Chapter 266
Chapter 266
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: 110. Debt (1)
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A week had already passed since I returned to my territory.
Group living, which had felt awkward at first, gradually became routine as we adapted, and things started falling into place.
The top priority was fortification.
If we were going to fortify, we had to do it right.
Ha Tae-hoon had sourced cement and walled off the narrow entrance side, but it didn't fully enclose everything.
The north face backed by the cliff and the northeast slope relied on natural barriers as they were.
The steep incline and dense trees made it tough for most people to approach, but we couldn't let our guard down.
The damage from an unexpected enemy appearing out of nowhere was incalculable.
We could install motion detectors, but that would mean dealing with annoying electrical wiring, so for now, we set up wire-and-can traps—the kind that had served us well on Jeju Island.
To properly secure the rough terrain, I'd have to scout it myself.
Tough paths inevitably funnel into one or two fixed infiltration routes.
However, rock climbing wasn't my strong suit—I didn't like it and wasn't good at it.
Kim Daram was excellent at it, though.
There was no word from her at the moment.
The Legion Faction had left Seoul without a peep.
I wasn't there, so I couldn't say for sure, but the forum chatter described it as a disorganized withdrawal, far from orderly retreat.
Like each unit was operating independently.
Considering the Legion Faction was less a unified system and more a coalition of warlords centered around generals and high-ranking officers... well, it wasn't surprising.
It didn't bode well for their future.
Still, mid-tier bases like Wonju and Chuncheon, and key strongholds like Sokcho, were holding strong, so they wouldn't collapse anytime soon.
I messaged Defender that I was back on Jeju.
He'd been busy lately, responding only briefly.
I'd sent a message to Da-jeong too, wondering if she was unwell or offline, but no reply.
I was a bit worried, but I wouldn't obsess over it.
This was a world where everyone had grown stronger.
Even kids.
The weak ones had all died out.
Anyway, verifying that rough terrain would have to wait until autumn.
Even for me, it'd be somewhat easier to climb then.
"We'll put motion sensors at spots marked with blue chalk. They'll trigger an alert the moment something human-sized crosses the fence."
I walked the outer wall with Ha Tae-hoon and Chun Young-jae, checking the upcoming modifications.
They were experts, so no need to nitpick, but I still voiced my thoughts.
"Here. Isn't it a bit loose? Someone athletic could run the ridgeline and hop right over."
"You think? Doesn't seem that easy to me."
Spending time together revealed hidden sides of their personalities.
Ha Tae-hoon was stubborn.
He didn't like his ideas challenged or altered.
They said people like that were common in the arts, especially painters, and our school, with its arts focus, had plenty.
So I knew how to handle them.
"Then watch this."
I dashed up the hill in front of the wall and lightly vaulted over it right in front of Ha Tae-hoon.
"Hmm."
A live demo, and he conceded quickly.
"I'll look into it."
As team leader, building a solid team meant persuading members constantly.
Especially correcting differing views on the spot.
Showing results firsthand was a small but surefire persuasion tactic.
While reinforcing the outer wall, we pondered more efficient, safer ways to operate it.
I biked out of the territory for a loop around the perimeter.
While Ha Tae-hoon mixed cement, Chun Young-jae and I headed to the nearby woods.
I handed him a sickle.
"What's this? Weeding duty?"
"Something like that. Clear from here to where you can see the signal points."
"Not hard, but I'd like to know why."
"I want to see how visible the outer wall is from outside without the grass and trees."
"Fair enough."
While he weeded, I trimmed bushes with a chainsaw.
Most trees were only three years old at most, so felling them was no trouble.
We piled the cut wood and grass on a cart and left it in a sunny spot by the base.
It could serve as winter fuel or building material.
After clearing, I biked out again.
Chun Young-jae came along this time.
"Whoa."
He let out an exclamation.
"That hill. It's sneakily deceptive."
The hill where my bunker sat wasn't a gentle rise like a neighborhood mound but a near-right-angle trapezoid, pocked with uneven ridges that hid more than it showed.
With the wall up, I'd feared losing all concealment, but after clearing and rechecking, it wasn't that obvious.
Even in winter, unless someone scrutinized it, passersby would likely overlook it.
This stealth wouldn't attract hostile looters prowling the area.
Even in a group, I believed combat should be avoided whenever possible.
"Just finish the exposed outer wall sections with some stonework."
"With what?"
"Natural stone. We've got the drill."
While working on the wall, we discussed defense tactics.
With the Legion Faction gone from Seoul and their broadcasts silent, academy hunters—cast-offs or stragglers—might target us anytime.
Some argued drills and plans differed from real combat and were useless, but I disagreed.
Daily practice and thorough planning provided near-perfect signposts in actual fights.
"Assume a motion or sound detector triggers, kicking off combat."
It was scorching midday, so we rested in my bunker with the AC on, hashing out ops plans.
