Agent Bronze was dragged away by the staff.
The future of that was easy to picture in my mind.
Because I had already witnessed a similar case on the first day.
“ – Aaaah! Aaaaagh!”
Just thinking about that ‘spare item’ being ground up alive in the mixer still sends a cold sweat down my spine.
But to think that the veteran agent, whom we’ve been searching for over the past three days, might be suffering the same fate….
The high school student under the bronze agent’s charge described the situation as if vomiting out the memory.
"A-at first, I felt somewhat relieved, but…."
On the first day, the agent took the survivor to this store’s tent, cleaned up the surroundings, and seemed to have taken some action.
The anomaly happened on the second day.
"Originally… over there, that side."
"…You mean us?"
"Yes. It seemed like they were trying to find you."
But instead of finding me, Agent Bronze ended up discovering something else.
"That one, that thing came out…!"
That one?
Everyone turned their heads in the direction the high school student was pointing, but there was nothing there except the tent fabric.
"Ugh!"
Then, the student got up, went outside the tent, and opened the door of the adjacent tent.
Inside, a figure dressed in a school uniform was lying down….
“…?!”
"Lee Subin!"
The high school student I was in charge of suddenly stood up and ran toward the tent. Then, turning back to me, they spoke urgently.
"T-That’s the friend we were looking for! Lee Subin!"
Ah.
The friend who had gone missing first, the one these students had been searching for.
"Su-Subin?"
The student repeatedly called out to their friend.
But ‘Lee Subin’ didn’t respond. Lying in the tent, staring blankly into space with their mouth slightly open… they looked completely dazed.
‘…Is it because they’ve been missing for too long?’
Their body was covered in scratches and bruises.
A grim sight.
But now, I had a better idea of why Agnet Bronze had been missing for days.
"...Where did the agent find them?"
"I-I don’t know. He just suddenly brought them in, saying they found them. He pointed out that they were wearing the same school uniform…."
Having to take care of two minors needing rescue would have severely limited his mobility.
He had likely spent two days looking after them while waiting for business to resume….
……At the same time, he was probably waiting for me to safely arrive at this store.
"...So, when exactly did the agent disappear?"
"Early this morning…?"
“…….”
More recent than I thought.
"Suddenly, a bunch of staff members swarmed in, and well, they took him away."
"How would I know?! ……Well, I guess that’s how it seemed."
If that’s the case….
"Sh-Shit, we’re screwed, right? We’re all gonna die, right? Huh? The skilled person is gone! You’re new, right? The agent said so."
"Hey, why are you talking like that? Are you crazy?"
“…….”
The high school student I was in charge of was startled, scolding their friend while glancing nervously at me and Go Yeongeun.
The high school student from Agent Bronze's side sniffled, swallowed, and lowered their head deeply.
"Ah, anyway… we’re doomed, aren’t we?"
"No."
“…!”
Go Yeongeun spoke firmly.
"We’re not doomed. You have a safe place to stay, and now there are adults here to help you. Things have actually gotten better."
"Ah…."
"If you act recklessly thinking we’re doomed, you’ll only lose whatever chances we have left. If we want to get out safely, we must do our best to cooperate. Got it?"
“…….”
The two high school students nodded.
The student who had shouted at us now had an expression of shame and regret.
…It suddenly occurred to me that Go Yeongeun might be better suited for the Disaster Management Bureau rather than Daydream Corporation.
"Hoo."
After calming the kids down, we briefly stepped out of the tent.
Go Yeongeun let out a short sigh, swallowed, and then spoke to me.
"...I didn’t just say that to reassure the kids. I think we also need to believe it ourselves."
"I agree."
And also…
After hesitating for a moment, I whispered to Go Yeongeun.
Something I had been pondering ever since I heard the high school student’s words.
"Regarding my senior agent who was taken… they might still be alive."
“…!”
That’s right.
Missing persons who were classified as ‘stock’ could be immediately ‘used’ if they fit into the staff’s routine.
‘But usually, they wait for their turn to be used.’
Just like proper inventory.
Since the staff mimicked supermarket operations, they stored their stock according to regulations.
The place where such items were stored.
Somewhere deep inside the supermarket’s staff area…
"They might be in the stockroom."
The stockroom.
Failure to escape from the stockroom results in death.
…Such phrases appeared frequently in the <Chronicles of Darkness Exploration>.
But thinking about it again, it also meant that the missing person might still be able to attempt an escape. It meant they were still alive, conscious, and had energy left.
‘There have been rare cases of escape.’
That is, in cases where one possessed a special item or ability.
…Of course, there were also many cases where they had already been ‘processed’ according to the intended use of the stock.
The important thing is this.
This group currently has the ‘special item’ needed to access the stockroom.
“…….”
I looked at the softly textured lump that Go Yeongeun was holding, with its flame currently extinguished.
A mysterious candle.
It takes three people to create, but only one person to carry.
‘If only we could light the candle…’
However, for some reason, I couldn’t light the candle’s flame, which was only usable by ‘modern people.’ This meant I couldn’t carry the item alone.
