'Shit.'
I blinked, a cold, dull shock rippling through my sleep-deprived brain…
"I-Is it over for us?"
"..."
"N-No… oh no oh no…"
"It's okay. We still have other ways…"
I turned my head.
The high schooler was fidgeting with something.
A receipt. Or rather, the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau's leaflet in disguise. Most likely the same paper he found when he called for help.
'Why's he…?'
Was he trying to look for advice?
But instead of reading it, he was peeling something off the paper. Then he tried to put it in his mouth…
"…!!"
I slapped the high schooler's hand away.
"Ah!"
I pried his fingers open and snatched what was inside. He struggled, but I ignored it.
"Don't—!"
…A white capsule-shaped pill.
'I know this…'
The Bureau once included these pills with the guide sheets for high-level ghost stories…
Euthanasia pills.
If it becomes unbearably painful, please take the enclosed capsule.
We guarantee you a comfortable end.
My worst fear was right.
'Damn it, damn it, damn it!'
So this was in the leaflet he found.
"S-Sorry."
He was crying as he spoke.
"I… I just can't do this anymore. I don't want to get put through that blender. I'm so scared and dizzy, I just can't… I'd rather die comfortably…"
I couldn't breathe.
"I'm sorry. Am I being selfish because I'm the only one wanting peace? If… if half a pill is enough to kill someone, we could split it—?"
"No."
I gritted my teeth at his panicked rambling, then forced myself to smile reassuringly as I patted his arm.
"It's going to be okay. There's still a way out."
"H-How, exactly?! We've spent three days now unable to sleep, eat, or do anything…"
"We can do this."
I grabbed him firmly.
"Up until now, we believed the store would reopen soon, so we tried to stay as safe as possible. If it's not opening any time soon, there are other methods."
"R-Really?"
"Yes."
It was true.
…As long as I made one decision.
—Abandon Agent Bronze.
Forget any worry that he won't escape because he's looking for us, any pressure that we need to confirm each other's survival, any hope that we can get help from him.
Throw it all away.
Anyway, the record showed that Agent Bronze did manage to escape on his own.
…It's just that, he would fail to rescue the civilians.
'The idea that he might also save the civilian who went with him is… fantasy.'
Time to snap out of it.
I decided to do everything I could with my capabilities.
'If the two of us have to wait until the store reopens…'
My priorities shifted swiftly. After three days of stewing over it, I already had the next plan ready.
"We're going up."
"Huh…?"
"Don't take that pill. Put this in your mouth instead—just keep it in there, all right?"
I handed the high schooler a Nostalgia Candy.
A strange item that would revert you to your best physical condition.
"Wow…!"
The moment he popped it in his mouth, the high schooler's expression changed.
"M-My leg— It's fine now!"
"Think of it as letting it melt slowly. It only works while you're holding it in your mouth."
"Yes…!"
He stood up, face bright with excitement. Even his mental state seemed to revert to its best condition.
I half expected him to ask why I hadn't given it to him sooner, but apparently he was too thrilled about his miraculous recovery to think of that.
"So, the third floor is the top level, right? Is there some escape route up there? We can get out if we go there? Are we escaping now?"
"We're going up there to prepare for an escape."
And also—
"The third floor isn't the highest floor."
"…Huh?"
"Sometimes you'll find a door that leads above the third floor."
But—
"The— The leaflet said not to go up there…"
That was correct.
This supermarket has three floors above ground and one basement level.
To reiterate: Do not trust any emergency exit leading to a 'fourth floor'. The fourth floor is not part of this supermarket.
Looky Mart's fourth floor.
A gimmick that's practically a meme in the
'It's a keyword that screams 'missing'.'
Headed up to the fourth floor.
The sentence ends there, and everyone vanishes.
No matter how intense or gripping their exploration was before that, it wouldn't matter. It's like they become entranced, and poof! They'd disappear without explanation.
All the more frightening because nobody ever wrote why they'd go missing, or what's actually on the fourth floor.
It's an unspoken agreement—even in the case that covered a disappearance in the most detail, that part would always be missing.
I recalled one particular entry.
The agent who realized the rescue targets were all dead and decided to challenge it.
/ Start of recording
Agent Choi : So, I'm on the third floor, and I've just found a door leading to the fourth floor.
Agent Choi : I'm only going to open it a little. I'm not crazy, okay? But we can't just leave that place alone, right? Isn't it recorded that nearly a hundred people have gone missing after going upstairs?
(The agent rambles on with personal excuses and parting words considered to be a will.)
Agent Choi : All right, I'm opening the door to the fourth floor now. And… it's open. Ta-da!
(Sound of door opening, footsteps entering, door closing in quick succession.)
Agent Choi : Looks normal enough, just some old emergency exit… There's a staircase… Nothing unusual… The exit door's still there.
(He observes for a few more minutes—no anomalies.)
Agent Choi : Great. I'm heading up now.
(Echoing footsteps. Presumably the sound of someone climbing up the stairs.)
Agent Choi : Let's see… The exit's still… Oh. …It's gone now. So I've got no choice but to keep going. Off I go!
(Footsteps continue for 30 seconds.)
Agent Choi : Whew… Made it. Fourth floor door.
Agent Choi : Looks like nothing special on the outside. It's just a metal door.
Agent Choi : …Alright, I'm opening it now.
(Sound of a metal door opening. At the same time, Lucky Mart's jingle starts playing.)
Agent Choi : Huh?
(The jingle grows louder, shifts in tone.)
Agent Choi : W-Wait.
(A cacophony that defies description. Deafening roars, bizarre howls, noise like wind filling a void, rain, balloons rubbing, bursting sounds, 12 unidentifiable noises, and ■■■ ■■.)
Agent Choi : (silence)
Agent Choi : Welcome to Looky Mart!
Nothing of note recorded in the next 24 hours. When the battery died, the recording ended.
The agent's recorder was later found in the electronics section on the third floor of Looky Mart.
"..."
It's the kind of record that'd make you vow never to open that emergency door leading to the fourth floor.
But.
"Don't worry. Once we find the door, I'll show you what to do."
That's our destination.
"...Okay."
Whether because of the trust built over three days or from witnessing the mysterious power of the Nostalgia Candy, the high schooler obediently nodded.
"Let's move quietly."
-x-X-x-
We left the second-floor food court.
Then we carefully climbed the stopped escalator. To avoid being noticed by any employees, we even took off our shoes and went barefoot, moving as silently as possible.
We stopped talking.
Step by careful step, in total silence, cold sweat trickling down our backs.
And finally, upon reaching the third floor…
"Ah..."
Something was off.
Originally, in the old Lucky Mart, the third floor was said to be used for limited-time deals.
Different themed promotional stands would rotate daily with various discounts on display.
But what we saw now was…
"W-What is this…?"
That display was repeated endlessly.
An endless supermarket.
If floors 1 and 2 simply re-created Lucky Mart's past, making it feel eerie, then from the third floor onward, the space stretched out infinitely in a bizarre manner.
So far, 3,611 event stalls have been reported on the supermarket's third floor, covering an area of 232 km².
Always confirm your starting point.
If you lose your way, you may never find the escalator leading down again.
A giant maze, like stepping into the mad blueprint or painting of a deranged mind, where infinite lines of stands and special displays repeated, perfect for driving someone insane.
On the other hand, that meant it was easier to evade or hide from employees.
Some parts of the supermarket supposedly went months without a single employee appearing.
'It's also good for secretly stealing food or necessities…'
…If you give up on escaping, that is.
So that's likely where countless missing persons were scattered.
