Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: 112. Faith (4)
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There was a note tucked between the plastic parts next to my name.
I read it.
- There's a red button painted with marker. Press that!
I pressed the button.
The robot vacuum paused for a moment, then spun its body around and headed toward the dark street.
Clatter-clatter-
Just a hunch, but this robot vacuum didn't seem to be a drone.
It was literally just a household appliance—a robot vacuum—with coordinates inputted to deliver a message to us.
A choice made to avoid the risk of reverse-tracking if it were a drone.
I followed the quietly advancing vacuum cleaner down the street.
Its speed was no different from any ordinary one we'd seen—pretty slow—but that wasn't a problem.
"Over there. And there. People."
Cheon Youngjae, his eyes faintly glowing, pointed out spots where people were hiding in the deathly silent one-room district.
Some were places I'd sensed presences, but most were ones I hadn't noticed.
With people hiding in buildings everywhere in this residential area, bypassing the whole zone like before wasn't possible.
We stuck as close as we could to cover, choosing paths shielded from windows where people might be.
Thanks to that, our advance speed wasn't much different from the vacuum's.
The vacuum led us to a building that looked no different from the countless one-room structures scattered around.
[Royal Imperial Class Bestville]
"Whoa."
Cheon Youngjae let out a low whistle at the building name.
"What's so special?"
"True. This country's like that."
The vacuum headed to the back of the building.
Following a trail of scattered debris and waste materials, we found a doghouse.
The vacuum went inside.
"Even if the world's ended, a robot vacuum going into a doghouse?"
Peering into the doghouse while listening to Cheon Youngjae's remark, I saw it was no ordinary doghouse—it had been perfectly modified.
A crude ramp had been built for the vacuum to climb, complete with a charger for it and even basic waterproofing for rainy days.
Next to the vacuum sat a small drone on a docking station, likely a last-resort option if the vacuum couldn't be used.
Next to the drone was a memo scrawled in marker: "Basement."
"Looks like we've come to the right place."
I scanned the surroundings.
At least five buildings with hidden people that Cheon Youngjae had pointed out were within a 150-meter radius.
Two or more were even within 80 meters.
They were probably all facing the main road, so no one on this backside could spot us visually, but sounds would carry.
With Cheon Youngjae keeping watch, I headed down to the basement.
No sounds came from beyond the basement door.
True to form for Defender.
I could feel his strong resolve not to reveal himself until my identity was absolutely confirmed.
He'd probably been waiting a long time.
I knocked on the door and spoke.
"It's me."
No response from inside.
I added one more word.
"SKELTON."
Only then did a sigh of relief come from the other side.
"SKELTON."
"SKELTON! You came!"
Both Defender and his little sister were safe.
I glanced at the door.
Sure enough, part of it was badly twisted and reinforced.
Not something you could open by shooting the lock.
"Crowbar won't cut it, huh?"
I'd brought both a crowbar—called a "pparu"—and a welding torch.
I'd hoped the crowbar would suffice, but given Defender's thorough nature, we'd probably need the welder.
I unpacked my backpack on the stairs and pulled out the welding torch.
"Wireless is being tapped too, I guess?"
I called out to the firmly shut door beyond while setting up the portable welder.
"Yeah. I saw it myself next to the eavesdropping setup—they're still at pre-war levels for electronic warfare."
Defender replied,
"Drones are the same. The moment you launch one, they check it out."
his little sister added.
"What's the situation? Looked like soldiers killing each other."
I asked for a quick rundown.
"Probably Major General Pyo Duwon. That guy's been openly saying he'd kill Commander Kim Byungchul. Might've even colluded with the zealots."
"Just zealots and soldiers?"
Zombies and mutations seemed unlikely, given the remnants of prosperity left in the ruined city.
What I really wanted to ask was,
"Monsters?"
"No idea. Felt rift waves a few times. Not sure if they were from monsters or the zealots."
"You said there's a power outlet?"
"Over there. Move that road sign propped up against the wall."
I plugged in the portable welder's cord.
It lit up perfectly.
"How much power's left?"
"Plenty. We barely used any electricity after getting trapped here."
"Got it."
Conditions were met.
Just needed to cut open the door with the welder.
I started the cut.
Szzzzz-
Portable, but it packed 150A output—a high-performance beast.
Then.
Clunk!
The welder suddenly died.
More precisely, the inverter connected to it lost power.
I immediately checked the welder with a voltage tester.
