Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 420



Only Noblemtl

Episode 420 169. Question (2)

Rain of destruction falls on the fog-shrouded area.

A loud noise and a flash of light flickered through the fog, then rose above the smoke-filled sleet.

After thirty minutes of bombing, the American planes circled overhead as if they were nothing and sent a short message.

[ Good luck . ]

I hope so.

Kite and disposable drones flew into the fog to confirm the results of the bombing.

“Confirmed destruction of over 90% of the target. The rest is unknown due to image quality issues, but is presumed to have been destroyed. However, do not let your guard down.”

Hong Da-jeong reported the situation through the radio.

She reported once on the public frequency in a very businesslike tone, then changed the frequency to her personal frequency and added, in a tone I knew was slightly mischievous,

“Skeleton. We have a lot to do, so why don’t we die yet? Don’t we still have a lot to do?”

He answered with a snicker.

“I’ll try.”

Tanks and armored vehicles appeared with a loud engine sound.

A soldier with a long scar on his face saluted me and reported that he was ready for battle.

I thanked him and checked the condition of the tank and its cargo.

The tank is in poor condition.

This is because it is a so-called zombie tank that was forcibly regenerated from the destroyed one.

Even from a distance, the engine noise can be heard rumbling and seems like it could spread at any moment, but the engineers say it can last at least one battle.

Other than that, everything is good.

We found the most important weapon inside the armored vehicle.

Srrrrung-

Inside the armored car is a long, two-handed axe that looks like a barbell with an axe blade attached to it.

It wasn’t as heavy as a barbell, but it was heavy enough to handle with one hand, so I held it with both hands and checked its functionality.

Choaaaak—

The soldiers and hunters on the scene looked at the weapon with curious eyes, but when the lower metal skirt opened like an inverted umbrella, they all looked bewildered.

“What is that?”

Ha Tae-hoon asked.

“Ah? This.”

She smiled and put away her skirt.

“A secret weapon.”

Yes, that’s right.

It’s a secret weapon.

About 10 years ago. The day that decided my fate.

This is an item created to take revenge on that day.

Of course, it wasn’t just my idea that I created.

My mentor Jang Gi-yeong’s idea was at the center, and the thoughts and skills of the unknown Chinese man who had fallen, and above all, my hatred for having directly confronted the bastard were all contained in that sparkling day.

Then an engineer wearing oily overalls arrived at the scene.

They brought me another part of the secret weapon I ordered.

It is a propellant consisting of two nozzles.

“Captain Park Gyu. This is what you requested.”

Seven, the leader of the engineers, handed it to me.

Heavy weight.

Crunch!

I combined it with the lower part of the spleen weapon.

Although it was 100% handmade and not manufactured in a proper factory, the joints fit together surprisingly smoothly.

I saw engineers including Seven.

They look at me with proud and confident expressions, and they are another pillar that supports us.

Before I could even express my gratitude, I tried to ask about practicality first, fearing that they might call me a idiot.

“How does it feel? Is it useful?”

The already heavy two-handed axe had become quite heavy to the point of being burdensome.

It also has a center of gravity that makes it difficult to swing properly in actual combat.

“It’s a bit heavy.”

However, the purpose of this weapon is different from that of a normal axe.

This guy is designed to catch only one monster.

“But it’s perfect.”

Seven looked back, exchanged smiles with the technicians, then looked back at me.

“By the way, what’s the name of that weapon? Is it an axe with rockets on it or a rocket axe?”

He shook his head firmly.

Such a childish and uncool name does not suit Park Gyu’s sensibility.

“Then what should I call you?”

There was a name that I had been thinking about while protecting Seoul.

I stroked my new weapon with my gloved hands, its blunt rather than sharp edge reflecting the sunlight streaming through the clouds as I repeated its name.

“Maul.”

Engineers ask.

“Maul? Isn’t that a hammer?”

He nodded.

“There won’t be much difference.”

The purpose is the same.

I’ll smash his head with this.

That was all I could think about.

A rumbling noise was heard and the engineers retreated.

A group of people, standing in the center of the city, were approaching us.

“senior.”

The one leading the way is Woo Min-hee.

It is extremely rare for her to appear in public.

Because of her prosthetic arms and legs and the scars on her face, she was reluctant to go outside.

Even when doing outdoor activities, when he is seen by many people like now, he wears a wide-brimmed hat and gloves over his prosthetic arm, and he has his own style of dress code.

But now, the raw prosthetics and artificial limbs, and even the scars of past battles are clearly visible under the sunlight.

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you.”

I perceive this as another way of saying she is telling the truth.

He answered her.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“······senior.”

“Thanks to you, I was able to come this far. Thank you, Minhee.”

Just as she told me her truth, I also told her the truth without adding or subtracting anything.