Perhaps Agent Bronze too.
"..."
"..."
"Stick to the wall. If you see the emergency door, let me know right away."
"Y-Yes…!"
We pressed ourselves against the back wall of the escalator and moved slowly, entering that dizzying path of endless display racks.
In the dim store, lit only by emergency lights after closing, corner after corner repeated among the shelving.
[Camping Gear Sale]
[Winter Season Outlet Event]
[Housewarming Gift Specials]
[Sell Your Flesh at Looky Mart]
[Spring Cleaning Kitchenware Super Sale]
Soon, the signs turned increasingly disturbing. Each time I saw one of those stalls or signs, I'd turn away and choose another path.
For about half an hour, we crossed from one stall to another, confirming the escalator's location and how far it was to us.
Then, I heard a faint noise.
Some dull, distant sound from beyond the next set of shelves.
– ...
I quickened my pace.
Bit by bit, the noise became more distinct, until at last…
– Huh? Is someone there…?
"Huh?"
The high schooler jerked his head up.
– Who's there? Need some help?
A voice calling from far away.
"That's… another person…"
"Shh."
I crouched down with the high schooler and whispered a quiet warning.
"It might not be human."
"…!"
"And… even if it is a human being, if they've been here a while, are they still… normal?"
"…!!"
No way they could be in their right mind.
That possibility was unbelievably slim.
And the fact that they had such a friendly tone.
'That's dangerous.'
It was scarier if it was a human being.
– Hey! You there, you're a person, right? I can help you.
We started running, hugging the wall. The friendly-sounding voice kept calling out:
– If I keep talking, the employees might come. I know a way out. I can help you.
Sweat beaded on the back of the high schooler's neck. I kept moving, gauging the distance to that voice.
– Hurry. You don't want an employee seeing you.
'Shit.'
Should I try to subdue them, even briefly? But then, if employees really showed up… Right, if it's an actual person, maybe letting them get snatched by an employee before they reach us is best.
Just keep moving… Wait a second.
'That…'
Suddenly, as I lifted my head, something came into view along the wall we were following.
A metal door.
A green-lit emergency exit. And…
A sign.
[ 3F ↗ 4F ]
"Th-That…!"
There it was.
The emergency exit leading to the fourth floor.
I immediately ran over and grabbed the metal handle. Then, in a rush, I gave the high schooler a crucial warning.
"Whatever you do, do not go up those stairs."
"Huh?"
"After we open the door and step in, stand right there—don't move. Got it? Don't ever move from that spot."
The high schooler nodded, fear in his eyes.
Alright.
This was my theory.
Agent Choi : Looks normal enough, just some old emergency exit… There's a staircase… Nothing unusual… The exit door's still there.
'…But once he started going up the stairs, the door suddenly disappeared, right?'
So, if you put it another way.
—If we don't climb the stairs, the door on the third floor won't vanish.
Because we hadn't actually left the third floor yet.
And if that guess was correct, this spot was safer than anywhere else.
'There's no record of employees climbing to the fourth floor.'
Because that floor wasn't part of the supermarket.
So, the space inside the emergency exit leading to the fourth floor would remain a safe zone only people could enter.
That would simplify everything.
'I can even use the food I stored in my tattoo there.'
Because once we go through this door, it's no longer part of the supermarket.
We can stay on the stair landing and check outside at 10 o'clock each day to see if business has resumed.
'It's the safest bet we have.'
Trying to escape with an injured high schooler without an infinite supply of Nostalgia Candies… This was our best shot.
No matter how terrifying the rumors of the fourth floor were, we just had to push through.
I gritted my teeth and opened the metal door.
Screeeak.
It made the exact noise described in the records, revealing an old staircase inside.
"Let's go, and be careful."
"Y-Yeah…!"
We went in together. And to prevent any unforeseen incidents, I tore out a scrap of paper from my notepad and wedged it between the door so it wouldn't fully close.
From the outside, no one would notice it was open.
'Phew.'
That should help us evade that crazy person chasing from behind.
And just as I was taking a breath—
"A-Agent Grapes…!"
The high schooler tugged on my arm in a shaky voice…
While pointing upwards.
"Look…!"
Up the stairs.
I felt a chill and raised my head.
Someone was standing inside the staircase to the fourth floor.
A pale-faced woman with sunken eyes and short hair.
"…A h-human!"
Go Yeongeun.
My batchmate who's a former med student.
"..."
'…What?'
My brain couldn't process what the hell was going on.
But then I noticed what she was wearing.
A metal badge pinned to her collar, the official identification for Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau agents.
'Ah.'
Words from my memory resurfaced.
– Two agents who went in earlier are currently in a short-term missing status within this Disaster.
Agent Bronze mentioned it earlier.
There were two missing agents.
"…!"
And one of them happened to be my fellow spy who'd infiltrated the Bureau as a new recruit.
Go Yeongeun.
Go Yeongeun was one of my more level-headed colleagues.
That much was certain. Even when we woke up on that deranged subway during the company's entrance test, and later when we escaped the psychotic art exhibit that involved plucking out visitors' eyes, she never lost her composure.
But right now, seeing Go Yeongeun at the stairs leading to the 'fourth floor', the source of so many disappearance stories in this bizarre supermarket…
"Sh-She's a real human being, right…?"
She was too calm.
Despite the high schooler's startled cries, her pale face didn't flinch.
No words.
No expression.
She just stood on the stairs, looking down at us…
Wait.
'…She's standing on the landing?'
Wait, that's—
Didn't the door to the third floor vanish the moment someone started going up the stairs, making it impossible to get back?
Then…
'How long has she been there…?'
No, more importantly.
'Why… is she here?'
Sure, Go Yeongeun could be one of the two agents who entered earlier. The mention of 'two missing' was a clue already. The Bureau typically sent out agents either individually or in pairs, so two usually means a senior-newcomer pair.
But here she was, a new recruit, on the stairs to the fourth floor. Alone, with no senior agent in sight.
And presumably for at least a week…
"..."
A foreboding sense of dread prickled up my spine.
"Agent?"
No reply.
"Miss… Goral?"
Go Yeongeun's lips parted.
"Welcome to Looky Mart!"
I immediately shoved the high schooler behind me and reached for the door.
"Agent."
"We appreciate your business, dear customer!"
Expressionless, the figure stumbled down the stairs.
It was Go Yeongeun.
Or rather, something that looked like Go Yeongeun… acting like an employee.
'Shit…!'
I was about to fling the door open and drag the high schooler out, when I realized something odd.
'The sound.'
There was no squeaking.
…And she wasn't dressed in a uniform—still wearing her Bureau attire.
So…
'Contaminated…?'
I looked again.
The shape of Go Yeongeun—a clearly human figure—was descending the stairs.
"Hold the door handle."
"Huh, what?!"
I lunged forward, pinning Go Yeongeun as she stepped onto the landing.
"…!!"
"Welcome… to Looky Mart…"
Okay.
She still had a human body.
Which meant…!
Holding her shoulder down with one hand, I reached into the tattoo on my wrist with the other, pulling out the last of my Blue Soda Churros.
Then I shoved it into Go Yeongeun's open mouth as best I could.
"!"
She didn't even resist. She just kept trying to walk and recite the same line. In the process, her teeth moved naturally, crushing part of the churro, at least enough for it to go down her throat.
Sweating all over, I watched…
And, moments later.
"Gueeeeh!"
Go Yeongeun retched violently, spewing a deluge of water.
I patted her back. The stair landing was soon slick with inky-black fluid.
