Chapter 62
The Myth Guild's temporary barracks.
Si-yeon finally came to in a clean mattress and bed—something rarely seen these days—with Yoon Seo-jin written on the headboard.
“Ugh...”
In fact, ever since the moment she invented the vaccine, Si-yeon's memory had been almost completely wiped out.
The guild's veteran healers treated her debuffs, but she couldn't immediately escape the side effects.
On top of that, hadn't she gone racing madly across the entire Capital Area while tucked under Speedrun's arm in that state?
After suffering from body aches for two whole days, she had finally regained consciousness.
“Ugh, my head is spinning...”
She still felt as though she were swaying from that dizzying speed.
Si-yeon recalled the time she had briefly exchanged introductions with Speedrun.
- [Healer Union]: This disinfection aura! You said you could make it again if you just followed the recipe, right?
- [Healer Union]: Ugh... But...
- [Healer Union]: Then I'll take you on disinfection rounds every other day! You agreed, right?
- [Healer Union]: What??!! I didn't agree!! Absolutely not!!
- [Healer Union]: Strong deniaaal means strong coooonsent!!! Sacrifice for the public good is acceptable!!! What a wonderful maknaeeeee!!!
Speedrun had arbitrarily announced an unfair contract stating that Speedrun would take Si-yeon on disinfection rounds every other day, then left.
“I have to do that again...”
Besides, two days had already passed, and today was disinfection day.
“Then... they'll be coming again today...”
Just as Si-yeon shuddered at the memory of that nightmarish moment.
“Ahem!!!”
“H-Hic...!”
Suddenly, the barracks flap was pulled aside and people came in.
“M-Miss Si-yeon...! She coughed!!”
“Thank goodness! Thank goodness!”
The people clasping their hands before Si-yeon in agitation were Myth Guild Master Yoon Seo-jin and the senior officers.
One of them opened his mouth in a solemn voice.
“Ahem! Well... shall we... begin...”
“The overall branch manager of Pharmacy Vending Machines No. 1 through No. 5, and the inventor of the miraculous vaccine...”
“The miraculous saint chosen by the System's sole favor, the pride of the Myth Guild...”
“The person who registered the preventive vaccine for 0 mana stones and extended salvation to ordinary people...”
“And furthermore, the great guardian of the Capital Area, Miss Lee Si-yeon... How is your honored body feeling?”
The officers bowed to Si-yeon as they rattled off titles that made their toes curl just hearing them.
“Ah, yes... I'm feeling a little better now.”
Si-yeon smiled awkwardly and sat up.
“Ah...! Ah!!!!”
“That's wonderful!! Truly wonderful!!!”
The officers all spasmodically chimed in and smiled.
Then Yoon Seo-jin cautiously broached the main subject.
“Um, Si-yeon, we've held a meeting...”
“A meeting, Guild Master?”
“Considering the achievements you've made, we've judged your current position to be too lowly... Starting today, we'd like to have you serve as one of the Myth Guild's highest-ranking officers and as a member of the medical staff...”
“Huh? An officer?”
“Yes, may we ask whether you would permit us to seek your esteemed opinion on this matter and then grant approval for that request...?”
Rationally speaking, it was an obvious proposal.
Leaving the miracle saint chosen by the System as an ordinary farming-team maknae was also a matter of the guild's dignity.
Moreover, it could be misconstrued as a sign that they did not respect the System's choice.
“Um...”
But Si-yeon's reaction completely missed their expectations.
“No! I like being the maknae!”
“Pardon...?”
“I'll just keep doing what I was doing! Call me Maknae Si-yeon! I'll clean well too! Swish, swish!”
Si-yeon smiled brightly, got out of bed, grabbed the broom in the corner, and began sweeping the floor.
“Gaaaaah!! No!!!!”
“We'll do the cleaning!!!!! Give me that broom!!!!”
“We'll replace the bed with an even better one somehow!!!!”
“Maknae?! Miss Si-yeon! Please, anything but that!!!”
At that, the officers all clutched their heads and began spasming.
The one making the biggest fuss among them was Guild Master Yoon Seo-jin.
“M-Miss Si-yeon!! Don't do this!! I'll wipe it!! I'll sweep it!!”
