Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 165



Only Krnovel

Episode 165

As expected, schools have training courses in interpersonal combat.

This part is largely thanks to my mentor, Jang Gi-yeong.

Other instructors said that we didn’t necessarily need to learn interpersonal tactics since we were supposed to fight against monsters, but Jang Gi-yeong said that hunters should be able to perform their missions in any situation, so he insisted on interpersonal combat training.

The wisdom of his judgment was unfailingly revealed during his long life in China.

At first, we were comfortable dealing only with monsters, but as time went on, we had to spend a lot of time dealing with another enemy: hostile humans.

I also understand the rebels’ position.

The Chinese government designated the entire area where the monster erupted as a war zone and left the people inside there like luggage, not allowing them to come or leave.

Although I did not personally witness it, I heard that mass murders of innocent civilians were committed frequently.

At the time, the concept of mutation factor had not been properly established, but there was enough data accumulating that zombies and mutations appeared around people in areas where monsters appeared, so that’s how it happened.

In the increasingly dark battlefield, we also carried out several operations against humans.

It wasn’t a mission as routine or frequent as Defender, but the rebels we were up against were armed with tanks and heavy weapons captured from the military, and had fortified an entire section of the city.

It is also true that my comrades died in that meaningless battle.

“When will the reinforcements arrive?”

The most important thing is the number of troops.

Mentalists like Jang Gi-yeong emphasize quality over quantity, but numbers are always a solid insurance policy.

One more person here means one more gun and one more pair of eyes and ears.

“······It was attacked on its way to Incheon, so there was a considerable delay. They said they would send a helicopter right away, but that is not possible. It is a situation where you never know when a mortar shell might land on the apron.”

Manager Jang said, stammering.

“So when exactly?”

“I don’t think I can come today.”

I have to stay overnight.

I stood in the shadow of the entrance and looked up at the sky.

There are only four visible ones.

No, there’s one more in the distant sky.

This must be a drone that overlooks the entire base.

He is no ordinary plunderer.

At the very least, it’s a heavily-equipped gang, and at worst, it could be a contingent of legionnaires.

“If the opponent is a legionnaire, then let us surrender.”

I seriously recommended it.

The pilots showed their resentment, but it was only for a moment.

They are also soldiers, so they know the truth better than anyone else.

If a well-trained and well-equipped elite force were to attack, there would be no chance of winning.

The story is that this isn’t a fight that can be fought with just one killer robot.

After a while, the drone’s owner was revealed.

“Hey, is the owner of the plane there? Yes~? I saw you going into the bunker, so why don’t you just surrender instead of wasting your time? I’ll treat you well.”

Judging by his flippant tone, he is not a legionnaire.

The worst possibility has been reduced.

But that doesn’t mean the situation has improved.

“I saw a mark engraved on one of the drones…”

The captain opened his eyes narrowly and tried to recall a scene.

“That, that. That. King. A huge gang based in Sejong City, they had their mark on them.”

“What kind of mark is it?”

“It’s a roaring tiger.”

The bookkeeper drew a picture on the floor on the spot.

“It feels like this.”

One of the children of the store manager next to me snickered.

“It looks like a cat.”

The kids were whispering and giggling about something so funny. Among them was the kid who had been beaten up so badly by me. When our eyes met, instead of looking away, he just snickered.

“······.”

He’s definitely not an ordinary guy.

“What are you going to do?”

We asked the pilots and researchers.

Surrender is not possible if the opponent is a gang.

If it’s a legion, they’ll at least be treated in a way similar to the Geneva Convention, but there’s no such thing for gangs.

They only mock, insult, torture and kill.

The only thing that can be considered leniency is using them as slaves.

It’s been a long time since my thoughts and everyone else’s thoughts have aligned.

“No one has ever been caught by King and had a good time. I heard that he converted an old baseball stadium into a coliseum, released a mutation inside, and threw people in.”

Everyone agreed to fight.

The problem is the method.

“We have no choice but to hold out as long as possible and wait for reinforcements to arrive.”

The captain’s words are correct.

The combatants on this side are just me, two pilots, and a combat robot, while King of Sejong City will have brought several vehicles and combatants. However, I cannot follow this operation 100%.

Unlike when dealing with monsters, you should have at least one trump card when dealing with humans.

Otherwise, the fight will inevitably go as expected by the stronger side.

“Just a moment, I’ll go look around.”

Familiarity with the terrain is the most basic of basics.

You should carefully check to see if there are any unexpected entrances or exits.

We could use that exit, but it would be thousands of times more fatal for the enemy to enter through there. The entrance and exit mentioned here does not only refer to people coming and going.

You need to check the pipes, septic tanks, vents, literally every hole that leads into the house.

While I was doing some internal reconnaissance, there was some noise.

They are the children of the general manager.

We had no choice but to put those children in the same room as the chosen children.

Even if they are unwelcome children, we cannot let them sleep on the floor without sleeping bags in the current situation where the temperature drops to minus 10 degrees Celsius.

