Chapter 46
The person who defied everyone's expectations and became the very first Sub-Mod.
Title : [Troll NEET] What is this;;
I seriously don't know.
That's what I want to ask!!
ㄴ What is this!!
ㄴ Exactly!! What the hell is this!!!
ㄴ Kyaaaaaaak!!!
ㄴ Kyaaaaaaak!!!
ㄴ Waaah!!!!
If anyone asks about the future of the Capital Area Survivors Gallery...
ㄴ Tell them to close their eyes...
ㄴ Why...?
ㄴ Because it's pitch-black ㅇㅇ
ㄴ What! Are you making a racist remark right now!!
ㄴ ?!
ㄴ What! Are you insulting the Dark Zone that was briefly summoned in what had been the Blank Zone!!
ㄴ ?!
ㄴ Hey, you pieces of trash.
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
Dark Zone lmao
ㄴ It rolls right off the tongue lol
ㄴ Weren't you scared? I was scared as fuck...
ㄴ If we don't take it as a joke... we can't endure this...
ㄴ Ah
The Capital Area Survivors Gallery had turned completely upside down, becoming the Gallery Survivors Capital Area.
Of course, it wasn't only the Capital Area Survivors Gallery that was bewildered.
“What???”
I was bewildered too.
Eh? Me? Watashi? Nandeee?
No, seriously, why me?
Fuck, I suddenly got a job. As a Sub-Mod of the Survivors Gallery, no less.
- [Head Mod] Wait here until I choose the other Sub-Mods.
- [Troll NEET] Uh... okay.
But I hadn't misread it. I had really become a Sub-Mod.
“Well... thank you for loving post-apocalypse Shop life until now...?”
Starting next week, I'll be back as The Apocalypse Sub-Mod Has Become... Waaah...
“No, that's not it. What the hell.”
What is going on?
Title : Why on earth???
Why does this bastard get to become a VIP member instead of me!!!
Exactly!!
ㄴ Why am I not the one?!
ㄴ This piece of shit is becoming a VIP?!
ㄴ I refuse to accept this!!
I'm against this Sub-Mod!! (Not out of envy)
ㄴ I'm against it too! (Not because I'm bitter)
ㄴ I'm in favor! (Not because I know I can't become one anyway and don't care)
ㄴ That's all of you, you bastards lol
ㄴ I can hear exactly what you're thinking.
ㄴ Gasp
ㄴ Huh
Troll NEET! What did you do to the Head Mod!!
ㄴ Come on!! Spill it!
ㄴ [Troll NEET] Hoo hoo.
ㄴ Nice huffing.
ㄴ For real.
No! Explain yourself properly!
ㄴ [Troll NEET] I was just hanging out on the Gallery.
We know you spend 24 hours on the Gallery!!!
We also know you're the person most faithful to your username!!!
We know you're a low-level awakened shut-in NEET!!!
ㄴ [Healer Union] “I know.”
But just that earns you a Sub-Mod position and VIP membership?
ㄴ I don't know about this.
ㄴ What the hell did you bribe the Head Mod with?
Exactly!!!
Explain yourself.
ㄴ We demand a special prosecutor investigation.
ㄴ But is anyone actually going to do that?
ㄴ Just let it go.
There must be a clear reason!
ㄴ We must retaliate against the Head Mod!!
ㄴ We demand a reason!!
Let's just lie down.
ㄴ Let's lie down.
ㄴ ●▅▇█▇ก้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ ▆▆▅▄▇
ㄴ ●▅▇█▇ก้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ ▆▆▅▄▇
ㄴ Fuck, how do you even do this lol
ㄴ For real, how'd you do that lol
ㄴ Don't dirty up the comment section!!!
ㄴ I've become a genius piss-boy watching the comments.
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
“Wow, it's been a long time since things got this heated.”
Thus, the Gallery's public opinion was blazing hotter than ever.
Of course, I hadn't intended this and didn't know why, so I just stayed quiet.
At that moment, one person stepped forward to personally put all this controversy to rest.
Title : [Head Mod] Whoa, whoa.
Everyone calm down.
Whoa, whoa?
ㄴ War? War??
ㄴ War! Never again, war!!!
[Head Mod] I only chose according to the criteria.
ㄴ The criteriaaa? The criteriaaa?
ㄴ Your criteria!
ㄴ One!
ㄴ Two!
ㄴ Three!
ㄴ Hey!
