Ch.2626. Hangang Market

The old bed at home felt too soft after not sleeping there for a long time.

“This is bad. My taste is turning to crap.”

In the late stages of my map in Farming World, I had become so accustomed to life in the game that I would sleep there and log out only for daily activities.

Expensive bed. Plush mattress. Soft blankets.

I thought my standards had risen to the point where I wanted to swap reality with the game, wishing the game was my reality.

But maybe my true nature hasn’t changed after all.

It’s not like my family is poor.

My dad earns enough for us to get by, which is why I’ve been able to be a complete bum for 26 years, playing games without getting my act together.

But that doesn’t mean I’m rich either, so my bed isn’t particularly good.

I’ve been using the same one for over 10 years, and the mattress is far from plush anymore.

I should replace it soon or take it with me.

After a refreshing sleep, I went out and could feel the household atmosphere was particularly focused on me.

Even without saying anything, they must be concerned about their son who disappeared for seven days and suddenly returned.

“Not going to the dungeon today, son?”

“No. I’m going with Sujeong tomorrow.”

“Good. Just stay behind Sujeong.”

“She’s weak too, what good would that do, Mom?”

“Ugh, let’s not even start.”

I didn’t mean to, but seeing how even Kim Sujeong was holding back as if I were some delinquent who might run away again made my rebellious side want to emerge.

Of course, I don’t want to worry my parents, but seeing my little sister acting all nervous gives me a good feeling as her older brother.

Still, I can’t mess around with Mom and Dad watching.

And I don’t have time for games anyway.

I’m not here to play around.

Even as I’m idling away time here, time in the Rift Dimension continues to flow.

“Going out again? I thought you were heading to the dungeon tomorrow?”

As I hastily gathered my clothes and prepared to leave, Mom casually asked.

The concern in her voice revealed her wish that I wouldn’t go out.

I reassured her.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to the dungeon. Just have some things to sell at the market.”

“What? I’ll go buy it for you.”

“No, I said I have things to sell, not buy.”

“Is there something you want to eat?”

“Mom, I’m 26 years old.”

As if she’d worry about where I’m going.

Mom immediately turned to Kim Sujeong.

“Sujeong, your brother says he’s going to the market.”

“Let him go.”

“Maybe you should…”

“No, Mom. Unless he’s a complete idiot, he wouldn’t stupidly go to a dungeon alone again, would he?”

Fearing that Kim Sujeong might actually follow me, I quickly left the house.

“I’ll be back before dinner!”

“Hey! Hey! Why are you going into my room? You’re stealing my money, aren’t you? Hey!”

On my way out, I grabbed some cash that was lying out in Kim Sujeong’s room.

I had to since I didn’t have a single penny on me.

I took the subway toward the Han River.

———————–

The Han River area, which used to be a place where people would eat ramen, enjoy chicken while looking at the river, and couples would date, had now become the Dotdaegi Market.

People weren’t illegally setting up markets; the Seoul city government had created a marketplace where individual hunters could sell and buy resources they obtained from dungeons.

They turned a considerably long area into a market where people could autonomously set up spots to sell their goods. The Han River Market was used by many hunters as well as ordinary people to buy and sell items.

Of course, as with any market, there were people who operated differently from the intended purpose.

From hoarders to company representatives trying to buy goods cheaply, to people who secured spots just to sell the locations—all kinds of people were there. But even these activities were regulated by the Hunter Association when they got too extreme, so while not perfect, individual hunters’ businesses operated quite well.

I had heard about it before.

Even people who weren’t hunters often went to the Han River Market for dates, so at my age, when I was crazy about girls, there’s no way I wouldn’t have heard of it.

Plus, since the Farming World community had the same hunter system as reality, people who would brag “I ate this in the game~ How much is it in reality?” were always talking about the Han River Market.

Thanks to that, I didn’t need to worry about where to sell my farmed items.

“Wow, it’s crowded.”

Despite it being daytime, people were swarming from the market entrance.

Both entrances and various exit points were completely packed.

After all, foot traffic is the most important thing for business, so people had claimed spots early.