There have been many big and small things between us since the war, but in this city, Woo Min-hee is my biggest supporter and the person who brought me here.

If it weren’t for her, I probably would never have dreamed of meeting him again.

Without even a choice, I chose to become the last human skeleton, and I would have died in cynicism, even making myself the target of cynicism.

It’s true that death is scary, but I also think that living a worthless life and dying is miserable.

For example, the difference between a long tragedy and a short tragedy.

beep—-

The buzzer rang.

Operation commencement.

A group of hunters passed us by.

The advance party led by Defender.

His members, more like a platoon than a team, decided to stay behind to deal with the large horde of zombies that lingered like a thundercloud in the southeast.

As the zombie horde slowly approaches, King and Park Penguin’s forces have already sent reinforcements, and the Defenders are about to join them.

I gave the Defender a thumbs up as he passed by.

There’s no need to say much to him.

Just by exchanging glances, we can understand each other’s intentions.

I looked back.

96 people, including 66 hunters from 17 hunter teams, 32 soldiers, 6 Chinese soldiers, 1 doctor, and 1 war correspondent, all stared at me.

Just like with Defender, there’s no need for long words between us.

Likewise, there is no need for a long speech.

What matters is the result.

But I’ll tell them differently.

“No matter what the outcome is today, I hope you don’t mind. There were people here today who fought for a new Seoul, no, for our humanity. We are one of them.”

I climbed into the armored car in silence.

A picture of a roaring tiger and the word “범” written in a large brush were vividly painted on the armor plate.

This is the vehicle I will be riding in.

A familiar face is waiting inside the car.

“hi?”

This is Na Hye-in.

For some reason, she didn’t show herself outside.

Probably the biggest reason was that he didn’t want to show himself to Kang Hanmin.

I don’t know the exact relationship between the two now, but I personally confirmed that Kang Han-min loved her when we were younger.

One of the things that I have vaguely confirmed is that Na Hye-in still doesn’t like Kang Han-min.

She looked a little tired.

“are you okay?”

Perhaps it’s because of the ominous waves that the general type radiates throughout the city.

Even though they are wearing NP equipment, the NP equipment itself cannot remove the general type’s wavelength, so the regular Awakens are literally holding on with just mental power.

“So-so.”

Na Hye-in wiped the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead with a handkerchief and turned her gaze to the tablet she was holding.

“Here’s this map.”

A dark light flashed across her eyes for a moment.

“The terrain is strangely similar to the operation we conducted in China?”

He nodded.

The place where the general type settled down was a roundabout where several roads converged into one place.

I think it is not a coincidence, but rather a result that reflects the general type’s tastes.

The guy seems to prefer a middle ground where he can control multiple roads at once.

Perhaps it is because they can protect the group from mass destruction attacks such as bombing by humans and can move the group flexibly to counterattack humans.

In previous battles, the General type moved several monsters like long pieces, blocking several escape routes and literally vaporizing hundreds of Hunter teams.

The situation is not much different from that time.

However, the number of monsters and humans has decreased equally.

He’s still the one leading the pack, and I’m still the one leading the humans.

They are talking about the second round.

The plan is simple.

Since the guy has intelligence, he can make judgments, and based on those judgments, he can catch us by surprise, so we start attacking him from all sides.

The center of the rotary is covered with the thickest fog, so it is unknown what condition it is in, as it was not observed by drones or reconnaissance vehicles, but it is likely alive.

Na Hye-in’s face, slightly frowning, is proof of that.

There are thousands of routes leading to the center where the bastard is, including all the small alleys, but the places where the tanks and armored vehicles that serve as our legs can pass are limited.

Mathematicians have reported that there are more than 100 roots.

We chose 17 of them.

This is because there are only 17 Hunter teams, and there are only 17 paths leading to the center that armored vehicles and tanks can pass through.

Of these 17 attacking teams, 16 are nothing more than feint attacks, or tributaries to support the main attack, which the Chinese call Xu Chu.

There is only one main character.

This is the team I lead.

To be precise, Team 1 consists of two Hunter teams.

This is Team Professor, led by me, and Team Alpha One, led by Na Hye-in.

Na Hye-in’s team is comprised of regular away players currently affiliated with the Jeju government, and is the strongest among the 17 hunter teams.

One of only two regenerated tanks is assigned to our team.

“So this is where it all splits up?”

I looked at the map and reconfirmed the plan.

“Okay. But if the B-13 is still intact, I’ll leave it to you.”

“No problem. It’s just a medium-sized dog.”

The number of monsters hiding on the battlefield before the bombing was 66 medium-sized monsters.

They were all placed at major intersections and junctions.

As if each and every one of them were gatekeepers guarding the path to the general type.

