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]
‘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.
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.