Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 98.7: Mausoleum (7)

"Yeah. Alright, I’ll give it a try."

Unlike me, who communicates with people over the internet, Cheon Young-jae uses wireless equipment to communicate with his peers or companions.

When it comes to versatility, Cheon Young-jae’s method is far more organic.

Moreover, Cheon Young-jae and the 18th batch, under the sense of solidarity as the "abandoned batch," have used wireless equipment to maintain tight communication even during the apocalypse.

That’s why I can confidently stay in touch with Dajeong even without the internet.

"Yeah, sure. Jeong-ho. It's me, Young-jae."

We were connected to Defender.

"One of the seniors wanted to talk to you, so I’ll pass you over."

I spoke to Defender as soon as I grabbed the walkie-talkie.

"It’s Skeleton."

"Skeleton?!"

"Yeah. How's your younger sibling doing?"

"Ah, it’s just some finishing treatment."

"Where are you?"

"Chuncheon."

"How’s the situation?"

"It’s not bad here. We already wiped out the believers in advance."

"I have a favor to ask of your younger sibling."

I briefly explained the situation to Defender.

Unlike Dajeong, Defender doesn’t have much knowledge about drones.

"I’ll tell him."

While waiting for a response from Defender, Cheon Young-jae turned to me.

"You seem pretty close, huh? It’s not easy to get close to that guy."

"We had some misunderstandings, that's all."

Soon, I received a message from Defender.

"I’ll pass Dajeong over now."

As soon as the line switched, a familiar voice came through the speaker.

"Skeleton! Long time no see! What’ve you been up to? You haven’t posted anything online lately. Are you in an internet slump or something?"

"I’ve been busy lately. I didn’t even feel like installing Fox Games."

"You said you had something to ask me, right?"

"Yeah. I need your drone piloting skills."

"My piloting skills?"

"You're the only one who can do this."

"I never thought I’d hear you say that, Skeleton."

Dajeong laughed as if she found it absurd.

"Alright. I’ve got a lot of debt to repay to you, Skeleton."

"Yeah. I’ll connect you to our drone expert."

She called out for Ha Tae-hoon.

"This is Ha Tae-hoon."

It was a conversation among experts.

As expected, Dajeong and Ha Tae-hoon exchanged information that I had no knowledge of.

Soon, Ha Tae-hoon took the dish antenna out of the truck, placed it on the roof, and began adjusting it.

"How’s this?"

Ha Tae-hoon asked Dajeong.

"Hold on a second~."

Our eyes were fixed on the Super Skeleton, which had been placed on the ground.

After a brief moment of silence, the upper body of the Super Skeleton began to rotate.

Ha Tae-hoon shouted triumphantly.

"Alright! It’s connected."

Soon, Dajeong’s voice echoed through the walkie-talkie.

"Something feels off. The sensitivity seems slow. It’s delayed by at least a second, right? Can we raise it higher?"

"This is the limit. The equipment’s not great, and the distance is too far."

"Well, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s amplify the frequency based on the current one. If we get jammed, it’s game over."

"Understood."

"But one second... Haah."

That one-second delay felt like a significant issue to Dajeong.

"Not easy, is it?"

I asked through the walkie-talkie.

"It’s tough. But I’ve got to do it. It’s one of the few chances to score points with Skeleton."

"Can’t hurt to score points with me."

"I’ll send reinforcements just in case."

"Reinforcements?"

"Yeah. I got my hands on a pretty nice toy. My brother. He’s good at picking things up, isn’t he?"

"What kind of drone?"

"You’ll see. Let me test it out. Can I shoot?"

"Hold on."

The moment Dajeong mentioned shooting, Ha Tae-hoon immediately approached me.

"Shooting now is risky, don’t you think? We’ve come this far with a lot of effort."

Cheon Young-jae seemed to share a similar opinion.

"Yeah. Shooting might be a bit much."

But I thought differently.

Gunshots could be heard everywhere.

Right now, there’s a faint gunshot ringing out from the west.

Of course, it's quiet on our side, but even so, we cannot afford to loosen our vigilance.

In combat, even a tiny difference could determine the outcome.

Let’s assume a bullet missed by just 0.1 cm.

It’s still a miss.

Whether it misses by 1 cm or 10 cm, it makes no difference.

There can be no excuses.

Because in combat, only results matter.

So, to get the best result, a little risk must be taken. That’s my philosophy.

"No, we can’t skip this. We have to make the adjustments. Even if they hear the sound and become alert."

I am the leader.

Though Ha Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae had their own thoughts, once they understood my resolve, they didn’t argue further.

I immediately went down and attached a suppressor to the rifle mounted on the Super Skeleton.

It’s called a suppressor, but all it really does is attach a can-like thing around the muzzle.

It’s a ridiculously cheap attachment, but surprisingly, it does the job.

The principle of the suppressor isn’t much different.

Of course, this doesn’t make the gunshots sound like the ones in movies.

