Chapter 117

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Of course, some people here really are from different times, like old Jack, who said he entered the store back when America was gaining independence. My goodness, how long has this IKEA existed?

There's also something strange: everyone seems to enter IKEA from different places. The names of the locations they mention are all over the place, completely different from mine.

Could it be that there are multiple IKEAs like this in the world?

Or maybe this IKEA moves on its own? The more I think about it, the more things start to make sense. No one is looking for us, the missing people, because we didn't all come from the same place. It sounds weird (maybe that should be this place's slogan), but could it be that these people are from different dimensions? Realities? Call it whatever you like. I've seen enough TV shows to know about these kinds of ideas.

Sarah came from a place without the Declaration of Independence.

Wasim came from somewhere that never launched a space station. If everyone were from the same place, even if it seemed like the same place, the massive disappearances would cause widespread panic.

But there's been no large-scale search. We're probably just small cases, just a couple of missing people in a world where that happens daily.

Well, that's an interesting thought exercise.

I just realized yesterday marked my six-week anniversary of being here.

I wonder if IKEA sells party hats. The routine here is pretty much the same.

More newcomers show up every few weeks.

The food supply fluctuates, but we've never experienced a severe shortage.

Occasionally, we get visitors from other nearby towns, usually from Checkout Town or Aisle 630 Town.

We greet each other, and sometimes we trade when there's a particular shortage.

It's somewhat comforting, in a way. It reminds us we're not alone—a sort of mini-civilization. Sometimes they bring medical supplies. It seems there's a pharmacy outside a few towns near Checkout Town that gets restocked from time to time, and they share what they can.

I've never heard of IKEA having a pharmacy, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if someone discovered an organ-harvesting lab in here. It would explain the employees.

Speaking of our faceless jailers, their attacks have become more frequent lately.

It's now three or four times a week, twice as much as before.

We have no idea where they come from or why the attacks are getting worse.

A few weeks ago, Sarah and I tried to follow one during the day. We wanted to see if it would lead us to something like an employee room. But it didn't go anywhere—just wandered randomly through the aisles. We came back empty-handed.

We've reinforced the walls and tried to arm ourselves better. There's no shortage of materials. Wasim has made more crossbows, but they're still too inefficient.

This IKEA truly sucks.

[Note: During the time this entry was written, no new personnel entered IKEA.]

The situation is getting dire. Almost every night, they attack, and there are so many of them that the bodies are piling up to the point where they can climb over the walls. I think we're in big trouble.

Exchange Town is, well...

I think Exchange Town is done for. Last night, we got hit hard. There weren't many casualties, but the walls were breached. We finally figured out why the attacks have been escalating. There was a chunk of an employee jammed in one of the supply crates. No idea how that happened, but apparently, even a piece of them attracts the rest. But it's too late now; there are too many bodies to move, and we have to repair the walls before nightfall. Candace has called a meeting. I suspect we'll talk about abandoning Exchange Town, maybe trying to seek refuge in Checkout Town.

But it's already too late. I don't think we have the time. Maybe some of us will make it. After all, I survived the first week in the dark. But how much longer can my luck hold out?

I'm just writing this as a sort of conclusion, I think. For me, or for anyone who finds this. This is my final journal entry. I hope whoever reads this makes it out of here.

What am I most afraid of? I'm afraid of dying tonight and waking up here again in the morning.

[Note: This is the last journal entry. It's believed that while attempting to reach the "Checkout" settlement, he was pursued by an 'employee' and got separated from the others, eventually stumbling upon the exit.]

The journal ends here.

From this journal, the Foundation learned more about IKEA.

The mysteries here go beyond what anyone imagined.

Perhaps this IKEA has existed for many years and randomly appears in different places. Or maybe there are many such stores, but no one has noticed.

Could it even appear in different universes, connecting people from various realities? That remains unknown.

"How many people are still alive in this store, what kind of civilization they've formed, where the monsters come from, and why it's an infinite space—no one knows."

"All we can do at the Foundation is purchase the land around the store and prevent anyone from getting too close. If anyone does come out, we'll question them, wipe their memory, and find a way to help them live normally. If any employees come out, they must be terminated immediately."

"Our research into IKEA is far from over."

The video ended abruptly.

...

Everyone was stunned.

Strange: "How is this even possible? This store can connect people from different universes! That can't be right!"

Tony Stark: "But if that's not the case, how do you explain people not knowing about the International Space Station, the Apollo moon landing, or who the president is? According to the description, they're not old-timers."

Jiraiya: "This is giving me a headache. It's just a store—how can it be this weird?"

Odin: "This is probably the work of a god. No human could create something like this."

Odin paused as he said this, taking a sharp breath. The idea of a store connecting people from different universes—that had to be the work of a multiverse-level evil deity.

But why create such a store?

Usopp: "The people trapped inside are really pitiful. I hope they can escape one day."

Bruce Wayne: "I think if they do escape, it might cause a lot of problems."

Usopp: "Huh?"

Everyone was confused by Bruce Wayne's statement.

Bruce Wayne: "Think about it. The people trapped inside have been cut off from society for who knows how long, and they come from different universes. Their knowledge levels aren't on the same page. If they return to the real world, can they even live normal lives?"

Tony Stark: "Exactly. They've been living almost like cavemen in there. Suddenly rejoining modern society—there'd be a ton of issues."

Sengoku: "That's true, but we can't just leave them in there. We could teach them and handle it properly."

Bruce Wayne: "You're right about that."

(End of Chapter)