The Fantasy World Fanatic Wants To Leave Work

43 – Shining Convenience Store at Night (4)

Erebos.

Ceretini undoubtedly said it while looking at the red-eyed entity.

I had come across that name on TreeWiki before.

The owner of the Black Tower and a transcendental being like Alensiana Ceretini.

[Category: Intelligent Being, Demon]

[Erebos, Lord of the Black Tower (Universe-1221)]

[Birth: June 6th]

[Age: (Censored)]

[Species: (Censored)]

[Height: 166cm / Weight: 56kg]

[Occupation: Lord of the Black Tower]

[Hobbies: (Censored)]

[Affiliation: (Censored)]

[Access to knowledge about this Intelligent Being is restricted.]

As mentioned on TreeWiki, Erebos was a demon’s incarnation, and one with most of the information about them heavily censored, leaving almost nothing known.

But who would have thought that such a deranged monster was his true identity?

It seemed they had warned me to be wary of demons for a reason.

He wasn’t the kind of demon from myths that corrupt or seduce humans, but a monstrous entity that consumed anything in its path, devoid of reason.

“Why are you here, Erebos?” he asked.

…

The red eyes that half-consumed the convenience store showed no response.

They continued to stare at me, as if ready to kill, while Seretini appeared before me.

Why would they try to kill me for something I did?

“Did you try to kill another U.C. convenience store employee again? Haven’t you learned from your past mistakes yet?”

Seretini stepped forward, as if to protect me and Diana.

It’s reassuring that they seem to have come to help, but they don’t seem to have brought any weapons with them. Can I really trust them?

Thinking back to when I fought Alencia, they were certainly impressive, but against a monster like that…

-Store Manager-

[Although the U.C. convenience store system has limitations in other universes, it is almost omnipotent. This is a function created by the Administrator, a transcendent being from Universe-1. There’s no need to be afraid.]

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[But is it really okay? That demon Erebos tore the convenience store apart just now. If we fight here…]

-Store Manager-

[There’s no need to worry about that. The U.C. convenience store you saw, Kim Hyun-woo, is not real. It’s simply a shadow created by light. Perhaps that demon swallowed both you and a customer whole and confined you in a space within the shadows.]

Swallowed whole…?

Come to think of it, the surroundings were dark when those eyes appeared outside the convenience store.

And when we tried to escape, the entire store was already engulfed by those eyes, but we managed to hide in the warehouse without being devoured.

In other words, what the store manager said was that those red eyes swallowed me and Diana and trapped us in another space.

And we escaped from that space using this die.

-Store Manager-

[Impressive. To exploit the vulnerabilities of our U.C. convenience store system like that. Normally, interference between spaces is impossible within the U.C. convenience store building, but people inside it are an exception. I think I’ll have to give feedback to headquarters and request modifications.]

But seriously, what is this store manager so interested in?

We were on the verge of death just now, yet they react as if they’ve discovered some fascinating scientific sample.

-Store Manager-

[Indeed, it is typical of the demon from Universe-1221 who killed six of our U.C. convenience store employees. Not only regular employees, but they even killed two store managers. I must have powers like them.]

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[Are you going to die too, store manager? I mean, even if you’re not an ordinary employee, will you die too?]

-Store Manager-

[Why do you think I wouldn’t die? U.C. convenience store managers are not transcendent beings. Even though it was a long time ago, I myself almost died once at the hands of that demon in this universe. Why would a store manager bother to save an employee, even if it’s troublesome?]

“Is that supposed to mean I’m a meat shield?”

– Manager –

“You don’t think I’m a god, do you?”

– Kim Hyun-woo –

From Noble mtl dot com

“Well, even if you’re not a god, I figured you were doing this because you’re quite exceptional.”

– Manager –

“That’s an interesting notion.”

Anyway, I was a little surprised that even the manager could die. Based on what I’d seen of the manager’s actions so far, he could suddenly appear in front of me, control the system at will, and effortlessly deal with the monster in the disposal room with his bare hands.

But it turns out he can die too.

That means I could die much more easily.

“When I speak, you should respond. Angels may be merciful, but they won’t show more mercy to the likes of you, demons.”

More concerning, Seretini’s appearance was unusual.

The halo above his head was shining brightly, and strange wing-like things had appeared behind his back. Moreover, it felt like his body was emitting a faint glow, and the temperature inside the convenience store seemed to rise.

– Manager –

“It seems that the two transcendent beings of Universe-1221 are planning to have a big fight in the convenience store. Moreover, they both seem genuinely intent on doing so. For now, I’ll move all the entities inside the store to a safe space.”

– Kim Hyun-woo –

“Am I supposed to be moved too?”

– Manager –

“Why are you asking the obvious?”

– Kim Hyun-woo –

“What’s so obvious about it?!”

