Chapter 16 — I’m Just a Normal Merchant, But in Babel?! (1)
“Hello everyone! This is Yeondu, your reporter from Hunter Everyday! The weather is so~ nice today! Can you guess where I am right now~?!”
People nearby glanced at the cheerful reporter with her bright green ponytail.
The looks were… not friendly.
Most were treating her like a lunatic for calling this sweltering heat “nice weather.”
But the reporter didn’t care and raised her voice even more energetically.
“I’m standing right in front of the Babel Tower! Today is the departure of the 26th raid team challenging the 49th floor! Will they finally break through the wall of the 49th floor and reach the 50th?! Many people have gathered to cheer them on!”
Her voice sparkled with energy, but the scenery behind her was anything but lively.
In reality, no one was here to “cheer.”
Six months ago, when the very first raid party attempted the 49F clear, the place had been packed wall to wall—cheering crowds, banners, lights, flashing cameras.
Today?
Only journalists.
Reporters and broadcasting crews who had to be here because it was their job—nothing more.
Their faces were expressionless.
They clearly expected another failure.
Zero excitement. Zero hope.
“Today’s raid is led by the guild Wolf Fang! And over there—yes! That’s Wolf Fang’s leader, Chae Geun-dam, briefing his members! Let’s go ask about their strategy!”
The reporter pointed toward a group of 15 hunters with tense expressions.
According to the Tower Administration’s schedule, each week a new team attempts the 49th floor.
This week’s turn: Wolf Fang.
The guild everyone treated as “filler” until Aegis’s turn came back around.
The reporter marched into their serious strategy briefing with zero hesitation and shoved a mic forward.
“Hello, Mr. Chae Geun-dam! What will be the focus of today’s raid?”
“…….”
The entire guild—including their leader—turned to glare at her.
They’d obviously been in the middle of an important internal briefing, and the intrusion showed clearly on their faces.
The overwhelming aura of high-ranked hunters hit her—yet the reporter waited with bright eyes, unaffected.
After several seconds of silence, Chae Geun-dam finally forced down his irritation and responded calmly.
“We intend to aim for clearing the 49th floor.”
“Of course! I’m looking forward to it! What will be different this time compared to previous attempts?”
Her voice didn’t shrink at all.
If anything, she sounded even cheerier, making the guild members’ expressions darken.
When a guild is preparing for a raid, you normally never disturb them.
It’s an unspoken rule.
The fact that this morning-show reporter felt free to intrude like this…
meant Wolf Fang’s reputation was in the gutter.
But Chae Geun-dam simply exhaled quietly and answered in a composed tone.
“Our goal is to take one step further than where we failed previously.”
A humble, modest answer.
But the press line didn’t stay quiet.
“She’s laying down excuses because they know they’ll fail again…”
“Even if they try harder, what can Wolf Fang even do…”
Maybe someone whispered “Fighting!” softly behind him—
but Chae Geun-dam dismissed it as his imagination.
No one would be cheering for Wolf Fang.
Instead, he signaled to his teammates.
“Let’s go.”
He strode toward the portal, and the guild members followed without hesitation.
They stepped into the blue portal that could very well lead to their deaths—
and not a single cheer followed them.
As soon as Wolf Fang disappeared through the portal, the reporters immediately started packing up.
“It’s boiling hot, why haven’t they gone in sooner…”
“When is Aegis going again?”
“Can someone else do the exit interview so I don’t have to come back?”
The insults were tossed around casually.
Watching all this, a certain citizen tightened the robe around himself and muttered:
“…Am I seriously the only one cheering for them?”
Of course, that citizen was me, Lee Ha-won.
And yes, I was the one who whispered that tiny “Fighting.”
I glanced around at the cold atmosphere and frowned.
Chae Geun-dam looked cold and unbothered on the outside, but I could imagine how much it burned inside.
Unless you’re the type who goes in with a “let’s just do it half-heartedly and bail,”
you don’t walk into the 49th floor without determination.
Since becoming a Wolf Fang fan, I researched them thoroughly.
Just reading the Babel Wiki page told me a lot about Chae Geun-dam.
He was the kind of person “steadfast” was made for.
He didn’t have flashy achievements everyone knew about, but when the world first fell into chaos from the Tower’s appearance, he quietly supported the Administration.
He single-handedly held off a monster wave leaking from an A-rank gate for two entire days.
That meant one thing:
He was far stronger than the public gave him credit for.
A stable, well-rounded fighter—not someone with one god-tier talent, but solid in every area.
Thinking about that made me, a citizen living comfortably thanks to the stable Tower society he helped build, feel annoyed.
This treatment is garbage.
Wolf Fang is challenging the 49th floor—a feat only top guilds get to attempt.
People might die in there.
Yet they were treated like trash.
And I, who chose Wolf Fang as the hero to conquer the 49th floor, refuse to let them be disrespected like this.
I clenched my fists and headed toward the Tower.
