Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: 86. Story (2)
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I initiated a conversation with VivaBot for one simple reason.
A while back, I submitted a story to the story contest for the Viva! Apocalypse! event—a candid account of my own experiences.
I wrote it myself, and even I have to admit it's an astonishing tale.
It was the true record of this Skeleton holding an entire section of the frontline against an endless horde of monsters pouring through the breached final defensive line in Beijing, with just a handful of my team members.
A legendary story, so much so that China's top leader personally expressed his gratitude to me.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, my entry was rejected.
Well, if there's a better story than mine, I'd accept it.
There are all sorts of people in this world, and surely some have even more dramatic experiences than mine.
But getting beaten by someone like Dongtanmom? That's a whole different issue.
Already heartbroken from the rejection notice, seeing Dongtanmom's gloating pushed me over the edge.
I immediately messaged VivaBot.
VivaBot sent Dongtanmom's story first.
No doubt it was some piecemeal tale from the forums, from arriving in Shanghai up to now.
I casually opened the file and skimmed the contents.
This is the story of how we lost our neighbors.
The bold hook grabbed my attention.
Feeling a twinge of curiosity mixed with a familiar sense of defeat, I turned to Dongtanmom's story.
It began when Dongtanmom—Baek Seung-hyeon—boarded the massive tanker named Hope, part of the evacuation fleet.
The flagship of the 2nd Jeju Evacuation Fleet, the Hope, was an Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) tanker under construction in Geoje Island, retrofitted for evacuation.
At 380 meters long and 68 meters wide, it was so enormous that four international soccer fields laid end-to-end would fit inside. It couldn't even dock at Incheon's piers, requiring a custom berth.
With a capacity of 450,000 tons by tanker standards, it could easily carry twice Busan's population.
Officially, 200,000 people boarded this behemoth, but Baek Seung-hyeon estimated fewer than 100,000.
He recalled a strange atmosphere on departure day—familiar yet alien.
"An upper-class social gathering? Sort of, but cruder. One thing was clear: a shared sense of superiority over those left behind on land. That much I can say for sure."
No need to elaborate on what those heading to the coveted Jeju Island thought of those who weren't.
Even on the same ship, hierarchies and pecking orders existed.
They were starkly marked by cabin class.
The Hope had five classes: Special, First, Second, Third, and Free.
Baek Seung-hyeon knew little about Special Class.
"I just heard it existed. No way to know who was in there or what they were like. The ship strictly segmented by class, no crossing allowed."
Cleverly, Baek Seung-hyeon inserted VivaBot014 into the story as another voice—an interviewer posing questions.
VivaBot014 asked Baek Seung-hyeon:
Baek Seung-hyeon smirked at the bot's sudden intrusion.
"Why bother controlling them?"
"?"
"Just assign classes, and they'll police and discriminate themselves."
Baek Seung-hyeon was in First Class—thanks to this Skeleton's help, no doubt.
But class on the ship wasn't just about position aboard; it carried over directly to status on Jeju.
I wouldn't know much since I don't live there, but Jeju's residential areas are divided into five types based on housing size, infrastructure, and quality of life: Special Zone, Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and Containment Zone.
Perfectly synced with cabin classes.
First Class goes to Type 1, Second to Type 2, and so on. Free Class to Containment.
For example, Type 1 offers 84-square-meter homes (called "national flats") with solid welfare. Type 2 gets 59-square-meters with mid-tier welfare.
Type 3 is cramped like a goshiwon with minimal welfare. Containment is like Incheon's shelters.
With ship status dictating land status, cliques formed naturally among passengers.
Baek even exchanged greetings with neighbors.
"Left, room 1031: middle-aged couple, mid-sized company execs. Nice shelter, dressed sharp. The wife had Hermes wrapped around her—rare luxury. Right, 1029: young doctor couple. No kids; tried but no luck."
Ever attuned to status and hierarchies, Baek keenly observed his fellow First Class passengers.
Common traits: "Mostly over 50, highly educated, wealthy pre-war. Felt like an upper-middle-class exclusive. Refined to a fault. But soon enough, they started looking down on my family."
Baek's family: himself, his wife, and their nursing infant son.