"…Agent."
"Let’s go."
“…!”
"With two people, we have twice the brains and… twice the hands, so it should be a bit better."
Go Yeongeun glanced at my arm and nodded, unable to quite manage a smile.
…It seemed like they were taking into account the fact that I could only function properly with the help of the Nostalgia Candy.
"Thank you."
"I should be the one saying that. If it weren’t for you, I would have died on those stairs anyway."
Go Yeongeun shuddered slightly, as if imagining it.
"Anyway, let’s go. …To find your senior agent."
I nodded.
***
I will go find Agent Bronze.
The high school students reacted strongly to those words.
"Wait, if both of you leave, what are we supposed to do? The staff might come. If we’re left alone…."
"It’s okay."
I calmly placed my hand on the student’s shoulder.
"…Another agent has already taken precautions before leaving."
This store was surely chosen because staff members rarely appear here.
However, since we never know when a long-term missing person might attack, that part was also taken into account.
‘…Is that it?’
I saw an item that looked like children’s jacks, pressing down on the tent’s securing pin.
Air Pressing Stone
: A piece of supernatural disaster management equipment that creates a blessed space.
The item description came to mind—if these stones were placed at all four corners of a certain area, they would protect against malicious entities.
The contaminated long-term missing people would probably be unable to recognize this store and just pass by.
…If the agent had just stayed inside quietly, they wouldn’t have been taken, and that thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"You’ll… come back, right?"
"Of course. I’ll definitely come back after finding the agent."
I handed the Nostalgia Candy to the student I was in charge of and advised them to rest, but to put it in their mouth and move if necessary.
Fortunately, despite looking uneasy, they followed my advice.
Fwoosh.
Go Yeongeun lit the candle once again, and I stepped back, as if hiding in the mist and shadows created by the flame.
"…A third of the candle has melted."
“…….”
We need to move as quickly as possible.
We took a step forward.
Now, having almost grown accustomed to it, we moved toward the eerie, vast stores on the third floor.
‘…The agent was captured on the third floor, right?’
That meant we had to find the door on the third-floor wall again.
"Exactly which door are we looking for?"
"Before the store closed, there was an announcement. And at the same time… those balloon-like employees poured out."
"…Yes."
"It was the door that opened at that time."
But this time, we didn’t have to find it ourselves.
Creak, creak, creak.
"……Let’s follow it."
“…….”
We followed behind one of the creaking employees with vacant eyes.
The employee, who had been wandering around the third floor, soon….
Perhaps finishing its patrol routine, it returned to the place it originally came from.
[Authorized Personnel Area]
A steel door leading to the space used by the staff.
“…….”
“…….”
Creeeeak.
The door opened.
There were many similar doors, but they were all connected through corridors like an ant nest, leading to a single space.
There, we had to find the supply storage.
Holding our breath, we quickly slipped inside before the steel door that the employee had opened closed.
And then, we were met with an overwhelming sight inside the staff area….
"Gasp."
Go Yeongeun covered her mouth.
Under the bright fluorescent lights, numerous employees were crumpled and stacked vertically.
Not the grotesque employees that appeared after closing hours, but those who looked like regular people.
They were piled up, crushed, and wedged together—it was the only way to describe it.
As if it were just a normal space, this bright and modern area casually stored human bodies, crumpled and layered.
"…They look like the employees who worked during business hours. Hhrrk."
Go Yeongeun swallowed back her nausea and tried to steady her breathing.
So, they even mimic shift changes.
I didn’t even want to imagine how these crushed people managed to appear normal and work when business hours began.
A sense of repulsion crept up my throat, but I took a step forward.
A sense of repulsion crept up my throat, but I took a step forward.
Creak, creak.
The employee moved again.
"…Should we follow?"
"Yes."
Our footsteps echoed faintly in the employee area. My nerves were on edge.
We moved forward cautiously, trusting only in the candlelight.
"Um, I remember the way we came. So… don’t worry for now."
"…Okay."
Since both of us were memorizing the path, even if one of us forgot, the other could make up for it.
We held our breath and moved forward.
Employees, remnants of employees, half-formed employees—every time we saw these and heard their eerie noises and repetitive greetings, the pores on my skin bristled.
But we had to carefully examine our surroundings. We needed to find the storage room.
‘I can do this… I can, I can.’
Through the bizarre continuity of spaces—hallways, employee break rooms, and storage areas randomly placed—we finally arrived at….
[Supply Storage]
We found employees densely lined up in front of a door with that sign.
Creak, creak, creak, creak.
The employee we had been following joined them.
"Ha."
Go Yeongeun swallowed as she stared at the steel door, its inside obscured by the employees.
"…We should slip in when an employee opens the door……."
Just then.
Clunk.
The supply storage door opened from the inside.
“…!”
Several employees emerged from inside, carrying ‘supplies.’
And then, we saw it.
Among the supplies, there was a familiar face.
"Th-That person…."
