The Fantasy World Fanatic Wants To Leave Work

42 – 42. Shining Convenience Store at Night (3)

The universe is a space created for intelligent beings to live.

The unknown beings that exist beyond this infinite space are difficult to understand or accept with conventional intelligent being theories, so the universe is also an important community.

The reason is that space is created for intelligent beings to thrive.

Therefore, what this document is discussing is about the beings that exist outside of this universe.

Originally, they also belong to the category of transcendent beings, but they are different from the transcendent beings included in specific universes.

Because they exist beyond the universe, they are not subject to the constraints or rules imposed on ordinary transcendent beings.

Moreover, they are individuals who can continue to maintain their powerful existence without belonging to a specific universe.

According to rumors, it is said that the administrator of Universe-1, who connects universes and observes and discovers new universes, has the same nature as them.

To summarize, they are classified differently from ordinary transcendent beings.

They have a status similar to the creators of each universe.

Since they do not belong to a specific universe, there are no constraints or conditions, and even among the same divine beings, there are differences.

However, in order for them to intervene in other universes, they need new constraints that were previously nonexistent, and they require an avatar to manifest in that universe. They cannot manifest without special artifacts.

According to the words of the observers, no matter which universe it is, they scatter unknown objects related to themselves.

This is a point that aligns with them as well.

They possess the characteristics of divine beings – (censored).

(censored).

…Therefore, they possess similar characteristics but are clearly different existences.

Of course, the contents of this document can only be considered accurate to the extent of the information we have observed, and we cannot definitively conclude that everything is accurate.

Information about divine beings falls under Class 3 Dangerous Documents, so we will conclude the narrative here.

The contents of this document will be managed and stored according to the regulations of Tree Wiki as a Class 3 Dangerous Document.

-Tree Wiki-

The dice were cast.

Not some seemingly meaningless words but the actual roll of my secret weapon.

A manifold die that could swallow anything it touched.

If my prediction was correct, this die could easily devour those strange red pupils.

This was my secret weapon.

Thud!

However, it fell before reaching the entrance.

Was it because my arm couldn’t move? I hadn’t expected this.

“…Do as you will!”

Even though I hadn’t expected it, it didn’t matter.

Human beings possess agility and resourcefulness.

I covered the die with a handkerchief and kicked it with all my might, thinking of it as a life shot.

Thanks to that, the die flew at a speed incomparable to throwing it by hand, and, of course, the red pupils extended their black shadows to swallow the die.

And then.

Crash!

Tentacles from the die extended and reversed, swallowing the shadow that tried to engulf it.

The pupils, taken aback by the unexpected counterattack, momentarily retreated from the die.

“That’s it!!!”

Of course, that didn’t take care of all the red pupils.

Only a very small portion had been engulfed by the die, and most of their forces remained intact.

“What’s happening?!”

But that was enough.

The die had fulfilled its role by swallowing the pupils blocking the convenience store entrance.

“Run forward! Keep your eyes closed!”

I grabbed Diana’s hand and sprinted at full speed.

As long as the pupils were busy at the entrance, I could find freedom.

[Warning: Access to this universe is denied.]

But what’s this all about?

[Coordinate confirmation unavailable, initiating forced return procedure.]

[3… 2… 1… Complete.]

Thud!

I was running alongside Diana, holding her hand gracefully, when suddenly, a warning message appeared on the system, and something blocked our way.

Come to think of it, I couldn’t leave the convenience store.

Could it be that even if I managed to break free from the entrance, I wouldn’t be able to escape that deranged monster?

“Ugh…”

But this is strange again.

“Diana?”

I barely opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings, only to find that Diana, whom I had been holding hands with tightly just moments ago, had vanished.

Her crimson irises were nowhere to be seen anymore.

I had returned to the U.C. convenience store, at least in theory.

However, it was a slightly peculiar U.C. convenience store.

Though the store in sight clearly bore the U.C. convenience store signage, it exuded an ancient and worn-out vibe.

This wasn’t the U.C. convenience store I knew.

This place was indeed a U.C. convenience store, but it felt like it had been left abandoned and neglected for a very long time.

Where in the world was this?

Why was the U.C. convenience store, a space I knew so well, in such a state?

“Excuse me?”

Fortunately, it seemed like there was an employee here.

In my foggy consciousness, I approached the employee, who was dressed in the U.C. convenience store uniform and seemed to be waiting for customers behind the counter.

However…

[Warning: Access to this universe is denied.]

[Warning: Access to this universe is denied.]

[Warning: Access to this universe is denied.]

He wasn’t there at all.

[Warning: Please return to U.C. convenience store promptly.]

[Warning: Please return to U.C. convenience store promptly.]

[Warning: Please return to U.C. convenience store promptly.]

He existed there, yet he did not exist there.

[Danger! Please immediately exit this space.]

It was the message that someone who had lost their sanity would receive.

[Coordinates unable to confirm. Enforcing forced return procedure.]

[3… 2… 1… Complete.]

†††

…What was that?

Ah, come to think of it, I succeeded in reclaiming the entrance from that red-eyed creature with Diana.

And as soon as I closed my eyes and rushed towards the entrance…

“Diana?”

“Ugh… it hurts…”

I barely opened my eyes and looked around. Diana, who was holding my hand, had lost consciousness and collapsed with me.

The red-eyed creature was no longer visible.

At least I managed to return to the U.C convenience store.

Seeing the familiar ceiling and background, I could only be in the U.C convenience store that I frequented.

This was the U.C convenience store that I knew.

