Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 64.1: The Visit (1)

Woo Min-hee decided to visit my home.

When I asked why, she simply said she was curious.

I didn’t press further. Asking too many questions would only lead to her accusing me of hiding something.

Fortunately, I had some time before her arrival.

She planned to come around noon tomorrow, leaving me 16 hours.

A considerable amount of time, yet alarmingly short if you think about it.

There were two key things I needed to hide: the laptop and the satellite equipment.

The laptop was relatively easy to conceal.

Its small size and light weight meant I could stash it almost anywhere with a bit of effort. I planned to wrap it tightly in waterproof plastic and hide it in an inconspicuous spot.

The satellite equipment, however, was a problem.

Currently, it was cleverly hidden on the steep slope leading to the hill above my bunker, nestled between rocks.

Imagine a bamboo shoot just peeking out of the ground—that’s roughly the size of it.

Melon Musk, that genius entrepreneur, had developed the obelisk-style satellite receiver after realizing that traditional dish-shaped receivers had become death traps in a world rife with drones and raiders.

Though people generally referred to it as “satellite equipment,” its official name was the Obelisk.

It weighed 8.9 kg, stood 1.2 meters tall, and had a width of 32 cm.

Despite its compact size and excellent performance, it didn’t consume much electricity and could run for over two hours on its internal battery, provided there wasn’t excessive data traffic.

Truly, one of Melon Musk’s miracles.

The rental fee alone was about $110 per month, though the actual value of the device exceeded $2,000.

The problem, of course, was its distinctive appearance.

Even at a distance, anyone familiar with Viva! Apocalypse! would instantly recognize it.

How was I supposed to hide this thing?

Woo Min-hee is a tenacious woman.

When she suspected me of being Eomchang, her relentless pursuit was enough to prove her doggedness.

To understand the kind of person she is, let me recount an incident from the time I was on assignment in China and she was under probation.

She went missing for three days. When they found her, she was in her boyfriend’s trunk.

Her boyfriend hadn’t kidnapped her. No, she had suspected him of cheating, somehow unlocked the trunk, and locked herself inside to investigate for three days.

The boyfriend turned out to be innocent, but it didn’t matter—they broke up soon after.

To deceive someone like her required resolve and skill.

“...”

I could already foresee her thoroughly searching my entire property, especially places where satellite equipment might be hidden.

She might even bring an expert.

So, I sought advice from an expert of my own on our forum.

SKELTON:

(Skelton in trouble) Quick question: Is it possible to locate satellite equipment using some kind of detection tool, like a gas leak detector that beeps when nearby?

I reached out to Foxgames, the game developer and the most tech-savvy person on our forum.

Foxgames:

I’ve never heard of a way to locate satellite equipment like that.

SKELTON:

(Skelton relieved) That’s what I thought.

Foxgames:

Well, never say never. If someone close to Melon Musk’s company wanted to, they might build something like what you described.

SKELTON:

So, the chances are slim, right?

Foxgames:

Yeah, slim. Oh, by the way, I’m about to launch Monster Park. I’ll send you a link code. As promised, it’s a royal account just for you.

Foxgames sent me a message with a link to a website. It seemed like I could log in with a special account he had made for me.

SKELTON:

(Skelton bows respectfully) Thanks.

Thanks to Foxgames, I confirmed that the worst-case scenario was unlikely.

In other words, I didn’t need to move the satellite equipment.

Relocating it would have been a monumental task. I’d have to dismantle the elaborate camouflage I’d set up, dig deep into the ground, and risk leaving traces behind.

Freshly dug soil has a distinctive smell and color.

With the two most critical items—the laptop and the satellite equipment—taken care of, I still had more work to do.

To fool someone as suspicious as Woo Min-hee, I needed more than just hiding my equipment.

It had to look natural.

What do I do in my spare time?

What hobbies do I have?

Do I use a computer?

I had to prepare smooth answers for every possible question.

