NOVEL WEB chapter 17
17 – 17. Cheerful Lunchtime (3)
“What did this person do?”
“She is not human. And she hasn’t committed anything yet. I’m trying to find her before she does.”
I see, it seems like she’s planning to do something soon.
I’m not sure what she’s planning to do, but the fact that she’s taking a photo and searching suggests that she is someone to be cautious of.
I wanted to ask if you’ve seen her since this store is gaining popularity these days.
I’m usually good at remembering people’s faces, so I can remember most customers.
But I haven’t seen any customers with such a unique appearance, so unfortunately, I can’t offer much help.
“Hmm… I’m not sure. I haven’t seen anyone with big horns on their head like that before.”
But I have seen someone with sparkling light bulbs.
The mysterious white sorcerer who had brazenly entered the room with a gun.
Come to think of it, he had mentioned that he would come to pick up the package when it arrived at Rocket Pang in a few days. I hope he doesn’t insist on payment again, but I also hope he doesn’t bring a gun.
Money is nice, but guns are definitely not good for mental health.
“Yes, fortunately, there are no giants or goat-like creatures around here. It’s good that you haven’t seen them.”
“hahahaha, I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t want to get involved in any annoying business.”
“That’s right. I hope you, Hyunwoo, don’t get involved in any troublesome matters either.”
With a smile, Alensia waved her hand and left the convenience store.
Thanks to her, I spent my lunchtime happily.
I’m not someone who judges people based on their appearance, but one thing is clear – just looking at a beautiful face can make your heart feel at ease.
It is said that the heart is more important than appearance when it comes to judging a person, and that may be true, but I still prefer faces that are handsome or pretty.
Having a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean happiness, but with money, you can surely acquire many forms of happiness, right?
“Oh, right. Excuse me! You left the photo…!”
Then I realized that Alensia had left without returning the photo to me.
But she was already far away from the convenience store.
I tried calling out to her, but my voice didn’t reach her, and I couldn’t leave the convenience store, so I had no choice but to let her go.
“I’ll come back to find it later, I guess.”
In the end, I was left with only the photo that contained the mysterious woman with riddles in my hands.
She didn’t seem like someone who would just let things go, but could it be that she was still overwhelmed by the spicy taste of the fire chicken?
“Come to think of it, could this be it?”
Staring blankly at the photo, a thought suddenly crossed my mind and I went to Tree Wiki.
[♣The Universe of Knowledge Built by Everyone♣]
[Welcome to Tree Wiki!]
[Tree Wiki is a wiki that contains knowledge from the entire universe. Be cautious as unfiltered knowledge also exists here.]
The banner kindly welcomes those who enter Tree Wiki like me today.
If you scroll down a little, a special search box appears.
[Image Search⌕]
[Focus your screen on the image you want to search.]
It was an image search.
There was even an image search function on Tree Wiki.
Following the brief description that appeared in the search bar, I attempted to search by aligning the photo to the window.
[Category: Intellectual Being, Demon]
[Erabos, the Master of the Black Devil’s Tower (Universe-1221)]
But then, a random name appeared, so I closed Tree Wiki.
Looking for something like this will surely lead to a bothersome and annoying classification.
I’ll keep this photo well stored in the corner of the counter and show it to Allenia when she comes back to the convenience store.
-Kim Hyunwoo-
[Can I buy something like purified water at the convenience store?]
-Store Owner-
[Why are you suddenly asking about purified water?]
Well, I just touched that photo and it made me feel uneasy for no reason.
I tried to forget the woman’s appearance in my mind, but I have a tendency to remember people’s faces well.
-Store Owner-
“Purified water is just purified water unless it’s produced in that universe. And there is no reason for us to import and sell the purified water of Universe-1221 at our store.”
If convenience stores used to sell guns, they could at least sell purified water, right?
It’s even more strange to sell guns at a convenience store, isn’t it?
Oh, come to think of it, there’s nothing normal about everything that has happened since I came to this convenience store.
And among them, the most absurd thing is the reason why I ended up here.
How can someone be hit by a cola and die…?
†††
-Store Owner-
[In 10 minutes, it’ll be the end of your shift. How about it? Do you think it’s somewhat bearable now?]
I think it’s somewhat bearable.
In fact, I find it more comfortable than a typical convenience store job because there’s nothing much to do.
Ordering is also automated, so I don’t have to deal with ordering 180 bottles of Pepsi like some damn idiot.
Assuming there are no wild beasts carrying knives or crazy people coming into the convenience store.
-Kim Hyunwoo-
[I don’t think it’s completely unbearable. But I’m not exactly eager to do it either.]
There was a time when such posts were circulating on the internet.
[*Immediate payment of 1 billion Korean won upon the completion of a 2-year term]
[*Supply worth 150,000 won received weekly by helicopter]
[*Prohibition from leaving the workplace]
[*Job entails raising and lowering the lighthouse’s light switch daily]
[*Electricity available through a self-generating system]
[*Computers available, but no internet access]
[*Supplies can be chosen within desired common sense when restocking]
[*Usage of flush toilets through water tanks]
[*Mandatory individual work]
Roughly, it was a post about being able to work as a lighthouse keeper in Denmark for two years and receive 1 billion won in cash.
