The Storybook (Part 3)
In the wake of Vladimir Lenin's Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism circulating across the continent, I sat clutching my head in deep, agonizing distress.
“Anything but a Red Mod...”
I signed up to be the orange-tagged Head Moderator, the Juddak. I never wanted my heart and soul painted communist crimson as some dreaded Ppalddak. I spent hours agonizing over whether I would be branded with some nightmarish political stigma, but surprisingly, the Gallery was dead silent.
“Wait... why isn't anyone saying a word?”
A few bizarre posts had popped up here and there at first, but now there was not even a passing mention. In particular, Fron—which had practically been frothing at the mouth over revolutionary theory—had gone completely radio silent, freezing all post uploads entirely. Seeing that not a single word was uttered even by the following morning, I finally let out a breath of relief.
“Did we... dodge the bullet?”
Maybe it hadn't made that much of an impact after all. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turned my attention back to browsing the shop catalog to select the next book to sell on the Marketplace. Naturally, I inspected every single listing with my own eyes. I couldn't risk letting another catastrophic piece of literature slip out into the wild.
[Les Misérables] — 10P
“This should do it.”
A true masterwork found at last. Much like the previous two fairy tales, it was a timeless classic beloved by the public for generations. Well, yes, it was technically an epic novel. But cataloged right there under the children's storybook section was a condensed, easily digestible picture book edition. The volume was streamlined to cover the famous first arc everyone remembered: Fantine, stealing a loaf of bread, doing hard time in prison, and rising to become a benevolent mayor. It looked remarkably easy to read.
“Above all, the art style is really cozy.”
It must have been a fairly modern publication, as the illustrations felt familiar, soft, and heartwarming—even if the underlying subject matter was utterly soul-crushing.
“Let's scale back the volume this time.”
Spending points was all well and good, but the imbalance between my available points and my reserve of Dango had grown slightly—no, severely—out of hand. Points could easily be converted into Dango, but Dango could never be converted back into points. Even if Dango was the primary fuel for racking up moderator experience, I had to exercise caution.
Sales quantity has been set to 100 copies.
I decided to release the books in two separate batches.
“Alright, let's roll!”
A new item has been registered on the Marketplace!
The moment Les Misérables went live on the board, a sequence of chimes echoed through the interface.
“Oh?”
A brand-new system feature had unlocked alongside the level-up.
Reimburses 100% of spent points and awards an additional 50% bonus as compensation for unconditional good deeds performed without seeking reward.
※ Gifts received later as genuine expressions of gratitude are exempt from being categorized as consideration.
Monthly Cap: 10,000 P / month
Reimbursed to Date: 0 P
A completely unprecedented mechanic. Unlike past unlocks that expanded forum moderation tools, this was a brand-new revenue stream. Reading through the breakdown, it essentially meant that if I performed charitable acts, the system would compensate me with points.
“Wait... isn't this insane? Pure profit!”
To keep the Gallery community alive over the months, I had frequently handed out supplies completely free of charge. Other times, I sold goods at manufacturing cost or far below market value. With the world thoroughly in ruins, I hadn't had much of a choice. But now, I didn't have to eat the loss. The system itself was stepping in to bridge the deficit.
“And it pays out in points?!”
Not in Dango, but in raw, premium Shop Points!
“Time to test this bad boy out immediately.”
[Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake] — 30P
Eager to verify the mechanics, I instantly purchased a cake from the shop. Taking delivery of the freshly boxed dessert, I kicked open the door to Penny's room without hesitation.
SLAM!
“Wh-what the hell?!”
Penny, who had been lounging lazily across her bed, recoiled in shock, curling her limbs inward. Without uttering an explanation, I shoved the entire, lavishly decorated cake straight into her arms. Her eyes widened into enormous, perfect saucers.
“Enjoy.”
“Uh... huh? Th-thank you...?”
She clearly had no idea what had just transpired, but within seconds, an ecstatic smile spread across her face as if she had just been handed the entire universe. Penny had an insatiable weakness for cake, pastries, and sweets. From what I gathered, the Outside offered nothing to eat except horrific demonic beasts, blighted sludge, and rancid meat.
Leaving Penny to her culinary euphoria, I slipped quietly back into my room and pulled up the system log.
You have performed an act of charity. Reimbursing 30 P.
Awarding an additional 15 P bonus.
Monthly Cap Progress: 30 / 10,000 P
“JUKKI-YAAA-HOOOOOO!!!!!”
Every single point I spent had come back—plus an extra fifty percent on top! The system was divine, and I was utterly invincible. Overjoyed, I immediately ordered whole cakes for my overworked blue-tagged sub-moderators as well.
Head Moderator has dispatched 'Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake'.
You have performed an act of charity. Reimbursing 60 P.
Awarding an additional 30 P bonus.
Your good deeds have been converted into points.
“I literally cannot contain this happiness...”
Spending currency actively earned me more currency. With this absurd infinite money glitch running, why on earth wouldn't I spend more? Basking in sheer euphoria, I opened the forum's Concept Hall to see what was trending. Right at the top, a rather peculiar headline caught my eye.
Greetings, everyone. It has been some time.
We are proud to announce the grand opening of the Central Library in the Kingdom of Kellierton.
We are hosting numerous public programs including book donations, open reading spaces, and book lending.
We kindly ask for your enthusiastic interest and patronage!
