Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 423



Only Noblemtl

Episode 423 169. Question (5)

“Live Apocalypse?”

Before the operation started, Emgu came to see me.

He, who never lost his smile even in a world that was going downhill, asked me to be his war correspondent.

“Let’s do it together like we did back then.”

I declined for two reasons.

One is the risk of the operation.

It’s a whole other level of risk than eliminating Screamer.

People tend to consciously ignore aspects of something that are obviously different from their expectations.

It is not revealed in this operation or in the Screamer Hunt operation itself.

It’s just that it wasn’t explicitly stated.

If you compare the two closely, you will see a stark difference.

While the Screamer Hunt operation spent more than half of its content on returning alive, this operation does not have a single mention of withdrawal or escape after the successful completion of the mission.

This is a deliberate omission.

In the first place, it is meaningless to make a withdrawal plan when even the success of the operation is slim, and there is no need to explain the future that will await us if this operation fails.

But those who are meant to live will live.

Even in the middle of Seoul where everyone had left, even in the hell swarming with zombies and monsters, and above all, even in that slanted house, that man who never lost his smile was seen as one of the few people who would survive even after Seoul fell.

“I’m sorry, Mgu. But this time, it just won’t work out.”

Emgu tilted his head.

I looked at him and told him my true feelings.

“······I’m telling you this only. This operation has no chance of success, let alone survival.”

We’ve all already written our wills.

Except for a few friends who had no family or friends to leave a will to, everyone wrote a will to the person they were left behind.

I am one of the thirteen who did not leave a will.

I didn’t want to waste the precious resource of emotions by writing a document called a will, and more than anything, my will is kept in my bunker.

Although it is not a will in the literal sense, it is a trace of a person named Park Gyu who lived in a world that was falling apart, and it is a place deep in the bunker, probably prepared for aliens or people from the future who will come in the distant future.

It’s a shame that I can’t leave my fossilized body behind, but so what.

It was already a long time ago that it is better to die resisting fate than to die in regret.

“If I don’t come back, stay alive and tell our story. No matter what you say.”

Emgu looked shocked for a moment, but then he seemed to remember something and smiled meaningfully, glancing at me with his eyes half-closed.

“Huh? You’re going to come out like that?”

“?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Skeleton.”

Emgu turned around.

It was unexpected.

I thought that shameless guy would be sticky and persistent.

Emgu asked quietly, turning his back.

“Let me ask you just one thing.”

“uh.”

“Can you come back alive?”

I hesitated for a moment, but I guess there’s no need to hide it.

“It might be difficult.”

Emgu burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I will come back alive.”

“why?”

“Because you are both a skeleton and a twelvesquare.”

His eyes are more serious than ever.

“······.”

I just stared at him without saying a word or nodding.

This is my own expression of respect.

I will come back alive.

There will probably be a lot of work to do.

Including becoming an internet legend.

“······.”

No, I absolutely have to survive?

“Anyway, it’s a bit shocking that Skeleton won’t cooperate, but there’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to try the plan alone.”

“plan?”

“Oh, don’t tell the traitor. Don’t teach him. If you’re really curious, ask Deadman.”

“Deadman?!”

How does this guy know that name?

Leaving me in doubt, Emgu whistled and left.

Emgu added a word at the door.

“Anyway, Skeleton. I believe in you.”

That was the last conversation I had with him before the mission.

Of course, I didn’t ask Dead Man Walking if that was the plan Emgu had mentioned.

To begin with, I’m not sure if the Deadman that Emgu was talking about was the Deadman Walking I know, and that Deadman Walking guy isn’t the type of guy who’d come just because I called him.

There was no time to leisurely wait for a reply like before.

But the plan that Emgu had been talking about came back to life like a lie at a time I never expected.

Now that Emgu is speaking.

mmmmmmmmm : Friends out there? If you have any friends alive, could you please contact them? It won’t be hard. I’ve maxed out the output right now. Any shit phone will be forced to connect!

mmmmmmmmm : Cell phone, walkie-talkie, radio. Anything. Speak to me through any means that can receive and transmit Necropolis waves. The creator of Necropolis is working his ass off to make your voices resonate!

I tapped on the LCD of one of the cell phones attached to the NP equipment.

The liquid crystal display is working.

Still alive.

Although it cannot be used normally because the black stained area takes up more than half of the screen, it is usable if you scroll down and type in the desired message at the bottom.

I accessed the internet through that cell phone.

Currently, the mobile phone is automatically connected to Necropolis.

Gaze at the simple yet functional windows of the Necropolis.

there is.

At the bottom there is a link portal to Viva! Apocalypse!

When I pressed on it, which consisted only of text, my familiar world came to life on the LCD screen, which was half covered in darkness.

[ Welcome to Viva! Apocalypse! ]

Look at the screen.

I scrolled down because the top part was stained and not visible.

there is.

[LIVE! Apocalypse! On air!]

