Status Window in the Apocalypse Is as Natural as Breathing
It was as common sense as the status window in an apocalypse.
The status window.
It had felt like an augmented reality, but it was nothing compared to that. Information slammed directly into my head without comparison.
It was as if the system had implemented my thoughts as a UI.
[Achievement Unlocked: Solo Slaughterer (zombies 1,000/1,000)]
※Special Condition: Kill zombies alone.
[Achievement Unlocked: Murderer of the Fallen World (people 50/50)]
"What? I killed fifty people."
After a year rolling around in this goddamn world that had ended.
Killing a thousand zombies was believable. After all, it was only about three a day on average. On days I felt like killing a ton, it was because I'd been tired out, so the average worked out.
But the number of people I killed didn't make sense.
Even if the world ended, there was never any reason to kill someone for no reason.
I couldn't have killed that many people. It was impossible unless I was some deliberate mass murderer.
Just as I was pondering, the extra explanation popped up.
※Special Bonus: Mass Slaughterer (over 50 kills) (the victim's kill count for the targeted individual has been summed up as ownership transfer).
"Does that mean the couple I just killed their kill count got added?"
[Achievement Unlocked: Pacifist]
※Achievement Condition: Zero preemptive attacks for one year.
The status window kept ringing. It was like it was just listing my achievements from the past year.
- Beep
- Beep
At the point where it seemed like it was telling me everything.
[Congratulations, Awakened One, Nam Ju-hyeok.]
[You have awakened the hidden class, Manager of the Ark.]
Unique Authority: [Domain Declaration (Lv.1)]
Capacity: Maximum 30 tiles
Manager Privileges:
[Domain Control]: Select areas within your line of sight and claim them as system territories.
[Absolute Safe Zone]: No violence or contamination can occur inside the designated area without the Manager's permission.
[Exchange Store]: Measure the value of items submitted by guests and exchange them for system points (P).
[Point Shop]: Buy daily necessities, furniture, and defensive facilities using system points.
[Current Territory Status]
Designated Territory: None (waiting for domain declaration)
Points Held: 1000 P
[★ Next Expansion Condition: Unconfirmed]
"What the hell is this...?"
I checked the status window. It was a familiar sight, after all. It had the same layout as the ones I'd seen in games.
I scrolled through it, but there were still a ton of things I hadn't unlocked.
"So, zombies can't enter my territory. This is a complete cheat skill."
[Passive]
[Minimum Comfort (Lv.1)]
Effect: Grants one package of hardtack and a bottle of water daily to registered guests and the Manager (0 P).
Contents: [Barley hardtack 1], [500ml bottled water 1]
※These items cannot be exported outside or resold and can only be consumed inside the territory.
On top of that, I could get the ultimate freebie that let me survive with just the bare minimum without even going outside.
But the word "guest" was bothering me.
"Guest...? Does that mean they're supposed to be renting from me?"
I might as well just do it since it was a waste otherwise. I decided to declare the territory first.
Since it looked like I could build a base here, it was better to make this a safe zone rather than risking a move with something fragile.
The building's location wasn't bad at all.
There was a nearby farming zone, so it was a natural shortcut for survivors passing through.
It wasn't big enough for a large faction to claim as their base, and it was perfect for one or two people to spend the night.
"I declare this building as my territory."
[Ability Activated: Executing Domain Declaration.]
Ziiing—
Golden light spread across the rooftop floor before vanishing.
[Warning: The building does not meet the territory requirements.]
[Reason: The building is not used for lodging (lodging facilities).]
Current Building Use: General residential facility (ground floor shops / 2nd to 3rd floor offices)
※The 'Manager of the Ark' class can only declare a territory for spaces used as lodging facilities to accommodate guests and collect lodging fees.
"Not the right use?"
The status window was hilarious. In this ruined world, was I supposed to tear down a building just to make it a lodging facility?
The sun was dipping lower and lower.
If I could, I would have used the ability right across at the guesthouse opposite me, but moving at this hour was too dangerous.
I would just spend tonight on the rooftop safely and head out at dawn.
"Well, then, let's prep."
I couldn't just lie around lazily while the world ended. If I didn't move, I was dead.
It was the same mindset my ancestors had when they were thrown into the wild before humans created civilization.
Step one to surviving the night: reinforcing the hideout.
Squeak— clank.
