The First Step Toward Survival
"Purdy."
Purdy, who had been resting in the kennel after finishing the raw chicken provided as a special treat, scurried out immediately. Kkamsuni had gone off with Jun-hyuk to inspect the poultry farm and the greenhouses. With the exception of one fallow field used as a playground for the chickens—where they grew beans and clover—the four greenhouses were in full swing, cultivating crops to be used as side dishes and provisions. Although the system was fully automated via the AI computing system, it still required daily human inspection and basic maintenance.
Jun-ho headed toward the workshop with Purdy in tow. Baek Ha-il and Yun Yeong-su were deep in the throes of developing ground-based attack drones, surrounded by replica air rifles and several electric toy cars for children. Jun-ho entered the parking building attached directly to the workshop.
The shelter’s parking structure consisted of two levels: one above ground and one below. The ground floor housed diesel SUVs, diesel trucks, an electric excavator, and a tractor. The larger underground level was equipped with an automated unmanned fire-suppression system—designed to flood the area in case of fire—and was currently filled with electric vehicles and electric carts.
"Alright, hop on."
Purdy leaped effortlessly into the cargo bed in the back, and Jun-ho loaded a hard case containing the replica air rifles along with four spare air tanks. Following the training he’d received at the REDROCK Tactical Institute, he placed the AR-15s into the custom gun racks mounted on the driver and passenger sides. With the KP9 secured firmly in the center of his tactical vest, ready for any situation, Jun-ho started the electric cart.
Whirrr... With the soft sound of an electric motor, the two-seater multipurpose electric cart began to move slowly. Unlike the carts used by elderly people in the countryside, this model featured a sporty design and was truly "multipurpose." The cargo bed was equipped with a hydraulic dump function, and with a load capacity of 500 kilograms, it could easily carry heavy equipment or three to four people in addition to the driver. Its only drawbacks were the lack of insulation and climate control due to its open-air structure—featuring only a roof and a windshield—and a slow top speed of 30 kilometers per hour. But since it was intended for work and patrols within the shelter grounds and the immediate vicinity, that wasn't a problem.
After exiting the underground parking lot, Jun-ho paused for a moment to operate his tablet, launching a drone that had been waiting on the retractable landing pad of the main building's control room. This drone was an industrial model with a flight time of about an hour, equipped with wide-angle and thermal imaging cameras, making it incredibly useful for reconnaissance and search operations. It was the very same model used in the operation to rescue Choi Jung-woo and his group.
Furthermore, Yun Yeong-su had removed the altitude restrictions through hacking, allowing for stable flight and filming up to 400–500 meters. While it could fly higher, 400 meters was the sweet spot for stability, given the strong high-altitude winds and potential radio interference. Switching the drone to "follow mode" to track his movement, Jun-ho secured the tablet to the passenger-side mount and drove the cart into the trail behind the mountain.
The five guard posts built along the mountain trail were all secure. However, the world outside, viewed through the high-performance CCTV cameras installed at those posts, was an absolute hell on earth—a scene of destruction, death, and chaos. Black smoke rose from every direction, and small and large explosions occurred intermittently. Only this mountain area, spanning roughly 10 square kilometers—slightly larger than Yeouido—centered around "Our Shelter," remained peaceful, as if severed from the rest of the world.
Gahyeon-ri, as well as Saseok-ri and Daedong-ri in the northern Ongwan-myeon, and the Yeondeok District and Cheondo-eup to the west toward Seoul, were all in a state resembling a war zone. There were zombies swarming like ants, and people running for their lives in a panic. Cars were seen losing their way, swerving back and forth, eventually crashing into other vehicles or guardrails due to speeding, or plummeting off bridges. Perhaps because there were so many electric vehicles, the parking lots and roads were cluttered with burning cars. People who had foolishly chosen to flee their vehicles, unable to overcome their fear, were being swarmed by the monsters as they ran between them.
