*
A place filled to the brim with the smell of ammonia.
A room that, after I’d even taken care of some serious business in there, had become the very embodiment of a bathroom stench.
Having caused a slight accident that added another twelve hours to the gallery’s downtime, I was staring at the gallery screen inside it.
[Time Remaining 00:10:00]
Now, with ten minutes left until the gallery opened.
The sound of rain and the howling of wolves filled the shabby house.
The calm before the storm.
I couldn’t even explain why it had taken so much longer than the estimated time.
But the preparations were complete.
Whether it would remain a simple mistake, or whether I could turn even that mistake into an opportunity to leap forward, the results would tell.
“I just need to post the apology I already wrote, and I’ve already decided what to put up in the Regular Shop...”
Once the gallery opened, I had to upload everything without delay, so I’d made all the preparations in advance.
The gallers’ anxiety and fear?
If I just nudged it in the right direction, it would become excellent kindling and set the gallery ablaze.
In any direction, really.
And there was also something I absolutely wanted to check with the newly added feature.
The wolves outside the house.
There was no way those things hadn’t smelled me.
“I’m dying from this myself right now, and you’re telling me they didn’t smell it? They may be really huge, but they’re still doggos, aren’t they?”
I’d wondered whether I should just hold it in until I bought the bunker, but this afternoon, I’d had no choice but to take care of it in order to preserve my dignity as a human being.
After a long, desperate struggle, I finished my business and came out, then spent a long while holding my breath while staring at the door.
Because I thought the wolves might smell it and barge in.
But the result?
I was alive and perfectly fine like this.
“They might not be ordinary wolves. I mean, I even made eye contact with them on the first day.”
After that eye contact on the first day, I’d been too terrified to even think about going outside, but on the night of the third day, I found a tiny hole where the wind was whistling in.
Through that hole, I’d checked several times a day while desperately praying, “Please, just go away,” but they hadn’t moved an inch.
No, do you not eat? Do you not go for walks? Are you even wolves in the first place?
Astonishingly, those wolves kept lingering nearby as if they had no need for such things.
Once the gallery opened, I wanted to take a picture and ask right away, but if I did that, the sincerity of my apology would suffer, so I set it as something to do tomorrow.
[Time Remaining 00:00:42]
While I was briefly worrying about the wolf issue, the upgrade completion time had suddenly come right up to the end.
“Open the apology page, put the picture to upload with it on top, and the list of items to put in the shop is written down too...”
All the preparations were complete.
And after a long thirty-six hours, the gallery finally resumed operation.
[Time Remaining 00:00:00]
[Welcome to the Ark Gallery!]
[Automatically logging in with the “Admin” account.]
[Uh uh the door opened]
[Hoo__ha__hoo___ha___!!]
[The alarm has sounded! Access to the gallery is possible once more!]
[The imperial staff working overtime did all that for nothing lolol ㅠㅠ]
[Aaaah baguette! Baguette!!!]
[Why did it take so long?! I was worried all day long..!]
[No, didn’t Admin tell you to buy three days’ worth of bread just in case? Why do humans have so little faith?]
So the update completion alarm had rung too.
Posts from elves, dwarves, and humans who seemed to have been trembling with separation anxiety quickly began appearing.
“No, why is it so fast...? I’m still writing the apology.”
The posts refreshed while I was writing the apology had already exceeded ten pages.
It was fine for now since the gallery was still clean, but once everyone’s bellies were full and their backs were warm, countless trolls would surely rise up.
It seemed like a good idea to find suitable talent to sentence to assistant-admin duty in advance.
“I copied it all over, attached the pic to the post... Perfect.”
After checking it once more, I posted the apology.
[It’s Me (Notice)]
Author: Admin
First of all, sorry I’m late
The reason it was late is because I ended up adding a few other improvements
The added functions are photo-taking, image uploads, upvotes & downvotes for posts, and a clock function
Try testing the upvote & downvote here
Sorry again for being late
As an apology, I’ll add a few items to the “Regular Shop” at cost price, so please check it out
That’s all
(Image of a skeleton performing a grand prostration)
Upvotes: +9999 Downvotes: +9999
(Comments)
- No, seriously...
