Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 193



Only Krnovel

Episode 193

When I had no choice but to leave the battlefield, my biggest regret was not a stable future, a position that others looked up to, or popularity with the public.

Since losing my family to monsters, I’ve had only one purpose in life.

All it does is erase monsters from this world.

Anything else had no meaning.

The world has changed.

We who used to risk our lives on the front lines have now been reduced to old men wasting time in the back room, and government support has also been drastically reduced.

My seniors, juniors, and peers wore neat suits instead of disheveled combat uniforms, and instead of wires filled with the smell of corpses and gunpowder, they entered luxurious offices with air conditioning.

In that situation, there is nothing I can do if I insist on war.

I tried to stand on the battlefield somehow, but all I got back was a back road that I didn’t want, like becoming an instructor or a public official. If I can’t stand on the battlefield, I’d rather live in seclusion.

If you can’t kill the monster, it wouldn’t be so bad to die to the monster at the end.

With that in mind, I took the path of a doomsday man and began preparing for retirement.

More than seven years have passed like that.

The past and the me of that time have changed to the point where others can’t recognize me, and I actually feel the change myself. However, one thing has not changed.

It’s the hatred towards monsters.

Standing on the ruined battlefield, my feelings and disappointment towards Kim Da-ram became good things. She was a good tool.

“There’s a Hangman type inside the factory-style apartment. The lead group has eliminated most of the servants.”

No, it was the best tool.

“Please shoot here.”

“Copy.”

“I wish there was a backup shooter.”

I saw Kim Da-ram’s blindfold.

Kim Da-ram looked at me blankly with his one remaining eye.

“I don’t make mistakes.”

“I will believe you.”

Clank-

He stormed into an abandoned factory carrying a domestically produced 12-gauge automatic shotgun.

There are traces of battle everywhere.

Before we arrived, the Legion Hunters had already cleared the ground.

There were still blood stains scattered on the floor that had not yet turned black, indicating that someone had been hit.

The task of stopping is to remove the servants guarding the monster den and wait for the executioner to change the terrain from unfavorable to favorable for humans and deal with the monsters that will come later.

The work of stopping is usually done by new or inexperienced hunters, but if there are no hunters, soldiers may take over.

Just because you’re not dealing with the actual monster doesn’t mean it’s less dangerous.

It’s not uncommon for the work to be more dangerous than dealing with monsters, such as when you entered the ruins next to Sejong City with the King.

Boom- boom- boom-

A shock wave is felt beyond the wall.

This is a signal that the monster, having already realized that its territory has been invaded and its servants have been killed, has recognized the enemy force and entered combat mode.

There is no angle here.

We have to go around the wall, but the small species we’re dealing with – the Hangedman type – has a small number of deadly minions.

It is a spindle-shaped flying object with bright colors that flies like a drone used by humans and performs a self-destruct.

The speed is around 60 km/h, not as fast as a bullet, but if it hits you from close range, you will inevitably see blood.

The blood scattered on the floor must have been caused by something like that.

“Can you remove the wall?”

“There must be some C4 left.”

“It looks like there’s still some C4 left.”

“Until a year ago, the military factories in Gyeongnam were operating. Now, they are also operating there.”

An unknown hunter approached us and held out a heavy plastic bomb.

He shook his head and pointed to the wall.

“I’m sorry, my leg hurts. Can you put it on for me?”

The man ran 20 meters without saying a word, attached the C4, and ran towards me naked.

“Detonator.”

As soon as the signal was sent, a loud noise and a powerful explosion blew away the wall that had been blocking us and the monsters.

thud-

Beyond the thick layer of dust, a sudden flash of black and white, as if struck by lightning, reveals a monster with a hanged human-like figure standing still.

This guy is a hangman type.

A relatively recently discovered, semi-new species among small species.

As per the “Professor’s Law” that the more recently discovered a monster is, the more annoying it is, this guy is also quite tricky.

“Distance about 80m. Begin approaching.”

I sent a signal to my radio and limped slowly towards the thing.

