RE: Survival - Chapter 2

The next day, Yohan went straight to a major bank and borrowed the maximum loan he could take. He also leveraged loans from secondary and tertiary financial institutions, even resorting to private lenders to gather as much cash as possible. After all, the world would end in six months. There was no reason to fear loan sharks or debt collectors.

He brushed aside any lingering doubts—*what if zombies don’t appear?* What frightened him far more was the possibility of being unprepared when they did.

That day would surely come. His instincts, sharpened by three years of survival in hell, warned him that danger was imminent.

He put his rented apartment on the market through a real estate agent. Since it was a highly sought-after property, it would likely be snapped up quickly.

Once the loan was confirmed, Yohan submitted his resignation. He had worked for nine years, ever since graduating from high school at twenty, so his severance pay was substantial.

Looking at his bank balance, he fell into deep thought. It was a sum that would have taken a lifetime to save, scraped together from every possible source.

Yohan began preparing for *that day* immediately, jotting down a disaster preparedness list in his notebook:

1. Shelter
2. Food Supplies
3. Weapons
4. Survival Tools
5. Transportation

The first and most crucial thing to secure was a **shelter**, commonly referred to as a “bunker” or “safehouse.”

It needed to be close to a convenience store and a large supermarket, with enough space to store large amounts of food. The most important feature, however, was the infrastructure—it had to either come equipped with a water tank and solar panels or at least offer the possibility of installing them.

Yohan spent nearly a month house-hunting, as it was hard to find a place that met all his criteria. Finally, after weeks of searching, he found the perfect spot:

**A detached house in the Ggachiul countryside in Bucheon City.**

He signed the contract to rent the entire house. The deposit was a hefty **30 million won**, with a **monthly rent of 1 million won**—but in six months, no one would be around to collect the rent anyway.

The house came with a solar heating panel on the roof and an emergency water tank—exactly what Yohan had wanted. Additionally, there was a large convenience store in the center of the residential complex, and just beyond the city hall, a variety of supermarkets and department stores lined up in a row.

While signing the contract, Yohan asked,
“By the way, I noticed the solar panel on the roof. Would it be possible to install additional solar panels?”

The existing panel was small, meant only to heat water, but Yohan had something else in mind—a full-scale **off-grid solar power system**. He needed photovoltaic panels that could generate electricity independently.

Yohan purchased **twelve household solar modules** and an **inverter** as a set. Though the installation would take over a month due to the need for multiple permits, it was well worth the investment.

The shelter and infrastructure preparations alone consumed nearly **50 million won**.

With the remaining money, he focused on stockpiling food: rice, ramen, water, canned goods, and a variety of vegetable seeds, such as potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, and sweet potatoes—crops that were easy to grow and quick to harvest.

He knew that, eventually, he would have to rely on growing his own food. Within a year, scavenging for food in the streets would become impossible.

Using underground connections, Yohan also ordered a **set of large knives** and looked into purchasing a **crossbow** and **bows**.

Although firearms were the ideal weapon, hunting rifles sold in gun stores came with limitations—loud noise, inconvenient reloading, and limited utility in the early stages of the apocalypse. Guns would become more accessible once chaos fully erupted. The real concern was surviving until then.

From his experience, the best anti-zombie weapons were a **60-centimeter hunting knife, a kukri, and a crossbow**. These weapons were easy to carry, efficient to wield, and effective at maintaining a safe distance from enemies.

Yohan meticulously compiled a list of survival gear: **maps, bulletproof vests, work boots, leather gloves**—nothing was overlooked.

Finally, he secured **a motorbike and gasoline** as his primary means of transportation, marking the completion of the first phase of his preparations.

He allocated the remaining funds to set up a **second shelter**.

The first shelter might be compromised, whether by hostile survivors or a zombie horde. He knew this from experience—he had lost over ten well-fortified shelters in his previous life.

The second shelter had to meet specific conditions: it needed to be in a remote location where water and food could be sourced from nature. It also had to be somewhere so isolated that others would struggle to find it, or if they did, they wouldn’t be able to discover the supplies hidden within.

Yohan began researching the **islands scattered across South Korea**, meticulously checking each one as a potential fallback shelter.

—

Three months passed.

Thanks to his intensive physical training, Yohan felt stronger than ever—even more so than before the regression.

He looked at the stocked shelves in his storage room with satisfaction. The sheer number of canned goods alone made him feel full just by looking at them.

He had enough food to survive **four to five years** on his own.

But living alone for that long was not the plan—nor did he want it to be.

There were clear limits to surviving alone. Yohan hadn’t prepared all of this just to live like a recluse.

He had a specific goal: **to gather strong, capable allies** and create a safe shelter—a place where survival could be secured through teamwork.

In his previous life, he had learned a hard lesson: surviving alone was unsustainable. At some point, the real threat would come not from zombies but from other humans—those who had grown savage, turning into raiders.

Yohan visited a shop near Yeouido to pick up the crossbow he had ordered.

Though he didn’t like traveling far from his shelter, this was a rare and important opportunity, acquired through illegal channels. With the crossbow in hand, his preparations would be complete. All that remained was to practice shooting it over the next three months.

He knew how to handle it, having used one during the first apocalypse. With some training, it would become a powerful weapon once again.

—

After securing the crossbow, Yohan stopped by a **pojangmacha** (outdoor food stall) where he used to unwind after work. It had been one of his favorite places—a refuge from the stress of corporate life.

