Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 246



Only Krnovel

103. Struggle (2)

The entire outpost was fortified.

We scraped up materials from the warehouse, the office, and the piles of trash out back, and strung wire at ankle height above the main access road and hung empty cans.

It may be meaningless during the day, but it will act as a motion detector at night, when the situation is most dangerous.

They also dug holes here and there.

Traps were dug at the entrance to the outpost, behind the outpost, and in open areas from the last cover on the access road to the outpost.

The depth of the trap itself was not deep, but broken pieces of iron and glass were placed inside the trap.

If it’s a human or a mutation, it can leave pretty deep wounds on the legs or feet.

All hills or structures that could be used as cover by the enemy in the open area visible from the outpost were removed, and instead a defensive stronghold was created on the rooftop where the solar panels were placed.

At the entrance to the outpost, which was the last stronghold, a wall was built using stones and trash that had been recovered.

When viewed from the entrance, it has a structure that bends in the shape of the letter “ㄱ”.

A device that blocks mutations and induces close combat from possible human gunfire.

The work was done during the week, and I tried not to work more than six hours a day.

This is to prevent the fatigue from work from putting a strain on the body tomorrow.

Ten days passed like that.

Nothing happened and there are no signs to be found.

On the 7th day, the military vehicle that brought me here showed up, but contrary to my expectations, instead of getting me out of here, they only gave me some food and supplies.

It was a very disappointing result, but he kept it a secret and told the soldiers about it.

“Do you have any ammo left? Something was walking around the night before last. I got scared and used up my ammo.”

Got 90 rounds of ammo.

It may be a gain, but it is also true that hopes have been dashed.

Three more days passed like that.

There is not even a hint of salvation.

There has been no contact from the unicorn itself.

The scenery outside the window is dreary, and more than anything, the gray fog hanging below the mountain is disturbing to my mind.

The greatest pain I feel right now is not anxiety or fear.

It’s just free.

There was no time to feel bored when I had work to do to fortify the area around the outpost, but once the fortification was finished and I began my daily routine of staying inside the outpost and keeping watch over the surroundings all day, a boredom more stifling than the fog below began to grip my soul.

There are many ways to fill the void.

Viva! Apocalypse! is one of them.

But why is that?

I don’t want to go in there right now.

I log in occasionally, but only to check messages from Unicorn.

I don’t even read the posts on the bulletin board, and I don’t even look at the popular posts.

When I’m bored like this, I just blankly scroll down.

When I analyze my own mind, I think it is indeed a difference in location.

Still, I am a skeleton and Viva! Apocalypse! is Viva! Apocalypse! But since the place I am in is not my realm but a different place, my bulletin board naturally feels far away.

It’s true that the fact that Foxgames wears a mini armband and walks around has contributed somewhat to my reluctance to enter the bulletin board.

Foxgames: Okay, today’s patch is coming! Look forward to it! A new area! A new story awaits you! Of course, a new fortress has also been added!

It was then that I was trying to spend another day away from my bulletin board, fighting the endless boredom that was creeping in.

Finally, the unicorn sent me a message.

Message from unicorn18: Skeleton! Are you alive?

Anonymous144: (Skeleton jumps up) Of course he’s alive.

Message from unicorn18: Did you apply?

Anonymous144: What application?

Message from unicorn18: I applied for the first shift. If I hold out for a month, I can go down, right?

Anonymous144: No, not yet.

I’m not bragging, but I’m pretty perceptive.

As the conversation reached this point, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth and reached a gloomy conclusion.

Beating around the bush.

Asking me for something.

That means only one thing.

I let out a deep sigh.

“ha······.”

Unicorn.

No, Na Hye-in didn’t do anything.

In the end, she was unable to leave the house.

To be exact, it must be said that she was at home but had no contact with anyone who could do her favor.

That’s Kang Han-min.

Message from unicorn18: Didn’t anything like a monster appear?

“······.”

I thought for a moment about what to say, then placed both hands on the keyboard.

Knock knock

Anonymous144: Oh. There’s nothing.

I decided to pretend I didn’t know.

