The eerie mart, just moments before closing.
The lights went out, leaving the store in darkness.
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na, na-na-nan~
Amid the cheerful theme song, I could feel the vibrations of the high school student’s labored breathing as I covered their mouth.
The tension wrapped tightly around my body.
And beyond the noisy music and vibrations, a faint scraping sound from afar grated on my nerves….
Screeeeeech.
The sound of a metal door opening.
And if there’s a metal door instead of a glass one in the mart….
‘…It’s the staff area door.’
That’s the sound of the staff coming out.
‘Ha.’
Suppressing a groan that rose in my throat, I turned my head and peeked out from the display shelves….
Waddle waddle.
Figures in mart uniforms began to appear one by one in the dark store….
The staff, with bizarre shapes resembling balloon-made human figures, waddled out.
[LOOKY MART]
The logo of Looky Mart, imitating Lucky Mart.
The crude imitation on their chest and hat appeared under the light, then vanished back into the darkness.
At that moment.
“Let’s hurry out. They’re closing soon.”
“Got it.”
Someone passed by the display shelf we were hiding behind, heading from the liquor section toward the checkout counter.
“…!”
There were two or three past shoppers still in the store.
Then… one of the ‘staff’ entering the liquor section lightly bumped into them.
Thud.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
The staff member’s head turned around.
“Welcome to Looky Mart!”
“Let’s go quickly.”
“Thank you as always, customer!”
The shoppers felt no sense of unease.
They passed by the staff and headed to the checkout counter together.
I could feel the high school student’s mouth I was covering breathing heavily.
“Goodbye, customer!”
The staff-like figure with the twisted head creaked as it came out of the liquor section.
And then walked the hallway again with an odd gait….
In front of the snack aisle.
Right next to the display shelf where we were crouched and hiding.
Creak creak.
“…….”
“…….”
A bizarre sound like balloons rubbing against each other echoed.
The four of us pressed ourselves flat against the floor and held our breath.
Creak creak.
The sound grew distant….
“…….”
‘Phew.’
Tap tap!
The high school student tapped on my hand covering their mouth.
Their faces were tear-streaked, but they were calm.
“You’re not going to scream, right?”
They nodded slightly.
When I released my hand, the high school student muttered urgently as if gasping for breath.
“W-We can’t let those strange staff members see us, right? Right? The guide said….”
That’s right.
After closing hours, Looky Mart staff mimic working while behaving strangely.
If one staff member spots you, all the staff on that floor will chase you.
To survive in Looky Mart after hours, you’d have to move as if playing a survival horror game.
But… could we stay safe while escorting two clueless teenagers?
‘No matter how I see it, the equipment I received doesn’t seem prepared for this situation.’
It seems they assumed we’d be out during business hours when they issued the equipment.
Of course, the Disaster Management Bureau must have prepared to some extent, but there are still too many variables.
‘Damn it.’
Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
Should we hold out for now? What’s the Bronze Agent planning? Are we going to hide for now?
Wait!
‘That person… looks like they’re about to neutralize a staff member….’
Agent Bronze, holding a pistol, quietly stared at the staff member moving away.
It seemed they had planned an escape route, but that staff member was in the way.
…Should I help neutralize them?
If Braun were here, I’d ask them to turn off the lights, but now, an unusable method came to mind, and I bit my tongue in frustration.
‘Think, think….’
I desperately racked my brain, quickly digging through my memories of the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
So, after closing hours at Looky Mart….
…….
No, wait.
[ 20 : 25 ]
“Agent…!”
I crawled toward Agent Bronze and urgently whispered.
“There are still 5 minutes until closing. The business hours haven’t fully ended yet!”
“…!”
“The doors should still be open right now.”
We just need to leave now!
Agent Bronze quickly glanced beyond the checkout counter on B1. Confirming that the escalator outside the counter was still running, he quickly made a decision.
“Let’s move immediately.”
He quickly grabbed the high school student clinging to him and began moving swiftly.
“…!”
Right. We need to take care of one person each.
