A petite woman with shoulder-length hair and wide, alert eyes...
Even from a distance, I could see how stiffly she held herself, as though she were struggling to keep her fear under control.
If my memory served me right, this should be Nica, one of the main characters in [As Above, So Below].
I was already familiar with the rules of this supernatural space.
Anyone who entered it would be assigned the role of a convenience store worker, forced to endure an abnormally long shift while serving strange customers and identifying those who weren’t human.
Failure to follow the rules could have terrible consequences.
As I approached the counter, I looked down at my own shirt, expecting to find an employee name tag pinned somewhere around my chest.
...Huh?
I looked again, just to make sure I hadn’t missed it.
’There’s nothing there...?’
A strange realization suddenly occurred to me.
Ah.
It seems that the [Ring of Sacrilege] was still affecting how this place perceived me...
Since I was being treated as a supernatural entity rather than a human, the convenience store had probably classified me as a customer instead of a worker.
That complicated things a bit...
My original plan had been to help Nica survive this place, then ask her for a favor that could help me obtain an item resistant to memory manipulation.
However, if the supernatural space had assigned me the role of a customer, I would have to adjust my approach accordingly.
I suppressed the urge to sigh and continued toward the counter.
The closer I got, the more clearly I could see Nica trembling. Nevertheless, she straightened her back and forced herself to greet me.
"U-Um... if you’re looking for snacks, most of them are in the third aisle, and the toiletries are in the fourth. If you’d like to purchase cigarettes or alcohol, you’ll need to present a valid ID..."
Her voice was shaky, but the words came naturally enough. Considering her circumstances, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
Nica had been forced to take on numerous part-time jobs to support herself, and her experience had clearly made her familiar with the routine of working in a convenience store. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Even in a place like this, she knew how to do her job.
’She really is one of the main characters in that book...’
I couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.
Despite finding herself trapped in an unfamiliar and terrifying situation, Nica had managed to steady herself enough to carry out her assigned duties.
She was frightened, naturally, but she had not completely surrendered to her fear.
Of course, my admiration came with a certain degree of caution...
After all, in [As Above, So Below], Nica eventually became someone quite terrifying herself.
I put that thought aside and greeted her.
I had already decided how I would approach her.
Given her intelligence and circumstances, trying to convince her with a long explanation would probably be a waste of time.
She would most likely question my motives, search for any inconsistencies in my words... and probably remain suspicious until she had sufficient reason to trust me.
So, I decided to get straight to the point.
"Do you want to escape?"
Nica’s expression stiffened.
"I... Is there anything in particular you’re looking for, sir? We have toiletries, snacks, drinks, and other convenience store essentials..."
"I’m asking if you want to escape."
I interrupted her before she could finish.
As a response, Nica simply stared at me. Then she pressed her lips together and fell silent.
It seemed she had decided to treat me as one of the strange customers mentioned in the rules, someone who shouldn’t be served...
Given everything she’d experienced so far, I couldn’t blame her for being cautious.
I wasn’t offended, either. Whether she considered me dangerous was of little importance to me at the moment.
I knew Nica was intelligent. More importantly, I knew she was the sort of person who would question any offer that seemed too good to be true.
Simply telling her that I could help her escape wouldn’t be enough to earn her trust.
I turned my attention toward the electronic clock mounted on the wall behind the counter.
"You have five hours left, once the seventh hour begins, the situation will gradually become more dangerous. If you want to leave this place, I’ll be waiting beside you until you’ve made your decision."
I said calmly, but Nica didn’t respond.
She merely lowered her gaze and resumed her work, pretending that I hadn’t said anything.
That was fine. I hadn’t expected her to trust me immediately.
All I needed was for her to remember my words.
Once the danger grew severe enough, she would have to reconsider her options, and perhaps then she’d be willing to hear me out.
It was a rather manipulative approach, admittedly.
Still, I had my reasons. I wanted to help Nica survive, and I needed her assistance in return.
Both of us were just victims of supernatural spaces, and I saw no reason why we shouldn’t cooperate to get out these kinds of situations.
With that settled, I walked over to the counter and took up a position beside her.
Then I fell silent, watching the aisles and the entrance while waiting for the next customer to arrive.
Nica, however, seemed considerably less comfortable with my decision.
The moment she realized I had no intention of leaving, her shoulders stiffened.
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, then quickly looked away, gripping the edge of the counter as though my mere presence had made an already terrible situation even more unbearable.
Well... it wasn’t as though I had anywhere else to go.
’To be perfectly honest, I am fucking terrified too...’
I had no intention of wandering around the convenience store when strange entities could walk through the entrance at any moment.
I would much rather stay beside someone I knew was an actual human being than risk encountering something I couldn’t identify.
And as for you, Nica...
Well, just bear with me for a little while, would you? I’m only here to help you, after all...
And thus began the strange partnership between two terrified human beings working the night shift at a convenience store.