I was the one who said I would hold on.

There is no need to speak softly or blame the other person.

As she said, the time I had to hold out increased from a week to a month, which is what I had thought.

Anyway, I’d like to stop this conversation.

Still, it would be better to take a little break rather than just cutting it off.

So I said a few words that had no meaning.

Anonymous144: But it’s a bit boring.

unicorn18: Aren’t you going to have a bulletin board? I don’t think I can see it there either.

Anonymous144: I’m a little tired of it.

Is there a moment more vain than continuing a meaningless conversation?

Feeling a sense of shame and weariness, I took my hands off the keyboard, thinking that it was time to wrap things up.

What should I do now?

There must be only one answer.

I have to somehow survive here and then board the ship to Busan.

I won’t think deeply about what happened after that.

One thing is clear.

I, Park Gyu, am a person who should not be on this island.

Message from unicorn18: Bored?

Message from unicorn18: Feeling bored is proof that you have free time.

unicorn18 : Yeah. That’s better than being scared! Don’t give birth!

I stared at the monitor with a blank face and tapped the keyboard.

Anonymous144: Sorry, I’m going to disconnect. I don’t think I’ll be able to come in for a few days. I’m starting to get tired of this bulletin board, and the situation outside is not good these days.

I closed the bulletin board window and turned off Valentine’s simple program.

“······.”

Suddenly, it felt dark in this bunker.

It’s a strange thing.

Unlike my bunker which was underground, this outpost was above ground, and the observation deck on the second floor where I was had large windows on eight sides, allowing me to see sunlight streaming in as long as the sun was up.

But in a broad sense, this outpost and my bunker are not very different brothers.

Crash

I checked my gun and went outside.

I need to dig another hole.

*

15 days have passed.

Still no hostile presence could be detected in the surroundings.

-No abnormalities during work

After uploading my work log via the computer, I had a quick meal.

I looked out the window while eating.

Is it because it’s summer?

I haven’t seen the ground below since I came here.

Clearly, this outpost was built to keep an eye on the flat ground far below, rather than the empty mountainside.

Time passes slowly inside the outpost.

I looked at the computer.

It seems like it’s been quite a while since I’ve been on Viva! Apocalypse!

I haven’t logged on since I found out about the unicorn’s reality.

I didn’t feel like connecting.

This boredom was eating away at me, but I didn’t want to log into a virtual world filled with realities I didn’t necessarily want to see.

Still, I guess I should at least report my survival.

Let’s just send one message to let them know we’re alive and then disconnect.

With that in mind, I logged onto the bulletin board for the first time in a while.

A message had arrived.

I checked.

“······.”

It was sent by a unicorn.

Message from unicorn18: Are you sick of this place? Why don’t you try another site?

Message from unicorn18: Do you remember the Red Archives bulletin board? That skeleton that showed up there, right? I don’t know what he said though.

Message from unicorn18: (Attached file) Install this on your computer and go to your intranet. Your favorite bulletin board will look different!

Message from unicorn18: You didn’t log in yesterday either? Are you still alive? If you see me, let me know.

Message from unicorn18: ?

I carefully read the message the unicorn sent.

I let out a shallow sigh and replied.

Anonymous144: Don’t worry, he’s alive. It’s just that the obelisk is in an unstable state.

I received a reply within seconds of sending the message.

Message from unicorn18: !

Message from unicorn18: You’re alive. Really.

Message from unicorn18: Did you see my message?

Anonymous144: Oh. I read it all.

Message from unicorn18: Did you check the attached file?

Anonymous144: Not yet.

Message from unicorn18: Be sure to get it and read the manual! I like this board too, but my main base is there, not here!

For some reason, the image of Na Hye-in with an excited expression passed by me vaguely.

But it doesn’t match well.

It was strange to see her, who always had a calm and mysterious aura, looking excited.

In fact, in all my three years at school and all my years on the battlefield, I’ve never seen her make that kind of expression.

Anonymous144: I’ll check. I’ll contact you later.

Before closing the bulletin board window, I checked the attachment sent by Unicorn.

