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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Demian04 and One Other
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Most of us doomsday preppers are men. Single men, at that.
I've never seen a female participant at John_nenon's meetups, and I've never read a post on the community hinting that the poster was a woman.
A little thought makes the reason obvious.
We're doomsday preppers—guys who pray for the end of the world and perform rituals to make it happen.
If we were grateful for the current world and living in the moment, we'd pray for things to stay the same instead of preparing for apocalypse.
What if monsters suddenly vanished and no war broke out? What would become of us?
In my case, Park Gyu?
Fucked...
Not just fucked—straight to hell.
Proof of that sits right there on my phone, antenna long dead.
[Web] (Shinheon Bank) Notice: Auction scheduled for Park*Gyu account collateral loan [Web] (Sanwang Money) Park Gyu account: Notice of creditor transfer for Ladies Loan delinquency [Web] This is Silla Credit Information. http://sinramoneytaker.co.kr/...
I'd dumped construction equipment into worthless land, and when money ran short at the end, I took out loans figuring I'd never pay them back.
No way a vibrant flower of a woman would show up in a dump like that.
But then, out of nowhere, a female user appeared. No warning at all.
This was one year and seven months after the war began.
*
After more than a year in a bunker, everyone hits the same wall.
Lack of fun.
I don't drink or smoke.
I might have a light one in a safe spot, but drinking alone leads to addiction, and addiction leads to death.
Cigarettes are a decent pastime and valuable barter, but they attract people.
I've experienced firsthand how a long-term smoker's nose rivals a dog's.
Finding fun elsewhere isn't easy either.
No TV dramas on schedule, no bars to meet friends.
Team sports like soccer? No team.
Group survivalists might manage, but solo like me? Can't even play ping-pong.
I considered fishing, but radiation in the nearby reservoir wouldn't drop, so I quit.
As customers increased, I spent more time in the bunker, shifting hobbies indoors.
Honestly, right now, the most fun entertainment is our doomsday community, Viva! Apocalypse!—no exaggeration.
People with similar mindsets sharing similar plights.
Yes, there are weirdos like I'mGesus, Dongtanmom, Human Hunter—but plenty of upstanding ones like me.
Now, over a year and a half in, even longtime lurker me posts actively.
Reasons are mixed: boredom, craving connection, not wanting our precious community to fade as members vanish one by one.
The result?
💬 Viva! Apocalypse! Posts — SKELTON (Skeleton Daily) Dinner tonight lol — SKELTON (Skeleton Story) Hot news from military freq yesterday — SKELTON (Skeleton Making) Tried making a wool felt doll! — SKELTON (Skeleton Video) Skeleton's beatbox (3)
For some reason, my community persona was starting to resemble my mentor, John_nenon.
But not a full copy.
He just prefixed (John_nenon), but I added specifics like (Skeleton Video) for reader convenience.
Unlike him, though, zero popularity. Views always single digits, no likes, no comments.
Limits of a talentless hack with no skills or knowledge to share.
Seeing popular users like ex-webtoon artist DragonC with fancy daily comics or Anonymous118 uploading crude homemade games, I get why John_nenon got so much flak.
Hanging in the bottom ranks, I naturally spotted similar strugglers.
Tenacious novelists posting despite binary views, weirdos uploading grotesque nudes with blind confidence, Sea Monkey Papa serializing his sea monkey diary, etc.
Sea Monkey Papa might've fared better with something else...
Among this underclass, there's Demian04.
He constantly posted ballpoint sketches. Talent? Not a sprout in sight.
His subjects: long straight-haired women (sorta), drawn at ghost photo level—which is forgivable—but the boobs? Exaggerated.
Not just exaggerated: two rice sacks.
Malnourished as a kid?
He stuck to modern art uploads, rarely sharing thoughts.
His dogged posting of those ugly tit-monsters is why I remember him.
Then, suddenly, he got chatty.
*
🔍 Search Results demian04 – 4,553 results — Demian04 Yuri, you're so pretty~ — Demian04 Picked a flower for Yuri today and snapped a pic. — Demian04 Demian's food storage now.jpg — Demian04 (Demian04 Food) Dinner tonight, too bad to eat alone~ lol — Demian04 (Demian04 Art) Fanart for Yuri!! — Demian04 (Demian04 Story) Just chased off some refugees
"...Huh?"
No, why is this guy suddenly copying me?
That weird prefix is John_nenon's trademark, but I refined it stylishly.
Demian04's copying me, not John_nenon.
Reason's obvious.
No brag, but I've gained a bit of traction lately.
⭐ Popular Post — SKELTON (Skeleton Story) Memories with Chairman Je Phong-ho (1)
My serialized tale of chaebol encounters struck a chord with picky Viva! Apocalypse! Korean board users.
Part 3 even hit the hot posts.
Demian04 must've read it.
But why the sudden chatter?
In these end times, people snap overnight or act out of character all the time.