I turned to look at the high school student whose mouth I had been covering.
They shook their head hastily.
“I’ll run on my own! I’m faster than them…!”
“…….”
Should I have looked a bit more reliable? No, this isn’t the time for such thoughts!
I started running together, pushing the high school student forward to make sure they didn’t fall behind.
We rushed past the empty checkout counters and crossed the escalators crowded with shoppers like mad.
“Ah!”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think I tripped.”
Without noticing, we wove through the shoppers and headed for the exit just before closing time.
And at the first-floor entrance….
“…….”
Something was standing in front of the door.
It looked like it used to be a standee.
It was of Lucky Mart’s founder, a famous entrepreneur, a stereotypical blonde, middle-aged white man with a trustworthy smile and a thumbs-up.
But….
It was alive.
“ – Ugh!! Mmmph! Mmmph! Ugh!”
The person, pressed flat into the shape of a standee, looked like a flattened corpse moving as if alive.
It was smiling, but its eyeballs still rolled, shedding tears and drooling.
It was looking at us.
…It was aware of us.
As if begging for help, or perhaps filled with malice to pass on its torment, its eyes rolled frantically, and the standee quivered… Damn it!
“Hic.”
“Quiet.”
I saw Agent Bronze calming down the high school student he was in charge of.
How convenient is the word ‘ghost.’ You can sum up such a grotesque sight with just one word.
‘This is driving me insane.’
Still, we need to ‘block’ its line of sight.
‘To do that, first….’
We had to cause a misunderstanding.
Suppressing a sigh, I grabbed the shoulder of the high school student I was in charge of.
“You read the guide, right? You have to steal an item. Everyone must do it themselves.”
Before blocking the exit ghost’s line of sight, you must first make it mistake you for a shopper.
Steal and carry an item that a shopper has already purchased.
At this point, no commotion should occur.
“But what if we get caught….”
“It’s fine as long as you steal something unnoticeable.”
I looked at the exit.
There weren’t many people, but those present were hurriedly checking out or leaving upon hearing about the closing.
‘Even without intentionally blocking its sight, we might slip through in that crowd.’
Of course, I had no intention of taking such a risk.
“Fishing line.”
“Yes.”
I immediately took out the item I had.
A coiled fishing line… with a small, red goldfish-shaped lure at the end.
---------------------=
Chronicles of Darkness Exploration / Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau
Item
Lure Play
An item with a red lure attached to the end of a transparent fishing line.
When used, it can attract the attention of supernatural beings below Severe Distortion level.
The closer the being is to its source or the stronger it is, the weaker and less effective it becomes.
Item Usage Conditions: Level 7 or higher officials of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau or special permit holders.
---------------------=
As soon as you steal an item, use this to divert the standee's attention and leave.
Agent Bronze and I alternated tasks, buying enough time for the two high school students to escape.
Agent Bronze unwound the fishing line, setting up the equipment, and gave me a nod.
“Go ahead and steal something.”
I nodded and turned to the two high school students.
“We… we can’t steal….”
“Guys, they can’t see us anyway. As long as it’s not something too obvious when it’s missing, it’s fine.”
People don’t usually notice when something goes missing from a bag or box.
‘Something they’re least likely to look for, something like….’
Small, everyday essentials.
Things they bought out of necessity but don’t really pay attention to.
Something they’re unlikely to use or consume right away.
“…….”
I approached a shopper sitting on a chair near the exit.
‘It’s easier when they’re not moving.’
They seemed to be waiting for someone, resting a store shopping bag on their lap with their eyes closed.
I quickly examined the store eco-bag.
‘Good.’
Then, I reached inside and pulled out something from within.
Dental floss.
“There are a few more inside.”
“…!”
“When I took this one out, I loosened the others too. Just grab one gently. Gently.”
“…….”
The high school student under my charge swallowed hard, their pale face stretching a hand toward the eco-bag.
And they successfully pulled out the dental floss I had placed on top.
“…I-I did it!”
“Good job!”
The high school student, holding the dental floss, stepped back with a flushed face.