“No, no matter what, it’s a shame to mix the future of the Republic of Korea with these children.”

Researchers objected.

But the pilots, like soldiers, pursued efficiency rather than such a stereotypical view.

“It would be better to put them all in one place. In case one of those kids joins the enemy side.”

“I should have just disposed of it.”

Even in front of the children, Manager Jang didn’t hesitate to speak.

As the clock ticked away, an exit was discovered.

An exit for a ladder and manhole dug for electrical work.

The exit led to the back of a destroyed hangar, the surrounding area well-hidden by the destroyed debris.

This might be usable as an emergency exit.

Of course, the enemy could use it as an invasion route, but it seems to be a matter of time.

“I have a question.”

I asked Manager Jang.

“Are there any children among those who are capable of fighting?”

Manager Jang shook his head.

“I haven’t received combat training yet. I’ve only confirmed my potential. I’ll be receiving training at the guard in Jeju Island.”

“okay.”

Gathered people.

“······I’m going to try a surprise attack like this.”

I told him my plan.

In short, the plan is to hold out as long as possible with the battle robot as the main force, focus the enemy’s attention on the straight corridor, and then return through the emergency passage and target the enemy’s rear.

“First, we need to see the size of the enemy.”

Looking down the ridge from the entrance.

Soon the attacker appeared.

Two military trucks and one jeep.

The equipment is the same as that of the national army, but those on board are looters.

“King······.”

The first time I met that gang leader was in Viva! Apocalypse!

A man with the nickname CrunchRoll who has many women.

I thought we might meet someday, but I never thought you would send a subordinate to my front yard.

“I think there will be about 30 people.”

I told the pilot the approximate size of the enemy.

“There are a lot.”

The captain frowned.

There are certainly a lot of numbers.

It’s a whopping 4 to 30.

That’s about the number, including robots.

We can’t even launch a surprise attack like this.

If I were to drop out, the entire line might collapse.

Is it true that combat robots are the only things we can trust?

“It’s a curse. It’s a curse. That’s why I shouldn’t have brought in the mongrels!”

“Hey! I need your support! Do you want to see the future of the Republic of Korea lost?!”

Researchers panicked.

Manager Jang hurled abusive language at the children of the manager, and Manager Cho threw a tantrum into the walkie-talkie.

The situation is more serious.

There is no food right now.

Because of the nature of air travel, I didn’t bring that much food.

I have to starve starting tonight.

I have emergency food on my motorcycle so I can eat that, but the rest of us will have to sleep in the -10 degree cold with an empty stomach.

I have to survive this situation for a day.

Maybe it’ll be two days, but we all know that even tonight won’t be easy to endure.

Should I escape alone like this?

I don’t know how I would survive.

I may have to give up my motorcycle, but it’s not more important than my life.

“······.”

While I was lost in thought for a moment, a commotion arose behind me.

“We have to kill them all right now!”

I did something and it was Manager Jang.

Chief Cho was stopping him from entering the room where the children were while holding a gun.

“It’s because of them! It’s because of those mongrels!”

It seems that Manager Jang’s mind was weaker than I thought.

He runs wild and tries to kill the children of the general manager.

But the children of the general manager are no pushovers either.

“Please let us fight too.”

“We know how to shoot guns. Seriously. We’ve even shot and killed a few people.”

An adult with a gun right in front of them is yelling that he will kill them, but instead of being intimidated, they actively cling to the door and ask to be allowed to fight too.

“You’re a former plunderer, so you know how to shoot a gun.”

The captain burst into laughter when he saw that sight.

“I guess killing them like Chief Jang said wouldn’t be a bad idea. They might be in league with King, so isn’t the tactic of harassing them an old gang tactic?”

The captain glared at the sergeant’s children, who were clinging to the window with murderous eyes and begging to be allowed to fight.

If you leave it alone, it looks like it’s really going to kill you.

“Those kids have no relationship with the King.”

“It seemed like you were taking those kids’ side from earlier.”

The vice-captain looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“Is it related?”

“No. I almost died too. But they live close by.”

“Are you close?”

“So you know. He lived in a rural area.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to remove it from here?”

The captain changed the steering wheel from safe to single.

“No. I don’t think it’s necessary to kill him.”

The first officer turned the control knob back to safe and stared at me.

“Are you by any chance a nice person?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard that said much.”

“I hope nothing happens.”

The vice-captain left me.

But it seemed his suspicions were not completely dispelled.

If Jang Sang-sa’s children do anything suspicious, I will turn my gun on them and kill them all.

Because it is a “hybrid” and not a “breed”.

I looked toward the room where the children were.

My eyes met with a gaunt girl whose face was almost pressed against the glass window.

The child looked at me and shouted.

“It’s a gang? I don’t like gangs! I don’t want to go under the dogs again! Please fight!”

The moment I saw those eyes, I was a little surprised.

For a brief moment, I felt like he was looking into my eyes.