The reactions to this were broadly categorized into three.
Some said, “If you’re going to serve in the military for two years as a man and they offer 1 billion, why not go?”
Others mentioned, “It’s hard to make 1 billion in two years even working at a major corporation; they would immediately rush for it.”
There were also those who expressed, “Even if they offer 1 billion, having to live almost as a recluse for two years seems tough.”
Of course, it was obviously a groundless, false claim floating around the internet, so it dissipated without a trace…
But oddly enough, it feels a bit similar to my situation.
I receive weekly pay instead of a monthly salary, can use the convenience store’s items freely, and cannot leave my workplace, just like them. Electricity and the restroom facilities are available in the same way.
I haven’t really used much of what’s in the break room besides the bed, so I’m still figuring things out, and I can buy whatever I want from RocketPang if I have the money.
The work itself is almost the same as I work alone.
-Boss-
[It’s not particularly important what Kim Hyunwoo thinks while working at our convenience store. If an employee of this store doesn’t follow the manager’s instructions, disposal can be arranged through the proper procedure.]
Do they really have to use the term “disposal” for a person?
Moreover, what exactly does “dispose” mean?
-Kim Hyunwoo-
[Come to think of it, what does “dispose” mean?]
-Boss-
[Do you not know the meaning of the word “dispose,” Kim Hyunwoo?]
Does this boss have some prickly condition that spikes if you don’t talk in a certain way?
I can vaguely imagine what this boss looks like without even seeing them.
Surely, they must be inflexible, with a frustratingly closed-off personality—no doubt about it.
Of course, I know what disposal means.
But I’m curious about the disposal method at this U.C. convenience store, as it feels quite different from what I’m used to.
– Manager –
[It’s no big deal. Has the headquarters ever done their job properly? Anyway, once your 8-hour shift ends today, I was planning to explain the special tasks related to disposal.]
Special tasks?
I don’t know what they are, but it seems there’s more to it than the typical tasks convenience store clerks do.
– Manager –
[Please go to the dimensional disposal bin in the warehouse. Mr. Kim Hyunwoo, when you start your official shift, you’ll be assigned this special task during the early morning hours when there are no customers in the store.]
I followed the manager’s message to the dimensional disposal bin in the warehouse.
It looks like an ordinary large trash bin on the surface.
All the disposals from the U.C. convenience store are processed here, and you just need to clean it properly without the need to replace the trash bin. But don’t let your guard down.
From the very name, it’s a dimensional disposal bin.
It’s definitely not an ordinary or normal trash bin.
– Manager –
[Some of the disposals generated in our store might be usable for you, Mr. Kim Hyunwoo, but that doesn’t mean you can handle all the disposals on your own. Therefore, you’ll use the dimensional disposal bin to dispose of expired items.]
Furthermore, there’s something peculiar about the ‘expiration date’ at U.C. convenience store.
Not only food items but other items, like masks or stationery, also have an expiration date.
Of course, these expiration dates are measured in years, but it was somewhat surprising to find them on such items.
Hence, even if they’re not food, they must be disposed of properly once their expiration date has passed.
– Manager –
[However, very rarely, there are things that refuse to be disposed of and attempt to escape from the dimensional disposal bin.]
“What?”
The manager’s message sent shivers down my spine.
So, you mean the discarded products refuse to be disposed and try to escape from that disposal bin?
– Manager –
[Discarded products must never, under any circumstances, escape from the disposal bin. If such a thing happens, Mr. Kim Hyunwoo, I apologize in advance for what may occur.]
[※Important Notification Received: 1 Message]
Following the manager’s eerie message, I checked that it was not a message but another notification.
This notification informed me that new rules had been added to the U.C. convenience store’s employee manual.
“What is this?”
The main rules of the U.C convenience store, which automatically opens when needed.
Upon seeing the newly opened rules this time, I found myself at a loss for words.
＜New!＞
[6. Once a product is discarded, it must never escape from the universal disposal bin, no matter what happens. If there is an attempt to escape, the U.C Support System will send a notification, so it must be dealt with within 6 hours. Please, for your own sake, do not ignore it.]
[6-1. If you fail to handle it within 6 hours, lock the store’s door and never leave the employee break room, even if you hear the voice of a customer looking for you. That’s not a customer.]
[6-2. If the warehouse door is already open, immediately run to the emergency exit. Do not look behind, ahead, up, or down. Keep your eyes closed. After entering the emergency exit, open your eyes and go to the rooftop.]
[6-3. If you find yourself unable to perform the above two actions, immediately remove your uniform and pretend to be a customer who has come to the convenience store. If you can deceive them into thinking you’re not an employee, they will ring up your purchases. After that, you can exit through the emergency exit. However, if you don’t have enough money, they will realize you’re not a customer.]
[7. Occasionally, you may hear voices or screams from the universal disposal bin. Never lend an ear or try to investigate. Notify the store manager, and they will take care of it.]
Out of the blue, I thought that if someone were to offer me 10 billion in 2 years, I could probably do even the work of a lighthouse keeper all by myself. However, this convenience store was different. Unless the situation was more urgent than life itself, even if they offered me 100 billion instead of 10 billion, I wouldn’t do it. At least, I believed my life was worth that much, even if it was a life that ended with a sip of Pepsi.