Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 104.3: Beyond the Fog (3)
It's been quite a while since I accessed our forum.
I had checked in occasionally before, but I hadn't really browsed through the posts or looked for popular threads.
I only used it for "work-related" purposes, like looking up Valentine’s or Unicorn.
Coming back to the forum after such a long time, it hadn't changed much.
The same old faces, writing the same kinds of posts.
At one point, I had grown tired of this familiarity, but now, after being in another world and returning, it felt like coming home.
If I could, I'd lie on my bed, link the screen to my tablet, and leisurely scroll through, savoring every post, but there isn’t much time left for me.
I need to message Unicorn.
It feels pathetic to keep asking for her help, but if I have solid proof like I do now, she’ll be able to act without feeling burdened.
Of course, just thinking about it doesn’t clear the debt I owe in my heart.
If there was another way, I would’ve taken it.
Tap tap
SKELTON: I'm really sorry, but I’ve got the proof on Park Seung-su. I’ll attach the materials—can you move on this?
The message was already prepared.
Once all the materials were organized, I’d send them along with Park Seung-su's voice recordings.
“Hoo.”
I exhaled a shallow sigh and was checking the sending status of the message when I noticed something strange.
There was a word that kept appearing frequently on the forum.
Anonymous1392: Is today the day? Is Dongtanmom showing something?
roka_GG: They’re saying it’s going to be something big on the live stream.
Rkkara: Isn’t it that cam action again? Now they’re getting bitten.
Anonymous424: Shouldn’t we trust her? Our Dongtanmom, right?
Dies_irae69: Dongtanmom is a great fighter. I highly respect her.
Anonymous458: Who would’ve thought Dongtanmom would survive longer than those PaleNet bastards?
...
...
The keywords were “live” and “Dongtanmom.”
These two seemingly unrelated words brought back memories of the forum’s old festival that I had long forgotten.
“······.”
No, it wasn’t just that I had forgotten.
It was the gathering of survivors discussing the theme of survival, crossing borders and races, in this crumbling world.
That’s the essence of our forum.
I glanced at the small "Live! Apocalypse!" window that had popped up at the top of the screen.
[1 hour until live!]
The moment I saw that, I felt like the forum I had left briefly was welcoming me back with open arms.
VIVA_BOT014: Huh? You want to participate in Live! Apocalypse!?
VIVA_BOT014: Have you read the rules? You need to apply at least 12 hours before the live stream and go through a review process, right?
Our VIVA bot was still grumpy.
But it was the one who would amplify my voice to the world.
Even with its grumpiness, I felt a sense of nostalgia and tapped the keyboard.
Tap tap
Anonymous144: This is SKELTON.
VIVA_BOT014: SKELTON? No way, the strange SKELTON?
Anonymous144: I'm not strange, I’m the real SKELTON.
VIVA_BOT014: Your account info and GPS location are totally different?
Anonymous144: (SKELTON) I don’t have time to explain, but I’m in Jeju and preparing for battle.
VIVA_BOT014: Battle?
Anonymous144: Yes.
I picked up my phone, which had grown as hot as charcoal from sending the data, and showed my face to the camera.
VIVA_BOT014: Huh?
A silence followed from the other side.
Then, VIVA_BOT014 spoke again.
VIVA_BOT014: Is this really SKELTON? The camera’s a bit dim, maybe because the model is outdated, but is this really you?
Anonymous144: Yes. And...
Boom! Kookookoon!
Thunder rumbled from ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ over the mountain.
Right after that, raindrops, like bullets, hammered the roof and windows of the outpost.
In the pouring rain, the mist at my feet grew thicker.
I felt the moment had come, and staring at the camera, I spoke clearly.
“This might be my last fight.”
VIVA_BOT014 was a grumpy woman, but she was practical and knew what truly mattered.
VIVA_BOT014: What’s going on? Please just tell me briefly.
I reported what had happened in Jeju briefly and accurately.
The straightforwardness of my sentences, trained to report only the facts with no sensitivity, proved useful in this situation.
VIVA_BOT014: Something like that happened in Jeju?
VIVA_BOT014 sounded shocked.
