Chapter 30
Chapter 30
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Do you happen to have another one of this Crafted Item?]
A U-Link private message appeared at the top of the smartphone screen.
“Oh. Looks like someone finally recognized the value of what you made, Boss.”
“Still, since the account is Thunder, I can’t just mass-produce and sell them.”
What caught my attention were the system notifications scrolling beneath it.
[Sale Completed]
[Sale Completed]
[Sale Completed]
Already sold out?
I tapped the Sales History tab in the market app.
[Recycled Leaf-Spring Kukri].
[Crude Rebar Spear].
Even the smoked chicken and canned food set.
Not even a few hours had passed since listing them, yet the entire stock I prepared was already gone.
E-grade equipment priced at 150 UP.
I had listed them cheaply, but they weren’t exactly popular items.
And yet they sold out instantly?
[Payment: 315 UP (315 UP deposited after 10% commission deduction)]
I had expected collecting UP to be quite difficult.
At this rate, I could probably save up quickly and buy firearms before long.
I forced myself to calm down and considered the question.
Why did everything sell so fast?
Then I noticed a small notification beside the sales history.
[Buyer review has been registered.]
There was only one review.
The ID was [SurvivalIsMyHobby].
“Isn’t that the person who sent the private message?”
“Looks like it.”
I casually clicked the review.
The next moment I almost screamed.
“Holy—!”
It was because of the photo on the screen.
Tables and chairs were scattered everywhere.
The floor was soaked in blood and chunks of flesh.
At a glance alone there were at least five or six corpses.
And right in the middle of that horrific pile of bodies sat a woman.
Completely drenched in blood.
In one hand she held the machete I had made.
With the other hand she made a V-sign beside her lips.
It was a grotesque image—hell itself mixed with social-media aesthetics.
“…Wow. She’s actually insane.”
Even Picker recoiled in shock.
“B-Boss, what is that woman? Wait… isn’t she sitting on someone’s head?!”
Despite Picker’s frantic reaction, I calmly read the text.
[Author: SurvivalIsMyHobby (Purchase: 1)]
[Rating: ★★★★★]
Wow… Thunder oppa. This thing is the real deal ♥
So hard… and strong.
The thickness is exactly my type too.
I swung it like crazy all night and the blade didn’t even chip.
Because of it, I got to send some guys to Hong Kong for the first time in a while.
What are you going to do about it? Take responsibility.
The more I read, the deeper my frown became.
Anyone else would think it was erotic fiction.
What kind of brain structure did this woman have?
“This woman’s completely nuts.”
The curse slipped out naturally.
But the impact of the provocative text and photo was undeniable.
[Users following this shop: 128]
Yesterday it had been zero.
Now the number had exploded.
“…So basically everything sold out because of her.”
The feeling was oddly unsettling.
Then I noticed a link at the bottom of the review.
[Full review here]
Maybe it was a video proving the machete’s durability.
I tapped the link.
The smartphone screen immediately switched.
A logo appeared in the center.
A grotesque pattern of thousands of eyes intertwined in geometric shapes.
[ARGUS]
A loading bar filled.
Then a new app name appeared.
[Survivor Forum]
“Huh? What’s this?”
I tightened my grip on the phone in surprise.
All I had done was press a link.
Why did a different app suddenly open?
“Is this hacking?”
Thinking it might be a phishing site or hacking tool, I repeatedly pressed the back button.
Nothing happened.
Seeing my panic, Picker clicked his tongue.
“U-Link originally has two integrated modules.
The Market for shopping and the Forum for chatting.
Before the collapse there were even old guys who thought an app didn’t exist unless it had a shortcut on the home screen. Boss, you’re basically the same.”
“…Shut up.”
Embarrassment rushed over me.
Before the collapse I had been an elementary school kid who barely touched smartphones.
After that, I lived in a world where phones were useless.
Then something occurred to me.
“Wait. How do you know that?”
“…Huh? That’s a good question.”
Picker spun in place.
“Why do I know that? It’s just… in my head.”
