Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 44.2: Construction (2)

Next to my main bunker is a garage even larger than the living quarters.

Like the bunker, its interior is reinforced with steel and concrete, while the entrance is concealed with dirt and rocks. To enhance its secrecy, the garage was deliberately built on lower ground, forcing vehicles inside to ascend a ramp with a gradient of about 15 degrees to exit.

Inside this garage are various pieces of heavy equipment and vehicles I purchased before the war, spending myself into debt. All of them sit neatly parked, waiting for their owner’s touch.

Excavator, loader, drill rig, forklift, bulldozer.

It’s Park Gyu’s collection of heavy equipment.

Most are second-hand, but their condition is excellent, thanks to the meticulous maintenance I’ve given them, just like Baek Seung-hyun’s motorcycle.

“Wow...”

While I’ve had guests inside my bunker a few times, this is the first time I’ve let anyone into my garage.

“You built all of this yourself?” Da-jeong, momentarily forgetting her usual playful demeanor, stared at me wide-eyed in disbelief.

Feeling a rare sense of pride, I tried to maintain my composure as I replied.

“Well... it took some effort.”

Defender was equally astonished. He turned to me, stammering in awe.

“Su... Suh-seobang.”

“Oh, come on. Why do you keep calling me Suh-seobang every time something happens?”

My plan was to use my heavy equipment collection and the labor provided by Defender and his sister to construct a new bunker next to the main one.

The idea was to create a decoy bunker to conceal the real one.

“What? You’re starting construction now? How long will it take?”

“About a month?”

“Will that be enough?”

I explained that I wouldn’t include water or electricity—just excavate the ground, pour a reasonable amount of concrete, and build something resembling my current bunker. Then I’d place a single toilet in the center, and that would be it.

“The toilet is the most important part.”

I asked Defender to procure a toilet.

“We’ve got a spare one at home. It’s broken, though. Will that work?”

“It’s fine. This decoy bunker is supposed to look like it’s been abandoned for ages.”

The Defender siblings didn’t seem thrilled with my plan. Defender’s sister, in particular, was skeptical. Unsurprisingly, she tapped on her tablet and showed me the screen.

[The concept is fresh, but will intruders really just pass by an obviously makeshift bunker? If I were them, I’d check thoroughly and scout the surrounding area.]

“That’s possible. But don’t worry; that’s exactly what I’m counting on.”

[Really...?]

“Trust me. Let’s just get to work.”

When I originally designed my bunker, endless expansion and modification were my intentions. That’s why I kept my heavy equipment despite mounting debt collectors.

The timing of the construction was ahead of schedule.

In my mind, the right time to expand the bunker would’ve been when people became as rare as endangered species in this land. That way, I could build freely without fear of gunfire, only needing to watch out for mutations or monsters.

I’d envisioned an idyllic setup, not as extravagant as Park Cheol-joo’s, but fortified with walls, maybe solar panels for abundant electricity, and a self-sustaining farm to enjoy humanity’s twilight years in comfort and luxury.

I thought three years would suffice to reach that point.

But humans are surprisingly resilient creatures.

Cities still teemed with millions of people, and the wilderness was dotted with stubborn elderly survivors clinging to life like weeds.

In such conditions, construction was undoubtedly risky, but a greater danger loomed over me.

This construction wasn’t optional. It was essential.

So, I began construction with the Defender siblings.

This was also a kind of test—for me, to see if I could work and live with others rather than surviving as a lone wolf.

With Rebecca wanting to join me, I needed to consider shifting toward communal survivalism. The Defender siblings, though not vocal about it, also seemed to need allies to help defend their territory.

Defender’s increasingly somber expressions suggested that this Justice Min guy from Viva! Apocalypse! wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

It’s something I’d have to address eventually.

We were slowly becoming a shared destiny, something we all felt but hadn’t yet said out loud.

“All right, a bit more... yes, that’s it, this way.”

Construction with others was surprisingly easier than doing it alone. They spotted things I might miss and handled tasks I would otherwise have to do myself.

Though I only knew fragments of Defender’s past, it was clear he’d done all sorts of rough work since returning from China. Judging by how he effortlessly handled construction tasks without needing instructions, he’d clearly done this type of work before.

While Defender worked with the heavy equipment, his sister used a drone to monitor the surroundings, easing my worries.

The worst-case scenario for this project was a Legion faction ambush during construction. Even without them, dealing with Pioneers would be a headache.