If they won’t cheer you—fine.
I’ll make the world cheer for you when you clear this floor.
***
With my skill Merchant’s Mark, the 49F limit of 15 people didn’t apply to me.
But that didn’t mean I could boldly walk in with Wolf Fang.
I purposely entered later and expected to spawn somewhere else.
“……Where is this?”
I gaped.
Massive marble pillars, red carpets, chandeliers hanging like frozen waterfalls.
Golden carvings wrapped every column.
Priceless paintings lined the walls.
I stood alone in a giant, luxurious hall big enough to be a sports field.
“Seriously?”
I thought it was a kingdom-recapture scenario—
so I expected ruins, a battlefield, something gritty.
But this?
“This is really the 49th floor?”
Did they… negotiate peace?
Are we going to argue diplomatically??
([⁕ Your current location is confirmed as the 49th floor :)]
Sammy’s cold system message crushed my wild theories.
“All right. First, I need to find Wolf Fang.”
I pulled my hood down tightly over my face.
This was clearly the royal palace.
Wolf Fang, who should be fighting for Falcon’s side, would be somewhere nearby.
My plan was simple:
Pretend to be an NPC citizen from Falcon who appears in a special event →
approach them →
quietly sell items →
escape.
I even rehearsed my lines.
“My loyalty belongs only to Falcon… please trust me…”
Stuff like that.
But first, I needed to find them.
Just as I stepped forward—
tap tap tap—
I froze behind a pillar.
Fast footsteps. Urgent.
Even though my concealment robe should prevent detection unless touched, instinct still forced me to hide.
Through the cracked door, I saw a figure.
A black robe…
If suspicious clothing were a person, it’d be this.
Thick robe with ornate decorations, hood pulled low over the face, darkness leaking out.
That’s a dark mage if I’ve ever seen one.
If Wolf Fang was on Falcon’s side—
why was a dark mage strolling inside the palace??
I remembered Min-sung’s words.
“The 49F scenario is capital city recapture.”
…Min-sung, my friend, might be kind of stupid.
Wolf Fang wouldn’t spawn inside the palace—they would be preparing to invade it.
While I was busy processing the situation, the black-robed figure entered the hall.
If I get caught, forget Wolf Fang, the entire Earth is screwed.
I tried to slip away in the opposite direction.
But then—
“…Huh?”
My foot slipped on the polished floor.
“Who’s there!”
The black robe snapped its head toward me.
I froze, halfway off-balance.
Then—
From under the robe, black mist swirled out, sucking the warmth from the air.
The entire hall turned icy; my breath froze white.
I held still, praying the concealment would hold.
But maybe because it already sensed someone…
or because that terrifying black mist let it track life force—
“Kh—!”
It appeared in front of me instantly and grabbed my robe collar.
The hand emerging from the sleeves was pale, with long, dirt-colored nails.
Skin stretched thin over bony joints—like a corpse.
I felt the veil’s effects fade, and murderous intent poured over me like a bucket of ice.
“AAAAAAH!”
I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to die.
But—
“…Hm?”
The sound was… disappointment?
The skeletal grip slowly released me.
I opened my eyes.
The dark mage had taken a step back—
and was looking at me curiously, even stroking his chin.
The killing intent vanished, replaced by genuine confusion.
“Strange. I don’t hear the voice telling me to kill you.”
Ah—
because Merchant’s Mark was active.
I had forgotten, in my panic, that I was tagged as a non-combat entity.
[⁕ Administrator, due to ‘Merchant’s Mark’, you cannot be targeted within the scenario :)]
Sammy, you should have said that earlier, you jerk!
I swallowed hard.
The dark mage kept staring, tilting his head, studying me like some exotic animal.
“Hmm…?”
Then he removed his hood.
Underneath was a surprisingly young man.
The left side of his face was decayed—blackened, eaten away.
The right side was smooth and normal.
The contrast was unsettling, but I tried to stay calm.
He scanned me again, expression skeptical.
“You’re not one of Falcon’s survivors. You’re not part of the resistance.
You’re not ‘one of us,’ either.
So what exactly are you?”
By “us,” he obviously meant the dark mages.
He raised one eyebrow, waiting for my answer.
“Uh… I’m…”
I panicked.
Those deep navy eyes looked curious—but also like he would freeze me into an ice sculpture if I said the wrong thing.
But I only had one truthful answer.
“I’m… a merchant…?”
His expression froze.
“…A merchant?”
His voice dropped dangerously.
Oh crap.
Do they kill merchants too??
Before I could flee—
“Hmm!”
He suddenly beamed.
The rotting half of his face stretched disturbingly, but the smile on the normal half was bright and pure.
“…???”
What reaction was this?!
Completely unfazed by my confusion, he grabbed my hand enthusiastically.
“Wh-What are you doing?!”
He shook my hand wildly and shouted with genuine joy:
“Welcome, merchant!”