It wasn't quite enough to drown in like my month on Braun's talk show… but it was nonetheless bizarre enough to make the high schooler recoil in horror.
Finally, she vomited a bluish liquid, slumped, and I caught her.
"Hurrk, huhk, huuu…"
"Agent."
I called out to my colleague.
"...!"
Her eyes, now aware, shifted to me.
They dilated. She started trembling uncontrollably.
"…Mr. R-Roe Deer."
She'd come back to her senses.
She responded to being called 'Agent', and she was alert enough now to the fact that we were inside a ghost story, so she addressed me by my alias instead.
'Thank goodness…'
"U-Urgh!!"
"…?!"
She suddenly tried to crawl back up the stairs again, and I grabbed her in a panic.
"Huhuh—Ugh, damn this supermarket! Even the hallucinations look real! Ack!"
"..."
"I-I won't be fooled! Mr. Roe Deer's dead…"
Ah.
Right.
"Hey, I'm not dead. Agent."
"…?!"
"I got assigned to the same job as you."
"?!"
It took another few dozen minutes to convince Go Yeongeun—who believed I'd died during my month-long disappearance—that I was very much alive, and had re-entered as a spy…
"Th-Thank you… Thanks to you, I survived…"
"No, don't mention it."
Fortunately, once Go Yeongeun regained her composure, she cross-checked a few details with me and accepted the situation.
Though trying to explain everything without giving the high schooler weird intel was… a different level of difficulty.
Looking at the now-empty churros wrapper, I felt a strange mix of emotions.
'The churros… They're really something else.'
I hadn't paid it much attention before, because everything in Braun's Late-Night Talk Show happened so crazily fast. But if it could clear contamination in a single go like that, it was an unbelievably powerful item.
'In the context of Dark Exploration Records… it's almost too good to be true.'
Anyway, the priority right now was escaping this deranged supermarket. Still, I felt a bit more confident now that another person had joined, especially because it was a colleague I could actually rely on.
So, first, I needed to confirm something.
I stepped aside and clearly showed Go Yeongeun the door leading back to the third floor of the supermarket.
"Can you see the entrance?"
"..."
Go Yeongeun nodded.
"Yes."
Phew.
"Rather, I can't see the door itself, but I do see light coming through a gap. …If someone opens it for me, I think I could get out."
"That's good enough."
The moment I let out a little sigh of relief, Go Yeongeun lifted a hand to cover her face.
"But… I can't leave the supermarket anyway."
"Huh?"
"…I damaged merchandise."
"…! That's okay. We're outside the supermarket here, so unless you were seen eating something in there—"
"No, I broke stuff in the supermarket and got caught."
"..."
"It wasn't me, exactly—it was another agent—but I guess they treated us as equally responsible."
I fell silent, then asked,
"Where is that senior agent now?"
"He's dead."
"..."
"Or at least, I'm assuming he is… He went up that staircase."
Go Yeongeun pointed up the stairs.
"His family had disappeared here, apparently. Their last trace ended on the fourth floor… so he came here specifically intending to go up there."
"..."
"I mean, is he crazy? If he wants to die, go alone. Why drag me along just when I—ah."
"..."
"Anyway, I stayed here while covering my ears. But the moment he opened the door to the fourth floor… I still heard it."
The jingle.
And not long after… she ended up acting like an 'employee'.
"..."
"Um, pardon me."
"Call me Grapes."
"Right. Agent Grapes."
Go Yeongeun rubbed her face, then looked up. Her expression was more composed.
"There's no hope for me anyway, so if you two plan on leaving, I'll at least serve as a decoy. I got trapped and contaminated here, almost starved… that's the least I could—"
"No."
After a moment's hesitation, I stepped back and pulled the high schooler forward.
"Huh? Agent…?"
"Actually, we could really use your help. …He has an injured ankle."
"Ah."
We barely managed to persuade the nervous high schooler to take the candy out of his mouth for a moment. Then I handed over the emergency first-aid kit I'd brought, and Go Yeongeun treated his ankle with skill twenty times more professional than mine.
"But if he goes back to eating that candy afterward, won't this be kind of pointless? The candy…"
"Just keep the splint on for a few hours anyway."
With his stamina and composure drained, the high schooler returned to a state of near-panic, so he needed some coaxing.
I took out my bargaining chip.
"Let's eat this first."
"…!! F-Food…!"
The high schooler's eyes went wide as saucers.
The instant meals I whipped out vanished in seconds, shared among the three of us.
'We can finally eat these now that we're technically outside the supermarket.'
Back in the food court, we could only eat 'safe' foods, so I'd never dared bring these out. Even then, I only chose items without a strong smell, just in case.
Honestly, I've never eaten this fast in my life.
I polished off a carton of UHT milk in about two seconds, then wolfed down a castella cake in under thirty.
'I feel alive again.'
After that, we put the high schooler to sleep. I wanted to collapse and rest as well, but first I needed to talk to my equally exhausted colleague.
We exchanged the information we each had, and made small talk to recover our mental strength.
"Mr. Ro… I mean, Agent Grapes, you always come so prepared. Meanwhile, I wasted space lugging around a store layout map."
She said, sounding bitter, explaining that the third floor was so enormous that her map was hardly useful. It was basically a scattered mess of vague details.
"I even brought some coins from a different Darkness, just in case. But it looks like they don't count here as valid currency…"
Wait a minute.
"You have a map?"
"Yes. It's part of the standard equipment for the regular exploration team… They want us to investigate places that haven't been fully explored yet."
"Could I see it, please?"
"Of course."
From a small backpack, Go Yeongeun took out what looked like a thick, folded pamphlet. It was a printed floor plan of the building, overlaid with handwritten notes and sketches in various colors.
'…The handwriting of Disaster Management Bureau agents.'
"..."
I stared at it, almost spellbound, until I noticed a specific store name.
There was a separate notation on the map.
Some people seem to think they could get something out of this stall, but that's just suicide. Don't go.
"…Agent."
"What you mentioned before. 'Currency to pay'."
"Huh? Y-Yes."
"I think there's a place where we can get that, based on a hint on your map."
"..."
But Go Yeongeun took a deep breath and shook her head.
"I'm… sorry, but I object. The third floor is so huge, who knows how long it'll take just to get there. And I'm afraid of how long it would take to find our way back to this stairwell afterward, especially without any item to fend off employees or danger."
Beads of sweat formed on her calm face, and she seemed to be trying hard to hide her fear.
"You two can leave when the store reopens. I… I'll just wait for a rescue. If we don't have another way to dodge employees or anything, I'd rather not…"
Well, here's the thing.
"Now we do."
"…!"
"Remember? There's something we've used before."
I retrieved an item from my inventory tattoo—something I hadn't touched in ages.
Now that we were three, we met the recommended number of participants. It was finally usable again.
…And there was no need to think about Agent Bronze for now.
[Quick and Easy Candle Making Kit]
I held the 'Mysterious Candle Kit' item box in my hands and, for the first time in three days, I allowed myself a faint smile.
"Let's make some candles again."
In the Manor of the Blind, this candle-making item had played a big role in our escape. Now was the perfect time for a comeback.
-x-X-x-
In that dark stairwell.
The three of us crouched down, looking at the floor.
I spread out the black paper that came with the kit, carefully drawing intricate patterns for the candle.
Then I suggested,
"Let's each draw a card."
"Huu…"
"Wow…"
Go Yeongeun and the high schooler each drew a random card by its back. Their cards would determine the candle's attributes:
[Confusion]
[Dream]
'Not bad.'
It oddly matched their current state of mind, but hey, it worked.