Valentine joined us.
His main job was still breaching the Jeju intranet, but as one of us, he had a defense role too.
"Mr. Park Man-soo, take this sector."
I assigned Valentine the cliff side.
Rugged terrain with high ground—easy to hold.
One shot could halt a platoon.
For main combat, we set personal patrol zones.
Chun Young-jae would stay outside as before, supporting from afar when fighting started—per our original plan.
That left me and Ha Tae-hoon defending the base proper.
Honestly, short-handed.
Wished for two or three more.
Ha Tae-hoon's generous wall-building had expanded our defended perimeter.
No people? Then machines.
I asked Ha Tae-hoon.
"Ha-sunbae. Can't you make a turret drone like the Chinese army used?"
"I could, but my tech can't handle IFF for friend-foe ID before firing."
"IFF's a luxury these days."
"So what then?"
"Kill zones doable?"
"Basic function."
"No-go zones. Set drones in areas we never cross; shoot anything that passes. Night-only, of course."
"Sounds good. Let's try it."
The defense plan was taking shape.
With three seasoned fighters, it was smooth sailing.
Average folks wouldn't have concluded so quickly.
"Park Gyu."
Ha Tae-hoon called me.
"Yeah?"
"Power shortage coming, no?"
"Power..."
Just run the generator.
Mine was top-tier within 20km—no one better, especially solo.
But generators guzzled fuel.
p> I'd stockpiled plenty running errands for Woo Min-hee and Kim Daram, but that was for solo use.
With more people now, it wasn't abundant.
"Need backup power."
Ha Tae-hoon especially drained it.
His machines all ran on electricity.
Valentine too, with his power-hungry desktop.
This rate meant daily generator runs, burning fuel dry.
How to get more power?
Not easy.
One idea popped up.
"Solar? None here."
That was it.
Solar had been avoided for various reasons.
Vulnerable to drone recon—treated as a trap card.
But in a group now, viable.
"Not bad. But where to get panels?"
"There were solar farms on the hills—stripped clean now."
"Then?"
Ha Tae-hoon crossed his arms, thinking.
"Trade."
"Trade."
"Markets ran in Seoul and Incheon."
"None now."
"Even without markets, find trading groups, get panels."
He held up his K-walkie-talkie.
"Broadcast on public freqs—responses galore."
I smirked.
"Looters mostly?"
He grinned back.
"Maybe, but finding non-looters is harder nowadays."
"True."
I seriously considered trading for the first time.
I'd traded solo before, but in this lawless world, groups traded easier.
Even swapping goods, backup guns changed the message.
"Gonna trade?"
Chun Young-jae chimed in from the bathroom break.
I nodded, summarized.
"Want to trade, but finding partners is tough."
"Right."
"How about Sejong?"
"Sejong?"
"Heard a big city's sprung up there."
I'd forgotten.
Our king, and his city.
Geographically closer than Seoul/Incheon, less Legion remnants threat.
Above all, fiercely surviving people there.
Called slaves by thugs, but their hope for better tomorrows was unmatched.
Such a city might have solar panels easy.
Plus, I was the king's friend.
"Good. Mull it over. Good work, everyone."
End of day, logged into the net.
No surprise, but "inflows" flooded the forum.
Not a sudden surge—PaleNet's "ㅇㅇ" crew wiped out, making prior low-vis inflows stand out.
Made sense; our satellite rig was premium merch even under PaleNet.
Current trend: not Dongtanmom.
Her shaky return fizzled quick.
Hot topic: Foxgame.
His ambitious game with Melon Mask was glitching out.
Really the young couple's creation below him, so maintenance issues inevitable.
Patches breaking it more.
Foxgame's rep drop satisfied me, but forums weren't all good vibes.
A new user posted a grotesque photo.
It showed ash-gray tones and countless corpses.
Against a concrete wall—at least 10m high, location unknown—hundreds of naked bodies were piled like trash.
Not gruesome, just unrealistically strewn.
Under the eerie photo: ONE_FAITH's message.
Our forum vets left no comments.
Deep tradition: ignore ugly realities.
Inflows differed.
Not a pretty sight.
Felt like our traditions, our bonds, crumbling under inflow trash.
Then a comet appeared: one man.
m9.
He'd decreed all above as inflows, veteran judgment supreme.
I clenched my fists unwittingly.
"m9. Nice guy."
I pinged VivaBot right away.
No reply.
Early morning US time—probably asleep.
While waiting and pondering a crunch-roll message to Sejong's king...
ONE_FAITH posted again.
This photo was the corpse pile from another angle.
Men in uniforms holding guns stood grim-faced at their posts.
Some wore balaclavas, others showed faces.
One familiar face.
"...Defender."
No doubt.
Among the masked soldiers, a handsome man with a blank expression smoking a cigarette— unmistakable Defender, Hong Jeong-ho.