But it seemed like that manager was getting annoyed because he couldn’t kill me. If they were going to send someone, they should send Seretini and that monster. Why include me in the mix?

– Manager –

“If we only send those two transcendent beings to the safe space, we’ll have to invest almost all of our resources in that location. The clash of transcendent beings is threatening enough, even if they’re deities.”

So, why send me there?

– Manager –

“At that time, most of U.C. Convenience Store’s functions will be deactivated, and Kim Hyun-woo will lose any means to protect himself. What if other black mages, demons, or their subordinates are still around? However, if you still wish to remain, we can accommodate your request.”

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[No, that’s a bit…]

The store owner seemed to be considering the possibility of other dark sorcerers being nearby.

Certainly, from what I’ve heard, it seems like even spaces like the red button, emergency exit, and warehouse cannot be used.

-Store Owner-

[Rather than risking an unknown threat, it’s better to face a threat that we can clearly see right in front of us.]

-Kim Hyun-woo-

[…Alright. But I don’t want to end up with a shattered skull like last time, so please provide at least some minimal means of defense.]

-Store Owner-

[As much as you want.]

Flash!

The convenience store interior suddenly begins to change.

The typical appearance of an ordinary convenience store vanishes, and the space that appears before me is vast and completely empty, revealing nothing but emptiness.

“…A helmet?”

And what the store owner gave me as a minimal means of defense was a motorcycle helmet.

Is he kidding me?

-Store Owner-

[A motorcycle helmet reduces the fatality rate in accidents by 40% and significantly reduces the risk of serious injuries by 70%. It’s much safer than not using one at all. So, Kim Hyun-woo, please wear the helmet as a requirement.]

That damn store owner.

Next time he appears before me, I’ll buy an armored helmet even from a rocket store if I have to, and I’ll definitely smash that cursed head.

As an extra measure, I’ll put the helmet on the store owner’s head and see if it really reduces the fatality rate by 40%.

“The space has expanded nicely, so I’ll completely obliterate you here.”

However, I had forgotten something because of the store owner’s words, and that was the state of Ceretini, who was in a standoff with the demon with red eyes.

Ceretini’s wings took the form of guns and soon transformed into golden, shining guns.

But that’s not all.

The light gathered in the air and took shape, and each one of them became a gun.

The number goes from 1… 10… 100… It increases endlessly to the point where it cannot all be contained within a human’s field of vision.

“Do you at least need a bulletproof vest…?”

It’s different from back then.

The collision with Alencia in the convenience store is incomparable to the point where warming up is not even possible.

I may not know anything about magic or abilities, but at least I could be certain of one thing.

There is a reason why deviants are called deviants.

They are called deviants because they surpass the level that humans like me can follow, and because they can be accepted by intellect alone.

It is overwhelming.

It is on a scale unlike anything before.

Moreover, if they have such insane power when they are limited to a form called an avatar, how much crazier are the deviants who manifest in their original forms?

“…Remember the past and leave a proper farewell.”

The space, which had no light, was suddenly filled with a bright light that surpassed broad daylight.

“Goodbye.”

Of course, there were numerous red eyes that were enough to give anyone the creeps, but the trigger had already been pulled when they tried to swallow Seretini.

-Innkeeper-

[Isn’t it amazing? You can thank me. I even gave Kim Hyun-woo a helmet and earplugs for his hearing. Oh, would you like some popcorn as well?]

“Diana! Get down!”

“Is getting down even going to make a difference?!”

“It’s better than doing nothing!”

Diana and I hid behind Seretini and got down.

The ground began to tremble.

Even with earplugs, the thunderous sound was so loud that it could shatter eardrums, as if it were the end of the world.

Thousands of different kinds of guns were aimed at a single target and fired, with each bullet exploding like a cannonball.

It was too bright to even look at, but it felt like thousands of cannons were firing in rapid succession, making my heart race.

“Is that insane angel going to destroy us too?!”

Still, the firepower was undeniable.

The eyes that had tried to swallow not only Seretini but also us were now being shredded by the concentrated bombardment, causing the black flesh to be torn apart.

Just a moment ago, it seemed like those eyes would devour even this space completely, but now not even a single fragment remained.

It’s not surprising that South Korea takes firepower seriously.

I wonder if it would be possible in the United States, also known as the superpower?

“Why are you so excited watching that?! If there’s a little more, there will be a backlash!”

As Diana said, it didn’t take long for a tremendous gust of wind to begin blowing towards us.

The wind was strong enough to cut and tear our skin.

However, unable to resist the romantic scene, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Even if I have to go, I must see that.

Even if it’s one of the top 10 armed forces in the world in terms of defense spending, they wouldn’t be able to see something like that.

“…I can’t live for real!”

The sight that suddenly went dark.

The last thing I saw was Diana enclosing me after building a wooden barricade.