Chapter 3: Mentor

TL RuinsTranslator

Everyone has a plan.

Even us doomsday preppers, while sharing the same ideology in a broad sense, often differ in our specific action plans.

For instance, whether to interact with the world after its demise, whether to adopt extreme isolationism, whether to form a group, or whether to survive solely with a handful of family and friends.

In the doomsday prepper community "Viva! Apocalypse!" which I joined for a monthly fee of 100 dollars, debates among preppers were common.

Rather than participating, I, as an observer, noticed that constructive debates were quite rare.

Most debates devolved into parallel keyboard battles, boringly dragging on and ultimately ending in a show-off of wealth.

It's all about who has more money, who has spent more on better facilities and weapons, so their opinion must be right.

It's a distasteful scene, but it's not always wrong to boast about money.

More money certainly allows for more preparation.

For instance, the nuclear battery-powered self-generation system that I really wanted is out of my budget, but for Donald Oris in the U.S., it's just about selling one of his yachts from his collection.

Of course, money isn't the only source of credibility.

Personal strength, experience, and abilities can, in some cases, be more persuasive than wealth.

There's this one guy.

Community ID: John_nenon

Commonly known as John Nenon. He's Korean.

His specialty is nothing out of the ordinary.

John Nenon is a pro hunter.

Hunters are guardians who protect humanity by hunting monsters at the fronts of what are called Rifts. Becoming a hunter requires passing through stringent qualifications and exams.

In other words, not just anyone can become one.

Moreover, hunters possess significantly greater combat abilities than ordinary humans and have access to more classified information due to their profession.

However, even among hunters, there are different ranks, and John Nenon has not disclosed his rank.

What he has confirmed is his Pro Hunter License.

Well, that alone is a definitive credential in the "Viva! Apocalypse!" community filled with average Joes.

The fact that a wealthy guy debating with John Nenon backed down as soon as he saw the hunter certification speaks volumes.

The reason I mention John Nenon isn't just because of his hunter credentials.

John Nenon shares a survival philosophy almost similar to mine.

Especially in terms of establishing a large survival facility in a remote location that's still accessible from major cities but completely isolated from human contact, aiming for permanent survival.

He was someone from whom I had a lot to learn.

When the underground air-raid shelter I had spent a fortune on became a breeding ground for mold due to water seepage and condensation, it was his post that taught me methods to eradicate mold, why cement putty is more suitable for flooring than lime putty, and how to manage groundwater depending on the aquifer type. As a novice carpenter, this information was invaluable to me.

The idea of relying not on a single air-raid shelter but creating several decoys aligned with my thinking.

Particularly, his idea of installing remotely detonable explosives or booby traps inside decoy shelters, allowing the main shelter to easily 'clean up' intruders at the press of a button, was exceptionally brilliant.

Furthermore, his unusual knowledge, kindness in diligently responding to queries, and the aura of being an active pro hunter.

It was natural for John Nenon to become popular in the community, especially among Korean users.

However, even he was not perfect.

He always prefixed his posts with the header [John Nenon].

For example, like below.

[John Nenon] The Necessity of Low Maintenance for Long-Term Survival (3)

[John Nenon] Just had Omakase, haha

[John Nenon] (Confidential) Current Situation on the China Front, 2023

[John Nenon] Tonight’s dinner, haha

I didn’t understand why he did this, but his posts were high-quality and professional.

However, he began to change gradually.

The first thing that changed was the community itself.

As signs of the apocalypse became more apparent, and more people, especially Koreans, joined the community, strange trends began to emerge. People who envied John Nenon's unique popularity and influence in the community started to appear.

At first, a few people subtly criticized John Nenon, in a roundabout way.

Instead of directly challenging his informational posts, they attacked his information by presenting different perspectives.

The man who I thought shared the same thoughts, except for the [John Nenon] header, acted differently than I expected.

Feeling a sense of belonging to the otherwise meaningless community, he started to behave in a way that was conscious of public opinion, eventually leading to revealing his face.

