You'll need to find the Cronos shop key to open a door in store full of books and an audio diary about how Orphans 'grow even stronger when they merge'. If that sounds like a threat it's because it is, as getting the key will expose you to 'merging' first hand and there's nothing you can do about it. So get ready for an awkward fight in a tight space, or a brave bout of running away. Your choice.
Cronos shop key location
You'll reach the shop through a florist called Magnolia, shortly after being told the way ahead is blocked and to find another route by a previous Traveller. The entrance to Magnolia leads you through a small gap into a small book filled store front and straight to a locked door, with an audio diary about Orphans getting more dangerous when they merge.
Like the first apartment key in Cronos, the shop key isn't far. Take the door behind the counter and you'll find there's only one route ahead, so follow the winding path ahead into a shop with mannequins and shoes scattered on shelves.
Keep going until you end up at a dead end by an opaque window. The key is on the counter.
HOWEVER, the moment you pick up the key up an Orphan will appear and absorb a body you passed seconds ago to get bigger and stronger - just like the tape said. Your Cronos flashlight flickering is your in-game warning that bad things tm are about to happen.
You can fight this monster, in which case check my Cronos tips for some combat pointers. But, with ammo and health so scarce, it's probably best to just run straight past it as it won't follow you through the door once you've opened it. Whatever your choice, take the key and use it at the shop door to move on.
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