Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 103.1: Struggle (1)

Post 328 was built at an altitude of 1,200 meters on Hallasan, positioned along a ridge that offered a clear view to the northeast. Structurally, it resembled a gentle hill rather than a steep incline.

The post itself was octagonal in shape, appearing more like an observation deck than a military outpost. The large glass windows on all sides only reinforced that impression, making the interior feel open and exposed.

The key equipment within the post included a searchlight installed on the roof and an infrared night surveillance system. However, the searchlight had been sealed away long ago due to unstable power supply, and the night vision equipment suffered from battery issues, making it virtually inoperable.

Originally designed for a four-person crew, the post had ample space. There was a large barracks room that could accommodate all four personnel comfortably, a kitchen equipped with an inverter-powered stove, and basic sanitary facilities.

Water supply depended entirely on collected rainwater. Instead of a shower, there was a bathtub for water storage and cleansing capsules for basic hygiene. Fortunately, a heating system allowed for lukewarm baths even in the middle of winter.

Electricity was supplied through a wired connection, but the unstable power grid meant that most of the energy came from solar panels installed on the rooftop.

For communication, the post was equipped with an outdated rotary dial landline phone and a computer. As a backup, there were also personal mobile phones.

Oddly enough, the primary means of communication was a computer adorned with an old internet café sticker from before the war. It was used for submitting reports and making requests through a designated work program.

The radio signal was weak but still functional, allowing for some level of connectivity. According to the manual, the landline phone was considered more reliable than other means of communication.

Given the overall poor conditions of the post, surveillance cameras—those damned nuisances—were nowhere to be found.

Outside the post, several graves dotted the landscape.

Most of them were unmarked, with only basalt stones gathered from the surroundings placed atop the mounds.

A single, withered flower lay on one of the stones, brittle petals trembling in the wind.

This was Post 328, the place I would be calling home for the foreseeable future.

It wasn’t exactly livable, but what made it the most valuable location in all of Jeju was the presence of Melon Mask’s satellite equipment.

Still, I had to be cautious.

There could be backdoors installed in the system or surveillance software running without my knowledge.

That was why, despite discovering Viva! Apocalypse!, I hesitated to use it.

“......”

The air around this place wasn’t exactly inviting, either.

Even inside the post, a faint scent of blood lingered.

On the opposite window, I could make out faded bloodstains that hadn’t been fully wiped away.

Judging by their pattern, it looked like one of the previous occupants had slumped against the glass, put a gun in their mouth, and pulled the trigger.

Beep—

I sifted through the computer logs.

There had been four previous occupants here. Just a month ago, they were still alive, stationed at this very post.

They had served exactly two weeks.

After that, the records stopped.

No entries about personnel transfers, rotations, or even an attack.

It was likely they had been wiped out in a sudden raid.

Given that there were no newly made graves outside, it was safe to assume they had all perished.

Which meant three of them had died in battle, while the remaining survivor had taken their own life.

“......”

It was undeniably a dangerous place.

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At the moment, my weapons consisted of a K2 rifle with 120 rounds of ammunition, and my two axes, which I considered an extension of myself.

I had no idea what kind of enemy had overrun this post.

But if four armed soldiers had been wiped out with ease, it was unlikely to be an ordinary foe.

Sure, Viva! Apocalypse! was important.

But ensuring my immediate survival took precedence.

That being said, I wasn’t about to ignore my priorities.

Tap, tap, tap.

Anonymous144: ???

I pretended to be clueless and sent a vague message.

The plan was to gradually escalate my activity to gauge the level of surveillance.

This was the best I could do for now.

Better than doing nothing.

At the very least, I’d avoid using keywords that could trigger monitoring agencies like Kang Han-min or Na Hye-in.

Click—

After dropping the bait, I grabbed my rifle and patrolled the area.

A thick fog blanketed the surroundings.

Although the altitude allowed for vegetation, the area was mostly covered in low-lying grass and shrubs.

Even though this was a watch post, visibility was terrible. I couldn’t see much of the mountain’s base.

I expanded my patrol range.

What I was really looking at was the ground.

By analyzing footprints, I could estimate the size and type of any mutations in the area.

After covering a considerable distance, I found nothing unusual.

The path was quiet—almost too quiet.

