Chapter 37
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Capital Area Survivors Gallery was positively festive.
Title : [ShopWiki] A roundup of the System's legendary real-world patches!!!!
Same as the previous patch notes
[Restroom]
Use a restroom for 10 mana stones for 10 minutes!!
Hot water gushing inside, air conditioning, a bidet, and a lavender diffuser all included!!!!
The absolute GOAT convenience feature : Contaminants instantly evaporate and supplies are infinitely restocked
Most importantly >> You can use it even if you're not a member!!!!
[Warning] - The System is watching everything...
If you try to take over a restroom or a dispute breaks out over it, the System will take the restroom away without exception...
Depending on the situation, users may also be ejected by name... So if you don't want to shit yourself on the street... You know...
[Analysis of the System's intentions]
This isn't merely about satisfying the urge to relieve yourself.
The System is solving the Capital Area's food shortage and stabilizing food prices with the foods updated in the Shop.
Now, it's apparently looking one step ahead and aiming to prevent infectious diseases and restore public hygiene and health care ㅇㅇ
In other words, this is the System's big picture: looking beyond mere survival toward improving the quality of our lives to pre-apocalypse civilization levels.
Conclusion : Line up properly and use the restrooms ㅇㅇ
P.S. Considering how the System even resolved the dispute between the Orange and Yellow Zones this time, don't you think the System wants harmony throughout the Capital Area?
The 10-mana-stone usage fee <<< This makes no fucking sense, seriously
ㄴ For real, it's an insanely good deal;;
ㄴ Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋ Farm all day, then wash up there and come back? That's sex right there
ㄴ What the fuck kind of metaphor is that
ㄴ But I admit itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I worship the GOAT...
ㄴ G r e a t S y s t e m
ㄴ P r a i s e i t
The restroom is seriously a clutch convenience patch ㅇㅇ
ㄴ For real, this is itㅋㅋㅋ
But getting ejected is no joke
ㄴ I went into the women's restroom and got bounced out
ㄴ ?
ㄴ You?
ㄴ [Head Mod] You're banned for one hour
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋ
Why didn't you include that the System encourages primal urges too?
ㄴ Primal urges << Restrooms
ㄴ This is itㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ There really isn't anything more primal than that ㅇㅇ
Title : System... Thanks to you, I washed up properly...
(A picture of someone going “Aahh, my armpit, aahh.” JPG)
I feel so refreshed... Thank you ㅠㅠㅠ
Kyaa...
ㄴ Thank you..
ㄴ Please make plenty of use of it...
ㄴ [Troll NEET] Go,,, to,,, sleep,,,
ㄴ [Upstanding Young Man] Go,,, to,,, sleep,,, My,,, heart,,,
A truly primal urge...
ㄴ This too must be the System's grace...
ㄴ They're seriousㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋ
I also did well thanks to you...
ㄴ Thanks to you, JAL...
ㄴ Thanks to you...
ㄴ Aahh
“Aahh...”
Even I have to admit, installing the restrooms was a really good decision. In many ways.
[Building Master Quest 4 Complete!!]
[Building Master Main Quest 4 : Copy 10 more tiles. Current : 10/10]
[Reward : You can partially adjust the purposes of tiles you own]
Thanks to the restroom I installed on the outskirts of the Capital Area, the quest was complete.
But what did this mean? Adjust their purposes partially?
“Hmm.”
How much did “partially” mean?
Anyway.
[Building Master Quest 5 : Reach 6,000 Shop members]
[Current : 4,000/6,000]
[Reward : ???]
At least the next quest looked easy enough to complete.
I turned my attention back to the System window floating in the air.
The System screen displayed CCTV footage of the area around Restroom No. 5, which I had installed on the outskirts of the Capital Area.
“Who was that woman earlier?”
Since I had just tossed the tile down like that, the thick fog around it had definitely cleared, brightening the view.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, I tried dragging it farther out and redeploying it deep inside the pitch-black fog beyond the outskirts of the Capital Area.
