Contact Me If You Need Immortality.

Ding—.

A skeleton in a suit entered the store amid the clattering sound of bones knocking together.

It was, at a glance, an expensive three-piece suit.

In one hand, they carried a luxurious leather briefcase, and perched on their nose—or more precisely, their bones—were glasses that gave them an intellectual air.

When I saw the red glow shining from their deeply sunken eye sockets…….

‘That person—or rather, that skeleton—is a lich?’

I had assumed that, being a lich, they would naturally be wearing an old robe or carrying a large staff.

But this appearance…….

A well-tailored suit and a briefcase.

‘I thought they were a lawyer or office worker.’

-Good day. I'm here to pick up a special delivery that arrived here today.

The lich asked in a businesslike tone.

Their voice was as rough as bones scraping together, but their manner of speaking was perfectly polite.

“Ah, are you here to pick up the cursed necklace?”

-That's right.

“Just a moment.”

I took out the box from which dark reddish energy was slowly seeping and placed it on the counter.

“This is the one, correct?”

-It is. It arrived sooner than expected. I thought I would have to wait a few more days.

The lich set down their briefcase, opened the box, and began inspecting the necklace.

Their gaze was cautious as they adjusted their glasses slightly.

-I'll inspect it a little more. I need to determine whether the curse is working at the proper efficiency. If it turns out to be defective, we'll have to bear the entire loss.

“Take your time.”

After examining the necklace piece by piece, they let out a deep sigh.

-Whew, the paperwork I had to do just to get approval for this one item. The hunters preparing to raid the 58th floor went wild trying to find one, so prices have gone insane even on the black market. Our research institute's budget is almost depleted. And prices for cursed items have been rising lately, too…….

They poured out their lament.

A chilly air filled the convenience store every time they continued speaking.

-You see, curses are trickier than you'd expect. Some curses affect undead, while others affect living things. When you research them while taking all those distinctions into account, the investigation period gets longer, but the budget is limited…….

Honestly, I had no idea what they were talking about.

Even so, wasn't smiling and nodding along simply part of good customer service?

“But I heard this reduces movement speed and defense tremendously. Is that all right?”

I added a little commentary based on what I had heard from Lumina.

At my question, the lich adjusted their glasses and shook their head.

-It isn't a problem for undead like us. The stats do decrease, but when you consider the opportunity cost, it's actually beneficial, so many people choose it. In particular, the 58th, 63rd, and 67th floors are already cursed zones filled with all kinds of curses. Adding one more curse doesn't even make a difference. On top of that, it lets us evade instant-death attacks, so this aspect…….

What followed was a feast of alien language.

I didn't understand a single word.

Perhaps I should call it an enthusiasm that made my past self regret chiming in.

I'm sorry, sir.

I don't understand a word you're saying.

Perhaps they had read it in my eyes.

-Ahem, sorry. Anyway, this item is worth it. Our company analyzes this curse and then applies the same curse to other items.

Analyzing a curse and placing that same curse on another item.

I had seen that plenty of times in RPGs.

Removing a trait from one item and enchanting another item with it.

“Then can the item no longer be used after the analysis is complete? I think I've seen items disappear after being fully analyzed.”

-That depends on the skill of the curse analyst. Apparently, some analysts can apply the same curse more than eight times using a single item. I'm not that good, though.

The lich customer laughed awkwardly and finished the appraisal.

-Excellent. This is indeed the superior-grade item we commissioned. I'll pay immediately. One lump-sum payment, please.

I accepted the black card they held out, completed the payment, and handed them the receipt.

-By the way, part-timer, you're remarkably unfazed by seeing an undead. Most people feel uncomfortable because of an undead's demonic energy…… Your service-oriented attitude is excellent.

“I suppose I'm just used to it because so many different kinds of customers come here.”

At my answer, the lich's jawbone clattered.

-Hahaha, is that so? It was a novel experience to have such a lively discussion about curses with a living creature. Young people these days are far too negative about curses.

Were those “young people” living people?

