Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 112.3: Faith (3)

The Defender siblings are currently holed up in a corner of a city that has descended into chaos.

According to them, the city is spiraling into destruction, far beyond mere disorder.

It’s not just the fanatic attacks.

That was only the beginning.

While fanatics launched surprise raids, terrorizing the city, a group of soldiers who managed to maintain some level of order drove tanks into the city.

Soldiers in the same uniform opened fire on each other.

The alliance among the military factions broke down.

What was left was nothing but a blood-soaked fight to the death.

In the midst of this hellish chaos, the Defender siblings acted like true doom-mongers.

Having anticipated the civil war that had only been rumored, they acted according to their preemptive plan as soon as they saw suspicious soldiers entering the streets.

Message from Defender: "It's a dead-end. I intentionally jammed the iron gate so it wouldn't open. You might want to bring welding tools or a crowbar."

The situation is clear.

The Defender siblings have isolated themselves in a closed-off area with very limited supplies.

While they’re not at immediate risk of getting caught in a firefight, they are far from safe from artillery or Awakened individuals with sensory abilities.

They need to act quickly.

"We have no choice. I've seen Hong Jung-ho before."

This is the most dependable my comrades have ever been.

When I explained the Defender's situation, both Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon followed without hesitation.

Although it’s never been emphasized and no one has shouted it as a creed, it's the "bond of the school" we all share.

Though we’re pushed to the edge by the Awakened, we remember the brightest days. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

With the greatest danger ahead, we must be prepared to the fullest.

We pulled out the buggy that had been sitting in the corner of the garage.

This is our transport for the mission.

The road ahead will be more treacherous than ever, and this four-wheel drive vehicle is the best to navigate such terrain.

“How much did you pay for this?”

Cheon Young-jae asked, tapping the vehicle.

“Probably over one million.”

"Money's overflowing, huh?"

Following Cheon Young-jae’s suggestion, I added bulletproof panels around the driver’s seat and engine.

We decided to leave the other seats open, as adding too much weight would hinder mobility.

The biggest downside of using the buggy is the fuel.

The buggy runs on volatile gasoline.

The fuel we've kept for the buggy has been sealed tightly and treated with oxidation inhibitors for long-term storage, but time is an absolute force that cannot be avoided.

"It smells good."

Cheon Young-jae sniffed the can of high-octane gasoline as he opened it.

“It should work.”

We filled the tank and started the engine.

Vroom—

The engine roared to life with power.

This was the moment when our biggest worry was resolved.

"I’ll ride that bike."

Ha Tae-hoon pointed to my motorcycle.

“Motorcycle?”

“There’s not enough room for two. You said you’d bring two adults, right? Besides, I want to take my own equipment.”

I told him to go ahead.

Immediately, Ha Tae-hoon modified my motorcycle’s cargo space to fit his needs.

The weapons didn’t change much.

Normally, I carry three magazines, each with 25 rounds, during trips, but this time, I increased it to five magazines.

If we're facing an army, increasing the ammo probably won’t have much of an impact.

Just like when we fought the Chinese military, avoiding combat as much as possible is the best option.

Finally, after receiving the map of the city from Defender, we reviewed the plan together.

“At least we’re on the outskirts,” Cheon Young-jae said, after looking at the map.

I think Defender’s choice of location was intentional.

If they couldn't escape the city on their own, they would ask for help, and the southwestern outskirts, which are least troublesome for me, would be where the panic room was set up.

Before the battle broke out, Defender also sent a rough troop deployment map, but it’s probably not of much use now.

What we need to remember is Defender’s message.

Message from Defender: "Gunshots and screams are coming from all directions. I can hear the sound of tank caterpillars too. And maybe this is just my imagination, but I think I felt a shockwave. I’m not sure if it's from an Awakened or a monster, but it’s probably not a monster. No enemies have ever been here."

I see it differently.

There could be a monster.

If the monsters are the ones creating waves similar to the Awakened, they might be heading toward the Wonju area, where a large number of Awakened have gathered.

We need to anticipate every possible situation.

It’s not just humans vs. humans—it's humans vs. mutations and humans vs. monsters as well.

Of course, the most important thing in any situation is information.

"I'll leave the vehicle here, and Cheon Young-jae and I will scout on foot. Depending on the situation, we won’t deploy drones right away. Drones are easy to spot, and it’s better not to be seen. We’ll approach the planned location and try to make contact with the communicator. Hong Jung-ho said the communicator would still work unless he dies."

By midday, all preparations were complete, and we left my territory.

“I’ll handle this area as best as I can. At the very least, I’ll make sure to alert you if someone tries to break in. Not that it’s something to brag about, but I’m pretty good at hiding.”