Seo-jin slid across the floor, snatched the broom from Si-yeon's hands, and held it.
“Starting today, I'm the Myth Guild's maknae!! I'm Yoon Seo-jin, the Myth Guild's maknae!! The broom is mineeeeee!!”
“Uh... Guild Master?”
“That's an order!! Lie down and rest this instant, Saint!!!”
The barracks descended into chaos amid a tearful farce.
“Okay! Then I'll rest for a little while, Guild Master!!!”
“Yeeees! Rest well!! As long as you like!! Thank you, Si-yeon!”
After quickly finishing the cleaning, Yoon Seo-jin and the officers bowed politely to Si-yeon and left.
“Everyone's so kindhearted.”
Si-yeon lay back down and fell into thought.
Now that everything was being resolved positively.
Only one question remained in Si-yeon's heart.
‘Come to think of it...’
She couldn't remember much because she hadn't been in her right mind for the past two days, but one fact alone remained vividly clear.
At that decisive moment when the wave surged in and death was right before her.
Why had Troublemaker NEET come to mind?
Why had Si-yeon contacted Troublemaker NEET at that dangerous moment?
And why had Troublemaker NEET tried to contact her then?
“Could it be...”
Had Troublemaker NEET felt the same way she did? Had I come to mind at the most dangerous moment?
And had Troublemaker NEET really intended to come?
Carrying the medicine she needed?
“...W-What are they doing right now...?”
Si-yeon opened the deputy-mod chatroom and sent a one-on-one message.
- [Healer Union]: Sugarcane, what are you doing...?
- [Healer Union]: Are you asleep...?
A brief silence.
Then their reply arrived almost immediately.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Nope, and I'm Troublemaker NEET btw ㅇㅇ
- [Healer Union]: Ah! Right, right! What are you doing now...?
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Just browsing the Gallery. The vaccine you made seems insanely effective ㅇㅇ
- [Healer Union]: Ah...! Thank you...!
- [Healer Union]: I just... got carried by the system ㅠㅠ
An everyday conversation no different from their usual chats.
Yet even within it, a strange current was flowing.
But then came the following reply.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Got carried?
- [Troublemaker NEET]: You're the one who worked hard, and you're the one who registered it for 0 mana stones so people could be saved.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Good work ㅇㅇ Seriously.
An honest reply and tone, entirely free of pretense.
“I... I didn't do anything...!”
Si-yeon buried her face in the white pillow and kicked her legs as she thought.
‘Or should I ask them now?’
Were you thinking of me then too? Were you planning to come deliver the medicine to me yourself?
...
“That makes no sense!!!! Aaaah! How embarrassing!!!”
Si-yeon's face suddenly flushed bright red.
“It'd be too soon... For now...”
Definitely.
It was too soon now.
It might even be a rude question.
But if they slowly grew closer like this.
“Someday...”
Wouldn't a moment eventually come when she could ask them honestly?
Or.
Wouldn't a moment come when she could ask to meet in person?
“It will...”
Until then, she would feel impatient.
Slowly. Little by little.
But more sincerely.
“I'll get closer to you. I'll get to know you... the person you are...”
Si-yeon earnestly hoped they could become a little closer to Troublemaker NEET.
- [Healer Union]: Ahem, Troublemaker NEET
- [Healer Union]: What did you want to do before the apocalypse?
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Hmm... Be a rich NEET...?
- [Healer Union]: Whaaaat? What's that!!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- [Troublemaker NEET]: I'm serious. What about you?
- [Healer Union]: A mukbang BJ!!!
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Hmm;;
- [Healer Union]: What's with that reaction...?
That was why this silly conversation she was sharing with Troublemaker NEET.
“It was precious...”
She genuinely enjoyed it.
And so, the miracle saint who had saved the Capital Area smiled faintly.
“Hehe, this is fun....”
Then she typed a post into the Gallery.
****
Meanwhile, Starplex's second-floor Gardening Garden.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Anyway...? Are you feeling okay?
- [Healer Union]: Yep, I've recovered a lot!!
- [Healer Union]: I cleared a ton of main quests this time!!! The System helped me~~!
- [Troublemaker NEET]: They say joy comes after hardship, but apparently ruin comes instead.