ㄴ Dudududududu dudududun!
ㄴ Carefree and scatterbrained...
ㄴ [Head Mod] Calm down.
ㄴ Sorry.
[Head Mod] Troll NEET has surprisingly many achievements.
ㄴ [Head Mod] When System-nim first appeared, they saw through the System's loophole and made it possible for you all to get invited.
ㄴ [Head Mod] And when Baek Jinhyeok came, who was the first person to tell us?
ㄴ Uh...
ㄴ Hmm...
ㄴ It was Troll NEET;;
[Head Mod] Right, thanks to that, we were able to respond quickly.
ㄴ [Head Mod] If we'd been any later, we'd have been helplessly taken down.
ㄴ Then what about me!
ㄴ Right, there's Telescope Guy too!!
[Head Mod] And Troll NEET is on the Gallery 24/7.
ㄴ [Head Mod] You could say they're a user specialized in managing the Gallery. Mm-hmm.
ㄴ Hmm.
ㄴ That's true.
But doesn't that apply to all the other shut-in S-boongers too!
ㄴ Right!
ㄴ [Head Mod] Last one.
[Head Mod] Must be witty and fun << Important
ㄴ [Head Mod] To manage trolls, I too must join hands with the trolls.
ㄴ [Head Mod] I've never seen anyone play around wittily while walking the line as well as Troll NEET.
ㄴ Hmm...
ㄴ True...
You don't even know who they are!
ㄴ [Head Mod] I've never met any of you either.
ㄴ ...!
ㄴ !!!
ㄴ That's actually true...
Along with the users' reactions being brought to a semblance of order.
Hear, hear.
ㄴ I believe you, Troll NEET. You deserve to be a Sub-Mod.
ㄴ I believe you, Troll NEET. You deserve to be a VIP.
ㄴ I believe you, Troll NEET. You're truly a jobless NEET loser.
ㄴ I believe you, Troll NEET. You'll really be doing nothing but managing the Gallery now.
ㄴ [Troll NEET] Thx;;
To manage the abyss, joining hands with the abyss...
ㄴ As expected of a Head Mod who's been in and out of the Black Zone. Mm-hmm.
ㄴ This is it.
Still, I'm fucking jealous of the VIP...
ㄴ For real, I'm insanely jealous ㅠ
The Gallery's reaction seemed to settle with a consensus.
Everyone except one person.
Title : [Speedrun] (web-sent) I am not being respected at all.
Considering the overwhelming 'speed' and 'achievements' I've shown so far, I obviously should have been the first Sub-Mod. I can delete shitposts faster than that shut-in NEET can click a mouse, so why was a troll like that chosen before me? This is an obvious error. Promote me to Sub-Mod immediately.
They're mad.
ㄴ Finally got under their skin lol
ㄴ Can't believe I'm seeing Speedrun get triggered lol
ㄴ This post actually seems emotional...
ㄴ For real.
[Troll NEET] lol
ㄴ ?
ㄴ ??
ㄴ Lololol, Troll NEET is teabagging them lol
ㄴ A NEET with a mod badge lol What an asshole, seriously lol
ㄴ [Speedrun] Hey.
ㄴ [Speedrun] Where are you?
ㄴ [Troll NEET] Somewhere you couldn't possibly reach.
ㄴ [Speedrun] ?!
Argh, Troll NEET is such an asshole lol
ㄴ For real, what a smooth troll lol
ㄴ They really know how to walk the line lol
Speedrun, who had been a BBIP customer even before the VIP member system existed, was showing an emotional reaction.
“It's hilarious how impossible this is to predict.”
How long had it been since I laughed like this while watching the Gallery? I was chuckling along at this rare entertainment.
Of course, I had no intention of appointing myself as a VIP member.
“I need to do the others.”
No matter how steeped I was in the true taste of post-apocalypse capitalism, benefits like these obviously belonged to people who needed them.
And if anyone asked, I could just make up some vague excuse.
Then who is the next Sub-Mod?
ㄴ Good question?
While everyone was waiting for the next Sub-Mod to be chosen.
The Head Mod made another declaration.
[Head Mod] Next, I will announce the second Sub-Mod ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Ooooooh!!
ㄴ They're choosing them one after another?!
ㄴ Please let it be me this time!! Me!!
[Head Mod] The second Sub-Mod is Shop Wiki.
ㄴ ?!!
ㄴ Wiki bro?!
“Huh?”
Shop Wiki?
