Ding— This is the 21st basement floor.
It was the same dreary laboratory as always.
‘Spending every day researching in a place like this would drive anyone mad.’
A week had passed since The Shop last opened its doors. Most likely, The Urban Legend Shop would open today.
I had come up to speak with Yoon Seo-yeon and hear about her research progress so far.
‘No one is here.’
While other researchers bustled about, the most important person, Yoon Seo-yeon, was nowhere to be seen.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
Well then, I could just grab anyone and ask.
“I’m from the New Urban Legend Investigation Team, but has Senior Researcher Yoon Seo-yeon gone out?”
“Oh, the Senior Researcher? Is she not here?”
“No.”
“Hmm… that’s strange. I hadn’t heard anything about her leaving…”
The researcher pondered for a moment before telling me that Yoon Seo-yeon would be back soon and I should wait inside.
Having waited a full week for The Shop, a short wait like this was nothing.
I was accustomed to waiting.
Yoon Seo-yeon’s lab, likely due to recent busy periods, was a picture of wild disarray, completely unorganized.
Furthermore, the overlapping scents of various pungent chemicals were almost nauseating.
I recalled Yoon Seo-yeon mentioning that she usually ate and slept in the lab.
‘Can a person really live here?’
I should advise her to get a health check-up.
After casually pushing aside the items piled on the desk, I sat in a chair for ten minutes.
‘Why isn’t she coming?’
While there were instances where I wasn’t around when Yoon Seo-yeon looked for me, the reverse was almost never true.
‘Does she have something urgent to attend to?’
Just waiting felt unproductive, so I decided to do a quick clean-up.
Since the Urban Legend Management Bureau building had no windows, I turned the ventilation fan to its highest setting to air out the room.
‘Hmm, that’s a bit better.’
Gathering the trash scattered across the floor and tossing it into the bin, then repeatedly stacking the documents that resembled a vibrant abstract painting, I found the cleaning nearly complete.
‘Now, I just need to move those last documents over there.’
These documents had been buried under various pieces of trash.
Judging by the color of the file, it seemed quite old.
Nothing was written on the cover, making me wonder if it was just a stack of blank papers, but the black ink showing through the thin sheets confirmed they were indeed documents.
‘This format is unlike anything I’ve seen at the Urban Legend Management Bureau.’
As I slid the documents up slightly from the file, the top section became visible.
[Decided for July 23rd, 12:30 PM.]
‘July 23rd is today.’
I slid it up a little more.
[Thanks to your hard work, we can carry out the grand plan much more efficiently.]
‘A grand plan? Is the research team secretly working on something?’
If this was true, I shouldn’t be reading these documents any further.
‘It might be strange, but maybe just a little more won’t hurt.’
[Especially that clock—]
“Team Leader, The Shop has opened!”
“Ah, damn it, you startled me!”
Kim Do-hyun’s sudden intrusion prevented me from reading any further.
‘Didn’t they ever learn how to knock—’
‘Wait a minute.’
“The Shop has opened?”
“Yes!”
In that case, these mysterious documents weren’t important!
****
“No, something’s wrong.”
‘Why is this happening?’
‘Where did my vacation go?’
While I had been busy for about three days, having visited a few urban legends, the remaining four days had been spent truly idling.
What could I possibly do in this empty shop? I’d wake up, tidy a bit, then ask The Shop to conjure a few books for me to read, repeating this cycle for four days straight.
That level of life should have been enough for me!
“This is ridiculous!”
‘What does it matter anyway, since I only work one day and rest the other six?’
“Ha. You know nothing.”
How could an urban legend, which had never experienced work, understand the terror of a holiday being cut short?
“Haa…”
Still, I couldn’t just close up shop, so I had to open the doors.
“The Shop, what time is it now?”
It was 11:53 AM.
“Then let’s open exactly at noon.”
Despite it being my first business day in a week, I felt quite nervous.
Surely, no one would show up with murder weapons in both hands, saying, ‘After a week of consideration, I don’t think our deal is working out,’ right?
About ten minutes after business commenced, familiar figures began to enter.
It was Kim Do-hyun and Park Se-jin.
It seemed they had decided to come together when dealing with me.
I found it quite reasonable, as I wouldn’t want to come alone either.
In Kim Do-hyun’s hand was the same suitcase he had brought last time, and in his other hand, he clutched a fearsome object that, if I had to name it, would be ‘Urban Legend Slayer Mk-2’.
‘Why is that real?’
Then, the first thing they said upon entering was:
“Merchant. Why didn’t you inform us about the side effects?”
‘?’