After clearing out the zombies' corpses, I closed the rooftop door and slid the bolt. It wasn't enough, so I brought in iron pipes and broken iron desks and made a solid barricade.
I hung a few empty tin cans on the doorknob to make a makeshift alarm.
"Phew, door's secured."
Next was step two: tidying up the loot.
The bags were heavy. I flipped them upside down and dumped the contents on the floor.
There were plenty of good things, but the bags were minimal. If this were normal times, I would never have done it.
When moving the base, I was supposed to carry as much as possible until the bags burst— that was the natural law of survival in the apocalypse.
But this time was different. I had the status window now, and there was a system behind it.
I didn't need to worry about food or heavy supplies.
The priority wasn't hoarding junk; it was finding a lodging facility I could claim as my territory with the ability.
"If I'm not crazy, that is."
I didn't want to admit it, but there was a chance I was losing my mind, so I decided to verify whether the status window was real.
[Manager Privileges / Passive]
[Minimum Comfort (Lv.1)]
"Come on, give me the hardtack and water."
The air didn't move even a little.
I felt like an idiot. Neither the hardtack nor the water bottle were in my hands.
...Was I really going insane in the first year of the apocalypse?
My brain must have short-circuited while I was killing a thousand zombies and slaughtering that crazy couple.
[Notification: Passive Skill 'Minimum Comfort' Activation Failed]
[Reason: No territory is attached.]
※This passive ability only applies to targets residing inside or staying in a declared territory.
"So, it won't give it to me because there's no territory?"
The logic was plausible, but I wasn't the type to give up. I immediately opened the shop.
[Food / Nutrition] - [Available]
[Supplies / Clothing] - [Locked: Unlocked when Territory Grade Lv.1 is achieved]
...
The status window was organized by category. Everything except food was locked.
Even in food, only relatively cheap items were open, and the fancy ones I couldn't choose yet.
Of course, even if they were open, they were too expensive to buy.
"Wow, they even have caviar cuisine. Thirty-two thousand points?"
Looking at the list, the prices were oddly similar to those in the fallen world. Thinking in a 10:1 ratio, it was about the same.
A bottle of water at a convenience store for a thousand won was now a hundred points.
I only had 1,000 P. In cash, that was about ten thousand won, but I couldn't waste it freely. Spending it before I even knew the exact supply method and value of points was a luxury.
At that moment, a pop-up notification flashed at the bottom of the shop window.
[★ First-Time Shop User Exclusive Benefit]
Promotion: [First Purchase Exclusive Free Trial (1 time)]
Remaining Validity: 00:59:59 (expires in 1 hour)
※You can receive one food item without deducting from your points within the designated amount range (1,000 P or less).
Since it was basically free, I had to use it.
I picked the 1,000-point vitamin I'd been eyeing. I could somehow get food, but this kind of thing was hard to come by.
[High-Concentration Vitamin C (100 tablets)] - 1,000 P → [Benefit Applied: 0 P]
"Receiving vitamin C."
[First-Use Benefit Applied.]
[Points Held: 1,000 P (no deduction)]
- Thud.
It dropped like magic.
I tore off the plastic seal, popped a yellow tablet in my mouth, and chewed. A laugh came out from the weirdly sour taste that made my eyes water.
I probably wouldn't have bleeding gums for a while.
"The status window is real... huh."
It wasn't a hallucination. I didn't have time to hesitate.
The status window heaven and hell.
From now on, the status window and I were one. I decided to treat the status window like a god.
I opened my backpack and took out the map. It was a large neighborhood map torn whole from a place called Bokdeokbang. It was a useful item in this world where GPS had gone meaningless.
"Let's see here..."
I traced the road network and checked the surrounding commercial areas. I checked the status window again.
Unique Authority: [Domain Declaration (Lv.1)]
Capacity: Maximum 30 tiles
30 tiles. I had no idea how big that was.
One tile per pyeong? Or one square meter?
It was a vague guess, but there was no way they were handing me a seven-star hotel from the start. I would have to go there and use the skill to figure out what a tile meant.
The first things that caught my eye were the lodging facilities in the alley across from this building.
It was the size of one motel or a few rooms? I would know for sure if I just tried it.
I kept planning my movement path until I fell asleep, forgetting the fatigue and keeping going.
Eventually, it was time to sleep, but I couldn't close my eyes. It was like the night before a camping trip.
I just hoped morning would come soon.