In short, I needed to exude “natural human charm.”

I had already devised a basic scenario.

For example, I replaced the laptop with a barely-used desktop computer, placing it where the laptop had been.

The contents of the desktop were carefully curated for this occasion.

I tidied up the house, even hanging a portrait of Jang Ki-young—a person Min-hee despises—that he had forced on me.

My bunker had transformed into an experimental stage showcasing “human Park Gyu.”

“Phew.”

The cleaning was done.

Now, all that remained was to wait.

I’d have to rely on my quick thinking and adaptability.

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After all, the person I was dealing with was closer to a monster than a human.

*

“Senior, we’re almost there.”

From afar, the roar of helicopter blades grew louder.

The rendezvous point was an abandoned U.S. airfield.

The plan was simple: I’d meet her there, load her into the truck, and bring her to my bunker.

The helicopter descended onto the airstrip, its rotors whipping up a storm of dust and debris.

As the door slid open, Woo Min-hee stepped out.

Her metallic prosthetic arm and leg gleamed under the sunlight, scars etched across her face, which still retained a trace of the elegance she once had.

Dressed in a white lab coat befitting her title as a research director, she stepped out with a calm demeanor, waving her prosthetic arm toward me.

“Min-hee. Welcome.”

I greeted her with a forced, bright smile that I didn’t mean in the slightest.

But she wasn’t alone.

Behind her, a young woman in a hunter’s uniform stepped cautiously out of the helicopter, trailing behind Woo Min-hee like a shadow.

Who was she?

Her face, in her early twenties, seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place her.

The advanced hunter uniform marked her as someone from a new generation and, without a doubt, an Awakened.

“Is that our limousine?” Min-hee asked with a sly smile, her gaze fixed on my truck.

“Yeah, it’s not much.”

“Not much? You personally came to pick me up. It’s a limousine to me.”

She walked toward the truck, the Awakened hunter glancing nervously at me as she followed.

Min-hee’s subdued yet commanding presence was obvious.

Without a word, the hunter climbed into the truck’s cargo bed, clearly accustomed to taking orders.

I climbed into the driver’s seat alongside Min-hee.

“Quite the surprise that you’d want to see my bunker,” I said, steering the conversation.

“Well, you’re still my senior. Shouldn’t I at least see how you live?”

“Alright, let’s get going.”

“Wait.”

Min-hee leaned out of the window, gesturing with her prosthetic arm.

Two soldiers exited the helicopter, rolling out drums of synthetic fuel.

“What’s that?”

“A gift.”

“A gift?”

“You know I don’t show up empty-handed.”

Considering she didn’t contribute a dime to Kim Daram’s wedding, her words rang hollow.

When I moved to help with the fuel drums, she stopped me.

“Leave it. They need something to do.”

In that brief remark, I could sense her view of people as tools, a sentiment that felt chillingly precise.

The truck was loaded with a staggering amount of synthetic fuel—more than I expected, almost to the point of excess.

“Isn’t this a bit much?”

“No. If anything, it’s probably not enough.”

“Why are you giving me so much?”

“You know how cold this winter’s supposed to be, right?”

“Well... yeah?”

“They’re saying it’ll be brutal.”

Once the cargo was loaded, the soldiers waved goodbye, and Min-hee tapped the windowsill with her prosthetic fingers.

“Let’s go.”

The young hunter trailing behind her piqued my curiosity, but both women remained silent.

So I followed suit, keeping my questions to myself.

We drove through familiar roads to my domain.

“Is this it?”

When I parked the truck, Min-hee stepped out, taking a long look around the barren surroundings.

“Hmm.”

She wore that faint, unreadable smile as she surveyed the area, taking in my territory.

“So, this is where you live, senior.”

“Pretty desolate, huh?”

“Where’s the bunker? Over there?”

The garage door was open, which was unusual for me, but I figured it made sense since I was expecting her and had little to hide at the moment.