And yet, I felt it.

Something was watching me.

“......”

No need to panic.

The monsters in my nightmares had always been humans.

If the presence lurking nearby was a mutation, then that was actually better.

I continued walking at a relaxed pace, waiting for something to emerge from the fog.

But nothing happened.

After ensuring the perimeter was clear, I returned to the post and sat in front of the computer.

Tap, tap, tap.

Anonymous144: What kind of place is this? Are you all human?

This time, I typed a proper sentence.

After hitting enter, I sat there in silence.

What I was waiting for was the landline phone.

If someone monitoring the network detected anything suspicious, they would call me immediately.

I waited thirty minutes.

Nothing happened.

I moved on to cleaning.

Or, more accurately, checking for surveillance equipment.

No hidden cameras were found.

That gave me a rare sense of relief.

I turned my attention to the computer.

There was a LAN cable socket at the back.

It was connected to a main socket with an extension adapter, allowing up to three connections.

Two LAN cables were currently plugged in.

One belonged to the satellite system.

The other was for the roof-mounted upper communications antenna.

“......”

Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind—my old instructor, Jang Ki-young, looking completely wasted.

"Back in my day, I played a lot of Starcraft."

I remembered that moment well.

It was right outside a PC café.

After finishing our 13th-generation training course, we had gone out for drinks.

On the way back, out of nowhere, he started rambling about his gaming days.

"When I was about to lose, I’d just yank out the LAN cable."

To this day, I had no idea what lesson he was trying to impart.

But one thing was certain—his drunken nonsense just gave me an idea.

Pluck!

I disconnected the LAN cable.

Now, let’s see what happens.

Riiing—

A call came in almost immediately.

The landline’s mechanical bell rang with an obnoxiously loud chime.

I answered calmly.

“Yes, this is Post 382. Communications secure.”

“Huh? Isn’t this Post 328?”

“Ah, I got confused for a second. Must be the altitude sickness making me dizzy.”

“This is the Post Command Center. Your internet connection just dropped. Can you check on that? The communication signal looks fine.”

“The wind’s strong here. The fog’s thick too.”

“Can you check the computer’s network connection?”

“I’ll take a look. But I’m not very good with computers. I’ve hardly used the internet in my life.”

“You at least know how to plug in and unplug a LAN cable, right?”

“What’s a LAN cable?”

“Ugh, never mind. I’ll call back later.”

A woman’s annoyed voice snapped at me before hanging up.

So they did install something here after all.

At least in this state, my activity logs wouldn’t be transmitted anywhere.

Even with the LAN cable unplugged, I had another connection—Viva! Apocalypse!

Without hesitation, I sent a message.

Anonymous144: (Real Skelton) This is Skelton! I need immediate assistance! Respond as soon as you see this!

I also sent a message to Ballantine.

When it came to computers, I was practically useless. Ballantine was the only one I could rely on for technical advice.

A moment later.

Ballantine: Huh? Skelton?

A reply.

I felt a sudden rush of emotion.

Ballantine: Is it really you, Skelton?

Anonymous144: (True Skelton) Yes! It’s really me!

Ballantine: Why the sudden nickname change...?

Anonymous144: Ah, well, I’m somewhere else right now. Using a different machine. Let’s just say it’s a crisis situation.

I couldn’t bring myself to mention that I was in Jeju.

Even if its status had declined, Jeju was still seen as a fragment of paradise in the minds of those left behind.

Anonymous144: (Skelton Situation Report) My computer has surveillance software installed. Right now, it’s fine since I unplugged the LAN cable, but it means I can’t freely use the internet. If I say the wrong thing, I could face immediate consequences.

Ballantine: There are still places like that in this world...? Did you end up with the Legion faction?

Anonymous144: I’ll explain later. Is there a way to fix this? If necessary, I might have to smash the computer entirely.

Ballantine: Hmm... then how about remote access?

Ballantine sent me a file.

I immediately downloaded and installed it.

Ballantine: Okay, let me take a look. Don’t touch the keyboard or mouse.

The cursor began moving on its own, navigating through the system, checking various files and settings.

“......”

This was Ballantine’s time now.

While he worked, I gripped my rifle and scanned the fog-covered landscape through the windows.

The sky had darkened considerably.