Now it was my turn to pick the final card. I flipped the remaining cards face up.
Honor, Healing, Meditation, Wound, Deceit, Rage, Interference, Protection, Strike, Gaze…
'Last time, I chose 'Deceit'.
We used Honor, Interference, and Deceit to trick the automated exhibit machines and pretend we were legitimately paying patrons.
'In that case.'
I chose without hesitation.
[Protection]
An illustration of two hands gently cradling a glowing lavender crystal.
I burned the three chosen cards into ash, sprinkled them within the crayon outline of the candle on the black paper, then folded the paper—just like I'd done once before.
After waiting a while…
"It's done."
"W-Wow."
A pale indigo candle rolled out from inside the folded paper, landing in my hand.
Obviously I couldn't use this, and the high schooler, who was living on borrowed time through the Nostalgia Candy as it was, obviously couldn't either.
Besides, there was someone here with firsthand experience.
I offered the candle to Go Yeongeun.
"I'll leave it to you again this time."
"…Alright."
Taking the completed candle in her hand, Go Yeongeun spoke in a subtle tone.
"This time, I'll do it properly."
With those words, she lit the newly-made candle. The flame flared up from the wick, and.
A prayer-bearer shall lift the candle to any confused being, bestowing the power of dreams, manifesting protection.
And the bearer will be granted a blessing.
Visitor amidst the Fog
Whoosh.
The candlelight shone upon us.
"Ah…"
I stood behind Go Yeongeun, with the high schooler in tow.
It reminded me of when Braun would turn off the lights. But colder, and more ethereal.
It felt as if a cool fog followed the candlelight, enveloping us…
"..."
Slowly, we opened the door and stepped out onto the third floor.
Even though we carried a flame in a dark store and should have stood out, somehow it blended in naturally, as if we were shrouded in mist.
And then we ran into an employee.
"Hiek—"
I covered the high schooler's mouth when he made a sound.
The employee, squeaking a little as it approached, simply…
"..."
…brushed past us without incident.
"Ha…"
Go Yeongeun let out a breath, more relief than fear.
'Thank goodness.'
This time, the alien shop item proved its worth again.
But unlike our time at the exhibit hall, the duration of this item was even more of a concern.
We might have to hold out until the store eventually reopened.
"Once the candle burns down, that's it, so we need to move quickly if we want to use it again after business hours resume."
"Got it. Where should we go?"
"Here."
I pointed to a spot on the floor plan Go Yeongeun had brought.
When she glanced at it, she recoiled in horror.
"…! W-Wait…"
"It'll be fine. Let's go."
"..."
We were already holding the candle, and blowing it out by getting into some scuffle would be a terrible idea.
So despite wanting to object, she started moving.
'Thank you…'
I could see why she was so reluctant. The place I was headed…
[Sell Your Flesh at Looky Mart]
…was a bizarre 'event stall' with that insane sign.
"..."
If the other stalls imitated Lucky Mart's old sales promotions, these freakish ones felt more like glitches, abnormally tacked on.
In this particular spot, there was nothing on the white floor except row upon row of grills.
And in the silence, something was sizzling.
"Hiieek."
"Quiet."
I clamped a hand on the high schooler's shoulder as he started trembling. Not that he was overreacting…
"Haa."
Right on the grill displayed out front, pitch-black charred meat was cooking as a demo. …You could tell at a glance it came from some two-legged creature in a shape far too familiar.
Likely missing persons, repurposed as store 'supplies'.
'I feel like throwing up.'
But I held it in.
Above us was a banner.
…Just like the agent's notes said.
Instant BBQ Event!Participate alive, and receive a guaranteed gift certificate!
A gift certificate.
Who the hell wants to win a gift certificate in a place like this? It would only attract the long-term missing people, and they'll attack you. They're basically not even human anymore—don't bother rescuing them.
But for now, we were briefly able to melt into the supermarket's surroundings, our presence softened by the candle's protective fog.
I lightly tapped Go Yeongeun on the shoulder.
"Could you please shift to the side? I need to stand in front of one of these empty grills."
"Huh? W-Wait a second, this…"
"It's fine."
It wasn't fine.
I desperately wished someone else would handle this.
'Wouldn't anyone in their right mind?'
But…
One of my companions had been trapped in the stairwell, contaminated for over a week. The other was a civilian minor.
Not exactly people I could saddle with something so extreme.
Besides, this was an opportunity.
'I have to get that gift certificate.'
If I took this on, I'd get the currency directly, allowing me to control how it's used.
'I want to push my own plan for escaping, so I need to take the initiative.'
I gritted my teeth.
…First, I used a syringe of Happy Maker so I wouldn't go into shock. My hands were shaking.
'Calm… Calm down.'
From items I had swiped on our way here, I pulled out one, trying not to let my shaking fingers drop it.
A massive butcher's knife.
Its razor edge glinted.
"H-Hey…!"
"It's alright. As long as we don't break the item and return it to its original state, the store won't register it as a purchase."
"That's not the issue, Agent—!"
I brought the butcher's knife down on my own right forearm.
-x-X-x-
From the moment I saw the store layout, I'd been agonizing over it.
Just how much of my body would I have to cut off and place on the grill for this damned supermarket ghost story to count it as 'barbecue'?
I considered everything from the wrist to the shoulder.
But from the start, I knew my target.
'My right arm.'
If I cut a leg, I'd lose mobility.
If I cut my left arm, I couldn't use my tattoo.
Besides, I'm almost ambidextrous anyway, so I'd be able to function with whichever arm remained.
In other words, there was only one conclusion.
'Cut off part of my right arm.'
Of course, slicing a fully grown adult forearm, bones and all, measuring around 10cm in diameter with a knife is crazy.
Obviously, it wouldn't be done in a single chop.
'An electric saw would've been better.'
Thwack, thwack.
I used a giant butcher's knife, practically ripping my arm apart. Amidst the splatter of blood, I could hear the other two sobbing softly.
There was no pain, but I could still feel it.
The sensation of nerves in my arm being severed.
Cold sweat trickled down my back, my mind reeling with dull shock—terror and fear.
I'd definitely injected myself with Happy Maker, yet it was hitting me anyway.
'Am I building up a tolerance?'
Or maybe the candle's 'protection' somehow dampened its effect. Or it could just be in my head.
Either way, the crucial fact is that I didn't go into shock, and I could still move.
And then…
Thwack.
The final blow.
It came off.
"…!!"
Done.
With my right arm fully severed, I tucked it under my left arm while pressing something against the cut:
The blood-sucking knife.
'I can't believe I'm using this to stop the bleeding…'
It was just a temporary measure. Ignoring the blade's tremor as it drank my blood, I pulled it away and pressed the wound to the grill.
If I still had any sensation, I'd have passed out right then.
I held it there just long enough to stop the bleeding. Once I was sure I wouldn't die from blood loss, I moved again.
"What— What the hell… Aaaah!"
"Just a moment."
Thud.
I took the piece I'd removed and chopped it in half. I had to match the approximate size of the other chunks already on the grill.
Then, without time for anyone to react, I put one of those halves on the grill.
Sssss—
It sizzled, or rather, burned.
It was burning. Burning away…
'It's just a piece of meat now.'
No longer mine.
And as soon as we escape this insane supermarket, I plan to drink Daydream Inc.'s C-grade regeneration potion. Then everything will be fine…
Stay calm.
Sweating profusely, I stared at the grill with unfocused eyes.
And after a hellish stretch of time—
Ding.
In this 'Sell Your Flesh at Looky Mart' stall—where dozens of grills are lined up randomly—one of them made a noise, like it was just another grill in the row.