[Installation failed : The designated coordinates are outside the active network]
[Tiles can only be copied within the viewing radius of owned tiles or the Capital Area Survivors Gallery network radius.]
Unfortunately, a warning message appeared and the placement failed.
“Am I supposed to use it like a ward...?”
A shabby woman with a rope around her neck had just passed by the edge of the CCTV's field of view.
She had panicked when she saw the restroom, then hurriedly vanished into the fog.
“But are there actually people living on the outskirts of the Capital Area?”
Come to think of it, what was the area outside all the designated zones like?
I typed a comment in the Gallery.
[Troll NEET] Guys, what's beyond the fog on the outskirts of the Capital Area like? Do you have absolutely no contact with other regions?
ㄴ ㅇ?
ㄴ It's the Blank Zone.
[Troll NEET] ㅇㅇ The Blank Zone? Why doesn't anyone go there?
ㄴ Why would anyone go there...?
ㄴ It's crawling with mutants even more fucked-up than the Red Zone...
The Red Zone has high-grade scrap, so people risk their lives to mine mana stones there.
ㄴ Even if you kill mobs in the Blank Zone, they don't drop items or even a single mana stoneㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ There's simply no reason to go.
Aside from all the roads having collapsed, the Gallery doesn't even work once you get there ㅇㅇ
ㄴ You can't even ask for help.
ㄴ Apparently, anomalies appear there like crazy.
ㄴ [Troll NEET] Oh.
ㄴ First of all, once this fog bastard gets involved, you immediately lose your way.
ㄴ For real, the fog in the Blank Zone is insanely thick;;
That's why all contact between regions was cut off, leaving it isolated ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Almost everyone who went there trying to connect with other regions died.
ㄴ Or they went missing ㅇㅇ
ㄴ There's even a rumor that if you wander around in the fog and make it back, you won't be in your right mind anymore ㅇㅇ
[Speedrun] SIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ㄴ Yeah, like this bastard ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Troll NEET] Then what about the Black Zone?
ㄴ Fuck, you have to go there to find out.
ㄴ Go check it out and leave us a review...
ㄴ If you come back alive, I'll give you a free pass to the featured postsㅋㅋㅋ
“So that's what it was?”
I had wondered why this was only happening in the Capital Area, but now I knew why.
“Then is that woman an anomaly too?”
I turned my attention back to the CCTV for Restroom No. 5.
But then.
“Huh?”
From beyond the fog in the direction the woman had disappeared, silhouettes began slowly crawling out.
There weren't just one or two. There were dozens, no, hundreds of something.
They were hard to make out through the haze, but they were unmistakably people.
“Who are these guys?”
They said movement was practically impossible there.
[Troll NEET] Hmm....
ㄴ [Troll NEET] But people are coming from the Blank Zone?
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ What are you talking about?
ㄴ Who's coming?
[Troll NEET] ㅇㅇ I'm near the outskirts right now because I'm out scavenging.
ㄴ [Head Mod] Did you go outside?? Get back in here, quick;;
ㄴ You got so focused on scavenging that you went all the way to the fogㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Are you insane?
[Troll NEET] No, there was a restroom here too, so I was checking it out because it was interesting.
ㄴ [Troll NEET] But seriously, someone is coming this way ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㅇ?
ㄴ [Head Mod] There's a restroom... there too?
Comments verifying what I'd seen began popping up at the same time.
No, I'm south of the Capital Area!!!
ㄴ I looked through a telescope, and someone's really coming!!
Fuck, there isn't just one or two!
ㄴ They're coming with zombies!!!
ㄴ What?
ㄴ Huh??
The Capital Area Survivors Gallery erupted in an instant.
****
The Blank Zone beyond the reach of the Capital Area Gallery network.
An unidentified group of survivors crossing over in massive numbers.
A group is coming across from the Blank Zone...? With zombies, too? What the hell is going on?
ㄴ Fuck, is that even possible??
ㄴ Has anything like this ever happened before?
ㄴ Of course not;; This is the first time.
Not just one or two...
ㄴ A whole group, fuck...
ㄴ How did they get here?
More importantly, what does it mean that they're coming with zombies??
