Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 233



Only Krnovel

98. Mausoleum (6)

Chijijijik–

Just because the main exploration drone has been built doesn’t mean everything is ready.

As a drone warfare expert, Ha Tae-hoon also took part in adjusting the support drone that assists the main drone – Super Skeleton.

Chijijik–

Thanks to this, my garage slowly began to fill with the strange scent of soldering and the occasional twinkling light.

“I liked making things since I was little.”

Ha Tae-hoon said while controlling the drone.

“I didn’t care about blocks, plastic models, or circuit boards. But my fucking mother recommended school.”

“Your mother?”

“Yes. I knew the information. The Hunters are dangerous, but at the same time, they have a very promising future. Wasn’t that the case with you too? There must have been one or two children from so-called well-connected families in the classroom?”

At Ha Tae-hoon’s question, I immediately thought of my classmate Lee Sang-hoon’s face and nodded.

“I had a few friends like that.”

Cheon Yeong-jae, who was listening from the side, said something.

“We didn’t have any kids like that.”

Cheon Yeong-jae was working on attaching armor plates to the main exploration drone, “Super Skeleton.”

“Because Kang Han-min showed up before I even entered school.”

Support-

When the name Kang Han-min came out, a silence fell inside the garage, as if it had been promised.

For us old school hunters, the name Kang Han-min carries that much weight.

He changed the world.

There may have been awakenings before his appearance, but no one has had an awakening as dramatic and shocking as Kang Han-min and Na Hye-in, and even now, there is no one who has had an awakening as dramatic and shocking as Kang Han-min and Na Hye-in.

He is the one who announces the end of an era and at the same time a prophet who announces the coming of a new world.

The nickname Savior contains too many omissions to characterize the person Kang Han-min.

It was quite some time before we spoke again.

That’s when I brought out a dish made with vegetables I grew myself and canned ham for dinner.

“What is this? Is this supposed to be kimchi?”

Cheon Yeong-jae asks while lifting the pickled vegetables I made with his chopsticks.

“You need salted seafood to make kimchi.”

“You have so many supplies, why didn’t you bring salted seafood?”

“That’s right. I’m curious too.”

Unlike Cheon Yeong-jae, who was complaining about kimchi during the Destruction Period, Ha Tae-hoon was eating ham and pickled vegetables silently and emptying his bowl of rice.

“Sometimes I miss my mother’s kimchi.”

Ha Tae-hoon opened his mouth as I stared at him, either because he felt my gaze or because he felt like talking.

“He was a very extreme gentleman.”

“I guess you bought some?”

Cheon Yeong-jae asked slyly while swallowing the pickled vegetables.

Ha Tae-hoon nodded while looking at Cheon Yeong-jae.

“Oh. I lived a little.”

“That’s right. I didn’t ask because he kept his mouth shut, but I vaguely felt that he was the son of a wealthy family.”

“Because it looks cute?”

“No. That’s not it. It’s just that he smells like a kid from a poor family, with his actions, words, and habits. He’s definitely different from someone like Bang Jae-hyuk, who came from a poor family.”

“Even so, they are all the same.”

Ha Tae-hoon emptied his bowl of rice along with the grilled luncheon meat with a bitter smile.

“The rice is a bit old.”

I spoke to him who was complaining about the rice.

“I’m starting a new farm.”

“Farming? Do you also grow rice?”

“I’m trying this and that.”

“okay.”

Ha Tae-hoon put down his spoon.

I stared at him and asked a question.

“Did you lose your family in the war?”

“Oh. He was killed by the Chinese.”

Ha Tae-hoon said as if it was no big deal.

“Did you know that a chemical bomb fell in Gangnam?”

“That happened too.”

“I can’t forgive those Chinese bastards.”

Ha Tae-hoon mumbled in a flat voice.

“So when I see Chinese guys, I try to kill them as much as I can.”

“Please bear with me during this operation.”

The main reason Ha Tae-hoon’s work was extended was because of the adjustment of the support drones, but the additional work to arm the main drone was the main factor in the extension.

He installed a 5.56mm rifle and an automatic feeder on the Super Skeleton.

I say it’s insurance for emergencies, but he’s already heard my plan of action.

My operational plans basically do not take combat into account.

As I told the two hunters at the beginning, the Super Skeleton is not a warrior but a thief, who catches the Chinese off guard and uses the information that only I know to retrieve the data hidden in the desk.

So, the moment I entered a combat situation, my plan was no different from a failure.

The reason he decided to arm himself even after hearing the detailed operation plan was probably because of Ha Tae-hoon’s hatred for the Chinese.

In fact, there is no one in South Korea who has as little hatred for the Chinese as I do.

