A dismal back alley.
A pitch-black darkness and a stench that felt alien even in this noisy, bizarre night market where non-human entities gathered.
And the grotesque beings beneath the gaslights, staring at me as I stood at the mouth of the alley.
Sunken eyes wearing uniforms.
-My, this is a place one would certainly hesitate to walk through in dress shoes.
But I had to go.
And I mustn't let my colleagues realize that my feet were frozen for a moment by that sight…!
Squelch.
I took a step into the back alley.
My colleagues followed close behind.
Squelch, squelch.
Walking into the black shadows beneath the dim gaslights between narrow walls, cramped side doors passed me on both sides.
“…….”
It was eerie.
The scenery looked as if I had entered a poorly composited image where side doors continued endlessly.
And the gazes staring intently at us from both sides as we walked between the doors.
‘Ha.’
Beings wearing worn-out, filth-stained uniforms. Abnormally gaunt, black bodies stood still against the walls.
Turning only their heads toward us.
-Gaze is inevitable for a star! But even stars need rest. As this Braun has always done, I can momentarily relieve you of that burden….
I wanted to scream and cling to him, begging him to do just that….
‘No. It’s okay.’
I shouldn't use ‘Lights Out’ now.
‘Can I ask you for that later when I really need it?’
-Of course!
Right. I, I have to endure.
‘I have to follow the plan.’
I swallowed hard and kept walking.
At the moment my legs became so stiff with goosebumps rising on the back of my neck that it became difficult to walk further.
“…Uh?”
I snapped my head up at my colleague’s exclamation.
Still the endless rows of grotesque side doors and the malformed figures in uniforms. And….
Just one.
There was a door slightly ajar.
“…….”
The door panel was sticking out just a bit.
The pitch-black darkness visible through that gap.
‘Wow, seriously.’
It was like a horror movie. My eyelids were trembling.
But I had to say this:
“There is a door open over there. It seems to be a sign of welcome. Let’s enter.”
“Yes!”
“Ah… I see!”
“…….”
‘Shouldn't you guys not be persuaded by such nonsense…!’
Still, I had to do what I had to do.
After taking a deep breath, I approached the lone open side door. As I got closer, a wave of terror making me want to flee washed over me, but I endured.
Instead, I leaned down and peered into the narrow black gap of the door….
I locked eyes with bloodshot eyes.
“…!!”
I-I expected this. Absolutely, absolutely do not panic and do anything foolish….
I barely managed to thrust what I was already holding in my hand through the door gap.
A pack of cigarettes.
“…….”
My hands shook uncontrollably.
Something incredibly cold seemed to brush past my fingertips…….
Creeeeeeak.
The side door swung wide open.
‘……Whew.’
[In principle, entering shops from this alley is impossible; however, temporary exploration may be conducted using addictive luxury goods such as alcohol or cigarettes.]
I did it…!
I clenched my teeth as I withdrew my empty hand, the cigarettes having vanished before I knew it.
Wow, I feel like I’m going to cry…….
“To open a client’s door with an investment of five thousand won for a pack of cigarettes! As expected, a favorable turn isn't something you follow, it’s something you create, Chief!”
“Exactly…!”
“…….”
Maybe it would be better if someone would thoroughly persuade me so I could walk around with such peace of mind….
But for now, I had no choice but to move my feet, lamenting the fact that I was the one who had done the persuading.
‘Ugh.’
The bloodshot eyes had vanished. Instead, a faint smell of cigarettes began to waft from somewhere, but that was a trade-off.
‘It’s much better.’
I stepped inside, breathing a sigh of relief.
“…….”
It was very dark, but I could vaguely make out the outlines. A space where boxes and luggage covered in black cloth were piled up like a maze.
It smelled of a musty warehouse.
“Ah, this would be perfect for a warehouse-style mart or a clearance outlet! If it’s high-volume, low-margin, there should be plenty of Items to scavenge….”
Regrettably, it wasn't.
I pushed through the boxes and finally found what I was looking for.
“…! Mr. Roe Deer, over there….”
“Yes.”
There was another door further inside.
It looked similar to the one we had pushed through, but it was a side door that was less worn and cleaner.
‘……I guess I have to open this one too?’
Let’s just be thankful I’m not at the very back.
I stepped forward and grabbed the doorknob.
And as I pulled it with all my might….
