Chapter 43
Meanwhile, the Capital Area Survivors Gallery had truly descended into chaos.
Title : Kkyoooooooot!!!!
I've done everything I could...
I used every secret technique known so far...
Meaning I used all three parts of the combo: sob-story appeal + post-apocalypse self-made mana-stone success appeal + body appeal...
The result?
(Roughly, proof of invitation. JPG)
Who am I? ‘-Starplex- Shop Member’
I got invited too!!!
ㄴ Fuck, I got one too!!
ㄴ Hahahaha, me too!!!
Can you... can you call me a Shop Member from now on...?
ㄴ Of course, mana-stone sucker
ㄴ Shop Member
ㄴ Mana-stone sucker
ㄴ Shop Member
ㄴ Mana-stone sucker
ㄴ Fuck your mom
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
It was because, to commemorate the influx of survivors from Anseong, Cheonan, and Pyeongtaek, another massive round of Shop member invitations had taken place.
- I have a pelvis built for easy childbirth... [321]
- My baby... isn't going hungry.. [3332]
- This post stimulates primitive desires [3233]
- The post above is stimulating primitive rage, fuck [33]
- I really think the poster above needs to be beaten to death ㅇㅇ [666]
- Don't you have a mother? [553]
....
Thus it was only natural for the Capital Area Survivors Gallery to transform into the Capital Area Sob-Sob-Sob Gallery.
No!! Why is everyone posting lewd pics...!!!
ㄴ Uh... how do you... post lewd pics... on the Gallery...?
ㄴ Why isn't the Head Mod deleting them...?
[Head Mod] We encourage primitive desires ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ Eh?
You guys hurry up and strip too
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ Then you'll get an invite ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ??!!!!
Naturally, the newbies seeing this for the first time had no choice but to be deeply confused.
But it didn't become a major problem.
Title : I'm a newbie from Pyeongtaek this time!!! I just got invited!!
(Roughly, proof of Shop invitation.jpg)
I only asked to be invited... but I got invited!!!
Is this some kind of newbie preferential treatment??
You even integrated the Gallery... and saved us too...
Ahh, thank you, System-nimㅠㅠ
I'll work hard on the Gallery from now on!!
Huh?
ㄴ ?
ㄴ No, fuck, wait a second
ㄴ System-nim, this isn't right, fuuuuuck!!!!
ㄴ Even I, who's been supporting you this whole time, didn't get one
ㄴ A newbie got an inviiiiite??!!
This newbie bastard... What humblebragging skills...!!
ㄴ So you were using the Gallery, at least. Mm-hmm
ㄴ Your Gallery cred hasn't disappeared entirely, ㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
No, then what does that make those of us who stripped?
ㄴ People who stripped, obviously ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Hmm... they've got a point... I acknowledge it, squirrel...
ㄴ Hmm, right right
ㄴ It was nice and cool, at least
Because posts from newbies saying they'd gotten invited without stripping kept appearing now and then.
“Is that so...? Is it a newbie benefit?”
We needed members in the new regions too.
Since I was trying to invite users from other regions fairly evenly, I ended up inviting quite a lot of them.
This is discrimination against the other regions!!!
ㄴ The System must explain itself immediately
ㄴ Investigate it
ㄴ Investigate it without fail
It seemed as though the System was swiftly turning into a sweet-honey-flavored, mana-stone-sucking, buffalo-like simp.
But hey, people from the other regions obviously deserved invitations too, you moron.
ㄴ That's true.
ㄴ I already felt a little bad making them strip the moment they arrived;;
ㄴ It was a little shocking
We didn't strip from the start either ㅇㅇ
ㄴ That's true ㅇㅇ
ㄴ If someone tells you to strip before you've even started, it's understandable to be flustered ㅇㅇ
As expected, this is what loving newbies looks like...
ㄴ Consideration and protection for newbies are part of the System's reputation, ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The System is so sweet to newbies, ㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The System << It even loves newbies?
ㄴ System-nim licking newbies... now that's a rare sight
ㄴ For real, this is it ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Fortunately, everyone seemed to understand.
“But it does kind of feel like it became a simp for the users...”
It didn't really matter.
The more users flowed in, the more Shop members I had, so naturally, the more the merrier.
[★Starplex★] Notice: Member Invitations Ended
So I quickly posted the notice ending the invitations.
