Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 466



Only Krnovel

186. Silence Awaken (3)

The Prophet, known as the Silent Awaken, began his full-scale activities after the legendary named Skeleton declared his intention to head south.

His aggressive video release is likely aimed at Skelton.

He also indirectly revealed how conscious he was of Skeleton by provocatively asking Eom Chang-i, who was keeping him in check, if he was Skeleton.

And in the last video, Prophet “respects” Eom Chang-i, who suspects he is a skeleton.

After carefully reviewing the above conditions, it seems appropriate to contact the Prophet directly.

[ Welcome to Viva! Apocalypse! ]

After a long time, I logged in with the legendary named skeleton account.

It seems like I can hear the exclamations of ordinary users watching from behind.

Maybe the screen is too bright for those guys to see?

Connecting to Skeleton in public and trying to talk to Prophet is because this is no longer a personal matter.

A skilled Awaken who seems to be trying to snipe Skeleton.

A talent of this level is a first-class resource even in the new Seoul, and the fact that Prophet tried to shoot Skeleton is probably an indirect expression of his desire to contact Skeleton.

Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone with that level of skill.

The Awakens I know have relied on the power itself, and I have never seen anyone who combines power and combat skills as flexibly as Prophet.

The story is that he is a talent that is needed for the education of the Awakens who are currently remaining in Seoul.

“······.”

Knock knock

SKELTON : (Skeleton)

Sent a message.

This is truly a message of jade sound.

But Cheon Yeong-jae, who was watching from behind, says something.

“No, isn’t this the same as AI chat?”

The moment I heard that, I added one more thing.

SKELTON : (Skeleton) ······.

“What’s the difference between this and what I just sent?”

SKELTON: (Skeleton) Are you a prophet?

I sent a message three times because of Cheon Yeong-jae.

Even if it was a jade-like message, sending it three times would diminish its value, but I was caught up in Cheon Yeong-jae’s pace without realizing it.

He winked at Woo Min-hee.

With the intention of chasing out Cheon Yeong-jae.

But it seems like you and Woo Min-hee don’t get along.

He’s pretending not to know me, with a strange smile on his face.

It was none other than Prophet who sorted out the uneasy situation.

Message from PROPHET: Skeleton?

As expected, my body feels warm when I see the Ok-eum message.

Message from PROPHET: Is this a real skeleton?

SKELTON: (Skeleton affirmative) Yes.

Message from PROPHET: You really sound like a disabled person······

SKELTON: ?

A message from PROPHET: I heard you were coming south.

A message from PROPHET: Do not come. The South is the land of death.

Message from PROPHET: There’s a rumor going around that the Jeju guys sent down a train lined with armor. If you’re on one, you’d better get off immediately.

A message from PROPHET: I was planning on sending you a public message when there were about 2 episodes left.

A message from PROPHET: Go back. That’s all I have to say to you.

A message from PROPHET: The fight for survival has already begun here.

The story goes in an unexpected direction.

This happens often.

*

Everyone knows that the situation in the South is not good.

But I just know it.

People like us who risk our lives fighting know very well that knowing a little is the same as knowing nothing.

Who would care?

It’s not where I live, nor is it where I should live.

The only threats we know about the South right now are warlords, mutations, and large-scale erosion.

I must now admit that this is quite some time out of date since the last update.

It’s time to face reality.

“It’s worse than I imagined.”

I used to look down on the statue.

It’s a shameful fact, but I didn’t even try to evaluate it properly.

Because he was a member of the Jeju Committee who talked a lot and caused a lot of trouble, I secretly thought of him as a person who should disappear someday.

But at least the passion and enthusiasm he’s showing for this project is real.

“······It varies by region. The situation is worse in Honam. It was abandoned a bit earlier. It is said to have been managed until 3 years ago on paper, but in reality, they gave up on management before the 2nd year after the war. In other words, they abandoned it 4 years ago. That is why there is a difference between the monster species that appear in Honam and those that appear in Yeongnam.”

“What is the difference?”

“In the Yeongnam region, which has been eroded relatively recently, the traditional species form the majority, but in the Honam region, where more than 80% of the territory under its jurisdiction has been eroded, that is, completely eroded, the extinct species is frequently observed.”