The sagging head, as if it had been hung, moves and trembles, and the mouth opens wide. The moment a red light flashes from the gaping mouth.

bang!

A heavy gunshot rang out from behind.

thud!

At the same time, the monster emits a shockwave and deploys a reflection field.

The sound of bullets ricocheting can be heard behind us.

“Kim Da-ram”

I checked with my junior.

Normally she wouldn’t have said anything, but she lost an eye.

This attack could be reflected and kill you, so I checked your survival.

“I’m not dead.”

“good.”

Is it really Kim Da-ram?

I can tell that he’s a real guy because he’s able to pull off a perfect interme-dating even without one eye. As the monster spread its reflection field, the red glow from its mouth disappeared.

Because the energy that was intended to kill me by emitting a death ray was diverted into creating a reflection field.

I limped and slowly approached the bastard.

The minimum range of the Hanged Man type’s reflection field is within 12m.

There’s a long way to go, but there’s no need to run.

When dealing with Hangman, the standard approach is to approach slowly and cautiously.

As expected, a colorful spindle-shaped flying object rose into the sky from the ruins, like a flock of pigeons taking flight in unison in surprise at a human.

“Need supporting fire?”

Kim Da-ram asked.

“No, just look at the body.”

Clank-

I slowly moved forward, loading a domestically produced shotgun that was heavy enough, although not as heavy as Kim Da-ram’s sniper rifle.

They’re coming.

They are swooping down on me like hawks.

He opened fire.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

My gun made a sound more like a cannon shot than a gunshot, forming a radial barrage of bullets, inside which the monster’s minions fell like fallen autumn leaves.

This is why I chose a shotgun.

pop!

Clank-

My limping steps do not stop even as I repeat shooting and reloading.

My gaze, which had been moving around confusedly, was fixed on the monster again.

The bastard’s mouth is glowing red again.

There’s no need to give orders.

bang!

For a moment, a wind passed by that seemed to reach my ears.

The monster released a shockwave again and unleashed a reflection field.

The red light in his mouth lost its momentum again.

The distance is now about 40m.

Although he seemed a little bit conscious, he quickened his pace.

Because from the third time onwards, intimacy dating tends to not work out well.

As we close the distance to the monster, dozens of minions that had been hiding on the ground fly up at once again. He spoke into the communicator.

“Are you sure you stopped working?”

I heard Kim Da-ram sigh.

“In my own way.”

Did you do it anyway?

Well, it’s been almost 10 years since the old school hunters fell into decline.

There is no way that good talent can remain in a place where there is no proper treatment or compensation.

I checked the shotgun’s magazine.

There isn’t much charcoal.

Maybe it’ll be a little short by the time it reaches the monster.

I carefully aimed my gun, glaring at the colorful deaths flying towards me, with the obsession of saving ammo in my head.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Another barrage

I always feel this way, but when dealing with these types of mob-type minions, there is a unique sense of oppression that you feel as the number of bullets in your magazine slowly decreases.

Now two feet

pop!

No, one step

“Minions in the back!”

A third person’s voice echoed through the communicator.

This is the guy who installed C4 earlier.

I knew it.

That there’s only one of them.

It was a waste to use my few remaining shotguns against just one animal.

“······.”

He took out an axe.

Srrrrung-

And I blasted it straight at the guy who was rushing at me.

Bam!

The servant who was hit by the axe fell to the ground and began to turn into particles.

“No, what?!”

I could hear the man’s exclamation, but I paid no attention.

The bastard’s mouth is about to open again.

He spoke briefly into the communicator.

“This time I’ll do it.”

Instead of a shotgun, I picked up a pistol and aimed it right next to the guy.

And the speaker.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Until the third step, the guy didn’t deploy a reflection field, but on the fourth step, he couldn’t hold it in any longer and deployed a reflection field while generating a shock wave.

A dimensional rift opened before my eyes and a cool sound passed by my ears.

Shhh-

The bullet I shot passed by, lightly shaking my hair.

“Nice shot.”

I walked forward while listening to Kim Da-ram’s dry praise.

There are no more servants.

