At 3:45 a.m., the outside temperature had dropped near freezing. Gray-black fog drifted low across the ruined streets, carrying the mingled stench of smoke, rust, and faint blood. Ash from the city's destruction still fell silently from the sky like snow of death.
On the highest rooftop of Mega Mall Seoul, the cold wind cut like knives against the skin. Min-ho—the former office worker with no combat skills—now wore the new winter jacket he had just been given. He stood trembling behind a concrete parapet, both hands gripping military binoculars so tightly his knuckles turned white. Exhaustion and drowsiness clawed at his eyelids, but the King in the black suit's icy threat still echoed deep in his skull: "If you fall asleep or fail to report… you will become zombie food."
Min-ho raised the binoculars and swept them across the main road vanishing into the thick fog. Visibility was terrible; he could barely see beyond a hundred meters. Then his heart plummeted to his stomach. Blood turned to ice.
Through the magnified lens he saw tiny red points flickering in the darkness. At first there were only ten… then a hundred… then thousands. A thousand pairs of crimson eyes were moving silently through the mist. At first only dragging footsteps, then the wet sound of rotting flesh rubbing together, guttural snarls of hunger, and the crack of bones merged into a rumbling wave of death that made the concrete beneath his boots tremble.
The roar of the DShK 12.7mm and the ammonium nitrate explosions earlier that night had not faded with the wind. They had become dinner bells, drawing a massive Mutant Horde straight toward Mega Mall Seoul. The creatures came from every direction, drawn by the scent of blood and the earlier commotion.
And the sight that nearly made Min-ho drop the binoculars in terror was the colossal shadow at the heart of that hellish tide—an over-three-meter-tall monster walking with heavy steps, crushing wrecked cars flat like empty soda cans. It was a Catastrophe-level monster, its body armored in jagged bone plates that protruded through its skin, muscles bulging until they looked ready to burst.
"Z-zombies… a huge swarm! Not just hundreds… thousands! They're coming!!" Min-ho screamed in pure panic, voice cracking. He dropped the binoculars, stumbled to the siren crank Uncle Hwang had installed, and spun it with both hands like a madman.
WEE-OOO! WEE-OOO! WEE-OOO!
The warning siren tore through the kingdom's silence, its shrill wail stabbing every ear and jolting every survivor from their brief sleep. Chaos and terror erupted instantly. The exhausted ants began running in blind panic, some screaming, some frantically searching for weapons, others trying to hide.
But a powerful, commanding voice cut through the disorder.
"Form ranks! Grab your weapons! Anyone who loses their mind and runs—I will cut their throat right here!"
Su-jin, the woman in the fitted black pantsuit, stepped forward and planted herself at the top of the escalator, machete in one hand and pistol in the other. Ji-ah, Min-ah, and Yu-jin followed in their immaculate tailored suits. They showed no fear. The new clothes and their status as command staff had forged them into calm, decisive leaders whose presence alone froze the panicking crowd.
The heavy wooden door of the executive lounge on the third floor opened. Kang Shi-hun stepped out unhurriedly. His bespoke black suit remained perfectly pressed. The top three buttons of his black shirt were undone, revealing a powerful chest that caught the flickering emergency lights. He stopped at the balcony railing with his hands clasped behind his back, pitch-black eyes piercing the darkness. His upgraded senses felt the ground tremors, the frantic heartbeats, and the thunderous roar rolling toward the mall like an incoming tidal wave.
"More than I expected…" Shi-hun murmured, calculating the thousands of footsteps with his razor-sharp mind. The corner of his mouth lifted in a twisted smile. "But that's fine… the more ants, the faster my lifespan grows."
He looked down at the army of ants holding machetes and iron pipes, faces pale and bodies shaking.
"Uncle Hwang! Turn on the rooftop spotlights and aim them at the main gate!" Shi-hun's voice rang out, overpowering even the siren. It was a tone that triggered absolute obedience. "Su-jin, take the men to the barricade. Ji-ah, distribute these."
Shi-hun swept his right hand forward and opened the God's Shop. The massive discount percentage from the earlier warehouse disassembly made everything cheap.
[Purchase: Molotov Cocktails × 50 | Current price: 0.05 days each]
[Purchase: Small IEDs × 20 | Current price: 0.5 days each]
[Purchase: 12-Gauge Shotgun Shells (500 rounds) | Current price: 0.02 days per box]
[Purchase: 5.56mm Ammunition (1,000 rounds) | Current price: 0.05 days per box]
[Total cost: 14.0 days | Remaining lifespan: 331.5 days]
Whoosh!
