Episode 16 – Solved Shelter, Food, and Clothing (Part 1)
“Did you handle the work like this again? I told you, didn’t I? Use the proper form!”
“No… Manager, please look carefully. I did it properly this time—”
“Tsk! When your superior talks, all you have to say is ‘Yes, sir!’ That’s it! What’s so hard about that?”
‘Haah…’
Joohyeon let out a deep sigh at his desk.
Here we go again.
He couldn’t understand why this manager always had a problem with him.
“Anyway! What about that report I told you to finish yesterday?”
“Sorry? That one’s not done yet…”
“I told you to finish it! I need it today!”
“But isn’t that your work, sir? I have my own tasks…”
When Joohyeon tried to object, the manager’s voice rose even higher.
“If I tell you to do something, you do it! Why are you talking back, huh!?”
Did he just press his rage button or something?
After ten minutes of scolding, Joohyeon was finally released.
“I’m exhausted…”
When lunchtime came, Kim Minsoo approached him.
“Rough morning, huh?”
“Phew…”
“Come on, let’s grab lunch.”
“I don’t have an appetite… You go.”
“Well, after that yelling, who would? Fine, coffee instead?”
“…Deal.”
They went to the break room and made some instant coffee.
A little sugar restored his spirits.
Then, Joohyeon muttered,
“I want to quit.”
“You’re really tanking all the boss , huh.”
“Seriously, why is he like this to me? He’s been extra touchy lately.”
“Oh, that’s because he failed his promotion review. He’s taking it out on you.”
“What the…?”
“Just endure it, man. We’re salarymen. What can we do?”
“Haah…”
“So anyway… how’s it going these days?”
“You mean that?”
Joohyeon understood what Minsoo meant and briefly explained what had been happening lately.
“Goblin hunts, wells… yeah, sounds like you’re enjoying Illusion.”
“Pretty much. But something’s weird with my bow damage.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, every goblin dies in one shot.”
“In one shot?”
“Yeah. When I hit the head, it just dies instantly. Is that normal?”
“Oh, that’s the Critical Point System.”
“The what now?”
Minsoo took a sip of his coffee and began explaining like a veteran gamer.
“Illusion is highly realistic. You know it simulates all five senses, right?”
“I know. Taste, touch, and all that.”
“Right. Well, it also simulates vital points. If you hit those, your attack damage multiplies.”
“Ah…”
“The head is one of the main vital spots. Hitting it deals about 1.5x damage.”
Joohyeon nodded, organizing the information in his head.
“But that’s odd. Goblins have decent levels. You’re a production class—how could you one-shot them? Even with a critical, you shouldn’t have that much damage.”
“I was wondering the same thing.”
“Can I see your status window?”
“My status window?”
“Yeah. You can check it on your phone if you download the app and verify your ID.”
“That’s a thing?”
Following Minsoo’s instructions, Joohyeon downloaded the app, verified his ID, and showed his stats.
When Minsoo saw them, his eyes nearly popped out.
“What the—Pure Dexterity 126!? That’s insane! How!?”
“That? It kept rising when I was building my house and furniture. Why? Is it a problem?”
“A huge problem! Dude, you gain one bonus stat per level. That means… this is like being level 126!”
“And this title bonus adds 41? What even is that!?”
Minsoo could barely speak.
Level 25, yet stats beyond most rankers.
Completely absurd.
‘Wait… Don’t tell me…’
“Mystery solved!”
“What?”
“I think I know why your bow one-shots goblins.”
“What is it?”
“Dexterity.”
“Dexterity?”
“I saw a post once—dexterity affects not only accuracy but also attack power.”
“Seriously?”
“That’s it. Your crazy-high dexterity amplifies the damage. Plus the headshots—that’s why it’s a one-hit kill.”
Minsoo gulped down the rest of his coffee.
A monstrous stat indeed.
The player who wrote that forum post said increasing dexterity was nearly impossible.
But this guy… already at 126, plus title bonuses.
“Urgh!!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“My stomach… hurts…”
“You probably drank too much coffee. Take it easy.”
“…Yeah.”
No need to worry about constipation, at least.
Meanwhile…
“Mmm~ nice.”
Aren leaned back on the chair he had built himself, smiling as he admired the house.
‘My home.’
Anyone else might scoff—it was just an in-game house.
But to Aren, it felt like a dream come true.
‘Owning a real house? Impossible in this economy.’
Prices were skyrocketing.
Even the humble gukbap (rice soup) that used to be the best budget meal now cost over ten thousand won.