Yet, even though two or three hours had passed since the outbreak, there was no sign of tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, or even soldiers. That was to be expected; Namyangju only had mobilization divisions and artillery units, not the frontline combat troops needed to engage in such a situation. Even if there were units Jun-ho wasn't aware of, they would be deployed to Seoul first, not to these small towns and villages.
Before his regression, that was exactly why the "Our Shelter" site had been abandoned for years without anyone looking for it. It wasn't just the shelter site; most areas like this—technically in the capital region but somewhat ambiguous—had been left to their own devices.
"Haa..."
Even at this very moment, hundreds, thousands of people living out there were dying horrific deaths or turning into zombies without any help. But since this location was undeniably advantageous for the long-term survival of Our Shelter, Jun-ho suppressed his guilt and descended from the guard post.
After meticulously checking all five guard posts and the situation outside for about 40 minutes, Jun-ho recalled the drone to the main building and called for a new one with a full battery. Then, he drove the cart down the mountain, navigating a narrow path hidden along the industrial road's soundproof wall. Behind the 5-meter-high wall, the area was thick with trees and brush, so there was no risk of the quiet electric cart being spotted.
Finally, upon reaching a small stream 6 to 7 meters wide where the soundproof wall ended, Jun-ho checked the footage sent by the drone, which was following the cart and constantly monitoring a vast area with a radius of over 300 meters—a total diameter of over 600 meters. There were only a few birds and small animals near the stream; no cars, no people, and no zombies. Of course, if there had been any anomalies or threats, the shelter's AI computing system linked to the drone would have already issued a warning.
Jun-ho stepped on the accelerator, crossed the stream quickly, and returned to the shelter after completing the reconnaissance route that led from the mountain trail to the area inside the closed tunnel.
Whoosh... Boom... Rumble... Under the hot summer sun approaching noon, the sounds of explosions and fighter jets echoed faintly from far away. The apocalypse had truly begun.
"Kkamsuni! Over here, over here! Hahaha...!"
"Woof! Woof woof!"
Choi Jung-woo watched his daughter playing excitedly with the black dog with complex emotions. Kim Jun-seo was also there with her, throwing a frisbee and laughing, albeit a bit awkwardly. Having eaten soy milk and instant food from the container's refrigerator, and fruit just a moment ago, both children had full, satisfied bellies.
"Mr. Choi Jung-woo."
"Y-yes, yes, sir."
Choi Jung-woo, startled, and Kim Ha-yun, who was surprised even though she wasn't the one being addressed, snapped their heads toward the source of the voice. In the morning, he had been wearing a helmet, goggles, and a mask, so they hadn't seen his face clearly. Now, a young man who looked more ordinary than they had imagined was watching them with a calm expression. However, the physique revealed beneath his brown short-sleeved shirt and the thick, muscular arms coiled like snakes exuded a terrifying sense of pressure. The two stared at the young man, Jun-ho, with tense eyes, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
"First, I am truly sorry for the loss of your wife. May she rest in peace."
"Kuhk..."
Watching Choi Jung-woo grit his teeth to hold back tears, Jun-ho felt a bitter emotion. Even though it felt cruel to have to say this without giving him time to process the immense grief of losing his wife, as the master of the shelter, he had to say it.
"I believe you are well aware of the situation outside by now. As you saw on the TV in your quarters, South Korea... no, the world is about to collapse."
"......!!!"
At Jun-ho's blunt assertion, their eyes widened.
"You've seen zombie movies or dramas, right?"
"Y-yes, yes..."
"In those, there's usually a source or an origin point. A place where it started, a region where it first spread. But in this actual outbreak, there is no such thing. It's happening simultaneously in every country... every city and village in the world. Millions, no, tens of millions must have been sacrificed already."
"Ah..."
