Chapter 3
Chapter 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Mentor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone has their own plans.
Even us doomsday preppers share a broad ideology, but we often differ on the specifics of how to put it into practice.
For instance, whether to engage with the post-apocalypse world, go full isolationist, form a group, or stick to just a tight-knit family and close friends for survival.
In the doomsday prepper community Viva! Apocalypse!, which I paid $100 a month to join, debates between preppers would pop up now and then.
Rather than jumping in, I was more of a lurker, and from what I observed, constructive arguments were pretty rare.
Most devolved into endless keyboard wars running parallel to each other, dragging on boringly until they inevitably boiled down to flexing wealth proofs.
The gist was: I have more money, spent more on top-tier setups and better weapons, so my way's right.
It was pathetic, but that didn't make the braggarts wrong.
More money undeniably means more thorough preparations.
For example, the nuclear-powered self-sustaining generator I desperately wanted was way beyond my budget, but for Donald Orris in the States, selling just one yacht from his collection would cover it with cash to spare.
Of course, money isn't the only thing that carries weight.
Personal strength, experience, and skills can sometimes outweigh wealth in persuasiveness.
Take this one guy.
Community ID: John_nenon
Nicknamed John_nenon. He's Korean.
Nothing fancy about why he's special.
John_nenon is a pro Hunter.
John_nenon
Pro Hunter License Verified
Hunters are guardians who hunt monsters in front of Rifts—those monster dens—to protect humanity. Becoming one requires passing incredibly stringent qualifications and exams.
In short, not just anyone can do it.
Plus, Hunters possess far superior combat prowess to regular humans and, due to their profession, have access to more classified intel than civilians.
That said, even among Hunters, there are ranks, and John_nenon never verified his specific rank.
All he confirmed was his pro Hunter license.
Still, in a community full of randos, that alone was absolute proof.
You could tell from how the rich guy debating him tucked tail the moment he flashed the Hunter credentials.
But I bring up this John_nenon guy not just for his license.
He shared a survival philosophy almost identical to mine.
Especially the idea of holing up in a remote spot accessible to big cities but inherently cut off from people, building massive survival facilities for permanent living.
A guy with a lot to learn from.
When my pricey underground bunker turned into a mold farm from groundwater seepage and condensation, his post taught me mold removal methods, why cement putty beats lime for flooring, and aquifer management based on types—gold for a newbie carpenter like me.
His approach of multiple decoy bunkers instead of relying on one for long-term survival matched my thinking perfectly.
Especially rigging decoys with remote-detonated explosives or booby traps, so if enemies take one, you just hit a button from the main bunker to wipe them out. Hit me like a ton of bricks—genius.
On top of unique knowledge, polite replies to questions, and the aura of an active pro Hunter.
No wonder John_nenon became a star in the community, especially among Korean users.
But even he wasn't perfect.
He always prefixed his posts with "[John_nenon]".
Like this:
I couldn't fathom why, but his posts were high-quality and expert-level anyway.
Then he started changing.
First, the community itself shifted.
As signs of doom became more visible and membership—especially Koreans—surged, weird vibes emerged. People started envying John_nenon, the undisputed top dog.
At first, a few sniped indirectly, the classic passive-aggressive digs.
Not outright attacking his info posts, but undermining with "alternative perspectives."
The guy, who I'd thought shared my views minus the "[John_nenon]" prefix, acted differently from what I expected.
Maybe feeling attached to this meaningless community, he started minding public opinion and eventually doxxed his face.
Up till then, he'd subtly flexed his thick arms from workouts and solid pecs through thin tees. Revealing his face was obvious: back off.
But his face looked disarmingly honest, unlike his jacked body...
And that might've been why.
Reactions in the community turned ice-cold, with open snipers popping up regularly.
Main ammo: his Hunter rank.
Yes, pro Hunter—but bottom-tier D-rank.
Some even dug up his real name: Gu Ssanghyeo.
Instead of stepping down from his community throne, the star John_nenon went full frontal assault.
He hosted an official meetup for Korean users of the $100/month Viva! Apocalypse!.
With a big project wrapping up and new plans brewing, I went for advice—and it paid off.
Ten doomsday preppers showed.
