Chapter 70
After a little time had passed, a notice from Starplex appeared in the Gallery.
Title : [★Starplex★] Announcement of the Results and Rewards for the 1st Mentorship Development Event
The first Mentorship Development Event hosted by this Shop has concluded successfully.
We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who devoted themselves to the survival and growth of the newly Awakened.
We hereby announce the rankings and rewards according to the final tally.
[1st Place] White Night Guild (Free infrastructure installation rights within a designated area)
[2nd Place] Mythos Guild (100 kg of raw meat + grill set)
[3rd Place] Ares Guild (100 bottles of single-malt whiskey)
The rewards will be delivered to and installed for each guild leader immediately.
We hope you will continue your safe survival alongside Starplex.
Holy shit, the results are out!!!!!
ㄴ Kyaa, White Night got first place.
ㄴ For real, they taught them the true meaning of romanceㅋㅋㅋㅋ
White Night << These bastards pushed newbies from the Orange Zone all the way to Main Quest 51 in four days.
ㄴ For real, that's impressive ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Their dedication was insane.
ㄴ I heard they gave up all the last hits.
A major guild really can push them that far when they put their minds to helping.
ㄴ I want someone to give me the last hits too.
ㄴ I'm fucking jealous of the White Night newbies...
But our System-nim pushed Si-yeon to Main Quest 232 in one minute...
ㄴ G r e a t S y s t e m
ㄴ Hey, compare things that can actually be compared.
ㄴ You're comparing them to System-nimㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ First place or whatever, in front of System-nim it's just a battle between ordinary mortalsㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The first to win everyone's envy was White Night, which had taken first place.
Anyway, congratulations to White Night!
ㄴ I'm fucking curious where they'll install that infrastructure.
ㄴ They'll cover their guild headquarters in restroomsㅋㅋㅋ
Or maybe they'll ask for a medicine vending machine?
ㄴ The medicine vending machine is the obvious choice ㅇㅇ
ㄴ ㄴㄴ The restroom is the obvious choiceㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Naturally, Gallery users expected White Night to use their first-place installation rights to install infrastructure in their own guild territory, but.
White Night's answer was different.
Title : [White Night] Sharing the coordinates for our first-place infrastructure reward ㅇㅇ
We never planned to install it at the guild headquarters in the first place.
So I'll share the coordinates covered by the free infrastructure installation rights System-nim gave us.
We've designated locations at our guild branch, the holding area, and nearby slums ㅇㅇ
Any passing Stalkers or members of other guilds, feel free to use them without worrying about anyone's opinion.
They're not installing it at the guild headquarters?
ㄴ That's fucking romantic, for real.
ㄴ Are they insane;;
Light Night
ㄴ God Night
ㄴ Great Night
ㄴ This too must be part of following System-nim's greater cause...
ㄴ But this is actually real...
ㄴ Without System-nim, even this wouldn't exist...
[Mythos] Wow... We learned a thing or two from you as well. We respect you!!!
ㄴ [God of War] We won't control you...! Enjoy it to your heart's content!!!
ㄴ You didn't do anythingㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Shamelessly riding their coattailsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The people in that slum must really be living it up now.
ㄴ The System-nim and White Night collaboration ㄷㄷ
ㄴ My dream from today is to join White Night Guild.
ㄴ Romance approved ㅇㅇ
True to its romantic ideals, White Night announced that it would install the infrastructure in a location where anyone could use it equally.
At the same time. An empty lot in the slums on the border between the Orange and Yellow Zones.
White Night Guild Master Kim Mu-jin stood gazing into the air with a cigarette between his lips.
Whiiiiir-!
A tile with a lattice pattern appeared in midair.
Along with that effect, a restroom cube and a medicine vending machine appeared simultaneously.
“Ah... It really appeared...”
“Guild Master, thank you so much!”
“Mu-jin hyung is the best!”
The nearby Stalkers and Awakeners living in the slums rushed over, bowed to Mu-jin, and expressed their gratitude.
“Phewww...”
Mu-jin exhaled a long stream of smoke and waved his hand dismissively.
“You don't need to bow to me. System-nim did all of this.”
He stubbed out his cigarette on the ground and jerked his chin toward the vending machine.
“Don't thank me. Thank that System-nim over there.”
Behind Mu-jin, who tossed out the words indifferently and turned away,
“Thank you, System-nim!!”
“If it weren't for an event like this, we...”
“Thank you for holding this event!!!!”
The heartfelt prayers of survivors praising the System spread through the air.
*****
At the same time. The Mythos Guild's temporary camp.
A festival was underway there.
“It's real! Meat! Meat!!!!”
“Fuuuuuck!!! It's meat!!!!”
The 100 kg of raw meat that had arrived as the second-place reward for the mentorship event.
The Mythos Guild had put the meat into a huge cauldron and boiled it into soup.
“All right! Everyone, have some meat!!!”
“It's meat soup! Meat!”