Dozens of green military crates materialized in the atrium, packed with Molotovs, small IEDs, and cheap ammunition.
"This is the rent you owe me for clothes, food, and safety!" Shi-hun declared, black eyes reflecting the red emergency lights. "Throw them out. Crush them. Do not let a single one cross the barricade and disturb my sleep!"
"Understood, boss!!"
The crowd roared back with fierce loyalty. Fear had been burned away and replaced by devotion mixed with madness. They seized crates of Molotovs and ammunition, then followed Su-jin out to the front parking plaza in disciplined ranks.
HOOOOOOO!
Rooftop spotlights blazed down like judgment, revealing the horrifying sight: a tidal wave of thousands of mutated zombies surging into the plaza. Their bodies were rotting and twisted; some sprouted jagged bone spikes from their joints, others had jaws split to their ears. They slammed into the car barricade with insane fury. The sound of rotting flesh smashing against steel echoed. Arms and heads were torn off in the impact, but the horde kept coming.
"Throw them!!" Su-jin shouted from behind the line. She lit the first Molotov with her Zippo.
Dozens of Molotovs arced over the barricade and crashed into the densest part of the horde.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Glass shattered, followed by walls of orange-red fire. The front ranks drenched in ethanol burned and thrashed. Shotguns and AR-15s roared, drilling skulls of mutants trying to climb the wreckage. Black blood sprayed everywhere. Zombie corpses began piling up at the barricade.
From his vantage on the second-floor balcony, blue system messages flashed across Shi-hun's vision in rapid lines.
[Ally eliminated enemy: +1 day]
[Ally eliminated enemy: +1 day]
[Ally eliminated enemy: +1 day]
[Ally eliminated enemy by fire: +1 day]
His lifespan rocketed upward—500… 700… 900 days—rising like floodwater. The feeling of harvesting resources without lifting a finger was sweeter than anything. This was the true privilege of a king.
But then, amid the gunfire and flames, a heavy footstep shook the ground.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A colossal shadow burst through the wall of fire. A three-meter-tall boss monster—muscles bursting through bone-plate armor, black veins bulging—charged forward and smashed a pickup truck barricade aside.
"Shit! The barricade's breached! Shoot it! Shoot it!"
The survivors poured fire into the boss, but 5.56mm rounds and buckshot only sparked off its bone armor. It roared so loudly ears nearly burst and raised a massive bony fist to smash the defenders.
"Fall back," a calm, icy voice rang out from behind.
Shi-hun stepped forward and stood directly in front of the giant boss at the mall entrance. Amid smoke and embers, he did not summon the DShK. He needed one decisive strike of overwhelming destruction.
He shouldered the RPG-7 he had just disassembled, posture perfect, black suit catching the firelight.
His pitch-black eyes sighted through the scope at the monster's chest.
"Take your welcome gift, you ugly bastard."
Fwoooosh!
The high-explosive warhead streaked forward, trailing white smoke, and slammed into the center of the boss's bone armor.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The colossal blast shook the entire building. The three-meter monster was torn in half in an instant. Black blood, biological waste, and huge bone fragments sprayed across the plaza. The boss collapsed into the flames and died on the spot.
[You have slain a high-level mutated monster: +50.0 days]
[Harvest summary for the night: 874 enemies eliminated | Total lifespan gained: +924.0 days]
With the boss dead, the remaining zombies lost cohesion and were quickly wiped out. Cheers erupted across the plaza. The survivors had defended their base against a thousand-strong horde with zero casualties. Every eye turned back to the man in the black suit holding the RPG with absolute reverence and unbreakable faith.
Dawn arrived. The first sunlight fell on the charred zombie corpses. Shi-hun did not join the celebration. He walked alone to the quiet parking plaza and stared at the golden system window glowing before him.
[Current lifespan: 1,256.0 days]
[Conditions met: System can now upgrade to Level 4]
[Upgrade cost: 1,000.0 days | Confirm Y/N]
One thousand days… an enormous price. But for Shi-hun it was the most worthwhile investment. He did not hesitate for even a second.
"Confirm."
WHOOSH!
The moment he spoke, the sharpest and most violent pain of his life struck. It was not muscle pain—it felt like a million red-hot steel needles stabbing through his skin, bones, brain, and heart at once.