Mountains brought nightfall quickly.

Soon, the entire area would be swallowed by darkness.

After confirming that there were no immediate threats, I turned back to the monitor.

Ballantine: Skelton, I’ve removed the problem.

Anonymous144: Really?

Ballantine: Yeah. There was a basic keylogger installed. It was capturing your keyboard inputs and transmitting them. The encryption was garbage, and the security was even worse, so I disabled it easily. I also added an ON/OFF function on your desktop. If you don’t want any logs recorded, turn it on when you do anything sensitive. Otherwise, keep it off so no one gets suspicious.

Reading Ballantine’s message, I felt something settle deep inside me.

“......”

Was this... human connection?

Sure, I had helped him before, but I never expected to receive this much help in return.

Ballantine: By the way, how are you doing? Things are getting worse here. It’s like hell. Worse than before Seoul collapsed. If you get a chance, could you help out on this side?

Anonymous144: Of course. But right now, it’s a bit difficult. As you know, I’m halfway detained...

Ballantine: It’s fine. I’m good at surviving on my own. But I want to relocate. I know it’s selfish, but you’re strong, and I trust you. Could I rely on you for a place to stay?

Anonymous144: Ballantine, you’re welcome anytime.

As I hit Enter, I surprised even myself.

Since when was I willing to share my space?

Had I changed?

Or had the world changed me?

It didn’t matter.

There was work to do.

Tap, tap, tap.

Anonymous144: It’s me, Skelton.

I sent a message to Unicorn18.

Unicorn18: Skelton? Wait—what’s with that username?!

Anonymous144: You recognize it?

Unicorn18: That’s one of the test-run satellite IDs. 144, 244, 344, 444... There were nine of them in total, all labeled as ‘Anonymous’ with a number ending in 44.

Unicorn18: Wait. That means... Skelton, are you in Jeju?

Anonymous144: Yeah.

Unicorn18: Where? Where exactly? Did you go to a Category 1 Zone? Even if you did, satellite access should be restricted now. How did you connect? Did you make a deal?

I quietly typed my response.

Anonymous144: I heard a story about a woman who never left her house.

Silence.

Unicorn didn’t reply.

Three full minutes passed before she finally broke the silence.

Unicorn18: Unicorn18: Unicorn18:

She was shaken.

I stared at the blank messages with a complicated expression.

Anonymous144: Anyway, my situation isn’t great right now.

Unicorn18: What do you mean not great?! What’s happening?!

Anonymous144: I’m alone at an advanced outpost near Hallasan.

Unicorn18: An advanced outpost?!

Unicorn18: Why?! Why the hell did you go there?! You made such a huge contribution! You recovered the data that China was desperately searching for! So why...?!

Anonymous144: I don’t care about that. I don’t need to know. What matters is that I’m stationed at one of the most dangerous outposts. Alone.

Unicorn18: The most dangerous outpost?

Unicorn18: ...Post 328?

“......”

Her guess was spot on.

So, even in Jeju, this place was well known.

The deadliest location.

Unicorn18: That’s where the Manhunter appears...

Anonymous144: Is it a mutation? Or a monster?

Unicorn18: You haven’t changed at all, have you...?

Anonymous144: (Confused Skelton) ?

Unicorn18: No one knows. Whether it’s a mutation or a monster, no one has ever confirmed. But for the past two years, countless people have disappeared from there.

Unicorn18: Get out of there. You’ll die if you stay! The average survival time is less than a month!

Anonymous144: That’s why I reached out to you.

For some reason, I found myself smiling.

Anonymous144: Help me out.

Unicorn18: I-I’ll... I’ll ask someone I know for help. But it might take time. I’m sorry if I can’t do much... ㅠ

Anonymous144: Is it hard for you to leave your house?

Unicorn18: ?!

Anonymous144: I’ll hold out as long as I can.

The world outside had already sunk into complete darkness.

As I stared into the void, I typed my next words.

Anonymous144: So do your best, too.

I quietly ran my hand over ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) my axes.

It was a cliché, but life was an endless battle.

And there was no escaping fate.

That was the price for someone who had once tried to run away from destiny.

The stains of nightmares had been wiped away by a reality far more horrifying than nightmares.

“......”

So, for now—

I would focus on surviving.