Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 121: Standoff

Chairman Park Cheol-joo of the Seokju Group was quite a well-known tycoon in Viva! Apocalypse!.

In the early days of the collapse, he built a massive fortress that only a conglomerate’s wealth could afford, experienced a dramatic downfall, and then set off toward the romanticized paradise of the Ogasawara Islands.

As a businessman, he had always been stuck in second place. But in terms of generating buzz, he overshadowed every other tycoon in South Korea.

However, his end... how should I put it?

It was somewhat unexpected.

I learned of his demise from the newly established World! Apocalypse! forum.

Its basic format was the same as PaleNet’s discussion boards.

The administrator handpicked the hottest posts from various forums and compiled them into a separate section, making them accessible worldwide through Melon Mask’s AI-powered translation system.

It was such a god-tier update that I found myself wondering why it hadn’t been implemented sooner.

Well, Melon Mask must have snapped out of his depressive funk long enough to actually get some work done.

In any case, this new forum was how I found out about Park Cheol-joo’s fate.

It all started with a post from a user on the Japanese board.

Hirama_KG: Ogasawara Islands Status Update

The World! Apocalypse! board also introduced a feature called Named Profiles, which provided brief summaries of notable figures.

According to his profile, this Japanese user was a rare type of survivor—a maritime nomad who lived aboard a sailing yacht, relying on fishing and occasional trips to shore for supplies.

During one of his resupply stops at the Ogasawara Islands, he expected to find a tropical paradise.

Instead, what he found was a wasteland.

"There was nothing left alive. But as I got closer to the island, I heard gunshots. I understood immediately. Resources are always scarce on an island. An island alone can’t sustain fifty thousand people. It’s not like the mainland, where you freeze to death in winter. So, what happens when supply shipments from the mainland stop?"

People were still alive in that so-called paradise.

But paradise had turned into hell.

In a lawless, cannibalistic dystopia, Park Cheol-joo’s chances of survival were next to none.

At the time of this report, Park Cheol-joo was the last confirmed surviving chairman of a major conglomerate.

The once-dominant business elite of South Korea had crumbled in the face of the apocalypse.

Just as his story seemed to be reaching its final chapter, someone I had nearly forgotten appeared before me.

And ironically, they were people more obsessed with the concept of wealth than anyone else.

*

They arrived around noon.

Their entrance was anything but subtle.

Two trucks and an SUV tore across the highway, kicking up dust.

I knew they were heading for my territory the moment they veered off the main road and took a nearly invisible side path leading toward my domain.

Clang— Clang— Clang—

Bang Jae-hyuk struck the lid of a hanging iron pot, triggering the alarm.

Everyone who had been working within the perimeter grabbed their weapons and moved to secure shelter.

At the time, I was scouting the Necropolis area with Ballantine. The moment I heard the alarm, I grabbed my rifle and assessed the situation.

Bang Jae-hyuk reported in.

"About twenty armed men. Each vehicle has a mounted heavy weapon. They’re fully loaded."

A fully armed combat unit.

Hearing the report, I was reminded of the academy hunters who had once been a thorn in my side.

The vehicles were coming from the east.

And the east belonged to the Legion faction.

"Prepare for battle."

They hadn't sent any message, so I ordered everyone to be on guard.

Cheon Young-jae was stationed in a nearby village, so I had him act independently.

"Got it. I’m approaching their location now."

"Don’t get spotted. Keep it as safe as possible."

"Understood."

I pulled out a hidden ace from my stockpile.

A Javelin anti-tank missile.

"Anyone know how to use this?"

Ha Tae-hoon raised his hand.

I handed the Javelin to Ha Tae-hoon while the Defender siblings launched a pair of drones—one for reconnaissance, the other for combat.

She grinned as she attached a mortar shell to the combat drone’s underside.

By the time I took position on the outer wall, we could hear the vehicles struggling up the slope below.

I switched my K-Walkie to the public frequency and attempted contact.

"Vehicles ahead, stop immediately. If you do not wish for unnecessary combat, halt your vehicles and respond. You have one minute."

I signaled Ha Tae-hoon to stand by for a Javelin strike.

"If they ignore us and charge forward, fire immediately."

It was a waste, but if I could take out a truck carrying over ten men, it was a fair trade.

Better to use it than let it collect dust.

"What should I do?"