It just makes it difficult for the enemy to pinpoint the location.

That’s enough.

I grabbed an unused shelf and placed some empty cans on it.

The camera on the Super Skeleton’s head opened and closed its aperture, repeatedly zooming in and out. Finally, the rifle with the cans attached fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Tatatatatang!

The aim was perfect.

All the cans were shot through and fell off the shelf.

"How’s it?"

I asked the pilot about the performance.

"It’s not bad. But the sight... Can you move it just a little to the left? Just a tiny bit."

"Okay."

But Dajeong sure has a lot of demands.

"When I walk, it feels like it drifts to the left a little. It’s pretty uncomfortable, you know? Can you put some kind of non-slip material on the bottom?"

"Please clean the main camera with a cloth. The smudge is bothering me."

"Sorry, but could you write 'Blood Blue' somewhere on the drone? Even with a permanent marker, I don’t care. Oh, is this some kind of jinx?"

Cheon Young-jae, who had been listening, spoke up.

"Are you a pro gamer or what?"

A pro gamer, indeed.

At least, that’s how I see it.

How many people in the world can drop bricks with a drone and break skulls?

Though it was bothersome, I indulged all of Dajeong’s picky requests, excluding what was impossible.

After testing for a while, Dajeong finally gave a signal of satisfaction.

"Hmm. I’m not thrilled about it, but I guess I’ll have to settle for this."

A brief rest period was given.

To be precise, it was the charging time for the Super Skeleton.

Even during this time, vigilance was not relaxed.

"Hey. The Chinese sent a patrol."

Ha Tae-hoon said while watching the night drone footage.

"People? Or drones?"

"People. Open-top SUV. Four of them. One has a machine gun."

"How troublesome."

"What should we do?"

I checked the time.

2:20 AM.

It was a sufficient amount of time, but in June, the sun rises particularly quickly.

Considering the speed of the Super Skeleton, we couldn’t afford to waste time.

"Let’s begin."

Ha Tae-hoon nodded and whispered something to Cheon Young-jae.

"Mm. Got it."

Cheon Young-jae went down.

I asked Ha Tae-hoon.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to grab whatever netting or barbed wire he could find."

"Drone countermeasures?"

"Have to be prepared for the worst."

While we moved quickly, a faint blue light began to shine from the body of the Super Skeleton.

"Alright. So we just go ahead, smash the drones blocking the path, and then head to the house to get the disc, right?"

Dajeong’s cheerful voice came through.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction from her enthusiasm as I replied to her.

"Exactly."

"Alright. Then, Blood Blue 12. Commence movement."

"Super Skeleton."

"I don’t want to use that lame name."

"Lame?..."

Despite my protest, the Super Skeleton moved forward.

Wheeng~ Wheeng~

Though it was designed to resemble a human, its legs were bent in reverse, and it was made of metal, plastic, and semiconductors—essentially, a war machine—now walking on two legs through the darkness like a person.

"...The die is cast."

Hah Tae-hoon watched the drone fly off and spoke in a low tone.

In his hand was another camera and drone. It was a blade-type suicide drone.

“I hope we don’t have to use that.”

“I hope so too.”

Hah Tae-hoon responded nonchalantly and turned his head.

His gaze was fixed on the dozens of screens densely packed on his narrow tablet display.

“...”

The real battle was about to begin.

It was a war not between humans but between toys. Of course, the human conflict still continued.

“The Chinese military vehicle is approaching.”

“I see the lights. They’re heading this way.”

“Let’s hide for now. Let’s watch and observe.”

While the Super Skeleton Ho was heading toward the operation area, the Chinese military reconnaissance vehicle approached from the other side.

They had come after hearing the gunshots.

It was a problem of our own making, but there was no regret.

It would be more foolish than suicide to die because a neglected weapon failed to fire during combat.

Brrrmm—

The vehicle was heading this way.

It was a domestic model.

Probably a civilian vehicle.

The license plate was still Korean.

However, the color of the plate was different from a regular civilian one, indicating it was likely a corporate vehicle.

Brrrmm—

The vehicle slowed down.

Were they being cautious?

It was unlikely, but I kept the rifle aimed at the headlights, just in case there were any low-level awakened soldiers in the Chinese military.

Crackle—

Cheon Young-jae’s voice came from the comms.

“I’ll take the side.”

Hah Tae-hoon was already fiddling with the blade-type suicide drone.

It was easier to work with experienced, well-trained combatants.

Without needing explicit orders, they knew exactly what to do and moved into action.

Of course, the final decision was mine.

Brrrmm—

The vehicle was moving slowly toward us.

With the blinding headlights, I checked the close-up footage on the fixed camera.

“Look at this bastard.”

Hah Tae-hoon muttered in a cold voice I didn’t recognize.

There was an eerie intensity to the murderous aura in his words.

I soon understood his anger.

On the Chinese soldier's arm, sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, several shining metal objects were wrapped around his forearm.