His body shook violently. He dropped to one knee. Every muscle fiber and tendon was torn apart and rewoven at the cellular level. His bones compressed and reinforced with a grinding crack. Nosebleed trickled down, but he only clenched his jaw, refusing to make a sound. His senses sharpened exponentially—he could hear ash flakes striking the ground. His physical stats soared past human limits once more.
When the agony faded and the golden light dimmed, Shi-hun opened his eyes. They were colder, deeper, and far more powerful than before.
[Upgrade complete: God's Shop Level 4]
[New Feature 1 unlocked: Clone Ego (Personality Assignment for Clones)]
[New Feature 2 unlocked: Vehicle Integration (Vehicle Disassembly)]
"Interesting…" Shi-hun whispered. He wiped the nosebleed with a black handkerchief from his suit pocket, then immediately read the Level 4 explanations.
The system stated that his Meat Clones were no longer emotionless puppets. He could now assign full personality, thought patterns, and speech, allowing them to negotiate, command, or conduct psychological warfare on his behalf while remaining 100% loyal.
"Let's test it," Shi-hun plucked a single hair.
[Activate skill: Meat Clone (Clone Ego) | Lifespan cost: 20.0 days]
[Please define personality…]
"Make it… a polite sadistic gentleman. Eloquent and charming, with dark humor that enjoys mocking victims, and fanatically loyal to me."
Whoosh!
Blue particles swirled. An identical young man in the same black suit and undone shirt appeared. But the difference was unmistakable: his eyes held cunning mischief, and a faint, dangerous smile played at his lips.
The clone adjusted his suit collar with elegant precision, then bowed gracefully like a perfect English butler.
"Good morning, boss…" the clone spoke for the first time, voice smooth yet laced with hidden cruelty. "What a bright morning filled with the lovely smell of roasted meat… Is there any trash, or anyone, you would like me to grind into bone dust on your behalf? I'm itching to hear someone scream."
Shi-hun chuckled in satisfaction. The clone was perfect. It would be an excellent representative for negotiating with enemies. "Excellent… stand by over there."
He turned to the second new feature: Vehicle Integration. The system explained that vehicle mass was too complex to disassemble in a damaged state. "To disassemble a vehicle, first spend lifespan to repair its structure and engineering to 100% perfection. Only then can the system record the blueprint and store it."
The logic made perfect sense to Shi-hun. The system required a flawless blueprint for perfect recreation.
He walked to Kwang-ho's riddled six-wheeled armored truck and placed both hands on the hood.
[Target detected: Modified Six-Wheeled Armored Truck]
[Status: 70% damaged]
[Repair to full structural integrity required: 50.0 days lifespan | Confirm Y/N]
"Confirm."
Golden light enveloped the entire vehicle. Metal groaned and gears whirred. Every bullet hole sealed itself. Bent plates straightened and thickened. The destroyed V8 diesel engine rebuilt itself as if fresh from the factory.
When the repair finished, the truck stood in perfect 100% condition. Shi-hun gave the final order.
"Disassemble."
WHOOOOOOSH!
The massive six-wheeled armored truck—many tons of steel—shuddered, then exploded into a colossal storm of blue-and-gold pixels that poured into Shi-hun's palm. The parking plaza was suddenly empty.
[Vehicle recorded: Six-Wheeled Armored Truck stored in System Shop]
[Remaining lifespan: 186.0 days]
Shi-hun lowered his hand. He now possessed an armory, endless supplies, and an armored vehicle he could summon from thin air anywhere, anytime.
He adjusted his suit jacket and turned to the newly sentient clone. A cold smile appeared on his face.
"Alright, Number One," Shi-hun addressed the clone. "Your first task this morning is to gather my administrative subordinates. Order them to clear all zombie corpses in front of the mall, set new guard shifts, and make sure no one disturbs me upstairs."
Clone Number One bowed with perfect politeness, a sadistic smile curving his lips. "Understood, boss… Rest well. Leave the whipping and disciplining of the ants to me."
Shi-hun nodded in satisfaction. He did not even glance back at the devastated parking plaza. The King of Ash turned and walked silently back into Mega Mall Seoul, heading straight for the most luxurious and quiet executive suite on the third floor.
He dropped onto the king-sized bed, letting darkness and deep, peaceful sleep claim him, leaving the chaos and the broken world behind… at least until he woke to claim everything once more.