In her half-wet eyes, a fierce flame of hatred burned so fiercely that it evaporated even the tears.

*

Two types of children are locked in a not-so-large room.

At least here, the distinction between dog centers is more appropriate than the anthropological distinction. On one side are the so-called “breed” children.

“I’m hungry. How long do I have to stay here?”

“I’m hungry. It’s cold. Where’s Mom?”

“Researcher, I don’t like it here. I want to get out quickly.”

“No!!!!! I want to go out!!!!!!!!”

Those kids are constantly crying, complaining, and even screaming to express their discomfort. They are definitely tantrum-throwing kids.

On the other side, the children huddled together without heating or sleeping bags are the so-called “mongrels” – problem children who have no abilities that the country needs and are stained with murder and crime.

But they are completely different from purebred children.

“······.”

“……cold?”

“······after.”

Even when starving, treated unfairly, or threatened with immediate death, he does not cry, but rather passes the time with an expressionless face.

To me, they look more human.

I made eye contact with one of them.

That’s the boy I beat up.

The guy stared at me for a while and then chuckled.

“Let us fight too.”

The guy said.

“I know what I did was right, so I won’t shoot you in the back of the head.”

There seemed to be no time to answer that question.

A loudspeaker blared from the entrance.

“I know what’s going on there. Drop your weapons and come out.”

The time of destiny has come.

*

In any battle, the beginning is important.

The outcome of a battle can change completely depending on how much damage you deal in the first engagement.

Ambushes and surprise attacks are strategies to maximize this initial shock.

“Let’s wait.”

Lights are visible across the dark hallway.

It belongs to the plunderers.

The lantern lights flicker nervously in the darkness.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll set it on fire.”

Fire, you can set it on fire.

It’s a US military bunker.

It has a bigger smoke exhaust system than my bunker.

The lantern lights soon receded and disappeared.

The captain, who was standing at the door on the opposite side of the hallway and glaring at the entrance, licked his lips in regret.

“I could have caught one or two of them.”

He looked at me.

“You say you have a lot of practical experience. Can I trust you?”

“Yes, you can believe it.”

After a moment of silence, a crude, mechanical noise was heard.

It’s a drone.

I turn on the lights and try to see what’s going on inside.

He gestured to the pilots.

As soon as I gave the signal, they went into the room, closed the door, and hid.

I also quietly closed the door to the empty room where I was hiding and checked the drone’s location through the glass window outside.

The drone flew straight towards us, then quickly turned around and headed towards the entrance.

As soon as it disappeared, I quietly opened the door and looked towards the entrance again.

Beyond the darkness, something dark can be seen.

You can tell even without night vision goggles or Awakening abilities.

The looters are coming.

They are coming at us with guns in their hands to kill us and take everything away.

The researchers stand there, pale and dumbfounded.

“Shall we turn it on soon?”

Across from me are impatient soldiers.

Ignored it.

This drying time is also an extension of reconnaissance.

The movements, military discipline, and actions of the looters.

It’s time to get information that you can’t know unless you experience it yourself.

It seems like about five people entered, and they are skilled in the so-called secret plan.

It moves so quietly that you can’t hear it approaching unless you listen carefully.

He may be a skilled military man.

I let them come to me like drones.

The pilots hiding on the other side are stirring.

They are said to be capable pilots, but I guess land combat is not their main mission.

I wanted to drag them in a bit more, but I think five would be a sufficient exchange.

He gestured to Manager Jang, who was standing behind him.

Manager Jang nodded and turned on the button on the remote control.

Wheeing—

A very small mechanical sound echoed down the center of the hallway between me and the pilots.

It’s a killer robot covered in white cloth.

Got it running.

Soon a red light flashed in the darkness and a body made of steel began to move.

The approaching looters stopped moving.

Because the one in front gave the order to stop by signaling.

“behind!”

They ran towards the doors that were scattered throughout the hallway.

A man grabbed the doorknob and opened it with all his might.

But the door will not open.

“It won’t open!”

While they were making their futile efforts, the machine gun mount of the killer robot moved left and right. A red light flashed on the sensor.

Tata tang! Tata tang! Tata tang!

A burst of gunfire echoed through the hallways.

A scream erupted, but soon it too was drowned out by gunfire and the hallway fell into silence once again.

All intruders were killed.

Literally “selected”.

End

ⓒ Road Warrior #dp8g

-Author’s Note-

Today is Yeoncham!

(Main comments)

(Donggle***) -Recommendation 27-

When I see kids being ignored as mixed breeds, I think of the old school.

(MUR***) -Recommendation 19-

But aren’t those researchers B-Awake? What do they believe in to make such a fuss?

(OneTwo***) -Recommendation18-

Who are the good seeds and who are the bad seeds?

Grandpa Skeleton knows

(Antimatter**) -Recommendation 12-

Oh, you damn researchers, you’re acting like you want to give me gold as food.

(Roughly a comment praising Yeoncham)