Its camera lens blinked in confusion.
Maybe it had pulled the information from the system again.
But that wasn’t important right now.
The loading finished.
[Auto Login…]
[ID Confirmed: Thunder]
[Access Granted]
There was no separate registration process.
[Survivor Forum – Free Board]
The screen filled with a list of posts.
At the very top, highlighted in red, was the real-time best post.
[I just taught those High Wolf guys a lesson. (feat. Thunder Shop)]
The author ID was [SurvivalIsMyHobby].
“…That title.”
I didn’t want to click it, but it mentioned Thunder Shop.
I had no choice.
I opened the post and scrolled down.
A short video began playing.
Slow motion.
Inside a dark room, a large man charged forward swinging an iron pipe.
One hit would have shattered a skull.
Swish—
The dark blade in her hand danced.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, the thick iron pipe was sliced apart like tofu.
The video didn’t stop there.
The blade shifted trajectory and brushed past the raider’s forearm.
The arm dropped to the floor.
The cut surface was horrifyingly smooth.
“Wow…”
The exclamation escaped me naturally.
Of course the user herself was strong.
But without weapon performance like that, the feat would be impossible.
A normal machete would have chipped or bent the moment it hit the iron pipe.
Seeing the power of something I created through [Manufacturing] from a third-person perspective sent a thrill through my spine.
Below the video was a long post written in a tone that resembled a cosmetic review blog.
Did you see that, oppas and unnis? Just one swipe.
I didn’t even sharpen the blade much because it’s for casual use.
But when it goes in, it just slides right in ♥
Usually when you cut iron pipes like that the blade gets ruined and turns into an old toothless knife.
But Thunder oppa’s is different. Hard and vicious.
I sent five guys to Hong Kong and sliced their limbs, and the blade is still fresh.
Just like the first night.
“…Her writing skills are something else.”
I shook my head.
She cleverly mixed sexual innuendo while clearly emphasizing the key points: durability and cutting power.
The comment section was already in chaos.
[Views: 8,500+]
MadDog1: Oh it’s that crazy bitch again lol. This time High Wolf?
KeyboardWarrior: Title clickbait lol. Saw an arm get cut off and almost spat out my food. Put a bigger warning.
SexyMuscle: Damn noona kill me. Her expression is insane.
GearCollector: Wait what’s that blade? Isn’t it E-grade? It cuts iron pipes and the edge doesn’t dull?
SurvivalKing: Fake?
↳ GangnamMadwoman trait bro. That’s pure item performance. I want it. Crafted item?
RaiderHunter: Thunder Shop? Never heard of it. Doesn’t appear in market search. Coordinates?
Nation’sCrush (Author): Oppas~ It’s in my shop follow list. Hurry and buy it. It’s selling out fast~!
Public opinion was split into two groups.
Those reacting to her appearance and madness.
And those shocked by the insane weapon performance.
But everyone reached the same conclusion.
Where exactly was Thunder Shop?
It made me realize how terrifying the viral influence of an influencer could be.
“I need to get a new U-Link soon.”
I couldn’t keep selling items under the Thunder ID.
“True, Boss. But how do we get one?”
I already had a place in mind.
“We’ll worry about that later.”
For now, I decided to focus on exploring the vast ocean in front of me—the Survivor Forum.
No matter how powerful my workshop was, if I didn’t understand how the world worked, I’d just be a frog in a well.
That was exactly what I was right now—someone who had spent ten years carrying cargo in a shelter before being expelled.
I scrolled through the Best Board posts.
[Raid Announcement posted. Only B-grade and above apply. (37)]
[If High Wolf and Iron Hammer fight, who wins? (125)]
[Restricted area near Union HQ updated. Don’t go near it. Turrets will melt you. (88)]
All unfamiliar names.
“…High Wolf? Iron Hammer?”
I couldn’t help laughing when I remembered the administrators of Mapo Shelter acting as if they ruled the world.
Beyond a single wall, corporate guilds and massive warbands were dividing territory among themselves.
“Picker. How big are these groups?”
