VVVIP
Saebyeok grinned broadly as he skimmed through the catalog, then turned his gaze toward Shasha.
"By the way, Shasha... what about my skill upgrades?"
"Sss, of course we must attend to those. However, for our esteemed VVVIP clients, store policy dictates displaying bespoke item purchases separately from skill enhancements."
"So you mean I need to purchase the items first?"
"Precisely, sss."
"Still... you gave me the VVVIP tier ahead of time, didn't you? I haven't even finalized the payment yet..."
"Sssss, because I know you will. As a proprietor, I have the discretion to indulge a valued patron with a little courtesy."
Would you like to complete the purchase for 23,350,000 CP?
Before Saebyeok could say yes, he realized he had completely forgotten about upgrading his spear.
"Shasha, is there anything available to upgrade my spear? Either a superior spear altogether or materials to temper the one I already have."
"Sssss, but of course I can procure something. I was growing worried you wouldn't bring it up."
"Ah! Because I specifically asked about boosting my personal stats..."
"Sss, indeed. I could recommend the Sanctuary based on your mention of a fitness center, but system regulations forbid me from proactively bringing up unprompted categories."
"Phew. It's fine if I settle this bill first before purchasing the rest, right?"
"Sss, absolutely."
Payment of 23,350,000 CP has been processed successfully.
"Sssss, my deepest gratitude for your patronage."
With a faint shimmer of light, another translucent display unfurled before Saebyeok's eyes.
"I had so many points, but this catalog shows no mercy."
"Sss, because it is just that extraordinary and rare."
"Shasha, if I buy that, will I still have enough to upgrade my skills to their absolute limit?"
"Sss, yes, quite sufficient. There should even be a modest remainder, sssss."
"Alright, hand it over!"
Would you like to complete the purchase for 3,000,000 CP?
"Yes!"
Payment of 3,000,000 CP has been processed successfully.
For a brief second, Saebyeok wondered if blowing through this astronomical fortune was truly wise. But after today, who knew when he would cross paths with Shasha again?
"Let's move on to the skill upgrades!"
Would you like to complete the purchase for 4,650,000 CP?
"CP really never sticks around for long, does it? Aren't these price hikes a bit steep?"
"Sss, skill pricing is predetermined by the system itself. Even I am powerless to alter it."
"Haaah... Figures... You earn it to spend it, I suppose. Damn it all... to hell with it!"
"In exchange, I shall impart a crucial piece of advice. Consider it a complimentary service, sss, sssss."
"I'll hold you to that."
Payment of 4,650,000 CP has been processed successfully.
In that fleeting instant, Saebyeok became the only human on the planet to witness a balance exceeding thirty million points evaporate down to a mere 222,100 CP.
"Sss, you must without fail assimilate the Chaos-Embracing Womb of the Infinite before doing anything else. The sequence, sssss, is of paramount importance. Even your weapon upgrade must be undertaken strictly after consuming the Womb. Remember this! Sss."
"...Understood."
Saebyeok could not read the serpent's alien face, but sensing the sudden, oppressive solemnity in Shasha's aura, he wiped every trace of levity from his voice and answered gravely.
"Sss, very good."
"I'll go next. Ah, could you pull up a recommended list for me?"
"Sss, right away."
Jian stepped forward, taking Saebyeok's place before Shasha.
"I understand the skill upgrades, but... Red Moon Beast Heart Extract? What is this?"
"Sss, it is the quintessence of mana distilled from the heart of an exceptionally rare magical beast. Drink it first before upgrading your skills. As with Saebyeok, the order of operations is vital."
"I see..." Jian replied, her expression somewhat conflicted. "Sigh... In any case, there goes all the CP I worked so hard to earn."
"Sssss, but you will not regret a single point."
"Right."
As soon as Jian stepped back, Heejin swaggered forward, popping her neck with a series of sharp, rhythmic cracks.
"Me next!"
"Sss, only skill upgrades are available for you at present. Will that suffice? Sss."
"Wait, why don't I get any items?"
"Sss, my apologies, but there are currently no items in stock tailored to your profile."
"Ugh..." A thick layer of disappointment coated Heejin's voice. But the moment the price list popped up, her eyes nearly bugged out. "Gasp! Good grief, is it really this expensive?!"
"Sssss, yes. Does this trajectory align with what you envisioned?"
"Yes, spot on! But Shasha, how did you know? Heehee." Just like that, her cheerful mood returned, a bright grin spreading across her face.
"Sss, because that is what I would have chosen in your position."
"Aaaah! Blew all my CP!"
Heejin arched her back in a languid, cat-like stretch, then turned around to face Saebyeok. "Oppa, are we all set to head out now?"
"Looks like it."
"Hehe, let's hurry up then. The others must be waiting."
"Thanks as always, Shasha. Until next time."
"Sss, indeed. May fortune favor your path, Saebyeok."
And with that, the trio's absurdly decadent shopping spree came to an end—though in truth, Saebyeok had burned through almost the entire sum on his own.
"Oppa, are you heading straight back to the staff break room?"
"No. We need an in-depth discussion first... Once everyone finishes shopping, we're holding a meeting with the whole mart."
"Eh? Why?"
"We're going to renovate this building..."
"??? Oppa, what on earth did you buy?"
"A construction golem... And this time, it's not just for basic maintenance and repairs. It can actually construct entire buildings."
"Just how much money did you spend?!" Heejin's eyes went wide as saucers.
Before Saebyeok could reply, Jian chimed in with a quiet, resolute demand that carried far more weight than Heejin's flustered fluttering. "Oppa, let's build our own private quarters. On the rooftop, or wherever... as long as it's just ours."