Beneath the large window that appeared, a chat window that only Melon Mask could use was floating.

A new guest appeared in the chat room where only Melon Mask’s reactions had been posted.

mmmmmmmmm: Friends who are currently on the battlefield. If you see this, come in immediately! There’s a room for you! Quick!

“······.”

For a moment, my heart sank.

Melon mask.

Was the creator of our world involved in this too?

The chances are much higher for this than for dead man walking.

Because Emgu is a “petite named” user who can personally contact Melon Mask.

mmmmmmmmm : Only one person has come in now! Everyone, hurry up and connect! Hurry up! Let’s start the live!

I immediately saw the cell phones attached to the NP equipment.

He picked out the useful ones and handed them out to his team members.

“what?”

“Why this all of a sudden?”

I told them.

“Look at the screen.”

Each person holds their cell phone and looks at the screen.

The reflection of the liquid crystals in each of their eyes floats with a different color.

“What is this?”

Kim Da-ram asked.

“······A miracle happened.”

I thought that with all communication cut off, hope was lost too.

No it wasn’t.

mmmmmmmmm: Alright, guys on the battlefield right now. Hurry up and log in! There are only 13 people left!

I pressed the connect button.

A new window will pop up.

[ Please enter your name and team ]

Is this a device for filtering out seeds of powdered sugar?

Even if a meteorite that will destroy humanity were to fall, the seed of Buntang would still be making a fuss on the bulletin board.

I answered the question by pressing the unfamiliar, rough LCD screen.

[ SKELTON, Team Professor ]

“ah.”

You entered it incorrectly.

This is Viva! Apocalypse! I accidentally entered my nickname instead of my name.

But what’s the big deal?

[Live! Apocalypse! Welcome to the dedicated chat room!]

Skeleton is Park Gyu and Park Gyu is Skeleton.

At the top of the chat room, the login history of chat room members was displayed.

– Kim Hanna (Team Grave) has entered.

– Song Gil-hoon (Team Direwolf) has entered.

– Mr. Park Chang-jo (Team Jade) has entered.

– Cha Jeong-hwan (Team Archer) has entered.

…

…

and.

– SKELTON has entered.

“······.”

also.

There is someone here who knows me.

And that too, moderates this bulletin board in real time.

Probably Vivabot.

My restraint and at the same time my best understanding.

Of course, skeletons are not something everyone is familiar with.

Iharu (Team Longspear): ? Skeleton? What is it?

Ryu Jeong-hee (Team Dokkaebi): ??

Jang Geun-soo (Team Wolf): anjdi

Kim Hanna (Team Graves): Who?

Kim Da-ram (Team Professor): Ex

…

…

These guys probably know both real-life professors and skeletons from internet bulletin boards, but they probably can’t imagine that these two completely different characters with different charms are the same person.

Only a select few know that fact.

“Oh! Skeleton!”

Emgu’s face, wearing sunglasses and displayed in low resolution, appeared as large as a door.

It looks like he probably took a picture of himself with his phone camera.

“Can you hear me? Are you connected properly? Should I switch to chat?”

SKELTON: Let’s do it through chat first.

The chat window is filled with text with question marks in it, so fast that you can hear a clicking sound.

Iharu (Team Longspear): So who the hell is Skeleton?

Park Min-seop (Team Sapphire): What is this? What is this situation? Can someone explain it to me?

Jo Hyung-wook (Team Greyhound): Our members are certain, as there is someone verifying them.

Kim Hanna (Team Grade): Oh no…..?

Seo Young-hoon (Team Wolf): SKELTON That guy is the one who writes a lot of strange things on Viva······

Ham Chun-ok (Team Shin Gi-jeon): That’s right. People who pretend not to see obscene content and leave comments.

Bae Sang-moon (Team Shin Gi-jeon): Min-seop! You’re alive!

Jang Geun-soo (Team Wolf): no hangul

Gong Kyung-min (Team Professor): Communication is really possible. In this situation.

Ham Chun-ok (Team Shin Gi-jeon): Are you the captain?

…

….

It’s equally confusing when a situation suddenly occurs.

But here we definitely need to sort things out and move on.

“······.”

Knock knock

SKETLON: I am Park Gyu.

For a moment, the chat window froze.

After a while, it even physically froze me.

SKELTON: Mm. Please freeze the chat window.

mmmmmmmmm : Okay!

In the silence that had returned, I quickly tapped the screen of my phone, looking at the LCD screen that was half covered in darkness.

SKELTON: Each team leader, report your current status immediately.

Even without saying anything, Emgu disabled the writing function as soon as I finished speaking.

A chat window appeared that seemed like it would soon be filled with a loud voice.

Jo Hyung-wook (Team Greyhound): All green.

Baesangmoon (Team Simgijeon): It seems like new species are appearing everywhere, but there are no abnormalities so far.

Park Min-seop (Team Sapphire) All Green.

