Apocalypse, But Only I Find It Too Easy - Chapter 253
Sizzle!
The grease from the pork belly cooking over the charcoal heat dripped between the iron plates, sending up smoke with a hiss.
But everyone gathered around the table just watched it with happy faces.
"Yeehaw!"
"Ughhh, I've missed this so much."
"This is what living's all about."
Looking around, the guys were cheering and hollering as they drank soju with the pork belly I'd provided, chatting and having a blast.
After rolling nonstop through the zombie apocalypse just to survive, finally feeling like humans again today seemed to amp up the vibe even more.
Plus, they'd bonded hunting zombies together, so instead of sticking to their own tables, they were mingling, knocking back drinks and laughing it up.
Tomorrow they'd have to grind for me again, but for now, they shoved that aside and left it to tomorrow-me, it seemed.
Well, days like this don't come often, so you gotta enjoy 'em while you can.
Watching them dig into the barbecue party I'd thrown, a ssam came floating toward my mouth.
"Oppa, ahh~"
Yejin, sitting next to me, had wrapped some meat in lettuce and held it up to my lips.
Of course, no reason to refuse, so I opened wide and took the whole thing in one bite.
"How's it taste? Good, right?"
"Mm, delicious."
"I'll make you another if you finish that~"
Yejin was busy grilling meat beside me, wrapping ssams one by one and feeding them to me.
Didn't have to lift a finger—she handled it all perfectly.
Loved that.
"You look like the cat that got the cream."
Sohee, at the same table, shot me a glare and muttered.
"Obviously. Who do you think threw this party? If it weren't for me, this wouldn't even be happening."
"Well... yeah, that's true."
"Exactly, Sohee. Thanks to Jaehwan, everyone here's surviving just fine in this messed-up world."
Sohee nodded like she had no choice, and Miyeong patted her, chiming in to soothe her.
"Right! People outside are struggling just to make it through the day, but thanks to oppa, we're stretching out comfy here—can't deny that. If you just look at this scene, it's no different from partying back in the old world."
"...Yejin-unnie's got a point. Not long ago, we were stressing every day just to survive, but now we don't have to worry about that—we just focus on raking in coins."
Sohee glanced at Miyeong, muttered, and popped a piece of meat in her mouth.
From Sohee's view, knowing her precious mom was safe in my base had to be a huge relief—she knew it better than anyone.
"Oh, that reminds me—how'd those veggie garden crops turn out, Miyeong?"
"I was gonna tell you, but you looked busy. Harvested them all safe and sound. Some of the lettuce we're eating now is from there, mixed in."
"Good news."
Now Miyeong could handle something even I couldn't.
I could solo real combat, bases, power, water production—but food? No dice for me.
But thanks to Miyeong's Farmer trait, my base could produce its own grub. Confirmed.
Not self-sufficient yet, but shifting from endless consumption to actual supply? Huge leap.
And harvesting those crops meant something bigger.
Levels.
Awakener Farmers level up from tending their own gardens—no zombies needed.
Last check, she was level 5. Post-harvest? Probably hit 10.
Fired up Appraisal to check her status window right away.
• Farm Designation
• Fertile Touch Lv. 19
• Bounty Shield
• Crop Identification
• Harvest Identification
Spot on—level 10.
Time for the next phase.
"Miyeong, you're coming with me to Jeju tomorrow."
I said it while taking a ssam from Yejin, and all the women at my table stared at me in shock.
"Pardon? Jeju?"
"O-oppa? Jeju? What's that about?"
"Hey! Why drag Mom to Jeju?!"
Why the freakout?
"Jeju's about to become my second base. Especially for major food production."
I explained how I'd ended up there chasing the Hidden Shop key fragments, found no people, the basics.
"So I'm claiming Jeju. Perfect for food production."
"Hmm, yeah, if no one's there, that makes sense. No worries about some asshole stealing it."
"Right. Like oppa says, no people means easier to manage. Zombies might not hit livestock like they do humans, but random thieves sneaking in to steal? Headache."
They got it now.
"The little garden here was phase one test. Scale up on Jeju, no food shortages. Plus, more to raise."
"Huh? More stuff?"
"Can't live on veggies alone, right? Gotta have meat. Planning livestock on Jeju. Got Livestock Farmer trait on zombie wave day one. Paired perfect with Farmer—definitely for food."
Once meat supply kicks in for real, living gets way better.
"So you're putting Mom on it? But is she okay with that? Gardens are fine, but livestock ain't easy."
Miyeong gently stroked Sohee's worried head.
"It's fine. Gotta do my best. Probably get livestock skills with the trait. The garden veggies grew well mostly thanks to skills, not my strength. It'll give what I need."
"Hope so, but..."
Honestly, up till now, Miyeong was basically just eating our food—no argument there.
But handling food production? Easily pulls more than her weight.
"If skills aren't enough, add manpower. Plenty of that."
Some of Ha Dongseok's guys had low Strength—put 'em under Miyeong, let 'em build it up, rotate back to combat. Solid plan.
Working there boosts Strength, then combat-ready again.
"Um, oppa. Livestock via skills, got it... but where do we get the animals? Pigs, cows—nowhere to grab 'em right now, right?"
"I get the worry, but no sweat. Shop'll sell 'em. Some of Miyeong's crops were from shop seeds. Apocalypse limits scavenging, so system provides."
Yejin's point was my initial Livestock Farmer concern.
Skills but no animals? Irony.
But nah—system wouldn't hand the trait without supply paths.
Look at power/water: cut 'em off, then sold generators/purifiers when survival got tough.
Livestock same deal—shop items, probably.
Balances difficulty with patches.
Or dungeon rewards, Colosseum prizes from the wave.
Whatever— with me around, impossible's off the table.
Tomorrow: less zombie hunts, more Jeju base-building.
"How'd you snag Livestock Farmer anyway? Not easy."
"Soloed a dungeon, clear reward."
"Dungeon? What difficulty? 3?"
Held up one finger to the sky at Sohee's question.
"Nope."
"Nope? Higher than 3? 4?"
"Nope."
Her eyes widened when I said past 4.
"No way, 5? Even you soloing 5?"
One word to her disbelief.
"Nope!"
"Crazy, higher than 5? 6?!"
"Ding ding ding~"
Sohee gawked like it was absurd.
"Ha, you solo-cleared a level 6 dungeon? Unreal... You even human?"
"Human as they come, plain sight."
Unlike incredulous Sohee, Miyeong and Yejin just blinked.
No dungeon experience, so numbers meant zilch.
But Sohee'd done some—level 3 solo's a stretch for her, 6? Mind-blowing.
What can ya do?
Facts.
Only I could in this zombie world.
Chatting more, someone approached.
Turned— Yoo Sora.
Knew why.
She'd been watching us feast from afar with her crew, probably couldn't stand it.
Here to beg?
Could share meat... but not free.
Wonder how she'd play it.
My answer depends on her move.