As the Gallery stirred at the unexpected name, Shop Wiki hurriedly posted a comment.
[Shop Wiki] Uh... why me?
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] I've always done nothing but disagree with the Head Mod...!
That's true.
The Head Mod and Shop Wiki were worlds apart in how they interpreted me, like oil and water.
[Head Mod] That's exactly why.
ㄴ [Head Mod] A leader must listen most closely to the voices of those who disagree with them.
ㄴ [Head Mod] From now on, you'll debate System-nim in depth with me, right by my side.
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] Ahh... Head Mod...!
“Is... is this a good thing...?”
No, it only sounds good because of the way it's dressed up.
Isn't the Head Mod just forcibly dragging in someone they like debating with and making them sit there?
Is this good...?
ㄴ This is suffocating lol
It looks exactly like a grad-student kidnapping route~~
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] Huh...?
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
24-hour one-on-one endless debate hell, here we go lol
ㄴ You're getting VIP, though~~~
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] Yes!!! This is my chance to uncover the System's secrets!!!!
ㄴ Congrats congrats
ㄴ Give the debate your all.
The Head Mod really does keep their word.
ㄴ For real lol
ㄴ They really are choosing according to the criteria lol
The users seemed to have thoughts similar to mine, judging by their rather divided reactions.
“Well, they're getting VIP.”
That should be enough.
[Shop Wiki] : Oooh... is this it...? The administrator room...?
[Troll NEET] : Hey;;
[Head Mod] : Our opinions may differ, but let's do a good job managing things.
[Shop Wiki] : I cannot agree with the Head Mod's opinion.
[Head Mod] : ?
After exchanging a quick greeting with Wiki, I turned my gaze back to the Gallery.
Oh, so the Head Mod is choosing all of them?
ㄴ I guess so?
At this rate it'll be over in no time.
ㄴ It's moving along at lightning speed.
While the users were reacting to the Sub-Mod selection proceeding smoothly.
The Head Mod added an unexpected twist.
*Notice [Head Mod] Guide to the Selection Process for the Remaining Two Sub-Mod Spots
I made the first and second selections unilaterally, based on my own judgment ㅇㅇ
But since the VIP benefits enjoyed by Sub-Mods are so extraordinary,
I decided that, to prevent this power from being monopolized by a minority, the remaining two spots would be decided by the Gallery's democratic will.
For the next 24 hours, I will appoint the users who receive the most recommendations—first and second place—as the next Sub-Mods.
Those who want to become candidates, make your own pledges and campaign ㅇㅇ
“Oh.”
I thought the Head Mod would just choose all of them however they wanted, but this is unexpected.
“As expected, they're responsible.”
They chose a way to avoid controversy and win everyone's support. How clever.
Naturally, the comment section went wild.
A vote?!!!
ㄴ Fuck, democracy has entered the Gallery lol
ㄴ On the matter of democracy being resurrected after the apocalypse...
If it's first and second place,
ㄴ There are two spots left??!
ㄴ Whoa lol
I'm declaring my candidacy right now.
ㄴ I'm definitely getting that open-rush exemption ticket!!!
ㄴ Speedrun, you have a chance too lol
ㄴ [Speedrun] !!!!!
And as soon as the notice went up, the major players of the Capital Area whose whereabouts had been mysterious until now began moving one by one.
The first to declare their candidacy were unexpected figures.
Title : [Baekya] Hesitantly throwing my hat into the ring...
We in Baekya were never interested in power...
We only care about developing unexplored areas and picking up scrap metal...
But these Sub-Mod VIP benefits are too sweet to sit this out...
If you choose us as Sub-Mods, we'll share all our guild-exclusive lucrative farming routes on the Gallery for free ㅇㅇ
They were romanticist guilds that had never cared about the Gallery's usual politicking and rarely showed up.
Title : [Gaboongie] Doesn't even blink!!!!!
Becoming a Sub-Mod for power? No such thing!!
But a Shop reservation exemption?
...Gaboongie blinked twice, once with each eye, just for today...!!
If I get chosen as Sub-Mod, I'll bring down every formation!!!!!
Ooh, the bros finally showed up.
ㄴ Haven't seen you old men in ages.
But what did you guys do when Jinhyeok bro came this time?
ㄴ For real, why didn't you do anything?
ㄴ [Baekya] We were picking up scrap in our Orange Zone!!!
Why are you guys living so earnestly;;
ㄴ For real, they're working their asses off.