I’m not sure, but it looks like a similar program to the one Valentine sent me.

The name of that file is.

-magic_glasses.apk

Magic glasses?

I looked at the manual.

– A device to enjoy the Red Archive bulletin board 100%! Once you install it, you will see the truth!

-Put on your magic glasses! Right now!

I tried installing the program.

It didn’t take that long even on a rotten computer with little storage.

I accessed the intranet with the program installed.

Since I had accessed the intranet before, finding the Red Archive bulletin board wasn’t too difficult.

But when I stopped by there last time, what I saw was an endless feast of emoticons.

It was a bizarre place where no one spoke human language and everyone only used emoticons.

Maybe if monsters used chat rooms and chatted, that’s what it would look like?

In the sense that we humans cannot understand it and have no way of understanding it.

I installed a program called Magic Glasses, but I doubt it will have any magical effects.

I logged onto the Red Archive bulletin board with a half-hearted attitude.

“······.”

The ongoing feast of emoticons.

What on earth do you want me to do here?

Do Awakens have the ability to communicate using only emoticons?

As my questions were heading in a somewhat odd direction, a new window popped up on my monitor.

[Magic glasses in operation/]

-Please wait a moment.

“hmm.”

I waited in silence.

And after a while, the countless emoticons covering the screen magically changed.

From emoticons to text, or from a small number of texts to emoticons.

Pangshik: My nipples are hard······

ㅇㅇ : Big breasts Rise.jpg

ㅂㅊㄴㅌㅁ: The kid who bullied me at school came back as a cripple from the cracks ㅋㅋ

Cherka: I’m trying to conquer the Lion’s Nightmare, can you give me some advice?

Non-surgical Gen: You said you’d release new content this summer?! What the hell is that bastard Kim Hak-chul doing!

Gugugu: 1,000 credits per step

…

…

“?”

The moment I saw the bulletin board, I doubted my eyes.

The bizarre space that was once filled with emoticons was suddenly incorporated into the human realm.

What on earth is the principle?

Are you saying that this is possible just by installing one program?

Anyway, what happened is what happened.

It’s been a long time since I browsed the bulletin board with my heart pounding.

The first impression is that they are young.

The age range is younger than any other bulletin board I’ve been on.

In fact, the name of this bulletin board, Red Archive, is a Korean game, but for some reason, it is a mobile game with lots of pretty girls who use Japanese names and speak Japanese, and it is said to have become wildly popular among teenagers and people in their twenties.

Now that I think about it, I think that bastard Gong Kyung-min played this game too.

I remember it as a weird Chinese game, not Red Archive.

Anyway, looking at the new bulletin board, I realized.

Why I feel irritated by our bulletin board.

Because I’m so used to it.

There are some games I don’t like, like Foxgame, but the flow of the bulletin board, the bait, and people’s actions all move in a similar way in the big picture, so I feel bored.

Boredom is one of the main reasons why something becomes distant from people.

Maybe it was that boredom that made me leave the bunker.

Clank-

Holding a gun in one hand,

Click-

Hold the mouse with your other hand.

I alternated between the border and the internet, holding two completely incompatible objects in each hand.

Before long, a pure smile appeared on my lips.

“This unicorn baby······.”

That weird otaku concept.

It looks like it was inspired by the Red Archive bulletin board.

There are tons of those types of people here.

“······.”

By the way, these guys.

It’s such a fun discussion.

The situation in Jeju must be bad, but they can talk about it endlessly, hang out together, and write their own diaries just over a game.

There was a time like that on our bulletin board too.

Was it until a year after the war?

It was a time when every user was struggling to become an influencer.

chin-

He put down his gun and moved his hands to the keyboard.

I should be grabbing a gun right now, but for some reason I feel like typing on the keyboard.

I knew that my situation was clearly dangerous and that I was in danger of dying at any moment, but I couldn’t help but feel a desire to hang out with these young friends.

These impulses are not easily suppressed.

I felt the corners of my lips slightly curl up for the first time in a long time as I typed away on the keyboard.

“······.”

Knock knock

SKELTON: Hello~

Miyuki Kikusho: ?