ㄴ I ran away as soon as I saw them coming, so I don't know the details, but it looked like there was a horde of zombies behind them.
Are you saying a zombie wave is coming from that direction?
ㄴ But there were people too, weren't there;;
ㄴ Then what the hell is it?
The Gallery erupted into a commotion over a situation everyone was experiencing for the first time.
The Gallery users began offering all sorts of opinions.
Title : [Myth] This is Seo-jin, the Guild Master. Here's what I think.
As far as I know, no one has ever crossed the Blank Zone alive until now.
If that's the case, then they must definitely be Awakened...
But there is no way the people who crossed that place are normal.
And the fact that they're together with mutants is suspicious too...
If we wait to respond until after they arrive, it'll be too late.
We spotted them first, so we should launch a surprise attack.
So... Let's leave a few alive, beat the rest senseless, and think about it afterward?
Seo-jin's heartless as hell;;
ㄴ Beat them up first and think later, agreed.
ㄴ But what if they came because they want to cooperate with us? What then?
You think people who want to overcome this together would drag zombies along?
ㄴ Baiting people into arguing has been an innocent Korean tradition since ancient times.
ㄴ Ahㅋㅋ Let's get beaten togetherㅋㅋ
But this is the right call.
ㄴ How do we know what they're thinking?
ㄴ For real, we should crush them first.
[Ironclad] Let's control the situation first...
ㄴ [God of War] Let's control it;;
ㄴ “Control,” my assㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The control-specialist brothersㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
The hardliners led by Myth, Ironclad, and Ares.
But couldn't they simply be a massive group of refugees fleeing from mutants?
ㄴ For real, we don't know the circumstances, so immediately deciding to kill them is a bit much;;
ㄴ I'm voting for this side too.
ㄴ We should at least meet them first.
Having more people is good for us, at least.
ㄴ Our numbers are already shrinking, so the more the better.
ㄴ It's easy to lose people, but gaining them is fucking hard ㅠ
ㄴ Exactly.
The moderates who argued that they should take them in.
Hey, you idiots, do you think refugees would come armed?
ㄴ Tell them to come waving white flags;;
Then of course they'd come armed if they crossed the Blank Zone.
ㄴ Are you saying they should come with their bare hands?
ㄴ Bare-handed through the Blank Zone....?
ㄴ Fuck, that would be terrifying;;
And why did the System install a restroom there...?
ㄴ Exactly, nobody even goes there;;
ㄴ Could this too... be the System's arrangement...?
ㄴ How old are you, anyway...?
ㄴ Your mom
As the Stalkers remained locked in a tense debate, the Head Mod, who had been quietly observing the situation, uploaded a post.
Title : *Notice [Head Mod] I'm going to check it out first.
I think there must be a reason the System installed a restroom near that dangerous Blank Zone ㅇㅇ
It's also strange that people are coming near that restroom.
Perhaps the Transcendent Being arranged this situation with a greater purpose in mind than we can imagine.
If that means contact with the outside world is important too ㅇㅇ
So I'm going to go talk to them first.
What the fuck?
ㄴ Why are you going to talk to them?
ㄴ I told you, we should just crush them!!!!
[Head Mod] You idiots...
ㄴ [Head Mod] The fact that they crossed the Blank Zone means
ㄴ [Head Mod] They might know what's happening in other regions too.
ㄴ Hmm...
ㄴ That's true;;
[Head Mod] If we're going to keep surviving, we need to know what's going on in other regions.
ㄴ Hmm...
ㄴ Right, right.
ㄴ King-right.
ㄴ As expected, Head Mod is the mediator.
The Gallery's hardline public opinion began to settle somewhat after the Head Mod's pointed warning.
Then the Head Mod left one more comment filled with firm resolve.
[Head Mod] I'm going ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Sigh... But Head Mod...!
ㄴ [Head Mod] Don't worry. I'll beat them all ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Don't go!
ㄴ You stay here!!
[Head Mod] Don't order me around.
ㄴ Yes, Head Mod.
ㄴ Sorry.
