Chapter 2: Is this a rescue signal?

I found myself in an apocalypse world where not a single human remained.

It felt like the title of a Japanese light novel, but amidst all this, there was one small silver lining.

“I’m not hungry.”

Perhaps it was because I had eaten a hearty breakfast before being transported here.

If I were to describe my current condition in system terms, it would be “Very Good.”

In Doll of the Stars, if you went too long without eating, penalties like “Thirst” or “Hunger” would kick in.

‘Well, since the game has become reality, I guess the status window won’t bother telling me that anymore…?’

Wait a minute.

I was just emerging naked from a coffin-like capsule, looking for a building of a decent size to hide in.

Honestly, transmigration stories weren’t really my thing.

But when you delve into the sci-fi genre, you occasionally come across works with that tag.

So, just like how mala tang is a delicacy when eaten occasionally, I had read a few transmigration stories here and there.

And there’s one ability that every transmigration protagonist seems to have—a universal rule, if you will.

Namely, the status window.

‘Come to think of it, even in Star’s Child, a notoriously hardcore Souls-like game, there was at least a status window as a bare minimum courtesy.’

Of course, within that status window, there was a “Weight System.”

If the weight of your equipped gear and carried items exceeded a certain limit, you’d immediately suffer a “Heavy Penalty.”

‘But isn’t that what makes Souls-like games fun?’

‘And my current condition?’

I wasn’t even wearing underwear weighing 0.1 units.

I was in my natural state—completely naked.

Well, if my above-average size (virgin) added an extra 0.1 units of weight, there was nothing I could do about it.

“Heh.”

But my half-hopeful, half-worried expectations soon crumbled into nothing.

“Status window.”

“Status window?”

“Uh… Open status!”

Come to think of it, ‘I had been transported into a hardcore mode where even the bare minimum courtesy of a status window was a luxury, hadn’t I?’

“Damn you, developer, you crazy bastard.”

‘Wait, if I can’t even open the status window, how am I supposed to end the game?’

‘…Even if I wanted to argue, the only way to end the game in this mode was clear.’

‘My death.’

“This is way too Souls-like…”

Realizing this, I stopped shouting “Status window” into the void.

***

I had been transported into an apocalypse world where humanity had been extinct for thousands of years, as a completely ordinary man with zero redeeming qualities.

‘And as for transmigrator perks?’

‘Did I really expect there to be any?’

I even declined the offer to prepare something in advance because it seemed too troublesome.

That’s right.

It was me.

I even requested to start in full nudity, without even the basic equipment of clothes, down to my underwear.

‘If I could meet myself from five minutes ago, I’d kick my own balls right now.’

Hey, this isn’t some third-person game you could beat with your eyes closed.

This is VR now.

And if you fail even once, you die for real.

“Maybe this is a dream?”

You know, the cliché where if you take a certain amount of damage, you return to the original world?

Pinch.

“Ouch.”

…Yeah, no.

I quickly realized that taking a certain amount of damage would just send me straight to the grave.

“…Oh! A bonfire!”

Meanwhile, as evening approached, I was following the universal rule of all survival games: finding a safe shelter to hide in.

And what do you know?

In the middle of the ruined city, an oddly convenient space began to come into view.

A well-equipped camping tent, a grill for cooking meat, a vending machine, and even a parasol were set up in the area.

And right in the middle of it all was the universal symbol of sanctuary in all Souls-like genres: the remnants of a bonfire.

“It’s cold… Judging by the ashes, it hasn’t been used in a long time, has it?”

At first, I ran toward it with joy.

But it seemed the equipment had been left unattended for a long time, as it was heavily deteriorated.

Upon closer inspection, the tent was full of holes, the grill was rusted, and the vending machine had no power—nothing here seemed safe to consume.

In other words, this place was a bust.

This was the infamous newbie-killing zone in Star’s Child, known for being one of the hardest Souls-like games.

A save point that required “modification.”

After using up all my health potions and barely escaping the monstrous creatures that appeared earlier, I finally reached this campsite.

However, as if mocking Newbie’s efforts, the campsite where the power had been cut off was actually unusable.

…It was a place that showcased the pinnacle of cruelty.

