Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Refugees from Shelter C
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A group of people stood in front of the electric barbed wire fence. Their faces showed hesitation, but soon they raised their guns to the sky and pulled the triggers. Bang! Bang! The gunshots echoed outward.
The gunfire didn't stop after the first shots but continued on. It only ceased once someone emerged from inside. It was Maria, who was currently serving as the leader for the residents.
Maria gazed at the people standing before the barbed wire, her expression tense. There weren't just one or two of them—nearly fifty in total.
Given their sudden arrival and the gunfire, they didn't seem to have come with good intentions. She leveled her assault rifle at them.
First, she needed to ask who they were.
"Who are you people?"
The man at the front then spoke up. He was a man of quite an imposing build.
"We heard that Shelter Apocalypse is taking in survivors, so we came here."
"Where did you hear that? What was your previous affiliation?"
"Shelter C."
"Shelter C? What happened to Shelter C..."
The man seemed to deliberate on his answer, smacking his lips a few times before finally speaking.
"Shelter C..."
The man—Jason—recalled the events of a few days prior. They had warned Shelter C about the Salvation Church's impending attack. Shelter C had taken their words seriously and made their own preparations.
But it hadn't taken long to realize that those preparations were utterly meaningless. An uncountable horde of regular zombies had assaulted their shelter.
Of course, if it had only been regular zombies, they never would have breached Shelter C's walls. But among them were variant zombies as well—and above all, that psychic had shown up.
Their walls, made of mere concrete, crumbled under the immense power of the psychokinetic shells. Once the regular and variant zombies poured inside, their defensive line was breached with ease.
Jason had never trusted Shelter C's preparations. Midway through the battle, realizing there was no hope, he had fled with his wife, children, and a few close friends.
His destination had been Shelter A.
It was the closest shelter, but even so, the journey to Shelter A hadn't been easy. The Salvation Church fanatics had pursued them, and zombies lurked everywhere.
They had somehow made it to Shelter A, but they weren't welcomed there either.
Shelter A might have ample supplies and relatively generous people, but they weren't about to just let in a group of fifty armed individuals.
They had expected a cold reception, but not to this degree, so they swallowed their frustration.
It was then that Jason had a chance encounter with Emily, one of Shelter A's sentries, and struck up a conversation.
Emily had urged them to head to Shelter Apocalypse instead. Jason remembered Park Si-hyun mentioning Shelter Apocalypse just a few days earlier, so that's where he led them.
Of course, he now gazed at Maria with anxious eyes.
If they were turned away here too, they would truly have nowhere left to go. Both their bodies and minds had reached their limits.
So where could they possibly seek shelter?
But on the other hand, he harbored some hope as well. With the abilities and demeanor Park Si-hyun had displayed back then, surely he could take them in under his discretion.
-He still had no idea that Park Si-hyun was the leader of Shelter Apocalypse.
"You're saying Shelter C was destroyed by the Salvation Church?"
Maria's stiff expression softened. She felt a sense of shared suffering from Jason. After all, she had nearly died at the hands of the Salvation Church zealots herself.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then the reason you came to Shelter Apocalypse..."
"If possible, to seek refuge here."
"That'll need to be discussed with our leader."
Maria figured Park Si-hyun would approve. Not just from his usual demeanor, but because he was the kind of man with the magnanimity to embrace even the scavengers among them.
"Could I possibly speak with Park Si-hyun? The truth is, I have some acquaintance with him. Or at least, could you relay a message..."
It was a bit embarrassing to call it an "acquaintance," and he wasn't even sure Park Si-hyun saw it that way, but he decided to be a little shameless. Their situation was that desperate.
Maria, who had been weighing the truth of his words, nodded. Relaying a message to Park Si-hyun wasn't a big deal anyway.
It wasn't their place to overstep—the decision belonged to their leader.
We installed the solar panels that had been brought in yesterday on the building.
Of course, even combined, they fell far short of powering a single Sirius 2, but if we scaled up for shelter expansion and installed them en masse, it would be a different story.
"Good work."
Zixuan, who had been cheering me on from below, rushed over and cast Healing on me. The fatigue melted away. I thanked her and chugged some bottled water. The cool liquid slid down my throat.
Ah, that's refreshing.
"What are you up to today? Wanna watch a movie for old times' sake?"