- [Healer Union]: Exactly... I achieved a perfect fucking ending... ㅠㅠ
- [Troublemaker NEET]: No, that's no good—that's a problem.
“Huh? They're fine.”
Fortunately, Healer Union had merely been suffering from body aches.
“What a relief.”
I had genuinely been worried too, so it was a relief to me as well.
At the same time, a post went up in the Gallery.
Title: [Healer Union] Bam~~!! Ba-ba~~! Ba-ba~~! Bam~~!
Improve the treatment of healers!
I demand better treatment for all healers!!!!!
?!
ㄴ ???!!
ㄴ No, this guyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Fuck, they only show up after everything's settledㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ For realㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Hey, you bastard!!
ㄴ Do you know what Myth Guild's Maknae Si-yeon did while you were acting like this?
ㄴ [Healer Union] “I know.”
ㄴ ?
You know and you're still like this?
ㄴ Si-yeon was chosen by the System and saved the entire Capital Areaㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Ugh! Please be even half as amazing as Si-yeon!!!
ㄴ For real, then the treatment of healers would improve on its ownㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Of course, users who didn't know who Healer Union was were busy making fun of Lee Si-yeon.
“Looks like they're secretly enjoying this too.”
Being in a similar situation myself, I could sympathize with Healer Union's feelings.
Of course, I wasn't exactly someone who enjoyed it.
But as an exploitative boss—or rather, a conscientious one—I couldn't leave a curiosity alone.
I casually broached the main subject.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: ㅇㅇ Glad to hear it, but can you power-level again by taking medicine like last time?
- [Troublemaker NEET]: Can you make anything else insanely powerful besides the vaccine?
- [Healer Union]: Ah... That's impossible ㅠㅠ
- [Healer Union]: Apparently I need to take actual specialized drugs to clear the next quest...
But it looked like that wouldn't work.
No wonder specialized drugs had been needed to make the vaccine.
- [Healer Union]: And if I power-level like that one more time, I think I'll really die ㅠㅠㅠ
- [Healer Union]: Specialized drugs come with an amplified-debuff effect ㅠㅠ
Besides, the debuffs obtained from specialized drugs were even stronger.
“Right. Let's take our time with that.”
At least, thanks to the disinfection rounds, the immediate danger had passed.
It should be fine to take things slowly now.
- [Troublemaker NEET]: ㅇㅇ;; Then just rest for now. Don't overdo it ㄴㄴ
- [Troublemaker NEET]: You only get one life; if you die, it's game over.
- [Healer Union]: Yep yep!! Thanks for worrying about me!! Hehe
So it looked like power-leveling Si-yeon was out for now.
“Hmm...”
It seemed I'd need to use another method for the future of the Capital Area.
Or should I power up the Head Mod or Speedrun a bit?
“Hmm...”
But that was a little iffy too.
For one thing, I did seem to have more mana stones than other people.
But mana stones weren't infinite, and on top of that, I couldn't clear my quest right away.
“In the end, do I have to be the one who gets stronger?!”
I would stand at the summit...!
“Hmm...”
But my ability to supply things was limited for now too, so unless I power-leveled, I couldn't make any groundbreaking innovations.
“Ah! Is there no good way?”
Was there no way to use the supplies I possessed to strengthen people in the Capital Area before the next patch, while spending almost no mana stones?
[Building Master Main Quest 10: Achieve a daily net profit of 400,000 mana stones]
[Current daily net profit: 227,000 / 400,000 mana stones]
[Reward: ???]
Besides, strengthening the Awakeners was connected to my next quest as well.
“Daily net profit, huh.”
There was no question that the tiles I sold or copied for people were popular.
But what mattered now was the customers' financial situation too.
Fuck! If I buy the potion + disinfectant set, I'll have to go hungry today...
ㄴ Buying both together is kind of a stretch ㅇㅇ
Just buy the potion ㅇㅇ
ㄴ First of all, you need to practice planned spending << This.
ㄴ If you mess up, you won't be able to use the bathroom today, ahㅋㅋ
ㄴ I'm just getting by on bug blocks today ㅇㅇ
ㄴ I went back to drinking sewage for the first time in ages ㅇㅇ
Some of the existing users were gradually finding things harder.
