Chapter 8

Chapter 8. Red Skein

“Maybe the condition is just to stay still and wait out the time. What are you going to do if we go through all this pointless suffering and die? Honestly, fools really have no fear.”

The smart and cowardly accountant grumbled, but he still followed me well.

As expected, it seemed he did not want to be left alone.

I looked up for a moment at the sign of Yuwi Guild’s goods store.

[TRE]

Tarae.

True to its name, a red logo designed around the motif of a skein of thread twisted like the number 8 was drawn beside it.

It seemed to have been inspired by the official term for professionals who resolved Contact-type Labyrinths as an occupation: Raider.

Raider. Red thread.

The red thread of Ariadne, which helped Theseus escape the Labyrinth.

The name meant that they were beings who found the right path inside a Labyrinth and resolved it, just like that red thread.

In truth, if one poured overwhelming physical force into something, whether with guns, bombs, or whatever else, most things could be resolved.

But realistically, they could not mobilize the military’s firepower for every Labyrinth, and some Labyrinth rules never yielded to physical force.

That was why Raiders existed.

Their mission was to resolve Labyrinths in the most efficient way.

Here, the guild’s role was similar to a Raider agency—in other words, an entertainer’s management company.

When a Contact-type Labyrinth occurred, the guild decided which Raider to send there, coordinated with the Labyrinth Management Bureau on the Raider’s behalf, and carried out the procedures related to entering and leaving the Labyrinth.

It also supported the equipment needed to clear the Labyrinth and managed schedules.

Most crucially, the guild traded the Relics a Raider obtained from a Labyrinth as that Raider’s representative, then took a fixed percentage of the profits generated from it.

Yuwi Guild was one of the leaders in this industry.

I suspected that was because the two co-CEOs of Yuwi Guild were also the founders of a sports agency and an entertainment company, respectively, and those capabilities had been put to use.

And I had come for an interview to become a Raider agent at that very Yuwi Guild, only to end up like this.

It made me depressed all over again.

“Mr. Choi Jaeha. About this place.”

One could tell just by looking at this goods store, but Raiders enjoyed popularity comparable to entertainers.

I had heard they easily earned hundreds of millions while also carrying out entertainment activities.

As long as they survived.

“Are there any rules here, like outsiders are not allowed inside, or only employees can make purchases?”

I checked before opening Tarae’s door.

I could not repeat the same mistake.

“No? Tons of fans come here. Well, employees and tenant-company workers do get discounts. I’ve bought things for my nephew because of that too.”

What was so great about people who might die at any moment? Choi Jaeha grumbled as if he could not understand.

But perhaps that was exactly what captivated people.

The way they were like mayflies with no tomorrow.

The way they were like precarious candles before the wind.

The way they were like moths flying toward a flame.

“Then…… let’s go in for now.”

The moment we opened Tarae’s door and entered, singing began.

「I’m on my way to yo」

A groovy pop song, stylish interior design, and products arranged and displayed to match it.

「on’t yo remember, my dear」

The ordinary sight, like a pop-up store in any downtown area, felt unreal.

“No, why is there no employee?”

And in a truly unreal way, there really was no employee. Just as Choi Jaeha said.

For now, the attempt to bring a Tarae clerk to Uri Saenal Daycare Center and enter together had failed before it could even begin.

“Wel come to Tarae?”

“Bwaak!”

The accountant let out a bizarre scream and put his hand on my shoulder.

I stiffened sharply and turned my head.

「Yo promised me in the endless night」

A large, round, yellow face had appeared on the LE display screen installed on the wall.

「Yo’d be my always daylight」

It was the brightly smiling face emoji from the basic emojis.

「Remember, yo’re the one who said ‘Whenever’」

“If there’s something you’re curioooous about, please call the Tarae Kee……per anytime?”

If there was one difference from the basic emoji, it was that its pupils followed us whenever we moved, and whenever it spoke, its lips opened to reveal a grotesque number of teeth.

The Tarae Keeper inside the LE screen hummed along to the music flowing through the store and spoke in its distinctive mechanical voice.

「Nothing to be scared of, my love」

“Please browse comfortaaaably, dear customeeeers?”

Uncomfortable.

It was so uncomfortable I felt like I might die.

“Mr. Seon Yuhan, over there. Let’s go over there. The survival kits are there.”

The person with experience visiting Tarae Store slowly avoided the emoji’s gaze and pointed to one wall.

“Well, if we end up going down to the first floor right away, we won’t have any use for them. But you never know, right? Even in that short time.”

I did not bother mentioning my guess that the first floor might not be the end, or that the floor below us might not be the first floor at all.

「Till the end」

I passed by all kinds of goods, including digital accessories, stationery, and miscellaneous items, and took in the display shelf packed entirely with Labyrinth Survival Kits.

「I’m the one who will be by yor side」

Labyrinth Survival Kits.

They were survival kits prepared for situations where one became trapped in a Labyrinth, mostly purchased with the possibility of being near a place where a Rift appeared and getting sucked into a Contact-type Labyrinth in mind.

That did not mean they were useless in an Invasive-type.

In a disaster situation, survival kits were always helpful.

“I think we can put the rest of the things into the most expensive bag.”

The kits varied wildly in price depending on their contents and designs.

A premium kit with a compressed bag made from new materials, boasting wide storage capacity along with low volume and light weight, and even a pretty design, basically started at several hundred thousand won.

If options such as separate Relic-like components or additional functions were added here and there, the price easily reached several million won.

Of course, there were plenty of kits below one hundred thousand won too.

