Chapter 27 – 27. Strange Shop

I finally came to my senses.

“Damn…”

My head feels dizzy and my eyes spin.

It seems like every time you are moved to the gate, you lose consciousness until the movement is over, which is quite dangerous.

If you are sent to a dangerous place and are left unconscious, you will die without being able to do anything.

‘Or is the starting point sent to a safer place from the beginning…?’

I’ve only been through the gate twice, so I can’t say for sure, but I hope there is some kind of rule. For example, the starting point is a safe zone, or it allows you to come to your senses before entering a dangerous situation…

It is natural to feel the fear of death every time you move.

‘But where am I…’

First, I stood up and quickly looked around. Since it was not a very dark space, I could see the scenery at a glance.

‘Untidy… Untidy atmosphere… Overall colors are pale…’

It’s a slightly strange and strangely eerie store.

What can I say.. It was a colorless space with a slightly strange atmosphere.

Should I say that this entire space is insensitive.

It’s so cool that it seems natural even if a strange monster is killing people right now.

It may feel more desolate because of the dirty white tiles.

It’s a store with an atmosphere that feels like something out of the first half of a horror game.

But since it’s clearly a general store, shouldn’t there be someone sitting at the counter?

‘There’s no one there.. Fuck… Was it neglected..’

I suddenly became anxious.

‘No, the difficulty level itself was ‘none’. It was a purple gate with no specific escape goal…’

All you have to do is choose what you want to buy, complete the transaction, and head out. Why is it so creepy even though it’s just that? What is this unpleasantness? Is it because there are no people?

‘Let’s come to our senses.. If we get caught up in the atmosphere for no reason, it’s only me who loses..’

I decided to just look at things to buy. The store didn’t seem to have a lot of stuff, but it was still better than being completely empty.

‘Which country is this?’

The letters written on the objects were unique. It is closer to a shape than a letter. Should I say that it is a character with a future-oriented feel?

It’s difficult to pinpoint and explain this, but it didn’t feel unfamiliar at all. Rather, it was cute because it was made up of squares and circles.

‘But it feels so old. The overall interior of the store looks quite old, and the products on display look like old items that are at least 10 years old. Ugh, dust…’

The outside of the store was engulfed in pitch black darkness, so it felt like this store was disconnected from reality. It was like a non-verbal expression that I couldn’t get out of here.

‘Is there really no one… ‘

After walking around the store and checking, almost all of the shelves were empty.

There weren’t that many types of items left. It’s a very empty place for a general store.

The atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic place that had already been completely wiped out filled the store. Overall, it feels like something is lacking and deficient. Yes, it is lacking. This store was lacking in many things. It is a place devoid of goods, colors, and even store owners.

‘Lights are flickering… The atmosphere itself is not managed…’

Now that I think about it, the air is cool too. There was also a faint scent of fishy blood mixed in the cold air. Did someone die here?

As I was having a strange imagination, someone spoke to me.

[What are you looking for? A cute little friend.]

“Ugh!!”

At that moment, I was started by a strange voice coming from behind me and ended up screaming.

I definitely didn’t feel like I was popular at all, but before I knew it, someone was standing at the counter.

And that… Wasn’t a human.

‘What is that bastard… ‘

Face cannot be recognized.

The entire face was shimmering with a mosaic as if it had been censored. It looked strange, with various images jumbled together.

If you look at it for too long, your eyesight will deteriorate.

“Wow…”

For a moment, I felt dizzy and felt dizzy. Could it be that I suffered mental contamination?

[Don’t try to look at me too long. It would take quite a bit of work for your limited brain to recognize it. Hehe…]

The store manager laughed in a voice that I couldn’t tell if it was male or female. Then the store manager took out a cigarette from the front pocket of her clothes and started smoking.

Hazy…Purple smoke came out of a hole that I couldn’t tell if it was my mouth or my nose.

“Whoa… Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…”

It’s a cigarette smell I’ve never smelled before. Is it really a cigarette?

[Is the smell too strong? Once you smoke it, those thoughts will go away. How is it? Shall I give you one?]

The store manager asks a friendly question. The store manager, who naturally smoked, did not seem particularly dangerous. Maybe even that was just an act, but I was confident that if I fought a being like that, I would be blown apart in 3 seconds, so I decided to talk to him obediently. Because you have to fight while choosing your opponent.

“Oh, no.. It’s okay.. More than that. “It’s my first time visiting here, so… Can I just pick up whatever item I want and buy it?”

[No. Because the items on the shelves of this store are not for human use. There are separate supplies for human use. Be careful because if you touch a strange object, you may be thrown out of your world line.]

“Yes…?”

I’m afraid of what will happen if I get thrown off the line of my world. This is information I don’t want to know.

“Hey, but are there non-human guests too?”

[Of course there is. Rather, human guests are rare. Hmm. But you… Don’t you think the gate only opens on Earth?]

“Uh…”

[You look like you don’t know anything. Hehe… That’s fun. It’s always fun to see changes in people’s facial expressions. That dazed expression. I like it.]