Ballantine stood under the wall, gripping his rifle, hesitating.

"Wait below for now. Just in case."

Two drones soared into the sky.

We were fully prepared for battle.

This was our first combat engagement since adopting a communal survival strategy.

Losses were inevitable.

But unlike when I was alone, I wouldn’t be facing a pointless defeat.

Soon, the vehicles emerged from below the ridge.

I signaled Ha Tae-hoon and took aim.

The tension was at its peak—only battle remained.

Then, the K-Walkie crackled.

"Park Gyu? Park Gyu?"

A woman’s voice.

One I recognized.

I responded immediately.

"Stop your vehicles. Now. Or I will open fire."

The vehicles screeched to a halt.

Ironically, they stopped just as they caught sight of the outer wall.

It felt less like compliance and more like they had realized storming in wouldn’t be easy.

Suppressing my suspicions, I focused on the voice.

Two names flashed through my mind.

"Ji, was it?"

Ha Tae-hoon and Bang Jae-hyuk turned to me.

"Someone you know?"

"I know her, but we’re not exactly close."

The radio crackled again.

"It’s me, Ji Young-hee."

Ah, that was her name.

I still remembered.

The image of those trust-fund brats lined up for show at the conglomerate-run soup kitchen, flanked by their attendants.

She had come to my territory once before.

My impression of her hadn’t been positive.

She was overly calculating.

The kind of person who would even place herself on a scale.

"..."

I kept my rifle trained on the barely visible tops of the trucks below, watching for movement.

Communicating via radio while deploying troops was a common tactic.

Fortunately, thanks to the wireless network Hong Da-jeong had set up, we could all monitor the drones’ live feed.

On my phone screen, I saw the enemy soldiers waiting inside the trucks and the vehicles lined up behind them.

They weren’t making a move yet.

"It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I meant to visit sooner, but things have been tough on our end. By the way, I see you have some new additions."

Ji Young-hee chattered from inside the truck.

I felt a twinge of disgust but kept my tone neutral.

"Why have you come here with an armed force?"

She wasn’t here for anything good.

It could be because of my Skelton username.

Even in this brutal era, bringing three vehicles loaded with over twenty-five combatants would raise suspicions.

Why so many?

Were they here to take my bunker?

No, she didn’t know about my real bunker.

The one she and her father remembered had already been destroyed—obliterated by Ha Tae-hoon.

Then what?

As my doubts grew, the radio crackled again.

"...It’s nothing, really."

"Get to the point."

I let my frustration seep into my voice.

Even through the static, my anger was evident.

"Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"Do I not have a reason to be?"

"Why, exactly, are you angry?"

I let out a deep sigh into the radio.

She wasn’t even trying to hide it.

This was a clear act of aggression.

Whether they fired their weapons or not was irrelevant.

Bringing this many armed men into my territory was a declaration of war.

If I had been alone?

I didn’t even need to guess.

"Let’s be honest with each other."

This was my final warning.

I wasn’t going to listen to any more excuses.

But Ji Young-hee was sharp.

The kind of insight only a lifelong servant to a conglomerate family could develop.

"I think there’s been a misunderstanding."

I could hear it.

The sound of her mind racing.

She clearly wanted to avoid a fight, but depending on her answer, there might not be a choice.

Just then, Cheon Young-jae’s voice crackled through my earpiece.

"I’ve got them from behind. Just give the signal."

Her next words would decide the fate of many.

Beep—

The Javelin in Ha Tae-hoon’s hands let out a targeting tone.

It meant the missile was locked and ready to fire.

A cold silence hung in the air before Ji Young-hee’s voice finally came through the radio.

"First of all, I’d like to apologize—for suddenly showing up with all these people."

"State your purpose. Now."

"Sigh. Alright. I understand."

A figure stepped out from behind one of the trucks.

Ji Young-hee.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Still dressed immaculately, as if the world hadn’t ended.

Holding the radio in one hand, she stared up at the outer wall and spoke.

"I came to take you with me, Park Gyu."

I slowly stepped onto the outer wall.

Bang Jae-hyuk /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and Ha Tae-hoon glanced up at me with Are you serious? expressions, but this was the right move.

Leaders talk with leaders.

At least a pretense of formality had to be maintained.

I looked down at Ji Young-hee, who was barely visible in the distance, waiting for her to continue.

