Chapter 66
An environmental cleanup event hosted by the System.
At the same time, on the half-destroyed roads, beside abandoned buildings, and in the back alleys of the Yellow Zone.
Strange sounds began to be heard there.
Fwoosh-!
Fwoooosh-!!
Flames gushed over piles of corpses of unknown people sprawled across the ground.
Then came the voices of the Stalkers.
“Hey! Burn it all! Including the corpses next to them!”
“Kyaa! The mana potion efficiency is freaking insane... This is infinite power.”
Fire mages were cackling as they cleaned the streets.
Although they originally took guild commissions and operated alongside water mages, most of them usually avoided those commissions.
Not only was the pay lousy, but all they got was the stigma of being corpse-disposal workers.
Besides, if they ran out of mana while disposing of corpses, they often ended up unable to go collect scrap.
But things were different now.
“The System-nim has recognized our work!”
“We're people who follow the System-nim's greater cause, of course.”
They had been given a timely justification.
“We get free food just for burning corpses?”
“Of course we're doing this.”
Moreover, they had received an appropriate reward, so they could clean the streets gladly.
And it wasn't just them. Everyone knew.
They knew that someone had to do this work.
They knew that when corpses rotted, they not only stank, but also attracted insects and could spread epidemics.
In the end, all that harm would come straight back to them—in other words, the survivors.
Everyone knew this, but they had been too busy making a living and trying to survive, so they had averted their eyes and ignored it.
The System swept away that selfishness in an instant with an appropriate reward.
“Phew.”
The fire-element party leader withdrew the flames and wiped the sweat pouring down his forehead.
What entered his vision was no longer a back alley covered in corpses and filth.
It was an alley that had been cleanly incinerated, with only pale ash remaining.
“Kyaa... This is it...”
“How long has it been since we've seen an alley without corpses?”
A strange emotion flickered in the party leader's eyes too.
It was an emotion on a slightly different level from the joy of simply obtaining a reward.
It was the pride and sense of accomplishment that came from purifying this filthy street with his own hands.
Perhaps it was even a faint hope that, with their own strength, they might gradually restore this broken world to how it had been before.
At least in this moment, the place looked like a scene from before the apocalypse.
“Boss! Let's upload the proof post and move on to the next street.”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
And so the party leader spoke.
“Um... Let's sweep up the ashes left behind. At least enough that the wind won't scatter them everywhere.”
“That's not part of the event. Shouldn't we just go?”
“...Let's do it anyway. We could've done at least that much all along...”
The streets of the Capital Area were slowly but surely being cleaned up.
****
The Ironclad Corps' shelter for ordinary people.
Since Patch 2, the guild had extended a helping hand to ordinary people.
The temporary holding area established that way had become a place where ordinary people could live, but its conditions were far from perfect.
“Waaah!! Waaahhh!!”
Especially when it came to raising a baby.
The wind blew into the hastily erected tents, and there wasn't enough food.
In these circumstances, finding things for children was nearly impossible, and baby supplies frequently weren't even traded in the first place.
As a result, no one celebrated or paid attention to the birth of a new life.
The world was simply too desperate for anyone to worry about that too.
“Honey... What do we do? I can't produce any milk... I've barely eaten properly for days...”
At his wife's sobs, the baby's father lowered his head.
He was a Stalker, but he couldn't bring himself to go farming while leaving behind his sickly wife and baby.
He was trapped in a situation where he could neither move forward nor back.
“Just a little longer... Let's hold out just a little longer...”
The man wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and spoke as calmly as he could.
“The System-nim said it would support families with infants... I uploaded a post.”
“That can't be true... We're not exactly people capable of producing results for them to help us with...”
But astonishingly, his wife's reaction wasn't merely negative—it was realistic.
It was only natural.
Even if they raised the child now, when would the results of that appear?
It was something that would happen in the distant future, so it made no sense to them that anyone would help them.
That was why even the baby's father couldn't be certain.
There was no such thing as aid without compensation in this world.
At that moment.
Whiiiiir-!
A blue portal appeared in midair.
Supplies came tumbling down in front of the tent where the couple was staying.
“Huh...?”
“N-No way.”
There was no separate alarm or message.
But the instant they saw those supplies, the couple's eyes went wide.
A rubber mattress that would block the cold from the ground.
A huge, high-quality family tent, more than large enough for a family to stay in.
And above all else.
“Formula... Baby formula!!”
“There are baby bottles... and diapers!!!”
There really were supplies for a baby.
"Ah... What a relief..."
The baby's father hugged his crying wife, who was clutching the baby and the can of formula, and quietly murmured.
“It'll be all right now. Everything will be all right.”
From the eyes of the father holding his entire family in his arms,
“System-nim. Thank you... Thank you so much.”
only hot tears flowed.
*****
Title : Top-Tier Post-Apocalypse Job >> Sanitation Worker lol
All you have to do is clean the streets and they give you food, ah lol
Why hadn't we taken this insanely good job sooner?
