Chapter 101: Resident Privilege: Skill Enhancement
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Resident Privilege: Skill Enhancement
If you're going to divide a faction into classes, you have to provide benefits to match.
If you divide classes purely by strength, things can get incredibly messy, because you only truly know who's stronger once they actually fight.
Besides, authority that exists only in name—like a simple "you're above me"—can collapse at any moment.
That's why I created the Level 4 Membership: Resident.
Level 3 Membership: Acquaintances of Residents, or the wealthy among the general members. Those with the authority to use Paradise's VIP system.
Level 2 Membership: Special Members.
Level 1 Membership: Basic Members.
Up to Level 3, everything is resolved with Coins. This tiered system of benefits allows everyone to fairly obtain the perks they want.
Because of this, there's no reason for conflict between the classes.
No one is discriminated against within their membership tier just because they're Level 1 or Level 3.
Level 1 members are simply those who use their membership for light tasks, like riding the Tram or buying food.
They don't have any real influence within Paradise, but it's still useful for them since they can use the basic Paradise Gallery to network or find parties.
Level 2 is the practical core user base of Paradise, paying more Coins to receive greater benefits.
They pay 40 Coins a week, but their benefits far exceed those of Level 1.
They gain access to the hospital and the bathhouse, and they can eat set meals that are practically free, meaning they never have to worry about food.
For the price of a single Hetbahn, they get side dishes and soup.
Plus heating, electricity, water, and so on.
Since it allows them to live a decent, human life, people are actually saying that anyone who has the Coins but doesn't get a Level 2 Membership is an idiot.
Level 3. Honestly, almost no one signs up for this with Coins.
The few who are registered are leaders of decent-sized factions or people who rake in Coins through various other means.
They pay 200 Coins a week for a Level 3 Membership to enjoy Paradise's special privileges.
Of course, even I have to admit this is a bit inefficient.
While they can rent hunting equipment, it's mostly geared toward Levels 1 and 2, so someone who already has the ability to earn 200 Coins a week wouldn't really need it.
And the most important Level 3 benefit—access to rental housing.
This didn't have much appeal before the move, either.
It wasn't free; they had to pay an extra 20 Coins a week, and the housing itself wasn't even that good.
But things are different now.
Once we move, I plan to let them move into the apartments built next to the Trimage.
I'll surround that area with an outer wall to keep it safe from zombies and intruders, and set it up so they can utilize "Safe Living Facilities" like a healing bathhouse inside.
Still, 200 Coins a week is a hefty sum, so I plan to roll out benefit updates gradually.
And finally, the long-awaited Level 4.
The "Resident" level is special.
Only those chosen by me can reach Level 4, and honestly, it doesn't even need to offer any extra perks.
Just being affiliated with the Safe Base—which is already in Cheat Mode—boosts all stats by 4 levels while inside, and stats and skill experience accumulate 50% faster than everyone else.
They can just breathe and work out, and their stats will shoot right up.
On top of that, I even gave them growth benefits.
While I raised Kim Ji-hee's healing skill to level 10 for free in recognition of her past contributions, normally, I manage things by issuing 1 point or Coin in the form of a quest whenever they clear a dungeon or trigger an event.
And once they gather enough of those, I use my Normal Mode Points to raise the Resident's skill level.
It's a win-win system for both of us.
The Resident gets stronger, and I get to sit back and rake in points.
In fact, since a Level 2 Dungeon rewards 2 points in total—1 point and 1 Normal Mode Point—even if I give 1 Normal Mode Point to a Resident, I still have 1 point left over to use for Cheat Mode.
As such, the amount of points required to raise a skill level by handing them out one by one is slightly more than the pain I had to endure.
Level 1 requires 1 point.
Level 2 requires 2 points.
It goes up like that.
Once they gather the points required for their level, I spend 1 Normal Mode Point to raise their level.
I briefly wondered if I was being too much of a scammer, but then again, I shouldn't make it too easy.
To me, modes can be equipped and unequipped at will, but to others, the mode they possess might be a skill they have to rely on for the rest of their lives.
When it could take months or years just to raise a single level, there's no way I can just hand it to them easily.
Besides, gathering 7 or 8 points like this is definitely much easier than trying to level up through raw, unassisted effort.
Case in point: Oh Yoon-seop had already gathered enough points and requested a skill level-up.