I couldn't bring myself to ask.

I had a feeling my guess was correct.

Unaware of my thoughts, they took a business card from their suit pocket and said,

-If you ever die, contact me. If you wish, I can bring you back as an undead. Immortality is obtainable if you meet just a few conditions.

“What are those few conditions?”

-Well, you have to work for our corporation for the rest of your life, you lose your sense of taste and therefore the pleasure of eating, and you no longer need to feel sexual desire. If you can gain immortality for such minor penalties, it's a profitable deal.

Hmm.

Better not.

Still, I couldn't refuse the business card they were offering, so I accepted it from the lich customer.

-(Endless Operation Co., Ltd.)

-Director, Archmage (AM) Belarus.

They were a director?

No wonder their suit was so luxurious.

-Ah, for the time being, be careful of troublesome customers while you're working. These days, many hunters have been pushed down after one project after another on the upper floors of the Tower fell apart. They must be under tremendous stress, so try to laugh it off whenever possible.

“Thank you for the advice. Have a safe trip home.”

Director Belarus adjusted their glasses and left the convenience store.

Maybe it was because it was an awkward time of day.

There weren't many customers.

Even after the lich left, no one came in for quite some time.

I accessed the convenience store gallery out of habit.

[Title : Hey, is the situation on the 67th floor for real these days?]

They say the advance party got shredded by the traps and boss mobs on the 67th floor, and every last one of them is downㅋㅋㅋ

Seriously, it's a real wall of lamentation. Other than the Seven Heroes, not a single hunter has made it past the 70th floor.

[Comments 14]

ㅇㅇ : So I hear the liches are sweeping up cursed necklaces to break through the 67th floor.

Convenience Store Gallerist 1 : └ The price skyrocketed like crazy. I went to the black market yesterday, and they said the price was whatever people were willing to pay.

Night Shift from the Mage Tower : The trap gimmick on the 67th floor is seriously fucking absurd. One wrong move and you're instantly dead.

ㅇㅇ : └ How would you know that, sir?

Mushroom Kid : └ These days, all you see when you browse the gallery is Tower guides.

Excommunicated Paladin : ㅇㅇ Everyone's stuck without even reaching the threshold of the 70th floor, so maybe they're mentally wrecked. They're coming into convenience stores and acting like huge assholes these days. The atmosphere is fucking vicious, so be careful, everyone.

Convenience Store Gallerist 2 : Ah, fuck, so that guy who got drunk and knocked over the displays early yesterday was part of the 67th-floor advance party.

ㅇㅇ(118.23) : These asshole hunter customers are seriously taking their frustrations out on us. One grabbed me by the collar yesterdayㅠㅠ

ㅇㅇ : What are the police doing? Why aren't they arresting those bastards?

The gallery was full of people complaining about the troublesome hunters who had multiplied after their failed attempts to clear the upper floors of the Tower.

“Looks like there are a lot of troublesome hunters at night.”

Maybe it was because I only worked day shifts now, but I didn't really feel it myself.

There were troublesome customers during the day, too.

They were definitely less obnoxious than the nighttime troublemakers who were drunk or lost in the early-morning mood.

How should I put it?

They were kind of nice troublesome customers?

Office workers in a hurry so they wouldn't be late on their way to work or during lunch.

Their frantic insistence that I hurry up because they were busy.

When people were rushed, they sometimes forgot things they were supposed to do, and that occasionally caused communication problems.

“That'll be 3,400 won.”

“Have a good one!”

“Sir, you need to pay before you go!”

“Oh, I'm sorry! I'm in a hurry. Keep the change, kid!”

They were the sort who took the goods without paying, or left without even bothering to collect their change.

“Whew, why are you so slow? Can't you pack it faster?”

They were about as bad as someone taking out the frustrations they had suffered at work on the part-timer they encountered on the way home.

‘I'll have to ask the manager later.’

About what the nighttime troublemakers were like.

As I scrolled down, I happened to notice a post with an eye-catching title.

