Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 96



Only Krnovel

52. Boiler (1)

It has been two years and eight months since the war began.

Before the war, it was predicted that not many people would be alive after this much time had passed.

The reality was different.

Even if it is just a shell, the government still exists and countless people are living here and there, putting down roots.

But I’m not the only one who thinks that everything is slowly reaching its limits.

Even Park Gyu, who prides himself on being the most perfectly prepared person in the entire Republic of Korea, is starting to feel a sense of crisis these days.

It’s not just the Legion or monsters that threaten our survival.

External threats are just one of many that threaten survival.

Survival involves the daily routine.

We need materials to live our daily lives.

If we compare it to a game, it would be like HP.

Just as a game character dies when his HP drops to 0, our doomsdayers also die when they run out of supplies.

Traditionally, there are two main ways to replenish supplies that are lacking.

It’s looting and collecting.

Looting isn’t my style and it’s not easy.

As you can see from the Defender expulsion incident, everyone has leveled up.

It means that anyone who would just sit in the corner and take it easy is already dead and gone.

The easy part is collecting.

To put it politely, it’s called collecting, but to be precise, it’s called scavenging.

It’s a method of obtaining supplies by searching through someone’s abandoned house or corpse.

These two ways of life were not options before the war.

But now that the destruction has been prolonged and people’s survival skills are surprisingly tenacious, I’ve decided to change my mind a little.

It was Rebecca who provided the opportunity.

*

There may be many items that people need, but in the grand scheme of things, they do not stray far from the traditional necessities for humans: food, clothing, and shelter.

First of all, the food problem is pretty good.

I have mostly switched from frozen food to preserved food, and I also occasionally farm my own land to pass the time.

One of my few joys is planting and harvesting the seedlings that Mr. Kim gave me, as well as the ones I have already stockpiled.

However, my farm is irregular.

Instead of doing the tricks of intensively planting and harvesting various crops in square, rectangular fields like my friends in Diesiraena and other fields with talent for agriculture, I scattered seeds here and there.

It’s not that I’m stupid, I just did it this way so my fields wouldn’t look like fields.

I planted farmland here and there, from the smallest the size of a shoe to the largest that couldn’t accommodate my entire body.

There are numerous disadvantages, such as being difficult to manage, not growing well when watered, being susceptible to pests and diseases, and even low productivity, but I think they are nothing compared to the risks of having your farmland discovered.

Because if a person like me who has been branded a legionnaire proudly posts about his farmland like Diesirae and posts a certification post with a title like “Skeleton Farm,” he could end up getting bombed by the legionnaires and have his entire year’s farming ruined.

But even this is an issue that we will have to think about next year and the year after.

The reserves are only good for about a year at most.

If I were to combine the long-term storage “brick food”, it would last me five years, but I would probably become mentally ill or die of some other disease before five years were up.

A bigger problem than food is aging equipment.

Electrical and plumbing were of the highest quality when first constructed, and there were no difficulties as expert advice was provided.

However, batteries cannot be natural in their lifespan.

I have a large number of batteries, but after about 3 years, the charge capacity and voltage are gradually decreasing.

The most fatal problem is oil.

The oil conditions are getting worse.

That’s expected.

Oil isn’t something that can be stored for thousands of years.

Gasoline and diesel fuel last less than a year, and even diesel fuel lasts about a year and a half at most.

So, I ordered the fuel that was known to have particularly good preservation properties among the commercially available fuels, added various additives to prevent oxidation, and stored it in a vacuum-sealed storage tank, but I couldn’t completely stop the passage of time.

Every time you use oil, you open the valve and air rushes in through the gap in the valve, something that even large companies cannot stop.

It cannot be ignored that Korea’s unique seasonal fluctuations and humidity have had a negative impact on oil.

They say there are four seasons, but it is a comprehensive gift set that allows you to experience all the harshness of nature that can be experienced on Earth.

It wasn’t because Rebecca’s seniors were ignorant that they froze to death en masse during the Korean War.

Because I never expected that a country as hot as a Pacific island could become so cold.

Oil shortage is a problem.

“······.”

Rebecca sent me a message this morning.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER123: Skeleton. It’s been very cold this winter.

It’s not common for Rebecca to send messages online.

She sent me a translation of a popular post that was trending on the Viva! Apocalypse! English message board.

Drastic81 : Caution! North American Meteorological Institute Forecasts the Coldest Cold Wave in Meteorological History This Winter

To summarize the content of the article simply, if you approach this winter with half-hearted determination, you will all freeze to death.

According to the article, it appears that a global cooling phenomenon is currently being detected on Earth.

Last winter, a record-breaking cold wave struck and took many lives, but this winter is expected to be even colder and stronger.

The author pointed to a giant volcanic eruption in Southeast Asia and a global nuclear war as causes.

“······.”

Perhaps this winter will be a turning point for the world once again.

It is said that Mother Nature tests humans before monsters.

Mmmmm-

Outside, cicadas are in full swing.

It’s a time when you have to worry about heatstroke, not just the cold.

It’s midsummer.

But I’m thinking about winter.

If the Legion or monsters attack before that, you will die, but if you face winter without any preparation, you will end up as a frozen skeleton.

How to prepare for winter?

I thought about the most searched for gear by people starting out on the road.

A wood-burning boiler is a boiler that burns wood.

There are two main reasons.

While oil is of poor quality and deteriorating quality, wood is a relatively common and readily available fuel.

The firepower of trees is much stronger than city people imagine.

Mr. Kim also enjoyed a wellness life by building a yellow clay room at home that was powered by a wood boiler, and passed away.