They were military identification tags from the Korean army.

At least a dozen or more identification tags, trophies from their battles, were wrapped around his arm.

“Those bastards...”

I could feel Hah Tae-hoon’s frustration.

I spoke calmly but with force, as if warning him.

“Ha-sunbae, calm down.”

“...”

His eyes were filled with the fury of someone about to explode. He kept his lips tightly sealed as he stared at the vehicle.

“The front just passed by. What should we do?”

The comms crackled as Cheon Young-jae asked for a decision.

He must have thought this was the best possible situation.

“...”

As always, making a decision wasn’t easy.

Especially for those of us whose results would be immediately apparent, and who would bear the full consequences of those results.

“Defender.”

I called out to Da-jeong.

While she had her own name, in this context, "Defender" seemed more fitting as a call sign for their sibling duo.

“Yeah?”

“How’s the situation over there?”

“We’re about to enter the combat zone.”

She couldn’t see it, but I nodded and issued orders to Hah Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae.

“...For now, wait and stand by for my orders.”

Neither Hah Tae-hoon nor Cheon Young-jae replied.

It was clear they weren’t satisfied with my decision.

But I didn’t need to address every member’s dissatisfaction.

Sometimes, being the team leader meant taking the blame, even if the others were resentful.

The vehicle was already passing us by.

At a speed of about 20 km/h, the Chinese soldiers on board scanned the area, trying to figure out the source of the gunshots.

One of them looked in our direction and muttered something in Chinese.

One of the Chinese soldiers pointed a finger at us.

The vehicle stopped.

Had we been discovered?

Hah Tae-hoon intentionally let out a loud breath and glared at me.

His gaze was so intense it almost burned my side.

I ignored him.

I ignored his gaze and focused on observing the enemy’s movements.

“Hey. Are you okay? ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ They’re right in front of us. I’ll take them out if necessary.”

I ignored Cheon Young-jae’s words as well.

Combat is always the last resort.

It’s right to delay as long as possible, especially when you have no chance of winning in a direct fight with the overwhelming numbers and equipment of the Chinese military.

“We’ve been spotted. Damn.”

Hah Tae-hoon’s grumbling grew louder as the Chinese vehicle began to move again.

The Chinese soldiers had ignored us and were leaving the area.

Hah Tae-hoon tilted his head.

“They must’ve stopped to check out the Monster’s territory.”

Finally, I gave him a glance and spoke.

Since the comms were intentionally left on, Cheon Young-jae must have heard too.

My grasp of the situation was spot on.

What had caught the attention of the Chinese was the Monster’s territory behind us, beyond the construction site’s iron fence.

It was a desolate place, filled with the remnants of a partially collapsed mid-sized shopping mall, its colors and patterns twisted by another world’s rules. It was filled with eerie, overgrown weeds that seemed to spiral into endless right angles, creating a creepy and ominous atmosphere.

“...”

The vehicle was now moving away.

“That’s frustrating. Damn it.”

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Hah Tae-hoon seemed disappointed that he couldn’t confront the Chinese soldier showing off the Korean military’s slaughtered soldiers on his arm.

But even he, with his vast combat experience, knew the value of patience.

“Well, they got away, but that was good.”

I could feel his gaze as he spoke.

“That was a smart move. You were able to stay calm in that situation. If I were the team leader, I would’ve snapped. As expected from Professor. You live up to your name.”

Recognition and an apology.

It was the best kind of apology you can get on the battlefield.

“You did well too, Ha-sunbae. Cheon Young-jae too.”

I threw some praise their way.

As a team leader, even if no one had done anything extraordinary, offering praise was one of the small tricks I could use.

Just as the tense situation seemed to ease, a voice came over the comms.

“Ah, shit.”

It was Da-jeong’s voice.

“Guys, I think they’ve sniffed us out. There are more of them than we heard earlier!”

Hah Tae-hoon checked the high-altitude reconnaissance drone’s feed.

His drone was a U.S. military night-vision version, far more reliable for nighttime surveillance than the Chinese military’s equipment.

While Hah Tae-hoon checked the screen, Da-jeong spoke again.

“Should we wait and go later?”

“How long?”

“Two hours.”

“No, we can’t.”

Hah Tae-hoon motioned to me.

“Hong Jeong-ho’s younger sibling is right. It’s a combat deployment.”

“...”

“They’ve sent reinforcements to the direction where we heard the gunshots. Three combat drones. It’s about a squad’s worth.”

I immediately asked Da-jeong.

“Can you handle it alone?”

“No, it’s three of the same type of drone. These slow-ass walking drones can’t avoid them.”

“Really?”

Countless options raced through my mind.

Though it was a little draining, there was really only one option.

“...”

Time was not on our side.

I called out to Hah Tae-hoon.

“Ha-sunbae.”

“?”

I pointed to the fading headlights.

“We can take them out.”

Hah Tae-hoon, who had been grim-faced, smiled brightly.