Until then, he had indirectly appealed to others with his solid forearms and chest muscles through thin T-shirts, but the reason he revealed his face was clear.

It was to show he wasn’t just bluffing.

However, contrary to his muscular physique, his appearance looked quite innocent...

Perhaps because of this, the community's reaction turned colder, and people openly targeting him became frequent.

The main topic was John Nenon's hunter rank.

He was indeed a pro hunter, but rumors circulated that he was a D-rank hunter, the lowest in the pro hunter hierarchy.

Some even began to speculate about his real name.

According to them, John Nenon’s real name was Gu Seung-hyo.

Already a star in the community, John Nenon chose to confront the situation head-on instead of stepping down.

He organized a meetup for Korean users of the shining doomsday prepper community Viva! Apocalypse!, which cost 100 dollars a month to join.

Coincidentally, I had just finished an important project and was in the middle of planning a new one, so I attended the meetup to seek advice.

There were ten people at the doomsday prepper meetup.

The age range was diverse, but I remember there were quite a few in their fifties, who were economically well-off and still energetic.

The majority were in their 30s and 40s, especially those in specialized professions starting with “사.” (TL: The Hangul character used here is '사' (Sa), which is also a part of the Hangul for professions such as '의사' (Doctor) or '변호사' (Lawyer), etc.)

There were a few in their 20s like me, but unlike me, they seemed to have joined the community more out of curiosity than serious preparation for the apocalypse.

It was late autumn, and the weather was quite chilly, but John Nenon was only wearing a thin tracksuit.

But it seemed two sizes too small, as the tracksuit looked ready to burst, clearly revealing the muscular physique John Nenon usually boasted.

Catching everyone’s eyes at once, John Nenon introduced himself.

“I am an active hunter, Gu Seung-hyo.”

Four out of the ten attendees applauded, and I was one of them.

Frankly, the meeting place was not that impressive.

It was a barbecue place known more for being cheap than for its taste, offering “pseudo” fresh meat.

The host, John Nenon, heartily ordered nine servings of unlimited refill pork belly.

He said he wouldn’t eat because he was on a diet.

However, when the owner insisted that everyone had to order at least one serving, he reluctantly ordered one for himself.

Despite his talk of dieting, he ate more meat and drank more alcohol than anyone else.

Anyway, the origin of the meat was diverse, including Belgium, Germany, and Chile, tasting exactly as one would expect from an unlimited refill place.

The wealthier-looking members in their 40s and 50s left partway through.

John Nenon didn’t seem to mind.

Rather, he seemed pleased as the group thinned, boldly downing a shot of soju and unraveling a prepared spiel.

"War is going to break out soon. It'll be China who instigates it. The Party is trying to suppress it, but the situation inside China is a mess right now. There are too many Rifts, and they're evacuating entire cities because of it. And I've heard the Party is so divided internally that central control is impossible..."

John Nenon's information was something any pro hunter would know, and even that was about six months outdated.

He seemed to lack the connections or authority to access core information.

But, that's alright.

I had different expectations from John Nenon.

"Um, John Nenon~nim, I have a question."

As far as he was concerned, I was a long-time supporter of John Nenon, always liking the posts he made.

"Who are you?"

"My nickname is SKELTON."

"SKELTON? Ah..."

A bright smile appeared on John Nenon's innocent face.

"You want to build a low-maintenance oil reservoir? I know a contractor who can help. Shall I introduce you? What level of facility are you looking for? Something like a gas station?"

My digital diligence had paid off.

John Nenon not only earnestly answered my question but also introduced me to contacts who could assist with illegal construction.

Despite his seemingly light-hearted demeanor, he turned out to be quite a decent person.

Thanks to John Nenon's connections and information, my hideout could take a significant leap forward.

Separately, the first meetup turned out to be a big success for John Nenon.

Users who had interacted with him in person wrote favorable posts, enhancing his reputation even more.