A counter, like a mini checkout, had a plain white envelope labeled [Thank you for participating in our event].
With my one good hand, I managed to open it.
Inside were gift certificates, and they looked kind of like sloppily-made play money.
[₩50,000]
If this were a normal supermarket, that'd be a pretty hefty reward for joining some promotional event.
But whether it's enough in our current situation is another question.
"W-What is this? What are you—"
"Wait."
One more time.
I repeated the process.
Except this time, I told the high schooler to put the remaining chunk on another grill.
"H-Huuhp…"
He almost collapsed, but he gritted his teeth. It tore me up inside, but we had no choice.
Go Yeongeun had to keep holding the candle, and my own 'participation' wouldn't be counted again.
And only after another 50,000-won voucher appeared did I allow myself to pop a Nostalgia Candy into my mouth.
'Ha.'
I'd resisted until then, worried about messing up the event outcome.
But the second that candy touched my lips, it reverted me to my 'healthiest point in time'.
Nostalgia's magic.
"…It's okay. See? I'm all better now."
"Hiic… hiiiccc…"
The high schooler wouldn't look at my newly restored arm. He couldn't even nod.
Go Yeongeun had gone deathly pale, but mindful of the candle, she didn't turn around or freak out.
She already knew I had a special regeneration potion from Daydream Inc., so maybe that's why she managed to contain herself.
"…Agent, did you just take the potion?"
"No. It's an item that temporarily restores my appearance."
Her shoulders twitched again.
"It was only the right arm missing, so even if something else happened, we wouldn't have trouble running. Please don't worry."
"How can you say that right now… Fine. …Alright."
I silently thanked her composure.
At any rate, I'd finally used one of my last Nostalgia Candies, which I'd been saving to endure the worst. I finally recovered after three days of no real sleep or food.
And now, my status was…
"..."
'Wow.'
This was insane.
My mind, now somewhat clear, was spinning wildly, sounding alarms at the dangers. Over the last three days, I'd been pushed to my limits, acting like a madman—and only now was I starting to realize it.
'I haven't been thinking straight since about the second day…'
I was under the impression that I had 'searched the entire supermarket' thoroughly while leaving the high schooler in the second-floor food court to go find Agent Bronze. But that's not actually possible.
'If I could supposedly scour it in just a handful of hours, it means there was nowhere truly hidden in the first place.'
This wasn't a tiny convenience store or a small corner shop. It's a massive chain supermarket. The very idea of 'searching it all' was impossible—especially considering the infinitely repeating third floor.
'So my judgment was completely shot.'
It's not just the high schooler in panic. I, too, had been half-crazed for three days.
"…Let's go back to the emergency stairwell."
"Yes."
We walked under Go Yeongeun's candlelight, and I cleaned the butcher's knife of my blood, repacked it, and put it back where I found it. In the process, my mind flickered with new inferences.
Mistakes.
Counterarguments to the little 'certainties' I'd clung to so casually.
—Does Agent Bronze really escape on the third day?
Let's re-check that exploration record I could somehow still remember.
Exploration Record #3[?]
An agent responded to a civilian distress call and entered the store around 7PM. (Agent : ???)
Looky Mart closed early due to ??? reason. An unexpected situation arose, and the agent lost contact for three days.
Result : Rescue failed. Agent returned alone.
First counterargument.
—The entry time is different.
We entered after 8 PM, while the record said 7PM.
Sure, maybe that changed because my presence delayed the schedule. He had to hand out items and explain the situation to me, among other things. So, we entered about an hour late, which could somewhat line up.
But the crucial point was still one thing. The situation wasn't exactly the same.
'I shouldn't be forcing my situation to fit that record.'
Second counterargument.
It never said when the agent escaped.
'Lost contact for three days' didn't necessarily mean the supermarket reopened on the third day.
So my certainty that business hours would definitely resume after three days was nothing more than a leap of faith.
'…Phew.'
And…
Let's think more rationally about the bigger picture.
Right. From the beginning…
'Isn't it odd that the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau would let a newly hired agent dive straight into a high-level ghost story?'
It's not like this was Daydream Inc.
They wouldn't send someone unprepared into a Fracture-sanctioned nightmare, roughly on par with a Daydream B-grade, unless there was some solid safeguard.
'So if I reason from that premise…'
…There's something that comes to mind.
Bureau agents would sometimes get assigned an item allowing 'emergency escape' from ghost stories below a certain level.
And with a newcomer, that item usually stayed under the senior's control since a panicked rookie might misuse it.
In other words…
If Agent Bronze really was issued such an item, then.
'He'd do everything he could to take me with him on that escape.'
It's a matter of responsibility.
"..."
"Agent Grapes?"
"Just a moment, please."
I paused and tried to piece together the first day's events from Agent Bronze's perspective.
A situation where he got separated from his new recruit.
No shared coordinates or direct communication method. Just that one glance of 'I'll see you upstairs'.
High-level ghost story with unexpected complications.
A veteran used to handling rookies…
"..."
Ah.
"Agent."
"Yes?"
"I think I can figure out where my senior ended up."
"…!"
* * *
After I neatly summed it up with, 'Teaming up with a veteran will give us a better chance to escape,' Go Yeongeun agreed to use the candle for further exploration.
Our destination…
"This specific escalator, right?"
"Yes."
The escalator going from the first floor up to the second—
That's the one.
"..."
All three of us descended to the first floor and stood in front of the escalator.
The still rails lay silent in the dark.
But this was an escalator we'd never used before.
The high schooler and I had only used the opposite escalator—the one that went from the second floor down to the first—while crawling up.
'And that's the only one I used.'
Any time I tried searching alone, I'd check between the escalators and the floor, hoping to recover the fishing line from the items we used. That's how desperate I was.
But…
'Normally, if you want to go upstairs, you'd use the escalator that goes up…'
Agent Bronze must have expected I'd use this escalator.
I handed the high schooler another Nostalgia Candy, letting him stand in front.
'…Three left.'
I'd have to be more cautious with them. But at least for the time being, I needed the maximum efficiency from it.
"Agent, would you mind going up the escalator?"
"…I'll walk slowly. Be careful."
"Yes."
Go Yeongeun led the way onto the escalator. The three of us began walking up on foot.
"Huu…"
Let's think.
'Just like I'm deducing his actions, Agent Bronze might've been predicting mine…'
And he was probably more rational than I was, given I'd been knocked off balance by everything—witnessing people get ground alive in a blender, a high schooler with a broken ankle to rescue, and so on…
Trying to see it from his perspective.
– A rookie agent, who had some ghost-story experience but is traumatized and timid.
If, on that first day, I moved more cautiously than I actually did, what would I have done?
'I probably would've gotten to the second floor a lot later.'
Instead of rushing there, I might've lurked on the first floor, hiding in different spots, too overwhelmed to do much—typical rookie behavior.
'Agent Bronze would guess it'd take me a long time to make my way upstairs.'
But if he had a different, supposedly 'safer' hideout in mind, knowing I'd panic if I arrived on the second floor and found him gone, then…
There's only one possibility.
'Let me leave a sign before he even gets to the second floor.'
"..."
I peered at the escalator's billboard, spotting a red advertisement panel near the bottom. There, as if it were just another piece of the display, the corner of a receipt peeked out.
A Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau leaflet.
"Huh?"
It was easy to miss in a normal supermarket scene, but for anyone in the know, it was like a shining beacon.
While my companions murmured behind me, I carefully peeled it off and opened it.
On the back, thick scribbled writing.
