The Fantasy World Fanatic Wants To Leave Work

3 – 3. Welcome to U.C. Convenience Store (2)

“Why are these damn creatures walking on two legs like humans?”

If they had walked clumsily like monkeys or gorillas, I would have just thought of them as pets. But the fact that they were even dressed in clothes like humans was beyond my comprehension.

“Our convenience store is affiliated with ‘Universe-1221.'”

It seems that this world is not the Earth where I used to live, just like the contents of that category suggest.

By the way, ‘Universe-1221,’ what is it? I can’t seem to grasp the concept of there being at least 1221 universes.

Parallel universes, multiple universes, whatever it is, it feels like something extraordinary, but it’s useless knowledge in everyday life, so I didn’t bother learning much about it.

So, what the hell is Universe-1221?

“For any other inquiries, please contact the store owner of this branch.”

Then, the item mentioned in the guidebook came to mind.

It didn’t pop into my head but in front of my eyes.

Come to think of it, if you’re curious about something like that item, you can ask the boss’s kid… From what I’ve seen so far, it seems to be done right here on this interface in front of me.

I immediately went to where the boss had sent the message.

At first, I was puzzled about how to manipulate the screen in front of me, but as I thought about the page I wanted in my mind and dragged, it automatically moved to that page.

It felt like using a smartphone with a hologram screen.

But how do I send a message from my end?

I need to ask that boss kid with a face I don’t even know why he brought me here and what this place is.

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[Hey, boss kid, why did you bring me here, and what the hell is this place called Universe-1221?]

“…??”

I blinked my eyes without saying a word.

For a moment, my thoughts came to a halt, and I had no idea how to handle this.

“What’s going on? Why are you sending messages on your own?”

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[Hey, boss kid, why did you bring me here, and what the hell is this place called Universe-1221?]

[What’s going on? Why is this being sent, damn it??]

[Why is there no delete button? No, what is this??]

The messages kept being sent continuously, as if it didn’t matter whether I wanted them to, accurately transferring my thoughts from my head.

To make matters worse, the messages were purely my unfiltered, unadulterated thoughts, starting with the very first message, using bold words like “boss kid”!

-Boss-

[This is the primary support system messenger function of U.C. Convenience Store. Additionally, when you touch the interface on this screen, it automatically transfers Kim Hyun-woo’s thoughts.]

“Uh…”

And shortly after, a reply came. Judging from the fact that the “1” indicator that was next to the first message had disappeared, it seemed to be a read receipt.

I immediately put my hand in my pocket.

-Boss-

[As for why Kim Hyun-woo came to this place, I also do not know. Employee selection is handled by the headquarters, so even if you ask me, I cannot provide an answer.]

The manager continued to respond to the messages I sent.

As the scroll lengthened, cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

-Manager-

[Regarding ‘Universe-1221’ that our store is a part of, please refer to ‘Trewiki.’ There may be occasional inaccuracies, but the relevant authorities review it in real-time, so please verify the information after paying attention to that part.]

It was a somewhat familiar wiki name, but I didn’t have the luxury to care about that right now.

Even though I had never seen the face of the manager, I still foolishly referred to him as “manager” in my messages, even though he was unquestionably the owner of this convenience store.

I never actually messaged him calling him “manager.”

-Manager-

[When using Trewiki, please make sure to use information only about Universe-1221. Information from other universes may contain foreign deities (外神) that can potentially destabilize Kim Hyunwoo’s sanity.]

Destabilize my sanity?

What kind of nonsense is that?

I might not understand a thing from one to ten, but I can tell that messing up will lead to something unpleasant.

“…Is he not paying much attention to the messages I sent?”

The only consolation is that this manager does not mention my messages at all.

Maybe this is an automated response macro.

Everyone, from small businesses to large corporations, extensively uses automated response macros.

-Manager-

[Is there any other inquiry you’d like to make to this manager? Kim Hyunwoo? The message deletion function exists, but if the other party reads it, it will only be deleted from your screen. Please keep this in mind.]

Of course, that was out of the question.

I slowly read through it while swiping the screen with my hand.

Various thoughts started to race through my mind.

But would it be okay? Maybe they can’t really do anything to me on their end.

Honestly, there are probably many keyboard warriors out there who send nasty messages to the manager and block him.

-Kim Hyunwoo-

“This guy is making such a fuss just because I called him ‘manager’ once? What can you do even if I call you ‘manager’? This manager, right?”

“Oh, I forgot to remove my hand, damn it…”

I sighed deeply while pinching my forehead.

It was a mistake to read the message earlier and swipe with my hand.

Now I realized that merely holding the phone to my ear was transmitting my thoughts in real-time without any filter.

If you want to check the content before sending a message, please check ‘Settings -＞ Messages -＞ Enable Message Confirmation.’ It seems like this feature might be essential for Mr. Kim Hyunwoo.

He’s explaining it in a remarkably detailed and kind manner.

Let’s start by going to the settings as mentioned in that message, and make the necessary checks.