Pyo Won-sang showed the materials.

There, things I knew and things I didn’t know, things I had briefly passed by or seen vaguely, took up a dark and gloomy place in the frame of the photo in various forms.

“······.”

I felt my blood run cold as I asked Pyo Won-sang.

“······Is this it?”

Pyo Won-sang nodded while chewing something.

It was chewing tobacco.

After spitting the black saliva into the designated container, Pyo Won-sang exhaled a breath that smelled strongly of nicotine before continuing.

“Of course, it is true that the friends you see here were observed around the rift. However, anything observed around the rift is likely to be observed within the rift’s sphere of influence as well.”

We have seen several types of extinction events recorded in the literature.

“What is this?”

I pointed out a new type that I didn’t know much about and yet had the most longevity.

Pyo Won-sang put another piece of chewing tobacco in his mouth and mumbled.

I have no intention of condemning his actions.

The level of stress on his face was more than understandable.

“A stone, that is, a doll type.”

It’s literal.

The new extinction form that appeared on the screen had a human shape.

Although it has no eyes, nose, or mouth and therefore no emotions, it looks like a crude doll, but its characteristic long legs and arms and upright bipedal walking structure are no different from our own.

But its appearance is sufficiently malicious to our humanity.

In that something sharp like a blade protruded from between the teeth.

“This is the most recently discovered extinct species. It grabs a human with both arms and then moves its waist to thrust its sharp object into the person. Some call it a rapier.”

“······.”

He nodded.

I feel a certain consistency.

Cracks always distort something in our nature with malice that we cannot understand.

Even the collapsing titan we saw before Nemesis had already shown enough malice, but the new extinction form that has now appeared is even more malicious in that it has turned the act of human reproduction itself into an act of murder.

“Their combat power is insignificant. They are treated as zombies or worse. They have no power or ability. However, they are numerous. It’s as if the Cracks have decided to mass-produce them while keeping their production costs to a minimum. Doesn’t their number remind you of anything?”

The signboard showed a new screen.

There was footage showing dozens of unknown new extinct species swarming together.

“It’s a copy of Zombie.”

“Yes.”

Pyo Won-sang picked up a handful of chewing tobacco and chewed it again.

“The problem is that extinct species are being discovered one after another in the Yeongnam region where we are heading.”

Perhaps that’s not the only problem.

He looked straight into the eyes of the person in question and said:

“There is talk that a competition for survival is taking place.”

For a brief moment, the always enthusiastic Pyo Won-sang avoided my gaze.

Certainly, this journey is not as easy as it looks.

It’s not for nothing that a car with the power and information of a prime minister would create an expensive toy like an armored train.

This journey may be more dangerous than we imagine.

The signboard spit black saliva into the ashtray.

He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and continued speaking in a tone that was decidedly more somber than before.

“······As erosion accelerates, the candidate site for Shangri-La is gradually being determined. It seems that survivor groups, warlords, and looters are fighting over the candidate site for Shangri-La.”

Pyo Won-sang, who had been chattering with a dark expression, soon felt that the atmosphere had become too heavy and tried to change the mood by forcing a smile.

“But don’t worry. The Panokseon has the equipment and personnel to prepare for any situation. Furthermore, although it may not seem like it, our Panokseon has Captain Park Gyu, the first Nemesis-type destroyer, and Commander Woo, who was once on par with Kang Han-min, on board, right?”

Perhaps the reason why the Jeju Committee allowed me and Woo Min-hee, who could be considered difficult people to the committee, to ride together was to protect against the dangerous situations surrounding this train trip.

“Hey, Mr. S. Are you okay with just a moment?”

My faithful friend Emgu called me out.

Although Emgu may seem like a lightweight on the bulletin boards, I know that he is by no means an easy guy.

Should we say that we are in a relationship where we can understand each other just by looking at each other’s eyes?

He gave me a heads up.

“······There was a helicopter. It was inside vehicle number 13, which had restricted access.”

This is important information.

The planner is mindful of the failure of this operation.

Perhaps the helicopter hidden in the locked vehicle is an insurance policy in case the entire operation fails and the train cannot return under its own power.

Emgu’s discovery further darkens the already bleak outlook for this operation.