Baek claimed a decent life—school grad, hunter, then small business post-hunting (self-proclaimed above average).
His wife, though? Rough upbringing, frequent runaways, bad crowds. Not smooth sailing pre-war.
Baek's educated speech met expectations; his wife's didn't.
Their age gap, her rough manners and speech—word spread fast among First Class.
"They asked if I dropped out of middle school."
His wife looked up at him with a wry smile.
"Elementary."
She was tough mentally; he wasn't.
He harbored resentment toward those snubbing her.
Reading his mood, she soothed him: "We'll see them daily. Beating them like in Incheon would just hurt us."
First Class's ruthless background checks soon hit Baek too.
He tried hiding his hunter past.
Painful memories: freelance in Seoul/Incheon, no benefits, dragged around like a dog, risking life for scraps.
On Jeju, he planned a safe non-hunter gig.
But First Class wouldn't let it go.
"I was a hunter."
He finally confessed.
A neighbor grunted: "Not an Awakener, right?"
"Pardon?"
"If Awakener, why board this? Old hunter? They get no respect now."
The smug middle-aged man, knowing a little, acted like he knew all.
"Old hunters are like civilians now. No one hires them."
Already disdainful eyes exchanged open malice.
Only the doctor couple next door stayed friendly.
"We're all outsiders on Jeju. Why divide and rank ourselves like this? Can't understand it."
The pediatrician sighed at the barricade to Second Class corridor.
Scheduled voyage: 20 hours 30 minutes.
At 10 hours 30, the ship stopped.
Announcement: Leak flooded some Third Class cabins; some passengers transferring to another ship.
No one questioned it.
Who cares about Third Class? Except Baek's wife, soothing the baby:
"Another ship with space? Thought it was packed full."
"Dunno."
Baek sensed something off too.
A leak on this monster ship?
But he suppressed his gut fear—it might shatter his Jeju dream.
Sailing resumed; First Class threw a party with a tycoon's vintage champagne.
Baek skipped it—pointless mockery awaited.
20 hours 30 passed in silence.
Promised time.
Dongtanmom hooked his precious backup battery to his obelisk and logged into Viva! Apocalypse!
"Nyam nyam."
To live-stream his historic Jeju landing.
Second-rate family in First Class? Still better than the abandoned masses.
Smugly filming approaching Jeju on his phone...
Murmurs arose.
"What is this? Jeju?"
"Signs all in Chinese?"
"Simplified characters, not traditional."
"Shanghai... It's Shanghai!"
"What the hell?!"
The Hope's destination wasn't Jeju.
It was Shanghai, China—eroded, silent for over two years.
Tens of thousands finally realized: abandoned.
First, Second, Third—meaningless now.
Boom!
The drifting hulk bumped lightly into the derelict port.
In the fateful screech, Dongtanmom looked at his family.
One goal left: protect them.
"What do we do?!"
"Anyone got a radio? I know someone on the National Committee! Jeong Seong-ryong!"
"Where's the captain? Let's storm the bridge!"
Chaos outside.
Baek calmly inventoried gear.
No guns. Just kitchen knives.
Food for 5 days, water 2.
"Uncle, what now?"
His anxious wife clutched the baby.
Gathering his meager weapons, he met her eyes steadily.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you. No matter what."
— (wontu**)
👍 109 Recs
— (bureo**)
👍 90 Recs
— (gomsom**)
👍 64 Recs
"The final hour. No hope of survival. This is a story of our deaths."
Starting so raw, then detailing battles more = docu-masterpiece.
Skeleton highlighted the wrong parts... Add some flavor!
— (als**)
👍 55 Recs
Thanks for loving Hiding a House in the Apocalypse.
Next up: Protecting Family in Shanghai.
— (gupne**)
👍 49 Recs
Makes sense why Skeleton likes Kim Daram.
Guys go nuts, but a woman with mental/physical strength and combat sense?
— (31am**)
👍 43 Recs
— (hyeong**)
👍 41 Recs
— (air**)
👍 21 Recs
— (huwonhae**)
👍 13 Recs
Skeleton got epic praise in King Episode,
one chapter later: Sh*telton lmao