Prologue

There are three ways to survive in a ruined world.

[There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. Now, I have

forgotten a few, but one thing is certain. The fact that you who are reading

this now will survive.

-Three ways to survive in a ruined world]

A web novel platform filled the screen of my old smartphone. I scrolled

down and then up again. How many times have I been doing this?

“Really? This is the end?”

I looked again, and the ‘complete’ was unmistakable.

The story was over.

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[Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World]

Author: tls123

3,149 chapters.

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‘Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World’ was a feature-length fantasy

novel with 3,149 chapters. It’s shortened name was ‘Ways of Survival.’

I have been steadily reading this novel since the third year of middle

school.

During the time when I was bullied by iljins, when I ruined my entrance

examinations and had to enter a local university, when the damned random draw

went wrong and I was placed in the military unit at the forefront, when I

repeatedly switched jobs and am now working as a contractor for an affiliate of

a large company... Damn, let’s stop talking about this.

Anyway...

「Author’s words: Thank you so much for reading ‘Ways of Survival’ up to

here. I will come back to you with an epilogue!]

“Ah... The epilogue still remains. Then the next chapter is really the

last one.”

From the end of childhood to adulthood, it had been done over a huge

period of 10 years. There was a mixture of despondency that a world was coming

to an end along with a sense of satisfaction.

I opened the comment box of the last message and rewrote the sentence

several times.

-Kim Dokja: Writer, thank you for everything in the meantime. I am

looking forward to the epilogue.

They were sincere sentences. Ways of Survival was my life’s novel. It

wasn’t the most popular, but it was the best novel for me.

There were many words I wanted to say but I couldn’t write them. I was

afraid that my careless words would hurt the writer.

-An average of 1.9 hits per chapter.

-An average of 1.08 comments.

This was the average popularity index of ‘Ways of Survival.’

The number of views for the first chapter was 1,2000, but it fell to 120

for the 10th chapter, and then 12 for the 50th chapter. By the time it was the

100th chapter, it was only 1.

Hits= 1.

I was overwhelmed by the feeling I got when I saw the numerous ‘1’ that

appeared next to the list of chapters. In some cases, there was a ‘2’, but it

was likely someone pressing the wrong button.

‘Thank you.’

The author published a novel with more than 3,000 chapters with just 1

hit per chapter over a period of 10 years. It was truly a story just for me.

I pressed on the ‘Recommendation Board’ and immediately started tapping

on the keyboard, -I am recommending a honey jam novel.

The author wrote me a free completed novel, so I should give him a

recommendation. I clicked on the completed button, and comments quickly

appeared.

–It looks like a new anti. I searched for this person’s ID, and they

recommended the same novel several times.

–Isn’t his recommendation banned? The author shouldn’t do this here.

It occurred to me that I had written a recommendation several months

ago. In an instant, there were dozens of comments for investigation by ‘spectators.

My face flushed with embarrassment.

I was sure that the author would read this. So, I hurriedly tried to

delete the message, but it was already reported that the message couldn’t be

removed.

“This...”

It was upsetting to think that the recommendation written with all my

sincerity turned out like this.

If they even looked a little bit, why didn’t anyone try reading the

interesting novel? I wanted to give a donation to the writer, but I couldn’t

afford it because I was a salary worker barely able to make a living.

Then I received a notification that a ‘message has arrived.’

-tls123: Thank you.

A message flew in from out of nowhere. It took me a while to grasp the

situation.

-Kim Dokja: The author?

tls123—it was the author of ‘Ways of Survival.’

-tls123: I was able to complete it to the end thanks to you. I also won

the competition.

I couldn’t believe it.

Ways of Survival won a competition?

-Kim Dokja: Congratulations! What is the competition?

-tls123: You won’t know it because it is an unknown competition.

I wondered if he lied because he was ashamed, but I wanted it to be

true. Perhaps I really didn’t know. It might be a bit hit on other platforms. I

was a little sad, but it was good to have an excellent story spreading.

-tls123: I would like to send a special gift to you as a thank you.

-Kim Dokja: Gift?

-tls123: It is thanks to my dear reader that this story has come into

the world.

I gave the writer my email address as he asked.

-tls123: Ah, right. I got the monetization schedule.

-Kim Dokja: Wow, really? When will it start? This masterpiece should’ve

been paid from the beginning...

It was a lie. The Ways of Survival was a daily series, so I would’ve had

to spend 3,000 won a month. 3,000 won was one convenience-store lunch for me.

-tls123: The monetization starts tomorrow.

-Kim Dokja: Then the epilogue coming tomorrow will be paid?

-tls123: Yes, I’m afraid you need to pay for it.

-Kim Dokja: Of course, I have to pay! I will buy the last one!

There was no reply from the author afterward. I logged out of the site.

Then I felt the pessimism sink in later.

The author left without a reply after he succeeded...? My admiration

turned into petty jealousy. What was I so excited for? In any case, it wasn’t

my novel.

“Will he give a gift certificate? It would be good if it’s for 50,000

won.”

At that time, I was thinking naively. I didn’t know anything about what

would happen to the world the next day.

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