Chapter 40: The Journey through the Ashen Realm

-Desires”

Among the players of Banhyogok, the Wandering Merchant was a fan-favorite NPC.

Aside from being one of the two NPCs who would buy trash items, her snappy attitude and unexpected charm gained her significant popularity.

“Demon Ash? Ew! Why would you carry something so gross? Disgusting.”

“Water Ghost Membrane? Venom Sacs? Ugh, sticky! What are you, some kind of pervert collecting these things?”

“Wow, a pretty stone! I want this! How about 100 Soul Points? What? Why is this 100 times more expensive than ash? Because I feel like it, duh!”

Compared to other standard shop NPCs that repeated lifeless lines like “This item costs this much. Thank you for shopping with us,” the Wandering Merchant stood out as one of the rare refreshing elements in Banhyogok.

Intentionally crafted as a healing NPC by Shimilar Corp, the Wandering Merchant became a cult phenomenon during the game’s heyday.

Some players even dedicated themselves to obsessing over her character.

– What are they even doing?

– (This isn’t a paused screen.)

– Ugh, I really thought the game lagged for a second. LOL

But now, as Muguengeomgyeok encountered the Wandering Merchant in the Underworld, she wasn’t in business mode.

She didn’t urge Muguengeomgyeok to sell anything.

Likewise, since Muguengeomgyeok didn’t know she was a merchant, there was no attempt to trade.

“7.”

“?”

Like two owls meeting in the wild, the two simply tilted their heads at each other in confusion.

– Say something!!

– Muguengeomgyeok follows the silent monk concept, remember?

– But who is this concept even for?!

– What if she can’t talk and can’t use the shop because of it? LOL

– Double the cuteness? That’s impossible to resist.

– Wandering Merchant × Muguengeomgyeok fan comics incoming! Calling it now.

– You’re the one drawing it, aren’t you?

– What gave me away? Well, now that you’ve guessed…

– Reporting you to the broadcasting authorities.

– Pleading for mercy!

Had this been before she met the Human-Faced Spider, Muguengeomgyeok might have instinctively attacked, treating any yokai as an enemy.

However, having learned firsthand that even yokai could become allies, she felt no hostility towards the wide-eyed yokai girl blinking innocently before her.

– Wait, Muguengeomgyeok… didn’t attack?

– Is this another potential survivor?

– Not really; the Human-Faced Spider didn’t survive either.

– Wow, true.

– Run, Wandering Merchant! Every NPC around her ends up dead!

LOL but also, why does that feel tragic?

– You monster! Taking our mascot, the Human-Faced Spider, wasn’t enough? Now you’re coming for the Wandering Merchant too?!

The awkward silence was broken, as expected, by the Wandering Merchant.

[Hey, isn’t it dangerous? Humans wandering around here will die in no time, you know?]

“…”

[Can’t figure out what’s on your mind. If you’ve got nothing better to do, want to help me out?]

A set of interaction options appeared before Muguengeomgyeok.

[Interaction Choices]
[The Wandering Merchant asks for your help. What will you do?]

1. Assist with the excavation work.
2. Pretend to help but steal her belongings.
3. (Kill the defenseless yokai.)

Assisting, deceiving, or slaying.

Faced with the three choices, Muguengeomgyeok made her decision.

[▶ Assist with the excavation work.]

Descending into the ash-filled pit, she reached out and began pulling out random items.

[Broken Frog Statue]
[Torn Cloth Garment]
[Faded Seashell]
[Slippery Lotion Bottle]
[Broken Signboard]

Each time her hand emerged from the ash, it revealed yet another bizarre item.

– What even are these?! LOL

– Wait, has the merchant been selling this garbage all along?

– OMG, LOL!

– Why do I feel irrationally upset about this?!

– Is it trash? It’s just trash, right?

As viewers eagerly anticipated the Wandering Merchant scolding Muguengeomgyeok for bringing her junk, their expectations were subverted.

Instead, the Wandering Merchant’s face lit up with excitement as she assessed each item’s value.

[The statue? 15 Soul Points! The torn clothes? 3 Soul Points! The seashell? 80 Soul Points! Lotion bottle? 40 Soul Points! The signboard? 5 Soul Points!]

Rather than discarding any of it, the Wandering Merchant cheerfully swept everything into her massive sack.

[You’re pretty good at treasure hunting, human.]

“……”

[But you’re still a hundred years too early to catch up with me. Ta-da~!]

With great pride, the Wandering Merchant pulled something out of the ashes:

[A Machine That Turns Paper into Paper Airplanes]
[A Pack of 100 A4 Sheets]

It was an intriguing toy.

– Why is something like that even under all that ash? LOL

– HOW?? How did she even find that?!

– Seriously, how did she do it? LOL

Even Hae Eung Eung, who usually stayed impassive, clapped her hands in genuine admiration as if watching a magic show.