I also joined the chorus of praise, albeit modestly.

SKELTON: John Nenon~nim, seeing you in person, you have even more presence. You exude such a wild charm that any man would fall for you!

John Nenon liked my post.

There were a few more meetups after that.

More of fan meetings than meetups, you might say.

John Nenon's reputation continued to rise, and the number of attendees exponentially increased.

At the last fan meeting I attended, over 80 people gathered.

During that meeting, I found myself sitting in an obscure corner, making idle chatter with strangers I didn't recognize.

There was nothing more to learn, and I had mountains of work to do, so I decided it would be my last fan meeting.

A slightly inebriated John Nenon gestured for me to come over.

He called me outside.

"Skeleton~nim."

John Nenon, with wavering eyes, looked at me, an unusual sight.

Curious about this different demeanor, I waited for what he had to say.

"Are you, by any chance, a hunter?"

"Me?"

"It seems like I’ve seen you somewhere."

"Is that so?"

I pondered for a moment.

Whether to tell the truth or a lie.

"Well, to tell you the truth..."

Before I could finish, a group of people rushed out of the restaurant, bypassing me and swarming around John Nenon like a cloud.

"Gu-hyung, what are you doing? The broadcasting station called!"

"A reporter wants to interview you?"

These were John Nenon's new enthusiastic fans.

As drunk as John Nenon, they alternated their gaze between him and me.

"Gu-hyung, do you have something to discuss with this person?"

One man stared intently at John Nenon and asked.

Surrounded by fans, John Nenon looked at me thoughtfully.

"......"

His lips slightly parted as if to speak, but then they closed firmly.

John Nenon went back inside with his fan.

That was the last time.

After that, I never met him again, and I hardly visited the community.

I logged into the community again a year before the war broke out.

"Hmm?"

While sipping coffee and looking at my monitor, I tilted my head in confusion.

John Nenon's posts were gone.

Completely erased.

Dozens of informative posts, as well as thousands of diary-like trivial posts, had vanished without a trace.

Soon, I learned the reason.

After I stopped attending the meetups, a new group began attacking John Nenon.

Unlike the previous covert and blunt attacks, the new assailants wielded a deadly weapon.

Anonymous338: This John Nenon guy just did Ctrl C + V from the European forum posts.

John Nenon's posts, which he boasted as his vast knowledge, were not his own work.

He had plagiarized posts from a French user active on the French language forum and posted them as if they were his.

When the community was small, he wasn’t caught, but as it grew and more astute people joined, John Nenon's actions were exposed.

As the saying goes, the higher you fly, the harder you fall. John Nenon's fall from being the king of the community was terrifying.

He was showered with endless criticism, and even his fans turned their backs on him.

I looked up the posts from that time.

RokaGG: So disappointed in you, Dick Nenon~nim... (TL: 좆내논 is used here which mean dick nenon which is very similar to 존내논 which means John Nenon)

RKKArA: Saw through the tall tales of a pro hunter hanging by a thread~

Anonymous82: Ptooey!!!!

Doyourbest321: How are you going to take responsibility?

Hasanius: Kill yourself, Dick Nenon~ ()

It was indeed a storm of criticism.

According to what I heard, instead of countering the numerous suspicions and criticisms or claiming his innocence, John Nenon let out a short, intense roar.

John_nenon: Your mom ("TL: The term '느금마' is used here, which translates to 'your mom.' However, '느금마' is an abbreviation for '너의 엄마,' which translates to 'your whore mom' or 'your bitch mom.)

Thereafter, I know nothing about John Nenon's fate.

I heard rumors that his area was devastated, but I never heard any rumors of his death.

There's a theory that communication from someone presumed to be John Nenon was recently intercepted.

John Nenon, is he dead?

Or is he somewhere far away, struggling for survival?

Sometimes, when I pump oil from my low-maintenance oil reservoir, I think of that man.

At least to me, John Nenon was...

A great mentor.