Chapter 48
A Flood of Complaints
“I-I sent it... I really sent it!”
Baek Eunwol was frantically pacing around the hard-walled room in the hideout, both hands covering her flushed face.
“I sent it... What do I do...”
The photo she had just sent to Starplex's one-on-one customer service was unmistakable.
It was a photo showing the pale nape of her neck and collarbones bashfully revealed beneath her silver hair.
“T-This should be enough...”
She hadn't had the courage to take a picture showing all her bare skin outright.
That was Eunwol's own act of courage: pulling down only the neckline of her crop top slightly before taking the picture.
“...What if I don't get a reply?”
The reason she had taken such a bold step was clear.
Until now, she had been forced to infer the System's will only through indirect phenomena, such as inventory updates and notifications from the Shop.
Thus, even Eunwol sometimes found herself unable to be certain that her interpretation was correct.
Was it truly right that System-nim encouraged primitive desires? She couldn't be sure that she had interpreted that intention in the best possible way.
But now, the one-on-one direct inquiry function had been created.
Now, instead of guessing, she could receive a more definite answer from the Transcendent Being.
And more than anything else...
‘To think the moment has come when I can have a one-on-one conversation with the Transcendent Being...!’
She could not possibly suppress the pure curiosity and overwhelming emotion welling up inside her at the fact that she could directly reach a great being.
Ding-! Ding-!
Alarms came flooding in as if timed to her heartbeat.
[Attachment upload complete]
[VIP one-on-one customer inquiry successfully received.]
[The administrator is currently viewing your attachment...]
“V-Viewing it...! They're looking...!”
Eunwol sucked in a breath overcome with emotion and clenched her fists.
Even this cold, dry system text felt like a gaze to Eunwol.
Ding-!
“!!!”
Now it was time to check that sacred response.
Ding-!
[The product defect or flaw cannot be clearly verified from the photo you attached]
[Please retake the photo clearly and resubmit it]
Eunwol's red eyes went blank.
“The product's... defect or flaw...? Retake it clearly...?”
Eunwol read the dry text aloud in a daze, then her face flushed a vivid red, as if it would burst all the way to the back of her neck.
Clearly...!
“A-Are you saying this isn't enough... Transcendent Being...?”
The Transcendent Being craved far more than she had imagined.
****
Around the same time.
Speedrun Cha Do-hee, who had also sent a tremendous number of inquiries to the System, was narrowing her eyes.
Becoming a Sub-Mod had, in the end, marked very clear progress toward her goal.
[Task: Meet the owner of the -Starplex- Shop]
[Success Probability: 0% -> 0.000001% / Difficulty : Impossible]
[Failure Penalty: Death]
[Warning : An impossible challenge can never succeed. Withdraw]
[Survival Route : None]
“It went up...”
The moment she obtained Sub-Mod authority, the 0% probability that had seemed as though it would never change had shifted ever so slightly.
“I knew it!!! I knew it would!!!”
This meant that opening the one-on-one direct channel was the clue.
Thus, Do-hee entered her inquiry without hesitation.
[Speedrun (Cha Do-hee) Customer Inquiry Received]
[Are you... human?]
Ding-!
[Greetings, VIP Speedrun customer. Starplex provides you with the finest service based on its cutting-edge automated system]
“Hmm...”
Do-hee immediately sent her next question.
[Speedrun (Cha Do-hee) Customer Inquiry Received]
[I saw all the Post-its you sent the kids. Are you... alone in the Black Zone?]
Ding-!
[We appreciate your valuable inquiry. We regret that, for security reasons, the location of our headquarters and the working conditions of our employees are classified as confidential and cannot be disclosed externally]
“It doesn't seem like he's denying it...”
Do-hee's eyes gleamed with interest.
If he really were the System, she felt he should not have answered like this. In a situation like this, he should have simply said no.
But the other party was subtly dodging the question with a strangely defensive attitude.
However, it was obvious that no meaningful answer had come even when she struck at the heart of the matter.
“Or... is he really the System...?”
Had she been making too much of a guess?
Just as she began to have the rational suspicion that he might really be human...
‘No. He's definitely human....’
Do-hee was certain.
There was no way the System could send Post-its. Even if he had sent something, he would have sent a message.
The emotion she had felt in those Post-its. The handwriting. He was definitely human. And an Awakener.
But if so, why wouldn't he engage in a candid conversation through these one-on-one inquiries?
‘Could there be... some kind of restriction...?’
A restriction like mine? That kind of restriction?
As everyone knew, Cha Do-hee's ability was Challenger.
It granted tremendous rewards upon successfully completing a challenge, but imposed even greater penalties upon failure.
The System was an Awakener powerful enough not only to operate a Shop, but also to tear through dimensions and summon a Black Zone.