Why get a guild job? Mentoring is for newbies anyway, so we can't do it ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
Let's just clear daily quests while sweeping and washing the streets ㅇㅇㅇ
You guys should clean the streets too. System-nim gives rewards lol
Kyaa, sanitation bros lol
ㄴ The story of how I, after Awakening as a fire mage, ended up getting a job as a sanitation worker...
ㄴ Reappraisal lol
ㄴ This is itㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Keeping the streets clean is embarrassing but helpful
ㄴ It's not embarrassing, and it really is helpful;;
ㄴ For real, it's not embarrassing at all
ㄴ It's a System-approved job, so what's there to be embarrassed about?
I'm a newbie who Awakened as a fire mage after getting that starter pack
ㄴ What do you think about not going farming and working as a sanitation worker instead?
ㄴ Honestly, I don't think it's bad at all ㅇㅇ
ㄴ For real, I want to do it too
I'm a wind mage;; Does sweeping leaves count? Please
ㄴ If you were a unique-grade weather mage, it would count, but what a shame
ㄴ Please make it rain a lot
ㄴ I want to collect lots of rainwater
But can't you get the reward just by cleaning the streets?
ㄴ Exactly, you don't even have to be a fire mage ㅇㅇ
Posts about environmental cleanup were appearing in the Capital Area Survivors Gallery.
“Oh, it's already up?”
To be honest, I had done the environmental cleanup without thinking much about it.
But the intention was good, right?
“When the streets are clean, your mind feels clean too.”
Seriously, who would clean the streets?
I knew from the posts that they had been walking past without really seeing the streets.
Wow, fuck
ㄴ But looking at the street after they burned everything, it really is filthy
ㄴ For real, seeing a clean street and then looking back at this
ㄴ It's fucking filthy
How the hell were we living in a sewer like this?
ㄴ Sorry, but we were living just fine
ㄴ For real, that was the default
ㄴ I can finally live a little now that it doesn't smell like corpses
I hated how someone kept pooping in front of my hideout every day
ㄴ For real, it's hard to secretly dump it somewhere
ㄴ Was that you?
ㄴ ?
ㄴ Kimi no...!!
ㄴ Namae wa!!!
ㄴ You fucking bastard, it was you all along
ㄴ There really was a motherless Survivors Gallery user among us
This was the kind of thing people simply wouldn't do without a reward.
“I did it because they paid me.”
Who would do this out of pure goodwill?
There probably weren't many people left with that kind of goodwill.
So while I was releasing supplies and opening an event anyway, I included this too.
Nobody's pouring oil on things and setting them on fire just to claim the reward, right?
ㄴ Please, use your brain
ㄴ Only fire mages should do it, only fire mages
Oil is more expensive, and you could start a fire if you mess up
ㄴ But there's hardly anything left to burn, so maybe it's fine...
ㄴ Gasp
Capital Area Cleanliness +1
ㄴ Cleanliness +1
ㄴ Unity +1
ㄴ No, these stat guys are fucking cute
ㄴ These bastards are so consistentㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Stat guys, my ass
SAN -10
ㄴ Hey, buddy, that's not something you're supposed to lower
ㄴ Please raise it...
ㄴ Please
“It's nice when the streets are clean, isn't it?”
In fact, the true significance of the event I was pursuing lay here.
Title : They're real diapers!!!!!!
(Rough photo of a tent and diapers. JPG)
Can you see them?
No, fuck, formula's one thing, but the diapers are fucking amazing
Have you guys ever had to wash diapers in rainwater and dry them after the apocalypse?
There wasn't enough sunlight, so they wouldn't dry properly... and our baby's butt was always chafed...
There was no way we had anything like powder... It was seriously driving me crazy...
My daughter's butt is finally nice and dry now ㅠㅠ
System-nim... I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!!!!
As soon as the post went up, the parents who had been lurking in the Gallery began pouring out their sympathy.
“Gasp.”
No, seriously, actual diapers?
ㄴ Just upload proof and they'll give them to you!
ㄴ You guys should hurry and post proof of your babies too!
Ha... Washing diapers and reusing them;;
ㄴ For real, I understand
ㄴ Anyone raising a baby knows diapers are more desperately needed than Odassu ㅇㅇ
Even if you go collect scrap, no one but households with children brings back diapers ㅇㅇ
ㄴ For real, who goes around picking up baby supplies?
ㄴ It's not even foodㅋㅋㅋ Who picks up diapers or formula cans?
They don't make any money and only take up space ㅇㅇ
ㄴ But Shop-nim is opening this as an event??
ㄴ This is truly Capital Area welfare on a level we never could have imagined;;
ㄴ Recommend for originality
They're just handing it out without even asking for mana stones;;
ㄴ You just have to verify it and they give it to you
ㄴ This applies to pregnant women too
ㄴ The welfare benefits seem pretty broad?
So please give up your seat in the priority section for pregnant women;;
ㄴ What the hell are you talking about?