[Attached: Photo of a derelict, overgrown ducal estate]
[Attached: Photo of the stunningly remodeled grand library]
Kellierton had officially established a public library. The news rapidly caught fire, drawing massive engagement across the forum.
And understandably so—this was an apocalyptic wasteland. Day-to-day survival took precedence over every single facet of human existence. In a world starved of basic necessities, the sudden emergence of an institution dedicated to public reading struck the populace as an exotic, disorienting shock.
“Still, what kind of books are they even planning to stock?”
That was the real dilemma. Where were the books supposed to come from? Mountains of literature had perished in the apocalyptic fires of the Great War. What little survived amounted to dry historical ledgers, half-charred literary relics, and heavily corrupted copies.
The public reaction was lukewarm at best.
“Well, only time will tell.”
Societal projects like that only revealed their true worth once the dust settled. Besides, the library wasn't my primary concern right now. I had a brand-new system mechanic waiting to be squeezed for all it was worth.
“What day of the month is it again?”
As luck would have it, this week marked the end of the month, meaning the ten-thousand-point monthly ceiling would reset almost immediately. Contemplating how to distribute five thousand points of charity, my eyes wandered over to the food category in the shop interface.
“When in doubt, food is always the safest bet.”
Even if life had become vastly more tolerable than before, starvation was never entirely eradicated. Browsing the listings, I settled on the most versatile, standard staple imaginable: French baguettes.
“Baguettes hit the spot regardless of race.”
Elves, dwarves, humans—everyone ate bread. While individual preferences might differ, bread remained the universal equalizer of culinary culture.
[Baguette Loaf] — 3P
“Has inflation completely lost its mind?”
Even the cheapest baguette cost a staggering three points—roughly three thousand won back home. But with the ten-thousand-point reimbursement buffer effectively rendering purchases free, I boldly bought three thousand three hundred loaves in one fell swoop.
“This ought to do.”
It wouldn't feed the entire continent, but it was infinitely better than nothing. Calculating proportions based on racial demographics, I pulled up the forum interface to dispatch shipments to each racial leadership. Yet when the feed loaded, the mood on the board had completely transformed.
“What in the world?”
The Kellierton Central Library—which had been desolate upon opening—was now utterly inundated with an ocean of people after barely an hour.
At the Kellierton Central Library, the former ducal manor where Queen Evelyn had once hidden away during her days of disgrace had been reborn into an architectural masterpiece.
“Better to breathe life into it than let it rot in abandonment, wouldn't you agree?”
Evelyn observed the rejuvenated grounds with immense pride. Once sitting on the lonely outskirts of the city, the ducal estate had naturally been enveloped within Kellierton's rapidly expanding territory. And right now, it was swarming with countless citizens, all thanks to the brand-new Marketplace release.
“Cease shoving!” the royal guards boomed, holding back the surging crowd. “Maintain orderly queues! Rental rights for the new release are determined entirely by random lottery!”
Out of the one hundred copies of Les Misérables released continental-wide, an astonishing twenty copies had been secured by the library.
“I've been waiting here since dawn!”
“Please... please just let my name be drawn this time...!”
Each rental of Les Misérables was capped at five hours. Furthermore, readers were restricted from removing the volumes from designated library reading halls. Yet despite these stringent conditions, the mania showed no signs of cooling. Part of it was driven by the lingering emotional aftershocks of the two previous storybooks. But the real fire had been ignited by the breathless, glowing reviews spreading across the Gallery.
Just walked out after finishing Les Misérables.
Went with zero expectations and got stupidly lucky in the raffle.
So I sat down and read it... and holy shit, curses were literally tearing out of my throat...
Seriously, how can society destroy a person's entire life just because he stole THAT ONE THING?
If I were in his shoes, I would've been broken just like Jean Valjean and stolen that item from that place too. I'm one thousand percent certain of it.
And then, the absolute plot twist—I never in a million years expected THAT PERSON to react like that.
Even after experiencing such mercy, he still couldn't get his head on straight, stepped on that thing and played dumb, only to be torn apart by late regret...
A groan literally burst out of my chest right there in the hall.
How did a children's picture book manage to contain so much depth and weight?
And what happens to Jean Valjean after this?
People are saying the original source material is a five-volume novel...
I swear to god I am going to lose my mind, fuck, fuck, FUCK!
Enforcing strict community rules against spoilers, the review was riddled with maddeningly ambiguous pronouns like "this," "that," and "them." Denied context, the forum members who had yet to read it were practically clawing their eyes out in sheer curiosity.
And there was another detail.
Every single reader who won the lottery and exited the grand hall emerged cradling a large brown paper grocery bag in their arms. Peeking out from the brim was an enormous, warm, freshly baked baguette, exuding a buttery fragrance that dominated the plaza.
Kellierton had simply distributed the baguettes that the Head Moderator had shipped out for free. Given that Jean Valjean's tragic downfall had stemmed entirely from a stolen loaf of bread, the thematic harmony was strikingly poetic.
Naturally, the discourse devolved into a collective chorus of devotion. While the continent was swept up in religious adoration for the Head Moderator, intoxicated by literature and bread...
Monthly Good Deed Points quota fully capped.
Total Bonus Points Awarded to Date: 5,000 P
“JUKKI-YAAA-HOOOOOO!”
Back in his subterranean bunker, the dignified and holy saint was screaming at the top of his lungs in degenerate delight, utterly blinded by the cascade of free currency—
Completely unaware of the cataclysmic detonation silently brewing within the chilling silence of Fron.