-(ReformIsNeeded) I’m glad it came back safely, but why do I suddenly feel so drained..?
ㄴ You worked hard, Your Highnessㅠㅠ
- If you’re a galler who came in all tense and then got caught off guard by this deflating apology, upvote lolol
ㄴ What’s an upvote?
ㄴ I tried shortening “dog-like recommendation” lol
ㄴ It rolls right off the tongue lolol
ㄴ Upvote~
ㄴ(Admin) Upvote~
- What’s with the drawing? Is that what an image is?
ㄴ Seems like it?
ㄴ(Admin) Nod
ㄴ Apparently so^^
- A clock? Is it the clock I know?
I nodded as I watched the gallers’ reactions.
“Exactly as I intended.”
A moderate apology that wasn’t excessive.
And diverting their attention toward the new functions.
Now it was time to drive in the final nail with the new shop items.
[Welcome to the gallery “Admin-Only Shop”!]
[Shopping Cart]
[Strawberry Jam (500g) - 4P]
[Grape Jam (500g) - 4P]
Fruit jam, for the people of this place who had barely been hanging on day by day?
The moment they put it in their mouths, they would surely go mad with happiness.
[Would you like to purchase 1,000 Strawberry Jam (500g) and 1,000 Grape Jam (500g)?]
[Yes / No]
Naturally, I pressed “Yes,” and
[Purchase complete. You have spent 8,000P.]
[Would you like to register them in the “Regular Shop”?]
[Yes / No]
I immediately finished registering them so the gallers could buy them.
At the original price.
Since I’d written that much in the apology, they were items that carried my own sincerity, in their own way.
Satisfied with the clean handling of the matter, I called out to Sora.
“Ms. Sora. Are you there?”
[Yes. I am listening. What is it, Rain?]
Seeing her again made me genuinely happy.
Looking at the screen that answered immediately, just like yesterday, I felt a strange sense of stability.
“No, I just called to check.”
Honestly, I’d been very lonely.
More than the week when there had been nothing from the start, the single day that had been taken away was harder.
[I see. I was worried about how you would be doing during the gallery update, Rain, but it seems you were doing well. I am relieved.]
Ms. Sora was worried about me...?
Wow! Lady Sora is watching over me!
Since it had been so long since someone worried about me, I felt oddly embarrassed and changed the subject.
“I’ve confirmed the added functions are working, so now I can just read posts for a bit and go to sleep. By the way, when the gallery closes, do you completely fall asleep too, Ms. Sora?”
And as I was speaking, I asked a question that had suddenly occurred to me.
After a brief pause, Lady Sora bestowed her answer.
[It is not a complete shutdown. However, since external activity becomes impossible, you may think of it as a similar state.]
Not a conjecture or a conclusion, but “may think of it”...
It seemed even Ms. Sora found it an ambiguous issue to state definitively.
[Rain, I recommend that you check the gallery immediately. I suspect that the majority of the posts currently being written contain a very desperate sort of emotion.]
“Huh? What on earth happened for you to feel desperation from the posts...”
[Whyonlyathousand?Whyonlyathousand?Whyonlyathousand?Whyonlyathousand?Whyonlyathousand?]
[Put up more jam! No, put up all of it!!!]
[Putupmoreputupmoreputupmoreputupmoreputupmore]
[No, what the hell is it that made everyone collectively lose their minds?]
[Bring me some jam. I’m in a hurry.]
[I cried as soon as I took one bite... So this is what real sweetness tastes like]
[If you’re a galler sucking your fingers because you couldn’t buy jam, upvote lolol]
[Jam is so delicious! I am happy!]
[Admin, what in the world is this? Excluding alcohol, it is the tastiest thing I have eaten in my life!]
[I... s0metimes shed te4rs]
[They’ve all gone crazy over sweetness they’re tasting for the first time lololol]
“Oh, wow. They’ve collectively lost it.”
The desperate emotion Ms. Sora mentioned seemed to be madness.
And not just any madness, but a madness that craved sweetness.