“Come get yours one at a time!!!”
They had distributed the meat soup to the ordinary people in the holding area and the Stalkers in the nearby slums as well.
“Gyaaaagh!! It's real meat!”
“Krrrgh!!! There are chunks of meat in it...!”
“I thought I'd die having done nothing but chew insect blocks for the rest of my life, and now it's meat soup...!”
As everyone enjoyed the taste of meat together.
“Someone's coming...!”
“Who the hell is that!!!”
Someone began approaching their camp.
“It's Ares!!”
“Is it war!!!!”
“How cowardly, showing up while we're all enjoying ourselves!”
It was Ares, the third-place guild.
While the Mythos Guild members were on guard,
“Calm down!”
“We just came to have fun too!”
Ares reassured the Mythos Guild members by showing them the whiskey they had received as their third-place reward.
“You can't have meat without alcohol!”
Ares Guild Master Baek Kang-san laughed heartily and raised a whiskey bottle.
“What?!”
“So that's what this was about!!”
Only then did the expressions of the Mythos Guild members, who had been frozen stiff, relax.
“Waaaaah!!! It's booze!!”
“I want to taste just one sip of whiskey too!!”
“It's meat! Meat! It's meat soup!!!!”
“Baek Kang-san's got some style!! I'll treat you as hyungnim just for today!!”
“The Mythos bastards know what they're doing, boiling the meat into soup!”
“Shut up and pour the drinks, you bastards!!!”
Thus, the two major guilds that had been competing for supremacy in the Orange Zone came together over hearty meat soup and whiskey.
“Have a drink, hyungnim!”
“Gyaaa, it's strong! Give me more meat broth!”
And so, it wasn't only the guild members.
During that time, ordinary people and Stalkers alike forgot their status and affiliations, linked arms, and filled the place with laughter.
“Take it slow, everyone! There's still plenty of broth!”
“What about the Guild Master?”
“I'll eat soon too! You all eat first!”
Guild Master Yoon Seo-jin was sweating as she stirred the ladle without pause.
“Phew. It's done.”
After feeding everyone until the very last person was full,
Seo-jin scraped the bottom of the cauldron, took the half-bowl of broth that remained, and quietly slipped away from the crowd.
“System-nim! Thank you!!!!”
“I got to eat meat!!!!”
“I never thought I'd get to drink alcohol again!!!!”
Sitting in front of her tent, she quietly watched the people laughing and chatting noisily.
‘How long has it been since I've seen a sight like this...’
Every day had been a desperate struggle for survival.
She had never even imagined that peace would come, with everyone gathering together like this to share meat soup, laugh, and enjoy themselves.
Although she had not taken first place, she did not regret it at all.
‘I like this too. I'm glad.’
Although not a single piece of meat remained in her bowl because she had given it all away, the most peaceful and warm smile yet spread across Seo-jin's lips.
“Hmm... This is getting a little sentimental...”
Before she knew it, her eyes had reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Sip.”
Just as Seo-jin was sniffling while drinking the cooling broth.
Whiiiiir-!
A blue portal opened before her.
“Huh...?”
Clunk, clatter, clunk!
There was no notification window or message.
Ten red cans came tumbling down at Seo-jin's feet.
They were cans of a drink with an all-too-familiar design, cold condensation beading on their surfaces.
“Kya... Kya-Cola...?”
With trembling hands, she carefully pulled the cold cans that had rolled across the dirt into her arms.
“System-nim... System-nim...!!”
There was no doubt that System-nim had recognized her for bringing everyone together.
“System-nim recognized me too... System-nim was watching me too!”
So Seo-jin hugged the cans and quietly cried out.
“Thank you...!!! Thank you for seeing me...! I'll work hard...!”
*****
Title : ??? : It's a meat party!!!!!!
(Rough proof)
I'm telling you, it's real...
Mythos and Ares are having a booze-and-meat party together right nowㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I stopped by after clearing my daily quest and got some too.
No!! It's a meat party!!!
ㄴ Damn, I'm jealous of those Mythos bastards!!!
ㄴ So meat really exists;;
ㄴ For real, meat << This bastard wasn't an illusion.
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
There's actually a worldline where Mythos and Ares are holding a festival together??
ㄴ Exactlyㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ ㅇㅋㅋㅋ
Gyaaaagh!! System-nim, give us meat too!!!!
ㄴ Please!!!!
ㄴ Aaaagh!!!
ㄴ I want to eat meeeat!!!!!
But if there's another event like this, we'll really get stronger fast.
ㄴ This too must be System-nim's grace...
ㄴ This is really happening...
Around the time news of the party hosted jointly by Mythos and Ares was spreading like wildfire through the Gallery.
Elsewhere, news of something else began to spread.
Title : I got invited while everyone was distracted by the mentorship rewardsㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I don't even look at trees I can't climb.
I made sure to seize my chance to become a System-nim member.
Me too.