[Myth] What?
ㄴ [Myth] There was a Shop invitation event?!!!!
ㄴ [Myth] No, I got treated and slept like a corpse as soon as I got back!!!!
ㄴ Gasp ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Myth] Shop Owner!! Is there no room left!!! Pleeease!!!!
ㄴ [Myth] Could you somehow make room for just one person!!!! The guild members were all out of it too, so none of us knew about it!!
ㄴ The notice saying it's already over is up, bro...
ㄴ Too bad, maybe next time...
[Myth] Why-y-y! I'm likable, you knooow!!!
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ Likability claimant ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ For real ㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ But remember this... Seo-jin...
ㄴ The stain of suspicion isn't wiped away so easily...
ㄴ [Myth] Eeeeeek...!!
Of course, some people missed the timing.
“Oh, right.”
This person was here too.
I'd forgotten because I'd decided to invite lots of the newbies from the other regions first.
“I'll definitely do it next time...!”
Anyway, immediately after the member invitations ended, the enormous quantity of stock I'd multiplied through the System reward was released into the Shop all at once.
I bought raaaamen!! I bought ramen!!
ㄴ Fuck, me too!!
ㄴ I bought it, Master!!!!
ㄴ ‘I bought it, Master,’ my ass ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I'm... I think I'm going to come...
ㄴ You don't need to tell us that;;
No, I'm a newbie here!!
ㄴ I bought some too!!
ㄴ I succeeded in buying some too!!
The newbies, who had been thoroughly briefed by the Capital Area users, prepared well for the open rush.
“Oh, nice.”
Most of the invited newbies seemed to have succeeded in making a purchase.
Title : [Healer Union] Bam~~ ba-bam~~ ba-bam~~ bam~~
(Roughly, proof photo. jpg)
I bought Mint Choco Bar Jiaco!!!
I'll use this to find a job in the Capital Area!! And I'll demand better treatment for low-tier healers!!!!!
ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Ah, this newbie is fucking hilarious;;
ㄴ For real ㅋㅋ
No, but are you an idiot?
ㄴ Why are you buying a mint-choco bar?
ㄴ Bro, don't you know there are more ramen in stock right now?
ㄴ [Healer Union] “I know.”
ㄴ [Healer Union] Bam~~ ba-bam~~ ba-bam~~ bam~~
ㄴ ?
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Ah ㅋㅋ I bought it knowing that ㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ I said I knew, ㅋㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ They just like mint-choco bars, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Anyway... if they got invited... and bought something... isn't that enough?
ㄴ Mm-hmm, that's true ㅋㅋ
ㄴ Ah, fuck, I want to buy something too!!!
ㄴ For real;;
Wow, you can choose what you like when you buy now?
ㄴ For real, he's worrying about preferences at the Shop;;
ㄴ The increased stock this time was insane, for real
ㄴ A thousand cans of tuna
ㄴ And two thousand bottles of Odasoo is fucking...
Shop <<< BIG-BOX STORE HAS ENTERED THE GALLERY
ㄴ My tiny little Shop... it's grown this big ㅠㅠㅠ
ㄴ My little Shop... I guess it's time to let you go ㅠ
ㄴ Hey, don't let it go...
ㄴ It still needs to be here
ㄴ Don't let it go ㅠ
“What... is this person, seriously.”
Their gimmick is unique.
Anyway, that's a relief.
I'd been worried that installing restrooms this time would mean the water wouldn't sell, but fortunately, the stock all sold out regardless.
-Starplex-
[Out of Stock x]
So I used the mana stones from selling out the inventory to install restrooms in the newly connected southern regions as well.
I-it's really a restroom!!!!
ㄴ One was installed here too!!!!
ㄴ System-nim gave us a restroom patch!!!
That's impossible...
ㄴ I can't believe how long it's been since I used a restroom...
ㄴ There's actual soap!!!!
ㄴ A bidet is coming out!!!!
ㄴ There is a bidet!!!
Since the southern regions were in much the same condition as the Capital Area, the response to this new patch was explosive.
“Hmm.”
But the Gallery users' topic began taking a strange turn.
Title : You Capital Area motherfuckers!!!
You mean you've been the only ones using something this good all this time!!!!
I'm in Cheonan, fuck... while we were catching bugs to eat... and purifying rainwater to drink...!!