Honestly, I almost wished the Legion faction would show up now.

No matter how many soldiers or what equipment they brought, they’d be no match for Min-hee.

But luck wasn’t on my side. The Legion hadn’t shown their faces in months, and today was no exception.

“This is my garage, and here’s my bunker,” I said, gesturing toward the entrance.

“Wow.”

Min-hee wandered through the garage, inspecting the setup with a critical eye.

“Pretty big and well-built. Lots of equipment. Must’ve cost you a fortune.”

“It wasn’t cheap.”

“What do you think, Yujin?”

She addressed the young hunter, who flinched at being spoken to.

“Oh, uh, it’s well-made! Really impressive!”

Barely in her early twenties, Yujin clearly belonged to a younger generation, and her nerves were evident as she avoided meeting Min-hee’s eyes.

Humming a little tune, Min-hee wandered further into the space.

“Where’s the bunker itself?”

“Here.”

I led the two into my carefully curated sanctuary.

“This is...”

I refrained from mentioning the actual name of my bunker, Skelton Royal House.

“This is my bunker.”

Plain and unremarkable.

That was the stance I had decided on to handle Min-hee today.

“This is my bed, my armory, and all my ammunition. I clean and maintain everything at least once a week.”

“Hmm. What’s that? A toilet?”

“Yep.”

“Ah, and the ventilation system’s over there? Very you.”

She wandered around, making idle comments before zeroing in on my computer.

Of course, she turned it on without asking.

“Min-hee?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your computer.”

“What? Why are you—wait, hold on...”

“Oh my.”

Her expression shifted as she spotted the desktop wallpaper: a scantily clad Western model in a bikini, set against a tropical backdrop.

Not my taste, but carefully chosen to project “natural human charm.”

“Senior, is this your type?”

“Ah, come on. What’s with suddenly turning on someone else’s computer? It’s embarrassing. Haha.”

“Oh? And what’s this?”

She had found something else.

“Oh my.”

I didn’t need to look to know what it was: a folder labeled “Rare Birds,” filled with bikini-clad Western women.

A calculated move, carefully prepared to show a believable level of casual humanity.

The contents weren’t too explicit, just enough to strike a balance and avoid backlash.

“Interesting collection, senior.”

Her fingers scrolled the mouse wheel with increasing irritation, her expression growing more annoyed.

Victory felt close.

Then she called out.

“Yujin.”

The young Awakened hunter froze as Min-hee summoned her.

“Y-yes, Director?”

“Take a look around. Use your Awakened ability.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Yujin’s face turned pale as she nervously circled the room.

In that moment, I noticed it—a faint glow in her eyes.

Min-hee’s smirk widened.

“Yujin’s a clairvoyant.”

“...”

“Yujin, don’t look at the walls. Check above us. I bet the satellite equipment is up there. You remember what it looks like, right? I showed you earlier.”

“...”

Calm.

Min-hee enjoyed toying with people, and her snake-like gaze was fixed on my face, looking for any cracks.

“Senior, you’re not hiding anything, are you?”

“Nope. What would I hide?”

I was Professor for a reason.

There were countless reasons for the title, but Jang Ki-young’s greatest admiration for me was for my unshakable composure in any situation.

“What satellite equipment?”

Of course, that composure came not from ignorance but from sharp observation.

Two things gave me confidence:

First, Yujin’s gaze wasn’t quite directed at the right spot. My equipment was further back.

Second, her tone and delivery were unnaturally stiff, like reading from a textbook.

“Hmm.”

Min-hee’s smile faded.

“Alright.”

She sighed, running her hand through her hair, revealing scars hidden beneath.

She must’ve taken shrapnel to the head at close range. Surviving without losing her sight was nothing short of miraculous.

After exhaling deeply, she stared vacantly at the far side of the bunker.

“Senior, what do you think of Yang Sang-gil?”

Her tone carried a weight that suggested this was her real reason for coming.