“If you keep silent like this, our treatment of you will inevitably change.”
‘Is this the end of my relationship with the Management Bureau?’
From my perspective, it felt incredibly unfair.
‘No, what side effects?’
In the first place, none of the products I had sold so far had any side effects.
‘Hmm…’
Let me think again. The Dream series had no side effects. The Infinite Pork Flesh just made you full. Could the Eyeball Candies’ slight addictive properties be considered a side effect?
“If you’re talking about the Eyeball Candies—”
“Merchant, we believe you understand what we’re talking about. Tell us the truth.”
Judging by their reaction, it didn’t seem to be about the Eyeball Candies either.
That left the Paradoxical Time. But the Paradoxical Time had actually earned praise, not scorn.
I had even given a generous discount, and it was a product with no discernible side effects.
“Surely you’re not talking about the Paradoxical Time?”
“Yes. You know it well. While not significant, a side effect is still a side effect. Why didn’t you explain it that day?”
‘So, what side effect?’
‘Did some strange side effect appear when the game became reality?’
“Merchant. As a vendor selling products, you had an obligation to explain that proximity to the Paradoxical Time accelerates aging.”
“What?”
I would have understood if they had said the range was small or the restoration wasn’t perfect.
‘What? Aging?’
The Paradoxical Time’s essence was to reverse time, not accelerate it.
If that were true, it would cause another sensation regarding Paradoxical Time.
In other words, it made no sense.
Yet, despite my lengthy explanations, they seemed unwilling to believe me.
“Please wait a moment. Did you perhaps bring a Paradoxical Time with you?”
“No. We have it separately stored at the Management Bureau, so we don’t have it here.”
‘They’re talking about side effects, but they didn’t even bring the product?’
‘Do they think they’re in charge?’
“Haa…”
‘Was this truly the right choice?’
I would prove them wrong, then overcharge them for it.
I spoke to The Shop in a very small voice.
“The Shop. Make me one Paradoxical Time.”
[Most of what you have collected so far will disappear.]
[Are you sure?]
“I’ll just sell it to them for a price that makes up for it.”
[Understood, please wait a moment.]
…
[It is made.]
I opened the drawer and pulled out the freshly made, brand-new clock.
There was truly no difference from the original.
It was so perfect that I could have asked The Shop to create a Library of Babel (TL Note: A concept of a universal library containing all possible books, often implying endless copies or simulations) and it would have been fine.
“Could you please bring me a few insects?”
Park Se-jin, frowning at my words, gestured for Kim Do-hyun to go find some.
“Let me tell you this upfront: the moment my innocence is confirmed, you will have to pay a very steep price.”
I watched as Park Se-jin’s brow furrowed deeper.
‘I’ll make them pay for about three thousand fingers.’ (TL Note: A humorous or menacing exaggeration, implying a very high price or severe consequence.)
Soon after, Kim Do-hyun re-entered through the door The Shop had opened, carrying a few ants in a bag.
“Thank you. Now, observe this.”
I immediately placed the bag right next to the Paradoxical Time.
“They’re fine, aren’t they?”
“No, what is this…”
“As I’ve repeatedly stated, the Paradoxical Time is not a product that causes strange side effects like accelerated aging.”
“Impossible… there must be some trick.”
“How could there be? I am a merchant who conducts business with integrity and honesty.”
Both Park Se-jin and Kim Do-hyun fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
They were probably contemplating the source of that information.
To believe it so strongly, they must have witnessed the side effects firsthand.
And if someone had the ability and reason to do that—
“W-wait a minute. Yoon Seo-yeon, surely…”
Park Se-jin’s mouth gaped open as if she had realized an unbelievable truth.
“That document earlier!”
“Team Leader?”
“Merchant! What time is it exactly?”
It was 12:33 PM.
“It’s 12:33 PM.”
Park Se-jin’s face began to contort.
“No… no!”
“Team Leader! What in the world is wrong?”
‘Is it already time?’
‘Though the overall content seems to have changed a bit because of me, it was about time for it to happen.’
‘But to think it would be today, of all days.’
‘I still have so much to receive.’
“Do-hyun, quickly! We have to go! The door—”
Kim Do-hyun, without questioning Park Se-jin’s words, immediately sprang into action.
“Merchant, I’ll buy everything I can with what’s in this suitcase!”
“Thank you for the good transaction.”
As the product was handed over, the door swung open.
“Uwaaaah!”
“What’s that tower over there?”
“The trees are movi—”
“Help me!”
“Kya ha ha! Won’t you play with me?”
*Thud—*
The door closed, and the citizens’ screams outside The Shop ceased.