It seemed Labyrinth Survival Kits had now become closer to luxury goods than necessities. Contrary to the word “survival” in their name.

「Yo have to follow no more」

The probability of getting sucked into a Contact-type Labyrinth was similar to the probability of getting into a traffic accident.

The probability of dying in a Contact-type Labyrinth had also become similar to the probability of dying in a traffic accident.

「Rles, rles, rles」

Just as people did not always tremble in fear of traffic accidents when crossing a crosswalk or driving a car, people no longer obsessively carried survival kits everywhere.

「Yo tell me now, no more」

I also had a cheap standard kit prepared, but I rarely carried it around.

It was baggage too.

「Lies, lies, lies」

But to think I had ended up trapped in an Invasive-type, not even a Contact-type.

If I got out and bought a lottery ticket, I would definitely win first prize.

“No medicine, as expected.”

“There are still disinfectants and gauze, though.”

Naturally, since it was legally impossible for the guild to sell medicine, users had to purchase it separately and pack it into the kit themselves.

At least it was fortunate that there was an emergency kit containing quasi-drugs.

“There’s emergency food too…… It would be nice if there were water. Is there a water purifier nearby?”

“I don’t know. I’ve barely been to the second floor either. Well, wouldn’t there be one in the library or the daycare center?”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

If possible, I hoped it was in the library. Rather than the daycare center.

「Come to me, come to yo」

Right after I grabbed a random tumbler from the tumbler display and put it in, I discovered a ‘special sale event product.’

The Jaerae Diary.

A reddish-brown leather notebook, with only one copy on display.

A ‘Limited’ sticker was even neatly attached to the transparent wrapping.

Opening it before buying it was obviously forbidden.

I glanced at the bizarre yellow face inside the LE screen.

“I have something I want to ask.”

“O f couuurse, what are you curi ous about, customer Seon Yuhannnn?”

When the emoji smiled broadly and opened its mouth, countless white teeth, a red uvula, and a black abyss came into view.

I heard Choi Jaeha freaking out.

“Am I really allowed to buy this? I heard in the advertisement that even non-employees could buy it.”

“You heard correctly. In additiooon, that producuuuuct is a special limited item and is bound to its owner anytime, anywhere?”

“……Anytime, anywhere?”

That was a meaningful expression. Considering my situation.

“Yes, customer Seon Yuhan Seon Yuhan Seon Yuhan. As long as you want it, it will always, anywhere, somehow be yours. However, damage during that special delivery process is a very natural phenomenon, and Tarae bears no responsibility for it. Buy it right now?”

Buy it…….

I had no choice.

I felt as though I had just heard a notice that treated the consumer like an easy mark, but I quietly placed the diary into the pile.

A Labyrinth was a clean zone with no difficult customers.

The Labyrinth was always the one with the upper hand, and customers had only two options: quietly follow its rules, or refuse and die.

“Have you gathered everything?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Choi Jaeha stared at the Jaerae Diary in my hand with the kind of gaze someone would give a grotesque bug.

“But are you really buying that?”

“Yes. Then…….”

I spoke while glancing at the giant emoji that was still watching its customers with smiling eyes.

“Let’s pay.”

If we walked out without paying here, we would definitely die.

I could tell without needing to die from it.

Without fail. One hundred percent. We would die.

“Huh? You’re telling me to buy it? No, why would I pay with my own money even in this situ…….”

Choi Jaeha’s discontented voice cut off.

His eyes had met the Tarae Keeper’s, who was humming along to the song.

「Jst say the word, yo have my word」

The round emoji’s expression was spread in a wide smile, as if it were utterly delighted.

With dozens of teeth bared in full view.

“We should buy it, then. Right. Of course. Putting a hole in someone else’s ledger would be unacceptable. Mm.”

The accountant changed his stance quickly.

“Do you know how to use a POS terminal?”

Since there was no cashier at the counter, we had to ring it up ourselves.

“No?”

“Then I will pay for mine first, and if you give me your card, I will ring yours up for you.”

I picked up the barcode reader with trembling hands.

Beep.

“Phew…….”

The barcode reader did not wriggle like a snake and shoot a venomous stinger while saying, ‘How dare you use self-checkout as a mere customer? Die!’

Beep, beep.

Reassured, I continued scanning the barcodes.

「‘Will yo be mine even thogh my heart doesn’t belong to yo?’」

Now the truly frightening thing was the price.

Since I had picked all the most expensive things here and there, it equaled a month’s salary for someone just starting out in society.

Thank goodness I had increased my credit limit not long ago.

I used the three-month interest-free installment skill.

「I will, I will promise yo ‘Whenever’」

The moment the message saying the payment was complete appeared on the POS terminal screen, I let out a sigh of relief.

I had worried that the screen might suddenly say, ‘Customer, you cannot pay for this item!’ and swallow me or electrocute me.

Thank goodness, nothing hap…….

「No need to」

“Hey, hey. Mr. Seon Yuhan. That emoticon. Its shape suddenly changed.”

「Hide」

Choi Jaeha tapped my shoulder and pointed to the large LE display screen.

「No need to」

Instead of the round yellow face emoji, a golden balance scale emoji had appeared.

「Rn」

“Mr. Choi Jaeha! Get out! Put everything down! Now!”

“Uh, okay!”

I did not know what that change meant, but in a Labyrinth, one had to assume the worst first.

Slide.

Surprisingly, the door did not lock and opened smoothly.

Just as I followed Choi Jaeha and stepped over the threshold.

「Yo be there, my dear」

“Guh!”

Something grabbed the nape of my neck.