-Click.

The store manager suddenly took out her camera and took a picture of my dumbfounded expression. She must have used a Polaroid camera so the photo was printed right away.

Hehe. My hobby is collecting photos of the wanderers who come into my store. Please note that the photos are for personal collection only. I have to be stuck in this damn store all day, but I should have this kind of pleasure.]

The store manager muttered some incomprehensible words, put a cigarette in his mouth hers, and put the photo in the counter drawer. It’s a strange hobby.

[Phew… Okay, let’s see. Entering this store itself is almost like a miracle… But since I’m in anyway, I guess I’ll have to do some census. That way, I will be able to find out which Earth you come from.]

“Which district? What on earth is that…”

[Let’s see, are there zombies running around? Or a man-eater? Or, ancient monsters? Could it be… The devil? If it’s the devil, there’s no answer…]

“Uh… I don’t know about demons, but zombies are walking around. And what on earth are man-eaters and ancient monsters..?”

[There is such a thing. Hmm. Then it’s not those world lines… It’s zombies… Has winter started?]

“Uh…Yeah. Eternal..”

[Winter. And night. That was their world view. Hehe. So how did you get your powers? Class awakening? Or… Simple skill acquisition?]

“Well, I don’t know about the class, but I just gained strength by learning skills.”

[Okay? Puhahaha!! That must be a very twisted difficulty. Class awakening would be much more advantageous for survival. Surviving a cosmic disaster with just one skill… Probably all the gods in your world line have already been exterminated. It must be a worldview in which Manma was victorious long ago. I will run helplessly towards destruction.]

“What do you mean..?”

[Huh? It’s not a big deal… It’s just that it’s very fucked up. A few powerless constellations are barely surviving, holding on to weak humans, and are relentlessly playing a game whose outcome cannot be changed… I can clearly see the future. Hehe… It’s fun. Apocalypse is always fun. It’s funny to watch the desperate struggles of humans. It’s just like a bug.]

The store manager laughed. The laughter was so bizarre… It was similar to that unpleasant sound coming from a crackling TV.

I felt dizzy. I have no idea. A different world.. An ending.. This is being said as if it were some kind of story. Are you kidding me?

“But…Is there really another world?”

[Of course. There is a world where the Battle of Ten Demons and the Temple of Gods are mixed and fighting because the outcome has not yet been resolved. There is also a world where a tower rises and if it cannot be conquered, it will perish. Various disasters lurk everywhere. If you say it’s a parallel universe, everyone from Earth will understand.]

“Aha..”

Humanity is destined to eventually perish even in other parallel universes. For some reason, I felt sad. Should I say that I feel racial limitations? I became saddened by human weakness.

Haha. You’re sad. Well, humans can’t help it. Because I was born weak. So I like humans. I do my best on weak subjects. They are a people who don’t know how to give up… They can’t stop singing human hymns. Okay, I’ll sell the items at a 90 percent discount for a one-time only. People who have flown in here are rare. It is a service.]

The store manager said something I couldn’t tell whether it was a human praise or contempt, and then showed me the product.

[There are three items that can be purchased.]

“I.. The money..”

[Your world probably accepts coins, right?]

I showed him the coins I found in the twisted basement. Then he nodded his head saying that was correct.

[Hmm.. No matter how much you give a one-time 90% discount, you can’t buy anything with five coins… You need at least six coins to buy even one of these items.]

“Hey, can I sell this?”

[Let’s see. It’s the lowest level magic stone… How much did I have to buy it for? Wait and see. I can’t remember everything because the worlds are all mixed up… I have to look up the price tag. If you don’t sell according to the set rules, you will lose money…]

After rummaging through the counter cabinet for a while, he presented the price list as if he had found it.

[The regular price for the lowest grade magic gemstone is five pieces and one coin. How many guns did you bring?]

“Uh…Just a moment.”

I had to count them because I just came in with a bag full of magic stones.

“Seventy-two outlines.”

[Fourteen coins. Now, choose an item.]

I got 19 coins with this. I looked at the items on the counter. There was a gray card, a vaseline container, and five pills. I was able to purchase just one of these at a 90 percent discount.

[Skill enhancement card: You can strengthen one skill you own by tearing the card.][Caution, the skill will disappear with a 3% chance.] [12C]

[Rejuvenation Cream: When applied to the face, it returns the physical condition to what it was 1 year ago.] [Caution, any wounds or diseases that were treated will also come back.] [6C]

[Mind-Body Treatment: Cures various mental illnesses or neurotic problems.][Caution, if you take it more than 5 times, you will suffer from hallucinations that cannot be cured.] [9C]

The discounted price was this much… The regular price basically meant more than 60 coins.

‘I’m going crazy…’

Will you strengthen skill theft… Or will you make your hair grow…

‘The last item is a cure that can cure Ayun’s mind…’

I have 19 coins.

Just once, I had the opportunity to purchase one of those items at a 90 percent discount.

I was at a crossroads of choice.