VIVA_BOT014: Jeju is known as a paradise even by the Americans. They’ve sent a lot of material about how well they live and handle crises. Some even tried to move to Jeju, the upper class, you know? But to think this was happening behind the scenes...
Anonymous144: I’ll send the materials now.
VIVA_BOT014: The recording file that the so-called Jeju elites sent, right?
Anonymous144: Yes.
VIVA_BOT014: I don’t think it’s right to broadcast that during the live. I’m sorry, SKELTON, but it doesn’t fit with the theme of the live. Even if we do release it, it should be in a different format later.
VIVA_BOT014: But...
VIVA_BOT014: Will this type of expose interest people? I know how important this is because of your past, but honestly, people are more excited about Dongtanmom or Foxgames, right?
Anonymous144: Is that so?
VIVA_BOT014: Think about it and place your hand on your chest.
“Hmm.”
Honestly, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
That I, Park Gyu, would be overshadowed by the likes of Dongtanmom and Foxgames in terms of attention.
VIVA_BOT014: Even mmmmmmmmm beats you.
“······.”
So that’s my rating, huh?
Well, fine.
Tap tap
With a bit more force, I typed on the keyboard.
Anonymous144: Then I’ll create the buzz for you.
VIVA_BOT014: ?
Anonymous144: I’ll show you how SKELTON fights in the end.
VIVA_BOT014: I’d wish you good luck, but since I’m part of the live crew, let me ask you one thing: When are you starting?
Anonymous144: I’ll give you a sign.
I left the conversation open.
There was no point in closing it anyway since it was a private chat for Live! Apocalypse! applicants.
What mattered was preparation.
I put on my poncho and went up to the roof.
Nothing visible.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
The darkness of the night, thick mist, and the pouring rain turned the already disoriented clock into a literal void.
Since there might be a sniper, I didn’t stay in one spot for long and always used cover.
I went down to the outpost, shook the rain off, and checked the loot I had secured earlier.
From the last raid, I had collected a lot of goods.
Reinforced riot shields, machetes, four pistols, three domestic rifles, a shotgun, and more.
Creak creak--
I used the loot to set up a simple booby trap.
I tied a wire to a door handle that had lost its lock function and connected it to the trigger of a shotgun.
It was hastily made, so it was unlikely the shotgun would kill an intruder, but it would alert me if someone opened the door.
If a fight broke out on the roof and someone came up from below, it would be a very difficult situation.
Besides the shotgun, I added some gimmicks to the spotlight.
It was a simple device made from wire and springs, but it could become my magic when needed.
KookooBoom!!
Thunder struck right above me.
The entire outpost seemed to shake with the deafening sound.
The weather was incredibly annoying, but it had its advantages.
The lightning flashing with the thunder illuminated the dark clock for a brief moment.
Still, no enemies appeared.
I had my last meal.
Two synthetic chocolate bars and a little bit of water.
Eating before battle isn’t really wise.
If you get shot in the abdomen while full, it’s instant death.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
I swallowed a caffeine capsule I always carry with no water.
Kookookoon!
Time passed slowly.
I had no idea what Park Seung-su was planning.
Would he be calling for a large-scale army?
I don’t know if he has that kind of authority.
The people called “commissioners” in Gukwiwon are different from the people who raise their voices like politicians, with their fingers pointing everywhere.
A commissioner is someone who always has a title attached to their name.
For example, Kim Daram's full title is “Old Hunter Supervisor Commissioner.”
Her role was managing and supervising old school hunters.
While the title and role of commissioners may have changed, the essence probably hasn’t.
Considering the situation and the story so far, I think Park Seung-su’s role is similar to a “Low-level Awakened Supervisor Commissioner.”
Low-level Awakened abilities are quite tricky, but as shown in the previous battle, their combat power isn’t that great.
When we killed the best few, the others were just like cattle in a slaughterhouse.
Well, I’ll know for sure when they show up.
After making my final preparations for the coming battle, I sat down at the computer.
The screen reflected the ashen city.
It was Shanghai.
As expected, a small window appeared on the corner of the screen, showing the live reactions of Melon Mask.
Melon Mask spoke.
“Dongtanmom! What exactly are you preparing? Please don’t tell me it’s the same parkour action you always show. If it’s the same content as before, you’re cut! You understand, right?”