Picker could access U-Link data packets directly.
Even looking at the same screen, it could gather far more information than I could.
“Boss! According to search results, High Wolf has over 5,000 members! A giant that controls southeastern Seoul!”
“What about Iron Hammer? The name sounds like a production group.”
“That one’s no joke either. They’ve turned an entire industrial zone into a fortress. They’re the biggest ammunition supplier to Union Tech!”
“Ammunition supplier? Then they must be powerful.”
The population of Mapo Shelter had been about 3,000.
The scale difference wasn’t even comparable.
Did the shelter administrators know groups like these existed?
They probably did.
That’s why they locked themselves inside their well and played king.
I kept scrolling.
The more I read, the more ashamed I felt of my ignorance.
Then one title caught my eye.
[Hey, isn’t Union delivery seriously suspicious? (New)]
Someone else had the same question I did.
I opened the post immediately.
Delivery time: 20 minutes anywhere nationwide? Does that make scientific sense lol
I secretly watched the depot and no employees even showed up.
It was exactly the same deduction I had made.
Curious about the responses, I read the comments.
Comment 1: Here we go again. Another newbie. Did your mom just buy you a phone?
Comment 2: Bro it’s obviously an artifact. Everyone knows Union monopolizes the market with artifacts lol.
Comment 3: Even the satellite network isn’t real satellites. It’s an artifact called the Eye of Argus. That’s why signals work everywhere except Dead Zones.
Comment 4: Not science. Magic. If you’re jealous, risk your life and go pick up artifacts inside Dead Zones.
Most of the comments mocked the author.
But the information hidden among them was valuable.
“…Artifacts…”
So it wasn’t scientific technology like satellites.
It was some unknown power called artifacts.
I unconsciously bit my lip.
“Then… am I the only one using actual science?”
“Your tech is still ability-based, Boss.”
“True. But the implementation is completely different.”
While everyone else relied on artifacts, I alone dealt with physical laws and engineering.
To them, science was already forgotten.
Or just something they imitated poorly.
“Picker. Do you think these comments are real? Honestly it’s hard to believe.”
“Boss! Analysis shows a 95% probability of reliability!”
Which meant that the two giant factions controlling the world—
Union Tech and the corporate guilds—
weren’t operating advanced technology.
They had simply obtained powerful artifacts and built systems around them.
“…Dead Zones and artifacts. I’ll need to investigate further. Until then, I’ll have to be careful.”
It was still far off, but if I leveled up as a Workshop Owner, I might eventually create a real satellite.
If they discovered my drones and precision devices could replicate artifact functions, those giant factions would never leave me alone.
I browsed the forum tabs for more information.
One tab caught my eye.
[Black Market]
When I pressed it, a red warning window appeared.
[Access Denied]
[Required Rank: Silver]
[Increase your rank through posting, comments, and Union Market trade records.]
After searching a bit more, I learned there were hidden menus even deeper than that.
Assassination requests.
Human trafficking.
A true abyss where all the evil of the world gathered.
“…I’ll have to raise my rank.”
Simply selling items and earning money wasn’t enough.
I needed a higher Union Market rank to access advanced information.
Fortunately, I had a very capable assistant.
“Picker. When you have time, leave some comments on the forum. You’re good at that kind of thing.”
“Leave it to me, Boss! I’ve got the soul of a warrior! One comment from me and the entire board will explode!”
“Don’t cause too much trouble. Just enough to raise the rank.”
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long for Picker to become famous.
My only concern was that it might be for the wrong reasons.
I was drowning in the sea of information when—
“Boss! Stop browsing! Something big is happening!”
Picker’s voice suddenly turned urgent.
“What's wrong?”
“Log out of virtual reality! Reality login required! Look at this!”
Pop—
Picker closed the forum window and opened a live feed.
It was footage from the reconnaissance drone Honeybee I had stationed outside the workshop.
The location was near Mapo Police Station.
The massive iron gate that should normally have been shut tight stood wide open.
And from inside—
A heavily armed force poured out like a swarm of ants.