A brilliant, flamboyant light pierced my eyes.
“…!!”
My vision, momentarily blurred by the pouring light, slowly recovered over several seconds as I took in the entire space.
A magnificent sight filled my eyes.
The interior framework was crafted from elegant chandelier crystals, brass, and deep-colored wood, with golden frames and thick, lustrous green velvet curtains hanging on the walls.
But there was something more overwhelming than that.
Ivory-colored torsos consisting of only the Upper Body filled three sides of the walls, each displaying unfinished suits and dresses.
And between them, hands wearing white cotton gloves, with no bodies attached, were measuring clothes and completing the tailoring!
My colleagues’ mouths hung open.
“W-where is this…?”
What on earth was happening, going from a gloomy back alley to this?
To put it simply….
‘That really was just the back alley.’
[Confirmed Alleys of Death Road:]
[38. Boutique Back Road]
We had entered through the dirty back road of these glittering, high-end shops.
Naturally, we were not legitimate customers.
We were nothing more than snatchers who had bribed their way in with a pack of cigarettes from a slum-like place where laborers doing menial tasks and fired homeless people wallowed.
But using an Irregular in a ghost story wasn't a first or second time thing.
‘If it doesn't work out, let's run.’
If we were caught trespassing, we might suffer a rather gruesome fate, but if that happened, I could just ask Braun to erase our presence and flee.
‘Since the back door escape route is secured.’
Wasn't that why I had refrained from asking Braun for favors until now!
I moved forward.
“Ooh…!”
Please don't be impressed, everyone….
In contrast to my troubled heart, the gloves touching the torsos reacted in perfect unison.
Whish!
With a light whistling sound, the bodies of the gloves suddenly manifested in mid-air.
They were the bodies of mannequins wearing luxurious navy uniforms.
They were similar to what I had seen in the back alley but were much cleaner, more orderly, and had many more details.
And even their heads popped out.
The painted-on faces of the mannequins.
‘Ugh.’
Don't stare.
I hastily lowered my gaze.
It was grotesque, but bearable.
At any rate, the mannequin employee gave a deep, polite bow and gestured to me as if to guide us.
For the record, if you follow that, you go missing.
[Assistant Manager Choi, who moved according to the guidance of a mannequin clerk, went missing. In the last communication, he stated, ‘I think I am moving toward the membership registration corner of the Boutique Street.’]
[Additional: Later, a laborer wearing the broken glasses of the missing employee was spotted on the Boutique Back Road. Presumed to be the individual himself. (Refer to Exploration Records #145)]
It seemed to imply that… during ‘membership registration,’ his identity was discovered, and he was forced to pay for the crime of trespassing with forced labor.
Or perhaps he couldn't pay the cost of the membership registration itself.
“…….”
Either way, I tried my best not to imagine what kind of people those numerous malformed figures in worn uniforms I witnessed in the back alley might have originally
been.
‘It’s meaningless now.’
This was the only thing that mattered.
Membership registration was the problem, so I had to avoid it.
‘For now, I'll approach them as a test, saying I’ll buy at the expensive non-member price.’
If the qualification to purchase itself was limited to members, then we’d run. What I wanted to get here wasn't more precious than my life.
However, it was when I raised my hand to show a friendly gesture.
…!
As if the mark was appearing over the printed faces of the mannequins, the mannequin employees flinched.
And then they bowed their heads to me once more.
“…….”
And I knew only one thing that could be the reason for that….
I turned my arm to check.
Revealed beneath the cuff of my dress shirt, which had naturally slid down as I raised my hand, was the now-familiar Latin word.
: Socius :
“…Has this confirmed my membership?”
The mannequins bowed deeply.
“…….”
Now it was getting scary.
‘This is already the second time.’
That the ‘Theme Park Membership Pass’ tattoo left by the Mascot granted me authority within a ghost story.
-Socius.
-It was used to mean comrade, member, or kin. The versatility of Latin!
Just as Braun said, that word was being used with its inherent meanings in various places with great versatility.
Even in the Fox Counseling Room, they had acted like they knew it….
‘…Why did he leave something like this on me?’
If it were in the past, I might have just moved on thinking it was a huge gain, but now it was a bit different.
Because I had already experienced being severely affected by Contamination once.
‘This, as strong as it is, likely has a strong influence on me as well.’
