Chapter 57: Black, Reliable, and Expensive

As I left the apartment, I once again had to lock the door with a thin strand of Umbrella. I couldn’t forget to have a new key made, or using my ability every time I needed to open the door would eventually attract my neighbors’ attention.

After leaving the building, I headed toward the nearest bus stop. Without my phone, I couldn’t check which bus went to the shopping mall, so I had no choice but to rely on the scattered memories left behind by this world’s Noctis.

After studying the route map at the stop for a long time, I found a bus number that seemed familiar. Even then, I checked the list of stops displayed on the front of the bus twice to make sure I wasn’t about to end up on the other side of the city.

Once I boarded, I took one of the empty seats by the window. The city looked so normal that it was difficult to believe hundreds of people had been pulled into an Overlap the previous night. People were going to work, sitting outside cafés, and staring at the phones in their hands.

My phone, meanwhile, was lying somewhere in the park as a pile of tiny metal and glass fragments.

I watched the city throughout the journey, following the buildings I recognized from Noctis’s memories. I relaxed a little once I was sure I was heading in the right direction, and about half an hour later, I got off at the stop in front of the shopping mall.

The moment I entered the mall, I was met by a crowd. Discount advertisements from the stores echoed from one side, while the smells drifting from the food court made my stomach stir even though I hadn’t thought I was hungry.

Since I didn’t know which floor the electronics stores were on, I spent some time following the signs. First, I ended up in the corridor filled with clothing stores, and then somehow wandered all the way into the children’s toy section. For some reason, every time I looked at one of the maps inside the mall, I only became more lost.

After nearly fifteen minutes of wandering around aimlessly, I finally spotted the phones lined up behind the glass of a large store on the upper floor.

The logos of several brands hung above the entrance, and dozens of phones were displayed on brightly lit tables inside. The moment I noticed the price tags from a distance, the hand holding my bank card began to tremble slightly.

"I’m going to buy something cheap and leave."

After repeating that promise to myself several times, I entered the store. Less than ten seconds after I began examining the phones, a saleswoman approached me with neatly tied-back brown hair and a professional smile that never left her face.

"Welcome. What kind of phone are you looking for?"

"Something cheap, black, and functional. My standards are pretty low."

The woman’s smile shifted for a moment. She had probably realized that the customer in front of her had no idea what he wanted and was easy prey.

"What do you mainly use your phone for?"

"Messaging, making calls, and occasionally checking social media."

I didn’t mention my streams. I broadcast from my computer, but I knew a powerful phone would be useful for checking my videos, reading comments, and managing my social media accounts.

The saleswoman lowered her gaze to the anime girl on my shirt.

"Do you play games?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you record videos or stream?"

My eye twitched slightly.

"Maybe..."

Her smile widened.

"In that case, an entry-level phone might not be enough for you. If you buy a cheap model, you may start experiencing performance issues within a few months and have to replace it. You would end up spending more money in the long run."

I knew there was a trap somewhere in that sentence, but I couldn’t figure out exactly where it was.

"I still don’t want anything too expensive."

"Of course. I’ll show you the options that offer the best value for their price."

She led me to a table farther inside the store and handed me a phone with a matte-black body. Despite its simple design, it didn’t look cheap, and it felt lighter than I had expected.

"This model’s powerful processor can easily handle games and streaming applications. It has a high-refresh-rate display, plenty of storage, and a long battery life. Its casing is also reinforced against impacts."

The last sentence made me examine the phone more carefully.

"Against impacts?"

"Yes. It’s also resistant to water and dust. Even if you drop it, it’s much less likely to be damaged than an ordinary model."

I wanted to ask what would happen if a ram-headed monster threw me into a wall, but I was certain that wouldn’t be covered by the warranty.

The woman opened the camera, showed me the display features, and switched between several applications with impressive speed. Every time I told her, "I don’t need all that," she countered by talking about the money it would save me in the long run, its security updates, or its durability.

A few minutes later, I found myself examining my reflection through the black phone’s camera.

The camera was unnecessarily good. My blue hair, which I thought I had left messy, looked strangely nice on the screen, and even the smallest detail of my face was clearly visible.

"The front camera is excellent for streaming and video calls," the woman said. "This model is also on sale today."

"How much of a discount?"

The number she gave me didn’t change the fact that the phone was still more expensive than I had planned, but the word sale made me feel as if I would be missing a huge opportunity if I didn’t buy it now.

The moment the saleswoman noticed my hesitation, she launched her final attack.

"I can include a protective case and screen protector for free as well."

My gaze moved between the phone and the woman.

"For free?"

"Completely free. We’ll also handle the initial setup for you here."

Five minutes later, I found myself standing at the checkout, entering the PIN for my bank card.

When I heard the sound confirming the payment, I stared at the receipt in my hand for several seconds. I couldn’t remember when I had made the final decision, when I had chosen the phone, or how I had ended up at the checkout.

It was as if the last few minutes had been erased from my memory.

The saleswoman placed the phone back in its box and handed me the bag, still wearing the same professional smile.

"Enjoy your new phone."

"Thank you..."

When I left the store, I had a bag containing the matte-black phone in one hand and my bank card in the other. Thinking about the amount withdrawn from my account made me feel as though a small part of me had quietly died.

I had wanted a black and reliable phone, and the woman had sold me a phone that was indeed black and very reliable. Technically, she hadn’t deceived me. She had merely convinced me that she knew what I needed better than I did.

"I survived an Overlap, but I couldn’t resist a saleswoman..."

With a sigh, I returned the bank card to my wallet. At least the phone was powerful enough to last a long time. If it was as durable as she claimed, it might even survive the next monster attack without breaking into several pieces.

When I raised my head, I noticed a small mobile carrier store on the other side of the corridor. Advertisements for different phone and data plans covered its windows, while the employees inside assisted the customers.

I had a new phone, but I wouldn’t be able to contact Eris or my angel until I recovered my old number.

Tucking the bag under my arm, I headed toward the store across the corridor.

Buying the phone had been the easy part.

The truly frightening part was finding out how many missed calls and messages would be waiting for me once my number was active again.