Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 232



Only Krnovel

98. Mausoleum (5)

There’s good news and bad news.

First off, the bad news: he’s Chinese.

At least 40 well-armed troops are stationed here, supported by new command vehicles, reconnaissance and combat drones, and various security equipment.

Even though we are the Hunters who are called the best of humanity, it is impossible for just three of us to deal with that force.

I don’t know about the Tang Dynasty army, but they must have been a select few from the few remaining Chinese troops.

Naturally, both Cheon Yeong-jae and Ha Tae-hoon flatly refused to confront the Chinese.

The country would have refused it too.

There is some good news though.

The Chinese people are said to be located more than 2km away from the tomb of the deceased.

There are many reasons for this, but the biggest reason is probably radiation.

The mausoleum at Jonnae-non, which was already covered in radiation that was difficult to withstand with just a protective suit when I last visited, would have been contaminated with even more horrific and destructive radiation as the nuclear power plant collapsed.

If not, the Chinese, who do not care about the means or methods to achieve their goals, would not have set up camps so far away.

In this situation, I was able to offer a bold opinion.

“What? You want to send out only drones?”

“Are you saying that toys are going to start a war?”

Cheon Young-jae’s opinion fits perfectly with my ideas.

“That’s a good expression. Yes. Anyway, it’s an area where people can’t enter, and only toys like drones can enter. In a place like that, even if there’s no need for a human-to-human match, toys can compete against each other.”

Besides, I have information that the Chinese don’t have.

The fact is that John Nae-non keeps the disk containing the problematic data backed up in a secret space in a drawer.

The Chinese will target the entire PaleNet server, but what we are after is simpler and easier to recover.

Besides, I have a disciple who is a great scholar.

When I return to the bunker, I plan to ask Valentine for a schematic of the tomb.

Of course, it is certain that the Chinese are a formidable opponent.

Although they were destroyed so miserably by the ROK-US Combined Forces in the last war that they failed to achieve even a single strategic objective and all sank into the West Sea, even the arrogant US military acknowledges that their drones are extremely excellent.

The Chinese, who had originally given up on the powerful monster resource called Awaken, had no choice but to go all-in on the human technology called drones, and this naturally led to the development of drone technology.

It is natural that Ha Tae-hoon, who mainly deals with Chinese-made drones, pointed this out.

“All I have are civilian drones and a few military drones. Judging from the state of the Chinese bastards, they seem to be a first-class unit, and since they even have hunters mixed in, they must be using the latest drones.”

Among the high-altitude footage he shot, one clearly showed one of those new-generation drones.

It was a doll drone about the same size as a person and moved on two feet like a person.

Ha Tae-hoon began to explain in a gloomy voice while zooming in on the drone.

“QBX-37. This is a product that was made by stealing and copying data from an American drone company. Unlike American companies that developed it purely with investors’ funds, this product is said to be better than American products because it uses copied technology and even uses government funds.”

“There is no such thing as a Terminator.”

Cheon Yeong-jae added a word.

I think similarly.

The domestically produced combat robot I saw a while ago moved on caterpillar tracks, but the Chinese are using robots that walk on two legs, so it is clear that there is a technological gap.

“You can’t see it very well from here, but do you see that thing that looks like a hand? It’s called a manipulator, and although it only has three fingers, it can do anything a human can do. And that’s not all.”

Ha Tae-hoon showed us various types of drones flying around the Chinese camp.

“QBX-22. A type of suicide drone carrier. It can provide suicide drone air support to all terrains within 30km. The suicide drones it carries are blade type, copied from Israeli products. Up to 16 can fit in.”

“QBX-34. A low-cost area control drone. As you can see, it sits down like a stake and fires at anything without a friendly identification. It’s cheap and there are plenty of them.”

“QBX-8. It’s a high-altitude reconnaissance drone. It’s a direct copy of a US military reconnaissance drone. It doesn’t have a night sensor like the US military one, but its daytime performance is similar. That’s because it’s a copycat.”

Ha Tae-hoon sighed and revealed his cynical attitude without hesitation.

“Compared to that, all we have is junk. Even if we were to have a toy war, it would have to have at least some specs. What is it called? A motor car? Even in motor car races that kids play, the one with the better engine wins.”

I found one more reason why Ha Tae-hoon is underrated.

People are too negative.

When you’re fighting, you’re bound to be at a disadvantage or suffer some ridiculous setbacks, so to speak. Being overly pessimistic because the situation is not good is not only unpleasant to look at, but also bad for morale.

