Transported to a Dying World
I'd been transported. My body, refreshed from a full night's sleep, stirred awake.
Probably morning. Or wait, evening maybe?
With the blackout curtains drawn, I couldn't tell if it was day or night outside. Not that it mattered to me—day and night meant nothing in my world.
I rolled around in bed, savoring that post-sleep languor for a solid twenty minutes.
This was the NEET privilege.
But as time dragged on, my body woke up fully, the drowsiness giving way to restless energy. No more lounging—I had to get up and move.
"Move" just meant firing up the computer to kill another meaningless day. Nothing productive, no job, just browsing.
Click.
Staring at the glowing monitor, I dragged the mouse, scrolling through communities as usual to burn time.
I hated working. So I did the bare minimum to survive until, one day, I became a full-time NEET. Squeezing by on the essentials, stretching every penny, and suddenly I was 28.
To save cash, I'd ghosted friends and family—no messages on my phone except spam ads. No one reached out.
But honestly, this solitude beat the old days of forcing small talk. Living for others was exhausting.
*
As usual, I wandered communities, clicking whatever caught my stream-of-consciousness eye.
Apocalypse Gallery
These apocalypse virgins think they're webnovel or movie protagonists with their delusional posts, but reality's a shithole, right? Here's the types who bite it day one if zombies hit tomorrow.
1. Couch potatoes / landwhales who never exercise, dreaming they're survival experts.
Guys who barely scraped a 5th-grade fitness test in school. Zombies aside, your neighbor uncle steals your food and you're done in a second. lol
2. Idiots who think stocking ramen and water is enough.
"Got 30 boxes of ramen for emergencies." Bullshit. Water to boil it? Gas? Space? Nah, raiders smash your skull, take the ramen as loot.
3. "I'll go solo, no party" loner edgelords.
Trust issues screaming "humans are scarier ㅇㅇ," so they lone wolf it. True, but that makes you prime target #1. Easy pickings for looters.
4. Otakus obsessed with useless crap.
"My figures... my limited merch... gotta save this!!" Then zombie chomps your shoulder.
Conclusion: Gallery trash like us? Die at our PCs to zombies or nuke alarms with "ah fuck." That's our ending.
Disagree? You're right.
Just another average post and reactions.
"Hmm... apocalypse, huh..."
I had zero confidence in surviving one, and ending this chill life was the last thing I wanted.
I just wanted to drift through days worry-free until the end. But no job meant my bank account would dry up in under a year. Then I'd have to work to live...
"Aaah, free ride through life~" My go-to mantra now.
As you can tell, my dream's rich NEET. No need for approval. No achievements required. Just exist till death without harming or being harmed by anyone.
Maybe God hated my laziness...
One day, without warning, I got isekai'd.
*
Blink blink.
One second I'm gallery-scrolling in my room, next I'm in some unfamiliar space.
Pinched my cheek—felt real. No dream signal.
"What the hell is this place...?"
Exotic buildings, not modern. And among the pedestrians? Obvious non-humans.
"...Isekai?"
Thanks to endless webnovels, manga, anime, I accepted it quick.
But this wasn't the fantasy isekai from stories.
"Ceiling...?"
Looking up: no vast sky, just a massive lid.
*
Feeling stares, I ducked into an alley to think.
Then—
New user detected.
Welcome, new user! Enjoy the gallery freely!
"...Huh?"
A blue window popped up. Eerily familiar interface. Top said:
[Isekai Survival Gallery]
"What is this?"
Hmm... I usually just lurk, but...
Guys, was home then suddenly here? This isekai? Why no sky?
......No replies even after waiting.
Hmm... okay then...
Guys I think I'm from another world, what world is this? Sky's sealed, what's this screen??
"I see... so that's it."
Looks like I'd isekai'd into an apocalypse world.
"Life fucked."
Following the advice, I asked directions and reached the Management Office.
Transferees like me were rare, so the staff explained via pre-made manual.
"First, our deepest condolences. Unlike your world, ours was destroyed by monsters."
She eyed my clothes pityingly—clearly from a peaceful world. Dropped into a dying one? Sympathy made sense.
More details followed.
"...So we fled underground to shelters, surviving on dungeon resources."
Summary:
Monsters from another world invaded surface. Ignored at first, they multiplied and powered up. Nations allied for purges—failed. Years of defense, then hid in shelters.
Just 10 years ago...
"Lately, dungeon output's dropping sharply, making resource gathering tough."
Even the dungeons sustaining shelters were waning yearly...
"Um... so we're all on borrowed time?"
"Currently, yes."
No point hiding it, she answered readily.
"Uh... what do I do?"
"That's next."
"Transferees usually awaken special powers here."
"Beyond normal—often stronger than regular explorers."
"Dungeons' depths hold resources, so we desperately need you and high-floor vets."
"We help settle and support you; in return, mine dungeons for us."
Hmm... got it... make me work, huh...
"What if my power's not combat-fit?"
"Pay taxes every half-year. No support after initial settle."
So... gotta earn somehow, power or not?
"Also, transferee taxes are 5x normal. FYI."
"...What?? Can't pay?"
Five times?! Insane! That's slaving fivefold!!!
"Rare, but... join the Surface Reclamation Army."
Can't pay taxes...
Re-draft?!
"KYYAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"