ㄴ Seo-jin was working hard too to build up her likability points...
[Baekya] Please live your real lives, you Gallery addicts!!!
ㄴ [Baekya] What you're supposed to be doing is picking up scrap, not browsing the Gallery...!!!!
ㄴ ?
ㄴ That hit close to home;;
ㄴ True words, recommended.
ㄴ Fuck, real life (a zombie field) lol
ㄴ Boo... I hate real life ㅠㅠ
But sharing farming routes does sound tempting.
ㄴ Free guild farming-route sharing <<< They'd never actually do this...
ㄴ Even just sharing safe routes... it'd be amazing for people like us who can't join guilds and only move around in parties.
Besides, that's just because of Gaboongie's whole gimmick.
ㄴ In the Yellow Zone, they're neck-and-neck with Ironclad ㅇㅇ
ㄴ If they recruit guild members here one more time...
ㄴ This is a hell of a good chance too, huh?
ㄴ For real.
I was laughing as I read those posts.
“Not bad.”
Though I hadn't intended it, a virtuous cycle was taking place.
Normally, groups wouldn't share information, much less share what they knew with one another.
Having users like that voluntarily act for everyone's sake was the best possible situation.
“I wonder who it'll be.”
Just as I was watching their Sub-Mod campaigns with interest.
“Oh?”
- [Myth] This is Yoon Seo-jin, Guild Master of the Myth Guild in the Orange Zone. I'm registering as a candidate ^^
A very strong candidate had appeared.
****
At the same time.
In a corner of the Myth Guild's temporary camp in the Orange Zone.
“All right, everyone! You all opened the Gallery and recommended my post, right?”
“Yes!”
“Our Myth Guild must absolutely secure a Sub-Mod position this time for us to rise above everyone else in the Orange Zone!”
“We'll keep that in mind, Guild Master!!”
A short distance away, Guild Master Yoon Seo-jin had gathered the guild members and was raising her voice with gusto in front of a tent.
“....”
Watching this, a woman sat slumped on the ground in a worn coat, staring at the Gallery.
Title : [Myth] This is Yoon Seo-jin, Guild Master of the Myth Guild in the Orange Zone. I'm registering as a candidate ^^
(Roughly, a dangerously suggestive moaning mirror selfie. jpg)
You all know our guild fought alongside the Head Mod during the last invasion, right?
On top of that, our Myth Guild warmly hired the prisoners who were brought into the Capital Area at that time through a special prisoner recruitment program ^^
Our Myth has overwhelming military and financial power, of course, and we've also made absolutely sure to get on System-nim's good side and build up plenty of likability points ^^
If I become a Sub-Mod and receive VIP benefits, I'll use guild funds to give some of the items we buy at every Shop open rush to the refugee camps for free!
If you want stable welfare, System-nim's favor, and a clean Gallery that's easy on the eyes, please cast your precious vote for me ^^
Holy shit, the capitalism + lewd pic + media spin combo has entered the Gallery lol
ㄴ Buy votes with capital and win hearts with her body?
ㄴ This is it.
ㄴ The strategy is crystal clear and working lol
Wow, as expected of a conglomerate—the scale and appeal strategy are on another level.
ㄴ I looked at the pic first and then voted.
ㄴ I voted too.
Oh, but did Myth really recruit people through the prisoner program?
ㄴ Yeah, they recruited a few to help them settle in the Capital Area.
ㄴ This is... genuinely likable?
ㄴ For real, everyone else basically said, “You're on your own,” didn't they...?
But isn't that only natural...?
ㄴ We're doomed.
ㄴ Surviving on your own is the default!!!!!
ㄴ We're genuinely grateful they even took us in lol
“Haa...”
The woman's name was Lee Si-yeon.
Her life had been truly eventful lately.
She had barely been scraping by in Cheonan when the madman Baek Jinhyeok took her captive and dragged her from place to place.
She had discovered a restroom belonging to the System that had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the Blank Zone.
- Were you... the prisoner who treated the Head Mod?
- Oh... yes... She was just so badly injured...
- Hmm... Thanks to you, the Head Mod decided to accept the prisoners into the Capital Area.
- Huh? She did?
- You're accepted. Starting today, you'll be with Myth.
Afterward, once Jinhyeok was ejected into the Black Zone summoned by the System.
Thanks to having treated the Head Mod, she was even recruited through Myth's prisoner program.