‘I once saw the next campsite (save point) ahead, so I saved my potions until then, only to find out it didn’t work and immediately turned off the power.’

Of course, it was literally an outdated campsite.

It was possible to restore it to its original save point using an in-game item.

However, the equipment needed to renovate the outdated campsite was either extremely expensive or rare.

Moreover, it was an item you could only obtain around the mid-to-late game, so by then, you might start wondering:

“Seriously, even if it were a treasure chest, fine. But what’s the point of fixing a save point in the late game that you couldn’t use in the early game?”

Let me get straight to the point.

There’s no benefit.

Souls-like games are still character-building RPGs at their core.

‘No matter how difficult the game is, unless it’s a naked mode patch with 1 HP, what would a mid-to-late game player, who’s already stronger, do in an early-game area?’

‘What difference would it make to unlock one save point you couldn’t use before?’

‘If there’s any reward at all, it’s just the satisfaction of resolving ‘past regrets’?’

Other than that, there’s really nothing.

Then, at this point, another question might arise:

“Then why the hell does such a crappy system exist?”

Here, as a true Souls-like undead, I could smile and answer:

Because it’s fun.

And you have to do all this to complete the challenge.

The basic condition for becoming a true undead: 100% achievement completion.

In Stellar Doll, one of those challenges was ‘Visit all save points in the world.’

And it was for the sake of clearing such a challenge that I went through all this suffering.

“Well, at least reality is better than a game where even after renovating, it’s completely useless.”

***

Back to the present.

In the game, the outdated campsite was just for show before renovation, and even after renovation, it was still just a usable decoration.

But perhaps because the genre shifted from third-person to VR, it became more realistic.

It just didn’t work.

You couldn’t cook food or replenish your hydration with drinks.

But the ‘tent’ and ‘parasol’ were items that could be used without power.

Since it was an abandoned save point anyway, I planned to quickly take these two items to prepare for the coming cold evening, using them as a substitute for a blanket.

Me.

‘I can patch up the torn part of the tent with the parasol.’

Even if I found a comfortable abandoned building, heating was a completely different issue.

Moreover, my current outfit was… naked.

Even if I could avoid the grotesque creatures and flocks of birds, if I slept like this, catching a cold was practically guaranteed.

So, to avoid the ‘body temperature penalty,’ I was thinking hard about what to do, but as they say, there’s always a way out.

“It’s been fixed for too long, huh? It’s not coming out easily.”

First, the parasol.

Aside from the part I’d use to patch the tent, I planned to somehow weave the rest into clothing.

If I had a needle and thread, I could’ve made something more decent, but that’s a luxury right now.

Besides, ‘repair’ items for outfits were surprisingly one of the easiest things to find in Stellar Doll.

Even if it’s hard right now, I’ll be able to get them soon enough.

So.

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

First, the parasol! …I wanted to take it quickly, but.

“Why won’t it come out?”

‘Am I wrestling with a tree root or something?’

It’s just a parasol stuck in the ground, but it’s not coming out, almost like I’m digging for sweet potatoes like in elementary school.

So, I put all my strength into pulling it out again, even lifting my lower body off the ground.

[Danger! Danger!]

“Huh?”

‘Did the power come back on?’

Suddenly, the campsite started lighting up with a rumbling engine sound.

[Android Temporary Base – Campsite Number N9275JBS12 has detected an unknown impact.]

“An… impact?”

‘Wait, what?’

[The possibility of disappearance at this coordinate has been confirmed. Accordingly, a rescue signal will be sent using ’emergency power.’]

A rescue signal…

‘Well, a rescue signal is good, right?’

Honestly, in my current state, I’m just a regular guy (with a decent package) in desperate need of rescue.

So, in a way, this situation might actually be an opportunity for me.

At least.

Beeeeeeeeep.

If it weren’t for the rescue signal blaring indiscriminately, attracting the attention of all nearby creatures, friend or foe.

“Fuck…”

The rescue signal echoing through the quiet city, as if announcing that there’s someone here to be taken (or killed).

It was truly bad for the heart.

Not metaphorically, but literally, I felt like my heart was about to give out.