Zixuan looked up at me with expectant eyes. I was tempted for a split second. A movie? But the hesitation didn't last. When did I have time for movies?
If I had that kind of time, I should be working on more construction androids.
As I thought that, she pouted as if she'd anticipated my answer.
"Workaholic."
"Sorry."
"Hmph, it's not like I have time for a movie anyway. I've gotta look after the people."
Since I wasn't playing with her (...), she spent her nights wandering among the other survivors, casting Healing on them.
She claimed it was to stave off boredom and gain skill experience, but naturally, the survivors interpreted it differently.
Some even hailed her as the incarnation of the Virgin Mary. At first, I thought it was a joke, but apparently some believed it in earnest.
I could see why, though...
"Weekend, then. Weekend."
Zixuan spoke with sparkling, hopeful eyes.
"For real? You'll play with me all day on the weekend?"
Yeah, right. I shook my head without hesitation.
"Just daytime."
I had no intention of torturing her with false hope. She shot me an incredulous look.
"Wait, so you're saying I spend the night alone?"
"There's Maria. Professor Alex too."
Zixuan let out a dramatic sigh, as if to make a point. There was playfulness in it, but I could sense some sincerity underneath.
"Don't even say that."
She turned to leave with a pouty face, and as I reached out to stop her... a sharp BANG! rang in my ears.
Gunshots weren't uncommon in Shelter Apocalypse. But they were usually from the sentry gun's autocannon, not a rifle. I turned to the puzzled Zixuan.
"Go inside."
What could cause rifle shots? Was Shelter D seriously declaring war? Or the Salvation Church? Either way, it wasn't welcome.
"But..."
I nodded toward her. She approached me. And then, out of nowhere...
Smack.
She planted a quick kiss on my lips. As I stood there a bit stunned, she blushed and pressed her hand to my forehead, pushing me back.
At the same moment, her buff settled over my body. I smiled at the faint protective barrier enveloping me. A goddess's kiss, or something like that.
She shot me a mock glare.
"You have to come back safe."
Who are you ordering around? I nodded.
"...Got it."
I hopped on the Diablo RX and sped toward the source of the gunshots. By the time I arrived, survivors had already gathered. Maria approached me.
I asked her.
"What's going on?"
"Survivors from Shelter C showed up. The one who looks like their leader wants to meet our leader..."
"Shelter C?"
What was up with Shelter C folks? I climbed up onto the wall. Below sprawled a crowd of people. And in the midst, I spotted Jason's face.
One of his legs appeared to have been blown off—he was lying on the ground, propped on crutches. Spotting me, he struggled to his feet.
"Si-hyun-ssi."
"Jason. What happened?"
Honestly, I had a hunch even as I asked. But I needed confirmation.
"The Salvation Church bastards attacked Shelter C... It's gone."
I'd half-expected Shelter C might fall when I heard about the Salvation Church's plans. But there was a difference between speculation and hearing it confirmed.
I had no idea how he'd made it here, but it clearly hadn't been an easy road.
Crazy psycho freaks. Cursing the Salvation Church inwardly, I placed my hand on the ground. The barbed wire parted, and the wall gate rumbled open.
"Come on in."
"Thank you."
The exhausted group shuffled inside.
I closed the gate behind them and led them to the munitions factory. Zixuan came down from the rooftop and healed them one by one.
Without me even asking, she took the initiative, so I thanked her and watched the scene unfold.
Wounds closed up, fresh flesh sprouted over damaged bodies. I'd seen it plenty myself, but it never ceased to be a beautiful sight. Some survivors began to weep.
"It's a miracle!"
"Thank you so much."
Jason dropped to his knees and bowed his head to me.
"Please, stand. Anyway, for Jason to come all this way..."
"We came to seek refuge in Shelter Apocalypse."
I hesitated in my mind. But not for long. It only made sense to accept main shelter survivors over scavengers.
Mistaking my pause for refusal, he bowed his head again.
"I'll do anything you ask. Everyone, weapons down."
At his command, the survivors obediently set their weapons aside.
"Could you please put in a good word with your leader?"
"No need."
There was no need. Of course not. I was the leader. But he misunderstood.
"Please, I beg you. We have nowhere else to go."
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant... I'm the leader, so there's no need to relay anything."
"Ah."
With a dumbstruck look, he let out a short gasp. I delivered the final word.
"Shelter Apocalypse welcomes you."