Go Yeongeun is a calm and composed colleague.

That was an undeniable fact, confirmed when she woke up in the crazy subway during the recruitment test and when she escaped the deranged exhibition where visitors’ eyes were plucked out.

But now, Go Yeongeun, standing on the stairs leading to the infamous fourth floor of this eerie mart, the source of countless disappearance stories….

“Y-you’re a person, right…?”

She was too calm.

Her pale face didn’t even flinch at the screaming, questioning high schooler.

She didn’t speak.

A fellow colleague, expressionless, stood on the stairs, looking down at us….

Wait.

‘…She’s standing on the stairs?’

Hold on!

Didn’t the door back to the third floor disappear the moment someone went up the stairs? That means she can’t get back to the third floor on her own.

Then.

‘Just how long has she been here…?’

No, more importantly.

‘Why is she here?’

Go Yeongeun could be one of the two agents who entered earlier. The fact that there were two was a clue itself since Disaster Management Bureau agents typically work solo or as a team.

Two usually means a senior-junior pair.

But still.

Why is a rookie agent standing alone on the stairs to the fourth floor, where people disappear?

Without a senior agent.

For at least a week.

Trapped on this… staircase.

“…….”

A chilling premonition crawled up my spine.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“Agent?”

There was no response.

“Goral…?”

Go Yeongeun on the stairs opened her mouth.

“Welcome to Lucky Mart!”

I grabbed the high schooler and pushed him behind me.

And I grabbed the door.

“Agent.”

“Thank you as always, dear customer!”

An expressionless figure staggered down the stairs.

Go Yeongeun.

No, someone who looked like Go Yeongeun… but was a staff member.

‘Damn…!’

I was about to open the door and dash out with the high schooler when I noticed something strange.

‘The sound.’

There was no creaking.

…And her outfit wasn’t a staff uniform. It was still her agent uniform.

Then….

‘Contamination?’

I checked the figure on the stairs again.

It was clearly Go Yeongeun, a definite human figure coming down the stairs.

“...Hold on to the door handle.”

“W-what?!”

I dashed forward.

And I tackled Go Yeongeun, pinning her down as she reached the stair landing.

“…!!”

“Welcome to Lucky Mart….”

It worked.

Her body was still undoubtedly human.

…Then!

While pinning her shoulder with one hand, I pulled out the remaining Blue Soda Churros from my wrist tattoo.

And I somehow shoved it into Go Yeongeun’s open mouth.

“!”

She didn’t even struggle. She just kept trying to walk and repeat the same lines.

Meanwhile, her naturally moving teeth crushed the churros, and some of it must have traveled down her esophagus to her stomach.

I watched the scene, cold sweat dripping down my face….

A moment later.

“Uwaaagh!”

Go Yeongeun started vomiting water like crazy.

I patted her back somehow. Black water pooled on the stair landing.

It wasn’t enough water to choke like when I spent a month on Braun’s talk show… but it was an alien and bizarre sight that made the high schooler recoil in fear.

I supported Go Yeongeun as she vomited a final gush of bluish water and collapsed weakly.

“Huff, huff, huff….”

“Agent.”

I called out to my colleague.

“……!”

Her now lucid eyes looked at me.

Then her pupils dilated and began trembling madly.

“…R-Roe Deer.”

Her sanity had returned.

Enough sanity to respond to being called ‘agent’ and to address me by my nickname, not my real name, in this ghost story.

‘Thank goodness….’

“Ah, ahhhh!!”

“…?!”

Screaming!

Go Yeongeun suddenly tried to crawl back up the stairs, and I hurriedly grabbed her.

“H-huff, ahhh, this damn mart! Even the hallucinations feel so real! Damn it!”

“…….”

“I-I won’t be fooled. Roe Deer, you’re dead….”

Ah.

That’s right.

“Excuse me, I’m not dead, Agent.”

“…?!”

“I was assigned to the same mission as you.”

“?!”