Once you secure a spot, you can set up shop and do business for up to 48 hours, assuming the owner is present.

If you wait around, you might get lucky and find a spot.

But I didn’t particularly care and went in a bit further.

It’s more convenient to just sit somewhere and wait for customers who want my goods than to waste time securing a prime location.

I found a somewhat secluded corner, but not completely deserted, and set up my spot.

My items would sell regardless of whether I was at the Han River Market or not.

Recovery herbs.

These are items that university hospitals and the Hunter Association regularly purchase at set prices.

Still, I brought them here to get a better price.

And to receive cash.

Plus, I wanted to do some shopping while I was here.

I dusted off the dirty ground, spread out a clean cloth I brought from home, and arranged the recovery herb fruits from my fruit basket, along with the leaves, separately.

I’m not skilled at making attractive displays, so I just neatly arranged the fruits and leaves separately.

Even without fancy presentation, 100 fruits and 300 leaves looked impressively neat.

Finally, I wrote the prices on the cheap whiteboard provided at each spot.

[Recovery Herb Fruit (D+) 200,000 won / (C-) 500,000 won]

[Recovery Herb Leaf (D+) 100,000 won / (C-) 150,000 won]

From my research last night, I learned that my memory of fruit+leaf costing 100,000 won was outdated by several years.

Actually, I’m not even sure if that was the price years ago.

It might have just been someone’s imagination from Farming World.

Anyway, there are websites that standardize dungeon resource prices for each country, and while prices change daily, recovery herb fruits with leaves typically cost around 150,000 won.

And that’s for E-grade to E+ grade. The recovery herbs from high-grade dungeons are even more expensive.

So the D+ grade I harvested was priced almost twice as high as regular recovery herbs.

Of course, they’re more effective too.

When you make potions with higher-grade recovery herb fruits, you can create “minor potions” that restore more health than regular potions, and C- grade can be used as ingredients for “medium potions,” which is why the price jumps 2.5 times.

While it makes sense that fruits are expensive as potion ingredients, the leaves were costly too. As I mentioned, leaves are used by hunters with less money to treat external wounds or remove surgical scars, which is why they’re priced quite high.

Similarly, higher-grade leaves require less material to make ointments and are more effective.

The prices I set were about 10% higher than the standard market prices.

If I had intended to sell at standard prices, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here.

I was confident that people would come to buy recovery herbs since they’re popular.

Even though I was in a somewhat secluded spot, within three minutes of setting up, a middle-aged woman approached with a surprised expression.

“Are these recovery herbs?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, you harvested a lot, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“May I take a look?”

“With your eyes only.”

“They look substantial… Are they really D+ grade?”

Hunters can see item information.

Her asking this means she’s an ordinary person.

I gestured to the woman who was looking at me suspiciously.

“If you’re not buying, please move along.”

“Hey, you young men are too prickly. These are a bit more expensive than the market rate. Can you lower the price a little?”

And the inevitable haggling begins.

This is the charm of markets and, in a way, the natural way of trading.

Because it’s a transaction between people, there’s a human element.

I hesitated.

Someone weak to emotional appeals like me is in danger in situations like this.

“If you buy everything, I’ll give you a 5% discount.”

“…Come on, don’t be like that. How about 3 million for everything? Cash, right now.”

“3 million?”

“Right now, on the spot.”

Did I hear that wrong?

I clean my ears.

Even though I’m not great at math, 100 fruits and 300 leaves at 20/10 each for D+ grade would be 5 million. Does this woman have only one eye?

“Get lost unless you want to get hit 3,000 times.”

This woman clearly seemed like a seasoned market trader.

She probably knew the market dynamics well and had thick skin that helped her get by.

But what she overlooked was that after 26 years of playing games in my room with zero social skills, I don’t particularly care about others’ gazes.

Especially those who act like jerks.

When I pulled out the Sewer Sword from my belt slot #1, the woman fled in horror.

“What the… I’m not buying! Not buying!”

There was no need to feel disappointed.

In less than 10 minutes, people were crowding around my secluded spot.