Off-Season Winter Camping Mega Sale
Leftmost wall on the 3rd floor. 12th stall.
"I think I know where he is."
I recognized it as a sign left by Agent Bronze.
* * *
Under candlelight and fog, we moved quickly.
We practically formed a three-person relay, hustling through the store.
"12th stall, right? The 12th!"
"Yes…!"
Realizing there was a chance we might find a friend, even the high schooler pushed on, determined.
We passed through the eerie, repetitive spaces of the massive store until we reached…
[Off-Season Winter Camping Mega Sale]
It finally appeared.
A display area set up like a camping scene, with tents, a campfire, a burner, chairs—
Screeeak.
One side of the tent slid open. A nervous face peeked out, eyes scanning the area.
"Hey! Kim Jaehoon!"
The high schooler who'd stayed with me dashed forward from the circle of candlelight. It made sense.
He'd come in looking for this friend, the one Agent Bronze had taken along.
"O-Ohhhhh!"
"Are you okay?"
"Hiic, waaahhh…"
Both kids clung to each other, crying. I tensed a moment—shouting outside the candle's protection might attract danger—but nothing happened.
'Agent Bronze must've set something up.'
Thank goodness. With that in mind, Go Yeongeun and I relaxed a little and walked over.
"Shall we put out the candle for a moment?"
"Yes, let's."
We followed the veteran agent's lead to a safe zone.
"Sniff…"
It took a few minutes for the two high schoolers to calm down. The one who'd been with Agent Bronze looked like he'd been through a lot, but he wasn't badly hurt or exhausted.
'He must've been well looked after.'
That's the difference between a rookie rescuer and a veteran, I guess. Feeling a little guilty, I watched the two high schoolers.
The one I'd been taking care of, effectively fine now thanks to Nostalgia Candy, forced a smile.
"I'm just glad you made it out okay, too."
"…Yeah."
...
Something felt off.
I noticed the boy rescued by Agent Bronze displayed signs of fear and panic. Granted, he'd been wandering this ghost story for days. But even so, his anxiety seemed… more pronounced.
Go Yeongeun leaned in and whispered to me.
"Agent Grapes, that high schooler isn't who you were looking for, right?"
"…Right."
"Then… where's that agent?"
"..."
An unsettling feeling crept up my spine.
'No way.'
I locked eyes with the high schooler Agent Bronze had been guiding. He flinched, as if scared.
The reason we'd come here, after all…
"Where's the agent?"
"..."
Sitting in the tent, the boy's eyes brimmed with tears again.
"That agent… h-he got spotted by employees…! Th, there were dozens of them, all at once…!"
"…!"
"A-And… I think he was caught."
...
"They… the employees… must've dragged him off somewhere, hiic…"
After three days trapped in the Looky Mart ghost story,
Agent Bronze… had already been reduced to mere 'store supply.'
Agent Bronze, dragged away by supermarket employees.
That future was easy to imagine.
After all, I had already witnessed a similar case on the first day.
– Aaaaagh! Aaaaaaahhh!
Just recalling that 'supply' being ground alive in the mixer sent cold sweat trickling down my spine.
And now, the veteran agent I had been searching for over the past three days might be suffering the same fate?
The high schooler Agent Bronze had been taking care of described the situation as if vomiting out the memories.
"A-At first, I felt a little reassured…"
On the first day, the agent moved the rescued student to the store's tent area, secured the surroundings, and seemed to take some measures.
The anomaly happened on the second day.
"Originally… um, well, he was looking for you."
"…Us?"
"Yes. I think he was trying to find you."
But instead of finding me, Agent Bronze stumbled upon something else entirely.
"T-That guy… that guy came out…!"
That guy?
Everyone turned their heads in the direction the high schooler was pointing, but all that was there was the tent fabric.
"Ugh!"
Then, the student got up, walked outside the tent, and opened the entrance of the adjacent one.
Inside, a uniform-clad figure was lying down—
"…?!"
"Lee Soobin!"
The high schooler I had been taking care of sprang up and dashed toward the tent. Then, looking back at me, he spoke urgently.
"T-That's the friend we were looking for! Lee Soobin!"
Ah.
The friend who had gone missing first, the one these students had been searching for.
"S-Soobin?"
The high schooler called his friend repeatedly.
But 'Lee Soobin' did not respond. Lying in the tent, staring blankly at the air with a slightly open mouth—he looked completely vacant.
'…Has he been missing for too long?'
His body was covered in scratches and bruises.
It was a pitiful sight.
But now, I had a better idea of why Agent Bronze had been missing for days.
"…Where did the agent find him?"
"I-I don't know. He just suddenly brought him back and said he found him. He asked if he was wearing the same uniform as us…"
Having to take care of two underage civilians would have severely limited his movements.
For two days, he must have been focused on looking after them, waiting for business hours to resume…
…While simultaneously waiting for me to safely arrive at the stall.
"…So, when exactly did the agent disappear?"
"I think… Early this morning…?"
"..."
That was more recent than I expected.
"A-All of a sudden, a bunch of employees swarmed in, and then, t-they just took him."
"He wasn't seriously hurt or anything? Just 'taken'?"
"How would I know! …I-I think so, but…"
If that's the case…
"S-Shit, we're screwed, right? We're all gonna die, aren't we? The only competent guy is gone! And you're just a rookie, aren't you? That's what the agent said."
"Hey! Why are you talking like that? Are you insane?"
"..."
The high schooler I had been taking care of flinched and scolded his friend, then glanced at me and Go Yeongeun, gauging our reactions.
The other high schooler, the one who had been with Agent Bronze, sniffled and lowered his head, ashamed.
"A-Anyway… we're doomed, aren't we?"
"No."
"…!"
Go Yeongeun spoke firmly.
"We are not doomed. You have a safe place to stay, and you have more adults here to help you. Things have actually improved."
"Ah…"
"If you start acting reckless just because you think it's over, you'll lose even the chances you still have. If you want to make it out safely, we all need to cooperate. Understood?"
"..."
The two high schoolers nodded.
The one who had been shouting at us now looked embarrassed, regret written all over his face.
…I suddenly thought that Go Yeongeun might be better suited for the Disaster Management Bureau than Daydream Inc.
"Huu."
After calming the students, we stepped outside the tent for a moment.
Go Yeongeun let out a short sigh, gulped, then turned to me.
"…I wasn't just saying that to reassure them. I think we need to believe it, too."
"I agree."
And, actually.
I hesitated, then whispered to Go Yeongeun about something that had been bothering me ever since the high schooler's account.
"My senior agent… there's a chance he's still alive."
"…!"
That's right.
The missing people who had been processed as 'supplies' could, if unlucky, be 'used' immediately according to the employees' routines.
'But usually, they wait their turn.'
Like proper inventory.
The employees were mimicking supermarket work, which meant they stored supplies according to regulations.
And the place where those items were stockpiled…
Somewhere deep inside the supermarket's staff-only area.
"He might be in the supply warehouse."
Supply warehouse.
Unable to escape from the supply warehouse. Considered deceased.
…That kind of sentence appeared frequently in the
But looking at it another way, it also meant that missing persons still had the chance to attempt an escape. That they were alive, still conscious, and physically capable.
'There were even rare cases of successful escapes.'
That is, if they possessed a special item or ability.
…Of course, there were also plenty of cases where the missing had already been 'processed' in accordance with their intended use as supplies.
But what mattered now was this—
This group currently possessed one of those special items that could grant access to the supply warehouse.
"..."
I looked at the soft-textured mass that Go Yeongeun was holding—the one that now had its flame extinguished.
A mystical candle.