You guys were eating pre-apocalypse food...
And washing up nicely in restrooms while enjoying lavender and air-conditioning!!!
Gasp
ㄴ Gasp
ㄴ User who suddenly understood gay Jinhyeok's reason for invading: -ㄱ
ㄴ Fuck ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But amazingly, we were exactly the same until about a month ago...
ㄴ And we're still like that...
ㄴ We weren't much different from you...
Oh, really?
ㄴ The restrooms were even installed just one day apart from yours...
ㄴ Really??
ㄴ Gasp...
Title : But... listening to the newbies...
They said the other regions hadn't had the System until now...
Then why was the System patched into only our Capital Area first??
Hmm... yeah, good question...
ㄴ I was curious about that too...
Whew, do you still not understand the System-nim's grand cause?
ㄴ ?
ㄴ Wasn't investing in the Capital Area the golden rule even before the apocalypse?
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ System-nim knew that too and made a brilliantly timed investment in the Capital Area, ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ?
Lmaoㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The System << This bastard was a master investor, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Real estate is still all about the Capital Area, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Eugh! You Capital Area bastards!!! Are you ignoring us provincials!!!!
ㄴ We were already miserable, and now it's the Capital Area Republic even after the apocalypse ㅠㅠ
ㄴ Should I have moved to the capital before the apocalypse? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ If you're mad, you know what to do, right? ㅋㅋㅋ
But System-nim integrated us this time, didn't he?
ㄴ For real, he even “normalized” the provincial dead zones, didn't he?
ㄴ I guess it's just starting to feel hard now.
ㄴ You could go south if you really wanted to somehow.
ㄴ Oh, yeah.
You solved both problems at once: Capital Area overpopulation + provincial population extinction?
ㄴ This is totally...
ㄴ Kyaa!!! Problem-solving by the G R E A T S Y S T E M, ㅋㅋ
ㄴ If solving problems were this easy, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Politicians before the apocalypse spent tens of trillions and still couldn't do this, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Kyaa, the G R E A T S Y S T E M
ㄴ From now on, call them mana stones, ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Day 1 of praying for System-nim to run for Congress, ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Maxed-out political power, ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I couldn't hold back my laughter when I saw that.
“Pfft...”
I hadn't done it with anything like this in mind. It just happened to turn out that way when I looked at the whole picture.
But... does the System have factions too?
ㄴ What kind of bullshit is that? Sounds like your face.
ㄴ No, it threw an error when it installed the Black Zone this time, remember?
ㄴ It said Starplex's authority took priority
ㄴ Right?
Then doesn't that mean the System has multiple factions too?
ㄴ Aren't Starplex and the System separate entities, though?
ㄴ [Head Mod] !!!
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] !!!!!
ㄴ I guess so...?
[Head Mod] All right, from this moment on, we shall begin a dignified debate.
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] I cannot agree.
ㄴ ??
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As I laughed while watching the Gallery burn over its new topic, I turned my gaze back to the status window.
“Let's see...”
There were so many tiles and so much infrastructure I'd dramatically expanded just now, so I planned to do an interim accounting before moving on.
[Starplex Daily Settlement Report]
[Externally copied tiles: 10 restrooms (20 stalls)]
[Total daily revenue: +103,000 mana stones]
[Total daily maintenance costs: -58,000 mana stones]
[External tile maintenance (20 stalls): -20,000 mana stones]
[Basic tile maintenance (49 slots): -38,000 mana stones]
[Estimated daily net profit: +45,000 mana stones]
The settlement report I was looking at was from after I'd used the mana stones earned by selling the freshly restocked inventory to install restrooms throughout Anseong, Pyeongtaek, and Cheonan, the newly connected southern regions.
So upgrading lots of tiles also makes the settlement report easier to read.
Of course, I could still view every detail if I wanted to, so there was no problem.
“But inflation really is insane...”
Maintenance costs now casually run into the tens of thousands.
“Still, 45,000 mana stones a day?”
It was still a completely profitable business.
“Kkyoooooooot! Praise the S Y S T E M!!!”
Naturally. The G R E A T S Y S T E M who let me make a living would never make me take a loss.
[Remaining ownership period: 60 days 22 hours 15 minutes]
[Mana stones currently held: 155,000 mana stones]
For now, my ownership period was more than sufficient, and I had plenty of mana stones on hand.
