"The place I followed Tara, the freckled beauty in the sexy sleeveless top and round glasses, into wasn’t anything grand. It was, at best, a third-rate general store."
"The shelves were lined with cheap-looking items, as if someone had scavenged parts from a junkyard and clumsily pieced them together.
Even among the rundown shops of the northern slums, this one was shoved into such a remote corner that it looked utterly unimpressive."
“Not much here that might catch your eye, but if you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask. I’ll explain everything in detail,” Tara said, casually plopping herself into the chair behind the counter and resting her chin on her hand.
Despite the shabby merchandise, her demeanor was surprisingly welcoming, a contrast that felt almost out of place."
"I gave her a slight nod and began scanning the shelves. After a short search, I picked up two items: a broken key and a small safe that could fit in the palm of my hand."
"When I brought them over to Tara, her eyes glinted momentarily behind her glasses.
Her gaze then naturally traveled up and down my body, as if sizing me up. The predatory gleam in her eyes gave me a sudden chill, like a lioness eyeing her prey."
“This... you seem like a customer who knows what they’re looking for,” she said.
“...”
“Alright, I’ll show you the way.”
"Tara’s reaction to the seemingly insignificant key and safe wasn’t unwarranted.
Bringing these items to her was essentially a signal—a way of saying I’d been referred here by someone in the know and that I was asking to see the real goods."
"With a cool and tough expression, Tara stood up and walked to one side of the store. She reached for a dusty lever mounted on the wall and pulled it with force."
Rumble.
"The ground shook slightly as the floor opened up, revealing a hidden staircase leading underground."
‘Wow, that’s seriously impressive,’ I thought, marveling at the scene.
Still, I kept my expression neutral, maintaining my composure. This wasn’t the time to let my excitement show.
"After all, I wasn’t supposed to be Yuria wearing the fox mask right now. I was a mysterious customer in a goblin mask. Acting out of character would ruin the illusion. Deep breaths. Stay calm."
“This way, please,” Tara said, brushing away the dust and leading the way down the staircase.
Tap. Tap.
"Following Tara into the underground hideout was like stepping into another world. The space was neither overly extravagant nor too sparse, but just right. It was filled with an array of mechanical devices and weaponry."
"There were binoculars that looked far from ordinary, cybernetic axes, an eight-legged cleaning robot, instruments with gun barrels attached, chairs seemingly designed for giants, and TVs that fluttered like film.
The variety was astounding—mechanical creations spanning all fields casually strewn around the room."
"Even the subtle LED lighting from the ceiling and the faint mist rising from the floor added to the atmosphere, making the place feel like the ultimate secret base filled with dreams and aspirations."
‘Wow... is this heaven? If I had enough money, I’d buy everything I could get my hands on.’
"The sheer allure of the place had me swallowing my saliva involuntarily.
It was so captivating that I could easily imagine laying down a blanket and spending days just playing with each item here."
"I approached a nearby shelf holding a gun without a visible magazine.
As I got closer, I noticed hastily scribbled writing on the side of the gun."
[This gun operates on electricity. Do not use underwater! Charger and battery included.]
‘Looks like this isn’t something a water-dwelling species would use easily.’
"Admiring Tara’s neat handwriting, I checked the price tag on the electric gun."
“...!”
"The number left me momentarily speechless."
"Wait, what? This price makes no sense. This thing costs as much as several months of part-time work at my office!"
"The number on the tag was so absurdly out of reach that I couldn’t help but gasp, as if I’d been doused in cold water."
"The greed that had been welling up in my chest evaporated instantly.
I realized that even if I poured every last penny I had into it, I couldn’t afford most of the items in this store."
"Financial reality sure is the fastest and most effective way to snap back to reason.
With my common sense back in place, I glanced at Tara, who was quietly seated in the corner."
‘Still... most of the items here seem to be worth their price. After all, opportunities to buy from a mechanic of her caliber aren’t exactly common.’
"I quietly recalled what little I knew about Tara from the original story.
Tara was a rare pure-blooded human, even in Night Haven."
"Her store might be labeled a general store, but it was more accurately a mechanic’s shop.
