Monster Taming Broadcast

Through various experiments, I learned more about a space called the Safe Zone.

First of all, this place was not a space you could just jump into anytime.

You can only open the silver portal when there are no enemies around and when you’re already in a safe situation.

In other words, it meant that it couldn’t be used as a retreat during combat.

This applied to explorers as well as assistants and tamed monsters.

Well, monsters can’t open the silver portal by themselves anyway. Unlike Trinity-ranked assistants, a monster needs me to open the silver portal for them to come into this space.

And it seemed that there wasn’t a strict limit on how many could be in the Safe Zone.

I brought all the monsters that were in the hideout, and there didn’t seem to be any restrictions.

For the record, I just experimented for a moment and sent them all out of the portal.

The more people there are, the greater the burden of the stay cost.

The stay cost is not related to strength at all, and it’s 1 coin per person per minute.

Summons like the Undead Spirit of the Hedgehog were also counted as participants.

“No matter how you look at it, this isn’t a place you can stay in for long. Just breathing costs coins…”

Boglebogle – 1 coin per minute really is a bit much.
Pururu – For real, 10,000 won per minute??
Mysticism – That’s 600,000 won for one hour!
Yumi – And that’s only for one person. If five people stay for an hour, that’s 3,000,000 won.

Coins were still steadily draining.

The recent grants of coins were so large that it wasn’t noticeable now, but like a filled hourglass with sand gradually spilling out, if I stayed here thoughtlessly, my coins would eventually show the bottom, too.

Of course, I didn’t plan to stay here long, but the assistants were an exception.

I didn’t plan to interfere with how long the Trinity-ranked assistants stayed in the Safe Zone.

After all, the coins flowing out of me were all sent by them.

“Hmm… Let’s slowly figure out the Trinity rank’s permissions… For now, I need to bring a very luxurious round table here.”

While Rize was muttering, looking around the Safe Zone, I discovered one more fact.

Namely, that you can use coins to expand the space.

No matter how much you expand the space, the stay cost doesn’t increase.

If someday, a day comes when coins are almost infinitely supplied… then I could use this Safe Zone as a base for activities.

Of course, that seems quite far off now.

Anyway, until then, I decided to use this place as a meetup space for the assistants.

For now, except for Rize, everyone is at a low rank, but soon in the future, they might achieve Trinity rank.

The assistants from Earth have a solid supporter as a conglomerate third-generation.

And since Alice is a hero, it should be easy to procure valuable items filled with desires like gold.

‘…Still, maybe the Earth assistants are a bit much.’

If the amount is insufficient, there is a solution.

I could supply them with special items and tell them to sell them.

‘Or I could send Omega to Earth to hack the computer system and send money… no, that’s not good. Before it’s a crime, I feel too guilty to do that.’

In an instant, I quickly withdrew that impure thought.

I can’t harm innocent people.

I shifted my gaze to Rize.

“Gauntlet, I brought an expensive round table to use for important meetings.”

Rize was moving in and out of the silver portal, bringing various items.

Oh, I forgot to mention.

You can bring items from the dimension you lived in into the Safe Zone, but you can’t pass them on to other dimensions.

In simple terms, if Rize brings an item into the Safe Zone, neither I nor any other assistant can take it out.

Only Rize can take it back to his home.

Anyway.

Staying here any longer would waste coins, so

“Rize, I’ll head back first.”

I said a casual goodbye to Rize and left the Safe Zone without any regrets, returning to the hideout.

I mean, we’ll be able to meet often from now on.

*

Labyrinth Day 63.

I replaced the expedition team members again today.

Kinogine Aracne and Necro Puppetmaster were fixed members.

And three new members joined.

Zapan! Picnic with Dad!!!

Doom Bar, Doo Doom Bar! A great place to dance and sweat!

It’s uncomfortable to walk.

Zapan and Hedgehog Summoner, and lastly, Centauress.

It was no problem that they were S-Class.

Not in this desert; it wasn’t a dangerous place for us.

Now it felt more like a leisurely outing disguised as an expedition.

Pururu – The more I see Zapan, the cuter it gets. Of course, not his looks, but his actions.
Mysticism –
Boglebogle – Rize is awfully quiet today. Busy with my government affairs?
Yumi – No, he’s probably busy decorating the Safe Zone and doesn’t have time to chat.
Mysticism – But why didn’t Bastet come to the desert?

“She said she didn’t want to come.”

I didn’t bring Bastet Daong.

She wasn’t keen on coming to the desert.

She mentioned that exploring new areas and discovering unusual monsters was more interesting.

So, I just sent them on another labyrinth exploration today.

Anyway.

We were, as always, riding on the back of a Giant Caterpillar, traveling through the desert to recruit villagers.

During that time, the normally quiet Solorb suddenly spoke to me.

“Hehe, Explorer.”

“Why?”

“I discovered something that could help you.”

“I don’t know what it is, but I don’t feel like begging you to tell me where it is.”

“… .

For a moment, Solorb’s voice cut off.

It seemed like he was going to say he would tell me if I begged him desperately.

“If you regret it later, don’t say I didn’t warn you, Explorer.”

“I won’t regret it.”

“… .

A little while later, a faint beam of light descended from the sky.

It didn’t come down to where I was, but aimed straight beyond the horizon.

I casually lifted my head to look at the sky.