The Chinese, who probably don’t seem to like him very much, must have given him a very bad review.

So he was probably on the front lines and was kicked out to Korea.

There is a reason why people above me have a hard life.

“Aren’t you just talking about how to avoid those toys?”

I said something while looking at Ha Tae-hoon who was sighing.

Ha Tae-hoon looked up at me with a dumbfounded expression, but I smiled broadly and spoke to him.

“Senior, we’re not trying to fight.”

So, this doesn’t mean that we’re going to have an all-out war with the scary super toys that Ha Tae-hoon mentioned.

“We just have to go to a basement we know well and sneak one thing.”

Ha Tae-hoon still looks dumbfounded, but this is something that must be done.

“First, let’s go to my bunker.”

If this pessimistic man saw my paradise, his thoughts might change somewhat.

*

Ha Tae-hoon also had quite a bit of his own property.

Unlike Cheon Yeong-jae, who was a free spirit, he diligently collected supplies and hid them well.

He had a small truck, but Cheon Young-jae’s vehicle was not in very good condition, so we had to abandon Cheon Young-jae’s vehicle and use Ha Tae-hoon’s vehicle.

Ha Tae-hoon’s possessions are diverse, but the most noticeable ones are various drones and video equipment that he collected himself or bought at flea markets.

There were three guns, one of which was a shotgun, and a stockpile of about 200 rounds of ammunition.

Another thing that stood out was the real doll.

“What is this?”

Cheon Yeong-jae whined as he looked at the nightmare-like lump of distorted silicone that covered the wig.

“She’s my wife.”

Ha Tae-hoon confidently loaded his shameful belongings onto the truck without changing his expression.

The trip went fairly smoothly.

I was driving around the outskirts of Seoul when I heard heavy gunfire at the end of the road I was taking.

The road itself was safe, but the Seoul side was covered in bright lights as if it were before the war.

Bang! Bang! Tata tata tang!

The city is at war.

The intermittent gunfire continued, and the occasional cannon roar shook the still night air roughly.

“There’s a rumor going around that the people who were evacuated to Seoul are going back to Incheon. That makes sense.”

Ha Tae-hoon muttered while looking at the city in war.

The truck cut through the darkness and moved into my territory.

“From here on out, I’ll take the wheel.”

I don’t turn on my lights when I drive at night.

Because a vehicle’s headlights are visible from a great distance, the disappearance of such headlights provides useful information to an observer I do not know.

Rattling! Rattling!

We passed a fairly rough slope, relying solely on our senses and fine outlines.

It’s a shame that Mr. Kim’s house is gone, but it’s also a blessing.

With Mr. Kim’s house gone, there was a little more breathing room on the narrow dirt road.

The slope ended and a low plain appeared.

The truck parked exactly at the entrance to my bunker.

“Is this it?”

He nodded and opened the entrance to the bunker.

“I rarely show myself, but today I’m making a special announcement.”

My bunker is not a place I show to just anyone.

There were no exceptions even if they were from the same school.

But I am going to abandon this shelter that is my home and my life.

Because I know all too well that my bunker will not secure my life in the future.

The bunker that contained my entire life for years was opened to men who had graduated from the same school and lived the same life as me.

“wow.”

“······It’s a palace.”

The hunters looked around my bunker sharply, admiring me.

“Is that toilet in the middle a trap? A fake to attract attention?”

“What a strange cover. Or maybe a booby trap?”

However, they react a little differently than women.

After giving a brief introduction of the inside, I showed them places they might like.

This is my garage.

Strictly speaking, it is a cradle of recreation that makes my bunker truly special.

The ability to expand and modify my bunker after everyone else has died and disappeared is what makes my bunker stand out from other formidable bunkers.

But, those humans. They didn’t really fall behind.

The tenacity of humans is truly chilling.

So much so that it makes you wonder if there might still be humans alive and kicking around even after the entire planet has been eroded.

Anyway, the effect of my garage gave the hunters dozens of times more impression than my bunker.

“Senior Park. I guessed it, but this is no joke.”

“······This. Is this something I could even build a fortress around?”

Cheon Yeong-jae has been to my bunker a few times, so he doesn’t react as much, but Ha Tae-hoon’s eyes definitely have a strong desire twinkling in them.

“I have something to tell you.”

I called them back to my bunker.

“It’s time to explain why I’m waging a toy war in a place swarming with radioactive and Chinese people.”

I told them my true purpose.

The goal is to retrieve the remaining disc from the tomb of Jonnae and take it to Jeju Island.