Because I believe that the destruction that has now come is “the fate of the entire human race.”

Most Koreans, except me, have a deep-rooted hatred toward the Chinese.

In fact, I have heard stories of terrorism and massacres committed against ethnic Koreans in the early stages of the war.

Whether that is true or not is something I cannot know with my limited information network since the government is still in power, but at least it is a fact that since then, no one who calls themselves a dual citizen of Joseonjok has disappeared from South Korea.

The gang leader whose name I can no longer remember who tried to take over my bunker may have sensed the movement of racial hatred in advance and came looking for me.

Ha Tae-hoon seems to have strongly harbored such hatred that will never be erased.

“It’s a blade-type suicide drone. It’s 100% domestically produced.”

He was initially reluctant to participate in the operation, but he actively took out the hidden weapon of mass destruction. I think it was his greed for the price of my bunker, but I think his hatred for the Chinese was a bigger factor.

“If things really get bad, we’ll consider it then. Let’s just leave it for now.”

Of course, I didn’t say anything to deny his hatred.

Because I also have similar hatred.

It just gives you self-restraint.

“It would be more painful for them if we took away the items they are desperately looking for than if we killed a few Chinese kids. As I said before, those guys are pretty desperate. Just look at the fact that they gave us the land in Manchuria.”

Reconnaissance continued even as we adjusted and modified the drone.

There was a commotion where they had to flee after receiving anti-aircraft fire, but Ha Tae-hoon’s high-altitude reconnaissance drone continued to send us useful information.

It’s hard to judge from just a few photos and a short video, but the Chinese seemed to be unaware of the location of the tomb of John Neinon.

They had five bipedal drones that looked exactly like the Super Skeletons, but they were searching not the tomb in question, but a strange building right next to it.

The tomb of Jonnae-non is easy to find because it has communication equipment hanging from the rooftop that can be seen from afar, but judging by the fact that they are going through such a misunderstanding, perhaps the Legion faction gave them false information?

It’s not 100% nonsense, but it’s just enough information to make you want to suck it up.

In that case, our odds of winning will go up a bit.

“Then shall we begin?”

*

Even if you use a drone, you need to get close to the operation area.

It might be different if it flew through the sky like a long-range reconnaissance drone, but the main exploration drone, the Super Skeleton, walks at an average speed of 2.4 km/h.

In an emergency, it is said that it can run at a speed of nearly 8 km/h, but due to the nature of the copy product, there is a very high probability that it will have balance problems.

Our Chinese troops are positioned in the southeastern part of the mausoleum in Jonnaenon.

This is the closest course to the Legion Faction controlled area.

The distance between them and the mausoleum is about 2km, but it was confirmed that they had set up a makeshift camp 400m from the mausoleum.

We plan to set up camp in the area furthest from the Chinese military.

The area northwest of the mausoleum.

They mapped out routes and hideouts by comparing them to pre-war maps and aerial photographs.

Coincidentally, the area where we were supposed to hide our truck was half-eroded.

It looks like one of the infiltrators has taken up residence, and there’s a suitable building on the outskirts where they plan to hide their vehicle.

“It looks like a monster area over there. Is that okay?”

Cheon Yeong-jae looked at the map and expressed his doubts.

“Just because it’s painted gray doesn’t mean it’s all an infiltration management area. They only manage the labyrinthine nests in the center of the erosion zone. They don’t care about the rest of the area.”

“If the professor says so, then it must be true.”

“The question is, what kind of guy is in there?”

“What do you think is the most fucked up type?”

“In this situation, a necromancer.”

“I guess so, right?”

Aerial photos show zombies everywhere.

They did not form large, threatening groups.

There are only a few scattered ones wandering around.

I didn’t see any caterpillar types, but I’m sure you’ll have a very high chance of encountering them if you go out into the street.

It was past noon when we left the bunker.

It was dangerous to drive in broad daylight, but there was no choice.

Because we have to navigate the streets at night in the dark with no lights, unfamiliar obstacles, and hostile zombies and monsters.

The vehicle will naturally move at low speed and occasionally engage in combat with non-human hostile forces such as zombies or caterpillars.

According to Ha Tae-hoon, the Chinese military launches high-altitude reconnaissance drones twice a day to monitor a 10km area from the sky, but their reconnaissance drones are not as effective at night.

It can detect certain signs, such as light, but not to the extent of identifying objects that have become one with the darkness.

In order to avoid surveillance from those high-altitude drones, we have no choice but to travel at night.

But these days, car travel isn’t all that safe.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He was shot on the outskirts of Seoul.

Tata tata tang!

Bang! Bang!