Below the sentence, translated in real-time, numerous user chats were flooding the screen.
The camera showed a giant ship’s vast deck, viewed from the bridge, and a countdown number appeared in the center of the screen.
The number was 04:21, decreasing by one second in real time and approaching zero.
What is she trying to do?
From the small speaker, the deep sound of the ship's horn echoed.
I looked at the chat window.
gordonfreiman: What’s this now? Is there more to show from there? Dongtanmom.
mmmmmmmmm: The next live is M9’s The Hope Restoration Operation!
X'Ds_Grrrrr: What’s she trying to do? Don’t tell me it’s the same thing again.
Anonymous666: Dongtanmom is a great showman. I trust him.
mmmmmmmmm: The next live is M9’s The Hope Restoration Operation!
Zebusika: No, Dongtanmom has fallen into a rut.
Rupert_Gauser: This doesn’t feel right.
Al_nasru_Alipasha: That ash-colored view reminds me of my hometown. Just seeing it makes me feel bad.
mmmmmmmmm: The next live is M9’s The Hope Restoration Operation!
...
...
...
No one seemed particularly excited.
By the way, M9 is really tenacious.
They even started spamming messages, flooding the global chat with hundreds of messages per minute.
Sending the same message at that frequency—are they using macros?
No, it feels more like handcrafting.
Sure enough, Melon Mask gave a warning.
“M9. I know you’re excited to show a new show, but this is Dongtanmom’s show. So, quiet down!”
Melon Mask turned the camera to show a mutated creature, chewing on something next to her.
I took that as a warning.
At the end, she showed the hideous claws of the sloth-like creature.
“Now, let’s begin.”
A familiar voice came from the screen, where nothing but the deck was visible.
The people were confused.
And they should be.
Dongtanmom had never shown her face or even her voice until now.
But I knew who that voice belonged to.
It was Baek Seung-hyun.
Baek Seung-hyun was speaking.
Buuuuuuuuuu--
The loud sound of the ship's horn echoed as Baek Seung-hyun’s hand came down in front of the camera, almost as if commanding something.
Then,
Tong! Tong! Tong! Tong! Tong!
Lights flickered on the deck.
At the same time, the powerful sound of engines, packed with raw energy, roared through the speakers.
Amid the light and engine sound, Dongtanmom spoke.
“It’s time for the Hope Ship to depart.”
The ship began to move slowly.
It’s clear.
The gray harbor was getting farther away, though only a little bit.
The Hope Ship, which had carried hundreds of thousands of hopes, but ultimately only brought despair, was finally leaving despair behind and starting to head back into the blue sea.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t witness this historical moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out.
Pook! Pook! Pook!
I saw the bullets hitting the bulletproof glass, creating crackling fractures around the points of impact.
The battle was about to begin.
I immediately relayed the information to VIVA_BOT.
Anonymous144: Looks like it's starting.
VIVA_BOT014: Check your phone and Wi-Fi connection. Your battery should be fine, right?
Anonymous144: Yes.
VIVA_BOT014: I’m really sorry, but today, Dongtanmom is bringing something huge. It looks like we won’t be able to start until after she’s done. Is that okay?
Anonymous144: Yes. That’s fine.
Baek Seung-hyun was continuing his own battle.
At one point, I had seen him as a subordinate, but now, I saw him differently.
He, too, was someone surviving in this world of devastation.
I also recognized that the stories he created were just as valuable as mine, excellent content.
Right now, it was his time.
But my time hadn’t started yet.
Anonymous144: Then, please take care of it.
VIVA_BOT014: Um, SKELTON.
I didn’t have time to answer.
I grabbed my weapon and left my post.
My position was behind a cover I’d set up next to the spotlight, about 100 cm high.
Boom!
Thunder and lightning struck.
In that brief flash, I saw them.
Several armored vehicles standing like demons on the ridge.
I checked my phone.
< Live! Apocalypse! : off-air >
Looking at the screen, I muttered, uncharacteristically.
“Baek Seonbae, please finish quickly...”
Boom!
The thunder struck again.
Figures were closing in under the armored vehicles, opening the gap as they advanced.