The bastard and I are now staring at each other head on.

He tries to wave his long arms around, but that’s all.

I have a gun and he has no means of defending himself.

It’s like a fish on a cutting board.

I aimed my shotgun, feeling a strange thrill from the monster’s movements as it waved its arms helplessly in an attempt to resist.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Shoot and shoot.

Until he crumbles, falls apart, and falls to pieces.

thud!

Finally the bastard fell.

The thing that had been writhing like a bug soon stopped moving and began to transform into particles of light. Processing complete.

The voices of other hunters who had been silent can be heard from the communicator.

“You’re crazy. Even though you say you’re stopped, two people can catch Hangdman?”

“Team Leader Kim is crazy, but what about that guy? He walks 80 meters while limping and kills you?”

“Team Leader Kim, did you see yourself doing it yourself since I don’t think intermating would work?”

“······It’s not a human heart.”

It’s not really a story worth hearing, but I agree with one statement.

What we do is something that the human heart cannot do.

Only a black heart filled with hate could do such a crazy thing.

“great job.”

Kim Da-ram handed over a towel and a drink.

I drank my drink while gently rubbing my face with a towel.

“Where to next?”

“I’ll let you know as we go.”

When I get on the armored vehicle, I feel the way people look at me has changed.

Most looked at him with a mixture of admiration and amazement, but some looked at him with a challenging gaze, especially when the person looked uninteresting.

Is this the kind of dangerous person that Kim Da-ram was talking about?

I sat comfortably in the armored vehicle, relaxed my body and muscles, and listened to the briefing about my next opponent.

“This time it’s the necromancer type. Fortunately, there aren’t many zombies, but there are mutation nests around them.”

“What kind of guy is he?”

“kestrel.”

“I’ve never seen that guy in China.”

“I’ve assigned the ones who are good at shooting to mutations. We just need to worry about the necromancer type.

“good.”

The armored vehicle stopped.

A traditional market scene unfolded before my eyes, with a collapsed arcade standing out.

It’s not a particularly difficult hunt.

Kim Da-ram provides cover, approaches under cover, and finishes off the guys.

The Necromancer type, which was relatively old and had poor combat power, was defeated in less than 8 minutes after the battle began.

thud!

I looked down at the guy lying on the floor, turning into particles of light, with indifferent eyes.

be easy.

It’s simple.

But it wouldn’t have been easy to do it alone.

Whenever a monster takes an action to exclude me, Kim Da-ram forcibly deploys a reflection field, and I take advantage of the gap to get close and execute them.

It’s a very simple idea, but not many people can put it into practice.

Many hunters were shot by the reflective field, and even if they succeeded in close combat, they were often killed miserably because they could not overcome the monster’s resistance.

At least in these formulaic fights, no one has scored as high as me and Kim Da-ram.

“great job.”

Kim Da-ram handed over a towel and a drink.

“What about the yellow croaker?”

“Well, maybe he went hunting.”

“Let’s move.”

There is no need for much words between the two.

They both already realize it.

Our sum is not much different from the past.

Even this battlefield pales in comparison to the China we were operating in.

There are nearly 80 auxiliary hunters to help you out in various places, and there are no fanatics or rebels. So, all we have to do is go out and kill monsters.

Bam!

Also Marie.

pop!

Another one.

Tata tata tang!

Another one.

“······.”

This can’t even be called a battle.

Hunting, and the kind of loose hunting you might do on a safari.

“great job.”

Every time you kill a monster, Kim Da-ram gives you a towel and water.

Although there may be an intention to be considerate of me, handing over the towel is a kind of ritual that was used in the past when the identity of the mutation factor was not completely known to prevent people who approached monsters from getting their bodies covered in monster dust and causing trouble.

Although some may dismiss it as a mere formality after the mutation factor is revealed, we, the proud Hunters of the school, will continue to uphold the traditions that our seniors and I created.

At that point, Kim Da-ram and I are still students at the school and hunters at the school.

“Where to next?”

I asked Kim Da-ram while carefully wiping the dirty axe on a soft cloth. Kim Da-ram answered with a slightly tired expression.