To Go Yeongeun, who thought I had disappeared into the ghost story for a month and was declared dead.

It took another several minutes to convince her that I was alive and had been sent in as a spy….

“Th-thank you… You really saved me.”

“It’s nothing.”

Fortunately, as soon as she regained her composure, Go Yeongeun exchanged some contextual information with me and understood the situation.

It seemed harder to explain without leaking strange information to the high school civilian….

I looked at the now-empty churros wrapper and felt a strange sense of appreciation.

‘This churros… It’s truly amazing.’

During Braun’s late-night talk show, things were so hectic that I didn’t notice, but if it can purify contamination in one go, it’s an insanely incredible item.

‘If it’s recorded in the Chronicles of Darkness Exploration… it’s almost too good an item for this world.’

Anyway, escaping this insane mart was the priority right now.

Still, having another person, especially a reliable colleague, join me gave me some hope.

So, first, let’s confirm something.

I stepped aside slightly and clearly showed the door leading to the third-floor mart to Go Yeongeun.

“Can you see the exit?”

“…….”

Go Yeongeun nodded.

“Yes.”

Phew.

“Technically, I can’t see the door itself, but I can see light coming through the gap… If someone opens it, I think I can get out.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Just as I felt relieved, Go Yeongeun covered her face with one hand.

“But… I still won’t be able to leave the mart.”

“What?”

“…Because I damaged merchandise.”

“…! That’s fine. We’re outside the mart here, so as long as no one saw you eat anything….”

“No. I got caught breaking things inside the mart.”

“…….”

“It wasn’t me, but another agent who did it. Still, I think they lumped me in as an accomplice.”

I stayed silent for a moment before asking.

“…Where is that senior agent now?”

“They’re dead.”

“…….”

“No, I just think they’re dead. …They went up there.”

Go Yeongeun pointed to the stairs.

“Apparently, their family went missing here. The last trace was them going up to the fourth floor… They came here intending to go there in the first place.”

“No, I don’t even want to use honorifics. Are you crazy? Die by yourself, why drag me in when I… Ah.”

“…….”

“Anyway, as soon as they opened the door to the fourth floor, I covered my ears and sat here. …But I could still hear it.”

The jingle.

And not long after, they became like ‘staff.’

“…….”

“Hey.”

“You can call me Grape.”

“Alright. ‘Agent Grape.’”

Go Yeongeun rubbed her face and then looked up.

It was an expression of having composed herself.

“I’m done for anyway, so I’ll at least be bait while you two escape. I was stuck here, nearly starved to death from contamination… That much, I can do.”

“No.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I stepped back and pushed the high schooler forward.

“Huh? Agent…?”

“More importantly, can you help? …He injured his ankle.”

“Ah.”

We barely managed to convince the terrified high schooler to take the candy out of their mouth for a moment.

Then, when I handed over the first aid kit I had brought, Go Yeong-eun fixed and treated the high schooler’s ankle with twenty times the expertise I had.

“But isn’t the candy just getting in the way if I eat it? Hey, the candy….”

“Just keep it for a few hours for now.”

I comforted the high schooler, who had returned to a state of exhaustion and near panic.

Then I pulled out the bait.

“Let’s eat this first.”

“…!! Food…!”

The high schooler’s eyes grew twice as large.

The instant meals I pulled out as if from my bag disappeared into the mouths of all three of us in no time.

‘Since this isn’t part of the mart, we can finally eat.’

Even in the food court, we could only eat ‘safe’ food, so we couldn’t take out certain things.

Even though I only took out things without strong smells, honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so quickly in my life.

I emptied the sterilized milk in two seconds and devoured a Castella cake in about 30 seconds.

‘Now I finally feel alive again.’

Then, I put the high schooler to sleep.

I also wanted to collapse and sleep for a few hours, but talking to my equally haggard colleague came first.

We shared the information we had and chatted for a bit to replenish our mental strength.

“Roe Deer… No, I mean, Agent Grape, you’re always so well-prepared. I just bought a useless store map.”