After the bombing, our expected number is about 30.

A reconnaissance conducted immediately after the bombing found similar numbers remaining.

Yeah yeah—

Although all US military aircraft have left, the heavy noise of the aircraft can still be heard in the sky.

It is a high-altitude large reconnaissance drone piloted by Hong Da-jeong.

They’re hovering 30,000 feet above the ground to avoid the monsters’ interference.

Although it is debatable whether this is safe, it is at least a necessary preparation to ensure that the general type escapes after the bombing.

I haven’t heard any news of the general type getting out yet.

“If we split up here and there’s a B-14 left, can I ask for its removal?”

“It might be possible.”

As Na Hye-in is the strongest player, there are high expectations for her.

Na Hye-in listened to my instructions with a serious face, nodded, or asked questions.

As I was reconfirming the plan like that, I suddenly felt eyes on me.

Na Hye-in is staring at me.

It is a face so beautiful that even a single scene from the past passes by.

As other people say, it’s an atmosphere that’s difficult to approach.

As he grew older, his characteristic dreamy atmosphere disappeared to some extent, but instead he acquired a lively complexion that made people feel sympathy.

I think this is better than before.

“Do you have any questions?”

He asked her, looking at her with an excessively strong gaze.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

She looked around.

There are only two of us in the armored car.

The rest of the team is waiting outside or in other vehicles for our briefing to be over.

She let out a small breath and looked at me again.

“What is your relationship with Minhee?”

“Woo Min-hee?”

“huh.”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“People say that you and Minhee are close. You even drink together at night······.”

“That’s right.”

He nodded.

“But that’s all.”

“okay?”

“But does that matter?”

I don’t understand.

Even though Na Hye-in and Woo Min-hee were seniors who had a good relationship, it’s hard to say that they’re asking about her personal life at such an important time. It feels a little off.

Here I can only repeat what my mentor, Jang Gi-yeong, told me.

“Wake up.”

Certainly my mentor’s words are effective.

Na Hye-in stared at me blankly, then quickly laughed in vain and straightened her expression.

“That’s right, Park Gyu. Now is the time to come to your senses.”

She got up from her seat with an expression on her face as if she had been shaken by something.

“Then I’ll go.”

He nodded.

The door opened.

She glanced sideways at me from the open door and said something.

“Don’t die.”

“That is not a request that suits us, Alpha One.”

Na Hye-in got out of the armored vehicle.

“I was just saying.”

As Na Hye-in left, my team members got into the armored vehicle.

The team members will be Kim Da-ram, Ha Tae-hoon, and Bang Jae-hyuk.

Awaken is not included.

Because it fits my plans.

Although Bang Jae-hyuk’s leg is said to be uncomfortable, the condition of his leg will not be a big problem since he is planning to form a two-man heavy system with Kim Da-ram.

To be honest, I wish there was one more assault weapon to assist me, but there aren’t many assault weapons in the world that have my level of skill and can take on monsters in close combat.

Ha Tae-hoon came to my exact spot.

The problem is this:

Someone other than Bang Jae-hyuk came in.

“?”

I stared blankly at the unfamiliar, or rather unfamiliar yet familiar man.

A man with short hair, a particularly pale face, and a high nose entered the armored vehicle with his head bowed and climbed into Bang Jae-hyeok’s seat as if it were a given.

Crunch!

He tilted his head back and looked at me, his trademark old-fashioned M16 rifle tucked between his legs.

Bang Jae-hyuk’s voice was heard from the door.

“Senior Park. I’m sorry, but I think someone more suitable than me has appeared. I’m going to give in.”

I stared at the man staring at me right in front of me.

Gong Kyungmin.

My biggest supporter and friend.

And he’s a former teammate.

Gong Kyung-min spoke to me, spreading out his fingers.

“This is the only time.”

“······Respectful people.”

“I guess we don’t have to match the sum, right?”

He nodded.

He is a very good assaulter.

In certain situations, he showed just as much ability as I did.

I hope that happens again this time.

“Team Hermit enters the operational area.”

“Team Potato Chips deployment complete.”

“Team Gorgeous, awaiting orders.”

…

…

Each team has completed its deployment in each part of the city.

Now is the beginning.

But I didn’t think our enemy would be that easy.

As expected.

Kkieeeeeeeeee—–

“Turn off the radio! Now!”

Then that eerie roar echoed throughout the city.

It’s the scream of the cursed Screamer destroying our communicators.

I checked the radio and communicator.

All out of service.

“······.”

Was there one more?

Is this the scheme of the bastard waiting for us in the center?

Everyone looks at me with worried eyes.

Gong Kyung-min asked.

“What are you going to do?”

I answered, glaring at him.

“advance.”

There is no retreat.