I was thinking of having a late-night snack and going to sleep, but there was something I had to do first.
“Phew... then let's take a look.”
But there was only one reason I was looking forward to this.
[Building Master Quest 5: Reach 6,000 Shop members]
[Current: 8,000/6,000]
[Reward: ???]
Quest 5 had been completed.
“Building Master Quest completeee!!!”
[Building Master Quest 5 complete!!]
[A new ability will be granted!]
And my eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of that reward.
“N-no, this is!!!”
****
Meanwhile, Baek Eunwol, administrator of the Capital Area Survivors Gallery, was deep in thought in a pitch-black hall.
“...”
Her thoughts were a tangled mess.
During Baek Jinhyeok's invasion.
The sight of the Black Zone that the System had shown her still flickered before her eyes.
Why had you taken me there? What could the Transcendent Being have been hinting at?
You must have had something you wanted me to do.
‘Could it have been telling me to prepare...?’
Eunwol swallowed dryly and opened her status window.
[Administrator (JUDDAK) Main Quest 72: Collect 10,000 mana stones]
[Current progress: 10,000 / 10,000]
[Reward: Unlocks authority to appoint a deputy administrator]
The ten thousand mana stones she'd gathered through blood, sweat, and tears were a fortune, and she was seriously conflicted over how to use them.
Should she invest them in the newly integrated regions of Cheonan, Pyeongtaek, and Anseong?
Or use them to stabilize the Yellow Zone? Or perhaps to appoint a deputy administrator?
“That is the question...”
Eunwol pressed her fingers to her temples.
Including the survivors of the integrated southern regions, the Gallery population was now nearing a staggering ninety thousand.
Managing the Gallery alone had already been more than she could handle. Naturally, with even more users now, it would become harder still.
“To establish System-nim's will more broadly and firmly throughout this land... I must first impose discipline within.”
Yes, this was the right choice.
Just as Eunwol steeled herself and was about to press the button to unlock the deputy administrator with grim determination.
Ding-!
[Congratulations! You have been selected as the ‘First VIP’ member of the -Starplex- Shop!]
[Exclusive VIP benefits and special privileges are now unlocked.]
“VIP member?”
Me?
[VIP-Exclusive Premium Benefits List]
1. Permanent 10% VIP discount on all Shop items
2. Priority reservation rights for the Time Deal feature (exempt from the open rush)
“!!!”
The overwhelming benefits bestowed by the System. But one benefit in particular seized Eunwol's attention.
[3. VIP-exclusive one-on-one direct ‘Starplex Customer Feedback Box' unlocked]
“A Customer Feedback Box...?”
Does that mean I can speak with it one-on-one?
“I can... speak one-on-one with the Transcendent Being...?”
Eunwol straightened her clothes and cleared her throat with an “Ahem, ahem.”
“System-nim... can you hear my voice?”
[Inquiry being received...]
[Complete!]
[-Starplex- is always listening to our customers’ requests.]
“Kyaaah!!”
Eunwol sprang up like a coil right where she stood.
Then she bounced around for quite some time like a child who had received a present.
But she soon gave a false cough, ‘Ahem!’, and straightened her clothes again.
Then she knelt toward the empty air and continued in a reverent tone.
“System-nim, System-nim. May I appoint a deputy administrator to manage the users who have grown to 90,000? Or should I use the funds to prepare everyone for the disaster of the Black Zone you showed me?”
Just as she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for an answer.
Without a moment's hesitation, an immediate notification chime rang out.
[Inquiry being received in the Customer Feedback Box...]
[Complete!]
[Greetings, VIP Eunwol customer. You may handle this matter entirely at your discretion, but our company is reviewing your matter positively. Thank you.]
“Ahh...!”
After checking the message, Eunwol sank to the floor.
‘You will leave it entirely to my discretion... yet you are reviewing it positively...!’
It was clearly a positive message, telling her that it trusted her completely and was entrusting the decision to her.
Without hesitation, Eunwol offered up the ten thousand mana stones and claimed the reward that unlocked the authority to appoint a deputy administrator.
Then she shouted solemnly so that her voice echoed through the empty room.
“As System-nim wills! I shall elect a Sub-Mod!”
It was the moment the greatest Sub-Mod competition under heaven began.