And the two of us turned to the one remaining person.
The high school student who had been sticking close to Agent Bronze.
“…….”
In the end, the high school student approached with an anxious expression.
“Hey, stay calm….”
“I know, okay?! Just be quiet!”
“…….”
They seemed to be on the verge of panic.
The high school student, who had shouted at me, tightly shut their eyes and reached out as if wanting to get it over with.
Then, they quickly thrust their hand into the eco-bag and grabbed the dental floss.
“Got it….”
The high school student pulled their hand out with a bright expression.
Wait, if you pull it out too quickly like that….
Thud.
The student’s hand grazed the shopper’s cheek as it passed.
“Oh my gosh!!”
“…!!”
The shopper, who had the eco-bag on their lap, freaked out and fell backward off their chair.
“Wha-what?”
Startled, the high school student instinctively grabbed the eco-bag.
“Mom, what’s wrong, are you okay… Agh!”
A person who seemed to be with the shopper ran over, picked up the eco-bag, and froze when they saw the student holding it.
‘Damn it!’
I immediately pulled the student back. The eco-bag fell to the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.
The owner of the bag screamed.
“There was a person here, but they disappeared!”
The surroundings began to buzz with murmurs.
All eyes turned toward us.
“What are you talking about? Are you sure you didn’t just see wrong….”
“No, Dad! The bag was acting weird!”
“A boy was holding my bag! Wha-wha-what?!”
Damn it.
Shoppers usually don’t notice you.
However, physical contact can make them aware of you.
At this point, if communication is possible, there are several methods you can attempt to seek assistance for escape.
Up to this point, it seems hopeful.
However….
“Excuse me! Someone, please help!”
“Huh? What day is it today? What’s the date? Why am I here? Huh?”
However, if a shopper notices you and feels unsettled or falls into panic, leave the area immediately.
“Run.”
The staff is coming.
Agent Bronze and I simultaneously pushed the high school students and started running in the opposite direction of the exit.
…Because something had started waddling out from the escalators, the far end of the checkout counters, and the restroom.
Creak creak.
The sound can be heard.
Creak creak creak creak creak creak creak creak.
The eerie sound of balloons rubbing against each other chased us madly from behind.
They’re growing in number.
We reflexively ran madly toward a wide, complex area.
…Into the checkout counters, into the store’s shelves.
‘Damn it.’
I looked at my watch.
[ 20 : 29 ]
It’s over.
Closing time is imminent.
‘We have to hide.’
We had to give up on the exit for now.
Before the store completely closes, the shoppers vanish, and more staff appear, we need to evade them within 60 seconds. To do that, we must hide….
‘Four people are too many!’
I locked eyes with Agent Bronze.
The agent glanced upward, nodded, and quickly slipped to the side.
Taking one of the high school students with him.
“Ah…!”
“This way.”
I led the high school student I was in charge of and moved.
I ran until I was out of breath. The maddening creaking sound still echoed from behind, but it had noticeably decreased.
‘More of them went toward Agent Bronze…!’
It seemed like they deliberately lured them away. I didn’t have time to worry or complain, and I gratefully took the chance to run like crazy.
Vacuum cleaners, cosmetics, dishes, kitchenware, bleach….
All kinds of shelves repeated endlessly in the massive store….
I ran into a staff member.
‘Damn it.’
Creak creak.
They chased us. Each time, I immediately changed direction with the high school student and ran again.
“Huff.”
The high school student began to pant heavily.
I could taste the metallic tang in my mouth.
But the massive store seemed like an endless maze, spitting out more staff and corners….
‘Damn it!’
Creak creak creak creak creak.
We turned corner after corner of the shelves.
‘This won’t work.’
A place to hide.
A place where the two of us could quickly hide without preparation, in a moment unseen by the staff!
And the moment we turned another corner.
‘…!’
I saw it.
[Electric Mixer 50% Off]
A mobile display stand.
‘Found it.’
I pushed the high school student under the large mobile stand stacked with mixers and followed them underneath.
And I held my breath.