Pyo Min-ah (Team Jackal): I will report on behalf of Team Leader Shim Hyeong-do, who is weak on mobile. All green.

Seo Young-hoon (Team Wolf): 1 person injured. Mission can continue. Green.

…

…

and.

Na Hye-in (Team Alpha One): All green.

Na Hye-in also answered.

I sent a message right away.

SKELTON: Gather and reorganize immediately around Alpha One.

SKELTON: The reason is that the enemy types reinforced by the capsules are mostly small types, and small types lack mass killing capabilities. First, unite them into one big mass. Create tumors in their area that they cannot help but be concerned about.

SKELTON: Avoid engaging the enemy as much as possible. Also, there is a high possibility of ambush by cultists, so move with your combatants before your armored vehicles. Teams that do not have Awakens and have difficulty moving should wait at a point and seek cooperation from other teams.

SKELTON: Heaven help us and the world reconnects us.

SKELTON: The door to possibility is right before your eyes.

Perhaps my writing and my every move will be broadcast to the whole world through Live! Apocalypse!

Even in space, the Melon Mask will be looking down on us from orbit.

Maybe Kang Han-min is watching our actions right now.

I guess it’s okay.

Now I’ll do what I have to do.

“Anyone here who’s good at using the internet?”

Gong Kyung-min raised his hand.

He asked, tilting his head.

“you?”

“I am a former administrator of Jeju Intranet’s large bulletin board.”

“Red Archive Bulletin Board?”

“?!”

A look of unconcealed shock appeared on Gong Kyung-min’s face, but he ignored it with a slight smile and stared at the next step.

“Make sure the kids are doing well.”

We headed towards the Chinese soldiers following us behind the armored vehicle.

Foreign soldiers, who were prepared to die in a different way than us but with a different meaning, all stared at me.

“It’s about to begin.”

They nodded.

“Can I ask you to do some reconnaissance?”

A Chinese soldier wearing glasses nodded.

Perhaps he did not understand what I said exactly, but perhaps he understood what I said through experience, perhaps through the resonance of his soul itself.

Wheeeeeeing—

The upper hatch of the armored vehicle opened and a small catapult-like device literally threw an ultra-light drone.

The wings of the spherical drone that rose into the sky spread and soon flew fiercely into the fog like an insect.

“Medium-sized species 3 confirmed.”

Jang Su-yeong reported the results.

I asked them.

“Can you keep your promise?”

Jang Su-yeong and the Chinese soldiers all turned their heads toward me.

They salute me from inside the narrow seat.

I also answered with caution.

Wheeeeeeeeing-

The hatch of the armored car opens.

Inside, mechanized death machines that once hunted South Korean and American troops sleep.

Whether that will work against monsters remains to be seen.

“senior.”

Kim Da-ram approached me.

“what?”

She handed me her cell phone.

“What is this?”

Military cell phone.

It’s the best.

It is now an item that cannot be obtained even for the same weight in gold.

The only people who would have something like this are Jeju Islanders.

“It’s Senior Gong’s.”

“Gong Kyung Min?”

“Yeah. They said it was a spare. It functions normally.”

Kim Da-ram held it out.

Indeed, all functions, including the camera and APU, are extremely smooth.

“He said, ‘How about wearing this like a body cam and broadcasting it?’”

“what?”

“Yeah. I’m sure Skeleton would really enjoy this kind of attention.”

She added with a snicker.

“But please bear with the beatboxing.”

I burst out laughing without realizing it.

This kid, Gong Kyung-min.

Did that guy have a bulletin board too?

Well, it’s kind of natural, since he’s been an internet demon since we started hanging out together.

good night.

I manipulated the cell phone.

– SKELTON has entered.

gijayangban: Welcome, senior^^

A familiar guy greets me.

SKELTON: Was it you?

gijayangban: Yeah. Oh my god.

SKELTON: It’s not that serious

Another guy is watching me too.

deadman_working: It may be romantic to hear the voice of the dead wandering through the underworld, but in the end, I am also a living person.

deadman_working: Everything will eventually die, but I hope the voices of the living will be heard a little longer.

There’s more.

MELON_MASK: Watching from space.

MELON_MASK : Twelve square. No,

MELON_MASK : SKELTON.

“······.”

I held my phone tightly in my pocket like a body cam.

I guess I’ll never see the chat window again.

But that doesn’t mean my story ends.

Because all my actions and situations that will be shown through the broadcast in the future will be messages that I send to them.

Clank-

The otherworldly beings called Cracks and Monsters asked us questions.

Are you really, as you claim, a copy of God, an absolutely superior being, better than all other life forms on the planet?

They told me the answer.

As we thought, we humans were neither that great nor divine beings.

Contrary to the delusion that we can destroy our own planet, we humans are just one of the doomed species living on this planet called Earth.

In that humility, we now ask them a question.

At least my question is clear.

Are you guys going to die too?