If Greg’s antique shop was about sentimental purchases, Tara’s store was where you could buy or sell anything mechanical."
"She used to be a renowned mechanical expert in Germany, crafting all kinds of devices.
However, a betrayal by someone she considered family framed her as a criminal, forcing her to flee to Night Haven."
"Unable to clear up the misunderstanding, she eventually settled in the northern slums, where she used her skills to repair and sell salvaged machinery."
"And, in the end, she took in a young orphan and raised him, only for him to confess his love to her later. They ended up together in a wholesome reverse age-gap romance.
Well, good for them. Wishing them a happy life together."
"While Tara’s backstory was compelling, it wasn’t my main concern.
The critical points were these two facts:"
"First, Tara is a skilled mechanic running a modest business, relying on regular customers for income.
Second, among the items she sells, there is a communicator that’s affordable even for someone like me!"
‘Wait... this one! This is it!’
"After meticulously combing through the shelves, I finally spotted what I was looking for: a flat, touch-screen communicator. Its design was familiar and straightforward."
"Why was I searching for something so ordinary-looking? The answer was simple—the price tag."
"The communicator was in pristine condition, its screen unblemished and its design sleek enough to pass for a new model.
However, its price was nearly a third of what similar devices would normally cost."
"No matter how used it might be, a discount this steep was suspicious.
The product description confirmed my suspicions—it was marked as defective, prone to occasional inexplicable bugs despite its flawless exterior and functionality."
"But for me, this was perfect. This little device was my ticket to bypassing the identity issue, and at a reasonable price no less."
"With confidence, I took the communicator and handed it to Tara, who had been observing me casually from her seat."
“Oh, that one... is one enough? It’s just the communicator itself, so you’ll need to find an illegal chip on the black market to set up the connection.”
“...!”
“If that’s fine with you, well... it’s still a communicator, so I’ll box it up for you.”
Rustle, rustle.
"Tara neatly packed the communicator and its components into a clean-looking box.
I handed her the cash Raven had given me and accepted the box in return."
"A simple, no-nonsense transaction. No haggling, no drama.
I clutched the box tightly to my chest, turning on my heels and preparing to leave as if I had no further business here."
‘Hehe, I can’t wait to open this up at home. This is exciting!’
"My heart was already racing with anticipation, and I couldn’t help but grin."
"Just as I started heading up the stairs, a faint crackling noise reached my ears."
‘What’s that sound?’
"I looked in the direction of the noise and saw Tara frowning slightly, her brow creased."
“...?”
“It’s nothing. Seems like someone’s here. Take your time going up.”
“...!”
‘I was already planning to leave anyway.’
"I shook my head lightly and quickly made my way up the stairs."
"Tara’s store ran on a small and trustworthy customer base. If my presence caused unnecessary rumors, it would be bad for business. I had already gotten what I came for, so there was no reason to linger."
"As I hurried out of the basement, Tara followed behind me and pulled the lever to seal the hidden stairs again.
The floor shifted back into place, concealing the entrance to the underground room."
"But I couldn’t focus on the secret staircase anymore. My attention was drawn to the commotion outside the store."
"A voice I vaguely recognized filtered through the door.
‘No way... is that who I think it is?’"
“Why won’t you let me in? Got something you don’t want me to see in there?”
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
“N-no, it’s nothing like that! I-I just... she’s busy right now!”
“Busy enough to take other customers but not me? What’s with this discrimination? I’m feeling really hurt here.”
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
"The low male voice, now overly familiar to me, sounded almost like second nature at this point.
But what on earth is he doing here?"
"After confirming the staircase was well-hidden, I opened the door slightly.
Standing there, leaning nonchalantly, was a man with jet-black hair."
"...."
“Oh. Uh... hello?”
‘As if I wouldn’t recognize you, idiot.’
"No matter how much he tried to feign ignorance, it was blatantly obvious he had been following me. Raven’s casual demeanor made me shut my eyes in exasperation."
‘How long has he been tailing me? And how did he manage to track me down so seamlessly?’
"In front of someone for whom my goblin mask disguise was utterly useless, I couldn’t help but sigh."