Her voice came through the radio.

"We need a skilled hunter. And when I saw you last time, I noticed how tough your life was. I figured it would be better for both you and us if you joined us."

"So, you thought bringing thirty heavily armed men without warning was the right way to go about it?"

I didn’t laugh, but the absurdity was enough to make me want to.

Her intentions were obvious.

She must have thought that a force of about thirty men, fully armed, would be enough to drag me out of here.

Monster hunting. That’s what they wanted me for.

The one profession I had ever been officially acknowledged for.

"You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you. Honestly, I was surprised. Seeing that wall and all."

"I have no intention of going with you. This is where I belong, and this is where I’ll die."

"Come with us to Seoul."

She briefly lowered her radio and locked eyes with me.

"In the end, Seoul is where we all need to go. We’ve been wandering for too long, but the truth is, there’s nowhere else left. Everything we need is there. But as you know, Seoul is crawling with monsters. A skilled hunter isn’t just useful—they’re essential. That’s why I thought of you."

She kept looking up at me.

I didn’t respond.

There was nothing to say.

"I’m really sorry."

She pressed on.

"We’ll treat you well. Can’t you at least consider coming with us?"

"..."

"I’m not saying this without proof. A former Seoul government official provided my father with information about a secret facility the government left behind before fleeing to Jeju. It was meant to be a contingency plan in case they ever returned. But the scale of it is beyond anything you’d imagine."

It was the first time I’d ever heard Ji Young-hee talk so fast.

"If we can take control of that facility, we’ll have food, weapons, power—everything we could possibly need for years. We’ll build a ‘Little Seoul’ inside the ruins of the real one."

She sighed, looking back up at me.

"But to get there, we’ll have to get through a massive number of monsters. And some even come down from Paju every now and then. Most of them get wiped out, but a few make it all the way to Seoul. That’s why we need your skills. We won’t force you into battle. Just help train and command our people. We have to fight monsters anyway, so please—please give us a chance."

There was no chance.

Why would I give an opportunity to someone whose very intentions were rotten?

"If we reach that facility, we’ll have everything. Everything!"

Bang!

I fired a single round into the sky.

That was my answer.

I shot Ji Young-hee a cold glare before stepping back behind cover, signaling everyone to prepare for battle again.

She stared at me, looking utterly drained, her hands dropping to her sides.

The radio stayed silent, but through the drone’s feed, we could see her lips forming a single, clear word.

"...Fuck!"

She turned around and climbed back into the vehicle.

Through Hong Da-jeong’s real-time drone feed, we watched as the intruders made a U-turn and left the area.

It was over.

The trespassers were gone.

No casualties. No damage. Just lingering tension that slowly faded.

"What the hell was that? Who was she?"

Everyone was curious.

I answered immediately.

"You all know Chairman Je Pung-ho, right? She’s one of his subordinates. Her father ran a first-tier subcontractor. Unlike Je Pung-ho, she actually built a power base of her own and managed to survive. She’s one of the few people who knew I was here, and today, she tried to drag me away by force."

If I had been alone, I might not have been able to resist.

But given my personality, it would have ended one of two ways—I’d be dead, or they would.

The gates opened as Cheon Young-jae walked in, scratching his head.

He looked at me and smirked.

"That woman was pretty damn gorgeous, though."

"Then go ask her out."

"But seriously, what she said... isn’t tempting at all?"

Cheon Young-jae wasn’t the only one thinking that.

The other hunters gave me similar looks.

Bang Jae-hyuk spoke up.

"Now that you mention it, we’ve heard that rumor too. Before the government fled to Jeju, they supposedly left behind a hidden facility in Seoul—one with all the infrastructure needed to support ten million refugees."

So that rumor was floating around, huh?

I chuckled.

"Who knows?"

There was no such thing as a paradise falling from the sky.

The fate of those who sought out paradise had already been written.

Ji Young-hee and her father, Ji Chang-soo, might actually find that secret treasure trove.

Maybe they would get their wish—to live like the wealthy elite once more.

But that paradise had no place for me.

Besides, I already had my own foundation.

Looking around at my people, armed and ready, I smiled.

"Dismissed."

I wouldn’t call this place a paradise.

It was decent, sure, but ultimately, it was just another one of the countless bunkers scattered across South Korea.

But one thing was certain.

I couldn’t live anywhere else.