🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 3
“Mmm… this is so goooood…”
When I came to my senses, my mouth was already full of perfectly cooked ramen.
In a daze, I had completed the mission and even added eggs from the fridge while cooking it.
One spoonful of broth, one drop of tears.
One bite of noodles, two drops of tears.
Tears are supposed to be salty. But mixed with the already salty ramen broth, I couldn’t taste them at all.
My hands trembled as I kept stuffing noodles into my mouth without stopping.
The barely-chewed noodles slid smoothly down my throat, warming my empty stomach.
I devoured an entire pack of ramen in an instant. Only then did I snap back to reality and look around my small apartment.
Two eggs from the fridge and a piece of seasoned fried chicken from the freezer lay scattered on the floor.
“Wow… there’s no way a dream could feel this real.”
Then again… maybe heaven could feel this real.
Poor Dorothy. Imagining heaven just because of a bowl of ramen.
I gulped down the remaining broth and smacked my lips in regret.
I was used to eating little, so my stomach felt full—but after so long without proper food, my cravings had gone wild.
At that moment, I understood the feeling of Kim Cheomji’s wife, who died after overeating poorly cooked rice.
Who knows when I’d be able to eat again? I wanted to stuff everything I could into my stomach until it burst.
“Phew… calm down, Dorothy. You’ve had carbs, so get a grip.”
I mechanically got up, carried the dishes to the sink, and picked up the eggs and fried chicken from the floor.
Holding them felt… strange.
The cold shell of the eggs and the frozen texture of the chicken felt real—and yet not real at all.
A reality where things that shouldn’t exist… did exist.
Lost in that contradiction, I stared blankly into space.
At that moment, as if waiting for it, the system window displayed new information:
[If you say “Inventory,” you can view all items possessed by the NPC.]
“…An NPC with items? This really feels like I’ve entered a game.”
After staring at the system window for a while, I finally made up my mind.
No harm in trying.
“I-In… Inventory.”
My voice came out awkwardly.
Moments later, a large inventory window filled my vision.
{NPC Dorothy (Living Alone)’s Inventory}
Food Items Weapons Uncategorized
▽▼▽▼ Inventory Shop ▼▽▼▽
Resisting the urge to click the shop, I checked the food category first. My pitiful bank balance came to mind.
Food Inventory
-
Shelf 1: Jin Ramen (0/1), Hot Chicken Noodles (1/1), Jjajang Ramen (1/1)
-
Fridge: Eggs (3/4), Imitation Crab (4/4), Ketchup (0.3/1), Mayonnaise (0.5/1)
-
Freezer: Pizza Cheese (0.2/1), Seasoned Fried Chicken (2/2), Meat Dumplings (4/4)
※ All food items are replenished after 24 hours.
“…Hmm.”
This setup felt familiar.
It was exactly what I had left at home on the first day of the lockdown.
I remembered regretting not buying ramen in bulk when I saw I only had three packs left.
But it couldn’t be helped. Nearby stores had already been looted, and deliveries never came.
I reread the list again and again, then noticed the refill note.
The ramen I just ate now showed as zero—but it would refill after 24 hours.
“…Ah. This really is heaven.”
Let’s just think of it that way.
NPC, inventory—I don’t care. It’s heaven.
If it’s unreal anyway, what does it matter whether it’s heaven or somewhere else?
Though… an instant-food heaven is a bit disappointing.
No rice. No kimchi.
Just imagining warm white rice with kimchi made saliva pool under my tongue.
If I had roasted seaweed, it would be perfect. Add a slice of spam? Even better.
“Ah! There was that inventory shop earlier. Do they sell kimchi?”
My heart pounded as I opened the shop.
At the top right, my disaster support points glowed modestly.
Only 10,000 points.
I still couldn’t get over the shock.
My salary was over 2 million won…
Phone and insurance: about 200,000.
Rent and maintenance: 500,000.
Living expenses: 800,000.
…Ah. Dad’s birthday.
No wonder I was broke.
“Wait… didn’t I have savings? Stocks? …Oh! My housing subscription!”
My eyes lit up.
I had been depositing 100,000 won monthly. There should be over 3 million won in there.
But the system had only converted 10,000 won into points.
“This damn system… where did my 3 million go?!”
I searched the interface frantically.
Luckily, a faint glowing [!] icon appeared.
[NPC Center: Press and hold the red button below to leave feedback.]
“…There really is one.”
A heaven with an NPC support center.
I sighed and submitted a complaint about my missing money, then browsed the shop.
As expected, 10,000 points couldn’t buy anything.
Prices were insane.
[Ramen (1 pack) – 20,000 points]
“What?! That’s ridiculous!”
I checked other items.
[Fresh Kimchi 100g – 50,000 points]
[Cubed Radish Kimchi 100g – 50,000 points]
[Green Onion Kimchi 100g – 50,000 points]
“Are these coated in gold?!”
It felt like experiencing the inflation of decades into the future.
Like a kid entering a store with only 100 won.
Still, there were all kinds of items—even unexpected ones.
There was even voice search.
The weapons category simply said:
[Given as rewards when visitors complete missions.]
“So basically… I can’t buy anything.”
Half-giving up, I used voice search.
“…Is there really nothing I can buy with 10,000 points?”
Unexpectedly, one item appeared.
[Heated Clay Sauna Uniform (Men’s) – 10,000 points]
“…What?”
Why this?
I clicked it.
Different sizes. Familiar design.
I quickly closed the window and lay down.
I decided to pretend I never saw it.
At least 100,000 points would be needed to buy anything useful.
Still… having food was enough.
Just lying here with a full stomach felt like everything.
I rested my head on the pillow.
A fresh soap scent filled the air.
“…Wait.”
Wasn’t it musty before?
Now it smelled clean—like sun-dried laundry.
“Does it clean itself too…?”
“…Wow.”
Heaven really is something else.
I buried my face into the blanket, amazed at how quickly I was adapting.
Humans really do go half-crazy in extreme situations.
Honestly, this was better than a life with no hope, no food, and no future.
At least I wasn’t starving in fear of death.
Hope for a better life?
I had long since abandoned that.
So whether this was a dream, heaven, or something else—it didn’t matter.
I just wanted to enjoy this fleeting luck.
Because who knew when disaster would strike again?
Just as I reached that conclusion—
DING!
[Item 지급: “Guide for Shelter Owners in Disaster Settings”]
“A guide…? Ahh!”
Before I could react, a brick-like book appeared midair and smacked me in the face.
“Ugh…!”
Rubbing my face, I teared up slightly.
So this wasn’t a dream… or heaven.
“A guide for shelter owners…?”
“And ‘disaster setting’…?”
What?
Did I get thrown into some kind of disaster novel?
The shock cleared my mind instantly.
I lifted the heavy book and sat up.
It looked like a vintage tome you’d find in a museum.
My neck stiffened.
With trembling hands, I carefully opened the first page.