The two lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling. Inside the container, which had air conditioning, a small refrigerator, and even a TV, they had seen the news. There were hosts in a state of panic who didn't know what to do... there was even an anchor who, while delivering the disaster news with a tear-choked voice, couldn't hold it in anymore and ran off-camera. And that was the better scenario. There were plenty of channels that weren't even broadcasting anymore, as if they didn't know what was happening. Seoul and the entire capital region, as well as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, and so on—there wasn't a single city that had escaped this. No, not just Korea; as the sun rose and people began their day, almost every country in the world was entering the hell of impending extinction, one after another.
"As you know, it's broken out in military bases, too. This... it's impossible to stop. The world we knew until yesterday will likely disappear within a month."
"Ugh...!"
As young Kim Ha-yun burst into tears, Choi Jung-woo gritted his teeth and spoke.
"T-then what do we do? We... what should I, my daughter Ji-wu, and Ha-yun and Jun-seo here do, sir?"
"If you wish, you may all live here."
"......!!!"
"However, while those children are still too young, you, Mr. Choi Jung-woo, and student Kim Ha-yun will have to do some work."
"W-work?"
"Yes."
Jun-ho took a can of beer and a soda out of the icebox he had brought and handed them to the two. He spoke to them as they cautiously accepted the drinks.
"You probably know by now, but you won't be able to easily find things like this outside anymore. But we have plenty here. Enough to last for several years."
"...Kuh!"
Choi Jung-woo, who had been gulping down the cold beer, was startled and spat out some foam.
"S-sorry..."
"No, it's fine. We have about a thousand more. Anyway."
Jun-ho took a sip of the imported dark beer he usually enjoyed and continued.
"What you will enjoy here is not free. You know that from the perspective of those surviving outside, this place would feel like heaven, right?"
"Yes... t-then what kind of work should I..."
"What are you good at?"
"Ah, I-I can drive a forklift. I have an electrician's license, and I can weld, too. My current job is at a company that installs solar panels and boilers."
"Oh, really? You have many skills. But how did you learn so many?"
Jun-ho asked, inwardly thinking that his choice had been correct.
"Well... I was born into a very poor family. I graduated from a Meister High School and had to learn whatever I could to survive on my own..."
"Then what about your parents, Mr. Choi Jung-woo?"
For a moment, Choi Jung-woo's expression twisted slightly.
"The woman I call mother left home when I was eight, and my father just drank until I was in high school; he's in a nursing hospital somewhere in Gangwon-do now. I haven't seen his face in over 10 years. Even when I saw him last, he was causing a scene, demanding I bring him alcohol..."
It was a tragic family history for the person involved, but from Jun-ho's perspective, it was fortunate, so he felt relieved.
"Then, Mr. Choi Jung-woo."
"Yes, sir."
"Will you live here with your daughter? While doing the work you can?"
"P-please, I beg of you. I don't care about myself, but my daughter... Ji-wu, please... she doesn't even have a mother anymore... please, somehow..."
Watching Choi Jung-woo swallow his tears, Jun-ho thought it was fortunate. It might sound excessively cold—no, it was actually a very cold judgment—but for the sake of the shelter, it was right to accept a parent who would do anything for their child as a member. Before the regression, Baek Ha-il had done everything the cult demanded for Baek Su-ho's life-sustaining treatment.
"Then, student Kim Ha-yun..."
"I-I don't really have any special skills. I'm still a middle schooler... but please, just let me do anything. I'll really do anything. Just Jun-seo and my grandmother... please... sob, I have to find my grandmother..."
"Grandmother?"
"Yes, yes! Mister, please, I'm begging you. Please find my grandmother. I'll really do anything, anything... okay? It's the truth."
Jun-ho narrowed his brows at Kim Ha-yun, who looked like she was about to kneel and beg while crying. In reality, he had to assume she was already dead or a zombie, but for a minor in puberty, the presence or absence of a guardian had a huge impact on her psychological state...
"I-I know it's unreasonable and shameless, but I ask as well. The children's grandmother works at a local nursing home. It's called Hanalreum Nursing Home, but unfortunately, she went to work early this morning..."
"Wait, Hanalreum Nursing Home?"