“Still, life goes on.”
At the interviewer's dry notice of acceptance, Si-yeon secretly let out a cheer.
At last, she could end her hellish life as a prisoner, enjoy the benefits of a big-name guild, and eat warm meals!
...or so she had once thought.
“....”
A rumbling sound echoed from Si-yeon's stomach.
Though she'd been taken in under the impressive title of “special prisoner recruitment,” life as the guild's newest healer was anything but easy.
There was a reason for that.
Si-yeon's Awakening ability, [Saint of Pharmacology], had extremely warped efficiency and conditions.
She was essentially a human amplifier who could use abilities derived from intact pre-apocalypse medicines, chemical foods, or food with Awakening effects after consuming them.
If proper medicines or Awakening items were available, her ability was maximized, but without such catalysts, she could only use the most basic Heal.
Even that Heal gnawed away at Si-yeon's vitality when she forced it out.
In short, in an apocalypse desperately lacking such catalysts, it was the perfect ability for getting treated like a useless freeloader.
"..."
Naturally, in a world where not even guild members, let alone the guild master, could freely use pre-apocalypse goods, there was no way such supplies would be provided to Si-yeon.
So she was being worked as the most basic kind of healer.
“Ah... I wish I had just one more Mint Choco Bar...”
The mint-chocolate-flavored protein energy bar she'd barely managed to buy after succeeding in the open rush when she'd been invited to become a Shop member a little while ago.
If only she could eat just one more.
“Hey! Rookie!!! What are you doing!”
“Ah!!! Yes!! I'm coming!!”
At that moment, the irritable shouts of senior guild members flew over from a distance.
“Hey! Do you think you've got time to stare at the Gallery right now?”
“Ah, yes! Sorry!!”
After hurriedly running over and pouring Heal into a wounded senior guild member's arm, Si-yeon's vision spun.
“Ugh... I'm dying, I'm dying...”
Si-yeon barely finished treating them, then returned to the corner and slumped down.
The moment she habitually brought up the Gallery window again to soothe her exhausted body.
Her gaze stopped on one post.
[Troll NEET] Hey guys, a blue border appears every time I comment now lol What a sweet deal lol
ㄴ Ah, what an asshole, seriously lol
ㄴ Get down here right now, you unpaid slave!!
[Speedrun] State your location immediately.
ㄴ [Troll NEET] It's somewhere you can't come lol
ㄴ [Speedrun] Eeeeeek!!!!
[Troll NEET] You should campaign too. You have to become a Sub-Mod.
ㄴ [Speedrun] Oh, right.
ㄴ [Speedrun] Thx;;
“Pfft.”
Watching their ridiculous back-and-forth, a snicker escaped between Si-yeon's lips.
‘Troll NEET... They said they were about my age, right.’
Si-yeon glanced around, then carefully tapped on the keyboard floating in the air.
[Healer Union] NEET... I'm so jealous you got a Sub-Mod job ㅠㅠㅠ I just got back from healing my seniors, and my blood sugar's so low I feel like I'm going to collapse...
ㄴ [Troll NEET] I ate cup noodles earlier, so I'm full. Laterz
ㄴ [Healer Union] Hey, no bragging!! ㅠㅠ
It was really annoying, but strangely, she couldn't bring herself to dislike them.
Rather, amid the bleak, suffocating life of the guild's youngest member and the apocalypse, she felt a soft, comforting warmth, like she was chatting with a friend.
‘...Sub-Mod.’
Si-yeon read through the Head Mod's notice pinned at the top of the Gallery once again.
[Sub-Mod VIP Benefits: Permanent discount and open-rush exemption]
“Open-rush exemption... and a permanent discount...”
She swallowed hard.
With those benefits, she could stockpile Mint Choco Bars without the heart-pounding competition, and even get them at a discount.
At the very least, it meant she wouldn't starve to death from low blood sugar while using her ability.
Besides, if she entered the Sub-Mod-exclusive chatroom, she felt she could chat comfortably with that annoying yet surprisingly easy-to-talk-to person without worrying about anyone's eyes.
“Screw it. I've got nothing to lose. It's not like I'd get chosen over a guild master.”
Si-yeon thought as she cautiously composed a post among those from the major guild masters making grand promises.
Of course, Lee Si-yeon didn't know then.
“Could it really happen...?”
That this small, insignificant decision and burst of courage she'd made in a fit of anger
would set what kind of butterfly effect in motion.