Not the welder's fault.
The building's residual power that Defender had vouched for must've run out.
Defender realized it too and spoke up.
"Gonna need to fire up the generator again."
But that wasn't feasible.
A profound silence blanketed the one-room village.
The quiet was so deep that even tiny sounds would carry far, mingling with the hidden survivors' fear to send chills down the spine despite the summer night heat.
Starting a welder here would echo everywhere.
Straight to the ears of the soldiers controlling the main roads.
The problem was the ongoing sweep operation encircling the city.
Any big noise meant an execution squad for sure.
"No other chargers?"
"That's the last one."
"Running the generator's too risky."
"Really? No one's around, though."
"Nah, more than you'd think. Cheon Youngjae's with me."
"That Youngjae's voice?"
Defender and his sister were alive, but we were past the first hurdle—now came the mountain.
Defender's excessive precautions were throwing a wrench in the plan.
"Any other exits?"
"Ventilation shaft."
"Can you come out that way?"
"Maybe a cat. Too narrow for people."
The door suddenly shook.
Creeeak-- creeeak---
Metal grinding on metal, a horrific screech.
Defender was trying to open it from inside.
"Stop."
I told him.
"Let's find another way."
"......Alright."
I said that, but no sharp ideas came to mind.
Maybe ram it with Cheon Youngjae and me?
Even if it made noise, one big bang might pass as coincidence.
As I pondered, gunfire rang out.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Close by.
I rushed up the stairs to Cheon Youngjae.
He was already glaring toward the gunfire with his faintly glowing eyes.
"Can't see well. Hard to make out. But at least several people."
Gunfire continued.
Not ordinary shooting.
Return fire mixed in.
But that return fire.
BOOM!
Was helplessly buried under merciless cannon fire.
"Tank."
Cheon Youngjae said.
"I know."
I even knew which one.
K-4B special variant tank.
The "4" in its name was misleading—it was an old M48 Patton with its turret and gun upgraded for low penetration, low firepower, and reinforced frontal armor. Nicknamed the "dummy tank."
Built on the simple principle that objects reflected by deflection fields bounced back straightforwardly, the outdated tank had racked up decent kills against monsters.
In modern tank warfare swarming with beasts, it was just a moving coffin, but against infantry without anti-tank weapons, it showed the overwhelming dominance of tank eras past.
Boom-! Kwakwang!
"High-explosive rounds."
Dummy tanks used only AP rounds.
Easier to deflect reflecting shells less dangerously.
Using unauthorized HE rounds meant one thing.
They'd brought the tank for urban combat from the start—to kill people.
To blow entire rooms holding snipers.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Gunfire intensified.
And drew closer.
Cheon Youngjae turned to me.
"Senior Park. This is......"
"Yeah."
The sweep had begun.
Right here, on the one-room village.
Sometimes, everything has two sides.
Defender's overkill measures delayed the rescue, but if we'd arrived later, those same measures might've saved him and his sister.
Thud! Thud!
Sounds of soldiers kicking in doors everywhere reinforced that.
"What now? Pull back first?"
Cheon Youngjae asked.
Rarely, his eyes turned challenging.
This was one such moment.
Despite his casual air, the skilled Cheon Youngjae always looked at me like this in critical moments.
As if testing my leadership.
But Cheon Youngjae didn't know—this Park Gyu had faced such challenges thousands of times.
Being the pinnacle of old-school hunters meant constantly under the envy and scrutiny of young, smart, talented upstarts.
"......No."
I answered calmly.
"Then?"
"Time the generator with the gunfire and cannon blasts."
I signaled Cheon Youngjae.
Keep watch.
He returned a faint smile, nodded curtly, and went back to his post.
Not agreement.
Wait and see.
"......"
I picked up the welder.
And waited.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
For the beastly footsteps of approaching gunfire.
"Fire the generator!"
Vreeeeee---!!
With my command, the building's portable generator roared to life.
That sound linked to the power that once moved the world.
Szzzz!
The welder revived.
I donned sunglasses against the blinding flash searing my vision and resumed cutting.
Vreeeeeee---
The generator groaned louder under massive power draw, but
BOOM!
the tank's cannon swallowed everything.
In the cannon's echo, I silently sliced the mangled steel door separating us from Defender.
Clang!
I dismantled the strike plate.
Shook the door.
It rattled.
The door that seemed eternally sealed finally budged.
