Awakening (2): Last Man Standing

Yeouido Starflex B1 disaster prevention room.

"Ugh... Starlex is classic after all..."

Slumped in the plush office chair, I tossed a fresh Starlex can onto the mountain of empty ones already piled up.

It had been exactly six months since the apocalypse kicked off.

The view of Yeouido from the rooftop CCTV in the disaster room was still a total spectacle. Yesterday, I watched a human centipede monster wrapping around the National Assembly dome, climbing up and down like it owned the place. Today, it was a zombie horde marching near the subway station.

"VTS concert or what...?"

Outside was a bona fide demon realm. But it had nothing to do with me.

"Ahh... Belly full, so sleepy..."

The four tiles I'd claimed with my Blueprint Domination skill had become a perfect clean zone—temperature at 24°C, humidity at 50%. Plus, anything on those owned tiles got the auto-refill perk. Even if I chugged all the Starlex and bottled water, new stock would magically restock the shelves after 72 hours. Canned tuna? Ramen? Infinite refills, baby.

In this perfect space, I'd spent the last six months eating, sleeping, and grinding offline mobile games.

"Bathroom? Use your imagination."

But nothing in this world is free. Beep-!!

"Yeah, yeah, I got it..."

I irritably swiped away the hologram window and rubbed my dry face.

The ownership guarantee on my claimed tiles lasted exactly six months after activation. After that, to extend it and keep the cheat perks, I needed magic stones—the loot dropped from killing zombies.

The system had kindly popped open a main quest with a guide, but...

"Easier said than done..."

I turned my gaze beyond my claimed tiles, into the ruins.

"Haha, hey there, Zombie Teacher..."

There she was, in the same pose, same spot for the last six months—Zombie Teacher, all twisted and stretched out, one entity but watching me from every direction. Her appearance was so sanity-draining I couldn't even describe it in detail. Oh, that window! That window!!

"You really expect me to fight that...?"

Locking eyes meant craning my neck 90 degrees upward—suicide mission. Thud-! Clang-!

Luckily, even Zombie Teacher couldn't breach the invisible wall on my tiles, which was how I'd stayed safe. But in a week, when ownership lapsed, she'd merge with me real nice.

"Sigh..."

Of course, there were other ways to get stones. Maybe because my first claim was the mart?

True to the passive description, the system nailed this space's purpose and unlocked a custom skill for me.

"Who's gonna shop all the way out here?"

Fact: The government—whether Defense Ministry or whatever—had bombed every bridge linking to Yeouido. Rooftop CCTV confirmed it. North and south bridges to Yeouido were gone, Han River crawling with water ghost monsters. And even if someone came, they'd have to negotiate with Zombie Teacher upfront. Good luck.

"Heh."

No customers, no sales. No sales, no stones. No stones, no facility upkeep. Perfect catch-22.

So, just sit here quietly waiting for death?

"Oh no! Don't say such horrible things!"

Nah. I had one last hope to turn this shitshow around. Ding-!

"Fuck, not that."

This ominous timer had appeared in the corner of my status window three weeks ago. Different from my personal ownership alert—a system-wide regular message. In K-Apocalypse style, probably some bullshit patch like ramped-up difficulty or zombie mutation acceleration.

What I was banking on was something else entirely.

"I've got Hyungnim!!"

Two months back, on CCTV channel 7 covering Yeouido, I spotted an entity gliding through the air. At first, I thought it was another zombie type.

"I'd seen flying squid zombies a few times already."

But no. He was an awakener like me, but with combat prowess leagues beyond my bug-ass abilities.

Hyungnim's feats in this hellish Yeouido were legendary. He sliced through flying squids in one leap, spotted and crushed one masquerading as the collapsed Mapo Bridge. Unlike my turtling, he went toe-to-toe with monsters—superhuman already—but his raw power was unreal.

I'd watched his exploits on the monitor, even sent SOS signals by swiveling the CCTV.

(Of course, he never noticed.) His mere existence was my miracle, my light and salt.

"Hyungnim! You have to show up today!!!"

I had zero doubt. He'd clear this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hellhole Yeouido. If anyone could, it was him. I'd welcome him as my first customer and launch the shop.

That moment. Rumble-!

A faint vibration through the floor.

"N-No way!"

Definitely Hyungnim. That unique sound and vibration pattern when he kicked off the ground.

Boom-! Slash-!

And the subtle combat noises filtering in.