It required three people to create, but once made, a single person could carry and use it.
'As long as it can be lit…'
However, for some reason, I—being a 'person of current times'—couldn't ignite the flame. That meant I couldn't carry and use the item alone.
"…Agent."
"Let's go."
"…!"
"With two people, we have twice the brains and twice the hands—it should make things a little easier."
Go Yeongeun glanced at my arm before nodding, her expression stiff.
…She was taking into account the fact that I could only function properly by relying on Nostalgia Candies.
"Thank you."
"I should be the one saying that. If it weren't for you, I would have died on that stairwell."
She shuddered briefly, as if recalling it.
"Anyway, let's go… to find your senior agent."
I nodded.
-x-X-x-
We're about to go out and find Agent Bronze.
The high schoolers' reactions were intense.
"Wait, if you both leave, what are we supposed to do? What if an employee shows up? If we're left alone—"
"You'll be fine."
I calmly placed a hand on the high schooler's shoulder.
"…Another agent already set up protections before leaving."
Agent Bronze had likely chosen a section of the store where employees rarely appeared.
But long-term missing persons could still attack unpredictably, so he must have accounted for that as well.
'…Is that it?'
I noticed an object pressing down on a tent peg—it looked like a simple toy jack but was actually a specialized item.
Weighted Air Stone
: Equipment of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau that creates hallowed ground.
I recalled its description. Placing these stones in a designated area would create a safe zone, repelling malicious forces.
Contaminated missing persons likely couldn't recognize this store section properly and would simply pass by.
…If only the agent had stayed put inside this barrier, he wouldn't have been taken. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Will you… come back?"
"Of course. I'll find the agent and return."
I handed a Nostalgia Candy to the high schooler I had been taking care of, instructing him to rest but keep it ready—just in case he needed to take it to move.
Though he looked uneasy, fortunately, he accepted my advice.
Fwoosh.
Go Yeongeun reignited the candle, and I stepped back into the fog and shadows it cast, blending into its obscurity.
"…About a third of the candle has melted."
"..."
We had to move quickly.
We took our first steps, advancing through the eerily vast and seemingly endless third-floor store sections.
'…The agent was taken from the third floor.'
That meant we needed to find a door along the walls of the third floor again.
"What kind of door are we looking for?"
"Remember the announcement before the store closed? And how, at the same time, those balloon-like employees flooded in?"
"…Yes."
"It's the door that opened back then."
This time, however, we didn't have to find it on our own.
Screek… Screek… Screek…
"...Let's follow."
"..."
We trailed behind a single employee, moving stiffly, its gaze hollow and empty.
It wandered through the third floor for a while, seemingly imitating a patrol routine.
Then, as if its shift had ended, it returned to its point of origin.
[Staff Only]
A metal door leading to the staff section.
"..."
"..."
Creak…
The door opened.
There were many similar doors scattered around, but they were all likely connected through an antnest-like network of corridors, leading to one shared space.
Somewhere inside, we had to find the supply warehouse.
Holding our breath, we slipped through the door just before it shut.
And then, we were met with the overwhelming sight of the inner staff area spilling out before us…
"Hhk."
Go Yeongeun clamped a hand over her mouth.
Under the bright fluorescent lights, countless employees were crammed together, stacked upright in tight vertical rows.
These weren't the grotesque, balloon-like employees that emerged after closing hours. They looked like normal human employees.
Stacked. Crushed. Wedged together. Those were the only ways to describe it.
In this brightly lit, modern space—so seemingly ordinary—human bodies were stored in layers, crumpled and compressed without a hint of abnormality.
"…They look like the employees who were working during business hours. Uuurp."
Go Yeongeun swallowed back a dry heave, trying to steady her breath.
So they were mimicking shift rotations, too.
I didn't even want to imagine how those crushed bodies emerged looking normal when business hours resumed.
Revulsion crawled up my throat, but I forced my feet to move.
Without the candle and the Nostalgia Candy, I would have given up right here.
Screek… Screek…
The employee started moving again.
"…Should we follow?"
"Yes."
Our footsteps echoed faintly in the staff area, making my nerves tense up.
With nothing but the candle's protection, we advanced cautiously.
"…I remember every turn we've taken. Don't worry, we won't get lost."
"…Alright."
Since both of us were memorizing the path, even if one of us lost track, the other could compensate.
We held our breath and pressed forward.
More employees. Fragments of what used to be employees. Half-formed remnants, muttering the same distorted greetings over and over again.
My skin crawled, every pore standing on end.
But we had to stay alert. We needed to find the warehouse.
'We can do this… We can do this.'
Through hallways, break rooms, and warehouse areas strung together in a surreal, disjointed layout—until finally…
[Supply Storage]
The sign was posted above a door, and in front of it stood a cluster of employees, packed tightly together.
Screek. Screek. Screek. Screek.
The employee we had been following joined the group in front of the door.
"Ha."
Go Yeongeun swallowed hard, staring at the iron door now completely obscured by employees.
"…If we slip inside when they open the door…"
And just then—
Clunk.
The supply warehouse door opened from the inside.
"…!"
Several employees stepped out, carrying supplies.
And that's when I saw it.
A familiar face among the 'supplies'.
"T-That person…"
A tall, broad-shouldered young man in an agent's uniform—being carried by two employees.
Agent Bronze.
But.
He had no legs.
"..."
A cold chill slithered up my spine.
"…Could it be…"
"Yes."
It was clear.
Agent Bronze had been processed into a mannequin.
The only upside was that there was no bleeding.
But with his eyes closed and his body limp, he looked completely unconscious.
"…Should we move in?"
"…Yes."
We trailed closely behind the two employees carrying him.
Even as we followed, my mind went blank.
What the hell are we supposed to do?
'Fucking hell.'
Is he… still alive?
Should I call out to him? But even with the candle's protection, would making noise this close to the employees be safe?
Creeeak.
Just then, the two employees carrying Agent Bronze passed through the staff area exit.
That was actually better for us.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I made a bold move.
"…Stay as close as possible."
"..."
Go Yeongeun nodded, quickening her pace to stick right beside the employees.
And just as they entered the foggy range of the candle's protection, I reached out toward Agent Bronze.
I gently tapped his neck.
Tap, tap.
"…!"
Agent Bronze's eyes snapped open.
I swallowed hard.
"…Agent."
And in that instant—
Pfffffff—
One of the employees carrying him deflated like a punctured balloon.
"…!!"
A second later, the other employee also began collapsing, hissing out air as its form crumpled.
And in Agent Bronze's right hand—
A small, transparent pistol.
Glass Handgun.
A standard-issue weapon from the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
It shone in the hands of a true professional.
With a flick of his wrist, the pistol vanished back into thin air.
"Tha… you… dear customer!"
"Eueuuuhhh—hello…"
The employees who were deflating let out bizarre noises, repeating scripted customer service phrases.
Something even more grotesque and nightmarish seemed to be writhing inside them, trying to emerge—but before that could happen, Agent Bronze had already tied them down.
'Binding Rope.'
A standard-issue suppression item.
In an instant, his hands moved, wrapping the two employees in thin, cord-like restraints. Then, as if subduing them completely, he sat down on top of them.
…Handling two employees like that. He made it look so effortless.
"They won't be able to make a commotion for at least five minutes."
His skill was almost like a magic trick.
…It was hard to believe this was a man who had lost both his legs.
"…Agent Grapes."
Agent Bronze looked up at me with a faint smile.
The eyes of someone who had already resolved themselves.
"You made it. I'm glad my endurance paid off."
"..."
"And who's this?"