The defense of the area now rested on Valentine.

He would cease the Jeju Intranet invasion operation until we return and focus on guarding the area.

"Alright then."

The buggy and motorcycle set off, bathed in the noon sunlight.

Though time was tight, we didn’t rush.

We stuck to the roads to avoid stressing the engine and suspension and paused at dangerous points we weren’t familiar with, scouting with the drone.

This is both my strength and my weakness.

My cautious approach often caused dissatisfaction among my teammates, who thought differently.

Thanks to this caution, there were times when I avoided losses in situations where we could have died, but there were also moments when I had to witness the cold body of a hostage in rescue missions.

People focus on failure more than success.

I’ve faced countless criticisms.

But still, my style hasn’t changed.

One thing has changed, though.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"There’s nothing more foolish than rushing and getting yourself killed."

It’s how I’ve changed my persuasion tactics.

Instead of focusing on definite results, I’ve started communicating with uncertainty.

I won’t deny that my reputation and track record gave weight to my communication, but it seems that Ha Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae fully agreed with my approach.

“There’s a saying: the more urgent, the slower you go.”

“Getting ambushed and dying is your own fault.”

The distance was long, but thanks to our careful march, we arrived in Wonju long after dark, more than 13 hours after we set out.

I didn’t think it was too late.

I had told Defender to expect at least two days.

It was a realistic estimate.

"Look at that."

"Shit. It’s all gone to hell."

From the top of a hill, we looked down at the city.

The city was glowing with fire, much like before the war broke out.

Of course, there were no romantic lights from office buildings, streetlights, or long streams of headlights.

It was literally fire.

The city was burning.

"The factions have been at each other's throats for a while now."

Cheon Young-jae muttered, chewing on a root.

“There are probably anonymous letters flying in like they do every time there’s a general promotion season. They probably all know each other. Who’s on our side, and who’s our enemy.”

“There’s no place without factions.”

“True.”

Our school had factions too.

I was the head of the largest faction, the Jang Ki-young faction.

At one point, it was pretty brutal, but we all ended up together in ruin, and any old grudges have long since been forgotten.

Anyway, the city was on fire, and the battle was ongoing.

It seemed like the intense fighting had subsided, but sporadic clashes were still happening all over the city.

Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon felt relieved by the timing, but I thought the ongoing sporadic fighting was worse.

Considering the frequency and location of the gunfire in the city, the battle was likely a mop-up operation, where the winning side was sweeping through the city, clearing out the remaining resistance.

For a small combat group like ours, this was far more dangerous.

But I wasn’t ready to give up on rescuing Defender.

“We’ll go with the plan.”

I left Ha Tae-hoon behind and advanced toward the city.

We took an approach route through a four- ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) or five-story building that was shielded by uneven terrain.

It was a physically demanding path, full of twists and turns, and it came with the inevitable stress of dangerous terrain.

High-risk paths cause a lot of stress.

In these stressful situations, both the body and mind accumulate tension.

With adrenaline and other factors, it’s often unnoticed, but unless the operation is completed quickly, the stress needs to be managed properly.

As we moved cautiously, periodically taking breaks to confirm our reconnaissance and route, I kept up constant communication with Ha Tae-hoon.

This was not just for our benefit.

Ha Tae-hoon, left alone, was also in a high-stress environment.

He needed to be reminded constantly that he wasn’t alone, that he hadn’t been abandoned—this would give him the mental space to perform well when the time came.

Cheon Young-jae’s detection range extends up to 300 meters, but he says the reliability decreases with distance.

The effective range is about 150 meters, and even then, it’s more like seeing a faint flicker of a flame in the distance.

To be certain it’s a human, he needs to get within 30 meters.

Still, when Awakened individuals detect people from afar, it’s tied to the human ability for reasoning.

“If there’s a reaction at a tall watchtower, even if it’s faint, you can be sure that’s a person up there, right? The same goes for bunkers, especially those underground. If something’s felt under open terrain, there’s no mystery—either it’s a mole or a person.”

Conversely, in heavily populated areas or forests filled with wild animals, their abilities seem less useful.

But being able to spot someone beyond a wall in an urban environment gives a significant advantage in human-on-human combat.

“There’s something ahead.”

“I heard it too. Looks like a beast, a dog maybe?”

Under the half-collapsed, burning villa, dogs were gathered, tearing something apart.

It was the body of a well-dressed middle-aged woman—half-eaten, but the remaining portion was intact enough for identification.

The wild dogs sensed our presence and became alert, but some still wagged their tails at us.

Covered in human blood, they wagged their tails, sticking their tongues out. Cheon Young-jae showed strong disgust.

