A leisure day

After resting for a while in the shelter, Jim sat at the table where the tablet was fixed and opened the shop to buy a few daily essentials: a large bucket, a set of towels, and a new dress. This purchase emptied all the points he had earned that day by killing zombies in the forest, bringing his balance back to zero.

He used some stored water in the shelter to cleanse himself with a damp towel, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and put on the survivor's jacket to stay warm, as the nights were typically cold.

Then he sat back at the table and started browsing the regional chat channel to learn about the outside world.

 As soon as he opened the channel, he saw that many were talking about the family shelters established in the regional area.

Initially, there were at least 10,000 shelters in the region, but following the implementation of the family merger policy, the number has decreased to approximately 3000 shelters.

Currently, approximately 2,000 shelters house 4 members each, 500 shelters accommodate 3 members, 200 shelters have 2 members, and only about 100 shelters have a single member.

These shelters, as if coordinated before relocation, have all moved into the city or its periphery.

According to the details revealed in the chat, Jim found that the city consists of an abundance of resources available to collect, except for wood and stones, which Jim found abundant in the wild. 

-------------Chat-------------

As Jim opened the chat channel and scrolled up and he found the survivors were talking about the shelter expansion.

Anonymous (4-1567) : I thought with my family being get together we can get more survival points collectively and we can use them to increase the shelter's area effortlessly without going out to hunt the zombies present in the city, but what the hell, even after the members increase the points allocated were same as the time when I was alone.

 Anonymous (2-58): "Yes my wife and I have to go hunt the zombies whether we like or not to expand the shelter and purchase the supplies in the store."

Anonymous (3-73): "Why buy the supplies in the store by spending such huge expense, why don't you go and collect the supplies in the city which are readily available to pick up for free."

Anonymous (2-58): What you dare to go inside the other houses without finding out about the number of zombies hiding inside.

Anonymous (4-79): "Why do you have to go inside to hunt zombies, just built a small trap at the front side of the building and make a huge noise to attract the zombies outside and wait for them to fall into your trap and kill them."

Anonymous (4-899): "Don't listen to the ideas from others, hunt only what you can handle as attracting more zombies exceeding your strength will lead to your doom."

Anonymous (2-58): "Yes what if we attract the zombies inside the rooms but also those from outside? It would surely lead to our demise I currently lack the strength to confront multiple zombies. For now, will only hunt in safe locations, patiently biding my time to grow stronger before gathering supplies in my vicinity."

Anonymous (3-127): I don't think the system will give us time to slowly grow stronger, I think the next upgrade will be the final upgrade for our survival and then we will have to survive on our own. 

Anonymous (2-25): Don't speculate mister, why make other's fear of future when we are facing uncertainty in the present, just share your ideas for survival instead of speculating.

Anonymous (1-74): Although I disagree to speculations mostly, but I think what (3-127) said is mostly correct. I have shared a thread in the chat and pinned it in the chat group you all can go and see it and verify my conjecture.

Jim saw the message and immediately open the link to the thread he has shared and found his conjecture.

Anonymous (1-74): As you have seen how the system operated, it is slowly and surely making adjustments for our survival in the world.

Anonymous (1-74): At first it gave talent awakening chance to the people who dared to fight and explore a sure chance to awaken their talents then it found that human are social creatures who can't achieve grand goal without grouping together, so it allowed family members to group so they can support them in the adventure and adjust to the world.

Anonymous (1-74): Until now who has not dared to fight alone and survived with bare necessities are now forced to face the Reality and fight with their life on the line to earn points as the system has shown the awakening of talent is possible through spending the points he collected by hunting the zombies.

Anonymous (1-74): The next time it might even remove the store which will make the survivors to get outside their shelters to collect food in the city to live. 

Anonymous (1-74): So, I will only suggest everyone to go out and hunt the monsters outside your shelter to earn points, awaken your talent before it's too late and strive survive using your talent instead of waiting for others to come and rescue you or help you by donating their supplies.

Jim agreed very much with the conjecture and sent a like to the post and began thinking about his future.

If what the post detailed comes to become real, it will become really tough to survive alone in the forest where he can't get any supplies.

At first Jim thought of leaving the forest tomorrow to enter the city, but now he knows he can't enter the city now as many who has seen the post will desperately scavenge for supplies which will create few frictions in the city between people.

Now he will only hunt in the forest until the next month and try to make his shelter to cover the entire 100 square meter cave.

Then he has to design a handheld crossbow as hunting with the slingshot is not practical as it has poor aim and low distance lethality.

With crossbow he can hunt wildly in the forest from a distance and collect enough points to upgrade the shelter and buy enough supplies for him to survive until few years, even if he is isolated from world.