If I continue like this, I might end up making even more imprudent remarks than the boss himself.

“People get like this when they’re drunk…”

– Manager –

“And when Mr. Kim Hyunwoo calls me ‘the boss,’ it seems like he’s wondering what I can do.”

As I was contemplating this, a new message arrived.

There’s no way the manager didn’t see my message.

*Blink*!

“…Power outage?”

At that moment, all the lights in the convenience store suddenly went out.

A mysterious barrier descended by the window, blocking all external light.

In any movie, when the lights suddenly go out, it usually means something terrible is about to happen. The darkness only intensifies the fear of the unknown.

Thanks to the light from this system feature, I can see somewhat, but it feels like I’m moving through the darkness, relying on a single flashlight, just like in a real horror movie.

But in the end, the lights just went out.

But what’s this? It was undoubtedly just me in the convenience store, and yet, I had this strange feeling that there might be someone else besides me.

[ *Warning* Do not turn off the lights in the convenience store.]

[ *Warning* Do not turn off the lights in the convenience store.]

[ *Warning* Do not turn off the lights in the convenience store.]

[ *Warning* Do not turn off the lights in the convenience store.]

What on earth is this now?

This time, the screen turns red, and these warning messages start to appear.

Zap!

And then, the system finally shuts down.

Finally, all the lights in the convenience store disappear.

It’s so dark that you can’t see a thing, and the pitch-black darkness settles in.

It doesn’t look good at all.

Creak, creak!

And to make matters worse, after about 10 minutes, an unknown sound starts to emerge.

Clearly, in the convenience store where I was alone, I heard sounds other than my own.

For some unknown reason, the convenience store window shook violently, and I began to hear unfamiliar footsteps-like sounds.

However, all the lights in the convenience store disappeared, and I couldn’t see anything.

“Hey, could you stop playing around and turn on the lights?”

At first, I thought it was the store manager playing a prank.

But there was no response.

There was no response at all.

Not even my own voice.

“…”

Did they say that when someone is terrified, they can’t say anything? I ran towards the entrance of the convenience store with my mouth tightly shut.

I searched for the entrance as I groped for any remaining memory.

The thought of staying here any longer was unbearable.

Even though I didn’t know the reason, I felt the need to get out of here first.

“What is this? Why won’t it open?”

But the convenience store door I had managed to find wouldn’t open.

I desperately tried to open the locked door with my body, and even looked for a lock mechanism, but I couldn’t find anything that could be operated separately.

Thump.

I heard a sound of something approaching me.

I quickly turned around, but I couldn’t see anything.

Without light, I couldn’t see anything.

“…”

Despite that, the sound continued to come, and I was reminded that this convenience store was definitely not a normal one.

Someone was approaching, but I couldn’t see them.

Damn door, it was firmly locked again.

I desperately pounded on the door that wouldn’t open, but in the end, only my hands hurt.

Thump!

As the sound continued to grow louder…

What on earth is the identity of this convenience store?

Why did I end up here, and for what purpose was I trapped in this convenience store?

And what did that store manager do?

Thud!

With my back against the entrance, I surveyed the interior of the convenience store, where nothing was visible.

Something was approaching.

Although I couldn’t see anything, there was something coming toward this place, regardless.

Thud!

It seemed to have come right in front of me in no time.

In the darkness, I felt like someone was reaching out to me.

Nothing was visible, but it felt like someone was reaching out to me, somehow.

[Voice playback ended.]

“…?”

But just as the outstretched hand was about to reach me, I heard a dry voice message, and the convenience store’s lights quickly returned, and the barrier blocking the windows went back up.

The interior of the well-lit convenience store appeared tranquil as if there was nothing else but me.

– Store Manager –

[You tremble like a mouse trapped in a cage; it’s quite adorable. To be frightened by the mere sound of a desk being tapped and be drenched in sweat, if you need new underwear and pants, we can provide them for free. Oh, we also have diapers, in case you prefer those.]

“What is this?”

I looked around in disbelief at the absurd message.

There were still no signs of anyone being here, but I did notice the CCTV cameras and speakers on the ceiling.

Could it be that there was nothing more to it?

Was that just a simple act of turning off the store’s lights, playing the thudding sound through the ceiling speakers, and enjoying my reaction via CCTV?

Could it all just be a prank by the store manager?

I read the new message in confusion.

– Store Manager –

[Currently, our store is connected only to Universe-1221 and remains closed. In this closed state, you cannot go out or come in from outside.]

As I read the following messages, it felt as if I had been struck in the back of my head, just like that time when I was hit by a Pepsi.

Yes, I would prefer it to be a prank.

If this was for real, it would be even more terrifying.

– Store Manager –

[Every year, many employees go missing because of them, especially trainees like Mr. Kim Hyunwoo. I hope to see Mr. Kim Hyunwoo again next year.]

[For now, we’ll give you today to familiarize yourself with our store. Explore the interior, make sure to check where everything is placed. Then, simply remember it all. Have a pleasant day today. ദ്ദി*ˊᗜˋ*) ]