EP.7 The Apocalypse's Helper
"Deploy? Forget that. I've secured such a great environment ahead of time why would I go out now? I'm not going out, absolutely not."
I gave up on going outside.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason to leave.
I opened the bunker's main door and took a single step out, but returned without any regret.
I was high on the thrill of the Awakened Metal Pipe.
That's why I almost rushed out to slaughter the zombies around the bunker about 10 to 12 of them.
But I gave up. Coolly, very cleanly, I gave up.
[Name] Kim Taesik
[Gender] Male [Age] 24
[Class] Nano Warrior
[Level] F [Level Details] [Applies to All Levels]
[Rank] Special Hidden [Ability Details]
[Feature] Special Growth Possible
◈ Stats
[Power] F [0/5] [Agility] F [0/5]
[Endurance] F [0/5] [Stamina] F [0/5]
[Mana] F [0/5]100
◈ Traits
[Evasion Skill Mastery][General Combat Skill Mastery][General Weapon Skill Mastery]
[Combat Mentality Mastery][Lifting Skill Mastery][Iron King][Fast Recovery]
◈ Special Skill
[Inventory] [Inventory]
◈ Equipment
[Special Weapon] [Nano Awakened Metal Pipe] [Special Weapon Details]
[Points] 0 [Power][Agility][Stamina][Endurance][Mana]
[Daily Zombie Max Allocation] [F Level] 0/20 [per day, 12:00 am]
[Daily Training Points] [Low] 0/5 [Total 150 points] [per day, 12:00 am]
"Okay! I admit it. My abilities are centered around zombie points. I won't deny that."
Looking at the special hidden class's growth mechanism, it might make sense to wipe out the zombies near the bunker now, since zombie points have the biggest impact on the Nano Warrior's growth.
"Others might think you need to push hard for early growth in case there are more Awakened out there."
I suspect there are likely other Awakened besides myself.
Also, there's no telling how many more zombies will appear, or if they'll get even stronger.
So someone might argue it's crucial to focus on growth now.
"But for now, I want to trust in the power of this base camp I built over four months. I spent too much money on it not to get my money's worth."
But do I really need to start pushing now?
With an apocalypse on the scale of Armageddon, the advantage of my current environment is just too great.
Defending this stronghold, and making full use of its advantages, is just as important as growth.
"In the early stages, risk is always high. There's not enough information. With such high risk, going out right away when you have a stronghold like this is just foolish."
Thanks to the goddess, I had tens of billions in funds.
I poured every last bit into this bunker no holding back, I went all in.
So the bunker's sturdiness is beyond question.
Power, food, all sorts of facilities it's more than a bunker, it's practically a fortress.
In the early apocalypse, people risk their lives searching for a place like this.
And even later, people will fight to take over such fortresses.
I, who died jerking off, got to start with such a fortress.
So there's no reason for me to risk dying pointlessly in the chaotic early apocalypse.
"More than anything, the training points they made me lose all motivation to go out and hunt zombies right now."
"I've become someone who can't stand not holing up. It's your fault, training points. For now, I have to calmly rack up points through training."
The other growth method, training points, was the decisive reason for my stay-at-home strategy.
Of course, it's not like training points alone made me decide this.
Common sense says you can't get training points just by doing a few push-ups or sit-ups.
You probably have to do real, muscle-tearing training. Or maybe something mental.
So you need proper training facilities.
My bunker has those facilities.
Even in the apocalypse, I needed to maintain health and combat power through steady training.
Plus, I'm a gym rat.
No matter how apocalyptic things get, I can't slack off on training intensity.
So I set up a top-tier gym.
I spent all that money making it awesome, so of course I have to use it and get my money's worth.
Also, seeing the specs of a regular warrior influenced me.
Most Awakened would have a hard time breaking into this bunker early on.
So in the very early apocalypse, holing up in the bunker is the right move.
The stay-at-home strategy means I can withstand attacks from both zombies and Awakened while growing steadily.
"In the early apocalypse, a safe growth route is king. If you act rashly, you'll just get screwed."
Thanks to the goddess granting me a special hidden class, I have the concept of training points.
I also have a space to train hard.
For now, I think the right approach is to focus on growth using the 150-point-limited "training points."
Honestly, this method suits my personality.
I'm not the type to enjoy gambling or adventure.
"Usually, that's how it is in apocalypse worlds. Later, power struggles between survivor groups become the norm. By then, it'll be hard to train even if you want to."
"In the mid-to-late stages, survivor faction wars become the rule in the apocalypse, right? Especially with Awakened in the mix."
I suspect it'll get harder to consistently earn training points later on.
Right now, as the zombie virus spreads, people are psychologically shrinking back.
Unless they're insane or overly bold, most will lay low for a while.
Eventually, when the zombie virus has spread as much as it can, the apocalypse will enter a more static phase.
At that point, there will definitely be large-scale power struggles among survivors.
When that happens, even if I don't want to get involved, I'll be dragged into those fights.
So from the mid-to-late apocalypse, there just won't be enough time for training.
That's why I plan to milk as many training points as I can now, while keeping an eye on the outside situation.
"Besides, with zombies wandering around the bunker, going out to hunt them isn't the only way. There are plenty of other methods."
There are many ways to deal with the zombies gathering around the bunker.
I've already come up with a way to slowly "skim" their head points bit by bit.
"But this one... looks like their phone is smashed?"
Having decided to hole up in the bunker for a while, I fiddled with my smartphone.
The truth is, I'm waiting for someone right now.
During my apocalypse preparations, I had a helper.
I'm waiting for that helper.
In a way, having a helper is only natural.
I wasn't a survival expert in my previous life, nor did I regress after surviving a zombie apocalypse.
Like people say, I died jerking off and reincarnated.
Even with the goddess's help and a fortune of tens of billions, preparing for a zombie apocalypse in five months was vague and not easy.
In the very beginning, adapting to this world was even harder than preparing for the apocalypse.
Anyway, there was someone who helped a hopeless apocalypse survivor like me.
They were a huge help, making it possible for me to build this bunker base camp.
Of course, they're a person from this world.
Ding!
Just then, a text arrived.
[It's me. My phone was smashed, so I'm contacting you from another one.]
[I'm near the bunker now how's the situation out front?]
It's an unknown number.
But judging by the tone, it seems to be my helper.
"...."
I stared at the text, thinking.
"If it were the old me, I'd have replied casually even to an unknown number, but it's different now. This is an apocalypse."
Some people just ignore unknown numbers.
But I'm not that type.
When that happens, I get curious.
My attention-seeking side kicks in.
Who is it? Who contacted me? I get so curious I have to respond.
But now, it's an apocalypse.
As much as I don't want to think about it, my helper could have been attacked on the way here.
It's possible someone is pretending to be my helper to contact me.
I plan to respond cautiously, considering all possibilities.
[Surprising. You're being pretty cautious. That's a good thing, given the zombie apocalypse.]
The way they talk really is like my helper.
They're not the type to text much, but the tone is so familiar.
[Then I'll give you definite proof.]
As expected, my cautious approach was right.
The other side started being proactive.
[Your name is Kim Taesik. You're not originally from here, but reincarnated from another Earth. The reason you reincarnated is because you died after falling backward while jerking off. But the reason you died was a mistake on the goddess's part, and she reincarnated you here as compensation, giving you lottery numbers and coin info to help you prepare for the zombie apocalypse.]
This is...
[And whenever I turn around, you're always busy ogling my butt.]
It really is my helper!