Chapter 272
Chapter 272
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 272
Chapter Title: 112. Faith (1)
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The Cold Tomb wasn't some treasure trove overflowing like a pharaoh's grave.
It was a gaudy hibernation chamber soaked in the stench of corpses and crude machinery, with nothing but LED lights and slapdash generators that a scavenger like me might bother taking.
But even that grave held treasure.
Satellite equipment.
Eight units lay scattered around, unconnected and in disarray. I grabbed the four in the best condition.
It was the first time the nagging young couple had proven useful.
Desirae showed no particular reaction.
He just asked how I knew about such a place, and I dropped John_nenon's name.
But.
"Who's that?"
This Desirae guy.
He'd forgotten John_nenon's name.
I immediately drilled it into him, and only then did he seem to remember, smirking and nodding.
"Ah, that guy. Right, right. He made Failnet too, didn't he?"
Beyond that, Desirae treated me well.
When the satellite gear wouldn't fit in the motorcycle's cramped cargo hold, he had his people secure it with chains and rope. And since it was getting dark, he suggested staying the night.
He still seemed keen on recruiting me as one of his own.
The road back wasn't smooth, but no major incidents occurred.
The black mutation I'd spotted that morning doggedly targeted me, leading to a few brief standoffs each time.
Its sharp intellect and cunning rivaled the Gold Pack from before.
Once I shook it off in a stretch where I could open up the throttle, the dangers faded.
I radioed Ha Tae-hoon to open the bunker door.
He was waiting at the entrance to my bunker.
And he wasn't alone.
Cheon Young-jae, who should have been out patrolling the perimeter, was there too.
Something must have happened.
"The Legion Faction got hit."
Cheon Young-jae relayed what he'd heard from a contact over the radio.
While I was digging through the Cold Tomb that John_nenon had been curious about, Wonju had faced a massive ambush by the fanatics.
Communications cut out midway, so details were scarce, but word was the attack was so intense it looked like the whole city was ablaze.
One unresolved issue lingered.
My first internet friend left behind in Wonju.
The Defender siblings.
Once inside the bunker, I logged into the forum, hoping for a message from Defender.
There were two new messages in my inbox.
From Defender, no doubt.
All from familiar faces.
But no message from Defender.
*Zzzt--*
Radio static.
The most common way to connect distant humans before the internet.
I only used the K-walkie-talkie for radio, but Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon preferred it more.
They were trying it now.
*Zzzt--*
Unlike satellite internet.
The signal was weak.
Even pre-tuned frequencies get jammed by solar activity, atmosphere, weather—variables galore. Patience is key.
"Looks like jamming signals."
Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon, radio experts, exchanged glances and assessed the situation.
Ha Tae-hoon turned to me.
"It's like they've wrapped the place in a jamming wall."
"Legion Faction's doing?"
"Probably."
With radio failing, I tried my own channels for info.
But nothing on Wonju.
Same as always.
Our forum users clustered around Seoul and the capital area. Hardly any in Legion Faction territory.
Sure, a few pre-war.
War whittled them down.
Some new users had boasted living there, and I'd hoped for their intel.
Wonju's full story broke around noon.
"They pushed deep into the city using Awakened disguised as refugees, then hit hard from inside and out. So many corpses, tanks and vehicles just rolled over them."
Cheon Young-jae's contact said the city was crippled, functions paralyzed.
"...This like that Gu-mun shit from China?"
After signing off, Cheon Young-jae grimaced at us.
"Trained in China, probably. That faction's roots anyway."
Ha Tae-hoon had a point, but I saw deeper.
"Wonju smashed..."
Not just a city lost, masses dead.
Wonju ravaged by fanatics tied to a bigger, primal issue.
"Legion Faction might disband."
After Commander Kim Byung-cheol's botched Seoul reclamation, the faction splintered without leadership.
Kim was still around, but doubting generals abounded.
A shaky boss plus this? Could topple Kim, spark warlord mergers—Legion Faction's end.
"...Not good."
Ha Tae-hoon muttered.
Cheon Young-jae agreed.
"Might need to bring in more people."
He pushed harder measures.
"Who?"
I asked Cheon Young-jae.
"Senior Bang Jae-hyeok."
15th batch?
The leg injury guy.
"Leg hurts, but he's a crack shot."
"Fine. Bring him if you can."
We needed bodies.
Legion crumbling meant that academy hunter "storm" that hit once before could return.
Disbandment? Chaos from cosplay military warlords dropping pretenses.
"Any word from Hong Jeong-ho?"
I asked Cheon Young-jae about Defender.
"Nah. Keep trying, no dice."
"..."