‘But the third floor is so vast that the information is too vague and scattered to be useful,’ muttered Go Yeongeun bitterly.

“Just in case, I brought some coins used in other darkness, but it seems they aren’t considered currency here….”

Wait a minute.

“Do you have a map?”

“Yes. Regular exploration teams include it as part of their gear… It’s meant for exploring unmapped areas as much as possible.”

“Could you show it to me?”

“Of course.”

Go Yeongeun pulled out a thick, neatly folded pamphlet-like piece of paper from her small backpack.

On the printed floor plan of the building, people had added various handwritten notes and drawings in different colors.

‘…Notes from Disaster Management Bureau agents.’

“…….”

I stared at it as if entranced and spotted a specific location.

A booth marked separately.

Some crazy people seem to think this is useful, but it’s a suicide mission. Don’t go.

“…Agent.”

“About what you mentioned earlier—‘currency for payment.’”

“Yes? Yes.”

“I think we can get it separately.”

I almost pointed to a spot but held back, thinking she might feel uneasy or panic.

Instead, I explained verbally.

“Among the locations marked on the map you gave me, I see a useful store. There’s a hint.”

“…….”

But Go Yeongeun took a deep breath and shook her head.

“I… I’m sorry, but I’m against it. The third floor is too vast; I don’t know how long it’ll take to get there. And I’m scared of how long it might take to find the door to this staircase again on the way back.”

Cold sweat formed on Go Yeongeun’s calm face.

And she seemed to be struggling to hide her fear.

“You two should leave when operations resume. I’ll… wait for rescue. Right now, unless we have other items to avoid staff or danger….”

About that.

“Now we do.”

“…!”

“Do you remember? You’ve used this item before.”

I retrieved an item from my inventory tattoo for the first time in a long while.

Now that we have three people in our group, making the recommended number, this item can be used.

…And with Agent Bronze absent, there’s no one to worry about.

[Easy and Quick Candle Making Kit]

Holding the ‘Mysterious Candle Kit’ item box, I genuinely smiled for the first time in three days.

“Let’s make some candles again.”

This candle-making item, which had greatly contributed to escaping the ‘Mansion of the Sightless Ones,’ could finally prove its worth again.

***

A dark stair landing.

The three of us crouched, looking at the floor in the cramped space.

I spread out the black paper included in the box on the stair landing and drew intricate patterns on it to make the candle.

Then I suggested.

“Let’s draw some cards.”

“Hoo…”

“Wow…”

Go Yeongeun and the high schooler each looked at the back of the cards and drew one at random.

The keywords that would determine the candle’s attributes were decided.

[Confusion]

[Dream]

‘Not bad.’

The order of the keywords was good. …It oddly seemed to reflect their states.

Anyway, it was now time to choose the last card. I looked at the cards laid face up.

Honor, Healing, Meditation, Wound, Deception, Anger, Interference, Protection, Strike, Gaze….

‘Last time, I chose Deception.’

With the keywords Honor, Interference, and Deception, I fooled the exhibition guide machines into thinking I was a legitimate paying guest.

‘Then, this time.’

Without hesitation, I picked one.

[Protection]

A card depicting two hands gently cradling a sparkling amethyst orb.

I burned the three completed cards into ashes, spread them over the crayon-drawn outline of the candle, and folded the paper.

Just like I had done before.

And after waiting a while.

“It’s complete.”

“W-wow.”

A faintly blue candle rolled out of the paper and into my hand.

Of course, I couldn’t use this, and the injured minor surviving on Nostalgia Candy definitely couldn’t either.

Besides, isn’t there an experienced person here?

I turned to Go Yeongeun and handed her the candle.

“I’m counting on you again this time.”

“…Yes.”

Go Yeongeun took the completed candle.

“This time, I’ll do it right.”

Leaving behind a subtle nuance.

The candle in my colleague’s hand began to burn brightly.