“Repulsive.”

He raised his eyebrow and pulled out a silenced pistol.

“We should nip this in the bud before they mutate.”

I signaled him to stop shooting and bitterly said, “Do you think they wanted to be like this?”

“...You have a point.”

Cheon Young-jae holstered his gun.

With the dogs on high alert, we kept our distance and continued on our path.

Once we disappeared from their sight, the wild dogs, including the one wagging its tail, resumed tearing into the corpse.

We had now entered the city.

The city was shrouded in darkness and silence, with no sign of life, but sporadic, sharp gunshots rang out from various directions not far away.

Occasionally, what sounded like tank fire could also be heard.

“Can’t we deploy a drone now?”

“Not yet. If we get detected by a drone radar, it’ll just alert them to our presence.”

Drones aren’t omnipotent.

As history has shown, there’s no perfect weapon—just as there is no perfect spear or shield in the long history of warfare. Drones, while emerging as crucial in many conflicts, now face countermeasures that are swiftly evolving.

The Chinese developed the most varied equipment, but the American-made drones are superior in performance. As always, South Korea has pursued extreme efficiency with limited resources.

At one point, small drone models shaped like bees became popular.

In response, the South Korean military developed anti-drone radar, which tracks the number and position of wireless-controlled devices within a certain area by reverse-engineering their signals.

If we couldn’t develop superior controllers, at least we should be able to find the enemy’s.

Where there are drones, there are always enemies.

I once worked with an army officer back in Paju who said that with a smile.

If that’s their doctrine, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.

“People.”

Cheon Young-jae spoke quietly, pointing to a one-room building in the row of buildings.

Not the corner or an alleyway, but one standing right on the side of the road.

He added with a hand signal, “About the third floor.”

“It’s probably a civilian.”

A sniper would likely take a position in the most advantageous location, preferably on a roof, to cover the widest possible area.

We needed to be cautious.

We skirted around the building where the person was hiding and moved on to the next point.

Now, we were about 500 meters from Defender’s location.

“...”

There were too many buildings.

And none of them had any unique features or distinct characteristics.

To make matters worse, with the darkness settling in, it was difficult to tell which of these buildings was Defender’s hideout.

On top of that...

“There are too many people. They're scattered all around.”

There were civilians hiding everywhere.

But, they might not just be civilians.

Fanatics or isolated soldiers could be waiting, cornered like rats, for someone to come close.

This meant even Cheon Young-jae’s detection abilities wouldn’t help us avoid all the risks.

No matter what path we took, we couldn’t avoid areas with people.

But heading onto the main road would be suicidal.

On the main roads, it’s likely that the soldiers who’ve won the civil war would be controlling the streets with armored vehicles or tanks.

“Let’s head for the rendezvous point.”

Unlike Defender’s hideout, the meeting point was easy to identify.

It was a simple building, a small commercial one, but the hamburger sign on the first floor was unmistakable.

We confirmed there were no enemies around and stopped to rest while activating the communicator.

We had agreed on the method in advance.

Instead of using our voices, we used a remote app on our phones to create signal interference, generating noise.

Screech— Che— Chzzzz—

It wasn’t familiar, but we sent three bursts of noise.

It was our signal that we had arrived near the location.

“...”

Now we wait.

Are they still alive?

Or were they caught in this mess and ended up dead?

If they were dead, I wouldn’t be too surprised.

I had already seen how difficult it is for an ordinary person to survive in this brutal battlefield where battles still rage.

Cheon Young-jae said nothing.

He only revealed his nervousness slightly, tapping his finger against his crossed arms.

Ten minutes passed.

I signaled to Cheon Young-jae.

If we didn’t get a response in another ten minutes, we’d pull out.

Cheon Young-jae asked if we could wait longer, but I shook my head.

Defender had promised to respond no matter the situation.

And it would be within ten minutes.

We had already exceeded that.

If there was no reply within the next ten minutes, we would have to assume they were dead.

The risk was the same for both them and us.

Time passed, and another nine minutes went by.

I sent another signal with noise.

No reply.

“Let’s go.”

As I turned to leave, I heard a rustling sound.

Something small moved beyond the wall.

Cheon Young-jae shook his head.

It wasn’t a person, a mutation, or a zombie.

We raised our weapons and aimed forward.

Creak—

Something round, like a dish, emerged from the shadows.

“A robot vacuum?”

Cheon Young-jae stared at the strange object making odd noises as it approached.

It was literally a robot vacuum.

I didn’t know why it was here, but I knew who had sent it.

Written on the familiar circular surface was my other name.

[SKELTON!]

It must be Da-jeong’s doing.

A faint smile appeared on my face, despite myself.