"Hyuuungniiiim!!! Starting early today!!!"

I ignored Zombie Teacher's creepy stare as I grabbed snacks and bolted back to the disaster room.

"Channel 7! 7! Wait, 9 today!!!"

I frantically switched the monitor to the combat zone CCTV.

"Oh shit...!!"

Hyungnim was squaring off against the human centipede from yesterday, coiled at the National Assembly.

"This is a super fight!!"

Every flash of his sword aura burst the centipede's carapace, severing organs.

"Win! Fuck!!! Hyungnim, win!!!!!!"

I shoved snacks in my mouth, veins bulging as I yelled. Bzzz-! Bzzz-!

I wildly swiveled the CCTV for moral support.

"Hyungnim, now! Crown! It's open! Not calling you bald!"

Finally, dodging the massive jaws, Hyungnim leaped into the air and plunged his sword straight into its head.

Rumble-!

The vibration reached here. The human centipede flopped to the ground.

"Kya... centipede stays a centipede..."

LOL. I sighed in relief, leaning back in the chair.

"Fuuuuck... Hyungnim vs. centipede on that level? Real? My heart's pounding..."

That instant. KABOOOM-!!!!!

"...Huh?"

New movement on channel 1 CCTV, not 9.

Was what fell earlier just its tail? The real body emerged on channel 1—size incomparable. Dozens of limbs shattered the ground as a massive maw engulfed Hyungnim's upper body in a flash.

Crunch-!

"Wha...?"

Thud.

I collapsed too, staring blankly at the monitor.

"No... nooo... Hyuuungniiiim..."

Where Hyungnim had stood: his ownerless lower half, backpack, and sword lay forlornly.

"KITSAMAAAAA!!!!!!"

"Shut the fuck up..."

What good was that now.

*****

The next day, after bawling myself to sleep from exhaustion.

"Hic... hiiic... you bastard... my last hope..."

I blubbered like an idiot, stacking empty water bottles and Starlex cans into a cairn-like tower.

"Hyungnim... rest well..."

Atop it, using office pens: [R.I.P Hyungnim].

In front, I laid out hot chicken & crab fry combo I'd saved for his visit.

"Thanks to you, I didn't lose hope..."

Not a proper funeral, but best I could do.

"Whew... even in death, artistry..."

Craving an unlit cig. Regaining sanity, I checked status.

Hyungnim's death wasn't meaningless. The moment he died, I unlocked the achievement, upgrading my skills.

Now I could register owned items on my shop page; invited members pay, and delivery to their coords.

But...

"How do I even invite members?"

No invite screen. Gotta have someone visit the offline store first, right?

Invite Zombie Teacher and ship Starlex? She'd eat it for me?

"Ugh... maybe haul all remaining food and tough it out..."

Was Hyungnim weak, or these guys abnormally strong?

As I headed for breakfast—Tick-!

Regular update time. Realized it hit.

"Fuck."

Zombie Teacher invading my area? At least let me eat breakfast before dying. What bullshit patch now?

The system spewed unexpected messages like mad.

"What."

Not difficulty hike?

"W-Wait! Gallery?"

The gallery I knew?

The translucent hologram morphed smoothly into the familiar community board I'd refreshed 10 hours a day pre-apocalypse.

"F-For real...?"

Hitting enter revealed endless posts.

"Holy shit, it's the real gallery!!!"

I scrolled the floating board in a trance. Dozens of posts pouring in with each refresh. Endless bait threads.

"Fuck!! FUUUCK!!! This is it!!!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Felt like home.

"I'm not the only survivor!!"

Aaah, if Hyungnim were alive, we could've shared this joy.

"K-Apocalypse dropping a god patch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like this...!"

Such user-friendly QoL in apocalypse? Director's no slouch.

As I went for newbie essentials...

"Huh...?"

I froze.

The new alert before my eyes.

"W-Wait..."

Then it hit: the upgraded skill description from Hyungnim.

"L-Link..."

Tears welled up seeing the alerts.

"Ah... aaah..."

Couldn't hold back the sobs.

My turtling wasn't for nothing.

And Hyungnim's sacrifice was far nobler than I thought.

"I... I didn't know... thought my last hope died with you... hngh...!"

Hyungnim's flame hadn't extinguished. His noble death blazed the path ahead.

Sob-!

I slammed a deep bow toward the Starlex & pet bottle cairn with hot chicken fry, yelling.

"Onii-samaaaaa!!!!"