The bearer of this candle must use its light to confront chaotic entities, empowered to induce dreams and reveal their protected forms.

The bearer of the candle receives a blessing.

A visitor within the mist.

Whoosh.

The light illuminated us.

“Ah….”

I stood behind Go Yeongeun, holding the high schooler.

It reminded me of when Braun turned off the lights, but this felt colder and lighter.

It was as if a cool mist followed the candlelight, enveloping us….

“…….”

We slowly opened the door and stepped out onto the third floor.

Our figures holding the light should have stood out in the dark store, but strangely, we blended in as if cloaked in mist.

And then we encountered a staff member.

“Eek.”

I quickly covered the high schooler’s mouth.

The staff member creaked as they approached us….

“…….”

They softly brushed past us.

“Ha.”

Go Yeongeun let out a sigh of relief.

It was more relief than fear.

‘Thank goodness.’

Once again, the item from the alien shop served its purpose brilliantly.

However, the time limit for this item is stricter than during the exhibition.

…Because we had to be prepared for a long wait until operations resumed.

“Once the candle burns out, that’s it. If we want to use it again after operations resume, we need to move quickly.”

“Okay. Where do we need to go?”

“Here.”

I pointed to a spot on the floor plan Go Yeongeun had brought and showed it to her.

Go Yeongeun, who was looking at it absentmindedly, flinched.

“…! W-wait….”

“It’s fine. Let’s move.”

“…….”

The candle was already lit, and any scuffle or argument could extinguish it.

In the end, despite her gestures indicating she had much to say, Go Yeongeun began to move.

Phew.

‘Thank you….’

It was understandable.

Because my destination was….

[Sell Your Flesh at Lucky Mart]

…This bizarre event store with its insane sign.

“…….”

While other stores seemed to mimic past Lucky Mart event stalls, the ones with such bizarre signs felt like errors that had spawned unnaturally.

Here, dozens of grills were lined up on a plain white floor with nothing else around.

And in the silence, something was sizzling and burning….

“Eek.”

“Quiet.”

I placed a hand on the high schooler’s shoulder as they began trembling.

It wasn’t an overreaction.

“Ha.”

On the grill displayed right in front of the event store.

Charred pieces of meat were being grilled as a demonstration… and it was unmistakably the disjointed form of a bipedal animal familiar to everyone.

…Repurposed missing persons.

‘I think I’m going to vomit.’

But I held it in.

Above it hung a banner.

…Just as the agent’s notes described.

Instant Barbecue Event!

Participate Alive, Guaranteed Gift Certificates

Gift Certificates.

Why would anyone do something so insane to get gift certificates here? It only draws attention and gets you attacked by long-term missing persons, who are no longer human and beyond rescue.

But for now, we were temporarily able to avoid attention in the mart, protected by the mist.

I gently tapped Go Yeongeun’s shoulder.

“Could you step aside for a moment? I need to stand in front of the empty grill.”

“Huh? …Wait a minute. This…”

“It’s fine.”

Honestly, it wasn’t fine.

I had a strong urge to have someone else do all of this instead of me….

‘If you don’t feel that, are you even human?’

But still.

One of my companions had been trapped and contaminated on the stairs for over a week, and the other was a civilian minor.

Neither was a suitable candidate to pass this task onto.

Besides, this was also an opportunity.

‘I have to get the gift certificates.’

Only by taking the initiative myself could I ensure that this currency would come under my control to use as I saw fit.

‘If I want to push through my plan for escape with what I get here, I have to do this.’

I clenched my teeth.

…First, I injected Happy Maker to prevent shock-induced death. My hands trembled.

‘Calm down, stay calm.’

Then, I carefully grabbed something I had swiped on the way here, trying hard not to let my hands shake.

A massive butcher knife.

Its sharp blade gleamed in the light.

“That…!”

“As long as the item is used and restored to its original condition without damage, it won’t be counted as a purchase, so it’s fine.”

“That’s not the issue, no, Agent…!”

I brought the butcher knife down on my right arm.