A gloomy back alley.

A darkness and stench that felt out of place even in the noisy and bizarre night market where non-humans gathered.

And the strange beings under the gas lamp, staring at me standing at the entrance of the alley.

Sunken eyes dressed in uniforms.

“– Well, this is the kind of place you'd hesitate to walk through in dress shoes.”

But I had to go.

And I couldn't let my colleagues notice that I froze for a moment at that sight…!

Squelch.

I stepped into the back alley.

My colleagues followed close behind me.

Squelch, squelch.

Walking between the narrow walls, under the dim gaslight and through the black shadows, tightly packed side doors passed by on either side of me.

"……."

Bizarre.

It's like stepping into an image poorly stitched together to make side doors continue endlessly.

And the gazes from both sides, staring intently at us as we walk between the doors.

'Sigh.'

Those in old, tattered uniforms stained with filth. Their abnormally emaciated black bodies stand motionless against the wall.

Only their heads turning toward us.

“– Attention is inevitable for a star! But rest is also necessary. As always, I, Braun, can temporarily relieve that burden….”

I want to scream and beg him to do just that….

'No. It's fine.'

'Turning off the lights' shouldn't be used now.

'Can I save it for later, when I really need it?'

“– Of course!”

Alright. I have to hold it in.

'I have to stick to the plan.'

I swallowed hard and kept walking.

The moment when chills ran down my neck, and my legs grew stiff, making it almost impossible to keep walking.

"…Huh?"

I quickly looked up at my colleague's exclamation.

The endlessly lined-up bizarre side doors, the grotesque figures in uniforms. And…

Just one.

There's a door slightly ajar.

"……."

The door was slightly protruding.

Through the crack in the door, pitch-black darkness could be seen.

'Wow, seriously.'

It was like a horror movie. My eyelids trembled uncontrollably.

But I had to say this.

"Look, there's a door open over there. It seems like a welcoming sign. Let's go in."

"Yes!"

"Oh… I see!"

"……."

'Shouldn't I know better than to be convinced by such nonsense…!'

But I still had to do what needed to be done.

I took a deep breath and approached the lone open side door.

The closer I got, the more overwhelming the fear of wanting to run away became, but I held it in.

Instead, I bent down and peered through the narrow crack of the black open door…

I came face to face with bloodshot eyes.

"…!!"

Th-This is what I expected. Don't panic, absolutely don't do anything rash…

I barely managed to push what I had in my hand through the crack in the door.

A pack of cigarettes.

"……."

My hands trembled violently.

It felt like something icy was brushing against my fingertips…

Screeeech.

The side door swung open wider.

'……Phew.'

In this alley, entering stores is usually prohibited, but temporary explorations can be conducted using addictive items like alcohol or cigarettes.

I did it…!

I clenched my teeth as I retrieved my now-empty hand where the cigarettes had disappeared.

Wow, I feel like I'm about to cry…

"A pack of cigarettes and a 5,000-won investment to open the client's door! As expected, opportunities aren't followed—they're created, Deputy Manager!"

"Indeed…!"

"……."

Maybe I'd be better off if someone could completely convince me so I could walk around that carefree too…

But for now, I could only lament the fact that I was the one who convinced them and keep moving forward.

'Kkhhk.'

The bloodshot eyes had vanished before I knew it.

In their place, a faint smell of cigarettes started wafting from somewhere, but where exactly?

'Much better.'

I let out a sigh of relief and took a step forward.

"……."

It was very dark, but I could vaguely make out the outlines. A space filled with boxes and items stacked like a maze, covered in black cloth.

There was a musty smell of a storage room.

"Ah, this would be perfect if it were a warehouse mart or a clearance store! There'd be so many items to grab if they sold at wholesale prices…"

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

I pushed my way through the boxes and finally found what I had been looking for.

"…! Roe Deer, over there…"

"Yes."

There's another door inside.

It looked similar to the door we pushed through earlier, but it was less worn and cleaner.

'……I guess I have to open this one too?'

Let's just be thankful I'm not at the back.

I stepped forward and grabbed the door handle.