His gaze shifted to Go Yeongeun.
"One of the missing agents who entered earlier she survived."
"..."
Go Yeongeun lowered her head.
"…You did well. I'm glad you're safe."
Agent Bronze looked at me with a warm, almost resigned expression.
It made me feel sick.
"Agent Grapes."
He reached into the inside of his agent uniform.
"Take this. It's for escaping."
…A pair of shoelaces.
They were woven with five-colored threads, an intricate pattern with a strangely glossy texture.
"There are only two, so the two of you can leave."
"...!"
"Tie them onto your shoes, take three steps forward, and you'll be instantly transported out of here."
I involuntarily glanced at Agent Bronze's lower body.
…His missing legs.
He couldn't walk.
He couldn't use the escape item.
For him, there had never been a choice.
"…I'll look for another way. You, on the other hand—ensure your own safety."
"..."
"There's not much time left. Hurry."
No.
I could use Nostalgia Candy—if I gave one to Agent Bronze, he could escape right now.
But—
No.
I clenched my fists so hard they turned white.
I only have three left.
If I used one to let him escape now… then what do I do with just two left?
Of the three high schoolers I needed to save, two were unable to move on their own.
Wouldn't it be better if Agent Bronze stayed to help?
The calculations swirled in my mind, making my head pound.
Was there another way?
Something else…
"..."
Ah.
That's it.
"Agent."
I pretended to retrieve something from my belongings, but in reality, I pulled out an item from within my tattoo.
A small glass vial, glowing a fresh, leafy green.
: Daydream Potion :
Regeneration
C (Excellent)
My lifeline.
I subtly angled it away so that Go Yeongeun wouldn't see the label, then discreetly showed it to Agent Bronze.
"Drink this. It's a regeneration item."
"…!!"
"Wait—"
"It's fine. It's a verified item."
I shot a quick glance at Go Yeongeun before she could object.
'…If my guess is correct.'
This wasn't just about making Agent Bronze's escape easier.
This was an investment.
A move that would yield even greater returns.
A build-up toward my real goal.
'This is the right answer.'
A shiver ran down my spine with the satisfaction of finding the most optimal solution.
…Suppressing the instinctive fear of loss.
"..."
Go Yeongeun, though visibly unsettled, remained silent.
But Agent Bronze didn't take the potion immediately. Instead, he studied my face, his expression unreadable.
"…Was this made 'where you're from'?"
"...Yes."
I gave a small nod, forcing a smile.
"It's my last one. …I know you might find it uncomfortable. But you need to take it."
"..."
An unreadable flicker crossed the agent's face.
It was a clearly complicated expression, impossible to discern whether it was a reaction born out of reluctance or anger.
Then, with a sharp exhale, he reached out.
Tak.
A short sound as the vial landed in his hand.
Without another word, he unsealed the potion and drank it in one gulp.
-x-X-x-
Daydream Inc.'s ethics may be questionable, but the effectiveness of their potions was undeniable.
Like magic.
"…!"
As soon as Agent Bronze drank the C-grade Regeneration Potion, flesh burst forth from the stumps of his severed thighs, rapidly reconstructing into the shape of fully restored legs.
Go Yeongeun swallowed hard. She had used the same potion on herself before, but this was her first time witnessing it in action, and she was in awe.
I felt the same way.
Seeing such a large area regenerate instantly—and it was only a C-grade potion?
'…Didn't they say it costs about 10,000 points?'
It was an effect so overwhelming that anyone watching would be shocked and mesmerized.
I unconsciously tried not to touch my right arm, which had been restored by Nostalgia Candy, as I continued watching the scene.
"Huu."
Soon, Agent Bronze mechanically tested the movement of his legs.
Then, standing up barefoot, he grabbed the Binding Rope that restrained the employees… before lowering his head slightly, avoiding my gaze.
"…Thank you."
"Yes."
As if she couldn't hold back any longer, Go Yeongeun muttered under her breath.
"...You could afford to be a little more grateful."
Ah.
"What do you…?"
"Let's talk outside."
Hurriedly, I cut off their conversation and suggested returning to the base camp that Agent Bronze had set up.
But the Binding Rope began to tremble.
"…!"
The two deflated employees, who had been subdued with holes in their forms, started to twitch.
And over there.
The door to the staff-only area we had come from.
Dudududududududu!
A heavy, repetitive thudding sound rang out—
Then, with an ear-piercing creak, the metal door burst open, and employees poured out.
"...!"
"This way—!"
We barely dodged the stampede of employees rushing toward us, hastily pulling Agent Bronze beneath the candle's shadow.
Three people.
With the group full once more, we pressed ourselves against the wall, avoiding the terrifying wave of employees flooding into the area.
"…!!"
"We'll be fine. We're inside the candle's range…"
Agent Bronze glanced at the candle in Go Yeongeun's hands.
"…Is that originally yours, too?"
"...Yes."
I deliberately lowered my voice as I looked back at Agent Bronze.
"Um, I… I told them I got it from you—so, um, I'd appreciate it if you could go along with that."
"..."
Agent Bronze gave a slight nod.
'…He's cooperative.'
Even though he knew the item came from Daydream Inc., he wasn't questioning it.
It seemed like giving him the regeneration potion had earned some goodwill.
ScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreekScreek
'Damn it, I can't even think straight…!'
The number of employees kept growing, their presence suffocating. Go Yeongeun backed away instinctively, her ears turning pale.
The Binding Rope lost its effect. The two distorted employees who had been shot with the Glass Handgun began grotesquely oozing out of their restraints.
And the other employees that had poured out surrounded them, circling frantically, like a bizarre ritual.
Their arms were crushed under the weight of the swarm, heads flattened—but then popped back up, reshaping unnaturally.
It looked like some kind of bizzare ritual.
"It looks like they're looking for the person who harmed an employee…"
"If you harm an employee in this mart, and they see it happen… they'll hunt you down until you're caught."
"…!"
Yet he shot them without hesitation and sat on top of them?
Agent Bronze's expression hardened.
"…I figured this would be my last mission anyway, so I was prepared to handle the consequences."
"~!!"
Go Yeongeun seemed ready to argue again, but held back.
"Let's move. Now."
"Yes."
We hurried away from the disturbing ritual-like gathering.
Still, the relentless screeking sounds echoed behind us, an unsettling, high-pitched noise.
'Huu.'
I looked down at the floor.
Then at Agent Bronze's bare feet against the cold mart tiles.
"Agent, do you have spare shoes…?"
"…In the camping section."
Okay.
I checked my wristwatch for the time.
Luckily, we had found Agent Bronze fairly quickly—at most, two or three hours should have passed.
Even if I accounted for some distortion in my perception of time, it should still be around evening.
Maybe around 19:00. At least, that's what I thought…
Until I looked at my watch.
[ 09 : 04 ]
Nine o'clock. In the morning.
"...!"
I looked again.
But the time was still exactly ten hours off from my estimate.
It obviously wasn't the past which meant…
'...It's the next morning?'
"The time is acting… strange…"
And at that moment, I realized it.
"Agent Grapes. Time does not flow consistently in the staff-only area of this supermarket."
"..."
So that's why the layout felt nonsensical, like spaces were stitched together without logic. It wasn't just confusing. It was designed to be terrifying.
'A horror cliché.'
Maybe it had been mentioned in the
'…How long have the kids been alone?'
To make matters worse—
Agent Bronze muttered grimly.
"…Nine o'clock."
"…Yes."
"Let's move as quickly as possible. …The barrier I set up in the store doesn't have much time left."
"…!!"