicked over with a loud bang as I sent it rolling across the ground.
["You could have just quietly taken the job—why cause trouble?"]
‘It’s been a while; a proper greeting is necessary. And think about it, Master. I’m level 19. If someone close to awakening suddenly shows up for mana-stone labor, it’s bound to raise suspicion.’
The Association managed these places, but due to the nature of labor markets, there were many blind spots. This meant there were unique rules for hiring.
["Just get in safely—that’s all that matters."]
‘Leave it to me.’
One thing I hadn’t mentioned to my master was that, back in the day, I was known as Su-Hyuk, the “Labor Market Hunter.”
“Been a while, and you guys have all lost your minds? Don’t you know who I am?”
“...Yeah. Who are you?”
“Tell Mr. Park to come out here! Mr. Park, are you coming out or what?”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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