If that was the case, it made even less sense that he would have no restrictions on using his power.
‘Could there be a restriction that would cause serious trouble if he revealed his identity?’
She wasn't certain. This too was only speculation.
If she couldn't determine the System's identity through one-on-one inquiries that only sent macro responses, there was another way to draw out a genuinely human reaction.
It was dawn.
“Where are you going, sis?”
“Mm-hmm, I have something to do for a moment.”
“You have to come back sooon...”
Do-hee quietly slipped out of the hideout and headed for the restroom the System had installed on the outskirts of the Orange Zone not long ago.
In front of the gleaming white cube building, Do-hee approached the working CCTV camera at the entrance.
‘Will that... really work...?’
The purpose of a CCTV camera was surveillance. If he really was the System, there would be no need for equipment like that.
She lowered the zipper of her tight leather jacket just a tiny bit, met the lens's gaze squarely, and whispered.
“Youu... you're a man, aren't you?”
Somewhat secretive, and a little provocative.
“I'm Speedrun. Do you perhaps like this kind of thing?”
At that moment.
“!!!!”
Ziiing-! Ziiing-! Ziiing-!
Do-hee saw it clearly.
The focus of the CCTV lens hanging in midair trembled minutely up and down, as if its pupil were undergoing an earthquake.
Ding-!
[Current Task: Meet the owner of the -Starplex- Shop]
[Success Probability: 0.000002% (UP!!)]
“...Pfft.”
A clue had been added.
The System. He definitely liked this kind of thing.
“He's so cute I could die, seriously.”
Cha Do-hee wanted to learn more about what he liked.
******
At the same time. The Myth Guild camp in the Orange Zone.
“Aaaaargh!!!! Why!! Why am I the only one getting screwed over!!!! Why did they unify the vote?!!”
Inside the temporary barracks, Yoon Seo-jin's sorrowful wailing tore through the night sky.
Her resentment toward the unknown newbie Healer Union who had pushed her aside and taken the Sub-Mod position would not subside.
“Why can't I ever be happyyyy!! I even opened up the guild funds and took a mirror shot!! How could you do this to meeee!!”
“G-Guild Master!! Please calm down...”
Seo-jin, who had been sobbing and pounding the floor, soon raised her head sharply, huffing.
“But... we can't back down here!”
“Yes...?”
“We've already gone all-in on the System! The Shop will keep getting updated! It's a structure that can only skyrocket!”
“...!”
“We'll keep building likability with System-nim!! There's no turning back!!!”
Just then, Seo-jin's shout rang all the way outside the barracks.
“Eek...!”
Lee Si-yeon was sitting outside, holding her breath.
Of course. She couldn't let anyone find out that she had become a Sub-Mod.
“Open-rush exemption... permanent discount...”
With these benefits, she no longer needed to click frantically.
It meant she could buy the Mint Choco Bars she had craved so badly whenever she wanted, without a care.
“This one-on-one inquiry function... It's really amazing.”
Si-yeon giggled as she looked at the holographic window in midair.
[Healer Union (Lee Si-yeon) Customer Inquiry Received]
[Hey, System...? Do you have a buy-two-get-one-free promotion for Mint Choco Bars or something...? hehe]
Ding-!
And then a reply flew in.
[Greetings, VIP Healer Union customer. We are not currently running the promotion in question, but we will forward your valuable feedback to our marketing department for active consideration. Thank you]
“It really answers like customer service! This is so amazing!”
Excited, Si-yeon opened a chat window with Troll NEET instead of the Sub-Mod group chat.
- [Healer Union] : Ooh, NEET!! Have you tried the one-on-one inquiries?
- [Healer Union] : It really answers like a department store, lol. I suggested they run a buy-two-get-one-free promotion!!
- [Troll NEET] : Uh... wait a second... Uh...
- [Healer Union] : Huh? What's wrong? Is something going on?
- [Troll NEET] : Nothing happened....
Watching Troll NEET, who suddenly didn't seem to be feeling well.
“Why is he acting like this...? Did he fail his interview...?”
Lee Si-yeon merely tilted her head.
******
Meanwhile, the users of the Capital Area Survivors Gallery were scratching their heads.
Title : We picked Sub-Mods, so where the hell did all these bastards go?
Fuck, we picked them to manage the Gallery, so why is no one managing it? lol
ㄴ The only one managing it right now is Troll NEET lol
ㄴ I'm telling you, NEET is working the hardest lol
Where did they all go?
ㄴ The Head Mod hasn't even shown her face in the Gallery since earlier
ㄴ Even Speedrun, who said she'd cut posts down in one second... is neglecting her duties;;
It's a defining trait of armband holders that they stop working once they're elected, yeah.