[Title : Hey, what is Lumina noona like when she comes to deliver?]

Lumina.

Lumina, the delivery driver noona who delivered goods to our convenience store, too.

The large breasts I had seen beneath that leather jacket were still vividly etched in my mind.

‘So she goes to other stores, too.’

Well, it wasn't as if she would only visit our store.

There were convenience stores everywhere in the city, after all.

[Title : Hey, what is Lumina noona like when she comes to deliver?]

[Author : Older-Woman Killer]

Our store always gets her with her motorcycle helmet pulled low over her head.

And she always zips her leather jacket all the way up to her neck. Doesn't she get hot?

I've never seen even a glimpse of bare skin.

Her manner of speaking is fucking rude, too.

‘Sign here.’ That's it.

But has anyone here actually seen her without her helmet?

I have a feeling she's incredibly beautiful.

[Comments 22]

Delivery Driver Hater : ㅋㅋㅋ That noona never takes off her helmet. I tried tempting her to remove it by offering her a drink, but she ignored me and walked right out.

Convenience Store Gallerist 2 : Cold, agreed. She does exactly her job and leaves on the dot.

Excommunicated Paladin : But aren't delivery drivers generally like that? Isn't it because they're busy?

Night Shift from the Mage Tower : └ Nope, Lumina noona is especially bad. It's like she's doing some kind of ice-queen act.

I tilted my head as I read the comments.

‘She zips her leather jacket all the way up to her neck? And she's rude?’

Hmm.

This was a little different from the Lumina I knew.

A moment ago, I remembered Lumina leaning forward in a crop top that left her cleavage and navel completely exposed, provocatively teasing me.

On top of that, she had even taken off her helmet and shown me a sight that was practically her deepest secret.

That cute sight of her puffing up those little flames and asking me to pat her head because she was tired was still vividly burned into my retinas.

“Maybe it's because she's close with the manager.”

People did tend to become friendly more quickly with a close friend's acquaintances.

‘Looking at the gallery post, she seems especially casual with me…….’

Let's not think about it too deeply.

The gallery users might have exaggerated, or Lumina might simply have been in an especially good mood today.

Still, it was nice that someone I worked with thought well of me.

Putting those thoughts aside, I left a post.

-ㅇㅇ : I handled a cursed necklace pickup for a customer today, and he warned me to watch out for troublesome customers these days. Night-shift part-timers must have it fucking rough.

-Square Watermelon :└ I'm so jealous of the day-shift part-timers!

-Convenience Store Gallerist 2 : └ Trade shifts with me, pleaseㅠㅠ

-Night Shift from the Mage Tower : └ Night shift is hell. Don't come.

When I mentioned that I worked the day shift, an enthusiastic welcome poured in.

***

Hunter Tower.

Kuroaki Sonya stood in front of the Tower and checked her weapons.

“You're really going in right away? It hasn't even been a week since you cleared the floor.”

The manager of the project guild she belonged to spoke to her in a worried voice.

“There's no point in taking a long break. And now that I've obtained the essential item most needed for the raid, there's no reason to hesitate, is there?”

She said this while gazing at the blue powder clinging to her hand.

World Tree pollen she had received from the part-timer at the convenience store in front of Hunter Tower.

An essential item for clearing the cursed 73rd floor.

With this, I can catch up to the current leader, Hero's Record, who's challenging the 80th floor.

Maybe I could even surpass her clear record?

“Even if I can't claim the first clear, I want the title of fastest clear.”

Unable to dissuade her, the guild manager bowed his head.

“I wish you good fortune.”

After one final check of her weapons, she entered the portal leading to the floor she was challenging.

“I'm beginning the raid.”

Come to think of it, I never even asked the part-timer his name.

‘Once I clear the floor, I'll prepare a thank-you gift for him.’

And I'll ask his name then, too.

She clenched her fist tightly.

And on that day.

The fastest clear record for the 73rd floor, held by the Hero who had originally been one of the Seven Heroes, was broken.