ㄴ This is it.
ㄴ It's an empty-house raid.
Kyaa! Perfect timing on System-nim's invitation!
ㄴ The membership limit <<< 30,000, for real?
Apparently, the item quantities increased as well...
ㄴ This is itㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Kyaa
ㄴ This is itㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Title : Powerade, You're the Only One I See
Can you see the newly added Powerade??
I bought it right away during the open run ㅇㅇㅇ
I stayed loyal and bought Odassu ㅇㅇ
ㄴ You can't beat the classic.
ㄴ Honestly, water is the most important thing.
Whoa, look at that gorgeous blue Powerade.
ㄴ Fuck, why was my payment delayed!!!!
I was too lazy to go to the medicine vending machine, so I just bought the red potion ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Idiot.
ㄴ Honestly, waiting in line at the vending machine is annoying.
ㄴ Agreed, agreed. Getting it delivered while lying down is the best.
ㄴ I did the same, so I just bought it onlineㅋㅋㅋ
A potion made by Si-yeon is being delivered right before my eyes!!
ㄴ Kyaa, this is modern civilization.
ㄴ A world where anything is possible as long as you have mana stonesㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ Loyalty, loyalty to System-nim.
I'm a newbie, and I bought ramen!!!
ㄴ I got invited too, so I bought a can of tuna!!!
ㄴ Hehehe!
ㄴ Ahh, newbies are so cute.
ㄴ You guys got invited too!!!
That was the invitation event held alongside the influx of new newbies.
And then the open run that followed immediately after.
The Gallery was in a festive mood as well.
“This is it!!!!”
Since the newbies were coming in anyway, I used mana stones to greatly expand the number of Shop members.
[Current Shop membership: 30,000]
“A full thirty thousand!!!!”
And I added new stock to match the increased membership.
I even upgraded Blueprint Copy, then copied and installed new tiles for White Night Guild.
[Blueprint Copy Lv.6 > Lv.7]
[Skill upgrade cost: 200000 mana stones]
[Maximum number of tiles that can be copied: 40 spaces -> 90]
So I used every mana stone I had.
“But that's okay!!”
I made even more from this open run.
[Current Starplex sales]
[Odassu 500ML: 5000 units (price 20) > sales of 100,000 mana stones]
[Powerade: 3000 units (price 30) > sales of 90,000 mana stones]
[Jiaco Coconut Water: 1500 units (price 25) > sales of 37,500 mana stones]
[Food products]
[Spam 200g: 4000 units (price 30) > sales of 120,000 mana stones]
[Cup ramen: 3000 units (price 30) > sales of 90,000 mana stones]
[Mild tuna cans 150g: 2000 units (price 40) > sales of 80,000 mana stones]
[Green onion-flavored cereal 1 BOX: 3250 units (price 25) > sales of 81,250 mana stones]
[Mint chocolate energy bars: 3250 units (price 20) > sales of 65,000 mana stones
[Medicine and potion products]
[First-aid kits: 20 units (price 100) > sales of 2,000 mana stones]
[Disinfectant 50ml: 200 units (price 50) > sales of 10,000 mana stones]
[Lesser Health Potion (red pot): 300 units (90% commission) -> headquarters revenue of 27,000 mana stones]
[Lesser Mana Potion (blue pot): 300 units (90% commission) -> headquarters revenue of 27,000 mana stones]
[Final settlement]
[Total open-run sales: 729,750 mana stones]
The newly added products were Powerade and Spam.
“This is it!!!!”
There was enough stock thanks to the rear logistics warehouse that had opened when newbies from the southern regions came in earlier.
However, since I also had to send out the daily quest rewards, I couldn't put all the stock up for sale and had to compromise.
“Even so, it really sells out completely.”
People outside still seem to need a lot of food.
“Works for me.”
I sorted through my complicated status window one more time.
[Current copied tile status]
[Existing copied tiles: 40 spaces]
[White Night Guild tiles: 6 spaces (2 restroom spaces + 4 pharmacy spaces)]
[Total tiles currently in use: 46 spaces]
[Remaining copyable tiles: 44 spaces]
After installing the infrastructure for White Night Guild, I had 44 copyable tiles remaining.
“Okay, okay. This is plenty. I'll use this.”
I opened my Main Quest status window while thinking about what to do with them.
[Building Master Main Quest 10: Achieve a daily net profit of 400,000 mana stones (Complete!)]
[Current daily net profit: 729,750/400,000 mana stones]
It had been worth increasing the number of newbies and Shop members this time.
I simply blew past the daily sales target.
“Give me my reward!!!”
[Reward: New passive unlocked for Blueprint Copy!]
[Tile Resonance (New!)]
[Condition: Automatically activates when similar types of tiles are copied in adjacent locations]
[Effect: Adjacent tiles resonate with one another, strengthening the unique functions of the copied tiles.
“Oh?”
What kind of ridiculously fun ability is this?