episode_0004

There is no grand reason for someone’s death.

A slight mistake, a trivial misstep.

With just those, a person can die anytime.

But not many people get the chance to realize that.

****

The part that doomsday preppers are most concerned about is the shelter.

The shelter is different from modern apartments that have all the basics.

Water, heating, space, ventilation, even the location.

There is a big problem that the person building it has to solve from start to finish.

And it’s not something that can be done carelessly; each and every detail is crucial for survival.

It’s common knowledge among modern special forces to put grenades in ventilation ducts.

So, most serious doomsday preppers pour their funds into these shelters.

More than you might think.

“Wow… my bank account is completely empty.”

I alone spent a lot of money preparing for this.

First, finding land to build the shelter on wasn’t easy.

A place with few people, easy to monitor the surroundings, relatively spacious, and not too far from the city.

How many of these places are left in the cramped Republic of Korea?

For the sake of security, various contractors were hired in different ways for the construction itself.

Some subcontractors didn’t even know what they were building.

How much money was poured into that place…

If, by some stroke of luck, the apocalypse doesn’t happen, we’ll have to live on emergency rations for a while.

“I should consider it fortunate that I won’t die no matter what happens.”

Still, after all the hardships, the shelter that was built turned out cozy.

It may not be a 5-star in the world of shelters, but it’s decent enough to be considered a good hotel.

“It’s a bit spacious for living alone… but still better than being cramped.”

Actually, if you’re expecting plenty of space, that’s not the case either.

You need a separate freezer to store food immediately.

In the corner, various novels and comic books were piled up.

It’s quite common to hear stories of people living in shelters committing suicide due to depression.

Even mechanically, you have to prepare distractions to pass the time.

“Since there’s still time, it’s better to fill up on food a little later. Next is procuring weapons, I guess.”

For some reason, now the tomahawk, which is more famous as a meat name, is already at home.

I decided to order a crossbow and arrows, long-range weapons.

As I said, when destruction begins, guns and gunpowder are the first to disappear.

Humanity will return to the era of primitive weapons.

I went to Naver’s shopping cart and pressed the payment button firmly.

[Your order has been completed.]

A world where you can order a crossbow online…

With just this much power, you can take down bears at least.

What else would require more firepower? White-bearded whales? Giant squids?

As a citizen, it makes me wonder, but that’s not my concern anyway; it was convenient.

“In the first place, by the time I use this, there won’t be a government.”

Due to cost issues, I ordered fewer arrows.

In the first place, reloading is a bit difficult for a crossbow due to its nature.

Well, there won’t be many occasions to use it against “zombies,” so it’s not a big disadvantage.

If anything, I can modify it myself.

Next, what I paid attention to was the generator.

Even if a collapsing world comes, electricity is still essential for humans.

I need to run the refrigerator to store food right away and heating as well.

Especially in places like Korea with unpredictable weather, it can almost be considered a necessity.

I’d rather get bitten by a zombie and die.

Trembling and then dying is definitely not an option.

“I thought it would be easier to solve. Surprisingly, the options were limited.”

Solar power was rejected because of the high chance of exposure.

After researching self-generation, it turned out even turning on one light bulb was difficult.

In the end, I compromised with a dirty, large diesel generator.

The problem is that the noise is as loud as its size…

But there’s nothing I can do about that.

In addition to this, I had to carry out various construction works for other facilities.

Naturally, all of these cost money.

Now I understand why doomsday prepping is a hobby for the rich.

It’s on a completely different level than just stocking up on emergency rations.

I seriously considered buying a yacht and sailing the open seas.

But in the end, it ended as a delusion that I would be swallowed by sea monsters.

In the 21st century, taking a picture of Moby Dick is out of the question.

I’m not lucky like Ishmael, so I don’t have confidence in surviving alone.

“Ucha! This is the end!”

Putting aside such thoughts, I installed a generator and brought in various furniture. Even though it’s called furniture, it was just a bed, desk, and chair. It wasn’t a lavish room, but rather a somewhat lacking one. Still, it was sufficient for someone like me, a recluse in the corner of a room. “Hmm, it looks quite nice after decorating, doesn’t it?” I wonder if it feels the same as when you finish a long-term savings plan. It would be nice if there were some practical and beautiful bunker design contests or something. Even if I don’t win any prizes, at least an honorable mention would be good enough. “Ah~ I must have done some work. Let’s take a break soon.” Anyway, there’s nothing to do until the things I ordered arrive. In fact, it’s important to realize how the world is functioning before its demise. Well, it’s just internet community stuff anyway. Anyway, let’s go to the site. The hot posts were even more heated than before, to the point where they were causing a stir. [Title] [People who advocate doomsday theories these days are ridiculous] This post, which included a short provocation and a few captured images, quickly made it to the top of the daily best. It was followed by numerous recommendations and views. And it was a mockery of people like me who believe in the end of the world. [Comments] – Look at these idiots talking about the end of the world after seeing a game event hahaha – If it were me, I’d sell more bunkers during that time – Wow, do they seriously believe that? Are they idiots? ┕They’re idiots from the start if they had any proper thoughts in their heads, they wouldn’t be waiting for the end of the world ┕Those bastards are losers in life. Since they don’t have the will to change the world with their own power, they’d rather see the world end and everyone die – I don’t know about those who can afford it, but those kids in Korea are all poor hahaha Well, to begin with, being a doomsday believer doesn’t necessarily mean hoping for the end. From nuclear war to pandemics to global warming. Honestly, just predicting the end fills up an A4 paper and then some. We’re simply ‘preparing’ for that uncertain end. But when did people start criticizing and mocking us for that? They simply need targets for ridicule and insults. Otherwise, they would be humans who couldn’t fill their self-esteem from the bottom. “Hmm… this situation is peculiar.” I always thought that someday the ‘Last Day’ would be revealed.

