"Lastly, let me summarize."
"Yes..."
"You opened a pizza shop, but a strange store appeared instead. You couldn't leave without buying something. And the currency was..."
"Yes! It was my finger!"
The man spoke with a shudder of rage as he recalled the moment.
Sure enough, where his right index finger should have been was only a dark scar.
"Understood. Just keep in mind you might be called back later regarding this. For now, you can head home."
Park Se-jin glanced at his watch before continuing.
"There'll be staff outside. Tell them about your finger, and regeneration should be possible within a week."
"Oh man... Thank you."
"No need. You've faithfully paid into the five insurances every month. This is what you get back."
The man showered him with thanks as he headed for the door.
"Oh. One last thing."
"Yes..?"
"So, where's the item you bought?"
"Well... I had to eat it before leaving the shop..."
Park Se-jin frowned.
"It could cause health issues, so I'd recommend visiting a hospital soon."
"Yes, thank you again."
As the man left, silence filled the room.
"Haa."
The sigh from the civil servant broke the quiet.
Park Se-jin was the squad leader of the New Tale Investigation Squad at the Tale Management Bureau.
Young compared to leaders in other departments, but his stellar record had earned him widespread trust.
Even with nearly seven years on the job, hearing about new tale outbreaks as often as meals still hadn't gotten any easier.
"What kind of shop this time..."
The shop-type tales discovered so far weren't the sort that outright murdered humans.
Follow the rules, suffer some minor bodily loss, and you could escape.
Hell, sometimes it even turned into a good deal.
'Seems similar this time.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
팅—!
He flicked his Zippo lighter and lit his cigarette. At the same moment, the sound of the door opening came from behind.
"Squad Leader, please smoke outside."
"Hah! You're just gonna disinfect the second I leave anyway. What's the problem?"
It was Kim Do-hyun, one of Se-jin's subordinates.
"Regulations still—"
"Regulations again? How does a guy with less than four years know them better than me?"
Se-jin blew past Do-hyun's words like they were nothing and puffed on his cigarette.
"Hah... So, what's the plan? Kick off the investigation?"
"Gotta check out that pizza shop and the surroundings first."
"Got it. I'll assemble the team and get started right away."
"Yeah, good luck."
Se-jin tapped his ashes.
Thick smoke drifted down with them, clouding the room in haze.
"And look into that guy from earlier."
"Why?"
"My gut says he's hiding something."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Is the cleaning done?
"Somewhat."
I slumped onto the counter stool and let out a sigh.
It should've been quick, but that salt or whatever powder spilled everywhere and took extra time to clean up.
I wasn't even adjusted to being possessed by this game character yet, and then a customer shows up out of nowhere. Total chaos.
And in the middle of it all, this damn shop wouldn't even explain properly. Maddening.
I glared at the red window.
Why?
"Isn't it about time for a proper explanation?"
About what?
"You know. Stuff like what I have to do and why."
Hmm. You're being troublesome. But let's consider this groundwork for our ideal relationship. Merchant, I'll tell you about a few things you're curious about.
I nodded, and a new window appeared.
As I said, the basics are selling goods. Later, if stock runs low or you need more items, you'll have to go fetch them.
"Fetch them?"
Through trades or gathering. Details later.
I doubted it'd be easy to obtain things worthy of this shop.
Probably only available in tales.
Next, what you gain as the Merchant for steadily doing the job. First, survival, obviously. By the way, our relationship? Closest to symbiosis. Think clownfish and sea anemone for simplicity. I provide you a safe space. You supply me steady meals. That's the tale contract binding us.
I swallowed dryly and stared at the shop.
So this bizarre place was my fortress against death.
Next. What do you get from continuously selling goods? For me: survival and growth. I won't starve, and once I reach a certain level... yeah, maybe even a bedroom in the shop.
No bedroom here?
From your face, yeah. Drawer under the counter has blankets and pillows. Make do.
One more reason to hustle selling stuff.
I stared at the shop with hollow eyes.
Symbiosis with a tale.
The game had a few cases like that.
Parasitic gear, mainly.
Difference? Game was human-tale symbiosis. This was tale-tale.
Tales are self-contained stories. Symbiosis with another disrupts the narrative, nearly impossible.
"Shop, but am I really a tale?"
I looked completely human, same as before entering the game. Hard to buy it.
By standard human concepts, yes. Normal humans don't tote shadows like that.
Shadow?
I looked at my shadow on the shop's words.
Definitely ink-black dark. And something seemed to squirm inside...
"Pretty sure I've seen something like that."
I rummaged through memories.
"Ah."
Live octopus sashimi.
The one I'd eaten days ago looked just like that.
No such thing in my shadow before possession, so this was new after.
Recalling the squirming, a black tentacle thick as a tree trunk burst from the shadow.
"Gah! Fuck!"
Never seen tentacles like this in the game.
Kraken's were similar vibe, but this felt fundamentally different.
Beyond gross, bigger issue: it moved like its own creature, wrecking my freshly cleaned shop.
"Fuck, stop! I said stop!"
That's what you get from selling goods nonstop.
"So this is because of you?"
No, not that. It's part of your body, yes. What I mean is your power. Contracted to me, I grow—you grow too. Your body strengthens. That tentacle too.
Growth or not, this tentacle was plenty strong already.
Tough as hell—no scratches from nails. Ridiculously strong; even grabbing with my full weight didn't stop it.
Can't even control your own body parts before getting stronger? Infant?
"How do I stop it?!"
Think how you pulled it from the shadow.
How'd I pull it? Just imagined it moving.
Then imagine it stopping.
It stopping. It stopping.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
"It's not working!"
Hah. Moron.
Already pissed, and the shop yapping beside me—silently, of course—only fueled my spite.
"Fine. Let's see who wins."
Image of tentacle motionless.
As I pondered, it knocked over the trash can. Then Dad's words hit me.
'Son, remember this: soju with raw squid sashimi is the truth.'
That's it!
Raw squid sashimi.
Raw squid sashimi.
Raw squid sashimi.
"Raw squid sashimi!"
The tentacle froze like its tantrum never happened.
Lifelong images of dead squid proved effective.
"Huff... huff..."
The tentacle slowly sank back into the shadow.
Raw squid sashimi. Haha.
Seemed I could control it somewhat now.
My pathetic state was laughable enough to get the shop's mockery.
"Guess I need practice for a while."
Practice is good. But first...
The red window drifted sideways, as if telling me to look around.
Cleaning first, yeah.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the early dawn before sunrise, a boy covered head to toe in bruises walked with resolve.
He soon arrived at the police station. The building glowed brightly, as if ever ready to aid him and his sibling.
Inside, an inspector and a lieutenant downed coffee nonstop to fend off fatigue.
"Hey."
"Yes? What's up?"
"Isn't there a kid outside?"
Kids at the station this early? Usually pranks... or serious trouble.
Seeing the boy's evident tension, it looked like the latter.
"I'll check."
Through the clear auto-door, the boy drew nearer. The warm-faced lieutenant approached to meet him.
Beep—
Old parts ground with a shrill whine, and the door slid open.
The lieutenant stepped out, bent down, and said to the boy,
"What's the matter?"
"Uh... um..."
Where'd that resolve go? Tension choked him silent.
The lieutenant's eyes caught the dark bruises on the boy's arms, legs—even his face.
Didn't look like a simple matter.
"Wanna come inside and talk?"
The inspector watched the lieutenant lead the boy in by the hand.
The moment they passed the auto-door, all that remained in his view was the empty dawn cityscape.