The image of Jeju Island is no longer portrayed as a paradise like it used to be, and is now mainly interpreted as a dystopian image without even a single bird, but at least when I go there, I can avoid the people who want to kill me.

“······They say there are a lot of people from the academy under Kim Da-ram. Those guys. If the organization disappears, they’ll come kill me.”

“Wouldn’t someone as senior as you be able to kill them all?”

“There are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. You can stay awake for 24 hours, but a person cannot go without sleep for more than 100 hours.”

“We’re here. Wouldn’t it be worth a try if we could get some more people together?”

“······You know you can’t fight forever, right?”

Both Cheon Yeong-jae and Ha Tae-hoon deeply understood what I said.

You can’t fight forever.

Even though I have thousands of rounds of ammunition in my bunker right now, if a battle breaks out, I’ll run out of ammunition in an instant.

If you get hurt, there is a high probability that it will lead to death.

It’s always like that when it comes to human-to-human fights.

Unless one side has an overwhelming advantage, it ends in a mean, miserable, and vile way.

“But that guy who said he’d send me to Jeju Island. Can you believe it?”

Ha Tae-hoon asked sharply, his eyes sparkling.

“The scammer who said he would send you to Jeju Island, you don’t see him these days, but he was around quite a bit when he was on Hunter Street.”

“······He is a trustworthy person.”

Unicorn18.

His true identity is either Kang Han-min or Na Hye-in.

No, to be exact, I’m not sure.

Still, I have no choice but to cling to him.

Because an unknown sense of impatience is urging me to go to Jeju Island.

“······If I go to Jeju Island, I will leave the management of this bunker to you two.”

Ha Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae looked at each other.

“Oh, except for the laptop and internet equipment.”

Ha Tae-hoon nodded.

Just a few hours ago, he was making noises at the sight of the Chinese army, but now he was laughing heartily as if he had changed into a different person.

“This is the level of management of a bunker. Of course, management includes use, right? With this level of maintenance, I have to work hard to get my ass kicked.”

“It’s a shame that my senior is going to Jeju Island, but if he can use this kind of palace, it doesn’t seem like such a bad deal.”

I said a word to them as they drank kimchi stew.

“I’m just leaving it to you to manage. I’m not saying I’m handing it over completely.”

Even though I said that, if I go to Jeju Island, I guess it’s up to the person who stays.

My seniors and juniors now share the same goals as me.

We decided to add our strength to the exploration of the tomb of the deceased to send this Park Gyu to Jeju Island.

Just as I have several survival DVDs and Blu-rays, Ha Tae-hoon also has several books and materials on drones.

However, his materials were different from mine in that they were written in simplified Chinese or spoken in Beijing Mandarin.

As unfamiliar language echoed inside the bunker, Ha Tae-hoon took out a box from deep inside his truck and spread it out in front of us.

It looked strikingly similar to a Chinese drone I had previously seen as an aerial drone.

Ha Tae-hoon wore a welding mask and repaired the broken and unassembled parts of the drone.

“······The Chinese bastards happily copied the Americans’ stuff.”

Wherever his hands passed, new things grew as if by magic.

“So, it’s okay for us to copy those Chinese bastards, right?”

Ha Tae-hoon took off his welding mask and chuckled.

Below it, a bipedal drone that seemed to mimic a human was standing firmly with its two legs supporting the ground.

As he manipulated the remote control, the drone walked around my bunker, moving its legs with opposing joints, just like a person.

The movements were surprisingly light and agile.

Wheeeeeeing-

A three-fingered manipulator rotated and gently lifted a bowl of fake goldfish on my desk.

“Oh.”

“Hmm······.”

Cheon Yeong-jae and I each let out exclamations when we saw that sight.

Ha Tae-hoon proudly revealed the title of his work.

“KBX-69. 100% domestically produced drone.”

The drone’s performance was evident.

Because it was a nearly new item to begin with, and it was completely repaired by referring to Chinese textbooks.

Ha Tae-hoon gave a warning while watching the drones flying around and around inside my bunker, staging a demonstration of force.

“······I really saved it.”

Isn’t this drone Ha Tae-hoon’s greatest asset?

Of course, as a thorough named user, I did not forget to capture all the activities of the bipedal drone with my camera.

and.

Message from Ballantine: Here’s the map of the server room you requested. I’ve also marked the desk locations.

The map also arrived.

The mausoleum of Jonnae-non, which had seemed so far away, is now quickly approaching us.