[Impressive, isn’t it? Impressive? Ahem. That’s the expertise of a true merchant.]

Hae Eung Eung stared intently at the paper. With just a pen, communication through writing would become much easier within Banhyogok.

[Under the ash of the Underworld, you’ll find all sorts of fascinating things like this.]

“…”

[So, I was thinking… Hey, human. Want to become my assistant?]

“?”

[It’s not every day you get the chance to be an assistant to the Wandering Merchant.]

She wasn’t wrong. Until now, no player had ever received such an offer from the merchant.

On the contrary, players often begged to work with her. In the treacherous lands of Banhyogok, many desperately sought the companionship of a friendly NPC.

Yet the responses were always the same: cold and dismissive.

– An assistant? A human carrying weird trash? Ew, no way.

– No thanks. All the junk you bring is terrible. Stay away from me.

– You’ll just bring disgusting things like half-demon claws or skin pieces. I don’t need an assistant like that!

Considering how unimpressed the Wandering Merchant usually was with loot sold to her by players, it was no surprise she rejected every plea.

– Wait, was becoming her assistant not just a red herring?

– And now someone actually unlocked the hidden class?! LOL

– Hidden Class Exclusive Skill: (Adorable Trash Collector)

– LOL, but if it means you get to travel with the cutest Wandering Merchant, who cares about picking up trash?!

– Volunteering to collect trash in exchange for traveling with the top-tier cute merchant? Totally worth it.

– Guys, remember our mascot is the Human-Faced Spider!

– Are we just abandoning the Human-Faced Spider now?

– Shut up. If you had to choose between the Wandering Merchant and the Human-Faced Spider, who would you pick?

– The Wandering Merchant, obviously.

– Wandering Merchant.

– No contest.

– LOL; she’s a cute girl, while the other is an old lady spider.

The chance to fulfill the dreams of countless viewers simply by nodding.

Yet, instead of nodding, Muguengeomgyeok shook her head side to side.

[Why?! Think it over again. If you become my assistant, I’ll make sure you earn plenty of Soul Points.]

[You know Soul Points are the currency of yokai, right? With enough Soul Points, there’s nothing you can’t buy.]

[I’ll even provide room and board.]

[And if mean yokai ever trouble you, I can chase them away for you!]

For someone desperate to upgrade their gear or lacking the strength to face yokai, it would have been an irresistible offer.

But Hae Eung Eung, having gained sufficient strength and honed her skills through her own methods, didn’t waver.

[▷ Declined the recruitment offer.]

Despite the Wandering Merchant’s repeated proposals, her decision didn’t change.

[Somehow, I thought you might say that. Most people are too focused on finding food or gear to even consider anything else.]

“67.”

[Bet you didn’t know. This ash-filled pit often gives you exactly what you need if you reach in.]

The Wandering Merchant tapped the machine that turned paper into airplanes with her palm.

[Yokai love toys. That’s why toys are the most expensive. In contrast, things like weapons or food that humans often seek? Totally useless.]

[They’re already strong enough without weapons, and food is abundant wherever they go.]

Hae Eung Eung’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected such a clever mechanic to be hidden here.

If what the Wandering Merchant said was true, then the items she pulled out earlier must have been things she subconsciously desired.

[Broken Frog Statue]
[Torn Cloth Garment]
[Faded Seashell]
[Slippery Lotion Bottle]
[Broken Signboard]

‘What on earth did I want these for?’

The Wandering Merchant pulled the items from her sack and laid them out.

[Look closely. Something might jog your memory.]

Among the excavated junk, Hae Eung Eung’s gaze fell on the broken signboard.

Faintly engraved with Chinese characters, the writing shocked her.

[Haenampa, 70 km Southwest]

It was a remnant of modern civilization, left behind by predecessors who had been dragged into Banhyogok as part of the “Murim Memoir” project.

[The Royal Palace’s Toad Figurine]
[The Senior Disciple’s Bloodstained Cloth]
[The Shell of Memories]
[A Souvenir Bought in the Marketplace]

The items she unearthed all carried traces of her time in the Martial World.

Mementos of moments long past, memories she thought she could never revisit, appeared before her once again, albeit in clumsy forms after the passage of time.

The mute swordsman gazed at the excavated items with a mix of emotions.

Noticing her complex expression, the wandering merchant spoke again.

[Human, the treasures you seek may not be valuable in monetary terms, but they are truly unique.]

[I’m sure if we stick together, we’ll eventually uncover some truly amazing treasures.]

[And who knows? You might even find a treasure as incredible as my infinite pouch.]

An amazing treasure.

The first thing that came to her mind was the Inner Pill of the Solar Blossom, the only elixir hailed as a cure for the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

She reached into the pit once again, feeling around for something round. Excitement surged as her fingers brushed against an object, and she quickly pulled her hand out.