Though it was called a pojangmacha, it resembled a casual restaurant-bar. A vinyl canopy covered the entrance to give it the feel of a street stall, and the establishment went by the name *Romantic Pocha*.

The **udon** he ordered tasted incredible. The thick noodles soaked in rich broth slid smoothly down his throat.

Just as he was enjoying his meal, the bell on the door jingled, and a group of office workers entered.

*“It’s already quitting time, huh?”* Yohan thought to himself.

More customers trickled in, and the pojangmacha soon buzzed with chatter.

Then, he heard a familiar voice.
“Hey! Yohan!”

Yohan turned to see his former co-workers from the **security team at Kyungseong Industries**—his old supervisor, colleagues, and junior staff, all gathered together, likely for a company dinner.

Yohan’s mood, which had been light, became slightly heavy. It had been years since he last saw them, and he had resigned abruptly with nothing more than a letter. He knew they would still feel hurt over his sudden departure.

Assistant Manager Moon Sung-chul approached and gave Yohan a hearty slap on the back. Though Moon’s face radiated joy, Yohan felt none of it.

**Moon Sung-chul.**

In Yohan’s previous life, when their office had fallen to a horde of zombies, Moon had sacrificed colleagues to save his own skin.

Even worse, when they later reunited at a survivor camp, Yohan had chosen to forgive him—only for Moon to betray them again. He leaked the camp’s location to a hostile faction, leading to the slaughter of everyone there.

Moon was one of those people Yohan had sworn never to trust again, someone who should never be forgiven. If it were possible, Yohan would have killed him on the spot just to avoid future trouble.

“Do you even know how much trouble you caused after you left, huh?” Moon grumbled.

“I’m sorry.” Yohan gave a polite bow. While he felt his decision to quit was justified, he still meant the apology.

“I thought you were always such a diligent guy. What got into you all of a sudden?” Moon asked, his hand sliding from Yohan’s shoulder to his arm. “Have you been working out?”

Yohan’s eyes turned cold.
“Sunbae, don’t touch me. You could die.”

“What? What did you say?” Moon’s face froze.

“It’s a joke,” Yohan replied, smiling as he gently removed Moon’s hand.

“But seriously—don’t touch me.”

Moon winced at the strength in Yohan’s grip and pulled his hand back, scowling.

Sensing the atmosphere turning tense, their team leader, **Go Jun-hyuk**, stepped in.
“What’s with the mood in here? Anyway, since we’re all here by chance, let’s have a drink. We didn’t get to throw you a farewell party, so this is perfect.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Yohan replied flatly.

Despite his refusal, Go dragged over chairs and tables to join Yohan. He was the kind of person who never cared about others’ feelings or boundaries—an exhausting individual.

Yohan didn’t hate alcohol, at least not before the apocalypse. But right now, he didn’t want to waste time getting drunk.

“I’ll just eat quickly and head out. I’ve got things to do.”

“Come on, what happened to you? You weren’t like this a few months ago. What have you been up to? And what’s with all the stuff you’re carrying?” Moon asked, gesturing at Yohan’s gear.

Yohan bit back the urge to say, *It’s because of you, you scum.* Instead, he gave a bitter smile. Whatever he thought of Moon, one thing was certain—his survival instincts were exceptional. Yohan knew they’d cross paths again after the apocalypse began, and when that time came, he vowed to kill him himself.

As those dark thoughts settled in, a commotion arose near the entrance of the pojangmacha.

Yohan turned toward the noise.

A man staggered in through the door—and Yohan immediately tensed, his instincts kicking in from head to toe.

White, lifeless eyes. Pale, waxy skin. A shuffling, dragging gait.

*“You’ve got to be kidding me.”*

It was unmistakably a zombie.

The survival instincts Yohan had honed through countless life-and-death encounters roared to life. His hand reached instinctively for the hunting knife strapped to his waist—a habit from three years of living in constant danger.

The zombie groaned, its throat rattling with an unnatural noise as it slowly shuffled toward the nearest people. The other patrons glanced at it with confused expressions, unsure whether they were dealing with a madman.

Everyone, that is, except Yohan.

He stood up abruptly.

“I’m leaving,” he said.

“What? Already? You haven’t even finished your meal—” Go Jun-hyuk started to protest, but Yohan was already on his feet.

He slapped two 10,000-won bills onto the table, moved calmly toward the door, and grabbed the handle.

The moment he opened it, another zombie loomed just inches away.

*Grrrrk—*

A revolting, gurgling noise erupted from its throat. Yohan didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his knife and plunged it straight into the zombie’s heart. With a swift kick, he sent the creature tumbling down the steps, where it flailed and rolled away.

Screams erupted all around him—some from the patrons who had seen him stab the zombie, others from those witnessing the first zombie tear into a customer’s cheek.

Ignoring the chaos, Yohan slipped out of the pojangmacha without a second glance.

**Yeouido** was already a disaster zone.

The streets were overrun with infected, and screams echoed from every direction. Blood was splattered everywhere, and it looked like at least half the population had already been turned.

*“Why now?”*

He had never imagined the apocalypse would begin earlier than expected. Assuming it would start six months from now had been a dangerous mistake. He should have known better than to rely on assumptions. Coming all the way to Yeouido, so far from his shelter, had been reckless.

But Yohan stayed calm.

Most of his preparations were complete. He always carried essential survival items like emergency food, maps, and weapons.

It was still early—public transportation hadn’t shut down, and no military operations had begun yet. If he stayed level-headed, he could make it back to his shelter and weather the chaotic early days of the outbreak, just as planned.

*“Still… this is fast.”*