"Tough bastard, won't go down easy. If he's alive, he'll ping us."
I hoped so.
But it wasn't simple.
Defender was a fanatic-declared execution target.
Higher odds than most.
His anti-human skills were top-tier, but monsters? Average.
Level 5+ Awakened—monster-like—bad matchup.
Plus a little sister burden.
Drone master in the right setup, shaky solo fighter.
"..."
Frustrating, but wait we must.
Rushing blind into warzone Wonju? Suicide.
"Take a break? No sleep all night."
Not tired really.
Caffeine capsule, wired from tension—no drowsiness.
Still, sleep when you can.
Followed Ha Tae-hoon's advice into the bunker.
Fired up the generator for AC, hot shower.
Before rest, hit the forum.
New armband secondary; reply to Suu first.
Glad to hear from her, but her message chilled me.
Clearly picked up weird shit somewhere.
And sure enough.
Where the hell did she pick this up?
Wasn't she at the US camp?
Pondering a reply, the K-walkie-talkie buzzed.
*Beep-beep-beep-*
Familiar tone.
Personal ID call.
Checked sender.
Personal ID: RED_MASK
Woo Min-hee.
First contact since Jeju.
Less vital now, but still leader of a key force I knew.
Cleared my throat, responded.
"Long time."
Her windy chuckle came through immediately.
"Sunbae!"
Woo Min-hee.
Only she could purr like that.
"You good?"
Everyone hitting me up lately.
Not peacetime, peak stress too.
Life's funny, but good's good.
Emptied my mind, answered straight.
"Hanging in."
"Heard you bounced back from Jeju."
"Word travels."
"Na Sunbae tipped me."
"Oh yeah?"
"Said help you out if needed. So."
"Ho. What help you offering?"
No people needed.
Woo Min-hee included.
Their Awakened group mismatched us.
Cheon Young-jae exception; old-school hunters and Awakened don't mix.
Low or high level.
"Heard about the fun in Wonju? Not on the forum yet."
"Why not post it? You're good at that."
"Been bored lately. Thinking forum life again."
"Yeah?"
"Oh, and."
Her tone shifted.
Now the real talk.
"Lighthouse went dark."
Figured that was it.
"Lighthouse people?"
"Unknown. We know comms cut a week ago. And massive eruption."
"Meaning..."
"Yeah. No lighthouse, they'll push south."
Disasters double up.
Legion teetering, now monster horde.
But this horde different.
Saw new breed in Jeju.
Rifts spew same-world monsters—consistent.
Korea could get my Jeju newbies: man-hunting killers.
Extermination monsters, aptly.
"Eh, won't reach your turf yet. Long way. Worst case, one super-sized straggler?"
"...Thanks."
"Psh, between us."
Her snicker.
"Anyway, ping often. Neighbors again."
"Yeah."
Comms ended.
Decent talk.
Shelved Suu reply, headed to my crew.
"What? Massive eruption?!"
"That manned lighthouse stopped? Monsters marching on Seoul again?"
Expected reactions.
Cheon Young-jae sharpest.
"Bang Sunbae. Need him fast. Reliable guy."
He urged me.
"Do it. Prep spot later. Need fighters, agreed."
Truth: wanted two more.
Long-held thought.
Expand numbers, yes—but guards too. Machines fail; blind faith kills.
Humans do what machines can't. I believe that.
More people, lighter watch burden.
While Cheon Young-jae plotted fetching outer Seoul's Bang Jae-hyeok, I crashed four hours exact.
Woke with minor fatigue gone, sun high.
Forum before action.
Suu time.
"Hm?"
Forum buzzing odd.
Found why quick.
"..."
Scrolled back up.
No corpse-gazing hobby.
Especially not zooming severed heads for grimaces.
I checked faces.
Defender not among them.
Still alive.
Sighed relief, heart heavy still.
Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon entered my bunker.
Sharing my internet? Privacy issue, but this warranted it.
"This shit identical to China's. Remember? TikTok crap, chainsaw vids of soldiers."
"Satellite net? Fanatic bastards crawled here to spew."
Spare satellite gear.
Hook them up now? Fair trade: upvote my posts always.
Reasonable.
But.
"Hm?"
New menu on ONE_FAITH's post.
X-shaped delete icon.
Clicked.
"!"
This the armband perk Viva_Bot mentioned.
Yeah. Test run.
*Click!*
Hit delete.
"What?!"
"How?!"
Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon gawked.
Ha Tae-hoon, net-savvier, eyes wide.
"What? Park Gyu. You got armband here?"
I nodded with a knowing smile.
"Looks like it."
My delete riled the fanatic.
I snorted.
This guy.
Internet newbie.