Instead of the Inner Pill of the Solar Blossom, however, a golden fish-shaped pastry landed in her hand.

“…”

When she broke it open, she found sweet red bean paste evenly distributed inside.

– What the heck, she fished out a taiyaki from the trash heap? Lol
– Master angler confirmed, lmao.
– Why is there taiyaki in there?! 😂
– She must’ve really wanted some taiyaki.
– Guess she’s a taiyaki fan?

[Hmm? Pulling out food feels like a letdown.]

The wandering merchant frowned, skeptical of the result.

Dusting off her hands, she stood up, signaling the end of her search.

The mute swordsman had hoped to find something like a brush pen to communicate better by writing, but the merchant shook her head.

[This place is out of energy.]

[Nothing else can be found here anymore.]

With a crunching sound, the pit suddenly caved in, sinking deeper.

As the bottomless darkness of the abyss revealed itself, the merchant explained,

[This is the Paradise of Ash. Once teeming with natural energy, its qi has long been depleted. Now, it’s a realm on the brink of extinction.]

[All the powerful yokai have fled to the human world in search of survival. Only charming merchants like me and the dying remnants of yokai remain here.]

[I don’t know how you ended up in such a place, but you’d better leave soon, or things might get dire.]

Grateful for the sincere advice, the mute swordsman performed a martial salute to express her thanks.

The merchant smiled brightly in response.

[If you had agreed to become my assistant, we could’ve left together, but oh well, can’t force it.]

[Try heading to the highest palace in the Paradise. It should contain plenty of relics left behind by the Yokai King, including a scroll called the Sanhwa Sajikdo (Map of Mountains and Rivers).]

[With that scroll, you should be able to return to the human world.]

The highest palace and the Sanhwa Sajikdo.

Finally, a clear objective emerged in this desolate yokai realm.

[Of course, it won’t be easy. The yokai who’ve clung to this realm are all vying for the Yokai King’s relics.]

[Since the realm is collapsing, their powers are diminished, but don’t underestimate them.]

With her bundle securely tied, the merchant prepared to leave.

At the same time, a final interaction window appeared before the mute swordsman.

[Final Interaction Choices]
[For the kind yokai girl preparing to leave the realm, you…]

1. Become the wandering merchant’s assistant (recruit companion).
2. Ask if there’s a specific treasure she’s looking for (unlock hidden event).
3. Inquire further about the Yokai King (unlock hidden event).
4. Silently bid her farewell.
5. Steal her bundle.
6. Launch a surprise attack.

Grateful for the merchant’s help, the mute swordsman chose to repay the favor.

Her code as a martial artist dictated that grudges be repaid twofold and kindness tenfold.

[▶Ask if there’s a specific treasure she’s looking for.]

The merchant nibbled on her finger, deep in thought, before exclaiming as if she had just remembered something.

[Oh, there is one!]

[I need the Mirror of Tranquil Reflection. It’s an artifact that stabilizes yokai or half-yokai tainted by corruption.]

[Not for me—I’m fine. But my younger sibling is in danger.]

[Unlike me, my sibling wasn’t so lucky.]

[They became a half-yokai, stuck between human and yokai.]

[The Great Yokai promised that if I collect enough souls, they’d turn my sibling into a full yokai. But honestly, I don’t trust them much.]

Her selfless concern for her sibling brought a small smile to the mute swordsman’s lips.

[If you bring me the mirror, I’ll give you all the souls I’ve collected!]

[Soul orbs can strengthen your lineage or be used for trading with yokai. They’ll be a huge help, so make sure to find the mirror, okay?]

After nodding in agreement, the wandering merchant waved her oversized sleeve, departing on her way.

[If luck is on our side, we might meet again! Let’s reunite in the human world next time!]

Her casual request to repay kindness turned into a straightforward quest update.

For the audience, however, the information revealed was earth-shattering.

– Wait, she’s getting all the wandering merchant’s souls?! Isn’t that in the tens of millions?
– Wow, from defeating a mob, you’d only get 1 to 10 souls. Tens of millions in one go?!
– Forget that! The Mirror of Tranquil Reflection is a game-breaking item!
– If you use that, wouldn’t it reset corruption to 0%?
– Whoa, that’s true.

Players, who had no choice but to rely on their yokai bloodline to make up for physical limitations, could now see a path to non-yokai endings.

With the mirror, they could attempt human or half-yokai endings without needing a perfect, no-hit playthrough like the mute swordsman.

– Yeah, the mirror’s healing effects are insane. Lol
– But how are we supposed to get it?
– Oh…
– ^^;
– Welp.

Although it was technically designed as a newbie-friendly item, acquiring it required clearing the infamous Great Forest and defeating its hidden boss—just to unlock the starting point of the quest.

For all but the most skilled players, it was a dream beyond reach.