Hiding a House in the Apocalypse

According to the handbook, in this strange society called Jeju, I needed residency registration to live like a proper human.

With my stomach still empty, I headed to the district office.

There, I completed various registration forms and received my ID.

A young female clerk, probably in her early twenties, alternated between glancing at my face and my documents before flashing me a bright smile.

"Mr. Park Gyu, as a newly arrived adult immigrant, you have a one-week adjustment period. That means you're exempt from work for a week!"

"Work?"

"Yes. I don’t know how things were on the mainland, but here on Jeju, everyone either studies or works. We don’t have the luxury of idle hands on an island where everything is scarce."

"What kind of work?"

"Well, since you don’t have any special licenses or degrees… Hmm. Probably a factory or a farm?"

"…I was a hunter."

"Oh? Were you in the military?"

She looked slightly surprised.

I shook my head.

"No. A hunter. Old-school hunter, as we were called."

"There’s no record of that in your file. Actually, there’s not even a code for ‘hunter’ in our system."

"Is that so?"

I had expected this.

How much disrespect would old-school hunters get here?

Of course, in a place where Awakened were the ruling class, relics like us had no place.

"Here, take this card. It’s basically like an old-world debit card. You’ve been given a fair amount of credits. There are shops nearby, so buy what you need. Or, if you're feeling generous, you could even get me a gift."

She grinned playfully as she handed me the card.

"…"

Was this supposed to be compensation?

Seeing how friendly she was, I figured I wasn’t being completely screwed over.

In addition to the card, I received a cell phone (usable only on Jeju), an information booklet filled with essential survival tips, and a bundle of recycled toilet paper.

Plastic had become so rare that toilet paper was now bound together with string, resembling an old coin bundle.

"As I mentioned earlier, you have a one-week adjustment period. Once it's over, you'll receive a call on your phone."

I gave her a small nod before leaving the district office.

At the entrance, a large poster was plastered on the wall.@@novelbin@@

[※ Forward Base Recruitment ※]

• Exempt from labor, education, and training
• Flexible work schedule, generous food provisions
• Merit-based evaluations and rewards
• Priority for those with combat experience against monsters and mutations

A forward base?

Judging by the wording, it seemed to refer to outposts beyond the concrete walls.

One thing was clear—it was dangerous.

You could tell from the size of the recruitment poster alone.

Leaving the office behind, I walked toward the shopping district.