How should I view the fact that an unpredictable, powerful mark—one that didn't come through a verified summoning method like the Good Friend—is on my body?
But membership authentication had already passed, and if it was dangerous anyway, I might as well use it thoroughly.
“Show me the goods.”
The mannequins nodded again and approached the torsos they were working on, then pulled back the curtains behind them.
As if by magic, a glass display case appeared.
Inside was a single, smooth suit. It was similar in form to the one I was currently wearing, but the color was deeper and it had a strange luster….
As if asking if I liked it, the mannequins clasped their hands politely and looked back at me.
‘…Here goes.’
I raised my hand.
“Wait a moment. I am mainly looking for small accessory items for gifts.”
There was one thing to keep in mind.
I shouldn't get greedy and try to take something beyond my means here.
It would surely be at a price range that an individual human could not handle while remaining sane.
Whether it be through bartering or currency.
So, let's narrow the scope.
“I’d like something casual that can be worn comfortably.”
At that, the curtain immediately went down and then back up.
The items in the glass case, momentarily hidden and then revealed again, had changed as if by magic.
Not torsos, but three or four Upper Body mannequins.
Accessories glittered on their necks, arms, and fingers.
“…….”
Among them, I found the item that seemed the lightest and least conspicuous.
It was a thin silver ring.
It had elegant, fine engravings, but it looked like it would use the least amount of raw material.
It meant it looked the cheapest.
“How much is this?”
The mannequins raised their hands in a flurry and all pointed at once.
Toward the companions behind me.
“…….”
Right.
The basic barter at this boutique, as documented in the <Dark Exploration Record>, was….
Humans.
[Assistant Manager ■■■ succeeded in posing as an existing member of the boutique using mental disruption equipment.]
[Purchased Product: Ring]
[Cost: Three civilians (one 35-year-old, two 21-year-olds)]
[※ This exploration record is transferred in preparation for government audits. Full access is restricted to Security Level C certified personnel.]
“……Mr. Roe Deer?”
“…….”
“U-um, what exactly is the situation right now….”
“Ah, I see. Please pack it up.”
Moving in perfect unison again, the mannequins carefully removed the ring I had chosen from the glass case.
Then, from somewhere, they brought a silk string with a luxurious tag and tied it to the ring, bringing it to me as if for confirmation.
On the tag… tiny words were elegantly written.
Instead of straining to read it and taking a direct shortcut to Death Road Contamination, I asked the Good Friend.
‘Braun, could you read this?’
-No problem at all! ‘Custom clothing specialist, an everlasting luster that never fades. The skill of a noble artisan who is always there.’
-Phrases that would only appeal to the nouveau riche or suddenly famous people. Oops! This is strictly a story shared only between us, friend!
‘……Right.’
As expected.
‘Never fades, always there’… I see.
I figured there would be keywords like that.
Abilities related to durability or permanence.
In fact, regarding the ‘Purchased Product: Ring’ entry in the exploration records of this boutique that I had recalled earlier, there was a separate Wiki document that served as its source.
A certain large-scale Mental Pollution incident.
The only company employee survivor there was the person who sold three civilians to purchase and wear the ring from this boutique.
‘…It’s impossible not to recall it.’
Since it’s an incident related to the Merchandise I possess.
The one and only time a great disaster occurred because of the Silver Heart.
That train accident.
[Employee ■■■]
[The sole Daydream Inc. employee survivor of the ‘Tamra-bound High-speed Train Incident.’]
[Claimed to have lost the ‘Ring,’ a piece of equipment presumed to have played a decisive role in survival, immediately after the incident.]
That was the longest document among the human error accidents recorded in the Disaster Management Bureau section, a Wiki that had even been recorded as a short story.
A ring that played a decisive role in surviving such a major accident without Contamination.
It was as if this boutique entry had been created in reverse to give plausibility and interest to that ring's setting.
In other words, the accessories and clothing sold here were indirectly verified by the Wiki.
That when worn, they exhibit resistance in situations that break the ‘consistency’ of the mind, such as mental derangement or brainwashing.
To summarize it in one word:
‘It means it can be used as a powerful mental defense equipment….’
…An Item absolutely necessary for me, who almost met my end through a single instance of Contamination.
“…….”
I looked up.
“It’s good. I’ll pay for this ring.”
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