Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 10: Setting Up the Environment

Chapter 10: Setting Up the Environment

The fight at the home center.

My first encounter with survivors.

And that mess with those two idiots.

Exhausted in body and mind, I got home, nibbled some dry biscuits without unpacking, and crashed.

It was still daytime, but I was wiped out.

Woke up at 3 a.m.

Crap, my sleep schedule’s shot.

Better stay in today and take it easy.

As I mulled this over in the dark room, I heard something.

“Ghaaa…”

“Grrr…”

Faint zombie-like noises from outside the window.

I threw off the blankets, rushed to the second floor, and peered toward the embankment where the sound came from.

Thanks to streetlights and my night-adjusted eyes, I spotted them.

“Moving like crazy…”

Five zombies marching along.

No clue where they’re headed, but they haven’t spotted a human.

Way more active than during the day.

Putting it all together, are zombies nocturnal?

Or maybe they’re passive in bright light and active in the dark?

Hmm, that means scouting’s safer during the day, especially sunny ones.

Damn, I miss weather forecasts.

If you factor in sudden showers, driving’s the way to go.

Gotta keep the gas tank full.

※

Morning came, so I ate breakfast and got to work.

First, let’s test the generator from yesterday.

Set it up outside.

It’s supposed to be quiet, but will it echo at night?

I filled it with diesel I grabbed from a gas station on the way back.

The station’s pumps worked fine yesterday, but who knows going forward.

Heard some big stations have hand-crank pumps—gotta look for those next time.

Oh, almost forgot engine oil.

Good thing it was right next to the generator.

Pulled the choke, turned the key, and it roared to life with a vroom.

Not too loud for a “quiet” model.

Might be fine at night?

No, can’t get cocky.

A soundproof barrier would make it safer.

I’ll check the home center for one next time.

For now, I’ll run it during the day.

Charged all the batteries I grabbed yesterday to use at night.

Fridge and TV? I’ll decide after seeing how this goes.

Wait! A portable DVD player could work for movies… blind spot.

Gotta add an electronics store to the scouting list.

Solar batteries? No clue how well they’ll work, so I left them in a sunny spot.

If they charge, it’s a bonus.

Can you DIY a solar generator?

Maybe there’s a kit or something.

Whatever, I’ve got enough power for now.

※

Next, food check.

Thanks to the home center’s disaster fair, I’ve got a ton of long-shelf-life stuff.

Rough guess, two to three months’ worth.

Alpha rice comes in curry-like packs, so I grabbed a lot since they’re compact.

Disaster food’s got long expiration dates.

Didn’t know dry biscuits last five years.

With the gas stove, I can cook instant noodles and dry pasta now. Dreams are expanding.

But eating this daily would get old and mess with nutrition.

Fresh food’s the issue.

Cows, pigs, chickens—probably at farms, but without feed, they’ll starve soon.

Chickens might be doable, but butchering cows? Too hard, too much work, and I don’t wanna.

Guess soybeans are the “meat of the fields,” right?

I grabbed some yesterday.

Fish is the easiest fresh food I can think of.

River fish? No clue what’s edible, so pass.

Dad and I always did sea fishing, so the ocean’s the target.

Seaweed, shellfish—there’s tons to eat out there.

Our prefecture’s got a coast to the west.

About an hour and a half by car.

Live bait’s probably gone, so I’ll use lures.

Got some at home, but I should grab extras at a fishing store.

Lucky Dad’s a fishing nut—rods, reels, and gear are plentiful.

Not urgent, but I’ll plan for a sea trip.

※

Took a break for lunch.

Used the cassette stove to make ramen.

It had the shortest expiration date of anything at home.

Starving, so I boiled two packs.

Love the smell of noodles cooking.

I’m a firm-noodle guy, by the way.

Ate straight from the pot.

No toppings. Does ham keep long? Whatever.

Whoa! Delicious! The best!

Soy sauce flavor’s the soul of Japan.

Scarfed it down.

Hot food hits different…

But I need to learn about long-term food storage and preservation.

Half-baked knowledge could mean food poisoning and a lonely death.

No clue how long this zombie mess will last, so prep’s key.

Gotta scout a bookstore too.

Ugh, so many places to hit.

Zombies are making my days weirdly fulfilling!

…That’s a dangerous thought.

At least I’m self-aware enough to see it’s risky.

※

After lunch and a rest, I headed to the garden.

Started yanking out Mom’s lovingly tended flowers.

Sorry, Mom, it’s for your cute son’s food.

Forgive me, please.

Flowers feed the soul, but food keeps the body going.

Wearing my scouting gear in case zombies show up, I was sweating buckets.

Kept working through it.

Cleared a corner of the garden and tilled it with Mom’s compact hoe.

Got the soil nice and bare, shaped it into a makeshift field.

Planted mini tomatoes, some small lettuce, and sprouted potatoes from the kitchen.

Followed the seed packet instructions.

Buried the potatoes whole… hope that’s right.

Lettuce takes two months to harvest? Damn.

Mini tomatoes, about fifty days.

Growing life’s harder than taking it, obviously.

Fertilizer’s a concern, but Mom’s flowers grew fine, so it’s probably okay.

I mixed the uprooted flowers into the soil as makeshift fertilizer.

Better than nothing, maybe, probably, surely.

…Gotta find a gardening book at the bookstore.

※

Sweaty, I headed inside.

Wanna bathe… Got well water, and I can wipe down with hot water from the stove, so it’s not bad.

Summer’s fine with cold water, but winter? What then?

Boil a big pot and fill a tub?

The more convenience I get, the greedier I become.

Guess that’s human nature’s depth.