The reason I didn’t choose a wood-fired boiler is simple.

The point is that it spews out a large amount of white smoke that can be seen from far away.

Before the war, it would have been one of the objects symbolizing a cozy village, but in today’s world, it is a suicide signal telling people around me to kill me.

So, wood-fired boilers were not even considered as a choice when choosing a heating method.

But now I’m seriously considering a wood-burning boiler.

There’s nothing I can do.

According to Rebecca, this winter is going to be even worse than the last cold spell.

So either freeze to death or get shot to death.

It’s a harsh either-or choice.

Without much thought, I chose the wood-burning boiler.

There was no need to think deeply.

It hit me right when I was beaten all over my body by the harshness of winter.

I’m more afraid of the cold than people.

Of course, the times when the wood boiler is running are times when the cold is absolutely unbearable.

That is, when the temperature remains above -15 degrees Celsius for more than a month.

By then, most of the weak people will be dead.

The people who came to me after going through all kinds of hardships will also not be in good condition.

This time, I won’t be able to come to the golf course?

Of course, if the Legion faction comes wrapped in winter gear, then they’ll die.

But I don’t have a wood boiler.

Not putting it in your options means you never even thought about using it.

But now I need a wood boiler.

In this apocalyptic era where online shopping has disappeared and vendors have all turned into zombies or corpses, there are only two ways to get things.

Take it or pick it up.

I chose to pick it up.

There are experts in picking things up around here.

This is my neighbor, Defender.

*

“Wood boilers? They’re everywhere. You can find them quickly if you search through a few abandoned houses around here.”

Although he gained fame through his certification as a murderer and eventually had to retire from the message boards because of that, in my opinion, the Defender is closer to a scavenger with high combat power than a murderer.

This is what is said when looking at the numerous items piled up in the house.

Every time I go, something increases.

Including vehicles.

“There are no more consumables. Almost all of them have been taken. However, leave the fixed equipment like boilers, especially simple items like wood boilers. You can make them quickly with just what you have without having to lug around heavy things.”

The defender told me where a wood boiler might be.

It’s an abandoned housing complex close to my area.

Although no one currently lives there, traces of the long-ago raiders and scavengers still remain here and there.

Behind the house, there was a cemetery full of graves, which was probably the cause of legal disputes between the construction company and residents before and after the sale. It seems that some of the graves were dug up, as it seemed that there were Germans among the scavengers.

The Defender says to be extra careful when searching an empty house.

There is a possibility that people, especially the elderly, may be hiding in the house that appears abandoned, or there may even be zombies.

In the worst case scenario, it seems that mutations may be rife.

Message from Defender: It was a cat mutation. That time, it screamed in a real voice and ran away.

It’s true that mutations are a scary thing.

However, their numbers are not that large.

As they grow larger, they need to stand out and eat food that matches their larger size, but this isn’t something that can be solved by just increasing their intelligence and size.

Although many mutations appeared in China as well, most of them died from lack of food or killing each other.

There are quite a few who preyed on humans, but they died by the hands of humans.

There are no villages or animals in this area that can support mutations.

It’s literally a place with nothing.

But you can’t let your guard down.

He slowly approached the abandoned house, holding an axe in one hand and resting his gun on it.

thud!

As I kicked open the door and stepped inside, the dusty interior and the lingering scent of a corpse so old that I couldn’t tell when it had died pierced my nose.

Crunch!

I searched the house, taking each step carefully.

When searching an empty house, the rule is to search the entire house.

If you don’t bother searching places like the attic or basement, you might get counterattacked by someone hiding there.

Especially if you plan on spending time in that house, you should be even more thorough and even search all the nearby houses to ensure your safety.

This is because at the beginning stage of scavenging, if you announce your location to all directions and there is someone hiding within that radius and that person has a weapon, it can develop into a very dangerous accident.

I was able to find the item I was looking for without difficulty.

In the boiler room a large wood-burning boiler was sitting there without any major damage.

Although it was a bit jarring to see two mummified corpses lying next to the boiler, I took it as a positive sign that at least there was no danger in the house.

The problem, of course, is the weight of the wood boiler.

At first glance, it looks like it weighs at least 150 kg.

Skeletons can lift, but only so much weight they can lift.

My back hurts.

If your back goes out, you die.

Even if you catch a cold, you die.

Even if it’s cold, I’ll die.

That’s the world.

“······.”

Should I use a forklift?

Even though it is a distance of 9km, it is not an easy decision to use a forklift.

Well, I guess I’ll take it with me.

There is also a way to take it by putting it on a truck.

Anyway, I secured the boiler I was aiming for.

Next is the search.

Since I have to come back again later, I need to look around more thoroughly.

He entered sideways, holding a gun.

It’s a pretty, well-built house, although smaller than the house next door.

Most of the windows on the first floor were broken, but those on the second floor and in areas that were hard to reach were intact and clear, showing the outside view.

But the moment I entered this house, I hesitated for a moment.

I was thinking of going back.

Because this house.

People live.

It feels alive.

I’m keeping it a secret, but what can I do?

I have a good feeling.

Arguing with people is not a good choice.

There is nothing good to be gained by fighting a human being who is prepared to hide in a safe position with a gun and shoot anyone who comes in.

“······You came to the wrong place. I’ll just go. I have no intention of fighting, so please don’t misunderstand.”

I apologized to the person I didn’t know and slowly backed away, taking careful steps backwards.

But after walking only a few steps, two lights flashed in the darkness.

He is a person.

“Excuse me, over there!”

A young child.

There are three, not one.

The children were all as skinny as skeletons.

“Do you have anything to eat?”