And when I pulled it with all my strength…

A dazzling, brilliant light pierced my eyes.

"…!!"

My vision, briefly blurred by the pouring light, gradually recovered over a few seconds, taking in the entire space.

A dazzling scene filled my sight.

The room was structured with elegant chandeliers of crystal and brass, deep-toned woodwork, golden frames on the walls, and thick, lustrous green velvet curtains hanging.

But there was something even more overwhelming than that.

Ivory torsos with only their upper bodies lined three walls, each displaying incomplete suits and dresses.

And in between them, hands wearing white cotton gloves without bodies were measuring clothes and finishing the tailoring!

My colleagues gaped in shock.

"W-Where is this…?"

From a gloomy back alley, what's going on here all of a sudden?

To put it simply…

'It really was a back alley.'

The alleys of Death End Alley confirmed so far:

38. Boutique Back Alley.

We had entered through the filthy back alleys of these dazzling high-end shops.

Of course, we weren't legitimate customers.

We were nothing more than petty thieves who snuck in by bribing our way through with a pack of cigarettes in a slum-like place filled with laborers doing menial jobs and laid-off homeless people.

But using irregular methods in ghost stories isn't a first.

'If it doesn't work, let's run.'

If it's discovered that we trespassed, things could get pretty gruesome, but in that case, I can ask Braun to erase our presence and make a run for it.

'Since we've secured an escape route through the back door.'

Isn't that why I've been holding back from asking Braun for help until now?

I moved forward.

"Oh, oh…!"

Please don't be impressed, everyone…

Contrary to my uneasy feelings, the gloves that had been handling the torsos reacted in perfect unison.

Whistle!

With a light whistling sound, the bodies of the gloves suddenly appeared in midair.

It was the body of a mannequin dressed in an elegant navy uniform.

Similar to what I saw earlier in the back alley, but much cleaner, tidier, and more detailed.

And then, even the head popped out.

The face painted on the mannequin.

'Ugh.'

Let's not stare.

I quickly lowered my gaze.

It was grotesque, but bearable.

Anyway, the mannequin staff bowed deeply with a polite posture and gestured to guide me.

For reference, following that will lead to disappearance.

Deputy Manager Choi disappeared after following the mannequin staff's guidance.

In the last communication, they mentioned, 'It seems like I'm heading to the Boutique Street Member Registration Corner.'

Additional note: A laborer wearing the missing employee's broken glasses was later spotted in the Boutique Back Alley.

Presumed to be them. (See Exploration Record #145)

Perhaps… it implied that their identity was exposed during the 'member registration,' and they had to repay the crime of trespassing with forced labor.

Or perhaps they couldn't pay the cost of the member registration itself.

"……."

Either way, I tried not to imagine what kind of people those numerous grotesque figures in tattered uniforms from the back alley might have originally been.

'It doesn't matter right now.'

This is the only thing that matters.

That member registration is the issue, and it must be avoided.

'First, I'll try approaching them with the offer to buy at a high non-member price as a test.'

If purchasing eligibility is restricted to members only, then I'll run.

Because what I'm trying to gain here isn't worth more than my life.

But just as I raised my hand to show a friendly gesture.

"…!"

The mannequin staff flinched as if some sort of mark appeared over the printed face of the mannequin.

And then, they bowed their heads to me again.

"……."

And there's only one thing I can think of that could explain this…

I turned my arm to check.

As I raised my hand, the Latin word I had grown accustomed to appeared naturally beneath the lowered cuff of my dress shirt.

: Socius :

…Does this count as member verification?

The mannequin bowed deeply.

"……."

Now, it's becoming frightening.

'This is already the second time.'

The 'Theme Park Membership' tattoo left by the mascot had granted me authority within the ghost story.

“– Socius.”

“– It means something like companion, member, or kin. That's the versatility of Latin!”

Just as Braun said, the word was being universally applied in its literal meaning everywhere.

Even in the Fox Counseling Room, they had recognized it…

'…Why did they leave this with me?'

