Earth Dungeon 31.1

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Chapter 31.1. The Market

There is a vibrant world, a scene that seemed impossible to find in the abandoned town. People were walking around. They weren't smiling. But they didn't show signs of exhaustion either. They had a look of contemplation, thinking about their next move.

A man with his wife and young child cautiously surveyed their surroundings. People sat among the rubble of the abandoned buildings, eating soup from copper bowls and chatting. Normally, when eating outside, one would cover their face with their arm and be cautious, as if guarding their food from others.

"This isn't normal, is it?"

"Hey, isn't that place over there the market?"

The station building was just a stone's throw away, located beyond the main street in front of the station. Although it had been several decades, the building was still sturdy and intact, showing no signs of collapse. It must have been fortunate enough to avoid incidents like fires. The black tatters of cloth fluttering in the wind were once banners for advertisements.

No one seemed to use the building anymore, and there was no coming and going of people. It should have stood there like a tombstone, but people were entering and exiting.

A banner stood at the entrance, and people carried their belongings as they came and went. Through the gaps in their baggage, glimpses of vegetables could be seen, and they quickly moved toward nearby buildings. It seemed that they lived there.

The banner read, "Buying Cores."

"So, that's what it is?"

"It seems so. Let's go and check it out."

Inside, there was a long line of people. Most of them carried cores. I noticed they were exchanging them for currency in circles, which was rare in the abandoned. There were shopkeepers selling vegetables and smoked meats around the area.

After waiting for a while, it was my turn. The receptionist woman smiled and bowed as she greeted me. Calling it a receptionist was an overstatement. There was only a shabby assembly table at the back of the floor. The receptionist, seated on a pipe chair, seemed to be in charge of purchasing cores.

"Welcome to Amatsugahara Market. Are you here for the purchase of cores?"

"Yes, I would like to sell cores, please."

I took out the cores from the backpack on my back. They were cores from slimes and big rats. There were quite a lot of them. I had gathered them with my wife before coming here after hearing that core exchange was possible in this market.

However, it was unclear how much they would be offered in exchange. After all, we could easily find these cores from slimes and big rats. I heard I could exchange them at the Core Store, but I didn't think they would fetch a good price.

"One G-rank core costs 5 yen, and one F-rank core costs 30 yen. Would you like to exchange them?"

It seemed that exchange was indeed possible. I turned my face to my wife beside me, who nodded in agreement with an anxious expression, urging me to exchange the cores quickly, as if thinking we might not be able to exchange them if we took too long.

"Yes, please exchange them all!"

It seemed we could exchange them. With my wife's consent, I took the cores from my backpack. The receptionist tilted her head slightly with a smile and swiftly started counting the cores in her hand.

"Let's see, 122 G-rank cores for 610 yen, and 11 F-rank cores for 330 yen, making it 940 yen."

She handed me coins with a jingling sound. One 500 yen coin, four 100 yen coins, and four 10 yen coins.

I take the coins and put them in a small bag. I had earned a lot of money in the past four days.

I hurriedly accepted the money, flustered at seeing currency after a long time, and put it into a small bag. It was quite an earning for the past four days.

I tightly held the small bag and hurriedly walked away. 

I looked around cautiously so the money wouldn't get stolen, but I felt relieved seeing many people around me exchanging cores and not paying attention to him.

"What are you going to use it for, dear?"

"Well... what should I use it for?"

If I knew I had money, there was a possibility of it getting stolen. Should I secretly hide it...

"Daddy, I'm hungry."

My usually quiet daughter tugs at my sleeve and makes a rare request. I had instructed her to stay quiet and hide whenever people are around, as it is dangerous. Yet, she speaks up unexpectedly.

"Daddy, everyone around here is eating something."

My precious daughter, who has just turned six and is growing up against all odds in this desolate town, looks around with wide eyes and tells me what she sees.

I take another look around. Perhaps due to my narrowed field of vision, I hadn't noticed that people were gathering in a slightly distant area. They all seem to be happily eating something. It's not just vegetables being sold there, it seems.

"We have some hot soupy noodles! Only 50 yen for a bowl of hot soupy noodles!" 

"We have okonomiyaki! A bit of cabbage, sauce, and one piece of okonomiyaki for 100 yen!"

I see, it's a shop. A large pot is simmering with soupy noodles, and on a hot plate, cooked okonomiyaki, wafting the aroma of sauce. It's a nostalgic smell I remember from my childhood.

"Dear..."

"Daddy?"

My wife and daughter look at me hopefully, but it's precious money, so what should I do? I'm torn...

"We're going on a Rat Extermination Tour! The participation fee is 300 yen. The reward is 20 cores in a day! You can also pay the participation fee from the cores you earn. We'll hunt with 10 people in each area, so it's safe and secure. We provide the scent to attract monsters. The bodyguard will beat the dangerous enemies, so no worries!"

A girl raises her voice, calling out to those around, and a burly man, presumably a bodyguard, flexes his muscles and gives a thumbs-up with a confident and slightly sweaty smile.