ㄴ What world are you living in, bro?
In a way, babies are newbies entering this world too.
So it could be said to fit the purpose of raising newbies to some extent.
“And... if I can do it, this much is okay, right?”
I hadn't realized it while browsing the Gallery, but there were quite a few people who said they had babies.
“There are babies even in this ruined world.”
Of course, there weren't very many.
They probably all had their own circumstances, and in a world like this, for babies to exist...
“Hmm....”
Right. There must have been many things too terrible to put into words.
But because of that, I could provide this level of free support to these families using the supplies in my Living/Camping department and warehouse.
“If I can do it, I'll do it.”
That was why I had started this whole thing too.
It wasn't some grand investment in the future or a plan of that sort.
It was one hundred percent pure goodwill. Goodwill.
Having a baby was already incredibly difficult. I couldn't sell them tents and baby supplies for mana stones, could I?
Well, if I had to be precise, of course it was technically an investment in the very distant future.
“Babies. Just trust Speedrun. I'll have restored the apocalypse by then.”
I had turned into the super-sweet darling honey water-buffalo baby sweetie mala-tang System. But since my audience was babies, it was okay.
Yes, babies were symbols of hope.
Title : Why is System-nim rolling out welfare policies like this now...!!!
As expected, System-nim truly wants high birth rates and prosperity!!!!
The Destroyers << when these bastards controlled the population with shitty, unfair patches
System: “Oh~ I'll provide benefits for children~~ Oh~ I'll spread newbie benefits around too ㅇㅇ”
No chanceㅋㅋㅋ Increase the population right awayㅋㅋㅋ
So...
(Aww photo. jpg)
Come take a look at one I just took... hehe
(Baby photo. jpg)
Come look at the baby too... hehe
Wait, was Speedrun a woman?
ㄴ Speedrun's a woman?
ㄴ [Troublemaker NEET] Abundant births, aww, prosperity, aww
ㄴ Kyaa
ㄴ Looks like world reconstruction is possible
No, but the baby is insanely cute
ㄴ Those cheeks, aww
ㄴ Sooooo soft
ㄴ Soft and squishy
Thank you, System-nim
ㄴ I'll definitely upload a verified photo once the baby grows up
ㄴ Me too
ㄴ Come look at the baby, hehe
But is this really the multiple-child/infant special provision?
ㄴ It says up to five years old
ㄴ I can't even control my bowels. Can't I get one too?
ㄴ Dude
ㄴ Bro
ㄴ I seriously feel like I'll shit myself during combat;;
[Speedrun] You shall leave
ㄴ [This user has been banned]
ㄴ Kyaa
ㄴ Working hard;;
ㄴ Gore-posting is fucking...
But the System really does have a plan...
ㄴ Even when it invited us to lewd photos, it was subtly sending us a message
ㄴ It had been laying the groundwork since then
But this is kind of touching...
ㄴ Even before the apocalypse, they just talked about the low birth rate and did fuck-all to helpㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ The System says it'll support you immediately as long as you give birth
Rebuilding the national system, good
ㄴ Rebuilding the national system, my assㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
Kyaa, increasing the birth rate is really easy
ㄴ Why couldn't they do something this easy?
ㄴ I want to know why
“Honey, should we have one too...?”
ㄴ Gasp
ㄴ You first, you first, you first!!!
ㄴ For real, please let a Runner come running over
ㄴ Skkiyaaaak!!!
“Yeah, low-birth-rate policies are easy.”
I joked about it last time, but this time I really did it. It wasn't that hard.
“No, just give them a place to live and diapers!”
A place to live = a premium family tent. Diapers = the real deal.
Well, that's true.
“Or is it? Maybe it's because this is the apocalypse that it's even easier...?”
I checked the half-ruined National Assembly building on the Disaster Control Room's CCTV again today.
“Later, when I truly become a Building Master, I'll build you a place to live too!”
For now, all I can do is click blueprints...
It's just speculation, but perhaps someday I'll be able to build structures and things like that too.
“All right. I've opened the event as much as I can for now.”
Let's send out some supplies.
"Let's send the hygiene sets..."
Anything in my owned blueprints could be sent with a click, so that part was fine.
Damn, now I really have to get a part-time job at Coupang.
The starter-pack supplies were put in boxes to make them look the part.
It's a starter pack; just sending the items tumbling out wouldn't look right.
"But this is kind of fun once you get into it."
I'd been so bored sitting here, but having something physical to do made it fun.
Being able to do something productive was rewarding too.
"Don't go saying I should just hit the gym more often, okay?"
Anyway, I was just grabbing another cardboard box when—
Ding-!
[A complaint from VIP Customer Speedrun (Cha Do-hee) has been received]
“What is it, Speedy?”
I said I was working, so what's this complaint about?
[Ahem... I just wrote this because I was bored... I don't really expect a reply...]
[By any chance ... do you like babies?]
A strange atmosphere hung over the message.
“Huh?”
I just froze.