Ages varied, but I remember plenty of energetic 50-somethings with cash to burn.
The biggest group was 30s-40s, especially professionals with "certified" titles.
A few 20-somethings like me, but they seemed more curiosity joiners than serious preppers.
Late fall, pretty chilly, yet John_nenon wore just a thin tracksuit.
Maybe two sizes too small—it strained like it might burst, showcasing his boasted massive muscles in full glory.
Under everyone's gaze, he introduced himself.
"Gu Ssanghyeo, active Hunter."
Four out of ten clapped—including me.
Venue was meh, honestly. A cheap yakiniku joint going for quantity over quality.
Host John_nenon boldly ordered unlimited pork belly for nine.
Claimed he was dieting, skipping.
But the owner insisted one per person, so he reluctantly added his.
For a dieter, he outdrank and outate everyone.
Meat origins: Belgium, Germany, Chile—standard all-you-can-eat fare.
The well-off 40s-50s dipped early.
John_nenon didn't care—in fact, looked relieved, downed a shot of soju, and unpacked his prepared stories.
"War's coming soon. China'll start it. The Party's holding back, but inside China's chaos. Too many Rifts—forcing city-wide evacuations. Party's fracturing; central control's shot..."
His intel was basic pro Hunter knowledge, half a year outdated too.
Figured he lacked connections or clearance for the good stuff.
Fine by me.
I had other expectations from him.
"Hey, John_nenon. Got a question."
As his longtime fan, I'd always liked his posts.
"Who're you?"
"Nickname SKELTON."
"SKELTON? Oh~."
A bright smile lit his honest face.
"Building an oil reserve? Know a reliable contractor. Want an intro? What scale—gas station size?"
My manual labor hadn't betrayed me.
He answered thoroughly, even hooked me up with black-market construction contacts.
Despite the lighthearted vibe, solid guy.
His network and tips leveled up my hideout big time.
Separately, the first meetup was a smash for him.
Users who'd met him posted positives; his rep soared.
I chipped in too.
John_nenon liked my post.
A few more meetups followed—more like fan meets, really.
His stock rose; attendance exploded.
Last one I hit had over 80 people.
That final meet, I was in some obscure corner, bullshitting with strangers, out of sight of John_nenon.
Nothing left to learn, mountains of work—decided to quit after this.
Then a tipsy John_nenon waved me over, dragged me outside.
"SKELTON."
He eyed me with bleary eyes.
Unusual sight; I waited curiously.
"You a Hunter by any chance?"
"Me?"
"Feels like I've seen you somewhere."
"Really?"
I pondered.
Truth or lie?
"Well, to be honest..."
Before I finished,
a crowd burst out, shoving past me to swarm him.
"Bro Gu! What're you doing? News station called!"
"Reporter wants an interview!"
His new diehard fans, sloshed like him, eyeing me and him alternately.
"Bro Gu. Got business with this guy?"
One stared at John_nenon.
Surrounded by fans, he stared back at me.
"..."
His lips parted slightly, then clamped shut.
John_nenon went back inside with his fans.
That was it. Last time.
No more meets; barely logged in after.
I returned to the community a year before war broke.
"Hm?"
Sipping coffee, staring at the monitor, I tilted my head.
John_nenon's posts—gone.
All wiped clean.
Dozens of info posts, thousands of daily ramblings—vanished.
Soon I learned why.
After I quit meetups, a new mob targeted him.
Unlike the shady jabs before, these wielded a killer blow.
His vaunted knowledge posts? Plagiarized.
Copied verbatim from a French user's French board posts, passed off as original.
Flew under radar when few lurked; exploded when crowds and sharp eyes joined.
Fall as hard as you climb—community king John_nenon's crash was brutal.
Backlash flooded; even fans turned.
I checked old threads.
A storm of hate.
Rumor had it, instead of defending against the accusations, he roared a short, thick retort.
That's all I know of his fate.
Heard his area got nuked, but not that he died.
Some say signals possibly from him were picked up recently.
John_nenon—is he dead?
Or fighting to survive far away?
Pumping oil from the reserve, I think of him sometimes.
To me, at least...
John_nenon was...
a great mentor.