"Cheon Youngjae."
"Yep-!"
"Push it open."
"Sounds good."
We stepped back together, then charged the rattling door simultaneously.
Thud!
The door lurched violently.
But didn't open.
Again.
Thud!
The door swung open.
Faces I hadn't seen in ages watched us from the dim darkness laced with a faint stench.
"SKELTON."
Defender.
"SKELTON!"
And Dajeong.
Defender looked much the same as in his photo, but Dajeong's face had grown noticeably gaunt.
Gazing at her, I asked carefully,
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Much better! Don't worry."
I turned away from her tear-glistened eyes and looked back.
"How much gear?"
Defender shouldered a pre-packed backpack; Dajeong held a light bag.
Seeing the obelisk poking out from Defender's bag, I couldn't help but smirk.
Our forum buddy was a forum buddy through and through.
"We exfil right here."
"Good. Let's do it."
Meanwhile, the sweep raged on.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Soldiers closing in.
The tank too.
Like the Chinese army in their city, the legion faction's warlord was razing the city building by room.
"I see 'em now! Real close! Damn it."
Cheon Youngjae's voice.
"Everywhere! Enemies all around!"
"Not everywhere."
Precisely, there was an escape route.
Southwest, where we'd come from.
But the path didn't lead straight southwest, and bullets traveled far.
"Senior Ha."
I switched on the comms after ages.
"Yeah. Park Gyu."
"VIP secured. Exfiling now—need drone support."
"Roger."
Time to escape.
Cheon Youngjae and I took point, clearing the way.
A face peeked from a window.
One of the survivors we'd passed earlier.
Defender raised his gun.
"Just pretend."
No need to kill.
Nor hold hope.
Defender was that kind of guy.
No gunshot as expected.
I looked back at him.
Our eyes met; he gave a faint smile.
"Just pretend, right?"
He'd changed.
This guy too.
Even the man who'd justified anything for survival had a heart that could change.
Countless experiences I didn't know had wrought that change.
Not a negative one.
With that thought, I hurried on.
"There!"
Soldiers' shouts.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Gunfire even closer.
We had one thing to trust.
"Adjust course. East. Soldiers coming from beyond the main road."
Ha Taehoon's drones.
High-altitude drones relayed enemy positions via thermal imaging.
Following Ha Taehoon's directions, we navigated the maze-like streets.
But.
Bang! Bang!
Gunfire closing in.
Not chasing us.
Just more soldiers joining the sweep.
At this rate, discovery was inevitable.
Worse, Ha Taehoon's drone had been spotted.
"Damn. AA vehicle heading this way."
"AA vehicle?"
"Four M60s bundled together. Crude, but once it pins your position, it shreds most things."
No Ha Taehoon support now.
"......"
One answer.
Force through.
"Can you ditch the gear?"
I asked Defender.
"The gear?"
"Prioritize your sister."
Breach one side of the encirclement and sprint full speed.
Just reach the vehicles.
They might scramble helos, but would they?
While Defender dumped gear, I consulted Cheon Youngjae.
"Thinnest there."
He pointed east.
A map drew itself in my mind.
"Round the corner to a two-lane road."
Fighting elite soldiers head-on was folly.
But a surprise from two elite hunters? Could wipe a squad in seconds.
"Park Gyu."
Ha Taehoon radioed as I swapped spare mags to an easy pocket.
"Listening."
"Just intercepted a transmission."
"Short."
"Monster sighting."
"Monster?"
Before his words finished, a familiar nightmare roared from northwest.
Thud!
Shockwave.
Monster's pulse.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Soldiers we'd planned to hit yelled from afar.
Frantic footsteps receding.
"Live long enough, you see everything."
Cheon Youngjae grinned.
"Never thought a monster would be our lifesaver."
I corrected him.
"That monster'll try to kill us eventually too."
Monsters and saviors were incompatible.
Monsters couldn't coexist with humans by nature.
Bang! Rat-a-tat!
Gunfire from northwest.
"Move fast. Senior Ha, still got drones up?"
"P-Park Gyu."
Ha Taehoon's voice trembled faintly.
Bad feeling as I awaited his next words.
Before his answer echoed, we knew what shook him.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Multiple shockwaves.
For a split second, I thought not monsters—but humans mimicking them.
"Zealots! Zealots heading straight that way!"
That instant, my eyes locked with Defender's.
Not intentional.
Inevitable.
Because of his past.