Fortunately, there were no attacks, likely because this area had been bombed and fought over before.

Once a place gets shelled, there’s always the chance it’ll be shelled again.

During the project, I offered the Defender siblings the decoy bunker as lodging. Though I suggested staying in my main bunker, they declined.

“Honestly, we value our privacy.”

“Can’t you do something about the bathroom, though?”

Nature itself turned out to be the greatest obstacle, not the Legion or human attackers.

The rainy season caused water to pool in the excavated areas, making it impossible to continue. Without a septic tank pump, we might’ve had to abandon the project.

The pump roared loudly as it worked, prompting Defender to ask in amazement.

“Skelton, is there anything you don’t have?”

“I made a lot of preparations.”

“Overkill, don’t you think? You’re like a treasure goblin. Or maybe a treasure Skelton?”

While the rain hindered progress, it also softened the ground, making excavation easier. Watching the small excavator tear through the loose soil with its powerful engine was oddly satisfying.

“This should do.”

After about a week, the decoy bunker took shape. Due to the risk of soil collapse, it was only half the size of my main bunker, but that didn’t matter. The key feature was the toilet in the center—its centerpiece.

During a break, Defender’s sister brought out coffee brewed from an espresso machine.

“Here, coffee.”

True to her barista certification, the coffee she made was richer and more flavorful than mine.

“Phew.”

Defender wiped sweat from his brow as he glanced around.

“Man, this place is quiet.”

“Your kill count’s dropped, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, fewer bastards to kill.”

I cautiously asked while watching his expression.

“Is that guy still after you?”

“Yeah.” Defender sighed.

“He even came close to my territory. Must’ve pieced things together from a photo I posted—a single streetlamp in the shot gave it away.”

As Defender spoke, his sister watched me intently, her gaze betraying their situation’s severity. I turned to both siblings and asked.

“Be honest. How bad is it?”

They exchanged a glance before nodding in unison.

“It’s not as bad as what you’ve dealt with, but... yeah, it’s dangerous.”

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one testing others. They were also using this project to gauge me.

No matter how familiar we were online, it wasn’t enough to fully trust someone in this world.

Even this Skelton, a young, healthy man, could suddenly turn into a beast while living alongside an attractive woman like Defender’s sister. It’s a common tale—trusting someone only to have them transform overnight into a predator.

I swirled the warm coffee in my cup before downing it in one gulp.

“...I see.”

These are hard times for everyone.

Even with all my preparations, the apocalypse spares no one. Its oppressive weight crushes all who remain alive.

But I have no intention of letting it break me.

“When the construction’s done.”

I brushed my hand along the axe strapped to my hip and spoke calmly.

“Let’s go kill that bastard.”

The Defender siblings stared at me in shock. I gave them a faint smile as I continued.

“You helped me with this construction, didn’t you?”

“Skelton.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not a boast, but I’m quite good at killing people.”

This wasn’t a joke. It was the truth.

Defender seemed to understand my sincerity. He whispered something to his sister, and after a brief exchange, they both looked at me.

“It’s fine, for now,” Defender’s sister said.

“We’ll handle it ourselves.”

“Hold on.”

I tore a piece of paper from a notebook in my bunker and scribbled something quickly before handing it to them.

[ ☆“Legendary Hunter” Super Skelton Summoning Coupon☆ ]

Defender snorted, and Da-jeong stifled a laugh, covering her mouth.

“That’s so childish.”

I didn’t argue. My gesture was genuine.

“It’s not a boast, but I’m more capable than you think. There’s a reason the Legion has their eye on me.”

“Yeah, yeah~.”

Defender’s sister got up first, watching her brother, who was still seated, examining the summoning coupon.

“What are you doing? Say thank you.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Defender awkwardly replied, slipping the coupon into his pocket before looking at me.

“Thanks, Skelton. Even if it’s just the thought.”

“No, I mean it. Use it anytime.”

“Got it.”

Defender stood, his usually cold face faintly flushed.

The Skelton summoning coupon must’ve pleased him more than he let on.

“All right, I’ll use it when the time comes.”

Everyone knows it: humans are most efficient when helping each other.

Though I’ve chosen to go it alone for various reasons, it’s time to work together.

Not just with Defender.

“Oh, by the way, there’s a sniper I mentioned before.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m thinking of arranging a meeting with them.”