In the end, this couldn't be solved by mindlessly copying tiles alone. We needed more middle-class users.
“Ssssigh...!!”
With that bleak feeling, I browsed the Gallery.
Title: [Shop Wiki] I'm researching the preventive vaccine right now ㅇㅇ
It seems to have an additional effect that hasn't been revealed either ㅇㅇ
This bastardㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Why isn't he discussing the System's identity and instead dissecting the vaccineㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The discussion? You got owned~~~
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The System is obviously a Constellation ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Something about a mass of data...
[Troublemaker NEET] I will not fight a battle I can't win - Daehang Wiki
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ [Shop Wiki]....
ㄴ What an annoying bastardㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ He didn't even participate in the fight, so how did he lose?
ㄴ If you don't open your mouth, you haven't lost an argument ㅇㅇ
[Shop Wiki] Anyway... I mixed the vaccine with insecticide and sprayed it on the ground...
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ No, fuck, why would you waste something that precious!!!!
[Shop Wiki] No, shut up and listen...
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] When I sprayed it on the ground, it seemed like the bugs stopped coming out altogether.
ㄴ ㅇ?
ㄴ For real?
ㄴ It has a hidden effect like that?
ㄴ Isn't it just because of the insecticide...?
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] It seems to have some undisclosed additional effects... More research is needed.
Wiki, try mixing it into water too ㅇㅇ
ㄴ It seems to purify sewage too ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㅇ? It purifies sewage too...?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ The water even seems to taste better ㅇㅇ
ㄴ What????
ㄴ Whaaat...?
So... the vaccine doesn't just prevent infection...
ㄴ Does it actually have a purification function too??
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] That is what I infer at present...
ㄴ [Shop Wiki] But I can't say for sure...
[Shop Wiki] For now, I'll conduct more research.
ㄴ As expected of a graduate student, Shop Wiki
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Wait, if water really gets purified thanks to the vaccine...
ㄴ Couldn't it purify sewage with tons of fucking maggots in it too?
But most of those fucking maggots had already died during Speedrun's human disinfection-van run...
ㄴ There are hardly any left even if you look now ㅇㅇ
Anyway, the sewage-water vendors are laughing right nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Vaccine: free
ㄴ Anyone can get it <<< This part is fucking hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Oh... We will sell water no different from Odassu!!!
ㄴ We'll do our best!!!
ㄴ Thank you, Shop Wiki!!!
Wow... You can even purify sewage...
ㄴ This too must be the System's arrangement...
ㄴ So it's really true...
ㄴ What kind of world would we live in if the vaccine hadn't been invented...?
ㄴ Kyaaahhhh!!!
ㄴ Skyaaaah!
The System-board regulars were still investigating, one by one, the vaccine's hidden effects that hadn't yet become widely known.
“Oh? It has effects like that too?”
Ah, no. This isn't the time to be looking at stuff like that.
Right. No—how could I raise the Capital Area's overall capabilities?
As I browsed the Gallery, I noticed something strange.
[Capital Area Survivors Gallery (Current users: 90,225) ▲ 1,020]
The number of users had increased.
“What the!”
No way, Samsaeng Electronics hit 90,000?
“How did this happen?”
The number of users had definitely plummeted to the high 89,000s during Patch 2.
But out of nowhere, about a thousand people had appeared, as though people who had died had come back to life.
“Was another region integrated?”
I immediately typed a post from the Troublemaker NEET account.
Title: [Troublemaker NEET] What happened to the Gallery user count?
Why did it suddenly increase?;
?
ㄴ ?
ㄴ What does this mean?
ㄴ [Troublemaker NEET] No, the number of users suddenly increased;;
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
You don't know what's going on in the world because you sit holed up at homeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ [Troublemaker NEET] Answer me;;
Ordinary people are Awakening right now ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㅇㅇ Newbies are appearing right now
ㄴ There have been quite a few newbie introduction posts in the Gallery today
ㄴ And you call yourself a deputy mod! How could you not know that!
[Troublemaker NEET] ?
ㄴ [Troublemaker NEET] How are ordinary people suddenly Awakening?
ㄴ ?!
ㄴ What are you talking about now?