"I don't know the full extent of what it can do yet. First, I need to consult Daecheol-hyung and Doyoon-ssi!"
They were chatting right beside the shop's entrance when Saebyeok spotted the two mechanics waiting in line.
"Doyoon-ssi! Daecheol-hyung!"
"What's this? Ye got somethin' up yer sleeve again, don't ye?"
"How'd you guess?"
"Yer eyes give it away every single time! Clear as day!"
"Heheh. Hyung-nim, I bought something outrageously expensive from the shop. It's called a 'Magic Engineering All-in-One Construction Golem.'"
"What? Ain't that just like that spider-lookin' golem we got last time?"
"I'm not sure. He wanders across various dimensions scavenging and collecting whatever he finds. But that's beside the point—it says it can literally build structures! The description even mentioned self-sustainability..."
"Lord have mercy. Well, whatever it is, figurin' out how to run the damn thing is what matters, right?"
"Exactly."
"Hold your horses. I'll head in to Shasha and get the lowdown. That's why you came lookin' for me anyway, ain't it? Tellin' me to pick up whatever skills or manuals they got for it. Am I right or am I right?"
"Haha, you know me too well! Please, do me that favor."
"Aw, don't mention it. Just sit tight till I get back out!"
"Got it!"
When Saebyeok returned to Jian and Heejin, Heejin stared at him in utter fascination.
"Oppa? You were close with that ahjussi? How curious!"
"Well, it just happened... We're both from Busan, and besides, his class is exceptionally rare."
"Oppa! You're from Busan?! Unni, Unni!! Isn't that wild?"
"..."
"Oppa! Say something in dialect! Hehe."
"Leave me alone, I don't even know how to speak satori."
Saebyeok averted his gaze, studiously ignoring Heejin's sparkling, badgering eyes. Both Jian and Heejin shot him looks of pure disbelief.
Soon enough, Shasha's shop vanished into thin air. Gasps of awe and bursts of laughter echoed throughout the mart, suggesting that most of the survivors had put the CP they risked their lives for to good use.
Moments later, the mechanics returned clutching what appeared to be an instruction manual. It was a transparent data pad. Hwang Daecheol grumbled briefly about how daylight robbery it was—having cost him an arm and a leg—but the instant the earnest technicians laid eyes on the golem Saebyeok retrieved from his inventory, their eyes lit up like boys tearing into toy robots on Christmas morning. A torrential storm of technical jargon immediately erupted from their mouths.
"So... what you're saying is we can link this big golem with that little spider golem we bought earlier? Like Bluetooth pairing? A mother spider and baby spider, basically..."
"Yes! You've grasped it completely. With this, we can also finish drilling the shaft for the World Tree in record time." Choi Doyoon tested the golem's interfaces from various angles, detailing its capabilities to Saebyeok.
"Then let's call an emergency meeting."
They scrambled to gather everyone in the main hall, even going so far as to shake awake those who had already drifted off to sleep.
"So you're saying we're going to remodel this entire building?" asked Oh Hyun-joo, the head cook managing the kitchen.
"Yes. I spoke with the mechanics, and we should be able to set up a remarkably proper kitchen as well."
A wave of low murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. Choi Doyoon stepped forward and launched into his presentation. He had no flashy slides or grand materials, but he sketched out diagrams on a board, doing his utmost to communicate the vision clearly. Banishing whatever drowsiness remained, the survivors threw themselves into the discussion with fervent engagement.
However, the golem could not conjure something from nothing. It required raw materials to ingest and process before it could print or rebuild any structure.
And then came another stumbling block: fire.
In this godforsaken apocalypse, twenty-eight people had somehow been scraping by using portable camping stoves. Because the butane gas canisters could be purchased directly from Shasha, they had pooled the CP gathered at the cafeteria to hoard a massive stash of fuel... but designing a proper communal kitchen and scaling up its cooking heat was an obstacle even Saebyeok hadn't anticipated.
Damn it... How foolish of me. I never once considered fire... Sure, we stocked up on plenty of butane, but still... haah... this is tricky.
In the end, they compromised on a two-pronged setup: constructing dedicated counter racks to neatly house the portable burners, alongside a traditional wood-burning hearth—an agungi—that could burn lumber for heavy boiling and simmering. A proper modern stove would have to wait for future opportunities.
The debate dragged on until everyone grew too ravenous to speak another word. Doyoung advocated for tactical defensive architecture—fortified sightlines, vantage points, and clear fields of fire. The women raised pressing concerns about the restroom and sanitation facilities. The group from the cathedral requested a chapel and a quiet library space to read... Demands and desires poured out without end.
Yet the undisputed core of the entire redesign remained the World Tree.
It required an immense, cavernous vertical shaft reaching all the way down into the subterranean levels. When fully mature, the World Tree was said to reach staggering proportions. But since full maturity was a distant milestone far off in the future, the general consensus was to design an expansive indoor atrium garden that allowed it to grow unimpeded upwards for now. Fortunately, Gayeong had studied the matter thoroughly, allowing them to calculate roughly how large the enclosure needed to be so they wouldn't have to touch it again for a long time.
Thus, the grueling, mind-numbing meeting finally drew to a close.
"Phew... Is that everything for now?"
"Haah... Yes."
"What an insane meeting..."
"Everyone has so many wishes. We're going to be crazy busy starting tomorrow."
"I'm counting on you, Doyoon-ssi."
"Yes, I won't let you down. It's thanks to you, Saebyeok-ssi, that we can face each day with hope. This is the least I can do to repay that debt."