Hiding a House in the Apocalypse

No matter how famous I was in the mainland internet world, in the new realm of Jeju’s intranet, I was just a newbie.

In other words, I was a nobody.

There was a time when I had spent years as an unknown.

Back then, just observing the thoughts and actions of other users was enough to entertain me and give me a sense of solace.

But as my time online stretched on, my ego could no longer remain a mere spectator or passive viewer—it wanted to be the star of the stage.

And so, SKELTON became a well-known name on both Viva! Apocalypse! and PaleNet.

But once someone rises to fame, they can never go back to being a nobody.

That wasn’t something I heard from anyone else—it was my own realization.

Still, as a named figure on two major sites, shouldn’t I be treated differently from an ordinary user?

SKELTON: (SKELTON greeting) Fresh newbie SKELTON reporting to the esteemed Red Archive board seniors with the deepest respect~

It looked like a greeting, but it wasn’t.

This was groundwork—an attempt to imprint the name SKELTON into the minds of kids at least ten years younger than me.

I posted the message and monitored the board’s reaction.

Earlier, some guy named “Miyuki’s Pimp” had reacted to my first post. Would he respond this time as well?

After posting, I gave it five minutes before returning to my computer.

ProDisgracefulSon: Shit, immediate front-row attention (12)

Pangsik: My lil’ guy got stiff again...

Siheon: Looking for a bro to lend me Miyuki ver. 3 (1)

SKELTON: (SKELTON greeting) Fresh newbie SKELTON reporting to the esteemed Red Archive board seniors with the deepest respect~

Amaseka: If it’s 2582, can it avoid flooding? (3)

ㅇㅇ: Unexpectedly tasty side dish (9)

4.5Grade: So it got pushed back by Eris Misa and won’t see use? (1)

“Huh?”

No response.

Every other post had at least one reply—aside from the garbage posts about guys getting hard.

A cold, creeping sensation ran down my spine, and my fingers twitched involuntarily.

“….”

Was I being ignored?

Had they somehow figured out my age?

Even back at the dorms, I could tell the younger guys avoided me.

Same thing at the cafeteria.

In this world, where the 10s and 20s dominated, a guy in his 30s might as well be from another planet.

No matter how young I looked or how stylish and handsome I was, that fundamental barrier wouldn’t change.

Hell, when I was younger, even guys in their mid-to-late 20s felt like old men to me.

It was only natural they’d feel the same toward me now.

If I wanted to integrate into any group, I needed to understand its dynamics first.

The Red Archive board, as I mentioned before, was tied to a mobile game that launched before the war.