A large, young man in an agent’s uniform was being carried by two employees.
It was Agent Bronze.
But he had no legs.
“…….”
A chilling shiver crawled down my hands and feet.
"Perhaps…."
"Yes."
It seemed that Agent Bronze had been processed into a mannequin.
The only advantage was that there was no bleeding, but the Bronze Agent already seemed unconscious with his eyes closed.
"S-Should we approach?"
"…Yes."
We followed closely behind the two employees carrying Agent Bronze.
But even as we followed, my mind was going blank, completely unsure of what to do next.
‘Damn it.’
Is he… still alive?
Should I call out to him? But even if the candle is protecting us, would it be safe to make a sound right next to the employees?
Creak.
Meanwhile, the two employees finally carried the Bronze Agent outside the employee area.
That was actually better.
After some hesitation, I decided to act a little more boldly.
"…Can you stick as close as possible?"
“…….”
Go Yeongeun nodded and quickened her pace, getting right next to the employees.
And just as the employees entered the mist’s range, I reached out toward Agent Bronze.
And lightly tapped his neck.
Tap, tap.
“…!”
Amazingly, Agent Bronze’s eyes snapped open.
I swallowed hard.
"…Agent."
That was the moment.
Pop.
One of the employees holding Agent Bronze suddenly deflated and collapsed.
“…!!”
The other employee holding the Bronze Agent also began to crumple with a hissing sound.
I noticed that in the agent’s right hand, a small, transparent pistol had appeared.
‘Glass Handgun.’
A piece of supernatural disaster management equipment shone in the hands of its rightful user.
As the agent moved his hand again, the pistol vanished from his grasp.
"Thank… you…… customer!"
"Weeeeeelcome…."
The deflating employees muttered strange noises and repeated customer greetings.
"We should be able to hold this position quietly for about five minutes."
It was a skill akin to a magic trick.
…So much so that it was hard to believe he had just lost his legs.
"…Agent Grape."
Agent Bronze looked up at me with a faint smile.
The eyes of a man prepared for the worst.
"You're safe. It was worth enduring."
“…….”
"And you?"
His gaze turned to Go Yeongeun.
"One of the missing agents who arrived here earlier is still alive."
“…….”
Go Yeongeun lowered her head deeply.
"…Well done. I'm relieved that you're safe."
Agent Bronze looked at me with a warm gaze, as if leaving a final will. My stomach churned.
"Agent Grape."
Then, he pulled something out from inside his agent uniform.
"Take this. It's for escaping."
…It was two shoelaces.
Made from five-colored threads, the shoelaces had a complex color pattern and an oddly glossy texture.
"There are only two, so the two of you should be able to leave."
“……!”
"Tie them to your shoes and take three steps with your own feet, and you’ll immediately leave this place."
Unconsciously, I looked at the lower half of Agent Bronze's body.
…No legs.
Right now, Agent Bronze cannot walk.
He cannot use the escape item.
For him… there was never a choice to begin with.
"…I'll find another way. You should focus on keeping yourself safe."
“…….”
"There isn’t much time left. Hurry."
No.
The Nostalgia Candy. If I give it to Agent Bronze so he can escape, then….
‘I can’t.’
‘I only have three left.’
If I give him one to escape right away… then what am I supposed to do with only two left?
Among the three high school students I need to rescue, two of them cannot move properly.
Wouldn’t it be better for Agent Bronze to stay and help, improving the survival chances of everyone?
My mind felt like it was about to explode from the complexity of the situation.
Is there another way? Something else…?
“…….”
Ah.
That’s it.
"Agent."
I pretended to take something from my coat while secretly pulling an item from my tattoo.
A small glass bottle containing a bright green potion, glowing like a fresh sprout.
: Daydream Potion :
Regeneration
C (excellent)
My lifeline.
I pretended to hide it from Go Yeongeun while subtly showing the potion’s label to Agent Bronze.
"Drink this. It’s a regeneration item."
“…!!”
"Wait…."
"It’s fine. It’s a verified item."
I quickly signaled to Go Yeongeun, who was about to say something.
‘…If my prediction is correct.’
This isn’t just about making Agent Bronze’s escape easier.
It was a move that would yield even greater rewards.
A necessary buildup for me.
‘This is the right answer.’
A thrill ran down my spine at having found the most effective answer.
…Suppressing my instinctive fear of loss.
“…….”
Go Yeongeun closed her mouth, though her expression remained conflicted.
However, Agent Bronze did not take the potion, instead looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"...Is this made from your 'place of origin'?"
"……Yes."
I gave a small nod, forcing a smile.
"This is the last one… I know it might seem unsettling, but you have to drink it."
“…….”
A strange expression flashed across the agent’s face.
Honestly, I couldn't tell if it was unease or emotional turmoil, but one thing was clear—he was conflicted.
And that conflict ended as the agent reached out his hand.
Tap.
With a short sound, the potion was passed to Agent Bronze.
Then, the agent uncapped the regeneration potion and drank it as if shoving it into his mouth.