"Yes, yes. Hanalreum Nursing Home, it's halfway up Cheonghak Mountain in Gahyeon-ri. There are about twenty elderly people? Anyway, it's not many..."
"Hold on. Let me organize my thoughts."
"Yes."
Watching Choi Jung-woo immediately shut his mouth and Kim Ha-yun wiping her tears with a desperate face, Jun-ho, who had been lost in thought for a moment, spoke calmly.
"Student Kim Ha-yun."
"Yes, mister. Please..."
Jun-ho raised his hand to stop her from pleading again.
"First. If you and your brother are going to live here, you'll probably have to do some chores."
"Yes, yes...! I'll really work hard at anything!"
"Second. Whether I should call it lucky or not... anyway, I do have business at Hanalreum Nursing Home."
The Kim siblings were truly lucky. Because Hanalreum Nursing Home was the place where the "doctor couple" Jun-ho absolutely had to recruit went for regular volunteer work for two days and one night in the middle of every month. In other words, unless there were two Hanalreum Nursing Homes in Gahyeon-ri, Namyangju, it meant that the Kim siblings' grandmother and the doctor couple were in the same space right now.
"......!!!"
Watching Kim Ha-yun's face, which instantly brightened with life as her eyes widened, Jun-ho continued calmly.
"I can promise you that I'll go there and look for your grandmother. But... as you know, Ha-yun, it's difficult to do it right now today. And even if I go within a few days, I can't guarantee your grandmother's survival. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Ah... yes, yes..."
"Anyway, it's not that I'm not going, I'll go soon, so just keep that in mind. And."
Jun-ho, having looked away from Kim Ha-yun, who was nodding earnestly with a tear-streaked face, spoke to Choi Jung-woo, whose expression had been changing like a rollercoaster.
"Mr. Choi Jung-woo, I think you need to go somewhere with me right now."
"Yes? W-where are you talking about, sir? Right... now?"
"Yes."
Jun-ho turned his body and said.
"Cheonghak Mountain should be somewhere in that direction. And there's a communications relay station there."
Cheonghak Mountain was one of the two mountains surrounding the shelter site, along with the mountain behind it that connected to the guard post overlooking the industrial road, and it was the place Jun-ho usually called the "front mountain." The summit altitude was about 600 meters, making it relatively high for the area, and even if you only climbed to the 7th or 8th ridge in the southern direction, it was a strategic point where you could see not only Gahyeon-ri but also the large apartment complexes, commercial districts, and Nok-u-ri, where the Gyeongchun Line station was located.
And on the 9th ridge to the southwest of the mountain, there was a fairly large relay station and a steel relay tower operated by one of the three major domestic telecommunications companies. Originally, Jun-ho had planned to secure this relay station today, the very first day the apocalypse broke out, to stably build the shelter's wireless communication network and local network. Also, for that, the installation of repeaters, signal amplifiers, and solar panels and ESS batteries to operate them was essential, and Choi Jung-woo was the perfect SCV—no, the perfect professional for this job.
"Um, sir. I'll do it since you're asking, but... to do that work, we'd need wireless repeaters, and things like UPS and battery packs..."
"We have them."
"...Pardon?"
"We have everything. Everything you just mentioned."
"...!"
"And there's a reason why we must do it today."
Jun-ho turned his gaze to Kim Ha-yun, who had a dark expression.
"To grasp the situation at Hanalreum Nursing Home, a drone is essential. And to fly a drone there and check the footage, what do we need?"
"Ah...!"
"Yes. That's why we have to go to the relay station and work as soon as possible. That's the way to find student Yun-seo's grandmother faster."
Snap!
"Mr. Jung-woo..."
In the desperate eyes of the kind student who had lived as a neighbor for the past few years and occasionally looked after his daughter, and remembering the kind grandmother next door who had made side dishes for them every month even though she wasn't well-off—even though not a day had passed since he lost his wife, the father with a young daughter clenched his fists.
"Yes, I'll give it a try."