As expected, it was light emanating from Solorb.

‘It doesn’t seem like it’s emanating to harm someone.’

Unlike the intense light that turned the Dune Strider to ashes, this felt like warm sunlight and posed no threat whatsoever.

Then what is the reason for that light shining down?

“Solorb, what’s that light?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just that my body itches, so I let it out.”

“Um…”

I roughly guessed.

Is he subtly hinting at the location of the item he discovered?

No, this isn’t subtle; it’s outright, isn’t it?

Anyway.

If I follow Solorb’s light, I feel like I’ll find the item he mentioned.

It seemed the assistants thought the same way.

Pururu – That light clearly indicates a location. Haha
Yumi – Solorb isn’t very honest, is he?
Mysticism –
Boglebogle – Such a unique personality. Is he just quite shy?

After moving towards the direction where the light was shining for 30 minutes,

I finally arrived at the place where Solorb was sending the beam of light.

And on a sand dune, next to the gently flowing sunlight, there was a vending machine sitting there.

“What I found wasn’t a treasure, but a vending machine. Thanks for the location, Solorb.”

Solorb didn’t respond.

He was getting weirder the more I looked at him.

“Zapan!!!”

Zapan jumped off the caterpillar.

Then, he ran to the vending machine, greeting it happily.

“Hey, friend! Hello!”

It seemed he mistook it for one of his own kind.

Well, that could happen.

It did look a bit similar.

“Hey, friend! Why aren’t you answering? Say hi!”

“Zapan, it’s not a living being.”

“Zapan?! W-Wait, it’s d-dead?”

“No, it was never alive to begin with.”

I moved past Zapan to stand right in front of the vending machine.

And I checked what tickets this vending machine sells.

“… Huh? What’s this? I see a ticket I haven’t seen before.”

On the very top, a ticket for Dimension Shrine Installation caught my eye.

*

While Kang Geon was examining the vending machine,

In the high sky of the desert,

A crocodile lightly landed on the surface of Solorb.

“This place is just perfect for warming up.”

“Crocodile, don’t just come up here.”

The crocodile turned out to be the Wanderer Merchant, the Crocodile Merchant.

He slouched down on Solorb and spoke.

“Haha, please let me stay just a moment. Didn’t I set up a vending machine as you requested? Vending machines are usually created naturally, not artificially.”

“… Well, I appreciate that.”

Kang Geon couldn’t hear the conversation between the two above.

Since they were speaking in hushed tones, the sound didn’t reach the ground.

Crocodile gazed down at Kang Geon on the ground and spoke to Solorb again.

“By the way, it’s surprising. You, Solorb, fancy a specific explorer.”

“It’s not favoritism. I’m only giving a little help to the explorer who looks after my child, Bastet Daong.”

“A little help, huh… ”

It definitely seemed like excessive help.

Crocodile kept that thought to himself.

“But still, you clearly have some feelings for that explorer, right?”

“I don’t really like them. As I said, I’m just providing some assistance for Bastet.”

“Then, you have no intention of being tamed, huh?”

“That’s obvious. I don’t serve anyone.”

“Haha. Well, let’s leave it at that.”

Crocodile laughed heartily and pulled out a bottle of liquor from his pocket.

Then, with a cigarette in his mouth, he gulped down the drink.

“By the way, Crocodile, you don’t seem to weaken even with an explorer nearby.”

“… Did you just realize that? You clearly showed no interest in me. I’m hurt.”

“I had no reason to take an interest in you. Anyway, why don’t you get weakened?”

“The reason is simple. The Ancient Labyrinth revived me on the condition of bestowing upon me several tasks, one of which is to maintain the order of the labyrinth. To perform my duties smoothly, I must maintain my full strength, so my power never weakens. Oh, but there are some restrictions. I cannot harm anyone who doesn’t pose a threat to the labyrinth. If I do something the labyrinth doesn’t want, my existence will be erased.”

Crocodile drained the liquor bottle and continued.

“Just so you know, even if someone isn’t disrupting the order, I can retaliate against someone attacking me.”

“Well, that’s obvious. I can’t just sit there and take it.”

“Oh. And also, I don’t have any powers to weaken opponents. I’m not an explorer anymore.”

“I already know that. There’s no way a former explorer would keep such powers.”

Solorb then asked Crocodile a question.

“By the way… are you content with your current circumstances?”

Crocodile grabbed a new bottle of liquor and answered.

“I’m more than satisfied just to have been revived by the Ancient Labyrinth. My current life isn’t bad either. Haha.”

“I see.”

The two continued chatting for a while.

As time passed,

After finishing five bottles of liquor, Crocodile Merchant got up to leave.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“You’re just going? Since you came all the way here, sell something to the explorer.”

“That’s too much to ask. A wandering merchant is a being that explorers must find on their own. A wandering merchant doesn’t go to explorers to sell items.”

“Is that a rule set by the Ancient Labyrinth?”

“No, it’s a rule I set myself.”

“… .

“You should be satisfied with just setting up the vending machine for you.”

“… Understood.”

Crocodile Merchant placed his hat on his head.

Polite as a gentleman, he bowed to Solorb and said his goodbyes.

“I will truly be going now. I hope to see you again next time.”

“Alright. Thank you for today, Crocodile… or rather, esteemed explorer.”

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