It is an ambush by at least three people, not sporadic shooting.

Ting! Titi ting!

A bullet ricocheted off the armored plate on top of the truck engine and onto the driver’s door.

“Don’t stop and keep driving at the normal speed.”

He gave instructions to Ha Tae-hoon and sent a signal to Cheon Yeong-jae, who was in the cargo hold.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Two rifles opened fire.

There were no casualties, but judging by the single scream heard, the bullet must have grazed very close.

“Oh, shit!”

This is evident from the sharp drop in shooting immediately after a single curse word was uttered.

The fact that he was shot 8km away, not even in front of Seoul, seemed to symbolize several significant realities.

Other than that brief but eerie incident, there were no other incidents.

As the sun set, which was getting hotter and hotter, darkness came.

It is bad news that the moon is close to full, but it is also true that we do not have the luxury of waiting until the waxing moon wanes.

Clank-

Cheon Yeong-jae and I got out of the car and conducted a preliminary reconnaissance.

“Okay. Go ahead.”

Instead of driving a car straight to the destination, people make their way first and the car follows them.

It’s quite a cumbersome, time-consuming and physically demanding method, but the most important thing is security.

We must not let the Chinese notice our presence.

“Zombies. At least ten. There might be more.”

“We will respond with cold weapons.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Not confident? 18th generation?”

“No, it’s not like that. I just find it a bit annoying.”

Bam!

puck!

The small zombies were dealt with by Cheon Yeong-jae with a hammer and I with an axe, using cold weapons.

Certainly, Cheon Yeong-jae is a top-level player.

He is also very good at close combat and marksmanship.

If the Old School Hunter hadn’t lost his power, maybe this guy could have gotten the Golden Fleece too.

Of course, the Golden Fleece is not awarded solely for having high personal combat power.

There must be achievements.

Just like this Park Gyu.

“Okay. Almost there.”

After a long gymnastics on a moonlit night, we arrived at a reinforced concrete structure located 1.2 km from the tomb of Jonnaenon.

Although it is a building with only a frame, the location is good and the building is in good condition.

Above all, numerous rebars were visible beyond the unfinished structure of the building.

It is said to be a well-made building that did not miss any materials.

“Can’t you see that monster?”

Cheon Yeong-jae mentioned the caterpillar type.

“They must have rushed towards the Chinese army.”

I crossed the eight-legged ridge.

After setting up a simple camp and position on the third floor of the building, we unloaded a human-shaped combat weapon made of steel, plastic, and semiconductors weighing nearly 45 kg from the truck.

Wheeeeeeeeing—

It’s annoying that the tablet’s startup screen is in Chinese, but as Ha Tae-hoon said, this drone is domestically produced.

“Okay. Perfect.”

He tried to take out other drones – specifically, the suicide drone.

“No fighting, Senior.”

He looked at him seriously and warned him.

Ha Tae-hoon showed a little resistance, but soon hid his expression and answered in a sly manner.

“It’s insurance.”

“······.”

I just let it go because it was absolutely unacceptable to hurt my teammates’ pride in the run-up to an important battle.

In the end, it seems like a good thing.

The real problem was discovered later.

“Oh, shit!”

Ha Tae-hoon swore at him in an unusual way.

He was operating a night reconnaissance drone.

Going against the path leading to the tomb of the Great King.

There were things discovered on that screen that could not be overlooked.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Tata tata tang!

Enemy combat drones are deployed along the route.

From primitive wheeled to fixed mounts.

The Chinese did not know the exact location of the tomb, so they deployed defensive forces covering a wide area.

“It won’t be easy.”

Ha Tae-hoon turned his head toward me, wiping the sweat off his sleeve.

His expression is unusually dark.

“Actually, I’m weak at controlling.”

Cheon Yeong-jae also interfered from the side.

“I’m drone illiterate.”

Me too.

I have a drone, but I don’t have the skills to fight or perform acrobatics with it.

The problem is that our Super Skeleton ship has to take out at least three automated drones to get to the tomb.

“······.”

Is there any way?

One guy who’s good at making things, one guy who’s illiterate when it comes to drones, and one guy who’s a drone novice.

It seems like a lot of control for these three.

In the midst of the confusion, a face that brought a faint smile to my lips appeared.

“excuse me.”

I asked Ha Tae-hoon.

“Our Super Skeleton. Can it be operated remotely?”

“Remote control? It’s possible, though.”

“Is it possible from Chuncheon too?”

“Just barely. But the reaction might be a bit slow.”

Ha Tae-hoon tilted his head and asked me.

“Why? Are there any decent pilots?”

“huh.”

He smiled brightly and nodded.

“We have the best pilot.”