Stress buildup, harsh truths, threats, disease, radiation, drugs, future anxiety—plenty to drive us mad.
Demian's madness took a different path.
— Demian04 (Demian04) Fanart for Yuri!!
I clicked one of Demian's posts.
His usual nymph-like long-haired woman.
As atrociously bad as ever, but to my eyes—having seen all his work—one difference stood out.
Effort.
A ton of it.
Suddenly wondered: Who's this Yuri?
Real person? Imaginary girlfriend? Never seen one here.
This world's got no women to begin with.
Mystery unsolved, I asked the community.
— SKELTON (Skeleton Q&A) Who the hell is Yuri?
Help came from an unexpected source.
Message from Defender: Looks blocked. Turn on "Show blocked user posts."
The Human Hunter.
Psycho killer IRL, but online? A bit edgy, but straight-talking gem.
Real-life bastard, internet sage. Usually it's reversed.
Anyway, followed his advice, enabled "Show blocked posts," and truth emerged.
— Yuri_need_man Yuri's here~ — Yuri_need_man One shot after makeup in ages — Yuri_need_man Depressed — Yuri_need_man Miss Starbucks
"What the...?"
A woman.
Young and pretty.
Selfies with every post—not full face, but clear early-20s beauty.
Curves oozed sex appeal; she dressed to show it off.
Lots of tattoos, I recall.
Shot inside a bunker, recent—not old pics.
But.
"Huh?"
My innocent face hardened.
Trap.
Why'd I block Yuri_need_man?
Didn't block Yuri.
Blocked the guy using her account.
Checked.
👤 Account Info 🆔 Account ID: viva103472 📛 Nickname: Yuri_need_man 📝 Posts: 10,323
"Knew it."
Viva! Apocalypse! nicknames change like chat app ones, but Account ID is fixed.
Searched the ID for original nickname.
— kurogod My dad's worth like 120 billion won — kurogod Miss caviar~ Prime steak bullshit from the US won't cut it~ — kurogod Bentley I drove pre-war~ — kurogod If I'd gone all-in, I'd have a way better bunker than you losers~
Kurogod. One of the four I blocked with Human Hunter.
Daily diary of bullshit.
Voice sounded young, but photo hands looked older than mine.
Issue: He's been gone a year.
Daily poster vanishes? Only one reason.
Bunker raided, killed.
But his killers played a fun game.
Stripped his assets, found our community, used a pretty face to lure my jolly comrades.
Human Hunter commented:
— Defender No idiot's falling for this dumbass bait, right?
Wrong.
— Demian04 (Demian04) Yuri~ You're so pretty today too~ (hearts exploding emojis)
Demian04.
He stalked every Yuri post, liking and praising.
Busybody users warned him off.
SUNBI was most aggressive.
— SUNBI Hey now, young buck. Control thyself. Here's some porn via DM—jerk off and hit sage mode~
Fine so far. Obsessing over pretty girls is healthy for guys.
Yuri's real-time legging shots? Even I saved 'em.
But all good things end.
Raiders showed fangs.
— Yuri_need_man I'm lonely and need protection. Any guy can shelter me one night?
Raiders cast the death hook.
With killer lingerie pic.
One outcome loomed prophetic.
— Demian04 Coming!
Prophecy fulfilled.
Demian bit in under a second.
"Holy... shit."
A year and a half post-war, our community had a bond—not Rupert Reichpalace level, but solid. Everyone tried pulling him back.
— Defender Don't. Warned you.
Even the psycho Human Hunter.
I chimed in too.
— SKELTON (Skeleton Advice) Demian, follow my lead—face reality, please.
SUNBI was fiercest critic.
⭐ Top Comment — SUNBI Yuri. Warning. Touch one of our community, we won't stand by!
Backlash strong, raiders switched tactics.
— Yuri_need_man Too much jealousy, let's DM~
Direct message—private chat.
Naturally, no one saw Demian04 after.
Even SUNBI, trying to save him, vanished in disappointment.
Most mysterious: Yuri evaporated.
One-and-done? The wolf in sheep's clothing never returned.
*
A week later.
Random curiosity about Demian04's past hit.
What was he like pre-war, right after?
He started posting right after war.
Just pics, no words.
Early fave: landscapes, not mega-boobed women.
His landscapes? Stellar, unlike crude portraits.
Especially Untitled 04: sunset sea, lone lighthouse isle. Gorgeous.
Printed and hung it in my bunker.
Thought Demian arc done, but epilogue.
— Defender A bit late, but Yuri verification
Demian04 wasn't sole attendee at Yuri's murder meet.
Our Human Hunter crashed, slaughtered raiders and face model, posted proof.
Not just raiders.
Our old brothers too—treated "respectfully" (faces censored).
Stripped, beaten corpses felt different from Hunter's kills.
But two, not one.
Why two?
Demian04 wasn't alone.
— Defender Wondering who the other is?
Who?
— Defender 10
10?
— Defender SUNBI.
"Ah."