ㄴ Awakeners had actually continued to appear all along ㅇㅇ
ㄴ If they entered a Zone and endured it, they Awakened the same way, but their numbers were fucking tiny.
You could barely Awaken at all once you reached the Orange Zone.
ㄴ Unlike the early days of the apocalypse, there are more zombies and evolved zombies are settling in, so ordinary people can't endure it DD
ㄴ That's why newbies had become scarce after the early apocalypse...
But it seems the ordinary people recently taken in by the guild have been Awakening one by one after being sent to dangerous areas to work alongside the Stalkers.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ Their infection risk was reduced because they got vaccinated.
ㄴ They fulfilled the conditions by staying inside dangerous areas with Stalkers.
ㄴ That's why it seems like more of them are appearing ㅇㅇ
ㄴ [Troublemaker NEET] Ohh
“Aha. I see.”
Until now, far more people had been disappearing than appearing, which was why this mess had happened.
I had been so focused on selling goods and copying tiles that I hadn't known about this information.
“This is great.”
If the number of Awakeners increased, that meant the number of customers who could mine mana stones for me would increase too, and the Capital Area's overall strength would improve.
“That's it!”
I realized how to oppose the next approaching patch. I also realized how to secure more middle-class customers.
“I'll support the newbies!!”
****
The unexplored area of the Yellow Zone.
Behind a commercial building on a ruined street.
A small party consisting mostly of Stalkers was on its way back after barely finishing a farming run.
Behind them, an ordinary man carrying their luggage followed, catching his breath.
There was only one reason this ordinary man had come all the way to this deadly place with the Stalkers.
“Fuck... I can't go on living like this.”
The others remaining in the guild shelter had refused to come out, saying they might die trying to Awaken and offering to help with odd jobs instead, but he was different.
He hated living as a porter, ignored by Awakeners and unable even to properly buy a single bug block.
That was why he had risked his life to follow the Stalker party.
“I could do this... because the System-nim helped invent the vaccine...”
And at the very moment he fulfilled the survival conditions within the Zone.
Ding-!
Along with a jaunty electronic tone, a translucent blue window appeared before the man's eyes.
[You have fulfilled the conditions for Awakening!]
[Awakening condition: Survive in the Yellow Zone for 2 days (Complete)]
[Gallery access unlocked]
“I did itttt! I did it!!!!”
At his cheer, the party members who had been watching their surroundings approached, snickering.
“Oh! Congratulations, old man!”
“You made it two days as a porter after all. You got lucky.”
“You're escaping the Muggle life now. Starting today, your grueling life as a Stalker begins.”
Amid the party members' congratulations, the man turned on the Gallery first with trembling hands.
“S-So this is the Gallery!!!!”
- I just escaped the Muggle life too, fuck!!!! [3432]
The moment he uploaded his Awakening verification post to the Gallery.
Whiiiiir-!
The air above the man's head warped grotesquely, and a blue portal opened.
“What...!”
“Th-That... Is that the System-nim's portal?”
“Has our party been chosen by the System-nim too?!”
Just as the party members shouted in voices mixed with delight.
A large cardboard box dropped with a thud in front of the newly Awakened man.
“Huh...? A cardboard box?”
“Why would the System-nim suddenly give us something like this...?”
“Could it be some holy relic containing a revelation?”
As they muttered among themselves, trying to infer the System's intentions.
The newly Awakened man stared at the cardboard box, swallowed hard, and said.
“I-I'll open it...”
The moment the man carefully lifted the box's lid.
“!!!!!”
“W-What is this!!!”
The man's and the Stalkers' eyes all widened when they saw inside.
The contents were none other than items from before the apocalypse.
A camping shovel with a razor-sharp edge.
A one-touch tent.
And several bottles of refreshing Odassu water, along with a whole Spyam gift set.
“W-What is this... Why...?”
The box was packed with items now more precious than gold.
The party members stared at the contents in astonishment, speaking in dazed voices.
“F-Fuck... What is this!!!”
“A starter pack...?”
“The System-nim supports people with things like this...?”
The party members writhed with envy and jealousy, howling at the empty air, but the man ignored them and shouted.
“W-We have to tell the others!!!”
Clutching the box to his chest, the man began running madly toward the shelter where he had been staying.