ㄴ Have a safe trip, boss.
As if they had been waiting for it, the Myth Guild Master posted a comment.
[Myth] In that case!!!! We'll go too!!!!
ㄴ [Head Mod] No, I can go alone.
[Myth] No!!!! We have to go too!!!! We can't let you go there alone!!!
ㄴ [Myth] If this is also the System's will!!! We'll lead the way!!!!!
ㄴ [Head Mod] ...?
With the Myth Guild Master's somewhat excessively desperate offer of support.
[Head Mod] Fine, then let's go together.
ㄴ [Myth] Thank youuuu!!!!
ㄴ [Myth] System, you're watching, right^^
Seo-jin is seriously trying to make amendsㅋㅋ
ㄴ It's his chance to make it up to the Systemㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Hey, aren't you being a little too obvious?
ㄴ But we've already seen through him once...
ㄴ Aahh
ㄴ Kyaa...
Isn't this the first time a guild has officially helped the Head Mod?
ㄴ Now that you mention it;;
ㄴ Actually, this is the first time we've ever discussed our opinions like this...
ㄴ For real;;
This is kind of... cool...
ㄴ Work hard, Seo-jin.
ㄴ We should invite him... right?
And so, a death squad to meet the outside forces was assembled.
[Head Mod] Don't worry too much.
ㄴ [Head Mod] The System will protect us.
ㄴ [Myth] Of course^^
As I watched their grand and solemn resolve unfold in real time.
“Uh... Um, me...?”
I could only scratch my head.
****
The Blank Zone on the outskirts of the Capital Area, blanketed in thick fog.
A group was slowly emerging through the fog of that place where not a single living creature could be found.
- Clank. Drag...
Dozens of armed people wearing armor.
Hundreds of zombies surrounded them.
Unexpectedly, a clean-cut man was walking at the head of the group.
He had somewhat pale skin and sanpaku eyes.
Among the group, dozens of slaves bound by thick, coarse ropes were pulling old cargo carts.
Screeech. Creak...
For some reason, people with their arms and legs chopped off were piled on top like cargo, gasping for breath.
There was no way to know why they had left these people alive instead of killing them outright, then dragged them around after severing their limbs.
At last, the incomprehensible group's march came to a halt.
“...?”
In the middle of the pitch-black fog.
A smooth cube that could not possibly belong to this world was radiating a brilliant light.
It displayed familiar, intuitive pictograms alongside clearly written blue and red lettering.
[Men's Restroom]
[Women's Restroom]
“It really... really was here.”
“I-It really is an intact building!”
“Heh heh heh...”
Just as several members of the group were murmuring those words.
“...Quiet.”
The man's warning instantly silenced the commotion.
- Rustle
Then another group emerged through the thick fog on the opposite side.
It was the Myth Guild, led by the Head Mod, Baek Eunwol.
“...!”
The faces of the Myth Guild members went deathly pale the instant they saw what lay beyond the fog with their own eyes.
‘What...?’
The Head Mod was no different.
It wasn't merely because a group of survivors that had crossed the Blank Zone truly existed.
‘The mutants... are just standing there...?’
Walkers, Runners, Heavies, Spitters, even a Witcher from the Orange Zone.
Mixed in among the slaves trembling in their ropes, they were peacefully looking in this direction.
‘H-How...?’
It was a sight that shattered common sense.
But Eunwol did not let the horrifying scene overwhelm her and quickly assessed the situation.
People wearing collars with their arms bound in rope. And humans piled up with their limbs severed.
After confirming even that, Baek Eunwol's eyes turned cold.
Then she stepped forward and opened her mouth.
“I am Baek Eunwol, the Head Mod of the Capital Area Survivors Gallery.”
The Head Mod's voice rang out through the thick fog.
“Who are you?”
At her bold question, the man commanding hundreds of undead slowly tilted his head.
His eerily emotionless gaze rested on Baek Eunwol for a brief moment.
“My name is Baek Jinhyeok.”
Then a metallic voice flowed from the man's pale lips.
“I am the protagonist of this world.”