His salary disappeared the moment it arrived—
insurance, loans, bills, rent, food, debts.
‘Money comes in, waves goodbye, and leaves the account immediately.’
Owning a house in real life was a fantasy.
So, even a virtual home brought him comfort.
‘Still… this feels nice.’
“Chief!”
“Hm? What is it?”
Alfredo entered.
“The village has grown a bit. Don’t you think it’s time to construct other buildings?”
“Other buildings?”
“Yes. We can’t stay like this forever.”
He had a point.
So far, the village only had houses and a well.
“Then what should we build first?”
“Shops, of course. I’d prioritize a restaurant and a clothing store.”
Shelter, food, and clothing—the three essentials of human life.
Shelter was solved; now came the other two.
[Quest ‘Solve Shelter, Food, and Clothing’ has been generated.]
[Solve Shelter, Food, and Clothing]
Rank: B
Description: Humans require food, clothing, and shelter to live.
You’ve solved shelter, but food and clothing remain.
Build shops to ensure your residents’ comfort.
Success Condition: Construct a restaurant and a clothing store.
Rewards: EXP, title, reduced dissatisfaction, increased happiness, higher immigration chance.
Failure Penalty: Increased dissatisfaction, reduced happiness, residents leaving.
[Do you accept this quest?]
‘Let’s get to work.’
He was a village chief now.
These people were his responsibility.
‘Dad worked hard like this too…’
His father had run a workshop, providing for all his employees, working day and night.
A man of immense responsibility.
‘Guess it’s my turn.’
“So, how do we build a clothing store or restaurant?”
He had experience building homes, having helped his father countless times.
But commercial buildings were different.
“There are two methods. One—buy architectural blueprints from the Carpenter’s Guild.”
“And the other?”
“Observation.”
“Observation?”
“Yes. Visit other towns, inspect their buildings, and learn their structure.
It takes time, but it works.”
“That makes sense.”
Aren stroked his chin, a habit inherited from watching his father think.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy the blueprints? You already have the Construction skill.”
Purchasing blueprints would automatically integrate with the skill.
It was the standard way for most players.
But Aren shook his head.
“No. I’ll skip the blueprints.”
“What? Then…?”
“We’ll go see the real stores. I want to understand the design first.”
Alfredo blinked in disbelief.
“Chief, I’ve never met an outsider who builds without blueprints.”
If it were anyone else, they’d buy a plan and be done in minutes.
But his master? He saws, hammers, and builds everything by hand.
“Why do you insist on this…?”
“Why else?”
Aren grinned like a kid discovering a new toy, tracing the grain of the wood with his fingertips.
“Because it sounds fun.”
‘Fun? Sawing? Hammering?’
Alfredo sighed.
He’d never understand his eccentric master.
They returned to Lete Village.
“Will you buy materials first?”
“No, let’s visit the stores first—observe their structures.”
“Understood.”
They went to the clothing store and restaurant.
Thankfully, both owners welcomed them warmly.
“Hahaha! Yuel told me you helped him! You want to study my shop? Be my guest!”
“Yuel said you’re the reason she’s smiling again. Of course I’ll help!”
Their goodwill and reputation worked wonders.
‘What an incredible game system.’
“By the way,” one laughed, “Yuel complained about her noble boss like she was rapping!”
“Right? And don’t get me started on her rant about her supervisor—she’d win a swearing contest!”
Aren wondered if that was really okay.
Apparently, Yuel left her guild unattended often.
‘The Carpenter Guild’s future looks grim…’
Still, it let him study freely.
He noticed key differences between homes and stores:
‘Display racks and hangers need wide aisles—customers must move easily.’
‘For restaurants, the kitchen layout and ventilation are crucial—space for ovens and stoves especially.’
He studied meticulously.
Though different in purpose, the structural logic felt familiar.
‘This is actually fun.’
He smiled.
Building new types of structures excited him.
He couldn’t wait to start.
“That should be enough observation.”
Wiping his sweat, Aren was satisfied.
‘No point fearing what I haven’t tried. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just fix it till it does.’
Then—
Ding!
“Huh?”
A notification popped up.
[You have achieved an incredible feat.]
[You are the first Outsider to fully analyze the structure of a clothing store and a restaurant.]
[Your building comprehension has reached 100%.]
[New Skill Acquired: ‘Star’s Blueprint LV.1’]
‘A new skill?’
He opened his skill window—
and his eyes widened.
“This… this is amazing!”