“Then I guess I’ll put up more.”
Since I’d already announced that I was selling them at cost, there was no need to worry about any sudden house calls.
The 1,000 had sold out in an instant, so thinking that about 2,000 more should be enough, I finished registering them and checked the shop.
[Strawberry Jam (500g) - 4P]
[Sticky, sweet strawberry-flavored jam to spread on bread. To keep the price low, the fruit content has been reduced and additives have been added.]
[Stock 0]
[Grape Jam (500g) - 4P]
[Sticky, sweet grape-flavored jam to spread on bread. To keep the price low, the fruit content has been reduced and additives have been added.]
[Stock 0]
“Huh? I definitely just added more.”
I could once again see the sold-out status, with stock at 0.
Had they all sold in that brief moment?
“Nah, no way... I must’ve pressed something wrong and failed to register them.”
Surely 2,000 couldn’t have sold out instantly?
Thinking that, I re-registered them once more.
Then I quickly entered the “Regular Shop” and checked the stock count.
“...So I did upload them properly?”
I saw the moment the jam stock changed to 0 with my own eyes.
“Lady Sora-Sora. Is automatic registration possible for ordinary items too?”
[Yes. It is possible.]
Fortunately, I wouldn’t be sentenced to the labor punishment of registering jam all night.
For now, since the gallery was on fire, I did need to set up automatic registration for the jam.
“Putting it up is the right move, but... if even by one chance the stock is left over, wouldn’t I be headed straight for bankruptcy?”
There was no worry of dead stock forming.
It would all sell eventually, so saying bankruptcy was honestly an exaggeration.
But as someone who needed points right now in order to buy the bunker, I didn’t want to create even the possibility of items not selling and taking up space.
Now that my commission income had plummeted, wasting points was unthinkable.
“Then I guess I need to write a notice.”
Scared that dead stock would be left over?
Regretting the points used to pile up those items?
Then I just had to write a notice in advance, saying what kind of item I planned to sell and that I would be taking a slight profit from it here.
While watching the gallery burn brightly with the madness of gallers craving sweetness, I quickly wrote the notice.
[Notice Regarding Jam (Notice)]
Author: Admin
- I’m happy that you all like the jam
But since I’m putting this up at cost price, the structure is that I use my points to buy and register the item, then sell it at the same price to recover the points ㅇㅇ
Even if all you gallers buy a ton of it, eventually there’s going to be stock left over;;
So, in order to secure spare points for automatic jam registration, I’d like to sell one new item. What do you think?
I plan to sell that item not at cost, but at cost +1P.
Please leave your opinions in the comments
(Image of a skeleton winking coyly)
Upvotes: +9999 Downvotes: 4
(Comments)
- Why is Admin’s way of talking getting weirder and weirder?
-(TwoMealsADay) I don’t care, just put it up. I don’t have any jam. But this is my first meal today. I’m dying to know what it tastes like ㅠㅠ
ㄴ Our galler eats at 12:21 a.m.!
ㄴ If you’re TwoMealsADay who woke up and is hurriedly slicing bread, upvote lolol
ㄴ(TwoMealsADay) Upvoteㅠㅠ
- A question for the sake of preparation for the sake of preparation for the sake of preparation lololol
ㄴ A thorough young man lolol
-(ReformIsNeeded) Just put it all up for now! I don’t care, so hurry...!
ㄴ Even the Crown Princess has fallen for it ㄷㄷ
ㄴ Sticky and sweet ㄷㄷ
ㄴ(RespectCrownPrincessHerHighness) Where do you bastards live?
Everyone seemed to have lost their minds.
They were using the clock function well too.
It wasn’t added for them to use it like that, but still.
“Then, well, I just have to add something else sweet, right?”
My first profitable item.
Since it was the first item where I’d be pocketing 1P for myself, I figured it would be best to put up something with the best possible value for money.
In that case, that was the best after all.
If I put up an item with the best cost-effectiveness, no one would care about the original price, would they?
“Green grape candy. Let’s go with that.”
I’ll make your mouths smell sweet all day long.