But there is no way to stop the operation just because the outlook is bleak, and it is not a situation where we can return on our own.

First, I gathered together people I thought were my people and talked about the current local situation and future prospects.

Not surprisingly, no one seemed fearful or concerned after hearing my grim briefing.

“Is that so? I expected that.”

“It happens all the time.”

“Hey, is finding a new home in the countryside a thing of the past? A competition for survival? A thought that only DSIREN would come up with. What a piece of crap.”

We all plan to be together until the end.

I turned my gaze toward the door, feeling small satisfactions filling my soul.

“Come in.”

There’s a friend who’s been eavesdropping for a while now.

It’s a pattern mirror.

Woo Min-hee and Cheon Young-jae also noticed, but they made gestures to ignore it.

Now the pattern mirror has come into our room.

As usual, it was hard to find even a single trace of dishevelment in his appearance, but there was a clear aftershock of hesitation in his eyes.

I asked her.

“Do you have any questions?”

The advantage or disadvantage of Jeju’s elite is their excessively high self-consciousness.

In the current situation, it should be seen as helpful.

Moon Yang-gyeong nodded as if she had been waiting and asked about the current situation.

“After listening to what the captain said, I think the current situation in the provinces is quite different from what I heard from my superiors.”

I told you as much as I knew.

The annihilation of the rift periphery, the extermination-type activity and its extension, and the survival competition between humans taking place in real time.

The current rapid population decline that is unable to be sustained within it was not even mentioned.

I told her.

“Maybe we won’t be able to return to Seoul.”

Moon Yang-gyeong, who had a blank expression for a moment as if she had been hit by a hammer, shook her head slightly and ran away.

“······no, I do not want!”

I cannot tell who the object of this childish denial is.

Perhaps it even included self-denial.

Only a few people know the truth.

Kang Han-min would have known the truth.

He must have known what was happening in the abandoned land and still sent me.

“······.”

Is there anything more vain than doubting your only hope?

To extinguish that hope with the flames of doubt would be suicide in a broad sense, but it may be more foolish than suicide to blindly wait for the realization of an increasingly uncertain hope.

At least I will do what I can.

SKELTON: I have something to say.

Thanks for the bulletin board.

I am also grateful to my past self who wanted to be named on the bulletin board.

Message from PROPHET: I said everything I wanted to say, so what else do you want to ask?

Even Awakens like Prophet willingly respond to my call.

Message from PROPHET: To be honest, I can’t like you as a proud pureblood Awaken, but there are many who like you. Even my brother is relying on you, Skeleton, right now. If you die here, many people will lose hope. That’s why I called you out, even to the point of making a fuss.

SKELTON: So I’m going to ask.

I asked the prophet.

The exact situation of where we are going.

The prophet answered.

Message from PROPHET: The tunnel city you know has already been divided between the three major powers. You’re all sons of bitches.

A message from PROPHET: They know you’re coming. Some will negotiate, some may prepare a surprise attack. But remember, all they want is Shangri-La.

SKELTON: Do you know about the princess?

A message from PROPHET: Was meeting the Princess your goal?

SKELTON: Yes.

A message from PROPHET: If you want to die, I won’t stop you, but are you serious?

SKELTON: ?

Message from PROPHET: Don’t you know?

SKELTON: (Skeleton Arison)

Message from PROPHET: Brigadier General Jeong Dae-gyeong.

The Jeong Dae-gyeong I know is also a soldier.

I also know that his rank is Brigadier General.

That Jeong Dae-gyeong went to Jeju and there was no news from there.

It was only recently that I discovered that there was an Awaken using that name.

As expected, Woo Min-hee is trying to say something behind him.

“Jeong Dae-gyeong······?!”

He raised his hand to stop it.

SKELTON: I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about it.

All I know about the second Jeong Dae-gyeong is that he is over level 10 Awaken and went missing in Jeju.

Unlike other powerful hunters, he was never used for propaganda and disappeared relatively early, so information about him is limited.

But I do know one disturbing rumor about him.

Look at the screen.

Message from PROPHET: The person who almost got killed by that great savior, Kang Hanmin.

The rumors turned out to be true.

and.

Message from PROPHET: That’s why you’re crazy.