ㄴ They work the hardest before getting elected lol
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ This is totally...
ㄴ Shh
The fact that the one doing the work is a deadbeat NEET...
ㄴ Humanity's future is dark...
ㄴ If a NEET works, doesn't that mean humanity's future is bright...?
ㄴ Well, yeah?
ㄴ And wasn't the future dark to begin with?
ㄴ Well, yeah??
Just as everyone was blankly browsing the Gallery, looking at the administrators whose whereabouts had become mysterious.
“Huh?”
I too was lying blankly inside my sleeping bag in the one-touch tent alongside the users.
The election of the Sub-Mods had been completed, and complaints had exploded.
As I dealt with them one by one, an unexpected situation was unfolding.
[As the administrator of the Capital Area Gallery, I am swallowing my shame and daring to ask for an answer from the Transcendent Being...]
[Attached file: image_001.jpg]
The uh-uh photo the Head Mod had sent me just moments ago.
“Gasp.”
Obviously, I understood what she intended and why she had sent it.
“So this is how the lewd-pic snowball starts rolling.”
But I had never intended to view a coworker's intimate private life, especially through a one-on-one channel like this.
“Of course, it is kind of... uh...”
Naturally, I had never even had a workplace before, so I didn't really know, but the situation itself was simply a first for me, and it was overwhelming.
“Anyway... I think you've misunderstood something. You don't have to send photos like this.”
So I had clearly sent a very polite refusal.
But the System translated my words—
[The product defect or flaw cannot be clearly verified from the photo you attached]
[Please retake the photo clearly and resubmit it]
—and sent them like this.
“You son of a System!!! When did I ever tell you to take a clearer picture and bring it back!!!”
I told it to refuse her, so why was it demanding follow-up action?
Anyone think this is actually a good thing?
“Get out.”
But that wasn't all.
[Speedrun Complaint Received]
[I saw all the Post-its you sent the kids. Are you... alone in the Black Zone?]
Speedrun had persistently asked whether I was human and whether I was lonely, holed up here alone, so I answered honestly.
“I... am human. And it's dangerous here, so please don't come for no reason.”
Speedrun had said she saw the Post-it I sent last time, and I hadn't really intended to hide it anyway.
But then.
[We regret that, for security reasons, the location of our headquarters and the working conditions of our employees are classified as confidential and cannot be disclosed externally]
That's the answer that went out.
“Sigh. Well, what can you do?”
Even so, I'd joined as a security guard and stayed in the field until now, so security was important under one law or another.
That much was fine, but suddenly the CCTV feed from the restroom I had installed in the Orange Zone appeared in my status window.
A woman showed up there, then suddenly lowered her outerwear slightly and spoke to me.
[I'm Speedrun]
[Do you like this kind of thinggg?]
“!!!!”
Had I suddenly been hit by some kind of mass hallucination? Why was she suddenly stripping off her clothes?
“Th-Thank you! Thank you! No, you really don't have to do this!!!”
Lewd pics were guilt-free when viewed in the Gallery. Having someone show them to me privately like this was weird.
“No... come to think of it, Speedy was a woman too...”
She had kept going on about respect and SIUOOO, so I had assumed she was a man, but she was a woman.
“What is happening to the world?”
- [Head Mod] : Shop Wiki, you were wrong. The System is a Transcendent Being with desires.
- [Shop Wiki] : I cannot agree with that statement.
- [Head Mod] : I just confirmed it through a one-on-one inquiry. They do have desires.
- [Shop Wiki] : They have no desires. I sent a photo too, and confirmed it.
- [Head Mod] : ?
And Shop Wiki had sent a picture of his own body too.
“Gay gay, hey...”
Fuck. Shop Wiki was definitely a man.
I'll omit the details visible in the photo.
“The VIPs... they're all problem customers...”
Making a living is really hard.
“Ahem.”
But I was secretly enjoying it. Except for Shop Wiki.
“Ahem. Up-ham. Bring me the bullets.”
It was just as I muttered this under my breath.
Ding-!
[Building Master Main Quest 6 Complete!!]
[Objective: Appoint at least 3 VIP members to the System Shop (Complete!)]
“Oh, yes!!!!”
Appointing all the VIPs had automatically cleared the quest.
Was this the System's reward for the mental fortitude I'd lost dealing with problem customers?
[Reward will be issued]
[Building Master's Privilege will be issued]
[Reward: Authority to designate and own an entire floor of your choice within the blueprint]
[Usage 0/1]
“...Huh?”
My eyes snapped open as I read the description.
"Am I reading this wrong...?"
Fuck, I can unlock an entire floor without spending a single mana stone, just like that?
“Fucking jackpot?”
An uncontrollable smile of delight spread thickly across my lips.