I showed the Defender siblings a photo of Rebecca and Sue I’d taken. They were mildly surprised, cautious, but open to the idea.

“Well, we’ll meet when the time’s right.”

Defender scanned my territory with his usual indifferent gaze.

“When the time’s right.”

It seemed he wasn’t ready to meet Rebecca and Sue yet.

I’d momentarily forgotten—this man was a cautious, calculated killer.

Bringing people together is as hard as getting them to live together peacefully. If we ever form a community, conflict will be inevitable.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

Still, I had a feeling we’d get along just fine.

“All right, let’s get back to work. We don’t know when the Legion might show up.”

Above all, Defender was a first-class worker.

*

2 Years and 8 Months into the War

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

In Incheon, preparations for the second evacuation fleet are in full swing.

Still, there is no word from the Legion faction, but troubling news from the south reports the growing influence of a cult.

The days grew hotter, and the swarming insects signaled that summer was near.

As always, in this grim period that feels like the calm before the storm, our construction project finally came to an end.

The secret veil to conceal my bunker had at last been completed.

“Hmm...”

Da-jeong stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the new bunker with dissatisfaction.

“Isn’t this a bit too slapdash?”

Defender shared a similar opinion.

“We worked hard, but the result feels underwhelming. It looks like it could collapse any moment.”

It was no surprise that they criticized the shoddy state of the decoy bunker.

The area was halved, and the concrete pouring was done just enough to keep it standing. From a distance, it might look convincing, but upon entering, the rushed nature of the construction was painfully obvious.

If not for the toilet placed conspicuously in the center, it might pass for a generic bunker.

But the toilet is key.

This toilet is what makes the bunker special.

“My plan, you see,” I began, ready to explain how I intended to use this crude bunker.

First, I planned to use the excavator to bury the entrance to my existing bunker.

It was unfortunate to lose one of the entrances, but it couldn’t be helped.

I could always use the other exits connected to the decoy bunker or the garage.

Once the main bunker’s entrance was erased, I would use the excavator to dig up a dried tree root from above the old entrance and place it atop the decoy bunker.

This tree root was one of the defining features of my bunker, as mentioned by Kim Daram to Kim Pil-seong.

When intruders reached the hill where my bunker was located, they would search for the tree root and discover the decoy bunker’s entrance beneath it.

Like the main bunker, the decoy entrance was built with varying levels.

“Won’t they figure it out just by checking the ventilation ducts?”

Defender’s sister, who had been skeptical of my plan from the beginning, pressed her point persistently.

I waved a finger at her.

“Now, it’s time for some magic.”

“Magic?”

This magic, of course, involved tripwires and explosives.

I plucked the tripwire, making it twang sharply, demonstrating its strength and flexibility. Then I began installing explosives in key locations around the decoy bunker.

“Skelton... Don’t tell me—”

Defender seemed to have finally grasped my plan.

I nodded with a grin and revealed the secret of my magic to Da-jeong, who still looked clueless.

“A grand explosion finale.”

“Explosion finale...?”

Let’s assume, based on Kim Daram’s intel, that a group of Legion soldiers enters my territory.

Using the landmarks she described, they would quickly locate the general area of my bunker.

But they wouldn’t know its exact location or layout.

The only things they’d know for sure were that the entrance was marked by a tree root and that there was a toilet in the center of the bunker.

When they found the tree root and entered the crude decoy bunker, the only thing awaiting them in the darkness would be the toilet.

If they tried to investigate further, they’d encounter the tripwires glinting faintly in the shadows, halting their progress.

As they paused, I’d be watching from inside the main bunker, waiting for the perfect moment to detonate the explosives and bury the decoy bunker—and them—in debris.

“I feel like I’ve seen this in a mystery manga before,” Da-jeong said, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she finally grasped the plan. “The culprit pretends to kill the victim right in front of the protagonist, right?”

“Something like that,” I replied.

“Su-Suh-seobang!”

My plan wasn’t perfect.

The amount of explosives might be insufficient to cause the desired collapse, or worse, it could damage my main bunker.

I had calibrated the quantity by instinct, but I wasn’t a demolition expert.

The biggest risk, however, was someone who had been to my bunker before returning to find it again.

Kim Daram.

That infuriatingly sharp junior of mine, who had absorbed my teachings all too well.

If she ever came back here, I’d have to confront her outside the bunker.

And I would ask her one simple question.

Why.

Because that’s the kind of world we live in now.