So, I called Oh Yoon-seop over.
"I'll raise your skill level today."
"Thank you."
It wasn't even 7 points; it was 8.
Oh Yoon-seop, who originally had Level 6 Combat Readiness, hadn't even gone home lately. He had dedicated himself entirely to hunting zombies with the Hunting Squads all day, searching for and clearing Level 2 Dungeons. Through that, he had raised his Combat Readiness to Level 7, and immediately made his request to me.
Of course, he hadn't cleared eight dungeons.
If he had, I would have received 8 points, but the points Oh Yoon-seop brought in from clearing dungeons only amounted to 3.
He had earned the rest by completing other quests I had assigned him.
Well, in the beginning, I did have a tendency to hand out "Resident Points"—which were basically empty promises—just to motivate them.
They need to get a taste of it like this to work even harder next time.
Also, for this upcoming expedition to Dong Seoul Terminal, I didn't plan on going alone. I was going to take Oh Yoon-seop and the Hunting Squad with me.
I can't keep running around causing havoc all by myself forever.
Besides, once someone becomes a Resident, their stats are more than enough to produce results on par with mine.
We need to show everyone that Paradise's forces are strong.
Instead of letting them think they only need to watch out for me, some random guy who shows up and acts like a piece of shit.
"I am ready."
Oh Yoon-seop knelt before me with a solemn expression.
"...What are you doing?"
"Isn't this how it's done?"
"No, it's not. Get up."
Though he hadn't mentioned it, I heard Oh Yoon-seop had occasionally gone to Kim Ji-hee to ask about stat enhancement.
He didn't ask if I was the one who raised her skill level; he just asked things like how it felt and what the effects were.
Perhaps because he was a soldier, he didn't ask any direct questions about Kim Ji-hee's growth since I hadn't brought it up myself. He was just vaguely guessing.
I really picked the right guy.
I felt like raising it straight to Level 10, but things shouldn't be done so easily in this world.
Setting aside the fact that it wouldn't be good for me, it wouldn't have a positive impact on Oh Yoon-seop either.
Humans need to have goals, after all.
I pulled up Oh Yoon-seop's status window and raised his mode level.
`[The level of "Resident" Oh Yoon-seop's mode, "Combat Readiness (7★)," increases.]`
Oh Yoon-seop's 8 Resident Points vanished.
Though in reality, what vanished was 1 of my Normal Mode Points.
Seeing Oh Yoon-seop's face light up as a result brought immense satisfaction to me, the one who had poured my heart and soul into designing this growth system.
"How is it?"
"It's incredible... I realize now that skills are not something to be underestimated."
"Of course. If you say stuff like that to other people while holding such a broken skill, you'll get cursed out."
Seeing Oh Yoon-seop look ready to charge ahead and smash the drug cartel to pieces right this second was highly reassuring.
"Drugs... I don't care about justice anymore, but I will be the first to eliminate anyone who threatens Paradise."
"Right."
And I gave Oh Yoon-seop another mission.
"About the Hunting Squad kids. I'm sure you'll pick decent ones to run with, but if you see anyone worth bringing in as a Resident, train them up and recommend them. They don't have to be combat-focused. Even those with Level 4 or higher skills useful for expeditions are fine—just exclude any troublemakers or idiots who act like problem soldiers."
"Understood."
"And once we move, start recruiting people to form the Hunting Squads. You can start with your own guys, bring them in under Level 3 Membership, and have them live together in a dorm."
"Thank you!"
Once the base centered around Seoul Forest is complete and we start running Paradise, I plan to create another class between general membership members and Residents: Paradise Employees.
Without necessarily increasing the membership levels, I'll grant them Level 3 Membership privileges as people who directly work for and contribute to Paradise.
If I had to point to an example right now, it would be the Medical Association from Hanyang University Hospital.
I forgot about them for a bit because I was busy, but I heard they've been commuting to the hospital with Level 1 Memberships.
For now, that female doctor is receiving Level 3 benefits. Once we move, I'll eventually fuck her, then pretend to do them a favor by raising their tier to Level 3 so I can work them to the bone.
That's how I'll expand my faction.
"I'll work even harder to raise it to Level 9."
"Of course, of course. Keep searching for dungeons and clearing them."
Together with the highly motivated Oh Yoon-seop and the Hunting Squad, I set out on the journey toward Dong Seoul Terminal.