The U.C convenience store was always kept clean and tidy, as if it were always new. But today, it felt particularly cozy and reassuring.

Of course, the counter was empty, and I stumbled my way towards it, pressing the red button on the counter for 3 seconds.

-U.C Convenience Store Emergency Reporting System-

[This is the U.C Convenience Store Emergency Reporting System. As the system has not detected an emergency situation, please manually describe the situation and we will respond accordingly.]

Doesn’t the U.C convenience store consider such a crazy monster entering as an emergency situation?

I managed to escape from that creature with the red eyes somehow, but if things had gone slightly wrong, not only would I have been in danger, but Diana would have been as well.

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[A mentally unstable monster entered the convenience store.]

-U.C Convenience Store Emergency Reporting System-

[Understood. Location: Space-1221. We will send personnel to resolve the situation shortly.]

At least I returned safely.

From Noble mtl dot com

I don’t know why, but my head throbs and my shoulders ache, but at least I’m alive, right?

-Manager-

[Mr. Kim Hyun-woo! Mr. Kim Hyun-woo! What happened? We’ve definitely restored the server, so why did the connection… Ah, it’s finally connected. What’s going on? Why did the connection between you and the system suddenly cut off? Did you perhaps turn on airplane mode?]

And even the manager couldn’t be happier to see me like this.

I don’t know what airplane mode is, but normally, I wouldn’t give a damn about the boss’s jerk. But now, strangely, I felt unusually glad to see him.

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[Hey, you damn boss! Do you know what I’ve been through? Why is it that you’re never around when I need you, and you only show up after everything is over… ah, forget it. As long as I’m alive, it’s fine.]

-The boss-

[…]

Thanks to that, it felt like I had sent some crazy message through the messenger, but now I couldn’t even find the time to check the message in this sense of relief that drained all the energy from my body.

Anyway, I’m alive now.

It was a gamble that I was half certain would succeed, but still, now that I can be sure that I’m alive, an indescribable sense of stability is felt.

“Did we make it out?”

“Yeah, somehow we managed to escape unharmed. It’s a little disappointing that the store is intact. I wish it had been completely destroyed like what we saw there.”

In the end, as long as we’re alive, it’s enough.

First, let’s have a refreshing drink of water.

For some reason, I feel like I’m going to suffocate right away, so I should cool down my dry throat and hot body a bit.

Crackle!

“…Damn it.”

But why is the convenience store’s lighting flickering again?

Just as I was about to take out a cool bottle of water from the refrigerator, the convenience store’s lighting went off and then on again, just like before.

“Mr. Hyun-woo…? Wasn’t this our escape?”

Even at the moment when the window of the convenience store started to darken, I realized that we still couldn’t let our guard down.

When I think about it, we didn’t defeat or incapacitate those red eyes, we just escaped from him.

In other words, if he wants, he can come after us to this U.C convenience store anytime.

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[Mr. Boss… no, sir! Did you just see the lights flicker suddenly? And earlier, that crazy guy tried to cut my throat and waist! Please do something quickly!]

At least this time, the connection with the system was not severed.

At first, the convenience store’s lighting went out completely, but now it’s still shining brightly.

-The boss-

[Confirmed.]

The boss also read the message.

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[If you’ve confirmed, then do something right away!]

It was still unsettling, but this time it wasn’t as despairing without dreams or hopes.

-Manager-

[Please wait.]

It was just ordinary despair.

What the hell is the manager waiting for?

“Mr. Hyun-woo! There’s… something outside again!”

“I know! Just step back from the entrance for now!”

As Diana shouted, the red eyes outside the window began to gaze at us again.

Please, take a look.

I don’t have the strength to run anymore.

Honestly, I feel like I could collapse at any moment, but even if I collapse, I will drink water and collapse with the thought of getting up and making it to the refrigerator.

“What do we do?! We barely escaped!”

“Just keep running! If we go through that emergency exit— ack!”

We tried our best to go back to the emergency exit with Diana, but now my leg reached its limit and could no longer function, causing me to fall.

“Are you okay?!”

“Just go to the emergency exit… even if it means leaving me behind…”

“How can I leave you, Mr. Hyun-woo?! At least let me help you up! Or should I just drag you with me!”

Diana is also exhausted, and even if she has more strength than me, her small body couldn’t lift me.

And once again, the convenience store interior was swallowed by those eyes.

It’s really persistent.

If it noticed us, is there really no way to just let us go easily?

Those red eyes surely have a horrifying character that lacks any sense of awareness or sociability.

“Hurry, get up! We’ve already made it this far!”

Is this the end here, then?

I’ve already used up all of my tricks…

-Manager-

“Anyway, Mr. Kim Hyun-woo has pressed the red button. So, the system should have dispatched entities that can resolve the situation soon. You can rest assured.”

But still, the manager only sent me messages to reassure me without taking any further action.

-Manager-

[Please wait. It’s better for a solution to be directly handled by Universe-1221 than for me to intervene.]

He was a truly wretched innkeeper.

It was evident that he was nonchalantly dismissing something he considered not his concern.

“Hmm? Why are your shoulders like that?” he asked, and then, a familiar face, an angel we often saw, entered the funeral parlor.

“Kyaah! Why is that guy here again?!” Diana exclaimed, and it was apparent who had arrived.

I sighed in relief, burying my head in the ground.

Well, it’s not like it matters now. It would’ve been better if they had done this sooner.

“…And why are you here again?” Ceretini asked, furrowing her red pupils.

“Erebos.”