If it were before, I might have just thought of it as a lucky break and moved on, but now it's different.

Because I've experienced the terrible effects of contamination once before.

'This thing, it seems as powerful as its influence on me is strong.'

How should I view this unpredictable, powerful mark on my body, which didn't even come from a proven summoning method like my good friend?

But since the membership verification has already passed, if it's going to be dangerous anyway, I might as well use it wisely.

"Please show me the items."

The mannequins bowed their heads again, approached the torso they were working on, and pulled back the curtain behind it.

Like magic, a glass display case appeared.

Inside was a sleek suit on display.

It resembled the one I was wearing, but its color was deeper and had a strange sheen…

As if asking if I liked it, the mannequins clasped their hands politely and looked back at me.

'…Let's begin.'

I raised my hand.

"Just a moment. I'm primarily looking for small gift accessories."

There's something to keep in mind.

I mustn't get greedy and try to take something beyond my means here.

It would undoubtedly be a price range that no sane human individual could afford.

Whether it's bartering or currency.

So, let's narrow down the range.

"I'd prefer something casual and comfortable to wear."

Then, the curtain immediately fell and rose again.

The items in the glass display, briefly concealed, had magically changed when they reappeared.

Not torsos, but three or four upper-body mannequins.

Accessories sparkled on their necks, arms, and fingers.

"……."

I found the lightest and least conspicuous item among them.

It was a slender silver ring.

It had delicate and elegant engravings, but its appearance suggested that it used the least amount of material.

In other words, it looked the cheapest.

"How much is this?"

The mannequins all raised their hands at once and pointed in unison.

At my companions behind me.

"……."

Right.

As recorded in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>, the basic barter system in this boutique is….

Humans.

Deputy Manager ■■■ successfully posed as an existing boutique member using mind-altering equipment.

Purchased item: Ring

Cost: Three civilians (One aged 35, two aged 21)

※Transferred the relevant exploration record in preparation for government audits.

Access to the full record is restricted to C-level security certification holders.

"……Roe Deer?"

"……."

"Uh, um, what exactly is going on here…."

"Ah, I see. Please wrap it up."

The mannequins moved in perfect unison once again, carefully taking out the ring I had chosen from the glass display.

Then, they brought a silk string with an elegant tag from somewhere, tied it around the ring, and presented it to me as if asking for confirmation.

The tag… was elegantly inscribed with minuscule letters.

Instead of straining my eyes and walking straight into the death-laden contamination, I asked my good friend for help.

'Braun, could you read this for me?'

“– No problem! "Specialized in tailored clothing, eternal luster that never ages. The noble craftsmanship of a master who is always there."”

“– This sounds like a tagline that nouveau riche or suddenly famous celebrities would fall for. Oops! This is just between us, my friend!”

'…Yeah.'

As expected.

'Never ages, always present'… huh.

I figured there would be keywords like that.

Abilities related to durability or permanence.

In fact, regarding the 'Purchased Item: Ring' entry in this boutique's exploration record I recalled earlier, there was a separate wiki document as its origin.

A large-scale mental contamination incident.

The sole company employee survivor sold three civilians and purchased a ring from this boutique to wear.

'…It immediately comes to mind.'

Because it's related to the merchandise I own.

The single time when a catastrophe occurred because of the Silver Heart.

That train accident.

Employee ■■■.

The sole surviving employee of Daydream Inc. from the 'Tamna-bound Express Train Incident.'

The equipment presumed to have played a decisive role in survival, the 'ring,' was claimed to have been lost shortly after the incident.

A ring that played a decisive role in surviving such a massive incident without contamination.

This boutique entry was essentially created to add plausibility and intrigue to the ring's lore.

In other words, the accessories or clothing sold here are indirectly verified by the wiki.

When worn, it provides resistance in situations that disrupt the 'steadiness' of the mind, such as mental confusion or brainwashing.

To summarize it in one sentence,

'It means it can be used as powerful mental defense equipment….'

…An item I desperately need, especially after almost facing disaster due to contamination once.

"……."

I raised my head.

"This is nice. I'll purchase this ring."