“Can we take a break for a moment?”

“Why don’t you just rest in the car? Are you feeling weaker than before?”

“I’m getting older too.”

“I’m probably older than you.”

“Just let me rest for 10 minutes.”

“It’s been five minutes.”

For a brief moment, the cold voice from my professor days flowed out of my mouth.

Kim Da-ram opens his only remaining eye wide and looks at me.

“senior······.”

“Do you have anything to say?”

“Senior, you really haven’t changed at all.”

“······I?”

Kim Da-ram avoided eye contact as he glared at her coldly.

I don’t know if it’s because of the pangs of conscience she has toward me or because of the memories of her past obedience as my tool.

Either way is fine.

I get thrill from killing monsters.

I get a reason to live.

Swish-

Another one is hit by my axe and falls to its death, broken like a tree.

Beyond the particles, the face of an ordinary person standing awkwardly is visible.

Awe and wonder, and sometimes even fear.

“What the heck, it’s a monster.”

“12 a day? Is that a reasonable number for a regular old school, let alone an Awaken?”

“Could that be the guy? The guy that Team Leader Kim Pil-seong sang about catching?”

“Professor.”

And the commotion.

I approached Kim Da-ram while letting out a familiar melody flowing around me.

“great job.”

Kim Da-ram handed me a towel and water.

I soaked a towel in water and wiped my face.

I looked back.

The monsters were dispersing, transforming into particles of light.

I was convinced when I saw that beautiful sparkle.

“······.”

Yes, that’s right.

I still miss the battlefield.

End

ⓒ Road Warrior#

(Main comments)

(Antimatter**) -Recommendation 104-

Surely, if there was no internet, Park Gyu would have gone hunting monsters and gotten killed… It’s not the internet that makes sick people, it’s the sick people that crawl into the internet…

(One Two****) -Recommendation 102-

Since I hunted like a machine every time, the stories I sent to Vivabot about my professor days had to be just battle reports, lol.

(Leo**) -Recommendation94-

Skeleton Park Gyu finds Kim Da Ram burdensome, but Professor Park Gyu treats Kim Da Ram like a tool..ㄷㄷㄷ

(Che***) -Recommendation83-

Professor Park Gyu is so cool on the battlefield, but in the end, he is left with nothing and is just empty.

But the contrast between the Internet and everyday life, where Skeleton Park Gyu is somewhat strange and eccentric, and yet there are people who share his heart and will stay with him until the end, is funny.

(Tenne**) -Recommendation79-

The professor is really crazy

They say there’s no problem because they’ve caught it before, but doesn’t that mean people hunt mechanically without making a single mistake in such extreme situations?

I turned the mutation argument upside down, but I don’t have any room to mentally delve into it, so it seems like I can’t get away

(Ambble**) -Recommendation 63-

In the meantime, the bridge is shaking lol

(Little Witch**) -Recommendation 52-

That’s why only the battle records remain. Because I only fought without any emotions or stories.

(계**) -Recommendation 45-

The defender looks on with satisfaction.

‘The Internet really ruins people’

(Ruri**) -Recommendation 42-

That guy is a professor! But didn’t the feet I was talking about change just now?

(die**) -Recommendation 40-

But I wish Park Gyu-do would stop being a professor and find a good partner and be together for a hundred years and become a professional sex worker.

(Donggle***) -Recommendation 38-

Times have changed a lot, and people and relationships have changed a lot.

The description that the moment the two of them hunted was the same as before is touching.

But although his performance as a professor is cool, it feels strange because he is not human.

It’s like a fighting machine that just repeats the same thing without any emotions.

(Yujamint**) -Recommendation 25-

After all, genre novels need vicarious satisfaction, and the power of tradition always works.

(Passionate**) -Recommendation 20-

Hearing the professor’s cold voice

I can hear Kim Da-ram shivering from here

Defender seems to be singing a song too lol

Because of Jang Gi-yeong’s mentality and Monsoon’s desire for revenge

I became a monster

I miss the battlefield…