That website clearly had many strange aspects.

For now, it’s hush-hush, but eventually, it can’t help but attract attention.

However, if it becomes the target of ridicule, the story changes.

Moreover, it became a laughingstock in the online community, which is well-known for its humor.

Nowadays, people just dismiss whatever comes out of it as a joke.

That indicates that there are fewer people who take destruction seriously.

The result is that bodies pile up.

[But what is that really? How can game records disappear like that?]

[Isn’t the website address also suspicious? It’s a bit unsettling.]

[I reported this, and the response from the authorities was that access itself is impossible. Is this normal?]

Noah must have felt similar to how he did before the flood.

Some felt something strange here and were anxious.

But the mockery of many others drowned it out.

“Stop with the insults and doomsday talk, you trolls. Making a fuss over just that.”

“If they’re right, we must have already faced destruction a hundred times, lol.”

“Oh, so we should at least get some attention like that, lololol.”

To be precise, they treated it as noise marketing and “consumed” it.

Of course, the center of that show became a spectacle, as well as the doomsayers.

“Oh, that site that appeared on the internet? Honestly, it’s fascinating, but believing it for real is too naive. They say guns disappear like dust in games. The Third World War seems more realistic.”

They ridiculed a YouTuber who was respected for making survival-themed videos.

“Suddenly appearing mysterious game site. Users call it ‘world destruction’? …Experts debunking nonsense.”

They were mocked by gossip journalists and self-proclaimed experts.

“Recently, an enigmatic game site that appeared on the internet is making headlines. Netizens criticize it as over-obsession, and some even discuss the dangers of game addiction…”

In the news, they were associated with game addiction and labeled as mentally ill.

The doomsayers who saw this… were delighted.

“Haha, is the site’s news real? My heart swells with grandeur.”

“Damn, Glycen has gone crazy. But why is everything about destruction, you bastards?”

“The increase in people is good, but it’s frustrating that we’re also treated like idiots. If you complain, they’ll just insult you, lol.”

In reality, there were also few people here who believed that ‘Last Day’ would become a reality. They simply enjoyed the occasional teaser.

They were just bored individuals who needed someone to share their interests and hobbies with. In other words, there was no one here who took the apocalypse seriously. Instead, there was a sense of mocking and insulting those who talked about it.

“Hmm.”

My emotions regarding this were complicated. I didn’t like the atmosphere where gamers who enjoyed the game I liked were treated as losers.

On the other hand, I also felt that this kind of reaction was natural. Isn’t an internet forum a place for emotional garbage where people can say things they wouldn’t dare say in real life? This is a problem I can’t solve.

Individuals cannot stop the flow of public opinion.

“But if this happens, everyone will just die, right?”

Of course, when the apocalypse begins, most people die. But isn’t there a difference between just dying and preparing and enduring before dying?

Yet people were treating this crisis as a joke. Even I, who had been preparing for the apocalypse for a long time, wished I had more time.

Are these people just resigned to their inevitable deaths?

“But it would be crazy for me to use what I know as if it were a prophecy.”

Evidence of the apocalypse will gradually emerge. When that happens, people will start looking for ‘Last Day’ users. Of course, not out of kindness, but to extract as much information as possible from them.

Moreover, I am the biggest gaming nerd who played that game for the longest time. Even users who have quit should remember my nickname.

I don’t want to reveal my identity in this situation.

“If people find out that I’m a gaming nerd, I might attract more enemies.”

Above all, I realized while observing the situation.

To these people, the impending apocalypse and ‘Last Day’ are nothing more than a source of amusement. Anything I say would just be seen as an over-the-top reaction from an overly immersed gamer.

I have a voice, but I don’t feel the need to scream for their sake.

“Phew.”

In the end, my conclusion was ignored.

I’ll just continue doing what I’ve been doing.

No one can be trusted when disaster strikes.

Ironically, having fewer people increases my chances of survival more than zombies do.

…Still, wouldn’t it be okay to give a warning on an anonymous site?

People here have gained quite a bit of information, too.

If I post and delete using a VPN, it should be fine.

I wrote the post with good intentions.

[Title]

[But aren’t you taking it too lightly?]

[Body]

[What are your plans if the apocalypse really starts? I think it’s better to prepare at least a little now. If you have any questions about “Last Day,” I can answer them :)]

I posted the article and eagerly awaited comments.

And after 30 minutes of being offline, I finally received a notification.

[This IP has been blocked by the administrator.]

[Reason: Stop fucking around, you son of a bitch. You’re causing trouble because those damn floating kids are left alone. Is this how you act because you don’t have parents to teach you?]

“FUCK…”

Why is it that kind people always end up losing?

****

How much time had passed since that incident?

The moment when the apocalypse was drawing near had arrived.

A time when society was completely engulfed in chaos.

During this time, I felt even more skeptical about the human race.

Then, I received a direct message.

It was from the person who had blocked me before.

“Hello, teacher. I heard you were one of those hardcore players of the famous ‘Last Game.’ If it’s alright, could I hear your story?”

I chuckled and replied.

“Well, I really didn’t have a mom, so I couldn’t receive proper home education. That’s why I might not explain things well, hehe.”

After that, I don’t know if I received another message from that person.

I blocked them right away too.